Education Commons^™

The Teaching Artist Experience: An Art-Based Study Exploring Teaching Artists' Perspectives On The Efficacy Of Employment-Based Training And Support, Tessa Bry Taylor

Educational Studies Dissertations

This art-based research study seeks to examine teaching artists’ current perspectives on the models of training and support provided to them by their employers. The study was conducted with a group of teaching artists exploring two key research questions: What models of training and support do teaching artists receive? What are teaching artists perspectives on the efficacy of those models? Responses were explored collaboratively through a cyclical process of artmaking, reflection, and discussion designed and facilitated by the artist-researcher. The study yielded the following outcomes: teaching artists believe training and support received from employers is inefficient and inconsistent; teaching artists …

Negotiating The Experience: Liminality, Intersubjectivity, And Writing On The Path To A Doctoral Degree, Jon Brammer

Educational Studies Dissertations

Doctoral students usually exhibit a proven track record of academic success as demonstrated by the completion of both undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, despite that success, attrition rates across doctoral program are high. The challenges inherent in completing a doctoral program are well-documented, but the over-arching concepts that account for those challenges are often subject to compartmentalization and reductionism.

This interdisciplinary qualitative study explored the experiences of current doctoral students and recent graduates through interviews with twenty-seven participants across a variety of academic disciplines. Using a set of scripted questions, each participant was asked to characterize their motivations for doctoral …

Examining The Experiences Of The Hearing Officer In The College Student Conduct Process, Gregory Mantolesky

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Student conduct is one of the most important aspects of student life on a college campus. The staff members who serve as conduct hearing officers play an important role in helping students recognize their rights and responsibilities in the campus community and overcome poor decision making. There is a need to study the experiences of hearing officers to inform the development of consistent and effective training for those performing this role on college campuses. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological dissertation was to understand the lived experiences of the hearing officers, specifically in regard to the training that they …

The Application Of Adult Learning And Development Theory In The Undergraduate Classroom, Jennifer Flewelling

Educational Studies Dissertations

Instructors in higher education may have a limited knowledge of ways adults learn and develop. That lack of theoretical understanding may have inhibited the pedagogical practice of faculty in the undergraduate classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore how university instructors described their understanding of adult learning and development in undergraduate settings, and to identify factors that influenced the design and implementation of instructional practice as reported by undergraduate faculty. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 95 university instructors in Northeastern Massachusetts. Follow-up interviews were …

Narrative Experiences Of Fathers Of Children With Down Syndrome, Corey Rose

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation explores the narrative experiences of fathers raising children born with Down syndrome. The study joins a recent stratum of research on parents of children with Down syndrome which is grounded in critical disability theory, adheres to a social model of disabilities, and adopts narrative methodology, but which thus far has not investigated fathers’ experiences. 22 fathers, recruited by means of snowball sampling, participated in a two-question, semi-structured interview with a follow-up conversation. Findings from question one indicated that, in the initial moment of diagnosis, fathers experienced adverse encounters with medical personnel, intense negative emotions about the diagnosis, distressing …

"Two Crowds": Adolescents From Military And Nonmilitary Families, Michal Setti Parnes

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

Children from military families comprise nearly 4% of the entire school-age population of the United States, and over 80% of those children attend public schools serving both military and nonmilitary student populations (Ruff and Keim, 2014). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of how high school students from military and nonmilitary families experience their social interaction. Primary data sources included individual interviews with 14 current or recent students of both groups and a focus group interview with nine current or recent high school students. Thematic analysis of the data led to four findings that …

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 …

Fundamental Principles Of Metacognition: A Qualitative Study Of Metacognition, Pedagogy And Transformation, Philip Hulbig

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigated the transformative quality of a metacognitive education. It examined a transformative metacognitive education from both the subjective personal perspective of the student who has gone through the process of transformation and the more objective pedagogical perspective of the professors who work to bring forth such transformational experiences in their students. Through interview and analysis these perspectives were integrated to produce a pedagogical theoretical framework derived from experience and grounded in observations about metacognition across various scientific disciplines. The personal elements of metacognition that promote educational transformation from within the students were contrasted with the pedagogical approaches of …

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 …

The Experiences Of Undocumented Students In College: Dreams And Aspirations In Their Own Words, Marcelo Juica

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of seven undocumented immigrant college students living in Massachusetts as they negotiated the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and institutional challenges of their college experience. Three research questions guided this study: (1) What role do undocumented college students believe sociocultural factors play in influencing an immigrant student’s successful college experience? (2) What were the various ways undocumented college students reported institutional and economic factors that affected their college experiences? (3) How did the students develop resilience to overcome social and systemic setbacks while pursuing higher education? A narrative methodology was used, and the participants were selected …

Acknowledge Us: An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Female Army Veterans In Undergraduate Programs, Jennifer O'Neil

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the lived experiences of female United States Army veterans who have enrolled in an academic undergraduate program post discharge. As higher education continues to be an important transition point for female veterans, understanding the lived experiences of this population provides higher education administrators and faculty the opportunity to create and implement services and programs that will appropriately assist this population in their educational journey. Using a phenomenological methodology (Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2015; van Manen,1990) thirteen female veterans across five different eras (Vietnam, 1980’s peacetime, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan) took part in …

Maternal And Paternal Emotion Socialization: Relations To Expressive Flexibility In American And South Korean Children, Heimi Son

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the associations between parental emotion socialization and children’s expressive flexibility (EF) during middle childhood in a cross-cultural context. American (N = 69) and South Korean children (N = 77) participated with their fathers and mothers. Children’s EF ability was assessed using a quantitative lab-based observational measure. Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires ascertaining several emotion socialization factors, including beliefs about children’s emotions, emotion control values, and their own emotion regulation strategies. Results showed that the relation between parental socialization factors and children’s EF was moderated by culture. Parental beliefs about danger …

Can Yoga Help Make The World A Better Place? Perceptions From Adult Practitioners, Claire Carroll

Educational Studies Dissertations

Yoga, a vast subject with ancient South Asian roots, is currently enjoying global popularity based largely on its representation as an alternative health care system and/or leisure activity. These depictions often overshadow its potential as a medium to express spiritual development and social justice aims. Extensive studies look at connections between yoga and spirituality, but few delve into how sustained yoga practice might stimulate interest in and action for social change. This study seeks to contribute to ongoing scholarly efforts to fill that gap. It analyzes data collected from 107 survey respondents and 15 interviewees through a theoretical lens encompassing …

Win The Game Or Build Decent Humans? Parental Perceptions Of The Family School-Relationship Across Socioeconomic Backgrounds, Elizabeth Dempsey Lee

Educational Studies Dissertations

Research into family engagement with schools states that the participation of a child’s family in schooling increases a student’s academic success. In education, family engagement is the newest policy tool to help children, especially those from marginalized communities, grow into successful adults. However, in sociology, intensive family engagement, defined as parental over-involvement in a child’s schooling, results in a narrow focus on traditional academic measures of success and the micromanaging of a child’s educational experience. Research indicates that this amped up oversight of a child’s education is the source of emotional, academic, psychological harm for children. As a result, parent …

Student Agency And Collective Bootstrapping In Integrated Career And Technical Education: A Photovoice Project, Panagiota Athinelis

Educational Studies Dissertations

Secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides students with a full education in academic areas as well as a career area of interest, allowing students to apply their school-based learning in the real world through work-based learning. At the same time, urban CTE adolescents have historically been marginalized and placed in a deficit model. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the ways in which student agency is co-created in an urban, transdisciplinary CTE high school program, as well as to identify the institutional systems and structures that support or hinder the development of student agency.

Eight students …

"I Feel Like A Literacy Coach Today." Professional Identities Of Literacy Coaches, Antoinette Czekanski

Educational Studies Dissertations

Educators transitioning from teaching positions to roles as literacy coaches take on new identities as leaders within their schools in both content and pedagogy. They negotiate relationships with teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders on a daily basis and construct their new professional identities through these social interactions. Research shows that this multi-faceted role can be challenging if not supported within the culture of the school and preparation through coursework and training. This qualitative study investigated the developing identities of four novice literacy coaches who participated in a training program, Literacy Collaborative, to prepare them for this role. They shared their …

Trends And Traditions: A Mixed Methods Study Of Tap Dance Education In The Private Sector Dance Studio, Thelma L. Goldberg

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

The experience of the tap dance educator in the private sector studio was studied using a mixed methods approach that included a survey and individual interviews. A total of 338 tap teachers representing diversity in age, experience, location and competition participation responded to 25 survey questions that asked about enrollment and hiring, training and curriculum, dance competitions and social media, and challenges and benefits. Interviews with five private sector tap teachers and four master teachers collected in-depth descriptive data that expanded on the primary topics explored in the survey. Key findings include the following: tap enrollment stayed the same …

“My Heart Was Like, Write About This. There's No Other Way.”: Strengthening And Deepening Literacy Skills Of Adults In A High School Equivalency Program Through Creative Writing, Elizabeth Santiago

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study investigates how creative writing plays a role in strengthening and deepening literacy skills of adults in community-based high school equivalency diploma programs, which are operated under the publicly funded, adult basic education umbrella. Specifically, the study explores two sub-questions: How can creative writing processes support adult high school equivalency students’ achievement of personal and/or academic goals? How does a curricular focus on individual storytelling build students’ literacy confidence and/or their sense of student agency? Data sources includes pre- and post-surveys, pre- and post-interviews, field notes, and student work based on a curriculum designed using best practices in …

Leadership Perspectives On The Financial Sustainability Of Non-Orthodox Jewish Day Schools In Toronto, Seth Goldsweig

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how Jewish school leaders in Toronto understand non-Orthodox Jewish day school financial sustainability. A review of literature included: (a) a multidisciplinary understanding of “sustainability”, (b) a history of Jewish education in North America, (c) challenges and potential solutions to financial sustainability of Jewish day schools in North America, and (d) the evolution of the school leader and its impact on financial sustainability. This multi-site case study used a questionnaire, completed by 23 school leaders, and one-on-one interviews with all eight heads of school of the non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in Toronto …

The Perception Of Elementary School Principals Regarding Constructivist Approaches, Deborah Daley

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

While it is widely accepted among education scholars that constructivist instructional approaches improve student learning, there is little evidence to suggest that school leaders and teachers are actively supporting or regularly incorporating such approaches in their practice. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of elementary school principals regarding their role in promoting constructivist approaches to teaching and learning. A phenomenological approach was selected in order to develop a complete and accurate understanding of the participants’ feelings and experiences around supporting and implementing constructivist approaches in their schools. Specifically, the study explored the extent to …

Book Groups And The Relational Engagement Of Sixth-Grade Readers, Kathryn Contini

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this mini-ethnographic case study is to determine the factors that impact the relational engagement of middle-school readers in a student-facilitated book group. This is achieved by considering how students relationally engaged with texts, peers, and a teacher while participating in a student-facilitated book group for three months. As the understanding of academic engagement has broadened to include relational engagement, it is necessary to examine how this theoretical construct impacts reading instruction. While educators have long known learning is social, classroom success is most often measured by independent achievement rather than by social engagement. For these reasons, it …

Elementary School Principals’ Experiences With Trust And Trust-Building, Emily Luuri

Educational Studies Dissertations

Research on leadership within schools has examined principals’ varied and complex tasks and highlighted their responsibility to promote positive relationships with their staff. Prominent in that research and in the professional literature on school leadership are arguments that staff trust of a principal—resulting from the principal’s trust-building actions—is a crucial factor for school improvement. Despite this priority, there remains a need to study the ways in which principals come to understand the nature of trust and cultivate it within schools. Thus, the purpose of this narrative study was to examine the stories of elementary school principals to derive an understanding …

The Perceptions Of Post 9/11 Veteran Students Who Are Parents Regarding The Role Of Institutional Services In Bachelor Degree Completion, Alicia Marie Reddin

Educational Studies Dissertations

Currently there is a dearth in the literature surrounding the experiences of Veterans and individuals with children within higher education. The goal of this dissertation was to understand Veteran student parents’ perceptions of the ways in which their undergraduate institutions supported their completion of a bachelor’s degree. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 individuals; this dissertation analyzes the findings of the 6 participants who were both Veteran students and parents concurrently. Narratives were constructed for each participant and resulted in the identification of four intersecting themes: relationships, institutional barriers, motivators, as well as barriers and threats. Special attention was paid …

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 …

Understanding The First-Year Experience Of Traditional-Aged, College-Ready Students At A Private, New England Liberal Arts College, Patrick Flynn

Educational Studies Dissertations

The current study’s research problem concerns the forty-year trend of college-ready, traditional-aged students stopping out of undergraduate programs across the United States. While literature concerning gender theory, the college transition, emerging adulthood, and college student development provide a foundation for considering the problem, there have been very few studies conducted concerning the FYE of this study’s participants, a set of five white cisgender males. Understanding their FYE at a substantive level will lead to further research and hopefully open pathways to increasing retention.

The present study collected significant data concerning the daily experience of five students with the hope of …

Perceptions Of Certified Central Office Administrators Who Choose Not To Apply For The Position Of Superintendent, Felicia Moschella

Educational Studies Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the reasons why certified, qualified central office administrators choose not to become school superintendents. The study investigated factors and conditions that may influence their decision-making. Twenty-two certified central office administrators employed in southeastern, Massachusetts responded to a forty-five-question survey, and four of those participants were also interviewed. This study led to eight findings. A majority of study participants: (1) held a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the superintendent; (2) possessed the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be a superintendent, but have chosen to not ascend to the position; (3) conveyed that becoming a …

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …

In Their Own Words: A Narrative Inquiry Into Part-Time Master’S Degree Student Persistence, Erin Schroeder

Educational Studies Dissertations

While there are a number of studies that focus on adult undergraduate and even doctoral persistence, adult master’s degree students and particularly those who study part time, are a population that have been overlooked by researchers. This constructivist, qualitative study of part-time master’s degree students used narrative inquiry and experience-centered narratives to bring rich descriptive data to the conversation surrounding the persistence of part-time master’s degree students and the barriers they face in pursuit of their degree. The data for this study was collected via semi-structured interviews with 15 participants and shows that part-time master’s degree students enrolled in Humanities …

Ecological Innovators: A Multiple Case Study Approach To Explore The Influencing Factors And Conditions Upon The Lives Of Young People Who Innovate To Save The World, Pascha Griffiths, Pascha Marlin Griffiths Ph.D.

Educational Studies Dissertations

This multiple case study aimed to identify and describe factors and conditions that influence the lives of young people who become innovators of solutions that help the environment. This study involved three unique case studies of ecological innovators, two individuals and one paired team. Each participant had designed, prototyped, or patented an environmental innovation before the age of 30 years. The four primary participants, recruited by word of mouth and snowball sampling, were comprised of one American (U.S.) middle-school girl, one American-Israeli man in his 50s, and the team of a Palestinian man and an Israeli woman, both in their …

The Principal’S Role In Expanding Multicultural Understandings In Predominantly White, Rural, Middle School Grades, Jacquelynne Chase

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the principal’s role in expanding multicultural understandings in predominantly White, rural, middle school grades. A review of the literature provided information on three areas: (a) benefits of expanding multicultural understandings, (b) implementing multicultural understandings, and (c) school leaders’ role. The literature did not include information to address a prevalent problem in Massachusetts: Principals of rural, predominantly White schools with middle grades typically do not consider expanding multicultural understandings a priority. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study used a closed-response survey and in-depth interviews with principals across Massachusetts. The survey was sent to …