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Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, The X - Volume 1, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

In Volume 1, I critique the traditional School Scientific Method—an oversimplified, underdeveloped, and short, stepwise process—and argue for a more authentic, detailed, and rigorous approach to experiment-based scientific inquiry in education. I briefly explain the historical roots of the School Scientific Method, its benefits in increasing the exposure of experimental science to the masses, and its limitations in fostering more authentic scientific thinking and experimental practice.

In place of this traditional and problematic method, I introduce a graphic organizer called sciXpsy to foster both big-picture and detailed scientific thinking. The heuristic combines scientific concepts and methodology with the psychology of …

Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, Confidence - Volume 2, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

Focusing on the psychology of empirical science, Volume 2 is an in-depth exploration of how students can build confidence in scientific data. Central to the text are twelve Confidence Indicators, a comprehensive set of approachable strategies and methodologies that help investigators produce, evaluate, and argue for reliable and valid empirical data. They include:

Good (and Ethical) Laboratory Practices

Repetition

Peer Replication/Review

Secondary Tests

Comparisons with Standards

Plots and Patterns

Conceptual Support

External Data Sources

Precision

Accuracy

Checking Calculations

Redesign/What-If Ideas

This volume includes numerous school science experiments that demonstrate how these indicators are applied across a wide range of educational …

Attendance And Academic Performance: A Comparison Of 4-Day And 5-Day School Week Schedules In Texas High Schools, Cynthia Miles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative cross-sectional comparable study examined the differences in academic performance and attendance in Texas public high school campuses between those operating on a 4-day instructional week and those operating on a 5-day instructional week. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional comparable design. The analysis included campus-level data from the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Academic Performance Reports. The independent variable was instructional schedule—either a 4-day or a 5-day instructional week. The dependent variables included campus attendance rates and student performance on the English I and Algebra I End-of-Course (EOC) STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) assessments of ninth-grade …

Building Adaptive Leaders: Examining The Relationship Between Undergraduate Co-Curricular Leadership Roles, Change Readiness, And Leadership Self-Efficacy, Reneldo N. Randall

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The contemporary workforce is characterized by ongoing organizational change, requiring individuals to demonstrate adaptability and the capacity to lead within evolving conditions. Institutions of higher education increasingly emphasize leadership development as a mechanism for preparing students for these demands; however, limited empirical research has examined how participation in formal co-curricular undergraduate leadership roles relates to students’ readiness to engage with organizational change. This study addresses the gap by examining the relationship between leadership self-efficacy and resistance to change among undergraduate student leaders.

Guided by the Leadership Identity Development (LID) model, this quantitative study employed a non-experimental, correlational design. Data were …

The Impact Of Alexithymia On Body Image: The Mediating Role Of Rumination Among Students At Sultan Qaboos University, Fatima Alrahbi, Mai Helmy, Amal Alhadabi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between the dimensions of alexithymia and body image among first-year students at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. The descriptive method was employed, and the sample consisted of 310 male and female first-year students at Sultan Qaboos University, who were selected using a convenience sampling method. The study instruments included three scales: the Body Image Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Rumination Scale. The results indicated the presence of statistically significant direct effects of the dimensions of alexithymia on rumination. The findings showed that …

Mindfulness And Its Relationship To Cognitive Flexibility Among University Students, Nafez Ahmad Abed Bukaiei, Adnan Mahmoud Hassan Odeh

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study aims to examine the relation between mindfulness and cognitive flexibility among university students. It also aimed to identify the level of mindfulness and the level of cognitive flexibility based the variables of gender, grade point average, and school year level. To achieve the aims of this study, the descriptive correlational approach was adopted through the use of the mindfulness scale of Bear & Others (2006) which was translated into Arabic by Al-Buhairi et al. (2014) and the cognitive flexibility scale of Dennis & Vander Wal (2010) which was translated by the researchers. The sample group consisted of 185 …

The Effectiveness Of A Digital Game-Based Learning Environment In Developing Problem- Solving Skills Among Primary School Students, Ayda Abdulkareem Aleidan

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a digital learning environment based on educational games in developing problem-solving skills among female elementary school students. The digital environment was designed using educational game tools (ClassCraft, Kahoot!, Scratch) within interactive activities that consider learners’ characteristics and the requirements for developing problem-solving skills. The sample consisted of 64 fifth-grade students, divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 31) that learned through the game-based digital environment, and a control group (n = 33) that learned through traditional instruction. An electronic game-based training program was implemented, along with an observation checklist to …

Typicality Of Inferences Resulting From Limited Psychometric Models And Statistical Techniques Used: A Review Of Education Studies Published In Arab Journals (2016–2024), Mohammed A. A. Abulela, Mustafa Ali Khalaf

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study assessed the typicality of inferences in educational research published in Arab journals between 2016 and 2024 by determining the prevalence of psychometric models, the statistical techniques utilized, and the extent to which their assumptions were checked. Reviewed studies included 410 articles from eleven journals. The findings indicated that most studies relied on Cronbach’s alpha for estimating score reliability (60%) without checking its assumptions, while the use of confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory was limited. Additionally, researchers predominantly relied on face validity (expert judgment) at a rate of 55.3%, reflecting limited validation efforts for achieving the quality …

The Machiavellian Personality And Its Relationship With Research Self-Efficacy Among Graduate Students, Zuhair Abdul Hamid El-Nawajha

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The research aimed to identify the level of Machiavellian personality and research self-efficacy, as well as the correlation between them. It also sought to reveal the differences in Machiavellian personality and research self-efficacy according to the variables of gender and academic degree.The researcher used the descriptive correlational approach. The research sample consisted of 103 male and female graduate students, from universities in the Gaza Strip. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher used the Machiavellian Personality Scale, prepared by (Dahling et al., 2009), and developed the Research Self-Efficacy Scale.The results of the study showed that the level of Machiavellian personality …

The Relationship Of Psychological Resilience As A Mediating Variable Between Educational Stress And Life Satisfaction Among Secondary School Students With Hearing Impairments In Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah – Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Fozah Ali Fahad Alzemaia

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the role of psychological resilience as a mediating variable between academic stress and life satisfaction among secondary school students with hearing impairments. The researcher employed a descriptive correlational approach, and data were analyzed using path analysis to identify the direct and indirect relationships among the study variables. The sample consisted of 210 male and female students aged between 16 and 19 years. The researcher used the Academic Stress Scale, the Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale as study instruments. The results showed a strong and statistically significant negative correlation between academic stress and …

The Degree Of Inclusion Of 21st Century Skills In The 12th Grade Geography Curriculum From The Perspective Of Teachers In The State Of Kuwait And Its Relationship To Their Teaching Performance, Huda Salem Alazmi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The present study aimed to identify the degree of inclusion of 21st-century skills in the 12th-grade geography curriculum from the perspective of teachers in public education in the State of Kuwait, and to examine its relationship to their teaching performance. The study adopted a descriptive correlational approach. A questionnaire was used to identify the degree of inclusion of 21st-century skills in the geography curriculum, while an observation checklist was employed to assess teachers› teaching performance. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 327 geography teachers in secondary public schools in Kuwait. Additionally, 38 observation checklists were applied to …

Understanding The Forest School Experience: A Conceptual Exploration Of Benefits And Barriers, Ziad F. Dabaja

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Forest School, a form of outdoor nature-based education, has increasingly gained international attention, particularly, its educational and developmental benefits are well documented. While existing literature highlights positive outcomes for children, families, and educators, it also identifies a range of challenges that can hinder effective implementation. This paper adopts a conceptual study design and synthesizes findings from three peer-reviewed literature reviews, collectively examining 40 international studies, to develop an integrative concept map of the Forest School experience. Using a thematic synthesis, evidence from the reviewed studies was analyzed to identify overlapping and complementary themes, which were categorized into benefits, implementation challenges, …

Inspiring Multilingual Children To Explore The Natural World Using Nature-Based Literature, Jennifer Hill, Deborah Wheeler

Journal of English Learner Education

Nature-based learning has become more popular in the United States since COVID-19, and incorporating nature-based learning including books about the natural world aligns with children’s natural curiosity, and desire to actively explore through play. Indeed, nature-based learning has many benefits ranging from supporting child development, promoting social-emotional well-being, and creating an inclusive learning environment for multilingual students. Reading nature-based literature and providing access to nature-based literature is a holistic methodology teachers should include in their classroom. This paper highlights the benefits of nature-based learning and provides a variety of topics and resources teacher can utilize.

The Relationship Between School Connectedness And Well-Being Among Racial Minority English Language Learners: Implications For School Counselors, Laura Craven, Jonathan Ohrt, Keeland Lodato

Journal of English Learner Education

Students who feel connected to their school experience better academic performance, social competence, and mental health. English Language Learners (ELL) face unique challenges to school connectedness compared to their English-speaking peers. In this study, we explored the relationship between school connectedness and well-being for 205 racial minority ELL students. ELL students’ perceived school belonging was a significant predictor of well-being. We discuss implications for school counselors, including specific strategies for increasing ELL students’ school connectedness.

How Intelligent? Student Success, Student Engagement, And Faculty Use Of Intelligent Agents In Online Classes, Teresa P. Raczek, Anja Bernardy, Audrey E. Garcia, Ulrike Ingram, Laura Mcgrath, Snehal Shirke

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

In asynchronous online classes, consistent engagement with the course instructor helps students connect to the course and perform better. Automated Intelligent Agent (IA) emails that can be set up in a learning management system allow faculty to send targeted communications to students in the form of personalized reminders, offers of help, words of encouragement, praise, and other tailored messages. To assess the effectiveness of IAs in supporting student success, this study analyzed the use of the technology by 10 faculty across seven humanities and social science disciplines. We examined how IAs …

Navigating Your First Technical Paper In Social Sciences: Understanding Single Case Research Design, Diana Parry-Cruwys, Allen Karsina, Jacquelyn M. Macdonald

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Reading and understanding a research article utilizing single case research design (SCRD) may be a particularly challenging hurdle students face when starting graduate level coursework in the social and health sciences. This paper helps ease this challenge by describing what SCRD is and why it is important to understand when interpreting results in SCRD papers. Additionally, it will explain the various parts of a single case research design paper and what should be included in each section. To understand the results of SCRD, it is imperative that students understand experimental design. …

Overcoming Current Challenges In Higher Education Through Team Teaching, Carol Rogers Shaw, Corinne Brion, Katelyn Case

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Team teaching in online higher education courses provides an innovative approach to meeting the needs of students and enhancing the teaching experiences of instructors. In this study, two instructors collaborated to team teach a course in an online doctoral program; this article shares their experiences. A multi-method qualitative approach was utilized to explore the benefits and challenges of team teaching. Data included questionnaire responses from students, journal entries written by instructors, and interviews with program administrators. The findings offer possible solutions to common challenges in higher education today such as increasing …

Client Communication Strategy Pitch Deck, Staci Thomas

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Business Client Communication Strategy - Pitch Deck

Challenges And Opportunities In Rural Education: The Case Of La Araucanía, Chile, Katerin Arias-Ortega, Viviana Villarroel

The Rural Educator

The article reports on the challenges that rural education has been facing in La Araucanía, Chile, from the perspective of Mapuche parents. The study’s methodology was qualitative and involved Mapuche families who sent their children to rural, single-teacher schools located in an Indigenous context. The findings indicate that Mapuche mothers perceive the education that their children receive in rural schools to be of lower academic quality. Furthermore, they acknowledge that rural education receives less economic support than education in urban settings, which creates a disadvantage for Indigenous and peasant children. This disparity limits their ability to acquire the same resources …

Supporting The Wellbeing Of Multilingual Learners A Case Study On Secondary Teachers’ Use Of Transformative Social Emotional Learning Practices, Jaclyn Sparks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This qualitative case study investigated how bilingual and monolingual English-speaking teachers support the wellbeing of Multilingual Learners (MLs) and which aspects of Transformative Social Emotional Learning (TSEL) these teachers perceive themselves incorporating with MLs. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. Data analysis was conducted using open coding, axial coding, and constant comparative methods.

Findings indicate that teachers support MLs’ wellbeing by creating inclusive environments through intentionally planned lessons that center equitable opportunities for MLs to engage with the content. Furthermore, teachers perceive to utilize decolonizing practices to make the curriculum accessible for MLs. This …

Metacognition As Disciplinary Infrastructure In Ai-Mediated Learning, Tina R. Austin, Jason Gulya, Nick Potkalitsky

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

Metacognition is often presented as a response to generative AI’s disruption of teaching and learning, yet the term has become too generalized to guide practice. In AI-mediated environments, asking students merely to “reflect on your thinking” is insufficient. Because AI tools can redistribute cognitive labor, their educational value depends on how students use them and whether that use supports disciplinary forms of reasoning. This essay argues that metacognition must be understood as disciplinary infrastructure: students cannot effectively monitor their thinking without understanding the epistemological and ontological demands of the field in which they are working. Classrooms therefore become sites where …

Illuminating The Role Of The Teacher In Democratic And Transformative Educational Approaches, Dane Stickney

Democracy & Education

In a world that is growing increasingly politically divisive, it is hard to imagine school structure and leadership leading us to a more democratic and transformative future. Instead, teachers should take action themselves. This begins with seeing themselves as policy actors and rejecting both the neoliberal and far-right ideologies and the related scholar academic and socially efficient educational orientations. Educators should instead adopt a stance of social reconstruction, in which they examine with students the problems of society and socially dream of something better. To more deeply foster this sense of partnership between teacher and learner, educators should seek to …

Reassessing The Open Classroom Climate In Civic Education: Insights From 60 Studies, Ryan T. Knowles, Kalie Chamberlain

Democracy & Education

This paper explores scholarship relating to an open classroom climate as a fundamental strategy for promoting democratic values and social justice within educational settings. Sixty research studies were identified that found relationships between an open classroom climate and desirable outcomes, such as civic knowledge, political self-efficacy, and support for human rights. These findings come from researchers across fields, countries, and decades. Results are considered within criticisms of deliberative democracy theory with suggestions for teaching and research.

Bridging Interprofessional Gaps: A Pilot Study On Aac And Asl Training For Allied Health Profession Students, Angela M. Riccelli, Danielle Osmelak, Leslie Guca, Keith Werosh, Valerie Coolman, Rebecca Kvasnicka

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Interprofessional education (IPE) is recognized as a critical component of health professions training, equipping future clinicians with the skills necessary for collaborative practice and patient-centered care. However, students in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy programs often have limited exposure to individuals who rely on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) or American Sign Language (ASL). This study evaluated the impact of a grant-funded, AAC- and ASL-focused IPE event at Governors State University on students’ self-reported interprofessional competencies. Using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS-R) developed by Archibald, D., Trumpower, D., and MacDonald, C.J., in 2009 and revised in …

Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnerships Humanize Teaching And Learning: A Phenomenological Study, Kiersten Ann Hillkirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study, guided by Gadamer’s (2004) ideas, explored the lived experiences of student consultants and faculty members participating in a student-faculty pedagogical partnership program. Framed by humanizing pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Salazar, 2013) and students as partners (Healey et al., 2014) as the conceptual foundation, the study examined how collaborative teaching and learning relationships can promote more equitable, dialogic, and transformative educational practices. Participants included three student consultants and three faculty members at a private research university in the western United States.

Data were collected through nine in-depth phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 2019) and supplemented with written reflections and entry/exit …

Becoming The Phoenix: Black Women’S Experiences And Leadership Growth Through Humanized Black Feminist Action Learning, Jovan Keith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the workplace learning experiences of Black women professionals in corporate leadership contexts. Leadership development programs often rely on standardized models that overlook the lived realities shaping Black women’s professional experiences. In response, this study introduced Humanized Black Feminist Action Learning, a leadership development intervention that integrates Black feminist scholarship, humanizing pedagogy, and critical action learning.

Using a qualitative case study design, the research examined a cohort of midcareer Black women professionals who participated in four facilitated learning sessions structured around workplace dilemmas. During these sessions, participants engaged in reflection, dialogue, and action as they examined workplace dynamics …

Educator Perceptions Of Human-Ai Co-Creativity: A Mixed Methods Study, Wendy L. Jensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators play a critical role in navigating the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence in the work of teaching and learning. As frontline implementers of daily instruction and decision-makers around the use of technology tools, teachers determine, in practice, how creativity and artificial intelligence converge in learning environments. Because teachers play this central role, examining their perceptions is critical for fostering the effective use of AI in educational contexts in ways that preserve and advance creative teaching and learning. In this convergent mixed methods study, I investigated educators’ perceptions of human-AI co-creativity, with particular attention to how these perceptions inform …

Picturing Africa: Critical Reflections On The Importance Of Imagery In Textbooks, Amber R. Reed, Bailey A. Brown

Essays in Education

While many social studies teachers in the Atlanta metro area are working to combat stereotypical and racist images of Africa, our analysis of three commonly used textbooks demonstrate these are exactly the types of images that tend to get reproduced. This essay draws on an analysis of three commonly used textbooks in Georgia as well as interviews with teachers in the area. We show how stereotypes of Africa as filled with wild animals, primitive, and poverty-stricken are often upheld in publications despite teachers’ fervent desire to dismantle them. Because these images are often decontextualized, it is difficult for teachers and …

Chicago Southland Regional Model Pathways, Education Systems Center

Practitioner Toolkits and Resources

These models from Prairie State College and South Suburban College are aligned to the State of Illinois College and Career Pathway Endorsement framework and include dual credit coursework pre-approved by the colleges for inclusion by regional high schools.

The Effectiveness Of School-Based Bullying And Cyberbullying Prevention Programs, Akhwani Akhwani, Lalu Habiburrahman, Nurul Aini, Muhammad Rusli, Raden Roro Nanik Setyowati

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Bullying and cyberbullying are increasingly complex forms of peer violence because they occur simultaneously in school spaces and digital environments. This situation demands the development of school-based prevention programs that not only target conventional bullying but also integrate cyberbullying prevention strategies. This article aims to examine the effectiveness of school-based bullying and cyberbullying prevention programs in the context of a high-performing education system. This study uses a systematic literature review design with reference to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The literature search was conducted through the Scopus database using keywords representing three main concepts: cyberbullying, bullying, and prevention or intervention programs. …