Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of A Teacher Education Program On Preparing Future Teachers To Meet The Needs Of Diverse Learners, Kellie Riggs

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how future teachers can be better prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners. This study applied the theoretical framework of andragogy to the diversity strategies used in a teacher education program at a university in southeast Missouri. This qualitative case study included two research questions 1) How can andragogy be applied in a teacher education program to promote a better understanding of the needs of diverse learners for future teachers? 2) What diversity strategies can be used in a teacher education program to enable future teachers to better meet …

Gender Undone: Confronting Bias In The Nuclear Field, Sneha Nair, Christina Mcallister, Annina Pluff, Katherine C. Mack

International Journal of Nuclear Security

In the face of evolving security needs, diversity is critical in nonproliferation, nuclear security, and other related fields. Despite multiple studies highlighting the need for gender balance and diversity in the nuclear nonproliferation and security space and targeted recruitment and capacity-building efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency and states, gains in the representation of women (as well as historically underrepresented groups) have been set back by the gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and slow cultural change at nuclear facilities and organizations. This issue is in large part due to the inability of initiatives aimed at diversity, equity, inclusion, …

The Language Of Nuclear Security: New Case Studies Exploring Online Open-Source Information From Turkey, India, And Jordan, Zenobia S. Homan, Shraddha Rane, Yara Shaban, Fadime Ö. Özkan, Eunha Yun

International Journal of Nuclear Security

This paper presents a novel internet search methodology and new data on the language of nuclear security. Through three case studies (Turkey, India, and Jordan), it describes what openly accessible information exists about nuclear security in a given national context, where more information is needed, and why. In doing so, the paper highlights the importance of documenting the social and geopolitical context of key nuclear concepts. It also examines the role of language and publicly available information on nuclear security and safety to facilitate the articulation and adoption of international best practices.

The case studies demonstrate how someone may acquire …

Diversity Among Educators In Minnesota, Gabrielle Wiest

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Diversity Among Educators in Minnesota Wiest, G. (2023) Diversity Among Educators in Minnesota The research question addressed in this capstone project is: ‘How can Minnesota cultivate a more racially diverse teaching workforce that represents our BIPOC students?’In this capstone, research is discovered about the lack of diversity among educators in America’s teaching staff. The foundational research for this project explores current efforts that have been implemented to create more diverse teaching staffs as well as the impact diverse teachers have on students. The topics of focus are: representation in schools, student perception, and past and present. The website designed for …

Creating Diverse And Engaging World Language Communities With(Out) Textbooks, Lucian Rothe, Jordan Gabbard

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Textbooks have been a staple in many world language (WL) programs for decades. But how do current higher education efforts to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning spaces affect the use of commercial textbooks in WL classes? This report presents how a small German program at a large metropolitan university in the Southern United States redeveloped its program goals and materials to create engaging communities, address matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and adjust program practices based on constant evaluation. In doing so, it reflects on how textbooks have (not) been able to contribute to these objectives. Implications speak …

Elementary Music Teacher Preparation Gaps In Cultural Diversity: Exceptional Populations, Joshua Learn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the extensive coursework and training in teacher preparation programs focusing on diverse populations, many teachers feel underprepared to meet the needs of emerging subcultures in the elementary music classroom. Over the years, the term diversity has grown beyond ethnicity and requires continued study and attention. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of elementary music educators about diverse populations of exceptional students with Other Health Impairments (OHI), defined as asthma, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette syndrome, in their classrooms. The results of this study identify the existing …

A Case Study Of Diverse Faculty Recruitment In A Graduate Higher Education Institution, Miguel Valenzuela

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe higher education faculty’s experience with recruitment and retention through the university hiring process and to discover the equity standards of the phenomenon for higher education institutions. The importance of recruitment and retention of diverse faculty within higher education institutions is imperative for the health of the institution and will assist in furthering diversity initiatives for faculty recruitment that will enable better student experiences. The theory guiding this study was critical race theory (CRT) that was initially intended to be used in the legal field. However, CRT has been used in …

A Look At Diversity Through The Lens Of Universal Design For Learning And Differentiated Instruction To Better Educate Learners, Mokysha Benford

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

In addition to the COrona VIrus Disease (COVID) gap, the teacher shortage, and increasing accountability, schools and classrooms continue to grow more and more diverse. This diversity presents its own set of challenges as teachers are expected to meet the needs of all learners. In addition to linguistic, religious, gender, sexual preference, race, socioeconomic status, and family structure diversity, students bring their varied culture and prior experiences to the classroom, and this impacts learning. This article presents a critical review of literature that examines Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction to address the instructional challenges diversity can create. It …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

Critical Engagements With Award Winning Picturebooks: My Journey In Creating A More Equitable Classroom Library, Carrie Elizabeth Crowe

Theses and Dissertations

Research consistently shows that students from historically marginalized populations have difficulty accessing texts that represent the realities of their lives. Concerned that such might be the case for my students, I conducted an inventory of my classroom library and sought out award-winning texts that could make my library more diverse and inclusive. I then analyzed these award-winning texts using Bishop's (1992) categories of multicultural literature in order to better understand the picturebooks' underlying messages and ideologies. My examinations showed that the majority of the texts fit into the same category (culturally specific), though I was able to identify award-winning texts …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

The Frontier For Human Experience Is Closer Than We Think, Jason A. Wolf

Patient Experience Journal

When we think of frontiers, we think of boundaries between the known and unknown, the edge we see in the distance, something that is always just over the horizon. Yet when we step into what was once the frontier, the horizon moves on us, with new distances to cross, edges to reach. It is this dynamic of frontiers, wrapped in our individual and shared experiences of the last few years that shape this very special issue. It is also why now more than ever frontiers are an important part of our transformation. Frontiers that push us beyond where we can …

Reflecting On The Diversity, Equity, And Social Justice In Education (Desje) Program, Alyssa Nichole Huizar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in Education (DESJE) program is one where as an educator, I was able to expand my knowledge on theories and practices which encourage the application of equitable and culturally responsive perspectives within the classroom and the curriculum being taught to students. The DESJE program enabled me to have the relevant knowledge necessary to formulate and enact actionable strategies within my own practice which authentically support my students of diverse backgrounds and encourage them to see themselves in the material that they are learning. I have long been an advocate for social justice issues, particularly …

Reflecting On The Diversity, Equity, And Social Justice In Education (Desje) Program, Alyssa Nichole Huizar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in Education (DESJE) program is one where as an educator, I was able to expand my knowledge on theories and practices which encourage the application of equitable and culturally responsive perspectives within the classroom and the curriculum being taught to students. The DESJE program enabled me to have the relevant knowledge necessary to formulate and enact actionable strategies within my own practice which authentically support my students of diverse backgrounds and encourage them to see themselves in the material that they are learning. I have long been an advocate for social justice issues, particularly …

J.R.R. Tolkien, Culture Warrior: The Alt-Right's Crusade Against The Tolkien Society's 2021 Summer Seminar On "Tolkien And Diversity", Robin A. Reid Dr.

Journal of Tolkien Research

In Verlyn Flieger's GOH speech at MythCon, "The Arch and the Keystone" (2019), she argues that the contradictions in Tolkien's own writing (fiction, non-fiction, and letters) is a primary cause of the "increasing fragmentation and polarization [among readers and scholars]," concluding that "[e]verybody has their own private Tolkien, more Tolkiens than you can shake a stick at" (9). In this presentation, I trace some attributes of the alt-right's "private Tolkien" which they have made public in forty plus online articles, some receiving a hundred or more public comments, during 2021-22. The articles (in periodicals and personal blogs) attacked, variously:

The …

Teaching Mathematics To All Learners By Tapping Into Indigenous Legends: A Pathway Towards Inclusive Education, Nahid Golafshani

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored the use of Indigenous storytelling in the planning and teaching of mathematical content. In collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, a culturally inclusive mathematical lesson was developed, implemented, and reviewed in an elementary school in Northern Ontario. This study used a culturally authentic approach to address the current educational issue of diversity within the Ontario curriculum and education system. The results of this study suggested that utilizing Indigenous storytelling for teaching mathematical curricular expectations could benefit both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Storytelling can allow students to relate abstract mathematical concepts to their own lived experiences, to be …

Chinese Canadian Librarians: Leadership Roles And Career Barriers, Yanli Li

Library Publications

Based on the data from the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network (ViMLoC) 2021 Survey, this research examined the leadership roles held by Chinese Canadian librarians and their perceptions of inclusivity of work climate, job satisfaction, and race as a career barrier. Their encounters with racial microaggressions and mentorship experience were also explored. Of the 38 respondents, 79% (n=30) were in non-management positions. 82% (n=31) felt very satisfied or satisfied with their jobs; however, their work climate was not found to be inclusive to all respondents. 87% (n=33) indicated that race was a barrier to their career. Fisher’s exact tests …

Microaggressions That Students From Underrepresented Groups Experience In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Samantha Berryhill

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored microaggressions that underrepresented students in Communication Sciences and Disorders experience. Phase I included a survey that was sent out to 276 undergraduate and graduate students at one university with 14 questions. Students were asked to identify with demographic variables, rate their sense of belonging, and discuss microaggressions they had experienced. Phase II comprised of individual interviews with six participants that further explored their experience as an underrepresented student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Interviews were transcribed and coded using a content analysis. Across the two phases, quantitative, mixed-method, and content analyses were completed. Interviews were transcribed and …

Minoritized Graduate Students’ Recommendations To Communication Sciences And Disorders Programs To Improve Inclusion Of Minoritized Students, Teresa M. Roberts

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Minoritized students in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs have unique insights into inclusion and diversity initiatives based on their lived experiences. In this study, the researcher examined and analyzed recommendations that minorized CSD graduate students provided to programs to increase inclusion. The researcher identified themes within the recommendations using discourse analysis to analyze how students positioned themselves and faculty in relationship to diversity and inclusion. A total of 104 minoritized CSD graduate students across 28 states completed a survey that included demographic information and a writing prompt for recommendations to programs. The study found that students valued broad and …

Stories That Matter: An Analysis Of Teacher Candidates’ Compositions About Social Justice Events In Their Lives, Kathleen A. Gormley, Peter Mcdermott

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study generated from our interest in learning about social justice events in the lives of teacher candidates in our programs of study. In many schools of education, including our own, social justice is a concept that is integrated into the curriculums, yet there is wide variation as to how this is actually done. A unique aspect of this study was that more than half of the candidates were matriculated in an alternate teacher education program where the majority of candidates are people of color. Using narrative analysis, we examine 48 written narratives composed by teacher candidates about events …

World Language And Culture Intensive Summer Camp: Window To The World With Access The World, Dilnoza F. Khasilova Dr.

The Montana English Journal

The purpose of the article is to introduce readers to the summer World Language and Culture camp. The author of the article describes two-weeks camp activities that participants took part, and she concludes with participants’ feedback and resources used to create the World Language and Culture Program’s summer camp.

Off The Books: Making A Space For Bipoc Representation In Young Adult Publishing, Elisha Fernandez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The publishing industry in the United States has long been dominated by white voices, resulting in a significant lack of representation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the form of both authors and characters. This project aims to survey young adult BIPOC readers to explore their experiences with representation in the young adult (YA) genre and assess the impact of representation on their consumption of literature. Through assessing quantitative and qualitative answers to an online survey, the results reveal correlations between representation, enjoyment of literature, and the frequency of YA literature consumption among different BIPOC groups. These …

Bringing Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion To The Student Research Journal, Amber Passey

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Diversity In Nurse Anesthesia Education: Understanding The Perspective Of Racial-Ethnic Minority Nurse Anesthesia Students, Lorette Osun, Jeannette Ineza

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The idea that race is not an issue, everyone is treated fairly, and the denial of racial differences is an act to refute that racism still perpetuates nursing education. Racial-ethnic minority student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNA) face unique challenges in their didactic and clinical training, including microaggressions, discrimination, and bias, all of which white students do not have to face during their educational experiences (Carter & McMillian-Bohler, 2020). Our project sought to highlight the lived experiences of ethnic minority student registered nurse anesthetists in the United States to bring awareness and effectuate change in nurse anesthesia education. Our Qualtrics survey …

The Relationship Between Instructed Non-Immersion Additional Language (Lx) Learning And Student Outcomes Of Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (Dei)-Focused Education For U.S. High School Students, Congmin Zhao

Educational Studies Dissertations

Research has found that teaching about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can raise U.S. high school students’ awareness about DEI-related topics and develop their critical thinking skills to analyze DEI-related issues. But the achievements of DEI-focused education are limited. Thus, DEI-focused education needs complementary efforts to enhance student outcomes. Research has also found that learning an additional language (LX) may heighten students’ interest in learning about other cultural communities, nurture students’ cross-cultural empathy, and elicit culturally responsive behaviors. The juxtaposition of these findings signifies the potential for LX learning to complement DEI-focused education to improve learning outcomes. However, the value …

Perceptions And Impacts Of Unpaid Internships Within Expressive Therapies Education: A Literature Review, Sophie Mcconkie

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Internships are an essential part of expressive therapies education as they prepare students with the necessary skills for clinical work. In the current model, it has been normalized for internships to be unpaid despite a lack of documented rationale behind this practice. This review uses the available literature on internships to question and critically analyze unpaid internships in expressive therapies education. In recent years, increased criticism has been expressed about the practice of unpaid internships across many industries. Research has shown that students with more connection to social, cultural, and financial capital are favored for internships, creating inequitable access. Those …

Homogeneous Or Diverse: Examining The Inclusiveness Of Behavior-Analytic Services For The Black Population, April Jefferson

Capstone Projects

Black and African Americans are the second largest minority group in the United States. Studies show that the prevalence of autism in children are similar by race and ethnicity, making Black and African Americans the second largest minority group with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. For behavior analyst servicing this population, there is an obligation to address the needs of these individuals and acknowledge their backgrounds and diversities. This study highlights areas that affect the quality of services provided to the Black and African American community and evaluate the inclusiveness of these areas.

Analyzing Sport And Gender Issues: Reflective Thoughts Of A Cisgender, Heterosexual, White Male Student Majoring In Sports Management, Brendan W. Carter

Kinesiology and Public Health

The student author performed a follow-up analysis of an end-of-term reflection essay, in a course that discussed sport and gender, specifically on how sport relates to gender equity and inclusivity issues on micro and macro levels (2022 Fall Quarter, KINE 323: Sport & Gender, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo). The present submission is a subsequently revised, and improved-upon, write-up of the student author’s KINE 323 term paper (reflection essay), which was revised post-course during the 2023 Winter & Spring Quarters. Through this submission, the student reflects on what he has learned about the following topics covered in the course on …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Efforts Among Healthcare Providers And Systems In The United States, Peyton Jobe

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare patient experiences measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey to healthcare provider’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a patient survey given upon patient discharge. The results cumulate to score hospitals on patient experiences. In the sample, there were 392 hospital websites that were evaluated for the existence of policies, procedures, or statements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts or stances. Of those, 121 of the hospitals received the lowest possible rating for patient experience …

Navigating Complexity In Software Engineering: A Prototype For Comparing Gpt-N Solutions, Christoph Treude

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Navigating the diverse solution spaces of non-trivial software engineering tasks requires a combination of technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and creativity. With multiple possible solutions available, each with its own set of trade-offs, it is essential for programmers to evaluate the various options and select the one that best suits the specific requirements and constraints of a project. Whether it is choosing from a range of libraries, weighing the pros and cons of different architecture and design solutions, or finding unique ways to fulfill user requirements, the ability to think creatively is crucial for making informed decisions that will result in …