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Building Social Capital through Professional Classroom Interaction

Building Social Capital through Professional Classroom Interaction. Kyle Sharp AED 615: Investigations and Studies in Applied Research Fall 2006. Who is Kyle Sharp?. Graduate of Coolidge High School B.S. Agricultural Economics and Business Management (UofA 2005) Licensed Financial Advisor

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Building Social Capital through Professional Classroom Interaction

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  1. Building Social Capital through Professional Classroom Interaction Kyle Sharp AED 615: Investigations and Studies in Applied Research Fall 2006

  2. Who is Kyle Sharp? • Graduate of Coolidge High School • B.S. Agricultural Economics and Business Management (UofA 2005) • Licensed Financial Advisor • 1 Year of Experience in Financial Services Industry (Ameriprise Financial) • Currently working on M.S. in Agricultural Education Concurrent MBA

  3. Introduction to Social Capital in the Classroom • Need for mastery of academic material. • Lacking connection to the world outside of academia. • Business Scandals • Enron, Tyco, and Options back dating • Competitive business environment.

  4. Why look at social capital in schools? • Need for businesses to gain positive community ties. • Need for students to understand expectations of the work place first hand.

  5. Purpose Statement • The purpose of this survey research is to test the theory that social capital can be built by professional involvement in the classroom as well as improve student performance and attitudes. • The dependent variables, student achievement and social capital, will be measured against the independent variable of business professionals in the classroom. • Student achievement will be measured with beginning and end of semester test scores. • Social capital will be measured by attitudes toward the professionals and the organizations for which they work.

  6. Objectives • The objectives of this study are to observe the influence of introducing outside professionals into a high school classroom environment. • Specifically, the study will look at changes in student attitude and performance as well as changes in feelings toward the outside professionals and their professions as potential careers for students. • Ultimately students, educators, and outside professionals will work together to attempt to build social capital.

  7. Assumptions Honesty Classes are typical of all classes in Arizona. Independent and dependent variables will be assumed to have only major effects. Limitations Geography Sample Size Recruitment Lack of a formal measure of Social Capital (Coffe, 2006). Assumptions and Limitations

  8. What does all of this mean? • Outside Professional: any person considered to be well trained and experienced in a career outside of education. • Social capital: normal views of trust and reciprocity in groups or networks (Coffe, 2006)

  9. What do we already know? • Social Capital can be applied to education. • Helping vulnerable families build networks to help students (Terrion, 2006) • Trust in the classroom is important both ways and was demonstrated when looking at student input into class activity (Pedder, 2006) • The integration of child services in schools and how social capital can improve the process (Forbes, 2006) • Social capital’s role in school selection at the family level (Lynch, 2006).

  10. What else do we already know? • Social capital in community development. • The role of trust in society and exchange of information (Levitt, 2005). • Neighborhood dynamics and mobility of families are both affected to levels of social capital (Dawkins, 2006). • Diversity in communities can be a challenge to developing social capital (Coffe, 2006).

  11. Do we know even more? • Social capital is useful in the business world. • Social capital develops within social classes and can be used to explain market phenomena (Das, 2006). • Small businesses can benefit from social capital building to share clients and resources (Jurik, 2006). • Social capital can even play a role in the potential for an offer of an interview or even a job (Nguyen, 2006).

  12. Why should anyone care? • Community trust helps build success and cooperation. • Businesses can grow by building personal connections with their patrons and the community at large. • Education can prevent students from falling into negative circumstances as well as show positive role models.

  13. Will this research contribute anything? • Uncover the potential of social capital development to assist in student development and community cohesion. • Reinforce classroom subject matter through real world application.

  14. Procedures Conduct Review of literature Topic Selection Select Study Committee Establish study purpose and objectives Identify courses Identify appropriate outside professional Develop survey and interview questions Identify School sites Invite Schools and Professionals Pilot test Instruments with panel of experts Meet with schools to coordinate curriculum Develop training models Conduct pre-survey and interviews Implement program and observe Introduce Professionals and Educators Coordinate schedules Train Professionals Post surveys and interviews Collect student performance data Data Analysis Report Results

  15. Research Design • Semi-structured interviews to collect feedback and in depth attitudes. • Written survey to collect opinions before and after the program is implemented. • Student data will be compared to a control group that receives no contact with outside professionals.

  16. Population Sample • Population will include 2 schools in Arizona. • One urban school. • One rural school. • 3 courses will be identified • Algebra, English, Agricultural Education • Professions will be selected. • Pharmacy, Finance, and Politics

  17. Reliability and Validity • Reliability and Validity will addressed by pilot testing all instruments with a panel of experts and training all presenters.

  18. References • Coffe, H., Geys, B. (2006). Community Heterogeneity: A burden for the creation of social capital?, Social Science Quarterly, 87, 1053-1072 • Das, R.J. (2006). Putting social capital in its place, Capital and Class, 90(3), 65-92 • Dawkins, C.J. (2006). Are social networks the ties that bind families to neighborhoods?, Housing Studies, 21(6), 867-881 • Forbes, J. (2006). Types of social capital: tools to explore social service integration?, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(6), 565-580 • Jurik, N.C., Cavender, G. (2006). Searching for social capital in U.S. microenterprise development programs. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 33(3), 151-170

  19. References • Levitt, S.D., Dubner, S.J. (2005). Freakonomics. New York, NY: Harper Collins • Lynch, K., Moran, M. (2006). Markets schools and the convertibility of economic capital: The complex dynamics of class choice, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 27(2), 221-235 • Nguyen, N.T., Allen, C.L., & Godkin, R.L. (2006). Recruiters’ assessment and use of social capital in resume screening, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(8), 1813- 1832 • Pedder, D., McIntyre, D. (2006). Pupil consultation: The importance of social capital, Educational Review ,58(2), 145- 157 • Terrion, J.L. (2006). Building social capital in vulnerable families, Youth and Society, 38(2), 155-176

  20. Thank you for your time. Any questions??

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