Education Commons^™

Intersectionality Of Race And Disability: The School Counselors' Role In Policy Reformation, Jenna M. Alvarez, Rachel Saunders, Vanessa Sinclair, Stephanie Smith-Durkin, Emily Goodman-Scott

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The United States K-12 education system is riddled with inequities within the intersection of race and disabilities; relatedly, the school counseling literature also demonstrates a similar gap in the literature. As a result, through three case illustrations highlighting the unique experiences of historically marginalized students of color with disabilities, we illustrate the multiplex intersection of race and disability and how a school counselor can utilize leadership, advocacy, and social justice for systemic change. Further, the three cases are structured through the ADDRESSING framework, to systematically consider the complexities of identity, overlapping cultural influences, and the connections to practice (Hays, 2022). …

Family, Stability, Mentors & Money: Student Definitions Of Success, Arturo Caldera

CMC Senior Theses

This research takes a deep dive into the factors shaping marginalized communities’ educational experiences, particularly for low-income Latino students from migrant backgrounds navigating public schooling spaces. Across sixteen qualitative interviews, participant narratives reveal how a systemic lack of resources at the institutional, interpersonal, and structural levels undermines the quality of support students receive and shapes their academic trajectories. Grounded in student-centered practices and informed by scholarship in multicultural education, Chicanx/Latinx studies, feminism, and psychology, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to move beyond deficit-based frameworks and instead recognize the cultural wealth, knowledge, and resilience students bring from their homes and …

10 Years Of The Hive: Successes, Challenges, And Lessons For Designing Creative Learning Hubs In Higher Education, Celine Bernhardt-Lanier

CMC Senior Theses

College students are often told to be “innovative” and to prepare themselves for a rapidly changing job market. Yet, most institutional learning environments are built for everything but that, focusing on efficiency, mastery, and content delivery. The Hive, formerly known as the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity, pushes against this reality in higher ed. Founded ten years ago and nestled in a corner of East 7th Street in Claremont, California, the Hive brings together students, faculty, and staff through workshops, classes, skillshares, and events that are centered around making, reflecting, and collaborating. Drawing on eight semi-structured …

The Impact Of Teachers’ Roles As Boundary Crossers And Boundary Objects In Post- Covid Composition Instruction, Tammie Marie Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ perceptions of rapid technology integration and its influence on composition instruction and cognitive load in physical, digital, and hybrid spaces. Grounded in theories of boundary crossing and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the study conceptualized teachers as both boundary crossers, navigating instructional spaces, and boundary objects, serving as the support tools for their students’ transitions into digital composition. Data were collected from five ELA teachers in a rural school district through surveys, individual interviews, and questionnaires, and analyzed using a two-phase coding process. Findings indicate that teachers perceived …

Improving Retention Rates Of Teachers Through Analysis Of Second-Career Educators, Colton Perry Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher retention rates have been an issue in education for decades. New teachers continue to leave the field at an alarming rate, despite research and attempts to improve their retention. This study focuses on the population of second-career educators and their reasons for remaining in the field at a higher rate than traditional teachers (those who enter the field directly out of college). The researcher’s focus is to determine which experiences and skills gained by second—career teachers in their previous careers result in them experiencing lower rates of attrition once entering education. A qualitative study will be conducted using semi-structured …

Evaluating Rate Of Perceived Exertion And Heart Rate In High School Weight Training Students For Assessing, Enhancing, And Maintaining Health-Related Fitness, Nicholas Searcy

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study evaluated the relationship between rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) among high school weight-training students during circuit training sessions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether RPE could serve as a practical method for gauging moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among high school weight-training students while allowing students to assess and enhance their health-related components of fitness. Participants were high school students enrolled in weight-training classes who completed upper- and lower-body circuit training sessions over a 4-week period, or a total of 16 school days. RPE was self-reported using Borg’s CR10 …

Exploring Secondary Stem Teachers’ Experiences In Online Learning Environments: A Directed Content Analysis Using The Community Of Inquiry Framework, Tiffany Janese Lester

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a directed qualitative content analysis of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and May 2025 on secondary STEM teaching in online environments. Using the Community of Inquiry framework, I examined how teaching, social, and cognitive presence shaped instructional strategies, teacher experiences, and reported challenges. Coding with deductive and inductive methods identified recurring themes: teachers adapted to digital platforms, navigated uneven levels of digital fluency, and implemented intentional strategies to maintain social interaction. The studies also revealed persistent equity gaps in access and participation alongside innovative approaches to course and pedagogical design. These themes demonstrate how secondary STEM …

Confidence In Action: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceived Abilities In Implementing Instructional Technology, Latorri West

Theses and Dissertations

Education is evolving through the integration of academic content and technology to support student success. Despite significant investments in educational technology, challenges persist in effective implementation, particularly in rural contexts where resources and support may be limited. Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the researcher investigated teachers’ perceptions of implementing the i-Ready adaptive learning platform in a rural Georgia school district. i-Ready, an adaptive diagnostic and instructional tool for reading and mathematics used by more than 25% of U.S. schools, represents a widely adopted educational technology that requires specific technical, pedagogical, and content knowledge for successful implementation.

The …

An Analysis Of Factors At A Private Liberal Arts College That Affect Student-Athlete Sense Of Belonging, Tamija Shrell Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the factors affecting student-athletes sense of belonging at a private liberal arts college using Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging Framework. The research used a mixed method approach and combined quantitative survey data from 112 undergraduate students with qualitative interviews from seven faculty members to analyze variations in academic readiness, institutional support and a sense of belonging. Despite that fact that non-athletes reported being significantly more academically prepared, quantitative data indicated that there was no statically significant difference in the overall sense of belonging between student-athletes and non-athletes. There was also a negative correlation between a sense of belonging …

Servant Leadership: A Directing Approach, Charles Hearn

Theses and Dissertations

When involved with traditional stage directing, the process may feel very hierarchical, and only a few voices are heard when decisions are made; such is the method of the directing approach. Servant leadership, ideals argue that it is more beneficial to rely on others and dismantle unnecessary hierarchies when available, to not just enhance the product but the people and the process itself. Stage directing from a leadership perspective can not only perform the task at hand, directing, but also enhance the people involved with the production using a process like that found in servant leadership. This thesis focuses on …

Muinji’J Asks Why (2022) By Shanika Maceachern And Breighlynn Maceachern, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Picture Books

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and Canadian government agencies and Christian churches established Indian residential schools where hundreds of thousands of children were “reeducated” in English and Christianity. They were not allowed to use their native languages or given names, to practice their religions, or to communicate with their siblings or parents. They were made to work in crop fields, kitchens, laundries, and industrial workshops. Many were physically and sexually abused. Many never saw their families again. The nine picture books reviewed here are accounts of survivors of residential schools from eight different Indigenous nations. In addition to …

A Figurational Analysis Of Health And/Or Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Conceptualisations Of Policy, And Their Sociogenesis, Laura Alfrey, Dylan Scanlon, David Aldous, Jenna Lorusso, Kellie Baker, Christopher Clark, Mo Jafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Policy engagement is key to promoting quality physical education yet it has been identified as a ‘grand challenge’ for Health and/or Physical Education (H/PE) internationally. All H/PE professionals, including teacher educators, have a collective responsibility to engage with policy but existing research tells us little about how H/PE teacher educators (H/PETEs) understand and engage with policy. It is important to examine H/PETEs conceptualisations of policy for a few reasons, not least because teacher educators play a crucial role in supporting future generations of teachers who themselves will need to engage with policy as a core feature of their professional lives. …

The Open Knowledge Fellowship: An Opportunity For Transformative Learning At The Doctoral Level, Elvis Bakaitis, Jill Cirasella, Patrick Mcgee

Publications and Research

How can we integrate the principles, practicalities, and complexities of open educational resources (OER) and open access scholarly literature into graduate-level education? At the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), the popular and successful Open Knowledge Fellowship offers a much-needed intervention in doctoral education by addressing these topics and associated debates. Between 2020 and 2025, the intensive six-week Fellowship program was offered 12 times and trained over 200 doctoral students from across the disciplines in the selection and use of openly licensed resources in the courses they teach. These 200+ students then taught their revamped courses …

Nation, Nature And Childhood In Five Curricula: Towards Earthly Education, Zsuzsa Millei, Katarzyna Gawlicz, Lucy Hopkins, Camilla Eline Andersen, Danielle Ekman Ladru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article explores the relations between nation, nature and childhood in five early childhood education curricula in the Nordic, post-socialist and settler-colonial states with the focus on the role education plays in the face of the climate crisis. The authors identify three interconnecting themes in which nation, nature and childhood are entangled in these curricula: 1) national nature as an object of learning; 2) nature and home/birth land and Country; and 3) stewardship for national nature. Exploring these themes from the perspective of alternative pedagogies developed to address the child–nature relations during the Anthropocene, the authors argue that these notions …

Embodying Policy Work: An Exploration Of Contexts, Actions And Meanings Towards New Possibilities For Physical Education Teacher Education (Pete), Victoria Evans, David Aldous, Dawn Penney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This theoretical paper presents a heuristic framework that is directed towards transformative thinking and practices in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). The research focus and direction, embodying policy work, applies and extends Bernstein’s concepts of the pedagogic and corporeal device to offer new directions for inquiry and explore the considerations these raise for PETE professionals and their practices. The paper affirms the importance of policy work in PETE, while recognising a need for more nuanced and critical understandings of the complex interrelationships between contexts and actions, and the potential meanings generated and ascribed to different forms of policy work and …

Curriculum Approaches To Strengthening Student Employability And Improving Graduate Outcomes In The Stm Disciplines, Denise Jackson, Michael D. O’Connor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia and elsewhere, curriculum improvements are needed to improve the development of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) graduates for future work and careers. Several studies document significant STM student attrition, poor graduate preparedness for work, relatively weak employment rates post-graduation, and mismatched expectations of graduate capabilities by employers. The inclusion of work-integrated learning (WIL) activities within curricula can better prepare students for relevant employment by bridging discipline-specific teaching with work practices. Traditionally, access to WIL has been limited for STM Bachelor students and a better understanding of WIL’s benefits and impact is needed to refine and extend STM WIL …

The Power Of Role-Modelling: White Teacher Educators Normalising Anti-Racism And Cultural Reflexivity For White Pre-Service Teachers, Mary-Anne Macdonald, Sarah Booth, Helen Mills, Robert Somerville

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Every child has a right to feel culturally safe in schools, yet for countless Indigenous students this is not the case. Many White pre-service teachers in Australia enter initial teacher education with a limited understanding of racial identity, Indigenous knowledge or White anti-racism. This autoethnographic study applies Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour to understand the role of the White teacher educator in racial conscientisation of White pre-service teachers. We examine how White teacher confidence in enacting anti-racist behaviours builds when White teacher educators role-model the professional approaches which White teachers can use to teach about race …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of The Feasibility Of E-Portfolio-Based Assessment Of Physical Literacy In Primary Health And Physical Education, Jaxon Hogan, Dawn Penney, Eibhlish O’Hara, Joseph Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Physical literacy (PL) is widely acknowledged as an integral component of high-quality physical education programmes. However, what constitutes appropriate assessment of PL remains a contested issue. This study drew on Whitehead’s conceptualisation of PL as a lifelong journey and investigated how primary school teachers can support students’ PL learning through innovative and engaging assessment methods. The study specifically examined the feasibility of using e-portfolios to facilitate quality PL learning and quality assessment in Physical Education (PE), from different stakeholder perspectives. Methods: This interpretive study employed a qualitative design and methods to investigate aspects of feasibility with three purposive participant …

It Makes You Nervous When You Start Talking About Racism: Shining Light On Teacher Educators’ Experiences Of Anti-Racist Pedagogy In Australian Teacher Education, Sasha Janes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teacher educators have a significant responsibility in promoting anti-racist pedagogy and guiding preservice teachers to engage in critical self-examination regarding dominant narratives. However, many teacher education programmes fall short of adequately equipping aspiring teachers for diverse classrooms as they often perpetuate a predominantly white system and curricula. Informed by Critical Pedagogy and underpinned by a lens of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, this paper discusses the experiences of teacher educators facilitating anti-racist pedagogy within teacher education programmes at Australian universities. Semi-structured interviews were held with 23 experienced teacher educators employed at universities across Australia. Data reveal teacher educators’ efforts to promote anti-racist …

From Perspectival Myopia To Professional Transformation: An Autoethnographic Retrospection Of A High School Principal From Nepal, Shankar Dhakal, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Andrew Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a re-storied account of my (lead author) decade-long (2007–2017) professional journey as a high school principal in diverse educational settings in Nepal. Using an autoethnographic approach, I have theorized my leadership transformation approaches through professional storytelling, employing critical reflexivity to trace intimate leadership experiences where authoritarian approaches to leadership, disparities, and inequalities in schools run rampant. My perspectival myopia, professional vulnerabilities, and the discrepancies between my leadership ideals and behaviors resulted in issues such as perceptions of disengagement, underperformance, and dissatisfaction on the receiving end, prompting me to contemplate professional transformation. While outlining several significant steps and …

Climate Change In An Educational Context: A Model Addressing Psychological Distance, Hope, And Concern, Brooke E. Kasl-Godley

Scripps Senior Theses

As the threat of climate change becomes more urgent, educators should focus on fostering climate concern and action instead of simply providing climate information. These studies present a novel model of climate education where locally-framed and action-oriented curriculum increases students’ environmental concern through the mechanisms of psychological distance and hope. This curriculum was taught over two years to sixth-grade students at a school in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Study 1 examines students’ environmental concern and sense of responsibility before and after delivery of the curriculum. Study 2 is a proposed follow-up study, that will address limitations of Study 1 …

The Dunning-Kruger Effect In Sixth Grade Adolescents: Improving Metacognition For Self-Regulated Learning, Julie H. Chen

Scripps Senior Theses

The Dunning-Kruger (DK) effect is a cognitive bias where low-performing individuals overestimate their own abilities, and top-performing individuals underestimate their own abilities relative to their peers. The purpose of this proposed study is to investigate the DK effect in sixth grade adolescents and to use metacognition as an intervention to improve self-assessment calibrations. This study will investigate adolescents in Piaget’s formal operational stage, aiming to improve metacognition levels. The study will occur over 12 weeks, and participants will be given a preparation handbook with or without metacognition activities for the purpose of preparing for the California Assessment of Student Performance …

The Art Of Giving Good Feedback: How Principals And Other Factors Build Or Break Teacher Efficacy Through Evaluations And Feedback In The Public Elementary School Setting, Kayla Davidson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The aim of this study was to explore how public elementary school teachers experience and interpret principal feedback in relation to their sense of self-efficacy, including how their lived experiences align with Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) ratings. Understanding how feedback shapes teacher confidence may help school leaders design evaluation systems that better support professional growth and retention. In this study, feedback was most influential when it was grounded in direct observation, specific, and delivered within trusting professional relationships, while formal evaluation feedback was often perceived as compliance-oriented and less impactful on teacher confidence. Findings indicated that self-efficacy was …

Supporting Functional Independence Through Task-Analytic Instruction: Implications For Skill Acquisition And Generalization In Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Aisha Khan

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Students with moderate to severe disabilities often demonstrate variability in acquiring and generalizing functional skills necessary for independent participation in school and daily life. Although evidence-based practices are widely recommended, less is known about how specific instructional strategies support both skill acquisition and generalization. The purpose of this quantitative single-subject study was to examine the effects of task-analytic instruction on the acquisition, efficiency, and generalization of a functional help-seeking routine among middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities in a self-contained life skills program. Using a multiple-baseline design across three participants, the study measured (a) the percentage of independently …

An Impact Evaluation Study Of The Use Of A Structured Advisory Class To Operationalize Sel Curriculum: An Intervention To Improve School Connectedness, Lacey Rebecca Rotella

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study examined the impact of a structured, twiceweekly advisory class designed to operationalize social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum as an intervention to strengthen middle school students’ sense of school connectedness. Prompted by low California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) results and inconsistent curriculum implementation, the study—grounded in stage-environment fit theory, ecological systems theory, social cognitive theory, and self-determination theory—investigated whether this intervention influenced students’ reported sense of connectedness and how students themselves defined and experienced belonging within the school environment. Phase I analyzed CHKS School Connectedness data from 378 eighth-grade students and engagement indicators, including chronic absenteeism, average …

Bipoc Affinity Groups: Native Educator Perspectives, Kayla Kneeland-Jaimes

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study explored two questions related to BIPOC affinity groups for Native educators. The first research question explored “In what ways are BIPOC affinity spaces meaningful for Native educators?” The second research question this study explored “What are Native educators’ perspectives on best practices for BIPOC affinity spaces?” The problem addressed in this study explored how to support Native educators through BIPOC affinity groups by addressing the impact and value of BIPOC affinity groups from the experience and perspectives of Native educators. This study used Tribal Crit theory–developed by scholar Brayboy. Tribal Crit draws from fields and disciplines like anthropology, …

Empowering Paraeducators: A Mixed Methods Study Of Targeted Paraeducator Training In Trauma-Informed And Restorative Practices, Amy K. Stevenson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This mixed-methods study, grounded in Improvement Science, examines behavioral support provided by paraeducators, sometimes referred to as paraprofessionals, to students who receive special education services. Districts employ paraeducators to implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with a range of disabilities. Often, paraeducators possess limited skills and receive little training to provide effective support to students. Additionally, paraeducators remain among the lowest-paid employees in school districts. Research suggests that targeted professional development, particularly whole-group instruction, followed by coaching, modeling, and feedback, can improve both paraeducator implementation fidelity and student outcomes. Five paraeducators working in a program serving elementary students with …

Recognizing And Valuing Professional Skill Development: Harnessing Past And Present Experiences Leading To Future Possibilities, Dr. Erin E. Cook

Department of Public Service Faculty Publications

This article explores the profound influence that past and present experiences can have on skill development, recognition, and subsequent professional success. Drawing from insights by Malcolm Knowles and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), this paper examines how diverse life experiences serve as a foundation for skill acquisition and application. It emphasizes the role of educators and helping professionals in fostering students' awareness of their skills and transferring them across different contexts. By integrating andragogy principles and practical strategies, this article provides guidance for educators to facilitate skills recognition and application, ultimately enhancing students' readiness for the workforce.

Enhancing Classroom Outcomes For Students With Adhd: A Small Group Intervention Coupled With Adhd Psychoeducation For Teachers, Britney Wischer

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Britney Wischer in 2026.

Annual Report Of Undergraduate Research Fellows From August 2025 To May 2026, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs. Morehead State University.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Reports and Publications

Annual Report of Undergraduate Research Fellows from August 2025 to May 2026.