Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence
JETE is a collaborative publication by multiple units across the Utah State University system. The intent of this journal is to benefit faculty and instructional professionals who teach by providing a place where they can share their ideas, practices, and research around teaching. The intended audience includes faculty and professionals at all institutions who teach, develop instruction, and conduct research related to teaching in higher education.
Current Issue: Volume 9, Issue 1
View the Current Issue PDF View the Current Issue EbookFeatured Article
Learning a Little Bit Harder: The Intersecting Experiences of First-Generation and Single-Mother College Students
Natalie Lecy, University of South Dakota
Elizabeth Hendrix, Utah Valley University
Brian A. Droubay, Utah State University
Abstract
This study examines the experiences of nine first-generation, single-mother college students, focusing on these intersecting, double-jeopardy identities. Participants’ difficulty navigating college varied; contributing factors included family background, social capital, the type of college attended, and whether they established a mentor. The following themes were established: 1) realizing college is an option, 2) caught between two worlds, 3) college wasn’t designed for us, 4) economic barriers, and 5) disparities in social capital. Our findings indicate colleges were unprepared to meet the unique challenges faced by this group. We present recommendations for the incorporation of specific supports in institutions and classrooms of higher education, including making implicit higher education customs explicit by creating cultural roadmaps to help students succeed, informing students of guidelines for successful communication with faculty, emphasizing and investing in completion of degrees as much as recruitment efforts, allowing parental accommodations in the classroom where possible, fostering avenues of personal connection and relationship-building with faculty and peers, and connecting students with financial and community resources as needed.
Featured Book Review
Book review of Rosenberg, B. (2023). “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Harvard Education Press.
Chris Babits
Utah State University
Abstract
Book review of Rosenberg, B. (2023). “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. Harvard Education Press. In “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It,” Brian Rosenberg challenges entrenched traditions in higher education. Combining candid insight and wry humor with bold proposals, Rosenberg critiques static institutional structures, advocates flexible teaching models, and questions the sacrosanct nature of majors. This review highlights Rosenberg’s efforts to foster innovation, inclusivity, and meaningful student engagement in college-level teaching.
Recently Published Articles
1. Adapting Interteaching to a Hybrid Format: A Framework for Implementation
Carmen Farrell
2. Preservice Teacher Education Preparation: Implementation of Personalized Learning and Technology Integration in the Fifth Industrial Revolution
Crystal C. Loose and Rose Jagielo-Manion
3. Teaching Reproducibility to First Year College Students: Reflections From an Introductory Data Science Course
Brennan L. Bean
4. Evaluating Active Lecture and Traditional Lecture in Higher Education
Kathleen Klein, Jennifer Calabrese, Adam Aguiar, Sunny Mathew, Kimoni Ajani, Rania Almajid, and Jennifer Aarons
5. Book Review Rural Education in America: What Works for Our Students, Teachers, and Communities
Sunshine L. Brosi, Marilyn M. Cuch, Spencer Spotted Elk, Julie Stevens, and Gustavo A. Ovando-Montejo
JETE Worldwide Readership
Search JETE
Looking for a specific article? All previous issues of JETE are searchable by topic, keyword, or author. Click the button below to search now:
Now Accepting Article Submissions
Submit NowAudience and Topics
We encourage tenure and non-tenure track faculty who teach, instructional designers, librarians, graduate teaching assistants, graduate instructors and other instructional professionals to submit articles on the following topics:
- student engagement
- teaching and learning evaluation
- instructional design strategies
- content, resources, and tools
- technology implementation reviews
- teaching book reviews
JETE Contact
Editor-in-Chief
Nichelle Frank
Assistant Editor
Jason Twede
Editorial Board Members
Aimee deNoyelles
Karin deJong-Kannan
Erica Finch
Chris Garrett
Neal Legler
Aicha Rochdi
Elena Taylor
Travis Thurston
Joanna Weaver
Email:
jete@usu.edu
Review For JETE
Looking for opportunities to contribute to Teaching Excellence? Consider becoming a peer-reviewer for JETE, and share your insights and expertise:
Top Downloaded Articles
1. Understanding Gen Z Students to Promote a Contemporary Learning Environment
Kathleen Mohr and Eric Mohr
2. Promoting Critical Thinking in General Biology Courses: The Case of the White Widow Spider
Joseph Wilson
3. Building Positive Student-Instructor Interactions: Engaging Students through Caring Leadership in the Classroom
Oscar Solis and Windi Turner
4. Student Success: A Literature Review of Faculty to Student Mentoring
David Law, Kim Hales, and Don Busenbark
5. Educators, Question Your Level of Cultural Responsiveness
China Jenkins
Book Reviews
Access Previous Issues
- Volume 9, Issue 1 (Spring 2025) pdf - ebook
- Volume 8, Issue 2 (Fall 2024) pdf - ebook
- Volume 8, Issue 1 (Spring 2024) pdf - ebook
- Volume 7, Issue 2 (Fall 2023) pdf - ebook
- Volume 7, Issue 1 (Spring 2023) pdf - ebook
- Volume 6, Issue 2 (Fall 2022) pdf - ebook
- Volume 6, Issue 1 (Spring 2022) pdf - ebook
- Volume 5, Issue 3 (Special Issue) pdf - ebook
- Volume 5, Issue 2 (Fall 2021) pdf - ebook
- Volume 5, Issue 1 (Spring 2021) pdf - ebook
- Volume 4, Issue 2 (Fall 2020) pdf - ebook
- Volume 4, Issue 1 (Spring 2020) pdf - ebook
- Volume 3, Issue 2 (Fall 2019) pdf - ebook
- Volume 3, Issue 1 (Spring 2019) pdf - ebook
- Volume 2, Issue 2 (Fall 2018) pdf - ebook
- Volume 2, Issue 1 (Spring 2018) pdf - ebook
- Volume 1, Issue 2 (Fall 2017) pdf - ebook
- Volume 1, Issue 1 (Spring 2017) pdf - ebook
As scholars, we are all acutely aware of the constraints and opportunities offered by the world health crisis occurring at the time of this issue’s publication. This issue explores opportunities to strengthen academic and intellectual vigor by focusing on the tripartite mission of higher education: that of teaching, research, and service.