Protect the Children, Body and Soul
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsA well-written, thoughtful, and engaging article. It is very timely as it explores many students' complex issues, especially BIPOC. The article employs a novel theoretical framework and a comprehensive but concise literature review. The methodology is sound and easier to follow. It is one of those articles that is reader-friendly without sacrificing academic rigor.
Author Response
We are deeply thankful for the chance to revise our manuscript and for the constructive feedback you have provided. Your insights have been crucial in refining our paper, ensuring it clearly communicates our research and its implications. Below, we outline how we have addressed each of your concerns:
- **Clarity and Purpose of the Manuscript:**
We have revised the introduction to explicitly state the manuscript's nature and purpose, focusing on exploring the relationship between the Apocalyptic Education (AE) framework and developing a culturally relevant wellness scale. This provides clear context and guidance for readers.
- **Scope and Purpose Clarification:**
To address concerns about casual references to our intervention and the AE framework, we've added a detailed background section. This section outlines the study's context, the AE framework's significance, and the wellness scale's genesis, setting a clear foundation for our objectives.
- **Explicit Research Questions and Methodology:**
We now explicitly state the research questions and methodological approach at the paper's outset, including a clear delineation of the mixed-methods design. This design supports integrating AE principles with our investigation of the wellness scale's development and validation.
- **Integration of Theoretical Framing with Empirical Findings:**
We've revised the discussion and conclusion sections to tightly weave the AE framework throughout, ensuring a coherent link between theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings. This presents a unified argument, highlighting our work's contribution to culturally responsive pedagogy and BIPOC students' well-being.
- **Enhancements to Theoretical Framework and Results Section:**
Following your suggestion, we've added a schematic diagram of the AE theoretical framework for better visualization. We also included tables for the Factor Analysis (FA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) results, along with a detailed exploration of biomarkers and health indicators.
- **Abstract and Overall Merit:**
The abstract has been revised to clearly distinguish the data and findings relevant to this work, emphasizing the wellness scale's development and implications. We've also highlighted the broader implications of our research, underlining its significance in discussions on culturally relevant pedagogy and BIPOC youth's well-being.
- **Minor Edits:**
The "Survival Pending Recovery" section has been reviewed and revised for clarity and precision, aligning it with the overall narrative and theoretical grounding of our work.
We believe these revisions significantly strengthen the manuscript, enhancing its clarity, coherence, and readability. We are grateful for the opportunity to clarify our contributions to the field and eagerly await your feedback on these revisions.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and the chance to enhance our manuscript.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsDear Authors,
Your scholarship is compelling!
- Sociohistorical Narratives: The exploration of sociohistorical narratives of inequities within schools is both powerful and compelling. The manuscript effectively delves into this crucial aspect, contributing to a deeper understanding of the context.
- Abstract: While the abstract is well-written and references sustained telomere growth in the intervention group, it appears that these clinical results might be from a prior study. It is essential to clearly differentiate and emphasize that the data presented pertains to the current work, specifically focused on the development of two scales. This clarification will enhance the overall coherence of the abstract.
-
Theoretical Framework:
Adding a schematic/diagram of the proposed AE theoretical framework will enhance its interpretation in this section for the reader
- Sections 6 & 7 need a table representative of the findings from the FA and EFA – a visual is needed to support these data.
- Results: The results section would benefit from a more detailed exploration of the findings from biomarkers and health indicators. Including this information will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the study outcomes and contribute to the robustness of the manuscript.
- Overall Merit: The scholarship presented in this manuscript holds significant merit and has the potential to advance current knowledge in the field. Specifically, the exploration of the interconnections between CRP and improved health indicators in BIPOC youth is a noteworthy contribution. Emphasizing the broader implications of this research will strengthen the manuscript's significance in the academic discourse.
- Minor Edits: 4.1 Survival Pending Recovery – Page 9
Line 3 – Change “One” to ‘On’
8. Conclusion
3rd paragraph, Line 6 – remove one of the commas; End of Section 8, last paragraph needs a period at the end of the sentence.
Overall, the manuscript is commendable, and addressing the mentioned points will further elevate its impact and clarity.
Author Response
We are deeply thankful for the chance to revise our manuscript and for the constructive feedback you have provided. Your insights have been crucial in refining our paper, ensuring it clearly communicates our research and its implications. Below, we outline how we have addressed each of your concerns:
- **Clarity and Purpose of the Manuscript:**
We have revised the introduction to explicitly state the manuscript's nature and purpose, focusing on exploring the relationship between the Apocalyptic Education (AE) framework and developing a culturally relevant wellness scale. This provides clear context and guidance for readers.
- **Scope and Purpose Clarification:**
To address concerns about casual references to our intervention and the AE framework, we've added a detailed background section. This section outlines the study's context, the AE framework's significance, and the wellness scale's genesis, setting a clear foundation for our objectives.
- **Explicit Research Questions and Methodology:**
We now explicitly state the research questions and methodological approach at the paper's outset, including a clear delineation of the mixed-methods design. This design supports integrating AE principles with our investigation of the wellness scale's development and validation.
- **Integration of Theoretical Framing with Empirical Findings:**
We've revised the discussion and conclusion sections to tightly weave the AE framework throughout, ensuring a coherent link between theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings. This presents a unified argument, highlighting our work's contribution to culturally responsive pedagogy and BIPOC students' well-being.
- **Enhancements to Theoretical Framework and Results Section:**
Following your suggestion, we've added a schematic diagram of the AE theoretical framework for better visualization. We also included tables for the Factor Analysis (FA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) results, along with a detailed exploration of biomarkers and health indicators.
- **Abstract and Overall Merit:**
The abstract has been revised to clearly distinguish the data and findings relevant to this work, emphasizing the wellness scale's development and implications. We've also highlighted the broader implications of our research, underlining its significance in discussions on culturally relevant pedagogy and BIPOC youth's well-being.
- **Minor Edits:**
The "Survival Pending Recovery" section has been reviewed and revised for clarity and precision, aligning it with the overall narrative and theoretical grounding of our work.
We believe these revisions significantly strengthen the manuscript, enhancing its clarity, coherence, and readability. We are grateful for the opportunity to clarify our contributions to the field and eagerly await your feedback on these revisions.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and the chance to enhance our manuscript.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsI appreciated the opportunity to read this manuscript. I can tell the authors are deeply committed to creating new worlds and possibilities for the educational experiences of Black and Indigenous youth. Overall, I feel the necessary contents are already present in the manuscript; however, for clarity and readability of the article, I advise the authors to be clearer from the onset about the nature and purpose of the present manuscript.
As a reader, I was primarily concerned with what was the scope and purpose of the article. The authors began referring to an intervention and larger study rather casually without providing necessary context for readers to understand what they studied and why. My confusion was partly due to the earlier and casual references to their Apocalyptic Education framework followed by the detailed description and breakdown of the framework in the theoretical framework section of the paper. I was left to be uncertain as to whether this paper was about introducing and describing AE or something else (e.g., the wellness scale)? The second half of the paper presents a study; however, no project aims or research questions were clearly stated prior to the introduction of the study (i.e., in the manuscript’s front half) so, again, I was left to wonder what the purpose of the manuscript was specifically about--was it to introduce a wellness scale that arose from a particular study? If so, explicitly stating and referencing that relationship between the study and the present paper would be helpful for readers. The methodology section did not discuss a specific methodology per se. This section of the paper instead discussed issues of positionality, which are indeed important. I would just advise the authors to also explicitly name the methodological camp that informed the design of the study in addition to naming these important issues with positionality.
Lastly, the second half of the paper read to be largely divorced from the framing of the first half of the paper. There is little to no mention in the discussion and conclusion sections of the paper of the AE framing of the study and critical social science literature that the authors cite in the paper’s front half. The second half of the paper reads as if a psychometrician or statistician of sorts wrote it in isolation of the authors' theoretical framing of the manuscript. Some massaging of language across the document, in addition to helpful signposting for readers, will enhance the paper's clarity and readability.
Author Response
We are deeply thankful for the chance to revise our manuscript and for the constructive feedback you have provided. Your insights have been crucial in refining our paper, ensuring it clearly communicates our research and its implications. Below, we outline how we have addressed each of your concerns:
- **Clarity and Purpose of the Manuscript:**
We have revised the introduction to explicitly state the manuscript's nature and purpose, focusing on exploring the relationship between the Apocalyptic Education (AE) framework and developing a culturally relevant wellness scale. This provides clear context and guidance for readers.
- **Scope and Purpose Clarification:**
To address concerns about casual references to our intervention and the AE framework, we've added a detailed background section. This section outlines the study's context, the AE framework's significance, and the wellness scale's genesis, setting a clear foundation for our objectives.
- **Explicit Research Questions and Methodology:**
We now explicitly state the research questions and methodological approach at the paper's outset, including a clear delineation of the mixed-methods design. This design supports integrating AE principles with our investigation of the wellness scale's development and validation.
- **Integration of Theoretical Framing with Empirical Findings:**
We've revised the discussion and conclusion sections to tightly weave the AE framework throughout, ensuring a coherent link between theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings. This presents a unified argument, highlighting our work's contribution to culturally responsive pedagogy and BIPOC students' well-being.
- **Enhancements to Theoretical Framework and Results Section:**
Following your suggestion, we've added a schematic diagram of the AE theoretical framework for better visualization. We also included tables for the Factor Analysis (FA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) results, along with a detailed exploration of biomarkers and health indicators.
- **Abstract and Overall Merit:**
The abstract has been revised to clearly distinguish the data and findings relevant to this work, emphasizing the wellness scale's development and implications. We've also highlighted the broader implications of our research, underlining its significance in discussions on culturally relevant pedagogy and BIPOC youth's well-being.
- **Minor Edits:**
The "Survival Pending Recovery" section has been reviewed and revised for clarity and precision, aligning it with the overall narrative and theoretical grounding of our work.
We believe these revisions significantly strengthen the manuscript, enhancing its clarity, coherence, and readability. We are grateful for the opportunity to clarify our contributions to the field and eagerly await your feedback on these revisions.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and the chance to enhance our manuscript.
