Digital Commons Network^™

A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study Of A 10-Week Wellness Program For Resident Assistants, Emily L. Lee-Chong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods pilot study used semi-structured interviews with 15 resident assistants (RAs), complemented by descriptive pre- and post-test data from the Five Factor Wellness Inventory (FFWEL), to explore their lived experiences of participating in a 10-week wellness program grounded in the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-WEL). The purpose of this study was to examine the program's perceived influence on wellness practices and to explore the feasibility of implementing wellness-focused programming. Using a hermeneutic inquiry approach, the study identified four themes reflecting participants’ experiences throughout the program. Themes highlighted the importance of self-awareness through the IS-WEL model, the value of …

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

From Reluctance To Resilience: The Link Between Attitude And Growth Mindset In Calculus Students, Olivia Valente, Kathryn E. Pedings-Behling, Amy N. Langville

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Many postsecondary students enter general education mathematics courses with negative attitudes, shaping their willingness to engage with the content. This study explores the relationship between students’ attitudes towards mathematics and their growth mindset, revealing effective strategies to enhance learning experiences, particularly for students who are reluctant learners. The research investigates two questions: (1) How do students’ Attitude Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) scores and Growth Mindset Scale (GMS) scores relate? and (2) Do gender or course modality affect this relationship? This study addresses a gap in literature by examining how enjoyment, motivation, self-confidence, and perceived value connect with growth mindset. The …

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

“Caring Makes Students Learn English More Easily And Enthusiastically”: Exploring The Emotional And Academic Outcomes Of Experiencing Teacher Care In Medical Sciences University Efl Classes In Iran, Kiyana Zhaleh, Shima Azizbeigi

The Qualitative Report

Previous research on teacher care in university second/foreign language (L2) classes have primarily concentrated on non-medical sciences students, resulting in a lack of insights into its effects in medical sciences education. This is surprising considering the field-specific challenges of medical sciences education, potentially influencing teacher caring behaviors in this context. Addressing this gap, this qualitative study employed the emotional response theory (ERT) and positive psychology to explore how Iranian medical sciences undergraduates perceive teacher care in university EFL classes, how they emotionally respond to it, and how their experiences of care impacted their academic outcomes. In this descriptive qualitative research …

Using Creativity Tools To Improve Perception Of Mental Health Resource Access On A College Campus, Laura Reindl

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This paper outlines the planning and implementation processes for executing a Creative Problem Solving (CPS) session at Binghamton University, with the goal of developing new ways to communicate accurate information about mental health resources available to students on campus and refuting common misconceptions. Led by communications and marketing staff in the Division of Student Affairs, the process included staff from Health and Counseling Services, staff involved in delivering health promotion and prevention services, and students with an interest in health and wellness. The project focused on the ideation and development stages of CPS and offered ideas for future implementation.

Our Honors Impact: Evidence Of Honors Student Experience And Outcomes, 01 - The Initial Evidence Review, Brian Hoey, Honors College

Publications of the Honors College at Marshall University

Our Honors Impact, 01: Evidence of Honors Student Experience and Outcomes presents an initial review of student-centered evidence collected by the Honors College at Marshall University through its developing Honors Impact Evidence Bank. Drawing on student reflections, supported-project deliverables, program assessments, profiles, and other documented experiences, the report examines how honors education is experienced in practice and what becomes possible through integrative and experiential learning, mentorship, peer connection, financial support, global engagement, and opportunities for independent inquiry. Student narratives illustrate recurring patterns of intellectual growth, confidence, belonging, professional development, and connection to Appalachia and West Virginia. As the first edition …

Aligned But Disengaged: Self-Estrangement Weakens Citizenship Behavior In Higher Education, Andrew Krouse, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Higher education depends on discretionary employee contributions that sustain coordination, service continuity, and institutional functioning. Yet contemporary governance and accountability pressures can reconfigure higher education work in ways that erode autonomy, line-of-sight, and intrinsic reward, elevating the risk of work alienation, weakening the discretionary behaviors institutions rely on. This study tests whether person–organization fit (POF) predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and whether multidimensional work alienation mediates this relationship through powerlessness, meaninglessness, and self-estrangement. Using survey data from 325 employees across four U.S. higher education institutions, we applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with bias-corrected bootstrapping. Model comparisons were …

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 …

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 …

Staying The Course: Community College Student Lived Experiences On Program Completion And Motivation, Jessica Leigh Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former community college students who successfully completed an associate degree, certificate, or program of study and to understand how they experienced the personal, institutional, and environmental factors that supported their persistence to completion. The study, guided primarily by Tinto’s (1975,1988) Model of Student Departure and was complemented by Bandura’s (1988) Social Learning Theory (SLT), and Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, explored the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations students attributed to their successful completion of their associate degree, certificate, or program of study. Twelve former community college students who …

Exploring The Effect Of Writing-To-Learn Practices On Critical Thinking In A Graduate Teacher Education Program, Alisa Alybaeva

GHEA21 Publications

This project investigates the impact of writing-to-learn practices on the critical thinking skills of first-year students in a graduate teacher preparation program in the Kyrgyz Republic. For this purpose, multiple writing-to-learn strategies (such as Focused Freewriting, Loop Writing, Private Freewriting, Writing in the Zones, Dialectical Notebooks, and others) were integrated into the academic writing course instruction. The analysis of student responses at the beginning and end of the course demonstrated a movement from general statements towards richer responses with evidence of perspective taking, metacognitive reflection, and synthesis. Additionally, student reflections revealed that writing-to-learn practices provided space to overcome writing anxiety, …

From Understanding To Production: A Qualitative Case Study Of Instructional Alignment And Bar Examination Readiness At One Law School, Mackenzie E. Gray

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Many law students who understand the law struggle to produce it under examination conditions.This qualitative case study examined how instruction in three settings at one ABA-accredited law school (first-year doctrinal, upper-division doctrinal, and for-credit bar preparation courses) shaped students’ perceptions of their readiness for the California Bar Examination. Grounded in metacognitive transfer theory, the study drew on 18 classroom observations across six courses, semi-structured interviews with seven students and four professors, and a simulated bar examination scored against a criterion-referenced rubric, all collected during the Spring 2026 semester. Interview data were analyzed through codebook thematic analysis. Five themes resulted. Students …

A Critical-Constructivist Grounded Theory Exploration Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In Post-Secondary Settings, Alyssa L. Decker

Dissertations, 2020-current

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) now have access to higher education, often through inclusive post-secondary education programs (IPSE), to increase employability and quality of life. IPSE programs, historically, have provided academic and life skill support and not mental health support within programs’ curricula. A recent review of IPSE programs reveals that if mental health services are included, they are often accessed through university health services. Transitioning from high school to college induces high levels of stress, which can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions. Mental health care is defaulted to an already overburdened college counseling center without the knowledge and skills …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Language Learning Under Pressure: Rethinking Anxiety, Assessment, And Support In Second Language Classrooms, Bryn C. Cole

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio examines the role of anxiety in second language acquisition (SLA) and its impact on student performance, assessment, and overall participation. Drawing on both the author’s classroom experience and SLA research, it argues that language anxiety should be understood as a structural feature of classroom environments rather than an individual learner deficit. The paper explores how traditional assessment practices may obscure students’ underlying competence by prioritizing performance under pressure. It proposes two key shifts in response: reformatting assessments as a more flexible and context-sensitive process, and integrating peer mentorship as a form of interpersonal instructional support. Together, these approaches …

Friends Of The Library Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2026, Hillary Richardson

Fant Library News and Reports

No abstract provided.

A Correlational Study Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Climate On Job Satisfaction Of Non-Faculty Staff At Texas Community Colleges, Tamesha M. Hilliard-Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. higher education institutions face increasing challenges related to employee morale and retention, understanding the drivers of workplace satisfaction is critical for institutional stability. This research investigates the relationships between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction among staff within Texas community colleges, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene as the theoretical framework. Specifically, this study explores the influence of institutional communication, employee well-being, and organizational mission and pride on staff job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study analyzed secondary data from ModernThink’s Higher Education Insight Survey©. The sample consisted of 2,265 higher education professionals collected …

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

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2026.

Exploring Literacy Preparedness And Academic Experiences Of First-Year Community College Students, Alexandra Ranieri

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Community colleges enroll students with diverse levels of academic preparation, yet placement into college-level coursework often relies heavily on high school grade point average (GPA), which may not fully reflect students' literacy preparedness. Although research has linked literacy proficiency to academic success, little is known about how first-year community college students experience literacy preparedness during the transition to college. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the literacy preparedness of first-year community college students and explore how their reading abilities aligned with their early academic experiences. Guided by the Reading Systems Framework (Perfetti & Stafura, 2014), the …

The Mediating Role Of Hope In The Relationship Between Everyday Discrimination And Depression Among College Students, Busra Vurkun

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research shows that marginalized populations experience disproportionately higher psychological distress (Budhwani et al., 2015; Bailey et al., 2019). Everyday discrimination, defined as chronic interpersonal mistreatment such as microaggressions and disrespect, is associated with greater depression and lower psychological well-being (Essed, 1991; Calabrese et al., 2015). Although the negative effects of discrimination are well established, less is known about protective factors that may reduce these outcomes. One such factor is hope, conceptualized by Snyder et al. (1991) as agency thinking and pathways thinking and linked to lower depression and greater resilience (Arnau et al., 2007; Banks et al., 2008). This study …

Becoming An Educator: A Narrative Inquiry Into The First-Year Journeys Of Community College Career-Switching Cte Faculty, Alisha Ferrington

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in community colleges increasingly depend on career-switching instructors, professionals who transition from industry to teaching with substantial technical expertise but limited formal pedagogical preparation. Despite their growing presence in the community college workforce, the lived experiences of first-year career-switching CTE faculty remain underexplored, particularly regarding how the transition shapes professional identity, instructional practice, and institutional belonging.

This qualitative study employed narrative inquiry to examine the first-year teaching experiences of seven career-switching CTE instructors at community and technical colleges in the Gulf South region of the United States. Guided by transformative learning theory, communities of …

Technical And Vocational High School Training And Graduates' Socioeconomic Insertion In Burkina Faso, Jacqueline Nikièma

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is widely promoted as a pathway to improving employment opportunities, supporting economic growth, and facilitating successful labor market transition. However, empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains limited in Burkina Faso. This study examined the relationship between TVET high schools and graduates’ socioeconomic insertion, with particular emphasis on employment in occupations related to the field of study (horizontal match) and examined the relationship between gender and this employment outcome. The study used descriptive statistics to summarize the characteristics of the sample, and logistic regressions to analyze the relationship between TVET training and employment in …

Faculty Conceptualizations Of Recreational Therapy And Disability: Influences On The Formal, Hidden, And Null Curricula In Undergraduate Recreational Therapy Education, Shelly Lynne Beaver

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Undergraduate education is a bedrock of professional preparation for entry-level recreational therapists, shaping their scope of practice, philosophical orientations, and approaches to service delivery. While significant attention has been given to the development of a formal recreational therapy curriculum – explicitly taught knowledge, skills, and competencies – little is known about the hidden and null curricula that may implicitly or unintentionally shape students’ professional identities, values, and beliefs. While these less explicit curricular dimensions may have profound effects on how preservice recreational therapists conceptualize both recreational therapy and disability, their impact remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this research …

Analyzing The Institutional Factors Associated With Sense Of Belonging Among Stem Adjuncts At Community Colleges, Karuna Taneja

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In this study I examined the relationships among organizational support, workplace conditions, and sense of belonging among adjunct faculty teaching STEM courses in community colleges. Grounded in the need-to-belong theory (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and Herzberg’s two-factor theory (1968), I distinguished between relational and structural dimensions of faculty experiences. Perceived organizational support was conceptualized as a relational construct reflecting faculty members’ perceptions of being valued and included within their institutions, whereas workplace conditions were examined as structural factors influencing job satisfaction.

Using a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational survey design, data were collected from adjunct STEM faculty (N = 64) teaching at …

Retention During Turbulent Times Of Higher Education: Modeling Intent To Leave Academia For Research University Faculty, Jordan Monroe Ball

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

University faculty operate as the lifeblood of any institution given that their job requires a “double duty” to develop both scholarly research and student minds. Due in large part to these expectations, research shows a long history of poor mental health for faculty, which ultimately results in faculty turnover. One model of faculty work motivation (Padilla et al., 2023) details the way in which the faculty work environment influences their mental health, and subsequently informs their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to leave academia, which serves as a proxy for turnover. Retention related issues have not been a pressing …

Autistic Students' Experiences With Hybrid Flexible Instruction In Higher Education: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Tracey Nicole Barr

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

During the twenty-first century, autistic learners have enrolled in colleges and universities in greater numbers; however, the majority of research focused on their experiences in higher education has found them to be less academically successful than their neurotypical peers. The academic skills that autistic students bring to higher education are often tempered by social, emotional, and self-regulative challenges. The body of research focusing on autistic learners’ experiences in higher education is currently limited and focused primarily on fully in-person and online course models. No extant research has focused on autistic students’ experiences with hybrid or blended course models.

This interpretive …

The Stories Of College Faculty Navigating Student Trauma Disclosures: A Narrative Inquiry, Samantha Daluz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to understand how faculty who navigate student trauma disclosures construct stories about themselves as educators and how those stories shape their understanding of teaching and learning. Although the literature has increasingly focused on trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning, little research has explored how faculty navigate student trauma disclosures or how those experiences shape their understanding of teaching and learning. This study sought to better understand those experiences and provide institutional leaders with insight into how faculty experience student trauma disclosures within higher education. Narrative inquiry was employed using Mahayana Buddhism as the …

An Evaluation Of Peer Mentoring In A Pre-Veterinary Science Program Within A College Of Forestry And Agriculture, Amy Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is a tool utilized to improve the retention of college students and can serve as an effort to increase their willingness to persist despite challenges. Establishing mentoring relationships amongst first-year students and more-experienced students can create a sense of belonging. Mentorship programs may be developed within a particular major or program. Within this study, an online survey was formed to analyze the perceptions of first-year pre-veterinary students in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. A peer-mentorship program was implemented amongst pre-veterinary students in Fall 2025. First-year students who completed the survey in Fall 2024 were not mentored. Many of the …

The Tension Of Retention And Retirement: A Narrative Study Of Full-Time Nursing Faculty Within Five Years Of Retirement At Public, Four-Year Institutions In Texas, Shelley Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry, qualitative study explored the retirement decision-making process of nursing faculty at public, four-year institutions who were within five years of retirement. Through purposive sampling, 11 participants across eight institutions consented to participate and were interviewed via Zoom. Due to the nursing faculty shortage, the researcher hypothesized that nursing faculty nearing retirement may be retiring not only as a natural progression of their career but also because of factors that lead other early and mid-career faculty members to leave academia. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: Finding Meaning and Fulfillment in the Nurse Faculty Role, Institutional Factors Shaping …