Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Memorization: Developing Three-Dimensional Assessments For Earth Science Through The Carbon Cycle Unit, Stephanie Kay

Masters Projects

This Master's project addresses the critical need for improved assessment strategies in science education, particularly within the context of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Traditional summative assessments, often relying on multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions, frequently fail to evaluate students' higher-level thinking and comprehensive understanding as required by the NGSS's three-dimensional learning framework (science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas). This disconnect can hinder accurate student knowledge evaluation and limit the development of essential 21st-century skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. The project aims to enhance effective assessment by developing a high school Earth Science unit …

The Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Curricula: A Moral Obligation, Kira I. Vasquez

Masters Projects

Culturally responsive education has long been accepted as critical to supporting students’ academic, social and emotional success at school–particularly for those from historically marginalized communities. Under the current presidential administration, however, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have come under attack, and many educators avoid their professional and moral obligation to implement culturally responsive curriculum for fear of political and professional repercussions. Grounded in Gloria Ladson-Billing’s theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and Gholdy Muhammad’s framework of Culturally and Historically Responsive Education (CHRE), this project aims to reaffirm the value of culturally responsive teaching and learning. Chapter One outlines the problem, …

Making The Macc: Communities Of Practice And Cultural Citizenship In Austin, Texas, Cassie Lynn Smith

Anthropology ETDs

Meaningful community engagement is a challenge for local governments without a thorough understanding of constituents’ histories and their relationship with City government. This dissertation investigates the City of Austin’s (COA) Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) in Austin, Texas, to understand how this culture and arts institution engages with and is influenced by its patrons. This study analyzes the role of the MACC’s community of practice (Lave and Wenger 1991)—an evolving group of educators, activists, artists, and COA staff—in shaping public policy and educational programming as well as creating places of belonging for marginalized people in the city. …

Deaf Black Youth's Narratives About Identity And Education, Dominic A. Harrison

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study is significant in exploring the different ways in which Deaf Black youth construct their identities through the use of narrative inquiry. Educators of Deaf youth should acknowledge how the identity journeys of Deaf Black youth are often affected by the school and home communities. This research employed narrative inquiry to understand how Deaf Black youth construct their identities as Black Deaf individuals. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework with the guidance of Intersectionality and Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) lenses, the study specifically examined four Deaf Black youth’s narratives to highlight how they construct and …

Essays On The Economics Of Education Policy, Stephen Owusu

Economics ETDs

The first chapter of this dissertation evaluates the impact of Ghana’s Capitation Grant Scheme, a government education policy that provides direct funding to public schools to eliminate primary school fees, on both the short- and long-term numeracy and literacy skills of children intended to be treated. The findings suggest that free primary education may exacerbate language competition in linguistically discordant societies. In the second chapter, we find that, even without complementary infrastructural expansion, an additional year of official secondary schooling positively affects secondary and post-secondary educational outcomes. The third chapter investigates the relationship between secondary education length reform and reproductive …

Spanish Language Arts Guerreras Y Guerreros: Narratives Of Figured Worlds On Pedagogy, Lucha, E Identidad, Mishelle L. Jurado

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This dissertation explores how Spanish Language Arts (SpanLA) teachers in dual language high school programs construct and narrate their identities through pedagogical choices. Using critical narrative inquiry and the theoretical lens of figured worlds (Holland et al., 1998), the study centers the lived experiences of bilingual educators who resist deficit perspectives and reimagine their classrooms as spaces of cultural affirmation, linguistic justice, and transformative pedagogy. Data sources include semi-structured interviews, teacher-selected artifacts, and focus groups. Findings reveal that SpanLA educators enact linguistically and culturally nourishing pedagogies, rooted in ancestral memory, critical consciousness, and a commitment to student agency. These educators …

14-Year Retrospective Review Of Audiology Graduate Admission Data: Comparative Analysis With Other First Professional Health Programs, Alyssa R. Needleman, Patricia A. Gaffney, Erica B. Friedland, Josiah Alamu

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Demographic and cognitive data on students entering audiology programs is incomplete, and there is a lack of comparison among audiology students and those entering other first professional health (FPH) programs. This paper is the first of a multi-part series to provide evidence into the characteristics of the typical audiology student and their graduate outcomes. This is valuable for improving recruiting, admissions, retention, and success rates of audiology programs. A comprehensive descriptive analysis of admission criteria was performed for students who entered the NSU Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program over the last 14 years. Additionally, NSU admissions data was compared …

Teachers’ Talk About Children’S Texts, Sarah J. Mccarthey, Ngan Vu, Jiadi Zhang

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Using a framework for discourses about writing, the qualitative study investigates teachers’ discussions about student texts during focus group sessions. The setting was a small, private school with a diverse student population and teachers who shared an approach to teaching. Their discussions focused on aspects of student writing including word choice and voice; learning to write within genres such as narrative, opinion, and poetry; and writing for an audience. Teachers valued multimodality by emphasizing how pictures and text can support one another throughout the writing process. The data reflect teachers’ knowledge of the students as writers and their cultural and …

“I Have Never Enjoyed Writing…” Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Divergent Perspectives And Responding To Student Writing, Nicole M. Martin, Lisa K. Hawkins, Jennifer Cooper Mrs.

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Understanding of pre-service teachers’ [PSTs’] growth in practice is foundational to making the most of available opportunities in writing teacher preparation programs. We sought to examine differences in PSTs’ changes in reading and responding to student writing when their perspectives diverge from each other. Three PSTs enrolled in one learning-to-teach-writing course participated. Our comparisons of PSTs’ initial and end-of-semester reading and responding revealed varied changes within their core practice. PSTs’ variations displayed alignment to their divergent writing attitudes and beliefs. The results highlight the need for more nuanced attention to PSTs' growth in practice in future writing teacher preparation coursework.

Combining Bibliotherapy And Dialogue Journaling In A Fourth-Grade Book Club: Impact On Students’ Writing Apprehension, Leah A. Bryars, Bethanie C. Pletcher

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article presents the qualitative findings derived from a larger convergent-parallel mixed methods study that explored the outcomes of a bibliotherapy and dialogue journaling intervention on the writing apprehension of eight fourth-grade student participants in an after-school book club. In addition to transcripts of dialogue journal entries, other qualitative data included survey responses from the fourth-grade language arts teachers, field notes, and a post-intervention focus group interview. The qualitative data set was transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emergent themes. Qualitative findings suggested that the student participants demonstrated increased confidence and were in the process of developing more positive attitudes toward …

Synthesizing Co-Reading Behaviors: Insights From Graduate Students’ Experience And A Rapid Scoping Review, Watcharasak Sudla, Wannee Kaemkate

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Collaborative reading of research articles is essential for graduate students to develop academic reading skills through peer engagement in knowledge sharing, reflection, and feedback. However, limited information exists about the behaviors indicative of co-reading practices. This study aims to identify behavioral indicators and social participation in students’ co-reading of research articles.

Methods: In this study, we integrated key behavioral indicators of co-reading based on data from interviews with 23 graduate students and a rapid scoping review. The collected data were then subjected to content analysis and data visualization.

Results: The findings categorize individuals involved in co-reading into six groups: …

Fostering Meaningful Learning: Experiences Of Linguistically Diverse Trainers In Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Professional Development, Anna Howell

Dissertations and Theses

Linguistically diverse trainers play a critical role in reshaping professional development (PD) within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), yet their contributions remain marginalized within English-dominant institutional structures. This qualitative study explored how these trainers define and deliver meaningful learning experiences despite systemic barriers, limited resources, and monolingual policies. Grounded in critical constructivism, the research centered the lived experiences and voices of linguistically diverse trainers across multiple contexts. Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared how they co-constructed relational, culturally grounded, and linguistically affirming PD environments rooted in community knowledge and emotional connection. Findings reveal that meaningful learning occurs when training reflects …

(Arise) Achievements In Research, Inquiry And Scholarship Exhibition 2025, Office Of Undergraduate Research

(ARISE) Achievements in Research, Inquiry and Scholarship Exhibition

Conference held at John A. Delaney Student Union on July 25, 2025

Creating Learning Bridges: Redesigning Homework Within The Framework Of Multiple Intelligences, Vasileios Zagkotas

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The article explores the application of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to homework and the potential of this approach to enhance the educational experience. Through a pilot application in philological subjects in Greek secondary education, the article presents the Homework Toolkit for Cultivating Multiple Intelligences, which offers various activities adapted to different types of intelligence. The findings from the case study research indicated that applying multiple intelligence theory to homework design improved academic performance, responsibility, and student collaboration, while also enhancing critical thinking and creativity. The results indicate that designing homework based on multimodal learning can reform the learning …

Trans* Educators In Early Childhood Through Secondary (Pk-12) Schools: An Exhaustive Literature Review, Chris Cyan Divens

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This literature review provides documentation and analysis for 22 years of empirical, English-language research on trans* educators in early childhood through secondary (PK-12) education. A total of 87 publications from six different continents provide a basis for researchers and policymakers interested in better understanding this historically marginalized population. Findings include a diverse array of methodological and theoretical approaches as well as several meta-level findings concerning the varied circumstances of trans* educators. There is a need for additional research to address persistent gaps as well as for sweeping policy change and collective action to improve the unacceptable conditions of trans* educators.

"Are You My Counselor?" A Call To Action How Latinx General Counselors Can Support Latinx Student Retention Rates At California Community College Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Valentín García Cabrera

Dissertations

Latinx students comprise the largest population within the California Community College (CCC) system, but experience disproportionately lower retention rates. This dissertation used a phenomenological qualitative design and testimonios collected from Latinx general counselors to explore factors influencing Latinx student retention. Sixteen tenured Latinx general counselors from ten Northern California Hispanic-serving community colleges served as participants. Guided by two research questions, the study explored counselors’ perspectives on the factors influencing Latinx community college students’ retention and the counseling strategies, services, and resources that General Counseling Departments should provide to support Latinx student retention. Grounded in Latinx Critical Race Theory, the study …

Cultura Y Corazón: Latina Elementary School Principals Leading Schools, Mariana M. Alvarez

Dissertations

This qualitative participatory study focused on understanding the experiences of Latina elementary school principals on their pathway to school leadership and how cultural intuition and community cultural wealth influence their approaches to school leadership. Chicana Feminist Epistemology (CFE) and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) framed the study, while testimonio y pláticas served as the methodological framework. The concept of Community Cultural Wealth served as an analytical framework. Students of color often feel their histories, experiences, and languages are undervalued in education. Participants in this study shared challenges in navigating school, coming from families that valued education but faced barriers. Their …

Cultivating Belonging: Empowering Hispanic Parents In The U.S. Education System, Kalpana Galagali

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of Hispanic families at Bay Area Middle School and the strategies I employed to create a sense of belonging and support for both students and their families. Key strategies included fostering effective communication through Spanish interpreters, celebrating cultural traditions, and organizing inclusive events like the annual cultural fair. Parents expressed gratitude for the personal attention their children received and noted how these initiatives positively impacted their sense of belonging. The findings highlight that cultural integration and community-building efforts significantly enhanced family engagement, transforming perceptions of the school environment from feelings of disconnection to appreciation …

Stories Of California Mini-Corps Tutors: Exploring The Experiences Of Bilingual Latinx Early Preservice Teachers, Norma Rueda Santillanez

Dissertations

Restrictive language policies and practices in schools have racialized the experiences of bilingual Latinx early preservice teachers (EPSTs), leading many to internalize the belief that their language and culture are not valued. These deficit-based messages often influence their personal development and emerging professional identities. Despite the volume of scholarship about this pattern, little research has explored how this internalization shapes EPSTs’ perspectives as they move from being multilingual students educated in English-only environments to future credential program students and bilingual teachers. This critical qualitative case study examined this process as students engaged in school-based fieldwork through the California Mini-Corps program …

Teachers' Perspectives On Teacher Retention In Early Childhood Programs, Christopher Lavon Curry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Midwestern state, teacher shortages have intensified the retention challenges of prekindergarten and kindergarten (PreK–K) teachers in early childhood (EC) programs. The problem addressed in this study was the retention of PreK–K teachers in EC programs and schools at the local level. Grounded in dual-factor and coping-competence- context theories, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perspectives of the factors affecting the retention of PreK–K teachers in EC programs at the local level. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 PreK–K teachers in a Midwestern state, who had a minimum of 3 years of …

Rooted In Justice: International School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Development, Joseph Weatherby-Teague

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown a characteristic of effective teachers in international schools (ISTs) is cultural awareness and responsiveness (Grant et al., 2024), but there is a lack of research on ISTs and social justice development and ISTs in Qatar. This qualitative study (Smith et al., 2022) analyzed the perceptions of ISTs in Qatar about social justice professional development they participated in between 2019 and 2024 and how they implemented professional development in their practice. Using frameworks on justice as praxis and teacher education for social justice (Bondy et. al, 2017; Cochran-Smith, 2010), this study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis to conduct …

If We Must, We Must: A Better Way To Utilize Placement Exams, Samantha Bravo

Masters Theses (Archived)

College placement exams have been part of a student’s continuing education journey for many years. In a state like Texas, who has had a very extensive and dynamic history in regard to education assessment, students wishing to enter into college must take a state specific college placement exam. Is this state specific placement instrument helping its students? Texas pioneered a shift to a college and career ready focused state curriculum, so does this focused curriculum prepare students for the state college placement exam? How can this potentially be used in a way that can better serve its students? By analyzing …

Exploring Higher Education Faculty Experiences With Artificial Intelligence: A Case Study, Keisha Pierre-Stephen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of higher education educators integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, in curriculum work conducted within a university setting, focusing specifically on faculty members. The theory guiding this study was the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which presented a window for understanding the integration of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge in educational practices. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences and perceptions of higher education faculty members at an urban university on the West Coast of the United States regarding students' use …

Subject Area Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Reading Instruction On Middle School Reading Skill Development: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Rachel Guiel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This discovery of subject area teachers' perceptions of the influence of reading instruction and reading skill development on middle school students' reading comprehension is the theme of this phenomenological study. A subject area teacher was defined as someone who teaches history, science, math, and Bible classes. Middle school students were defined as six, seventh, and eighth-grade students. Reading skill development was defined as vocabulary instruction, background knowledge, and the implementation of flexible reading groups. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory, as it describes learning coming before language development, language being the main tool of thought, and …