Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In High School Social Studies Classrooms: An Ethnographic Case Study, Sheronda L. Hardy

Dissertations

Historically, scholarly research regarding the education of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) has been written through a deficit lens. Research that acknowledges positive learning experiences and outcomes is limited. This qualitative ethnographic case study aims to contribute to the growing body of social studies literature that offers insights into the need for asset-based pedagogies, such as Gloria Ladson-Billings' Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP), as well as the impact that this framework has on BIPOC student populations. By exploring the perceptions of high school social studies teachers regarding CRP, teacher preparation programs, and professional development, this study of five teacher …

Imagine The Peace: Exploring The Intimacy Of Imagined Intergroup Contact In Kosovo, Eric Manley

Dissertations

Peacebuilders have utilized positive intergroup contact in various settings to help groups encounter each other. I implemented three different intimate imagined contact scenarios in Peja, Kosovo with Albanian and Serb participants. I conducted this research to understand how multiple intimate social settings could impact individuals’ encounters with the outgroup during each imagined scenario, thus gathering better operationalization efforts regarding intimacy and imagined contact. Using written responses, interviews, and one-year follow-up interviews, the café and workplace scenarios created a positive experience for most participants, and while half of participants had a positive experience with the fiancé scenario, many more had negative …

Teaching For Global Ecological Citizenship: A Case Study Of Rural Teachers’ Experiences And Practices, Sarah L. Tennyson

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine the experiences and practices of rural educators incorporating global ecological citizenship education into the social studies classroom. The systematic themes of social studies education in the past must evolve with the diversity of the classroom. Traditional themes taught must become more globally relevant, including ecological citizenship, the responsibility of citizens to sustain and participate in global ecological issues. One on one interviews with four rural Georgia educators along with artifacts they provided were examined for themes related to two research questions. How do rural educators adapt their instructional strategies to …

A Human Factors Analysis And Classification System (Hfacs) Approach To Compare Cardiovascular, Orthopedics, Trauma Care, And Neurosurgery, Asfandyar Khan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Background: Despite significant progress in patient safety, human error continues to occur at high rates in procedural settings. Traditional safety models tend to focus on retrospective incident analysis, often overlooking the systemic conditions that allow errors to occur. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) offers a proactive lens to understand how and where errors emerge and is useful for identifying active and latent failures.

Objective: To evaluate the utility and reliability of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) in categorizing and comparing the pattern of frequencies (events) in cardiovascular, orthopedic, trauma care, and neurosurgical procedure.

Design, …

Musical Self-Efficacy Through Active Music Listening: A Phenomenological Approach, Amy Marie Fraser

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Music is often perceived as a talent reserved for the naturally gifted, rather than a fundamental human ability. This study questioned that perception by examining how active music listening can develop musical self-efficacy and reshape attribution beliefs about musical ability. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of students in a university music appreciation course, investigating how structured listening exercises, peer interactions, and reflections contribute to their perceived musical beliefs and competence. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Weiner’s attribution theory, the study considered whether musical engagement can be accessible to all and not limited by perceived talent. …

Exploring Transformative Learning Experiences In Engineering Doctoral And Post-Doctoral Education: Developing Non-Technical Competencies For Early-Career Academic Roles, Ibukunoluwa Eunice Salami

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores the transformative learning experiences that early-career engineering faculty recounted from their doctoral and postdoctoral training and how these experiences shaped the development of non-technical competencies essential for academic success. Grounded in Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) and the Competency-Based Professional Development Framework (CBPDF), the study examines how reflection and shifts in frames of reference supported competency growth and faculty readiness. A qualitative holistic single-case study design was employed. Data sources included semi-structured interviews with early-career engineering faculty and program learning objectives drawn from graduate handbooks. Data analysis was both deductive and inductive guided by Mezirow’s ten phases …

Riding The Waves Of Power: Power Fluctuation, Cognitive Energy, And Goal Pursuit, Hae-Lueng Rose Kim, Trevor A. Foulk, Michael Schaerer, Jake Gale, Eric A. Anicich

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A central finding in the power literature is that experiencing elevated power facilitates employees’ goal-relevant cognitions and behaviors. In this work, we suggest that the relationship between power and goal pursuit is more complex than previously assumed. Specifically, we examine how experiencing power fluctuation—alternating states of high and low power during the workday—can uniquely promote employees’ goal-relevant behaviors beyond the effect of static power. Integrating insights from the Dynamic Equilibrium Model of Organizing (DEMO) and the Model of Proactive Motivation (MPM), our work demonstrates that power fluctuation can facilitate employees’ cognitive energy, in a way that enhances their goal-relevant cognitions …

National Hero And Water Deity: The Worship Of Triệu Việt Vương In The Red River Delta, Vietnam, Huong Thi Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, the theory of collective memory will be deployed to address many questions regarding retaining, recovering, and re-creating the worship of King Triệu Việt Vương. He was a legendary, historical king of Vietnam who supposedly lived in the 6th century. His achievements were connected to the people living in the Red River Delta in their fight against the Liang invasion. The villagers who lived near or in this area also honored him for his spiritual power. They built a small temple/ shrine right by the riverbank to worship this King. The Vietnamese dynasties, Ly (in the 11th century), …

Clarifying The Role Of Need For Uniqueness In Preferences For Conspiratorial Beliefs, Marie Altgilbers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Need for uniqueness has previously been identified as an individual difference predictor of conspiratorial beliefs, but has not been studied systematically. The current research investigated this relationship across 3 studies through the lens of uniqueness theory. Study 1 replicated previously reported associations and identified new moderators of this relationship. Study 2 experimentally tested the impact of receiving high uniqueness vs. high similarity feedback on conspiracy beliefs. This feedback did not impact conspiracy beliefs by itself, but interacted with cognitive processing preferences. Study 3 tested a manipulation of high vs. moderate uniqueness feedback on conspiracy beliefs. There were no effects of …

Emotion Regulation Flexibility And Well-Being In College Athletes In Aesthetic Sports, Kaitlyn D. Chamberlain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined emotion regulation flexibility and well-being (including psychological well-being, physical well-being, perceived sport performance and worth of sport participation) in athletes in aesthetic sports. This population experiences high environmental demands and constraints and thus low control over their environment. Collegiate athletes within aesthetic sports and female athletes experience specific social factors and demands that threaten their well-being, compared to those experienced by male athletes and athletes within non-aesthetic sports. Consistent with the transactional theory of stress and coping, individuals with less power to regulate their environment will require greater ability to regulate themselves in accordance with their changing …

Exploring Commuter Trio Students' Student Support Services At A Public University, Travis J. Batiste Edd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study explored the experiences and service needs of TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) commuter students at a public regional university in northern Louisiana. The literature review showed that while TRiO SSS programs have a demonstrated history of promoting academic success and retention for first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities, little institutional research has been conducted to better understand how student residential status impacts learning outcomes and utilization of campus resources. Drawing on Astin’s theory of involvement, this study described the lived experiences of TRiO SSS commuter participants and the impact of commuting on their engagement, programmatic use, …

The Level Of Psychological Well-Being And Its Relationship To Psychological Exhaustion And Some Demographic Variables Among Kindergarten Teachers In Jazan Region, Salwa Saeed Musaad Al-Harbi

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The current research aims to identify the level of psychological well-being and psychological exhaustion among kindergarten teachers, reveal the nature of the relationship between psychological well-being and psychological exhaustion, verify the differences in psychological well-being attributed to the variables of age and marital status, and reveal the possibility of predicting psychological exhaustion through the dimensions of psychological well-being among kindergarten teachers in the Jazan region. The researcher used the descriptive correlational predictive approach, as the research sample consisted of (202) female teachers; from kindergarten teachers in the Jazan region, who were selected by a simple random method during the academic …

Divine Affirmation And The Prophet's Consolation During Times Of Trial: An Analytical Study Of The Objectives Of Tribulation In The Holy Qur'an, Ahmad Bin Ali Al-Zamli

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study seeks to uncover the profound theological dimensions of the Qur'anic concept of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) consolation, through an analytical examination of selected verses that manifest divine psychological support and reinforcement during moments of missionary adversity and intellectual challenge. It investigates the mechanisms of divine affirmation as a central means of cultivating doctrinal steadfastness and safeguarding the prophetic message in the face of evolving trials. Adopting an integrative, textually grounded analytical methodology, the research is anchored in the thematic pillars of monotheism, divine decree, faith in the unseen, and the Hereafter. It draws upon the …

The Relative Contribution Of Self-Regulation In Predicting Academic Quality Of Life Among A Sample Of Graduate Students At King Abdulaziz University, Dalal Mufrih Al-Muqati

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study aimed to examine the relationship between academic quality of life and self-regulation, as well as the relative contribution of self-regulation in predicting academic quality of life among a sample of graduate students at King Abdulaziz University. The study sample consisted of 400 students from the Faculty of Arts (150 male and 250 female students). To measure the research variables, the researcher used the Academic Quality of Life Scale developed by Okasha and Al-Zoghbi (2019) and the Self-Regulation Scale developed by Al-Tarabsheh and Al-Shuqran (2017). The results indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between academic quality of life …

Reverse (Bio)Engineering: A Machine Learning Approach To Optimize Baseball Pitcher Health And Performance, Robert C. Moore

All Dissertations

Ball tracking systems are becoming ubiquitous in sport, creating an unprecedented opportunity for big data applications to optimize human health and performance. These applications are especially common in baseball, a sport known for analyzing ball flight data to quantify performance. Analysts routinely use ball flight data to identify the attributes of top performing pitchers, finding that the best pitchers throw with optimal combinations of release speed and spin to precise locations. However, for certain pitchers, the throwing motion required to produce optimal ball flight places exceedingly high biomechanical load on the elbow, and consequently injury rates continue to rise. This …

Virtual Coaching: Ushering In A New Era In School Improvement, Tygere Alisha West Charles

All Dissertations

This research study examined virtual coaching as a vehicle for principal professional development. The study focused on coaching a principal in a rural, low-performing, high-poverty South Carolina school district to improve support for teachers and students. This study explored virtual coaching and is rooted in improvement science as measured by plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles (Bryk et al., 2017). It explored how virtual coaching supported a rural principal’s professional development needs.

Principals must be transformational leaders who balance their support needs and accountability while meeting the needs of the diverse stakeholders they serve. Ongoing professional development is an essential component in helping …

Teacher Self-Efficacy As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Perceived Stressors And Overall Stress During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study Of Dominican Public-School Teachers In The Usaid Leer Project, Yira I. Vargas

All Dissertations

This study examined the predictive and moderating roles of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) in the relationship between teacher perceived COVID-19 pandemic-related stressors and overall stress among public-school teachers in the Dominican Republic. Using secondary data from the USAID Leer Project (2021), the study analyzed responses from 142 teachers who completed validated instruments measuring teacher self-efficacy (TSES), pandemic-related teacher stressors (Oros et al., 2020), and perceived stress (PSS-14). The study had three main objectives: (1) to examine whether pandemic-related stressors negatively predicted teacher self-efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management; (2) to determine whether teacher self-efficacy moderated the relationship between …

An Experimental Evaluation Of A Gamified Learning Approach To Address Bullying Knowledge, Perceptions, And Self-Efficacy Among Elementary Students: Playing Yozgoo In Albania, Sashen Rexhepaj

All Dissertations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Yozgoo's web-based gamified educational intervention in enhancing elementary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy related to bullying prevention in Albania. Utilizing a true experimental pre-test and post-test control group design, the study involved 120 students (ages 10-12) equally divided by gender and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 60) or a control group (n = 60). The experimental group participated in Yozgoo gameplay sessions over six to eight weeks, while the control group engaged in standard activities without exposure to the intervention.

Three validated measures were administered to assess outcomes: …

Digital Reflections: Evaluating Body Dissatisfaction In Xr Through Eye- And Body-Tracked Virtual Humans, Deyrel Diaz

All Dissertations

In an era where digital and physical realities increasingly intertwine, the perception of body image is undergoing a significant transformation. Traditional understandings of body dissatisfaction, long studied in relation to psychological distress and eating disorders, are now being reshaped by technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificially Intelligent (AI)- generated media. These technologies have introduced novel ways of experiencing and interacting with the human form, raising critical questions about their impact on self-perception and internalization of beauty standards.

As virtual representations become more prevalent in entertainment, social media, and interactive platforms, it is becoming more crucial …

Collective Learning In Philanthropy: Ai, Trust, And The Future Of Grant Reporting, Rachel Kimber, Valerie Ehrlich, Blanch Vance, Abigail Osei

The Foundation Review

Grant reporting has largely devolved from a learning tool to a bureaucratic exercise that reinforces power asymmetries and burdens nonprofits. As philanthropy confronts mounting crises demanding equity and transparency, reporting must transform into a space for collective sensemaking.

This paper explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI), paired with Oral and Alternate Reporting (OAR) methods, can build equitable, human-centered reporting systems. We propose the E⁴ framework — Efficiency, Effectiveness, Expansiveness, and Equity — for intentionally leveraging AI in service of more equitable reporting practices.

Traditional reporting often sidelines the expertise of nonprofit staff and communities most affected by funded programs. Drawing …

Base Building Evaluation: Three Opportunities To Improve Its Use And Relevance, Katie Fox, Margaret A. Post

The Foundation Review

The concept of base building comes from the traditions of electoral and labor organizing, where organizers focus on drawing leadership from a specific constituency or geography. Base building is foundational to organizing efforts. It involves the recruitment, training, and leadership development of people who are often most directly impacted by the issues and causes that organizing focuses on.

In recent years, base building has seen increased interest and investment from the philanthropic sector as funders recognize base building as critical to community-led change. As funders expand their investment in base building, they increasingly seek information and data about base building …

Philanthropy As Risk Capital: Shaping Trust And Learning At The Speed Of Ai, Nina Sabarre, Clara Bennett, Laura Chavez-Varela

The Foundation Review

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, philanthropy is increasingly called to act as "risk capital" for the public good. But risk alone is not enough. Without rigorous, field-wide learning, philanthropy's bold bets may remain isolated and short-sighted, failing to catalyze the systemic change this moment demands.

This article draws on three sources of learning at Omidyar Network—an evaluation of The Tech We Want initiative, external strategy consultations with 29 stakeholders, and early learnings from a generative AI portfolio—to identify how philanthropy can uniquely "de-risk" AI innovation for collective benefit.

Through trust-based partnerships, ecosystem infrastructure support, and narrative change, these learning …

Closing The Achievement Gap: School Counselors’ Role In Enhancing College And Career Access For First-Generation Students, Conswyla J. Decoteau

All Dissertations

Professional school counselors play a vital role in supporting each student's academic, experiential, and personal growth, especially in preparing them for success in post-secondary education. Due to social, academic, and financial disadvantages, first-generation students face significant obstacles. Given that inequities persist despite efforts to improve access to higher education, this problem is important to address. To close the academic gap that first-generation students face, effective counseling programs that are sensitive to cultural differences are necessary. In order to better understand how school counselors in rural high schools may help first-generation students close the gap in access to college and careers, …

Navigating Safety: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Supportive Workplace Practices In Maritime Contexts, Rebecca N. Pool

All Dissertations

Maritime Sailors operate in high-demand and high-risk environments that require sustained adherence to strict safety standards. Using the Conservation of Resources theory (COR), this dissertation examines how supportive workplace practices impact job stress and foster increased safety compliance among U.S. Navy personnel. Using a mixed-methods design, two studies were conducted with data from the Afloat Safety Climate Assessment Survey (ASCAS). Study 1 analyzed quantitative survey responses from active-duty Sailors (N = 15,517) nested in 1,033 departments nested within 122 ships to test a multilevel moderated mediation model linking social support, job stress, psychological safety, and safety compliance. Results indicated …

Better Floors, Better Health: A Theory Of Change For An Improved Household Flooring Intervention In Rural Communities In Kwale And Bungoma Counties, Kenya, Stella Kepha, Hugo Legge, Katherine E. Halliday, Victoria Ochwal, Lynne Elson, Jacinta Mwongeli, William E. Oswald, Beatrice Kakoi, James Wambua, Charles Mwandawiro, Ulrike Fillinger, Rachel Pullan, Doris Njomo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Household flooring is increasingly being investigated as a determinant of health, however the pathways through which flooring may impact health and wellbeing are not yet well understood. The SABABU study is a cluster-randomised controlled trial evaluating the impact of an improved flooring intervention on soil-transmitted helminthiasis, tungiasis, and enteric infections in Bungoma and Kwale counties, Kenya. This paper presents the findings from a theory of change development process that was undertaken as part of the formative research phase of the SABABU project. Methods: A co-creation workshop (n = 1), stakeholder meetings (n = 2), and community meetings (n = …

Once Upon A Time: A Kinesthetic Approach To Teaching Evidence, Peter C. Alexander, Cheryl T. Page, Hannah G. Chapman

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

This Article describes and evaluates a kinesthetic, simulation-based approach to teaching Evidence at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School. Departing from the traditional Langdellian, case-method model, one section of Evidence requires students to memorize and apply the Federal Rules of Evidence through a series of five scaffolded mini-trials built around fractured fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Drawing on the MacCrate Report, Bloom’s taxonomy, and Vygotsky’s theory of scaffolding, we situate this pedagogy within the broader movement toward experiential legal education and argue that Evidence—because of its centrality to litigation practice—is an ideal doctrinal course in which to integrate trial advocacy …

National Priorty Industry Linkage Fund (Npilf) Roundtable Report To Government, Faith Valencia-Forrester, Caroline Rueckert, Nicola Fish, Elizabeth J. Cook

Other Reports

The National Priorities and Industry Linkage Fund (NPILF), introduced in 2021 and piloted from 2022 to 2024 with an extension year in 2025, significantly expanded and diversified Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) across Australian higher education. The fund aimed to increase WIL opportunities for students, grow the pipeline of STEM-skilled graduates and improve their employment outcomes, and support universities to develop and strengthen partnerships with industry. To reflect on NPILF’s impact and identify priorities for sustaining WIL quality, equity and industry engagement in the years ahead, WIL Australia convened a national roundtable in October 2025. The event brought together 126 participants from …

Entre La Sombra Y El Lienzo: Clea Dessendre Como Modelo De Personaje Secundario Complejo, Lydia Huijbregts Jaen, Antonio Horno López

GDI. Revista de investigación de Género, Diseño e Innovación

Introducción: Este artículo analiza a Clea Dessendre en Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, explorando su versión real y la pintada en el lienzo, y su impacto en la narrativa del juego. Metodología: Se aplicó un análisis narrativo, psicológico y ludológico, integrando teorías de duelo (Kübler-Ross), socialización (Baumrind) y comunicación (DiSC) vinculadas con la jugabilidad. Resultados: Clea-Real encarna disciplina y perfeccionismo; Clea-Pintada, una proyección maternal. El gameplay conecta su psicología con la experiencia del jugador. Discusión: Las identidades paralelas muestran cómo traumas y expectativas moldean personajes complejos. Conclusiones: Clea evidencia cómo la narrativa y la mecánica se fusionan para crear …

Existence, Difference, And The Nigerian Woman: A Feminist Praxis Beyond Patriarchy, Hannah Yemisi Ajewole

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the postcolonial condition of Nigerian woman through a critical philosophical engagement with feminist theory, focusing particularly on Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialism and Irigaray’s ethics of sexual difference. It interrogates the historical processes through which gender became the basis of hierarchy in the Nigerian society, arguing that colonial and patriarchal override precolonial forms of relationality—marked by dual-sex relationship and age-based hierarchies—into rigid, male-dominated structures of authority and representation. Drawing also on Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s critique of western gender epistemologies, the work contextualizes the Nigerian woman’s experience within a broader matrix of colonial imposition, cultural displacement, and epistemic violence. This …

Ukrainian Women In The Russo-Ukrainian War: Between Survival And Resistance, Jelena Nikolic Khatatbeh

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how the Russo-Ukrainian war has transformed the lives, identities, and resistance strategies of Ukrainian women. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with forty-five Ukrainian women conducted between March 2022 and February 2023, it analyzes how everyday survival, political thought, and civic activism have changed during the war. Using a modified grounded theory approach and a feminist lens, this study examines women’s psychosocial experiences, their evolving political consciousness, and their active roles in humanitarian, cultural, and cyber resistance.Findings reveal that the war simultaneously reinforced and disrupted traditional gender expectations. While Ukrainian women dealt with increased domestic and caregiving burdens …