Digital Commons Network^™

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Nil Policies: Examining Institutional Control And Economic Opportunities For Division I Football Athletes In Power Four Universities, Allen T. Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The adoption of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies has redefined the economic landscape of collegiate athletics, expanding opportunities for student-athletes and reshaping institutional authority. This dissertation nvestigates how NIL policy language at Division I universities frames economic possibilities for football student-athletes and sustains systems of governance. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of policy documents from Power Four and mid-major institutions, this study reveals that NIL participation is persistently conditioned by institutional approval, compliance monitoring, and ambiguous definitions, especially regarding boosters and collectives.

Policy language presents NIL as an opportunity but embeds institutional control through oversight structures. The analysis further …

The Operationalization Of Student Success: How Institutions And Divisions Of Student Affairs Define And Align Non-Academic Student Success With External Accountability Expectations, Madeline N. Trudeau

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This qualitative multi-case study investigates how higher education institutions and their divisions of student affairs publicly discuss and define non-academic student success through their strategic planning, within the context of external pressures from state legislatures and accrediting bodies. Grounded in Organizational Learning Theory, Transition Theory, and Theory of Student Involvement and Engagement, this study analyzes the alignment and divergence between external policy expectations and internal institutional and divisional strategic plans.

The findings reveal a fundamental tension; while external stakeholders increasingly demand quantifiable outcomes tied to economic productivity - like post-graduate wages and employability metrics - divisions of student affairs continue …

A Historical Case Study Of The Effects Of The Coordinate Interagency Partnership Regulating International Students (Cipris) System And The Student Exchange Visitor Information System (Sevis) On Foreign Students Coming To The United States For Higher Education From 1990 To 2008, M. Ann Livingstone

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The United States has welcomed foreign scholars and students since 1774, but their numbers increased dramatically after World War I, and again after World War II, as America became a world power leader and interest in the United States and its educational system and technological developments grew internationally. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was set up to oversee immigrants, visitors, and nonimmigrants who included students and diplomatic staff and families. This study deals with the changing laws and responsibilities of the INS during the period 1990 to 2008 to track foreign students in higher education, specifically with the introduction …

Contractual Democracy From Statehouse To School Board: Shifts In Legislation And School Board Authority In Kentucky, Hannah M. Edelen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

School boards have long been regarded as a cornerstone of American democracy, providing local governance over public education. While considerable scholarship highlights the increasing involvement of state and federal governments in education, relatively few studies examine with specificity how legislatures shape the local authority of these governance structures. This study investigates how the Kentucky State Legislature has influenced the authority of local school boards over three legislative sessions (2020–2022) and how board members perceive their evolving role. Using a multi-method approach and conceptualized in principal-agent theory, this research contributes to understanding how legislatures shape the governing responsibilities of school boards …

Digital Technologies And Calculus: Students’ Peaks And Pits, Ricela Feliciano-Semidei, Kevin A. Palencia Infante, Alcibiades Bustillo-Zarate

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Understanding calculus students’ perspectives can provide valuable insights into their learning needs and help develop strategies to enhance persistence in STEM programs. Numerous studies have shown that the use of digital technologies (DT) influences student engagement, motivation, and mathematics achievement. In this project, we explored students’ perspectives on using DT in calculus. We interviewed eight calculus students from a midwestern doctorate-granting institution in the United States and used thematic analysis informed by the didactical tetrahedron, accounting for internal and external factors that may influence the teaching and learning process. Students reflected on their use of technology, identifying various benefits, including …

Students Can't Access Education Without Being There: A Systematic Look Into One School's Approach To Improve Access, Shawn A. Bernard

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This improvement science dissertation focused on understanding and reducing the frequency of out-of-classroom removal of students exhibiting challenging behavior in one elementary school. Classroom removals result in lost instruction and reduced access to the general education environment. Baseline data indicated an average of 27.8 classroom removals per day, reflecting a systemic issue impacting both student outcomes and staff capacity. The goal was to reduce classroom removals to fewer than 10 per day by June 2026. The leadership team conducted a root cause analysis to inform a theory of improvement grounded in positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). The team selected …

Organizational Causes Of Chronic Absenteeism: Unpacking The Conditions For Learning To Increase Regular Attendance, Melissa Glover

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study employed an improvement science methodology, using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles of improvement, to address the persistent problem of chronic absenteeism within the Gateway School District, where annual absentee rates hovered around 45% and were historically 10% higher for students with disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers. The leadership team engaged in a thorough review of parent and student perceptions of school and aligned findings with Chang’s (2019) conditions for learning framework to pinpoint actionable areas for growth. These findings were then organized into a theory of action using a driver diagram approach. This foundational work led to the identification …

Investigative Thinking Skills And Their Relationship To Awareness Of Contemporary Jurisprudential Issues Among Intermediate Female Students, Fatimah Ali Fadel Al-Ghamdi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study sought to assess the level of investigative thinking skills and awareness of contemporary jurisprudential issues among a sample of third-grade intermediate female students, and to determine the relationship of these skills to awareness of contemporary jurisprudential issues. The random sample of the study consisted of 361 female students selected from all intermediate schools in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. For data collection purposes, an Investigative thinking skills test was developed and used. It includes five skills: deduction, classification, reasoning, interpretation, and problem-solving; also, an awareness of contemporary jurisprudential issues scale was also developed, which includes three dimensions: awareness of …

The Effectiveness Of 3d Printing Project-Based Learning In Developing Future Skills And Academic Passion Among 10th Grade Students In Physics, Asma Abdullah Alshabnuti, Salim Khamis Al Harmali, Sulaiman Mohammed Al-Balushi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of 3D Printing Project-based Learning in developing future skills, according to the Omani Future Skills Framework, and academic passion among 10th-grade students in physics in the Sultanate of Oman. A quasi-experimental research design was used, with a control and experimental group. The sample consisted of (114) male and female students. The Study instruments were the Future Skills Classroom Observation and the Academic Passion Scale, to gather data. Findings showed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in most of future skills, except in flexibility and adaptation skill. The effect size of …

Academic Hardiness And Its Relationship With Academic Self-Efficacy Among Secondary Students At Ajloun Governorate From The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan, Tahani Abdullah Abuwardeh

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study aimed to identify the levels of academic hardiness and academic self-efficacy among secondary school students in Ajloun Governorate in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and to examine the predictive ability of academic hardiness for academic self-efficacy. The descriptive and predictive approach was used. To achieve the objectives, the academic hardiness scale was developed, and the academic self-efficacy scale, which was used by Abo-Allymoun & AlRabee (2022), was applied. After confirming the validity and reliability of the two scales, they were administered to a sample of (367) students, (177) males and (190) females were selected using the cluster …

Crossing Borders For Transformative Professional Learning About Health And Physical Education Policy Through The Policy Process Case Method, Jenna R. Lorusso, Kellie Baker, Chris Clark, Muhammad Jafar, Dylan Scanlon, Laura Alfrey, David Aldous

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Policy Process Case Method (PPCM) is a recent innovation for (health and physical) education professionals to transform their complex policy experiences into practical insights. This method engages professionals across roles and geographical borders in sustained reflexive dialogue to collaboratively interrogate their policy experiences through policy theories. In this ∼1.5-year PPCM investigation, our group (i.e. two curriculum officers, one department head, and one researcher, from four nations) engaged in the following process. First, each practitioner shared a policy experience, including advocating for school policy change, developing provincial/state curricula, and implementing provincial/state curricula. The researcher identified relevant policy theories through which …

Design And Technology Pre-Service Teachers’ University Course Lived Experiences In Western Australia, Carol K. Puddicombe, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Design and Technology (D&T) education, historically rooted in industrial and manual arts, now integrates design-focused thinking with the practical processes of prototyping and making. Drawing on a doctoral study, this article examines the university course experiences of ten pre-service D&T teachers in Western Australia and how these shaped emerging beliefs and professional identities. Using an interpretivist framework and interpretative phenomenological analysis, interviews with ten final-year pre-service teachers were analysed. Five interrelated themes are examined in this article: knowledgeable lecturers, hands-on practical learning, curriculum breadth, peers, and internal concerns. The findings highlight the importance of current, school-connected lecturers; structured learning that …

Needs-Based Funding: From Principle To Practice In Student Equity, Kylie Austin, Fiona Navin, Dan Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Send Us Your Children: Toronto’S Growing Market Of Private Schools For International Secondary Students And Why It Is Concerning, Olivia Johnston, Roopa Trilokekar, Sue Winton, Laura Perry

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The number of private secondary schools that cater to international students is increasing rapidly, especially in the Canadian city of Toronto. Previous studies about international students in public schools have uncovered several concerns, but little is known about these largely unregulated, for-profit private schools. We had created a dataset of all private secondary schools in Toronto (n = 370), and in the process noticed a high volume of schools explicitly targeting international students (n = 174). Thus, a qualitative document analysis of the websites of schools was conducted to explore this market further. Our final analysis uncovered 138 ‘schools of …

Text Messaging Programs To Support Family Literacy Practices: A Scoping Review, Lennie Barblett, Leanne Lavina, Nicola Johnson, Caroline Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using bulk digital text messaging has been shown to be effective in many different fields such as health program interventions and supporting parents/carers. Evaluations of these interventions indicate positive changes in practice; however, it appears the potential of digital messaging through short message services (SMS) have not been fully taken advantage of in early childhood education. This scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) approach investigates the current practices of text messaging programs to support families in the development of preschool aged children’s language and literacy learning. Searches of five databases identified 16 articles that fitted our criteria. Results indicate: …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 3: Food Education (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Connie N. Ihlein, Audrey Elford, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Fiona Champion, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Katie Dix, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Debbie Jordan, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Stacey Mckenzie, Sandra Murphy, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Danielle Waterson, Jill Whelan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Food education (FE) in early learning settings is more than cooking – it is an opportunity to experience food in ways that include cooking but go far beyond. Food education gives children the opportunity for exploration, experimentation, learning, teamwork, skill building and much more. At the same time, services must balance safety, regulatory requirements, diverse developmental and cultural needs, family expectations and practical constraints such as time and staffing.

The FE module has been developed to support Early Childhood Education and Care settings (ECEC), for children from birth to 5 years, to create food experiences that are safe, engaging, inclusive …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 2: Menu And Meal Quality (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Caterina Benati, Fiona Champion, Bek Clancy, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Katie Dix, Kirsty Elliott, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Lorraine Hingston, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Penny Love, Stacey Mckenzie, Tamia Matthews, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Asha Rojahn, Blake Stewart, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Jill Whelan, Erin Wild

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Menu and meal quality is central to the role early learning settings play in children’s growth, development and wellbeing. The food provided across the day shapes children’s nutrient intake, their developing relationship with food, and the eating patterns they carry into later life. At the same time, services must balance nutritional quality with food safety, food allergen management and dietary needs, cultural diversity, family expectations, and practical constraints such as budgets, time and access to supplies.

This Menu and Meal Quality (MMQ) module aims to:

- Support ECEC services to provide menus and meals that align with the Australian Dietary …

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 1: Mealtime Environment And Practices (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Rebecca Byrne, Fiona Champion, Laine Chilman, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Kirsty Elliott, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Shae Haylen, Judith Howard, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Eloise Litterbach, Jodie Mcgough, Stacey Mckenzie, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Gabrielle Orr, Asha Rojahn, Hilary Smith, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Jill Whelan, Sally Whitaker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mealtimes in early learning settings are more than a routine to help children eat. They are important opportunities for connection, learning and development, and for supporting children’s confidence and comfort around food and eating. At the same time, services must balance safety, regulatory requirements, diverse developmental and cultural needs, family expectations and practical constraints such as time and staffing.

The Mealtime Environment and Practices (MEP) module has been developed to support Early Childhood Education and Care settings (ECEC), for children from birth to 5 years, to create mealtimes that are safe, calm, inclusive and responsive to each child, while reflecting …

A Systematic Review Of Children’S Digital Funds Of Knowledge In Early Childhood Education And Care: Beginning The Conversation, Jess Hardley, Lennie Barblett, Maria Enriquez-Watt

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children's ‘funds of knowledge’ (FK) offer a strengths-based approach to recognising how children contribute to the curriculum. Growing up in a postdigital world, young children's lives are enmeshed with digital technologies. Yet the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector remains hesitant to embed digital experiences in play and learning. While the concept of ‘digital fund of knowledge’ (DFK) has been explored in primary and secondary education, it remains underexamined in ECEC. This systematic review of four databases identified seven studies spanning Europe, Australia, the USA, Malta, Sweden and Finland. These highlight challenges including limited educators' understandings of children's DFK, …

Beyond Compliance: Transformative Co-Design For Gender-Based Violence Prevention In Higher Education, Narelle Lemon, Christina Gray, Jason Goopy, Lisa Holmes, Bec Ball, Melissa Perry, Elisa Fear

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines how university staff and students experience transformative learning through voluntary participation in a gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programme that transcended compliance-oriented approaches. While universities increasingly rely on mandatory modules that fail to create sustainable change, this research investigates whether self-nominated participation and co-design pedagogy can foster genuine transformation and voice development among participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. A qualitative multi-method design examined eight university students (aged 18–24) at an Australian university through pre-post focus groups, observational field notes, and artefact analysis. Participants voluntarily engaged in workshops co-designing peer-focused social media prevention messaging. Inductive thematic analysis identified patterns …

Crafting The Inspirational Teacher: Governing Through Affect As Policy Response To Teacher Recruitment In Australia, Saul Karnovsky, Brad Gobby, George Variyan, Andrew W. Wilkins, Antonio Olmedo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As policymakers address a teacher attrition crisis, this paper examines how the Australian policy response mobilises affect to address and manage teacher recruitment. Drawing on affect theory and governmentality, we analyse a case study–the Australian Government’s Be That Teacher campaign–as a policy instrument that seeks to cultivate among would-be-teachers desirable feelings and aspirations aligned with state priorities. Our analysis shows how a sentimental and idealised figure of the ‘inspirational’ teacher is mobilised as a form of affective governmentality through two interconnected dynamics: (1) the construction of teaching as emotionally fulfilling and morally meaningful work through narratives of inspiration, care, and …

From Awareness To Articulation: How Character Strengths Support Wellbeing Literacy In Pre-Service Teachers, Narelle Lemon, Marnie Harris, Rozita Dass, Carli Sanbrook, Rikki James, Tammy Green, Bev Adkin, Gail Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teacher wellbeing demands urgent attention given documented attrition and burnout, yet teacher education programmes often treat wellbeing as peripheral to professional preparation. Sustained teacher wellbeing is also linked to enhanced pedagogical efficacy, professional engagement, and the modelling of wellbeing for learners. This study examines how character strengths function as a scaffolding language through which wellbeing literacy, the intentional language to comprehend and compose wellbeing for self and others, is integrated within initial teacher education for pre-service teachers. Six podcast episodes from the Teachers Supporting Teachers series captured conversations between pre-service teachers and university academics exploring character strengths understanding and enactment. …

Making Room For ‘Feelings’: What's At Stake For The Theory Of Practice Architectures?, George Variyan, Brad Gobby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper responds to Thelin, K. [2024. What about feelings? Elaboration on and consideration of the theoretical construct of emotions in practice and practice architectures. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–14] intriguing proposal that the theory of practice architectures (hereafter TPA) would benefit from an augmentation to its oft-repeated analytical mantra of ‘sayings, doings and relatings’ by adding the notion of feelings. Thelin's work is motivated by the increasing realisation amongst adherents that TPA has thus far been relatively silent on how emotions mediate practice. As such, there are ongoing efforts to think through the place of emotions in …

2026 Document For Faculty And Staff Scholarship Spring Soirée, Kara Schleck, Diana Symons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

Stolen Childhood: Picture Book Stories Of Indian Residential Schools, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

When We Are Alone (2016) By David A. Robertson, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story (2024) Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

Secret Pocket (2023) By Peggy Janicki, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

Walking Together (2023) By Elder Albert Marshall And Louise Zimanyi, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

I Am Not A Number (2019) By Jenny Kay Dupuis And Kathy Kacer, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …