Digital Commons Network^™

Relevance And Reciprocity: Fostering Meaningful Inquiry In The Social Studies Classroom, Christy Cartner

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This dissertation investigates the factors contributing to students' perceptions of meaningful inquiry. After using the C3 Framework and designing instruction using the Inquiry Design Model for a decade, I wanted to better understand the students' experience to fine-tune how I implement inquiry in the classroom.

Article 1 was written for Social Education and describes the year of IDM blueprints that I designed to loop the concept of equality through units spanning the social studies disciplines of sociology, history, civics, geography, and economics. Through designing and facilitating these inquiries, I discovered my problem of practice, which was how to better engage …

International School Leaders’ Lived Experiences Of Crises And Perceptions Of Trust, Shary L. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

International school leaders worldwide have navigated their schools through a variety of crises. Their unique lived experiences offer insights into the role of trust in leadership, particularly during times of crisis.

This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 12 experienced international school leaders. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Using the theoretical lenses of authentic leadership, sensemaking, loose coupling, and crisis leadership, this study illuminates the central role of trust in leading schools through crises.

Three significant themes emerged from the analysis. First, trust is foundational to leadership and is built through intentional, transparent …

Leadership Vision For Technology Use Post Covid-19, David J. Lucian

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The integration of 1:1 devices in K–12 education has been widely debated for over two decades, yet few studies have addressed the rapid implementation that occurred post–COVID-19. This study examined a K–8 school in an urban Title I district that, prior to the pandemic, lacked the funding and infrastructure for a 1:1 model. Federal relief funding enabled a swift transition to virtual learning, catalyzing long-term shifts toward 21st-century instructional practices. Using a Mixed-Methods Action Research (MMAR) design, this study explored teacher experiences, challenges, and support needs during the transition. Data collection included interviews with middle school teachers and an analysis …

Increasing Daily Living Independence Using Video Modeling In Middle School Students With Intellectual Disability, Pamela J. Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This study used a multiple probe across participants design to (a) evaluate the use of a mobile device (i.e., iPad) for video modeling to increase functional daily living skills and (b) evaluate the use of system of least prompts to teach students to self-instruct. In baseline, the classroom teacher asked participants to start their tasks and collected performance data. In the technology training condition, the teacher implemented a system of least prompts procedure to teach participants to initiate use of the iPad, navigate to a training video model, pause/play videos of training tasks, and perform the modeled training tasks. After …

The Role Of Cooperative Extension In Community Development: A Study Of Success Stories And Leadership Practices, George Grant

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The Cooperative Extension System (CES) plays a vital role in community education and development across the United States. CES agents and specialists work directly with community members to identify needs, mobilize existing assets, and empower action. Despite the overlap in the fields of CES and community development, few studies have systematically analyzed the specific practices used by extension personnel who act as facilitators of change within communities. To address this gap in knowledge, a qualitative study was conducted using directed content analysis of CES success stories published through the University of Kentucky to identify practices used among two integral positions …

A Survey Study Of Professional Competencies For Resident Directors: Perspectives From Resident Directors And Supervisors, Lauren Doerner

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Resident directors (RDs) play a critical role in the success of residence life programs on college campuses. However, there is limited research on the professional competencies necessary for success in this role. This study explores the relationship between the ACPA and NASPA professional competencies RDs and their supervisors identify as most critical for RD success. In this study, RDs and their supervisors ranked key competencies, assessed RDs' mastery of these competencies, and RDs identified how they acquired them. Using a survey research design, quantitative data were collected from RDs and their supervisors at Research I institutions in the southeastern United …

The Use Of Peer-To-Peer Observation And Feedback Cycles To Address Factors Impacting Perceived Professional Self-Efficacy Of School Librarians In A Kentucky School District: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Kelli D. Reno

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Research has shown that the school librarian occupies a unique and singular role in school settings. As such, their belief in their ability to master professional competencies is often self-referential and subject to negative influence from external organizational forces. This Mixed-Methods Action Research study explored the effect targeted institutional support for professional practice, via Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback cycles, has on perceptions of professional self-efficacy among the school librarians in one district.

A literature review focused on self-efficacy theory and school library research relating to role perception, organizational positioning, professional competencies, and job satisfaction anchored the diagnosis phase of this …

A Qualitative Study: Supports Enabled By K-8 School Leaders To Bolster The Success Of Teachers In Their Mathematics Departments, Elizabeth A. Mercurio

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Despite decades of national policy efforts and reforms, mathematics achievement in public education in the United States, particularly in urban areas, remains persistently low, underscoring the critical need for effective leadership and targeted professional development to maximize student learning. There is limited research on the leadership approaches of building-level school leaders who have effectively strengthened mathematics departments and enhanced teacher capacity to improve student achievement. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with building-level school leaders who have demonstrated success in fostering highly effective mathematics instruction to examine the leadership styles of effective urban school leaders and their use of professional …

Psychological Impacts In Exercise Riders And Professional Jockeys Following Injury, Kelley M. Renner

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

One of the most well-known equestrian sports, horse racing, is not only a cornerstone of Kentucky’s economy, but also a vital part of its culture, with professional jockeys playing an essential role in the local communities and traditions that define the state. Despite its popularity and financial impact, mental health challenges within the sport have continually been shrouded in silence and ignored in research (Ball et al., 2007). Equally concerning is the high injury prevalence, and psychological impact of these injuries (e.g., psychological distress, depression, anxiety, loss of identity, and self-esteem (King et al., 2022; Losty et al., 2019; McConn-Palfreyman …

"Bridging The Gulf" Perception And Experiences Of Arab Gulf International Female Students' Engagement Process In The U.S. Higher Education Institutions., Nouf Kh Almazyan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study explores the engagement experiences of international female Arab Gulf students while studying in U.S. higher education institutions. Thus, a phenomenological approach through a qualitative research design was applied to collect data based on semi-structured interviews with eleven female participants from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman. The researcher conducted the interviews to ascertain how these students perceive and experience academic, social, and cultural engagements and the factors influencing their adjustment and integration into American university communities. During the data collection process, concrete measures were taken to establish the credibility and trustworthiness of the research findings. Data were analyzed using …

Investigating The Fits And Functionality Of The Community College Survey Of Student Engagement Using Rasch Modeling, Olukemi O. Kolawole

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Student engagement is a central variable in higher education research as it influences academic achievement, retention, and the development of problem-solving skills. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) is a vital tool for assessing student engagement in community colleges. Previous validation studies were mainly conducted in the mid-to-late 2000s and have used Classical Test Theory frameworks despite the known limitations of this approach. The present study seeks to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CCSSE survey using a Rasch Analysis framework. The two CCSSE datasets were obtained from the Center for Community College Student Engagement at The University …

Student Spouses Of Retired Military Veterans: Exploring Their Journeys To Postsecondary Degrees, Elizabeth Austin

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The purpose of this qualitative narrative study is to explore the experiences of spouses, specifically female spouses, of retired U. S. military veterans who pursued the completion of postsecondary degrees following the retirement of the military service member. The study employs narrative inquiry, guided by the Biographic Narrative Interview Method approach to interviewing. The generated data is analyzed utilizing thematic and narrative analysis methods, and a framework of two researchers’ sensitizing concepts is applied to understand and create meaning from the participants’ narratives. The participants’ narratives reveal a powerful truth about the impact of their lived experiences on their return …

From Engagement To Clarity: Understanding Career Exploration Activities And Their Influence On Career Clarity Among High School Students, Odunayo O. Omotilewa

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This study examined the associations between career exploration activities and career clarity among high school students in the U.S.A. Using data from the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, collected from a national sample of 15 to 16-year-olds across 154 schools, the researcher first identified student and school factors associated with engaging in career exploration. The study then examined the influence of these activities on career clarity. Specifically, the analysis focused on internships, job shadowing, job fairs, career counseling, completing career questionnaires, researching careers and colleges online, attending college tours, and financing information, and on the level of engagement in …

Teaching Peers To Increase Their Use Of Responsive Interaction Strategies With Children Who Use Aac, Andrea Weidman

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Students enrolled in peer mentoring programs require guidance in understanding how to effectively and appropriately communicate and support students who communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. This project evaluated the effectiveness of a peer training protocol on the count of observed responsive interaction strategies used by middle schoolers in an inclusive classroom setting. These strategies increase confidence in communication partners and aide in development of meaningful relationships between students with diverse communication needs.

Restorative Justice In Early Childhood Education: A Professional Development Model And Observational Study Of Classroom Implementation, Sarah Cummins

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This three-article dissertation explores the use of restorative justice (RJ) in educational settings, with a specific focus on early childhood programs. Restorative justice is a conflict resolution approach that prioritizes repairing harm, restoring trust, and empowering individuals to self-advocate rather than relying solely on punitive measures. While research has demonstrated the success of RJ in middle and high schools, and to some extent in elementary schools, limited attention has been given to its application in early childhood education. This dissertation examines the potential benefits of RJ in early childhood classrooms, including fostering social-emotional learning, student-led conflict resolution, and a positive …

The Journey To Becoming An Authentic Leader In A Technical Nursing Institute In Egypt Using Autoethnographic And Descriptive Phenomenological Approaches Through A Three-Article Style Dissertation., Sylvia Basta

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Authentic leaders in nursing higher education significantly influence the organizational climate, fellow faculty members, and, ultimately, students. They develop in a climate of well-being, allowing them to reflect self-awareness, have a balanced approach to processing self-relevant information, have an internalized moral perspective, and have relational transparency. Positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment are the foundations of this climate. Moreover, authentic leaders grow through their supported Psychological Capacities (PsyCap) of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Exploring the essence of developing into an authentic leader within an Egyptian nursing higher education context is addressed in this dissertation, which consists of three …

Implementation Of Project-Based Instruction In Statistics Higher Education Courses, Jennifer A. Daddysman

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Project-based instruction is an instructional methodology based in constructivism that aligns with recommendations from the American Statistical Association for teaching statistics, including incorporating real-world data and examples, collaboration, and scaffolding (GAISE College Report ASA Revision Committee, 2016; GAISE Steering Committee, 2024; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2005; Tishkovskaya & Lancaster, 2012). This study examined current use of project-based instruction in United States higher education courses in statistics and the supports for and challenges to implementing this type of instruction.

This study used qualitative research methodology in the integrative pedagogy and diffusion of innovation frameworks. Voluntary response surveys were distributed via two sections …

Growing An Inquiry Practice: A Case Study Of Teacher Change In Social Studies Classrooms, Alicia Michelle Saccomanno

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This exploratory case study examines how a group of social studies teachers refined their inquiry-based instructional practices over a school year. Research questions included: 1. How do teachers grow their use of questions, tasks, and sources? 2. What obstacles do teachers face when implementing inquiry? How do they work to overcome those obstacles? 3. How do teachers learn to trust the inquiry process, trust themselves to implement it, and trust their students to collaborate, deliberate, and produce meaningful work? This study examined teachers' design and instructional choices as well as their responses to student outcomes …

Examining How Well High School Geometry Students Learn Concepts Of Three-Dimensional Figures Using A Project-Based Instructional Strategy, Lenora A. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This paper examines how well the introduction of an integrated approach, namely, Project-based Instruction (PBI), which uses real-world contexts to investigate problems, leads to improved academic performance and student motivation in a 9^th Grade Geometry class studying three-dimensional figures and their properties. The experimental group worked through the researcher-designed unit that included mini-lessons, six benchmark lessons, and the design and creation of a final product to address the driving question of the unit. The comparison group experienced a normative teaching strategy designed by the classroom teacher. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was chosen for the proposed study to …

The Curious Case Of The Law Review Editor: A Study Of Higher Education's Peculiarly Powerful Students, David R. Wright

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Many law students in their second or third year enroll in student-led, high-impact co-curricular programs such as law journals, moot court teams, and trial competition teams. Law journals particularly demand significant portions of students’ time and energy, especially for students holding Editor-in-Chief positions on a journal. Much has been written about law journals as institutions or about their utility in modern legal education; but little is known about the actual expectations and experiences of the students leading them. Few, if any, studies exist examining the student experience in law journal leadership. How student editors spend their time running their journal …

Recipient Experiences Of Donor-Funded College Scholarships: “I Don't Know What You Want To Know About Me. I Don't Know What I Know About You.”, Teresa Waddle Gotthardt

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This qualitative study explores the experience of receiving donor-funded scholarship support facilitated through a higher education institution, especially when the recipient has interacted with the donor of the funding. This recipient-and-donor-interaction is common at American post-secondary institutions in the form of written thank you notes and attendance at donor recognition events. This research addressed the following questions: How do donor-funded scholarship recipients experience this funding? How do donor-funded scholarship recipients experience interaction with the donor of the scholarship? These questions were explored through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 23 recent alumni from five private universities and colleges who received donor-funded scholarships …

Social Control And Inclusive Freedom: An Embedded Single Case Study Of Campus Expression At A Southern Public University, Christopher J. Ciarcia

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study examines how staff at a Southern public university experienced and interpreted their participation in the institution’s Open Expression Support Team (OEST), a campus initiative designed to maintain an educational environment where students feel free to engage in freedom of speech and expression without fear of intimidation or coercion. Using an embedded single-case study design, the research draws on interviews, documents, and observations to explore the OEST’s role in supporting inclusive freedom (Ben-Porath, 2017), which emphasizes the balance of free expression and inclusion in higher education.

Findings reveal that the OEST functions as a mechanism of social control, employing …

“Always Looking Over Your Shoulder”: College Students' Experiences With Codes Of Conduct At Evangelical Colleges & Universities, Kayla B. Powell

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This qualitative research study investigated the experiences of college students enrolled at evangelical institutions that are affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and require students to follow an extensive code of conduct. These codes extend beyond academic expectations and mandate behavior in all aspects of daily life. Students who fail to comply are subject to a range of punishments as severe as expulsion. Sixteen traditional-aged undergraduate students from across the U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using thematic analysis. Students described varied personal convictions regarding the rules; some earnestly strove to obey their campus …

Investigating The Psychometric Properties Of A Set Of Local Stem Literacy Instruments In Rasch Model, Lijun Shen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study investigates the psychometric features of the See Blue STEM literacy inventories (SBSTEMs, including the elementary version SB-E and the middle school version SB-M) to determine their validity in measuring STEM literacy. Using data from elementary and middle school students participating in the See Blue STEM camp in 2019 and 2021-22, this research employed the Rasch Partial Credit Model (PCM) to analyze item-level performance and identify DIF items across various demographic subgroups (race, gender, free-lunch status, and potential first-generation status) and camp delivery modes (online versus in-person). Results indicated that both the elementary (SB-E) and middle school (SB-M) versions …

“Hard To Rememeber, Then Hard To Forget:” A Qualitative Exploration Into The Attitudes And Lived Experiences Of Black People With Black Names, Destin L. Mizelle

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Naming practices within the Black American community are vibrant and deeply rooted in cultural traditions and shared values. Much like other ethnic groups, these names tell stories, reflect heritage, and connect individuals to their community, making each choice meaningful and significant. However, due to the systemic effects of anti-Blackness, Black Americans often have a complex relationship with their names. While previous research has primarily utilized quantitative methodologies focusing on the negative associations and consequences of having a Black name, this study aims to amplify the voices of Black people who possess Black names. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this qualitative study …

From Ads To Enrollment: Understanding How Targeted Marketing Affects College Choice, John W. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the perceived impact of targeted marketing on college choice. Research on college choice is an established area of scholarship that explores the variables that are at work when a student chooses to attend a college or university. Given that the enrollment landscape for higher education continues to be competitive, colleges and universities are doing what they can to “stand out” among the competition in a crowded marketing and advertising space. And, as technology improves, segmenting and personalizing marketing to reach the right students at the right time is becoming more commonplace …

Can Whistleblowing Improve Organizational Effectiveness? Evidence From Financial Reporting Misconduct, Hong Kim Duong, Sadok El Ghoul, Omrane Guedhami, Emmanuel Sequeira, Zuobao Wei

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: While whistleblowing (WB) has attracted growing research interest in recent years, several critical WB-related issues remain underexplored. Purpose: This study examines the impact of external WB allegations on a firm’s organizational capital (OC). Such allegations often indicate management’s failure to address employee concerns internally, spotlighting potential deficiencies in internal reporting systems, employee communication, training, and trust in organizational fairness. To mitigate reputational damage, restore employee trust, and prevent future incidents, we posit that WB firms respond by increasing OC investment. Research Design: We employ a difference-in-differences approach, comparing OC changes in WB-targeted firms with those in a propensity score-matched …

From Disciplinary Enthusiasm To Soulless Tasks: Norms Behind Computing Educators' Emotion Display, Virginia Grande, Päivi Kinnunen, Matthew Barr, Anne Kathrin Peters, Mihaela Sabin, Matilde Sánchez-Peña, Ethel Tshukudu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Computing educators' emotion display is regulated by various norms and conventions. These (unwritten) rules affect which emotions educators feel comfortable expressing to different extents when students can perceive such displays. We draw on emotions and norms literature to investigate higher education computing educators' perceptions of what kinds of norms they have as criteria when considering which emotions they are (not) comfortable showing when teaching. Based on the qualitative content analysis of 22 interviews with computing educators from seven countries, we present various–sometimes connected or conflicting–norms that influence emotion display. These norms comprise moral, national, societal, professional, and affiliation norms that …

Competent Readers’ Online Multimodal Reading Strategies Use, Hyoju Ahn

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

As reading spaces evolve, it is imperative to identify and describe the strategies and skills used in constructing meaning. I examined online multimodal reading strategies, those used in constructing meaning from multimodal information sources (e.g., images, audio, written words) on the Internet. Participants read online multimodal texts from a laptop screen and provided verbal reports as they read to learn a scientific topic. Through verbal protocol analysis, I cataloged and described their multimodal reading comprehension strategies. Complementing retrospective interviews, reader-computer interaction videos, and written pre- and post-knowledge reports accounted for how they read strategically. Strategies were coded to provide insights …

Poster: Synthetic Malware Generation Using Generative Models, Tiffany Bao, Kylie Trousil, Quang Duy Tran, Fabio Di Troia, Younghee Park

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Malware poses significant challenges to cybersecurity, exacerbated by the scarcity of high-quality datasets. This paper explores the use of Diffusion and Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Networks with Gradient Penalty (WGAN-GP) to generate synthetic malware samples as opcode sequences. The synthetic data, validated through classification metrics, demonstrates improved malware detection accuracy across families, particularly in addressing zero-day attacks. Results show that Diffusion achieves up to 99.6% accuracy in multi-class classification, outperforming WGAN-GP, which reaches up to 96.1%. Incorporating synthetic samples improves detection accuracy for rare malware families by up to 100%, underscoring the potential of generative models in enhancing malware detection.