Digital Commons Network^™

Racial Concepts, Dei, And Social Equity, Yan Lei

A with Honors Projects

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) often deviates from the original goal of “equality of opportunity.” By institutionalizing identity labels and the protection of “vulnerability,” it reduces individuals to group identities, transforms historical injustices into contemporary obligations, and solidifies fragility. This not only fails to achieve genuine fairness but also weakens individual agency, distorts incentive mechanisms, and damages society’s long-term resilience, efficiency, and trust.

Prime Numbers And Rsa Encryption In Cryptology, Burak Safaker

A with Honors Projects

This project centers on developing an encryption and decryption system using the RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) cryptographic algorithm, which is based on the mathematical properties of prime numbers.

Evaluating Motivation In Stem Education: A Positive Self-Talk Intervention, Tiffany L. Copeland

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study evaluated a social-emotional learning intervention that taught positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study was a place-based program that immersed students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students set effort-based goals and learned to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “Even when it's hard, I will give 100%.” This mixed-methods program evaluation compared pre- and post-intervention data using a paired-samples t-test, linear regression, and correlation analyses. Data …

Effective Practices In A School-Based Mentorship Program: Insights From An Elementary School Setting, Kimberly Noele Steger

Dissertations and Theses

(School-based mentoring programs) SBMPs have demonstrated beneficial outcomes for mentees, mentors, and overall school culture; however, their effectiveness was highly dependent on intentional implementation and the educators who facilitated them. Limited research exists on how SBMPs were practically introduced, structured, and sustained; thus underscoring the need for deeper examination of successful implementation practices. Therefore, this case study explored the implementation of SBMPs within a specific elementary school, focusing on mentors’ perceptions and experiences. The researcher sought to understand mentors’ roles within the program, including their successes and challenges, the training and support they received, and how implementation conditions influenced their …

All She Ever Wanted Was The World: The Emergence Of Vocal Methodology, Pedagogy, And Opera Performance For Women In The Nineteenth Century, Emma Hawkinson

Dissertations and Theses

Important music methods books began to emerge in the 1750s with instrumental treatises for flute, piano, and violin. By the end of the nineteenth century, there was a multitude of treatises for a variety of instruments, including classical voice. This study investigates and analyzes the content of treatises from four individual women who performed, taught, and published vocal treatises in the nineteenth century: German Mathilde Marchesi (1821–1913), Italian Virginia Boccabadati (1828–1922), Spanish Matilde Esteban (1841–1915), and English American Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844–1931). These methods books are set in the historical context of the music industry before and during the nineteenth …

A Mixed Methods Study On Mexican American Satisfaction And Perception Of Clinical Trials, Grace Manzo

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration sets expectations on the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data. Ethnic data for Mexican Americans is often reported as “Hispanic or Latino.” Mexican Americans make up a significant percentage of “Hispanic or Latinos,” however, they remain significantly underrepresented in clinical trials. Grounded in Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this mixed-methods study investigates the relationship between satisfaction and perception of Mexican Americans who have participated in an ophthalmology clinical trial. This research aimed to understand the relationships among satisfaction with the clinical trial process, patient-reported outcomes, and …

Understanding The Role Of School Resource Officers In Addressing Students’ Mental Health Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Ryan Christopher Vinzant

Dissertations and Theses

Since the 1990s School Resource Officers (SROs) have been commonly employed in schools throughout the United States. However, their jobs may look very different depending on what setting they are in and the different administrative policies governing their work. Throughout this time, researchers have focused on the different roles that SROs have within the educational environment and how these roles are put into action when interacting with students. However, there have been limited studies exploring the role SROs play when interacting with students who are experiencing mental health problems or experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health problems have become …

Why Teachers Stay In Rural Schools: School Culture And Leadership Practices, Michael Eldridge

Dissertations and Theses

Teacher retention continues to be one of the greatest challenges that rural schools are facing across the United States. While many strategies have been implemented, such as financial incentives as a way to counter geographic isolation, there is limited information available on the impact that leadership and school culture have on a teacher’s decision to remain in a rural school. Having a stable teacher workforce in rural schools is vital in providing high quality instruction and opportunities for rural communities across the nation. Guided by Organizational Culture Theory (OCT), this qualitative comparative case study explored how school leadership practices and …

Effects Of Hurricane Weather Events On Perceived Stress, Academic Motivation, And Resilience In College Students From Louisiana, Courtney Renee Harrington

Dissertations and Theses

In the fall semester of 2020, five hurricanes were projected to make landfall along the coast of Louisiana. The following fall semester of 2021, Hurricane Ida, a major category 4 storm landed and wreaked havoc among Louisiana’s coastal universities. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of hurricane events on students’ perceived stress, academic performance, and resilience. It was hypothesized that students affected by the landfall of a hurricane would have increased stress, decreased academic motivation, and decreased resilience compared to normative college students. A cross-sectional survey was administered at two southern Louisiana universities as well as …

The Road To Winning This Battle: A Corpus Informed Exploration Of Metaphor In The National Addresses Of Leo Varadkar And Micheál Martin During The Covid-19 Pandemic (2020–2022), Caoimhe Power Gallagher

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

The first case of the novel Covid-19 virus reached the island of Ireland in February 2020. The nation-focused response was one of the most striking characteristics that most countries shared throughout the pandemic. Corpus-linguistic research on Covid-19 communication is reasonably well established across various contexts. However, it is under researched in Ireland. Building trust and a successful national response is very much dependent on how heads of government confront health emergencies through public communications. Political leaders across the world often use metaphors in their speeches to strategically control their audiences’ perceptions of various topics. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Deputy Leo …

Navigating Relationships In Social Care Practice: Student Experiences On Placement In Ireland., Louise Mcanarney Mrs, Geraldine Fay Ms.

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

The professionalisation of social care in Ireland has reshaped the sector for workers, educators and students. With the advent of CORU regulation, social care education and practice has changed dramatically, necessitating a focus on the evolution of relational processes.

Quality relationships are the cornerstone of effective social care practice and form the basis for developing other essential skills (Morrison, 2015; McSweeney & Williams, 2018; Kaushik et al., 2023).  This concept is firmly embedded within the Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers as set out by the Social Care Workers Registration Board (SCWRB). Considering the significance of interpersonal dynamics; education …

Exploring The Psychological And Emotional Impact Of Race-Based Traumatic Stress (Rbts) Among The Black Irish Community, Diekololaoluwa Amujo, Sharon Lambert Dr

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

Research indicates that racialised minorities may experience psychological distress and trauma as a result of racism and racial discrimination. Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS) describes the psychological injury that can arise from repeated racial harm and has been linked to mental health disparities among racially minoritised groups. This qualitative study explores how Black Irish individuals experience and make sense of racism, and how racial distress is sustained over time within the Irish context.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Black Irish participants who had experienced racism and sought psychological support. Data were analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021). …

From Telos To Samsāra: Happiness And The Dilemma Of Beginnings And Ends, Ayaan Nihal Unni

A with Honors Projects

The author uses Vedic concepts of happiness and enlightenment to criticize Aristotle's teleological and finite concept of human happiness.

The Efficaciousness Of Generative Ai For Integrated Stem Planning And Its Impact On Stem Teacher Self-Efficacy, Julie Ann Olson

Dissertations and Theses

With evolving workforce needs, global challenges, and national science education initiatives calling for STEM instruction with purposeful connections between the four domains, there is a need for methods to support educators facing the challenges this pedagogical approach presents. Challenges may weaken teachers' self-efficacy, potentially reducing the probability that an integrated STEM (I-STEM) pedagogy would be sustained in the classroom. There is limited research addressing how generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has been used for I-STEM lesson development, combined with its effects on I-STEM teaching self-efficacy (SE) grounded in social cognitive theory. This study investigated how GAI influences I-STEM teaching SE, when …

The Path To Information Literacy: From Finding A Topic To Writing An Annotated Bibliography, Robyn Hartman, Claire Nickerson, Heather P. Vandyne

All Open Educational Resources

This book is an adaptation of Ohio State University's Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research. It has been revised with a new introduction and learning objectives and section summaries. It also includes sections on common research assignments such as research plans, research logs, note-taking, and annotated bibliographies. The sections on evaluating resources have been expanded to include lateral reading with SIFT (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace sources) and evaluation with CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose), the 5Ws (Who What When Where Why), and BEAM (Background, Exhibit, Argument, Method). Sections on generative AI have …

The Political Economy Of Trade: Evidence From Congressional Voting On H.R. 434, Jean Msabila

Critical Letters in Economics & Finance

This paper examines how district economic interests shaped congressional voting on the Trade and Development Act of 2000, providing evidence from congressional Voting on H.R.~434. The Act expanded duty-free access for African and Caribbean exports, providing a clear case to study how trade exposure and party alignment influence legislative behaviour. Using roll-call votes and 2000 Census data. The analysis is supported by a probit model linking textile employment, farm activity, racial composition, and party affiliation to support for the bill. The research findings reveal that representatives from textile-heavy districts and Democratic legislators were less likely to vote yes, while districts …

Attitudes Toward Dementia Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ngoc Ha Vo Thi, Thuy Nga Tran Thi, Ngoc Sen Hoang Thi

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Dementia is the loss of cognitive function, including thinking, memory, and communication, due to brain disorders. The global prevalence of dementia is increasing, affecting younger populations. Caring for individuals with dementia requires preparedness to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms. As future healthcare providers, nursing students are expected to have the necessary knowledge and attitudes to support dementia patients. To describe nursing students' attitudes toward dementia and explore related factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 520 nursing students at Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy. A structured questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, academic information, knowledge, and attitudes …

Exploring Saudi Arabian Efl Teachers’ Experiences With The Flipped Classroom, Amal Bin Dlil

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Saudi teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) who implemented the flipped classroom model in a middle school context in southern Saudi Arabia. To achieve this aim, the research questions examined teachers’ descriptions of their lived experiences and perceptions of implementing the flipped classroom strategy, as well as the contextual factors that influenced these experiences in middle school classrooms. To guide the investigation, the study was informed by Active Learning Theory and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which provided a conceptual lens for examining teachers’ experiences …

Rural Black Church Leadership And Community Development In Midwest Illinois, Derrick Smith

Dissertations of Practice

This qualitative study examines the role of a rural Black church in leadership development and community sustainability within a Midwestern Illinois town. While extensive scholarship documents the historical significance of the Black church in civil rights, political mobilization, and social advocacy, limited research explores the founding of contemporary Black churches and the intentional processes through which they develop leaders and support community sustainability in rural or small-town settings. This study addresses that gap by investigating the establishment and evolution of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (NHMBC) in DeKalb, Illinois, and its impact on leadership development and Black community development.

Guided …

"Where The Grass Is Greener": Youth Participatory Action Research Examining The Lived Student Experience Through Cross-Campus Shadowing, Justin Matthew Antos

Dissertations of Practice

This Youth Participatory Action Research study examined how alumni perceive student experiences related to school culture and climate, classroom learning environments, and equity of opportunity and resources across three sister high schools within a single district. Six alumni, all recent graduates, participated in a three-day, cross-campus shadowing experience, observing classrooms and school environments, and reflecting on key similarities and differences across campuses through focus groups. Findings indicated that climate, engagement, and equity are shaped not only by curriculum, but by the interaction of policies, relationships, physical spaces, and consistency of expectations. Classrooms emphasizing interaction, relevance, and structure fostered higher engagement, …

The Veteran-Student Experience: Exploring Transition Dynamics, Brian A. Berchtold

Dissertations of Practice

Military veteran college students face unique challenges in and outside of the classroom. Few studies have examined how the transitions from military to civilian and higher education affects miliary veteran college students. Using an interpretivist qualitative study design, this study explored how military veteran college students experience their transition to civilian life and to higher education. Data was collected from 9 military veterans using interviews that were coded using thematic analysis. Themes were then reviewed by participants using a focus group. The member checked themes revolved around issues with reframing their military mindset and reacclimating to civilian life, fitting in …

Preparing Students For What Comes Next: A Qualitative Study Of District Approaches To Postsecondary And Career Readiness, Amanda C. Pelsor

Dissertations of Practice

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR WHAT COMES NEXT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF DISTRICT APPROACHES TO POSTSECONDARY AND CAREER READINESS

This qualitative study examines how Illinois school districts support students’ readiness for postsecondary success and career planning and exploration. Despite longstanding state and federal efforts to improve college and career readiness, many students continue to face challenges after high school, including lack of workforce readiness, underpreparedness for postsecondary education, unclear career pathways, and difficulty navigating complex transitions. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explores how districts conceptualize and implement career readiness frameworks, the ways readiness work is embedded within district systems, and the barriers …

What Do They Expect? Understanding Preservice Teachers' Views On A Social Studies Teaching Methodology Course, Jeanine A. Clark Bremer

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation examined preservice teachers’ expectations of their social studies methods course. Methods courses serve as a transition point helping preservice teachers to take content knowledge and learn how to use it as an educator. Social studies methods was selected due to its unique position in elementary education. It is a subject area that is no longer a core subject. Despite that, teachers are still expected to provide students with the content knowledge. The expectations matter because of how they influence preservice teachers’ approaches to the course.

As a phenomenological case study, qualitative methods were employed to better understand how …

The Lived Experiences Of Lgbtqia+ Community College Students Regarding Their Science Identity And Sense Of Belonging, Moria L. Nagy

Dissertations of Practice

A minoritized group that struggles in science, though it spans many genders, and racial/ethnic identities, are LGBTQIA+ individuals. These students face challenges such as a lack of social acceptance manifesting in microaggressions, prejudice and violence, as well as challenges in their studies due to non-inclusive curriculum. These challenges impact the learning experience of these students and reduce retention rates, especially in the sciences. In addition, the climate of social acceptance for LGBTQIA+ students at community colleges is worse than that of four-year institutes. Science identity is a complex composition of recognizing oneself as a science person, or a competent practitioner …

Walk To Learn Structured Literacy Model: Teacher Perceptions Using The Lippitt-Knoster Model For Managing Complex Change, Blake A. Hand

Dissertations of Practice

Low reading proficiency in urban districts highlights an urgent need for effective instructional systems, but research on the "Walk to Learn" (WTL) model remains sparse. This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding how teachers perceive large-scale school-wide shifts to structured literacy using WTL. The study examined teacher perceptions of implementing a differentiated WTL literacy model using the Lippitt-Knoster framework for managing complex change. This qualitative case study involved interviews with 12 certified educators at an urban elementary school. Data was analyzed using thematic coding to align findings with the components of the change management framework. Teachers perceived the implementation as …

Unh: The Magazine Of The University Of New Hampshire, Winter 2026, Unh Magazine

UNH Magazine

No abstract provided.

Etsu At-A-Glance - 2024-2025, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU At-a-Glance

No abstract provided.

Long-Distance Exchanges In The Art Of The First Millenium, Lawrence Nees

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Indo-Gothic Architecture And The Reproduction Of Medieval Political Logic In Colonial Calcutta, Sreeja Chowdhury Frsa

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Redeemed Through The Beauty Of Sacred Spaces: How “Church Crawling” Proved To Be A Gift That Never Stops Giving., Cathy Stillman-Lowe

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.