2026-08-20 Faculty Senate Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate meeting minutes from April 26, 2026.

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of A Principal’S Instructional Leadership: Cultivating And Increasing Meaningful Teacher Collaboration, Allen Cleon Craine Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration at a school district in Northeast Georgia. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which describes the work school principals perform to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration and serves as a blueprint for improving instruction through the collective efforts of educators. The central question of the research is: What are the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher …

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Single-Parent Students Who Attend Higher Education Institutions With Support Services Tailored To Their Demographic, Autumn Inteso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences utilizing parenting student support programs for single-parent students at higher education institutions in the United States. At this stage in the research, the lived experiences of utilizing parenting programs were generally defined as those students who had utilized programs or interventions that had been created or employed to directly or indirectly address the challenges faced by single-parent students while pursuing their advanced education. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The study sought to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of single-parent …

The Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Of Certified Anduncertified Medical Assistants In Medical Clinics: A Hermeneutical Phenomenology Study, Shannon Waller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study was to explore how supervising clinicians, including medical doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, described the knowledge, skills, and abilities of certified and uncertified medical assistants in healthcare clinics in the United States. The problem was that it was unknown how supervising clinicians described the knowledge, skills, and abilities of certified and uncertified medical assistants. Becker’s human capital theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. Participants were recruited through professional social media platforms and clinician-specific online communities. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, a focus group, andwritten responses to a writing …

The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers In Supporting Literacy Growth Among Students In Secondary School: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Emanuel Arboleda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of teachers in supporting literacy among secondary students at a suburban secondary school in Connecticut. The lived experiences of literacy limitations among students were generally defined as a lack of literacy resources or inconsistent literacy support across courses and grade levels. Bandura’s social cognitive theory guided this study, particularly regarding the cognitive, behavioral, and environmental experiences of teachers and their students’ literacy limitations. The Central Research Question was: What are the experiences of secondary teachers in supporting literacy growth among students? This transcendental phenomenological study on literacy …

The Impact Of Teaching Evolution In Central Arkansas: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Method Study, Danya L. Utley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods research was to assess the ethical implications that central Arkansas Christian science teachers faced when evolutionary theory was taught without critical examination. This study first collected data in a quantitative form to identify public high schools in Central Arkansas that taught evolutionary theory without presenting opposing views. This study then collected data in the qualitative form regarding Christian science teachers’ perceptions of the school system's alternative views contrary to evolution. The data was then analyzed to determine if teaching evolution without alternative views in Arkansas public high schools was considered either ethical or unethical. The …

The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Regarding The Influence Of Transformational Leadership: A Phenomenological Study, Jaleesa Glover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of school leadership among special education teachers in inner-city charter schools in the United States. At this stage in the research, the lived experience of school leadership support is generally defined as how special educators perceived, interpreted, and responded to the leadership behaviors of their school administrators within their professional roles. The theory guiding this study was Burns’ transformational leadership theory. The central research question addressed in this study was: What are the lived experiences of special education teachers in inner-city schools with school leadership support? Data …

Investigating K-12 Principals Assigning Non-Licensed, Uncertified Personnel As Teachers: A Case Study, Hugues Pericles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single case study was to describe how principals assign non-licensed, uncertified personnel as teachers for students at K-12 public schools. The theory guiding this study was Weick’s sensemaking theory on organization, as it explains the relationship between the theory and leaders’ management in times of organizational crisis. The Central Research Question was: How do principals assign non-licensed, uncertified personnel as teachers at their K-12 public schools in one large urban school district? This study was a holistic single case study. The study sample included the lived experiences of K-12 public school principals in one of the …

Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Leadership On The Educational Experiences Of Impoverished Urban Children: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Tanmai Talari Pena

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological case study was to understand the educational experiences of impoverished urban children as perceived and addressed by school administrators in a K–12 school within the United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which emphasizes the importance of social interaction, cultural context, and community in shaping learning and development, and aligns with the study’s focus on how educational leaders interpret and respond to the needs of marginalized student populations. The central research question guiding this study was: How do school administrators perceive and address the educational experiences of impoverished urban children …

2026-08-20 Pac-26 Revision Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

A revision draft of PAc-26 submitted for review by the Faculty Senate on August 20, 2026.

Finding God In All Things: A Course On Theology Of Sport At A Jesuit High School, Craig M. Smith

Journal of Catholic Education

This article examines the development, structure, and impact of a senior elective course on the Theology of Sport at an all-boys Jesuit Catholic high school in the east coast of the United States. Grounded in Ignatian pedagogy and the Catholic theological tradition, the course invites students to reflect critically on their lived experiences in sport through the lenses of play, spirituality, and Church teaching Drawing on sources such as Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Play, papal and Vatican statements on sport, and contemporary theological reflections on athletic experience, the course challenges the tendency to silo athletics from other dimensions of student …

Trauma-Informed Coaching: An Application Of Catholic Social Teaching To Formation And Healing Through Sport, Kristin K. Sheehan, Peter Piscitello, Elaine Cassidy

Journal of Catholic Education

Mission-driven athletic programs aim to form the whole athlete—physically, emotionally, socially, morally, and spiritually. A critical component of this mission is equipping coaches to serve as ministers of the Church while embracing trauma-informed practices. This paper introduces the rationale, process, and techniques for trauma-informed coaching as a research-based approach to supporting athlete mental health. Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, this framework emphasizes community, participation, and the dignity of the human person, particularly care for the vulnerable. Drawing on neuroscientific and psychological research on trauma alongside Church documents and papal pronouncements, the paper demonstrates how trauma-informed coaching fosters healing and resilience …

Problematika Learning Loss Pada Kompetensi Pelayanan Dan Kesiapan Kerja Lulusan Smk Perhotelan: Studi Kasus Di Smkn 1 Jonggat, Heny Afrianti, Supiati Warni, Zulkarnain Zulkarnain, Endang Supiyatun, Irya Isnawati, Basilius Redan Werang

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

Learning loss in vocational education is associated not only with reduced mastery of subject matter but also with limited practical experience required to develop occupational skills. This study aimed to analyze the forms of learning loss in hospitality education, learning conditions associated with competency gaps, and their implications for practical service skills at SMKN 1 Jonggat. A qualitative case study design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and documentation involving five purposively selected informants comprising teachers, graduates, and industry representatives. The data were analyzed thematically through coding, category development, theme generation, and interpretation. The findings indicate that …

Political Linguistics And Epistemic Agency: Universal Write Publications And The Defense Of Global Black Knowledge, Ayo Sekai

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

As linguistic erasure intensifies across the African world, the preservation of African-centered knowledge systems has become both a scholarly and political imperative. This article examines the relationship between linguistic imperialism, epistemic agency, and scholarly sovereignty through the intellectual trajectory of Dr. Ayo Sekai, political linguist and founder of Universal Write Publications (UWP), a Black woman–owned academic press dedicated to culturally grounded scholarship. Expanding traditional understandings of linguistic imperialism, Dr. Sekai advances political linguistics beyond structural language dominance to examine who holds linguistic power and how that power operates through dog whistle politics, signaling terms, and policy language code—discursive patterns embedded …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Black Students In Criminal Justice Programs And Its Implications On Social Justice, Demetrius C. Dacres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the experiences of Black students who graduated with degrees in criminal justice within the last five years, as well as professors serving criminal justice programs. In this study, Black students are defined as those who identify as Black or African American, and the research focused on a criminal justice higher education institution’s educational program in the Northeast. This qualitative phenomenological study drew on Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory and Tinto’s Student Integration Model to investigate how Black students experienced criminal justice programs and the resources and strategies they utilized to navigate and adapt. The study addressed a …

Exploring Special Education Teacher Perceptions Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Regulation Among K-8th Grade Students, Emily Keyes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Existing research explores self-regulation in the field of special education, however there has yet to be a body of research that relates specifically to special education teachers’ perceptions of their role in fostering self-regulating students in grades K-8. This narrative qualitative study utilized interviews and observations to extract data from each of the 15 total participants across 9 suburban New Jersey public school districts. Common perceptions of participants included a lack of, or unclear, district vision regarding self-regulation, as well as an absence of explicit professional development. The key findings in this study revealed that self-regulation skills are fostered by …

Examining The Impact Of Social-Emotional Learning On Academic Achievement In African American Middle School Girls, Rebekah Solomon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Examining the Impact of Social-Emotional Learning on Academic Achievement in African American Middle School Girls

Rebekah Solomon Ed.S

African American girls enrolled in middle school today face an education system that is impacted by overlapping factors such as their race, sex, teacher discipline systems, and insufficient encouragement of Black culture (Crenshaw, Ocen, & Nanda, 2015; Couvson, 2016). While numerous studies show that implementing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can increase academic performance and support emotional self-regulation, much of the research does not examine data from subgroups of learners, such as African American females. There is also considerable evidence to support that …

Understanding Superintendent Retention In Ohio Public School Districts: Motivational Influences On Superintendents' Decisions To Remain Or Depart., Thomas P. Perkins

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Superintendent turnover continues to challenge school districts across the United States.  Frequent leadership changes can disrupt district initiatives, create uncertainty within organizations, and affect long-term improvement efforts.  While previous research has focused primarily on external conditions associated with superintendent turnover, less attention has been given to the interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influencing superintendent retention.

The purpose of this study was to examine how intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence Ohio public school superintendents’ decisions to remain in or leave their current positions.  Guided by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the study explored the relationship between internal factors …

Increasing Internal Teacher Capacity Through Instructional Support And Professional Growth, Kelly Compher

Masters Projects

The state of Michigan has long invested in early literacy by supporting K-2 teachers in professional learning and early literacy coaching. This project focuses on the need to develop upper elementary teachers in grades three through five on their knowledge of the science of reading and foundational skills. Providing professional learning on the science of reading will increase knowledge and self-efficacy, which upper elementary teachers need in order to implement a Tier 1 curriculum as mandated by PA 146 of 2024. This project outlines a series of three professional development sessions that help build content knowledge around the science of …