Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Motivations Of Participants In Online Equine Extension Courses, Sarah Vos

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditional program evaluations emphasize participant demographics, knowledge gain, behavior change, and program impact. However, evaluating participant motivation can provide addition insight into why participants enroll in extension programs and help explain participant engagement and persistence throughout a program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant motivation in two online equine extension courses and examine potential relationships between motivation, demographics, and course delivery method, and describe participant engagement in Virtual Horse Judging Camp (VHJC). This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling of participants in two online equine extension courses, Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) and VHJC. The …

Cultural Humility In Motion: A Graduate Student Hybrid Immersion In Self- And Other Awareness Through Dance, Emily Jeanne Slater

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Universities bring together people from many different backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Yet university spaces often focus on mind-centered and discussion-based learning and overlook how the body plays a role in education. When education ignores the bodily experience of learning, students lose opportunities to reflect, connect, and make meaningful change in their lives and communities. To address this gap, this dissertation designed and implemented a learning experience for graduate students that creates space from them to examine their own assumptions, engage across differences, and share in inclusive practices. The learning experience draws on and advances cultural humility theory, which understands self-awareness, …

Growing Our Own Garden: The Implementation Of Cross Curricular And Cross Grade Level Teacher Rounds To Increase Professional Learning Individualization And Feedback, Logan Greene

All Dissertations

Educators are constantly faced with balancing the demands of teaching and professional learning expectations from their districts. Concurrently, administrators are routinely prevented from providing adequate feedback for classroom instructional practices with observations instead focused upon generic and formulaic checks for classroom activities. This results in a gap of intentional professional learning and growth for educators.

The idea of instructional rounds sought to provide teacher-to-teacher feedback for educators to grow their practice together. The original theory focused on groups of teachers operating under a school or district goal of improvement. Instructional rounds have shown positive effects for teacher happiness and student …

From Understanding To Production: A Qualitative Case Study Of Instructional Alignment And Bar Examination Readiness At One Law School, Mackenzie E. Gray

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Many law students who understand the law struggle to produce it under examination conditions.This qualitative case study examined how instruction in three settings at one ABA-accredited law school (first-year doctrinal, upper-division doctrinal, and for-credit bar preparation courses) shaped students’ perceptions of their readiness for the California Bar Examination. Grounded in metacognitive transfer theory, the study drew on 18 classroom observations across six courses, semi-structured interviews with seven students and four professors, and a simulated bar examination scored against a criterion-referenced rubric, all collected during the Spring 2026 semester. Interview data were analyzed through codebook thematic analysis. Five themes resulted. Students …

Using Assessments Intentionally With Consideration For English Language Learners, Elizabeth Ropp

Masters Projects

Assessment systems in the United States are failing English Language Learners (ELLs), and it has become apparent that action must be taken to try and right this injustice. There is a wide achievement gap between native English speakers and non-native English speakers when it comes to performance on state, local, and classroom assessments. Unfortunately, many teachers report that they do not feel adequately prepared to support ELLs both on classroom assessments and on mandatory state or local tests. With an ever-growing increase in ELL enrollment in American schools, it is imperative that teachers are given tools to help them better …

Secondary Biology Teachers’ Understandings Of Growth Mindset, Kathryn Chapman

Dissertations

This case study investigates how high school biology teachers understand and apply growth mindset principles in their daily instruction. Using surveys, semi‑structured interviews, and focus groups, the study examines how biology teachers interpret mindset, how they attempt to enact it, and how curriculum demands shape their efforts. Findings show that teachers’ beliefs about intelligence strongly influence their feedback, expectations, and instructional decisions. Teachers described biology as a subject in which struggle is highly visible, emotionally charged, and often tied to students’ prior knowledge, making mindset work both necessary and challenging. Results also indicate that students’ mindsets are shaped by broader …

Student Motivation In Social Studies Classes At The Public Museum High School: A Dissertation, Benjamin Kruid

All Dissertations

Students tend to behave differently in different classroom settings. Many factors contribute to the change in behavior, including motivation. Research suggests a tendency for student motivation to decrease as students move from elementary to middle to high school. However, motivation in students is not uniform and is dependent on factors like the subject, and time of day, for example. This dissertation examines student motivation in social studies classes at a public high school in Michigan using Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) as a framework for understanding motivation, and student impulsiveness as understood through the lens of Delay Discounting (DD). This research …

Faculty Conceptualizations Of Recreational Therapy And Disability: Influences On The Formal, Hidden, And Null Curricula In Undergraduate Recreational Therapy Education, Shelly Lynne Beaver

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Undergraduate education is a bedrock of professional preparation for entry-level recreational therapists, shaping their scope of practice, philosophical orientations, and approaches to service delivery. While significant attention has been given to the development of a formal recreational therapy curriculum – explicitly taught knowledge, skills, and competencies – little is known about the hidden and null curricula that may implicitly or unintentionally shape students’ professional identities, values, and beliefs. While these less explicit curricular dimensions may have profound effects on how preservice recreational therapists conceptualize both recreational therapy and disability, their impact remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this research …

A Systematized Review Of The Effectiveness Of Sbirt On Reducing Adolescent Substance Use In School Settings, Mallory L. Mcivor

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

As substance use remains a pressing public concern for adolescents, the academic, social, and neurological consequences are extensive. Schools are uniquely situated to support large populations of youth during their critical developmental periods, and schools act as the ideal location for substance use prevention and intervention. This study explored the prevalence and influence of substance use on adolescents, the role of school climate in prevention and intervention efforts, and assessed the model Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) as a suitable framework for school-based interventions. Following a structured search across two databases, 20 studies met inclusion criteria and …

Implications Of Similarities And Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills And Trust Across Communities Of Color, Erica Weintraub Austin, Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Sultana Ismet Jerin, Di Mu, Albert Junior Nyarko, Folake Racheal Okor, Pearl Omolara Oladele, Hae Yeon Seo, Andrew D. Sutherland

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also …

Expertise, Ideals, And The Ecology Of Learning To Teach: A Conversation About The Transition From The Writing Methods Course To Student Teaching [Special Issue], Jessica Rivera-Mueller, Josie Clark

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Writing pedagogy educators need approaches for designing the writing methods course in ways that will make a positive impact on practicing teachers’ decision-making. In this article, the co-authors—a writing pedagogy educator and a former student—address this need by providing a reflective conversation about the former student’s transition from the writing methods course to the student teaching experience. Together, the co-authors explore the extent to which a hands-on learning experience built into the writing methods course (designing and hosting an online writing competition for middle and high school students) impacted the former student’s experience of teaching writing as a student teacher. …

Cognitive Media Literacy In The Digital Age: Structural And Behavioral Dimensions Of Inequality, Elif Pınar Aciyan Şen, Murad Karaduman

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The expansion of digital technologies has not only transformed media production and consumption but also reshaped the cognitive conditions through which individuals interpret information. Drawing on W. James Potter’s (2004) cognitive model of media literacy, this study explores how cognitive dimensions of media literacy relate to digital inequalities among adults. To operationalize the model, index variables were developed for its four subdimensions, knowledge structures, personal locus, competencies, and skills, using multiple theoretically defined item domains. Based on a stratified face-to-face survey with 400 adults in Antalya, Türkiye, multiple regression analyses reveal that age and education are the strongest predictors of …

Fostering Responsible Ai Use In Communication: An Integrated Approach To Digital Literacy Education, Omer Keynan, Liron Mishkin Drezner, Yuval Gozansky

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The paper presents an innovative approach to teaching digital literacy to eighty-two B.A. communication students, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI). Over a semester, students developed proficiency in using AI tools for content creation while exploring their ethical implications. The course integrated practical skills with ethical considerations, providing hands-on experience with AI platforms and facilitating critical discussions on issues such as AI biases. For their final projects, students created social media campaigns using AI tools, accompanied by introspective reports on their creative process and ethical reflections. We aimed to equip future communication professionals with skills to navigate AI-driven content creation responsibly. …

Mapping Media Literacy Assessment: A Systematic Review To Connect The Dots, Lara Azar, Casey Frechette, Hafsa Zia, Joy Amulya

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The goal of this study was to address persistent challenges in assessing media literacy by reviewing assessments developed between 2011 and 2020. We combined landscape analysis, research synthesis, and grounded theory to select assessments, identify key attributes, iteratively code, analyze, and create an integrated synthesis of approaches to media literacy assessments. The analysis classified media literacy constructs by learning dimension (knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors) and participation mode (consumption, engagement, creation). The results showed that while most assessments focused on consumption-oriented constructs, engagement- and creation-oriented constructs were also included. Assessments primarily served three research purposes: evaluating media literacy levels in populations, …

Too Close For Comfort: Indigenous ‘Genre’ Film As Impactful In Pedagogies Of Reconciliation, Brendan M. Burrows

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article examines the pedagogical potential of Indigenous-created genre film—specifically, Jeff Barnaby’s Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Barnaby, 2013)—in promoting critical engagement with the legacies of colonial violence in Canada. Drawing on Susan Dion’s (2009) concept of the perfect stranger and film activist Ariel Smith’s analysis of Indigenous horror cinema, the study examines how three educators responded to the film and reflected on its curricular applications. Using constructivist grounded theory and cultural studies frameworks, the research reveals both the transformative promise and institutional constraints of integrating emotionally intense media into classroom settings. Findings suggest that while the film evokes affective responses …

Integrating Ai Into Media Analysis Projects: Students’ Insights On Using Chatgpt, Serpil Yalcinalp, Hacer Turkoglu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research aims to explore students’ perspectives on their use of ChatGPT during a media analysis project in a media literacy (ML) course. Additionally, it investigates what the assigned media literacy project has contributed to them. Qualitative analysis results from 48 students indicated that they believed their media analysis positively contributed to their media awareness of messages, media genres, social justice, technical aspects, and analytical skills, such as inquiry and creativity. Many students appreciate ChatGPT, noting that it encourages learning across disciplines through deep searches and dialogues with the tool. They especially appreciate its contribution when they compare the results …

The Role Of Media Literacy In Shaping Campus Student Leaders’ Perceptions Of Media Activism, Online Risks, And Social Support, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Minnie S. Mcmillian, Shumaila J. Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Melody Wilson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

in social movements. Within contemporary contexts, media is an important site through which campus student leaders raise awareness, share relevant information, distribute online petitions, and shape public discourses on various social issues. Media literacy is an essential skill for student leaders to be effective in their activist initiatives and be able to cope with the inevitable pushback through trolling and cyberbullying that such activism would likely bring up. This survey (N = 855) with college student leaders across three universities explores how they rate themselves on media literacy skills, how well they understand the risks involved with media activism, and …

Automated Media: Challenges And Opportunities For Media Literacy Education, Arnaud Claes, Jerry Jacques, Antonin Descampe, Victor Wiard

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper offers a theoretical reflection on the evolving landscape of automated media, focusing on how automation and so-called Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping traditional media-related practices and the competences required for media literacy. It examines how automated media technologies, such as recommendation algorithms and generative AI, might reshape the critical skills necessary to navigate a complex digital ecosystem. By framing AI-driven media practices through a social-action perspective and treating media as human activities, we argue that media literacy models should encompass competences related to the operation of computational automata, particularly through the management of inbound and outbound information flows. …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Former Teachers Transitioning Into Instructional Design And Technology: A Phenomenological Study, Denise Lynne Spencer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former teachers who have transitioned into instructional design and technology (ID&T) roles within noneducational organizations. The theory guiding this study was Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory, as it provided a theoretical framework for former educators to successfully transition their skills from teaching children to designing effective training for adults, particularly within noneducational organizations. The central research question asked, What are the unique challenges former teachers face when transitioning to ID&T when working for noneducational organizations? Data were collected through three data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, …

Faith-Informed Instruction In Secondary Mathematics: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Teachers, Jonathan Balsman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the phenomenon of faith-informed instruction as experienced by secondary mathematics teachers in Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) schools in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism, which frames educators’ instructional and theological meaning-making as socially and contextually developed through collaborative, relational learning environments. The central research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of LCMS secondary mathematics teachers as they practice faith-informed instruction? This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological design to interpret teacher meaning-making and reflective practice. Participants were selected using …

Differentiating And Accommodating Ocd And Anxiety In Mathematical Contexts, Madeline F. Gavares

Interdivisional Studies Summer Fellows

Students in mathematics classrooms may experience emotional and cognitive challenges that affect how they engage with coursework and assessments. While math anxiety has been widely documented, less attention has been given to how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly checking behaviors, may influence students’ experiences in math settings. This study explores how students who report math anxiety and those who report OCD symptoms describe their engagement with math tasks and test-taking. Drawing on survey and interview data from students and teachers, this study examines how these experiences are articulated and perceived in academic math contexts, rather than evaluating ability or outcomes. By …

Listening To Learn: Preservice Teachers’ Voice On What Matters Most In Their University Preparation Programs, David Wolff, Scott Klimek, Elizabeth Y. Dale

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This study explores the perspectives of preserviceteacher candidates on the topics in education they perceive as the most important and urgent as they prepare for their first year of teaching. Utilizing quantitative methodology, the study aims to identify and prioritize educational topics sixty (n = 60) preservice teacher candidates believed were critical to their professional development. Participants are asked to rate the topics based on two criteria: urgency and importance. Each topic is rated on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicated unfamiliarly with the topic, 1 indicated low urgency or importance, and 5 indicates high urgency …

Collaborating With Our Ai Research Companion: Exploring The Use Of Microsoft Copilot To Conduct Inductive And Deductive Coding In Qualitative Research, David Wolff, Melissa Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Higher Education faculty balance time in teaching, scholarship, and service, along with many other duties in their roles (Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 2024). In our efforts to be stewards of our time and craft, faculty look for ways to be more efficient in these areas. With the increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our personal and professional lives, this paper discusses the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), Microsoft Copilot, as an analytic tool in the qualitative data analysis process. Qualitative data was collected from transcripts of recorded meetings and an online journal that included text and …

Exploring Stress And Mindfulness In Central Asia: Perspectives Of English Language Students In Uzbekistan, Laurie A. Wolfe, Rakhmatullo Akhmedov

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Stress is a growing concern among university students worldwide, yet little is known about how stress is conceptualized and experienced within Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. This study explores how Uzbek university students understand and experience stress, identifies the primary sources of stress in their daily lives, and examines their perceptions of mindfulness as a potential stress‑reduction strategy. Participants were 60 students, primarily Muslim women, at a large public university in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Open‑ended questions on a post‑intervention survey were analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Students most frequently described stress in emotional terms, including irritability, sadness, and …

From Framework To Praxis: An Examination Of Integrated Comprehensive Systems (Ics) Equity Reform And Black Student Engagement, Heather L. Dunham

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

For over two decades, the Integrated Comprehensive Systems (ICS) framework (Frattura & Capper, 2007) has sought to promote systemic equity by addressing the organizational structures and practices that shape student outcomes. Despite its promise, few studies have examined ICS implementation in practice, particularly its impact on Black student engagement and academic success. This qualitative case study investigates a racially diverse Midwestern middle school that adopted ICS to shift outcomes for Black students. Grounded in the ICS framework—conceptually informed by Critical Race Theory and Disability Studies in Education—data from interviews, observations, and achievement records reveal that ICS can disrupt racialized routines, …

Re-Reading The World: Why Critical Literacy Must Accompany The “Back To Basics” Movement, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Recent literacy reforms in the United States have prioritized systematic phonics as part of the “science of reading,” backed by extensive evidence on the importance of phonemic awareness and decoding for early reading development. While these skills are essential, narrowing literacy to mechanics alone overlooks its broader cultural and civic purposes. Drawing on Freire’s (1970/2000) conception of literacy as both “reading the word and the world,” this paper argues for a balanced framework that integrates foundational instruction with comprehension, knowledge building, and critical literacy. Building on the work of Luke (2000) and Vasquez (2014), it positions literacy as both a …

Emotional Sobriety As Liberation: A Critical Pedagogy Of Resilience, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper extends the Reclaiming Model of trauma recovery by examining what follows critical consciousness when trauma persists and systems remain largely unchanged. Building on Reclaiming My Story, which framed healing as a Freirean act of reclaiming authorship through naming harm, dialogue, and praxis (Bryan, 2026), this paper addresses how reclaimed consciousness is sustained under ongoing emotional, relational, and structural strain. Drawing on critical pedagogy, trauma scholarship, and a first-person case narrative, it reframes post-trauma survival not as incomplete recovery but as ongoing praxis. The analysis challenges resolution-based and individualizing models of healing by conceptualizing emotional sobriety, relational regulation, …

Cipropad Learning Model To Improve Elementary School Students’ Hots In Geometry, Ria J. Salman, Heris Hendriana, Masta Hutajulu

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The latest digital technology developments demand innovative learning models that are able to integrate active learning approaches, problem-solving, and digital collaborative platforms. This study aims to develop a CIPROPAD (Circuit Learning, Problem-Based-Learning, Padlet) learning model designed to improve students' HOTS. This study uses the Borg and Gall R&D method which includes the stages of needs analysis, model design, initial product development, expert validation, limited trials, revisions, and field trials. The research subjects consisted of 74 elementary school students divided into experimental and control groups. The research instruments used included expert validation sheets, HOTS tests, student activity observation sheets, and student …

The Role Of Perceived Academic And Peer Support In Mitigating Imposter Syndrome Among Adhd Students, Eden Morley Dr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in higher education is associated with significant executive functioning deficits and performance inconsistencies. These challenges, alongside heightened rejection sensitivity, may predispose students to the Imposter Phenomenon (IP)—the persistent belief that one’s success is undeserved. While social and academic supports are known to buffer psychological distress, their specific role in mitigating IP within the ADHD student population remains under-researched.

Objectives: This study investigated the severity of IP among undergraduate students with ADHD and examined the protective roles of Perceived Social Support (PSS) and Perceived Academic Support (PAS), while exploring gender as a potential moderator.

Methodology: A cross-sectional …

Co-Designing Translanguaging-Informed Transformative Socioemotional Learning With Bilingual Kindergarten Teachers In Colombia, Catherine Restrepo-Widney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Emergent bilingual children enter early childhood classrooms with rich, dynamic linguistic repertoires that span languages, cultural practices, and ways of knowing. Socioemotional learning (SEL) often fails to meaningfully incorporate children’s linguistic and cultural repertoires, reflecting critiques that many SEL frameworks privilege individualistic, culturally narrow competencies that may marginalize learners from diverse backgrounds. This is particularly consequential in early childhood dual language bilingual education (DLBE), where children's heritage languages are central to authentic emotional connection and identity development, and where empirical models for culturally sustaining SEL remain limited. Through a participatory design research approach structured around iterative cycles of collaborative inquiry, …