Education Commons^™

Examining Early Word Recognition Instruction: Synthetic Phonics Vs. Analytic Phonics, Jenelle Gallagher-Mance

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This single subject experimental design study used an adapted alternating treatment design to examine the effects of a synthetic phonics intervention and an analytic phonics intervention on oral reading accuracy, oral reading rate, and letter-sound correspondences among first grade students. Students who were reading at least two levels below guided reading level expectations and scored below the 25th percentile on the AIMSweb R-CBM (2017) fluency probe and the Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory (Baer et al., 2007) were selected to participate in the study. Five participants received daily instruction based on a synthetic phonics intervention (systematic directed phonics) or …

Food Insecurity Among Niu College Students, Hannah Schaumberg

Student Projects

Many people with certain privileges never notice them, because they are so fixated on the hasty generalizations of what is seen on the surface rather than the interior aspects. For many students, understanding and recognizing privileges is the main concept to understanding their surroundings. The concept of reflecting on their interactions and knowledge of food insecurity will be curasol among communities. By researching the concepts of food insecurities among NIU students, we can bring awareness of the topic within society. The focus is to understand which intersectional groups are affected by food insecurity and to bring awareness of the subject …

Northern Illinois University Student Government Association: How Currently Involved Undergraduate Latino Students Engage, Understand, And Interact With The Student Government Association, Jacob Burg

Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the varying experiences of involved Northern Illinois University Undergraduate Latino students and their engagement with their Student Government Association. This study attempts to analyze the research question, to what extent are involved undergraduate Latino students aware of the Student Government Association (SGA), and what is their past and current level of engagement with the organization? The goal is to analyze the current levels of understanding and engagement, understand breakthroughs in marketing, determine areas of opportunities and threats to involvement, and to determine the best course of action for future administrations to provide …

We Made It. Now What? A Qualitative Case Study Exploring How The Transition Of Black Men To A Historically Black Community College Is Influenced By Orientation 101, Eric R. Agee Jr.

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A gap in achievement among Black men who pursue post-secondary education remains. Many Black men start their college education at community colleges, but little is known about their experiences at Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs). The purpose of this dissertation of practice was to gain insights into the influence of College 101, also labeled Orientation to College 101 (ORI 101), on the transition of Black men to an HBCC. I utilized a qualitative case study design. The main data source were 15 semi-structured interviews, which were supplemented with closed-ended student survey responses on the ORI 101 course evaluation and the …

The Role Of Word Knowledge In Error Detection: A Challenge To The Broken-Error-Monitor Account Of Dyslexia, Lindsay N. Harris, Benjamin Creed, Charles A. Perfetti, Benjamin Rickles

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Dyslexic children often fail to correct errors while reading aloud, and dyslexic adolescents and adults exhibit lower amplitudes of the error-related negativity (ERN)—the neural response to errors—than typical readers during silent reading. Past researchers therefore suggested that dyslexia may arise from a faulty error-detection mechanism that interferes with orthographic learning and text comprehension. An alternative possibility is that comprehension difficulty in dyslexics is primarily a downstream effect of low-quality lexical representations—that is, poor word knowledge. On this view the attenuated ERN in dyslexics is a byproduct, rather than a source, of underdeveloped orthographic knowledge. Because the second view implies a …

A Semiotic Phenomenology Of Consumptive Pedagogy By College Instructors In A General Education Program, Giselle L. Betts

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the instructional and visual pedagogy of university faculty teaching sociological consumer education within an interdisciplinary general education program. This study addresses gaps in the literature regarding program and course format, visual utilization, and teaching philosophies from faculty members’ perspectives. Utilizing a semiotic phenomenological approach, implications for instructional facilitation are discussed at length.Findings of this study include five themes that impact the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, as well as sociological consumer education. Participant life experiences and disciplines are implicated as instrumental towards participant instructional philosophies. The nature and impact of interdisciplinary program …

Stories Of Teaching On A Conceal And Carry Stage: A Dramaturgical Narrative Inquiry, Christopher J. Miller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The story of a mass shooting occurring on the place of school seems to be a common one in contemporary American cultural narrative. One of the more controversial solutions offered within this narrative is allowing citizens to protect themselves through the practice of conceal and carry. The practice of legally allowing individuals to conceal and carry a firearm while at the place of school and in the place of class is at the cornerstone of this research inquiry.

This qualitative research study employs a dramaturgical narrative approach to explore the daily lives of full-time community college faculty members. In figuratively …

Art Education As Mutual Aid: Community And Social Justice Based Initiatives, Janelle O'Malley

Student Projects

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, education has drastically changed. The months of pandemic coupled with rising political upheaval left issues with schooling at the bottom of the list. Yet, the repercussions of the pandemic have forever changed the face of our educational system. Especially hard hit during this time was subjects deemed unimportant such as music and art. These classes, which already have faced their fair amount of cutbacks, were once again left on the chopping block. Even though the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 ensured that art would be treated as a core subject, it …

Research In The Studio, Artists In The Stacks: Mapping Information Literacy And The Library In A Studio Arts Program, Larissa K. Garcia, Jessica Labatte

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

This chapter describes the collaboration between a studio arts faculty member and an art librarian to integrate information literacy into the photography program through curriculum mapping. What began as a one-shot library session for students soon developed into multiple, scaffolded sessions in several classes and eventually resulted in a formalized information literacy curriculum map. The authors adapted curriculum mapping concepts, first identifying information literacy objectives for students throughout the program and then matching them to specific courses, using the Framework as a guide to develop assignments and lesson plans. Through a fully integrated, disciplinary information literacy program in the photography …

"Sup Bro": Constructions And Perceptions Of Masculinity And Gender Identity Among Division Iii Student-Athlete Men, Mark Carbonara

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Patriarchal systems of power, privilege, and oppression are reinforced by college men every day, but there are certain populations of college men who wield a stronger ability to influence change. Student-athlete men at NCAA Division III institutions are often viewed as “culture creators” on their campuses. Moreover, many of these programs reside at smaller institutions, where the impact of toxic masculinity has potential to be more concentrated. Student-athlete men are often seen as representing hegemonic forms of masculinity, therefore having influence in setting norms of what is expected of men on campus. This critical narrative inquiry study explored how participating …

Ascension To The Presidency: A Narrative Inquiry Of African American Women, Konya Monique Sledge

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This narrative inquiry study examined the lived experiences of African American women serving as community college administrators to gain perspectives on how they overcame obstacles to career advancement and strategies used to achieve the presidency. Narrative inquiry is used to restory field texts, is applied to underscore their lived experiences, and establishes a timeline detailing their early career experiences. Only one president sought to lead a community college; all others arrived at the presidency by non-traditional paths. Three themes emerged from responses provided by presidents during their interviews and are as follows: (a) nontraditional pathway to presidency; (b) heightened awareness …

You Belong Here: A Critical Look At Community Engagement In Museum Education Through K-16 Place Based Pedagogy, Janelle O'Malley

Student Projects

Historically museums exist as object centered spaces with little consideration of the community and artists that support them. Therefore museums as pedagogical sites must reorient themselves to become people centered spaces incorporating participatory pedagogical experiences for both community members and artists.

There is a lack of research in place-based pedagogies in museum education. It is important now more than ever to recognize the need to center community in museum education. This study will seek to investigate how museums can exact meaningful change through their educational practices and create a sense of belonging in museums for their immediate community. The outcomes …

S.I.S. (Suffering In Silence): The Influence Of Educational Attainment On Black Women’S Health, Quiana Chakeena Jones

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, narrative inquiry study was to explore the influence of educational attainment on Black women’s perceptions of their health. Empirical research indicates the causes of stress and other health concerns pertaining to Black women are often rooted in racism and discrimination. Within the literature, the barriers that many African American women face within the educational system on all levels are discussed. However, there are few studies that have specifically researched the connection between educational attainment regarding receiving bachelorette degrees or higher and how or if that has an influence on Black women’s health. As such, the …

Untwining Threads: Second Wave Hmong Parents’ Conceptualizations Of Ways To Support Their Adolescent Children’S Education, Mao Sea Lee

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research identifies the support systems for adolescents’ education within the second wave Hmong refugee family setting. The study examines the parents’ perspectives on their own support systems for their adolescents’ education. The work focuses on studying both the instrumental support and psychological care these parents provide their teenage children and interprets why these parents choose to provide these resources. Studying these parents’ ways of supporting their adolescents provided a more in-depth understanding of why these recent refugee parents choose to invest of their resources to their adolescents’ education and, subsequently, what education means to them. The research also brought …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Womanist Leadership In An Urban Community College, Cynthia Denise Armster

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is an absence of research addressing Women of Color leaders in the academy, specifically relative to the influence of their cultural identity on their leadership styles. The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience of Women of Color leaders who served in cabinet-level positions at an urban midwestern multi-campus comprehensive community college system, how their leader persona impacted their decisions and policy-making as Women of Color leaders, and their perception of their impact and legacy in the mentoring of the next generation of Women of Color leaders within community colleges. This study is necessary to increase …

Trans*Forming Educational Spaces: The Experiences Of Trans* And Gender Non-Conforming Students In The Community College Environment, Lori Clark

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to collect the stories of trans* and gender non-conforming students who attend community colleges. Very little research has been done on this community attending community colleges, so it is not known if the community college environment is supportive of this marginalized student group. The participants in the study shared their experiences with various aspects of the community college environment, from professors, classmates, student affairs, bathrooms, registration and records, to their gay straight alliances. Ultimately, it was found that the students interviewed faced a cadre of microaggressions throughout the areas of their community colleges. However, …

Free Ain’T Really Free: A Critical Ethnographical Exploration Of The Experiences Of Queer People Of Color In Postsecondary Education, Antoinette Ebony Jones

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Queer people of color (QPOC), who participate in higher education experience understand the intersectional nature of racial and sexual identity development. This study explores the experiences of thirteen self-identified QPOC who participate in higher education using the Portraiture methodology. It highlights the voices of QPOC as they navigate the processes of coming out while accenting their understanding of their intersecting racial and sexual identities. This study offers a model of racial and sexual identity development based on the narratives of the participants in this study. It highlights their strengths and adaptability as they negotiate and ascribe meaning to their lives …

Women Obtaining The Superintendency: An Examination Of Internal And External Barriers That Influence A Woman's Career Trajectory, Jodi J. Megerle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The role of public school superintendent is one of the most gendered executive positions in the United States, with men twenty times more likely than women to advance from teacher to superintendent. Although the majority of teachers and central office administrators in schools are women, the majority of superintendents are men. Women have made gains, yet under-representation continues to exist. As women break through the barriers, it is important to understand their experiences in administrative leadership as they navigate their careers. How do women in administration think and feel about working toward a male-dominated occupation? What barriers or opportunities have …

Examination Of Practices Used By Ap Computer Science Teachers With Higher Than Average Female Enrollment, Derek J. Miller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the practices employed by AP Computer Science A teachers that can help recruit and retain female students in computer science. A survey was sent to teachers to see what practices they used in their classrooms and what practices they thought had the biggest influence on female student recruitment and retention. Of the five practice categories (recruitment, pedagogical, curricular, extracurricular, and mentoring), the survey respondents thought recruitment was the most influential and curricular was the least influential. After the survey, 12 teachers were chosen for interviews because they had a higher enrollment of female students than the rest …

Faculty Supporting Community College Students' Academic Success, Personal Development And Social Adjustment: Perspectives Of First-Generation African American Men Students, Natalie Renee Page

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Guided by Rendón’s (1994) Validation Theory, this qualitative case study focused on first generation African American men students’ perceptions of academic and interpersonal validation they received from faculty at a minority serving community college and how such validating behaviors was instrumental to their success. Twenty first generation African American men students were interviewed. Findings indicate that when faculty demonstrate care and concern; are observant, approachable, and create interesting and stimulating class environments; are intentional in using encouraging and affirming validating words; and treat students as individuals and not just learners, first generation African American men students perceive them as supporting …

Reaching Across Community Lines: How Informal Visual Art Educational Programming Bridges The Gap, Janelle O'Malley

Student Projects

Economic disparity in underserved communities is in large part responsible for a lack of access to quality visual arts education. The communities most in need are often hit first when it comes to funding the arts, and the students suffer these financial consequences. How can we ensure those underserved communities receive a complete education with the visual arts? What other ways can access to the visual arts be provided to schools?

The Role Of Spirituality In Women's Doctoral Journeys: A Portraiture Study, Katherine M. Richards

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The doctoral journey can be a personal one for many students. Students not only lean on their educational background and work experiences, but they may utilize some very personal attributes of their life during their doctoral journey. Spirituality might be considered one of those personal attributes that is interwoven into various contexts of student lives. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of spirituality among women during their doctoral journeys. This study furthered our understanding of the role of spirituality within the context of higher education. Fifteen women from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds who were …

Students’ Perspectives Regarding Their Emotional Engagement In Middle School Learning Environments, Brendan Joseph Mccormick

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines emotional engagement as a vital component of creating optimal learning environments for mid-adolescent students. Through a qualitative research design, seventh and eighth grade student volunteers from Cornfield Middle School shared perspectives on their emotional engagement experiences in middle school learning environments. Thirty-four students participated in three rounds of data collection—an open-ended survey about flow experiences, a homogeneous focus group discussion, and a follow-up survey. The results from each data collection procedure were coded and arranged into themes of positive and negative emotions experienced in certain academic contexts.

The results show that the CFMS students experienced a range …

Wellness In Asexual-Identified Individuals: The Impact Of Social Support And Microaggressions, Elisa Marie Woodruff

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

One hundred sixty asexual identified individuals living in the United States were recruited from asexual online communities. The participants completed a comprehensive survey consisting of Zimet et al.’s 1988 Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, Foster’s 2017 Asexual Microaggression Scale, and the Five Factor Wellness Inventory Adult Version Revised (FFWEL-A2) developed by Myers and Sweeney in 2014, as well as 15-item demographic items. Regression models were used to assess relationships among the factors.

Social support was found to have a significant positive impact on participant wellness, supporting previous social science research. Microaggressions were not found to have a negative impact on …

Contingency Holding By A Thread: Intersectionality In Selected Works By Ghada Amer, Sarah Eileen Sabo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Ghada Amer is a diasporic, female, artist of color who creates canvases that wield the domestic as both medium and subject. Her fiber work, including an early formative series combined with her later pornography pieces, feature densely threaded surfaces where images of women working oscillate between representation and non-objectivity. This thesis intervenes with the existing discourse surrounding Amer’s oeuvre by utilizing the artist’s own words along with materialist and intersectional theoretical material to offer two novel interpretive approaches. Specifically, I argue that Amer uses a gendered formula that is reflected visually as a way of referencing the entirety of a …

Exploring African American Students’ Perceptions Of Belonging At An Urban Community College In The Western United States, Sylinda Nicole Gordon Musaindapo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

African American students’ perceptions of belonging impact their experiences on community college campuses and in their local communities. This research study explores the impact of gentrification on a group of resilient African American college students in an urban community college located in the western region of the United States. Participants used negative experiences with onlyness and otherness as opportunities to build community for other African Americans.