Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Elementary Teachers Using Coteaching In Bermuda, Laveta Daphne Ebbin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

First Course Portfolio For Plpt 803 Fundamentals Of Scientific Discovery, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

PLPT 803 Fundamentals of Scientific discovery is a new curse in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I designed and developed this course from the ground up. Initially, it was offered as a special topic (PLPT 892-014) for four years. PLPT 803 was approved by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources curriculum committee in September of 2025. PLPT 803 is unique within the University of Nebraska system and will be offered for the first time in the fall of 2027. The course is designed for students to learn fundamental scientific skills such as scrutinize, …

Harnessing Story To Overcome The Double Empathy Problem Between Autistic And Neurotypical People: Brain-Behavior Relationships, Kate Gifford

Theses and Dissertations

There is a dearth of information on the physical aspects of the Double Empathy Problem which is the bidirectional challenge of shared empathy and understanding between autistic and neurotypical individuals. Storytelling has been shown as means to facilitate empathy between storytellers and listeners in both neurotypical and autistic populations through behavioral research. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a neuroimaging technique used to evaluate the hemodynamic response in the cortex and can be used to compare hemodynamic responses across multiple individuals (i.e., hyperscanning). The purpose of this study was to examine activation in empathy-related brain regions and assess brain synchrony between …

Black Men, Aces, And Family Support: Pathways To College Persistence And Graduation, Tessa J. Davis

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

The problem is that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect the coping skills of college students, resulting in challenges in graduating from higher education institutions. The goal of the study was to analyze how temporality, sociality, and spatiality intersect to influence these individuals’ journeys to graduation. The research addressed the critical issue of how ACEs influence academic persistence and success among this demographic, who are disproportionately affected by challenges due to childhood adversities. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry design, the study delved into the lived experiences of 10 Black males aged 24–65 from the Southeastern United States who graduated from higher …

Recruitment And Retention In Action: A Reflection On The Teacher Ambassador Program, Samantha L. Strachan, Nathan Blom, Kelli Bain

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

As teacher preparation programs across the United States grapple with declining enrollments, institutions such as Alabama A&M University are exploring unique approaches to improving university students’ interests in the teaching profession. One such approach is the Teacher Ambassador Program (T.A.P.), a student-led initiative that empowers current teacher candidates to serve as leaders in the recruitment and support of others who are currently pursuing teaching degrees or who are interested in entering the teaching pathway. This piece provides an overview of the Teacher Ambassador Program (T.A.P.) and reflects on how the program can benefit both students and institutions.  

Leadership Disruption, Change Management, And Organizational Resilience In U.S. Higher Education, Moses Masibo Dr., Ashley Rose Charwood Dr.

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

Until recently, higher education in the United States was widely perceived as a primary pathway to social mobility and economic advancement. However, contemporary institutions now face sustained disruption driven by demographic shifts, affordability concerns, political pressures, leadership turnover, and rapid technological change. In this reflection paper, we examine how leadership disruption has become both a symptom and a catalyst of broader systemic challenges in U.S. higher education. Drawing on current scholarship, we argue that disruption, when accompanied by human-centered change management and intentional approaches to organizational resilience, can foster institutional clarity, adaptability, and renewal. Specifically, we explore the dynamics of …

Reality Check: Examining Perceived Stress In Student Pharmacists Using Virtual Reality, Kimberly B. Garza, Channing R. Ford, Kristen L. Helms

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

The impact of stress on learning is complex and multifaceted, and there is a balance between stress that promotes learning and that which inhibits it. This study presents a qualitative analysis of students’ responses to a questionnaire about their experience using virtual reality (VR) in a perspective-taking task to promote empathy for patients with physical limitations due to arthritis of the hands. Including data collected from a first-year course in 2023, 2024, and 2025, 214 students ranked their stress while experiencing the task, and those who ranked stress as anything other than “no stress” were asked to elaborate on the …

Her Fire This Time: Black Women Faculty And The Liberatory Pedagogy That Can't Wait, R. Danielle Scott, Andi Toliver-Smith, Nailah Smith

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

The purpose of this paper is to document the experiences of Black women faculty sustaining culturally responsive, justice-oriented, liberatory pedagogy in the current sociopolitical climate of higher education. In the context of coordinated attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion infrastructure, the erasure of culturally responsive accreditation standards in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (SLHS), and the unwritten expectation that Black women faculty absorb the weight of equity work that institutions have abandoned, this paper examines the sustaining forces that keep liberatory teaching aflame. Drawing on critical autoethnography and reflective practice, three Black women, two faculty members and one doctoral student …

Learning From Planet Krypton - Building Faculty Efficacy To Remove Barriers To Neurodiverse Student Success, Anna Weisling, Nina F. Weisling

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

There are an increasing number of students with Autism, ADHD, and other neurodiversities attending institutions of higher education. Unfortunately, most higher education faculty do not receive formal training or support around the skills, knowledge, and pedagogy needed to effectively design and implement instruction that removes barriers to accessing the post-secondary curriculum. This was the case for the first author, a content expert with a Ph.D. in Digital Media. She engaged author two, who holds a Ph.D. in Special Education, to discuss ways to more effectively support her neurodiverse college students. What emerged was a duoethnographic research study, followed by thematic …

Defining Success Differently: The Clear Model For Allied Health Admissions, Ladarius Woods

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

This opinion paper argues that threshold-based lottery admissions offer a strategically necessary response to equity challenges, enrollment pressures, and evolving definitions of merit in allied health education. Current admissions models, whether traditional or holistic, often reflect underlying tensions between academic metrics and institutional missions and may unintentionally privilege certain applicant groups. As demographic shifts and the looming enrollment cliff intensify these pressures, allied health programs must reconsider how they define and identify admissions excellence. Drawing on examples from other sectors and recent literature, this opinion piece argues that a threshold-based lottery system, applied to applicants who meet baseline academic criteria, …

Measuring Strategic Plans In Cosma Accredited Programs, Coral Bender, Michael Smucker, Zachary Beldon, Jay Jisha, Dene Williamson

The COSMA Journal

Strategic planning is an important part of ensuring efficiency across industries, despite this, many struggle with writing measurable and appropriately aligned strategic planning documents. Summatively, strategic planning documents should be a guiding force for all things, including budgeting. The present paper analyzes every Operational Effectiveness Goal (OEG) and corresponding measure made publicly available for COSMA Accredited programs during the 2023-2024 reporting to gain a better understanding of what accredited sport management programs priorities in the measurement of their strategic plans. Emphases on community affiliations and feedback as well as a reliance on institutional level data emerged. Practical applications for sport …

Performance Of Illustrations And Images As Language In Sarnath Banerjee’S All Quiet In Vikaspuri, Akanksha Barthwal Ms

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

Sarnath Banerjee’s All Quiet in Vikaspuri, fictionalizes but at the same time addresses water wars and political ideologies in the city of Delhi. By the means of eco-critical approach in the name of Vi-kas (development) Banerjee discuss the acts of slow violence subverted on nature in the name of progress (vikas). Through text/ images the author depicts chaos and challenges for the readers in more direct and obscene ways. The current paper attempts to look at Banerjee’s illustrations and images as new form of language emerged in modern Indian literature with the possibly that illustrations have more effect on …

Provost’S Scholarly Dissemination Report: Une Authored Publications February 1, 2026, Through May 1, 2026, Une Office Of The Provost

UNE Provost's Reports

Scholarly dissemination report of UNE-authored publications during the period of February 1, 2026, through May 1, 2026. Prepared for the Academic, Student, and Research Affairs Committee Provost’s Report, June 2026.

Provost’S Media Report February 16 – May 12, 2026, Une Office Of The Provost

UNE Provost's Reports

Report of UNE media appearances during the period of February 16, 2026 through May 12, 2026. Prepared for the Academic, Student, and Research Affairs Committee Provost’s Report, June 2026.

Enhancing Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: A Design-Based Mixed Methods Approach To Transition Planning, Kate M. Schrum

Dissertations

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced significantly lower postsecondary outcomes when compared to same-aged peers. These outcomes included lower graduation rates, higher unemployment rates, and difficulty establishing independent living arrangements (Wagner & Newman, 2015). Following a human-centered, design-based approach, the scholar-practitioner found a lack of consistent and meaningful transition support specifically designed for students with EBD. Working with a stakeholder team of educational professionals directly involved in supporting transition for students with EBD at an alternative special education program, the scholar-practitioner developed a "Transition Toolkit". The toolkit contained scaffolded grade-level checklists (for grades 6–12) with self-advocacy and goal-setting …

Exploring Information Literacy Skills, Attitudes, And Barriers Among Medical And Nursing Students In Bahrain: A Mixed-Methods Perspective, Asif Altaf, Suchita N. Dsilva, Simple Sibi Joseph, Fida Mukhtar, Muhammad Zeeshan, Bindhu Nair

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy is essential for evidence-based medical education, yet Gulf-region studies rarely examine student competencies and barriers. This study examines the information literacy skills, attitudes, and challenges faced by medical and nursing students at RCSI Bahrain. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quantitative survey (n = 343) with qualitative focus groups (n = 10). Students reported high self-perceived information literacy across domains. Time constraints and information overload were identified as the primary barriers to effective communication. Focus group findings highlighted the late introduction of curricula, technical access challenges, and inequities between medical and nursing programs. Library training attendance, academic …

Critical Information Literacy In Higher Education: An Evolution In Theory, Practice, And Assessment, Dan Williford

Communications in Information Literacy

This article offers a critical synthesis of scholarship on critical information literacy (CIL) in higher education from 2015 to 2026, extending and recalibrating prior longitudinal reviews to account for post-2020 theoretical, political, and technological shifts. Drawing on a corpus of 48 peer-reviewed publications published between 2020 and 2026, the study employs thematic cluster analysis—building on Tewell’s four-domain framework—to examine developments in theory, pedagogy, digital and political engagement, reflexive critique, and assessment. Rather than treating critical information literacy as a settled framework, this review positions it as an evolving and contested practice shaped by the political economy of higher education. It …

Using Design Thinking To Support Teacher Confidence In Delivering Culturally Relevant Literacy Instruction To Address Literacy Achievement Gaps, Amy Winters

Dissertations

Despite comprehensive efforts over the years, literacy rates in the United States continued to decline, particularly among students from disadvantaged populations. The literacy achievement gap was driven by socioeconomic disparities, inadequate teacher preparation, and a lack of access to evidence-based, culturally relevant materials. In the Main School District (MSD), the scholar practitioner identified while interventions existed, inconsistencies in literacy instruction and a lack of teacher confidence in delivering culturally responsive instruction hindered student progress. The dissertation in practice focused on addressing issues in literacy instruction and achievement while highlighting ways to meet teachers’ needs and provide means to engage all …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Vicarious Trauma And Emotional And Somatic Resource Replenishment Among K-12 School Principals In Suburban Communities, Rachael A. Garcia

Education Doctoral

This qualitative study, grounded in the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, explores the lived experiences of K-12 principals in suburban communities as they encounter vicarious trauma (VT). The study aims to fill a gap in the research by examining how these leaders deliberately employ strategies to replenish their emotional and somatic resources and develop resilience. The role of school principals has evolved significantly, now requiring them to provide substantial social-emotional support for both students and staff, which exposes them to others' traumatic experiences. This exposure can lead to vicarious trauma, a deep psychological transformation resulting in emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and …

Stakeholder Engagement In Workforce Strategic Planning: A Multi-Case Study Of Community Colleges, Jennifer Gilbert Wakefield

Education Doctoral

Strategic planning is an important framework for community colleges to prioritize educational outcomes with institutional mission and vision statements. Research from the past 10 years shows that plans are created, yet implementation is often lacking. Though workforce development is viewed as to updating curriculum and training needs for in-demand industry skills, limited empirical evidence demonstrates commitment to workforce development programs, nor any devotion to workforce strategic planning.

The purpose of this study was to learn what strategies community college leadership is utilizing to implement, assess, and evaluate their strategic plans for prioritizing sustainable noncredit workforce education and training. Guided by …

2025 Highlights From The Home And Community Department: Strengthening Utah Families And Communities, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

USU Extension’s Home and Community Department addresses challenges affecting family and community wellbeing, including financial instability, food insecurity, chronic disease risk, and relationship strain. In 2025, the department implemented an integrated, statewide approach combining financial education, relationship programming, nutrition education, and community wellness initiatives delivered through accessible, research-based formats. Programs produced outcomes across multiple domains. Participants reported increased financial knowledge, confidence, and adoption of behaviors such as budgeting, saving, and debt reduction. Relationship education improved communication, connection, and commitment among couples and families, while parenting and coparenting programs promoted healthier family dynamics. Nutrition initiatives led to improved dietary behaviors, increased …

Leading With Emotional Intelligence: Strengthening Leadership Effectiveness In Early Childhood Education, Christy L. Martin

Dissertations

This study examined the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in leadership effectiveness within early childhood education settings. Leadership in these contexts involves navigating complex relationships, staff stress, and organizational demands, yet leadership preparation often emphasizes technical skills over emotional competencies. The study explored how EI influences leadership effectiveness and how reflective practices support leadership development. Guided by the question How does emotional intelligence impact leadership effectiveness?, the study used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an EI Inventory of Practices self-assessment measuring four EI domains, and qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest emotionally intelligent …

Integrating Sustainability Into Engineering Education, Riley R. Moller

Master's Theses

Engineering decisions shape lasting technology that affects environmental integrity, public safety, economic stability, and social equity. As global challenges such as climate change, infrastructure vulnerability, and rapid technological advancement intensify, the responsibilities placed on engineers continue to expand. Sustainability provides a framework for addressing these interconnected pressures through systems-based design and long-term thinking. Yet, sustainability education within engineering programs remains unevenly integrated, often positioned as elective or peripheral rather than as a foundational component of professional preparation.

Prior research shows that sustainability is most frequently addressed through stand-alone courses rather than embedded across required curricula, reflecting disciplinary structures that prioritize …

"I Just Broke Down": Critical Care And Secondary Traumatic Stress In Multilingual Schools, Elaine Allard, Barbara Thelamour, Yusra Ali , '24, Naw Hser Nay Paw , '27

Educational Studies Faculty Works

Drawing on nearly a decade of qualitative data collection and educator engagement at an immigrant-serving high school in Philadelphia, this essay explores the intersections of critical multilingual pedagogy with secondary traumatic stress (STS). STS is a mental health condition impacting professionals who work closely with trauma-impacted individuals, which can adversely impact their job satisfaction and career trajectories. Weaving teacher accounts with scholarship on critical care, STS, and teachers’ working conditions, the authors paint a complex picture of how, in spite of its myriad benefits for students, critical care can increase educators’ risk of developing STS in multilingual, immigrant- serving schools, …

2026 June, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for June of 2026.

Review Of Instructional Design For Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Student-Centered Approach, By J. Mattson, D. Lemmons, V. Linsinbigler, And C. Lowder, Kendall Morgan

Communications in Information Literacy

Review of Mattson, J., Lemmons, D., Linsinbigler, V., & Lowder, C. (2025). Instructional design for teaching information literacy online: A student-centered approach. Association of College and Research Libraries.

"It Comes Back To My Identity, It's Who I Am": Sustaining Mid-Career Latine Bilingual Teachers, Soarlyn Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the factors motivating mid-career (4–15 years) in New York City (NYC) to stay in the profession beyond the novice years (1–3 years), as well as the challenges they face. Utilizing self-determination theory and language ideologies as theoretical frameworks, this study captures the motivating factors and challenges of 15 mid-career bilingual teachers across NYC. Findings indicated that relationships with students and colleagues, professional growth, supportive administrators, and alignment between language ideologies and program structures served as motivating factors to remain in the profession by reinforcing teachers’ sense of relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Motivating factors that supported …

Stories Of Social Transformation And Resistance: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Culturally Sustaining Practices Of Teachers Of Color, Daniel E. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, persistent inequities in schooling have intensified the need for asset-based  frameworks, such as culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSP), to support students from  communities that have been historically racialized and minoritized. At the same time, growing  political and social resistance to practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has created  barriers for schools and teachers seeking to implement culturally responsive approaches to  teaching and learning. Using narrative inquiry, this dissertation explores the stories of three culturally  sustaining teachers of color to understand how they enact resistance and pursue social  transformation in their classrooms and schools. Through an examination …

Centering Well-Being And Wholeness: Exploring Racial Battle Fatigue Among Black 3-K To Twelfth-Grade Teachers, Olubunmi Fashusi

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study, with some descriptive statistics, examined Black 3-K through 12th- grade teachers’ experiences with racial battle fatigue (RBF), the psychological and behavioral stress responses they perceived most accurately convey how RBF manifests for them, and the strategies they used to disrupt RBF’s impact. Participants experienced compounded RBF due to advocating for students (i.e., speaking out, supporting, or intervening). Participants’ most perceived psychological stress response to RBF was racism awareness, and most perceived behavioral stress response was spirituality or religion. Participants disrupted the impact of RBF through intrinsic care (i.e., purpose or why, managing emotions, and self-care) and …

Everyone On The Line: Your Journey Begins Here, Brandy N. Pass

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Connecting with students is an essential component of an effective English Language Arts classroom. Additionally, establishing a sense of self can be a tremendous asset for student achievement in the classroom. Intentional activities and curricular choices can have positive impacts on both connections and student self-awareness. Literature selections should reflect student populations as part of culturally sustaining pedagogies. While students should be exposed to a variety of cultures through the English Language Arts curriculum, incorporating aspects of their own culture reminds students of the value we place on them and their lifestyles, in addition to the other cultures we study. …