ACADEMICALLY “Developing the scholar in you”
The Monthly eNewsletter of The Scholar Mentor
March 2020 | Issue 11 www.TheScholarMentor.com
Welcome to the Couch, Let’s Talk Imagine this... a television executive invites you as a guest on a morning or late-night talk show. For many, this would be extremely nerving but exciting, and for others, this could be a dream come true. I enjoy watching late-night talk shows, and I am amazed at how hosts seamlessly talk and joke with their guests. The guests come on to talk about their most recent projects, such as an upcoming movie, play or book, or they may talk about their travels, love life, families, or anything the hosts questions them about. Now, you are one of the invited guests. You are invited to the couch to talk about your latest project—an article that is published in a top-tier journal in your field, or a book project that you wrote or edited. The host wants to know all about what you did, and you are there to talk about your work to those in the audience and the millions of watchers at home. The entire show is dedicated to you and the amazing research you have done. What are you going to talk about? What do you want the audience to know about your work? What important ideas do you want to leave with your audience?
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Welcome to the Couch Writing the Findings, Discussion, and Implications Announcements & Updates Twitter Post Subscribe to Academically Personalized Mentoring The Scholar Mentor Bio ---------
In this issue of Academically, The Scholar Mentor talks about the importance of the Findings, Discussion, and Implications sections of a manuscript. These sections are how you engage with your host and audience and the reason you are sitting on the couch. The Scholar Mentor Newsletter is designed to advise, encourage, and mentor scholars in academic writing, and successful navigation and attainment of career goals in academe.
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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THE FINDINGS, THE DISCUSSION, AND THE IMPLICATIONS Over the next couple of months in the Academically Newsletter-- concluding with a special Anniversary Issue (May 2020) – The Scholar Mentor will share insights on writing a manuscript, highlighting each "must-have" section and the content that goes into each by modeling the process using two of my published pieces. I use these two pieces because they are short yet provide clear examples, especially for the early academic writer to follow. Fields of study are different, so apply information here to develop your manuscript in the traditions of your field. Still the academic manuscript follows a very typical format. See The Anatomy of a Research Article in The Scholar Mentor Drive. Findings, Discussion and Implications Example 1 - Mensah, F. M. (2011). A case for culturally relevant teaching in science education and lessons learned for teacher education. The Journal of Negro Education, 80(3), 296-309. Example 2 - Moore, F. M. (2007). Teachers’ coping strategies for teaching science in a “lowperforming” school district. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18(5), 773-794. (Full-text of both articles on Research Gatehttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Felicia_Mensah2/publications) For this month’s entry, the Findings, Discussion, and Implications sections complement each other. They are the substance of what you present and talk about to your audience, who are the readers of your work. The Findings are what you found. Recall from last month’s newsletter that from asking questions and doing your analysis of the data, you have found something. You present the findings as quotations from your participants, data tables and figures that represent and highlight the themes from the data, and the results from quantitative data analysis. For the Findings, you are presenting the data to your audience and showing us what you found. The Findings for the first example article is written as three assertations. These assertions highlight how I used my theoretical framework of culturally relevant teaching as three preservice teachers in my study participated in planning, teaching, and assessing a Pollution Unit in an elementary science classroom. Similarly, in the second study, I presented the major findings as the factors that three secondary science teachers had to contend with while teaching in a low-performing school district. From the analogy of this month’s newsletter of being the guest on a talk-show, from the Findings, you go to the Discussion, and this is exactly what it sounds like. You have a discussion and conversation with the audience, or the readers of your work. You have presented the evidence and now you discuss them. In addition, the Discussion is the conversation you have of the Findings and with others-- the literature. You discuss how your Findings extend the work of others, and you offer additional insights that will contribute to new understandings about your work and the research questions you asked. I have many things to discuss with the host and to share with the audience. On the couch for the would
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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first study, I would share my major argument, which is teaching for students to learn in culturally relevant ways, preservice teachers too must experience learning and teaching in this way for themselves. I use the evidence and examples of the preservice teachers’ words from the data sources to support the ideas and claims I want to discuss. I want my audience to know the lessons learned from the preservice teachers and myself as the instructor and researcher doing this study.
For the second study, I talk about six competing issues for teaching science in a low-performing school district. These six competing issues were economic, historical, social, academic, institutional, and structural factors. I then talk about the strategies the teachers used in coping with the competing issues and make suggestions for their professional development. In the Discussion, you highlight major points gained from conducting your study, such as how your study revealed new insights and filled the Knowledge gap. You engage the readers in thinking critically about issues relevant to their thinking and work also. The Discussion section does not repeat what you found, but it goes to the next level of engaging with and inviting readers to see how you understood the problem and what answers are derived from conducting your study. The Implications section, as I explain to scholars, is taking a step back to address the “so what� question. Why are the Findings and Discussion points you are making relevant and impactful, and what is the broader application? Often this will address the field at a greater extent. For the work I did, the first study has broader implications of working with preservice teachers and the role of teacher education and curriculum development, while the second study had broader implications for teacher professional development and pedagogical methods that support teachers needed pedagogical and professional resources for themselves. Both studies have implications for teaching students. While taking about your work, you also address limitations. Limitations may come from the research design, the participants and instruments used, the process of data analysis, or the challenges that emerged during the study. These are issues that influence the Findings and Discussion of the study. It is also good to make suggestions for further research and offer questions that arose from engaging in your study. Questions lead to more questions. Limitations are another way to discuss how critically you thought about your research. It may give you another opportunity to return to the couch.
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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Announcements & Updates
The Scholar Mentor Writing Retreat CollectionŠ The Collection provides essential elements to energize your senses for a productive personal writing retreat. View the-Video Commercial The Scholar Mentor Writing Retreat CollectionŠ Where productivity meets self-care The Collection will be available soon for ordering! Then you can create a private space for yourself to write and be productive.
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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Invite Others to Subscribe to Academically, the monthly eNewsletter of The Scholar Mentor. Subscribe by visiting our Website or Facebook page! You don’t want to miss anything! You want to get it all! April 2020 Issue: The Conclusion & References May 2020 Special Anniversary Issue!
Twitter Post Tweet what you learned to @docmensah #discussion #implications #thescholarmentor
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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Need Personal Attention? Email The Scholar Mentor [thescholarmentor@gmail.com] to set up your "FREE" 15-min Virtual Mentoring Session! After answering a few questions and talking with you about your needs, The Scholar Mentor will send you a Personalized Academic Mentoring Program, with payment options to fit any budget. “Developing the scholar in you� - See TSM website for details. www.thescholarmentor.com
www.TheScholarMentor.com www.TheScholarMentor.com Current Bio Current Bio Felicia Moore Mensah, Ph.D. I have an exceptional and very successful record in advising doctoral students and developing early career Felicia Moore Mensah, Ph.D.and serving as a mentor and coach to my students and many others I adopt along scholars. I enjoy teaching I have exceptional and veryI successful record in advising students developing early career scholars. theiranacademic trajectory. also work with junior faculty,doctoral assisting them inand obtaining tenure and promotion I enjoy teaching and serving practice. as a mentor and to myinstudents and many others I adopt along their academic and improving classroom From mycoach 15+ years the academy, I have personal stories and insights to trajectory. I also work with junior faculty, assisting them in obtaining tenure and promotion and improving make your journey less frustrating and more pleasurable. I have published extensively in top-tier academic classroom my book 15+ years in theand academy, I have personalmaterials, stories and insights to make your journey researchpractice. journals,From written chapters, developed curriculum teacher resources, and other lessscholarly frustrating and more pleasurable. I have published extensively in top-tier academic research journals, written products. As a researcher, my work addresses issues of diversity and equity in science teacher book chapters, andandeveloped teacher resources, and other products. education, with emphasis curriculum on culturallymaterials, relevant teaching, multiculturalism, and scholarly critical theories. As As a a researcher, work addresses issues of diversity and equity in scienceneeds teacher with anand emphasis workshopmy provider, I can design a program that meets your particular foreducation, student, teacher, faculty on culturally relevantLet teaching, multiculturalism, development. me develop the scholar inand you!critical theories. As a workshop provider, I can design a program that meets your particular needs for student, teacher, and faculty development. Let me develop the scholar in you!
Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD | @docmensah | #thescholarmentor | https://www.facebook.com/TheScholarMentor
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