Digital Commons Network^™

Harnessing Faith For Relational Harmony: A Black Christian Couple’S Journey Through Relational Spiritual Knowing, Kevin L. Jones, Victoria L. Jones

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This scholarship centers on the experiences of Black married Christian couples, exploring how spirituality profoundly enriches and transforms their relationships. Building on Martin Buber's philosophy of the “I-Thou” relationship, which emphasizes genuine spiritual engagement, the research highlights how this Black married couple draw on their faith to navigate marital challenges. For Black married Christian couples, spirituality often forms the foundation of their relationships, guiding them through life’s complexities. This work seeks to move beyond traditional teachings, embracing a more expansive view of spirituality that honors the rich, multifaceted nature of Black Christian marriages. Through the Relational Spiritual Knowing framework, this …

Faith In The Therapy Room: A Qualitative Study Of Canadian Immigrant Clients' Untold Stories, Sandra Dixon, Juliane Bell

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Immigration to Canada brings cultural diversity, but also stressors and challenges that impact mental well-being. Spirituality recognizes the profound significance of relational knowing, manifesting in external appreciation for meaningful experiences with others that provide purpose. Despite the importance of faith in many immigrants' lives, mental health professionals often overlook spiritual and religious convictions. This descriptive qualitative study addressed this gap by conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 immigrant clients of faith in a diverse Canadian province. Purposive and snowball sampling were used for participant recruitment. NVivo 12 software facilitated efficient data management and analysis, and Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase framework …

Pláticas On Perseverance, Presence, And Praxis: The Occupassion Of Latina Superintendents, Laura E. Solis

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study was a qualitative examination of social justice praxis and its intersections with race, gender, and other facets of the identities of eight Latina former superintendents, referred to as the mujeres. A trio of theoretical frameworks that included Chicana feminist epistemology (Delgado Bernal, 1998), Community cultural wealth, or CCW, (Yosso, 2005) and applied critical leadership, or ACL, (Santamaría & Santamaría, 2012; Santamaría, 2014) were used to analyze how personal identity informed their approaches to advance social justice in their school districts. I engaged the methodological approach of pláticas [meaningful conversations] (Fierros & Delgado Bernal, 2016) to elicit reflection on …

Equipping East African Church Planters For Evangelism And Discipleship: An Evaluation Of Oral Bible Storying Training, Cynthia A. Easton

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This training evaluation study assessed the effectiveness of an oral Bible storying training on evangelism, discipleship, and the overall efficacy of a 5-day oral Bible storying training program conducted for 40 indigenous church planter leaders (CPLs) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation framework, the study assessed training effectiveness across all four evaluation levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Through an observational learning assessment, a feedback session, and interviews conducted 6–8 weeks and 6 months after the training, the study documented the CPLs’ implementation of the method in their Christian ministries across Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda. The findings revealed …

Exploring Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions, Understanding, And Implementation Of Performance-Based Summative Assessments, Gregory A. Walkup

Dissertations

Performance-based summative assessments are increasingly emphasized as an alternative to traditional standardized testing, offering students opportunities to demonstrate learning through authentic, application-based tasks. However, there is limited research on how middle school teachers perceive and implement these assessments in their classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of middle school teachers regarding performance-based summative assessments, investigating both their understanding and the reality of classroom implementation. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis to provide a comprehensive view of teacher perspectives and practices. Through thematic analysis, four major themes emerged: Teacher Confidence and Readiness, …

Using Graphic Novels To Teach Multilingual Learner (Ml) Students, Henry Baker

Student Research Symposium

Why Graphic Novels?

Graphic novels offer an appealing way for ML students to analyze

- literary conventions

- character development

- dialogue

- Satire

- language structures as well as developing the students’ writing and research skills

Mobile Gaming For Cognitive Health In Older Adults: A Scoping Review Of App Store Applications, Jiadong Yu, Eunie Jung, D. A. Bekerian, Chelsee Osback

Pacific Faculty Work

Background: Mobile gaming applications are increasingly marketed as cognitive training tools for older adults, yet their scientific validity and accessibility remain uncertain. This scoping review evaluates their effectiveness and inclusivity. Methods: A systematic search of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store identified 227 applications, with 14 meeting inclusion criteria. Apps were assessed for scientific validity, theoretical foundation, accessibility, cognitive targeting, user engagement, and monetization models. Results: While all 14 apps claimed cognitive benefits, only one cited empirical research. None included baseline cognitive assessments or progress tracking. Accessibility was limited—eight apps had visual accommodations, but none provided auditory support. …

Exploring Teaching And Learning In Diverse Multilingual Spaces, Juliet M. Luther

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

None

Critical Language Awareness For Spanish-English Bilingual 5th Graders, Mary Hudgens Henderson

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Critical Language Awareness (CLA) instruction can and should be a part of K-12 education. This study reports on a CLA unit taught to Spanish-English bilingual 5^th graders enrolled in a dual language bilingual classroom in the southwest U.S. Scores from a pretest and three posttests administered throughout the school year were compared to peer bilingual and monolingual 5^th graders in an English-only classroom who did not participate in CLA instruction. A Mixed ANOVA repeated measures analysis found that bilingual students in the dual language bilingual classroom had high levels of CLA knowledge both before and after participating in …

Voices From The Frontline: School Leaders On Effective Communication, Abdelnasser Hosni Hussein

School Leadership Review

This qualitative cross-case study aimed to explore effective communication in suburban and urban schools. The study investigated K-12 leaders' perceptions of effective communication with parents in suburban and urban school districts. Three open-ended questions guided the research: 1) What are principals’ perceptions of effective communication with parents?, 2) What are principals’ perceptions of effective strategies of school-home communication?, and 3) What are the barriers that may obstruct effective communication between principals and families? This cross-case study is unique as it focused on school leaders' perspectives to define effective communication. Strategies, methods, and barriers were identified by participant school leaders. The …

Economic Status Of Texas Grade 8 Emergent Bilingual Students And Reading: A Pre- And Post-Pandemic Investigation, Teresa A. Dealba, John R. Slate, Clare A. Resilla

School Leadership Review

In this investigation, we examined differences in performance on the Texas state-mandated reading assessment for Emergent Bilingual students by their economic status (i.e., in poverty, not in poverty). Archival data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for Grade 8 students for the two pre-pandemic school years (2017-2018 and 2018-2019) and three post-pandemic school years (2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023). A lower percentage of Emergent Bilingual students in poverty met the Grade 8 STAAR Reading Approaches Grade Level standard than Emergent Bilingual students not in poverty. For the Meets Grade Level and Masters Grade Level standards, …

The Role Of Capital On Literacy And Second Language Acquisition: A Cross-National Comparative Study, Brenda Koumondji

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Key Context:

• Globalization has increased the demand for multilingual skills.
• Yet, language learning opportunities vary based on national education policies and socioeconomic factors.
• Language learning opportunities are shaped by social structures and vary based on economic,social, and cultural capital (ESC) (Bourdieu, 1986).

Second Language Benefits

• Economic (Brown & Lauder, 1991; Foreman-Peck & Wang, 2014)
• Cognitive and Psychological (Bialystok, 2011; Dewaele & Wei, 2012; Graham, 2017)
• Social and Cultural (Marboua et al., 2024)

Research Focus:

• Cross-national comparison of South Korea, Norway, Chile, and the U.S.

The Influence Of Field Experiences On English Language Teachers' Preparedness: An Analysis Of Teacher Education In Nigeria, Bushroh O. Animashaun

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Brief Context:

• Definition of key terms: teacher education, field experiences.
• Importance of teacher education in language education
• Challenges in the Nigerian education system
• Why focus on teacher education?

Inspire Student Research & Engagement Conference [Program] April 7-8, 2025, University Of Northern Iowa

INSPIRE Student Research & Engagement Conference Programs

A program for the INSPIRE conference where undergraduate and graduate students present their research, internship, volunteer and study abroad experiences, club activities and creative performances.

A Pilot Study On Tailored Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback For High School Chinese Language Learners, Cilei Han

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Despite a significant increase in global efforts to teach and learn Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in recent decades (Center for Applied Second Language Studies, 2010), past research reveals that CFL learners face greater challenges in writing than their peers studying AP1 Spanish, French, and German, underscoring the need for targeted writing support at the high school intermediate level (College Board, 2025). To address the gap, this mixed-methods study tailored Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback (DWCF), originally designed for college English (as a second language, ESL) writing courses, to high school intermediate CFL learners. Participants included Level IV students (n …

Short-Term Study Abroad Programs: A Sustainable Model For Community Colleges, Jorge Grajales-Díaz

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This study employed qualitative methods to explore how the UVA in Valencia Summer Program 2019/ 2021 approached instructional practices (e.g., in-class and out-of-class immersive learning activities, homestays, pre-program services, including use of L2 and culture learning strategies) to identify those features of the program design that Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) could reproduce in a new short-term study abroad designed to expand its students’ oral proficiency and cultural awareness. The study used data from Zoom interviews with faculty, administrators, and L2 participating students. The findings address the study’s purpose in describing how the UVA in Valencia Summer Program 2019/ 2021 …

Deconstructing Ideological Habits: An Analysis Of An Antiracist Place-Based Education Course, Terry John Stockton

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

White teachers enter culturally and racially diverse urban classrooms ill-prepared to teach. The resulting cultural mismatch contributes to educational disparities, including academic gaps and punitive imparities. Teacher education programs' attempts to address the gaps intend to immunize young teachers to the effects of implicit bias. However, the efforts do little to help teachers recognize how their implicit bias, in the form of ideological habits, created the need for a culturally responsive curriculum in the first place.

As part of a larger project, this study deconstructed three reflective essays assigned during an introductory place-based education course. The post-structural analysis used a …

Transforming Education With Ai: An Exploratory Study Of Faculty Insights On Chatgpt's Opportunities And Risks, Sobaih Abu Elnasr E., Mohamed Naceur Mahjoubi, Riadh Brini, Amer A. N. A. N. Al-Qutaish

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: This study explores ChatGPT adoption in higher education, highlighting both its benefits and perceived risks. Method: This research adopts an exploratory and qualitative approach to deeply analyse instructors’ perceptions regarding ChatGPT adoption in higher education. This approach is implemented via semi-structured interviews with 25 faculty members from different nationalities. Result: The findings reveal that ChatGPT improves academic performance, research activities, and training, but also raises concerns about technology dependency, ethical implications, and diminished human interaction. Conclusion: Faculty members emphasize the need for thoughtful and balanced integration of this technology to maximize its benefits while minimizing its potential risks.

The Promethean Promise: Understanding And Responding To The Educational Aspirations Of Black People In The Us, Seventy Years After Brown, Joaquín M.S. Noguera, Pedro A. Noguera

School of Education Faculty Works

In this paper, we use Prometheus and his perpetual punishment to draw attention to the historic role Black people have played in U.S. education and contemplate the state of education for Black people 70 years after the Brown decision. We note the parallels between the period of reconstruction to the current period and use a case study of a school in Oakland, California to draw attention to a community-based response to the unfulfilled promise of the historic Brown decision. Our hope is that the case study can be used to undertake similar initiatives.

Measures Of Verbal Comprehension Patterns In Autistic Females, Savanna Leigh Parady

Theses and Dissertations

Although a rapidly growing body of scientific literature is leading to more understanding of autistic traits in women and girls, their diagnosis continues to occur at later ages. Diagnosis received at later ages limits access to early intervention and related positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to add data to the weight of evidence approach in differential diagnosis of autism in females and other underserved groups. Specifically, I set out to identify patterns between verbal comprehension tasks measuring vocabulary knowledge (crystallized knowledge) and analogous verbal comprehension (similarities) tasks drawing on additional cognitive abilities. Verbal analogy tasks measure knowledge …

Review Of Perspectives On Good Writing In Applied Linguistics And Tesol, Jennifer E. Eidum

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Efl Essay Writing: Grammatical Accuracy And Productivity, Yoshimasa Ogawa

Journal of Response to Writing

This study explored a way to help Japanese university students write longer essays while maintaining grammatical accuracy. Participants were three groups of students enrolled in a one-year EFL course in consecutive academic years (N = 111), and the number of words they wrote in 30 minutes and the number of errors made per 100 words were compared. To improve the participants’ grammatical accuracy, comprehensive coded feedback (e.g., Bonilla, et al., 2018, 2021; Hartshorn, et al., 2010) and selective metalinguistic explanation (e.g., Bitchener & Knoch, 2010; Sheen, 2007) were provided on the 12 paragraphs/essays they submitted. The first, sixth, and …

Two Sides Of The Same Coin: Efl Students’ Emotions Towards Teacher Written Feedback On L2 Writing, Hieu Manh Do, Han Nguyen

Journal of Response to Writing

L2 writing, known as a cognitively demanding process, has also been perceived to encompass emotional aspects for L2 writers, as they tend to exhibit various feelings towards teacher feedback on their writing performance. The current study therefore explored EFL Vietnamese students’ emotions toward teacher-written feedback and how their emotions were perceived to impact their engagement and writing performance during the writing process. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the involvement of college Vietnamese students after their essays and teacher feedback were collected. The results showed variations in students’ emotions were found at different rounds of teacher-written feedback, which were …

Exploring Efl Teachers’ Beliefs About Strategy, Scope And Focus In Written Corrective Feedback, Jiahe Gu, Erhan Aslan

Journal of Response to Writing

Effective written feedback is crucial to student learning and fostering writing skills. Responding to student writing is a multi-faceted and complex process which requires a more nuanced understanding in second language writing research. This study explored teachers’ beliefs and practices about written feedback may be influenced by a range of factors. Data were collected from four middle-school English teachers in China via stimulated recall tasks and semi-structured interviews reflecting retrospectivly on how and why teachers gave feedback to student writing. Findings revealed intersections between feedback strategy and learner proficiency level; feedback scope and time constraints and teacher workload; and feedback …

Addressing Significant Disproportionality In Special Education, Lori L. Ginn-O'Keefe

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Lori L. Ginn-O’Keefe on April 2, 2025.

Addressing Significant Disproportionality In Special Education, Margretta G. Cottle-Hylton, Lori L. Ginn-O'Keefe

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Margretta G. Cottle Hylton and Lori L. Ginn-O’Keefe Garrison on April 2, 2025.

Uncovering Complicated Narratives And Nurturing Black Joy -- A Critical Race Exploration Of The K-12 Educational Experiences Of Black College Students, Jenell G. Jackson

LMU Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research on the educational experiences of Black students in predominantly White rural/suburban settings. This qualitative study, grounded in Black joy (Lewis-Giggetts, 2022) as a central concept, draws on Critical Race Theory (CRT) (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Solórzano, 1997), Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit) (Dumas & ross, 2016), and an endarkened feminist epistemological perspective (Dillard, 2000). It examined the K-12 educational experiences of Black college students in rural/suburban settings, focusing on how these experiences shaped their sense of belonging, positive racial identities, and the support systems and barriers they encountered, as revealed through interviews. Findings revealed that the experiences …

Volume 11 Issue 1 Complete Issue

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Faculty Messages: The Moderating Role Of Internationalized Status And Gender, Geoffrey Luurs, Ismail Karabas, Brittany Wood

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Email is a tool used often for developing rapport between students and teachers. A professor’s email mistakes may affect the attributions students make about the professor’s competence and professionalism. This study used an experimental, between-subjects design to analyze the impact of professors’ typographical mistakes during initial email interactions and the moderating role of instructor demographics in those perceptions. The final sample consisted of 426 participants (64.6% female, 75.8% Caucasian) across eight universities representing five regions of the United States. The results of this study showed instructor’s email mistakes do lead to negative perceptions. Furthermore, it showed a professor’s internationalized status …

The Impact Of Long Covid On Language Proficiency Across Different School Levels In Hong Kong, Shebe S. Xu, Yixun Li, Wanyi Li, Catherine M. Capio, Winnie W.Y. Tso, Derwin K.C. Chan

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Long COVID, where symptoms persist after recovering from COVID-19, can affect cognitive functions like language. However, little is known about its impact on children’s language skills, especially across different school levels. This study investigated the impact of long COVID on language proficiency among 1244 children (Asian; 53.5% boys) from kindergartens (N = 408, Mage = 4.42 ± 1.26 years), primary schools (N = 547, Mage = 9.69 ± 1.96 years), and secondary schools (N = 289, Mage = 14.97 ± 1.85 years) in Hong Kong. Language proficiency was assessed using the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q), which measured speaking, …