Re/Writing Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Stereotype Threat, Sense Of Belonging, And Self-Efficacy Among Young Men Of Color In First-Year Writing Courses, Jenny O. Arras

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This narrative study explored the ways in which two Black male undergraduate students experienced and situated their identity in their first-year composition (FYC) courses. The study sought to reveal how the participants experienced stereotype threat in both the classroom and larger community and the ways in which this perceived threat impacted their self-efficacy and sense of belonging. The participants, enrolled in an FYC course for underprepared writers at a southeastern university, were both performing well in the class, thereby providing insight into the factors and experiences that helped mitigate the potential of stereotype threat. In order to more fully understand …

The Effects Of Selected Demographic Factors On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students, Kendrea J. Bryant

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Middle school is one of the most important times during which students gain knowledge. However, a large proportion of adolescents have continued to complete middle school without mastering essential knowledge of, and skills in, vocabulary and reading comprehension. Adolescents who miss school in the 30–60 days leading up to high-stakes exams experience declines in their reading scores. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of selected demographic factors on the reading achievement scores and attendance of middle school students. Specifically, this study involved examination of the effects of socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and ethnicity—both separately and in …

The Effects Of Demographic And School Related Factors On Academic Distinctions Of Secondary Schools, Kourtney Hines

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this correlational study is to determine the nature of the relationship between school and demographic factors and student achievement using data from the individual schools reported by an independent school district in North Texas. Answers to the following questions were sought: Do the teacher demographic factors (years of experience, gender, ethnicity, degree held) have a significant impact on the student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? Do the school-related factors (size of school, attendance, average class size) have a significant impact on student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? In this …

An Integrated Transformational Teaching Model For Empowering Undergraduate Psychology Students To Cultivate Self-Awareness, Wellness Practices, And Resilient Mindsets During Their Undergraduate Careers, Summerrae L. Arcemont

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This Narrative inquiry explored psychology students’ perceptions of self-awareness interventions and wellness training in undergraduate psychology coursework. Participants included seven undergraduate psychology majors who completed a psychology health and wellness course in the Fall 2023 semester at a regional university in the Southeast. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and examined to identify themes in the students’ stories regarding their journeys through the wellness course. The use of reflexive thematic analysis helped determine the following five overarching themes from the data: Roadmap for Navigating Wellness, Group Experience, Newfound Insight, Personal Growth and Transformations, and Moving Forward. The results of this study highlighted …

Exploring The Phenomenon Of Code-Switching In Immersive Esl Kindergarten In The Uae, Abeer Nabeel Albayari

Theses

This thesis explores the phenomenon of code-switching among those learning English as second language in an immersive kindergarten setting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There is a lack of research on code-switching practices, specifically among kindergarten students in immersive language programs in the UAE. They argue that this gap in research is particularly concerning, given the growing number of young learners who are enrolled in such programs in the UAE.
The main objective of this study is to identify when kindergarten students switch from English to Arabic their L1 during their immersive English language classes, intending to understand the …

Factors Influencing Uae High School Chemistry Students' Learning Of Organic Qualitative Analysis: A Qualitative Study, Manal Abdullah Almahdawi

Dissertations

Chemistry is one of the five science subfields typically covered in secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates. Chemistry is a branch of science that studies substances' characteristics, components, and structures. Numerous subfields fall under the umbrella of chemistry, including inorganic, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry. One of the topics covered in chemistry classes is the analysis of chemical compounds, which is divided into two types: quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. While qualitative analysis determines the kind of each element or group present in a given solution sample, quantitative analysis determines the quantity of each element or group present. Students' …

Food And Culture In Challenged Books, Noah Hawkins

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper looks at the way food and culture are intertwined and discussed in literature. I also discuss how many of these books that represent culture in America are being challenged across the country. My research takes a deeper look into why challenging these books is more harmful for students than it does good. My lesson planned is then planned around poetry and how food and culture and be a great opportunity to talk about their culture in their homes. My lesson plan aims to make students better writers as well as be able to give them a voice to …

Informing Adolescents About Potential Internet Risks And Tools For Safely Navigating Online Spaces, Rhiannon Jean Elliot

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on digital safety for adolescents who have already been or are accessing online spaces for the first time. Adolescents today have been growing up in the age of technology and are likely to have had access to digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and gaming consoles, from a much younger age than previous generations. Today, 96% of teens in the U.S. say they use the internet daily, with about 95% of teens reporting having a smartphone (Faverio & Sidoti, 2024). With adolescents accessing the internet more often, they must understand the risks they may encounter …

Increasing Social-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Brianna Navarro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on increasing social-emotional development of 5- to 7-year-old children. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages better comprehend their emotions, feel emotions to the fullest extent, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions, create frameworks to achieve their goals and build positive relationships with others. Researchers indicate that social-emotional learning promotes scholastic achievement, well-being, and positive life outcomes and can be a powerful tool for prevention and resilience when embedded with intentionality in curriculum, instruction, and school climate (Durlak et …

Preservice Teachers' Pk-12 Educational Field Trip Experiences: Teaching Beyond The Classroom, Cecilia A. Turman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to investigate preservice teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes and beliefs towards their PK-12 field trip (FT) experiences as students, their memories, influences in their lives, impact on their educational approaches and career choices, as well as how, as future teachers, they would implement FTs to their future students to provide feedback on FTs’ training for preparation programs. Rationale: Anderson et al. (2010) criticized teacher preparation programs’ lack of teacher training to implement educational FTs and contended that instructors’ FTs experiences as students may have influenced the way they plan and carry out educational FTs. John Dewey’s …

Effects Of Design Thinking Instructional Strategies On Design Skill Acquisition: A Meta-Analysis, Sarah M. Urquhart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In today's educational landscape, design thinking has emerged as a vital skill for the 21st century, becoming ingrained in curricula from kindergarten through post-secondary education. However, despite its widespread integration, there exists a notable absence of quantitative evidence supporting effective instructional approaches for fostering cognitive design skills. Various initiatives have aimed to explore how individuals acquire cognitive design competencies and to catalog instructional methods that facilitate this process. Nevertheless, existing quantitative research on the topic is fragmented across diverse fields and lacks a cohesive synthesis. This study endeavors to fill this gap through a meta-analysis focusing on two primary objectives …

Evaluating An Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math/Computational Thinking Professional Development Program For Elementary Level Paraprofessional Educators, Aubrey A. Rogowski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

For my dissertation, I looked at a training program one Utah school district used to teach paraprofessional educators science, technology, engineering, math, and computational thinking. Specifically, the program taught them about what computational thinking is and how they could use it when teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to students from kindergarten to sixth grade. While reviewing this program, I evaluated 1) The experiences the paraprofessionals had with the program, 2) Whether the paraprofessionals understood computational thinking, and 3) Whether the program prepared them to teach computational thinking to K-6 students.

I worked with eight paraprofessionals who participated in this …

Enacting Disability Studies In Education: Pedagogical Reasoning During Lessons About Disability, Ashley Pollitt

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In some U.S. states, student learning standards mandate that teachers engage students in lessons about disability, yet there is a notable lack of disability-related curricular content in P–12 schools. There remains a particular need for natural studies in the field to investigate how teachers do teach lessons about disability. In this qualitative research study, I applied a Disability Studies in Education (DSE) lens to lessons about disability in secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classes. I examined the ways three ELA teachers of students with and without disabilities with expressed interest in DSE used pedagogical reasoning to make sense of and …

Assessing Teachers’ Dispositions Towards Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Northwest Arkansas High Schools, Rylie Ford

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) entails the use of cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and learning styles of ethnically and culturally diverse students to make instruction more relevant and effective for them. Furthermore, practices within this pedagogy are validating, inclusive, emancipatory, and ethical, and help diverse students succeed academically while maintaining their cultural identity. Numerous studies have indicated that using culturally responsive pedagogy increases student academic achievement, sense of self, and emotional well-being (Ladson, 1995; Gay, 2018). Considering the varying degrees of cultural and linguistic diversity in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) schools and the lack of reported professional development relating to CRP, this …

Exploring Mid-Level Teacher Use Of Behavior-Specific Praise And General Praise, Catherine Anderson

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is an evidence-based classroom management practice that can be used to increase desired behavior and decrease undesired behavior. Teachers use general praise (GP) more frequently even though it has proven to be less effective than BSP. This study extends previous research on frequency behavior-specific praise in mid-level classrooms. The expected outcome was that mid-level teacher rates of BSP would be much lower than GP. The proposed research questions include the following: What are middle school teacher’s rates of general praise vs. behavior-specific praise? Do teachers deliver behavior-specific praise more frequently to individual students or groups of students? …

Lessons Lost: The Complicated Filtering Of History Curricula, Kate Burchnell

Quest

Argument and Proposal Essay

Research in progress for ENGL 1302: Composition II

Faculty Mentors: Lisa Kirby, PhD and Kyle Wilkison, PhD

Introduction from Dr. Lisa Kirby

It was my pleasure to work with Kate Burchnell on her paper, “Lessons Lost: The Complicated Filtering of History Curricula.” Kate’s project began as an assignment in my Fall 2021 Composition II course. This assignment allowed students to choose a topic they were passionate about, write a persuasive essay about the issue, and propose a solution to the problem. Students were encouraged to pick topics in their future professions or fields of study. As …

Creating A New Border Culture In The Midst Of The Climate Crisis: Activism And Pedagogy Strategies For Teacher Preparation, Puneet S. Gill

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper documents the efforts of an activist group that came to teach about activist efforts, climate change/climate justice/climate crisis issues, and to create leaders in one border community. The leaders of this three-day workshop are a part of an activist organization named SOMOS Sunrise, the Latine constituency of the Sunrise movement. In this paper, I will analyze the climate change workshop training days and components of the workshops. Secondly, this paper will document a climate cohort education group conducted with undergraduate students and pre-service teachers the following summer. This climate cohort helped articulate art activism and public speaking opportunities …

The Special Education Process: A Step-By-Step Guide To Understanding Your Rights And The Significance Of Parent Involvement In Your Child’S Educational Process., Juweria Haji

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

This project explores the challenges faced by parents with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in navigating the special education system, particularly the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. It highlights barriers, such as language obstacles, lack of cultural sensitivity among educators, and parents' unawareness of their legal rights, which can lead to inadequate services for their children. The project's significance lies in empowering parents to actively participate in and advocate for their children's educational needs, thus fostering a more inclusive and effective special education program. This project aims to provide strategies and resources to enhance parents' understanding of the IEP process. …

Education Of The Effects Of Obesity Medications And A Stepwise Approach To Mitigate Prevalence And Encourage Lifestyle Medicine For Primary Care Physicians, Kiely M. Curran

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

My Capstone project is an Educational Manual that emphasizes a healthcare team approach to the treatment and management of obesity. The Educational Manual consists of a standardized protocol in management of obesity in patients and a document with summarized references for primary care providers; and a simplified document for patient education. There is a growing interest in the usage of obesity medications. The purpose of my Capstone project is to provide a simplified manual for the primary care provider to reference to make knowledgeable and patient-centered decisions in the prescription of obesity medications and decisions in weight-management. My methodology included …

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee

Senior Honors Theses

Attention spans have been decreasing throughout society for many years, partially due to the constant increase of technological advances. The average human attention span of eight seconds is particularly concerning to teachers and others in the classroom. It does not seem that the average attention span is ever going to increase, so teachers must implement intentional methods and strategies within their classroom to keep their students’ attention. Physical activities, technology and hands-on supports, small group instruction, shorter lessons, making intentional mistakes, flexible seating, and differentiated instruction are all strategies supported by research to improve student engagement within the classroom. Every …

Proposal: How Does The Total Sugar Intake Impact Cognitive Function In Children 10 Years Of Age?, Andrew O. Laidlaw, Camila Arrieta, Shoshana Yachnes

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

The effects that high sugar intake has on cognitive function is an ongoing topic in research today. Although most studies point to a negative relationship between the variables, the evidence is not conclusive enough to be able to confirm its true effect. While evidence finds an association between high sugar intake and chronic diseases, its impact on cognitive function is yet to be determined. The purpose of this proposed research study is to examine how total sugar intake impacts the cognitive function in children. Fifty children, age 10, will be randomly chosen from schools in South Florida for a cross-sectional …

Returning, Exploring, And Developing: A Threefold Cultural Program For Third Culture Kids, Early Adolescents, And School Staff, Natalie Dignoti

Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural & International Education Plan II Graduate Projects

This program takes a threefold approach to addressing the unique needs of third culture kids, early adolescents, and school staff through repatriation support, cultural awareness and exchange, and professional development. An introduction describes the specific characteristics of both third culture kids and early adolescents and defines the purpose of each component of the program. A thorough literature review provides background information and justification for the gaps that the program seeks to fill. For each of the three components, theoretical frameworks illuminate the issues addressed by the program, as well as guiding principles for navigating the target population’s needs. Following each …

The Academic Achievement Gap And The Cultural Experiences Of Black College Students: A Phenomenological Study, Sonia Barnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States education system has faced an academic achievement gap that outlines a disparity in students’ academic performance. This phenomenological study will discover the relationships between the educational achievement gap and the culturally related experiences of Black adult college students in Northern Virginia. A theoretical framework that the researcher observed is transcendental phenomenology (TPh). which was developed mainly by Husserl as a philosophical approach to qualitative research methodology that seeks to understand human experience by looking at how Black college students perceive their culturally related experiences. The researcher collected data using the purposive sampling strategy through focus groups, interviews, …

Research Proposal: The Effects Of Dietary Zinc On Adhd Signs And Symptoms In Teenage Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarai Logan, Andrea Villalba Torres, Amanda Miller

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD presents difficulties for adolescents, affecting numerous areas of life. Recent research suggests a relationship between zinc deficiency and ADHD symptoms, encouraging interest in dietary interventions utilizing zinc. However, there is missing research regarding effects of zinc use for ADHD symptoms in young girls as the generalized research is geared toward boys who express ADHD characteristics differently. The objective of this study is to explore if zinc-rich diets may improve signs/symptoms in girls 13 to 17-years-old with ADHD. An intervention design will be adopted with …

Beyond The Headlines: Media And Information Literacy (Mil) In Times Of Conflict, Anna Kozlowska-Barrios, Lusine Grigoryan, Michael Hoechsmann, Andzongo Menyeng Blaise Pascal

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The wars of the 21st century are not the first media wars, and many tropes and schema have long histories, particularly propaganda and the othering of a purported enemy. What is new today is that although mass media remains a central and hegemonic source of insight and perspective, citizen journalism, social media, spreadable media, and surveillant, data-driven media have grown in significance at an exponential level, adding a layer of complexity. In this article, we focus on disparity in media coverage and make the point that media and information literacy provide a valuable set of lenses from which to view …

Are They Tools? Anglophone West African Countries’ Students’ Misconception Of Media Literacy And Critical Thinking For Combating Misinformation, Muhammed Jamiu Mustapha, Mutiu I. Lasisi, Victor Vladmirovich Barabash

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examines the media literacy and critical thinking levels of students of West African higher educational institutions as tools for combating misinformation in the sub-region. Data analysis using the mediation approach revealed differences in students' understanding of media literacy and critical thinking and partially predicted their efficacy in combating misinformation. This stems largely from a misunderstanding of media literacy and critical thinking concepts as tools, as well as a lack of adequate provision for teaching the concepts and considering them as strategic tools for combating misinformation in the region. The study recommends concrete policy and managerial solutions to the …

The Influence Of Online Distance Learning And Digital Skills On Digital Literacy Among University Students Post Covid-19., Mohammed Fadel Arandas, Ali Salman, Syed Arabi Idid, Yoke Ling Loh, Syaira Nazir, Yuek Li Ker

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Online distance learning policies were formulated and implemented among some Malaysian universities long ago, but their value emerged since COVID- 19. Emanating from the diffusion of innovation theory, this study examined the perception of higher education students on the influence and relationship between six independent variables (compatibility, observability, relative advantage, complexity, trialability, and digital skills) and one dependent variable (digital literacy). A total of 524 respondents were sampled, comprising students from six public and private Malaysian universities. The findings from the correlation analysis show a significant positive relationship between the six independent variables and the dependent variable. Meanwhile, in the …

Mapping The Media Education Approaches In Instructional Materials Development: Conjunctions And Disjunctions, John N. Ponsaran

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This qualitative inquiry centered on the critical exploration of media education approaches that guided the praxis of student assessment reform, particularly textbook task design. Correspondingly, this instructional media research is predicated on the fundamental premise that textbooks and the student tasks contained therein are informed and shaped by the academic authors’ positionalities, paradigms, and pedagogies. By focusing on the purposiveness of designing textbook tasks as a social practice, this research was able to identify and unpack the conjunctions as well as disjunctions of what the academic authors as media producers intend the students to learn, answer, perform, tackle, and act …

Can I Trust This Information? Using Adolescent Narratives To Uncover Online Information Seeking Processes, Rachel Besharat-Mann

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Adolescent internet usage is incredibly prevalent, marking a need for educational support as they navigate online texts. As online texts are prone to bias and misinformation, it is important to fully understand how young people conceptualize this information and where they need support. These texts may also contain harmful messages, particularly for typically marginalized groups. Higher levels of literacies related to online media consumption have been shown to mitigate these negative effects, and may help to limit bias and increase criticality. Researchers have illuminated underlying processes surrounding online text comprehension, though research is limited on these processes in authentic spaces. …

Experiential & High Impact Learning As Catalysts For Change: Exploring The Historical Inquiry Process And Experiences Of High School And College History Educators, Brian Thomas

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explores how high school and college history instructors’ perspectives of experiential learning opportunities and high-impact practices influence their epistemic beliefs as history teachers. The research considers educators’ pedagogical practices to align inquiry and historical thinking with experiential learning opportunities and high-impact practices (HIPs). This study promotes the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) notion that college success is not determined by earning a degree but by becoming a civic-minded, engaged graduate. Kuh (2008a) and the AAC&U created the HIPs framework to transform higher education and prepare students to meet the challenges of a changing global world. …