Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Motivations Of Participants In Online Equine Extension Courses, Sarah Vos

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditional program evaluations emphasize participant demographics, knowledge gain, behavior change, and program impact. However, evaluating participant motivation can provide addition insight into why participants enroll in extension programs and help explain participant engagement and persistence throughout a program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant motivation in two online equine extension courses and examine potential relationships between motivation, demographics, and course delivery method, and describe participant engagement in Virtual Horse Judging Camp (VHJC). This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling of participants in two online equine extension courses, Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) and VHJC. The …

Differences In Music Course Offerings In Secondary Schools Within Three School Districts In Colorado, Deirdre Flanagan Slaman

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore variants in current music course offerings and instructional time for music for public school students in grades six through 12 across three school districts in Colorado. Students’ opportunity to access specific music courses and the amount of instructional time they receive varies across public middle and high schools. By studying three school districts with similar demographics in Colorado, the researcher sought to answer the following questions:

Q1 How much variety in music course offering is usual across schools in a single district?

Q2 How much difference in instructional time is usual across …

Distributed Leadership Applied: The Role Of Professional Learning Communities In The Emergence And Development Of Teacher Leadership, Grace M. Bellamy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine the processes through which teacher leadership is fostered and sustained among elementary and middle school educators who participate regularly in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), with a focus upon schools implementing the DuFour and Eaker PLC model with fidelity during the winter and spring of 2026. This study looked for evidence of the presence of teacher leadership in a middle school and an elementary school. The theoretical frameworks of Distributed Leadership and the Teacher Leadership Standards created by the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium were employed in this study, and observations of …

Tier 2 Literacy Interventions In Low-Income Schools: Implications For Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty, Morgan Koch

Dissertations

This study examined the development of a mastery-based Tier 2 reading and writing curriculum prototype designed to improve the coherence and consistency of literacy intervention in high-poverty educational settings. Using the Design Thinking process, stakeholder feedback from educators, administrators, instructional staff, and parents informed the development of the prototype through the Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test phases. The curriculum was evaluated by 15 education professionals through a mock implementation, usability survey, and focus group discussion. Findings suggested that participants perceived the prototype as practical, well organized, and supportive of more efficient and consistent Tier 2 literacy instruction, while also …

Transforming Business Ethics Teaching Through Experiential And Writing Practices, Begimai Abdraeva

GHEA21 Publications

This paper explores how writing-based teaching practices can improve the teaching of Business Ethics. The study is based on the author’s own teaching experience over four semesters at the American University of Central Asia. Using an action research approach, the paper describes how the Institute for Writing and Thinking’s (IWT) pedagogical strategies such as Freewriting, Loop Writing, Dialectical Notebooks, and Process Writing were added to lectures, films, and case studies. The results show that these methods made classes more interactive, encouraged students to reflect on ethical dilemmas, and helped them connect theory with personal and professional experience. Student evaluations and …

Tennessee High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Inclusive Curriculum And Its Impact On African American Students’ Achievement Motivation, Leanders Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study examined Tennessee high school teachers’ perceptions of culturally inclusive curriculum and its perceived influence on African American students’ achievement motivation. Guided by one overarching research question and three sub-questions, the study explored teachers’ understandings of culturally inclusive practice, implementation experiences, and perceptions of institutional support and resources. The study addressed a gap in educational leadership scholarship concerning how culturally inclusive instruction is experienced and sustained within secondary school settings serving African American students.

Using van Manen’s six-step hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured video interviews with 15 Tennessee high school teachers representing diverse …

Faculty Tenure Program Book Selections 2026, Leatherby Libraries, Office Of The Provost

Faculty Tenure Program Book Selections

The Leatherby Libraries Faculty Tenure Program, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, recognizes Chapman University faculty who have recently been awarded tenure. Each newly tenured faculty selects a book of their choice and a brief statement on why this book was selected. This collection of monographs are accessible in physical format and located in the Book Nook on the 1^st floor of the Leatherby Libraries.

Editorial Review Board Vol. 65 Issue 2

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Discussion Of Text Revisited: Encouraging Chatting In The Classroom, Melissa Jessup, Ruth E. Jefferson Dr.

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Discussion of text in language and literacy instruction has historically been studied with small samples of learners. The study described in this article investigated the relationship between instructional practices associated with discussion of text (chatting about it) and the reading achievement of several subgroups. A large sample of readers (N = 148,800) from the National Assessment of Educational Progress was the subject of the study. Several subgroups, including students with disabilities and students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (students experiencing poverty), were statistically disaggregated; subgroup data and results of analyses are discussed. Suggestions for classroom application are included.

Empowering Future Educators: How Service-Learning Shapes Teacher Candidate Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of Book Access, Nancy F. Hulan, Morgan S. Major

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Literacy rates are historically low in areas where access to books is limited. Thus, students with limited exposure to books prior to school pose a unique challenge to teachers, who often feel unprepared to teach students from underserved populations. To help remedy this, teacher candidates need preparation that builds their abilities to provide both access to books and quality literacy instruction for students who live in poverty. The study described in this article investigated the impact of literacy-related community engagement on teacher candidates’ self-efficacy, their understanding of book access, and their perceptions of teachers’ roles in providing book access. Participants …

Deferred Understandings: A Critical Content Analysis Of Representations Of War In Picturebooks, Heeyoung Kim, Jongsun Wee

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article reports on a study that examined eight picturebooks published since 2021 that portray contemporary wars, exploring picturebooks’ potential role in shaping children’s understandings of armed conflict. It investigated how these texts present historical context and construct representations of war. The authors’ analysis focuses on three key elements: the causes of war, depictions of wartime scenes, and the resolutions of war. The findings indicate that the picturebooks portray war realistically through textual and visual narratives, illustrating how war disrupts the child protagonist’s everyday life. However, the books rarely address the underlying causes of war. This study suggests that teachers …

The Power Of Wordless Picture Books: Helping Students Develop Inferential Thinking Skills, Amy Davis

All Faculty Scholarship

When children are born into the world, they have no sense of written language, they process their world through the visuals around them (Pegado, 2022). When parents may expose their children to a variety of experiences like reading board picture books, taking trips to the grocery store, and watching television, these experiences shape young children’s background knowledge.

The purpose of this paper is to describe wordless picture books (WPB) and how teachers can incorporate them into their instruction to develop students’ visual literacy, background knowledge and critical thinking skills. There are two text examples, “Good Dog, Carl” by Alexandra Day …

Making Sense Of The Iep: Teacher Perspectives In Implementation In Suburban Schools, Siranda J. Patchel

All NMU Master's Theses

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal requirement and instructional framework to support students with disabilities. However, inconsistency among IEP classroom implementation is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of IEPs for students with disabilities as reported by general and special educators in suburban settings, in addition to examining educators’ perceptions of their preparedness and comprehension of IEP-related responsibilities.

The qualitative research design incorporated a survey and follow-up interview response analysis of educators who worked in suburban schools. The responses were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach that consisted of open coding and …

The Stories We Tell About Wolves, Olivia Lubig

All NMU Master's Theses

This study investigated the connections between wolf stories, wolf history, and educational theories: critical literacy, schema theory, reader response theory/transactional theory, and the use of intertextual approaches in the classroom. In this study, I used a mix of transactional theory as the theoretical framework, self-study methodology, and living educational theory research methods to study myself as an educator, methods of teaching in a classroom, and children’s literature. My first finding, detailed in Chapter One, was discovering the connection between wolf stories and wolf history. I argue that the relationship between wolves and humans is represented in literature, and the representation …

Nh Ece Research Consortium Member List, Evan England, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

NH ECE Research Consortium membership is open to individuals and organizations with relevant expertise that aligns with the purpose of the Consortium, including the advancement of knowledge to support early care and education in NH. Check out the current Consortium members in this graphic!

Nh Ece Research Agenda, Jess Carson, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Tyrus Parker, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care & Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium’s statewide research agenda identifies questions NH most needs answered to build, strengthen, and sustain its ECE system. The agenda is designed to help researchers, state leaders, funders, advocates, and community partners align work around shared priorities, avoid duplication, and make better use of high-quality evidence to guide policy, practice, and systems change. The Consortium will maintain this agenda as a living resource, updating it as the field’s needs and evidence base evolve. This agenda is meant to support coordinated action, not simply list possible research topics. Partners can use …

Coming Fall 2026: Complete The Market Rate Survey, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Light & Faith: August 2026, Taylor University

Light & Faith

No abstract provided.

Effective Leadership Practices For Administrators In High-Poverty Rural Elementary Schools, Rhonda Underhill

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to examine potential solutions for high-needs rural elementary school leaders to improve academic outcomes for students from low-income families. Students from low-income families in rural elementary schools continue to underperform academically compared to their non-economically disadvantaged peers. Students should not reach adulthood with the same income inequalities they had when they entered school. Solutions are needed to find ways for school administrators to reverse this trend. The study used the New York State Education Department (2018) Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-S) Framework to examine effective leadership practices from the perspectives of school leaders in high-achieving, …

Critical Constructivism And Alaana Interpreter Identity: A Narrative Analysis Qualitative Study, Kamil Gerald

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to explore and illuminate the lived experiences of African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) sign language interpreters (SLIs) within interpreter education programs (IEPs) and the interpreting field. American Sign Language (ASL), the dominant sign language taught in IEPs across the United States, has been shown to overshadow Indigenous Sign Languages (ISLs), a phenomenon often referred to as “ASL colonialism.” Critical constructivism served as the foundational framework in this narrative analysis qualitative study to examine how ALAANA SLIs navigated, resisted, and reimagined their professional identities amid limited exposure to ISLs. Semi-structured interviews were …

Measuring Administrative Hiring Confidence Of Music Teachers In The Context Of Shallow Hiring Pools, Aaron M. Strum

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and measure the confidence of K-12 administrators in hiring music faculty. This study also aimed to analyze administrators’ perspectives and confidence in key stages of the hiring process, including defining job expectations, posting, advertising, interviewing, and selecting highly specialized music teachers in K-12 settings. Confidence of K-12 administrators can be gauged through their understanding of how well an applicant aligns with the specific needs of the school’s program. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1a) How confident are K-12 administrators in their understanding of music teaching pedagogy when interviewing music teacher candidates …

Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Veteran Low-Incidence Self-Contained Special Education Teachers Who Remain In The Profession, Jessie Leyden

Dissertations

Persistent shortages of special education teachers in the United States have intensified the need to understand not only why some educators leave, but why others choose to stay. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of veteran special education teachers working in low-incidence, self-contained classrooms who choose to remain in the profession. With a particular focus on the factors that contribute to their retention beyond the first three years, the study involved a sample of ten low-incidence, self-contained teachers from a variety of states across the country. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored how these …

Black Women Science Teachers’ Contextual Knowledge Shapes Technology Integration To Support Culturally Responsive Teaching In Secondary Science Classrooms, Ashley M. Thomas

Dissertations

The number of Black and Brown high school students entering college to study science and technology majors is declining. Because they encounter shared intersectional experiences in the science and technology fields, Black women have a unique connection with their students that builds on teaching practices grounded in culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The mixed methods study was bounded to one school district that had a CRT initiative and provided training to its teachers. The study used a pre-validated survey regarding the perceptions of CRT in a technology-supported learning environment and identified the tools and practices Black female science teachers (BFSTs) use …

Implementing Mindfulness Practices To Support Student Self-Regulation: A Qualitative Study Of Elementary Teacher Experiences, Shana Orr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore elementary teachers’ lived experiences of the implementation of mindfulness practices to support self-regulation in students. Although mindfulness practices have increasingly been incorporated into elementary classrooms, limited qualitative research has examined teachers’ experiences implementing these practices and their lived experiences of student engagement. While there is research on the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) competencies, the focus on schoolwide implementation of mindfulness strategies expand the literature to close a gap on elementary school teachers’ experiences implementing mindfulness practices in Tennessee.

A …

Navigating Dual Standards: Secondary Educators Integrating English Language Standards To Achieve English Proficiency, Calleigh Herrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

English Learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in the United States, creating increased demands on secondary educators to support both language development and academic achievement. As accountability expectations continue to emphasize grade-level proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), educators serving English Learners must navigate the intersection of English language proficiency standards and content-area instructional requirements. While English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA-21) standards are intended to support language acquisition and access to academic content, educators often face challenges integrating language development goals with grade-level ELA expectations. As such, secondary educators play a critical role in …

August 2026 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

July 27 - August 7 Online SWOSU Athletic Auction

August 7 SWOSU Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet

August 8 SWOSU Athletic Auction and Dinner

September 11 SWOSU Charitable Hunt

October 30-31 SWOSU Homecoming

November 5 SWOSU Near You: Elk City

November 13 Shoot For The Stars Sporting Clay Shoot

Reciprocal Teaching With Emergent Bilingual Students: Promoting Academic Reading Strategies And Fostering Hope, Lorissa K. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many students struggle with reading comprehension, and research shows that low literacy skills in a student’s first language can unfortunately lead to lower rates of university program completion, regardless of the language of instruction. When students feel empowered and confident in their ability to achieve their academic goals, they are much more likely to take ownership of their learning. In fact, students who actively demonstrate hopeful thinking and behaviors are consistently more successful in their academic journeys.

My research explores how we can better support these high school students— specifically concurrent enrollment (CE) students—by examining the impact of Reciprocal Teaching. …

Does Acceptance Matter? The Moderating Role Of Acceptance Of Pornography Use In Sexual And Relationship Satisfaction, Alexandra L. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

With more or the general population reporting regular pornography use there has been an increase in interest in the consequences of regular use, especially for romantic relationships. Previously completed research has shown that there are likely other explanations for why pornography use is related to both positive and negative outcomes. This study examines how acceptance might change the influence the relationship between frequency of use and relationship and sexual satisfaction for individuals. This relationship may yield greater understanding of why some individuals report benefits and others report negative effects of pornography use. Findings indicated that for men their level of …

Advantages Of Dynamic Representation For Related Rates Problems In Calculus, Eri Osuna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Related-rates problems are a standard yet persistently difficult topic in first-semester calculus. Research increasingly recommends dynamic visualization tools such as GeoGebra, but direct comparisons of static and dynamic representations in related-rates settings remain scarce. This qualitative study examines how representation type shapes the quality of students' reasoning and their perceived experience during related-rates problem solving. Six mathematics students who had completed Calculus —a group of four undergraduates and a pair of graduate students—completed a static sliding-ladder task and a dynamic airplane-and-camera task supported by an interactive GeoGebra applet, followed by an interview. Findings indicate that the two representations supported reasoning …

Disruption, Recovery, And Divergence: How Prepandemic Achievement Levels Shaped Learning Loss, Recovery, And Spending Efficiency In Tennessee Public High Schools, Wilson Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant and uneven learning loss in Tennessee public high schools. The statewide ACT composite average fell from 20.2 in 2019 to 19.1 in 2021. By 2024-2025, it recovered only to 19.3. During the same period, Tennessee received approximately $3.86 billion in additional federal funds and $1.15 billion in new state funding. This ex post facto quantitative study examined whether prepandemic achievement levels predicted learning loss severity and recovery patterns of a census of 322 Tennessee public high schools from 2018-2019 through 2024-2025.

The study used two theoretical frameworks. Baumol's cost disease theory predicted that structural productivity …