Digital Commons Network^™

Place-Based Scholarship Utilization And Urban Black Males, Nkenge Amir Bergan

Dissertations

Despite the expansion of place-based scholarship programs across the United States, Black males from urban communities remain significantly underrepresented in post-secondary enrollment. Though these scholarships are designed to provide expanded or universal access to higher education, Black males disproportionately underutilize this financial resource. This qualitative investigation examines the lived experiences, perceptions, and contextual factors influencing Black males’ decisions regarding place-based scholarship utilization and college attendance.

This study, grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and self-efficacy theory, employs a qualitative design to explore participant experiences. Participants are recruited through outreach to local alumni networks and community organizations, with eligibility limited to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Black College Students’ Belonging Built Through Meaningful Interactions With Black Staff At Predominantly White Institutions, Katelyn A. Hanley Semelbauer

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore how Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) describe meaningful interactions with Black staff and how they make meaning of those interactions as it relates to building a sense of belonging. The conceptual framework for this study incorporates Strayhorn’s (2019) college students’ sense of belonging theoretical model as a foundation with Museus’s (2014) culturally engaging campus environment model as a lens for analysis of the findings.

Using a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, 12 Black undergraduate students were recruited to participate. Each of the students attended a public 4-year PWI in the Great …

Self-Determination, Campus Involvement, And Disability Awareness Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disability, Zoe Bloecher

Honors Theses

This quantitative and qualitative study examined self-esteem; self-efficacy; self-determination; and disability awareness at the beginning and end of the semester in a sample of young adults with intellectual disability enrolled in a post-secondary education program. Participants’ weekly campus engagement in extracurricular activities during the semester was also tracked. The first goal of this study was to observe changes in self-determination satisfaction and frustration, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and disability awareness after one semester of enrollment in the program. There were 16 participants in the study who varied in their length of participation in the program. Dependent t-tests revealed a statistically significant decrease …

Comparing Two Emergent Literacy Screeners: The Reading House And Star Early Literacy In A Florida Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (Vpk) Program, Jaime D. Swenbeck

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Academic Writing: Development Of A Student-Centered Ethical Toolkit, Matteo Landais

Theses

The rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence in higher education has introduced new challenges surrounding authorship, academic integrity, and the role of writing in student learning. While institutional responses have often focused on restriction, surveillance, and AI detection, students continue to incorporate AI tools into their writing practices in increasingly normalized ways. This project argues that the issue is not simply whether students use AI, but how they use it and whether that use supports meaningful engagement with the writing process.

This applied project proposes a process-oriented and student-centered framework for the ethical integration of AI into academic writing. Learning …

Changing The Narrative: Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth In African American Women Who Identify As Transformational Leaders After Experiencing The Foster Care System, Leah Angel Vance-Daniel

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of African American women who identified as transformational leaders and who successfully navigated adulthood after experiencing the foster care system. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory served as the theoretical framework for this study, which reflects a positive mental shift brought about by struggling with at least one extremely difficult life circumstance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight African American women, and five themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) Journey to Transformational Leadership: Self-Awareness, Vulnerability, and Self Acceptance; (b) From Repeating to Repairing; (c) You Either Have to Lie …

Teacher Perceptions In Early Childhood Classrooms: Understanding The Disproportionate Suspension Of Black Girls In Preschool, Lachelle Dionne Walker

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to examine eight preschool lead teachers’ perceptions of the behaviors of Black girls, with a specific focus on those leading instruction in classrooms of 3- and 4-year-old learners, to assess if their perceptions of the behaviors of Black preschool-aged girls influenced their discipline practices and behavior management. The findings of this study revealed that preschool lead teachers held positive perceptions and early adultified views, also known as adultification bias, of Black girls in preschool settings. Furthermore, early adultified views of preschool lead teachers toward Black preschool-aged girls did not correlate with discriminatory …

Beyond The Bell: Young Black Male Reflections On Teacher Expectations And Postsecondary Outcomes, Raina Lewis

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of seven young Black males after their graduation from high school, focusing on how they recalled and interpreted their high school teachers’ expectations. Using semi-structured interviews with the Black males, aged 18–25, this study sought to understand how participants made meaning of these experiences and the lasting impact on their identity development. Grounded in Tichnor-Wagner’s culture of care theory, this study looked through the lens of culturally responsive, emotionally supportive, and equity-driven educational environments. This culture of care theory framework is particularly relevant for young Black males who …

Flipping The Format: A Comparative Analysis Of Pedagogy’S Performance On Comprehension In Introductory Financial Accounting Education, Allison Drozd

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Education is an ever-evolving field, and accounting education is no different. Introductory financial accounting is a required business course at universities that is characterized by high failure rates (Kealey et al., 2005). Evidence suggests that active learning and constructivist approaches improve comprehension of introductory financial accounting concepts as measured by exam performance. All methods studied produced statistically significant positive results on comprehension learning outcomes. Many professors' experiences support the studies' sentiment that active learning is important for teaching course concepts. The evidence reviewed in this thesis supports positive learning outcomes for comprehension of accounting concepts through active learning and constructivist …

Skill Growth And Development In An Honors Experiential Learning Course, Julia D. Lyashevskiy

Honors Theses

Problem-solving skills are crucial for students in both schoolwork and the workforce as they help individuals and groups work through obstacles and come up with solutions to a problem. To help prepare students, the Innovation in Honors Lab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a hands-on, interdisciplinary course that provides an experiential learning opportunity to practice skills while working directly with community partners to find and solve a local issue. This research tracks the development of six specific skills that students use throughout the class. The skills included communication, creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, conflict resolution, and …

The Effect Of Chronic Aerobic Exercise On Working Memory: A Study On Young Adults, Alexandria J. Morris

Honors Theses

Physical activity is essential for optimal health. Cognitive function is a major part of that, and can be evaluated through working memory (WM). This thesis examines the impact of physical activity on WM in young adult college students. It reviews existing research on exercise and WM, highlights gaps in the literature focused on this demographic, and explores the importance of chronic and moderate to high-intensity exercise to WM. There is existing research that examines the correlation of WM and physical activity for both acute and chronic exercise, as well as for children, adults, and older adults. Acute aerobic exercise shows …

A Creative Climate Framework For Developing Leaders Who Can Navigate Complexity, Uncertainty, And Change Now And Over Time, Christa M. Heydt-Hernandez

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

As organizational environments grow increasingly volatile and complex, leaders face a widening gap in the skills hardest to cultivate in adults: creative thinking, systems thinking, and human-centered design thinking. Yet leadership development has prioritized culture over climate, overlooking a more direct lever for change. This project argues the gap is fundamentally developmental: the skills most demanded of today's leaders are best introduced across childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood—long before the workplace—through what the author terms the Long Game of Leadership Development. In response, this project introduces the Creativity Steward™ framework, a longitudinal model grounded in developmental psychology, creative climate research, …

Techno-Imagination: Elevating Creativity Through Xr And Ai, Christopher Spitzer

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Techno-Imagination: Elevating Creativity Through XR and AI explores the history of creativity and computing technology, supported by research and academic literature, and looks at the possibilities of a convergence between the two. In parallel, a brief biographical story of the author shares how a passion for creativity emerged, along with a growing interest in science and technology—specifically extended reality—which ultimately came together in the creation of this master’s project. The project also highlights how the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process was used alongside AI bots and twenty research-based creative thinking skills in developing the business model canvas. Finally, the outcome …

Leading The Choreography: Preserving Creative Agency In Ai-Supported Problem-Solving, Mikhaila Ackerbauer

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly present in creative and problem-solving contexts, a critical question emerges: how can users engage with AI in ways that preserve rather than erode their own creative capacity? This project explores that question through research synthesis, practitioner conversations, coursework, international conference presentations, and the development of custom AI chatbots trained in the Creative Problem-Solving process. The central finding is a theoretical triangle comprising three interdependent capacities: autonomy, creative self-efficacy, and critical thinking. Grounded in Rhodes' (1961) Four P's framework, the triangle sits within the Person dimension. Convergent themes across the literature, practitioner conversations, and direct …

Systemic Barriers To Educational And Employment Attainment Among Individuals With Substance Use Disorders, Mollie B. Mccann Poblocki

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and opioid use disorder (OUD) represent one of the most pressing yet poorly understood public health crises in the United States. Despite decades of clinical intervention, recovery outcomes remain deeply unequal, not because individuals lack motivation, but because the structural systems surrounding them are fundamentally broken. This project explored that reality through a comprehensive literature review examining how systemic barriers across educational systems, labor markets, poverty dynamics, and healthcare infrastructure shape vulnerability, treatment access, and recovery outcomes for individuals with SUDs. Major findings revealed a consistent socioeconomic gradient of harm: individuals with lower educational attainment, unstable …

The Impact Of Sensory Processing Disorder On Elementary-Aged Students In The Classroom And Proper Teacher Responses, Sophia Slater

Senior Honors Theses

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is when an individual cannot correctly process an incoming stimulus from the surrounding environment. This is prevalent in young children as they are beginning to learn about the world around them. Their inability to properly process information through their senses affects their daily lives and creates a challenge for them. There are also co-occurrences of SPD with both autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Since most of a child’s time is spent in the classroom, it is imperative that teachers understand the disorder and proper strategies to assist these students as they learn. Occupational …

Learning From Practice: Autoethnographic Reflections & Practitioner Perspectives On Inclusive Engagement For Bipoc, Mml, And Special Education Students, Mikayla A. Aquino

Program in Community Action (PICA)

This study examines how educators conceptualize, enact, and experience inclusive engagement for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, multilingual learners (MLLs), and students with disabilities, and how structural conditions shape their capacity to implement equity-oriented practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with ten educators from Lakewood, Illinois, and Harborview, Connecticut, alongside autoethnographic reflection, this qualitative study centers practitioner voices to investigate the gap between educational policy and classroom practice. Grounded in Bettina Love's abolitionist teaching framework and Alison Kafer's political-relational model of disability, the analysis situates educator experiences within systems shaped by racism, linguistic hierarchy, and ableist normativity. Thematic …

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

The first edition of the Florence Normal College Quarterly

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Second-Career Educators, Kyle Avink

Dissertations

School districts across the United States face a persistent teacher shortage driven by high attrition rates, declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, and increasing demands on educators (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Teacher attrition is especially high within the first three to five years, with nearly 40-50% of new teachers exiting within their first five years (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Cells et al., 2023; Gray et al., 2015; Ingersoll et al., 2025). In response, many states have expanded alternative certification pathways that allow professionals from other fields to enter teaching, making second-career educators a potential solution to workforce challenges (Afacan, 2022; …

Exploring Online Social Capital Through The Lived-Experiences Of Students At A Southern Hispanic Institution: A Transactional Distance Approach, Marc Anthony Zamorano

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study examines how first generation Hispanic doctoral students at a southern Hispanic Serving Institution experience online engagement as a context for generating bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Semi structured-in-depth interviews with 17 participants explored interactions with instructors, peers, course content, and technology. Analysis followed phenomenological reduction procedures to identify the essence of participants lived experiences. Key findings revealed that instructor presence and responsiveness strengthened bonding and linking capital; peer collaboration fostered belonging and bridging capital; and technology mediated tools reduced transactional distance when paired with clear course design and timely feedback. These relational and technological …

Empowering Latinas In Computer Science: Success Stories And Challenges, Martin Jalomo

Theses and Dissertations

Latina women remain significantly underrepresented in computer science, and limited research centers their lived experiences within the field. This qualitative narrative inquiry examined how Latina women who completed computer science degrees and secured employment persisted in predominantly male and non-Latina environments. Guided by Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explored how participants leveraged forms of capital to navigate structural, relational, and psychological barriers. Data were collected through narrative interviews with five Latina graduates and analyzed using thematic and cross-case analysis. Findings indicate that underrepresentation shaped participants’ sense of belonging while persistence was supported through aspirational, familial, social, navigational, …

“Sometimes I Feel That Going To College Was A Waste Of Time”: Latinas’ Lived Experiences Navigating Culture, Gender, And Marriage Post-College Degree, Nancy Peña

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative critical narrative study explores how Latinas navigate and make meaning of gender roles within their heterosexual marriages post-college graduation. Data are collected via semi-structured interviews with 10 Latina participants: an initial plática focus group, followed by individual interviews, and a final plática focus group for member checking. Key findings reveal that despite Latinas acquiring autonomy, stability, negotiated power, personal growth, and social development as a result of attaining a degree in higher education, overall development is limited due to heightened responsibilities, persistent gender hierarchies, continuous religious norms, and constant gender role guilt. The evidence suggests that although attaining …

Skills, Challenges, And Career Outcomes: A Quantitative Study Of Early-Career Experiences In Research Administration, Jennifer Juliet Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Research administration as a field lacks clearly defined entry pathways, with many professionals entering through indirect routes. These conditions contribute to variation in early-career experiences and may influence long-term outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine how entry pathways and skills at entry relate to early-career challenges in research administration, and how those challenges are associated with career dissatisfaction.

This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Data were drawn from the U.S. subset of the Research Administration as a Profession (RAAAP-3) survey. Key variables included entry pathways, skills at entry, early-career challenges, and career dissatisfaction. Findings indicate that …

The Relationship Between Secondary School Principals’ Ethical Leadership Behaviors And School Climate, Ericka Julie Carranza

Theses and Dissertations

Limited research explains how teachers in culturally and socioeconomically diverse secondary school settings experience principals’ ethical leadership behaviors and how those behaviors are perceived as shaping school climate. This qualitative study examined teachers’ perceptions of secondary school principals’ ethical leadership behaviors and the ways in which those behaviors were experienced as influencing relational, emotional, and professional dimensions of school climate.

Grounded in Social Learning Theory, the study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with secondary school teachers from diverse educational contexts. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to ethical leadership behaviors, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Military Veteran Teaching Experience In A Public High School Setting, Denise R. Embrey

Dissertations

This coded qualitative study examines whether military veterans as second career teachers can help address the ongoing shortage of qualified public high school teachers in the United States. Focusing on three Midwestern public high school systems with at least 10% of military veteran teachers employed in their high school. I explored veterans as second-career educators. I personally interviewed five public high school principals, to find that these five strongly favor hiring veterans, citing their discipline, teamwork, and willingness to engage with students and parents are outstanding character qualifications for the public high school to have on staff. I noted and …

Practicing Conflict Transformation Skills Through Role-Playing Games For Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Higher Education, Alexandra Schreiber, Kjell H. Hugaas, Sarah L. Bowman

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

No abstract provided.

Dungeons & Dragons 5e En El Aula De Comunicación Audiovisual: Propuesta De Adaptación Pedagógica, Antonio Roda Martínez

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Este artículo explora el proceso de adaptar Dungeons & Dragons Quinta edición versión 2024 a un contexto educativo dentro de sesiones únicas de menos de dos horas. Pese a que D&D es ampliamente reconocido como referente cultural y uno de los juegos de rol más influyentes, su complejo sistema de reglas y diseño para campañas de larga duración dificultan su implementación en contextos educativos formales con limitaciones temporales. Para abordar este desafío, se rediseñó la sesión para condensar las experiencias fundamentales del juego de rol de mesa—creación de personajes, interpretación, combate, construcción de mundo e investigación—en un formato breve y …

The Functions Of Role- Playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems And Explore Identity, De Sarah Lynne Bowman (2010) [Reseña De Libro], Cristo Leon

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

The Functions of Role-Playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems and Explore Identity, by Sarah Lynne Bowman, is an ambitious, wide-ranging, and still necessary work for role-playing game studies. Published in 2010, the book proposes that role-playing and roleplaying games fulfill three main social and psychological functions: creating community, facilitating problem solving, and enabling the exploration of identity. Bowman develops this thesis through a combination of theoretical review, cultural reflection, and participant-observer ethnography, based on interviews with players of tabletop role-playing games, live-action roleplaying games, and virtual environments. Organized into seven chapters, the book moves clearly from the …

The Effects Of Poverty On Student Achievement And Behavior, Dwayne Lucas

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poverty can have a devastating impact on the academic achievement of students and their potential for positive adult outcomes. One of the most impactful aspects in the fight against the impact of poverty is student engagement. There must be attention paid to how engagement impacts a student’s potential for success as well as what strategies can be employed to improve engagement. It was the goal of this study to determine how relationships and engagement impacted student outcomes and educational experience. This study attempted to determine what strategies educators utilize to increase student engagement. Using observations and semi-structured interviews, the researcher …

Piloting A Pediatric Screener For Assessing Emergent Literacy With Preschool Children, Nafia Sarhadi

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.