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Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Veteran Low-Incidence Self-Contained Special Education Teachers Who Remain In The Profession, Jessie Leyden

Dissertations

Persistent shortages of special education teachers in the United States have intensified the need to understand not only why some educators leave, but why others choose to stay. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of veteran special education teachers working in low-incidence, self-contained classrooms who choose to remain in the profession. With a particular focus on the factors that contribute to their retention beyond the first three years, the study involved a sample of ten low-incidence, self-contained teachers from a variety of states across the country. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored how these …

Black Women Science Teachers’ Contextual Knowledge Shapes Technology Integration To Support Culturally Responsive Teaching In Secondary Science Classrooms, Ashley M. Thomas

Dissertations

The number of Black and Brown high school students entering college to study science and technology majors is declining. Because they encounter shared intersectional experiences in the science and technology fields, Black women have a unique connection with their students that builds on teaching practices grounded in culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The mixed methods study was bounded to one school district that had a CRT initiative and provided training to its teachers. The study used a pre-validated survey regarding the perceptions of CRT in a technology-supported learning environment and identified the tools and practices Black female science teachers (BFSTs) use …

Analyzing The Institutional Factors Associated With Sense Of Belonging Among Stem Adjuncts At Community Colleges, Karuna Taneja

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In this study I examined the relationships among organizational support, workplace conditions, and sense of belonging among adjunct faculty teaching STEM courses in community colleges. Grounded in the need-to-belong theory (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and Herzberg’s two-factor theory (1968), I distinguished between relational and structural dimensions of faculty experiences. Perceived organizational support was conceptualized as a relational construct reflecting faculty members’ perceptions of being valued and included within their institutions, whereas workplace conditions were examined as structural factors influencing job satisfaction.

Using a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational survey design, data were collected from adjunct STEM faculty (N = 64) teaching at …

Retention During Turbulent Times Of Higher Education: Modeling Intent To Leave Academia For Research University Faculty, Jordan Monroe Ball

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

University faculty operate as the lifeblood of any institution given that their job requires a “double duty” to develop both scholarly research and student minds. Due in large part to these expectations, research shows a long history of poor mental health for faculty, which ultimately results in faculty turnover. One model of faculty work motivation (Padilla et al., 2023) details the way in which the faculty work environment influences their mental health, and subsequently informs their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to leave academia, which serves as a proxy for turnover. Retention related issues have not been a pressing …

The Impact Of Early Exposure To Engineering Concepts In The Form Of Family, School Classes, And Stem Extracurriculars On The Long-Term Sense Of Belonging In Undergraduate Women In Engineering, Hannah Lloyd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Engineering continues to struggle with the underrepresentation of women, and many women who begin engineering programs report feeling isolated or uncertain about whether they belong. A strong sense of belonging has been linked to greater confidence, persistence, and success in engineering. This study examined how early experiences with engineering before college may influence students' sense of belonging later in their undergraduate engineering programs.

Using survey responses from undergraduate engineering students across the United States, this study explored several types of early exposure to engineering, including family influence, school-based engineering and STEM courses, extracurricular programs such as robotics clubs and engineering …

Evolving Roles: School Counselors Addressing Mental Health In Pk-12 Education, Evin Daines

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A significant number of children and youth are currently experiencing poor mental health. School counselors work with all students and are in a position to provide support to students experiencing mental health challenges. School counselors can also identify what may hinder children and youth from accessing mental health resources in their communities. This study explores how many school counselors engage in mental health counseling, how school counselors view their roles in addressing student mental health, and what barriers they perceive as keeping children and youth from accessing mental health and behavior services.

Asynchronous Intervention For Students With Disabilities On Career Awareness, Erica Rood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Historically, students with disabilities have fewer opportunities to prepare for post-high school life, and this is especially true when it comes to getting a job. This is also true for those students with complex support needs (i.e., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, other health impairment). One way to help individuals with disabilities have greater success after high school is to teach them about different careers.

This study was for high school students with disabilities who have complex support needs. It focused on helping them learn about different careers through online modules. The study looked at whether this type of learning …

Using A Prerequisite Skills Assessment To Identify Effective Communication Modalities For Mand Training, Christine White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) need support to learn how to communicate their wants and needs. This study examined three different ways to teach children to request preferred items or activities: using sign language, exchanging pictures, and speaking. We compared how three children learned each communication method to determine whether their existing skills influenced which method was most effective. No clear relationship was found between children's existing abilities and how well they learned each communication method. These findings suggest that selecting the most effective communication approach may require considering each child's individual strengths and learning history rather than …

Does Acceptance Matter? The Moderating Role Of Acceptance Of Pornography Use In Sexual And Relationship Satisfaction, Alexandra L. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

With more or the general population reporting regular pornography use there has been an increase in interest in the consequences of regular use, especially for romantic relationships. Previously completed research has shown that there are likely other explanations for why pornography use is related to both positive and negative outcomes. This study examines how acceptance might change the influence the relationship between frequency of use and relationship and sexual satisfaction for individuals. This relationship may yield greater understanding of why some individuals report benefits and others report negative effects of pornography use. Findings indicated that for men their level of …

Improving Teacher Adherence To Greeting And Attendance Routines Through Performance And Graphed Feedback, Caitlin Huppi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Schools establish expectations for teachers to create safe, organized, and welcoming environments, but teachers may not consistently follow these expectations throughout the school year. This study examined whether brief feedback could help four high school teachers more consistently greet students and scan IDs for attendance during passing periods. Teachers received graphs showing their performance and brief weekly feedback. All four teachers increased greeting behavior, and three increased attendance scanning. Teachers also rated the intervention as acceptable, feasible, and helpful. These findings suggest that brief feedback may be a practical way for school leaders to support consistent teacher implementation of school-wide …

Faculty Perspectives On Career And Technical Education Programming For Prison And Other At-Risk Populations: Implications Of A Human Centered Design Focus, Taija R. Jackson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study was to examine the perceptions of career and technical education (CTE) faculty regarding their familiarity with human-centered design (HCD), perceptions of the value and worth as a framework for program and curriculum design and willingness to teach in correctional education settings. The survey was administered to postsecondary CTE employed at public community and technical colleges in Utah and Colorado (N = 37). Participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment condition, in which they viewed a six-minute-long video vignette illustrating HCD in practice, or a control condition without exposure to the …

The Use Of A Novel Decision Making Tool To Support Educators' Use Of Classroom Management Practices, Emma C. Preston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

We examined the impacts of a novel classroom management evaluation tool that includes a decision-making feature to involve teachers in the selection of a strategy to improve their utilization of classroom management strategies titled the Behavioral Observation and Teacher Support System (BOTSS). We evaluated teacher praise-to-corrective statement ratios and teacher opportunities to respond, as well as student disruptive behavior and teacher social validity. We found that two independent observers scored teacher behavior similarly using the BOTSS, and that the BOTSS process produced moderate effects on teacher behavior. We did not observe an impact on student disruptive behavior. Teachers reported positively …

Bridging The Gap: Exploring The Development Of Science Self-Efficacy Among Students With Learning Disabilities, Aria Hadley-Hulet

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Students with learning disabilities are often overlooked in efforts to broaden participation in STEM. This multi-paper dissertation investigates science self-efficacy among this population through the lenses of the social model of disability and self-efficacy theory. An integrative review reveals consistently lower academic self-efficacy among students with learning disabilities and a lack of research examining their science self-efficacy specifically. Quantitative analysis of national data shows lower science self-efficacy overall, yet no differences among students enrolled in advanced science courses. A mixed-methods study further demonstrates that in inclusive school environments characterized by asset-based teacher beliefs and normalized accommodations, science self-efficacy differences disappear. …

The Mediating Role Of Hope In The Relationship Between Everyday Discrimination And Depression Among College Students, Busra Vurkun

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research shows that marginalized populations experience disproportionately higher psychological distress (Budhwani et al., 2015; Bailey et al., 2019). Everyday discrimination, defined as chronic interpersonal mistreatment such as microaggressions and disrespect, is associated with greater depression and lower psychological well-being (Essed, 1991; Calabrese et al., 2015). Although the negative effects of discrimination are well established, less is known about protective factors that may reduce these outcomes. One such factor is hope, conceptualized by Snyder et al. (1991) as agency thinking and pathways thinking and linked to lower depression and greater resilience (Arnau et al., 2007; Banks et al., 2008). This study …

Autistic Students' Experiences With Hybrid Flexible Instruction In Higher Education: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Tracey Nicole Barr

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

During the twenty-first century, autistic learners have enrolled in colleges and universities in greater numbers; however, the majority of research focused on their experiences in higher education has found them to be less academically successful than their neurotypical peers. The academic skills that autistic students bring to higher education are often tempered by social, emotional, and self-regulative challenges. The body of research focusing on autistic learners’ experiences in higher education is currently limited and focused primarily on fully in-person and online course models. No extant research has focused on autistic students’ experiences with hybrid or blended course models.

This interpretive …

Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Challenges Using Visual Supports For Children With Autism, Jasmine M. Mcnair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined kindergarten teachers’ perceptions, experiences, and challenges related to the use of visual supports for students with autism spectrum disorder in East Texas. Grounded in cognitive load theory, the study explored whether visual supports enhance learning outcomes by reducing cognitive overload. Four research questions addressed teachers’ perceptions of effectiveness, implementation challenges, the influence of teacher attitudes, and differences based on teaching experience. The researcher collected data through semistructured interviews with 10 kindergarten inclusion teachers and supplemented by classroom observations. Thematic analysis revealed five primary themes: emotional impact and student growth, visual supports as essential instructional tools, …

A Correlational Study Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Climate On Job Satisfaction Of Non-Faculty Staff At Texas Community Colleges, Tamesha M. Hilliard-Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. higher education institutions face increasing challenges related to employee morale and retention, understanding the drivers of workplace satisfaction is critical for institutional stability. This research investigates the relationships between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction among staff within Texas community colleges, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene as the theoretical framework. Specifically, this study explores the influence of institutional communication, employee well-being, and organizational mission and pride on staff job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study analyzed secondary data from ModernThink’s Higher Education Insight Survey©. The sample consisted of 2,265 higher education professionals collected …

Kindergarten Aimsweb Ela Composite As A Predictor Of Third-Grade Reading Proficiency In A Rural, High-Poverty School District, Christi J. Gentry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone as students transition from learning to read to using reading as a tool for learning. In Tennessee, this proficiency is especially significant because promotion and retention decisions are linked to student performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) ELA assessment. This quantitative, longitudinal study examined the extent to which kindergarten readiness, operationalized as kindergarten AIMSweb ELA Composite scores, predicts third-grade reading proficiency status in one rural, high-poverty school district. Using archival student-level data, this study analyzed kindergarten AIMSweb ELA Composite scores and third-grade TCAP ELA proficiency. Logistic …

Predicting Student Belonging In Computing Education: A Multimodal Machine Learning Approach Using Eeg And Survey Data, Hannah Moshtaghi

Master's Theses

Measuring students’ sense of belonging, characterized by feelings of acceptance, inclusion, and encouragement from teachers, remains a significant challenge in computing education. Prior research has associated this multidimensional construct with positive academic outcomes and has identified instructors’ growth- and fixed-mindset messaging as a potential influence. However, belonging is a complex and deeply personal experience that is difficult to capture through direct observation alone. Current measurement methods rely on self-report surveys, which may not capture every aspect of an experience that can also involve emotional and cognitive responses.

This thesis investigates whether combining EEG data recorded during a belonging questionnaire with …

The Relativity Of Education: Student Perspectives On Artificial Intelligence In Community College, Ashley Greta Magana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how diverse community college students experience and make meaning of the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into their educational contexts. Although AI is quickly transforming higher education through automated grading, personalized learning systems, and new models of assessment, the discourse surrounding its implementation remains dominated by administrators, faculty, and institutional stakeholders, while the perspectives of students, specifically community college students who are often historically underrepresented and economically marginalized, are systematically excluded. Most existing research is quantitative and centered on universities, leaving a critical gap in qualitative understanding of the most diverse population in higher …

Use Of A Task Analysis Application With Video-Prompting To Increase Social Skills For Individuals With Moderate To Severe Intellectual Disabilities, Zachary Hurley

All Dissertations

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities present deficits in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, which can limit an individual’s ability to function independently. Given the different levels of intellectual functioning and adaptive skills, individuals with moderate intellectual disabilities require a level of support in daily situations and environments. However, individuals with severe to profound intellectual disabilities require the most extensive amount of support in daily skills. Research demonstrates that the use of video-based instruction is an effective tool in increasing social skills among individuals with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, conclusions derived from the current review of literature identified gaps in …

Human-Centered Design Of Extended Reality For Learning Adoption, Effectiveness, And Collaborative Training Performance, Bhargav Upadhyay

All Dissertations

Extended reality (XR) technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can be used for technical training to help students learn and practice complex tasks in a safe digital environment. Despite known benefits evidence is required to explore the effectiveness of these technologies to support student learning outcomes. Furthermore, technical training programs need evidence about when these tools improve learning, what are the barriers to adoption of these technologies, and how training should be designed by leveraging these technologies. This dissertation examined how XR technologies can support higher education and workforce training, specifically focusing on barriers and facilitators to …

Rhetorics Of The Lost Cause Myth And Its Lingering Hegemony In The South, Frances Chapman

All Dissertations

The Lost Cause of the Confederacy is a myth that is steeped in the consciousness of many white Southerners. For about one hundred years, it was taught in public schools in the South using curricula devised by the United Daughters of the Confederacy with the goal of keeping the Confederate cause alive and visible. The myth dates back to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Basically, it says that the Civil War was not fought about slavery but about states’ rights, and that the South’s cause was just. It believes wholeheartedly in white supremacy.

Generations of people have …

Who Gets To Belong: Using A Tier Two Intervention To Increase Student Sense Of Belonging And Supportive Student-Teacher Relationships, Kevin L. Smith

All Dissertations

Students do better in school when they feel like they belong and have positive relationships with their teachers. This study examined whether dialogue circles as a Tier 2 intervention could help students feel more connected to their teachers and school. The study took place in a small, rural, Title I middle school. Although the intervention did not lead to clear improvements in grades, attendance, or discipline, it did achieve its aim of having at least 80% of pre and post survey respondents report having at least one adult who helped them feel a sense of belonging at school. Furthermore, students …

Increasing General Education Teacher Effectiveness When Working With Students Receiving Special Education Services, Taylor Watson

All Dissertations

Although the number of students identified as having disabilities (SWD) continues to increase, general education teachers continue to demonstrate difficulty adequately supporting these students. At one South Carolina school in particular, SWD demonstrate decreased academic achievement and increased rate of discipline referrals when compared to non-SWD. This study utilized an improvement science approach in order to implement targeted instruction on high-leverage practices (HLPs) and its impact on general education teacher effectiveness.

Preliminary findings of the intervention trended positive. Teacher participants demonstrated increased understanding of HLPs following intervention, although this increased knowledge did not necessarily correlate with increased application. Students whose …

Counting The Days: The Impact Of Career And Advanced Coursework On Academic And Perceptual Outcomes For Eighth Grade Students Who Are At Risk Of Experiencing Adverse Educational Outcomes, Jamie Megna

All Dissertations

This study addressed limited academic achievement and limited access to meaningful learning opportunities among eighth grade students who are at risk of adverse educational outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine how implementing career-based and advanced coursework opportunities for eighth grade students who are at risk improves student engagement with relevant and meaningful learning while supporting progress in academic achievement. The study achieved this by reducing barriers to career-based and advanced coursework to expand access to these learning environments for students who are at risk.

Using a mixed-methods design, the team collected and analyzed data to monitor the …

Making The Case For Historically Minoritized Students At Career Centers With A Focus On Agriculture, Janine Honey Sutter

All Dissertations

Historically minoritized students are still underrepresented in many Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, such as agricultural education, even though these programs offer valuable academic, workforce, and postsecondary opportunities. This dissertation used Improvement Science to explore whether educator perceptions and communication practices played a role in this underrepresentation at Liberty Career Center. It also examined whether targeted informational interventions could help educators become more aware of and more positive about Career Center opportunities.

Following Improvement Science principles, the study used a continuous improvement approach to find system-level barriers and test new ways to improve communication between the Career Center and …

Growing Our Own Garden: The Implementation Of Cross Curricular And Cross Grade Level Teacher Rounds To Increase Professional Learning Individualization And Feedback, Logan Greene

All Dissertations

Educators are constantly faced with balancing the demands of teaching and professional learning expectations from their districts. Concurrently, administrators are routinely prevented from providing adequate feedback for classroom instructional practices with observations instead focused upon generic and formulaic checks for classroom activities. This results in a gap of intentional professional learning and growth for educators.

The idea of instructional rounds sought to provide teacher-to-teacher feedback for educators to grow their practice together. The original theory focused on groups of teachers operating under a school or district goal of improvement. Instructional rounds have shown positive effects for teacher happiness and student …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Engagement In Rural Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Magnet Schools: A Correlational Study Within An Improvement Science Context, Deirdre L. Appleby

All Dissertations

Teacher self-efficacy in magnet-themed integration represents a critical, district-influenceable condition shaping instructional experiences in rural Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) magnet programs. Persistent under-enrollment of Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students in these settings highlights ongoing inequities in access and participation that may be influenced by upstream instructional conditions. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and situated within an improvement science framework, this study examines teacher self-efficacy as a key system-level factor associated with student engagement.

This study employs a correlational research design within an improvement science context to examine the relationship between changes in teacher self-efficacy and changes …

From Understanding To Production: A Qualitative Case Study Of Instructional Alignment And Bar Examination Readiness At One Law School, Mackenzie E. Gray

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Many law students who understand the law struggle to produce it under examination conditions.This qualitative case study examined how instruction in three settings at one ABA-accredited law school (first-year doctrinal, upper-division doctrinal, and for-credit bar preparation courses) shaped students’ perceptions of their readiness for the California Bar Examination. Grounded in metacognitive transfer theory, the study drew on 18 classroom observations across six courses, semi-structured interviews with seven students and four professors, and a simulated bar examination scored against a criterion-referenced rubric, all collected during the Spring 2026 semester. Interview data were analyzed through codebook thematic analysis. Five themes resulted. Students …