Digital Commons Network^™

Comparable Outcomes, Divergent Learning Pathways: Comparing Metacognitive Reflection And Practice Problems In Organic Chemistry, Jitendra D. Belani

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

Organic Chemistry I presents significant challenges for students, requiring both conceptual understanding and effective study strategies. Two commonly used approaches to support learning are structured practice problems and metacognitive reflection activities; however, these strategies are rarely compared directly within the same course context. In this study, students enrolled in a postbaccalaureate Organic Chemistry I course (n = 31) were randomly assigned to one of two low-stakes interventions: weekly practice problem sets or structured reflection surveys focused on study strategies. Student performance was evaluated using three midterm examinations, a cumulative final exam, and overall course grades, along with measures of participation. …

Beyond Static Measures: The Predictive Validity And Classification Accuracy Of A Dynamic Assessment Of Decoding For Early Elementary, Bridgett Bakula

Theses and Dissertations

Early and accurate identification of children at risk for reading difficulty is essential to prevent long-term academic failure, yet traditional static assessments often struggle to distinguish between a true reading disorder and a lack of prior instruction. This is particularly evident in the early grades, where floor effects and cultural/linguistic biases limit the classification accuracy of traditional screeners. This study investigated the predictive validity and structural utility of the modifiability index of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding, administered in kindergarten. Unlike static measures that evaluate "already actualized" knowledge, DA measures a student's learning potential and modifiability, or the capacity …

Rural Women Rising To Leadership Positions: The Influence Of Their Christian Faith And Shepherding Style, Jose Carbajal, Bonita Sharma, Cherhonda Brown, Teresa Tarver, Emily Powell

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Purpose. Men maintain the ability to exercise authority and gain a competitive edge in leadership positions, while women persistently endure adversity within the patriarchal system, deeply rooted in their religious beliefs and path of faith. This study explores how women’s faith influences their pursuit of leadership positions and whether their upbringing, especially from a patriarchal perspective, deters them from having leadership aspirations. Methods. We used a qualitative method to understand the lived experiences of women in leadership positions and how faith influenced their leadership ascension. We conducted semi-structured interviews with thirty-four (N = 34) female leaders in top …

Our Children Are Sacred: Faith, Disability Justice, And Educational Hope, Charles E. Becknell Jr., Pricella Morris, Monique Matute-Chavarria, Deirdre A. Williams

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This manuscript examines how Black families interpret dis/ability through faith, caregiving, and communal life using Sacred Narrative Inquiry (SNI), a collaborative approach that treats family stories as sources of sacred and cultural knowledge. Grounded in disability theology and informed by Black liberation theology and Womanist epistemology, the study explores how families understand dis/ability as sacred and embodied, shaped by struggle, endurance, and hope. Through shared storytelling and collective interpretation, the analysis identifies recurring patterns of early moral formation, embodied knowledge that precedes institutional recognition, faith as a sustaining practice under constraint, and moments of recognition that affirm dignity and interrupt …

Teaching As Testimony: Examining The Relationship Between High School Teachers’ Faith Identity And Pedagogy, Candace M. Kyles

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching has long been understood within Christian theology as a vocational practice shaped by faith, moral formation, and lived discipleship. Yet within U.S. public schooling, the Separation of Church and State restricts explicit engagement with religion, often rendering educators’ faith identities invisible within school buildings and classrooms. This covertness does not eliminate the formative influence of faith; rather, it obscures how teachers’ faith identities inform their ethical reasoning, teaching practices, and pedagogical choices. When faith remains unexamined, it may operate implicitly, shaping classroom interactions without the benefit of critical reflection or institutional support.

Despite the prominence of culturally responsive pedagogy …

What Works For Dyslexia Training? A Comparative Study Of Three Professional Development Approaches For Elementary General Education Teachers, Kayla Steltenkamp

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Teachers are the foundational component of the educational system, yet many enter the classroom without adequate knowledge of dyslexia -- a specific learning disability affecting up to 17.5% of the student population. Despite growing legislative mandates requiring teacher training on dyslexia, recent research confirms that misconceptions and knowledge gaps persist among both preservice and inservice teachers, and the question of which professional development models most effectively address those gaps remains largely unanswered. This study compared three two-hour professional development approaches -- simulation only, lecture only, and a mixed-method combining both -- using a quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design with 58 elementary general …

“I Want My Students To Be Knowledgeable About Civics”: Supporting Pre-Service Teachers Through A Civics-Focused Plc, Helena M. Sands, Daniela Kruel Digiacomo, Laura Darolia, Carly Muetterties, Stephanie Mobley

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This study describes a semester-long, civics-focused Professional Learning Community (PLC) with five elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs). Using inductive qualitative analysis of meeting transcripts, reflections, and field notes, three themes emerged: the PLC increased PSTs' confidence in integrating civics across the curriculum, built community through shared practicum experiences, and provided resources that broadened their understanding of civic learning. Findings suggest PLCs offer a promising structure for preparing elementary PSTs to prioritize civic education in their future classrooms.

Evaluating The Impact Of The Kentucky Read To Achieve (Rta) Initiative On School Reading Performance, Nicholas Gage, Erin Hogan, Todd Whitney, Terrance M. Scott, Amy S. Lingo

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Kentucky reading achievement has remained below statewide goals, which prompted a revision to the Read to Achieve (RTA) initiative, a state-level grant-funded program aimed at improving student literacy outcomes. The revision prioritized the professional learning of administrators and K-3 reading instructional staff in the science of reading and the adoption of high-quality structured literacy-based resources and aligned intervention resources. This study uses nine years of panel data (2014–2015 through 2023–2024) from all public schools in Kentucky to evaluate whether the revised RTA initiative had a differential effect on school-level reading outcomes. We employ propensity score matching and a heterogeneous difference-in-differences …

Preparing Teachers Where Teaching Happens: Designing Embedded Assignments In A School-University Partnership, Michael Dicicco, Shawn A. Faulkner

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

School-University partnerships (SUP) allow more opportunities for teacher candidates to bridge theory and practice. Working together teacher candidates gain valuable experience applying concepts in their classes with classroom teacher mentors. However, these partnerships can be complex and highly context dependent. Developing university course assignments for a SUP can be difficult. This article highlights a set of intentionally designed assignments the authors have developed over the last 8 years within an SUP. The goal is provide practical examples for those who are creating their own SUP.

Application Of Assistive Technologies And Rendering Assistive Services To Students With Special Needs By Federal University Libraries: A Survey, Emmanuel Chidiadi Onwubiko

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The world as of today, is being said to be witnessing what one may tagged a technological revolution as never before and is transforming for the better, the future of global education in which case, every learner is considered. These newly created technological tools and plans did place librarians as information managers and digital literacy drivers in better position to come up with environments that are inclusive for all learners to achieve their desired goals. The study therefore is a survey on the application of assistive technologies and rendering assistive services to students with special needs by federal universities libraries …

Language Learner To Author: Ai-Assisted Children's Book And Theme Song Creation For Community Outreach, Hea Young Chun

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students will use AI tools to create original children's storybooks, complete with accompanying theme songs, and subsequently present their finished works to students at local schools.

“This Place Is My Home”: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic Experiences And Sense Of Belonging Of Specially Admitted Student-Athletes At Division I Universities, Jana Alexandra Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this study was to further understand the experiences of specially admitted student-athletes regarding their sense of belonging. In addition, this study aims to add to the existing literature regarding support services for student-athletes. The three research questions for this study were: 1. How do specially admitted student-athletes at Division I Universities make meaning of their admissions experiences? 2. What contributes to developing a sense of belonging of specially admitted student-athletes at Division I universities? 3. How do specially admitted student-athletes make meaning of their academic experiences at their university? A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used …

What I Brought With Me: Bilingualism, Resistance, And Identity In U.S. Doctoral Education, Xiao Hu

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

In U.S. higher education, the bilingualism of international doctoral students is often reduced to a measure of English deficiency rather than recognized as a linguistic and cultural resource. Drawing on Anzaldúa's borderlands theory, this autoethnographic study examines the lived experiences of a female Chinese international doctoral student negotiating bilingual identity in U.S. academia. Using personal journals, written correspondence, field notes, and memories of significant encounters as data, this inquiry explores three dimensions of experience: the ways bilingual identity is misread or appropriated in academic spaces; the relationships that offered recognition and belonging; and the cultural and pedagogical knowledge that bilingualism …

Multidimensional And Burgeoning Leadership: Literacy And Multilingualism, Emily Howell, Hazel Vega, Lindsey W. Rowe, Katie M. Crook, C.C. Bates, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

This design-based research study worked with 25 teachers with specialized early literacy training. Researchers investigated the impact of professional development advancing their multilingual learner (ML), literacy, and leadership capacity, addressing gaps in the research merging the fields of literacy, multilingual instruction, and leadership. Spanning two years of both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis including teacher, student, and district surveys, teacher logs, research logs, and teacher interviews, the researchers capture the iterative nature of the needs of teacher professional development to serve MLs. The researchers describe the needs of teachers for professional development, the micro modifications made to adapt …

Transforming Advising And Improving Outcomes: Assessing Impacts Of Advising Changes, Amy S. White, Tailisha Gonzalez, Elgloria Harrison

Publications and Research

Abstract

Background: Earning full-time credit loads and persisting are how college students successfully graduate.

Objective: We measured whether credits and persistence at an urban, commuter Hispanic/Minority-Sserving Iinstitution improved after implementing a social work-based advisement strategy.

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental methodology on a college’s enrollment database, we measured the impact of a new advisement model on earned and attempted credit loads to compare traditional student advisement within control groups (n = 171 and n = 899) relative to intervention (n = 130).

Findings: In 2024, the intervention group attempted an average of 14.7 credits and earned an average of 14.3 credits, …

Assessing Digital Collaborative Skills Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers: Initial Instrument Evidence And Demographic Differences, Candra Utama, Aynin Mashfufah, Esti Untari, Sofia Haratee

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Digital collaboration skills are an important competence for prospective elementary school teachers as 21^st-century learning demands the ability to use technology to work on a team, to communicate and share responsibilities, and to reflect on the learning process. This study aims to analyze evidence of the instrument initial validity, reliability, collaborative skill profile, and score differences based on the demographic characteristics of pre-service elementary teachers after participating in digital-based collaborative learning. The research uses a post-implementation evaluative quantitative approach sourced from a digital collaborative learning research design in the fourth-semester of elementary school teacher education study program at …

Signal And Substance: Why Methodological Sophistication Fails To Guarantee Inference, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Despite increasing analytical sophistication, empirical research in organization studies continues to suffer from fragile inference, uneven theoretical accumulation, and contested credibility. This paper seeks to explain why these problems persist by shifting attention from authors’ methodological choices to the evaluative dynamics of peer review. Adopting a conceptual and theory-analytic approach, the paper theorizes peer review as an inferential gatekeeping system. Drawing on research design, theory evaluation, and philosophy-of-science literatures, this study develops an analytical framework to examine how evaluative routines shape what constitutes empirical rigor during the review process. The analysis identifies five recurring reviewer blind spots: inferential scope inflation, …

Media Flipbook Sebagai Buku Pendamping English For Nusantara Untuk Siswa Kelas 7 Dan 8 Smp, Arifah Dyah Kusumaningtyas, Khofifah Nurul Aini, Novia Tarisya Fitri, Tiara Rizky Kusuma

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

The digital transformation of education has encouraged teachers to develop more interactive learning media to support the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum. One promising medium is the digital flipbook, which integrates text, images, audio, videos, and interactive learning activities into a single platform. This study aimed to develop a flipbook-based supplementary learning material for English for Nusantara for seventh- and eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 11 Malang and to describe students' responses to the developed media. This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the Four-D (4D) model, consisting of the define, design, development, and disseminate stages. Data …

The Ppp Model In Action: Empowering Tertiary Vocational Students Through Digital And English Training, Hüsem Korkmaz, Ali Geris, Cenk Yoldaş

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the stakeholder perspectives in a public–private partnership project as a remarkable initiative to enhance quality education at the tertiary level in Turkey. In this regard, the motivations behind participating in the partnership, perceived benefits and challenges, significant outcomes, and recommendations for similar prospective partnership programs were investigated empirically.

Method: The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design, which relies on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with the key stakeholders of a public–private partnership project to empower vocational higher education. The data were collected from the representatives of Enerjisa Üretim Company (n = …

Diplomacy Country Desk Updates, Susan Craig

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Students will use the gem/activity through the semester to stay up-to-date on their assigned country desk for a graduate level course on diplomacy.

Exploring The High School Experiences Of Black Males With Their Considerations To Enroll In College, Maria Fernandes

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

This qualitative study applied a phenomenological research approach to explore the high school experiences of black males with their considerations to enroll in college. The research was guided by social network theory as a lens to understand Black males’ considerations to enroll in college upon high school completion. Ten Black male college students participated in semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the response data revealed two main themes: 1. socially influenced college enrollment considerations and 2. motivation rooted in self-confidence. The findings in this study highlighted the role authentic interpersonal relationships and self-determination play in Black males’ college enrollment considerations. …

Strengthening Your Ai Fluency: Building Community Resilience In An Era Of Climate Change, Suzanne Loui

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Through guided use of two AI platforms, Notebook LM and Gemini, the student will generate, analyze and evaluate ideas for implementing Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation and Community Resilience in a location of your choice.

Conservation Education And The Cultivation Of Environmental Responsibility: Case Studies From Sri Lanka, Jody Miller, Pasindu Dilshan Abegunawardhana

International Journal on Responsibility

Conservation education encompasses effective pedagogical practices that enhance knowledge of the environment and foster responsible environmental actions. In addition to building an informed citizenry, conservation education is shaped by theoretical stances about the components necessary to cultivate environmental responsibility among participants and their communities. Highlighting three of our own conservation education projects in Sri Lanka as case studies, we draw from research and debates about environmental responsibility to illustrate the incorporation of environmental engagement and responsibility into these efforts, and the difficulties that arise in doing so. Sri Lanka is one of eight global biodiversity hotspots prioritized for conservation intervention. …

Vocabulary Acquisition Through Developmental Play, Amy Storlie

Graduate Teacher Education

As the population of English learners in the United States grew, there was a greater need for linguistically and developmentally appropriate instructional approaches for young learners. The question that guided this research on appropriate instructional approaches was: How does developmental play support the acquisition of academic vocabulary among early-emergent multilingual students in kindergarten and first grade? The research review examined peer-reviewed research across three interconnected bodies of literature: play-based learning, interactions in developmental play, and vocabulary instruction. The findings indicated that purposeful, guided play strengthened executive function, expressive language, and academic growth. In addition, collaborative practices such as translanguaging supported …

Fostering Active Learning In Reproductive Health Classes Among Undergraduates Of A Nigerian Public University: The Role Of Cognitive Restructuring Health Education, Ndubuisi Friday Ugwu, Adewumi Segun Igbinlade, Adijat Bolanle Adams, Uchenna Anselm Anibueze, Gabriel Aderibigbe Oyegbami, Chinyere Chrysantus Onwurah, Sabina Nwakaego Igwilo, Olufemi M. Olubamise, Folasade Adediran, Oladipo Adeyeye Olubodun Phd, Jacob Kehinde Opele, Loveth Nnenna Ugwu, Amos Olorunwa Agbojo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: This study examined the efficacy of the cognitive restructuring health education (CRHE) intervention in improving participatory learning in sexual and reproductive health classes among students at a Nigerian public university.

Methods: The study employed a randomized pretest/posttest control group design involving 130 undergraduates from Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 2-week intensive health education–based cognitive restructuring program (n = 65) or a waitlist control group (n = 65). Interaction behavior was assessed at pretreatment, at post-treatment, and at a 6-week follow-up using the 14-item Interaction Behavior Checklist (reliability = 0.85). …

Bilingualism And Literacy Development: A Systematic Review Of English-Italian Bilingual Children, Francesca Cocilovo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This systematic review examines the cross-linguistic effects of English-Italian bilingualism on the early literacy development of children ages 4 to 10. Nine studies published between 1995 and 2021 are included following a systematic search, screening, and quality appraisal process. Evidence supports that cross-linguistic transfer effects influenced grammar, metalinguistic, reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, writing, and memory skills across English and Italian. English-Italian bilingualism generally results in neutral or positive literacy outcomes. However, case-by-case variations appear depending on orthographic depth, bilingual presentation, language exposure, and reading status. Children with reading difficulties are particularly sensitive to orthographic differences during second-language acquisition. Although …

Student Perspectives On Professionalism In The Academic Classroom: Examining Instructor Traits And Student Preferences At A U.S. Service Academy, Jason Lackey, Justin White

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

At the US Air Force Academy, student developmental paths occur under both military and academic components. The academic component includes the typical collegiate coursework taught by a combination of civilian and military instructors. In this study, we explored student values of instructor leadership traits and practices that influence the classroom culture. We found that overall, the instructor’s degree of academic knowledge (distinguished from military knowledge), their ability to clearly communicate class content, and ability to inspire student participation ranked highest. Conversely, the instructor clearly communicating military responsibilities, their professional etiquette, and providing constructive feedback pertaining to military bearing ranked least, …

Values-Based Leadership In Public Discourse: How University Leaders Frame Character And Commitment, Heather Carroll, Jeff Fritz, Sarah Williams, Cheryl A. Maurana

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Public leadership speech is a consequential site of ethical positioning where institutional values are named, contested, and interpreted under pressure, and where the choice of virtue language shapes where attention is directed. Analyzing published quotations from university leaders during the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, we examine how virtue language functioned as a public act of values-based leadership through a socio-ecological framework for flourishing that treats character as dynamic and relational. We find that leaders constructed ethical stances by anchoring commitment to moral virtues that named goods, intellectual virtues that narrated deliberative process, and occasionally pairing both …

A Teacher’S Critical Content Analysis Of Children’S Literature In A Read Aloud Book Series, Tanya Renee Gilliam

Theses and Dissertations

Tanya Gilliam A TEACHER’S CRITICAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN A READ ALOUD BOOK SERIES2025-2026 James Coaxum, Ph.D. Doctorate of Education This study examined the cultural responsiveness of kindergarten read aloud texts in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Into Reading curriculum used in District Rynie. Using critical content analysis, seventy read alouds were analyzed to explore representations of culture, identity, and power. The analysis was guided by Botelho and Rudman’s multicultural framework, Bishop’s mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors model, and Short’s criteria for multicultural literature, across four domains: Authenticity and Representation; Content and Perspective; Challenging Bias and Equity; …

Mental Health Self-Perceptions And Resource Utilization In Undergraduate Students At Binghamton University, Nicole J. Dreznin, Sarah Marcus

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Undergraduate students face increasing rates of mental health challenges, however discrepancies in mental health literacy and utilization of resources may exist across student populations. This study examined the perceptions of mental health in undergraduate students at Binghamton University and if they differed among STEM vs non-STEM, man vs. women, and first-generation vs. continuing generation undergraduate students. A 20-question survey, containing 5 demographic questions and 15 mental health related questions was distributed through Qualtrics to 9 undergraduate classes. The available response choices were based on the Likert scale. A total of 1266 students participated.  Chi square tests of independence were done …