Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Exploring Middle School Special Education Teachers’ Experiences In Their Undergraduate Preparation Programs, Alfredia D. Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceived effectiveness of undergraduate educator preparation programs for special education teachers in middle schools in central Georgia. The theory guiding this study was transformative learning, as proposed by, which explored adult learning and the ways individuals reflected on experiences to shift their perspectives and develop new understandings. The central research question asked: How did middle school special education teachers perceive the effectiveness of their undergraduate preparation programs in relation to their current teaching responsibilities? This transcendental phenomenological study included 10 middle school special education teachers in central Georgia. Data were …

Improvisation, Ear Training, And Sight-Reading Ability In Class Piano Students, Kimberly Witt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sight-reading is considered an essential functional piano skill for music majors and a component of keyboard proficiency exams in the university setting. While many studies have been completed on sight-reading over the years, research on developing sight-reading as a skill is lacking or incomplete. Additionally, conflicting results among studies have created uncertainty about how to develop sight-reading as a skill. Developing sight-reading skills is crucial for class piano students who need functional piano skills relevant to their future profession. Studying the correlation between improvisation, aural skills, and sight-reading development may show how sight-reading can be built as a skill and …

Exploring Social Cognitive Learning In Simulation-Enhanced Interprofessional Education: A Case Study, William Nicholas Vasios Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single-case design study is to explore the impact of observational and vicarious learning during simulation-enhanced interprofessional education (Sim-IPE) on the confidence and perceived self-efficacy of nursing students and IM residents at a southeastern university. Guided by Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory, which addresses the personnel, behavioral, and environmental factors of Sim-IPE, while answering the central research question: How does observational and vicarious learning during Sim-IPE impact participant confidence and perceived self-efficacy? This qualitative single-case study was conducted at a university in the southeastern United States, using data collected through visual confidence analog scale surveys, interviews, and …

Differences In Private School Leadership Styles Based On North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Participation Status And Geographic Setting: A Causal-Comparative Study, Tahira Copland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study examined whether leadership style differs between private school leaders of North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship participating schools and nonparticipating schools in urban and rural geographic settings. This study is important because the rapid expansion of school voucher programs has implications for the accessibility and effectiveness of private schools now serving larger numbers of recipients. This study adds to the literature on the behaviors of private school leaders in the context of school vouchers in distinct settings. The study comprised a convenience sample of 89 North Carolina private school leaders recruited statewide who were at least 18 years …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Communication Competence Among Adult English As A Second Language Learners Taught Using Communicative, Content-Based, And Task-Based Instruction, Aymen Al-Dujaili

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine how English as a second language curriculum and instruction strategies impact interpersonal communication competence among adult learners. This study addresses gaps in the literature by investigating differences in interpersonal communication competence among adult ESL learners taught using communicative, content-based, and task-based instruction, providing empirical evidence to inform educators, policymakers, and employers. The sample consisted of 159 ESL adult learners. Instrumentation included the Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale to assess interpersonal communication competence, a Likert-scale survey to evaluate the potential effects of their communication style. Data collection involved recruiting ESL adult learners, …

Exploring Missouri Teachers’ Experiences Regarding Rti Support Teams Before A Special Education Referral: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Malinka L. Buchanan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to interpret the lived experiences of elementary classroom teachers on Response to Intervention (RTI) support teams as part of a special education pre-referral process within a public school in Missouri. I used purposeful and snowball sampling to select elementary teachers who have participated on an RTI support team. The theory guiding this study is Bruner’s constructivist theory, as it relates to both pre-referral interventions and support teams, with the idea that the learning process happens as people construct their knowledge through creating relationships to prior knowledge, practicing trial and error, and growing …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of The Differences Existing Between Elementary, Middle, And High School Faculty And Staff Members Perceptions Of Their Mtss/Rti Skills, Vanessa F. Harriman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to explore the relationships between the independent variable, school level (elementary, middle, high), and the dependent variables of faculty and staff perceptions of his/her own ability to implement MTSS/RTI when applied to academic content (Null Hypothesis One), behavioral content (Null Hypothesis Two), and the construction and use of data displays (Null Hypothesis Three). This study was critical because it added to the literature concerning MTSS/RTI implementation in middle and high schools while comparing their data to elementary schools. This study used a convenience sample of faculty and staff of public-school districts in …

Sport Is The New Religion? Speculations In A Time Of Profound Cultural Change, Richard M. Rymarz

Journal of Catholic Education

Utilizing a narrative approach, this article begins with an indicative account of how religion and sport are related in a particular context. This narrative is a prelude to a closer examination of the decline of religion in contemporary culture. Religion is conceptualized following Durkheim. Its decline, using sources such as Berger, Luckmann, and Stoltz, is simply explained by using powerful descriptors such as loss of ritualized practice, secular competition, and diminishing plausibility. A second narrative is offered as a departure point for the oft-discussed maxim that sport is the new religion. Rather than one being seen as a substitute for …

Reading Comprehension Success For Multilingual Learners, Meilian Wang

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLs) often struggle with reading comprehension as they simultaneously develop English language proficiency and learn grade-level academic content. Although research has identified effective instructional strategies for supporting ML reading comprehension, many general education teachers feel underprepared to implement these strategies effectively. This project examines the research-based approaches for supporting ML’s reading comprehension while addressing the need for sustained professional learning and instructional coaching for classroom teachers. The literature reviewed in this project focuses on sociocultural theory, translanguaging, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). There will be additional research-based instructional strategies such as explicit vocabulary …

Csdeep Learning Seminar: Connecting Students, Faculty, And Alumni To Promote A Creative Path To Success, Chao-Yang Lee, Emily Jones

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

What do the best college students do to cultivate their intellectual and personal development? How does learning type lead to professional success and personal fulfillment? We report the design and implementation of a seminar in which undergraduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders collaborated with peers, faculty, and alumni to explore the meaning and application of deep learning. Participants examined how learning type shapes college experience through book discussions and conversations with alumni. Feedback from participants suggests that the book discussions and alumni conversations broadened the students’ perspective on learning type, purpose of college education, and success and failure. The …

Political Linguistics And Epistemic Agency: Universal Write Publications And The Defense Of Global Black Knowledge, Ayo Sekai

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

As linguistic erasure intensifies across the African world, the preservation of African-centered knowledge systems has become both a scholarly and political imperative. This article examines the relationship between linguistic imperialism, epistemic agency, and scholarly sovereignty through the intellectual trajectory of Dr. Ayo Sekai, political linguist and founder of Universal Write Publications (UWP), a Black woman–owned academic press dedicated to culturally grounded scholarship. Expanding traditional understandings of linguistic imperialism, Dr. Sekai advances political linguistics beyond structural language dominance to examine who holds linguistic power and how that power operates through dog whistle politics, signaling terms, and policy language code—discursive patterns embedded …

Explicit Reading Comprehension Instruction: Developing An Evidence-Based Resource Guide For Upper Elementary Teachers, Amanda M. Moser

Masters Projects

Reading comprehension is a complex process that requires more than accurate decoding and word recognition. Many elementary students benefit from explicit instruction in the cognitive, linguistic, and metacognitive processes that support comprehension. The purpose of this project was to examine research on reading comprehension and develop evidence-based instructional resources for upper elementary teachers. The theoretical framework for this project draws on four perspectives: the Constructive-Integration Model (Kintsch, as discussed in Conner et al., 2016), Transactional Theory (Rosenblatt, 1978), Sociocultural Theory (Vygotsky, as discussed in Palincsar et al., 1987), and the Active View of Reading (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Collectively, these …

Modernizing Career Counseling In Counselor Education: A Conceptual Exploration, Yuhyun Park, Se Hoon Kim, Rasheed Adeyemo, Sarah Ebner, Mallory Redmond, Breeana Donayre, Carly Steves

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Career development is often confined to a single course despite its relevance across counseling practice. This conceptual article reframes it as an integrative foundation for counselor preparation, supervision, and professional identity. It examines connections among work, mental health, education, disability, relationships, and social context across counseling specializations. The article also considers doctoral training and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in career-related practice. Recommendations address curriculum design, supervision, and future research on integrated career preparation.

Political Interest And News Media Literacy Among University Students: Case Of The U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2023), Nhat Anh Nguyen, Ngoc Thuy Duong Le

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

In today’s complex media environment, the ability to critically evaluate news plays an essential role in shaping political interest, especially among youth. Although media literacy has been extensively investigated in relation to civic outcomes, the particular link between news media literacy (NML) and political interest is still little known. This paper investigates this link among Vietnamese university students by means of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as a prominent foreign policy instance. Drawing on Potter’s (2004) cognitive model and Maksl et al.'s (2015) NML scale, this study primarily employs a quantitative approach using survey data (N = 410), complemented by …

A Systematized Review On Key Considerations For Trauma Informed Practices For K-12 Students Experiencing Trauma That Impact Behavioral Outcomes, Sarah Caufield

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Across different socioeconomic statuses, geographic locations, and racial or ethnic backgrounds, trauma can affect students in nearly every school across the U.S. While children show vastly different behavioral responses to these experiences of trauma, their experiences affect their behavior in the classroom and, in turn, their ability to succeed academically. Ultimately, the goal of this systematized review was to answer the question, “what are key considerations for trauma informed practices for K-12 students experiencing trauma that impact behavioral outcomes?”. This was done through a systematized review of current literature and studies in surrounding interventions to use with students who have …

Building Fluent Readers: Developing Comprehensive Reading Fluency In K-2 Classrooms, Erika Yersak

Masters Projects

Despite extensive research establishing reading fluency as essential to literacy development, many early elementary students fail to achieve grade-level fluency, compromising their reading comprehension and academic success.  Fluency instruction has been narrowed to measuring reading speed, dismissed beyond third grade, and taught as an isolated skill disconnected from authentic reading across content areas.  While research demonstrates that fluency encompasses accuracy, automaticity, and prosody and should be integrated meaningfully across disciplines, many K-2 teachers lack practical resources and guidance for implementing comprehensive fluency instruction in their classrooms.

To address this gap, this project presents a research-based fluency integration guidebook for K-2 …

Community School Hubs: A Path To Literacy For English Learners And Families, Elizabeth Ortiz-Wright

The Reading Professor

This qualitative narrative study examined the perceptions of community school hub members and Hispanic English learner parents at an elementary school in a suburban district. Eighty-four percent of the students at the study site were economically disadvantaged. The inquiry drew on sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to explore how these hubs support families. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and field observations and analyzed using Quirkos software. The findings demonstrate the overall value of community school hubs in addressing basic needs, increasing the potential for academic success. However, a significant lack of clarity exists; many parents were unaware …

Beyond The Deficit Lens: Black Family Literacy As Social, Cultural, And Historical Practice: Implications For Literacy Teacher Education, Tasean D. Baldwin

The Reading Professor

Literacy education in the United States has long centered on standardized English and formal classroom instruction. While intended as a universal benchmark, this approach systematically overlooks and delegitimizes the rich literacy history and traditions rooted in Black families and communities. Through the application of frameworks such as New Literacy Studies, Gee's Theory of Discourse Communities, Yosso's Community  Cultural Wealth model, and Critical Race Theory, this article reframes Black family literacy through a social, cultural, and historical lens. It is forged and perpetuated by resistance to racial oppression, through the intergenerational exchange of knowledge, and oral traditions within the community. This …

Interrupting The Retention Cycle: The Impact Of Relationship-Centered One-To-One Literacy Tutoring On Affective And Cognitive Outcomes For At-Risk Third-Grade Readers, Amy Nussbaum

The Reading Professor

Third grade serves as a critical literacy benchmark in Indiana, where students who do not pass the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment may face retention. The consequences of retention are particularly pronounced for students living in high-poverty communities, where inequitable access to literacy opportunities often compounds existing academic challenges. This article examines a six-week, relationship-centered literacy intervention implemented at an underserved Catholic school in South Bend, Indiana. Through a partnership with Tutor-ND, trained community tutors provided one-to-one, evidence-based literacy instruction to students at risk of retention following unsuccessful performance on IREAD. Drawing upon research related to high-impact tutoring, …

Beyond The Label: Investigating The Relationship Between Ell Placement And Teacher Expectations For Academic Rigor, Bruce A. Torff, Audrey Figueroa Murphy

The Reading Professor

Urban teachers (N=142) completed a survey assessing how placement of English learners in common pedagogical settings that vary in ESL models (self-contained, pull-out, push-in, bilingual, and dual language) was associated with teachers' beliefs about rigor of curriculum. Teachers significantly favored low-Critical Thinking (CT) curricular activities over high-CT ones consistent with "rigor gap" research showing that teachers tend to view ELLs in need of low-CT curriculum. Beliefs consistent with the rigor gap also emerged within the ELL population, based on placements. Teachers preferred curriculum tilted toward low-CT instruction for students with the greatest challenges--those given the most ESL-sequestered placements (self-contained and …

The Effects Of Using Home Language Vs English In Teaching Safety Skills, Emma Ruiz

Thesis Projects

Cultural competence and cultural awareness are terms that have started to become more widely used when discussing how therapists impact their clients. The push for cultural competence and awareness has started to create new questions about how a client’s culture can be intertwined with the services that they are receiving. The purpose of this study was to teach a combination of basic safety skills and identify if language impacted behavior. This study utilized one participant who did not acquire the skill to stop in either language. During the experiment, a third language was added to measure control; however, responding remained …

Explicit Writing Instruction Across Content Areas: A Professional Development, Bethany B. Richardson

Masters Projects

Research shows that writing instruction has diminished in the elementary classroom due to high stakes testing in reading and math.  Writing is a driving force for literacy achievement and should be prioritized.  In order to improve writing instruction, teachers need professional development in explicit instructional strategies for writing in other content areas.  According to cognitive processing theory, students are using multiple cognitive and metacognitive processes to complete a singular writing task.  Using scaffolds like write alouds, mentor texts, and graphic organizers can help teachers support students in their writing. Scaffolding theory suggests that students need high levels of support in …

Addressing Haitian High School Students’ Educational Challenges Through Their Self-Cultural Awareness, Gregory Louis

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The study is grounded in the understanding that culturally responsive education practices can promote academic success and empower students to navigate multiple cultural contexts. A review of literature highlighted the complexities of Haitian students' educational experiences, the impact of cultural identity on academic achievement, and the need for further research on this topic.

The research employed in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Haitian high school students and their parents to gather data on their experiences, perceptions, and attitudes towards education and cultural identity. The study aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational experiences of Haitian students and inform strategies …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions About Teaching Students With Disabilities In The General Education Classroom, Mackenzie Rathburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that elementary teachers encounter challenges to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities (SWDs) in Georgia’s general education classrooms, despite policy mandates requiring inclusive education. Grounded in Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary teachers’ perceptions of the challenges they face and the resources and supports recommended to teach SWDs in general education classrooms. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 elementary general education teachers and analyzed using thematic analysis with the following six themes emerging: Teachers noted (1) instructional …

Resistance And Adaptation In Banyumas Traditional Gending: Musical Negotiation Between Cultural Preservation And Commercial Performance In Lengger And Ebeg, Darno Darno, Binarung Mahatmajangga

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study investigates the musical dynamics of Banyumas-style traditional gending within the contestation of Lengger and Ebeg performances amid the demands of modern entertainment. Using a qualitative method combining ethnomusicological and cultural-sociology perspectives, the study examines changes in musical structure and the socio-cultural forces driving them, and asks specifically: what defines Banyumas gending musicality at the level of instrumental garap (working practice); what concrete forms of adaptation and resistance are observable in contemporary performance; and how these dynamics can be read through Merriam's concept of stability and change and Bourdieu's theory of capital and field. Data were collected through in-depth …

Children Second Dialect Acquisition In North America, Iqbal Nurul Azhar, Mohammad Halili

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This article aims to examine the causes, social contributing factors, and the linguistic consequences of Second Dialect Acquisition (SDA henceforth) in children in North America, drawing on relevant articles. For children growing up in a monolingual region but then must live in a new space, acquiring second dialect can pave them to improve their communication skills, adjust their social and identity belonging. Yet why, how, and the linguistic consequence of SDA require further studies. We used the thematic synthesis in reviewing the existing related literature based on three steps: article identification, selection, and analysis. Six causes of SDA were found: …

Flexibility In Javanese Folk Performing Arts: Adaptation, Creation, And Innovation, Kiswanto Kiswanto, Paimin Paimin, Wahyu Prihatin

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

This study aims to uncover and explain the concept and model of flexibility as a mechanism for the sustainability of folk performing arts amidst conditions of social and cultural change. The study was conducted using an ethnographic approach, based on participatory and collaborative activities within the Turonggo Seto Boyolali group, and supported by data collection techniques including observation, interviews, documentation, and literature review. The results of this study indicate that flexibility is a principle and approach applied through the process of adaptation, creation, and innovation. This process is carried out to preserve and develop traditional performing arts, ensuring they continue …

Shared Equity Leadership In An Offshore Medical School: Distributing Responsibility For Equity, Vishal B. Surender, Sreekrishna Penna, Oluwabusola Osimosu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay applies the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) framework to an offshore MD program at a private Caribbean medical school where students complete basic sciences on an island and clinical clerkships across multiple international sites. Using SEL scholarship and de-identified institutional data, we ask how equity work is currently distributed, where gaps emerge in assessment, remediation, and mobility for historically underrepresented students in medicine, and how responsibility for equity might be more deliberately shared. The Woven model of SEL provides a lens to map existing structures like curriculum committees, CQI dashboards, advising systems, and clinical site partnerships. We propose a …

Reimagining Global Dei Through Adaptive Leadership: A Framework For Advancing Racial Equity In International Higher Education Partnerships, Briana C. Edwards

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Abstract

As internationalization in higher education expands through transnational research, global curricula, humanitarian training programs, and faculty mobility, discourses on diversity often remain Western-centered and detached from lived realities of structural inequity. This paper argues that adaptive leadership, grounded in mobilizing communities to confront systemic challenges in complex and uncertain environments, provides a useful pathway for rebuilding global DEI with racial equity at the center (Heifetz et al., 2009). Drawing from practice-based insight in global health, humanitarian workforce systems, HBCU models of global engagement, and higher education HR structures, the paper interrogates how colonial legacies, racial hierarchies, anti-DEI political climates, …

Knowledge Dilution And Tinted Pedagogical Dissemination: A Call For De-Colonizing Commercial Textbooks In Teacher Education For International Students, S. A. N. Zaidi, Cherian, F.V.

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how commercially produced textbooks mediate professor agency and shape the racialized and epistemic positioning of international students within a Canadian Teacher Education program. Situated within the internationalization of higher education, the study interrogates how textbook-driven curricular practices reproduce racial hierarchies, Eurocentric knowledge systems, and epistemic exclusion. The study responds to ongoing debates on race, racism, and racialization by examining how knowledge production and dissemination in classrooms may marginalize the lived experiences and intellectual contributions of international and racialized students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis in programs serving racialized and international students. …