Cripping The Border – Acompañamiento As Access: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Transborder Youth With Disabilities, Marco O. Amaral

Dissertations

The U.S.-Mexico border is a historical, geopolitical site of intense militarization where colonial logics of "othering" converge to marginalize disabled transborder youth. While transborder studies have expanded, students with disabilities remain relegated to the "void" and contained by educational systems that prioritize surveillance over access. Grounded in Sepúlveda’s (2011) acompañamiento and Transborder DisCrit, this ethnographic case study examines the lived experiences of both students and their families who cross the border daily to attend school in the U.S. It frames these journeys not as mere commutes, but as acts of defiance within the broader disability rights movement.

As a teacher-activist, …

Organizing To Engage: A Framework For Conflict Strategy, Paul Mason Carpenter

Dissertations

Conflict strategy can be exceedingly complex. While many of the basics are simple, even the simple can be highly complicated to execute. The Schlieffen Plan in World War I appeared straight forward, but execution was a great deal more complex. It failed and the result was years of trench warfare.  In addition, leaders entering conflict may not fully appreciate the full context, its effect, and the need for a long term result--a better state of peace.

Strategy and tactics may be challenging to transform as an engagement evolves. In addition, strategists must often commit to courses of action within very …

Effective Leadership Strategies For Character Education, Kim Fricke Bilanko

Dissertations

Although character education has been widely studied, limited research has examined the specific leadership strategies building administrators use to implement and sustain comprehensive character initiatives. This qualitative study investigated the leadership practices of building administrators whose schools were designated as National Schools of Character (NSOC) in order to better understand how character education is institutionalized and maintained over time. Guided by an exemplar model and informed by constructivist grounded theory methods, the qualitative study explored (a) the leadership strategies administrators identified as essential to implementation and (b) the challenges they encountered, and the responses used to address them.

Semi-structured interviews …

Percy Green: A Legacy Of Tactical Innovation And Leadership In St. Louis' Black Freedom Movement, Christopher M. Fletcher

Dissertations

Abstract

            This study explored Percy Green’s efforts against systemic racism, his innovative protest tactics, leadership qualities and principles, and his lasting impact within the Black Freedom Movement in St. Louis, Missouri, throughout the 1960s and 1970s. A qualitative single-case approach was utilized, analyzing archival records, interviews, a documentary about Green’s activism, newspaper articles, and Green’s own documentation of his work in the movement—all examined through thematic analysis. This process revealed key themes related to Green’s activism. The findings showed that Green employed non-violent, creative, and provocative protest tactics, including civil disobedience and direct action. These strategies revealed hidden racial inequalities, …

Exploring The Impact Of Mental Health On Academic Performance And Engagement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of Title I High School Upperclassmen In Northeast Alabama, Nataysia A. Holloway

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intersection of student mental health and academic success within a Title I school context, particularly the lived experiences of students navigating mental health challenges while facing psychological, social, and educational barriers. Drawing on qualitative data, the study explores how mental health challenges influence student academic performance, engagement, and overall educational outcomes. Chapter one introduces mental health as a prevalent concern for adolescence, and chapter two examines existing research and details the methodological approach and supporting frameworks for this study. Subsequent chapters are devoted to the lived experiences of students and their perception of support and resources …

Active Listening And Reassurance In Text-Based Virtual Health Coaches, Ghulam Hussain

Dissertations

Conversational agents (CAs) have strong potential to support health and physical wellbeing through text-based coaching, but they remain limited in their ability to demonstrate supportive social behaviours that are important in human coaching interactions. In particular, relatively little is known about how Active Listening and Reassurance are perceived, modelled, and evaluated in text-based virtual healthcare coaching, or how such behaviours should be adapted to individual users.

This dissertation investigates how supportive interaction behaviours can enhance text based virtual health coaching, with an initial focus on Active Listening and Reassurance and a later theoretical emphasis on Active Listening. Across five unique …

The Impact Of Social-Emotional Learning On Student Academic Achievement And Outcomes, Tanya L. Fields

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined the impact of the Second Step social-emotional learning (SEL) program on student achievement and outcomes in Forest Elementary School District (FESD). Guided by Patton’s utilization-focused evaluation framework, the research addressed five questions: (1) How has Second Step implementation during SY23–24 and SY24–25 impacted behavioral referrals in K–5 students? (2) How has it influenced NWEA, ELA, and Math grades in SY23–24 and SY24–25? (3) To what extent do teachers and leaders feel prepared to implement SEL and the Second Step program? (4) How effective is the training and support provided by school leaders? and (5) What additional …

Beyond Interventions: District Design Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support As An Equity Framework To Address Inequitable Student Outcomes, Joyce Debrah

Dissertations

Although multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) is often examined through the lens of school-level intervention systems and the fidelity of tiered academic and behavioral supports, this study approached MTSS from a district leadership and systems design perspective. Rather than evaluating the implementation of specific interventions within individual schools, the study investigated how district-level leadership structures, governance practices, and implementation infrastructure shape the capacity to operationalize MTSS as a coherent framework for advancing equitable student outcomes across a portfolio of schools. By examining district systems, structures, and decision-making processes, the study positioned the district as the primary unit of change and …

The Impact Of Social-Emotional Learning Instruction On Intermediate Grade Levels, Leah Frances Davis

Dissertations

The study, The Impact of Social-emotional Learning on Intermediate Grade Levels, examined the perceived impact of social-emotional learning on the five core CASEL competencies. This included: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The study was a mixed methods design using qualitative research methods of surveys and interviews to analyze the teachers’ perceptions on the impact of social-emotional learning. Quantitative analysis reviewed attendance and discipline data to determine the impact of social-emotional learning on these factors. Teachers’ perceptions, coupled with and compared to the quantitative component of change in discipline infractions and daily attendance, offer great insight into …

Perspectives Of Classroom Teachers On The Foundational Reading Needs Of Fourth Through Sixth Grade Students, Deliska Burton-Cooley

Dissertations

Reading proficiency is a critical foundation for academic success; however, many students enter the upper elementary grades without the foundational literacy skills necessary to access grade level content. Teachers in grades four through six are increasingly responsible for addressing persistent reading gaps while simultaneously meeting instructional expectations aligned with grade-level standards. The problem addressed in this qualitative descriptive study was the limited research examining how upper elementary teachers identify and respond to foundational reading needs when such gaps persist beyond the primary grades. The purpose of this study was to examine upper-elementary teachers’ perspectives on identifying and addressing foundational reading …

Gamification And Serious Games In Undergraduate Nursing Education For Disaster Preparedness In The United States, Jacob Fast

Dissertations

Disaster preparedness is a critical component of undergraduate nursing education, yet traditional instructional approaches often inadequately prepare students for the complexity and uncertainty of real-world emergencies. Emerging literature suggests that gamification and serious games may enhance engagement and applied learning; however, limited research has examined their integration within nursing curricula from the perspective of faculty responsible for instructional design. This convergent mixed-methods study investigated the extent of integration, perceived effectiveness, and practical utility of gamification and serious games in undergraduate nursing education for disaster preparedness. Quantitative data were collected through a national survey of faculty teaching in CCNE- and ACEN-accredited …

Black Men's Perception Of Mentorship In A Black Male Initiative Program, Caprice Butts

Dissertations

Black men in higher education often navigate systemic barriers, including underrepresentation, limited access to resources, and challenges related to belonging and identity within predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Mentorship programs, such as Black Male Initiative (BMI), have emerged as a key support mechanism; however, limited research explores how Black men experience these programs and how mentorship influences their personal and professional development. This study examined how Black men perceive the influence of a BMI mentorship program on their personal and professional development during and after their postsecondary journeys.

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black men who participated …

The Intersection Of Social Desirability And Cultural Competence In Counselors: Broaching Sexual Topics With Sexually Minoritized (Lgb) Clients, Jareb Kinney

Dissertations

Mental health counselors increasingly work with sexually minoritized clients, yet limited understanding exists regarding how social desirability shapes counselors' perceived cultural competence and their willingness to broach sensitive sexual topics in therapeutic settings. This gap can obscure the subtle ways personal conditioning and professional performance pressures influence clinical practice. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore how social desirability influences mental health counselors' experiences and perceived cultural competence when discussing sex-related topics with sexually minoritized clients. Guided by symbolic interactionism, the study employed a purposive and snowball sampling strategy to recruit ten mental health counselors with direct clinical experience serving …

The Vital Role Of Communication In Elementary Education: Strategies For Bridging Language, Cultural, And Diversity Gaps To Strengthen Family-School Partnerships, Daniel H. Rack

Dissertations

This study examines how communication systems in elementary schools influence equitable family engagement within a linguistically and culturally diverse, Title I context. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how communication practices support or limit access, participation, and partnership between schools and families. The overarching research question guiding this study is: How do current communication systems support or constrain equitable family engagement? A convergent mixed-methods design was utilized to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Data sources included educator surveys, family surveys, and focus group interviews, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of communication practices from multiple stakeholder …

Cotheorizing Healing With Undergraduate Queer And Trans Latina Survivors Of Power-Based Violence, Kimberly Correa

Dissertations

Current research on healing from power-based violence highlights the importance of integrating victim-survivors’ personal culture and identities into healing approaches, yet few studies actually focus on the culturally distinct healing processes of victim-survivors (O’Brien & Macy, 2016; Sinko et al., 2023). Grounded in Jotería theory (Alvarez, 2023) and Latina/Chicana feminist frameworks (Garcia, 1989), this qualitative study employs queer pláticas as both a methodology and method to center culturally rooted dialogue, reciprocity, and cariño as a political praxis. This study explores how six queer and trans Latina undergraduate victim-survivors conceptualize healing from power-based violence and how their identities, cultural values, and …

Mental Health Literacy Among Perinatal Healthcare Professionals In The United Arab Emirates: A Multiphase Convergent Mixedmethods Study, Rouwida Khalil Elkhalil

Dissertations

Perinatal mental disorders (PNMDs) pose a significant public health concern due to their impact on maternal well-being, infant development, and family functioning. Effective identification and management of PNMDs depend largely on the mental health literacy (MHL) of healthcare professionals, particularly those working in perinatal settings. However, MHL among perinatal healthcare professionals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains underexplored. This dissertation aimed to examine and conceptualize MHL among perinatal healthcare professionals in the UAE, explore factors influencing its application in clinical practice, and inform evidence-based improvements in perinatal mental health care. A multiphase convergent mixed-methods design was employed across four …

Emotional Tides In The Sea Of Automation: The Interplay Of Emotions And Trust On Automation Reliance, Lei Shirase

Dissertations

The present study examined the interplay between emotions and trust in the context of automation reliance. The study investigated whether specific emotions (happiness, interest, anger, sadness, and fear) systematically impacted users’ trust in an x-ray screening decision aid, their reliance on the aid, as well as their resilience to any errors made by the aid. Despite successfully inducing certain emotional states, there was no significant relationship between emotions and trust in / reliance on the automated aid. Supplemental analyses revealed that stable individual difference traits (i.e. propensity to trust) to be a strong predictor of initial trust levels in the …

Feedback In Digital Game-Based Learning: A Taxonomy And The Design And Empirical Evaluation Of A Feedback System In A Mathematics Serious Game, André Almo

Dissertations

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) is an active, student-centred pedagogical approach in which feedback plays a central role by informing learners’ actions, guiding decision-making and shaping motivation and engagement. Despite its importance, feedback in serious games is often described inconsistently and insufficiently in research, limiting comparability across studies and the accumulation of design knowledge, particularly for children. This thesis addresses these gaps through two complementary contributions: the development of a taxonomy for feedback design in digital serious games and the empirical evaluation of a taxonomy-informed feedback system in a mathematics game for primary school students. First, this work introduces the Taxonomy …

Resting-State Eeg Spectral Activity In Children And Adolescents With Asd: Potential Correlations With Interoceptive Neocortical Areas, Stephanie J. Morris

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition marked by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and differences in cognitive and emotional functioning. These challenges can significantly affect daily living, relationships, and long-term independence, often requiring lifelong support. Emerging research suggests that deficits in interoceptive processing—the ability to perceive internal bodily states—may contribute to ASD symptoms and represent a potential target for intervention.

This study aims to compare resting-state EEG (QEEG) activity between children and adolescents with ASD and neurotypical (TD) peers, and to explore the relationship between interoceptive processing and ASD diagnosis. Archival QEEG data from individuals aged …

The Ballot Question: Citizen Initiatives, Institutions, And The Policy Process, Ty Rhoads

Dissertations

State-level policymaking remains undertheorized relative to its federal counterpart, particularly in states where institutionalized direct democracy creates a parallel channel for policy change outside the legislature. This dissertation develops a novel theoretical framework for the state policy process by adapting punctuated equilibrium theory to American state politics, integrating it with party cartel theory and the concept of legislative policy monopolies. The central argument is that citizen initiatives and legislative referrals are structurally distinct policy venues whose ideological profiles, policy magnitudes, and electoral dynamics are systematically shaped by the partisan context of the legislature. Using Missouri as a case study spanning …

How Principals Who Use Artificial Intelligence For Innovation Create Cognitive Equity While Principals Who Use Ai For Efficiency Create Cognitive Debt, Jethro Jones

Dissertations

This dissertation in practice examined whether a targeted professional learning   intervention could shift school leaders’ use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) from efficiency-oriented tasks toward innovation-oriented strategic problem solving. AI is typically adopted to accelerate existing routines, which can deepen “cognitive debt” by reinforcing ineffective practices rather than improving systems. This study advanced a “cognitive equity” frame, positioning AI as a tool that can expand principals’ cognitive capacity to address complex problems and lead adaptive change. Using a quasi-experimental, single-group design, the study evaluated a free, full-day AI for Innovation workshop, which emphasized foundational understanding of how AI tools work …

The Heart Of An Educator An Autoethnographic Study Of Homeschool Practices That Reflect Core Udl Principles, Kimberly Clinton

Dissertations

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework was at the heart of this study, which served as a critical lens for examining the instructional design practices embedded in the homeschool environment. Specifically, I examined how the three core tenets of UDL: representation, action and expression, and engagement were reflected within the Clinton Homeschool Instructional Learning Design (CHILD). The aim was to identify how homeschool instruction, as implemented by the researcher, parallels UDL principles in its responsiveness to learner variability, its emphasis on flexible instructional delivery, and its commitment to student-centered engagement. In contrast to the dominant educational paradigm, which often …

The Effects Of A Viniyoga-Based Practice On Mental Health Clinicians' Perceived Stress, Burnout, And Quality Of Life, Julie Pate

Dissertations

Psychotherapists often experience stress when treating distressed or emotionally troubled patients due to the emotionally taxing nature of their work, which can lead to burnout and other negative consequences (Bell et al., 2023; Maslach & Leiter, 2016; Simionato & Simpson, 2018) Therapists find it challenging to maintain regular self-care routines (Driscoll, 2023; Baker & Gabriel, 2021; Posluns & Gall, 2020). With the constant demand for counselors (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2024), there is a critical need for effective stress management strategies to mitigate burnout risks (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2022; Sibitz, Pils, …

Exploring The Process Of Professional Identity Development For Generation Z Counselors-In-Training Enrolled In Cacrep-Accredited Master's Programs In The Northeastern United States Coun, Jordan G. Shaw

Dissertations

Professional identity development is a central outcome of counselor preparation programs, yet how Counselors-in-Training (CITs) experience this process, particularly during internship, remains underexplored. This qualitative study examines the lived experience of professional identity development among Generation Z CITs enrolled in master’s programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in the Northeastern United States, with specific attention to the implications for counselor education and supervision in a shifting professional landscape.

Using an existential-phenomenological framework and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants born between 1995 and 2010 who were completing …

The Voices Of Educators And Elders: Examining A Supplemental Educational Program Through A Culturally Responsive Lens In Gullah Geechee And African American Communities, Kelly D. Shelton

Dissertations

African American students in South Carolina experience historical educational suppression (Anderson, 1988; Bowers et al., 2018; Fabel, 2019). This qualitative case study investigated how the use of African Diaspora and Gullah Geechee culture in supplemental education programs supported the academic success of youth. Using a culturally and historically responsive literacy and critical race theoretical framing (Gay, 2013; Hammond, 2015; Ladson-Billings, 2014; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1997; Mills, 1997; Muhammad, 2020), this study captured the voices and insights of community elders and program directors of The Village Group, that makes use of Gullah Geechee cultural, academic, and vocational practices to engage and …

Built On Dignity, Backed By Love: A Mixed Methods Study And Curriculum Grounded In Black Caregivers’ Racial Socialization To Cultivate Youth Agency, Heather Watson

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how low-income Black youth and their caregivers experience, interpret, and respond to racial discrimination, with a focus on the development of youths’ dignity as a culturally grounded resilience process. Using a mixed-methods, community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, the study addresses three central aims: (1) to identify the forms of discrimination youth and caregivers encounter and their relationship to racial stress and resilience; (2) to define dignity from the perspectives of youth and caregivers; and (3) to identify caregiver-youth conversations that cultivate dignity and inform the development of the Dignity Development Curriculum (DDC). Data were collected through semi-structured …

Migrant Domestic Workers As Disposable Kin In Global Capitalism's Care Economy, Miguel Ceron Becerra

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the economic, emotional, and relational harms suffered by migrant domestic workers under global capitalism. These harms are systemic, stemming from labor and migration regimes designed to sustain capital accumulation in the care economy. Affluent regions benefit from the labor of migrant domestic workers at the expense of damage to their fundamental relationships. The result is the erosion of workers' kinship ties, rendering them "disposable kin" in the eyes of those who profit economically and emotionally from their work. The study is organized into four chapters. The first explores how global care chains are structured through labor and …

Changing Lanes, Crossing Industry Lines From Higher Education To Business Leaders: A Narrative Inquiry To Understanding The Challenges Faced By Residence Life Professionals Who Had To Change Career Paths Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tatianna Geneva Ingram

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry examined how higher education residence life and housing professionals navigated career transitions into business leadership roles following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using human capital theory as a framework, the study explored the transferable skills cultivated in residence life positions and how these skills supported adaptation across industries. Participants’ narratives illuminated motivations for transition, including job market volatility, compensation concerns, and work-life balance, while also highlighting challenges encountered in reskilling and navigating identity shifts outside of higher education. The findings reveal the enduring value of competencies such as leadership, crisis management, diversity and inclusion expertise, and operational strategy in …

Alienation On Campus: Students, Agency, And A 'Praxis Of Possibility', Julia R. Allison

Dissertations

In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the idea of alienation took hold across the United States as a way of explaining feelings of disconnection, powerlessness, and meaninglessness that seemed to be pervading American society. This was no less true on college and university campuses, where students engaged in protest over both government action and inaction and a new youth counterculture took root. What led to alienation’s prominence as a social phenomenon is a matter of some debate, as are the causes of its precipitous decline in the early 70s. However, after an extended silence more recent decades have seen something …

University Resilience: Examining The Relationship Of Acute, Externally-Driven Crisis Events To University Enrollment And Financial Stability, Amy Kyhos

Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the phenomenon of a significant, acute, externally-driven crisis event on university resilience at four-year, tuition-driven, public and private higher education institutions in the United States of America. The study primarily considered the resilience indicators of university undergraduate enrollment and financial stability through the crisis context of COVID-19. It is theorized that a perceived lack of reliability, flexibility, and pace to evolve that higher education exhibited during and shortly after COVID-19 is a sustained point of vulnerability to a field under increasing review from a range of stakeholders and points of financial and public pressure. The study contemplated …