Digital Commons Network^™

Principals’ Questioning Practices As Drivers Of Innovation And School Improvement, Miguel M. Gonzales, Tiberio Garza, Elizabeth Leon

School Leadership Review

The art of asking questions plays a pivotal role in leadership and organizational change. This study examined the questioning practices of school principals for school improvement. The Discovery Skill of questioning, as illustrated in the Innovator’s DNA Framework outlined by Dyer and colleagues (2019), was adopted as the guiding framework. Data were gathered with a survey with open-response items from 124 school principals on their questioning behaviors for school improvement. Findings showed principals’ questioning from the qualitative investigation confirmed that most principal questioning habits resided in the description territory within the Innovator’s DNA Framework context. The findings suggest that school …

Dictionary Of A Vietnamese-American* Borderland, Ngọc Hải Nguyễn '26

Senior Scholarly and Creative Symposium

This project, composed of a contextualising research paper and an autoethnographical writing creative component, explores the conceptualisation of Anzaldúa's (2021) borderlands by applying to the author's own experience as a Vietnamese-native student growing up along multiple cultural points of inquiry (primarily the American culture). The core research question of this paper is What does it mean to be at the crossroads of many cultures? In the research paper, the author first contextualises the current discourse on borderlands, along with a justification for their usage of storytelling as a mode of inquiry. The author implements a framework theorised through Loveless (2019) …

Research Week 2026 Awards, Scholarly Communications

Liberty University Research Week

The Research Week 2026 Awards includes a list of winners and the ceremony program.

A.I. And Education: The Relationship Between Policy And A.I. Implementation In Louisiana K-12 Schools, Johnny R. Moore Jr

Honors Theses

This research focuses on A.I. policies in Louisiana K-12 education, trying to figure out what the best possible policies would be to ensure that students are using A.I. as a tool rather than a crutch to rely on. This goes through the history and background of technology implementation and educational policies in Louisiana. The research focuses on current A.I. policies in the state, if any, and then evaluates other states policies around the country. Teachers and administrators from around the state were surveyed on this and were also asked on their opinions on A.I. in the classroom.

Is The School Environment The Leading Cause Of The Rise In Burnout Rates Among Tenured Teachers?, Jazalyn A. Brown

Honors College Theses

Teacher burnout has become an increasingly significant issue within the field of education, affecting not only teachers themselves but also the learning environments within schools. Many educators face growing pressures, including overwhelming workloads, limited resources, and a lack of consistent administrative support, which can lead to emotional exhaustion and frustration over time. As more teachers report experiencing burnout or leaving the profession altogether, it becomes increasingly important to better understand the factors that contribute to this issue and how schools can respond to it. This thesis explores how school environments and leadership practices influence teacher burnout and why stronger support …

A Systems-Based Approach To Supporting Resident Scholarly Productivity:Building A High-Throughput Academic Pipeline In Emergency Medicine Residency Training Through Poster Development Apprenticeship, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background:

Many residency programs require scholarly output; however, consistent and high-volume production of posters and publications can be challenging. Anecdotal evidence from a variety of programs suggests variability in outcomes across programs, often influenced by differences in mentorship, structure, and available scholarly infrastructure.

Objective: To describe a reproducible, systems-based model for generating high-volume resident scholarly output through alignment of expectations, culture, infrastructure, and faculty engagement.

Methods  and Conceptual Model: We outline a multi-domain framework derived from sustained programmatic experience, incorporating structural requirements, leadership alignment, cultural reinforcement, workflow standardization, and active faculty participation. The model is supported by practical tools including …

A Systems-Based Approach To Supporting Resident Scholarly Productivity: Building A High-Throughput Academic Pipeline In Emergency Medicine Residency Training Through Poster Development Apprenticeship, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna, Robin Lahr, James Lee, Swet Patel, Henry Schuitema

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Many residency programs require scholarly output; however, consistent and high volume production of posters and publications can be challenging. Anecdotal evidence from a variety of programs suggests variability in outcomes across programs, often influenced by differences in mentorship, structure, and available scholarly infrastructure. Objective: To describe a reproducible, systems-based model for generating high-volume resident scholarly output through alignment of expectations, culture, infrastructure, and faculty engagement. Methods and Conceptual Model: We outline a multi-domain framework derived from sustained programmatic experience, incorporating structural requirements, leadership alignment, cultural reinforcement, workflow standardization, and active faculty participation. The model is supported by practical tools …

The Effects Of Mississippi Mandated Testing On Students And Teachers, Christopher I. Goss

Honors Theses

This thesis concerns the direct impacts of the Mississippi mandated standardized testing, used for graduation, on Mississippi public school teachers and students. To collect appropriate data, I used the Qualtrics survey platform to fit in the parameters needed for IRB approval. This survey provided individuals an opportunity to express their opinions on certain statements, ideas, and beliefs about the current mandated standardized testing system, while also collecting background information for comparing data such as differences between how much someone from a D ranked school would support standardized testing compared to someone from an A ranked school. Most teachers and faculty …

Not An Afterthought: Addressing The Academic And Social Challenges That Create Barriers To Belonging For Transfer Students, Brooke Jankowsky

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the academic and social barriers to belonging for transfer students at four-year institutions, with particular attention to the University of Mississippi. The goal is to bring attention to the issues that surround transfer student populations in general by identifying some of the most pressing structural and interpersonal challenges that shape their experiences. A qualitative approach was used, drawing on existing literature, prior unpublished research at the community college level, and reflective analysis to explore themes such as transfer shock, creating and maintaining social networks, and gaps in institutional support. Findings suggest that transfer students often face a …

Narratives Of Cultural Wealth: Understanding What Works For Underrepresented Minority Students In Stem, Grace Long

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of underrepresented minority alumni from Galileo STEM High School who are pursuing STEM degrees at four-year universities. Guided by Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework, the study focused on what worked for underrepresented minority groups (UMG) in STEM. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn a) what factors contributed to their STEM development and identities, b) what forms of cultural wealth were leveraged in high school and in the first years of college to pursue and persist in STEM studies, and c) experiences from Galileo STEM High School that cultivated and affirmed …

Access Does Not Equal Inclusion: Examining The First-Year College Experience Of First-Generation Latinx Dual Enrollment Alumni From Rural Communities, Dulce Diaz

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the first-year experiences of first-generation Latinx students from rural communities who are alumni of a dual enrollment (DE) program, with a focus on their transition into higher education. Guided by the following research questions, (1) How do first-generation students of color reflect on the challenges and successes in their first year at a four-year institution as alumni of high school DE programs? and (2) How can insights from their experiences inform improvements to DE programming?, this study aimed to uncover both the benefits and barriers these students encounter. Through qualitative interviews with eight students, the study explored …

Leading A School District During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Teresa M. Murphy Phd

Educational Studies Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the conditions of district leadership and required superintendents to make high-stakes decisions amid uncertainty, public scrutiny, and sustained operational disruption. Although scholarship on educational crisis leadership has expanded, fewer studies center superintendents’ own accounts of the knowledge, skills, and conditions that shaped their leadership during COVID-19, and its professional impact. This phenomenological study examined district-level crisis leadership during the first two years of the pandemic, with attention to crisis problem solving, role isolation, crisis communication, and superintendent sustainability. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What knowledge and skills did superintendents perceive necessary for leading during …

Herbularyo (Folk Healer): An Herbal Medicine Card Game, Maryjane T. Magsino, Inah Marie Q. Rivera, Armando M. Guidote, Genejane M. Adarlo

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Herbularyo, a card game teaching about herbal plants (HPs), was created and evaluated as a viable educational card game based on Tuomisto and Aksela’s criteria. A quasi-experiment was performed on 81 Grade 8 students from a private high school and 50 Grade 11 from a public high school. Independent t-test revealed that the control group (CG) and experimental group (EG) (p=0.386), and EG1 (played ≤5) and EG2 (played >5) (p=0.681) are not comparable with each other. Paired t-test showed EG performed better (p=0.001) than CG (p=0.901) whereas ANCOVA showed that playing Herbularyo improved students’ information retention (p=0.006). EG1 and EG2 …

Speaking Of Language: The Relationship Between Language As Capital And Minority Language Education, Alex J. Zelaya

Politics Honors Papers

The future of minority languages not only depends on intergenerational transmission but also on support for immersive instruction in minority languages within the educational system. This paper examines the factors that influence support for minority language education, arguing that language policy is shaped by societal attitudes, which in turn reflect dynamics of power. The paper draws upon Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptualization of different types of capital, including his theory on the relationship between economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital. Within this framework, language functions as a form of capital, reflecting and reinforcing social and economic stratification by conveying status or stigma. …

May 5, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

How To Motivate Hispanic And Latinx Elementary Students To Bridge English Language Proficiency Gaps In A Classroom, Brianna D. Uriostegui

Masters Projects

Limited resources, culturally unresponsive teaching practices, and wide differences in language proficiency levels across classrooms and schools impact minority, diverse students. These issues also affect language classroom teachers responsible for students' language proficiency. This project delves deeper into one marginalized group, Hispanic and Latinx students, by going over the history and challenges this specific group faces. This project also discusses strategies that motivate Hispanic and Latinx students in developing English language proficiency while valuing their linguistic and cultural identities.

Early Childhood Educators' Experiences Of Literacy Programs For Low-Income Preschool Students, Amy M. Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Socioeconomic Status, Motivations And Barriers To Higher Education, And The Academic Achievements Of Women Attending Postsecondary Institutions In The Freely Associated States, Laura Ann Mccormick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Stimulus Disparity On Acquisition Of Chinese Language Learning, Siyi Duan

Thesis Projects

This study examined the effects of stimulus disparity on Chinese characters. Participants were taught Sets of similar and dissimilar characters using a Pre-test–teaching–Post-Test format with stimulus fading supports. Acquisition was measured by sessions to mastery. Results showed that dissimilar Sets were learned more efficiently than similar Sets. Error patterns include repeated use of the same responses across stimuli, and errors within sets. These findings suggest that similarity may slow acquisition and more errors may occur during early learning.

Integrating Movement In Elementary Classrooms: Teacher Perceptions And Student Benefits In A Kindergarten Setting, Ferriday R. Green

Honors Theses

Movement integration has been shown to positively influence elementary students’ cognitive performance, engagement, and on-task behavior; however, its use in classrooms remains inconsistent due to various teacher-perceived barriers. This qualitative study investigates the challenges teachers face when implementing movement integration in elementary classrooms and examines whether access to structured, movement-integrated lesson plans influences instructional practices. The study was conducted with one kindergarten teacher at Lafayette Elementary School. Data were collected through two semi-structured interviews—one conducted prior to implementation and one following a two-week intervention period during which the teacher implemented pre-developed, movement-integrated lesson plans aligned with required academic standards. Interview …

Staff Education To Enhance Fall Prevention Knowledge And Competency Using The Steadi Program In A Long-Term Care Facility, Dorothy B. Bassey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Meaning Of Physical Activity In The Context Of Health Sciences: A Concept Analysis, Martín G. Farinola

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Physical activity has been defined in numerous ways. Thus, this study aimed to conduct a concept analysis of the existing physical activity definitions in the health sciences literature to evaluate its conceptual precision and assess the need for a revised or novel concept better suited for this domain. The concept analysis was accomplished using tools derived from philosophical semantics. The analysis identified six definitions that explicitly state what physical activity is with sufficient clarity to allow for conceptual examination. The findings indicated that these definitions frequently merge the concept of physical activity with its contextual attributes. To address these semantic …

Feasibility Of A Culturally Tailored Teacher Workshop For Equitable Physical Activity Opportunities, Stacy Imagbe, Senlin Chen

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a culturally tailored pedagogical workshop, as a pilot intervention, designed to prompt in-service physical education (PE) teachers to offer equitable physical activity opportunities (PAOs). Participants were two certified middle school PE teachers and 175 students. Using a mixed-methods descriptive study design, the PE teachers received workshop sessions and took part in semi-structured interviews. The adapted Student Measure of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children was administered to measure students’ perceptions and physical activity (PA), respectively. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic …

Evidence-Based Practice: A Framework For Behavior Analytic Training And Supervision, Audrey N. Hoffmann, Andrea Q. Hoang

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

As the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) grows, there is a need for effective and high-quality fieldwork supervision to prepare a growing workforce. This paper proposes the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) as a decision-making framework in the training of behavior analysts, emphasizing its potential to enhance the skillsets of practitioners. EBP involves integrating the best available evidence, client values, and professional judgment to guide clinical decisions. While the use of EBP as a clinical decision-making framework has grown in other helping professions, its application in the field of ABA remains limited. This paper proposes competencies for EBP decision-making …

Intersectional Pathways To Power: Black Female Superintendents' Assets In Disrupting Racism And Advancing Educational Equity, Elizabeth Anne Dent Veal

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, culturally sensitive study elevated the voices of Black female superintendents in California’s PreK–12 public schools—voices historically marginalized in educational leadership discourse. Centering their lived experiences, the research investigated the challenges these leaders face in advancing equity, the unique assets they bring to their roles, and the ways their intersectional identities shape both their leadership and their navigation of systemic barriers. Four Black female superintendents, identified through purposeful sampling from a professional network, participated in short-answer surveys and in-depth, semistructured interviews. Guided by Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth (CCW) framework, the study explored: (a) the experiences of Black female …

Perceptions And Factors Influencing Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Gamification, Crystal D. Purvis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

20260505: Women's Center, 1988-2025, Student Affairs

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the office of the Women's Center at Marshall University from 1988-2025. Items were received in 2026 and include Green Dot Training, Women of Color Celebration, Ms. Quotes, Women Connect and Women's History Month (2010-2011), Women's Center Events from 2011-2012, program attendance of programs from 2012-2014; Program Contracts; Run 4 RAINN event, Women of Marshall Award Nominations, and Parthenon Issues where the Women's Center was mentioned. This is not an exhaustive list. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

Contemplative Classrooms For Ecological Wisdom: Reimagining K-12 Education In Pakistan, China, And Beyond, Maha Shoaib, Jing Lin, Yueyue Wang

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper explores the transformative potential of contemplative environmental education in addressing the growing disconnection between humans and the natural world, particularly within K-12 education systems shaped by anthropocentric and capitalist paradigms. Modern schooling often frames nature as an object of study, rather than a sacred, living presence, contributing to ecological alienation amid intensifying environmental crises. We propose a radical shift toward contemplative, holistic education that draws on spiritual, Indigenous, and ecological knowledge systems. Grounded in Daoist philosophy, Islamic teachings on stewardship, Hindu ethics, and Indigenous worldviews, we reimagine education as a relational and sacred engagement with the Earth. We …

Reimagining Masculinities Through Australian Indigenous Pedagogies, Ben Campbell, Anna Rumjahn

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

In the face of intersecting ecological crises and persistent gender inequality, this paper explores how dominant norms of masculinity—marked by control, detachment, conquest, and other ideals rooted in Western, hegemonic paradigms—contribute to environmental degradation. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, Australian Indigenous pedagogies, and contemplative education, we examine how relational, place-based approaches may offer transformative alternatives for boys in schooling contexts. Central to this inquiry is the Learning from Country framework, which positions land as teacher and emphasizes practices of deep listening, reciprocity, and ethical engagement with the more-than-human world.

We argue that this pedagogical approach challenges dominant masculinities by fostering care …

Challenging Stem Learning Spaces: The Paradigm Of Contemplative Traditions As The Bedrock Of Creativity And Healing, Raaghav Pandya, Christopher Emdin

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

As the post-pandemic classroom and pedagogy evolve to remedy oppressive norms, young people’s mental health and alienation has taken front stage (Rahmani & Zitouni, 2022). Traditional STEM learning spaces often teach inquiry as a linear, non-deviated approach to problems about self and nature (Hrisa & Psillos, 2022). Furthermore, because our classrooms often strip students and educators of their inherent creative abilities through constant assessments, improvement scales, and market-driven expectations, classrooms cease to become places of healing (Pandya, 2021). Eastern wisdom traditions and their associated philosophies provide a unique pedagogical lens that emphasizes a deep inquiry into self, empathy, and creativity …