Digital Commons Network^™

Technical And Vocational High School Training And Graduates' Socioeconomic Insertion In Burkina Faso, Jacqueline Nikièma

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is widely promoted as a pathway to improving employment opportunities, supporting economic growth, and facilitating successful labor market transition. However, empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains limited in Burkina Faso. This study examined the relationship between TVET high schools and graduates’ socioeconomic insertion, with particular emphasis on employment in occupations related to the field of study (horizontal match) and examined the relationship between gender and this employment outcome. The study used descriptive statistics to summarize the characteristics of the sample, and logistic regressions to analyze the relationship between TVET training and employment in …

Faculty Conceptualizations Of Recreational Therapy And Disability: Influences On The Formal, Hidden, And Null Curricula In Undergraduate Recreational Therapy Education, Shelly Lynne Beaver

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Undergraduate education is a bedrock of professional preparation for entry-level recreational therapists, shaping their scope of practice, philosophical orientations, and approaches to service delivery. While significant attention has been given to the development of a formal recreational therapy curriculum – explicitly taught knowledge, skills, and competencies – little is known about the hidden and null curricula that may implicitly or unintentionally shape students’ professional identities, values, and beliefs. While these less explicit curricular dimensions may have profound effects on how preservice recreational therapists conceptualize both recreational therapy and disability, their impact remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this research …

Praise That Empowers: Training Preschool Teachers To Linguistically Adapt Behavior-Specific Praise For Hispanic Students, Claudia Abril Ochoa

Dissertations

Children’s engagement in early ages is critical for promoting behavioral, academic, and social-emotional outcomes. However, engagement in classroom activities may be difficult for young children who have not mastered the primary language used in early childhood education settings (i.e., English). Research regarding engagement in English Language Learners (ELLs) in preschool settings, as well as cultural and/or linguistic adaptations of classroom interventions to serve this population is limited. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) has been an effective strategy to improve behavior in preschool classrooms. The current study used a multiple-baseline design across three Head-Start teachers to test the efficacy of in situ training …

The Stories Of College Faculty Navigating Student Trauma Disclosures: A Narrative Inquiry, Samantha Daluz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to understand how faculty who navigate student trauma disclosures construct stories about themselves as educators and how those stories shape their understanding of teaching and learning. Although the literature has increasingly focused on trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning, little research has explored how faculty navigate student trauma disclosures or how those experiences shape their understanding of teaching and learning. This study sought to better understand those experiences and provide institutional leaders with insight into how faculty experience student trauma disclosures within higher education. Narrative inquiry was employed using Mahayana Buddhism as the …

The Rise Of Emergent Bilingual Students In Texas School Districts: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Outcomes, Resources, And Conditions, Ashley Ivy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined district-level changes associated with rapid growth in Emergent Bilingual (EB) enrollment across 53 Texas public school districts between the 2012-2013 and 2022-2023 academic years. Using a quantitative, nonexperimental, longitudinal descriptive-comparative design, secondary data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) were analyzed to assess changes in district demographics, staffing patterns, bilingual/ESL expenditures, academic achievement, graduation rates, and college readiness outcomes. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine statistically significant mean differences across the 10-year period. Findings revealed significant increases in EB enrollment, Hispanic enrollment, and economically disadvantaged enrollment, indicating that participating districts served increasingly diverse student populations with …

From The Band Hall To The Classroom: A Qualitative Study On Curriculum Design In Successful Texas Bands To Support Student Success, Amy R. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Texas band programs have captured national attention for student achievement. This qualitative study examined curricular elements shared among perennially successful Texas band programs to explore whether these practices could inform curriculum development in other academic settings to support student success in indicators such as student academic achievement, behavior, and attendance. The data collection phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with fine arts administrators, campus administrators, and band directors associated with school districts of multiple perennially successful band programs. Through thematic analysis, collaboration and observation emerged as themes that influenced curriculum development among the participants; a focus on student experience, written curriculum, …

Professional Learning Communities In Virtual K-12 Schools: Survey Evidence From Texas, Charles L. Tracy Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been viewed as a tool for improving teacher practices and student outcomes in schools for more than thirty years. Much of the existing research on their effectiveness has focused on the traditional school setting. With the explosion of virtual K-12 schools, less is known about how PLCs function in the fully online environment and how teachers perceive their overall effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of teachers working in a full-time virtual school with regard to their participation in Professional Learning Communities. A review of the literature examined the importance …

A Systematized Review Of The Effectiveness Of Sbirt On Reducing Adolescent Substance Use In School Settings, Mallory L. Mcivor

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

As substance use remains a pressing public concern for adolescents, the academic, social, and neurological consequences are extensive. Schools are uniquely situated to support large populations of youth during their critical developmental periods, and schools act as the ideal location for substance use prevention and intervention. This study explored the prevalence and influence of substance use on adolescents, the role of school climate in prevention and intervention efforts, and assessed the model Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) as a suitable framework for school-based interventions. Following a structured search across two databases, 20 studies met inclusion criteria and …

Neurodivergent Peer Tutoring And Anti-Ableism: Two High Schoolers’ Lived Experiences While Working In A Neurodiversity-Based Writing Center, Daniel S. Harrison

The Writing Center Journal

Neurodivergence is naturally present in the writing center and most often recognized by labels like ADHD, autism, OCD, dyslexia, and so on. However, neurodivergent voices in writing center scholarship have been few and far between in postsecondary institutions (Babcock, 2017; Batt, 2018; Kleinfeld, 2023), and in the secondary writing center even less so. Therefore, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the personal, relational, and formative aspects of the lived experiences of two neurodivergent students through a critical disability theory lens as they provided writing consultations to their neurodivergent peers in a Mid-Atlantic, independent special education school. …

Benchmarking Success: Insights From A Formal Assessment Of A Writing Fellows Program, Ghada Gherwash, Aaron Mills

The Writing Center Journal

This article reports on the first formal assessment of the Writing Fellows program at Colby College’s Farnham Writers’ Center, established in 2008. Unlike previous assessments at other institutions focused on perception or implementation, our assessment aimed to harness the potential of an already successful program. The creation of the Writing Fellows coordinator role and the implementation of intentional improvements resulted in a 99% increase in utilization rate in the 2022–2023 academic year. Our findings underscore the program’s significant impact of these interventions on student writing, faculty perceptions of academic support, and the writing center’s overall campus outreach efforts.

Systematic Review Of The Institutionalization Of Service Learning In Higher Education, Wilmer Hernan Cruz Gutierrez

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

An increasing number of universities are integrating service-learning (SL) to fulfill their social mission. However, sustainable institutionalization of SL remains a persistent challenge. This study identifies and analyzes the factors, actors, and strategies that drive and inhibit SL institutionalization in higher education. Using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic literature review analyzed 52 documents from seven academic databases (including WoS, Scopus, and ERIC). The findings were grouped into three sections: cultural (integration into institutional values/missions), process (articulation within teaching, research, and outreach), and structural dimensions (dedicated support entities). The results obtained reveal a reciprocal relationship where cultural alignment enables processual …

Front Matter

The Writing Center Journal

Front matter for The Writing Center Journal 44:1 (2026).

Back Matter

The Writing Center Journal

Back Matter for Writing Center Journal 44.1.(2026)

Convenience And Communication: Students’ Experiences In Synchronous Online, In-Person, And Asynchronous Consultations, Carolyn Wisniewski

The Writing Center Journal

Writing center tutorial modalities have proliferated in recent years, yet research has not kept pace. Students’ experiences in online writing tutorials remain understudied (Denton, 2017; Hewett & DePew, 2015). Better understanding students’ experiences across session modalities is critical to achieving an inclusive and accessible writing center (Martinez & Olsen, 2015). This study used a mixed-methods, comparative design to determine how students selected, experienced, and perceived the accessibility of synchronous online, in-person, and asynchronous modalities. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 138 surveys and 22 interviews indicated students perceived each modality to provide effective writing support. They report selecting tutorial modality based …

The Use Of A Sepsis Escape Room Simulation To Enhance Undergraduate Nursing Student's Clinical Judgment, Alaina Peterson

Dissertations

Background: Less than 10% of new graduate registered nurses meet practice-ready expectations for clinical judgment competencies, and 52% of critical care nurses are unable to adequately define sepsis. Traditional clinical rotations offer inconsistent exposure to high-acuity, low-frequency events such as sepsis, leaving new graduates unprepared for independent practice. Escape room simulations use the proven effectiveness of high-fidelity simulations with gamification to develop clinical judgment through active learning, teamwork and problem-solving.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of a sepsis escape room simulation to improve perceived clinical judgment skills of undergraduate nursing students. The intervention was …

Educator Perspectives Of Available Special Education Transition Programming Through High School Career And Technical Education Organizations For Female Students In Self-Contained Classrooms, Cassandra L. Aungst

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that there is a lack of research regarding alignment between special education student transition assessments, transition goals, and transition programming and specifically those who identify as female students. While career readiness programs are accessible to all students, regardless of gender, female students in special education remain underrepresented in career and technical education programs. The purpose of this research was to review educational practices that influence female students with disabilities in relation to their individualized education plan transition goals and programming by addressing (a) educators’ perceptions, (b) systemic challenges, and (c) policy gaps influencing …

Editors' Note, Sherry Wynn Perdue, Isaac K. Wang, Georganne Nordstrom

The Writing Center Journal

Editors' note for Writing Center Journal 44.1 (2026).

The Self-Identified Strategies Of Asynchronous Writing Tutors, Eric C. Camarillo

The Writing Center Journal

This study explores the self-identified strategies of asynchronous writing tutors, focusing on how they provide feedback in an online environment. The research addresses the underexplored area of asynchronous writing tutoring, which is often marginalized due to its perceived lack of interpersonal interaction. Through semi-structured interviews and screen recordings of seven writing tutors from three different institutions, the study identifies key strategies employed by tutors. These strategies include managing workloads, relying on intuition, building rapport with students, and seeking support from other tutors. The findings highlight the complexity and labor-intensive nature of asynchronous tutoring, emphasizing the need for thoughtful evaluation and …

“Like Learning To Play Chess”: Relationality And The Development Of Interpersonal Communication Skills In Writing Center Consultants, Kara Poe Alexander

The Writing Center Journal

This study explores how writing center consultants develop interpersonal communication (IPC) skills through relational interactions during peer tutoring sessions. Grounded in the theoretical framework of relationality, which views learning as emerging through relationships, I analyze interviews with undergraduate and graduate consultants at a private R1 university. The findings demonstrate that one-on- one conferences foster a broad spectrum of IPC skills, including adaptability, listening, intercultural communication, asking questions, building rapport, giving constructive criticism, setting boundaries, empathizing, and patience. The development of these knowledge and skills is cultivated through collaborative, meaning-making interactions with writers. As such, writing centers emerge as dynamic, relationship-driven …

D2.02 Game Demonstration: Adventures With Emmy, W. Brian Lane, Patrick Morgan, Cristo Leon

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Demo of Adventures with Emmy, a STEM tabletop RPG supporting inquiry, collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning through structured play. This demo will be presented in English in a pressential format.

Game development, playtesting, and research supported by NSF 251702.

D2.01 Registro Y Apertura, Cristo Leon, New Jersey Institute Of Technology, Red De Investigadores De Juegos De Rol, The Collaborative For Leadership, Education, And Assessment Research, Njit's Theatre Arts And Technology

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Español
Registro, bienvenida inicial y orientación logística para participantes del 10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol.

English
Registration, initial welcome, and logistical orientation for participants of the 10th International Colloquium on Role-Playing Game Studies.

Português
Credenciamento, boas-vindas iniciais e orientação logística para participantes do 10º Colóquio Internacional de Estudos sobre Jogos de Rol.

The Human Side Of Policy: Rural Teachers And Alberta’S 2024 Mobile Device Ban, Kelly A. Smith

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Technology-restrictive educational policies are increasingly shaping classroom practice, yet limited qualitative research has examined how teachers experience implementing these mandates in rural contexts. This study explored how rural elementary teachers experienced Alberta’s 2024 Ministerial Order banning personal mobile devices during instructional time. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight rural elementary teachers and analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: policy ambiguity, reduced professional autonomy, emotional labour, and leadership as a mediating force. Findings suggest the policy functioned as more than a classroom technology restriction, shaping trust, instructional flexibility, teacher well-being, and school relationships. The study …

D1.07 Keynote Iii: Juegos De Rol Para Colaboraciones Interculturales Y De Investigación Interdisciplinar, Antonio Casado Da Rocha

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Conferencia magistral en español sobre el uso de juegos de rol para apoyar colaboraciones interculturales e investigación interdisciplinar, con atención a la comunicación, la co-creación, la reflexión ética y la construcción compartida de conocimiento.

Información de acceso Register in advance for this webinar: https://njit-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ozwjN4KWQ7u0qmcRLONCGw Join from an H.323/SIP room system: H.323: 144.195.19.161 (US West) or 206.247.11.121 (US East) Meeting ID: 913 4648 7472 Passcode: 280957 SIP: [email protected] Passcode: 280957 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Zoom will detect the spoken language from the presenters and generate captions accordingly. The attendees will be …

D1.05 Keynote Ii: Publishing And The Synoptic View Of Role-Playing Game Studies, Evan Torner Ph.D.

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Keynote session on publishing, field formation, and the synoptic view of role-playing game studies, with attention to how scholarly communities organize, circulate, and consolidate research across disciplinary traditions. It will be held in English.

Access Information:

Register in advance for this webinar: https://njit-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ozwjN4KWQ7u0qmcRLONCGw Join from an H.323/SIP room system: H.323: 144.195.19.161 (US West) or 206.247.11.121 (US East) Meeting ID: 913 4648 7472 Passcode: 280957 SIP: [email protected]

Passcode: 280957

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Zoom will detect the spoken language from the presenters and generate captions accordingly. The attendees will be able …

D1.04 Keynote I: Exploring The Intersection Between Research In Consciousness, Spirituality, And Role-Playing Games, Sarah Lynne Bowman, Kjell Hedgard Hugaas

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

The Keynote session (in English) examines the intersections among consciousness research, spirituality, and role-playing games, with attention to how role-playing practices can support inquiry into experience, meaning-making, transformation, and collaborative forms of play.

Register in advance for this webinar: https://njit-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ozwjN4KWQ7u0qmcRLONCGw Join from an H.323/SIP room system: H.323: 144.195.19.161 (US West) or 206.247.11.121 (US East) Meeting ID: 913 4648 7472 Passcode: 280957 SIP: [email protected] Passcode: 280957 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Zoom will detect the spoken language from the presenters and generate captions accordingly. The attendees will be able to choose English …

D1.03 Comité De Revisores, Cristo Leon, Edgar Meritano, Laura Ivonne Quiroz Castillo

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Español

Descripción del evento: Presentación del Comité de Revisores, acompañada de una discusión y análisis sobre las contribuciones de las personas que participaron en el proceso de evaluación académica y curaduría del programa.

English

Event description: Presentation of the Review Committee, accompanied by a discussion and analysis of the contributions made by those who participated in the academic evaluation process and the curation of the program.

Português

Descrição do evento: Apresentação do Comitê de Avaliação, acompanhada de uma discussão e análise das contribuições das pessoas que participaram do processo de avaliação acadêmica e da curadoria da programação.

D1.02 Inauguración, Cristo Leon Ph.D., New Jersey Institute Of Technology, Red De Investigadores De Juegos De Rol, James Lipuma Ph.D.

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Español:  Sesión inaugural del 10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol, con bienvenida institucional, presentación del tema del coloquio y apertura formal del programa académico.

English: Opening session of the 10th International Colloquium on Role-Playing Game Studies, featuring an institutional welcome, presentation of the Colloquium’s theme, and the formal opening of the academic program.

Português: Sessão de abertura do 10.º Colóquio Internacional de Estudos sobre Jogos de Rol, com boas-vindas institucionais, apresentação do tema do Colóquio e abertura formal da programação acadêmica.

Implications Of Similarities And Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills And Trust Across Communities Of Color, Erica Weintraub Austin, Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Sultana Ismet Jerin, Di Mu, Albert Junior Nyarko, Folake Racheal Okor, Pearl Omolara Oladele, Hae Yeon Seo, Andrew D. Sutherland

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also …

Discursive Consciousness And Pedagogical Reasoning Within Teacher Collaborative Inquiry In Rural Mexico, Nelly Yllen Charles Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines teacher collaborative learning within Matemáticas Equitativas (MATEQ), a school-based professional learning model designed to support equitable mathematics instruction through collaborative inquiry and peer observation. Drawing on Anthony Giddens' structure-agency theory, this research adopts an interpretive qualitative case study with discourse-oriented analysis to examine teachers' pedagogical reasoning by looking at manifestations of discursive consciousness--defined as the capacity to articulate and rationalize one's actions in discourse--during collaborative meetings. Findings show that both the interactional structures and collaborative resources embedded in MATEQ--in particular peer facilitated uses of observation rubrics--mediated teachers' discursive consciousness, strengthening the pedagogical reasoning shared within collaborative inquiry. …

Selective Factors Impacting Charter High School Enrollment, Nathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined factors influencing high school choice among Utah families, comparing parent priorities between charter and traditional public high schools. Using one-way ANOVA with Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc comparisons, parental priorities were analyzed across personal, school community, and academic factors. Parents choosing traditional public high schools rated personal and school community factors significantly higher, emphasizing relationships and school climate, while charter high school parents rated academic factors significantly higher, favoring rigor and instructional quality. Charter parents' priorities were not uniform, however, but varied significantly by school model, suggesting that the charter-versus-traditional divide masks meaningful differences within …