Digital Commons Network^™

Nourishing Flourishing: Elevating Elementary Educator Jouissance, Julie T. Siemianowski

Dissertations of Practice

This study was conducted, predicated on the following theories: Nel Noddings’s ethics of care, Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (social cognitive theory), and positive psychology’s Martin Seligman’s PERMA (well-being). For the purposes of this study, Seligman’s PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment) theory encompasses both Kerry Howells’ gratitude and David Chan’s gratitude and subjective well-being. Qualitative methodology, specifically, the combination of narrative inquiry and case study guided and informed my data collection. Through semi-structured interviews and story-telling, teachers and literacy leaders shared their stories of external distressers and internal factors contributing to their professional jouissance or lack thereof.

Key words: …

Voices Of High School Writers: Exploring Perceptions And Experiences In Secondary Writing Education, Emily Wisniewski

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study explores how high school writers develop their writing identities and how their writing identities impact students' writing self-efficacy. This study emphasized how high school writers’ experiences with academic and creative writing, teacher and peer feedback, and personal beliefs about writing shape how they view themselves as writers and their abilities to create and complete a writing task. Utilizing a hybrid methodology through hermeneutic phenomenology and social cognitive theory, this study examines the lived experiences of eight participants in southeastern Pennsylvania. Through journals, interviews, and artifact collection, this study identified key themes such as writing identity development, influences in …

Flags As Symbols Of Place: Unpacking Geographic Meaning And Identity In Student Flag Designs, Carlos A. Morales-Ramirez

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Flags have been around for centuries; however, vexillology, the study of flags, was not officially coined until the 1960s. Despite this, there is still a need for more scientific and empirical research. Using qualitative arts-based research (ABR) methodology, this study investigates the creative journey of students in an undergraduate geography course as they design a flag for a place of their choosing. Students were asked to interpret the concept of ‘place’ through their flag designs while also incorporating flag design principles. The results showed that participants selected places tied to themes such as hometown, family, love, memories, and culture often …

Where Honors Education And Faculty Development Meet, John Zubizarreta, Victoria M. Bryan

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs

Development is a contradictory terrain, as seen in the persistence of multiple and conflicting goals, uneven and unequal outcomes, and varied definitions and approaches to teaching and learning in higher education. How might universities support faculty development as a process rather than as isolated educational events? This collection highlights inherent complexities and challenges in sustained professional development and presents new ways of supporting faculty and designing curricula to encourage learning-centered teaching, experiential learning, collaborative undergraduate research, progressive forms of assessment, and other dynamic, inspiring forms of instruction. Engaging in interdisciplinary thinking ranging from Education and Education Policy, Biochemistry, Philosophy, Environmental …

Transforming Partnerships: Developing A Model For Experiential Learning In Honors, Grace Troupe, Tamy Burnett

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Although the collaboration between the University Honors Program (UHP) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and UNL's Center for Transformative Teaching involves several elements, this essay focuses on one element with significant impact: the development of curricular components and co-curricular programming facilitating students’ engagement with experiential learning. Experience-based education is learning that occurs through direct, hands-on experiences such as internships, research, education abroad, and teaching practicums. When UNL moved toward requiring experiential learning for all undergraduate students, the partnership between UHP and CTT was transformational in facilitating UHP’s building on its existing framework for experiential learning and thus serving as …

Eng 110: Narrative Essay, Justine Matias

Open Educational Resources

This assignment asks students to compose a reflective narrative essay examining a significant moment in their language and literacy development. Drawing from literacy studies and linguistic justice frameworks, the assignment positions students' diverse language experiences—including multilingualism, code-switching, and various communication modes—as valuable resources for meaning-making rather than deficits requiring correction. Students select a meaningful personal moment related to language or literacy, develop it through rich sensory detail and narrative techniques, and analyze its broader social significance by connecting individual experience to larger cultural, educational, or societal patterns. The assignment incorporates Universal Design for Learning principles through multiple pathways for success: …

Improving Onboard Training For Deck Cadets : An Analysis Through The Lens Of Learning Theories, Yusuke Mori

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

As a critical component of skill development and identity construction for prospective seafarers, onboard training has played a central role in Maritime Education and Training (MET). Each Maritime Education and Training Institution (METI) implements distinct onboard training arrangements based on its environmental, socio-cultural, and historical context, as well as the learning theories that inform its approach. However, the absence of a rigorous examination of the factors influencing national variations in onboard training creates challenges in establishing legal norms at the international level. Furthermore, the literature has identified a wide range of issues and challenges in the implementation of onboard training, …

Strengthening Student Talk And Academic Discourse, Ashley Bushell, Amber White, Jamie Richardson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This Professional Learning Module (PLM) on Strengthening Student Talk and Academic Discourse is designed to support K-12 grade educators in integrating student talk and academic discourse into their classrooms to improve student engagement. Grounded in research, this PLM provides participants with practical strategies and resources to use in their classroom through the integration of student communication. Regardless of your role in the school, this module will help you foster academic conversations in your classroom that can lead to your students gaining confidence and a deeper understanding of the content. By the end of this module, you will have taught a …

Integrating Ai In Instruction, Janet Evans, Melissa Mcclary, Jennie Handy

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Integrating AI in Instruction is a Professional Learning Module (PLM) created to help educators feel more confident and informed about using artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. Many teachers feel unsure or even a little afraid of AI simply because it is unfamiliar. This module is designed to break down those fears by introducing practical tools, real classroom applications, and simple strategies that align with high-impact teaching practices. You will explore how to use AI in ways that are ethical and equitable, with a focus on student data privacy and digital citizenship. You will also reflect on how AI can …

Rooted In Connection: Using Ai To Strengthen Communication, Matthew Feuer, Betsy Hanks, Bradi Jordan, Brice Melton

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Communication in the digital age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) may feel like a journey into a crowded forest for many educators. This professional learning module (PLM) aims to support teachers in their use of AI to communicate with families to provide a more rooted feel. The module is framed around the responsible use of AI and rooted in research on the importance of establishing effective communication and building relationships with students and their families. Teachers at any experience level will benefit from the use of this PLM. From beginning teachers hoping to reduce the overload of their new career, to …

Collaboration: Skill Development Framework. 2nd Edition, Claire Scoular, Daniel Duckworth, Jonathan Heard, Dara Ramalingam

Assessment and Reporting

ACER's skill development framework addresses the challenges associated with teaching and assessing collaboration. It is designed to synthesise and harmonise existing theory and research on collaboration to provide a holistic perspective. It outlines collaboration processes along prescribed strands and aspects that are informed by a sound evidence base. It is based on three strands: Building shared understanding; Collectively contributing; and Regulating the group.

An Interdisciplinary Unit For Today's Learners: Integrating Science, English, And Art To Teach Climate Change, Sydney M. Ruby-Pasternak

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As today’s global challenges grow increasingly complex, interdisciplinary thinking is essential for students to make meaningful connections in their learning. Despite this need, high school students continue to have educational experiences in one-subject classrooms, often preventing them from engaging in integrated learning models. This professional project addresses the gap by developing a five-week interdisciplinary unit titled Brushstrokes of Change, which combines climate science with English language arts and visual arts to amplify student understanding of climate change concepts. This unit was designed for grades 9-12 and prioritizes 21^st-Century skills in critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration through …

Impact Of Web-Based Activity Breaks On Child Physical Activity And Time Off-Task: A Pilot Study, Holly R. Huddleston, Vaughn W. Barry, Dana K. Fuller, Sarah J. Adams, Jennifer L. Caputo

Funded Scholarship

Objective: Classroom activity breaks (ABs) have physical and cognitive benefits, although effectiveness of Web-based ABs remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to assess impacts of three-minute Web-based AB on physical activity (PA) and time off-task in second graders (N = 38).

Methods: This quasi-experimental design was implemented in a primary school setting. The SenseWear Armband assessed PA and a modified Behavioral Observation System in Schools assessed time off-task. Children participated twice in four conditions: control (CON), non-active breaks (NAB), one active break (1AB), and two active breaks (2ABs). Breaks entailed physically active or meditation GoNoodle videos.

Results: Number …

Should Students Pull The Plug?: How Ai Redefines Creativity In The Classroom, Labiba Hassan

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI) tools, specifically ChatGPT as a tutor for students (ChatGPTt), reshapes creativity in the classroom. Does AI undermine or enrich creativity by altering its relational and self-disclosive dimensions? Engaging with Lindsay Brainard’s critique that AI erodes creativity by disrupting human connection and self-expression, I argue for a redefinition of creativity as a dynamic process sustained by emotion, intention, novelty, risk, and spontaneity — conditions adaptable to AI-mediated contexts. The paper challenges the premise that creativity depends on interpersonal connection, showing that self-disclosure can emerge through meaningful engagement with external systems, such as ChatGPTt. By …

แนวทางการจัดการเรียนการสอนเศรษฐศาสตร์เพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้เรื่องเศรษฐกิจสำหรับนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น, รณจักร ยั่งยืน

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาความฉลาดรู้เรื่องเศรษฐกิจสำหรับนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น และ 2) นำเสนอแนวทางการจัดการเรียนการสอนเศรษฐศาสตร์เพื่อส่งเสริมความฉลาดรู้เรื่องเศรษฐกิจสำหรับนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้น การวิจัยแบ่งเป็นสองระยะ ได้แก่ ระยะที่ 1 ดำเนินการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ โดยวิเคราะห์เอกสาร หลักสูตรและงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้อง และสัมภาษณ์ผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านเศรษฐศาสตร์และการเรียนการสอน จำนวน 5 คน ใช้แบบวิเคราะห์เอกสารและแบบสัมภาษณ์กึ่งโครงสร้าง วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลด้วยวิธีวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา และตรวจสอบความตรงเชิงเนื้อหาโดยผู้เชี่ยวชาญ ระยะที่ 2 การพัฒนาและทดลองใช้แนวทางการจัดการเรียนการสอนตามกรอบแนวคิด PACE (Practice, Analyze, Create, Empower) โดยเสนอร่างต่อผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิจำนวน 5 คน เพื่อประเมินความเหมาะสม ความเป็นไปได้ และความตรงเชิงเนื้อหา และปรับปรุงก่อนนำไปใช้กับนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้นจากโรงเรียนวิทยาศาสตร์ 6 แห่ง จำนวน 144 คน เป็นเวลา 7 คาบเรียน เครื่องมือวิจัยประกอบด้วยชุดกิจกรรม แบบสังเกต แบบสัมภาษณ์ แบบประเมินผลงาน และแบบสะท้อนคิด ผลการวิจัยพบว่า 1) ความฉลาดรู้เรื่องเศรษฐกิจสำหรับนักเรียนมัธยมศึกษาตอนต้นประกอบด้วย 4 ด้าน ได้แก่ (1) ด้านระบบเศรษฐกิจ (2) ด้านการผลิต (3) ด้านการบริโภค และ (4) ด้านการเงินและการลงทุน 2) แนวทางการจัดการเรียนการสอนเศรษฐศาสตร์ตามกรอบ PACE เป็นแนวทาง 4 ขั้นตอน ได้แก่ (1) P (Practice) พัฒนาทักษะการเรียนรู้แบบลงมือปฏิบัติ และการทำงานเป็นทีม (2) A (Analyze) พัฒนาทักษะการคิดวิเคราะห์อย่างมีวิจารณญาณ โดยเฉพาะการประเมินข้อมูลและตัวชี้วัด (3) C (Create) พัฒนาทักษะการสร้างสรรค์นวัตกรรมและการแก้ปัญหา และ (4) E (Empower) พัฒนาทักษะการสื่อสารและการเป็นผู้นำ 3) ผลการทดลองใช้แนวทางการจัดการเรียนการสอนเศรษฐศาสตร์ตามกรอบ PACE แสดงให้เห็นว่านักเรียนมีพัฒนาการด้านความฉลาดรู้เรื่องเศรษฐกิจ โดยเฉพาะความสามารถในการวิเคราะห์สถานการณ์ทางเศรษฐกิจ วางแผน และตัดสินใจทางเศรษฐกิจบนฐานเหตุผลอย่างมีวิจารณญาณ รวมถึงแสดงพฤติกรรมเชิงประจักษ์ เช่น การวางแผนการใช้เงินอย่างมีเหตุผลและการอธิบายเหตุผลทางเศรษฐกิจได้

Modern Classical Christian Education?, Donna Lybarger

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

This thesis asks if the ancient tradition of classical education is an education method for the modern world. More specifically, this thesis questions, how might classical education methods be implemented for the acquisition of wisdom in the modern world? The literature review gives a brief history of classical education from the Greeks, and a history of why classical education is again a topic of conversation in the modern world. The three stages of classical education, the trivium, is explained. Classical Christian education is defined noting the method remains the same, but the difference is the nuances of the virtues of …

A Framework For Developing Collaborative Community Building Tools For Novice Computer Science Students, Daniel Olivares, Jakob Kubicki, Katie Imhof

Computer Science Faculty Scholarship

Students enrolled in introductory computer science courses tend towards individual work because of pedagogical practices discouraging collaboration and a focus on individual assignments. This can discourage new computer science students and may negatively affect persistence in computer science. In contrast, social learning theory research suggests a connection between student success and their level of involvement with peers, instructors, and in the greater learning community. Motivated by these contrasting conclusions, the research presented in this paper puts forth a framework based on social learning theories and teaching and learning methodologies to leverage social computing as a learning tool. This framework’s primary …

Averting "Death By Powerpoint", Nora Xinyi Cai

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This lesson empowers students to design presentation slides that effectively communicate their ideas to unfamiliar audiences. The lesson emphasizes the key guiding principle for slide design, one message per slide, along with four steps to implement it. Students will develop the vocabulary to assess the quality of others' presentation slides and apply these four steps in creating their own. The lesson seeks to cultivate a dynamic, collaborative, and creative learning environment by design.

Beyond The Bin: Transforming Relationships With Waste Through A Collaborative Inquiry-Based Environmental Education Curriculum, Kaylee V. Morris

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis presents Beyond the Bin, a collaborative inquiry-based environmental education curriculum designed to transform how young learners understand and interact with waste. Motivated by the limitations of current downstream waste education—focused primarily on consumer behavior and individual disposal practices—this project argues for an upstream approach that identifies the underlying cause of these prevalent systems of disposability. Grounded in environmental education theory, affective learning, and ecological literacy, the curriculum encourages students to rethink waste as a material with creative potential rather than something to discard. Through creative engagement, experiential learning, and community-based initiatives, the curriculum fosters collaboration between students, teachers, …

Expanding Education Skills: Case Study And Content Creation For Theatre Educators At Um, Ren E. Shepherd

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

A love of theatre does not spring into the hearts of people from thin air. It is not something given by the universe, but something cultivated through years of going to performances, researching late at night, and the guidance of theatre educators. Despite the influence of Theatre Educators, they are largely overlooked when considering theatre professionals and their training. This lack of oversight is a nation-wide issue, but by focusing on just the University of Montana, there is a chance for greater understanding and change at a local community level. By employing academic research, surveys of UM faculty and students, …

Technology Integration In Online Feminist Pedagogy, Xinyue Ren

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Feminist pedagogy refers to a liberatory way of teaching to develop democratic and transformative learning experiences in which students can be empowered to make a social change (Grissom-Broughton, 2020). Previous research showed that feminist pedagogy was often used to guide course design and development in various disciplines, such as music, art, language, and environmental education (Cannizzo, 2021; Grissom-Broughton, 2020; Jespersen, 2014; Springgay & Zaliwska, 2017). For example, in music education, instructors increased the representations of multicultural voices in course materials and applied in-depth discussions and essays as learning assessments to develop critical and reflective thinking among students. In a feminist-oriented …

Equipping Financial Coaches: Training And Resource Department At Western Kentucky University Center For Financial Success, Lily Martin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Established in 2011, The Center for Financial Success (CFS) housed in the Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University, seeks to aid the university and regional community in becoming financially informed and independent. This is achieved through peer-to-peer coaching and applied financial education. The student financial coaches are at the heart of this project, as they are essential to the CFS fulfilling its mission. Their responsibilities include conducting one-on-one financial coaching sessions with students, managing an applied personal budgeting experience for the Personal Finance class (FIN 161), and delivering presentations on financial literacy topics to various organizations, both …

Does Participation In An Innovative Livestock Exhibition Program Foster The Development Of Grit In Youth Across Rural, Micro, And Metropolitan Communities?, Reba V. Prather

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This research examined whether livestock exhibition could be used to foster grit in youth across rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan communities. More specifically, the researcher sought to evaluate the impact an innovative livestock exhibition program had on youth resilience. Through partnerships with 4-H clubs and agricultural organizations, the initiative encourages community-driven involvement, allowing youth to take ownership of their growth and development. The program utilized agricultural animal husbandry experiences as a mechanism for youth development, exploring the broader impact of livestock engagement on character-building. By assessing the outcomes of these experiences, the research highlights the trials and tribulations associated with fostering …

Leadership Traits Which Improve School Climate Star Ratings And Ccrpi Single Scores In Georgia K-12 Urban Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rodney D. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the relationship between the self prescribed leadership styles of principals with the teacher perceptions of those leadership styles and how that difference may impact school climate ratings and College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) single scores in Georgia urban K-12 schools. The quantitative method was used to examine quantitative differences related to these two components of Georgia’s state accountability model. The qualitative method was used to explore teachers’ perceptions of the influence of leadership style on climate star ratings and CCRPI single scores. Quantitative data was collected through the …

The Impact Of Pre-Kindergarten Programs On Literacy Achievement In Primary Grades In Rural Southeast Alabama Title I Schools, Courtney Sonntonya Thorton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-kindergarten impacts the literacy achievement of students in Alabama Title I schools. This quantitative study employed a causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design to examine the impact of Alabama’s First-Class Pre-K (FCPK) program on early literacy and school readiness, as measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and the Alabama Early Learning Inventory (AL ELI). The design was selected due to its appropriateness for studying naturally occurring groups and its capacity to explore potential cause-and-effect relationships without researcher-controlled intervention.

The independent variable was Pre-K attendance (attendee vs. …

How Do School Counselors And School Social Workers Support High School Bullying Victims: A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study, Dalentina N. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying and student aggression are increasing in public high schools. Bullying and cyberbullying are a safety concern, and victims of bullying have shown a decline academically and emotionally. Additionally, high schools need increased support with bullying behaviors. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore school counselors’ and school social workers’ insights and perspectives regarding the support they provided to bullying victims in two school districts in rural Georgia. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory was the framework used to focus research on understanding how environmental systems influence an individual’s development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from a purposeful sample of …

English 111 Syllabus, Jackie Weber

Open Educational Resources

This is the first part of a course sequence in English Composition that fulfills the Pathways Required Common Core: English Composition. Upon successful completion of ENG 111, you will proceed to ENG 121. In this course, we will work together to bring your writing to the level of college academic standards. Our work will focus on organization, grammar, and mechanics, as well as strategies for developing and presenting complex ideas. We will engage in academic topics and practice writing in different rhetorical modes.

Conversations In The Classroom: Increasing Dialogic Inquiry To Dismantle Compliance-Based Teaching And Learning, Jill Rivera

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Verbal interpersonal communication has been diminishing from the teaching and learning process over the past decade in public-school classrooms. School district administrations mandate teachers to utilize digital learning platforms and standardized tests due to the ease at which this technology can quickly gather data. While the transition to digital platforms and test-based education may be well-intended, the result has often been a decrease in dialogic inquiry-based pedagogy which removes teacher autonomy, student agency, and has negative effects on students’ ability to critically think and effectively engage in communication and instruction. The over-emphasis on collecting data based solely on a digitized …

Researching English Teacher Development And Classroom Instruction In Indonesian Madrasahs And Pesantren, Anne-Coleman Webre, Editor, Donald Freeman, Editor, Gloria Romero, Abdul Syahid, Didin Nuruddin Hidayat, Lois Scott-Conley, Martha Epperson, Dedi Irwansyah, Siti Nurul Azkiyah, Atik Yuliyani, Agus Sufyan, Diana Erlina, Rahmah Firthriani, Hanung Triyoko, Faishal Zakaria, Anne Burns, Waliyadin Waliyadin, Nur'aeni Nur'aeni

World Learning Publications

This collection is an account of the research network, and resulting research studies, that were part of the English Language Teacher Training Project, organized by World Learning, a U.S-based non-governmental organization, with funding through the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office in Jakarta, and with the support of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs. The network had a shared research focus—to examine the experiences of English language teachers in Indonesian madrasahs and pesantren in the Project. These teachers were completing National Geographic Learning’s ELTeach Program, a suite of two on-line courses, while also receiving support and coaching from local university-based …

The Impact Of Professional Learning Communities On Teacher Efficacy In North Carolina K–12 Public Schools: A Comparison Of Beginning And Experienced Teachers, Geneva Bell

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Teacher efficacy remains a critical factor in education, particularly within North Carolina K–12 public schools, where beginning and experienced educators encounter distinct professional challenges. Professional learning communities (PLCs) demonstrate potential in enhancing teacher efficacy, yet the differentiated impact across career stages remains understudied. This mixed methods study examined relationships between PLC dimensions and teacher efficacy among beginning and experienced educators. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) were administered to 96 participants to analyze statistical relationships between PLC components and teacher efficacy. Results indicated significant correlations between shared vision, supportive leadership, and collaborative …