Digital Commons Network^™

Empowerment Pedagogy: A Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Approach To Developing A Pedagogical Framework For Empowering Middle School Aged Students, Henry James Bryant

Educational Studies Dissertations

The current state of adolescent well-being in “post-COVID” America demonstrates a need for widespread intervention to aid students in coping with trauma and mental health issues. In a review of the literature, feelings of empowerment have been found to be antithetical to feelings of trauma. Moreover, the benefits of empowerment in terms of adolescent mental health, academic achievement, and behaviors are well documented. However, strategies designed to impact students’ feelings of empowerment have not been well established, and programs that are presently offered are often inaccessible due to cost, public opinion, and a need for whole school adoption. In this …

Aligning Higher Education Preparation Programs With Workforce Needs: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Jeffrey M. Warren

Perspectives In Learning

While institutes of higher education are highly dynamic, academic programs and faculty within them often operate in an isolated, independent manner. As a result, the training they deliver can lack the interdisciplinary perspectives students need to navigate a diverse and evolving workforce successfully. This editorial explores the importance of interdisciplinary training and discusses the challenges college students who lack exposure to collaborative, integrative learning face as they transition to their respective professions. Finally, faculty are encouraged to consider strategies to enhance training in preparation programs and best position their graduates for success in interdisciplinary contexts.

Linking Classroom Knowledge, Professional Quality, And Career Readiness Through Internship Performance: A Perspective Of Practitioners, Wonyoung Kim, Namhun Lim, Mark Vermillion, Yong-Chae Rhee, Jeffrey Noble, G Clayton Stoldt

The COSMA Journal

Experiential learning has become a foundational tool of sport management (SMGT) education (Grant et al., 2024). However, there has been a lack of research on how practitioners of internship sites assess students' career readiness based on the multidimensional factors, such as internship performance, professional quality, and level of SMGT knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of sport management (SMGT) knowledge and professional quality on students’ career readiness, which is mediated by internship performance as perceived by industry practitioners. To achieve this, a path analysis was conducted using a total of 348 final internship evaluations completed …

Development Of A Structured Inquiry-Based Heat Transfer E-Module To Encourage Elementary School Students' Critical Thinking Skills, Chintia M. P Ati, Alvin J. Hano

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The study is undermanned by the students' lack of critical thinking skills and the lack of digital learning media. The purpose of the study is to produce credible, pragmatic, and effective e-modules to improve critical v-grade thinking skills. The study USES model development methods Lee and Owens, 2004. The 36 student classes vs. SDN oesapa small 2 mussels are traveling in kalor transfer content during the full term of year 2021-2022. Analysis shows that an e-module effectively enhances the student's critical thinking skills. Critical n-gain thinking skills by 0.7201. The conclusion that structured e-modules effectively promote critical thinking skills. This …

Analysis Of Students' Creativity Through Waste Recycling Activities Into Artistic Crafts In Grade V Of Sd Inpres Boyantongo, Yulvin Agnesia Metiro, Sarintan N Kaharu, Nuraini Nuraini, Yun Ratna Lagandesa, Kadek Hariana

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to analyze students’ creativity through waste recycling activities into art crafts in Grade V at SD Inpres Boyantongo. This research employs a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The research subjects consisted of 18 students, including 11 boys and 7 girls in the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation, focusing on the four aspects of creativity proposed by Munandar: innovation, imagination, originality, and elaboration. The results show that students’ creativity is categorized as good, although not yet fully optimal. In terms of innovation, students tended to use easily obtained materials and …

Models Of Care In Higher Education: Comparing Integrated And Standalone Approaches To Student Mental Health, Tevia Q. Strand

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This qualitative study examines how the organization of campus mental health services—integrated, co-located care versus standalone counseling centers—shapes college students’ awareness, access, stigma/privacy, and engagement. Semi-structured interviews with five Midwestern undergraduate women (n = 5) explored perceptions of visibility, ease of use, barriers, and improvement ideas. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes included confusion about entry pathways, visibility-related stigma, and the salience of faculty/peer bridges to services. Students generally preferred integrated models, citing privacy through co-location, normalization, and easier warm handoffs; some noted that standalone centers can feel more specialized yet risk heightened visibility depending on location. Findings …

Redefining Rural School Leadership In The Post-Pandemic Era: Lessons From Covid-19, Brennan Kent

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped educational leadership, especially in rural school settings where leaders confronted unique resource constraints, geographic isolation, and heightened community interdependence. This conceptual study reexamines rural educational leadership in the post-pandemic era through a synthesis of findings from Author’s (2023) dissertation, The Rural Education Leadership Experience Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, and current leadership theory. Drawing on the McREL Balanced Leadership Framework alongside adaptive and servant leadership models, the analysis identifies four interrelated dimensions that define post-pandemic rural leadership: communication as community cohesion, relationships as infrastructure, adaptive leadership as necessity, and well-being as a leadership priority. These …

Reclaiming My Story: A Freirean Framework For Surviving Trauma And Transforming Recovery Into Liberation, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper explores trauma recovery through the lens of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970/2018), framing healing as an act of critical consciousness and liberation rather than passive survival. Using the author’s lived experience of stalking, manipulation, and emotional abuse as a case study, it reimagines recovery not as a return to normalcy but as a dialectical process of reclaiming narrative agency, reconstructing identity, and transforming pain into purpose. Drawing upon Freirean concepts of conscientização (critical consciousness), dialogue, and praxis, the paper outlines a model for survivors to move from internalized oppression toward empowerment and social transformation.

A Case Study Of Faculty Composition And Workload In Sport Management Programs At Small-To-Medium-Sized Colleges And Universities, Joshua Greer, Nicholas Zoroya, Aimee T. Vlachos, Alan Ledford

The COSMA Journal

Sport management has transitioned from its origins in physical education to an established, business-oriented academic discipline, prompting new questions about how faculty composition and workload shape program delivery in resource-constrained contexts. This case study investigates faculty structures, instructional variety, and workload in sport management programs at small- to medium-sized U.S. colleges and universities, as defined by the Carnegie Size & Setting Classification. A mixed-methods survey of faculty (n = 61) was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. Quantitative results indicated that core courses are primarily taught by full-time faculty, with most programs relying on one to three full-time …

When You Can't Get A One-Shot, Try A One Off, Chereeka Garner, Katy Miller, Renee Cole Montgomery

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

One of the challenges facing librarians is getting exposure to students to teach information literacy skills. Faculty engagement with the library can vary greatly, with many faculty simply not having available class time to allow librarians in the classroom. As a possible alternative means of connecting with students, an Extra Credit Hub was created. This hub is an easily located, visible resource for faculty to share potential extra credit activities with students.

The Hub, which is a standalone Canvas course, includes a number of activities related to key information literacy skills, such as:

• Recognizing bias, misinformation, and disinformation
• Critical thinking …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Delivery Of Trauma-Informed Services To Hospital-Based Clients Ot, Frank Czuba

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Hospitalization can traumatize clients and impact overall health outcomes, leading to increased hospital readmission rates and resulting in a negative impact for both clients and providers. Limited information exists regarding how hospital-based occupational therapists evaluate and address trauma, even though incorporating trauma-informed principles into professional practice can enhance the occupational therapy process. The study explored the comprehension and perceived significance of trauma-informed tenets among occupational therapists delivering services in hospital-based settings. A quantitative research study with an exploratory design was implemented to explore how occupational therapists (OT) understand and utilize trauma-informed practices with their clients in a hospital setting. An …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Use Of The Language Essentials For Teachers Of Reading And Spelling (Letrs) Professional Development Training, Colette Burgess

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional development course has been participated in by educators across the United States. The LETRS training focuses on research-based methods and the science of reading. The five components of the science of reading guide the LETRS course. These components include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives and experiences of teachers from West Virginia schools who participated in the LETRS professional development course as a cohort. This study examined the questions: What are the perceptions of K-5 educators in implementing …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Cognitive Writing Strategies On High School Writing Scores In A Suburban Tennessee District, Bethany A. Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment revealed that only 27% of eighth and 12^th graders are proficient in writing. The federal No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Acts have put pressure on schools to demonstrate proficiency on reading and math tests, leaving minimal time for instruction in other subjects, including writing. In addition to the pressure of standardized testing, teachers also find themselves underprepared to teach writing and overwhelmed by the demands of large teaching loads. While researchers have reported benefits associated with cognitive writing strategies since the 1960s, instructional demands have prevented …

Prediction Of Psychological Alienation From Psychological Capital Among Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Sultanate Of Oman, Azhaar Saif Saud Al Basami, Muna Abdullah Al-Bahrani, Ali Mahdi Kazem

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The aim of the current study is to examine the prediction of psychological alienation through psychological capital, while also measuring the levels of psychological capital and psychological alienation among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.”. The study applied a descriptive predictive methodology and the sample consisted of 432 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, who were accessed using the convenience sampling method. The Psychological Capital Scale developed by Luthans et al. (2007) and the Psychological Alienation Scale developed by Dean (1961) were used in this study.The study found several results, including the low level of psychological capital among …

Preparing Students For What Comes Next: A Qualitative Study Of District Approaches To Postsecondary And Career Readiness, Amanda C. Pelsor

Dissertations of Practice

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR WHAT COMES NEXT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF DISTRICT APPROACHES TO POSTSECONDARY AND CAREER READINESS

This qualitative study examines how Illinois school districts support students’ readiness for postsecondary success and career planning and exploration. Despite longstanding state and federal efforts to improve college and career readiness, many students continue to face challenges after high school, including lack of workforce readiness, underpreparedness for postsecondary education, unclear career pathways, and difficulty navigating complex transitions. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explores how districts conceptualize and implement career readiness frameworks, the ways readiness work is embedded within district systems, and the barriers …

Merger Crisis Role-Play: Organizational Behavior In Action, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To advance professionally, students must be prepared to navigate dynamic and contentious organizational environments by articulating their varied views, protecting their personal and professional intentions, anticipating challenges, and then fostering consensus. This paper addresses a high-stakes, multi-round immersive role-play simulation of a company merger in an undergraduate Organizational Behavior course. Grounded in the core pillars of experiential learning, adaptive leadership, and organizational sensemaking, this classroom exercise places students in a pre-set, realistic post-merger leadership team facing immediate business challenges. Compared to traditional case studies, this method requires students to demonstrate real-time organizational behavior competencies, providing a powerful platform for negotiation …

Analyzing Educators’ Roles In Preparing Students For Civic Engagement In Arkansas Communities, Mia L. Hastings

2026 Honors Symposium

Young adults ages eighteen to twenty-nine make up a large portion of the voting age population but historically participate in elections at lower rates. Although most students take at least one high school civics course, civic education often emphasizes the memorization of governmental facts rather than preparing students with the skills needed for active civic participation. This gap highlights the need to examine how educators can better prepare students for meaningful civic engagement. The purpose of this study is to examine how educators prepare students for civic engagement in Arkansas communities. The study defines practical strategies educators can implement in …

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2025-2026.

Chronic Absenteeism In Long Island Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Post-Covid-19 Trends And Professional Perceptions, William M. Gibbons

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Recent educational research studies have shown that an alarming number of students are chronically absent from school, a trend that is occurring both nationwide and in New York State. While this number had been slowly increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, it has accelerated significantly following the pandemic. This increase in chronic absenteeism is also prevalent across Nassau and Suffolk County high schools; there has been a large increase in the percentage of students who are chronically absent in high school since the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts warn that this increased number can lead to multiple negative consequences for students, including social …

From Silos To Systems: A Conceptual Framework For Workforce Aligned Oral Health Education, Meghan Bastin

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

In the current U.S. educational system, becoming a dentist follows a few prescriptive pathways.  Learners typically complete an undergraduate degree before entering time-intensive doctoral training.  This results in only 3-4 years of direct professional education embedded within an eight -year process, while learners accumulate significant financial investment in their education.  With the average cost of graduate-level dental education alone exceeding $300,000 and new federal borrowing limits likely to further constrain access, there is an opportunity to explore alternative ways of structuring oral health education.

This poster presents a conceptual, system-level framework that explores a perspective in which oral health education …

Exploring Healthcare Students' Perceptions About Race And Privilege At A Large Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Study Of A Peer Education Program, Elizabeth A. Brown, Dante Pelzer, Katrina Black Reed, Chinieka Jackman-Rogers, Madison Kimmell

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Amid the racial unrest stemming from the summer of 2020, in the United States, many institutions had difficult conversations about race and the impact of racism with employees, students, and patients. In January 2021 and February 2021, we recruited undergraduate students for the Peer Education Program (PEP), a voluntary program conducted at a large academic medical center, and encouraged students to have a safe space to discuss controversial topics in healthcare. From April 2021 to July 2021 four interdisciplinary healthcare students met once a month for 1 hr to discuss privilege, race/racism, leadership, and advocacy and their influence on health …

Teacher-Guided Video Instruction For Dance Appreciation: A Design-Based Research Study, Cuiqing Meng, Tiantian Zhou

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Video is widely used in dance appreciation courses; however, unguided viewing often leads to passive observation rather than analytical understanding. Grounded in multimedia learning theory and instructional scaffolding, this study employed a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach to develop and evaluate a teacher-guided video instructional model in a dance appreciation course in a Chinese university. The DBR process involved iterative phases of design, implementation, analysis, and refinement within an authentic classroom context. A convenience sample of 23 undergraduate dance majors participated in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of Likert-scale items and open-ended responses. Quantitative data were …

Determinants Of Generative Ai Adoption In Teacher Education: A Ttf–Tpb Model Tested With Pls-Sem, Peter A. Partey Dr., Emmanuel Quayson, Samuel K. Adjei, Joseph Antwi

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Abstract

The integration of generative AI in education necessitates a clear understanding of the factors influencing its adoption by preservice teachers. This study examined the predictors of generative AI use and its impact on the academic performance of preservice teachers in Ghana, employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 783 preservice teachers using structured questionnaires measuring task characteristics (TskC), technology characteristics (TechC), task–technology fit (TTF), attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SJN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), use of generative AI (USE), and academic performance (AP). The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis revealed that TskC and TechC …

Enhancing Academic Literacy Through Ai-Supported Writing Analytics In Multilingual Higher Education, Riki Nasrullah, Septia Rizqi Nur Abni

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study examines the longitudinal impact of AI-supported writing analytics on academic literacy in multilingual higher education. Using a quasi-experimental design over two semesters with 124 undergraduates, the treatment group employed a GPT-based analytics tool, while the control group relied on conventional feedback. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and repeated-measures analyses, the study found significant group effects and significant Group × Time interactions, indicating that the treatment group achieved larger and more sustained gains in academic literacy. Process-oriented indicators and learning analytics further showed a shift from surface editing to global revision, accompanied by deeper metacognitive engagement.

Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: How Educators’ Perception, Readiness, And Well-Being Shape Performance, Fatimah Pohan, Dicky Aprillo Siregar, Muhammad Bangun Siregar

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, but its effectiveness depends on how educators perceive, adopt, and psychologically respond to the technology. This study examines the effects of educators’ perception of AI and AI adoption on self-reported educators’ performance through AI readiness and psychological well-being. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, Readiness for Change Theory, and the Job Demands–Resources framework, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 121 educators at private higher education institutions in North Sumatra, Indonesia, using purposive sampling of active educators. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. …

Investigation Of Dean’S Transformational Leadership Profiles And Digital Transformation Maturity In Guangxi Public Higher Vocational Colleges, Lili Ding, Jamilah Binti Ahmad, Yuqiang Luo

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Background: As China builds an innovation-driven economy, vocational education provides essential skilled workers for key industries, helping to elevate vocational colleges into crucial centers for talent development and social mobility. In this context, the dean’s transformational leadership may play an important role in supporting institutional digital transformation.

Research Question: How do deans’ transformational leadership domains predict institutional digital transformation maturity across leadership and pedagogy in vocational education?

Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined a faculty survey with semi-structured interviews. Valid survey responses from 30 faculty members were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression, followed by thematic analysis of …

Investigating The Viability Of Fully Online Asynchronous Physics Instruction In Formal Education, Clifton W. Massey-Noel

Physics Dissertations

In this dissertation we present results from two consecutive investigations into the fully online asynchronous modality in Physics Education. We first discuss the efficacy of a fully online asynchronous section of Modern Physics held in Fall 2024. The asynchronous section is compared with four prior partially-flipped sections of the same class, two of which were held in-person, and two of which were held synchronously online. Results suggest that all three modalities can be made to be about equally as effective. We also discuss the efficacy of a fully online asynchronous section of Calculus-Based Introductory Mechanics held in Fall 2025. The …

Objective Assessment In Experiential Learning Contexts, Lily M. Brutger

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experiential learning is widely recognized as a powerful approach to education; however, empirical evidence demonstrating its effectiveness remains limited. This gap in the literature is due less to the value of experiential learning itself than to the challenges of assessing learning within experiential contexts. Drawing on the foundational experiential learning theories of Kolb (1984) and Joplin (1981), as well as contemporary research on assessment validity and practice, this paper examines the relationship between assessment and experiential learning. It argues that purposeful, objective assessment is essential for maximizing student learning and supporting the credibility of experiential education. The paper synthesizes current …

Supporting First-Generation College Student Success Through Increased Participation In High-Impact Academic Practices, Michael Daly

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students, those with neither parent having earned a bachelor’s degree, represent approximately one-third of all students attending college in the United States. Many enter college not fully prepared for success and, despite decades of research and the development of a variety of student support interventions, substantial and lasting improvements in their institutional retention and graduation rates on a national level have been elusive. This persistent issue creates a variety of negative consequences for the students, the institutions they attend, and society. The purpose of this action research study was to develop recommendations for improving the practice of supporting …

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Science Content Knowledge And Confidence: Teaching Science Methods With Metacognitive Awareness Activities, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Erika Wise

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Few elementary teachers are confident in teaching science or in their science knowledge. This study sought to address this concern by investigating the impact of a science methods course on confidence and science knowledge for pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs). In this study, 23 participants enrolled in a teacher education program at a Midwest US university participated in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. The participants engaged in course content, including metacognitive awareness activities, for a full semester and qualitatively described their confidence within the pre-post assessment survey. Results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test, mean content assessment scores, and paired samples …