Digital Commons Network^™

Fresh Eyes: Viewing Education Through A Critical Lens, Glennda Shealey-Griffiths

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation confronts neoliberal ideology in public education, where standardized testing and market-driven accountability systematically undermine teacher autonomy and creative learning. Moving beyond critique to action, this study develops a practical pedagogical framework empowering educators to resist these dehumanizing forces and cultivate democratic learning spaces through arts-integrated professional learning as critical aesthetic pedagogy. Drawing on Henry Giroux, Maxine Greene, Paolo Freire, and Jacques Rancière, this qualitative case study examines a professional learning initiative with public school teachers through interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of participants' photographic projects. These visual works function not merely as documentation but as catalysts for Giroux's …

Bringing A Missing Minority Into Focus: Foster Parents’ Voices And Their Impact On Foster Children’S Academic Experiences, Clair Rutherford

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Foster children face persistent educational inequities shaped by trauma, frequent placement changes, and systemic barrierswithin schools. This dissertation investigates how foster parents perceive and influence the educational experiences of the children in their care, emphasizing the intersection of advocacy, trauma-informed teaching, and institutional response. Grounded in trauma-informed pedagogy, critical ecology and curriculum studies, the study interrogates how schools both support and constrain foster children’s educational opportunities. An arts-based methodology was employed, combining fictionalized portraiture and digital ethnography. Data sources included foster parent social media posts, reflexive journalling, and researcher positionality as both teacher and foster parent. Composite narratives were constructed …

Author-Centered Approaches In Ela Instruction: A Multiple Case Study Of Secondary English Teachers, Jennifer M. Lockhart Mchugh

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Literary authors are often neglected in secondary ELA (English Language Arts) literary instruction. Teachers are unsure how to teach about the author and how much time to spend on establishing the context for the text when the goal is to “cover” a variety of literary texts as part of a planned curriculum during the school year. Acknowledging the role of authors’ intentions as well as their experiences and aesthetic decisions in the production of literature may provide new entry points into literary texts for students. This multiple-case study of secondary English teachers and their high school students in a “bounded …

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

"Can We See How It Works?" The Interactions Among Teacher, Student, And Content At A Living History Museum, Stacy E. Ward

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Today’s students need to be critical consumers of information. To that end, a thoughtful social studies curriculum provides students an opportunity to gain content knowledge and to practice thinking skills. However, elementary teachers, especially primary grade (K-2) teachers, often do not possess the skills and content knowledge to teach rich historical content and thinking skills. Teachers can partner with museum professionals and access museum content in this endeavor. Living history museums, immersive museums that interpret multiple buildings, trades, and heritage breed animals, hold the potential to be a strong partner for primary grade students, who are only 5-, 6- and, …

The Job Satisfaction Of New York State’S Public School Business And Marketing Education Teachers, Michael Lamastra

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins) Act defines career and technical education as organized educational activities in which students learn applied academics, professional skills, and career training in a specific technical field. Many United States students, and ,specifically, New York State students, do not have access to CTE coursework. New York has seven CTE content areas: agriculture, business and marketing, computer science, family and consumer science, health sciences, technology, and trade/technical education.

One barrier to accessing this coursework is the availability of teaching staff. According to data collected by the New York State Education Department …

Conversations In The Classroom: Increasing Dialogic Inquiry To Dismantle Compliance-Based Teaching And Learning, Jill Rivera

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Verbal interpersonal communication has been diminishing from the teaching and learning process over the past decade in public-school classrooms. School district administrations mandate teachers to utilize digital learning platforms and standardized tests due to the ease at which this technology can quickly gather data. While the transition to digital platforms and test-based education may be well-intended, the result has often been a decrease in dialogic inquiry-based pedagogy which removes teacher autonomy, student agency, and has negative effects on students’ ability to critically think and effectively engage in communication and instruction. The over-emphasis on collecting data based solely on a digitized …

Comparing Social Media Platforms For Recruiting Special Education Teachers In A High-Need Area, Eric Landers, Caitlin Criss, Kathryn L. Haughney, Cynthia C. Massey, Stephanie Devine, Karin Fisher

Georgia Educational Researcher

New pathways are needed to recruit high-quality special education graduates to meet the urgent teacher shortage. As a result, the researchers were awarded a grant from the CEEDAR Technical Assistance Center at the University of Florida to conduct a pilot study on special education teacher recruitment. The pilot study examined the correlation of geofencing social media targeting with applications received for a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in the Southeastern U.S. Three groups were targeted (a) likely to have a bachelor’s degree, (b) likely to be associated with a targeted postal code, or (c) teacher candidates with a …

Alabama Agriculture Teachers’ Perceptions Toward Compensation And Extended Contracts, Allison Kincer

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore Alabama agriculture teachers’ perceptions toward compensation and extended contract grants that the state offers annually. The current study was a microreplication of Still and Solomonson’s (2024) prior study and was conceptually framed by their agriculture teacher compensation model. Using a Qualtrics-based data collection instrument, the researcher used multiple points of contact as recommended by Dillman et al. (2014) and collected usable data from 95 Alabama agriculture teachers. The researcher used descriptive statistics to analyze all data collected as part of the current study. The researcher found that respondents felt they …

Experiential Learning Through Simulations In Fully Online Asynchronous Courses: Exploring The Role Of Self-Debriefing, David De Jong, Sara Dexter

Research & Publications

Online preparation of professionals is increasing in higher education, which in educational leadership prepa ration programs raises the need for a means to provide authentic simulations of leadership experiences and help aspirants learn from them. This study presents a content analysis of 826 responses from 59 different school leadership students who, following each of the 14 simulations they experienced, wrote one response in an asynchronous format as a form of self-debriefing. The five themes identified map to the four phases of the experiential learning cycle (Kolb, 1984), suggesting that virtual opportunities to practice leadership in tions may serve as grounding …

A Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway In A Rural, Midwest State: Perspectives Of Teacher Apprentices, Megan Schuh, Jennifer Nash, Ryan Young, David De Jong

Research & Publications

The national teacher shortage makes it challenging for principals and superintendents to hire certified teachers. To address this problem, a university in a rural state in the Midwest partnered with their state’s agencies to develop a teacher apprenticeship pathway (TAP) for 78 paraprofessionals working in the state’s public, non-public, and tribal schools. The TAP provides an organized pathway to earn a teaching degree. This study reveals the perceptions of the participants after completing their first semester. The results reveal that most experiences are positive, yet they desire more communication and help with time management. The results of this study can …

Wondrous Uncertainty: Transforming Student Educational Experiences Using Restorative Practices, Zachary C. Schafer

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

One of the primary purposes of education is to help students make sense of their lived experiences. In the process of becoming, students navigate multiple relationships (school, peers, adults, and with self). These relationships often cause conditions of uncertainty which can be managed and transformed using restorative practices in tandem with the academic disciplines taught in school. Over the last decade this has been my inquiry puzzle, “As educators, how can we embrace uncertainty with students as a way of helping to empower them through their dignity, with the academic disciplines as a lens through which relational learning occurs in …

Teacher Views Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication With Nonverbal Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities: A Generic Qualitative Study, Lelita K. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Students with significant intellectual disabilities who are nonverbal often depend on augmentative and alternative communication devices to engage with lessons and participate in secondary educational environments. Despite advancements in this technology, issues pertaining to training, consistency, and institutional support persist, hindering effective application in urban schools. The objective of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of teachers and related service providers regarding the utilization of these devices for nonverbal students with severe intellectual disabilities in urban secondary schools.

Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, comprising special education instructors, related service providers, and special education …

Effects Of Parent Involvement In Their Children’S Academic And Behavioral Performance, Megan Menozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the best practices to increase parental involvement in their children’s school activities by recording and scribing the experiences of certified teachers. Prior to this study, the current school experienced a decrease in parental involvement with their child’s scheduled school activities. As the school carry on with planning scheduled events for parental involvement, teachers were still expected to be prepared to implement curriculum in the classrooms, while ensuring children’s needs were being met by way of continuous communication with families.

The researcher developed a qualitative phenomenological approach. The design allowed the researcher to interview …

Lived Experience Of Middle School Science Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, David E. Abbott Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted education worldwide, compelling schools to adopt remote teaching and learning. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of six middle school science teachers in an Alabama school district during this period. Data were collected through interviews and reflective journals maintained for 2 weeks following the interview. The research investigated how teachers navigated shifting instruction to remote settings, engaged students, assessed and monitored their progress, and managed challenges. Guided by the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework, findings revealed that teachers leveraged a combination of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge to adapt their instruction. Despite …

A Qualitative Study For Parental Involvement In Middle School: Perspectives Of Parents And Teachers, Twana Ivory

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the barriers contributing to low parental involvement in a selected middle school. Parental engagement has been widely linked to student academic success and positive behavior outcomes; however, involvement tends to decline as students enter middle school. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of educators and parents regarding parental involvement, identify the challenges families face, and discover opportunities to strengthen school-family collaboration.

The researcher employed a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven participants, including six middle school teachers and five parents. …

An Examination Of The Current Status Of Middle School Agricultural Education And Perceptions Amongst State Ffa Leaders, Alex Holman, Timothy Alexander Holman Jr.

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Middle school agricultural education programs were first officially recognized within the National FFA Organization in 1988 when 7th and 8th grade students were granted FFA membership. This study was conducted to examine the current status of middle school agricultural education programs and the perceptions of state FFA leaders across the United States, especially with the recent addition of 5th and 6th grade students being granted membership. Using a mixed-methods survey distributed to 52 state FFA leaders in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the study gathered enrollment data, participation opportunities, and perceived advantages and disadvantages associated …

Transforming Workforce Pipelines: Equity, Credentialing, And Drone-Integrated Apprenticeships In Missouri, Linda S. Stinson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Missouri integrates drone technology into Registered Youth Apprenticeship and Career and Technical Education programs to develop equitable, credentialed pathways into high-skill careers. Grounded in Human Capital Theory, Credential Signaling Theory, and Transformational Leadership Theory, the research explores how emerging technologies intersect with labor market demands, credential access, and instructional leadership. The literature review highlights both national and international models of scalable apprenticeship systems, emphasizing the role of intermediaries, credential alignment, and early STEM exposure. Missouri’s initiatives, including the Top Drone Academy, serve as a case model for workforce-aligned innovation, yet challenges persist in infrastructure, teacher certification, …

Using The Foundational Numeracy Transformation Cycle To Gain Insights And Perspectives On Teaching And Learning, Brooke Custis

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The Foundational Numeracy Transformation Cycle (FNTC) was created in part to increase the percentage of students with disabilities performing at or above grade level in middle school mathematics. Through professional development and support, the FNTC worked within regional co-ops to increase math proficiency at all grade levels by building instructional capacity in primary educators. In addition to increasing student proficiency, the FNTC also aimed to enhance educator confidence in implementing Mathematical Teaching Practice (MTP) #2. This study used quantitative analysis to determine that participation in the FNTC had no statistically significant effect on student achievement. This study also explored the …

Perceptions Of Implementation From Higher Education Participants In Online Course Design Professional Development, Scott B. Thesen

All Capstone Projects

Many higher education instructors treat online teaching as a modern form of correspondence, believing students learn on their own when content is placed in a learning management system, but learning also takes place through other forms of interaction beyond solely with content. To show best practices for the online modality, instructors at a Midwest regional mid-sized higher education institution participated in professional development using the Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) workshop from Quality Matters™ (QM), a globally recognized authority in best practices for online course design. Level 3 of Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation was used to evaluate the …

Promoting A Pedagogy Of Critical Engagement: Teaching English Grammar And Usage Through A Socio-Historical, Investigative Approach, Robin E. Cross Halsey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation introduces and explicates a novel pedagogical approach to a university course that focuses on the application of English grammar and usage for writers. This approach to the teaching of English grammar and usage is grounded in several related disciplines and fields of study, including linguistics (specifically historical linguistics and sociolinguistics), language ideologies, and inquiry-based education.

The course curriculum combines examinations of historical ideologies and attitudes that have influenced debates about language usage and the value of teaching grammar with explicit instruction of specific grammar terms and concepts. The initial phase of the course introduces rhetorical grammar, usage and …

Language Ideologies In Coloniality Contexts: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Efl Teachers’ Experiences And Perceptions On The Use Of Learners’ Language Repertoire As Assets For Teaching And Learning, Kountiala J. Some

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I examined how dominant language ideologies in language politics and policy shape the professional identity development and pedagogical practices of five English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Burkina Faso. The study sought to understand how these ideologies influence teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of multilingual pedagogical approaches, as well as possible pathways for deconstructing them to promote student-centered practices. The participants’ accounts revealed that their academic and professional identities were largely shaped by the belief that home languages hinder proficiency in French and English. They recalled with remorse their elementary school experiences, where speaking native languages …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Adult English Language Instructor Experiences Fostering Inclusion, Community Building, And Student Motivation, Kathrene Marie Razo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

By Kathrene Marie Razo

University of the Pacific

2025

The central focus of this inquiry is on understanding adult English instructor experiences fostering inclusion, community building, and student motivation in the language classroom. In addition, it highlights contextual background relative to common life barriers faced by the adult English language learner population as they relate to an immigrant’s journey of establishing themselves in a new land.

Furthermore, this inquiry was prompted by a need to gain a clearer understanding of the best practices that are revealed by educators’ shared lived experiences to assist in the support of learners in …

Professional Experience In Initial Teacher Education: Integrating Standards, Supervisors And Mentor Teachers, Madlen Griffiths, Mandie Shean

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Professional experience is the training ground for preservice teachers, where they apply what they have learned at university, in the reality of the classroom setting. Our article investigates the contribution of university supervisors to preservice teacher learning, from the perspective of both groups. This qualitative study gathered data from interviews with 28 preservice teachers and supervisors. Findings highlighted the complexity of the task assigned to supervisors, and the distinctive role that they play in the preservice teachers’ learning. This study offers a model of supervision drawn from the voices of these two key stakeholders that is underpinned by theory and …

Compulsory Service-Learning Programs In Secondary Schools: The Lasting Impact Beyond The Classroom, Linda Cranley, Gregory Hine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the extent to which a compulsory service-learning program (SLP) offered in one secondary school inspired students to extend their service to the community beyond their schooling and make the connection between real-life social inequities and the SLP. The project involved interviewing current staff and past students from a co-educational Catholic secondary school in Perth, Western Australia, about their experiences of participating in the school’s SLP. Staff and student participants highlighted key elements of the SLP, including the types of community involvement encouraged within the program, and provided insight into how the …

Drawing On International Pre-Service Teachers’ Funds Of Knowledge To Enhance Professional Experience, Fiona Boylan, Karen Nociti, Gillian Kirk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Following the COVID- 19 pandemic, international student enrolments in Australia's initial teacher education (ITE) programs have sharply increased. ITE courses are obligated to comprehensively support international students, particularly during professional experiences (PEx). These students often face challenges due to cultural and linguistic differences, and universities typically address these through intervention programs and workshops aimed at developing communicative and work-based skills. This pilot study adopted a unique Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) lens to enhance culturally responsive communication between pre-service teachers and various stakeholders (mentor teachers, supervisors and unit coordinators) during PEx. An ethnographic visual methodology, employing …

Embedding Coaching And Local Education Champions In Implementing Trauma Informed Practice, Govind Krishnamoorthy, Domenico Antonaglia, Vicki Dallinger, Emily Berger, Sonja March, Sabrina Ong, Katrina Sherman, Nicole Goodwin, Nathan Eiby, Bronwyn Rees, Jessica Koslouski, Kay Ayre

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Growing recognition of the high prevalence of childhood adversity and maltreatment in the general population has led to efforts to support students through trauma-informed practice (TIP). This study investigated the use of coaching in effectively implementing trauma-informed programs in schools. A psychologist and a program “champion” (learning engagement coordinator) provided individual teachers coaching on student socio-emotional and behavioral concerns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 teachers at an Australian primary school implementing the Trauma-informed Behavior Support (TIBS) program. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to ascertain coaching acceptability, feasibility, and impact themes. Findings suggested that the alignment of coaching with preceding …

Belongingness, Trust And Connection: Arts Teachers In Western Australian Schools Create Safe Learning Spaces, Christina Gray, Lisa Paris, Geoffrey Lowe, Angela Perry, Lara Warwick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Central to this phenomenological inquiry is the question of how students’ fundamental needs of belonging, trust and connection are enacted in arts classrooms. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research explores the teaching practices of 23 expert arts teachers in Western Australian schools, revealing strategies to sustain supportive and safe learning environments. The findings highlight the disconnection students face in their schools and the significance of trust in embracing diversity, cultivating quality relationships, and empowering student voice. Understanding these evolving practices can enable less experienced teachers to adapt arts-based approaches to foster inclusive spaces that prioritise student well-being and connection.

Specialisation In The Primary Education Community, Kevin Sullivan, Susan Main, Joseph J. Scott, Kin Eng Chin, Jason Boron, Matthew Byrne, Eibhlish O'Hara, Elisabeth Taylor, Rozita Dass, Kuki Singh, Helen Adam, Gail Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australian students’ results in international assessments have led to considerable attention on teacher quality and, more specifically, on how well pre-service teachers (PSTs) are being prepared to teach. Acting on one of the recommendations in the Action Now, Classroom Ready Teachers Report (TEMAG, 2014), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership updated Accreditation Standards and Procedures for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs to include primary specialisation into ITE courses (AITSL, 2017). The Australian Government’s Next Steps report (2022) also identified the need to obtain data on the specialisation of ITE graduates to assist with issues of supply and demand. …

It Was Either Food Or Petrol: Financial Hardship During Professional Experience For Pre-Service Teachers, Tammy Green, Christina Gray, Kirsten Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many pre-service teachers prolong studies or fail to complete teaching degrees due to financial hardship. This attrition exacerbates the teacher shortage in Australian schools. Our research uses critical theory to explore the challenges for pre-service teachers as they complete the compulsory professional experience component of initial teacher education. This phenomenological study, based on interviews with eight pre-service teachers at a university in Western Australia, gives voice to pre-service teachers experiencing placement poverty, revealing the difficulties faced in their quest to become teachers. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the financial barriers that hamper students’ abilities to become quality teachers.