TAMIU Faculty Member Travels to Greece, China to Present Educational Strategies Research
Traveling the world and sharing research findings at international academic conferences is among the many responsibilities Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) faculty undertake in addition to teaching, research and service
Among them, TAMIU assistant professor of Education Dr. Stephen Benigno is starting to accumulate serious world mileage.
Dr. Benigno returned last month from Greece after participating in the Athens Institute for Education and Research’s 19th Annual International Conference on Education in Athens.
In September, he will travel to Dalian, China, to chair a forum and serve as a speaker at the World Educational Day 2017.
At World Educational Day, an extensive gathering of educators, researchers, Chinese language and culture lovers as well as philanthropists and policy makers, Dr. Benigno will speak on “A Viable Solution to Implementing Effective Instructional Supervision.”
World Education Day is devoted to creating an unprecedented, diversified platform where participants can gain a comprehensive understanding of the world’s evolving culture of education and pedagogy.
Dr. Benigno said the opportunities to participate in world conferences allow him to be current in his research and teaching.
“Through my national and international experiences, I gain a global perspective of education which helps me to validate many of the concepts that I deliver to my students,” he said.
During his visit to Greece, Dr. Benigno presented on his paper, entitled, “The Urban School Experience.”
The paper discusses urban schools and the unfortunate circumstances that many students who attend them endure in their homes and their community. It also points to the perceived inability of these educational institutions to employ and sustain effective instructional leaders.
Drawing from his experience as a teacher, coach, counselor, program specialist and school administrator, Dr. Benigno presented on realities, perceptions, solutions and ideas from the urban experience.
Many urban school administrations do not take the time to include the faculty and the support stakeholders in the development of the classroom and the school wide discipline plan, Dr. Benigno states in his paper. “Consistent, transparent and culturally sensitive strategies must be developed and those strategies can only be formulated through knowledgeable conversations and collegial interactions with all stakeholders,” Dr. Benigno’s paper argues.
In addition, social forces, political agendas, racial power struggles and economic priorities are taking their toll on the urban educational environment, Dr. Benigno’s paper states.
“Many of these urban schools are located in high crime, high unemployment and low income communities,” the paper states.
His paper continues, “Most of these communities are predominantly poor people of color. These communities and the people who live in these communities are not empowered and woefully represented on the political stage.”
Dr. Benigno states, “Unless we address and promote advocacy for urban schools, we will continue to face failure within the urban school experience.”
Dr. Benigno holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of the Pacific. His B.S. in Physical Education and History was earned at Pittsburg State University.
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