Education Commons^™

Master’S Students: Experiences, Transitions, And Needs In The College Of Education, Brandi L. Sanchez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the experiences, transitions, and needs of first-year master’s students in education. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Model, the study examines how students perceive shifts in academic rigor, workload, and the increased self-direction required in graduate education. The case study used three data collection methods: semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observations that provided insights into the student perception of master’s students studying education’s experience, transition, and needs. Additionally, this case study enabled exploration of the research questions across six types of master’s programs within the College of Education. By focusing on the first year of graduate study, …

Understanding The User Approach In Introductory Accounting: Insights From Practice, Leigh C. Moon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The accounting profession faces an insufficient supply of accounting majors to meet the demands of industry. While the number of accounting majors has historically been cyclical, professional accounting organizations and educational institutions have continually sought ways to increase the number of accounting majors. One area that has received continuous attention has been introductory accounting courses because of their ability to both attract and deter possible accounting majors. Discussions and studies around the approaches of teaching introductory accounting have mostly focused on quantitative outcomes, with researchers demonstrating that the user approach does not negatively impact students. However, the user approach has …

Beyond Alumni Dollars: Developing Engagement With Graduate Alumni, Kyra J. Snyder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alumni engagement plays an increasingly important role in supporting graduate program mission, reputation, and long-term sustainability. Despite its recognized value, limited research examines alumni engagement within graduate level programs from a practitioner perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of alumni engagement among alumni, faculty, and staff within the University of South Florida (USF) Physician Assistant Program and to identify any needs or gaps in current engagement opportunities. This study employed a survey-based research design to gather data from two stakeholder groups from the USF PA Program: alumni and faculty/staff. A review of program records provided data …

Understanding Math-Anxious Teachers' Stories Of Comfort, Competence, And Confidence With Learning And Teaching Mathematics, Deborah Peart Crayton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Math anxiety is a complex issue that affects students and teachers. It has been researched for decades, but the focus has often been on addressing math anxiety in students, while finding solutions to support elementary teachers experiencing math anxiety has been overlooked. This study fills a gap in existing research by shedding light on math anxiety in elementary education and highlighting ways to address it by leveraging existing structures that support professional development. This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the experiences of four elementary educators who identify as math-anxious and how they report that math anxiety impacts their confidence in teaching …

Analysis Of The Yeast Surface Display Platform As A Tool For Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylation Assays, Alexandra Maritza Tang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Developing and optimizing platforms to study complex protein-protein interactions is important to maintain fidelity of the modeled activity. Yeast surface display has been used as a high-throughput platform to model substrate phosphorylation by tyrosine kinases, a key enzymatic process that is essential for most cell signaling pathways. However, existing characteristics of the yeast surface display platform limit the ease-of-use, reproducibility, and feasibility of screening enzymatic modification processes like tyrosine phosphorylation. The cytoplasmic domain of T cell costimulatory receptor CD28 and lymphocyte kinase (LCK) were used as a model enzyme-substrate pair to showcase molecular cloning issues that can hinder reproducibility and …

Les Ambiguïtés Genrées Dans Certains Contes De Charles Perrault À Travers Le Motif De Troubles Alimentaires : Adhérence Nuancée Aux Valeurs Patriarcales Du 17e Siècle., Jacqueline D. Merveille

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ce mémoire propose une relecture de plusieurs contes de Charles Perrault à partir des troubles et comportements alimentaires – anorexie, vomissement, cannibalisme – envisagés comme dispositifs narratifs genrés. Ces motifs constituent un système symbolique par lequel Perrault met en scène les tensions de genre propres à un ordre patriarcal de la fin du dix-septième siècle, sans jamais les résoudre de façon univoque.

L’étude montre d’abord que Perrault attribue à des princes adolescents une pathologie historiquement féminisée : l’anorexie. L’inappétence amoureuse des héros de Peau d’Âne, Cendrillon et La Belle au bois dormant est interprétée, à la lumière de la psychanalyse, …

Growth Mindset And Practice Strategy In Expert Pianists, Yiling Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth mindset is often theorized to support persistence, strategic learning, and reflective regulation, yet little is known about whether growth mindset differentiates how expert pianists organize and evaluate their practice strategies. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine whether expert pianists’ growth mindset beliefs relate to multidimensional practice strategy effectiveness and usage and to metacognitive indicators of adaptive regulation, including strategy adaptability, self-monitoring effectiveness, confidence in strategy selection, and the illusion of fluency (feeling well prepared in practice yet underperforming in performance). Participants were 90 expert pianists (piano faculty members at North American universities classified as Research 1) who …

Exploring Graduate Nursing Students’ Learning Experiences, Perceived Cognitive Loads, And Attitudes Toward Immersive Virtual Reality (Ivr) In Clinical Training Environments, Pranam Parsanlal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Simulation-based education (SBE) is a widely used learning method in nursing education to develop clinical skills, while in recent years, immersive virtual reality (IVR) has become a sought-after SBE method. There is a significant need to understand how to support IVR integration. Previous research suggests exploring students’ perceptions and experiences toward IVR holistically and comprehensively to understand how to integrate IVR into nursing educational practices. This explanatory sequential mixed methods research study aimed to explore the learning experiences, perceived cognitive loads, and attitudes toward IVR of 11 graduate nursing students in an IVR clinical training environment. To explore perceptions, students …

From Behind The Screen: Evaluating Teachers' Perceptions Of Online Professional Learning, Kathryn A. Rutledge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, online teacher professional learning has become a common format. However, in the large rural school district in central Florida where I work, the rising enrollment in online professional learning contrasted with declining completion rates among participants. My qualitative research study sought to explain why teachers’ perceptions of effective professional learning differ and why some teachers who enroll in asynchronous online professional learning courses fail to complete them. Using narrative inquiry, I collected data through qualitative questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with six teachers representing varied educational backgrounds. Analysis of the six participants’ interviews revealed five central themes: challenges …

Inside The System, Outside The Circle: A Parent-Educator’S Journey Of Navigating Through Systemic Oppression While Advocating For Her Son With A Learning Disability, Sanora L. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study examines how I, as a Black parent-educator, navigated racialized and ableist educational systems while advocating for my child with a learning disability. Grounded in Disability Studies in Education, DisCrit, Critical Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, and Black Feminist Thought, the study explores how systemic inequities shape parent–teacher collaboration and how advocacy functions as relational care and resistance. The guiding research question asked how I experienced and navigated collaboration within racialized and ableist special education systems. Data sources included reflective journals, IEP documents, personal narratives, and dialogic conversations with critical friends. Using composite narratives and thematic analysis, the …

The Role Of Campus Symbols In College Student Belonging: A Photo-Elicitation And Photovoice Qualitative Study, Abigail W. Bradley-Tyler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the impact of campus symbols on the sense of belonging among second-year students at a public, four-year institution in Florida. This topic is relevant as there is a lack of research about positive or neutral campus symbols. Using sense of belonging and symbolic interactionism as theoretical frameworks, this study investigates how students interpret and emotionally connect with university symbols, including campus mascots, monuments, personnel, and campus traditions and rituals. Using photo-elicitation and photovoice interviews, participants engaged with photographs of official university symbols and captured images representing their campus experience. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, the …

Role Conflict And Burnout: How Can Employed Graduate Students Thrive, Not Just Survive?, Eric M. Douthirt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates several of the multifaceted challenges faced by employed graduate students, a growing demographic within U.S. higher education. Against a backdrop of intensifying technological change, evolving labor market dynamics, and increased educational attainment, these individuals encounter pronounced school-work-family conflict (SWFC), resulting in a heightened risk for personal burnout (PB).

Building upon the job demands-resources theory, this research explores whether school-work facilitation (SWF) and student emotional engagement (EE) might attenuate the deleterious relationship between school-work-family conflict (SWFC) and personal burnout (PB), with gender and number of children included as controls.

Data from 489 participants, collected via a single cross-sectional …

Development And Initial Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Teachers’ Socioscientific Issues Instruction Perceptions, Michael Edward Mitchell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how high school science teachers perceive Socioscientific Issues (SSI) on a broad scale, including what factors shape their views of a pedagogical shift to adopt SSI. To address this critical gap, I constructed the Teachers’ Socioscientific Issues (SSI) Perceptions Survey (TSPS), the first instrument specifically designed and initially validated to measure teacher perceptions of SSI integration. This study presents the development and validation of the TSPS, offering robust evidence for its reliability, fairness, and construct validity.

Survey development adhered to gold-standard psychometric protocols (Bandalos, 2018; Crocker & Algina, 1986; DeVellis, 2012; McCoach et al., 2013) and …

Saudi Early Childhood Teacher Educators’ And Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives Of Early Field Experiences, Amani M. Alodwani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explores how teacher educators perceive the integration of field experiences within the curriculum and their perspectives on the preservice early childhood education (ECE) teachers they supervise. It also examines preservice teachers’ views regarding their field experiences and how these experiences contribute to their professional preparation. The Ministry of Education (MOE) emphasizes that teacher preparation programs should provide extended field experiences that connect theoretical coursework with practical application. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three Saudi teacher educators and four preservice teachers from Kingdom University. Thematic analysis using inductive coding was employed to identify recurring themes and differences …

Sound Practices In Human Resources: A Critical Analysis Of How Ai Applicant Screening Tools Are Used With Deaf Individuals In The Hospitality And Tourism Sector, Sherry L. Gaynor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the intersection of Career and Workforce Education, Deaf Education, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies used in hiring practices. The purpose of this research is to identify potential barriers to equitable employment for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals and to propose effective methods for evaluating and assessing AI and machine learning applications utilized in recruitment and selection processes. Although AI is increasingly embedded in human resource management (HRM), there remains a significant lack of research addressing its use with special populations. In particular, no prior studies have examined how voice recognition software, facial analysis, psychometric testing, and virtual …

Parameterizing Ion–Lipid Interactions From Local Clusters To Reproduce Experimental Bulk Properties Of Lipid Bilayers, W. Matthew Saunders

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipids are the main component of cell membranes, providing a delimiting boundary for cells from their environments or from their organelles from the cytosol. Thiscompartmentalization allows cells to maintain quite different solutions within their cells and organelles, including different mixtures dissolved ions. Consequently, these membranes are constantly flanked by complex mixtures of salts at varied concentrations. To study membrane structure, one cannot neglect the contribution of the salts in the local solution. Ions perturb bilayer structure via specific interaction with the phospholipids, primarily with the headgroups. Experimental studies of these systems are somewhat at odds — scattering experiments with different …

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives On Digital Storytelling As A Tool In Saudi Kindergarten Classrooms: A Qualitative Multicase Study, Ouhuud Alahmdi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasizes the importance of integrating digital technologies into early childhood education, with the goal of developing children’s skills for the 21st century from an early age and preparing them for the future. Digital storytelling is an effective and interactive multimodal strategy to enhance young children’s skills in the classroom. However, there is limited research examining how kindergarten teachers design and utilize digital storytelling in their classrooms. This qualitative multicase study aimed to explore how Saudi kindergarten teachers perceived and implemented digital storytelling as a tool to promote engagement and comprehension among young children. The study focused …

Geographic Patterns Of Educational Achievement: A Methodological Case Study Of Regression Modeling Approaches, Leokadia Lipien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This methodological case study introduces a novel approach to investigate the impact of student, teacher, and geographic factors on the academic achievement of virtual school students in Florida. Traditional linear regression models, and even multilevel models, often overlook spatial dependencies, which can lead to biased estimates and incomplete inferences. This research addresses this limitation by comparing a cross-classified multilevel model (CCMM) with a novel cross-classified spatial model (CCSM) that incorporates coefficients from geographically weighted regression (GWR). Utilizing secondary data from a statewide virtual school, including student demographics, teacher characteristics, and standardized test scores, along with U.S. Census Bureau data, the …

Thermal Properties Of Novel Materials, Wilarachchige D.C. Bhagya Gunatilleke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal properties play an important role in various aspects of applications of technology startingfrom the materials property determinations to device performance improvements and their safety and stability. Measurements of the thermal properties of such materials of interest pose challenges due to the demands of these measurements for determination of intrinsic materials properties. The research included in this dissertation involved both synthesis of novel materials and their measurement of thermal properties. Solid-state materials synthesis involves various synthesis and processing techniques, while specific technological applications demand synthesis of defect-free single crystals. Such synthesis techniques were explored for the research included in this …

Mathematics And Growth Mindset: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Interventions At The Post-Secondary Level, Sean E. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth mindset interventions have been implemented in academic settings for over three decades (C. S. Dweck et al., 1995a). One academic field where growth mindset may be most needed is mathematics, as it is not unusual for a student to claim, “I’m not a math person.” Notably, no meta-analysis of mindset interventions in post-secondary mathematics classrooms existed prior to the current study. To close this gap in the literature, the present study included a systematic review and meta-analysis, drawing on two search methods: Boolean and snowballing. The results from both methods were screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria. Snowballing search was hypothesized …

Surveying Secondary Ela Teachers’ Engagement With Ai-Powered Tools For Classroom Assessment, Mona Alrashidi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents profound challenges andpossibilities for educational assessment, particularly in English Language Arts (ELA), where AI- powered tools can generate the very linguistic products traditionally used as evidence of student learning. While scholarship has primarily explored theoretical frameworks and broad perceptions, a critical gap remains in understanding how secondary ELA teachers navigate and report AI integration within formative assessment workflows. This understanding is essential: formative assessment has been recommended as a strategy to mitigate AI-related challenges by prioritizing learning processes over products. Yet empirical evidence of teachers’ practices remains limited.

This exploratory study surveyed 102 …

Middle School Counselors' Perceptions Of Meeting Career Counseling Needs Of Middle School Students, Mario Oscar Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined middle school counselors' perceptions of their effectiveness in delivering career counseling to students. Middle school is a pivotal time for career exploration and planning, yet disparities in guidance persist, particularly for students not on a traditional college pathway. Guided by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, this study employed a survey method. An online survey developed by the researcher assessed counselors' time allocation across academic, career, social-emotional, and duties unrelated to their essential school counseling roles. Additionally, the survey inquired about counselors’ perceived effectiveness in meeting the career needs of diverse student populations (advanced academic, …

Literacies Of Resistance: How Florida Teachers Story Policy Navigation And Response, Katharine E. Hull

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are inundated with education legislation and the policy texts and discourses that surround them. Over nine months beginning in March 2024, I collaborated with three Florida P-12 teachers to explore their literacy practices and stories as they engaged with policy in a state that has recently passed an astounding amount of education legislation. This study explored how (1) teachers story the current policy context and their roles within it; (2) teachers use literacy practices to understand and respond to P/policies that impact their labor/working lives; and (3) teachers’ literate identities, agency, and collectivity intersect and shape one another. Guided …

Breaking The Cycle: A Teacher And Mother’S Examination Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Jessica Hinton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included Response to Intervention (RTI) as an option for determining eligibility for learning disabilities. However, there is no required structure to follow for RTI implementation. This lack of guidance leads to a lack of clarity in implementation at district and site levels. Many states use RTI as the primary indicator of whether a student needs special education services for a learning disability. RTI is a model for delivery of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The terms RTI and MTSS are often used interchangeably. For clarity, I use MTSS-RTI to …

The Relationship Between Perceived And Actual Knowledge Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support/Response To Intervention (Mtss/Rti) In Middle School Principals In Florida, Susan L. Sanger-Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Principals play a crucial role in implementing MTSS/RtI (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/Response to Intervention), yet little is known about their understanding of the RtI component. This quantitative survey examined Florida middle school principals’ actual and perceived knowledge of MTSS/RtI, as well as how training and demographic factors—such as special education certification, education level, Title I status, administrative experience during rollout years (2006–2010), district training hours, and college coursework—relate to that knowledge. Data from 54 principals were collected through perception scales, training background, and knowledge-based questions. Results showed principals rated their perceived knowledge higher than their actual knowledge, with a moderate …

Recruitment, Retention, And Attrition Of Special Education Teachers At Title 1 Schools: How Administrators Perceive Their Role, Sherry Jane S.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States needs more special education teachers. Although this shortage affects many schools nationwide, the effects can be particularly harmful at Title 1 schools. Although there is a large body of literature on teacher attrition and retention, enlarging it focuses on teachers' viewpoints. Through semi-structured interviews, this research examines the perceptions of school administrators at Title 1 schools about their role in the recruitment, attrition, and retention of special education teachers. The context of the research is one large district in central Florida

The Impact Of Storyline Curriculum On Student Engagement And Scientific Literacy: A Phenomenological Study Of High School Biology Teacher’S Experiences, Nicole Holman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at how using a storyline curriculum affects student engagement and scientific literacy in high school biology classes. It focuses on constructivist learning theory and explores the experiences of thirteen biology teachers who moved from traditional, teachercentered methods to student-centered, inquiry-based approaches. The teachers noticed a significant change in classroom participation; students took more ownership of their learning and showed increased interest and curiosity. As students engaged more in building their understanding, their critical thinking skills and ability to analyze and assess scientific data improved.

The results reveal that storyline curricula do more than help students grasp biology; …

Exploring The Experiences Of Three Saudi Mothers Returning To Saudi With Their Bilingual Children, Fatimah H. Almuthibi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of three Saudi mothers who returned to Saudi Arabia with their bilingual children after living with their children in English-speaking countries for educational and academic purposes. Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory is the theory that served as the guiding framework for the study, shaping the direction of the study and informing both the analysis and discussion of the data. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of this unique phenomenon and to address a gap in the existing literature since there are very few studies that focus on the post-return experience …

English, Lamia Saad Alnomei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is crucial to integrate technologies into childhood education and teaching digital citizenship, but there are certain barriers to this integration in Saudi Arabia. Elicitation interviews were conducted in the context of this study with six participants, including kindergarten teachers and school leaders. They showed different levels of understanding the concept of digital literacy and citizenship and various levels of valuing technologies as tools for education. For instance, some expressed the need for more awareness and training, and other exhibited a deep understanding of digital citizenship. The study used Rogoff’s sociocultural theory, explored the influence of culture and parents on …

The Role Of Peer Networks In Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs, Bayan Alnaim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research provided insight into how peer networks related to the professional learning of TC as they moved through an elementary teacher preparation program. These formal and informal peer networks helped nurture collegiality among TCs to aid learning and provide emotional support, which allowed an edge toward forming an identity. This study examined the particular role of teacher networks in TCs’ learning (Al Sultan, 2021; Anderson et al., 2022). The study applied Social Constructivism and Communities of Practice frameworks to analyze the influence of peer networks on the development of teaching skills and professional identities. Data from TCs participating in …