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Context This is a research proposal for my honors senior project here at Grand Valley State University.

My proposal is to look into the ideas behind social threat, or the notion that social culture and all of its components influence the stressors and performance of children in schools. This is something that am very passionate about, and something that !ill influence my actions and demeanor as a professional in the field of teaching. "ndre! Sciacchitano Honors Senior Project Proposal Social Threat In Schools Central Focus This project !ill be based upon the concept and effects of social threat, or the role that social culture of the home affects the performance and stressors facing students in schools. Rationale There e#ists some amount of research based upon this idea already, but as far as looking into the effects that it actually has upon students, this has yet to be determined. t is my goal to look into some specifics of this concept as it pertains to specific cultures and$or specific students therein. Methodology The methods to be used in this research !ill be many. %irst and foremost, there !ill be personal intervie!s. These !ill be informal and !ill ask for the intervie!ee&s cultural 'ethnic, religious, etc.( background, and !hether or not they themselves feel as though their culture places any stigma upon them to perform in a certain fashion in school. Secondly, there !ill be a broader research into demographics of school districts, and a look into any correlations bet!een the cultural groups present and the performance of the school. This !ill be mainly secondary source searching, !ith some visits to schools in local districts in order to intervie! administration and$or faculty for their personal thoughts about their school&s statistics. Thirdly, this !ill be cross)referenced !ith personal research * more intervie!s * !ith various teachers as to ho! they feel about their students. There !ill also be a focus on cultural outliers and$or majority$minority groups and their thoughts on the effects that these groups 'and being a member thereof( have on their students. For Evaluation e#pect to turn in a +,)-, page paper detailing my research and findings, and also outlining my reflections thereupon as a pre)service teacher. This !ill include many primary sources 'personal intervie!s( as !ell as secondary sources '!ebsites !ith demographic and performance information( and !ill take the form of a classical research paper.

Bi liography .thier, /athleen "., and /ay 0eau#. 12egotiating social identity !hen conte#ts change3 Maintaining identification and responding to threat.1 Journal of personality and social psychology 45 '6778(3 +8-)+8-. http3$$psych.u!.edu.pl$jasia$ethier.pdf %o!ler, %rances 9. 1School choice3 Silver bullet, social threat, or sound policy:.1 Educational Researcher -+.+ '+,,-(3 --)-7. http3$$!!!.jstor.org$stable$6,.+-,5$-5,,,;; <argreaves, 0avid <., and 0avid <argreaves. Social relations in a secondary school. Vol. +-4. =outledge, +,,+. http3$$books.google.com$books:hl>en?lr>?id>) s0@A-+@42@9?oi>fnd?pg>BB6?dC>socialDthreatDinDschools?ots>um/e+EF4#G?s ig>f+!HH@a!00syAIJn#e;CS<;=8#kKv>onepage?C>socialL+,threatL+,in L+,schools?f>false Elsen, Jrad, and 0ena Se#ton. 1Threat rigidity, school reform, and ho! teachers vie! their !ork inside current education policy conte#ts.1 American Educational Research Journal 84.6 '+,,7(3 7)88. http3$$aer.sagepub.com$content$84$6$7.full.pdfDhtml +,6, 463 646 originally published online 5 Ectober +,,7Journal of Teacher Education 9olleen M. %airbanks, Gerald G. 0uffy, Jeverly S. %aircloth, Ae <e, Jarbara Fevin, Mean =ohr and 9atherine Stein Beyond !no"ledge# Exploring $hy So%e Teachers &re More Thought'ully &daptive Than (thers http3$$jte.sagepub.com$content$46$6)+$646.full.pdfDhtml Jrighouse, <arry. School choice and social justice. E#ford University Bress, US", +,,-. http3$$books.google.com$books: hl>en?lr>?id>7pgG7U!c%4.9?oi>fnd?pg>B"6?dC>socialDthreatDinDschools?ots> MC95GG#Ge<?sig>vr9"uVn%09eM/ s@bI6IfGpG 6"Kv>onepage?C>social L+,threatL+,inL+,schools?f>false Steele, 9laude M., and Moshua "ronson. 1Stereotype threat and the test performance of academically successful "frican "mericans.1 The Black-White test score gap '677@(3 8,6)8-,. http3$$books.google.com$books: hl>en?lr>?id>A!b5r6oE#MA9?oi>fnd?pg>B"8,6?dC>socialDthreatDinDschools?ot s>#o#-TV+ams?sig>tE2sd"+M5"-UkrFf"jE5;!gJAbMKv>onepage?C>social L+,threatL+,inL+,schools?f>false Gelch, /elly, and "llison "nn Bayne. 1=acial threat and punitive school discipline.1 Social Pro lems ;5.6 '+,6,(3 +;)8@.

http3$$!!!.jstor.org$stable$6,.6;+;$sp.+,6,.;5.6.+; Schedule This research !ill be done primarily during my student teaching semester, !ith meetings at a minimum of once every t!o !eeks !ith 0r. 0avid 9offey. These meetings !ill discuss the research have done and intervie!s have had, and !hat progress these actions constitute in my final research paper, as !ell as asking for professional advice about !hat directions to go for my ne#t step in the research.

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