Digital Commons Network^™

Elementary Preservice Math Teachers’ Evolving Dispositions Throughout A Math Methods Course: A Mixed Methods Study, Christine E. Hood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand graduate-level Elementary Preservice Teachers’ (EPST) mathematical dispositions before, during, and after a graduate elementary math methods course taught through a rehumanizing (Gutiérrez, 2018), ambitious and equitable math (Horn & Garner, 2022) teaching framework. In this study, EPSTs’ dispositions included four constructs: math anxiety, math teaching anxiety, math self-efficacy, and math teacher self-efficacy. To fully understand the nuance and complexity of teacher education and EPSTs’ mathematical dispositions, I looked at both the EPSTs' and the instructors' perspectives. I investigated EPSTs’ dispositions through a modified multi-methods, sequential, and phenomenological lens. For the instructors’ perspectives, I conducted a …

The Not-So-Silent Period: Testimonios Of Recently Arrived Latinx Students, Teri M. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and amplify the experiences of recently arrived Latinx¹ students as interpreted through their testimonios in educational borderlands. Through increasingly xenophobic discourses around immigrants and their children (Pérez Huber, 2015), U.S. public schools have become entrenched borderland spaces wherein the humanity of recently arrived students is voided through silencing them with labels of linguistic deficiency and cramming them into one-size-fits-all educational programming (Fine et al., 2007; Flores & Rosa, 2015). There is demand for research that explores the experiences of these children, especially in light of their continued marginalization through neoliberal programming …

Examination Of Formal Instructional Design Processes At Traditional Institutions Of Higher Education In The United States Post-Pandemic Onset, Heather L. D. Tobin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the motivational elements of formal online instructional design processes that are being implemented at traditional institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States (U.S.). For this study, I conducted a comprehensive literature review identifying emerging issues of practice for instructional design partnerships between the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2022 and the spring of 2023. This study was developed through the lens of Keller’s (2010) attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction, and volition (ARCS-V) model of motivation. An understanding of the elements of current processes that present as benefits …

A Phenomenological Study Of Science Teachers’ Lived Experience: Pedagogical Judgment During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amy Vo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March of 2020, education in the United States changed dramatically. Science teachers began to look at the implementation of ambitious and equitable science teaching practices differently. Employing the hermeneutic phenomenological framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experience of science teachers, specifically looking at their pedagogical judgment related to ambitious and equitable science teaching. Semi-structured interviews, artifacts and surveys were used to develop a rich description of the phenomenon. Data analysis of the science teachers’ narratives, Qualtrics surveys, and lesson plans illuminated six essential themes common to all …

Islamic Studies Teachers' Perspectives Of Applying Technology In Saudi Arabia Elementary Schools, Amal Abdulmohsen Alsaif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the use of technology in education has been on the rise around the world, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. The integration of technology in Saudi education has the potential to enhance the quality of education, increase access to education, and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. It also has the potential to facilitate collaboration between students and teachers, both within and outside the classroom, and to promote lifelong learning.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate Islamic Studies teachers' perceptions of using technology in their classrooms …

Defining Business As Usual In Preschool Interventions For Challenging Behavior, Eleanor Bold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Challenging behavior (CB) is a major barrier to service delivery in preschool classrooms. Persistent CB has been found to significantly impact children’s academic and social success long-term, especially amongst children from historically minoritized populations and those with disabilities. Numerous evidence-based intervention strategies exist to prevent and reduce CB, yet preschool teachers continue to voice a desire to increase their capacity to do so in the classroom due to high rates of CB continuing to be observed. This dissertation seeks to address this research to practice gap by ascertaining the current baseline intervention practices utilized to manage CB in preschool classrooms …

“We All Fly Together, We All Fall Together”: A Fourth Generation Evaluation Of The Experiences Of Students Of Color In A Strengths-Based Postsecondary Access Program, Allyson Gunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most persistent barriers within the education system preventing students of color from accessing and persisting in higher education is the deficit lens that the education system uses to judge college-worthy students. To combat this deficit lens, strengths-based programming has shown promise in validating the strengths and students bring to their postsecondary journey. This fourth-generation program evaluation amplifies the experiences of students of color within a strength-based postsecondary access program in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. Through interviews and focus groups, students, and alums of color in the Cornerstone program shared the experience that was most meaningful to them, and …

Study Abroad And The Global Public Good: A Developmental Evaluation Of The International Business Major, Sara Barbier Bularzik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Study abroad, for any length of time and in any location, is widely recognized in higher education as a positive educational activity. While individual benefits of study abroad have been explored for decades, recent research has pushed the field to consider benefits for the local and global community. This program evaluation contributes to this line of inquiry by asking international business majors about the influences on their study abroad program choice process and the involvement of the university’s mission to positively impact the public good. Using developmental program evaluation and UNESCO’s global citizenship education theory, this study found that students …

Examining The Credibility Of Story-Based Causal Methodologies, Megan E. Kauffmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how evaluators justify using story-based methodologies when examining causality. The two primary research questions of the study included: 1) what arguments are made by evaluators to justify the credibility of story-based causal methodologies to evaluation stakeholders; and 2) from the perspective of evaluators, how do contextual factors influence whether story-based causal methodologies are perceived as credible by evaluation stakeholders? A case study was conducted to examine the cases of four evaluators who had experience implementing a story-based methodology in an evaluation. Data collection procedures included two interviews with each participant and a …

Expanding The Network Evaluation Toolkit: Combining Social Network Analysis & Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Debbie Gowensmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collective action networks are complex systems of interrelated individuals or groups that come together for a common social change purpose (Ernstson, 2011). Researchers have used social network analysis (SNA) to examine the relationship structures and characteristics of collective action networks. However, determining whether collective action networking produces outcomes has been challenging because networks are complex, affected by context, and produce interdependent data. I addressed these challenges by pairing SNA with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a configurational comparative method. Using QCA, researchers can tease out which conditions are necessary or sufficient to produce an outcome. I analyzed a collective action network …

Tech-Savvy School Principals Leveraging Crisis Leadership To Support Teaching And Learning In Their Schools Through Covid-19 Pandemic, Mohsen Alzahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to learn about the effective practices that recognized tech-savvy principals enacted to support teaching and learning in their schools during the first academic year of the COVID-19 crisis. The study involved semi structured interviews with five recognized tech-savvy school principals. It also involved analyzing supporting materials and documents.

The findings of this study indicated that tech-savvy principals were not stuck in the structural rut that most principals found themselves in during the COVID-19 crisis. Four main themes emerged from the data. The first theme addressed how recognized tech-savvy principals demonstrated decisive decision …

Historical Portrait Of Ann Fabe Isaacs: Founder Of The National Association For Gifted Children, Anna Armitage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The historical portrait of Ann Fabe Isaacs examines the life of the founder of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Editor of the Gifted Child Quarterly from 1954-1974. Considering Isaacs’ personal and public work frames the founding of the NAGC, development of its mission, published essays, and advocacy work. Once the historical perspective has been considered, Isaacs’ work will be considered alongside the contemporary NAGC, its advocacy work, and its published writing. This portrait provides historical context for the founding of the NAGC and examines the influence of the founder on the contemporary organization.

Implications of the …

Mis-Specification Of Functional Forms In Growth Mixture Modeling: A Monte Carlo Simulation, Richa Ghevarghese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth mixture modeling (GMM) is a methodological tool used to represent heterogeneity in longitudinal datasets through the identification of unobserved subgroups following qualitatively and quantitatively distinct trajectories in a population. These growth trajectories or functional forms are informed by the underlying developmental theory, are distinct to each subgroup, and form the core assumptions of the model. Therefore, the accuracy of the assumed functional forms of growth strongly influences substantive research and theories of growth. While there is evidence of mis-specified functional forms of growth in GMM literature, the weight of this violation has been largely overlooked. Current solutions to circumvent …

Are You My Nurse? The Effects Of Patient-Delivered Gender Microaggressions On Women Trainees’ Clinical Work In Integrated Primary Care, Julia Ratchford Kauffmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender microaggressions are a form of sexist discrimination that have detrimental effects on women’s psychological well-being. Unfortunately, these sexist occurrences are commonplace in the United States and can be experienced in a variety of ways. As such, there is a need to understand behavioral health providers’ experiences with patient-delivered gender microaggressions. In doing so, we may be able to better support women behavioral health trainees’ during their clinical development by potentially understanding the ways in which women trainees are affected by sexist patient encounters. Therefore, the present study sought to apply the Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training and the …

Examining The Impact Of Discrimination, Shame, And Acculturation On Psychological Wellbeing Of East Asian International Students, Shao-Jung Stella Ko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of discrimination, shame, and acculturation on the psychological wellbeing of East Asian international students in the U.S. Using the Minority Stress Theory as a framework, discrimination and shame were hypothesized to have a significant negative relationship with wellbeing while acculturation was hypothesized to moderate these relationships. A sample (N = 281) of East Asian international undergraduate students completed a web-based survey with measures of perceived discrimination, interpersonal shame, acculturation, and mental health outcomes. Regression analyses containing wellbeing (outcome), acculturation (moderator), discrimination (predictor), and shame (predictor) were performed to test the hypotheses using SPSS PROCESS macro …

Inviting The Perspectives Of Refugee Mental Health Interpreters: A Critical Narrative Analysis, Emme Y. Paik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research literature lacks examination into several areas concerning mental health interpretation for refugee clients. This includes the management of interpreters’ vicarious trauma and retraumatization, interpreter’s perspectives on the appropriateness of hiring refugees as mental health interpreters, how interpreters define their trauma as well as their clients’ trauma, and support that interpreters seek for their traumatic responses from their work. The literature is also missing an analysis of how oppressive power differentials are repeated in workplace institutions, specifically for refugee mental health interpreters. Thus, this study aimed to invite the perspectives of refugee mental health interpreters on several issues pertaining …

Exploring The Intersections Of Stigma And Masculinity In The Illness Perceptions Of Men Living With Fibromyalgia: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Christine L. Motzny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal condition characterized by widespread pain, fatigue and cognitive problems. While it affects between 2-7% percent of the population in the United States, the biopsychosocial impacts of the disease on the lives of those affected are so substantial that it is considered to have one of the highest cost burdens comparative to other chronic pain conditions. Fibromyalgia has historically been deemed a contested illness due to the complexity of its presentation and lack of clear etiology. As a result, people with fibromyalgia often feel misunderstood and stigmatized. Like other pain conditions, fibromyalgia is more commonly diagnosed in …

Exploring The Potential For Therapeutic Art-Making In School Psychology Practice: A Single Case Study Of A Training Experience, Alexandra G. Manion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a training experience on the use of therapeutic art-making for school psychologists, with a focus on how to incorporate these concepts into their school-based mental health practice. Therapeutic artmaking includes the use of visual art activities (drawing, painting, clay, and collage) with specific therapeutic intent. Although there are examples of art therapists providing inschool therapeutic art-making services to support the mental health needs of students, there is far less information regarding the use of therapeutic art-making by school-based mental health providers, including school psychologists. This single case study explored …

Digital Searching: A Grounded Theory Study On The Modern Search Experience, Nicolas Armando Parés

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Grounded theory study explores US adults' modern information search process as they pursue information through digital search user interfaces and tools. To study the current search process, a systematic grounded theory methodology and two data collection methods, a think-aloud protocol and semi-structured interviews, are used to develop the theory. The emerging theory addressed two tightly connected research questions that asked, “What is the process by which humans search and discover information?” and “What is the process by which search and discovery interfaces and tools support the modern search process?”

The study collects participant data from US adults who have …

Exploring The Relational Impact Of Breast Cancer On Younger Women Partnered With Women, Kaitlin V. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 268,600 new cases of breast cancer in women are diagnosed each year in the United States. Due to improvements in cancer detection and treatment, survivorship is higher than in the past. More than ten percent of new diagnoses are in women 45 years or younger. There are approximately one million sexual minority individuals living with cancer in the US, yet this population is understudied in cancer care. For sexual minority women with breast cancer, sociocultural factors such as lack of affirmative care influences their disease experience. Further, sexual minority women and women partnered with women may be subject to …

Multicultural Perceptions Of Creativity, Abby Noel Winterbrook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multicultural Perceptions of Creativity examined perceptions of creativity among eight creatively gifted adults from diverse backgrounds who have a profession in an arts related field. This study examined what the phenomenon of creativity is and how it is experienced. The beliefs that inform perceptions of creativity were explored. The experiences that inform perceptions of creativity were described. The interactions among beliefs and experiences were considered. The data collected revealed that creativity is an instinct that each person possesses and can activate within themselves. Creativity can be nurtured based on environment and through personal, educational, professional, and cultural experiences. Creativity involves …

Paving Pathways For Success: The Role Of Transition Models And Disability Services In Postsecondary Education For Students With Disabilities, Jillian Talley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students have dreams and goals outside of school. School psychologists can play a vital role in helping students with disabilities reach their dreams, particularly when the dreams ask the question “What do I want to do after high school?” Often, the answer lies in postsecondary goals, which require transition planning while the student is still in school. Manuscript One (M1) explores how families, teachers and school psychologists can all play supportive and distinct roles in helping a student with disabilities reach their postsecondary goals. There have been several transition models proposed to help students with disabilities shift from PK-12 to …

Application Of An Organizational Evaluation Capacity Assessment In A Multinational Ngo: A Case Study To Support Applied Practice, Ryan James Smyth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As evaluation capacity building (ECB) has rapidly emerged as a practice in human service organizations and as a field of academic inquiry, attention has focused on methods of evaluation capacity building while assessment of organizational evaluation capacity (EC) has lagged behind. To examine the practice of organizational evaluation capacity assessment, this dissertation presents two separate but related studies. In sub-study 1, I present a qualitative evidence synthesis of the research theorizing organizational evaluation capacity models. In sub-study 2, I support the implementation of one of the tools from the evidence-synthesis at a multinational human service organization. I use a concurrent …

Relationships, Relevance, And Reflection: How White Teachers Are Working To Dismantle White Supremacy In Their Classrooms Through Culturally Responsive Education, Zion W. Gezaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the multitude of ways in which White supremacy manifests in the education system and examines how White teachers specifically are working to dismantle White supremacy in middle school classrooms through culturally responsive education. This educational criticism and connoisseurship study focuses on the interactions of White teachers in relation to their Black students, along with observations of their teaching and planning methods. The following research questions guided this research: How are White teachers implementing a culturally responsive classroom environment for Black students? How do White educators plan and enact a culturally responsive curriculum for Black students? How do …

Opportunities And Challenges For Rural Educators: A Mixed Methods Study Of Emergent Bilingual Studies In Rural Colorado, Andrea Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over nine million students in the United States attend school in rural school districts, with a growing percentage of these students identified as emergent bilingual. The purpose of this study is to examine the national emergent bilingual literacy trends and to determine how the opportunities and challenges that rural educators encounter, impact emergent bilingual education in rural schools. Utilizing a theoretical framework of culturally sustaining practices and funds of knowledge, this study uses a convergent mixed methods design to answer the following research questions: What are the national trends in emergent bilingual reading test scores? What opportunities and challenges do …

Perceptions And Practices Of Families With Economic Disadvantages Regarding Giftedness And Family Involvement, Jennifer Lemoine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological research study addressed the persistent problem of practice of underrepresentation of economically disadvantaged students in gifted education by exploring the beliefs, experiences, and practices of families with economic disadvantages pertaining to giftedness and family involvement in education. Data was gathered from six participants with economic disadvantages and a gifted child through two interviews and analyzed using the hermeneutic circle to uncover patterns and themes.

Themes emerged around each of the three research questions including themes for beliefs and experiences pertaining to giftedness: resiliency, creativity, overexcitability, divergent thinking, twice-exceptionality, intelligence, asynchronous development, and negative behaviors. Findings also point …

Gifted Female Voices: Perceptions Of Differentiation In Secondary And Higher Education, Ann Makikalli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the advocacy of differentiation as best pedagogical practices for instruction of gifted students can be found in scholarly literature, minimal research attention has been given to high-ability students’ perceptions about their lived classroom experiences. Lack of challenging and accelerated content for identified gifted students can lead to boredom, negative self-perception, and disengagement from school. Gifted adolescent females, who are less likely to address barriers to realizing their potential can especially suffer or thrive depending on curriculum. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe identified female gifted university students’ perceptions of pre-collegiate and collegiate differentiation of curriculum and …

Principals’ Perspectives Of Trust And Vulnerability In Leadership: A Grounded Theory Study, Megan Ostedgaard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is a challenging task and leading well requires interpersonal skills that inspire those they lead to follow them. The aim of this grounded theory study is to explore the experiences of educational leaders who thoughtfully engage in trust-building and express vulnerability in their leadership practices. This study explored how six principals at kindergarten through 12th grade schools experience trust and vulnerability as building leaders. Three research questions guided this study: how do leaders experience trust, how do leaders generate trust, and how do leaders experience vulnerability.

In this study, we begin by understanding the background to the problem and …

Exploring The Lives Of Parents Of Traditionally Marginalized Gifted Students, Lora Romero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived parenting experiences of traditionally marginalized gifted students within the educational setting and at home. For this study, the researcher gathered information from seven parents of traditionally marginalized gifted students and told their stories. Since the families are traditionally marginalized the population consisted of those who have high intelligence and are a part of a historically oppressed racial/ethnic group. The study was developed using the lens of the Critical Race Theory (CRT). Through the CRT, Capper (2015), recognized that many schools analyze the function of race but lack the knowhow of …

Twice-Exceptional Identification And Identity Formation: A Mixed Methods Study, Robin Goldin Tobin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined the parent perceptions of and relationships among intellectual potential, academic achievement, and the order of identification of exceptionality for twice-exceptional students. Twice-exceptional students exhibit both giftedness and a learning disability or difference. Consistently and equitably identifying and serving twice-exceptional students is a persistent problem of practice in the field of education (Artiles et al., 2010; Gentry et al., 2019; List & Dykeman, 2019; Moon & Reis, 2004; Webb et al., 2019). This study was supported by a community partner, a private educational testing and advocacy agency in a Western state.

This mixed methods study utilized a …