Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Dual Enrollment On Educational Aspirations Of Traditionally Underrepresented Students In Community College, Wayne Carter, Carol Gruber

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

This research study examined the difference in academic motivation and academic self-efficacy of traditionally underrepresented students in community college who previously participated in high school dual enrollment programs versus their comparable peers without dual enrollment experience. This is important given the socio-economic disparities between the various student groups participating in this selective college preparatory program. Historically, traditionally underrepresented students have yet to participate in dual enrollment programs commensurate with their non-minority and affluent peers. By examining the difference between these two specific student subgroups, the researchers addressed what types of motivation and self-efficacious behaviors affected these college students who opted …

Environmental Education Professionals And K-12 School Counselors: Collaboration For Engaging The Conservation And Natural Resources Workforce Of The Next Generation, Brent M. Erb

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) professionals often fail to reflect the diverse, intersectional identities of the students and communities they serve. As frontline professionals among the conservation and natural resources (CNR) professions, addressing this requisite and urgent disparity is vital for fostering equitable teaching and learning environments that are safe, welcoming, accessible, and inclusive. EE professionals play a pivotal role in filling knowledge gaps, fostering ecological literacy, and introducing students to CNR careers, just as K-12 school counselors play a meaningful role in helping students expand upon their interests and acquire experience and skills to cultivate self-efficacy to support the belief in …

Pols 322/622: Race And The Law: Report On Course Project Using Primary Sources From The Moakley Archive, Maye Henning

Suffolk University Archives OERs and Assignments

Professor Henning describes her (and her students') experiences using primary sources from the Suffolk University Archives. The Spring 2025 Race and the Law course (POLS 322/622) was an upper-division and graduate-level political science course designed to develop students’ research skills, particularly in locating, interpreting, and integrating primary and secondary sources.

The centerpiece of the course was a semester-long archival research project that culminated in a public exhibit in the display case outside of the Sawyer Library titled Resilience: Finding Power in the Voices of the Past.

Exploring Efl Teachers’ Beliefs About Strategy, Scope And Focus In Written Corrective Feedback, Jiahe Gu, Erhan Aslan

Journal of Response to Writing

Effective written feedback is crucial to student learning and fostering writing skills. Responding to student writing is a multi-faceted and complex process which requires a more nuanced understanding in second language writing research. This study explored teachers’ beliefs and practices about written feedback may be influenced by a range of factors. Data were collected from four middle-school English teachers in China via stimulated recall tasks and semi-structured interviews reflecting retrospectivly on how and why teachers gave feedback to student writing. Findings revealed intersections between feedback strategy and learner proficiency level; feedback scope and time constraints and teacher workload; and feedback …

The Use Of Evidence-Based Behavior Practices In The General Education Classroom: A Comparison Of Teacher Perception And Implementation, Casey L. Horvath

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study investigated the perceptions and beliefs of four general education kindergarten teachers regarding their use of evidence-based behavior practices compared to their observed implementation of those practices. Classroom observations were conducted to collect data regarding teachers use of “honey” (positive, evidence-based practices) as compared to their use of “vinegar” (negative comments, redirections, etc.). Teacher interviews were also conducted to examine teacher perceptions, and the data was compared to determine if perceptions matched reality. Teachers reported being familiar with almost all 20 behavior practices included in the study and stated they used more than half. However, teachers were directly observed …

Spiritual Direction For Teacher Wellbeing, Identity And Resilience, Bernadette Miles, Marlene Marburg

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

Amid growing teacher dissatisfaction and attrition, this 2022 research project explored the potential benefits of spiritual direction in enhancing teacher well-being, identity, and resilience. The study involved 11 trained spiritual directors providing eight sessions of spiritual direction to 38 teachers from Australian Christian schools. Findings highlight the positive impact of spiritual direction on teachers' vocational clarity, self-awareness, and ability to manage workplace challenges. Participants reported a renewed commitment to their profession, improved emotional resilience, and a deeper connection between their spiritual and professional identities. Many educators also noted that spiritual direction provided a confidential and reflective space to process professional …

How New Mathematics Teachers Develop Teacher-Student Relational Pedagogy, Dustin Kinser

Dissertations

This study investigated the support structures implemented with new mathematics teachers to help them build relational pedagogy with their students to determine their effectiveness. The literature review examines topical research, gaps in literature and theoretical frameworks to justify the study. The case study investigated new math teachers and their processes of building positive teacher-student relationships using the support structures that they were taught on their way to becoming a teacher. Math teachers were interviewed to find any common themes across the study and find out what is truly working or not working so that the process can be improved. Another …

A School-University Research Practice Partnership: Why, How And What's Next, Stephanie Knight, Larry Featherstone

Presentations

This symposium will utilize three unique examples of collaborative research projects taking place under CERI to richly describe features of the partnership. Through the three papers, a summary presentation of features of the overall consortium, discussant comments, and brief Q&A with the presenters, we aim to highlight how CERI is encountering and addressing challenges common to RPPs as well as addressing some emergent and regional issues in innovative ways.

As an RPP, CERI is guided by three broad principles. (1) Mutuality - CERI was developed to benefit both the university and the large local urban school district. Problems of practice …

Preservice Teachers’ Experiences With Critical Self-Reflection As A Means For Identifying Resistances To Becoming Culturally Competent: A Phenomenological Study, Susan Elaine Huff

Dissertations

Preservice teacher programs have been charged with finding ways to make programming more multiculturally inclusive due to the student population in K-12 public schools across the United States becoming increasing racially, culturally, or ethnically more diverse each year. The majority of current educational research surrounding multicultural education, explores the limited diversity in teacher education programs, understanding the cultural competency of the current teachers, and investigating discrepancies within current classroom application. There is little research that considers how preservice teachers use critical self-reflection as a tool for working with diverse student populations during clinical work in their program. Therefore, the purpose …

Opening Access To Advanced Placement English, Tabitha J. Evans

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine the growth trend in enrollment into AP over Honors English courses in secondary students across six high schools in the same school district over the past eight years and to determine how that enrollment impacted exam performance. Both a student survey and district demographic and exam performance data was pulled across the six high schools for all AP English Language and Composition (AP Language) and AP English Literature and Composition (AP Literature) courses over the course of time under study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends in enrollment growth, AP scores, …

Teacher Mindset: An Investigation On The Influence Of Teachers’ Transformational Leadership On Growth Mindset, Rodolfo Reyes

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Identifying transformational leadership as a predictor of a growth mindset can be useful in developing teachers’ growth mindset. This nonexperimental quantitative study examined the relationship between teachers’ growth mindset and transformational leadership, and how the dimensions of teacher transformational leadership styles predict teachers’ growth mindset. The current study examined 63 participants in a school district in Florida. Using Dweck’s growth mindset survey (2006) and a researcher-created instrument to assess teachers’ perceptions of growth mindset and transformational leadership, the study resulted in a statistically significant finding of the association and prediction of transformational leadership on growth mindset. Demographics, such as teachers’ …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Middle School Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Small-Group Instruction, Charles B. Alvare

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This nonexperimental, descriptive quantitative study focused on the relationship between teacher self-efficacy (TSE) and the receptivity to and implementation of small-group instruction (SGI) among middle school teachers in a school district in the Southeast United States. Rooted in Albert Bandura’s 1977 self-efficacy theory, this study integrated Megan Tschannen-Moran and Anita Hoy’s (2001) Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and a researcher-created instrument that resulted in statistically significant findings from the 76 teachers who participated in the survey. The predictive model of receptiveness to SGI by overall TSE was statistically significant (F[3,72)] = 8.92, p < .001, R2 = .27), as was the predictive model of teacher implementation of SGI (F[1,74] = 35.45, p < .001, R2 = .32). The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale measures the confluence of TSE related to classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies. Teacher efficacy in instructional strategies was indicative of participating middle school teachers’ perceived receptivity of SGI (B = −0.36, t(72) = −1.97, p = .05), and efficacy in classroom management (B = 0.52, t(72) = 3.58, p < .001) impacted their perceived implementation of SGI. Furthermore, the TSE dimension of student engagement was statistically significant in predicting perceptions of overall receptiveness to (B = 0.62, t(72) = 3.52, p < .001) and implementation of (B = 0.31, t(72) = 2.26, p = .03) SGI. The research findings of this current study and the literature highlight the significant benefits of TSE and student engagement.

Speed-Coaching As A Pedagogical Practice: Decision-Making And Priorities Among Successful Speed Coaches, Dillon R. Martinez

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study employed a three-round Delphi study technique to identify key elements in speed development coaching by surveying 106 qualified coaches, including certified professionals, championship-winning coaches, facility operators, and NCAA strength-and-conditioning specialists. This study explored five critical domains: nonnegotiable elements of speed development, decision-making factors for teaching priorities, effective teaching methods, environmental influences, and coaching philosophies. The results revealed a significant emphasis on technique/mechanics and maximum velocity exposure as foundational speed development elements, with notable differences between elite-level and lower-level coaches. Elite coaches demonstrated more sophisticated measurement approaches through systematic data collection, advanced technical assessment tools, comprehensive performance metrics, and …

Institutionalizing Normality: Disability, Productivity, And Higher Education, Ashley Dirzis

Student Theses

This thesis examines how capitalism and neuronormative domination shape the structures and values of academic institutions, affecting faculty, students, and research subjects alike. By privileging productivity, conformity, and efficiency in the pursuit of income, universities often marginalize those who diverge from normative standards of thinking, behavior, and embodiment, particularly disabled individuals. Drawing on Marta Russell’s Disability and Capitalism and the shaping of disability by capitalist systems, Robert Chapman’s notion of the "Empire of Normality" and Jay Dolmage’s concept of the retrofit from Academic Ableism, this paper analyzes how academia reinforces ableist norms. It explores the realities and barriers that …

Language And Literacy In Early Childhood Education: Hybrid Syllabus, Michele De Goeas-Malone

Open Educational Resources

Language and Literacy in Early Childhood Education is a capstone course, which means it is a core course in the education degree that offers students nearing graduation the opportunity to integrate their learning to help them address issues in education related to the development of language and literacy from birth to 8 years of age. This course is also a writing intensive course. That means that you will be engaged in several high and low stakes writing activities throughout the semester.

This course is designed to promote your understanding of the importance of issues concerning language and literacy in early …

Border Thinking Through Diverse Modalities: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Multimodal, Multiliteracy, And Translanguaging Practices Of Latinx Emergent Bilingual Youth, Romelia Rodri­Guez Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This three-article dissertation explores how translanguaging, multimodality, and multiliteracies intersect to support the learning, identity formation, and meaning-making practices of Latinx emergent bilingual middle school students in El Paso, Texas, a border city shaped by transfronterizx realities. Guided by the frameworks of Border Thinking (Mignolo, 2000) and Pedagogy of Border Thinking (Cervantes-Soon and Carrillo, 2016), this study foregrounds the cultural, linguistic, and epistemic fluidity that characterizes borderland communities. I approach this work as a bricoleur (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994); the three-article format allowed me to center distinct but interconnected theoretical and methodological orientations, reflecting my commitment to situated, decolonial knowledge …

Balance Of Psychological Needs Among University Aural Skills Students, Elizabeth Ann Johnson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This mixed methods study examined student experiences, perceptions, and motivations in traditional, tertiary aural skills courses. Results from an initial qualitative, instrumental case study led to the development of a four-phase, exploratory sequential design guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET). Qualitative findings revealed student insights into experiences with course attributes, a need for connection to material and the classroom community, and a desire for an improved aural skills course experience. Quantitative follow up examined student perceptions of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the basic psychological needs SDT and CET propose are necessary for student motivation and …

Process And Preliminary Results In Developing A Rural Teacher Intention Survey, Jennifer G. Whitfield, Devon Brenner, Diana Outlaw, Dana Pomykal Franz

The Rural Educator

Across the US, schools struggle to recruit and retain teachers in rural communities. While the body of research that documents rural teacher staffing challenges is increasing, more research is needed about preservice teachers’ decisions about where to teach and how their educator preparation programs (EPPs) may influence their decision. An important step in this process is collecting data regarding preservice teachers’ intentions to teach in rural schools before entering the profession and their perceptions of experiences in EPPs that may have influenced those decisions. In this article, drawn from a larger National Science Foundation collaborative research project focusing on the …

Breaking Barriers: An Educator's Pursuit To Provide Equity In Student Achievement, Christina L. Korsun

Dissertations

There is a sense of urgency to address the widening achievement gaps among minority students, students with disabilities, and English-language learners. This makes immediate school action necessary to create a more equitable learning environment. Without strategic interventions, including improved teacher retention efforts, stronger student support systems, and effective leadership, these challenges will continue to hinder student success and overall school performance. The purpose of this project is to find solutions for schools to institute to narrow the achievement gap by ensuring all students receive the support needed to succeed. Schools can respond to the learning gap by promoting equitable learning …

April 2025 Cafe Newsletter, Center For Advancing Faculty Excellence

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Empowering Special Education Teacher Candidates With Artificial Intelligence (Ai): A Chatbot For Transition Planning Interviews, Sohyun Yang, Jerrie Brooks

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project began with developing an AI-powered chatbot using Claude.ai to enhance learning experiences in a master-level special education teacher preparation course. Specifically, the chatbot will be utilized in the course SPED 860: Transition: Early Childhood to Adulthood in Special Education during Spring 2025. The course requires teacher candidates who are currently working as special education teachers to interview a parent and a professional (e.g., general education teacher, special education teacher, related service provider) to develop a transition plan for a student with a disability. By simulating these interviews, the chatbot will act as a proxy for the parent and …

Textbook Content Analysis For Statistical Content Standards For 8th-Grade Math: Commercial Publishers, Curriculum Software Supplement, And An Open Educational Resource, Matthew M. O'Brien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the vertical and horizontal content analysis of statistical content within current 8th-grade mathematics instructional materials to determine the extent to which students are provided with opportunity to learn high cognitive instances and the usage of the four phases of statistical problem-solving across two commercial publishers, one open educational resource, and one curriculum software supplement. All previous analyses of statistics education content textbooks have only examined textbooks from commercial publishers or those published by national governments. The horizontal content textbook analysis investigated the textbook's background information and overall structure. The vertical content textbook analysis examined the cognitive level …

Examining Within- And Cross-Language Relationships And Quantitative Methods In Spanish-English Dual Language Learners' School Readiness Skills, Shaunacy R. Sutter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aims of this three paper dissertation are as follows: First, to examine the cross-domain associations between school readiness skills, including oral language, literacy, and math skills, within and across languages in Spanish-English speaking DLLs in PreK. Second, to explore the cross-domain associations between oral language, literacy, and mathematics skills at varying levels of literacy and math achievement. Finally, to review the quantitative methods used in research on school readiness skills and the home and classroom contextual factors that support these skills for Spanish-English speaking DLLs in the United States over the past decade. Spanish-English speaking DLLs enter early childhood …

Incorporating Data Mining Techniques In Inverse Propensity Score Weighting With A Latent Class Exposure: An Application To The Nsse Data, Siyu Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College graduation is a key goal for both students and institutions, yet increasing rates of four-year graduation has proven challenging. An initiative that has been implemented focuses on enhancing student participation both in the classroom and across the broader academic setting. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used by many institutions worldwide as a tool to evaluate student engagement through self-reported data. Research indicates that NSSE is linked to students’ academic success, such as better course grades, retention, and timely graduation. However, the existing relationships have been opaque and even contradictory. This study employs a newly developed …

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, February 3, 2025, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes

February 3, 2024

Navigating The College-To-Career Transition: Social Capital And Career Readiness Of First-Generation College Students Participating In The Professional Skills Mentoring Program, Olivia T. Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how first-generation college (FGC) students utilize social capital to navigate the challenging transition from college to career, addressing a critical gap in the literature given the increasing emphasis on post-graduation employment and the unique obstacles these students face. FGC students often lack the same access to professional networks and career resources as their peers, highlighting the need for targeted support programs. This research explores the impact of the Professional Skills Mentoring Program (PSMP) on FGC student career readiness.

Drawing on Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, this qualitative case study examines how FGC students leverage their diverse …

Mindfulness In Action: A Critical Reflective Self-Study Exploring Mindfulness, Goal Attainment, And The Adult Learning And Development Experience, Michelle Yvette Catlin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Through a Critical Reflective Self-Study, this dissertation explores adult learning and development with a focus on the psychological construct of mindfulness and its role in goal attainment. The self-study places me as the subject and centers on my reflections, insights, and lessons learned through my doctoral professional development journey at a large public research university. My experience began with a research focus on mindfulness and mindfulness training for cognitive performance and adult learning and development, and later in my doctoral program, I gained further insight into the facilitation of goal attainment when I studied, practiced, and worked in university student …

Initial Results From An Iterative Program Design For Educating Science Education Leaders, Elizabeth B. Lewis, Elizabeth Hasseler, Rachel Benzoni, Gina S. Matkin, Wendy Smith, Daniel R. Claes, David M. Harwood, L. J. Mcelravy, Dawn Jaramillo

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Slides of a presentation given at the 2025 Annual International NARST Conference (March 23-26, 2025 : National Harbor, Maryland, United States) covering the initial results from an iterative program design for educating science education leaders.

Includes: Introduction, study rationale, grant-funded project and study focus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln National Science Foundation Noyce MTF project objectives, conceptual framework, ACESSES Framework for Equitable Science Learning, literature review overview, methodology, approach, research question, participants, data sources, analytic methods, research instrument, and overview of associated papers.

Empowering Educators, Transforming Futures: An Explanatory Multiple Case Study Of The Smou Schools In Saudi Arabia, Hana Ali Alzandi Alghamdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasizes educational reform as a critical pathway for national development, highlighting the role of educators in fostering student success. The Smou program, a professional development initiative, seeks to enhance the instructional and leadership capacities of school leaders and teachers in elementary public schools. This study explores how school leaders navigate their role in supporting teachers’ application of Smou program strategies and how teachers perceive their preparation for implementing these strategies in their instructional practices. Using an explanatory multiple case study approach, the research explores two elementary schools in the Mecca region—one high-performing and one low-performing—selected based …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The United States Higher Education System, Phoenix Daniel Van Wormer

University Honors Theses

In the spring of 2020, colleges across the United States rapidly transitioned to online/remote learning during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Since then, online and remote learning have evolved into an integral component of higher education. This thesis examines the extent to which COVID-19-mandated remote and online learning impacted students pursuing higher education in the United States. By utilizing research that compares academic structures before and after the pandemic, I demonstrate how the shift to online and remote learning has changed teaching and learning methods. I also evaluate the impact of these changes on student performance and engagement, with particular focus …