EDITORIAL BOARD Robert Davison Aviles, Bradley University Harley E. Baker, California State University–Channel Islands Jean-Guy Blais, Universite de Montreal, Canada Catherine Y. Chang, Georgia State University Robert C. Chope, San Francisco State University Kevin O. Cokley, University of Missouri, Columbia Patricia B. Elmore, Southern Illinois University Shawn Fitzgerald, Kent State University John J. Fremer, Educational Testing Service Vicente Ponsoda Gil, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain Jo-Ida C. Hansen, University of Minnesota Charles C. Healy, University of California at Los Angeles Robin K. Henson, University of North Texas Flaviu Adrian Hodis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Janet K. Holt, Northern Illinois University David A. Jepsen, The University of Iowa Gregory Arief D. Liem, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University Wei-Cheng J. Mau, Wichita State University Larry Maucieri, Governors State College Patricia Jo McDivitt, Data Recognition Corporation Peter F. Merenda, University of Rhode Island Matthew J. Miller, University of Maryland Ralph O. Mueller, University of Hartford Jane E. Myers, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Philip D. Parker, University of Western Sydney Ralph L. Piedmont, Loyola College in Maryland Alex L. Pieterse, University at Albany, SUNY Nicholas J. Ruiz, Winona State University James P. Sampson, Jr., Florida State University William D. Schafer, University of Maryland, College Park William E. Sedlacek, University of Maryland, College Park Marie F. Shoffner, University of Virginia Len Sperry, Florida Atlantic University Kevin Stoltz, University of Mississippi Jody L. Swartz-Kulstad, Seton Hall University Bruce Thompson, Texas A&M University Timothy R. Vansickle, Minnesota Department of Education Steve Vensel, Palm Beach Atlantic University Dan Williamson, Lindsey Wilson College F. Robert Wilson, University of Cincinnati

measurement and evaluation in counseling and Development

Ordinary Magic: Resilience Processes in Development

For young people with refugee backgrounds, establishing a sense of belonging to their family and community, and to their country of resettlement is essential for wellbeing. This paper describes the psychosocial factors associated with subjective health and wellbeing outcomes among a cohort of 97 refugee youth (aged 11-19) during their first three years in Melbourne, Australia. The findings reported here are drawn from the Good Starts Study, a longitudinal investigation of settlement and wellbeing among refugee youth conducted between 2004 and 2008. The overall aim of Good Starts was to identify the psychosocial factors that assist youth with refugee backgrounds in making a good start in their new country. A particular focus was on key transitions: from pre-arrival to Australia, from the language school to mainstream school, and from mainstream school to higher education or to the workforce. Good Starts used a mix of both method and theory from anthropology and social epidemiology. Using standardized measures of wellbeing and generalised estimating equations to model the predictors of wellbeing over time, this paper reports that key factors strongly associated with wellbeing outcomes are those that can be described as indicators of belonging e the most important being subjective social status in the broader Australian community, perceived discrimination and bullying. We argue that settlement specific policies and programs can ultimately be effective if embedded within a broader socially inclusive society - one that offers real opportunities for youth with refugee backgrounds to flourish.

Longing to belong : social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia

Universities in Western countries host a substantial number of international students. These students bring a range of benefits to the host country and in return the students gain higher education. However, the choice to study overseas in Western countries may present many challenges for the international student including the experience of acculturative stress and difficulties with adjustment to the environment of the host country. The present paper provides a review of current acculturation models as applied to international students. Given that these models have typically been empirically tested on migrant and refugee populations only, the review aims to determine the extent to which these models characterise the acculturation experience of international students. Literature pertaining to salient variables from acculturation models was explored including acculturative stressors encountered frequently by international students (e.g., language barriers, educational difficulties, loneliness, discrimination, and practical problems associated with changing environments). Further discussed was the subsequent impact of social support and coping strategies on acculturative stress experienced by international students, and the psychological and sociocultural adaptation of this student group. This review found that the international student literature provides support for some aspects of the acculturation models discussed, however, further investigation of these models is needed to determine their accuracy in describing the acculturation of international students. Additionally, prominent acculturation models portray the host society as an important factor influencing international students’ acculturation, which suggests the need for future intervention.

A review of the acculturation experiences of international students

Blended, or hybrid, courses have often been touted as the ideal way to facilitate learning as they allow learners to interact in both face-to-face and online settings, thereby experiencing the “bes...

Blended Learning: Balancing the Best of Both Worlds for Adult Learners:

Promoting Wellness in Refugee Populations

Statistical literacy refers to understanding fundamental statistical concepts. Assessment of statistical literacy can take the forms of tasks that require students to identify, translate, compute, read, and interpret data. In addition, statistical instruction can take many forms encompassing course delivery format such as face-to-face, hybrid, online, video capture, and flipped. In this study, we examined statistical literacy of graduate students using a validated assessment tool (the Comprehensive Assessment of Outcomes in Statistics; CAOS) across two increasingly popular delivery formats—hybrid and online. In addition, we examined condensed (six week) semesters to full (16 week) semesters to determine if course length was related to statistical literacy. Our findings suggest that, holding other factors constant, delivery format is not related to statistical literacy for graduate students. This contradicts some existing research that shows hybrid delivery outperforms online only. Our results have...

https://tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10691898.2017.1370363

Statistical Literacy as a Function of Online Versus Hybrid Course Delivery Format for an Introductory Graduate Statistics Course

International students, specifically non-native speakers of English, constitute a growing population of the graduate programs in western-based universities like UK, US, and Australia. Despite their document challenges, these students also demonstrate resilience that when appropriately channeled, could promote their success in graduate school.  The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of non-native speakers of English in education doctoral programs in US.  A qualitative research, specifically a phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of non-native speakers of English in US doctoral programs in education. Participants were six doctoral students on F1 visa or equivalent. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded. Themes that came out of the codes included knowledge, new experience, and support.   Students used both past knowledge from their home countries to connect with new knowledge. They appreciated new experiences provided by professors and the support from both colleagues and mentors. Implications are discussed.

/pdf/resilience-experiences-of-non-native-speakers-of-english-in-17y9epse5r.pdf

Resilience experiences of non-native speakers of English in US education doctoral programs

The study evaluated the contribution of war, trauma, and optimism on growth in adult Liberian former displaced persons traumatized by war-related experiences (N = 444). Hypotheses based on existing literature grounded the path model assessing the relationship among war-related events, trauma, optimism and post-traumatic growth. There were statistically significant correlations among all variables, except between war-related events and optimism [χ2(1) = 0.90; p > .05; CFI = 1.00; GFI = .99; SRMR = 0.02; RMSEA = 0.00]. Clinicians are encouraged to identify resources that traumatized populations use in coping, and incorporate them within the therapeutic environment.

/pdf/optimism-in-trauma-and-growth-a-path-analysis-of-former-war-2ouz1vdzjq.pdf

Optimism in trauma and growth: a path analysis of former war-related displaced persons

A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the factor structure of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL–5) in a non-Western sample (N = 444) of former refugees and internal...

Hannah E. Acquaye

Papers

Promoting Wellness in Refugee Populations

Statistical Literacy as a Function of Online Versus Hybrid Course Delivery Format for an Introductory Graduate Statistics Course

Resilience experiences of non-native speakers of English in US education doctoral programs

Optimism in trauma and growth: a path analysis of former war-related displaced persons

Assessing the factor structure of models for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in a war-related civilian sample