Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering State-Level Multilingual Education Leaders: Harnessing Generative Artificial Intelligence For Program Administration, Geqigula M. Dlamini

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand how generative artificial intelligence could empower program staff at the California Department of Education (CDE) who support state-level multilingual programs by providing training and opportunities to review existing practices and identify promising use cases. With limited fiscal and personnel resources, state program staff had to rethink and intentionally consider how to enhance their own capacity to keep program momentum and support practitioners in the growth area of multilingual education.

With empowerment theory as the theoretical framework, this qualitative, participatory action research study involved 11 members of the Multilingual Support Division at the CDE. These co-researchers …

Examining Challenges For Sociology Master’S Degree Students At California State University, David Ortuno

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the lived experiences of CSU sociology graduate students pursuing a master’s degree. Seven sociology graduate students from six of the eight (75%) total sociology MA programs throughout the entire CSU system were interviewed. Their responses were designed to analyze the support systems and challenges they face while pursuing a master's degree, as well as to investigate whether their experiences correlate with or fail to correlate with the promises in the CSU mission statement, and to answer the study’s research questions and achieve the purpose of this qualitative study.

Four themes emerged from …

Organizational Executives’ Perspectives On Cultural Humility And Diversity, Lynette Piggee-Pinero

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action-oriented dissertation was to understand how executives perceive their own cultural humility and how their perceptions impact diversity promotion in the workplace. This study used action research to examine the perspectives of executives on their own cultural humility and how cultural humility promotes diversity. This study included data collected from interviews with eight executives. Findings from the study revealed that executives perceived their own cultural humility as evident in a commitment to learning about others, their ability to suspend their own biases, and their commitment to ongoing learning. The findings were also that executives expressed connections …

The Teacher Shortage Crisis: How Workplace Relationships Influence Retention, Attrition, And The Education Labor Market, Jeremy Brooks

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study took a closer look at how high school teachers perceive the ongoing teacher shortage, with particular attention to how workplace conditions and the broader school climate impact whether they choose to stay in the profession. Special focus was given to teachers in their first five years, a group especially vulnerable to early attrition. As the conversation around teacher turnover grows louder, this research seeks to better understand what’s driving teachers’ decisions from their own perspectives, not just policy data or administrative assumptions.

The study used a basic qualitative research design, relying on one-on-one, in-depth interviews to gather insights …

Coaching-Based Leadership Communication In Higher Education Hybrid Work Environments, Lisa Erck

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how coaching-based leadership (CBL) communication practices were associated with participants’ perceptions of communication, collaboration, and engagement within a hybrid higher education work environment. Grounded in constructivist leadership theory (CLT), CBL, and action research (AR), the study explored how intentional shifts in leader communication behaviors influenced team interactions over time. Using a qualitative AR design, I partnered with a higher education administrative leader and their team in a hybrid setting. The participant group included the leader and their direct reports. Data were collected across iterative AR cycles through semistructured interviews, observational data, and participant reflection journals. Data analysis …

What Makes A Family: Steepparent's Experiences Supporting Children With Autism In School Systems, Veronica Barrera

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored the lived experiences of stepparents of children with autism spectrum disorder, examining how they navigate their roles within school and family systems during early elementary years (kindergarten through second grade). Despite the increasing prevalence of blended families, stepparent perspectives remain largely absent from research. Stepparents often occupy ambiguous legal and social positions that limit their access to educational information and participation in IEP meetings and school decision-making. Two stepparents of children with Level 1 autism participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis, with narrative restorying to preserve participants’ …

Alternative English Language Development Scheduling In High School: Long-Term English Learners’ Attitudes And Perceived Control, Kira Rashada

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined whether an alternative English Language Development (ELD) scheduling model influenced ninth-grade Long-Term English Learners’ (LTELs) attitudes toward school and perceived control at a California high school operating on a block schedule. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), the study explored how differing ELD scheduling models may shape students’ experiences related to autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Specifically, the study compared ninth-grade LTEL students who participated in a traditional 90-minute ELD course during the 2023-24 school year with students who participated in an alternative scheduling model during the 2024-25 school year in which designated …

Inspiring Voices: The Impact Of Poetry Education, Nancy Aide Gonzalez St.Clair

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Poetry education is frequently viewed as an enrichment activity rather than a critical practice that supports academic, emotional, and social development. This qualitative exploratory case study examined how participation in a nonprofit creative writing program in northern California influenced the cognitive development, emotional well-being, communication skills, empathy, and perspective taking of young adults. The study was guided by constructivism, radical constructivism, and symbolic interactionism. It centered on the lived experiences of six poetry program alumni aged 18 to 25. The researcher collected data through semi-structured Zoom interviews and poetry portfolios containing three poems selected by each participant. I used inductive …

Identifying Barriers To Black Student Participation In The Advanced Placement Program, Juan Ramon Jauregui Jr.

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the factors that encouraged or deterred students from enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) courses during high school. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, the research reviewed how school systems, relationships with peers and adults, and individual student factors influenced the participants in this study. The researcher utilized semistructured interviews with seven Black students who were currently enrolled in college and had recently graduated high school, and identified the factors that influenced their decision-making process in enrolling in AP courses. Using a thematic analysis approach, data was organized, coded, and then the researcher identified multiple themes emerging from …

Staphylococcus Aureus Strain Heterogeneity Modulates Virulence Traits Associated To Dual-Species Biofilms With Candida Albicans, Laure Nicolas Annick Ries, Beata Adrienn Brezniczky, Binduja Srelatha Pradeep, Esther Olabamiji, Lee Hutt, Glenn M. Harper, Alexander Strachan, Gyorgy Fejer

School of Biomedical Sciences

Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal Gram-positive bacterium and opportunistic pathogen that exhibits substantial variation in antimicrobial resistance and virulence traits. S. aureus is frequently co-isolated with the fungus Candida albicans, and together they represent the most common microorganisms recovered from biofilm-associated infections originating from both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Despite this clinical relevance, the impact of bacterial intra-species variation on interkingdom interactions remains poorly understood. This study therefore investigated how S. aureus strain heterogeneity influences C. albicans within dual-species biofilms. The majority of the 60 S. aureus strains tested suppressed fungal growth in a contact-dependent manner across different nutrient conditions …

Does In-Bed Cycling Delivered Within 48 Hours Of Mechanical Ventilation, Reduce The Occurrence Of Delirium In Critically Ill Patients: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Protocol, Jacqueline Bennion, Mark Hudson, Mary Hickson, Victoria Allgar, Bridie Kent, David Mcwilliams, Daniel Martin

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Delirium is a severe neuropsychiatric clinical state presenting as an acute onset of cognitive deficits. Patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), have the highest incidence (50%–80%) of delirium amongst patients admitted to intensive care units. Preliminary data indicates that early mobilisation is associated with reduced delirium in critically ill patients. However, definitive evidence is lacking. Current practice varies due to many barriers to patients, who require IMV, receiving early mobilisation interventions. In-bed cycling may address some of these barriers. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of early in-bed cycling to reduce delirium in critically ill patients. …

Effect Of Density Irregularities On Radio Frequency Wave Propagation In Ionospheric Plasmas, Eun-Hwa Kim, Jay Johnson, Syun'ichi Shiraiwa, Nicola Bertelli, Masayuki Ono, Simon Wing

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.