Digital Commons Network^™

Spatializing Community-Based Learning: How A Critical Geography Framework Can Foster Understandings Of Structural Inequality And Egalitarian Relationships, Roseann Liu, Sarah Fischmann, Ashley Hong, Kathleen Melville

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Critical service learning is an approach that works toward social transformation and egalitarian partnerships. However, the ways in which space facilitates or undermines this approach has been largely unexplored. Drawing on a case study from an urban education course, we argue that a critical geography framework can develop students’ understandings of structural inequalities and nurture egalitarian relationships between partners.

When “Doing With” Can Be Without: Employing Critical Service-Learning Strategies In Creating The “New Orleans Black Worker Organizing History” Digital Timeline, Sarah Fouts

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Analyzing the development of the “New Orleans Black Worker Organizing History” digital humanities timeline, this case study addresses the inevitability of transient partnerships between students and community members, while pushing back on the notion of “authentic relationships” in service learning. Embracing the ephemerality of service-learning projects, I focus more on intentional strategies that can lead to transformative learning experiences and help to create a more even playing field in knowledge production. I link critical service learning with feminist pedagogy to offer collaborative strategies that better leverage resources to bridge campus and community.

Engaging Vulnerable Youth In Community-Based Participatory Research: Opportunities And Challenges, Melissa Tremblay, Bethan Kingsley, Rebecca Gokiert, Gary Benthem

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Drawing on a community-university (CU) partnership between a non-profit organization that serves teen families, a housing organization and a university, this paper discusses the opportunities and challenges that can arise when engaging vulnerable youth in research. Through this paper, we share reflections on promising practices and ethical considerations in the participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and dissemination stages of the research process. Conclusions are offered for those seeking to engage vulnerable youth in research.

Housing Assessment Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis): A Case Study Of Community Engagement From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kin M. Ma, Andrea Hendrick, Judith Transue

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

After the 2008 housing loan crisis, many houses were foreclosed/abandoned in Michigan, and specifically Grand Rapids (GR). Our study provides a collaborative and scalable model for collecting parcel-level housing data, in a southeast GR neighborhood within 15 U.S. Census Blocks. Grand Valley State University Geography faculty and students partnered with the Seeds of Promise organization/residents by using GIS/sidewalk visual observation to assess housing vacancy and evaluation of physical conditions to better understand the current housing conditions.

Translating Encounters: Connecting Indigenous Young People With Higher Education Through A Transmedia Project, Kristine Alexander, Hudson Eagle Bear, Tesla Heavy Runner, Ashley Henrickson, Taylor Little

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This piece draws on multiple voices to reflect on a collaborative project between universitybased researchers and a local community organization devoted to Indigenous Blackfoot children and their families. The evolution of the project from one based on photoelicitation to one devoted to building a digital storytelling library meant a methodological shift to acknowledge the role of translation in encounters between university researchers and community practitioners, between Elders and youth, and between settlers and Indigenous people. Our experience provides lessons on the importance of taking seriously the moments when difference is encountered and translated during the research and community-building process.

Pursuing Reciprocity In Engaged Scholarship Partnerships Using Community Sustainability Certification Programs, Elyzabeth W. Engle, Michele W. Halsell

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of sustainability certification programs at the local, state, and national level to highlight the use of policies, programs, and infrastructure to achieve sustainable development outcomes within communities. In this paper, we use examples from Penn State’s Sustainable Communities Collaborative to demonstrate how institutions with community-engaged scholarship programs can use these certification programs to enhance program operation and reciprocity by identifying projects, engaging new disciplines, and improving relevance.

Collaboration And Advocacy: A Community-University Partnership And The Well-Being Of Children, Alycia Elfreich, Robert Helfenbein

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper examines a case study of a community-university collaboration in a Midwestern suburban community. In an effort to promote the well-being of students, a collaborative youth initiative partnership was created alongside a local university, public schools, and other community organizations. We reflect upon this collaboration and the need for a holistic approach to child development through community partnerships. We also address embedded tensions that call for a more transparent approach to challenges of cross-cultural work.

Enhancing Service-Learning Experiences For International Students: An Auto-Ethnography And A Dialogue, Li Mao, Laura Servage, Donna Chovanec

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This auto-ethnographic study recounts the experiences of an international doctoral student in a service-learning (SL) placement. The narrative discusses the cultural and linguistic barriers that the student faced, both in the classroom and in her SL field placement. The authors use the student’s secondary sources as well as a series of reflective dialogues as data toward an analysis of the learning needs of linguistic and cultural minorities in service-learning—an as of yet underexplored area of research in service-learning pedagogy.

Undergraduate Student Process Reflections On Utilizing Photovoice To Learn Principles Of Feminist Research, Rachel C. Ormsbee, Ashtyn Winchell, Jenny English, Allie Martian, Molly L. Craig, Nikki M. Michaels, Amanda Haab, Abigail Girardot, Lauren Winter, Penelope Reed, Clare J. Hendricks, Alison Gaarsland, Elizabeth H. D'Amico, Alysah K. Southworth, Lilyanna Blevins, Tricia Saam, Genevieve R. Cox

Feminist Pedagogy

Photovoice is a qualitative research method often applied within participatory action research (PAR). Photovoice centers on the experiences and perspectives of its research participants, who capture photographs and develop narratives highlighting their communities’ strengths and concerns from their individual lens. Due to its connections with and development from feminist theories, Photovoice offers pedagogical potential in teaching feminist research principles. This article explores student process reflections on the application of Photovoice as a qualitative investigative method in an undergraduate capstone course where students act as the researchers. Integral to the course was the analysis of existing research, critical discussion, and Photovoice …

How Do Doctoral Students Perceive Supervision? Lessons Learned From Indonesia, Elok Putri Nimasari, Syihabul Irfan, Ariyanti Ariyanti, Ahmad Iklil Saifulloh

The Qualitative Report

Theorised in Vygotskyan sociocultural and Bakhtinian dialogical perspectives, this article addresses Indonesian postgraduates’ perceptions of their doctoral supervision for their thesis proposal. Twelve Indonesian doctoral students participated in this interpretative phenomenology study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews lasting eight months. Drawing on interpretative phenomenological analysis, the findings identified four micro themes of sociocultural and dialogical theory (i.e., shared expertise, critical dialogue, constructive feedback, and encouraging diverse perspectives). The present study contributed empirical evidence on how doctoral students benefit from their supervisory process in sociocultural and dialogical perspectives embedded with different supervisory dimensions.

How Latinx Students Experience A High School English Class In A Monolingual School District, Elisa Malinovitz

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to address the needs of the fastest growing population at my school, I asked Latinx students to share their experiences of being in a monolingual English 2 classroom. Students also shared opinions about friendships, Latinx culture in school, and alternative methods of educating non-English speakers.

Through action research we can assess the exigencies of Latinx learners. Further study is needed to determine evolving needs and best practices for increasing the academic achievement for this population. Some possible solutions to Latinx students falling behind their hegemonic peers include incorporating Latinx culture in curriculum and school culture, as well …

In The Search Of Cosmopolitan Literacies: A Case Of Formerly Expatriated Language Teacher, Asiye Demir

Theses and Dissertations

Cosmopolitanism refers to becoming a world citizen who can live harmoniously with different cultures. Today, our classes in the United States have become diverse daily. While we teach students who can speak more than one language, our teachers are primarily monolingual and monocultural. Hence, teachers who can speak multiple languages are celebrated in the system (Pacheco et al., 2019). Expatriation refers to teacher mobility that can entail learning other languages and being exposed to different cultures. Expatriation, as a form of travel, is an essential construct for cosmopolitan literacies because cosmopolitan dispositions can be developed through traveling (Molz, 2006). Thus, …

The Effectiveness Of Equivalence-Based Instruction On Time-Telling Skills In Children With Moderate Developmental Disabilities Including Autism Spectrum Disorder And Intellectual Disability, Rongzhi Li

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of equivalence-based instruction (EBI) on teaching time-telling skills to children with moderate developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Three children with ASD or intellectual disability participated in the study. The experiment was conducted using a concurrent multiple baseline design across subjects. During the acquisition training, each participant was taught 24 discrimination relations including matching 12 picture analog clock faces and 12 printed digital clocks to their dictated times. After the training, the participants were assessed to see whether their visual-visual responses (transitivity relations) and oral naming …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Public Policy And Their Impact On Teacher Retention, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Fewer issues have received more attention by education researchers than understanding the global teacher shortage, especially in public schools. Concurrent with this issue is the concern that the rate of teacher hires is insufficient to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse body of students. Further, while the research on job satisfaction, specifically in understanding their impact on teacher retention, is multifaceted, causal data underlying these approaches have been limited. This research gains significance in light of policymakers’ increasing calls for restructuring the way schools do business to effectively meet the diverse needs of students, often in spite of already-limited …

Decolonizing Digital Accessibility Within Land/Water Realities Using Minimal Computing, Mary Rice

Researchers

The purpose of this essay is to conceptualize accessibility in digital education for school children through a minimal computing perspective. This perspective prioritizes the contextual, social, and relational as part of the ethic of minimal computing mantra to consider What. We. Need. To achieve our goals, we begin with a story from a classroom in rural New Mexico, then we problematize definitions of accessibility for computing in educational settings considering how an identification as having disabilities is situated within colonial monolingual/monocultural structures that position minds and bodies as deficient. We connect these structures to capitalistic educational technology movements like using …

Crisis Leadership: Minnesota School Superintendents' Experiences Of Disruptive Times And Schools' Recovery In The Post-Covid-19 Era, Jennifer Leadbetter

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

School superintendents face the task of effectively leading their school districts while performing a multitude of roles and responsibilities. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which became prominent in late 2019 and early 2020, the roles and responsibilities for Minnesota school superintendents compounded. During the literature review period, limited information was found that school superintendents in Minnesota experience role ambiguity, stress, and burnout. The purpose of this study was to understand the shared experiences and the transformational leadership of Minnesota school superintendents during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative ethnography included the individual interviews of administrators who held at least 5 …

Buddhism, Daoism, And Jeet Kune Do: A Contemporary Analysis Of Nondual Traditions In A New Age Martial Art, James H. Sutton

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Traditional martial arts are known for their focus on spiritual cultivation through a combination of self-defense training and contemplative practices like meditation. Traditional martial art systems tend to utilize nondual traditions commonly associated with Buddhism and Daoism; however, modern martial art practices, particularly those of MMA, no longer place a strong emphasis on such traditions. In turn, this has led to the development of high-performance sport athletes who emphasize self-defense efficiency in combat (usually combat sports) over all other attributes while also mixing “arts” or “styles” as necessary for the individual’s own self growth. I dub these as “new age” …

2024-08-09 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents meeting of August 9, 2024, which includes the Board meeting minutes for June 14, 2024.

History Education: Learning History From Community College Students’ Perspectives, Mylinh V. Pham

Dissertations

Given the current political climate of division, the study of history is important now more than ever, but the value of the study of history has been marginalized. This study used student focus groups to understand ways in which history could be taught in such a way that its importance is emphasized through relevance and connection to current social and political issues and through student-centered learning. This study also determined how history could help students evaluate and think critically about historical content. This study drew on the experiences of community college students who have taken a higher education history course …

Power In Picturebooks: A Teacher's Critical Multicultural Analysis Of Illustrated Versions Of Little Red Riding Hood, Adrianna Catherine Galtieri

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a critical examination of the ways power is depicted in six illustrated versions of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story. Anchored in the notions that children's texts are neither ideologically neutral nor inherently benign, a kindergarten teacher analyzed "Little Red Riding Hood" tales for the ways the main character acts and/or is acted upon. Traditional versions of the story are often read as didactic tales that remind young readers to obey their parents in order to stay safe. However, the findings of this study suggest that reimagined versions of the classic tale can open important conversations about …

Creating Thinking Classrooms In Music Education: Teacher And Student Perspectives Of Twenty-First-Century Instruction, Dave Mcgarry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite changes to provincial documents in British Columbia, many music educators still rely on traditional teaching methods. This convergent mixed methods case study aimed to understand student and teacher perspectives on twenty-first-century instruction in the music classroom, providing insights to enhance and enrich experiences in musical learning. Data were collected from thirty-one students in a singular grade nine to twelve instrumental band class through interviews, lesson journals, direct observations, surveys, student artifacts, field notes, and pre-and post-test measures. The study analyzed students' musical self-confidence inventories and examined the effects of a twenty-first-century student-centered curriculum over six weeks. This curriculum emphasized …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 1st Grade - National Holidays, Samantha Johnson, Branyel Anderson, Riley Madden

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

This unit is complete with a daily Instructional Guide for teachers, turnkey student-facing materials, lists of or links to any necessary resources not created by the authors, and a post-assessment.

Vocational Education And Training In Finnish Open Prisons: A Multilevel Approach To Young Incarcerated People’S Barriers To Participation, Jaakko Hyytiä, Paula Alanen

Journal of Prison Education Research

Having relevant skills and education are considered the best indicators of reintegration into society after release from prison, but majority of young, incarcerated people have a lower education level and participate less in education compared to the same age population at large. This article focuses on finding solutions for overcoming the barriers to prison education in Finland. We explored those barriers, asking: What are the perceptions and experiences of barriers to education among prisoner-students, educators, and other professionals engaged in vocational prison education in Finland? The research data consists of 29 interviews of vocational education and training (VET) students (11), …

The Effects Of Online Chemistry-Themed Design-Based Stem Education On Preservice Science Teachers’ Stem Awareness, Emine Sahin Topalcengiz, Burcin Acar-Sesen

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study investigated the impact of Chemistry-Focused Online Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teacher education on the awareness of STEM among preservice science teachers. A one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental weak design was used to determine changes in preservice teachers’ STEM awareness. During the study, a 14-week Chemistry-Focused Online STEM course was provided to preservice science teachers. As part of this course, the theoretical knowledge about STEM was explained to students, and afterward, they completed two modules. Furthermore, preservice teachers also developed their chemistry-themed STEM lesson plans at the beginning of the course, after explaining theoretical knowledge about STEM at the …

Reflections And Revelations In Autoethnography: A Review Of Meaningful Journeys Of Quest And Identity Transformation, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

In this review of—Meaningful Journeys: Autoethnographies of Quest and Identity Transformation, edited by Alec Grant, Ph.D., and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lloyd-Parkes, Ph.D., I have made an effort to offer my evaluation that explores the autoethnographies of quest and identity transformation (Grant & Lloyd-Parkes, 2024). The book presents a curated anthology of personal ethnographic narratives, each grounded in the foundational concepts, philosophical insights, and linguistic roots of “journeying,” “questing,” and both ancient and contemporary interpretations of “pilgrimage.” As an autoethnographer, even during the different phases of life—personal and professional—I have been through the different roots of transformation, and now, at …

Teaching Shakespeare In Prison, Renford Reese, Rachel Tracie

Journal of Prison Education Research

The Prison Education Project (PEP) offers life skills and academic courses in 30 correctional facilities in California. Founded in 2011, PEP uses university student and faculty volunteers to teach a range of 32 introductory courses during three seven-week semesters: Fall, Spring, Summer. One of PEP’s most popular courses is the “Introduction to Shakespeare” course. This article examines the impact of teaching an “Introduction to Shakespeare” course in prison. This course introduces in-custody students to the literary interpretation of Shakespeare in the context of their own lived experience. Students in this course deconstruct the use of language and analyze the social, …

Reflecting On, Resetting, And Reimagining Schools In The Post-Pandemic Context: A Case Study In Rural Vermont, Rachel A. Glickman

Dissertation Collection

This qualitative study examines the experiences of public elementary teachers and school leaders to better understand the shifting of educational priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants share ideas and practices while taking action steps and making recommendations to improve teaching and learning. The research incorporates both case study and action research approaches through a critical inquiry process that centers the voices of those on the front lines of education. This study contributes to the field of Comparative and International Education (CIE) using the original conceptual framework of Institutional Border Theory of Education (IBTE). IBTE draws on pre-existing foundational theories of …

Factors Influencing Teacher Retention In K-12 Public Schools In Rural Hawai’I As Perceived By K-12 Public School Teachers, Celeste Akiu

Dissertations

Purpose. This qualitative study aimed to identify and describe the factors influencing teacher retention in K-12 public schools in rural Hawai’i, as perceived by K-12 public school teachers examined within the framework of Mason and Matas’ (2015) conceptualization of four capital factors: human, social, structural, and positive psychological. Methodology. This qualitative study intended to identify factors that influenced teachers in rural Hawai’ian communities to remain in the profession. Convenience purposeful sampling was used to identify the nine teachers who participated in this study. The Four Capital Framework for Teacher Retention was used to guide the questions used in the interviews, …

Ecopedagogy In Action: The Landfill Project, Marriah Geels

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is an art education action research project that analyzes how an interdisciplinary ecopedagogical curriculum experience may impact student perspectives on waste (specifically trash) and the human impact on the environment. The four-week curriculum incorporated choice-based art education, place-based education, and slow pedagogy to better understand how students’ perspectives changed or remained constant throughout. This curriculum was taught to four class periods in a high school setting with about 34 students in 9-12th grade. Qualitative data collection included a pre and post-survey, visual journals, classroom observations, artist statements, and artwork. Through the analysis of Pre/Post Surveys by utilizing hybrid coding …

Leavers And Movers: Turnover Of Music Teachers In Nebraska, Christian G. Schuerman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The purpose of this study was to determine if the rates of music teachers leaving the teaching profession and changing schools were significantly different than those of teachers of other content areas in the state of Nebraska. This study used data from the previous nine years of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Education Directory in order to find results for the entire population. Results indicated that music teachers leave the profession at similar rates as teachers of other content areas, but move schools at significantly higher rates.

Advisor: Robert H. Woody