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Autoethnography, Poetic Performance Narratives, And Pláticas As Dialogues Of Radical Love, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This piece examines Autoethnography, Poetic Performance Narratives, and Pláticas as decolonial methodologies that challenge the coloniality of knowledge and center voices historically excluded from academic discourse. These approaches honor traditions rooted in community, solidarity, and radical love, presenting lived realities without oversimplification while inviting readers to inhabit contradictions and imagine ethical possibilities for equity. Grounded in Latin American and Chicana/Latina/Indígena feminist scholarship, this work situates these practices within a legacy of decolonial epistemologies that resist dominant Western paradigms and affirm lived experience as a site of theory-making. Through this lens, the piece seeks to: (1) bear witness to shared experiences, …

Finding Utopia: An Examination Of Pedagogical Approaches To Teaching Utopianism In U.S. College Classrooms, Brittany Page Brake

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how, and if, utopianism is being taught in college classrooms across the United States. Long considered impractical, overly idealistic, and/or politically dangerous, utopianism has been largely marginalized in political science and American culture. However, this project finds that there are instructors teaching utopianism and they are using the concept to challenge students to think differently about governance, justice, and institutional design. Drawing from political theory literature, course syllabi submitted by faculty from different U.S. universities, interviews with instructors, and personal case studies of my own courses at Central State University and Manchester University, I explore how utopian …

Cartographic Dialogue: A Pedagogy For Emotion And Critical Consciousness In Language Teacher Educator Identity Development, Camille Ungco‐Santos, Rachel S. Snyder Bhansari

Educator Licensure Faculty Publications and Presentations

Language teacher educators (LTEs) enter their roles with complex personal histories and experiences. Little research exam-ines the ways in which LTEs of varying backgrounds reflect on these histories, their emotional responses to these reflections,and their connections to cultural contexts or systemic (in)justice. In this article, we treat the examination of our own personalhistories and their intersections with systems of power, as well as our related emotions, as pedagogy or as a reciprocal way ofteaching and learning. We critically map out and discuss our journeys towards an LTE identity, including our emotions, througha reflective, collaborative, and ongoing method we call cartographic …

The Library Instructor As Learner: A Survey Of Reflective Teaching Practices In Us Academic Libraries, Alicia G. Vaandering, Amanda Crego-Emley

Communications in Information Literacy

Reflective practice provides library workers with a critical opportunity to examine professional experiences, question assumptions and approaches, explore new perspectives, and develop innovative solutions to existing problems. When applied to instruction as reflective teaching, this practice better situates library instructors to meet the evolving needs of twenty-first-century library users. This research study explores how library workers engage with reflective teaching in academic libraries across the United States. A survey was distributed to academic library communities, and a total of 153 responses were collected. While 92% of respondents reported participating in reflective teaching practice in a variety of instructional contexts, results …

Content And Consequences: Impact Of Representation In Stem Higher Education Instructional Content On Marginalized Students, Nichole Ventura

Doctorate in Education

This qualitative study examined representation of historically marginalized students in STEM instructional content at the higher education level and its impact on their learning experiences. Despite growing diversity initiatives in STEM enrollment, curricular materials often fail to reflect the identities of underrepresented students. Using critical theory and interpretivist approaches, this research investigated how representation—or its absence—shapes students' sense of belonging, academic identity formation, and persistence. Through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from historically marginalized backgrounds, and purposeful sampling, this study captured the lived experiences of students engaging with STEM instructional materials. Interview protocols explored how students perceive their representation in …

Amplifying Mother Leaders’ Voices: A Feminist Inquiry Into Gender Inequity In Higher Education Leadership, Katherine Bard

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Women now comprise more than half of mid- and upper-level administrators in higher education, yet they remain underrepresented in the most senior leadership roles. For mothers in leadership, this underrepresentation is compounded by gendered structures, expectations, and norms that shape their personal and professional lives in distinct ways. While scholarship has examined working motherhood broadly and gender inequity in higher education separately, little research has focused on how mother leaders experience and interpret gender inequity in higher education leadership. This study sought to address that gap by exploring the lived experiences of ten mother leaders working at research-intensive (R1) universities …

The Motivation And Influence Behind The Decisions Of High School Students To Participate In The National Ffa Organization, Taylor A. Nielsen

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Today, high school students are increasingly engaged in extracurricular activities, navigating a diverse range of options for which clubs and organizations to join during their secondary education. This poses a challenge for students and for Career and Technical Student Organizations as they work to recruit talented students. High school students have several influences and pressures on their time, including peers, family, and teachers. These influences often recognize how organizations such as FFA can be pivotal in shaping students’ personal and professional development. We wanted to explore the motivations and influences guiding high school students’ decisions to join and actively participate …

Barriers To Parental Engagement In Early Childhood Education, Jordan E. Clark

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Parental engagement in early childhood education has long been recognized as a foundational contributor to children's academic success. However, many families face persistent barriers that limit their participation. This study examined three primary obstacles to parental engagement: disabilities, socioeconomic status, and underdeveloped parent–teacher relationships. The findings suggested that intentional, community-centered approaches effectively reduce barriers to engagement, strengthen school–family partnerships, and offer replicable models for promoting equitable participation in early childhood education settings. To bring these strategies to life, the study included a family engagement event developed in collaboration with a childcare center serving children with developmental delays, which provided a …

Linking Training To Confidence: A Literature Review On Advancing Nutrition Environments In Child Care Programs, Jeanne M. Vanorsdal

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This comprehensive literature review examined child care nutrition training interventions using the Health Belief Model (HBM) to understand how to increase providers’ ability to serve nutritious food. By analyzing HBM constructs such as perceived severity, benefits, and barriers, the review assessed how training influences provider abilities and identified barriers and facilitators to consistently offering healthy meals and snacks. Studies were 1) published in English; 2) research conducted in the United States; 3) population involved home-based or center-based child care providers caring for children from birth to age 5; 4) articles published from January 1, 2015, to October 5, 2025; 5) …

Running The Race Twice As Hard: A Phenomenological Study On The Academic And Athletic Experiences Of Black Female College Student-Athletes At Predominantly White Institutions (Pwi), Jazmin Dunham

Education Doctoral

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black female college student-athletes at Division III predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although Title IX and NCAA reforms expanded access to athletics, Black female student athletes continued to face unique challenges related to race, gender, and representation. These athletes often struggled with social isolation, microaggressions, and a lack of institutional and cultural support, which affected both academic performance and athletic participation. The study applied the theoretical framework of intersectionality to analyze how overlapping identities shaped these women’s experiences and contributed to broader patterns of marginalization in higher education and intercollegiate athletics. …

The Need For Mentorship For Black Women Ascending To C-Suite Position In Nonprofit Human Service Organizations: A Qualitative Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Nkem Norris

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to explore the lived experiences of five Black women who ascended to C-suite positions within nonprofit human service organizations. This study sought to understand how these women navigated systemic barriers, developed leadership identities, and leveraged or lacked mentorship opportunities throughout their professional journeys. Drawing on intersectionality theory, the research examines how race and gender intersect leadership trajectories, access to mentorship, and systemic barriers. The research highlights the critical importance of culturally responsive mentorship, inclusive organizational practices, and intentional leadership development strategies. This study offers actionable insights for nonprofit leaders and …

Deep Community Engagement: Faculty Responsiveness Perspectives At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Joseph Coppola

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, narrative inquiry investigates how experienced faculty members embody and enact responsive pedagogical practices at a community college Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Despite generational poverty and low degree attainment among Latine students, institutions face mounting pressure from deficit-mindedness and political mandates that threaten educational equity and resources for HSIs. This research sought to answer: How do community college faculty teaching at a Hispanic Serving Institution exhibit attributes of responsiveness?

The theoretical framework utilized the core tenets of Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy and integrated models from Gloria Ladson-Billings (culturally relevant pedagogy), Geneva Gay (culturally responsive teaching), Django Paris (culturally sustaining pedagogy), …

The Perceived Effects Of Gaslighting In K-12 Public Schools: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Landon Williams

Dissertations

The problems and mechanisms of gaslighting in the K–12 academic setting parallel those in other professional contexts. The gaslighting phenomenon threatens the optimal performance organizations, although little research exists within the context of K–12 public education that addresses perceptions of gaslighting. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate the perceptions of gaslighting among employees within a K–12 educational setting and to explore its potential impact. This study relied on data collected from interview participants (N=16) via Zoom and components of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to better understand the phenomenon of gaslighting in the context of K–12 education. …

Branding The Divide: Political Ideology And The Strategic Challenges Of Higher Education Marketing, Oscar J. Early Mr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how first-year students experience and interpret institutional branding within the context of their personal and social identities, with particular attention to the role of political ideology. While previous research had examined general branding strategies and declining public trust in higher education, scholars have given little attention to the ways in which prospective students make meaning from institutional messaging during one of the most significant transitions of their lives.

I conducted interviews with 12 first-year students from four-year colleges and universities across South-Central Appalachia. The phenomenological analysis revealed that students’ interpretation of …

Light & Faith: December 2025, Taylor University

Light & Faith

No abstract provided.

Adoption Of The 4-H Thriving Model Of Positive Youth Development:A Case-Centered Examination Of 4-H Agents, Patricia Whitener

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Youth development professionals working in non-formal educational settings face the persistent challenge of translating evidence-based frameworks into effective practice. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examines how South Carolina 4-H agent/educators perceive and adopt the 4-H Thriving Model following mandatory statewide training. The study investigates the roles of professional identity, change readiness, and organizational factors in shaping innovation adoption decisions among Extension professionals who work with considerable autonomy within diverse community contexts.

The 4-H Thriving Model represents a comprehensive theory of change that connects program practices to the developmental processes that influence youth outcomes (Arnold and Gagnon, 2019). The model …

The Life Significance Of Summer Outdoor Program Employment During Emerging Adulthood, Austin M. Souto

All Dissertations

Seasonal employment in outdoor programs—encompassing camps, guiding services, and similar organizations—plays a vital role in delivering structured outdoor experiences, yet little research has explored its enduring effects on staff over the course of their lives. This dissertation examined the long-term significance and influence of seasonal outdoor work during emerging adulthood. Guided by Significant Life Experience and Life Course Theory, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. In the qualitative phase, interviews revealed that seasonal work influenced life trajectories by contributing to identity formation, career discovery, ways of relating to others, and the navigation of trade-offs. Seven mechanisms—opportunities for growth, connection …

Redefining The Script: Autonomy, Agency And Advocacy Among Black Women Educators, Racquel Plummer

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines how Black women educators working with scripted curricula exercise autonomy, agency, and advocacy in elementary school contexts. Guided by interpretive phenomenology, the inquiry centers on lived experience and meaning-making. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten educators, supplemented by reflexive journaling, member checking, and peer debriefing to enhance the trustworthiness of the findings. Analysis used iterative, thematic methods within a hermeneutic circle.

Two questions shaped the design. What beliefs and perceptions do Black women educators hold about autonomy, agency, and advocacy in scripted classrooms? How do they negotiate professional identity and role within mandates? …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Bilingualism Matters: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of California Language Policy, Benjamin V. Roath

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In June 1998, California voters passed Proposition 227, a ballot initiative mandating that all public school instruction be conducted in English, with over 61% approval. This policy imposed additional challenges on students with limited English proficiency (LEP), many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants. At the margins of these political and educational agendas lies the issue of bilingual education. This study examines the role of bilingual education in multilingual contexts and critiques the continued reliance on monolingual frameworks that marginalize linguistic diversity. Focusing on Proposition 227 (1998) and its repeal through Proposition 58 (2016), the research explores shifting …

Examining The Relationship Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Preparation For Ethnic Studies: The Role Of Unconscious Bias, La Taschya Renee Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between cultural competency and teacher preparedness for Ethnic Studies, and seeks to understand whether unconscious bias influences that relationship. California’s Assembly Bill 101 mandates that all high school seniors take Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest school district in California, the second largest in the U.S., and the fifth most segregated school district in the nation. With 44% of White high school teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District situated in the north region and a significantly less presence throughout the other three regions, the question of …

Borderlines Of Becoming: Transfronterizx College Students Navigating Surveillance, Hybridity And Belonging Along The Us-México Border, Aylin Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This narrative literature review examines the educational experiences of transfronterizx college students along the U.S.– México border, a population largely absent from higher education scholarship. Drawing on Borderlands Theory, Anzaldúa’s frameworks, and critical perspectives on neoliberalism and militarization, this thesis highlights the border as a site of both constraint and possibility. Structural violence, surveillance, and militarization intersect with linguistic, racial, and class hierarchies to shape students’ mobility, identities, and sense of belonging. At the same time, students mobilize hybrid identities, cultural wealth, and transborder networks to assert agency, cultivate belonging, and resist deficit narratives. It also identifies persistent gaps, particularly …

Our Trajectories As We Leave The Teaching Profession: Pláticas With Former Bilingual Teachers On The U.S.-Mexico Border In Texas- An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study, Carla Medina Jaquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Teacher attrition has had a negative impact on the educational system for many years. New and experienced teachers have been leaving the classroom. Although the reasons appear repetitive, we know relatively little about what teachers must go through when deciding to leave the profession and what happens to them afterward. A teacher shortage is occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border, as in many other cities across the United States. Despite undergoing a lengthy certification process, teachers continue to leave the classroom. This research employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to explore how new and experienced teachers navigate their transition out of …

A Secret Society Of Readers: College-Age Mentors’ Literacy Experiences With Young Adolescent Mentees, Lindsay Persohn, Dulcey B. Hunter, Chelsea Rivera, Karyn Z. Mendez, Cheryl R. Ellerbrock, Lucy Monette

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study occurred within Year One and Year Two of an ongoing literacy initiative designed to build reader identities among underserved middle school students. Using a near-peer mentoring model, mentees were paired with college-student mentors to interact weekly around books and reading. Reader interests and identities are influenced by affective and relational approaches through mentored reading experiences and a variety of texts. This qualitative case study (n = 11 of 24 Year One and n = 13 of 37 Year Two mentors) aimed to identify the ways mentor/mentee relationships affect reader interests, attitudes, and skills, and to evaluate the …

Teaching For Global Ecological Citizenship: A Case Study Of Rural Teachers’ Experiences And Practices, Sarah L. Tennyson

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine the experiences and practices of rural educators incorporating global ecological citizenship education into the social studies classroom. The systematic themes of social studies education in the past must evolve with the diversity of the classroom. Traditional themes taught must become more globally relevant, including ecological citizenship, the responsibility of citizens to sustain and participate in global ecological issues. One on one interviews with four rural Georgia educators along with artifacts they provided were examined for themes related to two research questions. How do rural educators adapt their instructional strategies to …

An Experimental Evaluation Of A Gamified Learning Approach To Address Bullying Knowledge, Perceptions, And Self-Efficacy Among Elementary Students: Playing Yozgoo In Albania, Sashen Rexhepaj

All Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Yozgoo's web-based gamified educational intervention in enhancing elementary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy related to bullying prevention in Albania. Utilizing a true experimental pre-test and post-test control group design, the study involved 120 students (ages 10-12) equally divided by gender and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 60) or a control group (n = 60). The experimental group participated in Yozgoo gameplay sessions over six to eight weeks, while the control group engaged in standard activities without exposure to the intervention.

Three validated measures were administered to assess outcomes: …

Closing The Achievement Gap: School Counselors’ Role In Enhancing College And Career Access For First-Generation Students, Conswyla J. Decoteau

All Dissertations

Professional school counselors play a vital role in supporting each student's academic, experiential, and personal growth, especially in preparing them for success in post-secondary education. Due to social, academic, and financial disadvantages, first-generation students face significant obstacles. Given that inequities persist despite efforts to improve access to higher education, this problem is important to address. To close the academic gap that first-generation students face, effective counseling programs that are sensitive to cultural differences are necessary. In order to better understand how school counselors in rural high schools may help first-generation students close the gap in access to college and careers, …

Diseño Visual, Identidad De Género Y Diversidad Cultural En La Animación Contemporánea: El Caso De Raya And The Last Dragon, Elisabet Fonts González

GDI. Revista de investigación de Género, Diseño e Innovación

En los últimos años, la animación ha evolucionado hacia representaciones más inclusivas de género y diversidad cultural. Raya and the Last Dragon (López Estrada & Hall, 2021) destaca como un caso significativo de esta transformación, integrando elementos visuales, narrativos y simbólicos que reconfiguran los arquetipos femeninos tradicionales. Este estudio adopta un enfoque cualitativo centrado en el análisis visual, narrativo y simbólico de los personajes Raya, Namaari y Sisu. Basándose en fuentes primarias del proceso creativo y marcos teóricos de la animación y los estudios de género (Furniss, 2017; Lauretis, 1987; Wells, 1998), presta especial atención al diseño de personajes, la …

Does Investing In Schools Reduce Violent Crime?, Jamein Cunningham, Monique E. Davis, Kenneth Whaley

Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Community-Based After-School Wellness Camp’S Effect On Healthy Habit Beliefs, Staci A. O'Brien, Ranelle Brew, Madeline Krawciw, Jodie Seese, Tess Scheidel

Michigan Journal of Public Health

Introduction: Children in the United States face declining physical activity, poor nutrition, and increasing mental health concerns. As school time for wellness declines, out-of-school programs offer an alternative to promote healthy habits to students. A community-driven, multi-component after-school wellness camp was developed in response to a small-town needs assessment and implemented at a local elementary school to determine whether it would change participants’ beliefs held towards healthy habits.

Methods: Third to fifth graders at a local elementary school in Lowell, Michigan, participated in an after-school wellness camp for four weeks through education and hands-on activities focused on physical …