Digital Commons Network^™

Contrastive Analysis Of English And Pashto Adjectives, Abdul Raziq Safi

Journal of Research Initiatives

Language is a systematic means of communication that employs sound or conventional symbols. Using a foreign language can be problematic when attempting to communicate or translate written or spoken language from one's native language due to structural differences between languages. Among the most widely spoken languages in the world, English is understood by approximately half of the global population. However, it is neither an official nor a second language in our country. Nonetheless, due to its significance, it is often taught as a foreign language at schools, institutes, and universities. As previously mentioned, Pashto, our language, shares structural similarities and …

An Exploration Of The Mentoring Experiences Of Ethnically Diverse Women Faculty At An Hbcu: A Qualitative Case Study, Tonya M. Brown, Ruth Boyd

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative case study explored the professional and personal growth benefits for women faculty who engage in mentoring relationships at a historically black college or university (HBCU). Data were collected using one-on-one interviews with full- and part-time women faculty members who served as research participants. The participants provided data about their experiences with mentoring, including details such as the frequency of their meetings with mentoring partners, the preferred method of communication, and the areas of support resulting from the mentoring relationship. Findings indicated that mentoring relationships positively enhanced the experience for women faculty teaching in full-time or adjunct positions in …

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Use Of Serious Games For Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Latoyia R. Stewart

Journal of Research Initiatives

Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood neurodevelopment disorder, and severe digital game use has recently shown significant promise in this psychotherapeutic area. Digital serious games have also been used as an innovative teaching and learning approach. This study aimed to explore middle school teachers' perceptions of the use of digital severe games for students with ADHD. The conceptual framework for this study was Sherry's model of game engagement. The two research questions for this basic qualitative study focused on middle school teacher perceptions regarding the benefits and challenges related to the use of digital serious games …

"It Hurts Me To Say": Preservice Teachers' Use And Disapproval Of Deficit Discourse In Urban Schools, Sherridon Sweeney, Brian Flores

Journal of Research Initiatives

Extensive research examines the development and impact of deficit discourse in schools. However, more research needs to be needed to explore how preservice teachers use this language during their preparation. Therefore, our qualitative study explored how deficit discourse became part of five preservice teachers' vernacular when speaking about children and teaching. Findings suggest participants (a) Relied on reductive labels to describe children, (b) attributed their use of these labels to their exposure to them during their practicum, and (c) demonstrated both cognitive dissonance and silent resistance toward deficit language. Implications are for teacher educators and school leaders.

Closing The Knowledge Gap With Literacy-Infused And Rich Social Studies Content, Jeffrey Leffler, Ksenia Zhbanova

Journal of Research Initiatives

Social studies have been marginalized in early childhood education amid the prevalence of standardized testing and political issues. However, a comprehensive approach to early education, including social studies, is gaining attention. This article emphasizes the significance of incorporating social studies into early childhood curriculum, illuminating its potential to enhance children's cognitive and social-emotional development. The second important aspect of this article focuses on the role of social studies in literacy skill development through building background knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills of young children.

Harmony Or Discord? The Intersection Of Religious Beliefs And International Mindedness, Ranjan Kumar Lima

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental concept of the International Baccalaureate (IB) educational philosophy is international mindedness. International mindedness refers to being, thinking, and acting with openness to the world and an understanding of the interconnectedness of oneself with others. Despite extensive research on religious beliefs and international mindedness separately, there remains a dearth of studies exploring their intersection, especially among the International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers in their early professional years. This study examines how the religious beliefs of early adult and early-career International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers influence their perceptions and manifestations of international mindedness. This study utilizes phenomenological research strategies. It involves eight …

Digital Intelligence In Egypt’S K-12 Public Schools: Educators’ Perspectives, Mohammed Al Mousa

Theses and Dissertations

Technological integration has been a dominant feature of Egypt’s education recently, especially after the announcement of the Education 2.0 initiative, which aims to transform Egypt's education to digital-based and skill-based learning (UNICEF, n.d.), Ever since, public schools in Egypt started adopting technology into teaching practices through online classes, digital textbooks, e-learning platforms, and digital examinations. This educational transformation requires teachers and students to possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to become effective and responsible users of the transforming digital education system and the digital world in general, which are collectively known as Digital Intelligence (DQ). Despite the substantial role …

Bridging The Gap Between Neuroscience And Education: What Are Teachers’ Perceptions Of Applying “Neuropedagogy” To High School Classrooms?, Hanan Rashwan

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers can use neurobiological explanations to evaluate students' behavior and performance and create more supportive learning settings in their school environment. There is a growing interest among educators regarding the potential benefits of incorporating neuroscience into teaching practices. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate cognitive neuroscience into teacher education programs to maximize its impact on student learning and teacher development. This study focuses on understanding teachers' views on the integration of neuroscience principles in educational settings by utilizing a questionnaire and interviews to gather data from participating teachers. The findings reveal that the …

A Guide To Infuse Trauma Informed Principles In Counselor Education, Amirah R. Nelson

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Trauma informed principles (TIPs) are minimal within counselor education and supervision literature. After reviewing TIPs that have been incorporated into other graduate programs, counselor educators (CEs) should consider integrating more trauma informed concepts. Through this conceptual article the author: a) defines TIPs, b) explores ways to combine TIPs into most curricula and the learning environment, c) infuses TIPs across the eight core areas of CACREP, and d) discuss future implications for having a robust and well-rounded curricular for future counselor educators.

Keywords: trauma informed principles, counselor educators, counselors in training, CACREP, counseling programs

Artificial Intelligence Chatbot As A Mathematics Curriculum Developer: Discovering Preservice Teachers’ Overconfidence In Chatgpt, Amanda G. Sawyer

International Journal on Responsibility

Instructors in many colleges and universities are responsible for supporting their preservice teachers’ understanding of mathematics curriculum to best serve elementary students’ needs. As such, preservice teachers are taught how to critically analyze curriculum materials. However, with the advent of technologies like ChatGPT, preservice teachers are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) tools in new ways to collate and construct mathematical curricula. As of now, little is known about how to adapt these new resources for the classroom. ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, can create a mathematics curriculum based on user questions, which teachers can then adapt to their classrooms. Although this AI …

Growing Together: Cultivating The Social-Emotional Effects Of Art Education Through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Lawrence

Masters Theses

In many societies, the process of art is recognized as a healing and transformative practice. In recent years, it has been emerging in tandem with social emotional practices and procedures in American education. However, it is also a fact that social emotional learning (SEL) does not account for all students due to its inability to account for the needs of all students in the classroom. SEL alone aims to teach healthy development and emotional management skills, but fails to account for students with varying experiences. While there are those who can and do integrate the skills from the Social Emotional …

Learning Through Play At School Ukraine: Final Research Report (Ukrainian Version), Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play (LTP) at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The intervention was a two-year professional learning program that blended online, and face-to-face learning called the Teacher Innovative Play Program (TIPP). The TIPP was designed based on documented evidence that reports that teachers need opportunities to experiment and reflect to change practice. The study was guided by three research questions which were revised following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces …

The Constructs Of Teacher Well-Being: A Phenomenological Study, Alicia Nohe-Dirk

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of teachers who embodied a sense of professional well-being while in the workplace. The teachers who participated in this study self-identified as embodying the phenomenon and participated in one semi-structured, recorded interview lasting no longer than one hour, and were asked to respond to two journal prompts. This study answers one primary question and addresses two secondary questions: 1. Primary question: What experiences in the workplace contribute to a teacher’s sense of well-being? 2. Secondary questions: A) What current experience has contributed to your sense of well-being? …

Learning Through Play At School: Ukraine, 2019-2024 (Ukrainian Version), Rachel Parker, Amy Berry, Kellie Picker, David Jeffries, Prue Anderson, Oksana Zabolotna

Student learning processes

The Learning Through Play at School Research Study Ukraine was a four-year longitudinal intervention study funded by the LEGO Foundation and implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Ukrainian Educational Research Association (UERA). The study was implemented between 2019 and 2024, during COVID-19 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces. Despite, at times, insurmountable challenges, the professional learning intervention was successful in supporting most teachers to progress from a surface level understanding of learning through play to a deep level. In addition, almost all children’s literacy and social-emotional skills grew significantly from start …

What Exactly Does Identity Have To Do With Teaching? Exploring The Connection Between A Teacher's Racialized Identity And Their Teacher Identity, Lizette Aguilar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores the relationship between race and teacher identity, specifically understanding how the two concepts intersect and (re)present themselves within the classroom environment. This study analyzes six teachers’ narratives of identity, race, and teaching to explore themes of race and identity as they traverse from their earliest experiences with race into their experiences as teachers. Findings conclude that, first, teachers’ narrative identities are a composite of key narratives—important moments of deep impact in the process of identity building—that accumulate over time to form what Dan McAdams (1993) calls personal myths. Since key narratives are continually shaping one’s personal myth, …

Identifying Graduate Students’ Instructional Strategies And Approaches Towards Teaching Employable Skills, Elizabeth S. Che

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

College instruction tends to focus on imparting disciplinary knowledge rather than employable broad-based skills emphasized by undergraduate guidelines. The lack of emphasis on broad-skill development may leave many undergraduate students unprepared for the workforce. Graduate students who are future professoriate, are teaching undergraduate courses with various attitudes and strategies. This dissertation comprises three published studies that used data from two surveys identifying graduate students’ instructional strategies and approaches to teaching employable skills in their courses.

The first study asked whether graduate students teaching undergraduate courses (N = 114; 70.2% women, M age = 30 years) aim to teach employable …

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Differences Between Male And Female Welding Students’ Tinkering Self-Efficacy, Kjersti Decker, Michael Pate, Tyson Sorensen, Michelle S. Burrows, Katie N. Kraus, Don Edgar

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Welding, agricultural mechanics and blue-collar trades have traditionally been perceived to be reserved for males, yet many females in recent years have enrolled in training programs and have entered these careers (England, 2010). In previous research, females have indicated lower levels of tinkering self-efficacy and confidence in mechanics settings (Baker & Krause, 2007). This study examined difference between male and female welding student’s perceptions of welding technology, tinkering self-efficacy, and perceptions of learning welding technology. Students were engaged in designated tinkering activities throughout the semester to promote developing tinkering abilities. Activities included but were not limited to GMAW and …

Using Case-Based Instruction To Support Teaching Self-Efficacy For Cultural Responsiveness In Pre-Service Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study, Marisa Nodine, Carolyn Hushman, Ashley K. Vaughan, Kira J. Carbonneau

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Using a mixed methods design we quantitively examined how case-based instruction (CBI) influenced preservice teachers’ (PSTs) cultural responsiveness teacher efficacy development across three classroom case studies. Qualitatively, we examined how PSTs were able to engage in self-insertion when writing about their reactions to the classroom cases. Specifically, PSTs were randomly assigned to one of two conditions; one group received a content-based text excerpt prior to reading and responding to two classroom cases (Text–Case). Another group was given a series of three classroom cases (Case–Case) that contained similar information to the Text–Case group. The Text–Case group maintained their cultural responsiveness teacher …

Impactful Digital Technology Coaches: Identifying Their Characteristics And Competencies While Delineating Their Role, Tiffany L. Gallagher, Catherine Susin, Arlene Grierson

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Digital technology coaches (DTCs) often support teachers with integrating technology into their classroom and instructional program, as well as provide ongoing staff development. To be effective, coaches tend to have specific characteristics for instructional coaching and competencies for educational coaching. We investigated if these characteristics and competencies applied to effective DTCs while we observed their proficiency with technology, their interactions with other educators, and the way they provide support for the teacher-professional learning (PL) process. Three DTCs led over 80 K–12 teachers from the same school district in classroom coaching sessions, collaborative planning meetings, PL sessions, and conference presentations. In …

Perceptions Of Pre-Service Teachers About Natural Disasters: Coronavirus, Earthquake, Fire, And Flood, Pınar Bozca, Eylem Yalçınkaya Önder

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This research explores the perceptions of preservice teachers in Turkey in terms of their preparedness for various disasters, including epidemics, earthquakes, fires, and floods, all of which have profound social and economic impacts on education. Using a descriptive survey model, the study examined the responses of 512 preservice teachers at a single university across all levels of their educational program. The survey, conducted digitally due to the pandemic, consisted of 70 questions. Findings reveal inconsistent levels of confidence and readiness across different types of disasters. For instance, while most preservice teachers understand the severity of the coronavirus and are concerned …

Social Platforms As Tools For Inclusive Pedagogy: Case Of Perusall For Collaborative Reading, Comfort M. Ateh

Education Faculty Publications

Extant literature is replete on the importance of inclusive pedagogy, which is crucial in engaging every student irrespective of their background to have access to knowledge. Although social platforms like Perusall aim at collaborative reading and enhance students’ engagement in reading, literature is sparce on the extent to which these tools accommodate the learning needs of diverse learners. This study is a contribution to close the gap by exploring the Perusall website, research reports on Perusall, and the author’s personal experience with Perusall to determine features of the platform that can contribute to diverse learners engaging in collaborative reading. This …

Teacher Beliefs And Experiences Addressing Healthy Racial And Ethnic Identity Instructionally Through Social Emotional Learning, Juliana Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

Children and youth develop within an ecological context that includes family, peers, and broader social environments including school. Children’s understanding of their ethnic or racial group and the meaning they attribute to belonging in that group is also shaped by interactions in their school environment. Most research on school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs has focused on student behavioral and academic outcomes. However, as SEL spreads across U.S. K-12 schools, questions have emerged surrounding how children from diverse racial and cultural groups and unequal opportunity can benefit from universal SEL programs. Using a mixed-methods design, this study explores teachers’ understanding and …

Finding Belonging Through Curricular And Pedagogical Partnership In A First-Year Course On Linguistic Justice, Timothy D. Arner, Lilli Morrish

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Dialogue In Partnership: Relaxing Into Receptivity, Bill Reynolds

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Quiet Power: The Librarian’S Role, A Co-Leadership Model, And The Gendered Work Of Pedagogical Partnership, Diane Skorina

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Teacher Perceptions Of Play In Early Childhood Education, Kelcie L. Burke

Teacher Education Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Play is a fundamental aspect of early childhood development, facilitating the acquisition of crucial skills such as social-emotional competence, cognition, and language. Despite its recognized importance, literature points to the decline in the implementation of play due to social and political factors (e.g. screen time, push for standards/academics). To evaluate how teachers respond to this, this study utilized surveys and interviews to address teachers’ understanding of the value of play in development and learning as well as any barriers they identify that made play more difficult to implement. Findings showed that teachers understand the value of play and believe they …

Teaching And Learning As Negotiation, Brian C. Rose, Sara Myers

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

This paper reports data from a study investigating the nature of student-teacher interactions in elementary classrooms. These data suggest that while teacher candidates approach their work with school-aged children as a form of negotiation, teachers engage in negotiation with children in a variety of ways to meet a wide range and professional needs. These findings provide direction for teacher educators who support teacher candidates’ in developing an increased repertoire of interactional strategies that support student learning and teacher efficacy.

Leadership And Teacher Agency For Inclusive Classrooms: Insights About Integrating Students With Disabilities Into Inclusive Classrooms From Teachers And School Leaders In Three International Schools, Chad Wood

Dissertations

As international schools continue to flourish, they must consider how to be inclusive and meet the needs not only of multicultural populations of students, but also the needs of students with diagnosed learning difficulties (i.e., students with special needs). Promoting teacher agency is a potentially important component in successfully implementing inclusive practices given that teachers are key actors in the implementation process. Currently, however, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the interconnectedness of teacher agency and inclusion of special needs populations in international schools.

This qualitative research explores the role of school leaders in promoting teacher agency to support the …

Black School Leader Truth: How Black School Leader Epistemology Influences Liberatory Mindset Development In Their Staff, Orpheus Williams

Dissertations

Black students in the United States have consistently been denied access to empowering, culturally affirming, and responsive learning experiences in the traditional public system. The epistemological and pedagogical beliefs embedded in a liberatory mindset can subvert this pattern of disempowerment (Shujaa, 1998). Black school leaders (BSLs) who understand the systemic and institutional pressures Black children may face and have to overcome, having undergone similarly racialized experiences in school, are uniquely placed to create liberatory spaces for Black students by recruiting and developing these liberatory mindsets in their staff. This instrumental case study used qualitative research methods of front-porch pedagogy (McTighe …