Education Commons^™

Whatever It Takes: A Literature Review Exploring The Psychological Cost Of Actor Training And How Drama Therapy Can Help, Kelsey Burke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review examines the literature as it relates to the psychological and emotional impact of professional training programs for student-actors. Special attention is paid to student-actors’ developmental stage, mental health and trauma history, possible exposure to sexual harassment in rehearsal or classroom settings, specific acting techniques taught, and power dynamics between student-actors and acting teachers. Also examined is data on the potential effects that the application of trauma-informed drama therapy approaches could have on this population. This is followed by a proposed outline for a supervision-style class for student-actors led by a drama therapist intended to introduce drama therapeutic principles …

Experiences Of Post-Master's Arts Based Supervision With Art Therapists Of Color, Madoka Urhausen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored experiences of art therapists of color who underwent post-master’s arts-based supervision (ABS) to obtain an art therapy credential. ABS emphasizes creation of clinical insight and knowledge through not only reviewing and evaluating client’s art and art processes but also having supervisees to engage in their own artmaking in response to their clinical work. The sample was chosen for their intersectional identities that added a layer of complexity to their identity formation. This qualitative phenomenological study employed Culturally Responsive Focus Group (CRFG) with Arts-based Research (ABR) methodology to explore two questions: (1) What are the experiences of …

Compassion In The Stem Curriculum: Integrating Emotional Peer Support Within Undergraduates’ Classroom Work, Jared Berezin

Educational Studies Dissertations

Students’ academic success and wellbeing are interconnected, yet university classrooms rarely promote mental health. To bridge the divide between academic and social-emotional learning, I introduced a classroom intervention titled the Care Bear Connection, during which students were required to post a message in Slack offering support to their classmates. In this mixed methods study, quantitative data were collected from first-year undergraduates (N = 36) in two team-based engineering courses (intervention group n = 24; comparison group n = 12). A pre- and post-intervention survey assessed students’ beliefs and experiences in their respective course concerning six compassion-related variables: social connectedness, …

Queering The Bible Belt: Stories Of Student Affairs Professionals Establishing Lgbtq Pride Centers In The Deep South, Kevin David Linton

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study examined the experiences of 20 student affairs professionals who played a pivotal role in the establishment of LGBTQ pride centers at public four-year institutions of higher education in the Bible Belt. Since the first pride center opened at the University of Michigan in 1971, pride centers have been a critical resource for supporting LGBTQ college students. In the Bible Belt, 28 pride centers have been successfully established by professionals despite social, fiscal, and religious conservatism negatively influencing public support of LGBTQ initiatives. However, best practices for establishment in this region have not emerged. Understanding the experiences of individuals …

A Qualitative Study On Nurse Facilitators Of Mind-Body Skills Groups, Paula D. Blake-Beckford

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), founded by Dr. James Gordon, provides communities with evidence-based Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) that foster self-care, self-awareness, and self-expression. MBSGs range from 8 to 12-week series on various mind-body practices wherein group members meet, practice, and reflect on the impact of mind-body skills in their lives. Research has demonstrated that participants in MBSGs have positive outcomes. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), especially nurses, gain resiliency from MBSGs. As facilitators of MBSGs, nurses develop essential skills transferable to clinical and educational settings. MBSGs are therapeutic for adult participants with chronic stress. Prior to this thesis, only one …

Anti-Oppressive Pedagogy In Dance/Movement Therapy Education: Embodied Experiences Of Black, Indigenous, And Students Of Color, Chevon Stewart

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored the embodied graduate educational experiences of dance/movement therapy students who were Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Eight research participants who were between the ages of 22 to 45 years old were recruited from American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) approved programs. Participants self-identified as Black/African American and Jamaican, Black/African American, Latinx/Brazilian, Asian/Chinese, Asian/Filipino, Asian/Chinese and Taiwanese American, and Asian/Chinese and White American. A qualitative research design based in phenomenology and arts-based methods grounded in anti-oppressive research were used. Two semistructured interviews and 1 week of embodied observation and journaling were part of data collection. Themes …

Examining Developmental And Sociological Effects Of Restrictive Behavioral Sanctions On College Students, Patrick Sharry

Educational Studies Dissertations

With the rising costs and social implications of attending higher education, the importance of student success and degree completion has taken on even more weight in recent years. Something that can derail these important elements is the implementation of a restrictive sanction due to the impact they have on a student’s personal and social development. While the success rate of sanctioned K-12 students continues to be explored by many researchers, the population of traditional college students who are severely sanctioned has not been well represented in the literature. This study explores the lived experiences of college students issued a restrictive …

White, Working-Class Adult Male Students In Higher Education: The Effects Of Working-Class Identity On Educational Success, Terence Lynn

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study situated in grounded theory aimed to identify the forces that impede or support white working-class males in pursuing, adapting to, and remaining in higher education and making meaningful progress in their educational goals. Utilizing a feminist ecological perspective, the researcher was able to outline and provide context of the white working-class male experience in America. The primary research question guiding this study involved the ways in which white male working-class identity affects white working-class males’ return to higher education. An inductive approach involving Relational-Cultural Theory allowed for an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of 10 …

Preparing Emerging Adults For The 21st Century: Diapraxis As A Bridge To Dialogue In The First-Year Seminar, Katina Fontes

Educational Studies Dissertations

What is success in college? And what are the implications of that success (or failure) in the life of students after college and for society more broadly? This ethnographic study explores first-year college programming and the potential benefits of diapraxis-inspired instructional methods as a bridge to authentic dialogue for 18- and 19-year-old (emerging adult) students and the foundation for more productive civic engagement in the post-college adult lives of students. Opportunities for dialogue are lacking in many college classrooms, especially during the first year, and, given the current lack of civil communication between adults on a national and global scale, …

Drama Therapy For Actor Training Programs, Emily Faith

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review synthesizes the literature on the mental health trends and developmental stages of student actors in university theatre programs and the mental health issues they may suffer because of their field of training. I then review the potential negative impacts of COVID-19. Special attention is paid to drama therapy techniques to weave into college and university theatre programs to mitigate mental health concerns invoked by training.

Examining The Experiences Of The Hearing Officer In The College Student Conduct Process, Gregory Mantolesky

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Student conduct is one of the most important aspects of student life on a college campus. The staff members who serve as conduct hearing officers play an important role in helping students recognize their rights and responsibilities in the campus community and overcome poor decision making. There is a need to study the experiences of hearing officers to inform the development of consistent and effective training for those performing this role on college campuses. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological dissertation was to understand the lived experiences of the hearing officers, specifically in regard to the training that they …

The Application Of Adult Learning And Development Theory In The Undergraduate Classroom, Jennifer Flewelling

Educational Studies Dissertations

Instructors in higher education may have a limited knowledge of ways adults learn and develop. That lack of theoretical understanding may have inhibited the pedagogical practice of faculty in the undergraduate classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore how university instructors described their understanding of adult learning and development in undergraduate settings, and to identify factors that influenced the design and implementation of instructional practice as reported by undergraduate faculty. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 95 university instructors in Northeastern Massachusetts. Follow-up interviews were …

Using College Student Learning Experiences And Outcomes To Guide Teaching Modifications In A General Education Choreography Course: An Action Research Study, Kristy Kuhn Donnelly

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to gain an understanding of the learning experiences and outcomes of 12 undergraduates enrolled in Creative Dance, a general education choreography course, in Fall 2019 and the teaching strategies and practices that guided their learning. Research questions that guided this study were: what does student work reveal about their learning and the teaching strategies that guide their learning? and what curricula and teaching changes will more effectively facilitate student learning processes and stronger outcomes? Qualitative data included standard instructional materials created for and utilized in the course and students’ choreographic and written …

Acknowledge Us: An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Female Army Veterans In Undergraduate Programs, Jennifer O'Neil

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the lived experiences of female United States Army veterans who have enrolled in an academic undergraduate program post discharge. As higher education continues to be an important transition point for female veterans, understanding the lived experiences of this population provides higher education administrators and faculty the opportunity to create and implement services and programs that will appropriately assist this population in their educational journey. Using a phenomenological methodology (Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2015; van Manen,1990) thirteen female veterans across five different eras (Vietnam, 1980’s peacetime, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan) took part in …

Understanding The First-Year Experience Of Traditional-Aged, College-Ready Students At A Private, New England Liberal Arts College, Patrick Flynn

Educational Studies Dissertations

The current study’s research problem concerns the forty-year trend of college-ready, traditional-aged students stopping out of undergraduate programs across the United States. While literature concerning gender theory, the college transition, emerging adulthood, and college student development provide a foundation for considering the problem, there have been very few studies conducted concerning the FYE of this study’s participants, a set of five white cisgender males. Understanding their FYE at a substantive level will lead to further research and hopefully open pathways to increasing retention.

The present study collected significant data concerning the daily experience of five students with the hope of …

What Can A Studio Approach To Teaching Tell Us About The Academic And Social Learning Of Middle School Students? An Exploration Of Student Understanding Of How Making Art Supports Their Academic And Social Learning., Maureen Creegan- Quinquis, Maureen A. Creegan-Quinquis

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study explores the types of social and academic learning typically overlooked in public school education. Art-based approaches to academic learning have been labeled as“fluff.” Education policymakers hold a biased view of the arts. When asked to consider art as a viable epistemology, cognition theorists have dismissed art as irrational. These biased views have contributed to the marginalization of the field of art education. The purpose of this study was to question this bias through an art-based studio approach to research. The goal was to explore how middle school students understand the role of visual arts in their own academic …

Mindful Practices To Interrupt White Supremacy In Higher Education: Opportunities For Educators In Service Learning And Community Engagement, Jennifer F. Steinfeld

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis proposes reflective practices for educators to interrupt white supremacy in higher education service learning programs. It is relevant today as higher education institutions look more closely at their history, often upholding or benefiting from slavery, racism, indigenous removal, and other forms of race-based exploitation. Other work on this topic demonstrates the power of reflectivity and mindfulness practices in reducing the impact of racial biases. The heart of this creative thesis is a research-based curriculum for a learning community of educators to develop capacity to incorporate reflectivity, meditation, and liberatory pedagogies into their classrooms. This curriculum is designed for …

Mutual Vulnerability And Intergenerational Healing: Black Women Hbcu Students Writing Memoir, Zelda Lockhart

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study sought to gain insight into the unique experiences of Black women students who were writing memoir toward the goal of self-definition in a Black feminist learning environment at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). Two teaching methods included personal plot (an extension of expressive writing that offers writing prompts for emotional closure), and biblio-fusion (a combination of expressive writing and bibliotherapy) (Lockhart, 2017a; 2017b). Interviews were conducted with six Black women participants and triangulated against their personal essays and online journal responses. Personal plot, a form of narrative analysis was used to construct paragraphs on what each …

An Examination Of The Instruction Of Religion Clause Issues In Massachusetts Teacher Education Programs, Matthew E. Henry

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevailing research, as well as reported complaints of academic, civic, personal, and social harm, indicates that public school teachers do not exhibit the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes grounded in the religion clauses of the U.S. Constitution. This study investigated how TEPs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts document their instruction of preservice teachers on religion clause issues as they apply to grade 6-12 content area pedagogy, curriculum, and professional ethos. The institutional documents presented to preservice teachers were collected from four teacher education programs in the Commonwealth. An evaluation tool— synthesized from the leading scholarship and research on the …

Exploring Meteorology Education In Community College: Lecture-Based Instruction And Dialogue-Based Group Learning, Jason Paul Finley

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study examined the impact of dialogue-based group instruction on student learning and engagement in community college meteorology education. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare lecture-based instruction with dialogue-based group instruction during two class sessions at one community college in southern California. Pre- and post-tests were used to measure learning and interest, while surveys were conducted two days after the learning events to assess engagement, perceived learning, and application of content. The results indicated that the dialogue-based group instruction was more successful in helping students learn than the lecture-based instruction. Each question that assessed learning had a higher score …

An Exploration Of Success Factors From The Perspectives Of Developmental Mathematics Students, Stacy Atkinson

Educational Studies Dissertations

Students who enter college underprepared for college-level coursework face tremendous barriers, including referral to one or more levels of developmental education. However, the requirement to complete developmental mathematics often becomes a primary barrier for students ever being able to complete a degree. Students who enter underprepared for college-level coursework and also identify as first-generation face even larger barriers to realizing success. Given this reality, community colleges – where most developmental education programs are housed – are seeking ways to better support students needing remediation to increase their chances of success and completion. Using the recently implemented co-requisite model of instruction …

Reacting To Classroom Design: A Case Study Of How Corrective Actions Impact Undergraduate Teaching And Learning, Mikael André Powell

Educational Studies Dissertations

It is commonly accepted that physical space has some effect on the educational experience and that teachers and students may respond with remedies if the actual classroom design (which encompasses the physical classroom, including furniture and fixed equipment) inhibits teaching and learning. Corrective responses include efforts to lean to see, or hear and be heard, rearrange furniture, and change class activity due to the nature of the physical space. I conducted this qualitative research to determine what constitutes typical remedial or corrective responses to the classroom, how prevalent these actions are, and the perceived effect of these actions on the …

Development In The Gap: A Case Study Of Emerging Adults In Structured Gap Programs, Sara Flowers

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one northeast, public university who participated in a structured gap program between their secondary and post-secondary schooling. Data were collected in three phases. Study participants emerged from an initial questionnaire that invited participation from the eligible university population of 3,355 students. Data included survey responses from 100 students, interviews with four respondents, and a case study of one informant. The four student interviews occurred on the university campus in audio recorded, face-to-face appointments. One of the interviewees, Caitlin, became the focus of an instrumental case (Stake, 1994) that reported …

The Resilient Turn: College Students' Perspectives - A Phenomenological Inquiry, Perah Kessman

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenology was designed to explore with a sample of undergraduate students in psychology-related majors their perceptions of psychological resilience and the factors they believe contributed to it. While previous studies have examined the construct of resilience in childhood and adolescence, relatively little is known about the phenomenon later in the lifespan. Thus, the rationale for the study stems from the researcher’s wish to fill this gap in knowledge by studying resilience among emerging adults. It was the researcher’s assumption that the knowledge generated from this study would both provide new insights into emerging adult resilience and inform higher …

The Experience Of Emerging Adults In An Entry-Level College Hebrew Course, Sarit Moskowitz

Educational Studies Dissertations

Most colleges require students to take at least one foreign language course in order to graduate. Some students tend to put this requirement off to the end of their program due to language learning anxiety, and attrition rates in these courses are high. This study asks the following question: How do emerging adult students in an entry-level college Hebrew class describe their experience? Do factors such as awareness of peers and languagelearning anxiety affect their self-reported learning experience? The findings are important to the field of language learning because there are no studies available that specifically evaluate the experience of …

The Influence Of Nature Relatedness On Decision Making Regarding Mate Selection In College-Educated Young Adults, Nicole Lynn Kras

Educational Studies Dissertations

Research to date has mainly focused on the influence of nature relatedness on a person’s subjective well-being (Nisbet, 2011) and as a predictor of happiness (Zelenski & Nisbet, 2014). There are few, if any, studies that look at the influence of nature relatedness on mate selection. The research question is Does nature relatedness influence mate selection in college-educated adults between the ages of 25 and 40? A secondary goal of this study is to begin to describe the role of the natural environment in the lives of college-educated young adults. Through a modified snowball sampling technique using electronic mail and …

The Bridge Drawing With Path Art-Based Assessment: Measuring Meaningful Life Pathways In Higher Education Students, Olena Darewych

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships among the Bridge Drawing with Path (BDP) art-based assessment and two positive psychology instruments: the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ; Steger et al., 2006) and the Adult State Hope Scale (ASHS; Snyder et al., 1996). All three assessments (BDP, MLQ and ASHS) are intended to test for an individual’s goal-related pursuits. Forty-four higher education students studying in Britain and Canada participated in the study. Results indicated that an association exists between BDP written associations and MLQ-presence of meaning sub-scores. Participants who scored high on MLQ – presence of meaning generated more sources of life …

Making Voices Visible: Teacher Research In A Community College Early Childhood Teacher Education Program, Debra Murphy

Educational Studies Dissertations

Teacher research has been included in university and graduate teacher education programs for the past 2 decades. Recently, associate degree programs have also begun to engage their students in teacher research. What happens when community college early childhood students conduct teacher research as a course assignment? This study involved 8 former community college early childhood education students who had recently completed teacher research projects as part of their coursework in 1 of 3 different courses. Data sources included students’ written reports of teacher research, classroom field notes, photographs of student data, and interviews with each participant. The study was informed …

Learning From The Inside Out: A Narrative Study Of College Teacher Development, Anne Benoit

Educational Studies Dissertations

Historically, the “development” of college faculty members has involved further learning in their academic disciplines (Gaff & Simpson, 1994; Lewis, 1996); subsequent efforts to enhance faculty learning have been informed by Gaff’s (1975) three-part model of faculty development. However, how faculty members “develop” as teachers is still far from clear. This study uses an adult developmental approach to understand and explore “the who, the self that teaches” (Palmer, 1998, p. 4) at the intersection of faculty personal and professional learning. This critical event narrative study of ten college teachers sought to understand how faculty members from 4-year liberal arts teaching-intensive …

Finding Voice: An Exploration Of College Students With Learning Differences Within The Context Of Family, Lynn Abrahams

Educational Studies Dissertations

The transition to college affects not only students but also the entire family system. Parents sometimes become quite involved with a student’s college education, a phenomenon that is beginning to get significant attention in the student development and higher education literature (Wartman & Savage, 2008). When students who have documented learning disabilities enroll in college, the concerns of family members can be even greater (Brinkerhoff, 2002). The purpose of this study was to investigate identity development in college students who have language-based learning disabilities. This study utilized the method of multiple case study design (six cases). Each case involved a …