Humane Education Commons^™

Climate Change Denial Messages As Post-Truth, David H. Kahl Jr., Ahmet Atay

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Post-truth messages are hegemonic forms of communication intentionally designed to create false narratives that perpetuate power and marginalize others. These messages make differentiating fact from fiction difficult. Students are especially susceptible to believing and internalizing post-truth messages due to their high level of interaction with social media and the neoliberal period in which they have been raised. One type of post-truth message that has become especially prevalent is climate change denial messages that advance a neoliberal agenda. This article will apply tenets of critical communication pedagogy (CCP) as a means by which to recognize messages that deny climate change as …

Rhetorics Of Encounter: Toward A Biocentric Theory Of Discourse, Matthew D. Whitaker

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Encounters with more-than-human identities are transformative moments that stand to affect dispositional and bodily change in individuals. From close brushes with wild animals in National Parks to everyday interactions with local ecologies, encounters invite us to feel and think differently about the nature of our realities. In Rhetorics of Encounter: Toward a Biocentric Theory of Discourse, I draw from interdisciplinary perspectives to disrupt the idea of rhetoric as a representational medium, arguing that rhetoric occurs not just through textual exchanges of words and symbols, but through embodied moments of contact with other responsive beings. Invoking George Kennedy’s theory …

Bleeding Out From The Redlining: An Autoethnographic Study Of Racial Equity Policy Enactment In A Large, Urban School District., Anderson Aven Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study investigates the enactment and impact of racial equity policies within Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), a large urban school district in Louisville, Kentucky. The research is motivated by the ongoing challenges of achieving true educational equity for Black and Brown students, a struggle rooted in historical injustices such as redlining. Despite over seven years of policy implementation aimed at promoting racial equity, academic and behavioral disparities between Black and Brown students and their White counterparts have shown little improvement. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, this study employs autoethnography to intertwine personal narrative with scholarly analysis, exploring the lived …

Power Of Us: Listening To Families, Tara J. Vassallo

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This article, originating from the ‘Power of Us!’ conference held in June 2025, reflects on the session titled ‘Listening to families’ which offered an experienced parent panel, providing a forum for discussion. The session had a particular focus on the experiences of families and their children with neurodivergent and other individual educational needs and the families’ pursuit of genuine co-production with their children’s school. The article offers an insight into the session, sharing reflections from the discussions, and calls for action aimed at creating a truly inclusive educational system.

The Evolution Of Schooling: From Industrial Obedience To Techno-Autonomy, Seb Taylor, Ron Roberts Ii

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This paper examines the enduring architecture of the American education system as a mechanism designed for compliance, not creativity. Rooted in 19th-century industrial logic, the structure of schooling, its physical design, time constraints, and assessment methods, has remained largely static despite seismic cultural and technological shifts. Through historical analysis and contemporary critique, this work interrogates the persistence of standardized methods, institutional prestige, and top-down instruction as barriers to meaningful learning and value creation. Drawing from interdisciplinary research and live case studies, including Alpha School’s AI-powered, mastery-based model, the paper advances the concept of techno-education: a student-centered paradigm informed by feedback …

Burnout Theory, Pandemic Teaching And Teacher Efficacy: What Is Lost When Schools Return To “Normal”?, Katy Farber, Penny A. Bishop

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our qualitative study examined educators’ perceptions of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of burnout theory. Using the three components of burnout as theorized by Maslach and Leiter (2016), we analyzed teachers’ self-reports of emotional exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and reduced sense of professional self-efficacy. We interviewed 16 teachers who taught through the emergency remote-learning phase of the pandemic in March 2020 and remained in the same district when prepandemic practices returned. We conducted semistructured interviews in person and on Zoom with special educators, integrated arts teachers, school counselors, and general classroom teachers. We describe the unanticipated finding that teachers …

Extracting From The Extracurriculum: Using Extracurricular Composition Practices To Bring Purpose, Voice, And Engagement Back To The English Classroom, Grace N. Ellis

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores how principles and practices from extracurricular literacy spaces and the extracurriculum as a whole can inform and revitalize the secondary English classroom. In response to growing student disengagement, apathy, and disconnection, particularly within highly standardized and product-focused classrooms, this argument investigates how programs such as the Nebraska Writers Collective’s All Writes Reserved program and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Young Writer Camp model authentic engagement, identity exploration and development, and rhetorical agency through creative, student-centered writing practices. Drawing from composition theory, educational research, and experiential data from Nebraska-based writing initiatives, the thesis argues that incorporating choice, safe-risk taking, …

Illuminating Two Secondary Schoolteachers’ Praxes On A ‘Terrain Of Freedom:’ Lessons For Teacher Education, Paul Tarc, Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, Tasha Ausman, Catherine James

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper attunes to the stated focus of this special issue—teacher subjectivities on a terrain of freedom—to consider the qualities, possibilities and limits of teachers’ praxes and development upon this ‘terrain.’ In response to the call, we explore three critical questions: 1) Where does the teacher’s freedom lie amidst required protocols and standardization?; 2) Can teachers transcend how they have been conceived and conditioned?; and 3) How can teachers engage in transformative development? Through a "poetics of teaching," inspired by Hansen (2004), we frame teaching as a curricular and pedagogical art form that melds interdisciplinary, intellectual, aesthetic, and …

Wisdom Responses To Troubled Times: Healing Through Contemplative And Somatic Approaches, David Smith, Thomas Falkenberg, Remy Y.S. Low, David Chang, Åsa Jarskog, Jason Brown, Randy Persad, Anna Rumjahn, Charles Scott, Heesoon Bai

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Humanity is facing troubled times, as witnessed by increased polarization and division that are exploding into various forms of violence. Collectively, we are facing unprecedented ecological and environmental disasters. On campuses throughout North America, and closer to home, student anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are increasingly prevalent. The academic fields of contemplative inquiry and somatic studies, which highlight holistic approaches to education, are responding to these troubled times by showing how we can accomplish presence of mind, promote healing, and embrace the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of wellness.

Slow Reading Course Evaluations: From Discomfort To Discovery, Brian Baldi, Colleen M. Kuusinen

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) help faculty to get feedback on their teaching, identify areas of strength and growth, and document their teaching effectiveness from the student perspective. While much has been written about whether or not student evaluations are biased (Benton & Cashin, 2012; Kogan, et al., 2010; Shorter, 2023), about the validity of student evaluations in measuring student learning (Uttl et al., 2017), and how to interpret data (Davis, 2009; Hoover-Dempsey n.d.; Lewis, 2001; Linse, 2017; Perlmutter, 2011; Petchers & Chow, 1988; Reibman, 2004), we offer a new, mindful approach to reading student evaluations that might help instructors …

Contemplative Practices Facilitating Awareness, Compassion, And Healing In Study Abroad: A Reflective And Explorative Study, Ciara C. Hoyne, Jing Lin

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This reflective essay focuses on the relationship between contemplative practices and participation in a short-term study abroad trip. The study explores how contemplative practices help facilitate self-understanding, alleviate stress, enhance connection to the host community and culture, and enable healing. We use our experiences participating in a short-term study abroad program as an example for examining the role of contemplative practices in the context of study abroad. We discuss and integrate relevant literature on the topic of meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative inquiry to offer insight into how contemplative practices can be integrated into study abroad in a way that enhances …

Healing In Relation: Honoring Post-Graduate Grief As An Opportunity For Relational Scholarship, Tanya J. Behrisch, Anna Rumjahn, Chris Yakimov

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper is a three-way conversation about grief that follows a graduate program. We explore our experiences with post-graduate grief in community, attending to each other’s sense of loss following separation from supervisors, theses, and graduate programs. In committing to slow scholarship, processes—such as navigating feelings and living—have been valued over producing a manuscript quickly. Slowness, including long gaps between meetings, enabled us to follow the diverse contours of quiet alchemical processes such as grieving, opening up to emptiness, self-acceptance, being enough, and letting go. After years of compression and dialogic friction with her mentor, Tanya confronts feelings akin to …

Imagination: Bridging The Intended, Delivered, And Received Curricula, Vicki Boley Dr., Paul A. Michalec Dr.

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper explores the transformative potential of imagination in higher education, particularly its capacity to bridge the intended, delivered, and received curricula. Through a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with graduate students, the research highlights how imagination fosters holistic, socially just, and humanizing educational experiences that transcend traditional instructional boundaries, encouraging student ownership and creative engagement in the higher education classroom and beyond.

Negotiating Migration In The Mediterranean: A Comparative Study Of Morocco And Italy’S Border Policies And Their Humanitarian Impact On Irregular Migrants, Shennel Ep Henries

Master's Theses

Serving as both a barrier and a bridge that connects Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean is today the focal point of global controversies around migration, where humanitarian interests balance against border policing and meet securitization policies. This thesis examines the questions: How do irregular migrants adapt, interpret, and maneuver around securitized Moroccan and Italian migration policies, and what do their strategies tell us about the relationship between humanitarianism and securitization in Mediterranean bordering processes? Drawing on qualitative evidence, including expert interviews with organization employees and volunteers in Morocco and Italy (Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas, Nosotras Onlus, and Caritas Maroc), field observation, …

Exploring Ignatian Pedagogy's Role In Shaping Holistic Student Success In The Current Neoliberal Era: A Qualitative Inquiry At Saint Ignatius High School, Rwanda, And Lycée Du Saint-Esprit, Burundi, Olivier Kayitare

Doctoral Dissertations

The growing influence of neoliberalism in education has shifted priorities toward a transactional, utilitarian model that emphasizes technical skills, standardized testing, and market-driven outcomes over holistic development. Education systems increasingly focus on preparing graduates for labor market demands, often sidelining moral, emotional, social, and spiritual formation. This shift creates tension for Jesuit schools, which emphasize a transformational approach to education rooted in ethical leadership, critical thinking, and social responsibility. In countries like Rwanda and Burundi, Jesuit schools face added pressure from state policies and parental expectations shaped by market ideologies. This study examined how Ignatian pedagogy is implemented in this …

The Craft Store, David W. Jardine

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This poetic expression focuses on beingness, attention, and our creations and perceptions of beingness and the implications that flow from those perceptions, some of them having to do with how we relate to one another.

Dr. David W. Jardine is a retired University of Calgary Professor who spent years thinking, reading, teaching and writing about the kinships between ecological thinking, pedagogy and hermeneutics. His latest book is "Why Study for A Future We Won't Have?" Commiserations and Encouragement for Ecologically Sorrowful Times, and the forthcoming “[This Ain’t] No Nature Poetry: On Education, Scholarship, and Ecological Mirth.”

Applying Supervision To Animal Assisted Therapy: Using The Integrative Development Model, Rachel W. Rachlinski, Kelli A. Mcfarland

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

A study conducted by Hartwig and Smelser (2018) reported 91.7% of clinicians being aware of animal assisted therapy (AAT) who agree it is a legitimate treatment model. However, 57% of respondents expressed interest in receiving AAT training. Although published standards and competencies published by ACA and IAHAIO indicate the requirement for clinical supervision when implementing AAT, research does not address supervision protocols for AAT. This manuscript suggests a protocol for supervising the implementation of AAT. The consequence of untrained supervisors is the potential harm to the well-being of the client as well as the clinician and the animal. As such, …

Navigating The Moral Landscape: Courage, Cowardice, And The Educator's Call To Action, Scott H. Sorvaag

Essays in Education

Contemporary educators face an increasingly complex and challenging landscape. This essay explores the vital role of courage and the influence of cowardice in shaping educators' moral leadership and professional practice. By integrating insights from human development reports, leadership theory, and educational philosophy, this essay argues that understanding the internal continuum between courage and cowardice is crucial for educators seeking to create transformative learning environments. The essay provides actionable strategies for fostering courage in daily practice and nurturing partnerships between schools, parents, and communities.

Treading Lightly: The Ethics Of Instructor Il/Legibility And Neutrality In The Classroom, Marcus A. Woodman

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors in the classroom often describe their experiences teaching as being a performance, which often combines authenticity with boundaries to keep certain aspects of the instructor’s life out of the classroom. For queer instructors, their performance may be especially complicated; since queer identity is less visible than other types of identities, instructors must also weigh whether or not to come out to their students. In our current political moment, where queerness has yet again become a scrutinized topic (especially when in proximity to youth), teachers have an even more difficult decision to make.

This thesis uses queer theory and queer …

How A Garden Hoe Changed My Literacy Life: A Story Of Teaching, Coaching, And Becoming, Kelsey J. Walker

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

In this dissertation, I explore how personal practical experiences teaching reading intervention impacted my own understanding of the role of a secondary literacy coach. Drawing on the concepts of dialogism and adult learning theory, I leveraged learning conversations to grow my own body of knowledge. The methodology of this study was done using narrative inquiry and autoethnography. This methodological blend allowed me to closely study myself as the primary participant with a unique positionality as a scholarly practitioner. I unpack the complexities, contradictions, and tensions of my lived experience through stories and vignettes set in a rural midwestern public school …