Faculty Publications and Research

The purpose of this article is to share the results of a qualitative research study designed to shed light on the perspectives of inclusive prekindergarten classroom teachers in the United States. This study used surveys, interviews, and classroom observations to explore understandings of recently adopted learning standards and accountability reforms, as well as perceptions of the benefits and challenges of today’s inclusive prekindergarten settings. Data revealed four primary themes: early childhood teachers in inclusive prekindergarten settings value collaboration; they believe inclusive settings have the potential to benefit all children; inclusive prekindergarten teachers are facing significant new challenges; and, they need additional resources to address the challenges and realize the benefits. Building on these data, the authors provide an argument for the field of early childhood education in the United States to help build the capacity of inclusive prekindergarten settings to meet existing challenges and new demands.

While there has been great deal of research conducted on the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) on trauma symptoms in children and adults, there is less knowledge on the effects on trauma symptoms in female older adult CSA survivors. The aim of this study was to investigate current symptoms of trauma in adult female survivors of child sexual abuse across each successive decade, beginning with eighteen year olds. This retrospective, anonymous online study gathered a sample of 223 adult female survivors of CSA (38 of whom were aged 50–59 (17%), and 20 of whom were 60 + years of age (9%)), and surveyed their trauma history and their current symptomology. In our sample, the survivors with the most severe trauma symptoms were between 18 and 29 years old. Each subsequent decade reported fewer trauma symptoms, with respondents in the 60+ age group reporting the lowest trauma symptom severity. While a cross-sectional study does not allow us to evaluate individuals’ experiences over time, these results suggest that the negative impacts of CSA may abate over the life course. Future research should consider these questions longitudinally to explore whether these results are related to survivorship (those with worse outcomes dying younger) and whether these effects endure as female older adults experience physical and mental challenges in later life.

Aspiring physicians face a large amount of information that must be learned and retrieved in real time. The skills that helped medical students reach residency may not be the enough to succeed as a physician. For example, like many students, cramming the night before an exam probably helped achieve a satisfactory score. Unfortunately, cramming does not require that the information be retained and applied overtime. The content acquired in medical school is cumulative, that is, the information learned remains relevant months and even years later. Not only does content need to remembered, the knowledge must be constantly updated as new research makes some information more relevant and other information less important. Finally, the stakes as a physician are high. Forgetting a critical piece of information will not result in a lower test score, it can seriously harm patients. This article is a practical approach to teaching medical doctors, based on a literature review, including practical, scientific, and applied research and strategies ways in which teaching can be done that result in depth of learning in the resident.

The Grand Challenges for Social Work outlined by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare offer a multitude of opportunities for our profession to develop active responses for pressing societal ails. Each challenge charges social workers to engage in innovative and wide-reaching professional endeavors that span research, practice, and policy. Efforts for addressing the grand challenge to “eradicate social isolation” rely on the uniquely “social” dimension of our work pertinent to increasing and strengthening connections across diverse demographic groups (Lubben, Gironda, Sabbath, Kong, & Johnson, 2015).

The Grand Challenges for Social Work developed by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AAS-WSW) offer opportunities for the profession to confront pervasive societal issues. Although these challenges outline varying large-scale aims for social work, each also advocates for innovative strategies that can be readily implemented throughout areas of practice. The challenge to “promote smart decarceration” is no exception with the overarching goal of reimagining the current criminal justice system through progressive evidence-based approaches that transcend discipline and professional divisions (AASWSW, 2017). The need is clear as the United States has the largest incarcerated population in the world by both number and ratio incapacitated.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of literature continues to emerge that addresses the effects of COVID-19 on various populations of interest to social work policy and practice. A substantial number of such articles have been and will be published in Health & Social Work and other journals central to the discipline. This growing body of literature addresses a wide range of presenting concerns across varied settings with attention to particular disparities faced by vulnerable populations. While the focus of social work practice centers around the needs of those we serve, it is essential to consider how COVID-19 has affected—and may enduringly affect—us, both as individuals and professionals.

As per the journal’s scope, the articles and columns published in Health & Social Work address health in a broad context with attention to affected populations and related practice and policy implications. While reflecting these aims, this issue also spurs thought into larger social justice challenges within our healthcare system. The cornerstone of social work and what makes our profession distinctly unique is its mandate for social justice, which is plainly stipulated in the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW, 2021) Code of Ethics. Heightened by our increased knowledge of social determinants of health and the outcomes of disparities, it is widely accepted that healthcare is a social justice issue founded in the general premise that all people should have equal rights and opportunities for treatment (Almgren, 2017; Finn & Jacobson, 2013). This is supported by the Statement of Principles for Ethics in Social Work put forth by the International Federation of Social Workers and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (Bywaters & Napier, 2009; International Federation of Social Workers, 2018). Articles in this issue bring social justice in healthcare to light in confronting unequal rights, opportunities, and treatment among hospital patients and workers, homeless populations, Latinx families, those in rural settings, and those living in communities at risk for environmental threats. Although we are all well acquainted with the idea of social justice, it remains uncertain whether the profession shares a standard definition of the concept and a distinct understanding of how to translate it into practice (Banerjee, 2011). It is much easier to come to a collective agreement when social justice is lacking, than to truly understand what it is and how to achieve it.

At the start of the Biden–Harris administration and the 117th Congress, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2021) outlined critical policy recommendations across an array of topics in the 2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities. These resolutions were developed through an evidence-based lens closely aligned with the Grand Challenges for Social Work supported by the profession (American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, 2017). These policy priorities recognize that social workers perform essential functions in mental, behavioral, and physical healthcare within varied settings and among diverse populations across the country. The 2021 blueprint frames health in a comprehensive manner wherein mental and behavioral health are regarded as essential elements in one’s overall health and wellness.

The White House Initiative: Educate to Innovate (2009) outlines the need for school age children (P-12) to focus more intentionally on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math or STEM. The arts and other developmentally appropriate activities (i.e., blocks, painting, music, etc.) are added to STEM to create STEAM. Specifically, this chapter focuses on Technology, Engineering, and the Arts within the contexts of Science and Mathematics in the early childhood setting. By allowing children the time to explore and create, young children will wonder about the worm around them. The chapter concludes with suggestions for early childhood professionals to create environments (physically, temporally, and inter-personally) that encourage and expand the STEM principles.