Digital Commons Network^™

Servant Leadership And Student Achievement In High Schools: Graduation Rate And Regents Performance In Mathematics And English, Saida Rodriguez-Tabone

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative, correlational study examined how teachers’ and families’ perceptions of principals’ servant-leadership behaviors relate to student outcomes in New York City (NYC) public high schools. Guided by Greenleaf’s (1977) servant leadership theory, the study examined whether leadership grounded in purpose, empathy, and collaboration is associated with improved academic outcomes. Data were drawn from the 2022 NYC School Survey Reports for 122 schools across the five boroughs of NYC school district. Composite indices representing teacher- and family-perceived servant leadership served as predictors of three school level outcomes: 4-year graduation rate, Algebra I Regents proficiency, and English Language Arts (ELA) Regents …

Initial Phonemic Awareness Instruction With Printed Words Compared To Oral-Only Instruction: Segmenting, Blending, And Letter–Sound Learning, Jill R. Zablocki

Theses and Dissertations

Two methods of instruction for blending and segmenting eight vowel-consonant words were compared to examine whether instruction that referenced printed words was beneficial during the initial stages of phonemic awareness instruction. Preschool children included in the study (N = 30, M = 4.4 years) could not fully segment any of the words and did not know the sounds of more than four of the nine included letters (M = 1.0 letter sound). Children were randomly assigned to either instruction that mapped the segmented and blended sounds in spoken words to the letters in printed words or similar oral-only instruction that …

The Role A Teacher’S Level Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Knowledge Plays In The Implementation Of Sound Wall Instruction In Early Childhood Classrooms, Molly Murtagh

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the relationship between early elementary teachers’ knowledge of phonemic awareness and phonics and their implementation of sound wall instruction. Although sound walls are increasingly used to support systematic and explicit phonics instruction, little is known about how teachers’ linguistic knowledge influences the fidelity and quality of their implementation. Grounded in Adult Learning Theory and the Simple View of Reading, this study explored how teacher knowledge translates into classroom practice. The quantitative portion of the study required teachers to complete a knowledge survey to assess phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge to identify participants at various …

Perception Of Adoption Of Artificial Intelligence In Beginning Teachers’ Literacy Practices, Logan Krisl

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Artificial Intelligence, commonly known as AI, is becoming a common practice in the everyday lives and workplaces of many people around the world. This is true in the realm of education and schooling as well. With rapidly advancing technology, it is important to understand how first-year teachers are entering the workforce, including their abilities and understanding of AI's impact on their teaching practices. Using teacher interviews before and after the implementation of a professional development program around the Khanmigo AI system for educators, along with observations of professional development sessions, teacher reflection sheets, artifact analysis, and observations …

A Qualitative Study On Teaching Strategies For Comprehension Of Ambiguous Language Among Adolescent English Language Learners, Gonzalo Grant Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Ambiguous language—words, phrases, or sentences with multiple meanings—often creates significant instructional challenges in English Language Development (ELD) classrooms. This qualitative case study, grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocognitive theory, investigates how four high school ELD teachers strategically employ scaffolding and social interactions to clarify such ambiguities. In this study, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and detailed analyses of instructional artifacts served as key data sources. These methods provide a comprehensive picture of the classroom dynamics that shape teacher and student interactions, allowing for greater insight into the relationship between instructional strategies and the social context of learning. This study identifies critical elements that …

Exploring Academic Librarians Self-Perceived Teaching Attitudes And Practical Culturally Responsive Teaching (Crt) Strategies In Library Instruction, Jocelyn Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

As campuses continue to see an increase in students from various backgrounds, there is an interest in academic librarianship to explore the use of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) strategies in library instruction. Guided by self-perception theory, this quantitative study examined the relationship between the teaching attitudes of academic librarians and the years of teaching experience, and identified practical CRT strategies in library instruction particularly in undergraduate minority serving institutions in the United States. The teaching attitudes of academic librarians were measured using a modified version of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) capturing specific teaching tasks relevant to teaching …

The Relationship Between K–12 School Administrators’ Adaptive Leadership Behaviors And Self-Efficacy For Crisis Management, Meg Anne Sheehan

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative correlational study addressed the relationship between K–12 school administrators’ adaptive leadership behaviors and their self-efficacy for crisis management. Guided by Ronald Heifetz’s adaptive leadership theory and Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the study was an exploration of how adaptability, prior professional experience, and crisis-specific training influence administrators’ confidence in leading through emergencies. Participants included 51 practicing administrators from public schools, mostly located on Long Island, New York, who completed two validated instruments: the Adaptive Leadership Behavior Scale, which is an adaptation from Shams et. al, and the School Administrator Preparedness and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, which is an adaptation of April …

The Relationship Between Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Achievement, Rowena Costa

Theses and Dissertations

his non-experimental correlation study examined the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. The participants were elementary teachers and their students in grades 3-5. Teachers' self-efficacy was measured by teacher responses from Tschannen-Moran & Hoy's Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. Student achievement scores were obtained from the 2018-2019 New York State English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments. Other factors such as teaching experience and teacher evaluation were variables in this study. Simple linear regressions and one-way ANOVAs were conducted to look closely at the relationships between the variables. The results revealed that teachers’ years of experience in the field positively …

Retention Of Special Education Paraprofessionals: A District-Level Case Study Of Leadership, Collaboration, And Systemic Support, David L. Renahan

Theses and Dissertations

Public districts increasingly depend on special-education paraprofessionals to sustain inclusion, yet turnover disrupts instruction, teams, and student support. This qualitative single-district case study examined how leadership, teacher collaboration, and system routines shape retention in a suburban district in the Northeastern United States. Grounded in social exchange and transformational leadership, the researcher used interviews, focus groups, and a document review across several elementary schools. Three linked conditions aligned with stronger intent to stay: (1) stable assignments with clear, written expectations that preserve relationships and signal recognition and fairness; (2) concise, job-embedded preparation with guaranteed access to materials and behavior tools, explicit …

The Impact Of School Type, Community, And School Factors On Sixth-Grade Students In New York, John Trotta

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout New York State, sixth-grade learners are taught in a wide variety of schools with various configurations in diverse communities. The institutional and environmental differences may impact students' learning as they navigate a complex transition year. This non-experimental ex post facto study examined whether school type, community, and school factors were associated with the academic proficiency of sixth-graders in English Language Arts and Mathematics in New York State. In addition, the study identified the strongest predictors of high school graduation rates. The theoretical lens of Erikson’s psychosocial theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used. This study included 1,112 public …

Homework And Well-Being: A Case Study Of Educator, Administrator, And Parent Perspectives In A Long Island Elementary School, Marie Frances Fonzo

Theses and Dissertations

This case study examined stakeholders’ perceptions of homework’s impact on elementary students’ emotional well-being and examined district policy structures designed to support student mental health. Grounded in John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory, the study explored how intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive loads interact to elicit a range of emotional responses to homework. The researcher collected data through principal interviews, teacher focus groups, and parent surveys at the Long Island School District. The findings revealed that homework generates both positive and negative outcomes, depending on the assignment's complexity, the support provided, and the student's home environment. Students in primary grades (K …

The Engagement Of One-To-One Devices In A Community Eligibility Provision Public School Environment, Leonard William Wright

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative dissertation examines the relationship between one-to-one device engagement and the academic performance of elementary students in a high-poverty Long Island district. The problem addresses the difference between simple access to a platform or undirected platform use and instructionally purposeful technology that supports learning. The purpose is twofold: to determine whether platform activity adds predictive value for state assessment performance beyond baseline achievement and demographics, and to identify developmental patterns that can inform improvement. Guided by the SAMR and TPACK frameworks, the study positions effective technology integration as the intentional alignment of digital tasks, pedagogy, content, and feedback. A …

The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation, Absence Rate, And Academic Achievement In Adolescents: The Moderating Role Of Socioeconomic Status And Gender, Maria A. Pace

Theses and Dissertations

Extracurricular activity (ECA) participation has been linked to higher levels of student engagement, lower absenteeism, and stronger academic achievement. Ensuring equitable access remains critical, as socioeconomic status (SES) and gender may shape opportunities for involvement and the outcomes associated with participation. This study examined the relationships between extracurricular participation, absence rate, and grade point average (GPA) among high school students, while analyzing whether SES and gender moderate these relationships. Grounded in Coleman’s multiple-role theory and Hirschi’s social-control theory, this study employed a quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational design utilizing secondary data from a suburban high school in New York.. The sample included …

Equity In The Diversity Of Representation In Children’S Literature - Target Age Six Years Old To Ten Years Old - Probabilities Of Change And Growth, Kathrine Leigh Hurt

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the evolution of diversity in children’s literature published between 1950 and 2024, focusing on how representations of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status have changed over time and how these shifts align with major sociopolitical movements. Guided by critical literacy and multicultural frameworks, the research explored whether children’s books authentically reflect marginalized identities or reinforce dominant ideologies. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, 200 children’s books for ages six to ten were analyzed as cultural artifacts. Quantitative analysis employed a structured coding sheet and diversity scoring rubric to assess representation trends by decade. Statistical analyses in …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Cognitive Writing Strategies On High School Writing Scores In A Suburban Tennessee District, Bethany A. Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment revealed that only 27% of eighth and 12^th graders are proficient in writing. The federal No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Acts have put pressure on schools to demonstrate proficiency on reading and math tests, leaving minimal time for instruction in other subjects, including writing. In addition to the pressure of standardized testing, teachers also find themselves underprepared to teach writing and overwhelmed by the demands of large teaching loads. While researchers have reported benefits associated with cognitive writing strategies since the 1960s, instructional demands have prevented …

Confessions Of A Beginning Dutch Learner, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

I have studied, taught about, and learned new languages throughout my lifespan. In fact, it has been the very core of my teaching career.  Now, I have the humbling experience of testing those truths against a new enterprise:  learning Dutch.  I spent last summer in the Netherlands, pursuing family roots and acquiring what Dutch I could.  I took no formal classes but did attend a free dropin class at the local library, where - believe me - I was the lowest learner in the lowest group! Here are some of my insights, from notes taken during that summer:

Teachers' Worldviews, Teachers' Identities, Ken Badley

Faculty Publications - College of Education

A basic question to ask about a teacher's worldview is whether or not he or she likes to be with students. Is a student's question at the teacher's desk an interruption of the teacher's work, or is it part of the teacher's work? A teacher's unspoken and spoken responses to such a question will reveal some parts of that teacher's worldview. For example, what subterranean currents regarding gender, skills, disabilities, and race affect a teacher's response to a particular student? Reflecting on worldviews in general and on one's own worldview-with all its classroom-related particulars-can help teachers understand better why they …

Virtual Reality In Education: A Thematic Literature Review, Aleksandra Mbuyi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This literature review combines findings from approximately 40 academic papers on virtual reality in education for readers to gain a broad, structured, and organized understanding of the topic without having to read each of the 40 papers. While researchers define VR in slightly different ways, most definitions focus on VR's ability to create digital simulations of real or imagined environments (Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018). The review is organized around nine themes: conceptualization of VR, pedagogical foundations, instructional design, learning outcomes, learner experience, disciplinary applications, technological constraints, ethics and inclusion, and emerging trends. The findings suggest that VR shows the most …

Visual Word Recognition And The Role Of Diacritics: Evidence From Arabic Vowelization., Maram Alharbi

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of vowelization diacritics in Arabic visual word recognition and their contribution to early stages of lexical processing. Across writing systems, diacritical marks differ in their functional role and in whether they are part of letter identity, raising fundamental questions about how such features are encoded during word recognition. Arabic provides a particularly informative testing ground for these questions: vowelization diacritics in this language carry rich phonological information yet are systematically absent from the texts that skilled readers encounter daily. This interaction between the linguistic value of vowelization and its near-total omission in naturalistic reading positions …

In The Circle Of My Sistas: Blackmotherscholars (Re)Defining Scholarly Identity, Dawn Stephens Jenkins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black mothers in doctoral programs develop scholarly identities at the intersections of race, gender, and motherhood within historically white academic spaces. Grounded in endarkened narrative inquiry, the study centers the lived experiences and collective reflections of BlackMotherScholars to interrogate how racialized and gendered mothering shapes scholarly becoming. The research responds to a gap in the literature that overlooks Black maternal experiences as sites of intellectual production and identity formation in doctoral education.

Findings indicate that Black mothering serves as an onto-epistemological foundation for scholarly identity development, shaping participants’ ways of knowing, research commitments, and sense of …

Process Over Product With Labor-Based Grading, Ti Macklin, Nicole Brun-Mercer

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Many instructors adopt a process approach to writing, assigning multiple drafts and offering feedback for revision; they nonetheless maintain that ultimately a student must receive a grade based on the instructor-determined caliber of the final product in order to maintain high academic standards. This traditional grading system can be demotivating, increase anxiety, discourage creativity and risk-taking, and unleash linguistic bias. In contrast, labor-based grading focuses on effort and improvement and can result in greater student engagement, innovation, and growth. This article explains labor-based grading, illustrates its use in an L2 first-year writing class, and suggests ways to adopt it in …

Promoting Postpartum Maternal Self-Efficacy Through Prenatal Pelvic Floor Health And Sensory Modulation Education, Cate Smith

Occupational Therapy | OTD Capstone Projects

Pelvic floor therapy, also called pelvic floor health care, is an emerging field for occupational therapy practitioners. Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a common health outcome after pregnancy and childbirth. Although most women receive consistent prenatal health care, they do not receive the education they need to manage symptoms of PFD such as incontinence, pain, and sensory dysregulation during the postpartum period. Occupational therapy can play a meaningful role in educating and supporting women during the prenatal period, postpartum healing, and role acquisition. This doctoral capstone project researched educational strategies to improve self-efficacy among perinatal women. Albert Bandura defines self-efficacy …

Building Engagement And Bringing Joy: Ungrading An Online, Asynchronous Course, Stephanie M. Margolin, Margaret Bausman

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Discrit And Anticapitalist Approach To Resisting Hustle Culture And Practicing Slow Education Through Book Club Professional Development, Angela Zhang

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This thesis highlights hustle culture as a significant issue that impacts education today. While the concern stemmed from a personal experience with so-called burnout, the term “hustle culture” is used to emphasize the systemic nature of the overwork, burnout, and exhaustion that teachers and students face, particularly the intersections of capitalism and ableism. When tracing the history and current manifestations of hustle culture, it becomes clear that educational institutions, policies, practices, and interactions play a major role in normalizing, perpetuating, and romanticizing hustle culture as the pathway to individual success and wealth in a capitalist system. In reality, hustle culture …

The Efficaciousness Of Generative Ai For Integrated Stem Planning And Its Impact On Stem Teacher Self-Efficacy, Julie Ann Olson

Dissertations and Theses

With evolving workforce needs, global challenges, and national science education initiatives calling for STEM instruction with purposeful connections between the four domains, there is a need for methods to support educators facing the challenges this pedagogical approach presents. Challenges may weaken teachers' self-efficacy, potentially reducing the probability that an integrated STEM (I-STEM) pedagogy would be sustained in the classroom. There is limited research addressing how generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has been used for I-STEM lesson development, combined with its effects on I-STEM teaching self-efficacy (SE) grounded in social cognitive theory. This study investigated how GAI influences I-STEM teaching SE, when …

Exploring Saudi Arabian Efl Teachers’ Experiences With The Flipped Classroom, Amal Bin Dlil

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Saudi teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) who implemented the flipped classroom model in a middle school context in southern Saudi Arabia. To achieve this aim, the research questions examined teachers’ descriptions of their lived experiences and perceptions of implementing the flipped classroom strategy, as well as the contextual factors that influenced these experiences in middle school classrooms. To guide the investigation, the study was informed by Active Learning Theory and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which provided a conceptual lens for examining teachers’ experiences …

"Where The Grass Is Greener": Youth Participatory Action Research Examining The Lived Student Experience Through Cross-Campus Shadowing, Justin Matthew Antos

Dissertations of Practice

This Youth Participatory Action Research study examined how alumni perceive student experiences related to school culture and climate, classroom learning environments, and equity of opportunity and resources across three sister high schools within a single district. Six alumni, all recent graduates, participated in a three-day, cross-campus shadowing experience, observing classrooms and school environments, and reflecting on key similarities and differences across campuses through focus groups. Findings indicated that climate, engagement, and equity are shaped not only by curriculum, but by the interaction of policies, relationships, physical spaces, and consistency of expectations. Classrooms emphasizing interaction, relevance, and structure fostered higher engagement, …

Preparing Students For What Comes Next: A Qualitative Study Of District Approaches To Postsecondary And Career Readiness, Amanda C. Pelsor

Dissertations of Practice

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR WHAT COMES NEXT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF DISTRICT APPROACHES TO POSTSECONDARY AND CAREER READINESS

This qualitative study examines how Illinois school districts support students’ readiness for postsecondary success and career planning and exploration. Despite longstanding state and federal efforts to improve college and career readiness, many students continue to face challenges after high school, including lack of workforce readiness, underpreparedness for postsecondary education, unclear career pathways, and difficulty navigating complex transitions. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explores how districts conceptualize and implement career readiness frameworks, the ways readiness work is embedded within district systems, and the barriers …

Walk To Learn Structured Literacy Model: Teacher Perceptions Using The Lippitt-Knoster Model For Managing Complex Change, Blake A. Hand

Dissertations of Practice

Low reading proficiency in urban districts highlights an urgent need for effective instructional systems, but research on the "Walk to Learn" (WTL) model remains sparse. This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding how teachers perceive large-scale school-wide shifts to structured literacy using WTL. The study examined teacher perceptions of implementing a differentiated WTL literacy model using the Lippitt-Knoster framework for managing complex change. This qualitative case study involved interviews with 12 certified educators at an urban elementary school. Data was analyzed using thematic coding to align findings with the components of the change management framework. Teachers perceived the implementation as …

Spirituality And Psychological Well-Being In College Students: Does Resilience Mediate This Relationship, Kevin C. Snow, Jessica Starken, Lindsay A. Phillips

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Given continued challenges of college transition and recent changes (e.g., COVID) leading to increased use of college counseling services and past studies exploring spiritualty/religion and resilience pertaining to psychological well-being (PWB), this study explored the relationship between spirituality, resilience, and PWB in college students. Three scales, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, and the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, were used to measure the relationship between spirituality, resilience, and PWB. Results of this study showed support for the relationship between spirituality, resilience, and PWB in college students. Results also lend support for future research exploring therapeutic incorporation of spirituality …