Education Commons^™

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Internship Programs In Aligning Education With Industry During Covid-19: A Case Study, Fokiya Akhtar, Tarannum Parkar

All Works

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of internship programs in aligning education with industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research focuses on the internship outcomes of College of Communication and Media Sciences (CCMS) students in various UAE organizations. This study employs Kirkpatrick's framework and analyzes 64 student reports over ten weeks to understand the strengths and areas of improvement in aligning academic instruction with real- world applications. The research focuses on the reaction and learning constructs in the alignment of theoretical teachings with practical experiences based on Kirkpatrick's framework. The study revealed that internships offer students a chance to …

Preliminary Validation Of Two Math Screening Tools To Identify Gifted Students In Grades 3–5 In Jordan, Bashir Abu-Hamour, Hanan Al Hmouz

All Works

Introduction: Early screening for mathematically gifted students (MGSs) in Jordan and other Arab countries is limited, posing challenges in identifying and providing appropriate educational services. This study evaluates the validity and reliability of the Arabiya Calculation Test and Math Curriculum-Based Measurement (M-CBM) as tools for effectively screening and supporting MGSs in inclusive education settings. These tools were developed based on the Jordanian curriculum and international assessment tools and require further validation for use in other Arabic-speaking countries. Methods: A quantitative research design was employed, using the Arabiya Calculation Test and M-CBM to assess 78 MGSs in grades 3, 4, and …

Teachers' Use Of Food Rewards In The Classroom Environment, Mckenna Fiore

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food rewards are defined in terms of the value of a food to the individual at the time of ingestion. In classrooms, teachers may use food rewards to encourage academic achievement and appropriate classroom behavior (Hoffman et al., 2009). The use of unhealthy food rewards increases children’s desires for sweets and nonnutritive foods, which can pose risks for health and obesity-related outcomes, compared to healthier alternatives. Different characteristics, such as teaching style, classroom structure, teaching efficacy and teaching eating behavior, can be related to teacher’s use of different types of rewards. The goal of this study was to investigate the …

Antisocial Behavior Among Students In Florida School Districts And Their Associated Disciplinary Approaches: A Cross-Lagged Panel Design, Kaylee A. Salt

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that antisocial behavior is a major problem for all those involved in school environments. Additionally, despite the prevalence of using harsher punishments in response to such behavior, these practices may present more negative rather than positive consequences. The aim of the current study was to explore antisocial behavior in schools and the disciplinary approaches used in response to such behavior. Using disciplinary data reported for public schools in 67 districts of the state of Florida, the prevalence of antisocial behavior incidents was compared to the prevalence of other, drug-related incidents. A cross-lagged panel model determined whether a preference …

Leaving It All Behind: A Storied Experience, Brandi Sheree Wynne Winfrey

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals are experiencing an unprecedented time as conservative politicians and legislators work to dismantle DEI in higher education. In 2022, Florida became one of the first states to introduce and enact anti-DEI legislation. Few studies have examined or investigated the lived experiences of DEI professionals currently living in the midst of this experience. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to capture and restory the lived experiences of DEI professionals employed at public Florida universities during the introduction and enactment of anti-DEI legislation. Five co-composers contributed their stories of experience as data to this narrative …

Examining Student And Faculty Perspectives On Hidden Curriculum In Computing Education, Joseph R. Teahen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Hidden curriculum (HC) consists of the assumed behaviors, cultural norms, and collective knowledge that students are expected to know, but never taught. Knowledge such as version control tools, interview and resume skills, and self-regulation can fall into the HC. HC exists in a specific institutional and individual context and can change over time, making it hard to address and examine.

My thesis work is situated around uncovering and addressing HC in computing education. In this thesis I will present relevant background about HC and computing related HC, present my previous work on the College of Computing Resource Hub and the …

A Testing Load: A Review Of Cognitive Load In Computer And Paper-Based Learning And Assessment, James Pengelley, Peter R. Whipp, Anabela Malpique

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rising use of technology in classrooms has also brought with it a concomitant wave of computer-based assessments. The argument for computer-based testing is often framed in terms of efficiency and data management: computer-based tests facilitate more efficient processing of test data and the rate at which feedback can be leveraged for student learning rather than being framed in terms of the direct effects that students experience from engaging with novel learning tools. Whilst potentially beneficial, for some students the outcomes of computer-based tests may be counter-productive. This review considers the cognitive, and often implicit, consequences of testing mode upon …

Outdoor Adventure Education For Adolescent Social And Emotional Wellbeing: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Michael J.A. Down, D. Picknoll, T. Edwards, F. Farringdon, G. Hoyne, B. Piggott, M. C. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines the effects of OAE on adolescent social and emotional wellbeing and their contributors. Intervention studies (single or multi-arm) assessing the effects of OAE on wellbeing were included. Meta-analysis was conducted on outcomes of interest, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) Tool assessed RoB in multi-arm studies. Four studies assessed within-group change (n = 368), and six assessed between-group change (n = 1,143). Findings indicate significant between-group improvements in resilience, self-esteem and social belonging when OAE was compared to no intervention, but no self-efficacy and overall wellbeing changes were observed. Studies were at high risk of bias, …

Responding To Children’S Voices: The New Frontier In Education Policy Reform, Amelia Ruscoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

More than thirty years on from the United Nations Convention of the Child honouring a child’s right to be heard (Article 12) has unlocked a new frontier in ethical research. In education, children have demonstrated competence to contribute with insight to recent policy development in Australia. This paper provides further evidence of the critical role children stand to play in education reform. A post-structural perspective is adopted and underpinned with Foucauldian theory of discursive power in the context of school-based affordances. Visual and dialogic qualitative methods are used to compare the impact of powerful discourses upon children’s affordances in the …

A Hopeful Or Hopeless Future? Perspectives On The Challenges And Opportunities In Catholic Education, Christine Robinson, Linda Cranley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The research presented in this paper offers a significant contribution to existing discourse that explores the challenges and opportunities within Catholic education. In an increasingly secularised world, Catholic education continues its mission to form and inform young people in the faith. The Church acknowledges that the Catholic school enacts the mission of the Church in society and does so despite a detraditionalised cultural context. The Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education, known as G.R.A.C.E, was formed to act as a global network of Catholic educators to respond to the ‘signs of the times’ in an innovative and integrated way. This paper …

Kaartdijin Bidi (Learning Journey): Place-Based Cultural Regeneration At University, Sandra Wooltorton, Lauren Stephenson, Kathie Ardzejewska, Len Collard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Imagine being in a university that functions in a place-based culturally regenerative way. In this concept paper, the authors bring together theory, practice, and experience, in the service of transforming universities towards place-based cultural regeneration. At present, Australian universities operate using an economic philosophy of neoliberal corporatism characterised by hierarchical management strategies, competitive tendencies, patriarchal values, and discourse characterised by bifurcation or binary thinking. These features illustrate a worldview that is entangled with the meta crises of our times such as climate change, species loss, hatred/intolerance, and unfathomable violence. The authors consider ways of moving towards a place-based, Indigenous-informed, practical, …

Work Smarter Not Harder: Mapping Interprofessional Education Collaboration Core Competencies Across Curricula, Hanlie Pitout, Paula Barnard-Ashton, Fasloen Adams, Sanetta H.J. Du Toit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Integrating Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) into health professions curricula is recognized as a challenging task due to factors such as timing, curriculum overload, and resource availability. This study aimed to identify opportunities within courses across all health professions that would help students achieve the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies. These competencies include (1) Values and Ethics, (2) Roles and Responsibilities, (3) Interprofessional Communication, and (4) Teams and Teamwork. A quantitative, cross-sectional document review was conducted, analyzing curriculum maps and documents from 11 healthcare professions at a South African university. This process involved 22 participants, comprising two representatives …

Educator Professional Subjectivities In Gamification: Knowing, Being And Doing, Natalie-Jane Howard, Elizabeth J. Cook

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gamification has emerged as a prominent innovation in contemporary education, yet its influence on the enactment of educators’ professional subjectivities remains underexplored. As such, little is known about how online gamification applications like Kahoot shape the dynamic ways educators perceive, understand and enact their professional selves within higher education contexts. Adopting a tripartite framework of knowing (epistemological), being (ontological) and doing (praxiological), this qualitative study employed visual-elicitation interviews and remote observations with ten lecturers at a Middle Eastern college. The analysis revealed three key themes shaping educator subjectivities: creating and sharing quiz content; conforming with institutional culture; and infantilizing students …

Music Education Research And Policy Summit: Feedback Report, Alexis Anja Kallio, Julie Ballantyne, Glenn Barry, Nicole Canham, Emily Dollman, Brad Fuller, Jason Goopy, Rohan Hardy, James Humberstone, Tanya Jones, Ricky Kradolfer, Candace Kruger, Simon Petty, Rebecca Yarnold

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Music Education Research and Policy Summit was held from 17–19 July 2023. It was hosted by the Creative Arts Research Institute, Griffith University, on the banks of the Maiwar in Meanjin (Brisbane). The Summit was organised in response to the publication of Australia’s first National Cultural Policy in over 13 years—Revive: A Place for Every Story, A Story for Every Place—to engage in collaborative futures thinking that can identify the values, challenges, and opportunities that will shape school music education in Australia’s future.

The Music Education Research and Policy Summit offered a unique opportunity for music education scholars from …

Using Online Critical Reflection To Enhance Students’ Confidence, Motivation, And Engagement In Higher Education, Isaiah T. Awidi, Jonas Quashie Klutsey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research examines the effect of critical reflection activities in an educational environment that uses active and blended learning experiences for students to develop confidence, motivation, and engagement with their learning. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted on a sample of 137 Communications and Media students, who were involved in a game-based project. Using a validated survey instrument to measure the students’ perceptions of their experiences, Pearson Correlation coefficient was used to estimate the relationship between the learning activities and students’ perceived confidence, motivation, and engagement. Finally, multiple linear regression was used to determine the effect of the critical reflection …

Procedural Skills Gaps And Ultrasound Training In Saudi Medical Interns: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Rajkumar Rajendram, Abdullah Abdulrahman Alshamrani, Waleed Khalid Jarwan, Afnan Ali Alghamdi, Arif Hussain

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Medical internships lay the foundation for physicians' careers. While the scope of medical practice has broadened, the emphasis on procedural skills remains crucial. However, concerns persist regarding the adequacy of current internship training programs, particularly in the context of the increasing importance of ultrasound-guided procedures (UGPs). This study aims to assess the perceived relevance of procedural skills training and identify skill gaps among medical interns at our institution.

Aim: To assess medical interns' perceptions of the relevance of procedural skills training, with a specific focus on ultrasound guidance and to identify skill gaps within the internship program at our …

The Students’ Conceptions Of Assessment (Scoa) Instrument: A Validation Study In Medical Education Context, Diantha Soemantri, Nadia Greviana, Najila Ramadhina

Health Professions Education

Purpose: To validate the Students’ Conceptions of Assessment (SCoA) instrument for the medical education context as a tool to examine Indonesian medical students’ conceptions of assessment in general before its implementation.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to validate the translated SCoA instrument. The original 45-item instrument was translated to Indonesian with some modifications. The study was conducted on a total of 308 preclinical and clinical participants in two public medical schools: Universitas Indonesia and Universitas Udayana.

Results: The samples were found to be suitable for exploratory factor analysis, as indicated by a high Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value (0.949) and a significant …

“Globes" Module (Guiding Learners Towards One Health, Biodiversity, And Environmental Stewardship): Catalyzing Synergies To Advance Leadership And Scholarly Engagement With One Health In Under Graduate Medical Education, Krishna Mohan Surapaneni

Health Professions Education

Background: The concept of One Health addresses the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment, offering a critical framework for tackling complex health challenges. However, gaps in the integration of One Health principles into medical education limit the ability of future healthcare providers to operationalize this knowledge in practice. The "GLOBES" module (Guiding Learners towards One health, Biodiversity, and Environmental Stewardship) was designed to bridge these gaps, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, 13, 14, 15) to promote holistic and interdisciplinary healthcare education. Methods: The "GLOBES" module was developed with 22 competencies across ten categories, incorporating case-based learning, …

The Power Of Emotional Design In Whiteboard Animation: Enhancing Student Cognition And Engagement, Nora El-Tantawy

Health Professions Education

Background: Whiteboard animation is growing as a teaching tool, particularly in the medical field, because of its potent capacity to engage students and make complex concepts simpler to comprehend. These animations use simple drawings to explain complex ideas in a clear, engaging way. They are unique not only because of their visual appeal but also because of the way they are designed to emotionally engage students. Emotional design includes designing learning experiences that motivate, engage, and interact with learners in addition to presenting information. Discussion: This review discusses the use of emotional design in whiteboard animation and its implications for …

Culture Of Disease: A Historiographical Review Of The Black Death, Jack Bamford

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay ………………………………2

II. Document Selection ………………………. 22

III. Textbook Critique…………………………...32

IV. Original Textbook Entry…………………... 36

Designing For Relational Ethics In Online And Blended Learning: Levinas, Buber, And Teaching Interfaith Ethics, Michael Hubbard Mackay, Jason K. Mcdonald, Andrew C. Reed

Faculty Publications

Online and blended learning (OBL) overemphasize the process of creating artifacts, producing strategies, or otherwise utilizing a “making” orientation in education. As an alternative to this making-orientation, we offer a model for relational course design founded in the philosophies of Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Buber. We examine an OBL course design focused on interfaith leadership and ethics that lends itself to the need for relational pedagogy. The focus on asymmetrical and symmetrical relationships that separate Levinas and Buber’s philosophies enable rich ways of designing relational pedagogies and for resisting the making orientation. By focusing on human relationships, we demonstrate design …

Instructional Designer Perspectives On The Pursuit Of Quality In Online Course Design, Jason K. Mcdonald, Stephen C. Yanchar

Faculty Publications

In this qualitative study we investigated the experiences of instructional designers as they sought to build quality into online courses. Through semi-structured interviews, we explored what enabled and hindered their pursuit of quality, how they experienced their efforts in this regard, what mattered to them, and complexities that accompanied this pursuit. Our analysis of participant experiences suggested four themes: (1) connections between quality and designers’ ability to act autonomously; (2) connections between quality and collaborative, team-based relationships; (3) ambivalence due to tensions between autonomy and collaboration; and (4) ways of coping with limits on autonomy and collaboration. We conclude our …

Artificial Intelligence In Educational Research And Scholarship: Seven Framings, Eamon Costello, Giselle Ferreira, Stefan Hrastinski, Jason K. Mcdonald, Ahmed Tlili, George Veletsianos, Victoria I. Marin, Henk Huijser, Sharon Altena

Faculty Publications

In a recent interview (Bender et al., 2025), Professor Emily M. Bender discussed the limitations of technical solutions in addressing harmful Artificial Intelligence (AI) bias. She described a particular point we may reach at which technical solutions stop working, and when we should then widen the lens to ask about the problem framing itself. This is a crucial step in any inquiry that is of concern to both novice and experienced researchers alike: moving from problem-solving to problematisation. This commentary aims to provide educational researchers with a glimpse into the wide array of research problems and problematisation of AI in …

Learning Contexts And Visions For Stem In Schools, Mellita Jones, Vince Geiger, Garry Falloon, Sharon Fraser, Kim Beswick, Benjamin Holland-Twining, Vesife Hatisaru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

STEM education is viewed as being vital for economic prosperity and productivity; and can contribute productively to changing technological, economic, and social demands of the twenty-first Century. However, there is limited consensus on how STEM education is understood and taught, and inadequate discussion around its role in addressing global issues such as climate change, health, poverty, food security, and other STEM-related social concerns. In this paper, we identify the contexts adopted for STEM teaching and learning in 47 Australian schools, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers who participated in the Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL) project. These …

Usability Testing Of A Bystander Bullying Intervention For Rural Middle Schools: Mixed Methods Study, Aidan Midgett, Diana M. Doumas, Claudia Peralta, Matthew Peck, Blaine Reilly, K.B. Butler

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Targets of bullying are at high risk of negative socioemotional outcomes. Bullying programming in rural schools is important as bullying is more prevalent in those schools compared to urban schools. Comprehensive, school-wide bullying programs require resources that create significant barriers to implementation for rural schools. Because technology-based programs can reduce implementation barriers, the development of a technology-based program increases access to bullying prevention in rural settings. Objective: We aimed to conduct usability testing of a bystander bullying intervention (STAC-T). We assessed usability and acceptability of the STAC-T application and differences in usability between school personnel and students. We were …

Addressing Food Security In Cameroon, Stacy A. Adams, Ruth Abunaw Besong

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cameroon Africa has experience a period of nearly a decade of unrest as militants fight for independence for two Anglophone regions within a predominantly Francophone country. The English-speaking minority have felt aggrieved for continued erosion of rights by the central government. Protests have rapidly spread since 2016, causing closure of schools, businesses, and medical facilities. People have lost homes and been displaced, negatively affecting food production and crop availability. The United States Department of State leads an effort of diplomacy beyond emergency food relief through the Mandela Washington Fellowship that connects American professionals to innovative and impactful young African leaders. …

Playgrounds On Paper: Children’S Drawings As A Window Into Outdoor Play Preferences, Sebnem Cetken-Aktas, Serap Sevimli-Celik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children’s creativity in expressing themselves through traditional media, such as drawing, remains strong and reflects their keen awareness of their surroundings. Involving children in the design process provides a valuable opportunity to understand their perspectives. This study engaged 47 five-year-old children to explore their preferences for outdoor play environments through their drawings. The methodology involved analysing these drawings to gain insights into the children’s understanding and desires related to playground experiences. Conducted in multiple stages, the study revealed significant aspects of children’s preferences. The findings highlighted the children’s interest in imaginative features that extend beyond traditional playground structures, as well …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Ict Skills For Online Assessments (Naplan): Influences And Impact, Cindy Carboni, Susan Main

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This convergent mixed-methods study investigated Australian teachers’ perspectives on the computing competencies required for online National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). A total of 107 teachers completed surveys examining how socio-educational backgrounds and classroom practices shape students’ readiness for high-stakes online assessments. Quantitative analysis revealed significant associations between socio-educational advantage and students’ proficiency in seven essential NAPLAN ICT online skills, including typing, navigation, and on-screen manipulation. Qualitative findings highlighted teachers’ concerns about limited exposure to computing tools and insufficient practice time, which many believed hindered student performance in online assessments. Teachers also noted that inequities in skill development …

The Teacher Wellbeing Turn: Neuropolitics, Education And The Psy-Complex, Andrew W. Wilkins, Antonio Olmedo, Brad Gobby, Saul Karnovsky

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Across the globe, governments are responding to a ‘teaching crisis’ marked by high attrition rates and labour shortages. This crisis can be attributed to macro changes in the economy (intensified by the shift towards high inflation, low growth economies post-COVID) and micro changes to the organisation and funding of schools with teachers experiencing stagnating wages and unmanageable workloads in punishing accountability environments. In this paper we examine how government and other authorities in England seek to manage the teaching crisis through diagnostic tools and skills training designed to measure and improving teacher wellbeing. This includes inciting new teacher subjectivities, namely …

Western Australian Graduate Teacher Perceptions Of Teacher Performance Assessments, Janine E. Wyatt, Caroline Mansfield, Paula Mildenhall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examined the views of 1593 first-year graduates from five Western Australian universities concerning three nationally endorsed teacher performance assessment (TPA) instruments. Quantitative and qualitative data obtained through the Department of Education Western Australia’s annual first year graduate teacher surveys from 2021-2023 was used. Study findings revealed that overall, most graduates were satisfied that the TPA supported their classroom readiness and understanding of the graduate level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, and that mentors/supervisors played a critical role in these perceptions. We recommend incorporating the first-year graduates’ insights into the refinement of TPAs. Our study advocates for …