Educational Methods Commons^™

Building A Bridge To African American Student Success: A Quantitative Study At A Community College In Central Kentucky, Kauai R. Thurman

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Kauai R. Thurman on April 2, 2026.

Motivational Systems In Education That Encourage Academic Achievement & Student Leadership, Hannah A. Lockhart, Angela Elsass

2026 Honors Symposium

This research examines how school-based motivational systems influence academic achievement, student engagement, and leadership development in K–12 educational settings. Grounded in contemporary motivational theory, the project explores motivation as a multidimensional construct shaped by autonomy, competence, relatedness, and belonging. Using an expanded review of literature as the primary methodological framework, the research synthesized 97 scholarly sources retrieved through multiple academic databases, including the University of Arkansas Libraries system, and integrated qualitative insight from a semi-structured professional interview with educator Ron Clark. Findings suggest that intentionally designed motivational systems, including schoolwide frameworks that foster belonging, recognition, and student agency, have a …

Foundations For Change: A Year-One Analysis Of Thinking Maps Professional Development In Secondary Education And Classroom Adoption, Tiffani Isaacson

Boise State Graduate Student Projects

Following two years of Thinking Maps professional development, educators at the secondary level have increasingly integrated them into instruction; leading to improvements in student engagement, organization and explanation of thinking. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Thinking Maps professional development in enhancing instruction. Survey results showed that staff found the training beneficial and felt comfortable utilizing Thinking Maps. To support proficiency both the curriculum coach and teacher trainer provided weekly structured activities with video instruction that modeled implementation, reinforcing student understanding and increasing staff confidence. Thinking maps showed promising results as an instructional tool. with continued reinforcement they will further …

Cuny Oer Initiative Catalog (Ay 2024-2025), Jahanara Alamgir, Yujin Lee-Hwang, Rachael Nevins, Elliot Galvis, Rebecca Morofsky, Andrew Mckinney, Jojo Karlin

Open Educational Resources

This circulating catalog inventories the reusable teaching objects produced by CUNY campuses in AY 2024-2025! You’ll find textbooks, assignments, syllabi, videos, and more, organized by discipline and with brief descriptions of the resource. This publication (which links to all the resources) is supplemented by a by our online, filterable CUNY OER Initiative Catalog.

The CUNY OLS Research and Publishing Strategy team gathered, described and indexed the work of the campuses. OLS Fellow Hwang-Lee Yujin designed the publication.

Cs4autism: Supporting Neurodivergent Students In Computer Science Pathways Beyond High School, Darlene Bowman

Open Educational Resources

Students on the autism spectrum are increasingly participating in computer science (CS) education at the K-12 level. However, the transition from high school to postsecondary education, employment, or technical training remains a significant challenge.

This resource provides educators, counselors, and program coordinators with practical strategies to support autistic students as they navigate pathways in computer science beyond high school. It emphasizes inclusive practices, structured supports, and strengths-based approaches aligned with neurodiversity.

Understanding Teacher Pd In The Greater Newark Stem Ecosystem: What Do Educators Need, And How Can We Deliver It?, Brad Schenker, Christopher Abbaleo, Michelle Cirillo, Rosemary Cortez, Tanisha Davis, Mark Maire, Vincent Nguyen, Jasmine Ramsey, Brad Schenker

STEM for Success Showcase

The Greater Newark region faces significant challenges in providing high-quality STEM professional development (PD) for teachers. These challenges include:

● time constraints

● cost barriers

● contract limitations

● lack of centralized information

The Greater Newark STEM Ecosystem implemented a 16 day virtual “sprint”, using the Knowtion platform , that brought together STEM educators, program providers, school supervisors, and administrators to explore what meaningful PD for STEM teachers looks like and how it can be delivered effectively at scale. The insights gathered will inform an ecosystem-wide educator survey aimed at developing new PD solutions for STEM teachers.

Edu 30 Introduction To Special Needs, School & Society Syllabus, Propa Akter

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

Strengthening Students' Political Thinking Skills By Researching The Annexation Of Texas, Rebecca Macon Bidwell, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The unit plan in this manuscript uses best practices from the C3 Framework published by the National Council for the Social Studies and Wayne Journell’s ideas about political thinking to engage students in discussion of the politics leading to the nomination of Governor James K. Polk as the Democratic Party nominee for president in the U.S. 1844 presidential election. Students explore the impact of candidates’ views of the annexation of Texas during this election as well as the influence of President Jackson on the nomination process in the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the election pitted Governor James K. Polk, the dark …

Hitler Must Be Killed: A Wwii Case Study, Jeffrey Byford, Presley Shilling, Alisha Milam

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies education during the 1960s experienced an educational renaissance known as the new social studies movement. Over 50 projects were funded by the National Science Foundation or private corporations to interject a student-centered curriculum into K-12 classrooms during this period. Nearly 60 years later, can student-centered decision-making activities be used in an era of high-stakes testing and planned curriculum? This article attempts to rekindle students' interest in decision-making and discussion by exploring elements in Moral Reasoning: The Value of Life from the Harvard Social Studies Project (HSSP). The activity called "Hitler Must Be Killed" helped students bring the content …

Making Social Studies Work In The Age Of Ai, Angelo Letizia

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The purpose of this paper is to first outline a more embedded stance toward AI use, which I have labeled invisible philosophy and history as DNA and use this embedded framework as a backdrop for a more concrete discussion of skills and dispositions in regard to the use of AI in the social studies classroom and beyond. This dual positioning, one more theoretical and one more concrete, calls attention to the fact that AI should not simply be seen as some flashy tool divorced from a more nuanced and embedded understanding of its role in society. A list of practical …

Pastoral Listening Skills Training In The Black Baptist Church: Equipping Clergy To Better Support Congregants, Regina Pair Allen

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

This study engages a historical survey of qualitative studies of perspectives of Black pastors regarding pastoral care, examining various avenues for training in pastoral listening and the role of ministers as theological clinicians in supporting church ministries and community needs. The findings highlight the ongoing need for professional development among pastors as primary educators and theological clinicians. The study underscores the importance of equipping Black Baptist pastors to address the clinical pastoral needs of African American congregants. The significance to this field of study is providing Black Baptist clergy with practical skills and tools, grounded in theological principles, to better …

Asset And Deficit Thinking In English Instructors’ Mindsets And Feedback On Student Writing, Rebecca R. Simataa

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Educators are trained to diagnose and fix gaps in students’ skills and knowledge. This pedagogy often leads to deficit thinking, where instructors blame students’ identities or backgrounds for challenges in school. With deficit thinking leading toward inequitable outcomes, recent research has responded with asset thinking to recognize students’ strengths, yet its intersection with instructors’ feedback remains largely unexplored. Drawing on deficit thinking scholarship (Davis & Museus, 2019; Valencia, 1997) and Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model, this qualitative phenomenological study explored asset and deficit thinking in instructors’ mindsets and feedback practices. Participants consisted of five higher education English Language Arts …

Beyond The Podium: Transformative Learning And The Student Experience In High School Debate, Daniel J. Sleiman

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how historically underrepresented high school debaters understood their experiences in an independent high school debate league, particularly in relation to growth, challenge, shifting self-perceptions, and belonging. Drawing on narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2016) and interpreted through transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000) and currere (Pinar, 1994), this study focused on recently graduated students from Central High School’s debate program. Screening questions adapted from King’s (2009) Learning Activities Survey identified participants who self-reported perspective-shifting experiences. Semi-structured interviews informed by the phases of currere elicited reflective narratives, and reflexive journaling supported the research process. Data were analyzed thematically to identify …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

1st Place Research Paper: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This research investigates pre-service training for law enforcement officers (LEOs), specifically examining how current educational practices prepare them to interact with vulnerable populations, including victims, suspects, and individuals in crisis. The quality of this training is critical, as it directly shapes officer behavior, decision-making, and ethical conduct in the field (Mier, 2018). Amid heightened public scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform, the effectiveness of law enforcement education has become a central concern.

The significance of this topic is underscored by extensive research on training methodologies such as procedural justice and de-escalation, which aim to improve police-community relations and …

Ready-To-Teach Reads: Standards-Aligned Novel Studies For Seventh Grade Using Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction, Elizabeth Duvall

Senior Theses

This project aims to provide middle school English teachers with an easy way to update their curriculum to be culturally relevant using ready-to-teach unit plans based on diverse novels. Since research shows students benefit from reading texts from diverse cultures, each novel features minority voices. Both units include lesson plans for each day, and resources like slideshows, worksheets, and discussion questions. They were created using the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts. While these units are tailored to South Carolina teachers, they can be used by any educator whose standards align with the units’ learning …

Edu 40 Field Work Seminar, Tonya L. Johnson

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and links to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

Unique Undergraduate Experiences And Their Impact On Postgraduate Plans For St. Mary's University Psychology Majors, Angelina Robledo, Zoe Lozano, Jose Ignacio Guerrero Donoso

Posters - 2026

• The amount of research opportunities a student has available is linked to higher post graduate student success rate (Stoloff et al., 2015).

• The quality of different research experiences also matter (Love et al., 2007). Positive undergraduate experiences lead to higher levels of self-efficacy in undergraduate students.

• Students' soft skills are improved throughout various classroom activities, preparing them for post graduate opportunities (Marsh et al., 2016).

• Wayment and Dickinson (2008) found that students who participated in undergraduate research were more likely to get accepted to graduate school.
• Hypotheses
  • Attending sophomore retreat can reassure areas of interest for psychology undergraduates, which may …

Influence Of Restorative Justice Practices On Student Behavior, Shawn N. Clemons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore how teachers in culturally diverse suburban U.S. elementary schools perceive the implementation of restorative justice practices as an influence on student behavior. The researcher collected data through questionnaires and semistructured interviews of 14 elementary teachers currently employed in a suburban elementary school who actively use restorative justice with students. Findings from the study indicated the restorative justice practices contribute positively to school culture by prioritizing relationship building, structured conflict resolution, and inclusive practices. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, district support, and school board …

Think First, Chatgpt Later: Guiding Human-Ai Collaboration For Learning Gains In Independent Human Creativity, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Sophia Xuefei Qiu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT can boost creative performance, but do these boosts translate into learning gains? This study examined whether the benefits of ChatGPT for creativity persist even when its assistance is removed, and how people can effectively use ChatGPT to enhance their learning and independent creativity. University students (N = 196) solved a creative product improvement task either independently (human-only group) or using ChatGPT freely (general-AI group) or using ChatGPT in a guided way (regulated-AI group). Specifically, the regulated-AI group used a novel “think first, ChatGPT later” approach—they first generated their own ideas, then collaborated …