Digital Commons Network^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Collegiate Recovery Leadership, Marni Goldberg

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Due to the marginalized status of the population they serve, collegiate recovery programs are generally underfunded and employ one staff member who typically holds other job tasks in addition to those of collegiate recovery leader. The consequence of the varied nature by which collegiate recovery programs are founded and implemented is inconsistency, which can threaten the longevity of the field. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to elicit information directly from collegiate recovery leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their lived experience, in order to determine how to best serve and support higher education students in recovery from …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Teachers Of General Education: Perceptions And Experiences Teaching Inclusion In U.S. Schools, Ann C. Sander

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of a group of U.S. public schools, kindergarten through fifth grade teachers, certified in general education with experience teaching inclusion--a federally mandated practice requiring schools to educate students both with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Much of the literature surrounding inclusion focuses on the perceived benefits of the program and children with disabilities' legal rights. The literature has a limited number of references describing the perceptions and experiences of teachers who are required to provide the educational services necessary for inclusion in the classroom.

In this study, 35 participants …

Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Report At The University Of New Mexico, Lisa A. Marchiondo, Shannon Sanchez-Youngman, Teagan Mullins, Naila V. Decruz-Dixon, Melanie E. Moses, Julia Fulghum

ADVANCE Reports

This report outlines four overarching issues that the COVID-19 pandemic raised or amplified for faculty, based on a survey of full-time faculty on the main campus of the University of New Mexico in Spring 2022. Some of the issues identified existed before the pandemic, which further exacerbated challenges and inequities. Results based on faculty gender, race/ethnicity, and job title are provided.

The report contains multiple recommendations for each of the four core issues that will assist individual faculty and improve campus climate and culture. Recommendations are often applicable to multiple issues, so we provide an appendix that cross-lists recommendations between …

The Role Of Self-Efficacy And Emotional Exhaustion In Teacher Considerations Of Job-Related Stressors And Attrition: A Mixed-Methods Study, Raymond Nance

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Teacher attrition is a problem currently afflicting classrooms around the world. Emotional exhaustion and teacher self-efficacy have been demonstrated to be factors in attrition. This study assesses the efficacy of potential tools for use in evaluating emotional exhaustion and self-efficacy before problems arise and to guide professional development in efficacious directions.

This parallel-convergent mixed-methods study performed quantitative regression analyses on the joined effects of emotional exhaustion and self-efficacy to assess their potential mediating role between teachers’ job stressors and considerations of leaving the job. The existence of mediation was demonstrated. Qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts from six interviews with current …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Digital Divide On Public Education In New Mexico, Robert Christner

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The digital divide and digital equity have long been a concern for educators, and public schools. In 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic swept across the country, public schools closed for in person classes and moved to a new paradigm of online only classes, issues of digital equity and the digital divide became a critical focus for families and young learners seeking to continue their academic progress. New Mexico with its low population density, rural nature and lack of infrastructure was particularly vulnerable to issues of digital equity when public schools moved to online only classes. This study investigates the …

Art As Experience: A Case For Art Museum Field Trips In New Mexico’S Public School Art Education, Zoila A. Caamaño-Pumarol

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Since 2011, multiple studies have found that school field trips to art museums and other cultural institutions produce measurable improvements in standardized test scores, academic engagement, and substantial improvements across a range of factors including empathy, critical thinking skills, and creativity. These findings are especially prominent with children in rural areas, from low-income families, and non-Native English speakers. Nevertheless, the priorities in U.S. public education have shifted away from field trips and art education since the 1980s.

In this case study licensed art teachers in the New Mexico K to 12 public schools shared their experiences, discussed the obstacles they …

The Return On Investment For Dual Credit, Samantha Sengel

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Scrutiny of colleges and universities based upon student success factors such as retention, persistence, time to degree and graduation has indicated that interventions often have incremental impact. Access to dual credit, the taking of college courses while in high school, as an intervention for maintaining the engagement of high achieving students and re-connecting disengaged, underserved student populations has had proven positive outcomes for many decades. The purpose of this research study was to understand the relationship between dual credit and several higher education measures and outcomes including retention and persistence, likelihood of receiving an award, and ultimately the cost of …

Text Nudges: Proactive Communication By An Urban Community College, Ann L. Hall

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The landscape of higher education has shifted over the last ten years. Student needs have changed. Educational institutions have begun to change the way they conduct business to support student needs more fully including just-in-time communications that are focused and customized to the individual student. Higher education institutions are using text nudges to support student outcomes from enrollment to graduation. This study evaluated the impact of text nudges on retention at a large, urban community college in the southwest region of the United States. The study found a small, negative relationship between the number of text nudges received and fall …

Student Voice And Choice: Factors Influencing Student Participation In Secondary Arts Classes In An Urban Public School District, Alan D. Lambert Ed. D.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to capture the student voice regarding the value, importance, and relevance of visual and performing arts education in public schools. The host institution for the study was an urban school district in the southern central United States serving 75,000 students, with 55% students identified as Hispanic, and 52% of students experiencing poverty. Graduating seniors responded via questionnaires with forced choice and open-ended items regarding several topics, including what they do in their free time, how they perceive the value of arts classes at school, access to arts classes and the match of their interests …

The Value Of An Education - An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Cultural And Institutional Values And First-Generation Native American Student Success, Michelle L. Lee

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to explore the value and meaning that first-generation American Indian students place on higher education. Are these values different from those of the institution and how does that impact their educational journey? Finding purpose and meaning in your education encourages continued commitment to your educational goals. I conducted a single-site qualitative study at a Southwestern Non-Tribal Community University (SWNTCU), collecting data through an arts-based inquiry methodology employing photovoice narrative as a tool. To situate these narratives, I utilized an Indigenous paradigm interweaving Tribal Critical Race Theory, Relationality, and an Indigenous Wellness Model (Brayboy, 2006; …

Perceptions Of Current Secondary Mathematics Teachers About Their Teacher Preparation, Peterson Chiliromango Moyo

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods case study was to examine how current secondary mathematics (6-12) teachers (SMTs) perceived their teacher preparation. The population consisted of 27 current SMTs who taught mathematics in a southwestern state of the United States. The first research question asked how SMTs perceived that mathematics methods courses influenced mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). The second research question examined ways in which content and instruction in mathematics methods courses contributed to the teaching of mathematics

. During quantitative phase, 27 SMTs completed the questionnaire. Chi-Square statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between participants’ mathematics …

What Are Student And Staff Perspectives On The Influence Of Smaller Learning Communities On Sense Of Belonging And Academic Achievement?, Natalie A. Saiz

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

In an era of educational reform, schools face the significant challenge of increasing academic achievement. Learning Communities have emerged as a method of school reform with some research suggesting their link to increasing academic achievement and personalizing learning environments. Using individual and focus group interviews, this qualitative case study examines the use of Learning Communities as a reform initiative at a high school in New Mexico to facilitate a stronger sense of belonging among students and to provide individualized guidance, tracking, and support. Findings on the influence of Learning Communities are presented: addition of Advisory/Advisor which provides academic assistance, …

Community School Implementation, Melanie Blea

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

A community school model is one way that struggling schools can restructure under the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act. Schools operate under the idea that the needs of the whole child must be met before academic advancement can begin. Implementation of a community school model includes obtaining feedback from all stakeholder groups in a school community (students, staff, parents, and community organizations) and examining data to make collective decisions that generate shared responsibility and accountability. The four pillars of a community school (integrated student supports, expanded learning time and opportunities, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership and practices) …