Digital Commons Network^™

Exploration Of Language And Identities Among Study Abroad Participants In Non-Anglophone Context: Experience Of Asian International Students Studying Abroad In Belgium, Long Yat Ding

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This Research Summary examines the study abroad experiences of Asian international students who study in non-anglophone Belgium. This research investigates how the experiences of mobility programme participants impact individual identity, with a focus on national, regional, and global citizenship identity. Eighteen qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews were implemented. Mixed lived experiences and reactions towards national, regional and global identity after participation in mobility programmes were identified. Findings showcase non-anglophone European Higher Education and the study abroad experience of non-anglophone speakers from Asia in the post-COVID-19 era. The Research Summary provides a critical snapshot of Asian International students’ lived experience, especially under …

Exploring The Connection Between Teaching Frameworks And Policies For Assessing Teaching, Barbara J. Bird, Beate Brunow, Eric Kyle, Shawn R. Simonson

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Most faculty policies aimed at faculty review or assessment of teaching do not include specific teaching criteria and standards but instead lean heavily on student evaluations and peer review of teaching. This approach provides no concrete path for using assessment in a feedback loop that enables teachers to improve teaching. Implementing teaching frameworks can improve feedback loops and assessment policies by providing specific criteria and standards. Developing teaching effectiveness frameworks and connecting them to teaching assessment policies can be a critical step in advancing institutional change initiatives focused on teaching effectiveness. This critical alignment enables sustainable and meaningful change. This …

Advancing Literacy Instruction: Bridging Evidence-Based And Culturally Responsive Practices To Serve All Learners, Jamie L. Nord

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

As Minnesota's student population becomes increasingly diverse, persistent literacy achievement gaps among students of color, multilingual learners, and students from low-income backgrounds demand urgent attention. While the state's READ Act mandates structured, evidence-based literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, its successful implementation must not overshadow the equally vital need for culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy. This white paper argues for a comprehensive, dual-framework approach that integrates both evidence-based literacy practices and culturally affirming instructional strategies

Unlocking Reading Success: Addressing The Literacy Crisis In The United States, Jennifer Kaczrowski-Taylor

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper addresses the literacy crisis in the United States. Currently, in the educational system, millions of children lack access to research-based reading instruction and, as a result, struggle to become proficient readers. Despite decades of academic and reform efforts, national reading achievement has been declining. This literacy crisis can be traced back to outdated or inconsistent instructional practices, socioeconomic background, lack of research-based instructional curricula, as well as inconsistent and ineffective implementation of these approaches. Based on recent research and national data, this white paper advocates for aligning teacher education and professional development with the Science of Reading. …

Creating A Framework: Integrating Podcasting Into English For Academic Purposes Instruction, Holly Milkowart

Sabbatical Projects

This article presents a sabbatical-based investigation into the role of podcasting in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction at a community college. With a focus on real-world application, this project combined formal academic training in audio production with student-centered lesson planning and classroom implementation. Via student surveys and reflective practice, the project reveals how podcasting can give EAP students meaningful listening and speaking opportunities, promote language acquisition, and foster a sense of belonging within their communities. While enthusiasm for podcast creation was mixed, students showed high interest in academic podcast content. The project is ongoing and will continue through further …

Centering The Medical Student Perspective In A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Of The Holistic Admissions Process At A Mission-Driven Institution, Brenda L. Liszka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods research explores the influence of a holistic admissions process on medical student enrollment at a mission-driven institution. The study quantitatively measured the impact of various admissions touchpoints on enrollment decisions and qualitatively investigated the experiences of students underrepresented in medicine based on their race or ethnicity, first-generation status, and medically underserved backgrounds. Individual interviews, guided by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, were used to understand participants' sense of belonging and esteem throughout the process. The findings inform an improvement agenda aimed at creating a responsive and inclusive admissions process that supports diverse student bodies and addresses national public health …

Inclusion May Affect Marching Band Members Of Black Universities Differently Than Members Of White Universities: Narrative Inquiry: A Case Study, Derrick K. Yates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a lack of research on the emotional connection and support students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities may seek through their band experience versus students of Predominantly White Institutions. Some studies demonstrate that those who participate in music ensembles express heightened self-esteem, a sense of connectedness, and a positive impact on their mental and psychological well-being. This narrative inquiry research study focuses on the unexplored perspectives of three band members from historically black and three predominantly white university marching bands, regarding their emotional connections to their programs and the emotional connections and support they receive from them. The …

Asset And Deficit Thinking: Ed.D. Students’ Perceptions And Preferences Around Their Instructors’ Feedback, Rebecca R. Simataa, Jordan O'Connell, Kateri Johnson, Christopher Dufault

Essays in Education

This study investigated cohort-based Ed.D. students’ perceptions and preferences related to deficit and asset-based instructor feedback. The researchers collected data from 28 current Ed.D. students through a survey based on Henderson et al.'s (2016) Feedback for Learning questions. While students generally perceived feedback as asset-focused, they expressed a need for more growth-oriented, individualized responses. Additionally, male participants significantly perceived more asset-based feedback than females, suggesting that demographic alignment between instructors and students may influence perceptions around feedback. Implications suggest that Ed. D. faculty can enhance feedback practices by choosing transactional or transformative approaches based on students' needs and preferences, offering …

Characterization Of Undergraduate Biology Instructors’ Goals And Strategies For Implementing Quantitative Reasoning, Anum Khushal

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Quantitative reasoning (QR) is the application of mathematics and statistics to real-life and scientific contexts. It is essential for understanding complex biological phenomena and analyzing large datasets in both academic and professional settings. In response to the growing demand for QR skills, biology educators and researchers have engaged in curricular reforms and education research. This qualitative study explores how undergraduate biology instructors integrate QR into their teaching using a framework informed by pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and QR. The study involved 21 biology faculty from various U.S. institutions who intentionally incorporated QR in their instruction. Data was collected through semi-structured …

Deaf Faculty Members’ Experiences In Higher Education Institutions, Stephanie Proctor Horvath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deaf faculty members bring diverse perspectives to higher education, yet their experiences remain underexplored in academic research. The critical first year of teaching can shape their career experiences, revealing both opportunities for growth and systemic barriers. The purpose of this study was to understand deaf faculty members’ experiences, focusing on their transition into academic roles, the accommodations provided in their workplaces, and the challenges they faced. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 Deaf faculty members, whose teaching experience ranges from 1 to 30 years. In the reflexive thematic analysis and AI-coding of this data, …

Student Supports For Achieving College And Career Readiness, Edward C. Fletcher Jr., Turhan K. Carroll, Bo Hyun Lee, Carrie Burggraf

Journal of College Access

School community members help to foster students’ college-going mindsets by creating and facilitating a college-going culture within the school. Based on our findings of a school district composed of a majority ethnically and racially diverse student body, we found the district to be successful in promoting social capital by way of a school stakeholder community. The school stakeholders leveraged social capital to promote a college and career going culture within the context of career pathway programs. This culture promoted a sense of belonging where students felt supported in achieving their goals of being college and career ready. Most notably, the …

Professional Pathways In Business: The Role Of Social Capital For Latinx Students, Maritza S. Campo, Manuel Pech, Teresa Madamba

Journal of College Access

Latina/os currently represent one of the most significant contributors to the United States economy, possessing $3.78 trillion in purchasing power. Despite constituting the second largest demographic group in the nation, Latinx representation in business graduate programs and corporate leadership positions, including board memberships, remains below 5%. As Latinx enrollment and graduation rates in higher education have consistently increased over the past decade, it has become increasingly imperative to examine how Hispanic-Serving Institutions can more effectively support Latinx students in their transition from academic to professional careers in business. This study investigates the impact of initiatives implemented by one Hispanic-Serving Institution …

Student Impressions Of Undergraduate Art Therapy Education: A Survey, Shana Baird

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In addressing art therapy education, Taylor (1991) suggested that undergraduate art therapy education is controversial in that professional entry into the field is at the masters' level. Undergraduate programs offering degrees in art therapy range from providing a combination of psychology and studio art courses, offering art therapy courses and fieldwork experience, in addition to psychology and studio art, with variances in program curricula and requirements between the two extremes.

Therefore, graduates of undergraduate art therapy programs who further study art therapy at the graduate level enter with diverse levels of introduction to the field, preparation, and experience. Because differences …

Promise In Practice: Building Belonging And Persistence Through Academic Advising, Mary E. Lawrence

Masters Projects

Promise scholarships were created to remove financial barriers to higher education, but financial support is not enough to help students succeed. This project focuses on developing an academic advising office at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) to support students receiving the Grand Rapids Promise Zone (GRPZ) Scholarship. Using Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model and Sanford’s Theory of Challenge and Support as a foundation, the project outlines a culturally responsive and student-centered advising framework. The goal is to improve student retention and persistence, increase academic advising, and build meaningful relationships between students and advisors. Project components include an advising handbook, a …

(Arise) Achievements In Research, Inquiry And Scholarship Exhibition 2025, Office Of Undergraduate Research

(ARISE) Achievements in Research, Inquiry and Scholarship Exhibition

Conference held at John A. Delaney Student Union on July 25, 2025

Stories Of California Mini-Corps Tutors: Exploring The Experiences Of Bilingual Latinx Early Preservice Teachers, Norma Rueda Santillanez

Dissertations

Restrictive language policies and practices in schools have racialized the experiences of bilingual Latinx early preservice teachers (EPSTs), leading many to internalize the belief that their language and culture are not valued. These deficit-based messages often influence their personal development and emerging professional identities. Despite the volume of scholarship about this pattern, little research has explored how this internalization shapes EPSTs’ perspectives as they move from being multilingual students educated in English-only environments to future credential program students and bilingual teachers. This critical qualitative case study examined this process as students engaged in school-based fieldwork through the California Mini-Corps program …

If We Must, We Must: A Better Way To Utilize Placement Exams, Samantha Bravo

Masters Theses (Archived)

College placement exams have been part of a student’s continuing education journey for many years. In a state like Texas, who has had a very extensive and dynamic history in regard to education assessment, students wishing to enter into college must take a state specific college placement exam. Is this state specific placement instrument helping its students? Texas pioneered a shift to a college and career ready focused state curriculum, so does this focused curriculum prepare students for the state college placement exam? How can this potentially be used in a way that can better serve its students? By analyzing …

Exploring Coaching Leadership Behaviours In Strength And Conditioning Coaching: Preferences Of Ncaa Division I And Ii Collegiate Student-Athletes Based On Task Variability, Severiano Tiberi, Jeremy Moody, Steve Cooper, George Jennings, Joseph I. Esformes

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

This study aimed to explore collegiate student-athletesˈ preferences of coaching leadership behaviours in strength and conditioning coaching and evaluate differences between the student-athletesˈ preferences of behaviours based on task variability. In total 145 National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (closed sports athletes = 51, open sports athletes = 94) completed an electronic questionnaire involving the athletesˈ preference version of the Revised Leadership Scale for Strength and Conditioning. Results revealed that the most favoured behaviour was ˈtraining and instructionˈ, whilst the least favoured was ˈautocraticˈ. Similar results were observed for closed and open sports groups, though closed sports athletes preferred ˈtraining and …

Integrating Digital Escape Room Design Into Teacher Education: Cultivating Instructional Creativity In Preservice Teachers, Gina L. Solano, Wen Wen

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This action research documents how a teacher education program incorporates game-based learning to engage pre-service teachers (PSTs) in developing their instructional creativity. In this project, game-based learning goes beyond playing games; Instead, it allows PSTs to design their own game-a digital escape room created using a website with embedded clues, digital locks, and online challenges. This paper showcases an impressive level of creativity through the variety and complexity of PSTs’ clues, the creative graphics and layout of their websites, and their cleverly written scenarios and context for the game. Moreover, PSTs reflect on their design processes, considering the affordances and …

Enhancing Undergraduate Education Through Social Innovation Projects: The Experience Of A Young University In Singapore, Intan Azura Mokhtar, Yong Lim Foo

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this paper, social innovation is used as a catch-all phrase for projects and initiatives by higher education institutions (HEIs) related to community engagement, community-based learning, and service-learning. This paper explores the concept and application of social innovation in higher education, followed by a case study of implementing social innovation projects in a young, applied learning university in Singapore, a discussion of lessons learned, and plans for the near future in enhancing and strengthening its implementation.

Stepping Up, Keeping On Track, And Pulling Your Own Weight: Collaborative Arts-Based Service-Learning Metaphors, Marcy Meyer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this study, the author explores metaphors related to students’ experiences conducting collaborative arts-based ethnographic research in a U.S. nonprofit organization. A metaphor analysis of 25 students’ essays revealed they were most likely to frame their experiences with arts-based service learning as a journey or a sports contest. The author examines the extent to which students’ metaphors legitimize or delegitimize arts-based service learning, as well as the degree of novelty that characterizes these metaphors. She explores the implications of her findings for teaching and promoting arts-based service learning in the academy.

Exploring The Impact Of A Literacy-Based Service-Learning Project On Pre-Service Teachers, Shelly J. Landreth, Tara Wilson

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this study, we describe a teacher educator’s first experience implementing a service-learning project in a children’s literature course in which pre-service teachers helped provide read-alouds for the local public library’s summer reading program. We sought to examine the impact the project had on the seven participants. Data was collected through reflective journals and an end-of-course debrief. Four themes were identified in the data: Initial Feelings, Preparation and Planning, Lessons Learned, and Barriers and Challenges.

The Heritage Conversation Partners Project: Virtual Cultural Heritage Exchange In An Anthropology Course, Michael J. Kimball, Karin L. Bates, Miranda Bermudez, Liner Emilce Solarte Chourio, Amanda Consol

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

We describe the structure, benefits, and challenges associated with a virtual cultural heritage exchange (VCHE) between undergraduate students in an applied anthropology class and a group of English language learners (ELL). Using qualitative data collection and analysis methods, the project aimed to teach anthropological methods and perspectives to the students while investigating three research questions: Will a VCHE (1) build social bonds and bridges, (2) improve English language acquisition, and (3) raise “heritage consciousness” (awareness and appreciation of, along with an associated sense of agency toward, cultural heritage) among participants? Results support the research questions and show the effectiveness of …

Sjsu Erfa News, Summer 2025, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 38, No 4

Global Studies Initiative Faculty Report: Anthropology 101 Course Redesign, Lauren Anaya

Global Studies Initiatives in Arts and Sciences 2025

No abstract provided.

Faculty Perceptions Of Diversity And Its Impact On Postsecondary Student Success: A Case Study In A Business School, Andrea Camargo, Harika Rao

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This case study investigates the way in faculty perceives the function of diversity in molding student success and institutional inclusiveness under a business school’s context. Conducting a mixed-methods survey of faculty, the study examines the question, does diverse faculty representation influence student retention, classroom engagement, and academic performance? Findings reveal robust agreement amongst faculty that diversity makes learning environments more inclusive, promotes student well-being and creates supportive mentor relationships with desirable influence to student persistence and success. The qualitative responses show the implication of culturally responsive teaching practices and inclusive faculty–student relationships, especially to underrepresented students. Although this assumes an …

Lgbtqia+ Materials In The Elementary School Library – Examining Purchase And Use: A Mixed Methods Approach, Valerie Byrd Fort

Theses and Dissertations

The need for and importance of diversity in children's literature is well documented, and this study adds to that body of research by addressing LGBTQIA+ materials in elementary school libraries. This mixed-methods study investigates the attitudes, selection, purchasing, and use of LGBTQIA+ materials written for an elementary school age audience by elementary school librarians in U.S. public schools.

Using a national survey distributed electronically to elementary school librarians, quantitative data from 325 participants were collected to examine the extent to which librarians purchase and use LGBTQIA+ materials. Additionally, qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 15 survey respondents, offering …

Exploring Cultural Capital And Literacy Practices In Chinese Immigrant Families: A Critical Ethnographic Case Study, Yuechen Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the cultural capital and literacy practices of Chinese immigrant families residing in a Southeastern U.S. city. Using an ethnographic case study approach, the research examines two groups of Chinese immigrant parents: those with higher educational backgrounds and those who are restaurant owners. The study investigates how parents’ educational and cultural backgrounds influence their perceptions of and commitments to their children’s education, as well as their home literacy practices. It also explores their understanding of the model minority stereotype and their views on educational equity in the U.S. The findings reveal that both groups of parents value education …

Unheard Echoes: Undocumented Students’ Success Amidst Challenges At U.S. Higher Education Community Colleges, Elvia Ortiz Segura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explored the lived experiences of undocumented Latinx students at a southern U.S. community college, identifying support services that assisted students with barriers that emerged in their academic journey. The problem of the study was the complex challenges undocumented students face in higher education and how they are addressed and supported. The research used a qualitative descriptive methodology to magnify student voices and influence institutional policies. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as the theoretical framework, this study examined how family, culture, policy, and institutional systems influenced undocumented students’ educational journeys. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with …

Analyzing And Navigating Etds Using Topic Models, Aman Ahuja, Chenyu Mao, William Ingram, Edward A. Fox

The Journal of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) contain valuable knowledge that can be useful in a wide range of research areas. Accordingly, we are building electronic infrastructure leveraging advanced work on digital libraries, for discovering and accessing the knowledge buried in ETDs. In this paper we focus on our work to incorporate topic modeling into digital libraries for ETDs. We present ETD-Topics, a framework that extracts topics from a large text corpus in an unsupervised way. The representations learned from topic models can be useful for downstream tasks such as searching and/or browsing documents by topic, document recommendation, topic recommendation, and describing …