Higher Education and Teaching Commons^™

The New Road Chosen: An Examination Of Why Black Educators Are Choosing Alternative Certification Pathways, Devin Aucoin

All Dissertations

This narrative study explores the experiences of eight Black educators who entered the teaching profession through alternative certification programs. Alternative certification programs were originally designed to address teacher shortages by providing individuals with a college degree a fast-track route to teacher licensure; however, research reveals an extreme shortage of Black educators and a growing number of Black educators completing alternative certification pathways. Grounded in Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit) and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study examines how anti-Blackness impacts the Black educator pipeline and how self-efficacy beliefs, perceived outcomes, personal goals, and contextual variables influence career decisions. Findings reveal …

An Invitation To Language: Fostering Critical Language Awareness Through Assignment Design, Amrutha Smith

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

First-year composition (FYC) instructors are often required to teach institution-issued course outcomes alongside their personal values. The author proposes a pedagogy to identify how teachers can invite rhetorical and linguistic agency in student writers and teach toward institutional objectives. To do so, the author shares her approach for revising existing and creating new FYC assignments that invite students to use their multiple codes and languagings (ways of communicating) in their writing. The assignments are driven by translanguaging approaches in writing instruction, specifically code-meshing and Critical Language Awareness (CLA), a theoretical framework coined by Shapiro, and integrate three settings in which …

Culturally Relevant Or Cultural Cover: Understanding Acue’S Fostering A Culture Of Belonging, Drew Le

Honors Theses

Colleges and universities are increasingly utilizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Diversity training (DT) is one kind of DEI initiative designed to help faculty and staff, but it is understudied, especially for higher education. This study seeks to expand the literature by examining the Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) Fostering a Culture of Belonging (FCB) course, its participants’ experiences, and its effect on students rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). Using mixed methods, this study collected faculty participant interviews and contextualized any changes based on analyses of student course evaluations. I report …

Culture And Context: How Frames Of Teaching And Of Learning Mathematics Form And Change For Graduate Student Instructors, Johan Benedict Arroyo Cristobal

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

Why do instructors teach the way that they do? This question is key in understanding how and why asset-based or deficit-based practices are enacted in the classroom. In consequence, this question also gives insight into how the environment where students learn is shaped. Mathematics education research, in particular, has been concerned with how instructors respond to students’ contributions in the classroom and how these ways of responding can (dis)empower students.

One way to answer this question is to understand how instructors frame their own teaching and their students’ learning. Frames are mental constructs which help individuals filter details, interpret information, …

Breaking The Pipeline: Exploring Exclusionary Discipline, Restorative Justice, And The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Educators, Ericka J. Varnedoe

Honors College Theses

This study explores the connection between exclusionary disciplinary practices and the school-to-prison pipeline. It highlights how exclusionary discipline, including suspensions and expulsions, disproportionately affects marginalized groups such as students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth, further contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline. In contrast, restorative justice, a non-punitive approach, offers a promising alternative. Initially adopted from the criminal justice system, restorative justice has been integrated into school environments to foster positive school climates, improve experiences, and mitigate challenging behaviors. This research examines educators' attitudes toward both exclusionary and restorative practices, as well as their awareness and implementation of restorative …

What Factors Impact Teachers’ Beliefs About The Likelihood To Which Their Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Can Live On Campus, Jonathan Lidgus

Dissertations

After the Higher Education Opportunity Act was passed in 2008, inclusive postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disability (ID) have grown on campuses across the United States. These programs were designed to eliminate barriers that prevent students with intellectual disability from attending college in order to achieve positive employment outcomes and skills to increase independent living. While programs may be designed for those with intellectual disability, individuals may have multiple diagnoses, including intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The relationship between a student and their secondary teachers can positively impact their future or present a barrier. Using the data from the …

Developing A Trauma-Informed Pedagogy Workshop Series For Faculty: Empowering Student Learning And Healing At Grand Valley State University, Hayley F. Wilson

Masters Projects

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing student populations affected by trauma, presenting significant barriers to academic success and emotional well-being. Between 40% and 84.5% of college students have histories of trauma (Forster et al., 2019; Smyth et al., 2008), while approximately half experience trauma during their first year of enrollment (Galatzer-Levy et al., 2012). Exposure to trauma disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, further compounding educational inequities (Portell, 2019, as cited in Gunderson et al., 2023). Although trauma-informed care (TIC) has emerged in applications within education, formalized professional development opportunities for faculty to implement trauma-informed pedagogy …

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, March 3, 2025, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

March 3, 2025

What's Hot And What's Not In Teacher Education: Preservice Teachers' Perspectives On Topics In Education Perceived As Important And Urgent In 2025, Elizabeth Y. Dale

Student Academic Conference

This study explores the perspectives of preservice teacher candidates on the topics in education they perceive as the most important and urgent in preparing for their first year of teaching. Utilizing quantitative methodology, the study aims to identify and prioritize educational topics preservice teacher candidates believe are critical to their professional development. Participants are asked to rate the topics based on two criteria: urgency and importance. Each topic is rated on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicated unfamiliarity with the topic, 1 indicated low urgency or importance, and five indicates high urgency or importance. The findings will …

Relational Spiritual Knowing As An Educator Of Color: Navigating Predominantly White Educational Settings, Alicia L. Moore

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Abstract: This article explores the critical role of Relational Spiritual Knowing (RSK) as both a source of strength and a form of activism for African American educators navigating Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Through personal reflections and scholarly correlations, it examines how RSK empowers educators to assert their voices and identities in environments that have historically marginalized them. The integration of RSK into educational practices is presented as essential for creating more inclusive, equitable, and spiritually enriched academic spaces. The article also highlights the systemic challenges faced by African American educators, such as power dynamics, microaggressions, and tokenism, and how RSK …

Precarious Pedagogy: A Critical Autoethnography Of Adjunct Labor, Erin V. Howell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following autoethnographic study explores the experiences and use of adjunct faculty within the neoliberal higher education landscape. Adjunct faculty comprise most of the contemporary professoriate, accounting for nearly 75 percent of higher education instructors. Precarious labor practices, lack of job security, and limited institutional support often characterize adjunct employment. The use of adjunct labor and the vulnerability of their positions are impacted by structural inequities perpetuated by academic capitalism. By privileging the experiences of adjunct faculty, this study contributes to an ongoing conversation about labor practices and inequities in higher education. This dissertation examines the ways in which adjuncts …

The Impact Of Dual Enrollment On Educational Aspirations Of Traditionally Underrepresented Students In Community College, Wayne Carter, Carol Gruber

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This research study examined the difference in academic motivation and academic self-efficacy of traditionally underrepresented students in community college who previously participated in high school dual enrollment programs versus their comparable peers without dual enrollment experience. This is important given the socio-economic disparities between the various student groups participating in this selective college preparatory program. Historically, traditionally underrepresented students have yet to participate in dual enrollment programs commensurate with their non-minority and affluent peers. By examining the difference between these two specific student subgroups, the researchers addressed what types of motivation and self-efficacious behaviors affected these college students who opted …

Pols 322/622: Race And The Law: Report On Course Project Using Primary Sources From The Moakley Archive, Maye Henning

Suffolk University Archives OERs and Assignments

Professor Henning describes her (and her students') experiences using primary sources from the Suffolk University Archives. The Spring 2025 Race and the Law course (POLS 322/622) was an upper-division and graduate-level political science course designed to develop students’ research skills, particularly in locating, interpreting, and integrating primary and secondary sources.

The centerpiece of the course was a semester-long archival research project that culminated in a public exhibit in the display case outside of the Sawyer Library titled Resilience: Finding Power in the Voices of the Past.

April 2025 Cafe Newsletter, Center For Advancing Faculty Excellence

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Institutionalizing Normality: Disability, Productivity, And Higher Education, Ashley Dirzis

Student Theses

This thesis examines how capitalism and neuronormative domination shape the structures and values of academic institutions, affecting faculty, students, and research subjects alike. By privileging productivity, conformity, and efficiency in the pursuit of income, universities often marginalize those who diverge from normative standards of thinking, behavior, and embodiment, particularly disabled individuals. Drawing on Marta Russell’s Disability and Capitalism and the shaping of disability by capitalist systems, Robert Chapman’s notion of the "Empire of Normality" and Jay Dolmage’s concept of the retrofit from Academic Ableism, this paper analyzes how academia reinforces ableist norms. It explores the realities and barriers that …

Balance Of Psychological Needs Among University Aural Skills Students, Elizabeth Ann Johnson

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

This mixed methods study examined student experiences, perceptions, and motivations in traditional, tertiary aural skills courses. Results from an initial qualitative, instrumental case study led to the development of a four-phase, exploratory sequential design guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET). Qualitative findings revealed student insights into experiences with course attributes, a need for connection to material and the classroom community, and a desire for an improved aural skills course experience. Quantitative follow up examined student perceptions of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the basic psychological needs SDT and CET propose are necessary for student motivation and …

Incorporating Data Mining Techniques In Inverse Propensity Score Weighting With A Latent Class Exposure: An Application To The Nsse Data, Siyu Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College graduation is a key goal for both students and institutions, yet increasing rates of four-year graduation has proven challenging. An initiative that has been implemented focuses on enhancing student participation both in the classroom and across the broader academic setting. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used by many institutions worldwide as a tool to evaluate student engagement through self-reported data. Research indicates that NSSE is linked to students’ academic success, such as better course grades, retention, and timely graduation. However, the existing relationships have been opaque and even contradictory. This study employs a newly developed …

Constructivism Made Easy Using The Consider, Construct, Confirm Learning Cycle, Timothy E. Goodwin Ed.D

Essays in Education

Shifting from didactic, teacher-led instruction to a student-centered, constructivist classroom is often a daunting task for teachers. The Consider, Construct, Confirm Learning cycle is a framework for teachers to organize their planning—be it individual lessons, units of study, or whole courses. The CCC Learning Cycle framework shifts the format of a typical lesson from didactic instruction leading to short-term renting of knowledge through memorization, to student-centered, lived experiences resulting in students owning their new knowledge.

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, February 3, 2025, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

February 3, 2024

Navigating The College-To-Career Transition: Social Capital And Career Readiness Of First-Generation College Students Participating In The Professional Skills Mentoring Program, Olivia T. Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how first-generation college (FGC) students utilize social capital to navigate the challenging transition from college to career, addressing a critical gap in the literature given the increasing emphasis on post-graduation employment and the unique obstacles these students face. FGC students often lack the same access to professional networks and career resources as their peers, highlighting the need for targeted support programs. This research explores the impact of the Professional Skills Mentoring Program (PSMP) on FGC student career readiness.

Drawing on Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, this qualitative case study examines how FGC students leverage their diverse …