Digital Commons Network^™

Supporting Students In Transition To And From High School, David Naff, Jamelle Simmons, Meleah Ellison, Shelby Garofalo, Laura Thoene, Kim Dupre, Sooyeon Moon, Karli Johanson, Paul Harris, Martin Darby, William L. Parker, Tracy Booker, Janel Miley, Mysia Perry, Xun Liu, Maggie Szydlowski, Ahmed Abbas

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of high school school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from high school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions …

Role And Evolution Of Islamic Education In Kazakhstan, Yeleukhan Kaliyeva, Albina Duissenbayeva, Aııtmamat Karıev, Bekzhan A. Azhimov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper examines the evolution of religious education and the professional development of clergy in Kazakhstan, with particular emphasis on the establishment of institutions aimed at enhancing the competencies of imams and religious educators. It traces the evolution of the Islamic educational system throughout various historical periods until the present day. Particular focus is given to blending Islamic teachings with contemporary educational structures. The researchers heuristically analyzed the current state of the field, identified the main problems, and suggested prospects for Islamic education for further development. The research utilizes the historical method, which uses primary and secondary data sources. This …

The Teaching Principles Influenced By Taoist Thought, Cerina Wang

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation explores the integration of Taoist thought into teaching principles to enhance student well-being in the classroom. The study is driven by two primary research questions: What are my teaching principles? and How have Taoist thoughts influenced these principles? Grounded in the Tao Te Ching, this research examines how Taoist philosophy can inform and shape effective educational practices that prioritize emotional balance, self-awareness, and natural growth. The literature review connects Taoist thought with modern educational theories, highlighting its relevance to fostering resilience, intrinsic motivation, and holistic development in students. Using an autoethnographic research methodology, this study draws upon personal …

Growing The Abriendo Oportunidades® Ecosystem: Sowing Seeds Of Change Within Government Systems, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

Population Council-Guatemala (PC-Guatemala) is supporting and shaping a movement led by young Indigenous leaders to expand inclusive education and civic participation opportunities. Through mechanisms such as professional internships, school re-integration programs, and other government collaborations, young Indigenous women are building the knowledge, skills, and relationships to lead community development efforts and inform inclusive national policies. This brief is part of the Abriendo Oportunidades^® Legacy Series, celebrating and highlighting 20 years of impactful program implementation.

The Social Life Of The Abriendo Oportunidades® Program In Guatemala: Three Decades Of Enabling Community And Civic Spaces For Indigenous Girls And Women, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

Since 2004, Abriendo Oportunidades^® (Opening Opportunities, AO) has emerged as a gender transformative social program to support Indigenous girls and young women in Guatemala’s post-war context. Following an evidence-based, community-anchored approach, AO began as a program and has evolved into a social movement. AO has continuously demonstrated its impact in reducing girls’ exposure to gender-based violence and pioneered alternative education through utilizing mentors as tutors. Over time, AO has successfully reached more than 25,000 Indigenous girls and adolescents across 500+ rural Guatemala communities and built a pathway of professional opportunities for the young women who lead the program. AO …

Full Issue: Access To Education, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Exploring Teacher Strategies Regarding Multilingualism On Popular Social Media Platforms Such As Tiktok And Instagram, Victoria Raposo

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As a teacher, the scale of knowledge acquisition is endless. In an ever-changing world, social media becomes more prevalent every day. Not only does it become more popular and common with children and adults in their everyday lives, but there is even a social media uprising in the learning environment. English language learners benefit from social media use in learning in many ways, many of which will be discussed in this project. Teachers can also use social media for tips on teacher strategies, especially with ELs in their classrooms. This project will address the question of how social media can …

Teaching Dena'ina Language Through Dena'ina Culturally Based Reading Practices, Joel Isaak Yes

Indigenous Studies

The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the community. As Dena'ina tribes work towards bringing back the Dena'ina language, the community grapples with the role of reading and writing, both potentially harmful and aiding community language work. A Classroom-Based Action Research qualitative study was conducted to determine if reading instruction in the Dena'ina language …

Implication Of Generative Ai On Education And Research, Riddhi Gupta

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Promoting Advance Care Planning In Primary Care: A Pilot Study On The Impact Of Clinician Education And Workflow Development, Lisa Nicole Turcotte

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although evidence supports the efficacy of advance care planning (ACP) in improving quality of care and the overall well-being of patients and families, there are many barriers to engagement in this process. Fortunately, clinician and patient education and workflow development in primary care settings have shown promise in their ability to overcome these obstacles to improve awareness of and engagement with the ACP process as part of preventative care. The purpose of this project was to apply current research on this topic to improve patient engagement with ACP in the primary care setting using the Iowa Model of evidence-based practice. …

From Preparation To Practice: How Principals Engage Families In Diverse School Settings, Morgan Garner

Ed.D. Dissertations

Rural, urban, and suburban school principals faced distinct challenges in engaging families and fostering positive school climates. Recognizing the need for tailored leadership strategies, it was essential for principal preparation programs to provide context-specific training. The purpose of basic interpretive qualitative study was to explore the relationship between principals’ approaches to school management in rural, urban, and suburban schools and how their preparation programs facilitated the development of these approaches. Forty-six principals participated in the study, and I collected data through a questionnaire based on a parental involvement framework. The analysis revealed key differences in strategies; rural principals emphasized community …

The Impacts Of Using Geogebra On Students’ Perceptions And Achievement In Learning Trigonometric Ratios, Robert Carlos Trejo

Theses and Dissertations

GeoGebra, a dynamic mathematics software, was used to study high school students’ perceptions and achievements in learning trigonometric ratios. The study addresses a critical gap in the literature concerning the use of GeoGebra for understanding trigonometric concepts, particularly in fostering conceptual clarity and problem-solving skills. Rooted in a constructivist pedagogical framework, the research examines how GeoGebra facilitates interactive and exploratory learning environments that encourage active student engagement and deeper comprehension of trigonometric ratio principles.

The study employed a quantitative approach to evaluate the efficacy of GeoGebra. Quantitative data focused on student achievement in solving trigonometric ratio problems through pre- and …

Communicating Development For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Ruby Mandujano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) often face significant communication barriers that hinder their ability to express needs, access essential services, and engage fully in social, vocational, and healthcare settings. This paper explores how American Sign Language (ASL) can effectively reduce these communication barriers and promote self-advocacy among adults with developmental disabilities. The Gateway Center of Monterey County, an agency serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities aged 18 and over, provides a model of communication support by incorporating ASL into its programs. Although Gateway serves only a tiny percentage of the larger population of adults with intellectual and …

Benefits Of Teaching Pre-Literacy In Waldorf Education In Early Childhood, April Guerrero

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of teaching pre-literacy in Waldorf education in early childhood. In Waldorf Education, literacy development incorporates differentiated instructions that fosters cognitive and social emotional learning of their students. Through the use of literature review and several teachers in various grades of Waldorf schools, the result findings revealed that pedagogical practices around literacy instructions promote critical thinking skills, nurtures children’s creative expression, and imagination. Literacy curriculum in Waldorf schools allows students to create tangible evidence of self-expressions and communication skills. Given its emphasis on holistic curriculum, it allows teachers to engage with their diverse …

Saan A Maymaysat' Aldaw: Education In Democracy, Social Justice, And Inclusion In Ilokano Life, Aurelio S. Agcaoili

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture

The essay argues that there has been a cognitive dissonance between the country’s formal education system (adal) and the Ilokano people’s vocation to knowledge (sursuro). Unless this dissonance is addressed, fundamental problems relative to education in democracy, social justice, and inclusion will never be solved. The Ilokano people’s sense of education—sursuro—shows us the way to correct that dissonance.

(Re)Learning About Learning: Using Cases From Popular Media To Extend And Complicate Our Understandings Of What It Means To Learn And Teach, Kelli Bippert, Dennis Davis, Margaret Rose Hilburn, Jennifer D. Hooper, Deepti Kharod, Cinthia Rodriguez, Rebecca Stortz

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This article utilizes sociocultural and socio-constructivist learning theories to analyze incidents of learning, and by extension teaching, in six different popular media selections. The authors describe their shared theoretical framework and the nature of the original analyses, which were completed as part of a doctoral course assignment. Each of the six excerpts is then described and discussed employing unique theoretical perspectives. The use of popular culture as the context for examining learning and teaching provides a space untethered from traditional notions of schooling through which typically accepted assumptions about pedagogy are revealed, re-examined, and reframed.

Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Use Of Digital Skills On The Substantial Increase In Learning Through The Neutrosophic Pest-Swot Approach, Luis Fernando Blanco Ayala, Ricardo Edilberto Palacios Pérez, Jean Pierre Wong Silva, Bertha Silva Narvaste, Josué Joel Ríos Herrera, Viviana Pastora Panchi Mayo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The research focuses on measuring the influence of the use of digital skills on learning, a major issue in current education. The fundamental issue addressed is how digital skills can greatly influence the educational process and the academic success of learners. In the contemporary environment, characterized by rapid technological growth and the increasing integration of digital instruments into the educational sphere, this challenge becomes especially essential. Despite the extensive use of digital technologies, there is a dearth of a comprehensive exam-ination of how these skills influence learning from a multidimensional point of view that incorporates both in-trinsic possibilities and risks. …

From Conflict To Classroom: The Impact Of The Anglophone Crisis On Displaced Students' Education In Yaoundé, Sitota Therese Blomquist

Cameroon: Development and Social Change

The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon has caused significant disruption to the education of students from the Northwest and Southwest regions, leading to displacement and resettlement in Francophone areas such as Yaoundé. This study explores the educational experiences of displaced Anglophone students aged 18+ in secondary education in Yaoundé, focusing on the challenges they face in adapting to a Francophone education system, their coping mechanisms, and the support they receive from schools, local organizations, and the government. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research conducts in-depth interviews with displaced students and key stakeholders, revealing that language barriers, cultural differences, and financial constraints …

“It’S Not A One-Person Show” E-Learning Course In Neuropalliative Care: A Qualitative Analysis Of Participants’ Educational Gains And Self-Reported Outcomes, Sarah K. Bublitz, Mara Lugassy, Roop Gursahani, Winnie Lau

Open Access archive

Objectives. Patients with progressive neurologic illness still lack access to quality palliative care services. Barriers to the comprehensive provision of neuropalliative care include gaps in palliative care education. To address this barrier, a novel international model of neuropalliative care education e-learning program was launched in 2022. Methods. This is a qualitative study on the self-reported learning outcomes and educational gains of participants of a neuropalliative care e-learning course. Results. Thematic analysis shows changes in the participants’ perceptions of neuropalliative care and several specific educational gains. After attending the course, participants recognized neuropalliative care as a multiprofessional and interdisciplinary effort requiring …

Gender Portrayal In A Nursing Textbook In Oman: Striving For Equality, Adnan Mohammed Bataineh, Ebrahim Douzandeh, Kashif Ali Sabiri

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper aims to analyze gender representation in English for Nursing 1: Vocational English Course Book (Ros et al., 2012) used to teach English for Specific Purposes courses to nursing students at the University of Buraimi in Oman. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were used to investigate the following categories: images, occupational roles, names, pronouns, and gender firstness. Study findings show that women, in general, are more visible than men in the following categories: images, gender firstness, terms of address, and names. Pronouns are the only category in which men outnumbered women. Although traditional gender norms in the workplace are …

Cultural Influence On Recruiting Middle School Children To The Jordanian Nai Choir, Diana Samir Talhami

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social practices influenced the recruitment of middle school children to the Nai choir despite the rich Jordanian culture. This research addressed beliefs, cultural dynamics, social values, and strategies to identify a critical gap in the literature regarding the recruitment of middle school students to the Nai choir. To understand students’ enrollment challenges, the researcher examined community perspectives related to the Jordanian culture, socioeconomic status, communication between students and community, beliefs, and values. Furthermore, exploring the age perspectives of middle school students was essential. The culture of these students also influenced their decision and motivation to join the choir. This study …

The State Of Elementary School Recess In Georgia: Policy, The Pandemic, And Patterns Of Play, Karyn A. Alee, Erica Decuir, Dawn M. Robinson

Education Faculty Publications

While we continue to see a growing push for the restoration and codification of recess in elementary schools, policy does not necessarily equal practice. Georgia recently passed legislation requiring at least 20 minutes of recess per day for students in PK-5. The purpose of this research study was to survey elementary school educators to reveal the temporal (i.e., duration, frequency, and cancellation practices) and descriptive (i.e., type, equipment, place) characteristics of recess in Georgia’s public elementary schools. The results of this study, which can be summed up statistically and descriptively as less recess overall, and less free play specifically, as …

How Latinx Students Experience A High School English Class In A Monolingual School District, Elisa Malinovitz

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to address the needs of the fastest growing population at my school, I asked Latinx students to share their experiences of being in a monolingual English 2 classroom. Students also shared opinions about friendships, Latinx culture in school, and alternative methods of educating non-English speakers.

Through action research we can assess the exigencies of Latinx learners. Further study is needed to determine evolving needs and best practices for increasing the academic achievement for this population. Some possible solutions to Latinx students falling behind their hegemonic peers include incorporating Latinx culture in curriculum and school culture, as well …

Lsp Needs Analysis In The Context Of International Minor League Baseball, Julia Moore

University Honors Theses

Examining the language and cultural needs of international minor league baseball players through the lens of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) this study utilizes applied linguistics and sports sociology and aims to inform player development strategies to enhance on- and off-field communication. Survey data was gathered on language use preferences, focusing on players' attitudes and behaviors in professional settings. Ethical considerations included surveys in English and Spanish and voluntary participation, with data collected at the Oakland Athletics Complex in Mesa, Arizona, from 18 out of 20 players.

Findings reveal that players recognize the importance of English proficiency for effective gameplay …

Hip Hop Performing Arts Charter Schools: The Future Of Arts Education In Predominantly Non-White, Low Income, Underserved Rural Areas Of Louisiana, Anthony P. Shelton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some still view arts education as a non-essential extracurricular activity despite its benefits. Even though the Every Student Succeeds Act acknowledges arts education is a healthy and well-rounded subject, local, district, and state administrators still control budget allocation and cuts, which generally affect arts education. There has also been a decline or lack of interest in traditional learning methods in the arts and core subjects. Alternative student learning forms have shown benefits in suburban, urban, and inner-city schools. Still, there is little information about these methods in predominantly non-white rural schools. Research using qualitative methods examines the potential effectiveness of …

The Embedded Scaffolded Writing Mini-Course (Teswmc): An Approach To Improve Teacher Candidates’ Writing Skills And Attitudes, Vicky Giouroukakis Ph.D., Laurie Bocca

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

High-quality academic writing is critical to student success in graduate-level education courses and professional advancement in our field. The Embedded Scaffolded Writing Mini-Course (TESWMC) was designed to both improve teacher candidates’ skills in writing critically and effectively and to positively influence teacher candidates’ attitudes towards writing. The 7-week mini-course was taught by the teacher educator/researcher as a “push-in” into a semester-long graduate Education course. The mini-course also served as a pilot study to determine its efficacy. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. Data revealed that teacher candidates reported that their writing skills and attitudes towards writing improved. …

Investing In Education And Scientific Research For Growth Of Iraq: Exploring The Main Dimensions, Success Factors, And Government Policies, Hayder Abdulrazaq Abdulkarem, Adnan Mohammed Hasan

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The research aims to explore the dynamics of investment in education and scientific research and their influence on Iraq's economic growth. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study focuses on various dimensions of education and research investment, including quality education, vocational training, funding, infrastructure, collaboration, and government policies. The data was collected through a comprehensive survey, designed based on international standards and tailored to the specific context of Iraq. The survey garnered 191 valid responses from a diverse range of stakeholders in Iraq's education and research sectors, including educators, policymakers, academic researchers, and institutional representatives. The statistical analysis was carried out …

School Teacher's Perceptions Of Twins: A Study On The Educational Experience Of Teaching Identical And Fraternal Twins, Robyn M. Lindley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored teachers' perceptions of twins' academic abilities and achievements compared to single-born students. It aimed to understand teachers' attitudes towards classroom dynamics and social interactions among twins and their peers, as well as how teachers differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of twins in the classroom. By employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research gathered comprehensive data through surveys/questionnaires and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 elementary school teachers with experience teaching identical and fraternal twins in primary and secondary schools in Texas and Virginia. The study identified several key themes through thematic analysis: the importance of individualized …

A Practice-Oriented Teaching Strategy Involving Bouldering Improves Students’ Academic Understanding Of Mechanics, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Philip X. Fuchs, Jia Yi Chow, Chen-Fu Huang

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Practical experience is recommended in teaching to overcome students’ difficulties in learning and applying theoretical concepts such as Newtonian mechanics. The purpose of this study was to test whether incorporating bouldering in a biomechanics course improves students' academic understanding of mechanics. Twenty-one students participated in 10 weeks of traditional lecturing and a subsequent 4-week bouldering intervention. Using different versions of a validated biomechanics test, exam scores were higher after bouldering (73±15%) than before (53±21%) (Z=-3.783, p

Norich, Anita, Sophia Maier Garcia

Bronx Jewish History Project

Summarizer: Sophia Maier

Anita Norich was born to two Holocaust survivor parents in a Displaced Persons camp called Föhrenwald in Germany. Despite difficulties acquiring visas because of her father’s left-wing political views, the family moved to the United States in March of 1957, settling on Hunts Point Avenue in the South Bronx. In Hunts Point, Norich attended PS 48, played outside and in a nearby park, and began her love for reading at the library. Starting kindergarten, she didn’t speak Englsih, and Norich describes the total immersion environment she was placed into. She felt it was cruel the teacher would …