Digital Commons Network^™

Three Essays On Food Insecurity In Nigeria, Pimam Manzi Pidalatan

Dissertations

Households experience multiple shocks, among which health-related and agricultural-related shocks are the most frequent shocks in developing economies. Households’ exposure to shocks contributes more to the risk of being food insecure than a poor resource endowment (Azeem et al., 2016). Moreover, in low-income countries about 3.5 million mothers and children under the age of five die every year because they are undernourished FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP AND WHO 2017). Sub-Sahara Africa is the region with the highest prevalence of undernourished people (22 percent) and stunted children (30 percent) (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP AND WHO 2017). Three of the seventeen Sustainable …

Dragoo, Earl, Collection, 1928-1939, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

Contains student papers from Pittsburg State University, book and textbook catalogues, Industrial Arts resources, teaching plans, proposals, drafting drawings, and printed patterns.

The Rhetoric Of Public Support And The Foundations Of Educaiion In Montana, Micah Everson

Augsburg Honors Review

In 2005, the Supreme Court of Montana presented its final and unanimous opinion in the case of Columbia Falls Elem. School Dist. No. 6 v. State. A public coalition thus forced the state to acknowledge problems in its educational system and to work to- wards fixing them. This public interest in education in Montana is not a recent phenomenon.

Changing Future Faculty's Conceptions Of Sotl, Darryl Reano, Stephanie Masta, Jon Harbor

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) programs provide graduate students across all disciplines with professional development that addresses a range of faculty responsibilities. The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) combines education research with the practice of teaching by implementing, disseminating, and applying research on educational practice and interventions. During a PFF program at a public university, we used a pre-post writing prompt to examine changes in future faculty’s conceptions of SoTL. Pre-workshop responses included misconceptions that indicated unfamiliarity with SoTL. Post-workshop responses had an increased emphasis on sharing outcomes from educational interventions. Only 8% of pre-workshop responses included all main elements …

Using Misconceptions To Improve Education Programs That Aim To Prevent Gambling Problems, Brittany Keen, Alex Blaszczynski, Fadi Anjoul

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

No abstract provided.

Journeys: Changing Our Schools, Workplaces, And Lives Works-In-Progress From A Conference-Workshop To Mark 40 Years Of The Graduate Program In Critical & Creative Thinking, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers in Critical, Creative and Reflective Practice

A compilation of works-in-progress prepared for or during a conference-workshop to mark 40 years of the Graduate Program in Critical & Creative Thinking at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The contributions illustrate how preparing for and participating in the conference-workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on ways that developing as a critical, creative, and reflective practitioner is like a journey into unfamiliar areas—journeying involves risk, opens up questions, creates more experiences than can be integrated at first, requires support, and yields personal and professional change.

Dual Enrollment In Alaska: A 10-Year Retrospective And Outcome Analysis, Dayna Defeo, Trang Tran

CAEPR Reports

This paper explores University of Alaska dual enrollment (DE) offerings from 2008 to 2017. It details the distribution of programs across geographic and demographic groups, examines student participation and academic outcomes over this 10-year period, and describes how current DE activities compare to the decade prior. DE enrollments have increased by 85% in the past 10 years, while headcount has increased by 49%, indicating that, on average, students are taking more DE courses while in high school. DE students complete 93% of their courses satisfactorily; 66% apply to a UA institution when they graduate high school and 41% attend. Though …

Dual Enrollment In Alaska: A 10-Year Retrospective And Outcome Analysis, Dayna Defeo, Trang Tran

CAEPR Reports

This paper explores University of Alaska dual enrollment (DE) offerings from 2008 to 2017. It details the distribution of programs across geographic and demographic groups, examines student participation and academic outcomes over this 10-year period, and describes how current DE activities compare to the decade prior. DE enrollments have increased by 85% in the past 10 years, while headcount has increased by 49%, indicating that, on average, students are taking more DE courses while in high school. DE students complete 93% of their courses satisfactorily; 66% apply to a UA institution when they graduate high school and 41% attend. Though …

After-School Martial Arts: A History, Perceptions Of Academic Advantage, And Effects On Academic Performance, Rose Marie Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

After-School Martial Arts utilizes mixed methods to further our understanding of (a) how martial arts became an established after-school activity for elementary school children, (b) how parents and participants perceive the value of martial arts, and (c) whether sustained participation in martial arts is associated with academic gains. I begin with a historical case study that examines how parents came to see martial arts as one of the viable after-school activities for their elementary school age children. Next, I employed qualitative observations and in-depth interviewing techniques to learn more about what parents and participants perceived as attractive in marital arts …

Expertise And Expression In Second Language Acquisition: An Embodied Perspective, Mia Burnett

Senior Theses

In directing our attention to mundane aspects of the human experience, we can discover new ways of interacting with and understanding the world. One such formative experience, regularly seen as mundane in much of the world, is learning a second language. It is no exaggeration to say that second language acquisition is one of the processes which most influences and drives our globalized world, and yet we understand and study this process relatively little.

Continuing the trends of naturalizing phenomenological inquiry, this project attempts to evaluate phenomenological approaches to skill acquisition alongside second language acquisition theory and research through an …

Teacher Education And Refugee Students, Ramona Fruja, Kevin Roxas

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Alderman, Barbara J., Collection, 1998-2008, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

A collection of personal materials and various research materials related to the author and historian Barbara J. Alderman. Barbara J. Alderman (1948- ) was born in south central region of Kansas. She attended and graduated in 1970 at Pittsburg State University when it was still under the name of the Kansas State College of Pittsburg. She has been working as a freelance writer and a photographer for local, regional, and national publication since 2002. Alderman has been also working as a researcher-for-hire since 2010. She is known for her book “The Secret Life of the Lawman’s Wife.” She has also …

Poulos, James T., Collection, 1981-2011, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

James T. Poulos was born December 7, 1931, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and died on September 25, 2010, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 1969 Poulos gained employment at Pittsburg State University as an assistant professor teaching violin. During his time at PSU, he conducted several bands, taught music appreciation, music theory, music history, and was a performer in the Faculty String Quartet. Poulos had a strong interest in early stringed instruments, which led him to become an expert in the construction and technique in these instruments. This collection includes correspondence, Pittsburg State University materials, research, music, art, photographs, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous …

Nest Morale, Nora Seilheimer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Nest Morale is a collection of personal essays that explores race through the lenses of education, marriage, homeownership, and parenthood.

Using Literature To Make Social Change: Talking About Race In The Classroom, Zabrina L. Vogelsang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Harmonizing Social Emotional Learning For Students With Special Needs, Deema Shihadih

Education | Master's Theses

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) typically face difficulties with social emotional skill sets, yet many classrooms for students with ID do not incorporate social emotional learning in the curriculum. Modifying SEL programs to fit the needs of students may be an appropriate solution, however, little research exists exploring the effects of modifying various SEL programs to fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This research explores the benefits of modifying multiple social emotional learning (SEL) programs to best fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. Qualitative methods were used in order to investigate how SEL programs and …

Life Skills For Life-Long Learners: Teaching Functional Skills To Elementary Students With Special Needs, Emily H. Derecat

Education | Master's Theses

Though extensive studies exist regarding teaching life skills at the middle school and high school level in special education to support students’ transition to adulthood, a comparable amount of research is still needed to examine the use of life skills-based programs in elementary special education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a six-week intervention using research-based practices targeting specific life skills impacted 2nd - 5th grade students with moderate to severe disabilities. This study involved a group of 7 students with varying disabilities and behavioral challenges, using video and peer modeling to enhance specific life skills …

Student Perspective On Accessing Accommodations In The General Education Classroom, Whitney Long

Education | Master's Theses

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are to be provided accommodations that allow them to access the curriculum in inclusionary classroom. Research shows that many general education teachers are not properly trained in supporting students with disabilities, are provided with limited time and resources to plan differentiated curriculum, and in turn develop poor teacher efficacy and a negative attitude towards the inclusion setting. These challenges indicate that some students may not be accessing the general education curriculum. The limitation with current research is that it fails to gain the student perspective on their ability …

A Modular Laboratory Curriculum For Teaching Integrated Photonics To Students With Diverse Backgrounds, Stefan F. Preble, Gregory A. Howland, Matthew Van Niekerk, Jeffrey A. Steidle, Karl Mcnulty, Et Al.

Presentations and other scholarship

A modular laboratory curriculum with exercises for students and lesson plans for teachers is presented. Fundamentals of basic integrated photonic (IP) devices can be taught, first as a lecture-in-the-lab followed by “hands-on” laboratory measurements. This comprehensive curriculum utilizes data collected from the “AIM Photonics Institute PIC education chip” that was designed specifically for the purpose of education, and was fabricated at AIM SUNY Poly. Training using this modular curriculum will be performed through the AIM Photonics Academy network in New York (NY) and Massachusetts (MA), either as a full semester course or as a condensed boot-camp. A synergistic development and …

Facing Neurotypical Normativity: An Ethical Call For Therapeutic Sensitivity To Neurodiversity, Karen Irvine

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper explores the relationship between counseling education, clinicians-in-training, and neurodivergent client populations. Arguing that there is an absence of adequate training to address the specific needs of clients with developmental disabilities, this paper introduces the term neurotypical normativity in order to delimit deeply embedded biases operating within the mental health profession. These biases generate modes of treatment that overlook emotional and relational need in favor of symptoms and behavioral management. Through the critical examination of the connection between fundamental presuppositions, education, and treatment, this paper initiates an ethical call for therapeutic sensitivity to neurodiversity.

Examining The Consequential Validity Of Using An English Language Proficiency Assessment For Reclassification Decisions, Anthony Sparks

Teaching and Learning Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to develop a better understanding of reclassification decisions for English learners. Previous research has primarily viewed reclassification strictly through a policy lens without providing a framework for understanding these high-stakes decisions. However, I adopt a validity framework for reclassification decisions, specifically as a consequence of testing. The framework specifies that assessment uses, such as reclassification decisions, have consequences that need to be understood. Furthermore, I conduct analyses of both achievement data and data related to graduation and college readiness to fully understand the impact of reclassification decisions. The Duke Center for Child and …

The Impact Of The Discrepancies Between Student And Parent Expectations On Academic Achievement: An Ecological Approach, Thom Suhy

Teaching and Learning Theses and Dissertations

Policy-makers, educators, and parents have long viewed effective parent involvement practices as a way to help close the education gap that exists within high minority public schools. The creation of No Child Left Behind (2002) has transformed parent involvement programs, which were once a luxury, into a requirement for those schools receiving Title I funding. The problem, however, is the difficulty in agreeing on what defines high-quality parent involvement practices. Through the examination of parent involvement research, such as Fan and Chen (2001), this paper reveals that parent expectations have the strongest relationship, of all parent involvement practices examined, in …

More Than Words: Co-Constructive Dialogue As A Strategy For Technical, Academic Language Acquisition (Tala) In An Indigenous, Middle School Science Classroom, Joachim H. Ladwig

Linguistics

This teacher action research study investigated how secondary science students respond to small group co-construction activities designed to help them produce collaborative summaries of scientific information. The principle research question guiding this study asks, "How do middle school students engage in content learning and in the use of technical academic language (TAL) during a science writer's workshop?" Building upon the work of previous investigators I studied how emerging bilingual Grade 8 students participated in a science writer's workshop as they co-constructed written summaries in small groups. After initial instruction about the science content, participants worked in table groups to begin …

Coming Together At The Table: Partnering With Urban Alaska Native Families For Their Children's School Success, Karen L. Roth

Indigenous Studies

There is abundant research regarding the positive effects of family engagement as a factor in P-12 student success. Partnerships between home and school provide opportunities for students' families and educators to establish common goals and share meaning about the purpose of schooling. Unfortunately, mainstream outreach practices by Western educators have often failed to nurture authentic relationships with Indigenous families. This may be a contributing factor in lower academic success for too many Indigenous students. Historical educational practices in the U.S. for Indigenous students such as mandated attendance at distant boarding schools and English-only policies have adversely affected their languages and …

Enhancing Nutrition Education For School Aged Children; A Preventive Health Measure And Quality Improvement Project, Fanny M. Powell

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Objective: The purpose of the DNP project was to improve nutritional knowledge of the adolescents at Kings Canyon Unified School District while also improving their perceived ability to choose healthy food. This project was enveloped in a larger community outreach mission utilizing a free school-based clinic for the purposes of providing sports physicals to students and health screening and physicals to the community. Additionally, nurse practitioner students engaged in a cultural immersion experience through clinical rotations in Central Valley.

Methods: Adolescent students who registered for the clinic watched a nine-minute nutrition video, created by the DNP student, while waiting …

Enhancing Health Literacy Using Teach Back Method To Increase Patient Adherence To, Tram Mendoza

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Health literacy is a complicated and perplexing topic for those not trained in the medical field. Patients possess pieces of health literacy to some degree, while some have none at all. Limited health literacy can pose a very threatening risk on a patient’s well-being, interfering with their self-care and health maintenance, possibly creating more obstacles for the patient if health instructions and education are not clearly understood. This can lead to increased health expenditures due to treating the effects of poor health maintenance in addition to emergency room visits that may have not been necessary had the patient understood …

Qik'rtam Litnauwistai (Island's Teachers), Kitty L. Deal

Indigenous Studies

Qik'rtam Litnauwistai (Island's Teachers) was a multi-tiered, community-based, participatory action research project initiated as a direct response to both community and institutional recommendations to "grow our own" Alutiiq educators. The study (a) examined current departmental practices in teacher education at Kodiak College, (b) sought community feedback through interviews regarding recruiting and retaining Alaska Native pre-service teachers on Kodiak Island, and (c) analyzed successful eLearning course completion data, based on synchronicity. The examination and focus of improvement was on the educational system and program delivery model to meet the needs of all teacher candidates, especially our future Alutiiq educators. Interview participants …

Strengthening Cultural Identity Through Iļisaġvik College's Iñupiaq Studies Program: Reconstruction And The Iñupiaq Studies Framework, Jerica S. Aamodt

Rural Development

This program proposal is for the Iñupiaq Studies Program at Iḷisaġvik College. Iḷisaġvik College is located in Utqiaġvik, the northernmost village on the North Slope of Alaska. This proposal is intended to guide the future restructuring of the Iñupiaq Studies Program. The project was informed by interviews conducted with seventeen key individuals as well as the Iñupiaq Learning Framework created by the North Slope Borough School District. The proposal includes a mission, words of wisdom for the Iñupiaq Studies Framework, revised Iñupiaq Studies program outcomes, course descriptions, certificate and degree proposals, study plans, a sample course syllabus, and a sample …

Motivation In Male Adolescent Readers, Rachel Dockter

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if weekly one on one conferring with male students was effective in increasing motivation in adolescent male readers. The study began by collecting data on individual reading habits by having students complete a comprehensive questionnaire on their habits and attitudes towards reading. Male students then meet with their instructor on a weekly basis to orally outline their past reading habits, discuss current reading habits, and make goals for future reading habits. The study concluded by having students take the questionnaire a second time to determine if conferring had any impact on their …

The Suitcase Project: A Journey In Multimodal Reading Of Graphic Novels With Emergent Bilingual Fourth Grade Students, Kayla Ashe

Linguistics

This teacher action research focuses on how three fourth grade students interact and make meaning as they read the graphic novel, Amulet. While reading from the graphic novel, students engaged in the reading as design process to make meaning. These three students are Yup'ik students enrolled in a dual language school. Students interacted with peers and different modalities of meaning as they engaged in the meaning-making process. Data sources include a teacher research journal, audio recordings of readings and discussions, and students' reader response journals. Data analysis followed constructivist grounded theory. As there were various types of data collected and …