Education Commons^™

Divergent Representations Of Africa: A Qualitative Analysis Of Georgia Social Studies Textbooks, Bailey A. Brown, Amber R. Reed

Georgia Educational Researcher

The Georgia Department of Education has clearly defined standards for learning about Africa in the seventh grade. However, there exists great variation in how textbooks present this material and address these standards. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, we assess the presentation of Africa in three widely used Georgia social studies textbooks. We document and analyze coverage of Africa across Georgia’s seventh grade world studies learning domains. Our research demonstrates: 1) that, despite widespread calls for decolonization of education and strengthening of multicultural education, Euro-American perspectives on Africa are still prevalent; 2) textbooks vary widely on how they choose to …

Implementing Education For Maternity Nurses To Improve Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Regarding Postpartum Depression: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Haley Merrill

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of childbirth, but often goes undiagnosed. Adequate patient education on PPD increases the patient’s knowledge and supports enhanced communication between patients and provider. Maternity nurses have continued interaction with new mothers and are in a vital position to educate patients regarding PPD. However, maternity nurses may lack confidence in delivering the appropriate education and resources for PPD to postpartum women.

LOCAL PROBLEM: Within the given microsystem, there was currently a gap that existed between PPD education for nurses and the delivery of PPD patient education.

METHODS: Utilizing the Plan-Do-Study-Act model, a …

Exploring The Impact Of Personal, Emotional, And Relational Elements That Influence The Decision To Speak Up During Critical Safety Moments, Kelly Rabah

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on exploring the relationships between personal, emotional, and relational elements and the decision to speak up during critical safety moments. A phenomenological single site case study was employed using semi structured interviews to examine the healthcare professionals’ stories. The participants shared their lived experiences when making the choice to speak up or not, and the consequences – positive and negative, for themselves, their patients, and the organization. Results showed the decision to speak up is complex. There are many components that influence the decision to raise voice in the face of known risk. Personal elements, including …

The Relationships Among Organizational Support, Teacher Well-Being, And Teacher Resilience In Secondary School Teachers, Lisa Journell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships among perceived organizational support, teacher well-being, and teacher resilience in secondary school teachers in Ohio public schools. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was employed. In phase one, survey data were collected from Ohio public school teachers (n = 254, grades 6-12), and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the structure of the relationships between the variables of interest. In phase two, using a phenomenological approach, follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of participants (n = 10) to examine the lived experience of teachers with high and low levels of teacher resilience. …

What Is Active Learning? Perspectives From Five Stem Professors' Teaching Practices In Their Classrooms, Iliana Correa

Capstone Showcase

This senior thesis investigated what ways, if any, STEM professors incorporated active learning pedagogy in their undergraduate classroom in a small private university in the northeast USA. STEM pedagogy was investigated because of the increasing prominence of active learning methods in the classroom compared to the didactic type of teaching that was prominent in the past (Eichler, 2020). A qualitative case study of five STEM professors was conducted and involved collecting data from biographical questions, a one-hour interview, and the analysis of a document provided by the professor that could have been a lesson plan, an assignment, or an activity …

Generative Ai, Learning And New Literacies, Su-Yen Chen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Launched in November 2022, OpenAI's ChatGPT garnered over 100 million users within two months, sparking a surge in research and concern over potential risks of extensive AI experiments. The article, originating from a conference presentation by Tsinghua University and NTHU, Taiwan, provides a nuanced overview of Generative AI. It explores the classifications, applications, governance challenges, societal implications, and development trajectory of Generative AI, emphasizing its transformative role in employment and education. The piece highlights ChatGPT's significant impact and the strategic adaptations required in various sectors, including medical education, engineering, information management, and distance education. Furthermore, it explores the opportunities and …

A Generic Qualitative Study Of District, School, And Teacher Leader Experiences With Increasing Reading And Writing Achievement, Jennifer Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

English Language Arts (ELA) test scores have declined since the 2020 COVID-19 virus caused schools and districts in the United States and around the world to shut down for substantial periods of time. School and district leaders and teachers across the country are working to increase ELA achievement.

In this generic qualitative research study, local district, school, and teacher leaders were interviewed and asked questions about their experiences with increasing reading and writing achievement using semi-structured interview protocols.

Four research questions were addressed. They concerned the challenges, successes, supports, guidance, mandates, and advice offered by district, school, and teacher leaders …

Novice Teacher Experiences Of Online Reading Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Deyanira M. Echevarria Candales

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation documented novice teacher experiences providing online reading instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the researcher captured educators’ first-hand accounts of their experiences shifting to fully online reading instruction, adapting instructional materials that were designed for in-person instruction for online learning, confronting challenges and successes during this period of uncertainty, and transitioning back to in-person instruction amidst the then ongoing pandemic.

The following research questions were posed: 1. How do novice elementary reading teachers, in a large public school district in South Florida, describe their experiences teaching reading online during a global pandemic? 2. How do novice elementary …

Exploring Different Mediums For Teaching Programming And Cybersecurity In Primary And Secondary Schools, Andrew R. Youngstrom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cybersecurity and programming are becoming more and more prominent in today’s world. It is beneficial to begin teaching these topics to students at a younger age. Additionally, we see students in primary and secondary schools struggling to maintain focus in class as attention spans shrink. This paper looks at different drone models to see if any of them could be sufficient solutions to be implemented into primary and secondary schools to teach cybersecurity and programming topics to students. Besides teaching capabilities, drones must also be affordable for institutions and simple enough to construct, configure, and operate so that a teacher …

Improving The Reading Skills Of Struggling Secondary Students In A Real-World Setting: Issues Of Implementation And Sustainability, Susan Main, Susan Hill, Annamaria Paolino

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading difficulties have been associated with limited academic success and related social-emotional outcomes including anxiety and low motivation. Recent research on the educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that children with poor reading skills were disproportionally disadvantaged. This growing number of students experiencing reading difficulties will require effective implementation of strategies to prevent long-term disadvantage, including in the challenging context of secondary schools where teachers are unfamiliar with reading instruction and constrained by timetabling of subjects and teachers. This research examined whether a Direct Instruction programme could be implemented with fidelity in the real world of a secondary school …

Relational Employability Stages Of Development, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Relational employability stages of development aim to enhance individuals’ employability in a relational world. These stages – Recognition, Networks, Translation and Review – provide a pathway for individuals to cultivate relational awareness, engagement, promotion and reflection in the context of careers. When integrated with the Relational employability teaching-learning framework (Cook, 2023), these stages of development engage individuals in critical self-reflection, evaluation and career planning to advance their relational career development. This integrated approach empowers individuals to thrive and make meaningful contributions, extending employability beyond skills and outcomes to embrace meaningful connections and contributions with others (including more-than-human others). Applicable …

International Trauma-Informed Practice Principles For Schools (Itipps): Expert Consensus Of Best-Practice Principles, Karen Martin, Madeleine Dobson, Kate Fitzgerald, Madeleine Ford, Stephan Lund, Helen Egeberg, Rebecca Walker, Helen Milroy, Keane Wheeler, Amanda Kasten-Lee, Lisa Bayly, Angela Gazey, Sarah Falconer, Monique Platell, Emily Berger

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recognition that schools should be responsive to children who are impacted by adversity and trauma is burgeoning internationally. However, consensus regarding the necessary components of a trauma-informed school is lacking. This research developed expert-informed and internationally relevant best-practice trauma-informed principles for schools. A four-phase methodology included (i) identification of school-relevant trauma-informed practice programs, (ii) inductive thematic analysis of the main concepts underlying programs, (iii) phrasing of draft Principles and (iv) Principle revision and finalisation via a two-round Delphi survey with international experts. Excellent agreement by experts on the importance of all Principles was achieved (round 1 ≥ 86.4%, 2 ≥ …

Going Beyond: Cyber Security Curriculum In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools. Final Report, Nicola F. Johnson, Ahmed Ibrahim, Leslie Sikos, Marnie Mckee

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is no doubt cyber security is of national interest given the rife nature of cyber crime and the alarming increase of victims who have endured identify theft, fraud and scams. Curriculum within K-12 schools tends to be fixed and any modifications are subject to extensive consultation within a prolonged review cycle. Therefore, this report has gone beyond curriculum to explore the potential of national awareness campaigns and dynamic digital cyber security licences as alternative possibilities for instigation. The role of leaders in various school sectors and systems is critical for a successful roll out. This final report culminates from …

Relational Employability Teaching-Learning Framework, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This framework was designed, developed and implemented during Elizabeth’s doctoral research, specifically in 2022-2023. Elizabeth’s conceptualisation of relational employability, as depicted by this framework, is holistic and shows three equally important relational elements of employability and careers, which may transcend time and space: (1) foundational career development and identities (self); (2) humanistic interactions and contributions throughout careers (other humans); and (3) more-than-human interactions and contributions throughout careers (beyond humans). The framework builds on the work of Nataša Lacković (2019) and was constructed to enable academics to deeply and meaningfully integrate careers and employability thinking-imagining within curricula and assessment. The framework …

Transforming Transitions To School: Using Funds Of Knowledge And Identity, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Boylan, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This resource describes a project where ten Western Australian Independent Schools embraced a way of viewing children and their family’s transition to school.

Participating teachers came together as a community of practice and engaged in different ways of thinking and investigating accepted practice.Transition practices were affirmed or challenged as teachers were mentored through design-based thinking. Transition ideas were explored focussing on children’s funds of knowledge and identity. This resource outlines why transitions are important, considers transitions through a funds of knowledge and identity lens, and describes each school’s journey as they re-imagined transitions in this project. Finally, the ideas and …

Digital Literacy: A Review Of Literature, Lennie Barblett, Raisa Akifeva, Leanne Lavina, Fiona Boylan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This report describes the main themes of collected literature to examine and explain the information in relation to making best practice recommendations for using digital technologies with children, and their families using Better Beginnings programs. These themes include:

• definitions of literacy,
• digital literacy in the context of childhood and children’s rights,
• dimensions of children’s digital literacy,
• digital technology, children and families,
• digital divide and diversity,
• eSafety, privacy, protection,
• children’s digital literacy learning, and
• librarian staff as digital literacy mentors and advocates.

The early childhood phase of childhood (particularly birth to age five) is one of the most under - researched …

Developing A Resource For Arts Educators To Enhance The Social And Emotional Well-Being Of Young People, Leanne Fried, Christine Lovering, Sarah Falconer, Jacinta Francis, Robyn Johnston, Karen Lombardi, Kevin Runions, Karen Forde, Naomi Crosby, Lilly Blue

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Mental health concerns prevent positive well-being and are key challenges for Australian children and young people. Arts organisations play a role in enhancing the positive mental health of children and young people. This paper describes the involvement of young people and their parents in the development of a resource for arts organisation’s intentional support of social and emotional well-being. Methods: Six focus groups were conducted with 19 young people who participate in dance, drama, and circus programs, and 17 of their parents. Questions explored how the arts currently, and potentially, support their social and emotional well-being. Results: Three overarching …

Culturally Responsive Teaching And Music Education, Katie Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The United States’ music culture is predominantly focused on the Western music tradition. Yet, the population in the United States is wildly diverse and continues to become even more so at a rapid rate. Because of this, culturally relevant teaching has become an increasingly discussed topic in music education. Why do some music educators feel out of place with music outside of the classical tradition? It can be traced backed to the Eurocentrism of music schools in the United States. Music schools focus primarily on the classical Western music realm, including topics such as music theory, socially accepted ensembles and …

The Impact Of Remote Learning In The Wake Of Covid19, Dominique Richards

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With COVID19, the University of Akron and many other universities had to adjust how they taught students. They went from primarily in-person classes to primarily remote classes as well as hybrid classes. This project is meant to determine how students at the university were affected by this change regarding their overall satisfaction with remote learning. Students at the University of Akron were surveyed in September 2023. The questions regarded demographics, location during the semesters (from spring 2020 to current), impact on study habits, impact on grades, impact on social life, satisfaction with courses, and general thoughts on online learning. Questions …

Creativity In Art And Academia: Analyzing The Effects Of Ai Technology Through The Lens Of Chatgpt, Emma Saurini

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Technological advances occur at a rapid pace and evolve unceasingly. This is exemplified by artificial intelligence (AI), technology that is able to analyze external data to perform tasks that are usually completed by humans. This technology, for better or worse, irrevocably changes how society functions and, most importantly, deeply affects the way humans live, act, and think. With the advent of Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), a chatbot technology that provides human-like answers to any prompt, powerful AI technology lies at the fingertips of anyone who can access it. In this thesis, I argue that a fundamental property of being …

Education Based On Graduate Marginalized Perspective, Bryanna Edwards

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The United States Education system has received many budget cuts throughout the years. Sixty-six percent of Americans believe that the United States Education system needs major changes or to be rebuilt (Pew Research, 2013). There has been much debate regarding the first step toward reform. To begin to answer this question this research investigated some of the most restrictive educational spaces.

The most available and beneficial first steps to reform lie in the minds and practices within the educational institution. This research could lead to cultivating more inclusive policies and practices, to serve an increasingly diverse student population. Although disciplines …

Social, Cultural, And Psychological Obstacles To Advancing Stem Agendas In Rural Texas, Brandon Bretl

RGV STEM ED Conference Proceedings 2023

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A Music Therapy Video In-Service On Staffs' Beliefs About Music Therapy In Behavioral Health, Jesus Javier Garcia

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a short video presentation, about music therapy in behavioral health, had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in that setting. A total of 26 staff members, from different departments, participated in the study and completed a pre- and post-presentation questionnaire. Responses were analyzed and compared to investigate whether the video had a positive effect on staff members’ beliefs about music therapy in behavioral health. Participant demographics and pre- and post-video questionnaire responses were also analyzed and compared to explore the differential impact of the video by subgroups …

Resilience In Early Second Career Stem Teachers Employed In Public Secondary Schools, Donald Selway

Theses and Dissertations

A troubling shortage of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) teachers exists in the United States. One solution to increase STEM teachers involves recruiting STEM professionals to transition from industry to K-12 teaching. Research indicates that fostering resilience is one way to help new STEM teachers’ retention and persistence in the field. This study explored individual and programmatic factors that increase early career and early second career K-12 STEM teachers’ resilience. Moreover, this research examined how strategic initiatives and programs assisted STEM professionals to build resilience as they transitioned into K-12 STEM educators.

This study utilized mixed-methods design to …

Examining The Workplace Well-Being Of Elementary School Teachers Whose Students Participated In A Social Emotional Learning Program, Yorri Berry

Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades, public school teachers have faced many challenges, including differentiated instruction to diverse students, increased classroom management, and standardized testing. The accumulation of these challenges has created high teacher attrition rates leading to teaching shortages. Understanding the barriers and useful supports to address the challenges teachers face can help lower attrition rates and enhance teaching quality. This study examines the workplace well-being of elementary school teachers whose students participated in a social and emotional learning program. The study included 16 elementary school teachers in schools with a large population of students who are particularly vulnerable to …