Education Commons^™

A Narrative Analysis Of Equity-Focused Cs Educators: A Multiple Case Illustration, Aleata Hubbard, Jen Tsan

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Background and Context. Equity-focused CS teaching is often prescribed as a solution for addressing disparities in K–12 CS participation and disengaging student experiences. However, adopting such an orientation can be challenging as it pushes educators to shift their teaching beliefs, identity, and practices. Objective. This study examines how the personal and professional experiences of four high school CS teachers influenced their paths to becoming equity-oriented practitioners. We illustrate variation in these developmental trajectories and advance theory building around equity-focused CS teacher identity development. Method. We utilized a multiple-case narrative inquiry approach, collecting data through in-depth, semi-structured interviews that included a …

“We’Re All In The Struggle Together”: The Experiences Of First-Generation Graduate Students During Covid-19, Rebecca Stallworth, Danielle E. Maurici-Pollock, Jade Obler, Rachel A. Starr

Publications

This study explores the experiences of first-generation graduate students (FGGS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic on their learning experiences and their implications for the design of online graduate programs that foster a sense of belonging.

Prairie Plant Detectives: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Sydney Ganschow

OER Materials

In this lesson, students explore the prairie at the MSUM Regional Science Center to learn how plants survive. Students take a closer look at different plants and draw or write about what they notice. They compare plants, share their ideas, and learn how features like deep roots and narrow leaves can help plants survive. Students also discuss why prairie plants are important to animals and pollinators. At the end of the lesson, they use evidence from their observations to explain how a plant’s features help it survive. Learning outside gives students a chance to connect what they learn in science …

Play-Based Learning In Private International Preschools In Cairo: Teachers' Perspectives, Kesha L. Stovall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how play-based learning is practiced and contextualized in private, international preschools in Cairo, Egypt through the perspective of teachers. It calls upon both historical and contemporary theories of play and play pedagogies ranging from the times of Plato and Al-Farabi to the 21st century with Montessori and Dewey. Using a contemporary theory of play presented by Stuart Lester and Wendy Russell as a guiding framework, it examines how play and play-based learning are implemented, shaped and even challenged in a Cairene context. These contexts include sociocultural factors such as parents’ expectations and aspirations, institutional barriers, teacher development …

Enteral Nutrition Guidelines Improve Critically Ill Patients’ Outcomes: A Quasiexperimental Study, Marwa Abdo, Sara Elsayed Hegazy

Nursing

Background: Optimal nutritional support is a fundamental element of treatment for critically ill patients. Adherence to evidence-based enteral nutrition guidelines is essential to promote patient care and prevent potential complications. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of enteral nutrition guidelines in improving critically ill patients’ outcomes. Method: A quasiexperimental study evaluated 68 critically ill patients divided into 2 groups. The intervention group received their nutrition based on the evidence-based enteral nutrition guidelines, while the control group received their nutrition based on the unit’s routine care. The study was conducted in the surgical intensive care units of Mansoura Emergency Hospital in Egypt. …

Smart Goals, Better Outcomes: Transforming English Language Learning Through Student Goal-Setting, Nicole Brun-Mercer

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

For decades, educational psychologists have emphasized the importance of setting learning goals, with student goal setting being linked to academic achievement. When students have a declared interest in their academic goals, they are more willing to spend time studying, which is a key factor in academic success (Hudig et al. 2022; Morisano et al. 2010; Schippers et al. 2020).

Improvisational Theatre And Theatre Of The Oppressed: Fostering Growth In Myself And Beyond, Leigh S. Green

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This thesis examines how improvisational theatre and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed function independently and how these practices have shaped me as both an artist and educator. Having grown up with improvisation and continued working professionally in performance and education, I have observed how it creates conditions that support development. Guided by a qualitative practice-as-research methodology, in which my own artistic and pedagogical practice serves as both site and subject of inquiry, this study explores three central questions: How does improvisational theatre contribute to youth development? In what ways can Theatre of the Oppressed deepen or reshape improvisation’s developmental …

Brewing Black Girl Magic: From Hush-Toned Kitchens To Educational Spaces: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Inherited Wisdom, Radical Resilience, And Professional Becoming Of Black Women, A Three-Paper Dissertation, Sheryl Patterson-Coulibaly

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how racialized and gendered expectations shape the professional experiences of Black women in predominantly white educational spaces. Drawing on a three-article format, this study investigates how Black women navigate institutional conditions that depend on their labor yet fail to provide adequate support. Grounded in Black Feminist Marxist Thought and emerging Black Womanist Theory, the study centers the emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of Black women’s labor, extending traditional analyses of work, leadership, and resilience.

Of Fire and Fabrication: A Systematic Review on the Myth of Strength and Erasure of Black Women in White Educational Spaces reveals that …

Integrating Inquiry, Peer Observation, And Professional Learning Communities: Teachers’ Experiences With A Job-Embedded Professional Learning Design, Tiffany Outman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Professional learning is often experienced through disconnected initiatives that limit opportunities for sustained collaboration, reflection, and instructional growth. This qualitative action research study explored teachers’ experiences with the integration of teacher inquiry, peer observation, and professional learning communities (PLCs) as a design for job-embedded professional learning within an elementary school setting. The study emerged from an existing culture of collaboration and peer observation at Timber Oaks Elementary, a suburban elementary school in Northeast Florida, and examined what happened when inquiry was intentionally integrated into those structures as the next stage of the school’s professional learning journey. While the professional learning …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Families Of Students With Significant Disabilities In Accessing Community Transition Supports In Rural Settings, Michael David Green Jr.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transition process beyond high school can be daunting for students with disabilities and their families. Families often encounter difficulties accessing community-based supports after students leave the K–12 education system despite federal legislative mandates under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Rural contexts further complicate the experience for families accessing adult services after high school. The current hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how families of students with significant disabilities experienced accessing community transition supports after leaving high school in rural contexts. Through the lens of van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology, the study explored …

From Framework To Fidelity: A Cipp Evaluation Of Mtss Implementation In A Rural Secondary School, Jodi Arroyo Nagel

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This formative program evaluation examined implementation of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at Rowling Middle High School, a rural secondary school in Northwest Florida. Using the Input and Process domains of Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model, this evaluation sought to assess the resources currently in place to support MTSS implementation and the extent to which MTSS procedures were implemented with fidelity across grade levels and target subject areas, namely ELA/English/Reading and Math courses. Data were collected through analysis of the 2025-2026 Rowling master schedule, six classroom observations, six semi-structured staff interviews, individual responses to the …

An Examination Of The Impact Of School Context And Socioeconomic Status On Agency And Creative Productivity In Gifted High School Students, Elizabeth Bronson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study investigated gifted high school students’ perception of the agency afforded them within school settings, and the relationship between these perceptions and their creative productivity. A sample of 140 students was drawn from a population of 966 identified gifted high school students. These students were contacted via their parents and asked to complete the Agentic Engagement Scale (AES) questionnaire which provided gifted high school students’ perceptions of the agency afforded at school. No significant differences in perceived agency were found across demographic variables, including socioeconomic status and school type. Of the respondents, 10 students were …

An Exploration Of The Professionalization Of Graduate Students Using Rhetorical Theory, Jennifer M. Crowell

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This qualitative study examines the professionalization of graduate students as a rhetorically mediated and relational process of identity development within an interdisciplinary doctoral program. While existing scholarship emphasizes institutional structures and formal mechanisms of professional preparation, less attention has been given to how graduate students experience professionalization at the individual level. This study addresses that gap by exploring how students interpret expectations, use rhetorical strategies, and construct professional identities across multiple disciplinary contexts.

Grounded in organizational rhetoric and community of practice theory, the study investigates how graduate students in the Texts & Technology Ph.D. Program at the University of Central …

Exploring The Experiences Of Late Age-On-Arrival Multilingual Learners In Postsecondary Education, Robyn D. Ecklund

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Multilingual learners (MLs) are the fastest growing population in the United States public school system (Biondi et al., 2024; Kanno & Cromley, 2013; Perez & Morrison, 2016; Varghese & Fuentes, 2020). Within this population of students, there is a subset of students that arrive in the United States during secondary school. These “late age-on-arrival” students face significant linguistic, cultural and social challenges in their pursuit of postsecondary success after high school (Kanno, 2021; Kanno & Cromley, 2013; Perez & Morrison, 2016). This interpretative phenomenological analysis sought to answer the research question: what are the lived experiences of late age-on-arrival MLs …

From Designation To Implementation: A Qualitative Study Of Support Structures For Latinx Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Steven A. Freeman

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study addresses the persistent misalignment between the enrollment-based designation of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the extent to which these institutions implement intentional practices that support Latinx student success. As HSIs continue to grow nationally, it is critical to examine whether institutional efforts move beyond symbolic designation toward meaningful “servingness,” particularly given the increasing reliance on these institutions to advance social mobility and educational attainment for Latinx students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the support structures an HSI provides to promote Latinx student success and to examine Latinx students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of these supports. …

Investigating The Impact Of School Leaders’ Leadership Style And Teachers’ Intrinsic Motivation For Improved Science Instruction In Elementary Schools, Leila M. Greene

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, determined that 69% of U.S. elementary teachers are not prepared to teach science, especially in the areas of earth/space and physical sciences. As a result, some elementary teachers avoid teaching science. School administrators play a key role in providing a supportive environment to inspire and motivate elementary science teachers. For this reason, the study utilized the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to examine three types of school leadership styles (Transformational, Transactional, and Laissez-Faire) and how they impact the intrinsic motivation for elementary science teachers in three areas including autonomy, competency, and …

Policy Into Practice: Exploring School Counselors' And School Psychologists' Knowledge And Sensemaking Towards The Application Of Alternative Gifted Identification Criteria For Lower Socioeconomic Students, Brittany E. Hague

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Persistent underrepresentation of students from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds in Gifted education reflects long-standing structural inequities embedded in identification policies and practices. In response, many Florida school districts have adopted equity-oriented identification reforms, including universal screening, local norms, and multiple-measure approaches. However, policy equity does not automatically translate into equitable outcomes; rather, it is mediated through the interpretive work of school-based practitioners. Guided by Sensemaking Theory, this convergent mixed-methods study examines how school counselors and school psychologists construct meaning around alternative Gifted identification criteria and how their beliefs, professional judgment, and organizational contexts shape implementation. The study explores how …

Examining Teachers’ Data Usage Using The Teacher Data Use Survey, Natasha L. Hawkins

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The United States spends approximately 2.7 billion dollars on classroom assessments and local exams for K-12 students (SIMBA, 2019).  However, despite this financial investment and the adoption of data-driven frameworks such as Multi-Tiered System of Support, the U.S. Department of Education found that only 55% of teachers used student data to make instructional decisions (U.S. Department of Education, 2007).  This study aims to explore the psychological and organizational factors that influence teachers’ data use when making instructional decisions.

This study used the Teacher Data Use Survey (TDUS) to investigate the extent that teachers’ use of data could be predicted by …

A Case Study Examining Organizational Influences On Student Teacher Placement In K-12 Classrooms, Rachel L. Ickes

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Student teaching is a prominent and required learning experience in most teacher education programs. The learning that takes place in student teaching blends pedagogy with practice. However, not all student teaching placements provide positive learning experiences for student teachers. This descriptive case study examines the organizational factors that affect the process of student teacher placement at K-12 classroom sites by one teacher education program. For this case study, one teacher education program in the southeastern United States was selected as the case site, and the case for this study is the process of student teacher placement. Semi-structured interviews, observation, and …

Sustaining High-Quality Service-Learning In Research Intensive Universities: A Qualitative Study Of Instructor Perspectives, Marika Koch

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In a world that often feels disconnected due to our sociopolitical climate, there is a need to create socially aware and civically engaged adults. Service-learning integrated into higher education courses can do that and more. Research indicates that both students and the community benefit significantly when students participate in effective service-learning classes. Students who take service-learning courses in college tend to exhibit higher academic achievement, enhanced social and emotional skills, and greater long-term civic engagement. Effective service-learning courses share three common elements: they foster a strong connection to course objectives, promote reciprocity for all involved, and encourage active student reflection. …

Adapting Dramaturgical Pedagogy Into A Practical Framework For Young Dramaturgs, Kirby Lee

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dramaturgy, while more established as practice in professional theatre, remains inconsistently applied and often underutilized in university theatre contexts. Despite its historical significance and continued evolution, some theatre companies and many academic institutions still struggle to clearly define or effectively integrate the dramaturg’s role. This thesis hopes to create a framework for novice dramaturgs by examining the origins and development of dramaturgy, analyzing its shifting functions in contemporary theatre, offering my own dramaturgical experiences through the lens of three quite different plays and finally, establishing basic principles of the discipline. Beyond its historical and professional contexts, this study investigates the …

Contextual Influences On Algebra 1 Achievement In Florida: A Multilevel Analysis Of Fsa Data And Policy Implications For B.E.S.T., Alberto Leiro Jr

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study examined how school-level and district-level contextual factors are associated with Algebra 1 achievement in Florida using a multilevel modeling framework. Drawing on statewide publicly available data from the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), the analysis included schools nested within districts to account for the hierarchical structure of educational data. School-level predictors included absenteeism, economic disadvantage, English language learner status, student mobility, and the proportion of students with disabilities, while district-level variables included poverty and crime rates. Results from the null model indicated that a meaningful proportion of variance in Algebra 1 achievement was attributable to differences among districts, supporting …

High School Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences Of Legislative Changes: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Marie Lewis

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the perceptions and experiences of high school English Language Arts teachers in one public school district in the state of Florida as they navigated educational legislation that has been implemented over the last five years. The study interviewed ten experienced high school ELA teachers who had taught for more than five years in Florida’s public school system. One semi-structured interview was conducted along with brief follow-ups to share thematic statements with the participants. This study also included a document analysis of HB 1467 and HB 1069 as well as the …

The Perceptions Of Instructional Coaching On Teacher Efficacy And Retention In Elementary Schools, Stephanie Lucas

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Administrators in a large school district in Central Florida encountered challenges regarding teacher retention and sustainability. Flite STEM coaching, a new instructional coaching model, was developed to support teachers in hopes of reducing those challenges. This model includes coaching cycles that encouraged collaboration and reflective thinking aligned with professional learning. This qualitative study focused on implementing the Flite STEM coaching model with teachers and instructional coaches. The coaching cycle consisted of the following: 1) a pre-observation conference, 2) video observation, 3) post-observation conference with feedback, and 4) a professional learning opportunity. It included DebriefScape Observation Dashboard resources to collect and …

Communication College Students And Their Career Readiness: An Evaluation From The Employer's Perspective, Carson Mann

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Higher education institutions are seen as places that educate students in specific subjects and provide training that leads to either a career or further learning opportunities. Unfortunately, public trust in higher education has plummeted since 2015. The evolution of higher education has been the subject of speculation by various groups, but developing translational skills through effective internships could very well solve the issue at hand. Institutions ought to have data -driven evidence about their disciplines’ effectiveness and their translational ability to the workforce. To understand this, student career readiness must be evaluated. Students' career readiness is a vital measure of …

Comics In The Classroom: Social Science Teachers' Lived Experiences With Comic Art In Instruction, Robert W. Mcintosh

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study explored secondary social science teachers’ lived experiences with comic art in classroom instruction. Existing research suggests that comic art, including comic books and graphic novels, can support student engagement, content understanding, visual literacy, and critical thinking; however, less is known about how teachers experience and make decisions about using comic art in social science education. Framed by Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Social Cognitive Theory, the study treated comic art as a representational instructional technology and examined how teacher confidence and the context of their experience shaped its use. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews …

Towards An Understanding Of Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality: Investigating Learning Affordances To Bridge Theory And Practice, Gregory Mcgowin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how modality-specific scaffolding shapes performance, presence, and transfer in immersive virtual reality (I-VR). Framed through theories of extended cognition, real-time guidance is conceptualized as cognitive scaffolding that structures perception and action by embedding task-relevant information within the environment. Situated within the learning sciences and informed by 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended), this work develops a framework for understanding how I-VR affordances relate to learning and performance.

The empirical study investigates how scaffolding modality (audio vs. visual) influences presence and performance in a VR racing simulation. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 111 …

Examining Principals' Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Lead In Title I Schools, Tiffany Roebuck

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Principals serving in Title I schools face complex instructional, organizational, cultural, and community related demands that require specialized leadership preparation and support.  The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of principals serving in urban Title I schools regarding their preparedness, supports, challenges, and successes as instructional leaders. The study also examined principals' perceptions of culturally proficient leadership and principal preparation program attributes considered essential for leadership readiness in high-needs school settings. Guided by the Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) framework, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 principals serving in urban Title I …

“I Call For The Resurgence And Reclamation Of Our Indigenous Ways”: Institutional Landscapes, Resistance, And The Experiences Of Mmir Advocates, Sara Tehrani

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island experience disproportionately high rates of violence and homicide compared to other racial groups. Rooted in coloniality and sustained by Western institutions, this epidemic is recognized as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) crisis. In response, Indigenous women have mobilized the MMIR Movement to raise awareness and advocate for institutional change. Although scholarship on MMIR has expanded, limited research has explored the experiences of MMIR advocates. This study interrogates the institutional landscapes that shape MMIR advocacy and explores the resistance strategies advocates employ to address the crisis. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study examines semi-structured …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of School Leaders’ Role In Implementing The Four Pillars Of Community Schools For Improving Student Achievement, Adrian Irwin Thomas

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study examined teachers’ perceptions of school leaders’ roles in implementing the Four Pillars of Community Schools to support Student achievement in under-resourced schools. The four pillars of Community Schools- Integrated Student Support, Expanded Learning Time and Opportunities, Family and Community Engagement, and Collaborative Leadership and Practices- served as the conceptual framework for the study. Distributed Leadership Theory and Epstein’s Framework of Parental Involvement provided the theoretical lens that guided the interpretation of the findings. The study explored teachers’ perceptions of leadership practices associated with the four pillars and identified leadership strategies perceived as most effective for sustaining the community …