Digital Commons Network^™

Light & Faith: February 2026, Taylor University

Light & Faith

No abstract provided.

Sit, Stay, And Teach: Exploring Teachers' Perceptions Of Facility Dogs' Impact On Stress And Retention, Dennis Powers

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The teaching profession remains at a high level of workplace stress, a factor contributing to teacher burnout and turnover. The study examines how teachers in K-12 public education perceived that facility dogs might reduce stress, increase job satisfaction, and aid in teacher retention in public schools of a southeastern state. The study employed a qualitative, cross-sectional survey that was emailed to 112,546 educators from a LISTSERV request. A total of 1,242 individuals provided informed consent and completed the survey, which consisted of Likert-scale measurement items, open-ended questions, and an informational video inserted to achieve a common understanding of the facility …

Cyber Science Education Meets Healthcare Technology, Angela Spencer

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The research investigates how cyber science education combines with healthcare technology during the digital age to resolve a fundamental research gap in these two advancing areas. A combined approach utilizing extensive surveys and detailed interviews evaluates the functionality of learning platforms as well as cybersecurity measures and potential uses of emerging virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools to improve both educational and clinical environments. The research document describes its methodologies thoroughly while. The research documents multiple quantitative and qualitative results before performing its analysis, which leads to strategy development for digit. The researchers worked to find ways that …

Sounding The Alarm: The Role Of States In Monitoring The Federal Government, Christian G. Fritz

Faculty Scholarship

In December 2025, more than 40 bipartisan state legislative leaders from over 30 states, working through the National Conference of State Legislatures, issued a resolution titled “Federalism Restoration and State Empowerment.” The distinctive feature of American federalism has long been understood to be the distribution of powers between the national and state governments. This foundational element of our system of government—shared sovereignty—warrants revisiting by K-12 teachers and students. Although states may attempt to limit national power in ways such as withholding cooperation, exerting political pressure, and challenging federal authority through legal and institutional channels, this Digest focuses on the role …

The Voices Of Play- Understanding Children’S Perspectives Of Naturalized And Forested Outdoor Play Environments, Kimberly Squires, Kim Barton, Madi Stubbs, Mandy English

IALS Journal

is qualitative participatory study explored young children's perspectives of naturalized and forested outdoor play environments at an early learning laboratory school in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on the Mosaic Approach, photo-elicitation, and the Reggio Emilia concept of the hundred languages of children, researchers invited preschool children to communicate their perspectives through photography, drawing, and discussion. Findings revealed that both naturalized and forested environments supported meaningful connections with nature, although children engaged with each setting in distinct ways. Forested environments encouraged broader and more action-oriented interactions with natural materials, while naturalized environments fostered more diverse and specific connections with environmental features. The …

Students’ Conceptions Of The Future: Participatory Co-Research And Teaching Experiment, Anna Veijola, Tuukka Tomperi

IALS Journal

This study examines upper secondary students’ conceptions of the future through a participatory teaching and research experiment conducted in a philosophy course at the University of Jyväskylä Teacher Training School. Students collaboratively created short films imagining the world in 2043 and wrote reflective essays about the ethical and philosophical issues represented in their films. Using the framework of Futures Consciousness, the researchers analyzed themes related to time perspective, agency, openness to alternatives, systems thinking, and concern for others. Findings revealed that students expressed both utopian and dystopian visions rooted in contemporary global concerns such as climate change, inequality, technological development, …

Secondary School Students' Engagement In Learning Activities: Validation Of A Short Scale, Feliciano Henriques Veiga, Zi Yang Wong, Johnmarshall Reeve, Shane Jimerson, Antonio Leite, Joan Perales, Sonia Valente, Isabel Martinez

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Student engagement is a multidimensional construct strongly associated with learning outcomes and academic success. However, its measurement remains challenging, as existing instruments often conflate engagement in learning activities with engagement in the school community. In addition, brief measures are scarce despite their increasing value, and most available instruments do not incorporate agentic engagement. Assessing student engagement in learning activities is, therefore, crucial for monitoring academic progress, identifying students at risk of dropping out, and predicting academic success. This study aimed to validate the 12-item Secondary School Student Engagement in Learning Activities: Short Scale, adapted from a higher education measure, which …

A Student-Centered Gis Classroom: Second Chances And Real-World Practice Teaching Portfolio For Nres218 Introduction To Geospatial Technologies, Ran Wang

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio documents the design, implementation, and reflection of NRES218 Introduction to Geospatial Technologies, an introductory undergraduate geographic information system (GIS) course. This course aims to integrate basic and applied sciences to help students develop spatial thinking and spatial analysis skills for proposing spatial science–oriented solutions. Instructional strategies emphasize experiential learning through structured laboratory exercises and outdoor field activities that connects real-world observation with GIS analysis. To support student learning and persistence, the course also incorporated flexible assessment practices, including second-chance exams. Reflection on student engagement and performance revealed that while these strategies were highly beneficial for some students, …

Necessary, But Insufficient: School Counselors’ Informal Learning Experiences With Writing Letters Of Recommendations, Mandy Savitz-Romer, Tara Nicola, Julius Dilorenzo, Jen Ha, Amy Desiderio, Sebastian Munoz Galvez, Matthew O'Brien

Journal of College Access

Submission of recommendation letters from high school counselors is a requirement for undergraduate admission at many selective colleges. However, there has been limited research to-date examining these critical application components and the front-line professionals who generate them. This study examines how high school counselors, who are key actors in holistic admission practices, learn how to craft recommendation letters. Given previous research has found that counselors have limited training in college admission counseling, understanding the learning processes that shape their letter writing is a critical first step for improving the quality of letters and their utility for student success in the …

Where Can I Get Information About Osha And Miosha Regs?, Rachel Sinacola Dds, Ms, Mda Membership Department Staff

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This question and answer column serves as a resource for dental practice management, directing members to information on OSHA and MIOSHA regulations, bloodborne pathogens, and needlestick protocols. It promotes the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program, highlighting CE opportunities and donated lab work. The source also provides details on the Certified Dental Business Professional (CDBP) credential and explains membership dues assistance programs, such as waivers and payment plans.

Ce Spotlight, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This spotlight provides a comprehensive preview of the 2026 MDA Annual Session in Grand Rapids, themed “Where Big Ideas Are Brewing It introduces significant logistical changes, including one-day or full conference passes and a more flexible on-site course selection process The event offers curated tracks for new dentists and dental teams, social networking events, and extensive opportunities to visit the Exhibit Hall It serves as a primary resource for Michigan dentists looking to meet state continuing education requirements through high-quality sessions.

News You Need, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This news update summarizes MDA Board of Trustees activities, including the 2026 budget approval and legislative advocacy for licensure reform and Social Security privacy. It promotes National Children’s Dental Health Month and the biennial Mission of Mercy event. The news covers the appointment of a new Chief Experience Officer, the launch of the MDA Matters video podcast, and announcements for scholarships and award-winners.

From Wind To Wonder: Libraries And Storytelling At The Heart Of Urban Education, Angiah L. Davis

Georgia Library Quarterly

Georgia State University’s (GSU) Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence partnered with the Jim Cherry Learning Resources Center at GSU's Clarkston Library to launch an innovative literacy initiative during the 19th annual GSU Sources Pre‑Conference. Anchored by the theme “Seeing Ourselves in the Algorithmic Future of Education,” the program examined how emerging technologies intersect with creativity, literacy, community problem solving, and storytelling. This article shares the program’s design and impact, illustrating how cross‑institutional partnerships can foster inclusive literacy practices and prepare learners to navigate and shape the algorithmic futures that increasingly define educational landscapes.

Business Schools In The Internal Environment: What Should Schools Do Now?, Kai Peters, Howard Thomas, Michael Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In our previous article, we set out to explore external factors (Brexit, the pandemic, technological change and nationalism) which have made life more difficult for business schools. In this follow-up, we explore challenges of our own making within business schools, especially those that are a part of a larger university. We posit that many of us are not financially savvy, running too many under-scaled and poorly costed programmes. We see extensive university centralisation and related risk aversion. We see schools scheduling programmes for their own preference, not the preference of students. In conclusion, we propose some ways forward.

Personal Resources Among Pre-Service Teachers: An Examination Of Links With Subjective Vitality And Occupational Commitment, Helena Granziera, Rebecca J. Collie, Caroline Mansfield

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The retention of pre-service teachers presents persistent and significant challenges for education and society alike. An emerging body of research suggests that the cultivation of personal resources may serve as a means to foster PSTs wellbeing, which is integral to fostering positive experiences within teacher education. We sought to examine this potential association in a sample of 664 Australian teachers by investigating the associations between five personal resources - adaptability, workplace buoyancy, psychological detachment, optimism, and social self-efficacy - and two teaching-related outcomes: subjective vitality at work and occupational commitment. Using structural equation modelling, analysis of data collected from PSTs …

Motivating And Retaining Student Assistants: A Case Study, Catherine Paolillo, Christopher Marcum

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

This paper offers specific recommendations for effectively motivating and retaining student employees at an academic library that practitioners may consider as they develop and implement programs for hiring, training, and retaining student assistants at their institutions. It describes a methodology that can be replicated for similar studies at other universities. This paper contributes new knowledge to the subject of academic library employee retention by reporting on the opinions of library student assistants at a small private liberal arts university in Southern California to gain insight into the kinds of retention program elements that students recommend. This study used an online …

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

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for February of 2026.

The Powerful Teacher: A Power Hypothesis For The Benefits Of Learning-By-Teaching, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Stephen Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why does teaching others enhance one's learning? This study advanced a novel power hypothesis of learning-by-teaching: When assuming the role of a teacher, students experience a heightened sense of power in influencing others, which increases their own learning. University students (N = 242) studied a scientific text using one of three learning methods: notetaking, explaining, or teaching. The notetaking group prepared to be tested and wrote study notes about the topic; the explaining group prepared to explain and wrote an explanation about the topic as how they would write a textbook for their peers; the teaching group prepared to teach …

Higher Education Student Engagement In Learning Activities: Clarifying Concepts And Introducing A Short-Scale, Feliciano Veiga, Johnmarshall Reeve, Carlota M. Veiga, Zi Yang Wong, Isabel Martinez, Anabela Pereira Nuno Archer De Carvalho

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Student engagement plays a vital role in higher education due to its significant influence on academic outcomes, such as academic achievement and course completion. However, the concept of student engagement is often ambiguously defined, with a lack of distinction between engagement in learning and involvement in the academic community. Although the current student engagement measures have contributed to advancing knowledge in the area, they are often too long and exclude agentic engagement, which is seen as a key dimension in higher education. This research aimed to (a) clarify the concept of student engagement and the conceptual problems of the existing …

Poems For A Calculus Class (After Reading Midlife Calculus And At The Dimensional Border), Kevin Farey

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This poetry folder is made up of two short trios. The first begins with “Methods,” a thirteen-line poem by Britt Kaufmann, and continues with two thirteen-line responses to it. The folder’s second half consists of three (non-thirteen-line) responses to a collection of thirteen-line-almost-sonnets by Philip Fried, who had in turn been inspired, during the pandemic, by Edwin Abbot’s Flatland.

Both Kaufmann and Fried are authors of previous JHM poetry folders. Poems from Kaufmann’s book Midlife Calculus appeared in the January 2025 issue and poems from Fried’s series At the Dimensional Border appeared in the July 2024 issue. In addition, …

Sumthin: A Context-Dependent African American Vernacular English Word For Variables, Mark Apedo

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

If mathematics is a language, then African American Vernacular English (AAVE) could hold the key to a fascinating understanding of the evolution of algebra from human speech in North America. The use of the pronoun something (sumthin) to depict an unknown amount of money that varies implies that algebra developed as a logical necessity in human communication. Exploring this phenomenon and leveraging it to demonstrate the concept of algebra could enhance the comprehension of the subject among speakers of AAVE.

The Math Teaching Atlas: Trails, Anchors, And Compass In Action, Ivan Z. Feng

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This paper advocates a shift grounded in mathematical reasoning: teach and write math through explicit routeways rather than narratives, anchor new ideas to familiar concepts on a roadmap, and use motivation and concrete examples as a compass and simulation for discovery.

Reminiscences Of My Past Life As A High School Math Teacher, Wayne Nirode

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this article, I reflect on my twenty years as a high school math teacher. I describe four distinct phases of my career in five-year increments. I aim to make public both what makes teaching high school students rewarding and what makes it difficult. Also, my writing illuminates how indelible the first five years were to my development as a teacher. I hope that this brief memoir helps early-career teachers see past the tumultuous beginnings while also inspiring veteran teachers to reflect on their own careers.

Creating Art With The Generalized Pythagorean Theorem, Ángel Colín

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The Pythagorean Theorem and its generalizations have been widely studied. In this article we focus on one particular generalization that asserts that the area of a polygon with one side the hypotenuse of a right triangle is the sum of the areas of similar polygons whose corresponding sides are the other two sides [4]. Using this theorem together with interactive software or simply pencil and paper, we create some visually enticing artwork. This activity, we believe, can contribute positively to geometry teaching at all academic levels.

Let's Play Uno! Training Mathematical Thinking With An Inclusive Card Game, Thierry Meyrath, Clara-Ioana Mincu, Antonella Perucca

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

We explore probability exercises based on the game UNO. Excluding the Wild cards, the deck contains precisely 100 cards, which makes it convenient to express probabilities as percentages. We discuss the mathematical relation between cards that can be played after other cards. We also propose an algebraic exercise that relates several quantities, such as the number of cards left in the losing player’s hand. Finally, we argue that UNO is a very inclusive game: it is logistically easy to play, allows for players of different skill levels, and can be adapted to meet special needs. Beyond being playful exercises, our …

Invitations To Stem: Activities For Building Community And Enthusiasm From A First-Year Seminar, Dusty Grundmeier, Shanelle Davis

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

We reflect on and analyze a first-year seminar designed as an invitation to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. We present sample activities designed to develop mathematical and scientific problem-solving skills while also building community and enthusiasm. Through solving mathematical puzzles, project-based learning, and reflective activities, students develop a supportive and welcoming STEM-focused community and identity. Along with sample activities, we share our goals, challenges, and student feedback. Finally, we suggest some guiding principles for designing and choosing problems for similar STEM enrichment activities and seminars.

Partnering With Students To Create A Positive Image Of Mathematics, Manmohan Kaur

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In a 1989 paper, Barbeau states, “Probably no area of human activity is as afflicted as mathematics with a gap between the public perception of its nature and what its practitioners believe it to be.” Decades later, the situation is much the same. With the technical advances in the contemporary world, mathematics affects our day-to-day activities in essential ways such as e-commerce and credit card security. Mathematical problem solving intrinsically requires creative and critical thinking. However, mathematics is often perceived as uninventive, sterile, static, and removed from human needs and culture. This paper describes how mathematicians can own the image …

How (And Why) To Start A Math Circle At The County Jail, Aram Bingham

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Math circles are a common form of outreach usually run by professional mathematicians as enrichment for K-12 students or teachers. As a setting to stimulate interest and develop positive socialization around mathematical practice, a regular math circle can also be an effective bridge to higher education in carceral settings for both facilitators and participants. This article describes my journey through starting and running math circles in county jails, with a view towards the expansion of mathematics education as another tool for the dismantling of mass incarceration.

How Did Cauchy Prove His Integral Theorem? A Historical Reconstruction For Education Research, José Gerardo Piña-Aguirre, Rosa María Farfán Márquez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In his article “Mémoire sur les Intégrales Définies, prises entre des limites imaginaires” of 1825, Cauchy proves that the integral of a complex function f defined on complex numbers is independent of the path of integration if the function f remains finite and continuous along the chosen path. In contemporary literature that analyzes the mathematics of Cauchy, the specific mathematical process that allowed Cauchy to prove this result is not explicitly presented. The purpose of this manuscript is to communicate a symbolic-algebraic derivation that justifies the narrative argument used by Cauchy to support his proof, thus hopefully filling this gap. …

Emergent Collective Argumentation Types In A Socio-Critical Mathematical Modeling Activity, Ayse Ozturk, Ozgul Kartal

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Socio-critical mathematical modeling encourages students to employ mathematics as a tool for social inquiry and action, promoting critical thinking and social awareness. While research on collective argumentation in mathematical modeling exists, its connection to socio-critical modeling remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining the types of collective argumentation that emerge during small-group and whole-group discussions as students navigate different phases of the modeling process. Using an adapted version of Toulmin’s argumentation model and a framework for socio-critical modeling phases, this study analyzes classroom discussions in which high school students engage in a modeling task focused on fair raise …