Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Personality In The Transition To College Life: A Literature Review, Elijah Traud

Honors Projects

This literature review examines the relationship between personality, specifically the Big Five personality traits, and the academic, social, and emotional transition to college. Previous research has focused on how both non-personality and personality variables are associated with the transition to college. There is also literature that details how colleges have implemented policies in the past to ensure that all students feel welcomed on their campus. The literature review highlights the key findings from these studies, including that conscientiousness is consistently one of the personality traits that is associated with the different aspects of the transition to college, especially the academic …

Pathways To Success, Annabelle Fyke

Honors Projects

This paper explores the importance of creating trauma-informed classrooms to support students’ emotional and academic success. As increasing numbers of students are affected by adverse childhood experiences, educators must adopt approaches that recognize and respond to trauma. The purpose of this paper is to examine key principles of trauma-informed education and how they can be effectively implemented in school settings. Drawing on current research and educational frameworks, this paper highlights strategies such as building strong teacher-student relationships, promoting emotional regulation, and maintaining consistent and supportive classroom environments. The findings suggest that trauma-informed practices can improve student behavior, increase engagement, and …

Personality, And Generation In Green Entrepreneurship, Julie Garritano

Honors Projects

This research investigates the drivers of Green Entrepreneurial Intent (GEI) by examining the intersection of personality traits and immigrant generation status. Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, the study focuses on how openness to experience and conscientiousness—the traits most strongly associated with sustainability-oriented innovation—influence entrepreneurial intentions.

A central aim is to determine how first- and second-generation immigrant statuses moderate these relationships, particularly through the lens of intergenerational transmission of values and social norms. The study integrates illustrative case analyses of Timberland and Patagonia to trace how environmental stewardship and ethical business practices evolve across successive leadership generations.

The …

Garlic Breath And Beads Of Sweat: The Effects Of Garlic And Chili Peppers On The Growth And Ph Of Streptococcus Mutans., Lena Pitzer

Honors Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a quantifiable and repeatable measurement of how the presence of garlic and chili pepper during the growth of a carious dentine strain of Streptococcus mutans affects the growth of the strain and surrounding pH level.This research project examines two possible alternative agents, garlic and chili peppers, due to the known antimicrobial effects of their active components, allicin and capsaicin. Prepared garlic and chili extracts were used during disk diffusion to assess and measure the zones of inhibition. The anticipated results are that there will be inhibition present with both the garlic and …

Environmental Counseling As A Proposed Discipline And Its Associated Implications And Uses, Alexandria Rion

Honors Projects

Individuals interact with their environment daily, and whether they realize it or not, these interactions can impact their health. Understanding the health impacts associated with the environment is important to human health at both an individual and population level. I am proposing a new field of environmental counseling that would incorporate principles from a variety of practices into one comprehensive discipline that can be used to promote public health. By studying populations that have had negative environmental exposures and looking at their outcomes, I was able to apply principles of environmental counseling to help determine if it would in fact …

A Trauma Psychology Approach To Space Psychology And Long-Duration Space Travel In Consideration Of Isolation, Resource Scarcity, And Group Dynamics., Alden Nicoll

Honors Projects

As modern societies research and prepare for long-duration deep space travel, psychological research becomes increasingly prevalent into understanding the effects of trauma on the psyche. This present study looks at the current research outcomes of “Team Dynamics”, “Social Isolation”, and “Resource Scarcity” within the literature of Space Psychology. Current research on social isolation is taken from past missions in outer space and analog missions in Antarctica, at sea, and prison research. While research is vast on social isolation, it doesn’t consider how trauma could be intensified with both time and duration in space. Next, when considering team dynamics and how …

Harm Reduction Strategies In Addiction Recovery: Effectiveness, Barriers, And The Role Of Social Stigma, Julia J. Amlin

Honors Projects

Substance use disorders (SUDs) present a major global public health crisis. An estimated 46.3 million individuals are affected in the United States, with only a small fraction receiving any form of treatment. While abstinence-based models have historically dominated addiction treatment methods, harm reduction approaches have emerged as evidence-based alternatives that reduce overdose mortality, improve treatment engagement, and decrease the transmission of infectious diseases. Despite strong empirical support harm reduction interventions continue to face significant social, political, and structural resistance. These harm reduction interventions include supervised consumption sites, overdose prevention centers, medication-assisted treatment, naloxone distribution, and drug checking technologies. This resistance …

Power, Knowledge, And Environmental Justice: The Dakota Access Pipeline Controversy, Mya Chapman

Honors Projects

In a time of rife political conflict and debate, it is important to understand the underlying power dynamics that permeate our society in America. As devised by French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault, power and knowledge are mutually constitutive forces that shape our social relations. Through the actions of certain discourses, distinct truths are cultivated that in turn, reinforce existing power structures. In this study, these concepts are applied to the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy in the form of a Foucauldian discourse analysis to understand how the pipeline remained operational in the face of great opposition. Written discourse in the …

The Intersection Of Visual Communications, User Experience, & Design Theory: A Case Study With The Dog Spaw, Jessica Miltner

Honors Projects

This project explored the intersection of visual communication, user experience, and design theory, focusing on researching design and UX principles and applying them in a real-world case study with The Dog Spaw from Celina, Ohio. The project resulted in a redesigned website that aims to influence user behavior by improving perceptions of trust, professionalism, brand consistency, and ease of use, and by examining how these perceptions, in turn, influence user action.

Media Framing Of The Bawku Conflict In Ghana: An Analysis Of Cultural Biases, Narratives, And Peacebuilding Implications, Falilatu Saaka

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

This research examines the media framing of the Bawku conflict in Ghana, focusing on how cultural biases shape the portrayal of ethnic disputes and influence public perception. Utilizing a qualitative discourse analysis grounded in Framing Theory and Afrocentric critique, the study analyzes ten news reports from major Ghanaian media outlets to identify patterns of bias, narrative construction, and ideological positioning. Findings reveal that media coverage predominantly emphasizes security and stability, often at the expense of addressing deeper political, economic, and historical factors. Language, imagery, and sourcing choices tend to reinforce stereotypes, skewing public understanding towards ethnic dichotomies, particularly between the …

Service Providers’ Perceptions Of Mckinney-Vento Implementation: Supporting Academic Performance And Attendance In K-12 Students’ Experiencing Homelessness, Darci Mcrae

Honors Projects

In Wood, Lucas, and Ottawa County, Ohio, approximately 2,508 students or 2.6% of total enrollment experience homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act (MVA, 1987) aims to reduce educational barriers for these students by ensuring access to transportation, school enrollment, school supplies, and additional educational support. Despite these provisions, the effectiveness of MVA implementation varies among school districts due to differences in staff training, funding, procedures, and the diverse needs of students experiencing homelessness. This study examines service providers’ perceptions of how the MVA is implemented in public school districts and how it affects attendance and academic performance among K–12 students’ experiencing homelessness. …

Quantifying Overconsumption In The United States: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Morgan Davis

Honors Projects

This study examines overconsumption in the United States by analyzing how socioeconomic factors influence household spending relative to income. Overconsumption is defined as elevated discretionary spending relative to income, with a focus on categories such as apparel, entertainment, and food away from home. Using 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) data, three multiple linear regression models were created to evaluate predictors of overall consumption, discretionary consumption, and apparel spending as proportions of income.

Results show that income is the most significant predictor across all models, with higher-income households consistently spending a smaller share of their income. Age and household size also …

Barriers Asian Adoptees Face In Screening For Inheritable Conditions Due To A Lack Of Family Medical History, Anna Shea

Honors Projects

Adoption has been increasingly common in the United States, with more than 7.8 million people in the United States adopted (Wexler et al., 2025) and over 280,000 children in the United States adopted internationally (Orr et al., 2024). Despite this, those who are adopted, especially internationally, often face medical disadvantages compared to those biologically related to their family. The differences in treatment between adoptees and those who are biologically related are largely due to the knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of the individual’s family medical history and genetic information. Genetic or inherited disease screening is often only completed or covered …

Investigating How Caffeine Affects Perceived Exertion And To What Extent Young Adults Consumers Are Aware Of The Active Ingredients, Brianna Richter

Honors Projects

BACKGROUND: Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed substances in the world, often used to increase energy and alertness. From morning coffee to pre-workout and energy drinks, caffeine has become a daily staple for students, athletes, and working professionals. In recent years, caffeine consumption has increased significantly, with the energy drink and pre-workout industries rapidly expanding. Research has been conducted on the effects of caffeine; however, there is limited research examining how consumer awareness of caffeine products and their additional active ingredients influence perceived exertion and exercise in young adults. PURPOSE: This study investigated the perceived effect of …

Food Reintroduction After Negative Ofcs In Pediatrics: Dietary Frequency And Caregiver Attitudes, Olivia Pietrantozzi

Honors Projects

Food allergies in pediatric populations have been gradually increasing in prevalence and present significant nutritional risks requiring strict dietary management and psychosocial challenges. Oral food challenges (OFCs) serve as a gold standard in diagnosing food allergies and determining whether allergenic foods can be safely reintroduced to an individual's diet. However, caregivers of children may still experience anxiety and barriers that delay the reintroduction of foods, which can limit diet diversity and increase the child's risk of future allergy development. This study looked to evaluate the dietary frequency of allergenic food reintroduction following negative OFCs, as well as to assess changes …

“…You Lost Your Way On That River As You Would In A Desert…”: Spec Ops: The Line As A Post-Imperialist Adaptation And Response To Heart Of Darkness, Logan Grime

Honors Projects

As an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the military shooter video game Spec Ops: The Line grapples with adapting the themes and the narrative of an imperialist work into a modern post-imperialist context. By swapping England in Africa for America in the Middle East, the game criticizes America’s conduct of war in the Middle East by showing its similarities to the novella’s imperialism. Furthermore, Spec Ops: The Line focuses on America’s imperialism by adapting Heart of Darkness to an interactive format. “The horror” of violent imperialist action is placed upon the player as Spec Ops: The Line …

Analyzing 24-Hour Diet Recalls To Assess Dietary Changes Among Children Who Complete Oral Food Challenges (Ofcs), Hannah Plank, Wan Shen, Heesoon Lee

Honors Projects

Pediatric food allergies are a growing public health concern in America due to their potential association with long-term nutritional impacts and reduced quality of life in those affected. Oral food challenges (OFCs) are considered the gold standard for clinical food allergy diagnosis, but few studies have examined if passing or failing an OFC affects overall diet quality in infants. This clinical observational study examined differences in diet quality, measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), among 39 children aged 0–6 years who participated in OFCs at ProMedica Allergy and Immunology Clinic in Perrysburg, Ohio. Parents and caregivers reported daily dietary …

Exploring The Dual Advising System For Students’ Success: A Developmental Advising Model, Louisa Godwyll, Eugene Kwarteng-Nantwi, Pious Jojo Adu-Akoh

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

This qualitative study explored the dual advising system for student success at a U.S. higher education institution. Research has indicated that approximately 40–60% of students enrolled in doctoral programs do not complete their doctoral degrees. High attrition rates have led some institutions to adopt a dual advising system, a form of developmental advising, to support doctoral students’ success. Creamer and Creamer’s (1994) developmental advising model served as the conceptual framework of the study. The model defines the first stage of advising as defining task, where advisors engage in teaching and utilize strategies to help students attain educational, career, and individual …

Distilled Identities: The History And Gender Politics Of The Perfume Industry, Emma Shaffer

Honors Projects

This paper analyzes the use of gendered perfume marketing in the West. Drawing upon the work of Joe Schwartz, Sarah Evrett, and others, I examine the history of this phenomenon and the politics keeping the perfume market segregated by gender. How long has perfume existed? Has it always been so strict on who wears what fragrance? My results found that perfume has only been gendered since the Victorian era, dispelling the myth that gendered fragrance is the only way to market perfume. However, I also found that when gender neutral fragrances have been introduced, they have not had much staying …

Understanding And Alleviating Teacher Burnout: A Focus On Supports For Teacher Candidates, Meghan Glahn

Honors Projects

This Honors Project begins by analyzing the overall patterns of burnout, and then narrowing to the experienced pressures by special educators. This research topic highlights how stress arrives early during teacher preparation and increases for individuals entering special education. Research from various sources emphasize the prevalence of burnout and the contributing factors that often lead to mental and physical consequences. This study also has results from a survey involving Intervention Specialist majors that captures their college experiences with academic demands, emotional labor, and field placement expectations. The outcomes supported by literature and the survey demonstrate that teacher burnout is severe, …

Sustainability, Culture, And Higher Education: An Autoethnographic Sustainability Comparison Of The Sustainability Initiatives At The University Of Salzburg And Bowling Green State University, Madison Alt

Honors Projects

Human activity is already triggering damaging environmental tipping points (Lenton, 2020), emphasizing the need for sustainability in all aspects of development. Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) have the power and responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world (Parr et al., 2022). Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio, United States, and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Salzburg, Austria are two IHEs with multifaceted sustainability programs. While living and studying at BGSU and PLUS, I used autoethnography, a personal narrative approach, combined with public sustainability information to compare the sustainability initiatives at each university, and determine what …

A Statewide Study Of Burnout Among School Board Members, Nicole V. Schilling, Kyle Wagner, Taylor N. Pawliski, John Gillham

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Statement of the Problem: School board members maintain influential power in public school systems, yet they face political turmoil, community backlash, and role ambiguity (Plough, 2014). While this stress has increased in recent years, little to no research has been conducted on them (Diem et al., 2015).

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to explore P-12 school board member burnout.

Methodology: The researchers requested P-12 school board members complete the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) which addresses three constructs: 1.) personal burnout, 2.) work-related burnout, and 3.) client-related burnout.

Findings: The school board member participants …

Teaching With S2scc-Ai: A Practical Framework For Sport Management Classrooms, Kimberly D. Bynum, Wendy T. Gillis

The COSMA Journal

ABSTRACT

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, are radically changing how higher ed students approach their college learning experience. These shifts are especially impactful in undergraduate sport management programs, where employers expect graduates to demonstrate teamwork, critical thinking and digital literacy skills. As AI becomes embedded across sport industry functions such as event operations, marketing, analytics, and fan engagement, higher ed pedagogy must evolve to reflect the professional contexts students are preparing to enter. In this paper, Student-to-Student Co-Creation enhanced by AI (S2SCC-AI) is advanced as a practical, COSMA-aligned pedagogical framework for leveraging …

Investigating Racial Bias And Attribution Error In Grading Student Performance, Tony Reibel, Rachel Roegman

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Standards-based grading (SBG) is a relatively recent alternative model of grading designed to increase the reliability of grading while reducing the influence of teacher biases that can distort student evaluations. This study investigated whether SBG mitigates race‑related bias and attribution errors through a mixed‑methods 3×2 factorial vignette experiment with in‑service teachers. A total of 219 teachers scored the same student essay using a common SBG rubric and provided a 1-4 proficiency score, a binary evaluation concerning success criteria and written feedback. “Learning profiles”– a description of the student’s current and past abilities – varied by tone (positive, negative, none: name-only) …

Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions Of School Counselor-Principal-Teacher Collaboration, Collective Teacher Efficacy, And Leadership, Rachel Louise Geesa, Sherri Barrow, Rochelle Maynard, Derien D. Kunce

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Efforts to support students' academic, social/emotional, personal, and future professional well-being often rely on the collaboration among educational leaders, educators, and community partners. In this study, we examine teachers' perceptions of collaboration among school counselors, principals, and teachers to enhance school culture, with a focus on collective teacher efficacy. We also provide insights for school leaders (e.g., principals, school counselors, and teachers) to implement systemic changes that promote collaboration and student success. This study is framed through the social cognitive theory, where self-efficacy shapes how educators perceive their ability to impact the learning environment and engage students. Using a mixed-methods …

Exploring Autistic Children’S Play Cycles Using The Play Cycle Observation Method (Pcom), Eleanor C. Mugford, Pete King

International Journal of Playwork Practice

The Play Cycle Observation Method (PCOM) enables researchers to observe and record the process of play based on the theory of the Play Cycle. While the PCOM has been used with both video footage and in real-time observation of neurotypical children, it has not previously been applied with neurodivergent children. This study involved ten one-hour naturalistic PCOM observations with nine autistic children during play sessions. The results demonstrated variability in play processes, with several styles of play behaviour observed, including differences in how play was initiated, sustained, and terminated. The findings both corroborate and challenge strands of the existing literature …

Children’S Perspectives On Playfulness: A Child-Centred Qualitative Study, Risa Rylander, Stephanie Burns, Jocelyn Dautel

International Journal of Playwork Practice

This qualitative study examines children’s lived experiences of play and playfulness through interviews and creative methods with 10 children aged 8–11 in a Playwork setting. Thematic analysis identified three core themes: playfulness as an internal experience; the contextual nature of playfulness; and Playwork theory in practice. Children described play as joyful, immersive, and intrinsically motivated, shaped by factors such as comfort, outdoor access, social relationships, and autonomy. They valued adult support that preserved freedom. Findings challenge narrow definitions of playfulness, emphasizing calm, solitary, and open-ended play, with implications for designing responsive, child-centred play environments.

(W)Holistic Approaches: Empowering The Whole Of Child, Annette Johnson, Tiarnah Hamlin, Jack Lundie-Jenkins, Erin King, Karen Malyon, Jennifer Cartmel

International Journal of Playwork Practice

Holistic approaches are an evolving pedagogy in the Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) sector that, despite its recognised value, remain an elusive practice for many educators. This ambiguity has been acknowledged in My Time Our Place (MTOP): Framework for School Age Care in Australia 2.0 (AGDE, 2022). In alignment with this process, the ability for OSHC and extended learning to empower children’s self-identities is fundamental to supporting their holistic development. In a world emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing impacts on children – the result of physical separation and societal stressors – cannot be ignored. Accordingly, the child’s …

Teaching Experience And Burnout During Remote Learning, Tony Durr, Nicole Graves, Patrick D. Hales

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

During the spring of 2020 many K-12 teacher were forced to transition their classes to remote learning environments. This study examines the extent to which teaching experience related to symptoms of burnout reported by teachers when switching instruction to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that years of teaching experience was a significant predictor of the emotional exhaustion component of burnout, with mid-career (β = 0.966, p ≤ .001) and veteran teachers (β = 1.085, p ≤ .01) reporting significantly higher levels of emotional exhaustion compared to novice teachers. These results indicate that novice teachers experienced less burnout …

The Classroom Assessment Self-Efficacy Survey For Preservice Teachers: A Validation Study, Yiyun Fan, Timothy Folger, Connor Sondergeld, Toni A. May, Gregory E. Stone

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Preservice teachers often lack confidence in classroom assessment, highlighting the need for robust tools to measure assessment self-efficacy. The Classroom Assessment Self-Efficacy Survey (CASES) was designed to address this need. It comprises 24 items across two subscales: Evaluating Others’ Confidence (EOC) and Personal Performance Confidence (PPC). This study examined the psychometric properties of CASES using 223 responses from preservice teachers. Rasch modeling and other statistical techniques were applied to evaluate validity evidence based on response processes, internal structure, and relations to other variables. Results showed that CASES functioned as intended. Rating scale use was consistent with expectations, and reliability and …