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Human-Centered Ai Governance In K–12 Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy Gaps In Massachusetts School Districts, Simone Elias, Noran Moffett, Jeremy Womack, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools have rapidly permeated K–12 education, outpacing governance structures and raising urgent concerns about equity, student data privacy, and academic integrity (Eutsler et al., 2026; OECD, 2023). Although a growing body of scholarship proposes multi-level AI governance models for education, empirical evidence on implementing these frameworks at the district policy level remains limited. This article contributes to the field by first synthesizing and adapting a K–12 AI governance framework based on peer-reviewed and policy literature, structured around macro-meso-micro levels and six pillars: ethical and equity-centered use, data governance and privacy, teaching and academic integrity, …

Digital Learning And Digital Literacy: Conceptual Distinctions, Theoretical Frameworks, And Educational Implications Across The Educational Continuum, Simone Elias, Linda Wilson-Jones, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

The terms digital learning and digital literacy recur frequently in educational policy and institutional discourse. Yet peer-reviewed scholarship shows they are conceptually distinct constructs operating at fundamentally different levels of analysis. This article examines the theoretical foundations, definitional genealogies, empirical interdependencies, and grade-band and postsecondary manifestations of both constructs across the full educational continuum, from kindergarten through Grade 12 and into undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education. Drawing on literature across leading educational technology journals, the article argues that digital learning constitutes a pedagogical modality, the structured, technology-mediated environment through which instruction is delivered.

In contrast, digital literacy is a multidimensional …

The Use Of English Conjunctions By Saudi Efl Learners And The Influence Of Proficiency Level, Ahmed Alhassani

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

Despite a substantial body of research on the use of conjunctions by EFL learners, the existing literature is not exhaustive. Previous studies have indicated that non-native English speakers, specifically Saudi EFL students, encounter considerable difficulties with the effective use of conjunctions, presenting a significant impediment to their writing proficiency. Consequently, pedagogical approaches and teaching methods targeting conjunctions have been integrated into educational materials and academic writing curricula. Nevertheless, the persistence of this issue necessitates further investigation utilizing contemporary research methodologies and current updated writing standards. To address this gap, this study explored the use of conjunctions in a 205,040-word corpus …

Editor’S Introduction, Michael D. Pante

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

Reframing Dissertation Committee Practice: A Student-Centered Conceptual Framework For Doctoral Education, Roberto Victor Rodríguez Rivera

Journal of Research Initiatives

Dissertation committees play a key role in shaping the direction, pace, and outcomes of doctoral study, but their function as a unified structure for guidance and judgment is not well understood. Although research covers supervision, examiner feedback, ethics, power, and dissertation examination, these topics are often studied separately. This article brings together both foundational and recent research to rethink dissertation committees as academic structures that adapt their support, oversight, ethical practices, and evaluation throughout the dissertation process. The article makes three main contributions: it clarifies how committee practice is conceptually fragmented, reviews research on supervision, feedback, ethics, and examination, and …

From Silos To Systems In Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration In Academic Planning, Linda Wilson-Jones, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems …

Confidence Intervals As A Quantcrit Method: Reframing Longitudinal Educational Data Through Estimation, Uncertainty, And Within-Group Analysis, Jamaal Young, Jemimah Young, Kristian Edosomwan

Journal of Research Initiatives

Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) calls researchers to reconsider not only what quantitative analyses report, but also how analytic choices reproduce or disrupt racialized ways of knowing. This methods-focused article develops confidence interval analysis as a practical statistical strategy within a QuantCrit methodological framework. Confidence intervals are not inherently critical or anti-racist. Their value for QuantCrit emerges from how researchers use estimation, uncertainty, comparison, visualization, and interpretation. We demonstrate this approach with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend mathematics data for Black students ages 9, 13, and 17 from 1978 to 2012. Rather than treating White performance as …

Removing Barringer: University Renaming Governance, Campus Racial Climate, And The Limits Of Symbolic Reform, Charletta H. Barringer-Brown, Daniel N. Brown

Journal of Research Initiatives

University renaming is often seen as either a necessary moral correction or a less significant symbolic reform. This article examines renaming as a matter of higher education governance. It analyzes the removal of Paul Brandon Barringer’s name from honorific spaces at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech through a qualitative documentary comparative case study. A contextual policy scan of the University of Richmond, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Oregon State University situates the two primary cases within a wider field of naming-governance design. Guided by critical toponymy, institutional theory, policy-decoupling scholarship, organizational-routines theory, and campus-racial-climate …

The Level Of Teaching Performance Of Science Teachers In Light Of Developing Professional Inclinations Toward Future Careers Among Their Female Students, Amal Saad Aljohani

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The study aimed to identify the level of teaching performance among science teachers in light of fostering professional inclinations toward future careers among middle school female students. The descriptive survey method was employed Seven domains of future careers were identified, and teaching performance standards were defined, comprising six criteria: objectives, scientific content, teaching methods and strategies, educational technology, learning activities, and assessment.Based on these criteria, an observation checklist was developed and administered to a random sample of 20 middle school science teachers in Tabuk. The findings revealed that the teaching performance of science teachers, in relation to promoting professional inclinations …

The Relationship Between The Quality Of Learning Experience Design And The Quality Of Its Visual Representation, And The Enjoyment Of Electronic Experiential Learning Among Female Students Of The "E-Learning Strategies" Course At The University Of Jeddah, Eman Fahad Fayez Alsharif

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the quality of learning experience design, the quality of its visual representation, and enjoyment of electronic experiential learning among female students enrolled in the “E-Learning Strategies Course” at the University of Jeddah. The study adopted both descriptive-analytical and descriptive-correlational approaches. The sample consisted of 15 female students, and three research instruments were developed: a rubric for assessing the quality of learning experience design based on the Learning Experience Design (LXD) framework, a rubric for assessing the quality of the visual representation of learning experiences based on the Infographic Design Model (IDM), and …

Governance Of Translation Programs In Saudi Universities: A Document-Based Comparative Study., Saad Salem Alshamrani

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines how governance comes into practice across the officially available documentation of undergraduate translation programs at King Saud University (KSU) and Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU). The study employs a qualitative document analysis approach, focusing primarily on two core texts published by each university: the program specification and curriculum structure, with learning outcomes articulated within the course documentation. The study examines these documents to assess how the program aims, competency expectations, and curricular pathways are articulated. It also evaluates how clearly official documents make the underlying academic rationale visible. Accordingly, the findings describe governance visibility as …

Emotional Aesthetic Pleasure In Al-Rafi‘I’S Letters: “Awraq Al-Ward As A Model”, Abdulaziz Bin Saud Al-Helaibi Albinzaid

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The phenomenon of (emotional aesthetic pleasure) in al-Rafi‘i’s masterpiece (Awraq Al-Ward) constitutes a distinctive artistic feature. This literary prose work is grounded in an affective structure in which emotion is transformed into a discursive mechanism that generates aesthetic pleasure and guides the reader’s response. The study adopts a descriptive analytical approach to identify the most prominent of these techniques, including the inspiring idea, suggestive language, the reflective epistolary style, imagistic condensation, musicality based on emotionally charged sound structures, and affective argumentation that builds empathy and reinforces the value of love as a noble human experience.The study concludes with several key …

Teachers' Readiness And Suggestions For Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive Classrooms In Saudi Arabia, Abdulmalik Mohammed Alkhunini

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed to identify the level of readiness among teachers who teach students with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive education programs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to examine how prior training, specialty (general vs. special education), and teaching experience influence this readiness. A descriptive survey design was used validated for reliability, was administered to 144 teachers (84 general education, 60 special education). Results indicated a high level of readiness among participants overall. Inferential analysis showed that readiness varied significantly with training and job type: special education teachers and those with prior training reported higher readiness levels, whereas teaching experience …

Compulsive Hoarding Disorder (Hd) And The Dark Future (Dfs) Among Saudi Population, Mohammed Abdulrahman Alghamdi

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed to translate and standardize the Compulsive Hoarding Disorder Scale and the Dark Future Scale for use in the Arabic framework, as well as to estimate the prevalence of hoarding behaviors. The study also assessed the effects of age, social status, and educational level on hoarding and dark future tendencies, in addition to exploring the relationships among these variables. The sample comprised of 303 participants (159 males, 52.5%; 144 females, 47.5%), with ages ranging from 16 to 65 years (M = 27.57, SD = 12.59). The results showed that both the Compulsive Hoarding Disorder Scale and the Dark …

Cue Integration And Speech Rate In Arabic Stop-Vowel Sequences: A Multi-Parametric Acoustic Analysis, Nief Aied Al-Gamdi

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The present study investigates how the variation of speech rate affects the acoustic cues across stop-vowel sequences in Bisha dialect (BD), an Arabic dialect spoken in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Applying an acoustic approach, the study examines segmental duration (closure and following vowel), fundamental frequency (f0 onset), and voice quality (H1-H2 onset) on target stops taken from a sample of thirty native speakers of BD. The acoustic measures are evaluated using linear mixed-effects and logistic regression models. Results demonstrate that fast rate leads to substantial temporal compression, including more shortening of the vowels relative to the stops. Fast …

The Contribution Degree Of The "University Life Skills" Course Content To Enhancing Academic Adjustment And Self-Confidence Among Students Of The University Of Hail, Wafi Bin Metaeb Derzi Ardan

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The current research aimed to determine the extent of the "University Life Skills" course content's contribution to enhancing academic adjustment and self-confidence among students at the University of Hail. It utilized the Analytical Descriptive Method to achieve this objective. The research sample consists of (204) students enrolled in the course from six diverse colleges. The research results consistently confirmed that the course's contribution to both enhancing academic adjustment and developing self-confidence was perceived as high (mean scores: 2.57 and 2.60, respectively). A very strong positive correlation was established between academic adjustment and self-confidence development resulting from the course. Statistical analysis …

The Use Of Gadgets And Learning Motivation Among Grade Xi Students In Biology Learning At Sma Negeri 5 Palu, Yulia Citra, Mohammad Jamhari, Masrianih Masrianih, Lestari M.P Alibasyah, Mursito S. Bialangi, Yulia Windarsih

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to describe the profile of gadget use and learning motivation among Grade XI students in biology learning at SMA Negeri 5 Palu and to explore students’ and teachers’ experiences of gadgets as learning support tools and potential sources of digital distraction. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, supported by descriptive questionnaire profiling. A total of 74 students completed a 50-item questionnaire on gadget use and learning motivation, while 10 students and two biology teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while interview data were analyzed thematically. The descriptive findings showed that …

Readiness Of Biology Teachers In West Palu District In Implementing The Deep Learning Approach In The Merdeka Curriculum, Mutia Mutia, Gamar Shamdas, Hayyatun Mawaddah, Rafiqa Rafiqa, Raya Agni, Musdalifah Nurdin

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aimed to examine the readiness of biology teachers in West Palu District to implement the deep learning approach within the Merdeka Curriculum and to identify factors associated with their readiness. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed, with data collected through questionnaires and interviews. The study involved all six biology teachers who were actively teaching at senior high schools in West Palu District. Teacher readiness was examined across cognitive, mental, and physical dimensions. The results indicated that the teachers were generally ready to very ready to implement the deep learning approach. Cognitive readiness was particularly high, with 60% of …

Preliminary Evidence Of Systems Thinking Skills In Gamelan-Based Ethnoscience Booklet-Integrated Collaborative Problem Solving, Ayu Nuryani Aprilia, Suciati Suciati

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Students’ systems thinking skills (STS) can be difficult to develop when science learning provides limited opportunities to connect relationships among system components with contextual phenomena. Integrating local wisdom into learning materials, such as a gamelan-based ethnoscience booklet, may provide a meaningful context for developing these skills. This study aimed to compare students’ STS performance, adjusted for pretest scores, between a class receiving Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) instruction integrated with a gamelan-based ethnoscience booklet and a class receiving CPS instruction alone. This quantitative study employed a pretest–posttest control group design with class-level random allocation of treatment and involved 56 Grade VIII …

The Revolving Door: A Content Analysis Of Presidential Transitions At North Carolina’S Historically Black Colleges And Universities, 1865-2026, Tara Shollenberger, Romaine Boyd

Journal of Research on the College President

National reporting has framed presidential turnover at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as a leadership crisis, yet few studies examine transition patterns systematically within a defined system of institutions over time. This study presents a quantitative content analysis of 206 presidencies across all 11 North Carolina HBCUs from 1865 to 2026, constructed from institutional histories, archival records, and contemporary news sources. Using descriptive analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, we examine tenure length, the rise of interim appointments, differences by institutional control (public versus private governance), and gender patterns in modern appointments. Findings indicate that median completed tenure has collapsed …

“Playing Mental Gymnastics”: Exploring Black Women College Athletes' Mental Health Experiences At Historically White Division I Universities, Ezinne D. Ofoegbu

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Between 2002 and 2022, over 125 college athletes died by suicide, and Division I athletes represented 45% of these deaths. In 2023, Black women college athletes at Division I universities identified racism as a mental health stressor at a higher rate than their non-Black peers. The intersectional nature of social identities and athlete status may create gendered and racialized stressors that are uniquely experienced by Black women athletes. Given the underrepresentation of Black students (i.e., athletes and nonathletes), coaches, faculty, and staff at historically white institutions (HWIs), Black women athletes are likely navigating campus relationships and environments that are shaped …

Servingness On The Sidelines: Latina/O/X Athletic Administrators At Division I Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Guillermo Ortega

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This qualitative study examines how servingness is understood and enacted within NCAA Division I athletic departments at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Guided by Garcia et al.’s multidimensional servingness framework, the study draws on interviews with ten NCAA Division I Latina/o/x athletic administrators. Findings reveal that athletics is frequently disconnected from institutional HSI missions, with servingness often reduced to symbolic or performative practices. Limited Latina/o/x representation in athletic departments further constrains institutional capacity to serve. Despite structural exclusion, participants cultivate servingness through cultural affirmation and community building. Implications highlight the need to structurally integrate athletics into HSI missions and redistribute cultural labor.

Reducing Food Waste Through Education And Community Collaboration, Myeesha Lance, Sharneece Gary

EFNEP

This Land-Grant Press publication explores strategies to reduce food waste through education, innovation, and community engagement. It highlights consumer behaviors, date label confusion, and planning practices that drive waste, while offering practical solutions like meal planning, grocery management, and clearer food labeling. Key takeaways include the importance of behavior change, policy collaboration, and Extension-led outreach. Target audiences include educators, policymakers, community leaders, and households seeking to improve sustainability and food security

Elite Esports Players And Their Physical Health: A Systematic Review Of Injuries, Musculoskeletal Pain, And Fitness-Related Factors, Michal Steffl, Daniel Opelik, Vladimir Hlinka, Grzegorz Mikrut, Petra Hospodkova

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The rapid rise of competitive esports has sparked concerns over the physical health of elite players. Prolonged sedentary behaviour, repetitive movements, and poor ergonomic practices may predispose these athletes to injuries, musculoskeletal pain, and unfavourable body composition. Materials and methods: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted by searching Pub-Med, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science for cross-sectional studies on physical activity (PA), body composition, physical fitness, and musculoskeletal health in elite esports players. Data from 22 peer-reviewed studies involving 5,035 participants aged 16 to 35 were synthesized. Results: Findings consistently show that esports players engage in lower …

Special Education Teacher's Perceptions Of Genai For Creating Individualized Lesson Plans, Mahadevan Iyer

Dissertations

In the United States today, 7.3 million students are receiving special education (SPED) services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004). Rules and regulations governing SPED help ensure that SPED students receive good quality education. Section 1414(d) of IDEIA requires schools to provide specialized academic instruction as per each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). SPED teachers are responsible for accommodating, scaffolding, and individualizing the curriculum to meet the goals specified in the IEP. Defining the individualized curriculum is an added responsibility for a SPED teacher. This study examined SPED teachers’ access to instructional materials that implement EBPs …

The Cognitive Construction Of Sustainable Environmental Awareness Through Green Language Pedagogy In Second Language Acquisition, Meral Yavuz Kartal, Osman Yılmaz Kartal

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The escalating global ecological crisis highlights the need for new approaches to sustainability education, while the cognitive role of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) remains underexplored. This study employs a critical literature review with a systematic search and qualitative thematic synthesis to develop a proposed Green Language Pedagogy (GLP) model. The review followed a four-stage screening protocol (identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion) and analyzed 50 theoretical and empirical sources published between 2014 and 2025. This analysis of the selected literature reveals a stark disparity: an estimated 85% of the reviewed environmental education research focuses on factual knowledge transfer, whereas only 15% …

Grief As A Constitutive Shadow Of Queer Joy: Reclaiming Negativity And The Ethics Of Staying For Education Research, Akira Sawata

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In education scholarship, authors have increasingly called to center queer joy to disrupt the conventional deficit model that normally accompanies queer communities. However, in this paper, I argue that an exclusive emphasis on joy may risk instituting and normalizing a happiness duty that marginalizes negative affects and subjects. I propose queer grief not as an opposite, but as a constitutive shadow of joy. Drawing on theories of queer, trans, and crip negativity and the studies on loss, grief, and mourning, I critique the imperative to mobilize affect solely for future utility and teleological meaning. I contend that such mobilization-driven …

Failing Generations: If There Is An Obligation To Work And Study Online Where Are Digital Wellness Supports?, Louise Nagle, Colin O'Brien, Susan Horgan, Laura Rafferty, Brigid Crowley

Publications

This paper considers how staff and students within an Irish University perceive aspects of their digital health within and outside the educational environment. As this is a continuously and rapidly changing environment, the research is timely and contributes to a gap in understandings of the implication of digital interactions across university generations. In February 2026 the digital teaching support functions within Munster Technological University surveyed students (n=1489) and staff (n=257) on various aspects of digital use within and outside their education. An element of this research focused on Digital Wellness. Aspects captured by the survey include …

Translation Techniques And Meaning Equivalence In The Novels ``It Ends With Us'' And ``Akhir Antara Kita'' By Colleen Hoover, Tanty Aidullia Nasution, Rusdi Noor Rosa, Erikson Saragih, Rudy Sofyan, T. Thyrhaya Zein

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

Translating literary works addressing sensitive issues such as domestic violence (DV) and psychological trauma requires careful strategies to preserve meaning, emotional nuances, and pragmatic effects in the target language. This study examines translation techniques, levels of meaning equivalence, and relevance in dialogues concerning domestic violence and personal trauma in Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us and its Indonesian translation, Akhir Antara Kita. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, 451 dialogue segments were analyzed using the frameworks of Molina and Hurtado Albir (2002), Baker (1992), and Gutt (2010). The findings identified 17 translation techniques, predominantly established equivalent (26.60%), modulation (20.45%), and …

Owning The Mission: Reconciling The Past, While Implementing The Science Of Reading In An Education Preparation Program, Paula J. Adams

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This reflective inquiry examines the first year of a two-year initiative to more explicitly align an established educator preparation program with the Science of Reading (SoR). Situated within a small private university in New York State, the article considers implementation as both curricular revision and institutional change. The process included faculty professional learning, curriculum mapping, alignment of student learning outcomes, revision of common course assessments, development of SoR-aligned models of candidate work, and consideration of clinical experiences. Particular attention is given to tensions that emerged around policy fatigue, academic freedom and responsibility, differing professional cultures, candidates’ prior experiences with literacy …