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School Leaders Supporting Students Of Color In Predominately-White Schools, Jonathan Swan

Educational Studies Dissertations

Legal challenges to racial segregation and changes in the racial composition of many suburbs have altered the racial makeup of public schools in the United States. This phenomenological study looked at how principals in Predominately-White schools (PWS) and educator facilitators for a state desegregation program (DP) learn about the perceptions of students of color (SOC) in their schools, address negative perceptions of SOC, and attempt to support SOC; it also inquired about hindrances to their efforts to serve SOC more effectively. Thematic analysis of transcripts of interviews with five principals and four desegregation facilitators led to 10 findings. Critical Race …

Using College Student Learning Experiences And Outcomes To Guide Teaching Modifications In A General Education Choreography Course: An Action Research Study, Kristy Kuhn Donnelly

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to gain an understanding of the learning experiences and outcomes of 12 undergraduates enrolled in Creative Dance, a general education choreography course, in Fall 2019 and the teaching strategies and practices that guided their learning. Research questions that guided this study were: what does student work reveal about their learning and the teaching strategies that guide their learning? and what curricula and teaching changes will more effectively facilitate student learning processes and stronger outcomes? Qualitative data included standard instructional materials created for and utilized in the course and students’ choreographic and written …

Picturing Health; Picturing Life: Visual Illness Narratives Of Women With Type 2 Diabetes, Sarah Gurley-Green

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. reached 23 million people between 2012 and 2017 and consumed one-quarter of the overall healthcare dollars. Remembering the suffering and pain of individuals behind these numbers becomes difficult and incalculable. Black American women are the most affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D), compared to their white counterparts, as well as twice as likely to be diagnosed with T2D and 2.5 times more likely to die from T2D. Therefore, understanding the problem requires the fundamental consideration of how these women cope daily with this complex illness while often struggling with complex lives. This narrative …

What Can A Studio Approach To Teaching Tell Us About The Academic And Social Learning Of Middle School Students? An Exploration Of Student Understanding Of How Making Art Supports Their Academic And Social Learning., Maureen Creegan- Quinquis, Maureen A. Creegan-Quinquis

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study explores the types of social and academic learning typically overlooked in public school education. Art-based approaches to academic learning have been labeled as“fluff.” Education policymakers hold a biased view of the arts. When asked to consider art as a viable epistemology, cognition theorists have dismissed art as irrational. These biased views have contributed to the marginalization of the field of art education. The purpose of this study was to question this bias through an art-based studio approach to research. The goal was to explore how middle school students understand the role of visual arts in their own academic …

Perspectives Of High School Photography Teachers Regarding Visual Literacy, Kristi Oliver

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of high school photography teachers regarding visual literacy. A qualitative methodology that used a phenomenographic research design was employed to gain understanding about the perspectives of high school photography teachers in their conceptualization, perceptions, and experiences surrounding visual literacy. A survey/ questionnaire was used to explore participants’ paths towards becoming a high school photography teacher, the amount of years they have been teaching, and their geographic location. Participants perception of school demographics such as school size, community contexts, racial, ethnic, and economic diversity were also collected. Additional prompts were designed to investigate curricular influences, …

The Way Of The Artist Educator: Understanding The Fusion Of Artistic Studio Practice And Teaching Pedagogy Of K-12 Visual Arts Educators, Christopher M. Strickland

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to examine the experiences of Artist Educators and how they perceive the fusion of their artistic studio practice and teaching pedagogy impacts their creative and teaching practices. This study involved a focus group of six individuals, including the researcher. All the participants were practicing artists, currently employed or recently retired K-12 Visual Arts Education certified in the states of Maine or New Hampshire and members of the Kittery Art Association. This study used a combination of interviews and an arts-based method for data collection. All the data were analyzed and resulted in the …

An Examination Of The Instruction Of Religion Clause Issues In Massachusetts Teacher Education Programs, Matthew E. Henry

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevailing research, as well as reported complaints of academic, civic, personal, and social harm, indicates that public school teachers do not exhibit the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes grounded in the religion clauses of the U.S. Constitution. This study investigated how TEPs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts document their instruction of preservice teachers on religion clause issues as they apply to grade 6-12 content area pedagogy, curriculum, and professional ethos. The institutional documents presented to preservice teachers were collected from four teacher education programs in the Commonwealth. An evaluation tool— synthesized from the leading scholarship and research on the …

Queer Teachers In Catholic Schools: Cosmic Perceptions Of An Easter People, Kevin Stockbridge

Educational Studies Dissertations

Queer-teacher lives aren’t easy! They experience isolation and bifurcation of their lives on a daily basis. How much more difficult must life be for these teachers in the theologically heteronormative context of the Catholic school? Yet, these teachers remain educators in these institutions, sensing goodness in what they are doing and in the future of these schools. Inspired by this interesting reality of tension, this study asks two important questions. First, how do queer teachers understand their identities as constructed in a Catholic school? Secondly, it wants to know what action teachers will take when they have come to an …

Interdisciplinary Arts As An Agent For Community Building In A U.S. Public School, Ida Pappas

Educational Studies Dissertations

The aim of my dissertation research is to understand the relationship between interdisciplinary arts experiences and the establishment of a community culture in a mainstream public high school in northeast United States. With this research, I hope to provide evidence to support the inclusion of interdisciplinary arts projects in the fabric of students’ high school curricular and extra-curricular experiences. Through engagement in design, art, video, music, dance, theater and the close study of a minority culture, high school participants provided regular responses to planned survey questions and open-ended survey questions (Experience Sampling), as well as through interviews, written prompts and …

Young, Urban, Professional, And Kenyan?: Conversations Surrounding Tribal Identity And Nationhood, Charlotte Achieng-Evensen

Educational Studies Dissertations

By asking the question “How do young, urban, professional Kenyans make connections between tribal identity, colonialism, and the lived experience of nationhood?,” the researcher engages with eight participants in exploring their relationships with their tribal groups. From this juncture the researcher, through a co-constructed process with participants, interrogates the idea of nationhood by querying their interpretations of the concepts of power and resistance within their multi-ethnic societies. The utility of KuPiga Hadithi as a cultural responsive methodology for data collection along with poetic analysis as part of the qualitative tools of examination allowed the researcher to identify five emergent and …

The Glass Ceiling Is Not Broken: Gender Equity Issues Among Faculty In Higher Education, Jillian Wood

Educational Studies Dissertations

Gender discrimination is an ongoing topic, including discrimination that occurs in higher education. Previous studies have shown female faculty experience a variety of workplace discrimination including sexual harassment/bullying, salary disparities, and lack of worklife balance. This dissertation aimed to analyze equity issues for female faculty at a private university. The researcher utilized a narrative inquiry methodology, conducting interviews with five full-time female faculty. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the participants’ everyday stories and lived experiences. The researcher utilized critical feminist theory and leadership theory to examine the notion of equity at this campus. The findings, shown through …

Inside/Outside/In-Between: Understanding How Jewish Identity Impacts The Lives And Narratives Of Ashkenazi Female Public School Educators, Mindi Ellen Benditson

Educational Studies Dissertations

Since Ashkenazi Jews in the United States are not a visible minority, it often becomes difficult to distinguish what/who is a Jew. As many Jewish females may appear to be of the dominant culture, they often get overlooked in discussions and courses on teacher education and multiculturalism/multicultural education. However, their identity as both Jewish and White and the absence of conversation regarding their multiple positions in education and in society can contest, as well as support, their connection to multiculturalism.

The purpose of this research was to identify how four middle class Ashkenazi females in the greater Los Angeles area …

Inequities, Resistance, And Motivations In Latin@ Teacher Trajectories: Implications For Latin@ Teacher Recruitment And Retention From A Testimonio-Based Study, Carla Borovicka

Educational Studies Dissertations

The demographics of Oregon’s teacher workforce do not reflect the student population. The most noticeable gap exists between Latin@ students and Latin@ teachers. The purpose of this testimonio study was to explore perceptions of the underrepresentation of Latina teachers in Oregon K–12 rural schools situated in new Latin@ diaspora communities. The researcher wished to ensure that sociohistorical and sociopolitical events as well as the lived experiences help to inform the understanding of the underrepresentation of Latin@ teachers in Oregon. A purposefully selected participant sample comprised nine Latina educators who worked in primarily rural Oregon schools. The primary data collection method …

Learning From Experience: A Critical, Collective Process Following International Short-Term Mission Travel, Nancy Vigander Winfrey

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation seeks to explore the impact of short-term mission (STM) travel on American Christian volunteers, leveraging the small group structure already present in many churches. Using a participatory action research approach, small groups from two different Protestant churches engaged in cycles of dialogue, reflection and action. The group process was framed by Habermas’ concept of communicative space with emphasis on emotional knowing, cognitive reasoning, and creative expression. Data were collected from session recordings, written documents and process field notes. Content and process analyses were guided by transformative and situated learning theories. Findings were unique to each congregational group, …

The Theatre Missionary: Exploring The Early Career Teaching Experiences Of Theatre Educators Through Artistic Inquiry, Robert Andrew Strickland

Educational Studies Dissertations

For educators entering a fine arts classroom for the first time the transition can be quite difficult. Fine arts teachers are often the only specialists in their subject area at a school, placing them in a new situation without a mentor to guide them through the process. The difficulties can be exacerbated by the ideological, financial, and social marginalization of the arts in many schools. Despite the challenges faced by new fine arts educators, little research has focused specifically on their transitions into K-12 classrooms. To explore these transitional experiences this study was guided by the research question: How do …

The Meaning Of Music-Making For Computer Scientists With A Serious Musing-Making Avocation: A Phenomenological Case Study, Varda Shaked

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study explores the meaning of music-making in the lives of computer scientists who play classical music as their serious avocation. In particular, it investigates their tendencies and capacities to concurrently engage in two such distinct disciplines on a regular basis, by exploring the cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of their concurrent engagement. While current research literature approaches the affinities between mathematicians/scientists and musicians through the presence of mathematical properties of music and through anecdotal evidence involving known persona and their innovations, this study provides a deeper look at the individuals who combine such worlds, in order to better understand …

Culturally Responsive Professional Development For Latinas In Family Child Care: A Dissertation, Jody Figuerido

Educational Studies Dissertations

Latina Family Child Care (FCC) Educators provide early education and care (EEC) for children in their homes. High quality EEC programs, including the FCC setting, help children form a firm foundation for future learning, resulting in positive outcomes. In order to provide this level of programming, educators must participate in specialized training related to early childhood education. Unfortunately, the literature provides limited guidance regarding professional development that meets the needs of the diverse adult learner in the field of early childhood education. The focus of this qualitative study is to articulate the elements of culturally responsive professional development for the …

A Living Citizenship Model For The Public Schools: The Philosophical Foundations Of Friendship In The Works Of Epicurus And Ralph Waldo Emerson, Debra Sherblom

Educational Studies Dissertations

In an interdisciplinary, hermeneutical study using primary and secondary documents from history, philosophy, political theory, and critical pedagogy, the dissertation focuses on dialogue, friendship, and citizenship. The philosophical foundations of friendship in the works of Epicurus and Ralph Waldo Emerson are discussed. Included in the study is the history of citizenship and analysis of works on dialogue and community. A critical consciousness is significant for real dialogue to precipitate friendship. The philosophical foundations of friendship in the works of Epicurus and Ralph Waldo Emerson are echoed in the Peaceable Schools Model for secondary schools. Based on social justice and the …

A Mirror Of Recognition: How The Empathetic Relationship Between Dusty Springfield And Her Not-Straight Fans Facilitates Their Identity Development, Nancy J. Young

Educational Studies Dissertations

This multi-case qualitative study explores the phenomenon of identity development of not-straight (more traditionally labeled as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or queer) fans through their attachment to British popular singer Dusty Springfield as a fan-object. A purposefully selected sample of four fans, aged 21-45, two male and two female, from the United Kingdom and the United States, were interviewed. The interdisciplinary conceptual framework of the study combines the fields of identity development, fan studies, and psychological theories related to projection.

The themes that emerge from the data suggest that Dusty Springfield’s emotional music draws the listener into fandom and that the …

The Engagement Practices Of Performing Arts-Makers: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Prometheus Bound, The Rock Musical: A Dissertation, Peter J. Cormier

Educational Studies Dissertations

This phenomenological case study explored the lived experiences of performing arts-makers, who participated in the engagement practices utilized in Prometheus Bound, the rock musical produced by the American Repertory Theater in 2011. Engagement practices are actions employed to deepen the impact of the artistic experience, which may involve the creative use of physical space, choreography, physical contact, social justice, community collaboration, and other aspects of a live performance. Engagement practices occur in the liminal zone; the neutral space between performing arts-makers and audience members that is conducive to deep empathetic reflection since the boundary between arts-maker and audience is transformed …

Hearing Whiteness, Seeing Race: Women Leaders Give Visibility To Their White Identity: A Dissertation, Ann Moritz

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigates what it means for women leaders to identify as White. The purpose is to examine a sense of racial identity and how that identity affects a sense of self as a leader. Twelve women answered questions from a designed interview protocol in two settings that occurred approximately four weeks apart.

Aesthetics Of Listening: Creating Spaces Of Learning, Lisa Donovan

Educational Studies Dissertations

In this study with 9th-12th grade students in an urban Massachusetts school, I consider the question 'How can theater education develop a sense of voice and identity in adolescents?' Students in a drama class engaged in a variety of performance techniques including: interview theater, improvisation, and pantomime while considering the concept of voice/identity development. They then created an interview based script focused on an issue of their choice: the rules of the school and how they were enforced.... Data collection included video-taped class sessions, interviews with the drama classroom teacher, student peer interviews, and a final focus group session six …

Encounter Theatre As A Means Of Social Change And Empowerment, David D. Coleman Ii

Educational Studies Dissertations

Encounter Theatre as a Means of Social Change and Empowerment is an analysis of the principles and application procedures for the use of Participatory Theatre (a form of interactive theatre), that is conceived, developed, and produced as an educational and therapeutic tool in addressing social, cultural, and political issues in varying communities.

How Museum Educators Build And Carry Out Their Profession: An Examination Of Situated Learning Within Practice, Elsa B. Bailey

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study explores the ways and means that museum educators build their expertise to practice museum education. A qualitative methodology was utilized in this examination, incorporating aspects of grounded theory and phenomenological research. Fifteen museum educators in science-related museums in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who worked extensively with teachers, were selected as respondents.

A Qualitative Study Examining The Leadership Of The Executive Board Of The Black Ministerial Alliance Of Greater Boston, Joanne Lynn Allen-Willoughby

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership in the faith-based community from the perspective of six members of the Executive Board of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston. Using portraiture methodology the research qualitatively examined leadership through the lived experiences of four male, and two female members of the board by: • defining leadership. • examining the role of the Black Church as an institution. • investigating the personal and professional influences that affect leadership. • examining the role the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston as an organization has on ones leadership. • determining what, in …

Dispelling The Myth Of The Non-Singer: Changing The Ways Singing Is Perceived, Implemented And Nurtured In The Classroom, Louise M. Pascale

Educational Studies Dissertations

Many American classroom teachers fervently claim not to be able to sing and are considered 'non-singers.' Studies reported here reveal a paradox : put in a context where singing is approached from another perspective, those same people can and do sing. How did they come to think of themselves otherwise? A close look at the terms 'singer' and 'singing' reveals the ways in which the meanings of these words are socially and culturally constructed.

Bridging Connections Between Teachers' Racial Identities And Their Teaching Practices, Sandras M. Barnes

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how three Black female teachers and three White female teachers of kindergarten, first grade, and eighth grade understand the connections between their racial identity and their teaching practices . Specifically, it sought to understand how they experience their first awareness of racial difference and the influence their family, community, and school had on their construct of race. Also, how their preparation to teach reinforced, expanded, altered, or demystified their understanding of racial differences as a means to teach all children . The study used a phenomenologically based, lived experienced methodology to interview …

Dynamics Of Teachers' Aesthetic Engagement With Children's Literature, Susan C. Griffith

Educational Studies Dissertations

This research study seeks to bring the missing voices of teachers into the conversation about teaching and learning children's literature at the college level. Grounded in an empirical base that affirms a need for this perspective, the study investigates and describes the dimensions, patterns and variations that constitute the dynamics of engagement that characterize teachers' experiences with children's literature as aesthetic experiences of adult reading.

Teacher Reflection In A School Committed To Student Reflection, Debra Richardson Smith

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of three veteran teachers in an elementary school in which there was an explicit commitment to fostering children's reflection about their own learning.

A Case Study In Museum Change: Power, Authority And Community Connected Exhibitions, Marilyn Cathy Solvay, Ph.D.

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation is a study of museum change and examines the power of objects along with the authority of traditional exhibitions and the development of community-connected exhibitions. Community-connected exhibitions are explored to provide insight into reshaping the museum organization into a multicultural institution.

Method: A case study of a community-connected exhibition, "Becoming Americans: The Shapiro Story: 1898-1928," was conducted at Strawberry Banke, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an outdoor history museum. Interviews were held with 25+ project participants: museum staff project team members, Shapiro family members, community members at large, and representatives from other community cultural institutions. This qualitative research project …