Education Commons^™

Underrepresented Students’ Perceptions Of Precollege Programs And Challenges Of Transitioning To Postsecondary Education, Dana Truesdale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that underrepresented students (low-income and first generation college students) face challenges associated with the transition from secondary education to postsecondary education. Grounded in Schlossberg’s transition theory, the purpose of this study was to explore underrepresented students’ perceptions of support provided by precollege programs and remaining challenges when transitioning to higher education. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with 11 underrepresented students who participated in a precollege program were conducted. Braun and Clarke’s six-phase data analysis was used. After deductive and inductive analysis, the following themes emerged: Students indicated that the …

Explicit Writing Instruction Across Content Areas: A Professional Development, Bethany B. Richardson

Masters Projects

Research shows that writing instruction has diminished in the elementary classroom due to high stakes testing in reading and math.  Writing is a driving force for literacy achievement and should be prioritized.  In order to improve writing instruction, teachers need professional development in explicit instructional strategies for writing in other content areas.  According to cognitive processing theory, students are using multiple cognitive and metacognitive processes to complete a singular writing task.  Using scaffolds like write alouds, mentor texts, and graphic organizers can help teachers support students in their writing. Scaffolding theory suggests that students need high levels of support in …

K–3 Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Learnable Intelligence As A Developmental Target And Their Advocacy For Students’ Cognitive Capabilities, Eleanor Nkechi Maduako

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Extensive research shows the brain is malleable and, with experience and knowledge, intelligence can grow. The research problem addressed through this study was that the extent of early childhood educators' knowledge of learnable intelligence and their advocacy for advancement of children’s cognitive capabilities as a developmental goal were unknown. Guided by Perkins’s theory of learnable intelligence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K–3 teachers’ perspectives on learnable intelligence as a developmental target and how they advocate for children’s cognitive capabilities in their classrooms. In vivo and axial coding of data from semistructured interviews with 12 participants …

Literacy Hubs: Human-Centered, Coordinated Approach Towards Advancing Adult Literacy In A Community, Alexandria M. Marzolf

Masters Projects

Low adult literacy skills have been a pervasive and persistent challenge in the United States for more than a century. One in five adults (21%) possesses low literacy skills (National Center for Education Statistics, 2026), a finding consistent with statistics reported by the National Literacy Institute (2024). Despite decades of educational reform, many adults continue to experience limited access to coordinated, community-based literacy support. The purpose of this master's project was to develop a community-based Literacy Hub framework designed to increase access to adult literacy learning opportunities through coordinated partnerships and community engagement. An extensive review of educational research, community …

Fieldwork Educators' Perspectives On Occupational Therapy Students Addressing Sexuality And Intimacy: Expectations, Supports, And Barriers, Elizabeth Deluca-Berg

Student Dissertations

Sexuality and intimacy are recognized as meaningful occupations within occupational therapy practice; however, they remain inconsistently addressed in clinical care. Previous research has identified limited educational preparation as a contributing factor to occupational therapists' discomfort and lack of confidence in addressing these occupations. Although classroom instruction provides foundational knowledge, Level II fieldwork serves as the primary setting in which students apply knowledge within authentic clinical environments. Despite the central role of FW educators in facilitating students' professional development, little research has explored how they prepare OT students to address sexuality and intimacy during fieldwork. The purpose of this basic qualitative …

Dis/Ability Critical Race Theory In The Early Childhood Education Classroom, Milo Knickerbocker

Masters Projects

Data shows that many Black and Disabled students are underserved in their current learning environments. This project provides a theoretical introduction to Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), as well as guidance on how to incorporate the theory into the early childhood education setting. This is done in attempt to provide a more equitable and inclusionary learning environment.  This project incorporates a data-driven professional development program surrounding DisCrit and incorporation of anti-racist and anti-ableist inclusionary teaching methods, for the betterment of all students.

Self-Regulation For Early Childhood Classrooms, Emily Fox

Masters Projects

The ability to self-regulate is essential for young children's social, emotional, behavioral, and academic development. However, growing exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, family instability, and other social and environmental stressors has contributed to challenges in the development of these skills. Children with underdeveloped self-regulation skills are more likely to experience difficulties with executive functioning, peer relationships, classroom behavior, and school readiness, demonstrating the need for early intervention. The purpose of this master's project was to investigate the major social and environmental stressors affecting young children's self-regulation and to develop a research-based intervention to support self-regulation development in …

Growing Students' Fluency And Comprehension Skills, Makayla Irwin

Masters Projects

Research emphasizes the importance of building strong foundational skills among early readers. While reading is taught everyday in the classroom, there are not enough strategies and knowledge known by teachers to effectively instruct on fluency and comprehension skills. Fluency and comprehension are known as being crucial aspects of the reading process, but they have been inadequately included in many literacy curriculums. This project, grounded in research and well developed theories, holds fluency and comprehension instruction high in regard to the development of a proficient reader.It has been found that educators lack the training, resources, and confidence necessary to successfully teach …

Beyond The Pencil: Creating Early Writers, Pamela L. Gernaat

Masters Projects

“Schools in many countries are faced with the challenge of developing student writing proficiency. Identifying and implementing effective writing instruction for young, beginning writers play important roles in improving student writing performance. Providing effective writing instruction to beginning writers can promote writing development and minimize the number of children who encounter challenges in learning to write” (Finlayson & McCrudden, 2022, p. 1). Despite the amount of research that has been done on the importance of early writing instruction, many lower elementary students struggle with the ability to write and cannot keep up with the cognitive demands of written instruction. Many …

Teaching Writing With Confidence: A Professional Learning Series To Build Special Education Teachers' Knowledge And Self-Efficacy For Explicit Writing Instruction, Lindsay E. Bowen

Masters Projects

Writing is an essential skill used to communicate ideas effectively, assess understanding, and demonstrate critical thinking across educational and workplace settings. Yet, research demonstrates that a majority of special education teacher preparation programs do not offer standalone courses in writing instruction methods, leaving many special education teachers to enter the profession with limited knowledge of effective writing instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities. This project explores current research on effective sentence-level writing instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities, as well as a research-based approach for applying these practices in a systematic yet adaptable manner to meet the needs of individual …

Curious Minds, Critical Thinkers: Contextualization-Based Instruction In Secondary Social Studies, Kelcie J. Mashburn

Masters Projects

Research shows that many secondary students lack the critical thinking skills necessary for academic and civic success. Traditional instructional methods that prioritize content coverage and recall fail to help students develop and apply this skill. Effective instruction requires educators to move beyond these traditional methods and intentionally design curriculum that incorporates instructional strategies that engage students in analysis, investigation of diverse perspectives, and formulate evidence-based conclusions. This project addresses this gap by presenting a contextualization-based curriculum unit designed to support and build critical thinking skills among secondary Social Studies students. The result is a unit that immerses secondary Social Studies …

The Role Of Parents In Supporting Student Learning At Home, Lindsey M. Deblaay

Masters Projects

This study addresses the pedagogical disconnect between modern, inquiry-based mathematics instruction and traditional caregiver support structures. While caregiver involvement has proved to be helpful in student achievement, systematic barriers that limit family’s capacity, parent self-efficacy and their willingness to use learning strategies at home, the perception of the parent role of caregivers in their child’ s education makes it difficult. The curriculum prioritizes conceptual number sense and critical thinking rather than rote standard algorithm, so it has created a barrier in parent support among caregivers with these instructional shifts. It diminishes parent self-efficacy particularly in fifth grade. The project features …

Artificial Intelligence In Central Arkansas School Districts: A Phenomenological Study Of Practices, Polices, And Perceptions, Alana M. Graham

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved at a fast rate and has created both opportunities and challenges for public school districts. As AI technologies continue to emerge, limited research exists regarding how school districts in central Arkansas are integrating AI into instructional and administrative practices. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore district-level administrators’ perceptions and experiences regarding the integration of artificial intelligence in public school districts in central Arkansas. The study was guided by Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model, and examined current AI practices, policy development, perceived benefits and challenges, and barriers associated with …

Understanding And Responding To Childhood Trauma In The Classroom, Kara L. Ganzer

Master of Arts in Human Services

This capstone explored childhood trauma as a significant public health and educational issue because of its widespread impact on children’s development, learning, behavior, and educational experiences. A review of the current literature was conducted to examine adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the neurobiological and developmental effects of childhood trauma, its impact within educational settings, and the trauma-informed approaches for supporting students who have experienced adversity. The literature suggested that childhood trauma can disrupt brain development, executive functioning, emotional regulation, attention, memory, and stress-response systems, contributing to academic, behavioral, and social-emotional challenges within the classroom. Findings also highlighted the important role schools …

Vocabulary Knowledge Within Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hannah A. Lord

Masters Projects

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are consistently experiencing a “definitional gap”, where they are able to process vocabulary breadth within labeling but are unable to comprehend text due to the lack of vocabulary depth. The four week vocabulary unit titled “Our World in Words” is created to bridge the gap between vocabulary breadth and depth for first graders. Research in Dual Coding Theory and Cognitive Load Theory provides insight into the use of stable visual anchors with orthographic facilitation, which allows for the disregard of auditory processing, along with an overloaded cognitive load. This framework includes four important …

Inclusion Support For Early Childhood Educators, Victoria Parker

Masters Projects

Some general education teachers are not prepared to support the diverse needs of young students with disabilities being included in general education classrooms. Research shows that teacher preparation is a vital component to creating high-quality inclusive classrooms for young children. Preparing teachers for teaching in inclusive classrooms starts in college, and needs to continue throughout teaching careers to encourage and support the implementation of new strategies. Research also shows that training and preparedness for the challenges of working with students with diverse needs in the general education classroom affects staff attitudes and willingness to collaborate. The purpose of this project …

Methodologies For Encouraging Creative Expression Within The Curriculum, Ian D. Martzke

Masters Projects

Many students struggle to find creative expression within the school curriculum. Indeed, since the 1990s we have seen a rise in average IQ but a reduction in scores through the Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT) (Kim, 2011). In the course of this project several methodologies for creative problem solving will be described and several lessons will be described that will both explain and model these methodologies of creative problem solving. These lessons will utilize the creative process (Wallas, 1926) and be written to include student choice (Hogan et al. 2020) specifically, within the instructional framework known as Teaching for …

A Structured Independent Reading Framework To Promote Reading Engagement And Literacy Achievement In Elementary Classrooms, Linda K. Bush

Masters Projects

State and national assessment data indicate declining reading achievement and decreasing reading engagement among elementary students. At the same time, increasing instructional demands and accountability pressures have reduced opportunities for students to participate in meaningful Independent Reading, despite decades of research demonstrating its value for literacy development. Research consistently suggests that Independent Reading is most effective when students are provided with protected reading time, meaningful choice, access to engaging texts, instructional support, opportunities for discussion, reflection, and authentic literacy experiences.

This master’s project presents a Structured Independent Reading Framework, which is a research-based instructional framework designed for elementary classrooms that …

Integrated Self-Regulation Strategy Development And Physical Science: A Unit For Second Grade, Ashley Crawford

Masters Projects

Writing is a large part of education, social communication, and work environments. However, the ability of elementary students to write proficiently is severely lacking. Much of educational writing and work-place writing is informational and the foundation of this writing begins in elementary school. There is a need to increase the amount of instruction and practice that elementary students receive in informational writing so that they are able to write in a competent manner. Writing proficiency in elementary school will affect the education a student receives moving forward and ultimately their adult lives.

Elementary educators need to integrate classroom instruction to …

Strengthening Rti Decision Making For Students At Risk For Dyslexia, Christine A. Schout

Masters Projects

Despite the intent of Response to Intervention (RTI) to support early identification, inconsistent implementation and a lack of objective decision rules can delay the identification and support of students at risk for dyslexia. The purpose of this project was to develop practical, evidence-based resources to support educators in making consistent RTI decisions that promote early identification of students at risk for dyslexia and timely referral for comprehensive evaluation when appropriate. The project was informed by a review of the literature examining dyslexia, early identification, evidence-based intervention, progress monitoring, instructional intensification, and RTI implementation. A series of professional resources was developed …

Preparing Newly-Hired Elementary Teachers For Evidence-Based Reading Instruction Through Professional Development, Sierra Rose Anthony

Masters Projects

There is a growing need to equip teachers with the knowledge and support necessary to foster student growth in reading. The problem addressed in this project is that many newly-hired teachers lack the knowledge, confidence, and instructional coaching needed to effectively implement evidence-based literacy practices in conjunction with high-leverage teaching practices. Newly-hired teachers include teachers who are new to a district, both those who have transferred from another school and those who are just beginning their teaching careers. This project proposes a year-long professional development program that equips newly-hired teachers with evidence-based literacy practices and high-leverage teaching practices through explicit …

Disengagement And Reconnection: Investigating The Role Of Purpose And Identity Seeking Across Career Stages In Healthcare, Charmel Renee Jeffery

Radiologic Sciences

Purpose To examine the generational purpose gap in healthcare by identifying the psychological and environmental factors underlying early-career disengagement and late-career reconnection.

Method An integrative literature review was conducted using four academic databases. An artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted thematic synthesis was applied to extract and organize findings within a standardized analytic matrix. To ensure accuracy and rigor, all AI-generated outputs were validated against the original source data.

Results Two primary themes emerged. Early-career healthcare workers commonly experienced disengagement associated with destiny beliefs, while later-career professionals demonstrated renewed purpose and resilience despite ongoing stressors.

Discussion The findings revealed a pronounced generational divide …

Kindergarten Teachers’ Challenges Embedding Play-Based Learning In A Standards-Based Curriculum, Anna Catalan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that kindergarten teachers in a Western United States elementary school were challenged by standards that have become heavily focused on teaching academic skills at a younger age, instead of teaching with developmentally appropriate practices that allow for play-based learning (PBL). Framed by Vygotsky’s theory of PBL, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore what challenges local kindergarten teachers had when embedding PBL in a standards-based curriculum. Data were collected through 15 semistructured interviews with Kindergarten teachers who had at least 2 years' experience embedding PBL in instruction. Using thematic analysis …

English Language Arts Remedial Teachers’ Perspectives On Strategies To Close The Academic Achievement Gap Of Minority High School Students, Barbara Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed throughout this study is that 53% of minority students do not reach proficiency on the English Language Arts (ELA) portion of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking test compared to the 42% of other student populations at Grover High School (GHS, a pseudonym), a large and diverse high school, despite targeted school improvement interventions each school year. Grounded in Ladson-Billings’s culturally relevant pedagogy, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate ELA remedial teachers’ perspectives on reading strategies and instructional planning tools that might help minority students close the academic achievement gap. Semistructured …

Effective Leadership Strategies To Retain For-Profit Education Employees After A Leadership Change, Kimberly Keene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective leadership transitions in for profit higher education erode employee morale, trust, and retention. Higher education business leaders recognize that ineffective leadership transitions can contribute to employee disengagement, reduced organizational commitment, and increased turnover, undermining institutional stability, workforce continuity, and organizational performance. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore the effective leadership strategies used by for-profit education institution leaders to retain key employees after a change in leadership. The participants were 10 leaders employed at for-profit higher education institutions in the southern United States who had successfully implemented leadership strategies …

Bridging The Gap: Documenting The Effectiveness Of Counseling Education In A Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program, Gianna Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the impact of a required counseling course through Duquesne University's Speech-Language Pathology program, particularly regarding student’s counseling self-efficacy and their ability to apply counseling skills within clinical practice. Nineteen first year Master’s students in Speech-Language Pathology at Duquesne University during 2025 participated in this study while enrolled in a counseling course and providing therapy to clients. Students completed the Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales for SLPs (CASES) (Victorino & Hinkle, 2019) prior to beginning and after completion of the required counseling course. While observing video-recorded therapy sessions, the Counselor Competencies Scale-Revised (CCS-R) (Lambie & Swank, 2024) …

Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On The Roles And Career Trajectories Of Radiologic Technologists, Carolina Esquivel

Radiologic Sciences

Purpose To examine how artificial intelligence (AI) is influencing the roles, responsibilities, and career trajectories of radiologic technologists by identifying emerging challenges and opportunities associated with AI integration in medical imaging.

Method A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and CINAHL to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2026. Eligible studies examined AI applications in medical imaging and their effects on workforce roles, education, collaboration, and professional practice. Findings were synthesized using thematic analysis.

Results Three primary themes emerged: (a) workflow efficiency and protocol optimization through AI-assisted imaging processes; (b) professional skill development and evolving responsibilities related to …

Administrative And Clinical Impacts Of Theranostic Program Expansion In Nuclear Medicine, Karmela Kljajic Pascual

Radiologic Sciences

Purpose To synthesize current evidence on theranostic trials, nuclear medicine clinical workflow models, and organizational readiness, with a focus on how healthcare organizations and medical imaging leaders are adapting to the rapid expansion of theranostic services.

Method A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria required peer‑reviewed articles published between 2002 and 2026 addressing nuclear medicine leadership, theranostic implementation, workflow design, and organizational factors influencing theranostic program development. Exclusion criteria removed editorials, blog posts, and nonpeer‑reviewed sources.

Results Four major themes emerged: workforce and staffing demands, infrastructure and resource requirements, regulatory and administrative pressures, …

Online Parent Group Intervention For Executive Function Skills For Autistic Children And Adolescents, Kathleen Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Executive functioning (EF) skills deficits are prevalent among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (autism) that impacts their academic functioning, social relationships, and families' quality of life. This study aimed to explore an online parent group intervention, to test effectiveness of a 6-week parenting intervention on parenting stress and child's executive functioning (EF) among autism families in rural Utah with limited access to traditional intervention resources. The participants were eight parents from six families of children and adolescents (8-15 years) with clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and appropriate language abilities for their age. The parents participated in weekly …

Equitable Science Instruction For Diverse Learners: Differentiation With Consideration For Multilingual Students, Alicia Reyelts

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLs) continue to experience persistent achievement gaps in science, often due to the linguistic demands of academic language and the limited availability of instructional supports within general education classrooms. As classrooms become increasingly diverse, science teachers require practical instructional resources that promote equitable access to rigorous, standards based learning while supporting students' language development. This master's project addresses this need through the development of a differentiated seventh-grade chemistry unit aligned with the Michigan Middle School Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The project is grounded in the principles of differentiated instruction (DI), drawing upon the work of Tomlinson as …