Digital Commons Network^™

Negotiating Tradition And Modernity: An Ethnographic Study Of Leadership And Collaboration In Acehnese Islamic Higher Education, Basri Basri, Mujiburrahman Mujiburrahman, Mohammad Nasir, Muhammad Nazar

The Qualitative Report

This ethnographic study explored the relationship between State University Institutes (SUIs) and Ulama Dayah (Islamic scholars) as mutual co-existing beneficiaries in an Islamic educational organization in Aceh, Indonesia. While the relationship is characterized by a shared commitment to Islamic education, tensions simmer regarding leadership styles and the balance between tradition and modernity. This study is guided by the following research questions: (a) How do SUI leaders in Aceh perceive and manage the inherent tensions between upholding Islamic values and adapting to contemporary demands? (b) How do these leaders reconcile the potentially competing expectations of religious and secular stakeholders? (c) How …

Teaching Phillis Wheatley Peters’S “On Being Brought From Africa To America” For The First Time In An Online Undergraduate Women’S Literature Course, Shazia Khan

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

As one of Phillis Wheatley Peters’ most famous poems, “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is often introduced to undergraduates; however, it is also an often-misunderstood text by undergraduate and graduate students alike when they first read it. Students often believe that Wheatley Peters is happy about her condition as an enslaved person in America and out of Africa. But upon deeper analysis of her word choice, use of punctuation, and biblical references, a reader can see her unique voice as an enslaved person criticizing slavery through sarcasm. Such responses can discourage instructors from teaching the poem, especially in …

Nsu Florida Undergraduate Student Catalog 2025-2026, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats (Swot) Analysis Of Chatgpt In Academic Help-Seeking, Fan Yang

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

This study explores the use of ChatGPT as a help-seeking tool in educational contexts, examining both its potential benefits and costs through a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various internal and external factors that either promote or hinder the use of ChatGPT for academic help-seeking. The strengths of ChatGPT, such as its 24/7 availability to provide immediate responses, non-judgmental tone, and the ability to provide personalized help based on specific prompts, position itself as a valuable resource for help-seekers. However, the low quality of the responses generated by …

Understanding Gender Differences In Academic Achievement Among Engineering Students, Luai Al Labadi, Mohammad Saleh Bataineh, Lim Kyuson, Nida Siddiqui

International Journal for Research in Education

In recent years, a noticeable shift has occurred in academic performance, with females consistently outperforming males in mathematical engineering courses. To investigate the factors contributing to this trend, we conducted a comprehensive survey at a main university in UAE. Analyzing data from 431 engineering students, we found that the time spent studying outside the classroom plays a pivotal role, evidenced by a statistically significant p-value of 0.04, contributing to the gender-based performance disparity. Building upon these findings, we propose short-term solutions that instructors and universities can implement promptly to address this issue. This study underscores the importance of ongoing institution-level, …

Teaching Global Partnership And Responsibility Using The Earth Charter, M. Beth Mccutcheon

Consensus

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of Why Mid-Career Teachers Stay In Education, Rachael E. Wilcox

Student Theses and Dissertations

The qualitative case study examined the lack of knowledge about a teacher's decision to stay in the profession, during a post-COVID time period, within St. Louis, MO metropolitan public schools, by answering three research questions: RQ1: What are the factors that mid-career teachers describe that influence their decisions to stay in the education profession despite the threats of burnout and other challenges? RQ2: How have individual retention factors impacted mid-career teachers’ decisions to stay in the profession despite difficulties? RQ3: How do mid-career teachers respond to working conditions in the education field? The study discovered four findings related to why …

College Preparedness: Exploring Faculty Perceptions Of First-Year Students’ Literacy Skills Transitioning From High School, Shanell Glass Bailey

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study explores faculty perspectives on the literacy skills of incoming freshmen at small community colleges in southern Mississippi, where literacy challenges affect student success. The problem addressed is the preparedness of freshmen in reading and writing, which impacts their academic performance and development through college. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of faculty who teach entry-level English courses and to identify the support students need to succeed in literacy. Constructivist learning theory served as the guiding framework, emphasizing the ways prior knowledge, active engagement, and social interaction influence how students construct meaning …

Mississippi Teachers' Perspective Of Professional Learning Supports And Their Effects On Student Learning Outcomes When Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials, Mandy Michael Johnson

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the perspectives of Mississippi teachers on the professional learning support and outcomes associated with implementing high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) in their classrooms. Grounded in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development, this study surveyed eleven elementary teachers from a Mississippi school district to determine their perspectives on the professional learning support provided for an HQIM, based on their experiences, and its effects on student learning outcomes. After analyzing the data using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis method, it was concluded that teachers rely heavily on state-level literacy coaches for …

Examining The Influence Of Cultural Sameness Or Difference Of Principals And Teachers On Students Perceived Connectedness, Asmaa Fahmy Kabel

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study explores how cultural sameness or difference between students and their teachers and principals influences students’ perceived sense of belonging and connectedness to their school community. Drawing on Cultural Intelligence Theory (Earley & Ang, 2003) and Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), this study investigates the nuanced ways in which students internalize and interpret their relationships with school personnel, with attention to shared and differing cultural attributes beyond race alone. Twelve participants, all one to five years post–high school graduation from traditional public schools, were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire followed by …

The Impact Of Alternative Education Campuses Of Choice On A District’S Graduation Rate, Joshua Paul Gossett

Student Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated how Alternative Education Campuses (AECs) are associated with high school graduation rates in Texas. Two research questions guided the study: (a) whether districts' five-year extended graduation rates differ five years before versus five years after establishing an AEC, and (b) whether four-year graduation rates differ between districts that offer AECs and those that do not. District-level, TEA-reported graduation rates were analyzed for five AEC-adopting districts for Research Question 1 and for eleven districts (five with AECs, six without) for Research Question 2. Analyses included paired-samples and independent-samples t tests, with multiple linear regression to corroborate group …

Investigating The Challenges That Black Female Superintendents Face While Navigating Local School Boards, Eric Dailey

Student Theses and Dissertations

For the past twenty years, Black women have increasingly ascended to the role of school district superintendent. Black female superintendents navigate education systems that were not built with them in mind creating unique challenges. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the challenges that Black female superintendents face while navigating local school boards. This study was informed by glass ceiling theory, gendered organizations theory, and a black feminist framework establishing a research base for this study’s focus. Eight Black female superintendents were interviewed using an interview protocol. This study reveals that Black female superintendents experience similar challenges …

Exclusionary Discipline’S Impact On Minority And Low Social Status Student Achievement, Ulanda Latreace Branch

Student Theses and Dissertations

School discipline was intended to keep students safe in schools, but exclusionary discipline methods fail to meet this goal. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of exclusionary discipline methods on student achievement, with an emphasis on ethnic and socioeconomic differences. The problem addressed how subjective referrals, cultural differences, unequal disciplinary tactics, and ineffective reprimands contribute to inequalities in disciplinary outcomes. Drawing on Glasser and Gordon's behavioral theoretical frameworks, this study emphasized proactive educational settings, effective classroom management, student accountability, and positive relationships as paramount to managing misbehavior. The study used a correlational research design, which …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Motivations For Homeschooling Among Black Americans, Portia J. Witt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the motivations and lived experiences of African American homeschooling families. Twelve Black parents from multiple states participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) Modified Stevick–Colaizzi–Keen method and coded thematically using NVivo. Nine themes emerged: autonomy, holistic education, community belonging, online networks, public resources, curriculum gaps, personal values, effective learning, and legacy of harm. While racialization in schools—including tracking, microaggressions, and misidentification—contributed to participants’ decisions, motivations also reflected intersectional factors such as faith, disability, mental health needs, giftedness, and a desire for cultural protection and flexible learning. Findings suggest homeschooling serves as a …

Review; Rural Education And Queer Identities: Rural And (Out)Rooted, Sara Hall

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This book review examines Rural Education and Queer Identities: Rural and (Out)Rooted, edited by Clint Whitten and Amy Price Azano, an interdisciplinary collection that reconceives rural education as a site of queer worldmaking rather than marginalization. Organized around the metaphors of taproots, root systems, and aerial roots, the collection brings together scholarly essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry to challenge dominant narratives that position queerness as incompatible with rural life. The review considers the collection’s implications for pedagogy and place-based education while noting opportunities for further engagement.

Trans/Queer/Cuir Literature And Resources, Julien Torrento

FIRE Fund Bibliographies

This bibliography assembles interdisciplinary scholarship, literature, and cultural production centered on trans, queer/cuir, and gender-nonconforming Latinx and Caribbean experiences. The selected works foreground embodiment, migration, performance, kinship, and resistance as sites through which marginalized subjects negotiate violence, survival, and worldmaking. Across academic, creative, and archival forms, these sources challenge normative frameworks of gender, nation, and citizenship while imagining alternative futures rooted in community and futurity.

About The Contributors

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Formatted Feelings: Rap As A Pedagogy Of Capitalized Emotion, Guanhua Yao

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This article examines mainstream rap as a key apparatus through which capital formats emotional life under platform capitalism. Utilizing grounded theory coding for ten Billboard No. 1 rap tracks released between 2005 and 2025, the analysis identifies durable affective templates, commodified desire, spectacularized power, and curated vulnerability, that standardize how emotion becomes legible, repeatable, and marketable. Synthesizing affect theory, media sociology, and social dramaturgy, the article argues that rap teaches listeners how to perform feeling in ways compatible with visibility regimes and datafied attention economies. Rather than treating these songs as expressive artifacts, the study reframes them as pedagogical infrastructures …

Teacher Representation In Film And Television, Kailey Deweever

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This article explores teacher representation in film and television, highlighting four main archetypes. It discusses how positive portrayals improve public perceptions and teacher self-image, while negative depictions harm both. Additionally, it critiques how infrequent depictions of actual teaching often trivialize the complexity of the profession.

Keywords: Teacher self-image, popular culture, teacher archetypes, teacher representation, film, television

Latisha King: Queer Confusion, Aggression, And Correction, Hannah Bollin

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

Latisha King was a 15-year-old biracial and transgender student at E.O. Green Junior High who was shot and killed by one of her peers on February 12, 2008. Latisha’s untimely death was followed by a court case during which she was blamed for her own murder due to her gender identity and sexual orientation. Through a thematic analysis of scholarly work alongside public media sources surrounding the case, this study argues that the transphobia that Latisha faced in her classroom was continued in the courtroom and media. More specifically, this article argues that the classroom, murder trial, and public media …

Notes On Redefining "Popular" Culture, Paul J. Ramsey

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This article critiques the classic literature on popular culture, redefines the concept for the contemporary era, and introduces the following articles in this special issue of Impact. The articles in this issue demonstrate not only the ways in which popular culture has evolved in recent decades but also reveal the deeply educational aspects of that culture by shining a light on what is learned through it. 

Keywords: popular culture, education, informal education

Front Matter

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Public Policy Education: Insights From Graduate Dietetics Students, J. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Lindsay Ganong, D. Coleen Kaiser, Emily Patten

Journal of Dietetic Education

Objective: To examine graduate dietetics students’ experiences completing a public policy course outside of their discipline. Methods: Participants were 40 graduate dietetics students at a university in the Western United States. At the conclusion of a public policy course offered through another department, students completed online surveys with fixed-response and open-ended items. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t tests, and qualitative responses were examined using codebook thematic analysis. Results: Three themes included (1) Recognizing the interconnection between policy and dietetics practice, (2) From policy hesitancy to policy understanding; and (3) Humanizing policy: public policy and holistic client care. Students …

Power, Privilege, And Perceptions: A Critical Case Study Of Ffa And Gsa Members’ High School Experiences In A Southern Rural High School, Eric Moser, Stacy Vincent, Rebekah Epps

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

There is an urgent need to address the rampant homophobic and transphobic systems and rhetoric in the United States. School cultures reflect the systemic privileging of heterosexual and cisgender identities, which places queer students at an increased risk of victimization and harassment. Rural schools have been found to uphold heteronormative and cisnormative cultures more than suburban and urban schools, which increases safety concerns for rural queer students. Rural schools commonly offer school-based agricultural education (SBAE) and FFA programs, which have been found to struggle in their inclusion of racial minority students. To combat hostile school cultures, many schools offer a …

Beyond The Bathroom: Systemic Barriers To Trans Student Success, Andrew Leclair

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

At the intersection of educational inequity and systemic marginalization, transgender youth face some of their greatest obstacles upon walking through the schoolhouse door—ranging from legislative attacks and gender negation to denied facility access and pervasive bullying. In rural K-12 public schools—where populations are often smaller, more demographically homogenous, and vie for more socially conservative policies—trans youth are particularly vulnerable. Within this context, this piece centers the experiences of transgender students in rural K-12 public schools—highlighting the sociocultural dynamics and systemic barriers that continue to marginalize them within the United States education system today. Through a blend of literature synthesis and …

"What Are They Going To Do? Fire Me?" The Paradoxical Empowerment Of Nonbinary Teachers In Rural South Carolina, Chris Cyan Divens, Jonathan M. Coker

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Nonbinary teachers are seldom the focus of teacher studies, particularly in challenging places such as the rural Southeastern United States. Through a critical ethnographic case study, we explored the stories of two nonbinary teachers who grew up and worked in rural South Carolina. We examined their cultural contexts, including legislative factors, school policies, and school cultures, and we highlighted how these systems created a hostile environment for queer and trans* individuals. Our participants shared how their lived experiences as queer and gender-diverse individuals provided them with an insider perspective about rural South Carolina culture and its limitations. We also found …

Sissies At The Cafeteria Table: Toward A Queer Black-Town Sense Of Place, Education And Life, Ezekiel Joubert Iii

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Contemporary research has shown rural communities to be places with diverse identities and ideologies, disrupting much of the mainstream images of rural spaces as isolated, White, monocultural, and conservative. However, the persistent tendency to imagine racial inequality and queer life as urban contributes to the invisibility of intersectional struggle. Drawing from Critical Pedagogy, Black geographies, Black Queer Studies, and Mobility Studies, this study examines the collective educational experience and storytelling of Black rural queers in a Metro-Rural community in the Upper Midwest. Using an autogeographic approach, building from auto-ethnography and archival praxis reveal how the spatial structures that reproduce educational …

Queer Methods And Rural Education: Studying The Foxfire Program, Brooke Boling

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

During the summer of 2023, I conducted a study in rural Rabun County, Georgia, with a cohort of high school students as they worked to create a magazine focused on Appalachian culture. The magazine, known as Foxfire, has been published since 1966 by rural high school students who were led by writing teachers. In its heyday, the Foxfire Magazine was seen as a bastion of critical education, as its teachers and founder implemented Deweyan pedagogy and asked students to critically reflect on issues of rural Southern Appalachian culture in their writing. The Foxfire Magazine was wildly successful, resulting in a …

Reading About Gender Identity In A Rural Community: Discourse Around Young Adult Literature And Social Justice, Ashley S. Boyd, Rachael R. Wolney

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This study explores how a rural adult book club engaged with gender identity through young adult literature (YAL), focusing on Mason Deaver’s I Wish You All the Best. Facilitated by two teacher educators, the club brought together local residents and a guest speaker from a regional support organization to discuss gender, pronouns, and the experiences of nonbinary youth. Using critical discourse analysis and thematic coding, the authors examine how participants, cisgender adults, navigated unfamiliar concepts, reflected on their own beliefs, and considered implications for their personal and professional lives. Findings highlight the power of YAL to serve as a …

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Personifying The South In Rural Queer Collegians’ Stories, Miranda N. Rutan, Leia K. Cain

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In this study, we explore the complex interplay between queer identity and Southern cultural narratives among rural college students in the U.S. Bible Belt. We integrated narrative inquiry and arts-based research to examine how participants personify the South within their own stories, revealing nuanced understandings of belonging and identity. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant-created artwork, and discussions about these artworks. Our findings illustrate a dynamic representation of the South as both a source of support and a site of conflict, highlighting the dual roles of community and marginalization in shaping rural queer Southern identities. This research contributes to …