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Learning Through Lowriding: Knowledge In The Garage, Bianca Elisa Arellano

Dissertations

Lowriding culture has long been situated at the margins where state-sanctioned criminalization processes delegitimize the intellectual agency of lowriders, rendering their knowledge systems institutionally illegible. This dissertation argues that such epistemic invisibility denies lowriders the agency to define their own intellectual contributions, and it reclaims lowriding as a site of profound resourceful innovation. Grounded in Chicana feminist epistemologies, the study theorizes how nepantla—the process of navigating and living at the margins—works alongside rasquachismo, the working-class sensibility through which constraint becomes a site of knowledge production, to frame lowriding in Chicanx San Diego communities as an embodied tension where subversive, resourceful …

Positioning Rights And Duties For Parent Representation At The Cac For Special Education Table: A Result Of Cbpar, Summer Girgis

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the impact of parents’ social justice advocacy on their local Community Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC) policy and practice. While California state mandates a CAC that includes parent-district collaboration in decision-making, several Southern California districts oppress eager voices and willing participants. On the premise that policy implementation was absent and that parents wanted to exercise their right to implementation, this study aimed to identify: RQ1) how families of students with disabilities communicate their wants and needs to districts and SELPA personnel, and RQ2) the critical elements or components of establishing a collaborative partnership. With eight mothers …

Toward Contextual Adaptation And Knowledge Grounding In Large Language Models, Yufei Tao

Dissertations and Theses

Large language models (LLMs) are now expected to adapt to context in ways that are both socially appropriate and informationally faithful. This dissertation argues that contextual adaptation and contextual grounding are the unifying problems behind that expectation: models must adjust to interactional settings such as role-play while also grounding their outputs in the information supplied at inference time. Across four studies, the dissertation examines how LLMs respond to social cues, how they balance contextual and parametric knowledge, how multilingual long-context settings reveal grounding failures, and how decode-time control can improve reliability.

The first study analyzes the ChatGPT Role-play Dataset (CRD) …

Music And Spirituality: Theological Approaches, Empirical Methods, And Christian Worship, Chelle Stearns

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

A book review is presented for Music and Spirituality: Theological Approaches, Empirical Methods, and Christian Worship, edited by George Corbett and Sarah Moerman, by Chelle Stearns.

All Articles Of Vol 25 Iss 2, Vol 25 Issue 2

Scientific Journal of King Faisal University: Humanities and Management Sciences

You can download the whole issue of vol 25/Iss2 from here.

All Articles Of Vol 23 Iss 2, Vol 23 Issue 2

Scientific Journal of King Faisal University: Humanities and Management Sciences

You can download the whole issue of vol 23/Iss2 from here.

All Articles Of Vol 22 Iss 1, Vol 22 Issue 1

Scientific Journal of King Faisal University: Humanities and Management Sciences

You can download the whole issue of vol 22/Iss2 from here.

Adapting And Promoting Tourism For Children In Venice And The Lagoon Islands: A Comparative Analysis Of Food-Related Discourse Strategies In English And In Italian, Daniela Cesiri Prof.

International Journal of Islands Research

According to the latest available version of the Annual Tourism Survey drafted by the City of Venice, in 2023, 12,628,079 tourists visited Venice and the Lagoon Islands (Bettiol & Marini, 2025). This survey does not provide data on the age groups of these visitors, but they are available in the previous version of the same Survey (Bianchetto & Marini, 2022), which reports that 29% of tourists were in the 46-71 age group. Therefore, we can presume that, excluding the older age groups, quite a large proportion of visitors is likely composed of young tourists and families with children. This study …

Why The Library Of Congress Matters More Than Ever, Hope O'Keeffe

Seattle University Law Review Online

In a symposium examining the broader importance of libraries, this Article makes the case for why the Library of Congress (LOC) is itself essential. Because the LOC’s broad range of programs is little known, this Article first summarizes the collections and components of the LOC and the ways it provides key resources to the American people and library communities. It then focuses on LOC programs that best illustrate the TILE Institute’s[1] technology, innovation, and ethics principles and concludes with a discussion of the importance of maintaining not just a national library, but a nonpartisan, politically independent Library of Congress. …

Adolescent Literacy: Bridging Literacy Gaps In Georgia's Social Studies Classrooms A Call For Disciplinary Literacy In Secondary Education, Kimberly N. Miles

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

This article advocates integrating disciplinary literacy into secondary Social Studies instruction, arguing that the content area is critical to strengthening adolescent reading skills, particularly in alignment with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Drawing from the "Bridging Literacy Gaps" presentation, the paper asserts that literacy is not merely a prerequisite for studying history but the very methodology by which students learn to read, write, and think like historians.

The article details three high-leverage strategies for Social Studies educators:

1. Disciplinary Literacy and Multimodal Text Integration: Teaching students how experts analyze primary and secondary sources, and integrating diverse media (e.g., political cartoons, …

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The Lived Experience Of African Immigrants Receiving Mental Health Services In The U.S., Ori Adure Onazi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Gated Rnns, Joshua Paul Fechete

Honors Projects

Gated recurrent neural networks such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) help fix instability present in normal recurrent neural networks. This allows them to be used for various real-world tasks, and due to their architecture, they are uniquely qualified to handle variable sized input such as text. However, even before training can begin on a machine learning model, various hyperparameters must be chosen to decide how the model will be architectured. Choosing good hyperparameters is vital for creating a model that performs well but is not larger and more computationally expensive to run than it needs …

Identifying Social Disparities Inside The Colombian Jesuit Schools From The Students’ Perceptions, Fr. Edwin Mauricio Martínez Callejas Sj

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis conducts a comprehensive investigation into social disparities within Colombian Jesuit schools through the voices and perceptions of their students. Employing a Critical Pedagogy framework inspired by Paulo Freire, the research centers on understanding how students from three Jesuit schools in major Colombian cities—Medellín (Colegio San Ignacio), Bucaramanga (Colegio San Pedro Claver), and Barranquilla (Colegio San José)—perceive and navigate issues of social inclusion, ethnic diversity, gender equality, socioeconomic status, political polarization, and religious plurality. The study utilizes qualitative methods, including focus groups and interviews with students, teachers, staff, and parents, to explore school convivencia (coexistence and social harmony) and …

University Counselors' Experiences With Providing Services To Students Of Color, Kim Ridley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Defining Civil Rico's "Inquiry To Business Or Property" Requirement: The Supreme Court Takes A Few Steps, Says It Punts, But Actually Fumbles, Randy D. Gordon

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Prekindergarten Teacher Experiences Implementing Research-Based Instructional Practices That Support Dual Language Learners, Elizabeth Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Suprasegmental Symphony: A Curriculum For Teaching Word Stress, Focus, And Rhythm To Native Chinese Speakers, Beini Ding

Master's Projects and Capstones

Native Chinese Mandarin speakers face significant intelligibility challenges in English due to phonological transfers from their syllable-timed L1 to the stress-timed rhythm of English, a problem often overlooked in instructional settings. This capstone designed, developed, and proposed a targeted curriculum to bridge this gap, Suprasegmental Symphony: A Curriculum for Teaching Word Stress, Focus, and Rhythm to Native Chinese Speakers. Chapter I establishes the problem from both research and personal practitioner perspectives, identifying a specific need for suprasegmental instruction and presenting a theoretical framework that synthesizes Contrastive Analysis and Communicative Language Teaching. Chapter II reviews scholarly literature, analyzes existing curricular models, …

A Journey Into Implicature: Do You Know What I Mean?, Brian Tura

Master's Projects and Capstones

In everyday communication, English speakers often use implied meaning in a multitude of situations and variety of ways. Research has shown that explicitly teaching meta-pragmatic concepts, such as implicature, can have a positive impact on students’ ability to not only understand implicature but can also help them think about English in a different way, providing insight into native speakers’ use of the language. Even with this evidence, implicature is rarely found in ESOL teaching materials, and when it is found, there is seldom any direct discussion on how to appropriately use implied meaning. The purpose of this project is to …

Asian American Multiraciality And Cultural Wealth In Higher Education, Marielle Song Lyons

Master's Theses

Multiracial Asian American college students endure pervasive and commonplace monoracism, multiracial microaggressions, and deficit-based narratives in higher education, which negatively impact their sense of self, belonging, and mental health. Through narrative methodology, the present qualitative study captures the stories of three multiracial Asian American undergraduate students and how they are making sense of their racialized experiences and cultural wealth in higher education. The results of this study suggest that (a) multiracial Asian Americans experience monoracism and multiracial microaggressions, which shape their understanding of cultural legitimacy and impact their behavior, sense of self, and relationships with others; (b) monoracism and multiracial …

Exploring The Use Of Nondigital And Digital Games In The Classroom Of Teaching Chinese As A Foreign Language For Adult Learners, Zheng George

Doctoral Dissertations

Game-based learning (GBL) has gained increasing attention as an instructional strategy in foreign language education due to its potential to enhance motivation, engagement, and language acquisition. However, most existing research has focused on young learners or on languages other than Chinese, leaving a gap in understanding of how games are used to teach Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) to adult learners. In addition, prior studies have primarily examined learners’ perspectives, with limited attention to teachers’ instructional practices when implementing game-based instruction. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how CFL teachers integrate nondigital and digital games in …

Beyond A Corrective Experience: Reimagining Liberation In Special Education, Erin Elise Macnabb

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study establishes a critical bridge between special education and liberatory pedagogy, positioning these historically siloed fields as interdependent for systemic justice. While Special Education Teachers (SETs) daily work involves resisting systemic oppression, special education has been historically excluded from liberatory pedagogy and instead focused on medicalized models and deficit based assumptions. The separation of liberatory pedagogy and special education contributes to professional siloing and a culture of compliance that prioritizes bureaucratic processes over the meaningful and radical work of SETs.

The research utilizes a qualitative design rooted in Collaborative Critical Inquiry (CCI) where an intentional sample of veteran, …

Predictors Of Leadership Self-Efficacy: Racial Identity-Related Ideological Values, Racism-Related Stress, And Resilience Among Asian American Educators In K-12 Schools, Chong Lor

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the underrepresentation of Asian American educators in K-12 leadership and the limited leadership pipeline available to them. Specifically, this study examined the extent of the relationships between Asian American racial identity-related ideological values (AARIIV), Asian American racism-related stress (AARRS), resilience, and leadership self-efficacy (LSE) among Asian American educators in K-12 schools.

This study was grounded in three theoretical perspectives—AsianCrit, the Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans, and Social Cognitive Theory—that provided the theoretical rationale for examining the racialization of Asian Americans in relation to leadership. This theoretical foundation guided the development of the …

Fostering Collaboration For Mission And Social Justice: Qualitative Case Studies Of Models Of Jesuits And Non-Jesuit Administrators, Faculty And Staff Members’ Partnerships At Arrupe Jesuit University (Aju) In Zimbabwe And Centre De Recherche Et D’Action Pour La Paix/ Université Jésuite D’Abidjan (Cerap/Uja) In Côte D’Ivoire, Abdon Rwandekwe Edd

Doctoral Dissertations

Jesuit higher education has historically depended on collaboration between Jesuits and non-Jesuit administrators, faculty, and staff to sustain its mission of promoting faith, justice, and the holistic formation of students. In recent decades, demographic shifts within the Society of Jesus and increasing institutional complexity have led to a greater reliance on Lay collaborators in leadership and academic roles. Despite strong ecclesial and Jesuit directives encouraging shared mission and co-responsibility, many Jesuit institutions continue to struggle with translating these ideals into equitable governance and collaborative practices. This challenge is particularly significant in African contexts, where Jesuit universities operate within diverse cultural …

Analisis Semiotika Hukum Terhadap Lambang Negara Republik Indonesia, Turiman Turiman

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Analisis Semiotika Hukum Terhadap Lambang Negara Republik Indonesia, Turiman Turiman

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Can We Digitize A Soul? A Study Of Ai And Ethics, Spirituality, And Humanity, Debra S. Espinor, W. Scot Headley, Linda Samek

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The rapid advancement of computing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping both society and the educational landscape. This study examines faculty experiences and attitudes toward the role of AI in teaching and research within the distinct context of Christian higher education. While recognizing the potential of AI to drive educational innovation, this research also addresses significant faculty concerns regarding the implications for academic integrity, critical thinking, and intellectual property. Specifically, the study investigates faculty perspectives on data security and privacy, the reproduction of creative expression in art and music, and the broader impact of AI on the liberal …

Using Storytelling Of Incarnational Encounters To Disrupt Narratives Of Otherness In Teacher Education, Tina Marie Keller

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The incarnation is the ultimate illustration of crossing the chasm between two groups. God's choosing to become flesh tells us of his nature, love, and desire to redeem humanity. Jesus Christ alone is incarnate; however, in history, there have been individuals who have stepped outside the norm and have encountered those unlike themselves, humbly modeled after Christ’s incarnation. Incarnational encounters are the stories of people, whom society deems to be in opposition, finding the imagination to attempt to follow the incarnation of Jesus. For Christian preservice teachers, the model of incarnation is a biblical foundation that can guide the ways …

Beyond Jina: Words For 'Foot/Feet' In Kimberley Languages, As A First Step In Trying To Establish Connections Between Kimberley Language Families, Thomas Saunders

Talking Heads Seminar Series

It is generally accepted that there are 5 language families in the Kimberley: Pama-Nyungan on the arid southern edge, then 4 others in the tropics starting at Broome and moving east: Nyulnyulan, Worrorran (aka North Kimberley), Bunuban and Jarragan.

But is there any high level connection between the language families, in particular the 4 unique to the Kimberley? Are the language families related to each other?

Trying to work out relatedness between language families presents a considerable task!

To date, there has not been a study investigating any possible relatedness between Kimberley language families. I begin the discussion, by showing …

Community-Based Participatory Research In Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway To Relevance And Engagement, Laura Justice, Stacy Phillips

EFNEP

This article explains how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can strengthen the design of digital nutrition tools by ensuring they are culturally relevant, accessible, and grounded in community needs. By engaging participants as equal partners, CBPR enhances trust, usability, and long-term impact. The approach aligns with EFNEP’s mission to deliver inclusive, community-driven nutrition education and provides a framework for developing sustainable, adaptable tools that reflect the lived experiences of the families Extension serves.

Intersectionality And Infertility: A Framework For Culturally Responsive Mental Health Counseling, Nouna Jalilzadeh

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Infertility affects approximately 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States, with 41–46% developing symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a prevalence substantially higher than in the general population. Because existing research and clinical literature predominantly focus on female infertility experiences, this article centers women while acknowledging that infertility profoundly impacts individuals across all gender identities. Despite this, mental health counselors frequently lack training in culturally responsive reproductive mental health care, leaving marginalized clients, including racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and rural residents without adequate support. This theoretical article applies intersectionality theory to …