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Psychological Well-Being And Music Among Children, Elle Chrampanis Jan 2024

Psychological Well-Being And Music Among Children, Elle Chrampanis

Honors Theses

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore how music supports kindergarteners’ well-being in an elementary music classroom through the lens of PERMA, a framework for well-being developed by Martin Seligman. PERMA stands for positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. An additional goal was to see how applicable this framework was to kindergarteners. Accordingly, a five-week music program was developed and taught at a local elementary school. A typical elementary music curriculum was developed consisting of lessons that included a welcome song, a rhythm activity, a musical storybook, the sequential learning of a song, and a goodbye …


Curriculum, Knowledge, And Power: A Critical Race Approach To Content Analysis Of Social Studies Textbooks, Eliza G. Ray Jan 2024

Curriculum, Knowledge, And Power: A Critical Race Approach To Content Analysis Of Social Studies Textbooks, Eliza G. Ray

Honors Theses

This study uses Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework to examine the portrayal of the U.S. Revolutionary War in three 5th grade social studies textbooks approved by the state of Florida’s curriculum standards. Textbooks have been a focal point for political debate, most recently influenced more by politicians than by educators. A qualitative rubric was developed to evaluate the textbooks, examining the extent to which they include a CRT telling of the Revolutionary War. This rubric was informed by the tenets of CRT in educational research as described by Solorzano and Yosso (2002). Consistent themes arose from the …


Understanding Para-Athlete Inclusion In Post-Secondary Athletics, Rayven J. Sample Jan 2024

Understanding Para-Athlete Inclusion In Post-Secondary Athletics, Rayven J. Sample

Honors Theses

This qualitative study utilized thematic analysis of six interviews with elite Para-athletes who were currently enrolled at a four-year undergraduate institution and were actively competing or training in any Para-sport to understand inclusion of Para-athletes within the NCAA. This investigatory research sought to identify barriers present in the NCAA’s structure and advocate for positive change as more Para-athletes desire to access collegiate athletic resources due to increasingly higher standards of performance within Para-sport. Para-athletes discussed five key themes during interviews; “Disability Mindset” or the way athletes conceptualized their presence within the athletic environment; sources of education available to athletics staff …


Music Education Within An Autism Support Classroom: Building Community And Educational Skills, Emma Lamberti Jan 2024

Music Education Within An Autism Support Classroom: Building Community And Educational Skills, Emma Lamberti

Honors Theses

The purpose of this action research study was to explore how music education might provide a sense of community, develop educational skills, and discuss general best practices for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a middle school autism support classroom. To examine community, educational skills, and best practices, this study completed two cycles of action research. The curriculum in Cycle 1 consisted of typical music lessons for a general music classroom. Interviews with teachers and students, video observations, and researcher reflections after each lesson were used to inform the development of Cycle 2. Cycle 2 retained the overall …


Test Optional Admissions: Pre And Post Enrollment, Mackenzie M. Turner Jan 2023

Test Optional Admissions: Pre And Post Enrollment, Mackenzie M. Turner

Honors Theses

This phenomenological qualitative study explores students’ experiences navigating test-optional admissions when applying to post-secondary education. This thesis examines how test-optional admissions influence students' admissions decisions. The recent policy changes in college admissions practices raise questions about student experiences when making decisions when regarding test-optional admissions. First, this study explores the factors that go into a student’s decision on whether to submit test scores in their college application. Second, this thesis investigates college admission administrators’ perspectives on test-optional policies at their respective universities. Third, this study analyzes where the views of college admissions and student applicants are dissimilar. One important insight …


Supporting Teacher Retention Through A Trauma-Informed Lens, Nicole C. Reddig Jan 2022

Supporting Teacher Retention Through A Trauma-Informed Lens, Nicole C. Reddig

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between trauma-informed practices and teacher burnout and turnover. For the past decade, schools across the United States have seen high levels of burnout and turnover amongst their educators. At the same time, young children are experiencing high levels of exposure to traumatic events in childhood, affecting their behavior, social and emotional health, and ability to learn. While teachers play an important role in the support system for these students, they are also at risk for experiencing secondary trauma and burnout. To mitigate the effects of trauma, trauma-informed practices have been introduced in schools to respond …


Where Girls Rule The World: Lessons For Pakistan In The Bangladeshi Educational Phenomenon, Chanze Ahsan Jan 2022

Where Girls Rule The World: Lessons For Pakistan In The Bangladeshi Educational Phenomenon, Chanze Ahsan

Honors Theses

In tune with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal and the widespread acceptance of education as a fundamental human right, the deprivation of female education in Pakistan presents an alarming assault on its female population. With this, the historical accident that was the separation of Pakistan and Bangladesh serves as a natural experiment into differences between the countries before and after partition. Despite facing two colonizations, Bangladesh has emerged on the other side of history with promising results regarding the elimination of gender disparities in education. How has it managed to do so? And what can Pakistan learn from its journey? …


A Comparative Analysis Of Chinese And American Cinematic Depictions Of The Female Adolescent Life Transition, Lily Li Jan 2021

A Comparative Analysis Of Chinese And American Cinematic Depictions Of The Female Adolescent Life Transition, Lily Li

Honors Theses

The thesis examines the representation through film of the ways social systems in Western and Eastern societies impact female adolescents’ growth. My study focuses on the transition from childhood to adolescence, from a relatively "naive" state to a reflective state of mind, filled with uncertainty about oneself and the future. In this process, there are emotions of confusion, insecurity, struggle, anxiety, and intergenerational conflicts. Some crucial factors such as friendships, family relationships, and societal pressures are influential in adolescents' formation of their personalities. This transformational process is universal across all cultures, as every adolescent experiences the transition from youth to …


The Effects Of Higher Education On Socioeconomic Mobility: A Comparative Analysis Of Outcomes At Bucknell University, Katrien Weemaes Jan 2021

The Effects Of Higher Education On Socioeconomic Mobility: A Comparative Analysis Of Outcomes At Bucknell University, Katrien Weemaes

Honors Theses

Income inequality and the lack of higher-education opportunities across the United States often correlate with families' socioeconomic status. In this honors thesis, the following questions will be examined: How does the social mobility of Bucknell Students compare with students from other national universities? How do a student’s race and financial aid status affect their ability to achieve social mobility? How has the rate of social mobility through Bucknell changed in recent years? How does a student’s current family socioeconomic status affect their ability to achieve high-income success upon graduation? Does the level of accessibility to Bucknell change when socioeconomic status …


Why Do I Have To Know This? Engineering In A Globalized Society, Caleb Cunningham Jan 2020

Why Do I Have To Know This? Engineering In A Globalized Society, Caleb Cunningham

Honors Theses

Through a pilot comparative study, this thesis examines the problem-solving of chemical engineering students and chemical engineering faculty. Specifically, the thesis examines the extent to which individuals include global factors (cultural, social, environmental, and economic) into their engineering solutions as specified by ABET. Several hypotheses were investigated in this pilot study: (i) having a study abroad experience would increase the likelihood that participants included the global factors of interest, (ii) the type (PUI, Research Intensive, Unique) of institution students attended would impact how individuals approached the problem, (iii) students with similar career aspirations would approach the problems similarly, (iv) having …


Creating Effective Mental Health Programs In Rural Middle Schools: A Case Study Of Challenges, Policy And Programming, Katelyn Kempf Jan 2018

Creating Effective Mental Health Programs In Rural Middle Schools: A Case Study Of Challenges, Policy And Programming, Katelyn Kempf

Honors Theses

Using a case study approach, this study investigated the current status of mental health programs and resources within a specific middle school in Eastern Rural Pennsylvania. Interviews were conducted with a school counselor, principal, teacher, social worker and mental health liaison in order to uncover the perceived strengths and weaknesses of mental health resources at this school, and the perceived barriers to providing mental healthcare. Data analysis revealed that the main barriers included parental involvement, parental follow-through, transportation and funding. Further questions were identified for future research within this school in order to create specific recommendations for improvement. Additionally, a …


Launch-Explore-Summarize In High School Calculus, Nate Mattis Jan 2018

Launch-Explore-Summarize In High School Calculus, Nate Mattis

Honors Theses

Current research on high school calculus instruction indicates that students often possess a procedural knowledge of differentiation and integration as opposed to a conceptual knowledge (Orton, 1983; Ferrini-Mundy & Graham, 1994). Given the prominence of traditional lecture and textbook-based calculus classes in the United States, students are not always given the opportunity to expand their conceptual knowledge of essential calculus concepts. This project introduces calculus students to a more active and communal method of teaching: Launch-Explore-Summarize (LES) (CMP, n.d.). This methodology places students at the center of their learning and emphasizes inquiry-based thinking during a class. Specifically, two LES lessons …


The Bucknell Community College Scholarship Program: A Documentary As A Performative Social Science, Sean D. Fortney Jan 2012

The Bucknell Community College Scholarship Program: A Documentary As A Performative Social Science, Sean D. Fortney

Honors Theses

Reviews Bucknell participation with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (a non-profit foundation with a mission to “help under-resourced students of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education".