Education Commons^™

Not Just Cheap Labor: A Critical Mixed Methods Assessment Of Working Learner Supervision To Advance Equitable Work-Integrated Learning, Jonathan D. Fuller

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how supervisory relationships shape the quality of on-campus student employment (OCSE) as a work-integrated learning (WIL) experience, with particular attention to the experiences of working learners (i.e., student employees). Situated in response to growing student demand for meaningful, career-relevant work opportunities in college, the study investigates how universities can leverage existing OCSE roles to expand access to WIL. Using a mixed methods explanatory social justice design, the research integrates working learner responses (N = 478) to the Student Supervisor Support Measure with interviews of students and supervisors in relationships characterized as both supportive and cross-identity.

Survey …

The Influence Of Metacognition On College Readiness And Persistence, Michael L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the influence that metacognition has on college readiness and its most traditionally used metrics: performance-based outcomes and persistence. Specifically, this study addressed to what degree underlying metacognitive structures differ between college students’ successful metrics of performance and persistence compared to a more general sample of college students.

The research characterized metacognition along three domains of analysis: (a) selfefficacy/ motivation, (b) soft skills/psychological capital (Psycap), and (c) expected value of control (EVC). The quantitative study included 54 college students and a crosssectional design. Participants completed a four-part Likert-style survey, where their responses were measured along the three …

La Enseñanza En Línea Para Superar La Deficiencia En El Aprendizaje De La Biología En Estudiantes Del Primer Año De Una Universidad En Puerto Rico, Sergio Medina Ríos

Theses and Dissertations

Esta investigación aplicada se desarrolló a partir de una preocupación concreta observada por el investigador en su trayectoria como educador universitario en Puerto Rico: la dificultad persistente de los estudiantes de primer año para comprender conceptos fundamentales en biología. Muchos de estos jóvenes ingresan a la universidad con lagunas formativas que limitan su aprovechamiento académico, especialmente en disciplinas científicas que demandan razonamiento crítico y conceptualización abstracta.

Frente a esta realidad, el estudio propuso la implementación de estrategias de enseñanza en línea como respuesta pedagógica a dicha deficiencia. Con base en la experiencia adquirida en la impartición de cursos virtuales, se …

Percepciones De Los Terapistas De Habla Y Lenguaje En La Colaboración Con Maestros De Sala Regular Sobre La Alfabetización De Estudiantes De Nivel Elemental En Las Escuelas Públicas De Puerto Rico, Karma Marrero Torres

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue conocer el entendimiento que poseen los Terapistas del Habla y Lenguaje (THL) respecto a sus roles y responsabilidades como proveedores de servicios a estudiantes con impedimentos del lenguaje. De igual forma, identificar qué nivel de experiencia y conocimiento brindan los THL durante el proceso de colaboración al establecer metas y brindar alfabetización en el salón de clases y en la terapia e indagar cuáles eran las percepciones de los terapistas del habla y lenguaje con respecto a la colaboración con los maestros al brindar alfabetización a estudiantes con desórdenes del lenguaje.

Para esta disertación …

Effect Of Employees’ Breakfast Choices On Energy Levels In The Hispanic Population Working In Healthcare In South Florida, Jennifer Rivas

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the effect of employees’ breakfast choices on perceived energy levels among Hispanic healthcare workers in South Florida. As breakfast consumption has been widely associated with cognitive function, productivity, and metabolic stability, this research focused on understanding how specific breakfast patterns influence daily energy in a population that plays a critical role in regional healthcare delivery.

A qualitative survey was developed by the researcher and was used to collect data from Hispanic employees working in a variety of healthcare settings. Participants completed a structured survey assessing breakfast habits, nutritional quality, frequency of consumption, and …

Instructional Systems Design In Lesson Planning For Substance Use Treatment Groups: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study, Michelle Robin Gould

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored lesson planning for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment groups, investigating the presence of components from the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) instructional systems design (ISD) process in routine facilitator lesson planning practices. Using an exploratory mixed-methods convergent parallel design, data were collected via an online survey featuring closed- and open-ended questions regarding self-reported planning activities and perceived effectiveness. Quantitative analysis confirmed that SUD facilitators perform tasks associated with all five ADDIE phases. Qualitative findings showed that facilitators perceive themselves as effective planners despite logistical and organizational constraints. However, facilitators do not appear to conceptually link instructional …

El Liderazgo Escolar En La Reconstrucción Educativa: Estrategias Para Mitigar El Impacto De Desastres Naturales En Escuelas Secundarias, Marisol Pardo Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Los terremotos ocurridos en Puerto Rico en enero de 2020 tuvieron un efecto devastador sobre el sistema educativo, particularmente en el municipio de Guánica, donde la destrucción de escuelas secundarias interrumpió la continuidad del aprendizaje y generó un marcado rezago académico. Este contexto crítico reveló la necesidad de explorar el papel del liderazgo escolar en la mitigación de las consecuencias de los desastres naturales sobre el rendimiento y la motivación estudiantil. El propósito de esta disertación aplicada fue analizar cómo las prácticas de liderazgo ejercidas por directores escolares influyen en la recuperación educativa de estudiantes en escuelas secundarias con ofrecimiento …

The Implementation Of Small Group Direct Instruction For Reading Domains Of Second- Grade Students, Tarmeka Smith-Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored how implementing small-group direct instruction in an elementary school setting affected the reading performance of second-grade students. The study examined how organized small-group direct instruction can elevate students’ reading achievement in phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Over a six week instructional period, a mixed-methods research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data.

Pretest and posttest students’ reading assessments were collected using quantitative data, while teachers' weekly reflections and surveys were collected using qualitative data. A total of 30 students identified as struggling readers, and three second-grade teachers who implemented small-group direct instruction participated in …

Student Centered Approaches To Analyzing Engagement And Discourse, Kamil Hankour

Theses and Dissertations

Student engagement and participation in classroom discourse are widely recognized as powerful predictors of meaningful science learning, yet students’ own perspectives on the factors that shape their engagement and participation are currently underexamined. Prior research has established strong links between engagement, discourse and outcomes such as academic achievement (Bae & DeBusk-Lane, 2019; Fredricks et al., 2004; Sedova et al., 2019), but less is known about how students understand and interpret their experiences across individual, group-level and classroom contexts, particularly within historically marginalized populations (Cook-Sather, 2013; Schaefer et al., 2024). This three paper dissertation advances a line of inquiry integrating a …

From Cultural Binaries To Coexistence: A Graphic Autoethnography Of Individualism And Collectivism In An International Context, Shahad Alsubaie

Theses and Dissertations

This arts-based autoethnographic study investigates individualism and collectivism, specifically through my study-abroad experience traveling from Saudi Arabia to the United States. Through arts-based reflective practice, I depicted the diasporic experience of being ontoepistemologically collectivistic while navigating a primarily individualistic society. I use the medium of a graphic memoir to illustrate and develop frameworks of confluence that embrace the two distinct cultural orientations simultaneously. This arts-based self-study not only contributes to the body of transnational scholarship but also serves as a reference for international students, researchers, and educators to use arts-based subgenres and data analysis methods to gain better insights into …

Dodgeballs And Dragons: Gamified Live Theatre In The Service Of Community Betterment, Teddy Mcpherson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis qualifies and documents a new genre of interdisciplinary, interactive theatre called Dodgeballs and Dragons. It covers a brief history of Dungeons and Dragons and Theatre of the Oppressed (the two foundational works for the new genre) as well as previous uses of D&D as a form of theatrical entertainment. After establishing the precedence used to create this product, the rest of the thesis breaks down how to write, lead, and play these shows on a regular basis. The document culminates in collected data providing concrete evidence for the future of the form and its many applications.

The Interaction Between Academic Self-Efficacy And Social Support: Exploring Moderation Effects On Academic Performance And Emotional Well-Being During The Transition To Secondary School, Luis Josué Ortiz Martes

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to secondary school can intensify academic demands and emotional strain, making it a critical context for examining students’ psychological and social resources. This applied dissertation examined whether perceived social support (SS) moderates the association among academic self-efficacy (ASE), academic performance (AP) and emotional well-being (EWB) among seventh-grade students at a private, multilingual school in Puerto Rico. Using a time-lagged, nonexperimental correlational design, 14 students completed the academic subscale of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) and the Social Support Appraisals Scale (SS-A) at the start of the academic year; EWB was assessed at midyear with the Negative and …

Relación Entre El Liderazgo Situacional En Directores Escolares Y Nivel De Competencias Digitales Integrando Los Estándares Iste-El En Escuelas Ore Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Mayra Enid Rodríguez Romero

Theses and Dissertations

Esta investigación examinó la relación entre el liderazgo situacional en directores escolares y el nivel de competencias digitales, integrando los Estándares ISTE para Líderes Educativos (ISTE-EL) y la Teoría de Liderazgo Situacional, en escuelas del sistema público pertenecientes a la Oficina Regional Educativa de Arecibo, Puerto Rico, durante la pandemia del COVID-19. El estudio surgió ante la necesidad de comprender cómo los directores escolares respondieron a la transición abrupta de un modelo educativo presencial a uno virtual en un contexto caracterizado por limitaciones estructurales, tecnológicas y organizacionales. Se empleó un diseño cuantitativo de alcance descriptivo-correlacional, con una muestra de 30 …

Kindergarten Through Third-Grade Teachers’ Experiences With State-Level Literacy Coaching Support: A Phenomenological Qualitative Research Study, Nicole Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative applied dissertation was designed to provide insight into the experiences of kindergarten through third-grade general education teachers when supported by state-level literacy coaches. State-level literacy coaches are assigned to specific elementary schools and offer embedded professional development and professional learning opportunities to enhance literacy instruction and promote professional growth among elementary teachers. Although many kindergarten through third-grade general education teachers in literacy support schools see state-level coaching support as beneficial, some teachers deem this support as punitive and are reluctant to collaborate with coaches.

Teachers' experiences with literacy coaches have been viewed as a component in the …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Its Role In Maximizing Students’ Performance On Standardized Tests, Keisha Ricketts-Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to highlight the importance of pedagogy for cultural responsiveness, and to explore the relationship between such pedagogy and middle school students’ performance on state or standardized tests. Therefore, this study explores the educational or academic values that students will gain from being engaged in a learning environment that recognizes their culture and uses it as a tool to maximizing their educational outcomes.

This research employed convergent parallel mixed method design. Therefore, it implemented the qualitative and quantitative approach at the same time and placed equivalent worth to the information collected by each approach. Therefore, the …

Análisis De La Relación Entre Las Competencias Digitales Y El Rendimiento Académico En Estudiantes De La Carrera De Educación En Un Centro Universitario De La Región Este De La República Dominicana, Ángel Erich Cedano Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada examinó la relación entre las competencias digitales y el rendimiento académico en la formación docente de la República Dominicana. El estudio abordó la escasez de evidencia empírica en el Centro Universitario de la Región Este, situación que limita el desarrollo de políticas educativas y estrategias pedagógicas fundamentadas en datos locales.

Se empleó un diseño cuantitativo, no experimental, correlacional y transeccional con una muestra de 120 estudiantes de las menciones en Educación Básica, Inicial y Física. Los datos se recolectaron mediante el Cuestionario para el estudio de la Competencia Digital del Alumnado de Educación Superior (CDAES) y los …

Adaptación De Los Docentes A Las Tecnologías En Educación A Distancia En Tiempos Del Covid-19, Kristy Rivera Crespo

Theses and Dissertations

El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar el nivel de conocimiento, el papel del apoyo institucional y el grado de satisfacción de los docentes de enfermería ante la integración de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en la educación a distancia durante la pandemia del COVID-19, en una universidad ubicada en la región oeste de Puerto Rico.

Las preguntas de investigación se centraron en: (a) determinar el nivel de conocimiento que poseen los docentes sobre las TIC y las plataformas virtuales; (b) analizar el papel de la institución universitaria en el proceso de adopción y desarrollo de …

Examining Language In Exclusionary Discipline Practices: A Mixed Methods Study Of A Medium Florida School District, Kathleen A. Wonnell

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined office discipline referrals and the language used by teachers when describing disciplinary incidents. Additionally, it explored the coding assigned by administrators to these office discipline referrals and how those codes impacted the consequences assigned, possibly contributing to the use of exclusionary discipline. This mixed-methods study sought to contribute to the body of research on exclusionary discipline and disproportionate disciplinary outcomes. Office discipline referrals that resulted in exclusionary discipline in two comprehensive high schools were examined and administrators from the same schools who are responsible for coding disciplinary incidents were interviewed.

Themes that emerged from examining the …

Rutas De Graduación Y Transición Postsecundaria: Conocimiento Y Percepción De Los Padres De Estudiantes Con Diversidad Funcional En El Área Central De Puerto Rico, Lyneiza E. Collazo Colón

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito examinar el nivel de conocimiento de los padres sobre las rutas de graduación para estudiantes con diversidad funcional en la región central de Puerto Rico, analizar su percepción sobre la efectividad de dichas rutas en la transición postsecundaria y determinar el tipo de relación entre ambas variables.

Se utilizó un enfoque cuantitativo, con un diseño no experimental, transversal, con alcance descriptivo-correlacional. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 72 padres, madres y encargados de estudiantes en transición postsecundaria, seleccionados mediante muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Se administró un cuestionario de elaboración propia con una escala tipo …

Screen Time Use, Reading Achievement, And Thinking Maps: A Correlational Study Of Fifth-Grade Students, Morgan Brooke Unger

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was the fixation of screen time among fifth-grade students at a kindergarten to Grade 12 private school in South Florida. By the time children reach age 12, 69% of adolescents own a smartphone. The purpose of this study was designed to determine (a) the relationship between screen time use and reading achievement among fifth graders, (b) the relationship between parents’ awareness of their child’s screen time use and their child’s actual screen time use, and (c) how well fifth-grade students’ Thinking Maps illustrate the problems associated with screen time fixation at a kindergarten to …

Conocimiento, Formación Y Autoeficacia De Los Docentes Regulares En El Manejo De La Autorregulación Emocional De Estudiantes Con Trastorno Del Espectro Autista, Yalinette Negrín Carrión

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de esta investigación fue analizar el nivel de conocimiento, la formación profesional y la autoeficacia de los docentes regulares de la escuela elemental, así como examinar las relaciones existentes entre estos factores y la implementación de estrategias de intervención educativa orientadas a la autorregulación emocional en estudiantes con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). El presente estudio adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no experimental, de tipo transeccional descriptivo-correlacional. Este diseño permitió describir las características de los fenómenos educativos y analizar las relaciones existentes entre variables sin manipularlas. Las variables del estudio fueron el conocimiento docente sobre el …

Why Educators In South Florida Are Leaving The Profession, Keyona Burnes

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to current information for the students and staff in a middle school. The printed materials located in the school’s media center were outdated, scarce, or inadequate. Electronic databases were available in the media center for online searching and information retrieval. However, the students did not know how to use databases as a source for completing class assignments or how to browse within these online services to find additional information. Teachers also did not know how to use electronic information to enrich their lessons.

The researcher developed lesson plans and strategies to …

Estrategias Lúdicas Como Didáctica En La Formación Especializada De Licenciados En Educación Infantil, Fe Rosalía Alba Veloz

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue explorar la percepción que poseen los docentes acerca del uso de estrategias lúdicas como recurso didáctico en la formación especializada de los estudiantes de la Licenciatura en Educación Infantil, y cómo dichas percepciones inciden en sus prácticas áulicas dentro de una universidad pública en República Dominicana. La investigación se fundamentó en teorías constructivistas, particularmente en el enfoque Histórico-Cultural de Vygotsky y en la noción de zona de desarrollo próximo, además de los aportes de diversos autores que han resaltado la importancia de vincular teoría y práctica, reconocer el papel de las emociones en el …

La Influencia De Los Videojuegos En El Rendimiento Académico En El Condado De Fairfax Virginia, Wilmary Soto Vélez

Theses and Dissertations

Este estudio cuantitativo, de enfoque descriptivo y correlacional, examinó la influencia del uso de los videojuegos en el rendimiento académico de estudiantes de nivel elemental en una escuela pública del condado de Fairfax, Virginia. La investigación surge ante la preocupación institucional por los bajos resultados obtenidos en las pruebas estandarizadas Standards of Learning (SOL) durante los últimos ocho años, lo que motivó el interés por analizar la relación entre el uso de los videojuegos y el desempeño escolar de los estudiantes.

El propósito principal fue determinar si existe una correlación entre el tiempo y la forma en que los estudiantes …

Factores Del Liderazgo Y Su Incidencia En La Toma De Decisiones Del Personal De Enfermería En Organizaciones Hospitalarias En Puerto Rico, Rebecca Rosado Adorno

Theses and Dissertations

El liderazgo en enfermería ocupa un lugar central en la atención al paciente y en la organización del cuidado. En este estudio se analizó la percepción del profesional de enfermería sobre su papel como líder servidor y su vínculo con el liderazgo ejercido por administradores y supervisores. El marco teórico se sustentó en la propuesta de Robert K. Greenleaf (1977), quien considera que el liderazgo servidor surge de un deseo genuino de servir a la colectividad y no al interés individual. Desde esta perspectiva, el profesional de enfermería orienta sus decisiones a las necesidades del paciente, procurando satisfacerlas de manera …

A Case Study Of Employees’ Perception Of Leadership Styles In Law Firms, Naylet M. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored employees' perceptions of their supervisors’ leadership styles and how those perceptions shape their job performance and satisfaction within a mid-sized personal injury law firm operating across multiple offices in the Southeastern United States. The effectiveness of leadership styles in law firms significantly influences employee performance, productivity, and organizational success, yet the unique contextual factors of legal practice environments have remained substantially underexplored in the leadership literature. Much of the existing research has focused on general organizational settings rather than the knowledge-intensive, hierarchical, and high-pressure dynamics that characterize law firms. This applied dissertation was designed to address …

Exploring The Benefits Of Virtual Learning Environments For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kenton Louis-Jean

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological applied dissertation explored the lived experiences of K–5 teachers who worked with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in virtual learning environments. As virtual instruction became increasingly prevalent in K–12 education, limited research had examined how teachers adapted instructional practices to meet the cognitive, sensory, and engagement needs of students with ASD in online settings. This study addressed that gap by examining educators' firsthand perspectives on implementing virtual instruction for students with ASD.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight K–5 teachers who had experience teaching students with ASD in virtual or hybrid learning environments. Participants …

Balancing Care And Chaos: A Phenomenological Study On The Emotional And Mental Health Challenges Of Emergency Department Nurses, Shantilee Green

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of emergency department nurses related to emotional and mental health challenges, coping with stress, and ways to provide them with better workplace support. Emergency department nurses are required to work 12-hour shifts in a high-stress environment with a significant patient load and an inadequate patient-to-nurse ratio. Emergency department nurses are exposed daily to patient events that can be traumatic and affect their mental and emotional health, and nurses may find it challenging to cope with the resultant stress.

The researcher created an interview protocol of 14 questions to …

First-Year Academic Success Strategies For Student Veterans, Vincent Ciarla

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of student veterans regarding academic success strategies during their first year of college. The study was guided by three research questions examining perceived difficulties, needed support systems, and overall transition experiences. Five student veterans who had successfully completed their first year at a community college participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using multi-cycle coding procedures, including open coding, pattern coding, and cross-case analysis, resulting in the identification of recurring themes.

Findings indicated that participants experienced initial confusion related to institutional processes, challenges navigating educational benefits, and difficulty adjusting to differences …

Planes De Sucesión En Los Hospitales De La Región Metro De Puerto Rico, Eddie Correa Medina

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada ha sido diseñada con el propósito de conocer las percepciones, experiencias, vivencias y conocimientos de los líderes y gerentes en enfermería sobre la implementación de los planes de sucesión en los hospitales del área metropolitana de Puerto Rico. La utilidad de esta investigación parte del argumento que tienen estos planes para mejorar la retención de empleados, facilitar la transferencia de conocimientos, evitar la rotación excesiva en puestos críticos, entre otros elementos. En el primer capítulo se presentó la introducción de la disertación, lo que incluyó aspectos como el propósito, objetivos, audiencia, rol del investigador, contribuciones al campo …