Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

Can Intentional Community-Engagement Bridge The Town And Gown Divide? Creating Collaborative Partnerships Between Colleges And Local Organizations Engaged In Social Activism, Anna Wilk

Scripps Senior Theses

In higher education spaces, there tends to be a divide between on-campus and off-campus communities creating dissonance between the activism conducted by the students and faculty and that taken on by the surrounding communities; this is known as the “town and gown divide”. For the sake of each of these individual groups it is pivotal to attempt to rectify this division so that the institutions and the communities that they find themselves within can work together to strive for justice and innovation. A crucial aspect of diminishing the town and gown divide involves addressing students' preconceived notions of the community …

The Battle Over Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion And Critical Race Theory In Florida: A Case Study On The Stop W.O.K.E. Act, Grace Anne Castelin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Accelerating from 2022 and continuing through 2024, the state of Florida has experienced significant policy changes, particularly within the realm of higher education and affairs of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many progressive officials, experts, and activists assert arguments that the state is on the verge of evolving into an authoritarian regime while many illiberal policies are being produced through the Florida legislature and current executive leadership—social and economic sectors are consequently threatened in order to maintain political oppression. The Stop W.O.K.E. Act has served as a catalyst for shifting the state's political stance on DEI, culminating in a chain …

Exploring Cooperative Learning In High School Remedial And Test Preparation Classes, Carol Solomon-Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores how utilizing cooperative learning in remedial and test preparation in high school classes affects students’ reading comprehension on traditional standardized test scores. Theoretically, my dissertation work draws upon several bodies of literature, such as constructivism including cognitive and social constructivism in relation to cooperative learning (e.g., Dewey, 1897, 1902/1932, 1910; Piaget, 1967; Vygotsky, 1978), culturally responsive/relevant/sustaining pedagogy (e.g., Gay, 2000/2010/2018; González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005; Ladson-Billings, 1994/2009; Ladson-Billings, 2021; Paris & Alim, 2017), and caring and empathy (Noddings, 1984, 1992, 2002; Katz, Noddings, & Strike, 1999; Merriam, 1991; Stake, 1995, 2005) in relation to social justice education. …

A Muse In A Minefield: Poets, Pedagogy, And The Practice Of Liberation, Fran Dundore

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this poetic inquiry I share my experiences as a public educator within the contexts of aesthetics, identity, and power. Reflecting and inquiring poetically on nearly thirty years of public practice and leadership, I consider my personal experiences and conversations with current teachers and call them into action to speak up about the ramifications of this current political climate on their curriculum and their pedagogy. I focus on the works of poets and theorists such as Oliver (1986, 1992, 1998 & 2011), Whitman (1855, 1892), Hughes (1951) Counts (1932), Rosenblatt (1978 &1995), Freire (1970, 1974 & 1978), and Greene (1973, …

Always A Dreamer, Liz Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This is the story of my life in the form of a memoir. You might ask, why is my life a relevant subject for a dissertation? As Celeste Snowber, the scholar, author and performer recently said to me, “I think it would be wonderful to write a memoir.... You clearly have an extraordinary life, with art, soul and the depths of wisdom marinating all you do” (2023, personal communication). I was flattered by her comments and her confidence in me gave me the inspiration I needed to tell my story. There is also the meaning of ‘lived experience’ in …

Meeting The Moment: Seeking A Symbiosis Of Economic Theory And Practice In Times Of Crisis, Sallie Taylor Manning

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

By their nature, crises upset the status quo and shake apart the ways of being and doing for individuals, families, communities, nations, institutions, and governments. This research seeks to identify the ways in which times of crisis led to changes in high school economics curriculum. The Georgia Performance Standards for high school economics curriculum were examined over a 23-year period to determine the extent to which three national and international crises led to changes in economics curriculum. A historiography was created for each of three crises, September 11, 2001 (9/11), Hurricane Katrina, and the Great Recession of 2008. The Georgia …

White Woman In A Black Barbershop: Examining Racial Literacy Through Epistemic Curricula Spaces, Megan Paulk

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The following study is an autoethnography of the researcher, a White Mother of a Black Family (WMOBF). Follow her journey as she examines her racial literacy through the construction of Season Two of her podcast White Women in a Black Barbershop, where she is conversing with three other WMOBF who geographically grew up in the same small town in Maryland. The podcast analysis method is introduced as a method of data collection and analysis. The results of the study are the creation of eight epistemic curricula spaces. These spaces contain movement, are not linear, and are not accessible to all. …

Incorporating Sex-Diverse And Gender-Inclusive Perspectives In Higher Education Biology Courses, Breanne N. Harris, A Kelsey Lewis, Sam L. Sharpe, Teri J. Orr, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe C. Josefson

Faculty Journal Articles

Inclusive teaching is teaching in a way that reaches all students in the classroom; this is beneficial for everyone, particularly for those with minoritized identities. Instructors play a critical role in scaffolding how students are exposed to and learn science content in the classroom. In this manuscript, we discuss how biology instructors can make their classrooms more inclusive with regard to sex and gender diversity content. Many topics in biology are based on androcentric, heteronormative, and oppressive framing, even though those lenses are more reflective of our own history and culture than they are of the diversity we see in …

The Narratives Of Successful Conflict Resolution Entrepreneurs: Evolving Career Pathways And Determinants Of Business Success, Eileen Paige Petzold-Bradley

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The study explores the narratives and best practices of 33 Successful Conflict Resolution Entrepreneurs (SCREs) in the United States. In doing so, the study helps to fill an essential gap in the literature, where research on conflict resolution entrepreneurship with experienced practitioners is rare. Given the focus of the study on narrative inquiry and thematic analysis, this methodological approach achieved an in-depth qualitative analysis of conflict resolution entrepreneurial experiences. The narrative insights gathered from the 33 SCREs provided detailed descriptions of the career pathways, personal motivations, business challenges, and successes of running a conflict resolution business. The research illuminates the …

Does Learning About Social Policy In A Global Context Change Students’ Views On U.S. Social Policies?, Dirk De Jong, Dennis Kao

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews the development and implementation of a course titled “Social Policy Without Borders” and an evaluation of students’ attitudes toward social policies as a result of having taken the course. “Social Policy Without Borders” is an undergraduate social work elective and involves a cross-national analysis of social policies and an examination of the impact of neoliberalism on social policies and social welfare systems globally. This paper reports on an evaluation of outcome in terms of possible changes in students’ views on social policies in the United States as a result of learning about their global context. The evaluation …

Close To The Pain: Alternative Education And The Unheard Voices Of Young Adults’ Transformative Learning Experiences, Vicki Lynn Lock

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on amplifying the voices of marginalized students in alternative education, with an emphasis on the positive impact of resilience on their outcomes. The study addresses the challenges these students face, particularly those from BIPOC communities, in navigating educational systems that have historically marginalized them. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the experiences of BIPOC students in a Central Valley alternative education program, highlighting how nurturing relationships, resilience, and the fulfillment of basic needs contribute to their academic success and personal growth. Utilizing a framework that incorporates theories of resilience, educational equity, and transformative leadership, …

A Custom Mixed-Reality Simulation Design: Minimizing Teacher Biases In Mathematical Discussion Practices, Melihan Ünlü, Signe Kastberg, Sezai Kocabas, Melva Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] Mixed-reality simulations (MRSs), blending real and virtual environments, provide a low-risk environment (Dieker et al., 2014; Piro & O'Callaghan, 2019) to rehearse core teaching practices (Jacobs & Spangler, 2017). Grant and Ferguson (2021) designed a MursionTM custom simulation to support pre-service teachers' (PTs) mathematics discussion practice. PTs had opportunities to facilitate a discussion of provided student solutions (e.g., drawing, repeated subtraction, creating table) to a mathematics task: "Harry the Dog Problem" (Grant & Ferguson, 2021), where Harry the dog is waiting in a line of 23 dogs to be washed. When a dog is washed, Harry sneaks ahead …

The Regenarrative: How To Change The Story In Order To Change The Future, S. Rose Bigheart O'Leary

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Abstract

In the era of Climate Change, many are concerned that the end of the Anthropocene, or the end of the era of human life on Earth, is upon us. Western European colonialism and its subsequent systems (settler-colonialism, colonial-capitalism, and globalization - sometimes termed “neocolonialism”) have all been implicated in contributing to unsustainable behaviors linked to accelerating climate change. In searching for possible solutions, some have called for listening to Indigenous Peoples, citing ethics of sustainability found among many Indigenous cultures. However, the cultural products of settler-colonialism are still dominant in ways that do not allow for Indigenous worldviews to …

Using Asset-Based Community Development To Increase Student Engagement And Improve Student Experience In Schools, Jacqueline Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

The following is a dissertation in the three-paper dissertation format. The first section will give background information on the issue of alienation in schools and how asset-based community development (ABCD) could be an effective tool for educators to combat alienation and disengagement, especially with students with marginalized identities. This first section will also show the significance of the three papers as a whole and how they connect to one another. The first paper is the conceptual literature review, the second paper is an empirical study of the ABCD model in schools, and the dissertation will end with a practitioner's article …

From Elementary School To Doctoral Education: An Autoethnographic Journey, Gwendolyn D. Dailey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Every child has a right to education, and their skin color should not determine their education quality. However, since the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), it has been proven that race continues to matter in the success and failure of education (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). The persistent achievement gaps between students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as the disparities in access to high-quality educational opportunities, demonstrate how race and ethnicity shape the educational experiences of students of color (Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis, 2012). Unfortunately, stories such as Ruby Bridges of New …

Understanding Latina/O/X Puente Alumni Student Experiences With Sense Of Belonging And Validation, Stephanie Teresa Razo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus of this study was on how the Puente Project helps Latina/o/x community college students feel supported and validated. Additionally, it focused on how community and familial efforts can influence students’ experiences, and how the Puente Project leverages those forms of capital. Examining the lived experiences of Latina/o/x Puente community college alumni contributed to the study of retention and graduation initiatives for Latina/o/x students in the California Community College system. For this study, the participants chosen already completed the Puente program at a California Central Valley community college, transferred to a four-year institution, and either graduated with—or are …

Exploring Cultural Humility Prevalence And Barriers In Masters Of Science In Athletic Training Education Programs, Nathalie Towchik

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the prevalence of faculty members’ abilities to incorporate cultural humility into their Masters of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program curriculum and barriers they feel they face in implementing this into regular practice. There is a severe lack of focus on issues pertaining to social justice within the athletic training profession, and implementation of cultural humility skills into MSAT programs can help address the systemic injustices within athletic training healthcare delivery. While there has been a focus on cultural competency in athletic training education, there is little to no current research on …

Effective Communication With People With Dementia: An Exploratory Study Of Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy Students, Samita Kirve, Lucy Perkins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Dementia is a major global concern, with 50 million people already affected worldwide in 2018, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Healthcare practitioners, specifically occupational therapists, are responsible for providing care and ensuring the well-being of people with dementia. However, occupational therapy students may not always have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively communicate and support dementia patients, which could negatively impact the quality of care they provide. To explore this issue, a study was conducted with final-year pre-registration occupational therapy students at a public university in England. The study used a qualitative methodology, with semi-structured …

Dementia Education Opportunities For Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy And Physiotherapy Students- A Scoping Review, Samita Kirve, Alice Teague

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The number of dementia diagnoses is ever-increasing in the aging population, meaning that healthcare staff need to be equipped with the appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills to care for people with dementia. However, recent research suggests that globally, both healthcare workers and students require greater dementia education opportunities to meet the needs of people with dementia. There seems to be limited research exploring dementia education opportunities within occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) programs. A scoping review methodology was chosen to explore the literature about dementia education in global OT and PT programs. There was limited literature in this area …

World Spirit And The Apotheosis Of Artificial Superintelligence: A Speculative Design Proposal, Ian Gonsher

Scholarly Research

This essay puts forth a speculative design proposal for a device with affordances for talking to, and receiving responses from, God. We begin with an analysis and critique of the concept of God, framing this concept within an understanding of Hegelian Spirit (Geist) and technological evolution. In this context, Spirit, or World Spirit (Weltgeist), can be characterized as the aggregate consciousness of all people - as human consciousness itself: In the simplest terms, this immanent framing of the “mind of God” is culturally and socially constituted as the communication that people engage in with each other, in all the diverse …