Social Work
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11274/15383
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Exploring Distance Learning Experience among University Students(2023) Nahar, Shamsun; Islam, Shahima; Dellanbbia, Anna; Dey, Anik; Hyder, TasawarThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted educational systems worldwide, leading to the closure of schools and universities. As a result, schools and universities have been forced to modify the way teaching and learning occurs. Specifically, universities had to adopt alternate learning platforms to provide instructions to learners remotely. This study explores the effects of COVID-19 on learning experience among university students in Bangladesh. Exploring students’ perceptions and behavioral responses to learning identifies pedagogical obstacles and novel approaches to address the challenges. Following IRB approval, study data was drawn from 60 students by conducting ten focus groups at six public and private universities in Bangladesh. The findings of our study include five major themes: (1) “they were behind for almost two years;” (2) “the internet issue was a big problem;” (3) “financially, it impacted a lot;” (4) “I felt anxious, depressed, and hopeless;” and (5) “problems like headaches and back pain.” Findings of the study address the need to prioritize need-based support and increase capacities and related skills to provide education remotely in Bangladesh. Findings can also guide educators and university administrators in responding effectively to support students.Item The Relation between Acculturation and Psychological Well-Being among Adolescents of Asian Origin(2018) Li, Yong; Guo, YuqiThe current study aimed to test the direct and indirect effects of acculturation on the psychological well-being among the adolescent children of Asian origin. Subgroup analysis was conducted to compare these effects between Asian refugee and non-refugee children. Data were from the follow-up survey of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). The analytic sample included adolescents from Asian refugee families (N = 563) and non-refugee families (N = 779). Adolescent acculturation was assessed by three proxy measures: nativity, time in the United States, and U.S. preference. Family dynamics were measured by adolescents’ perceptions about parent-child conflict and family cohesion. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings suggested that the direct effects of acculturation on psychological well-being were dependent upon the proxy measure of acculturation and the immigration type. Mediation analyses showed that higher level of acculturation was generally related to higher parent-child conflict and lower family cohesion, which, in turn, were associated with lower psychological well-being in the refugee subsample, but not the non-refugee subsample. Our findings call for programs that can take advantage of the protective role of family cohesion and reduce the negative impact of parent-child conflict. Special attention needs to be paid to the refugee population from Asia.Item Psychometric Properties of the Job Burnout Scale among Social Service Workers: A Pilot Study(2020) Thomas, Madhavappallil; Li, YongThis study examined the psychometric properties of the Job Burnout Scale among Social Service Workers (JBSSW). The JBSSW was administered among 248 social service workers employed in governmental and nonprofit social service agencies. Findings show that that this scale has three independent dimensions: person-related burnout, work-related burnout, and agency-related burnout. All three dimensions have good reliability and construct validity. Work-related burnout and agencyrelated burnout also have good concurrent validity. This scale may be used by social service agencies, researchers, and practitioners to gauge staff burnout and alleviate it by changing the interactions between individuals, the nature of their work, and the agency environment.Item The mediating role of job satisfaction in the stressor–strain relationship among Chinese government employees(2023-11-22) Li, Yong; Yang, Fengyin; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, ZhaoIn recent years, China has seen a sharp increase in job stress-related suicides among government employees. Existing research already identifies a stressor–strain relationship, although more studies are warranted to investigate how this relationship is played out among Chinese government employees. The Healthy Work Organization model posits that work adjustment (such as job satisfaction) can mediate the stressor–strain relationship. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of job satisfaction (as a mediator variable) in the relationship between job stressors and job strain among Chinese government employees. Convenience sampling was used to collect data among 505 government employees in Hangzhou, China. Online and face-to-face survey data were collected and analyzed in Mplus Version 8.3. Mediation analyses using the bootstrapping method revealed that job satisfaction fully mediated the effects of relationships and recognition and partially mediated the effect of home-work balance. However, it did not mediate the effect of personal responsibility. Given these findings, Chinese government agencies can boost job satisfaction by providing more supervisory support and career development opportunities and by reducing the interference of work with their employees’ family life. These moves will likely reduce job stress-related mental and physical health symptoms.Item Adopting VR in the classroom: Perceptions of bilingual and ESL education pre-service teachers(EDMETIC, 2022) Figueroa Flores, Jorge F.; Huffman, Lisa; Lozada, Victor; Rosa-Dávila, EmarelyVirtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology that is gaining momentum in education and has led to new teaching approaches. Moreover, it has spark interest in educator preparation programs and especially in the training of bilingual and ESL pre- service teachers. This article showcases a qualitative study conducted with n=27 undergraduate bilingual and ESL pre-service teachers. The study sought to determine the perception of bilingual and ESL pre-service teachers with VR and provide an understanding of VR mobile applications' experiences. All results were obtained from guided reflections made by pre-service teachers enrolled in the course theories of second language acquisition for ESL and bilingual teacher at a university located in north Texas. A content analysis was performed to analyze the reflections, and three categories were determined: strengths of VR, limitations of VR, and VR mobile applications. The findings revealed a positive perception towards the strengths of VR with 60%, including promotes student engagement (41%) and motivates students (29%). On the other hand, pre-service teachers perceived limitations of VR, including associated costs (44%) and the ability to access the internet (31%). Finally, VR mobile applications which offered VR tours were perceived to enhance learning experiences, including Google Expeditions (51%) and VR Tube (23%).Item Racial/ethnic differences in HIV testing: An application of the health services utilization model(SAGE, 2018-06) Lo, Celia C.; Runnels, Ratonia C.; Cheng, Tyrone C.This study applying the health services utilization model examined the importance of predisposing, enabling, and need variables to the social mechanisms explaining lifetime HIV testing across racial/ethnic groups. Data for the study were derived from the National Health Interview Survey (collected 2013–2014), our final sample numbering 18,574 adults. Four subsamples reflected race/ethnicity: 13,347 Whites, 2267 Blacks, 2074 Hispanics, and 886 Asians. Logistic regression established respondent odds of ever having received HIV testing. Further statistical testing evaluated race/ethnicity’s potential moderating role in HIV testing. The findings generally support a role for Aday’s predisposing, enabling, and need factors in explaining HIV testing. Across the four subsamples, female gender, older age, and sexual minority status consistently increased lifetime HIV testing. However, we found racial/ethnic differences in HIV testing’s associations with these factors and others. Our study made a beginning in the effort to specify mechanisms leading to HIV testing—and reliable diagnosis—among four racial/ethnic groups. Understanding these mechanisms might multiply opportunities to raise testing rates for all, in turn reducing racial/ ethnic disparities in HIV treatment.