Digital Commons Network^™

The Adolescent Development Of Small Business Owners’ Entrepreneurial Mindset, Fern Arredondo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how small business owners in Southern California interpret experiences before age 20 that influenced the development of the eight domains of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI). This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore how adult small business owners reflect upon and interpret experiences before age 20 that influenced the development of their entrepreneurial mindset. By examining the influence of pre-adulthood on these owners, the study aimed to deepen the understanding of how early experiences shape entrepreneurial mindsets and contribute to long-term entrepreneurial success. …

Principal Leader Behaviors That Create Meaning For Their Teachers To Reduce Stress And Burnout, Angelina Santana

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary high school principals use to create meaning for themselves and their teacher followers through relationships, character, vision, wisdom, and inspiration. In addition, the study aimed to determine the new teachers’ perceived degree of importance of the principal leader behaviors related to relationships, character, vision, wisdom, and inspiration to help create meaning.Methodology: The mixed methods convergent study design uses qualitative and quantitative means to collect and analyze data to understand how exemplary high school principals make meaning for their teacher followers. First, qualitative interviews …

Vocational Education And Employment Outcomes For Individuals With Disabilities: Trends, Barriers, And Supported Employment Practices, Taylor John Peterson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines literature that focuses on vocational education and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. This paper includes current vocational practices, barriers to employment, and the effectiveness of supported employment for individuals with disabilities. The studies used for this thesis show that work-based learning, career and technical education (CTE), and instruction in employability skills positively affect students’ employment outcomes. There are also barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities. They include employer misconceptions, limited accommodations, and a lack of transition services. Individuals with disabilities who receive supported employment have a much greater chance of obtaining employment. The findings in …

Seeking The Goodness In Culturally Responsive Practices Of New Jersey Suburban Public Elementary Teachers, Kimya S. Jackson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the United States, suburban elementary schools continue to diversify, while teaching staff remain predominantly White, creating urgency for culturally responsive practices (CRP) in non-urban settings (Stanford, 2023). In this study, I examined CRP’s goodness enacted by four teachers in New Jersey suburban elementary schools, a context shaped by state mandates for diversity and inclusion (New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), 2022). The question guiding my research was: In what ways do New Jersey suburban elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) schoolteachers engage in culturally responsive practices? Using Lawrence-Lightfoot and Hoffman Davis’s (1997) portraiture methodology, I developed portraits of four suburban …

Closing The Literacy Gap: Comparing Student Outcomes Based On Three Phonemic Awareness Programs, Juanita Diaz

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The nationwide literacy crisis has been in existence for decades. Numerous governmental acts, research, and studies have yet to positively affect the nationwide literacy policies and instruction in schools. The Science of Reading, a body of research from many disciplines inclusive and exclusive of education, has illustrated how structured literacy can positively affect reading outcomes. One of the skills under literacy, phonemic awareness, is an instrumental foundational reading skill that researchers have identified as critical to early literacy and eventual reading proficiency. Historically, many districts have not been mandated to utilize instructional tools or practices grounded in research or evidence. …

Teacher Burnout In 2026 - Context, Student Effects, And Interventions, Colin David Thies

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to aid teachers in 2026, this paper aims to identify what teachers and administrators can do to protect against and treat teacher burnout in K-12 schools. To achieve this, research was conducted on the post-pandemic context of teacher burnout, the secondary effects of teacher burnout on students, individual and organizational interventions. Teacher burnout is a multifaceted ailment, and many of the factors behind burnout can be beyond one’s control. There is no single answer, though there is an emphasis on emotions, as research suggests emotions may be greatly important to both succumbing to and treating teacher burnout. Thus, …

Integrating Discipline-Specific Literacy In Business Education: Implications For Skill Development, Katherine M. Mitzner, Quinn J. Longueville

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is a vital part of a students’ education. Not only is it important to know how to read, but it is also important for students to comprehend what is read. There are many aspects of literacy, including content area literacy and disciplinary literacy. This thesis explores the importance of disciplinary literacy in the context of a business education lens and how business literacy impacts the success of a secondary student. It explores disciplinary literacy, the impacts of business literacy on other fields, implementation in the classroom, and professional development for literacy strategies. Application materials related to the findings are …

From Vision To Practice: Developing A Field-Informed Framework For Music Education In Catholic Schools, Melita Mudri-Zubacz

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study aimed to develop a sustainable and mission-focused framework for music  education in Catholic elementary schools, in order to bridge the gap between the theological ideals of Catholic education and the lack of operational models for its implementation. The problem had significant implications for school leaders, music teachers, and students, as it restricted the potential of the school’s music programs to support the development of Catholic identity and liturgical participation.

The purpose of this study was to develop a field-informed and consensus-driven framework based on Catholic identity, sustainability, and expertise. The conceptual framework for this study integrated theological and …

Navigating Racist Spaces Through Radical Self-Care: A Photovoice Exploration Of The Experiences Of Black Graduate Students, Laetitia Adelson, Cherese Fine, Dion Harry, Keneisha Harrington, Rebecca Lynn Morgan Ph.D., Tomiko Smalls, Jerad Green, Courtney Allen, Anuoluwapo Bankole, Robin Phelps-Ward

Faculty Publications

This manuscript examines the impact of racist campus climates for Black graduate students at a predominantly white institution. Using a photovoice methodological design, this study illuminates students’ ability to thrive through radical self-care despite the many racist factors, incidents, and systems at the institution. The paper ends with recommendations for improving campus racial climate in graduate education.

But Who Are The Victims? Reassessing The 568 Higher Education Cartel, James V. Koch

Economics Faculty Publications

Thirty prestigious independent American institutions of higher education were at some time members of the 568 higher education group (often labeled a cartel). Seventeen of them were sued by the U.S. Government and representative students who alleged that their meetings and deliberations resulted in collusion that caused students to pay higher prices. Twelve of the seventeen institutions subsequently settled their cases and by 2024 collectively had paid $284 million to do so. However, an inspection of these institutions' pricing reveals that the median 568 Group institution lowered its average real net annual cost to its undergraduate students by 19.07% between …

Raw Dataset For 300 University Ai Choices, Amanda Potasznik

Data and Datasets

A log of 300 universities, randomly sampled from IPEDS data, and documentation of their adoption (or not) of Generative AI technology, coded by company.

From Plans To Practice: Preservice Mathematics Teachers' Journey To Conceptual Understanding, Rolando B. Magat Jr

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines the journey of preservice mathematics teachers (PMTs) in the Philippines from lesson planning to classroom practice, focusing on fostering conceptual understanding. Using a case study approach, data were gathered from 15 PMTs in Metro Manila through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plan analysis. Findings reveal that PMTs face challenges in deep content knowledge, effective instructional strategies, and real-world application, often prioritizing procedural knowledge over conceptual depth. Additionally, engagement strategies and resource integration were key themes influencing lesson planning. To address these gaps, the study proposes Project M.A.S.T.E.R (Mathematics Application and Strategy Training for Enhanced Readiness), a …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Perceptions Of Relationship Skills For Future Work In Schools, Melissa Newberry, Elizabeth B. Hinchcliff, Chelsea Cole, Michael Richardson

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study focuses on the perceptions pre-service teachers hold about their own abilities to form relationships with four stakeholders of schools: students, parents, teachers and administrators. Survey data from 257 students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in a mid-sized, private university in the Western US were collected, including their beliefs about relationship skills, experience with children/youth, and conceptions of relationship formation as practicing teachers. Results indicate high confidence in relationship skills, yet few ideas on how to translate those into action when it comes to forming professional relationships. These findings suggest that pre-service teachers may be underprepared regarding the relational …

The Possibilities And Challenges Of Generative Artificial Intelligence For Initial Teacher Education In Australia, Leanne Cameron, Matt Bower, Jihyun Lee, Damian Maher, Jon Mason, Miriam Tanti, Tianchong Wang

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on pre-service teachers (PSTs) and its future role in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses. Drawing from a polychronic and polyphonic research methodology (Jandric et al., 2019; Matusov et al., 2019), the six participants, experienced Initial Teacher Educators, identify the opportunities GenAI offers for enhancing teaching, streamlining administration, and providing personalized learning. They also articulate the challenges GenAI presents: bias, ethical and authenticity issues and copyright. The Teacher Educators agree that PSTs must become technically proficient and critically discerning towards GenAI content, and they highlight the need for personalized and context-specific assessment …

Framings Of Intercultural Competence In Australian Teacher Education: Conceptual Bases And Implications, James F. Toohey, Michael D. Carey, Peter R. Grainger

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Developing an interculturally competent teaching workforce remains an ongoing priority in Australia, yet preparation practices vary in their conceptual grounding. This theoretical paper examines four broad paradigmatic framings that inform strategies to develop intercultural competence in preservice teachers: cognitive, dispositional, critical, and linguistic. We analyse how each paradigm foregrounds particular assumptions about culture, communication, and development, and consider the implications of their partial application in teacher education. Rather than positioning these paradigms as competing models, the paper argues that they function as complementary lenses through which intercultural preparation can be understood and refined. Particular attention is given to the linguistic …

The Effect Of Stem Learning Experiences On Stem Semantic Awareness And 21st-Century Learner Skills Of Prospective Primary School Teachers, Ahmet Oğuz Akçay, Mehmet Arif Bozan, Engin Karahan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

STEM awareness and 21^st-century skills are recognized as two interrelated dimensions critical for the modern pedagogical competencies of pre-service teachers. This study examines how STEM learning experiences affect pre-service primary school teachers’ STEM semantic awareness and 21^st-century learner skills. STEM activities were implemented for six weeks with pre-service primary school teachers. The research was designed using a convergent mixed-methods approach. The study included 21 prospective primary school teachers who volunteered to participate. The “STEM Semantic Awareness Scale,” “21^st-Century Learner Skills Use Scale,” participant journals, and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. The …

(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education(In)Visible Diverse Gender And Sexual Identities Of Pre-Service Teachers: Disclosure, Emotional Labour And Safety Work Within Initial Teacher Education, Saul A. Karnovsky, Matthew J. Phillips, Breeanna Melville

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Australia is currently facing a significant teacher attrition crisis, with early career educators increasingly leaving the profession due to burnout, demoralisation, and adverse working conditions. This issue is exacerbated for teachers of diverse genders and sexualities (DGS), who encounter heightened levels of discrimination, exclusion, and mental health challenges within educational institutions. Despite broader societal progress, Australian schools and universities remain sites of persistent queerphobia, contributing to unsafe and unsupportive environments for DGS individuals. This article focuses on pre-service teachers (PSTs) enrolled in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. The study addresses an important gap in the literature by exploring how emotional …

An Examination Of The Cognitive Levels And Content Dimensions In Activities Developed By Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Within The Math Taxonomy Framework, Ayşe Tuğçe Bodur, Mevhibe Kobak Demi̇r

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The purpose of this study is to analyze the questions included in three-dimensional modeling activities developed by pre-service mathematics teachers in terms of the cognitive levels and mathematical content dimensions of the MATH taxonomy. This analysis aims to reveal which mathematical processes and skills the pre-service teachers prioritize in their instructional materials. Adopting a case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, this research examined activities developed by 26 secondary pre-service mathematics teachers, selected through convenience sampling, for teaching three-dimensional geometric shapes. Descriptive analysis was used to evaluate a total of 122 activity questions. Regarding content dimensions, it …

Collaborative Problem-Solving (Cps) In Supporting Critical Thinking Skills: A Case Study On Quadratic Function Material, Buaddin Hasan, Arif Hidayatul Khusna

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Theoretically, CPS can support students' critical thinking skills. However, more in-depth research is needed on how CPS can support students' critical thinking skills. This research aims to describe CPS in supporting students' critical thinking skills. Participants in this research were 24 10th-grade students consisting of 14 female students and ten male students. The 24 participants were then formed into 12 groups, with one group of two students. Data was collected by asking groups to solve a quadratic function problem. The research results show that CPS can support students' critical thinking skills because it provides opportunities for students to negotiate with …

Reciprocal Translanguaging In Peer Interaction: An Interactional Analysis Of Grammatical Co-Construction Among Indonesian Efl Learners, Erwin Ashari, Berlin Sibarani, Masitowarni Siregar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines how reciprocal translanguaging operates in small-group peer interaction to support the co-construction of English grammatical understanding among Indonesian EFL learners. Conceptualized as a structured interactional process in which participants draw on their full linguistic repertoires to build grammatical meaning across turns, reciprocal translanguaging is analyzed through five excerpts of naturally occurring peer discussion focusing on observable moves of questioning, repair, metalinguistic elaboration, and confirmation among three fifth-semester university students at Universitas Riau Kepulauan, Indonesia. Drawing on qualitative interactional discourse analysis of recorded online peer discussions, the study examines how participants flexibly deploy Indonesian and English resources to …

Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor

OER Materials

The goal of this inquiry-based lesson plan is to provide teachers and students with a place-based learning experience focused on exploring natural phenomena in the world around them. The lesson was established to provide learners with an experience to observe nature in Minnesota, by exploring the grounds at the MSUM regional science center. This lesson can be adapted to suit other outdoor learning environments. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide students with a cross-curricular, hands-on learning experience that takes place in their community and environment.

Student Retention In Music Programs: An Analysis Of Relationships Between Selected Student Demographics And Continued Enrollment In Music Programs With The Presence Of School-Provided Supports, Jessica Wiese

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Music education provides significant cognitive, social, and academic benefits; however, elective music programs often face substantial annual attrition. While existing literature has documented material barriers (e.g., instrument costs, transportation, scheduling conflicts), this study investigates the persistence of attrition within a medium-sized suburban district on Long Island that has systematically mitigated these obstacles. The district provides free instruments, flexible scheduling, and dedicated transportation for all students. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine whether demographic disparities in music enrollment remain predictive of withdrawal in such a post-barrier environment.

The research used a two-phase explanatory sequential design. In the first …

Competitive Dance And The Adolescent’S Body: Considering Pedagogical Approaches To Teaching Competitive Dancers, Catri E. G. Barba

Dance (MFA) Theses

Diving into the past and researching for the future, this thesis explores the development and perpetuation of hyper-sexualized adolescent bodies through the competitive dance scene. Drawing on dance theorists, educational theorists, and embodied research (i.e., the author’s body archive), this thesis explores how the competition gaze is performed for and by a capitalist patriarchy. Specifically, this thesis critically reflects on the author’s career as a young competitive dancer in the greater Los Angeles, California, area during the 1990s and 2000s, as well as a competition dance instructor and K-12 educator for two decades, and how those personal experiences have shaped …

Unpacking K-12 Teachers’ Creative Identity, Ariana Mungia

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite increasing emphasis on creativity as a core competency in K-12 education, limited research has examined how teachers understand their own creativity and how these perceptions shape their professional identities and instructional practices. Existing scholarship has largely focused on pedagogical strategies, curriculum design, and student outcomes, often overlooking the role of teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and self-perceptions. Addressing this gap, this study unpacks how K-12 teachers construct their creative identity and how this identity informs their approaches to teaching for creativity. Guided by a constructivist grounded theory methodology, this qualitative study explores the lived experiences on current K-12 teachers in Southern …

Educators' Perceptions Of Professional Development In The Online Learning Environment, Nakia W. Mccall

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of online professional development (PD) in enhancing teacher growth and improving instructional practices. PD has traditionally offered opportunities for teachers to engage in relevant content that can be immediately implemented (Dobie & Anderson, 2021). The transition to online PD, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, created urgency as educators adapted to remote learning and technological competency to ensure educational continuity (Karchmer-Klein & Pytash, 2020). This study explored educators’ perspectives on online PD and its potential to create sustainable practices that support teacher effectiveness. A mixed methods approach was employed, including focus groups, questionnaires, and …

A Qualitative Study Exploring How Classroom Teachers Define, Seek, And Maintain Workplace Well-Being, Shaunee S. Howard

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative study used interviews and a focus group to investigate how middle school teachers define, seek, and maintain their well-being in the workplace. The findings from this study suggested that teachers view well-being as subjective and individualized, shaped by their personal experiences. Teachers identified common themes of feeling good, holistic well-being, and acceptance as the foundation of their definitions. Teachers in this study identified the following components as essential well-being needs: meaningful connections, strong support systems, and opportunities to make positive impacts on the lives of their students and communities. Supportive relationships, student success, and connections to community positively …

The Role Of Automatic Speech Recognition Live Captions In Synchronous In-Person Learning Environments: A Study On Accuracy Rate, Krista M. Rey

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy rate of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) live captions in an in-person synchronous classroom setting and the perceptions of participants experiencing them. The reduction in the workforce of Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioners, improvements in ASR, and previous studies suggesting benefits for all learners have left educators, institutions, and policymakers wondering if ASR live captions can ethically meet accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and also benefit typically hearing and English Language Learners (ELL). Two general undergraduate education classes were selected to evaluate the accuracy rate of …

Evaluation And Impact Of 4th Grade Writing Instruction And Intervention, Sasha R. Smith

Education Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of Texas's redesigned State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) introduced extended constructed response (ECR) items that required students to demonstrate reading comprehension through written responses. At the study site, fourth-grade students consistently demonstrated stronger reading comprehension than writing performance, revealing a gap in their ability to communicate understanding using evidence-based written responses. The purpose of this Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice was to evaluate the implementation and impact of a systems-based instructional intervention designed to improve fourth-grade students' performance on constructed response writing tasks through increased instructional coherence and explicit writing instruction. This embedded mixed-methods case …

Bias Across The Data Lifecycle: Data Governors’ Perceptions In Land-Grant Higher Education, Shauna N. Mcclure, Lisa Lambert Snodgrass

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Higher education institutions increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools and predictive analytics to inform decisions in areas such as admissions, student success, and resource allocation. This reliance heightens the need for data governance frameworks that address the policies, processes, and technologies governing student data. Data governors shape how institutional data are collected, interpreted, and used, yet existing approaches often assume that data are neutral, overlooking how bias can become embedded and compounded across the stages of the data lifecycle. This exploratory study investigates whether data governors perceive implicit bias as present across these stages. Using a quantitative survey, we …

Using Behavioral Skills Training To Teach And Promote Generalized Self-Instruction For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Elise J. Slavey

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This study presents findings from a multiple probe design that evaluated the effects of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) as a method of teaching an increase in self-instruction in completing vocational tasks for individuals with intellectual disability. The research included three U.S. high school students with intellectual disability and the data were analyzed across conditions. Throughout the intervention of BST, generalization sessions were conducted alongside. All participants acquired self-instruction for the skill acquisition targets. However, only one participant was able to generalize self-instruction to novel vocational tasks. Results and suggestions for future research regarding generalization for self-instruction and procedure reliability data …