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2026 Spring - Veterans Upward Bound Newsletter, Veterans Upward Bound, East Tennessee State University

Veterans Upward Bound Newsletters

No abstract provided.

April 2026 Cafe Newsletter, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) newsletter April 2026

Exploratory Evaluation Of Handler Performance And Processing-Related Outcomes During Cattle Handling, Morgan Marquardt

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

Animals have several critical roles in society, including the production of food and fiber, and companionship. Contact with animals has been shown to benefit human physical and mental health, yet little research has investigated the impact that humans have on animals. Handler skill may considerably affect the extent to which humans influence animal health and wellbeing, and this may be a critical consideration for animal agriculture. Objective assessment of cattle handler skill has received limited attention in the scientific literature, despite its importance to human safety and animal welfare. When compared to less skilled handlers, highly skilled cattle handlers may …

Beyond The Podium: Transformative Learning And The Student Experience In High School Debate, Daniel J. Sleiman

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how historically underrepresented high school debaters understood their experiences in an independent high school debate league, particularly in relation to growth, challenge, shifting self-perceptions, and belonging. Drawing on narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2016) and interpreted through transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000) and currere (Pinar, 1994), this study focused on recently graduated students from Central High School’s debate program. Screening questions adapted from King’s (2009) Learning Activities Survey identified participants who self-reported perspective-shifting experiences. Semi-structured interviews informed by the phases of currere elicited reflective narratives, and reflexive journaling supported the research process. Data were analyzed thematically to identify …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

Replacing Print With Program: Concerns With Digitizing Classroom Literacy, Alayna Ianiri

Gateway Reader- Individual Papers

• The Problem: Excessive time spent reading on digital devices creates a "screen inferiority effect" where students fail to assign academic importance to digital texts, leading to reduced reading comprehension, standard testing declines, and increased mind-wandering under time constraints.

• The Method: The researcher analyzed an existing study by Ladislao Salmerón and education professors that utilized student data from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and an MML regression equation method evaluating fourth- and eighth-grade English language arts students.

• Quantitative Finding: The discrepancy in PISA reading comprehension scores between students practicing and drilling on …

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The Effects Of A Financial Literacy-Based Classroom Economy Model On Student Behavior, Engagement, And Financial Literacy, Liahna Sauter

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The Effects of a Financial Literacy-Based Classroom Economy Model on Student Behavior, Engagement, and Financial Literacy by Liahna Sauter employed a mixed methods research approach and used surveys, assessments, frequency charts, finance reports, and observations to learn more about the financial literacy-based classroom economy model. Different classroom economy models, namely token economies, are used widely across the educational sphere; though, financial literacy-based approaches do not have well-documented data surrounding their effectiveness. The financial literacy model aims to instruct students on real-world financial literacy concepts while simulating a real-world economy and incentivising positive behavior. Influenced by financial literacy-based classroom economy models …

Relative Contribution Of Morphological Awareness Skills In Predicting Reading Comprehension And Vocabulary Among Fourth-Grade Pupils With Learning Disabilities In Sultante Of Oman, Fatma. M. Alkaaf, Mahmoud Emam, Mohammed S. Bakry

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of morphological awareness skills in predicting reading comprehension and reading vocabulary in a sample of fourth-grade pupils with learning disabilities (LD), specifically dyslexia. The study sample consisted of 83 pupils randomly selected from schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The study used three standardized instruments to measure morphological awareness (MA): morphological decomposition analysis (MDA), morphological decomposition production (MDP), and reading comprehension test (RCT) with its two scales: sentence comprehension (SC) and text comprehension (TC) and the reading vocabulary test (RVT). The findings revealed with pearson correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression, a …

The Childhood Beyond The Border, Joshua Marroquin, Cheyenne Ruiz, Evelyn Adela Perez

Posters - 2026

• In 2024, there were approximately 18.3 million immigrant-origin children (1st, 2nd or 3rd generation; unauthorized; or international) which represented 26% of all 69.1 million children in the United states (Batalova, 2026). • There are many factors in immigrant-origin children’s childhoods that influence their early education, wellbeing and sense of identity as they grow up, but also in higher education. • Research Question: How do immigrant-origin students' experiences affect their current standing in U.S. universities?

1st Place Contest Entry: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Rowan Eiselman's submission for the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on the effectiveness of pre-service law enforcement training, and their bibliography.

Rowan is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Community Educational Studies. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Quaylan Allen.

A Systematic Review Of Puppetry-Based Social Skills Interventions For Children With Disabilities, Yilin Shen, Jasmine Begeske, Fan Cao

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Children with disabilities often require explicit social skills instruction. Underdeveloped social skills can impact a child’s ability to form relationships, communicate effectively, and navigate social situations. Puppetry has emerged as a promising and multifaceted tool for social skills instruction for children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to systematically appraise the quality of the existing literature and summarize the characteristics of puppet-based social skills interventions for children with disabilities. Suggestions are given for future social skills research involving puppetry.

Edu 26 Human Relations In Urban Schools, Elise Langan

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 26 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a links to ZTC resources.

Edu 31 Introduction To Learning Disabilities And Inclusive Education Syllabus, Moet Bolden

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 31 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and links to ZTC readings.

Edu 40 Field Work Seminar, Tonya L. Johnson

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and links to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

The Effectiveness Of The Fishbowl Strategy Int Eaching Mathematics On Developing Creative Thinking For Fourth Grade Students In Basic Education In Dhofar Governorate, Sabah Abdalla Elsayed, Najawa Said Al-Hatmi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The fishbowl technique improves the sharing of ideas in a structured conversational environment, adding depth and excitement to creative thought; it further promotes active observation and a secure discussion atmosphere, fostering the development of innovative solutions among learners, therefore; the current research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Fishbowl strategy as one of the active learning strategies in teaching mathematics to develop creative thinking among fourth-grade students in basic education in Dhofar Governorate. An experimental approach with a quasi-experimental design was applied, where a sample consisting of two groups was selected: an experimental group (which studied using the Fishbowl …

Evolving Humanity: Educational Leadership And Research In A Technological Age, Winona State University, Matthew G. Howard, Kari J. Johns, Peter Johnson, Kateri J. Johnson, Kelly Muller, Kate Glogowski, Niesha Conley, Sara Welch, Kristin E. Brendt, Cody B. Henrichs, Lance Davis, Kate Macdonald, Jody Shong, Oscar Uribe Mardones, Stacy L. Schilling, Allison R. Grainger, Kristen Fenlason, David E. Kline, Rachel Nihart, Rebecca R. Simataa, Steven M. Baule

Education Doctorate Books

The essays in this book are selected from Winona State University (WSU) doctoral students as part of the 2025 summer  WSU Doctoral Residency course. The residency course is a core portion of the WSU Education Doctorate Program.

Quote from the back of the book:

Our Doctoral students and doctoral graduate faculty are community members sharing experiences, asking questions, exploring our world, celebrating successes, and learning from missteps. We build and reconstruct our community as we learn, but never forgetting the end goal. We are together on this journey. This is the exciting part of learning. - Rhea Walker, Professor, WSU …

“Affirming Minds, Lives, And Bodies”: Secondary English Teachers’ Perceptions Of Critical And Humanizing Antiracist Pedagogy In Urban Schools, Jennifer Leigh Ankerberg

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This qualitative study explores how White secondary English teachers perceive and enact antiracist approaches when teaching a prescribed, canon-based curriculum to students of color. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with four teachers in a large Midwestern urban district, the study finds that the participants, aligned with their district’s stated philosophies and experiencing significant instructional autonomy, leveraged professional and contextual knowledge to adapt and supplement mandated curriculum. Guided by critical pedagogy and critical literacy frameworks, the analysis reveals how teachers’ values, beliefs, and dispositions grounded an assemblage of embodied antiracist, critical, and humanizing pedagogies. The participants’ curricular and instructional choices reflected …

Connecting Children To Urban Environments Through Picture Books, Sophie Taylor

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

More children than ever before live in urban locations, and many do not see their city streets and natural environments represented in picture books. In the midst of a climate crisis, educators and parents may be seeking environmental books and activities that seek to connect children to their natural communities. The purpose of this capstone project was to explore the importance of picture books in connecting children with their environment through the creation of an urban-based children’s book with embedded environmental terminology and concepts, as well as associated activities. A review of relevant literature uncovered five central themes: illustrated books’ …

Rooted In Wonder: Cultivating A Connection To The Environment Through Nature-Based Learning In Central Mexico, Mikaela Tennis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Children are spending less time outdoors and feeling increasingly disconnected from the natural world. This reduced exposure and lack of interaction limits opportunities to form early connections with nature, which have lasting benefits into adulthood. Nature-based learning approaches have been proven to increase a sense of nature connectedness, which in turn strengthens one’s environmental attitudes and behaviors while supporting mental health and well-being. To address limited access to nature-based learning experiences in Central Mexico, this capstone draws from research on nature connectedness, nature-based learning, and nature center design to answer the question, How can a nature-based learning center be designed …

Implementing Outdoor And Nature-Based Learning For Infants And Toddlers, Kelly Kazeck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many early childhood educators in Minnesota are expanding outdoor and nature-based learning opportunities because of the positive developmental benefits they offer children. Time spent outdoors supports social, emotional, cognitive, and physical learning while promoting positive relationships with peers and the natural world. This capstone research found that implementing outdoor and nature-based learning requires more specialized training, safety precautions, equipment, planning, and preparation than typical indoor programming. However, much of the research focuses on preschool-aged children, although implementation with infants and toddlers presents additional challenges and requires specific supports. Therefore, this capstone project answered the question, “What can infant and toddler …

Home And School Connection: Enhancing Middle School Literacy Through Family Involvement, Katherine Loveless

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With continued declines in literacy rates within the United States and a notable lack of parental involvement within a middle school student’s educational journey, this capstone project looks to address both issues with a single project around middle school literacy nights. By means of an in-depth review of timely and relevant literature this capstone addresses the barriers that are frequently encountered for literacy based events such as rivaling expectations for involvement, socioeconomic barriers, scheduling conflicts, and language barriers. Through the development of this project, a resource-based website was created for event hosts, school leadership, and parents to rely on to …

Building Teacher Capacity To Support Newcomer Multilingual Learners In Upper Elementary Classrooms, Grace Getchell-Ochoa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As classrooms become more linguistically diverse, many teachers are working with newcomer multilingual learners and questioning how best to support their learning and engagement. This capstone project explored the question: How can a web-based resource platform enhance teachers’ knowledge and practices for interacting with and engaging newcomer multilingual learners in upper-elementary classrooms? The purpose of this project was to create a practical and accessible resource that helps bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. This project was influenced by research on language development, structured student interaction, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (Alvarez et al., 2023; Umansky et al., …

How Can Professional Development Be Designed To Better Equip Teachers To Support Multilingual And Immigrant Students Emotionally, Socially, And Academically In U.S. Elementary Schools?, Safiie Seitaptiieva

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines how professional development can better support teachers working with multilingual and immigrant students in elementary classrooms. Research highlights that culturally responsive teaching, inclusive curriculum design, and social-emotional learning are essential for improving student engagement and academic success in diverse learning environments, and this project draws on these frameworks to explore how educators can create more equitable and effective instructional practices. The study uses a qualitative approach, combining a review of existing research with professional classroom experience in the United States, and focuses on strategies such as adapting instruction, building meaningful relationships, and creating accessible learning environments …

Building Argumentative Writing Skills In An Adult Esl Classroom, Cristina Lighthiser

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project addressed the challenge that adult English Language Learners (ELLs) faced in meeting the complex demands of argumentative writing in academic and professional settings, and was guided by the question, How can the design of an adult ESL curriculum support students in developing argumentative writing through scaffolded lessons on hortatory exposition? This research sought to address a gap in instructional supports for adult ESL students as they developed persuasive writing skills. The curriculum design explicitly focused on language features essential to hortatory exposition. The resulting unit was a six-lesson, twelve-hour curriculum for intermediate adult ESL students at a …

Evolving Approaches To Teaching Secondary English Language Arts In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Timothy Crepeau

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Centered on the question of how to foster academic integrity while maintaining accountability for AI-assisted plagiarism in secondary English language arts (ELA) education, this project responds to the growing reality that students can outsource core cognitive tasks—reading, analysis, and writing—to AI tools. Informed by key influences from neuroscience and educational research, particularly studies on neural plasticity, the reading brain, and cognitive offloading, the project draws on scholarship by Collins, Wolf, and contemporary AI-in-education theorists. These influences underscore the central premise that meaningful learning is not merely demonstrated through output, but developed through the neurological processes activated by sustained cognitive effort. …

Social Emotional Learning In A High School Setting, Aaron Stack

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project examined the capstone question: How can one design and implement a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program for high school students? This topic is important as more and more students are exhibiting less desirable behaviors inside the classroom. While exploring this question, several key findings emerged. First, SEL programming in a high school setting may have a positive impact on students’ academic performance and behaviors. Second, there is no clear distinction between the effectiveness of the program as long as the SEL ideas are consistently explored. Based on these two findings, an SEL program was developed for high school …

Practices That Improve Critical Thinking Development In Secondary Classrooms, Brian Mueggenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone examines how mathematics teachers can more intentionally develop students’ critical thinking skills through classroom instruction and how professional development can support that practice. The guiding question for the project was: How can secondary mathematics teachers intentionally design and implement instructional strategies that promote students’ critical thinking within the constraints of classroom instruction? A review of educational research identified a recurring problem with traditional instructional practices: direct instruction effectively supports procedural fluency, but often provides limited opportunities to develop higher-order thinking and conceptual fluency. Key influences on this project included research on thinking classrooms, productive struggle, and dialogic teaching. …

The Causes, Effects Of, And Solutions To A Nation-Wide Reading Comprehension Decline And Answers To The Question Of What Can Teachers Do About It?, Otto Harris

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to research the causes and effects of the reading comprehension decline in America. The research question: What is causing this decline, and how can we combat it? stemmed from personal interest in this topic and its relevancy in the school district I taught in. Research into this topic revealed factors such as texts lacking relevance to student lives, inaccurate comprehension measurement tools being used year after year, and the lifelong effects of lowered reading comprehension on adults’ lives after high school. In response to this need, a capstone project was developed that would provide …

Geographies Of Change: Exploring Demographic Shifts & Civic Engagement Through Gis-Based Inquiry, Emily Murphy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed by my Capstone project was: How can an ArcGIS-based inquiry project about local demographic change be designed to engage students in civics and community identity? It is based within secondary social studies education, particularly human geography. Through a constructivist approach, this project applies key findings from research on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geographic inquiry-based learning, spatial citizenship, and suburban demographic shifts. These highlight the instructional potential of ArcGIS for student-centered interactivity and spatial analysis, as well as challenges in implementation. Using a backwards-planning curriculum design methodology informed by Understanding by Design (UbD), this project develops a …

A Place-Based Approach To Teaching Dakota History In Sixth Grade Social Studies, John Hooper

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explored the question: How can a culturally responsive, land-based field trip that centers on the history and perspectives of the Dakota people deepen middle school students’ historical understanding, identity development, and their personal connection to place? In an effort to move beyond traditional textbook-based teaching, this study analyzed how experiential and place-based strategies can foster more meaningful and inclusive learning opportunities. Key themes from the literature review included culturally sustaining pedagogy, land-based and experiential learning, and the value of centering Indigenous perspectives. Research indicates that immersing students in hands-on experiences, while increasing exposure to primary sources and …