Digital Commons Network^™

Streamlining Field Note Analysis: Leveraging Gpt For Further Insights, Saríah López-Fierro, Umar Shehzad, Alireza (Sina) Zandi, Jody Clarke-Midura, Mimi Recker

Publications

As an integral part of qualitative research inquiry, field notes provide important data from researchers embedded in research sites. However, field notes can vary significantly, influenced by the researchers' immersion in the field, prior knowledge, beliefs, interests, and perspectives. As consequence, their interpretation presents significant challenges. This study offers a preliminary investigation into the potential of using large language models to assist researchers with the analysis and interpretation of field notes data. Our methodology consisted of two phases. First, a researcher deductively coded field notes of six classroom implementations of a novel elementary-level mathematics curriculum. In the second phase, we …

Isolated, Accommodated, Or Elevated? English Language Development Teachers In Professional Learning Communities, Kristina Robertson

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the experiences of ten elementary English Language Development (ELD) teachers in interdisciplinary Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) across the Twin Cities metro area. Although PLC teamwork improves student academic outcomes through collaboration and collective efficacy, ELD teachers often faced challenges integrating their language expertise into these structures, limiting their ability to address English Learner (EL) academic achievement and language growth. Guided by DuFour’s six elements of effective PLCs and Wenger’s Communities of Practice (CoP) theory, the study analyzed data from ten semi-structured interviews, teacher-submitted artifacts, and district guidance documents. Data were coded and thematically analyzed to explore …

Empowering Educators: Culturally Responsive Teaching And Teacher Self-Efficacy For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jamie Margaret Capriola

Theses & Dissertations

The evolving education landscape calls for teachers to adapt their instruction to reflect students’ backgrounds and cultures. educators are expected to foster inclusive learning environments while equipping students with the critical thinking skills necessary to challenge social injustices – a practice known as culturally responsive teaching (CRT). While scholars have explored teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing CRT, limited research exists on how special education teachers, particularly those working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), perceive their CRT self-efficacy (CRTSE) and professional preparation. This sequential mixed methods study examined the CRTSE levels of special education teachers working with students with autism. …

Exploring The Impact Of Language Modeling Integration In Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Class) On Language Teaching And Learning In Pre-K Settings: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Teacher-Child Relationships And Interactions, Joy Lee Hernandez

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive research study utilizes a mixed methods design to explore the impact of integrating language modeling into the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) on teachers' perspectives on language teaching and learning. Additionally, the study analyzed teacher-child interactions in Pre-K settings in Southeast Virginia, U.S.A.

Observations were conducted in eleven (11) classrooms using the Pre-K CLASS, a key instrument for assessing the quality of teacher-child interactions across domains such as Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support, which includes Language Modeling. The CLASS tool was supplemented with detailed notetaking to capture both quantitative scores and qualitative nuances of interactions. This …

Broadening The Evidentiary Basis For Clinical Practice Guidelines: Recommendations From Qualitative Psychotherapy Researchers, Heidi M. Levitt, Andreas Hamburger, Clara E. Hill, John Mccleod, Antonio Pascual-Leone, Ladislav Timulak, Michael B. Buchholz, Joerg Frommer, Jairo Fuertes, Iwakabe Shigeru, Claudio Martínez, Zenobia Morrill, Sarah Knox, Phil Langer, Christopher J. Muran, Hanne Oddli, Tomáš Řiháček, Alemka Tomicic, Rivka Tuval-Mashiach

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

To improve the provision of psychotherapy, many countries have now established clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of specific disorders and mental health concerns. These guidelines have typically been based on evidence from meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials with minimal consideration of findings from qualitative research designs. This said, there has been growing interest in incorporating qualitative research in guideline development processes from both stakeholders and guideline development bodies. In this international collaboration, 19 qualitative psychotherapy researchers from 10 countries articulated the benefits of including qualitative findings within the guideline development process and generated recommendations for guideline developers. The underlying …

The Development Of Year One Students’ Reading Ability In A Curriculum Using Monster Phonics Scheme In The Uae, Sara Berrandjia

Theses

This study explores the impact of the Monster Phonics program on the reading development of Year 1 students in Al Ain, UAE. Reading proficiency is a fundamental skill in early education, and phonics instruction plays a crucial role in literacy acquisition. Monster Phonics, a color-coded synthetic phonics program, has been increasingly adopted in classrooms, yet its effectiveness in multilingual settings remains underexplored. This research aims to investigate how students' reading ability develops in the context of a curriculum using the Monster Phonics scheme. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative assessments pre- and post-tests on grapheme-phoneme correspondence, word reading, and …

Acculturation Experiences Of International Students In The U.S. Cacrep-Accredited Counselor Education Programs: Challenges, Support Systems, And Systemic Barriers, Nargiza Amirova

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

International students significantly enrich U.S. counselor education and supervision programs by contributing diverse cultural perspectives that inspire teaching, research, and professional growth. Yet, these students often face complex challenges including cultural adjustment, language barriers, social isolation, and the academic demands of counseling academic programs that impact their educational outcome s and psychological well-being. Systemic barriers, such as visa restrictions and institutional unawareness, further complicate their experiences. This study explored acculturation experiences of international students enrolled in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs in the United States.

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), in-depth interviews were conducted with seven international students on J1/F1 visas, …

An Elementary Review Of Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Zachary R. Ernst

Dissertations

This research aimed to review how a large unit school district can differentiate the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework specifically for the elementary level to increase the growth and achievement of all elementary students within the district. A deep dive into publicly available student achievement data for Parkside School District was completed as part of the research and data collection. Additionally, school and district staff were given an in-depth survey about different aspects of the MTSS framework in Parkside School District. All of this data was analyzed and interpreted. The results showed that there is a need for the …

Transporting Hbcu Students To Morocco Through Films: Action Research And Reflection On A Piloted Course, Roger W. Anderson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Leadership Behaviors On School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Perception Of Burnout, Emily A. Lambert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research on burnout and attrition of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) focused on the reason for attrition, which has remained relatively consistent across time. Despite identifying the factors contributing to attrition, minimal research has focused on how SLPs can prevent burnout or how to improve SLP retention rates in schools. Self-determination theory, fulfillment of competence, autonomy, and relatedness increase intrinsic motivation. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify how SLPs employed in Texas school districts described the factors contributing to their resilience in remaining employed in the schools. Fifteen SLPs participated in semistructured interviews about their perception of …

The Impact Of Rubric-Based Feedback On Efl Writing Proficiency: Exploring Revision Skills And Learning Transfer, Ahmed Abdelraheem Elyan

Theses

This study explores how rubric-based feedback influences the writing development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, with a particular focus on their revision practices, learning transfer, and the challenges they face with cognitive overload. The research was carried out in a high school context in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to understand the real impact of structured feedback on students’ writing performance.

Twenty Arabic-speaking students participated in the study, completing four essay writing tasks over eight weeks. These included a pre-test, two feedback-supported drafts, and a post-test. Their essays were assessed using an analytic rubric designed to …

Border Thinking Through Diverse Modalities: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Multimodal, Multiliteracy, And Translanguaging Practices Of Latinx Emergent Bilingual Youth, Romelia Rodri­Guez Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This three-article dissertation explores how translanguaging, multimodality, and multiliteracies intersect to support the learning, identity formation, and meaning-making practices of Latinx emergent bilingual middle school students in El Paso, Texas, a border city shaped by transfronterizx realities. Guided by the frameworks of Border Thinking (Mignolo, 2000) and Pedagogy of Border Thinking (Cervantes-Soon and Carrillo, 2016), this study foregrounds the cultural, linguistic, and epistemic fluidity that characterizes borderland communities. I approach this work as a bricoleur (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994); the three-article format allowed me to center distinct but interconnected theoretical and methodological orientations, reflecting my commitment to situated, decolonial knowledge …

Investigating Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Using Assistive Technology In Teaching Students With Hearing Impairments, Salma Masoud

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aims to investigate Jordanian teachers’ attitudes towards using assistive technology to teach students with impaired hearing. The research was conducted during the academic year 2022-2023, utilizing one data collection tool: an online questionnaire distributed to 347 special education teachers from Al-Amal Schools for the Deaf in Jordan. The data was analyzed using SPSS, with mean, standard deviation, and percentage calculations. The results indicate that teachers have positive attitudes toward the use of assistive technology for students with impaired hearing.

19th Annual Research In The Capitol [Program], March 31, 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. University Honors Program. Iowa State University. Honors Program. University Of Iowa. Honors Program.

Research in the Capitol Programs

Program of research presentations given at the Capitol by students from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.

2025 March 31 - Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Interpretation On Children Of Immigrants, Crystal Carrillo

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Translation focuses on converting written text from one language to another with accuracy and cultural nuance, while interpretation involves real-time verbal communication, requiring quick comprehension and delivery, often in high-pressure settings like conferences or medical appointments. This essay also explores the experiences of bilingual children who have interpreted for family members in healthcare settings. It investigates the emotional and psychological burden that arises from this role, particularly when individuals are required to interpret complex medical information, traumatic histories, or sensitive diagnoses. The findings reveal that informal family interpreters often face significant stress, social pressure, and potential emotional harm, impacting their …

The Role Of Fear Of Deportation And Perceived Discrimination On Mental Health Outcomes And Service Utilization Among Hispanic Immigrant Nebraskan Women, Karen Rodriguez

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The 2024 US elections stirred up the anti-immigration movement in the US, thus exacerbating the culture of fear around immigration among immigrant communities. Hispanic immigrant women in the US are an underserved and marginalized group that experiences health challenges associated with immigration. These challenges may be linked with fear of deportation and perceived discrimination. This project examined the role of fear of deportation and perceived discrimination on the service utilization and mental health outcomes of Hispanic immigrant Nebraskan women. The sample consists of a convenience sample of 111 Nebraskan immigrant Latinx women. Participants completed a series of questionnaires, including frequency …

Evaluating The Landscape Design Features Of The Lebanese Educational Spaces Through Kid’S Wellbeing Model, Bouchra Naim, Mary Felix, Mostafa Khalifa, Rayan Najjar

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Educators perceive the worth of a school's encompassing open-air spaces as an essential feature in light of the present ecological worries and the growing of curricular requests of teaching within the rapid development world. This study provides an outline of evaluation model that assists the effect of landscape design features in educational outdoor spaces for kids in Lebanese’s schools. kids mental health and wellbeing are affected by the instructive landscape and inspects the unavoidable mentalities and practices that have prompted the underestimating of the schoolyard environment, as well as explicit strides to assess fruitful instructive landscape that give experiences to …

Understanding The Experiences Of Biology Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber R. Collins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic has caused the world to focus on the transition of learning environments that are more digital and virtual than any other time in educational history. Schools all over the world were required to adjust not only the mode of instruction, such as in virtual, hybrid, or in-person, but also create guidelines and procedures that reduce the amount of interaction between the teacher and the student (Garbe, Ogurlu, Uzeyir, & Cook, 2020). The research questions that guided this study were: 1) What are the experiences of five Biology teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic in transitioning to …

Literacy For All: A Phenomenological Study On The Application Of Massachusetts Informational Reading Standards In Massachusetts Public High School Content-Area Disciplines, Abby S. Gillis

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of Massachusetts public high school content-area teachers with applying Massachusetts informational reading standards in their instructional practices to support reading development for all students. This qualitative study utilized data collected from six Massachusetts public high school content-area teachers through one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The literature review applied the theoretical framework of SFL which focuses on the practice of studying texts through the social and cultural context of the text, in this case, in content-area curricular texts and resources. Themes focused on national and local informational reading standards, reading …

Motivations For Authentic English Use And L2 Identity Expression Through Content Sharing And Commentary On Social Media, Paul Mcentee

Japanese Society and Culture

This essay explores the intersection of second language acquisition, social media engagement, and identity construction among language learners at a private university in Tokyo, Japan. Focused on understanding motivations for using English in online spaces, the research employs mixed methods to analyse social media use and motivations.

The study reveals that while students are active consumers of social media, they can use these platforms as a productive tool for language expression with proper guidance. It highlights the potential for social media to enhance language learning beyond the classroom, offering insights for educators to incorporate digital spaces into curricula effectively.

Key …

Cultivating Community: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Community Literacy Practices In The Secondary Ela Classroom, Anna Heilers

Undergraduate Theses

Past research on the relationship between community literacy and schooling has emphasized how educators can use community-based prior knowledge to teach students the privileged literacies associated with academia. Some researchers have discussed the potential for university-community partnerships that are mutually beneficial, but few have explored possibilities for change in the high school setting. Utilizing 24 survey responses and 2 interviews, this study sought to answer the following questions: Do high school class experiences have any impact on students’ community literacies? If they do, do they support or hinder their growth? I analyzed data using a combination of correlational analysis, axial …

Examining Within- And Cross-Language Relationships And Quantitative Methods In Spanish-English Dual Language Learners' School Readiness Skills, Shaunacy R. Sutter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aims of this three paper dissertation are as follows: First, to examine the cross-domain associations between school readiness skills, including oral language, literacy, and math skills, within and across languages in Spanish-English speaking DLLs in PreK. Second, to explore the cross-domain associations between oral language, literacy, and mathematics skills at varying levels of literacy and math achievement. Finally, to review the quantitative methods used in research on school readiness skills and the home and classroom contextual factors that support these skills for Spanish-English speaking DLLs in the United States over the past decade. Spanish-English speaking DLLs enter early childhood …

Addressing Equity Issues In Elementary Computer Science Education: Knowns, Unknowns, And Implications For Future Work, Mike Karlin, Yin-Chan Janet Liao, Swati Mehta, Afreen Iqbal, Mahya Minaiy, Minhye Son, Jessica Pandya

Journal of Computer Science Integration

In 2016, a national coalition of stakeholders released the K-12 computer science (CS) framework. In the time since, there has been an increased push at the local, state, and national level to integrate CS knowledge and skills into K-12 education. Despite this push, significant equity issues exist within the field. While growing research has been done on CS equity issues at the high school level, we know these equity gaps often begin to emerge in elementary school where less is known. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review to better understand and explore the elementary CS equity research landscape from …

Support Guidelines To Promote Growth Mindsets In Public Speaking For Upper Secondary English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Students, Chawisa Inyai, Ruedeerath Chusanachoti

Journal of Education Studies

Effective public speaking is a crucial skill in EFL education. However, many students struggle with anxiety and low confidence, often influenced by their mindset. This study aims to 1) explore the relationship between teacher support and mindset in public speaking, and 2) propose support guidelines to promote growth mindsets in public speaking among upper secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Using a two-phase sequential explanatory design: Phase 1 collected quantitative data from 250 grade-12 students in five extra-large public schools in Bangkok through a questionnaire and qualitative insights from student interviews, and Phase 2 gathered qualitative data from …

Telecollaboration As An Approach To Facilitating Intercultural Communicative Competence And Exposure To Arabic Dialects In Arabic As Foreign Language Classrooms In The Us: Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives And Practices, Reham Abuemira

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature on foreign language education shows an increasing interest in incorporating intercultural communicative competence in the foreign language curriculum. However, making intercultural communicative competence an active component in Arabic as a foreign language curriculum in the United States has been overshadowed by a heavy emphasis placed on developing learners’ grammatical competence instead. Intercultural communicative competence has been proven to help language learners develop an awareness of their own culture and other cultures, an appreciation for both the target language and culture, and a set of necessary skills that allow them to communicate effectively and appropriately with others. Intercultural communicative …

Navigating The College-To-Career Transition: Social Capital And Career Readiness Of First-Generation College Students Participating In The Professional Skills Mentoring Program, Olivia T. Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how first-generation college (FGC) students utilize social capital to navigate the challenging transition from college to career, addressing a critical gap in the literature given the increasing emphasis on post-graduation employment and the unique obstacles these students face. FGC students often lack the same access to professional networks and career resources as their peers, highlighting the need for targeted support programs. This research explores the impact of the Professional Skills Mentoring Program (PSMP) on FGC student career readiness.

Drawing on Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, this qualitative case study examines how FGC students leverage their diverse …

Examining Rural High School Students’ Perceptions Toward And Experiences With The Reading Plus Intervention Program: A Qualitative Case Study, Deshonda Wolfe

Dissertations

Reading is the gateway to all other academic skills and across all disciplines of learning. Content courses at the high school level central focus are on reading to learn core curriculum verses learning to read. However, research shows that if students read significantly behind their typical peers, the reading gap widens throughout high school. Learning is stalled, and access to other contents, curriculums, and instructions becomes limited. To address the reading proficiency gap of high school students struggling to read in grade level, school districts have turned to computer assisted interventions programs, such as Reading Plus, to combat the reading …

How Do Collective Agreements Stack Up? Implications For Academic Freedom, Tim Ribaric, Rahul Kumar

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Abstract Academic freedom, a cornerstone of higher education, is formally codified within the enforceable language of collective agreements (CAs) between universities and faculty unions in Canada. While the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) provides an exemplar framework for academic freedom clauses, institutional interpretations and implementations vary significantly. This study comprehensively analyzed CAs from 44 Canadian universities using computational text analysis methods, specifically Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF). The analysis revealed that approximately 27% of institutions closely align with the CAUT exemplar, while 57% incorporate additional limiting factors that qualify the exercise of academic freedom. …

An International Framework And A Local Standardised Test: A Former Item Writer’S Autoethnography, Xuan Minh Ngo

The Qualitative Report

A recent trend dominating education worldwide is the enactment of external accountability frameworks and standards-based assessment. Likewise, in language education, international standards like the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) have been increasingly used for local standardised test development and alignment. However, there has been little research into the application of the CEFR in item writing, the activity of creating new items and associated materials, in local standardised testing contexts. To bridge this gap, this autoethnography shares my firsthand experience of writing items for a locally-developed, CEFR-aligned standardised English test in Vietnam. By combining evocative and analytic autoethnography, I aim …