Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Identity, Finding Belonging: Exploring Muslim Students’ Experiences In Higher Education, Milie Majumder

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This phenomenological, qualitative study explores how institutional experiences contribute to Muslim students’ sense of belonging in higher education institutions on the West Coast of the United States. The data presented are drawn from a subset of a larger dissertation study conducted in May 2024. Using an informational survey with open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews, the study examined students’ perceptions of belonging. The sample included 23 survey responses and 10 in-depth interviews. Grounded in the Minoritized Religious and Spiritual Campus Climate (MRSCC) framework, the study examines how participants interpreted the adequacy of institutional accommodations for their religious and spiritual needs and …

Beyond Preparation: Spiritual And Communal Formation For Urban Catholic School Teachers, Audrey A. Friedman, Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Charles T. Cownie Iii, Maria A. Moreno Vera, Cristina J. Hunter Phd

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Urban Catholic schools face persistent challenges in teacher recruitment and retention, intensified by limited resources, demanding workloads, and structural inequities. Yet, many educators remain committed, sustained by spiritual identity, communal belonging, and mission‑driven work. This qualitative study examines how urban Catholic school teachers understand formation—intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually—and the formative practices that support them. Drawing on interviews with sixteen urban Catholic school teachers, this study uses Palmer’s framework of holistic formation to analyze how faith-based practices, workplace spirituality, community, and solidarity shape teachers’ professional identities and well‑being. Findings reveal that teachers view formation as both professional preparation and …

Perceptions Of The Divine In Secular Spaces: A Study Of U.S. Public-School Teachers, Dennis Eastman, Nicholas Block

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching is often understood by Christian educators as a vocation shaped by divine purpose, yet little empirical research has examined how teachers perceive God’s active involvement in their daily professional practice. This qualitative study investigates how Christian teachers interpret perceived divine activity in their work, focusing on specific experiences of guidance, influence, and sustenance rather than general religious identity. Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from practicing teachers (N = 267) identified seven themes, including perceived impact on students’ lives, divine guidance in instructional and relational decisions, and endurance amid professional strain. Participants commonly described God’s activity as …

Teaching As Testimony: Examining The Relationship Between High School Teachers’ Faith Identity And Pedagogy, Candace M. Kyles

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching has long been understood within Christian theology as a vocational practice shaped by faith, moral formation, and lived discipleship. Yet within U.S. public schooling, the Separation of Church and State restricts explicit engagement with religion, often rendering educators’ faith identities invisible within school buildings and classrooms. This covertness does not eliminate the formative influence of faith; rather, it obscures how teachers’ faith identities inform their ethical reasoning, teaching practices, and pedagogical choices. When faith remains unexamined, it may operate implicitly, shaping classroom interactions without the benefit of critical reflection or institutional support.

Despite the prominence of culturally responsive pedagogy …

Reintegrating Wisdom: A Cultural-Sciences Framework For Linking Music, Faith, And Stem Education, Yoonil Auh, Minjeong Cho, Sang-Eun Hwang

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This article proposes a theoretical model for integrating music and religious education into STEM by reframing them as cultural sciences, disciplines that generate symbolic, ethical, relational, and meaning-making forms of knowledge essential for 21st-century learning. While technocratic models of STEM emphasize quantification, efficiency, and innovation, they often marginalize the humanistic and spiritual dimensions of education that support ethical discernment, cultural literacy, and communal responsibility. Drawing on epistemic pluralism, transdisciplinary studies, educational philosophy, theology, and music pedagogy, this study outlines a four-dimensional framework, epistemic integration, transdisciplinary learning, ethical praxis, and spiritual-communal ways of knowing, that positions music and religious education not …

What Works For Dyslexia Training? A Comparative Study Of Three Professional Development Approaches For Elementary General Education Teachers, Kayla Steltenkamp

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Teachers are the foundational component of the educational system, yet many enter the classroom without adequate knowledge of dyslexia -- a specific learning disability affecting up to 17.5% of the student population. Despite growing legislative mandates requiring teacher training on dyslexia, recent research confirms that misconceptions and knowledge gaps persist among both preservice and inservice teachers, and the question of which professional development models most effectively address those gaps remains largely unanswered. This study compared three two-hour professional development approaches -- simulation only, lecture only, and a mixed-method combining both -- using a quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design with 58 elementary general …

“I Want My Students To Be Knowledgeable About Civics”: Supporting Pre-Service Teachers Through A Civics-Focused Plc, Helena M. Sands, Daniela Kruel Digiacomo, Laura Darolia, Carly Muetterties, Stephanie Mobley

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This study describes a semester-long, civics-focused Professional Learning Community (PLC) with five elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs). Using inductive qualitative analysis of meeting transcripts, reflections, and field notes, three themes emerged: the PLC increased PSTs' confidence in integrating civics across the curriculum, built community through shared practicum experiences, and provided resources that broadened their understanding of civic learning. Findings suggest PLCs offer a promising structure for preparing elementary PSTs to prioritize civic education in their future classrooms.

Application Of Assistive Technologies And Rendering Assistive Services To Students With Special Needs By Federal University Libraries: A Survey, Emmanuel Chidiadi Onwubiko

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The world as of today, is being said to be witnessing what one may tagged a technological revolution as never before and is transforming for the better, the future of global education in which case, every learner is considered. These newly created technological tools and plans did place librarians as information managers and digital literacy drivers in better position to come up with environments that are inclusive for all learners to achieve their desired goals. The study therefore is a survey on the application of assistive technologies and rendering assistive services to students with special needs by federal universities libraries …

Ai Pedagogical Enactment Framework (Ai-Pef): A Framework For Shared Pedagogical Enactment Of Artificial Intelligence, Rashan E. Isaac

Departmental Papers (TE)

Artificital Intellegence (AI) has rapidly transformed teaching and learning for K-12 and higher education yet limitied guidence exits on how AI-grounded pedagogical enactments are devloped, observed, become sustainable, and extended over time. This paper introduces the AI Pedagogical Enactment Framework (AI-PEF) — a framework for shared pedagogical enacment of artificial intellengence. Shared pedagogical enactment is conceptualized as the process through which educators and eductional organizations developed a shared language, expectations, and practices for a given initative. AI-PEF is composed of six interconnected levers (Citation, Alignment, Application, Evaluation, Integration, and Extension), togeather providing a shared language for regnition and evalustion of …

When Even A Struggling Missionary Becomes The Hero, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

Guiding a struggling missionary back toward wellbeing—through one-on-one counseling and similar interventions—is demanding work that requires significant time and effort. I can only imagine how much of a mission president's already limited time is consumed by this kind of support, making it that much harder to fulfill the broader responsibility of leading an entire mission.

Yet this kind of one-on-one intervention has a drawback that is easy to overlook: it tends to keep the missionary receiving support permanently cast in the role of "the one being helped." As a result, the strength that already lies within that missionary often goes …

Fred Luthans, Unl Business Management, Positive Organizational Behavior, Mark Griep, Fred Luthans

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Fred Luthans was awarded the ORCA in 2008. He was born in Clinton, Iowa in 1939. He earned three degrees from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, located only a few miles from Clinton. His bachelor's was in mathematics in 1961, a Master’s of Business Administration in ‘62, PhD in Management and Psychology in 1965. After serving two years as a captain in the Army at West Point, where he taught psychology and leadership, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as an Associate Professor of Management. He's had a remarkable career, but I'll only mention three major distinctions. His …

Facilitating Conditions And Gender Gaps: Predicting Intention To Adopt Digital Education Resources Among Teachers, Bijaya Shrestha, Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Student Publications

This study examined factors shaping school teachers’ intention to adopt Digital Educational Resources (DER) in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Factors included were performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and behavioural intention. Fifty-six (56) teachers completed an online survey measuring those factors. Among all the factors, facilitating conditions were the marginally significant positive predictor of behavioural intention to adopt DER. Male teachers reported marginally higher behavioural intention (p =.05) to adopt DER compared to female teachers. However, gender was not a significant moderator in relationship between behavioural intention …

Using “You” As A Subject In Biology Assessment Questions: Examining Student Preferences For Second-Person Framing, Noelle Clark, Kate Hill, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In college biology courses, exams and quizzes are often used to assess students’ knowledge and performance. Since assessments are a crucial part of biology classes, there has been a wide range of work examining how assessment questions are written, revealing that small changes in how such questions are worded may have large impacts on students’ reading comprehension and performance. One aspect that instructors consider when writing a question is subject framing, i.e., which individual, if any, is being placed as the focal point of the question. In this study, we focus on the following subject framings, an authentic scientist, a …

“This Place Is My Home”: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic Experiences And Sense Of Belonging Of Specially Admitted Student-Athletes At Division I Universities, Jana Alexandra Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this study was to further understand the experiences of specially admitted student-athletes regarding their sense of belonging. In addition, this study aims to add to the existing literature regarding support services for student-athletes. The three research questions for this study were: 1. How do specially admitted student-athletes at Division I Universities make meaning of their admissions experiences? 2. What contributes to developing a sense of belonging of specially admitted student-athletes at Division I universities? 3. How do specially admitted student-athletes make meaning of their academic experiences at their university? A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used …

Perspectives Of Power: A Qualitative Study On Teacher Empowerment In Elementary Settings, Caitlin Mattie Shuppy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight and understanding of elementary school teachers’ perspectives of teacher empowerment in relation to six key principles: self-efficacy, professional development, collaboration, communication, shared vision, and support. The teacher perspective remains underrepresented in empowerment research; this study was designed to center the voices of those most directly experiencing empowerment in their daily work. Two research questions guided the study: How do elementary school teachers perceive teacher empowerment in relation to six key teacher empowerment principles and what principle(s) do teachers identify as most influential in fostering their sense of empowerment?

A basic …

General Education Primary Teachers’ Perspectives Of Inclusive Practices To Engage Students With Special Educational Needs, Zhen Rolle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was that general education primary teachers (GEPTs) struggled to engage students with special educational needs (SEN) in Bahamian primary inclusive classrooms (BPICs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate GEPTs’ perspectives on their successes, challenges, and additional training needed to engage students with SEN in BPICs. This study was guided by universal design for learning, pioneered by Rose and Meyer, which supported an inclusive academic environment that accommodated students with SEN. For this basic qualitative design, data were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 GEPTs. Through thematic analysis, the following five themes …

Assessing Digital Collaborative Skills Among Pre-Service Elementary Teachers: Initial Instrument Evidence And Demographic Differences, Candra Utama, Aynin Mashfufah, Esti Untari, Sofia Haratee

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Digital collaboration skills are an important competence for prospective elementary school teachers as 21^st-century learning demands the ability to use technology to work on a team, to communicate and share responsibilities, and to reflect on the learning process. This study aims to analyze evidence of the instrument initial validity, reliability, collaborative skill profile, and score differences based on the demographic characteristics of pre-service elementary teachers after participating in digital-based collaborative learning. The research uses a post-implementation evaluative quantitative approach sourced from a digital collaborative learning research design in the fourth-semester of elementary school teacher education study program at …

Prepared Or Not? Perceptions Of Novice Counseling Professionals On Working With Trauma Clients, Christina L. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of trauma across clinical settings and limited trauma training for clinicians can negatively affect trauma survivors. The impact of novice clinicians’ lack of preparedness and its implications for clients should be important considerations for educators, supervisors, and policymakers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice counselors and their preparedness to work with trauma survivors. Grounded in descriptive phenomenology, this study explored participants’ perceived preparedness to work with trauma survivors and the ways these experiences may inform counselor education and supervision. Participants were provisionally licensed counselors within three years of graduating from …

Signal And Substance: Why Methodological Sophistication Fails To Guarantee Inference, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Despite increasing analytical sophistication, empirical research in organization studies continues to suffer from fragile inference, uneven theoretical accumulation, and contested credibility. This paper seeks to explain why these problems persist by shifting attention from authors’ methodological choices to the evaluative dynamics of peer review. Adopting a conceptual and theory-analytic approach, the paper theorizes peer review as an inferential gatekeeping system. Drawing on research design, theory evaluation, and philosophy-of-science literatures, this study develops an analytical framework to examine how evaluative routines shape what constitutes empirical rigor during the review process. The analysis identifies five recurring reviewer blind spots: inferential scope inflation, …

How Can Accessibility In Computing Education Be Improved Through Hci Research?, Dr David Santandreu Calonge, Linda Smail, Firuz Kamalov, Dima Yousef, Melody Sylvain

All Works

Accessibility - accommodation of diverse sensory, motor, cognitive, and linguistic needs - remains critically underrepresented in computing education despite broad societal acknowledgment of its importance. This position paper argues that systemic inequities and persistent barriers to integrating accessibility and inclusion - ranging from curricular inertia to limited faculty capacity - require new methodological approaches drawn from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. HCI provides tested frameworks that pair participatory design with inclusive pedagogy, guided by empirical evaluation to drive systemic change. We identify three key areas where HCI can advance accessibility education: (1) embedding accessibility within core curricula through design-based pedagogies, (2) …

Beyond The Application: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Of Independent Educational Consultants’ Roles, Practices, And College Access Outcomes, Márta Vajda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to understand how Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) define their roles and practices in supporting college-bound high school students, and to examine the extent to which those practices predicted college access outcomes. Using a qualitative-first design (QUAL → quant), Phase 1 consisted of semi-structured interviews with 23 IECs exploring role conceptualization, advising strategies, and college access disparities. Phase 2 involved the development of a survey instrument grounded in qualitative themes and mapped onto the Ecological Model for College Access. In Phase 3, the survey was administered to 181 IECs to examine …

Comparative Analysis Of “Silver Education” In Kazakhstan, Europe, Asia, And The United States, Diana Abetova, Albina Dossanova, Mehmet Cuneyt Birkok

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The study aimed to compare “silver education” policies in Kazakhstan, several European countries (Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain), countries in Asia (China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand), and the United States to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Kazakh model and to suggest improvements.

Methods: Methods included synthesis, comparative and system analysis, and structural-functional analysis.

Results: The findings show that Kazakhstan is in the early stages of developing silver education, lacking a dedicated legal framework and offering limited educational opportunities for older adults (aged 65 and over). In contrast, other countries examined have well-established …

Exploring The High School Experiences Of Black Males With Their Considerations To Enroll In College, Maria Fernandes

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

This qualitative study applied a phenomenological research approach to explore the high school experiences of black males with their considerations to enroll in college. The research was guided by social network theory as a lens to understand Black males’ considerations to enroll in college upon high school completion. Ten Black male college students participated in semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the response data revealed two main themes: 1. socially influenced college enrollment considerations and 2. motivation rooted in self-confidence. The findings in this study highlighted the role authentic interpersonal relationships and self-determination play in Black males’ college enrollment considerations. …

Can Ungrading Make Sport Management Education More Practical And Engaging?, Michael A. Odio

The COSMA Journal

In this essay I take on the subject of grades in sport management education. While grades are used as a measure of success across higher education, they are an imperfect measure of achievement and learning and have major limitations in terms of student employability. The ungrading movement brings attention to the ways grades can harm learning by shifting attention away from students’ development, and instructor or peer feedback, and intrinsic motivation, while incentivizing compliance and risk-aversion. These harms directly affect what are arguably some of the most important aspects of sport management education, as when grades are the main incentive, …

Negotiating Poetic And Musical Structure: The Adaptation Of Pupuh Sinom In Tembang Sunda Cianjuran, Mustika Iman Zakaria Sudrajat, Yosep Nurdjaman Alamsyah

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

In the context of Sundanese culture, pupuh is a literary form that has static rules. As a literary form, pupuh is often used as a guide for composing song lyrics in Sundanese traditional vocal art, thereby leading to interactions with musical elements. In this case, this interaction happens to the pupuh Sinom, as mentioned in the lyrics of the tembang Sunda cianjuran song entitled Sinom Degung and Gawil Tarik. In this context, a negotiation occurs between the conventions of the pupuh Sinom and the song's melody, ultimately leading to the pupuh Sinom's adaptation. Using a descriptive analysis approach, …

First Year College Students’ Perceptions Of Their Engagement Skills And Satisfaction In Online Courses, Ryan Ann Mathews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is the gap in literature on first-year college students’ perceptions of engagement and satisfaction in online courses. Grounded in the framework of Astin’s student involvement theory and Cotton et al., happy productive theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore first-year college students’ perceptions of their engagement and satisfaction in online courses. Semistructured interviews with eight first-year online college students throughout the U.S. were conducted. Through thematic analysis, the following four themes emerged: First-year online college students noted that their (1) engagement skills and study habits, when used consistently, …

Examining The Moderating Roles Of Religious Coping And Belonging In The Relationship Between Moral Injury, Depression, Anxiety, And Stress Within The Israeli Defense Forces Reservist Soldiers, Rotem Z. Moshe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This study examined the moderating roles of religious coping and belonging in the relationship between moral injury and psychological distress, among Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reservist soldiers. This study investigated whether religious coping predicted moral injury, depression, anxiety, and stress, and examined whether religious coping and belonging moderated the relationship between moral injury and psychological distress. Exposure to potentially morally injurious events during military service is associated with increased risk for adverse mental health effects, particularly in times of prolonged conflict. Research on protective factors that mitigate these outcomes remains limited. Pointed by religious coping and belongingness frameworks, this study …

Fostering Active Learning In Reproductive Health Classes Among Undergraduates Of A Nigerian Public University: The Role Of Cognitive Restructuring Health Education, Ndubuisi Friday Ugwu, Adewumi Segun Igbinlade, Adijat Bolanle Adams, Uchenna Anselm Anibueze, Gabriel Aderibigbe Oyegbami, Chinyere Chrysantus Onwurah, Sabina Nwakaego Igwilo, Olufemi M. Olubamise, Folasade Adediran, Oladipo Adeyeye Olubodun Phd, Jacob Kehinde Opele, Loveth Nnenna Ugwu, Amos Olorunwa Agbojo

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: This study examined the efficacy of the cognitive restructuring health education (CRHE) intervention in improving participatory learning in sexual and reproductive health classes among students at a Nigerian public university.

Methods: The study employed a randomized pretest/posttest control group design involving 130 undergraduates from Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 2-week intensive health education–based cognitive restructuring program (n = 65) or a waitlist control group (n = 65). Interaction behavior was assessed at pretreatment, at post-treatment, and at a 6-week follow-up using the 14-item Interaction Behavior Checklist (reliability = 0.85). …

Global Trends In School Disaster Preparedness Research: Bibliometric Analysis Impacts On Public Health And Safety, Muhammad Farid, Muhammad Agita Hutomo, Oktomi Wijaya, Dian Ika Puspitasari

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Disasters disrupt daily human activities, arising from natural or artificial triggers, with varying impacts based on community vulnerability and resource capacity. Effective disaster management involves a cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. One of the mitigation measures is to establish school disaster preparedness that integrate education and capacity building.

Objective: The aim of this research is to conduct a bibliometric analysis based on Scopus publications regarding school disaster preparedness.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed on publications indexed in Scopus from 1965 to 2024. Data were processed and visualized using VOSviewer to explore trends in annual outputs, contributing …

Bridging The Gap Between Research And Practice In Schools, Giorgio Ostinelli

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This case study examined how a group of Swiss primary school teachers collaborated with a school improvement advisor/researcher (SIA); it is now part of a larger project that uses a design-based methodology. The SIA is a rising entity in the educational landscape and serves as a state-mandated coach who bridges the gap between universities and schools. The SIA embodies the characteristics of both an educational researcher and a school advisor/coach. The SIA experience was created and designed using a frame–object, a valuable tool for collaboratively building professional development experiences with teachers and coaches. Understanding by Design served as the frame–object …