Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Personalized Learning On High School English Language Arts Students' Self-Perceived College And Career Readiness: A Phenomenological Study, Erica Hyneman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of personalized learning when implemented in a high school English language arts class for students at County High School. The theory guiding this study was constructivist learning theory, as it is the foundation for personalized learning. The central research question aimed to discover the lived experiences of personalized learning in a high school English language arts classroom. This transcendental phenomenological study included 12 participants enrolled in an 11th-grade English language arts class at County High School, a rural, public, Title I school in the deep south. Data was …

Secondary School Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Student Readiness To Engage In Self-Directed Learning Strategies: A Causal-Comparative Quantitative Study, Michael Benitez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students’ self-directed learning readiness and their current course grade in flipped classrooms, fully online courses, and classes with traditional instructional methods. Participants were high school students in central Texas. This study is important because self-directed learner readiness directly impacts student engagement and motivation, leading to better academic results in self-directed student-led instructional contexts, such as flipped classrooms and online learning. This study adds to the literature regarding self-directed learner readiness by examining the differences between three different instructional methods: traditional, flipped, and …

From Food Desert To Food Security: Implementing Change Through The Augusta Dream Center, Marté Antione Gifford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to design and implement a community garden, supplemented by local farmer partnerships, at the Augusta Dream Center (ADC) to address food insecurity in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) by providing fresh produce, fostering nutrition education, and promoting long-term health equity. This project is driven by the urgent need to reduce health disparities that result from limited access to healthy foods, particularly the elevated risks of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in low-income and minority communities. The CSRA faces unique challenges as it contains both food deserts, where healthy food options are scarce, and …

The Lived Experiences And Perspectives Of Higher Education Faculty Regarding The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Writing Tools On Students' Coursework: A Phenomenological Study, Kalary T. Driggers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of higher education faculty in the Southeastern United States on student use of artificial intelligence writing tools in their coursework. The theory guiding this study was Rogers’ diffusion of innovations, which considers the acceptance of innovations over time. The central research question for this study was, “What are the lived experiences and perspectives of higher education faculty regarding the use of artificial intelligence writing tools on student coursework in higher education?” This study employed a transcendental phenomenological approach, as the researcher sought to understand the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Transition Services And Self-Advocacy For The Visually Impaired, Catherine S. Holloway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the self-advocacy skills used in transition services for visually impaired (VI) students who graduated from a public school in the southeastern United States. Bandura’s social cognitive theory expands on the importance of self-efficacy. It highlights the self-advocacy skills utilized to empower VI individuals to achieve goals and progress in post-secondary employment or education. The description of VI students’ self-advocacy experiences expanded on the exploratory nature of transition services and how they impacted VI students’ self-advocacy. The study used a hermeneutical phenomenological approach to the lived experiences of VI students from G …

Evaluating The Self-Efficacy Of Novice Educators In Nursing And Allied Health Care Programs As It Pertains To Faculty Development, Amanda Doneski, Martin S. Rice

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Career choices in nursing and allied health include but are not limited to nursing, radiologic technology, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, and occupational therapy.¹The majority of health care professions require the practitioner to hold certain required credentials. These credentials are obtained upon successful graduation from an accredited curriculum, passing some sort of board exam, and applying for and obtaining a state license to practice in their designated area of expertise.² Advancement opportunities in management, sales, and education are attainable for many healthcare professionals.³ Individuals who transition from the role of a health care provider to educator …

Knowledge And Perceived Barriers About Hand Hygiene Among Interns In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Riddhi Soni, Pradeep Jadhav (Corresponding Author), Rekha Mane

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose

Good hand hygiene is a significant factor in preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and antibiotic resistance. The concepts of hand hygiene need to be evaluated among healthcare interns who are in the training stage.

Aim

To determine the knowledge of hand hygiene and associated barriers among dental, medical, and physiotherapy Interns.

Methods

A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 healthcare interns (50 each from Dentistry, Medicine, and Physiotherapy) selected using a 4-block randomization method. Participants who did not provide consent, undergraduate students, postgraduate residents, and faculty members were excluded. Data were collected using a structured survey comprising two sections: …

Printing The Future: A Collaborative Approach To Integrating 3d Printing In Physical Therapy Education, Amanda L. Thomas, Teresa Munecas, Andreina Lander, Amber Sivalls, Abigail Tong, Tyler Turner, Lauren Butler

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Integrating 3D printing into healthcare education presents an opportunity to enhance learning, foster innovation, and address challenges in patient care. This study explores a collaborative approach to incorporating 3D printing into a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program through interdisciplinary partnerships with biomedical engineering, architecture, and immersive studio technologies. The study's primary aim was to provide DPT students with hands-on experience in designing and creating 3D printed adaptive devices for individuals with unique healthcare needs while encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration to enhance innovation and problem-solving. The initiative was structured around a series of pilot projects embedded in the DPT curriculum, focusing …

Beyond The Human: Democratic Education Through The Ethics Of Care And Carriance. A Response To “Reimagining Democratic Education With Care Ethics—Toward Care-Full Democratic Education”, Michalinos Zembylas

Democracy & Education

This is a response to Koponen and Kasa’s argument that feminist theorizing and care ethics have been overlooked as theoretical approaches in the current democratic education debate. Their article draws on these insights to theorize democratic education in ways that combine care and democracy. In my response, I aim to offer clarifying comments and questions while suggesting ideas to expand Koponen and Kasa’s analysis. Specifically, I highlight two perspectives that, in my view, warrant further exploration in democratic education: developing theoretical frameworks that move beyond human-centered and anthropocentric accounts and, embracing care and the concept of "care-carrying" or "carriance" (Ettinger, …

Has “Better Fafsa” Been Better Or Worse? A Study Of Student And Stakeholders’ Experience With The 2024-25 Fafsa, Jonathan S. Lewis, Alyssa Stefanese Yates

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The 2024-25 or “Better” FAFSA was intended to be simpler, addressing long standing issues with the federal financial aid application process, and expand financial aid eligibility to more low-income students and their families. However, its problematic implementation had negative implications for college access, affordability, and enrollment. This study reviews findings from a mixed methods case study of 274 students, parents, high school counselors, and financial aid administrators’ experiences navigating the 24-25 FAFSA. Interpreting participant responses through an administrative burden lens, the study found some intentional changes in the 24-25 FAFSA, such as the Direct Data Exchange and user-centered design elements, …

If We Tear It Down, We Might Build You A New One: The Troublesome Use Of Eminent Domain And Urban Neighborhood Swimming Pools, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., James H. Bemiller

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Public swimming pools are a vital part of America’s recreation and sport culture since the early 1900’s. Municipal swimming pools were initially built to provide recreation and hygiene to urban communities, regardless of race or class. However, a complex history of segregation, civil unrest, suburbanization, and funding challenges has resulted in a significant decline in public pools, depriving many communities of vital recreational spaces. In many communities, options for sustaining the operation of swimming pools have resulted in pool closures. Unfortunately, once swimming pools close, especially those in aging neighborhoods in central city areas, they are seldom resurrected. They quickly …

Adopting Stuart Hall’S “Race, The Floating Signifier” As A Conceptual Framework Within Aquatic Research And Education, Kurt J. Cordice

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

During his 1997 lecture at Goldsmiths College in London, Stuart Hall, renowned for his contributions to sociology and cultural studies, offered his argument that the concept of race functions as a Floating Signifier. In this essay, Stuart Hall’s Race, the Floating Signifier is presented as a strong conceptual framework to support more accurate and effective positioning of race as an important consideration within aquatic research and education. Evidence from a range of disciplines, including historical research, is presented to establish both the importance and challenge of race within aquatic research and education. This evidence is also used to demonstrate …

“I Just Need Another Set Of Eyes”: Understanding Students’ Idea Of The Writing Center, Isabelle M. Lundin, Neal Lerner

The Writing Center Journal

In this article, we describe writing center clients’ “idea” of the writing center based on interviews with 26 writing center users and qualitative coding of interview transcripts. Participants’ constructs of the writing center provide a lens to better understand how they perceive writing as an activity, the “writing culture” of the institution, the role of the writing center in their writing processes, and, ultimately, if they see writing centers in the way we would expect them to. The tensions we derived from our data are (1) between who and what tutors are and offer: discipline-specific expertise (including the disciplines of …

2025-10-15 Pac-22 Revisal Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Revisal draft of PAc-22 submitted to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate on October 15, 2025.

The Effect Of Genially Based Gamification Learning Models On Student Analysis Thinking Skills In Mathematics, Rosiana Liwayanti, Ida Fiteriani, Ajo Dian Yusandika

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Berpikir analisis adalah kemampuan untuk menguraikan suatu permasalahan menjadi bagian-bagian yang lebih kecil, kemudian menghubungkannya kembali secara logis sehingga dapat diperoleh pemahaman yang lebih mendalam. Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh tingkat keterampilan analisis berpikir siswa yang kurang memuaskan, khususnya dalam matematika, serta rendahnya tingkat partisipasi aktif selama pembelajaran. Model pembelajaran gamifikasi dengan memanfaatkan platform Genially menjadi salah satu pilihan inovatif yang dapat diterapkan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh penerapan model pembelajaran gamifikasi berbasis Genially terhadap kemampuan berpikir analitis siswa kelas V pada mata pelajaran matematika di MIN 1 Bandar Lampung. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah eksperimen dengan metode Quasi Experiment …

2025 Sc Teacher Exit Survey: Summary Of Results, Brian Cartiff, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Reports

Each year, SC TEACHER administers the SC Teacher Exit Survey to public PK–12 classroom teachers who are leaving their current classroom or district. The survey is designed to offer insights into how working conditions and other factors relate to teachers’ decisions to leave their positions and their plans moving forward. This report highlights the SC Teacher Exit Survey results for the 2024–25 academic year.

An Examination Of The Experiences Of An African American Male Diver On A Power Four Swim Team: An Elite Interview, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., Tiffany M. Quash Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Despite the incremental increase in the number of Black people who are learning to swim, the number of Black divers has not kept pace. In the NCAA Database, swimmers and divers were not segmented; thus, they all appear in the category of “swimming” by race and sex. When viewing the 2024 Division I NCAA Demographics Database, 89 (.02%) of 4307 student-athletes participating in swimming were Black women. For men, the data is equally dismal, revealing that 81 (.03%) of 2,608 student-athletes who were identified as swimmers were Black. The purpose of this research note is to examine the developmental experiences …

Improving Student Behavior In Middle School Family And Consumer Sciences Classrooms: An Exploratory Study Of Cw-Fit Tier 1, Hannah Louise Stanford

Theses and Dissertations

Class-wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a classroom management strategy that integrates Positive Behavior Support (PBS) principles by teaching students clear behavioral expectations for the classroom during instructional periods and offering consistent feedback on their behavior and social skills throughout the day. This study explores the implementation of CW-FIT in middle school family and consumer sciences (FCS) classrooms to determine its effectiveness in improving student behavior and enhancing the classroom environment. Researchers conducted this study in two middle school FCS classrooms. One teacher and 66 students participated in the study. This study was conducted using a single- subject ABAB withdrawal …

“I Did Not Come Back The Same”: Implications Of A Study Abroad Basic Communication Course, Kristen L. Farris, Andrea Avila, Lauren Green, Michael Burns, Marian L. Houser

Basic Communication Course Annual

The goal of this case study was to explore students’ experiences in a study abroad program of the basic communication course. Thirty-six students enrolled in a study abroad program in the summer of 2023 participated in focus groups tasked to understand more about students’ challenges and learning outcomes. Results from our study suggest students’ significant takeaways from the study abroad experience were their personal growth through improved communication skills and cultural appreciation via expanded worldviews. The findings also suggest these students experienced challenges including language barriers and nonverbal behavioral differences as well as initial negative expectations of intercultural interactions. However, …

From Public Speaking To Multimodal Communication: A Reevaluation Of The Basic Communication Course, Stephanie Medden, Brian Myers, Kristin Roberts-Raymond, Maik Stanitzke

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article contributes to ongoing discussions regarding the evolution of the basic communication course. The authors detail the multi-year process of redesigning their institution's basic communication course, now centered on multimodal communication, and share insights from its implementation. Emphasizing the need to respond to increased cultural and linguistic diversity, a high prevalence of speaking anxiety, and the need to development multimodal communication competencies, the course redesign underscores the necessity for communication educators to adapt proactively to changing cultural, educational, and professional landscapes. Drawing from data collected through faculty and student surveys and focus groups, the authors highlight how incorporating linguistic …

2025 October 13 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Integration Of Systematic, Explicit, And Multisensory Phonics Instruction In Elementary Classrooms, Abbey Schwob

Graduate Teacher Education

This literature review examined the effectiveness of systematic, explicit, and multisensory phonics instruction in improving reading achievement for elementary students. This research synthesized findings from fifteen peer-reviewed studies conducted in public elementary schools across the United States. These studies, which included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs, explored evidence-based approaches to literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Three major themes emerged from the research. The first theme explored the positive effects of specific phonics curricula on reading achievement. The second theme illustrated the benefits of integrating multisensory approaches to enhance phonemic awareness, decoding, and fluency. The final theme discussed …

Surprises From The Shadows: Confronting Intrusions From Bots & Generative Ai In Survey Research, Vincent Cho, Sofia I. Duenas

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Unbeknownst to many researchers, online surveys can be vulnerable to attacks from bots and generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate hundreds of fraudulent responses instantly. Confronting this challenge to data integrity, we employed an adaptive approach to test the effectiveness of various anti-fraud tactics (e.g., CAPTCHA; honeypot questions; question pairs; open-ended questions) and to distinguish between good-faith human respondents versus bots or fraudsters. Findings revealed that bots with generative AI capabilities bypassed some conventional defenses, including CAPTCHA, and effectively supplied human-like responses to open-ended questions. Other tactics, like removing response incentives and verifying IP addresses, showed promise but came …

Talis 2024 – Infographic: Teacher Views On Ai In The Classroom, Dominique Russell, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) captures the knowledge and experiences of school educators. Artificial intelligence (AI) featured as survey topic for the first time in 2024. This infographic shows the percentage of Australian teachers who ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with the following benefits and challenges of using AI tools in education.

Writing Workshop Journal: A Student-Centered Guide For College Composition, Tanya Zhelezcheva

Open Educational Resources

This comprehensive OER workbook supports ENGL 101 (Composition) students through a structured journal-based writing system. The resource combines Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles with post-process pedagogy to offer diverse pathways for student learning and writing development.

The workbook features:

- 4-component journal entry structure (exercises, reflection, next steps)

- 40+ writing exercises across four categories (Foundation Skills, Reading Logs, Drafting, Growth Mindset)

- Extensive planning and organizational tools (weekly/monthly calendars, goal-setting frameworks)

- Metacognitive reflection exercises that build writing awareness - Backward planning and time management strategies

- Evidence-based approaches to developing thesis statements, integrating sources, and crafting arguments …

Identifying And Examining Access And Barriers To Healthcare For The Transgender And Nonbinary Individual, Allison Gould

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals related to their access to basic healthcare. Currently, the TNB population is experiencing disparities in accessing general and preventative healthcare in comparison to their cisgendered counterparts. I developed the research questions to explore how TNB individuals describe their access to general and preventative healthcare, identify what were perceived as barriers in seeking basic healthcare, and describe what was subjectively identified as a positive healthcare experiences. My personal and professional interest as a physical therapist combined with a thorough literature review, and …

The Effects Of Immediate Static Stretching On Inflammation And Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Post Eccentric Exercise, V Dimartino

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

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Impact Of Insulin-Stimulation On Neuronal Extracellular Vesicle Insulin Signaling In Prediabetes, M Kahlon, E Heiston, M Mustapic, D Kapogiannis, S Malin Facsm

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

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Student Versus Strength Professional Ability To Predict Human Versus Ai Created Exercise Programs, M Mcgreal, C Gutt, C Deandrea, A Venezia, A Koch, M Landram

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

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Muscle Morphology And Quality Are Similar Between Individuals From Different Racial Backgrounds, D Mclaughlin, P Kansagra, L Martins, A Barton, M Lanza, D Mázala

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

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