Abstract
On the Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) Qualitative Research Table (American Psychological Association, 2020), there is a subsection under Method > Study Participants or Data Sources called Research-Participant Relationship. I love this section, because it acknowledges that in research, we have the potential to know our participants, to live in community with them, to take on big questions in collectivity, and to make change together. As Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Tunstall, 2014, para 1). Relationships are an important facet of advanced academics, such as those with teachers (Capern & Hammond, 2014), parents and caregivers (Kim et al., 2024), and mentors (Peterson et al., 2024). In the final issue of 2024, 35(4), the concept of relationships threads throughout the articles and extends to the second editorial in the discussion of qualitative research and trustworthiness.
Original Research Articles
In “Navigating AP Research: Unveiling Applied Technology High School Students’ Perspectives, Gains, and Challenges,” Dr. Al Noursi of the Institute of Applied Technology, Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Educational Complex (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) has a goal of contributing to the field of AP literature with an international perspective. Al Noursi presents findings from a student questionnaire that included both closed and open response items and the thematic analysis of students’ course reflection essays regarding their perceptions of the implementation of an AP Research course at an Applied Technical High School. One of the themes from the open course reflection essay centered on teaching behaviors, in particularly the cultivation of strong relationships.
As part of a larger Javits study, Drs. Hayden (Ashworth), Kearney, and Gubbins from the University of Connecticut (USA) dive into mathematical discourse with teacher participants who received a differentiated math unit and professional learning (the treatment group). The researchers present findings from observations and interviews in “Teachers’ Perceptions of Mathematical Discourse.” Relationships abound in this study, such as the relationships between mathematical discourse and student understanding and confidence in math, and the relationship between the students’ participation in the unit and their ability to talk about math with other students and explain their thinking to their teacher.
In “Understanding English Language Arts Teachers’ Listening Orientations in Middle School Gifted Classrooms,” Drs. Gilson, Bruce-Davis, and Lamm from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (USA), University of Louisiana at Lafayette (USA), and Concordia University (Nebraska, USA), respectively, stay on the topic of discourse, but through the lens of listening. The researchers explore the relationship between discourse and listening throughout the article, as well as clearly delineate how the teachers listened to their gifted and talented students and share the different purposes that the teachers had for listening to the students. Be sure to visit the online publication at https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X241259063 to access the Supplemental Material for this article.
Ms. Saltanat Mukhamadiyeva conducted her master's thesis on the topic of adaptive learning in gifted education at Nazarbayev University, Graduate School of Education (Astana, Kazakhstan). Mukhamadiyeva and her advisor Dr. Hernández-Torrano wrote up this study as “Adaptive Learning to Maximize Gifted Education: Teacher Perceptions, Practices, and Experiences.” According to Dr. Hernández-Torrano, the article was published #OnlineFirst a year after the thesis submission, congratulations on your graduate research, Ms. Mukhamadiyeva (now a doctoral student!). In this study, researchers present findings from interviews with eight high school science teachers at specialized gifted schools in Kazakhstan, consisting of strategies used as well as positive perceptions and challenges experienced with adaptive learning. These challenges tie into the editorial word of relationships, as Mukhamadiyeva & Hernández-Torrano report concerns regarding the use of adaptive learning having a limiting impact on both student-student and teacher-student relationships. Don’t forget to view the Supplemental Material for this article at https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X241253166.
Drs. Lee and LaHaye from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Berchmans Academy, in nearby Grand Coteau, LA (USA), respectively, shine a light on rural access to mathematics in Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas, the first two states having the distinction of being top priority states for rural education policy by the “Why Rural Matters” annual report (Showalter et al., 2023). In “Unequal Access to the Mathematics Course Ladder for Rural Students in the Southern States,” researchers relay the spatial relationship of course offerings, exploring the inequities in available opportunities and the disproportionality in student representation in high-level mathematic choices.
Dr. Zulfiqar and Ms. Abbasi from the University of Haripur (Haripur, Pakistan) investigate the relationship between test anxiety and the psychological constructs of imposter syndrome and perfectionism in the final original research article in 35(4). Quantitatively analyzing the results of three surveys, the researchers present their findings in “Mediating Role of Test Anxiety in Association between Imposter Phenomenon and Perfectionism among High-Achieving Students.” There are not only correlational relationships throughout this study, but the editorial word emerges metaphorically in both imposter syndrome and perfectionism, via internal battles over an imagined or demanded self and an actual or realistic self.
Praxis Articles
By examining the programmatic strategies such as the Syrian Scientific Olympiad, the National Centre for Distinguished Students, and Academic Programs for Distinguished Students, three researchers from Damascus (The Syrian Arab Republic) share methods of identification and support for gifted and talented students in Syria. In “Enriching Minds: The Gifted Education Landscape in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Dr. Al-Raeei from Damascus University and Dr. Azmeh and Ms. AlDakak representing the Distinction and Creativity Agency share the theoretical basis of identification, programmatic implementation, and desired program outcomes for students, then present these topics in practice in this praxis article. One of the programmatic outcomes for gifted and talented students that the researchers discuss is interpersonal skills and communication, including relationships, belongingness, and social development.
Ms. Digarbayeva, Dr. Kaliyeva, and Dr. Batayeva from Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan), along with Dr. Bakirova from Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan) and Dr. Köksal from Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University (Nigde, Türkiye) share their goal to understand how authentic lab practices build the competencies of scientists-in-training. In “Enhancing the Professional Skills of Future Biologists through Laboratory Training,” the researchers share their theory-to-practice work, implementing a research-based structured model of professional skills development in a biology lab setting. In this article, relationships are woven into the correlation between high school and college pedagogy, in the skills of group work, and in the teaching of choices and consequences.
JoAA Relationships
In my first editorial in 35(1), I introduced myself and the sole associate editor, Dr. Keri Guilbault. It is a great honor to share the new relationships we have formed over the past year and introduce the rest of our team at JoAA:
Associate Editor: Dr. Enyi Jen of Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. Assistant Editors: Dr. Anna Payne of the University of Wyoming and Dr. Annessia (AJ) Bullard of the University of Georgia. Social Media Manager: Yuyang (Ashley) Shen of the University of North Texas.
We have also welcomed several new Editorial Board members; an up-to-date listing is posted on our website: https://journals-sagepub-com-s.web.bisu.edu.cn/editorial-board/JOA. Thank you for all you do in support of the field!
Yours in justice, grace, and joy,
