Education Commons^™

Becoming A Badass: Developing Positive Embodiment In Women, Nicole O'Connor

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Becoming a Badass: Developing Positive in Embodiment in Women Nicole O’Connor Abstract Almost everyone hates their bodies (normative discontent), but women and girls are most likely to engage in extreme behaviors to adjust their appearance. The United States’ history as a heteronormative, white supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist society contributes to myths about weight and health leading to anti-fat bias and harm on fat bodies. A focus on body image has limited the scope of research and Niva Piran’s Developmental Theory of Embodiment offers an alternative framework for healing normative discontent. As a woman living in a large body, the author interviewed …

Empowering And Educating Lgbtq+ Middle Schoolers Through Intentional Instruction Of Queer Topics In Gsa Clubs, John Gallagher

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

For decades, GSA clubs have provided LGBTQ+ students with a safe space within their schools to connect with other queer students, and seek guidance from the club adviser(s). GSA clubs offer a vital learning opportunity for students to learn more about queer topics, which often are not discussed with their families at home. However, there is a considerable lack of accessible and ready to use curriculum for GSA clubs, particularly at the middle school level. This capstone creates a cohesive and logically sequenced curriculum of ten lessons about LGBTQ+ topics to be used for middle school GSA clubs. The lessons …

Helping Female And Nonbinary Identifying Students Grow Confidence In The Science Classroom, Mari Mcdonald

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone is titled “Helping Female and Nonbinary Identifying Students Grow Confidence in the Science Classroom”. The focus is on finding and sharing resources that will help girls and nonbinary students feel encouraged, interested, and motivated to pursue studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and careers. This topic is influenced by the author’s experience as a female student studying science in school, as someone with two science teacher parents, and as a female high school science teacher. First hand experience influenced this topic greatly. A literature review was conducted to research what has been done to improve this …

How Can Culturally-Responsive Instruction Help Middle And High School Teachers Address Muslim Students' Needs?, Mona Aly

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explores how middle and high school teachers can create positive relationships with Muslim students by using culturally responsive instruction. Educators must understand that Muslim students have unique cultural identities based on their religious beliefs. Regardless of nationality, language, skin color, or cultural background, all Muslims are bound by these Islamic cultural practices. These practices directly impact students’ academic progress, social life, and self-esteem. By familiarizing themselves with these cultural and religious practices, teachers can better relate to Muslim students and address their social and academic needs. I seek answers to this research question by discussing four main …

A Black Woman’S Road To Principalship: An Autoethnography, Daria Caldwell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the perceived barriers of Black women in educational leadership. Majority of the research in the educational field pertaining to women is generalized in various ways and are not specific to Black women. With Black women in educational leadership on the rise, more research is needed for and by Black women to help successfully navigate educational leadership. During the last decade, African American women have pioneered and forged new frontiers as educational leaders (Rusher, 1996). This study included four Black women in educational leadership in different school districts in Minnesota. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews as well …

The Benefits Of Incorporating Comprehensive Sex Education Into A Curriculum As Early As Kindergarten, Emma Laughlin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that there are a variety of benefits that students, schools, and communities experience when comprehensive sex education is implemented. These benefits include positive changes in student mental and sexual health, positive changes in violence reduction amongst students, and positive changes in community norms. The capstone project created as a result of this research is a website that advocates for comprehensive sex education in the state of Minnesota. The website is meant to be a resource for both parents and educators to learn about comprehensive curriculum, the current sex education standards and where they are lacking, and to …

The Power Of Language And Its Integral Role In Lgbtq+ Inclusion In Education, Jay Carr

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Abstract

Carr, J. (2021). The Power of Language and Its Integral Role in LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education Language plays a central role in our daily lives; it is through language that we name, identify, and differentiate everyone and everything in our world. It is through language that dominant, heteronormative discourses have been established surrounding gender and sexuality. Heteronormativity positions heterosexual and cisgender (identifying with the sex / gender assigned at birth) identities as normal and natural, while excluding and oppressing LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer / questioning, + other non-conforming identities) individuals. Despite a heavy push for ‘diversity’ and …

The Work-Life Balance Of A Single Mother And Secondary School Principal, Amy Cochran

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

As more women enter the workforce and move into leadership positions, understanding the conflicts between balancing work and family life is essential. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to focus on the lived experiences of single mother, secondary school principals and how they face the challenges of balancing work and family. Through semi-structured interviews, the study focused on four single mother secondary school principals. It aimed to answer the research question: What are the internal and external drivers of effective single-parent female secondary school principals that allow them to face the challenges of balancing work and family? The …

Shifting Literacy Methods And Teaching Practices To Improve Equity In Schools For Black Girls, Danae Ross

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Throughout the United States’ history, Black girls and women have found themselves as one of America’s most oppressed groups due to the systemic discrimination of both their race and gender. This problem still persists today and has made schools a place for oppression against Black girls from the time they enter the school system in kindergarten, creating low self-esteem, a feeling of alienation, and a disdain for the school system. Using an intersectional lens, this capstone explores the oppression of Black girls from the past to the present, beginning with slavery and ending with criminalization and the school-to-prison pipeline. This …

The Lost Boys: An Exploration Of The Male Gender Gap And Its Causes, Derek Swart

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The male gender gap refers to a discrepancy between achievement and investment levels of male and female students. Demonstrated through a variety of metrics such as graduation rates, grade point average, enrollment in Advanced Placement courses, special education identification, and behavioral intervention, male students demonstrate lower levels of academic success than female students. Factors influencing this gap appear to include social factors such as male disinclination to orient peer relationships around academic topics, internal factors such as lower measured time spent on study or homework in males, and different academic expectations for males and females from their teachers. This project …

Being Mila: Creating An Lgbtq Curriculum That Is Authentic, Follows Policies And Ethics, And Teaches Acceptance, Tam Friestad

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The literature and curriculum used in the classroom needs to change to reflect the students that are being taught. With the number of students and families being impacted by LGBTQ issues, one teacher decided to create a project addressing the research question of: How can I create an LGBTQ curriculum that is authentic, follows policies and ethics, and teaches acceptance? It will document the creation of a children’s book about a transgender child, as well as an accompanying Teacher Resource Guide. The author uses related literature reviews to create a book and resource guide that is authentic and developmentally appropriate. …

Queering Undergraduate Admission: A Framework To Evaluate And Address Bias Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, And Queer Students In Undergraduate Admission Practices, Ann Marie Bigley

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project is, how can admission offices uncover and address biases in the admission process that impact students who identify as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer (LGBTQ) community? It documents the author’s creation of an evidenceinformed evaluative framework for undergraduate admissions offices to identify bias against LGBTQ students. The framework is derived from the Young et. al. (2017) framework for diversity recruitment and incorporates a Feminist Theory lens. The Capstone provides literature supporting the value of assessing undergraduate admission practices and policies for bias against LGBTQ students and the need …

Lead Like A Pirate: Fostering Leadership Development In Kindergarten Through Third Grade Girls, Jennifer Endres

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how can a summer day camp foster leadership development in kindergarten through third grade girls? It documents the author’s creation of a two­week summer day camp as an innovative and fun way to begin leadership development in young girls. The “Lead like a Pirate” camp includes a variety of activities to expose young girls to skills that most highly resonate with leadership and overall future success, including: self­esteem and confidence, grit and growth mindset, communication, vulnerability, self­reflection and creativity. The girls will be encouraged to take risks and step out of their …

Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Single Gender Classroom In An Elementary School Setting, Jade Phillips

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what factors should parents consider before choosing a single gender classroom for their child? The author researched biological differences of boys and girls as found by Dr. Leonard Sax as well as perceptions and realities of boys and girls who have been exposed to single gender classrooms as seen in work by Rosemary Salomone and Michael Gurian. Qualitative and Quantitative research was conducted and the author discovered that students and teachers unanimously disagree with single gender classrooms for a variety of reasons.

How Can A Self-Esteem Curriculum In A Mathematics Classroom Increase The Confidence And Ability Of Female Students?, Shelly Jean Chermack

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The teacher in this research decided to look at both single-sex groups and self-esteem curriculum and how they can help female students’ confidence, self-esteem, self-concept, and math grades or ability. Over the course of a quarter, the teacher incorporated self-esteem and community building activities that are identified and the subjects (high school geometry students) were given pre- and post-assessments as well as surveys to assess their emotional states in terms of selfesteem and self-concept. The participants were given surveys at the beginning and the end of the research and comparisons were sought between the two surveys.

Teacher Sustainability Cultural Wealth Among Suburban Educators Of Color, Verna Wong

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how do teachers of color sustain themselves in a profession that struggles to retain teachers? It utilized bell hooks’s feminist theory to look at the challenges and strengths of teachers through gender, race and class intersections. Because retention is a concern, especially among teachers of color, the ndings describe how teachers utilized cultural wealth to strengthen their capacity to stay in their profession. Tara Yosso (2005) denes cultural wealth as “an array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist macro and micro …

The Emotional Effect Of Same Sex Grouping, Katherine Barwacz Heidrick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how do gender roles affect the achievement of school-aged children? It documents one teachers research in her fifth grade classroom by creating a curriculum related challenge that students worked on in mixed gender groups and same gender groups. The author documents the details of the research literature review in order to analyze and validate the study. The action research portion included surveys that students responded to, asking them to reflect over their experience. In conclusion, the author describes both successes and struggles of working with mixed and same gender groups and concludes …

Achievement In Mathematics And Self-Concept Among Gifted Female High School Seniors, Leah M. Battin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The author sought to explore the research question, What is the relationship between mathematics achievement and self-concept of gifted female high school seniors? Review of the literature included discussions of definitions and stereotypes of giftedness, gender differences in math/STEM attitudes and achievement, malleable versus fixed intelligence and ability in math, self-concept, and stereotype threat. The author worked with gifted female high school students at a summer camp for gifted students in South Dakota. Participants were recruited from the group of young women who had finished the camp in 2014. Of 20 young women contacted, five returned letters of consent. A …