Developing The Whole Child: A Retrospective Ethnographic Case Study Of Prosocial Learning Efforts At One Elementary School, Bevan Brown

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

An alarming trend among elementary-aged students in the United States exhibiting significant deficits in social-emotional competency development has intensified since the Covid-19 pandemic. Challenges in developing competent prosocial skills in the elementary-aged years have been associated with difficulties in emotional regulation and social interactions, which can result in compromising school readiness and long-term academic success. Existing school infrastructure provides a vehicle for early intervention, specifically in supporting students with poor social and emotional wellbeing. Thus, the need for innovative pedagogical and instructional approaches that address the complex challenges of the 21st century has become increasingly essential. Coordinated approaches to prosocial …

Exploring The Temporal Dynamics Of Gaming-The-System And Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors Within A Game-Based Learning Environment, Cameron E. Marano

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Consistently monitoring and regulating cognitive and metacognitive skills during learning is difficult. As a result, game-based learning environments (GBLEs) have been designed to provide richer learning experiences. They foster self-regulated learning (SRL) skills and offer a way to study learners' interactions within complex environments. Although SRL in GBLEs has been widely studied, large gaps remain. For example, it is unclear how improper or maladaptive regulation in GBLEs signals gaming-the-system, in which learners manipulate features to avoid authentic learning. This phenomenon is widely studied in intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). Limited research has examined how and when both gaming-the-system and SRL behaviors …

Deceptive Design And Disability: How Dark Patterns Affect Users With Visual Impairments, Konstantin Metz

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dark patterns are deceptive interface designs that steer users toward unintended actions, often at financial or privacy cost. This thesis examines how those that are vision impaired are at greater risk of these dark patterns given their visual acuity deficit. We conducted semi structured interviews with nine participants across common contexts including e-commerce checkout, subscription and cancellation flows, software download pages, and mobile permission prompts. The data show recurring exposure to dark patterns such as hidden or de-emphasized fees, pre-selected add-ons, deceptive advertising and fake download buttons along with unequal consent paths, repeated permission nagging, and cancellation friction. Participants reported …

An Investigation Into The Impact Of Open Educational Resources (Oer) On Postsecondary Student Outcomes, Amber Mullens

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Increasing higher education costs are a concern for policymakers and the American public. In 2024-25, undergraduate students paid on average $1,290 for books and supplies (College Board, 2024). These costs have led policymakers and educators to advocate for the use of open educational resources (OER). OER are teaching and learning materials that are in the public domain or licensed under copyright allowing no cost access, reuse, repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution (UNESCO, 2019, p. 5). While research has demonstrated OER use significantly reduces costs for students, less is known about OER's impact on student academic outcomes. Despite significant research on these …

Holistic Review In Graduate Admissions: Admissions Professionals’ Evaluation Of Non-Cognitive Traits, Joshua L. Olson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This basic qualitative study examines how graduate admissions professionals conceptualize, operationalize, and interpret holistic review within graduate admissions processes. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory, the study explores how non-cognitive traits such as motivation, resilience, self-efficacy, and professionalism are evaluated alongside traditional academic indicators in admissions decision-making. Using semi-structured interviews with graduate admissions professionals directly involved in admissions decisions, the study identifies how holistic review is defined and implemented across institutional contexts, which non-cognitive traits are most valued, and the tools and procedures used to assess applicant potential beyond academic metrics. Findings suggest that, for participants in this …

Modeling Hazard Perception Learning In Novice Drivers With Autism: A Multimodal Simulation-Based Study, Erik J. Sand

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Young drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties with road-surveillance behaviors such as scanning ahead, monitoring mirrors, and identifying emerging hazards. These challenges can increase crash risk, particularly for adolescents with limited driving experience. This study explored whether a simple, video-game–based hazard-training program could improve hazard detection performance, visual scanning, and self-regulation in this population. Five participants aged 15–18 years, each identified by a parent as having ASD and possessing either a learner’s permit or no license, completed sequential Baseline, three Treatment, and Withdrawal phases using the SpeedLimit driving simulation. The study employed a single-case experimental design with …

Teoría Y Creatividad. La Literatura Como Herramienta Educativa En El Aprendizaje Moderno De Textos Clásicos En El Idioma Español, Isabel D. Simon

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In the following master’s thesis, literature is studied as an educational tool in the modern learning of classical texts in the Spanish language from both theoretical and creative perspectives. The theoretical framework to be used is based on the hermeneutic theory of Jean Grondin. The study is divided into three chapters, each focusing on a different literary piece. First, the medieval period is examined through Poema de Mio Cid (Cantar de Mio Cid) of anonymous authorship. In the second chapter, the Golden Age is analyzed through Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. In the closing …

Beyond Satisfaction: Developing A Data Storytelling Evaluation Protocol For Stem Equity Program Assessment, Karen Colbert

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Higher education institutions routinely evaluate equity initiatives using measures of participation, engagement, and satisfaction. While these approaches provide useful information about program delivery, they offer limited insight into whether interventions change how participants understand institutional inequities. As a result, important dimensions of organizational learning and awareness often remain difficult to detect, particularly within STEM higher education environments where evaluation systems frequently emphasize measurable outputs over deeper indicators of change.

This dissertation examines how awareness-related outcomes can be identified, measured, and communicated within equity intervention contexts. Using a three-study design, the research first presents a systematic review of equity intervention evaluation …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Gender Gap In Writing: Gender Profiles For Paper- And Computer-Based Writing In Early Education, Anabela Malpique, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Mustafa Asil

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research Findings: The gender gap in writing has received strong interest from literacy education and research, based on recurrent reports of gender differences in writing typically favoring female students. In this study, we investigated gender differences on paper- and computer-based text composing performance among early primary children (N = 544 Grade 2 students). Multilevel analyses revealed significant differences between boys and girls in both compositional quality and productivity across writing modalities. Specifically, boys consistently exhibited lower scores in both compositional quality and productivity compared to girls. Gender differences were notably influenced by various student-level factors such as handwriting automaticity, spelling …

Playworld Translanguaging: A Place-Based Approach For Translanguaging Play Pedagogy In Early Childhood, Christine Robinson, Carly Steele, Toni Dobinson, Grace Oakley, Samina Manado, Katie Grace, Graeme Gower

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Conceptualised from a vision to honour children’s languages, agency and cultural ways of knowing, this research presents findings from a place-based translanguaging play pedagogy for early childhood called Playworld Translanguaging. In the remote Kimberley of Western Australia, researchers collaborated with educators in a Kindergarten/Primary/Yr 1 class of mostly Aboriginal children who have Bardi Jawi as their ancestral language, co-designing ways to revitalise this language through play pedagogy in ways intimately connected to place. Our Playworld Translanguaging approach reimagined Conceptual PlayWorlds (Fleer, 2018) with the intention of integrating pedagogical translanguaging. Following Indigenist research principles, critical participatory action research (CPAR) was the …

Students' Perceptions Of The Elective Modules: A Multicentre Study From Institutions Of Northwest India, Reshu Gupta, Shrishti Upadhyay, Praveen Singh

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Evaluation of students’ perception of the newly introduced Electives Module by the National Medical Commission, India, within the curriculum of competency-based medical education, effective from admission batch 2019, by gathering their feedback and opinions to assess the effectuation of the program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Phase III Part II MBBS students of admission batches 2019 and 2020 at two medical institutions in Jaipur, a city in Rajasthan, India. The perceptions were evaluated via a questionnaire designed in alignment with the objectives of the elective modules of the National Medical Commission of India and included …

Tracing The Evolution Of Signature Technologies In Health Professions Education: Developments, Challenges, And Possibilities, Jacob Kelley, Kimberly B. Garza, Kelley Noll, Allison Chung

Health Professions Education

Purpose. This integrative literature review traces the evolution of signature technologies in health professions education and their impact on teaching and learning. By exploring these technologies, it highlights the ways these advancements shape learning experiences and the preparation of future healthcare professionals. While these technologies present opportunities for enhanced learning, they also introduce challenges related to accessibility, cost, and effectiveness.

Method. Using Torraco’s framework for integrative literature reviews, this article synthesizes existing scholarship to trace the historical development of signature technologies in health professions education. The authors conducted searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for literature published primarily between …

Operationalizing Mtss: A Case Study Of Principal Leadership Practices In Guiding School-Based Leadership Teams Through Inquiry And Improvement Science, Heather M. Teto

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic widened academic achievement gaps, creating an urgent mandate for school leaders to implement systemic, data-driven frameworks to support student academic recovery. While the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a widely adopted framework for addressing these disparities, its success is dependent on the strategic involvement and instructional leadership of the school principal. This qualitative case study explores the lived experiences and leadership characteristics of elementary school principals as they lead School-Based Leadership Teams in implementing a district-developed MTSS framework.

Guided by the principles of Improvement Science and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) inquiry cycle, this research examines the specific …

What Novice Educators Find Supportive, Robin M. Bossinger

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages have increased in the past two decades, creating greater emphasis on recruitment, talent development, and retention efforts for educational leaders. Novice educators feature prominently in these considerations. A teacher’s first years can be extremely challenging, and induction, the professional learning experiences specific to early career professionals, is often considered the answer. Despite the seeming ubiquity of induction, there is much variability in interpretation, enactment and outcomes. While it is generally accepted that some induction is better than no induction, new teachers deserve more intentionally designed support.

This study sought to reexamine assumptions about induction, adding to the literature …

Novice Teachers' Perceptions Of Clinical Experience And Their Preparedness To Teach In High-Need Urban Schools, Robin D. Renelus

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined novice teachers’ perceptions of how clinical experiences in a teacher preparation program prepared them to teach in high-need urban schools. The study included 12 novice teachers with three or fewer years of teaching experience who completed their clinical experience at the same university in Northeast Florida. Data were collected using Seidman’s (2019) three-interview approach, which explored participants’ backgrounds, day-to-day teaching experiences, and reflections on their sense of preparedness. Data were analyzed to develop textural descriptions of what participants experienced and structural descriptions of how those experiences were shaped (Moustakas, 1994).

Participants described clinical experiences as …

Exploring The Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Sense Of Belonging At Their University: A Q-Methodological Approach, Jose Acevedo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

       The transition to higher education is a significant life event requiring substantial social, academic, and psychological adjustment, during which a powerful sense of belonging is critical for student success and retention. While traditional models of student retention often prioritize support services and academic integration, they frequently overlook the intricate relational dynamics and deeply personal subjective experiences that shape belonging. This research utilized Q methodology to explore the multifaceted ways undergraduate students at the University of North Florida (UNF) understand and prioritize the determinants of institutional belonging. Guided by an integrated conceptual framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Determination Theory, Social …

From Preparation To Practice: A Study Of Assistant Principals After Completion Of An Aspiring Assistant Principal Preparation Program, Mallory L. Mcconnell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leadership programs and readiness in schools, particularly those in Florida, is well studied. However, few studies have investigated how current assistant principals who have completed Clay County District School’s Aspiring Assistant Principal Program describe their experiences, believe the program has prepared them for the realities of school leadership, or identify the most impactful elements that have supported their leadership development. This case study seeks to collect foundational research knowledge by analyzing data from the program, participants, and key facilitators. Using a sampling of current assistant principals who have completed the Aspiring Assistant Principal Program, this research examines the results in …

Finding Community: Addressing Doctoral Student Loneliness And Fostering Belonging In Higher Education, Sydney Hamrick

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Doctoral students often experience loneliness, isolation, marginalization, and other challenges related to belonging. While prior research has connected belonging to persistence, well-being, and academic success, little is known about doctoral students’ lived experiences of belonging and loneliness. This hermeneutic phenomenological study, grounded in Max van Manen’s Phenomenology of Practice, guided by the Sense of Community Theory and informed by a Transformative Worldview, explored how institutional, structural, relational, and personal factors shaped doctoral students’ experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach informed by van Manen’s lifeworld existentials, including lived relation, lived space, lived …

Suspended Futures: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Black Adult Males Affected By Exclusionary Discipline, Tamara Jones

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black males continue to experience exclusionary discipline at disproportionately high rates in American schools, often resulting in academic disruption and long-term educational and social consequences. While existing research had extensively documented disciplinary disparities, less attention had been given to how Black males interpret and make meaning of these experiences over time. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black adult males who experienced exclusionary discipline during their secondary school years and examined how they now make sense of those experiences in adulthood. Grounded in Critical Race Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the study focused on participants’ perceptions of …

Fostering Reading: Review Of A College Bridge Program For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing High School Students, Cara Wilmot

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods formative program evaluation examined the reading component of a summer College Bridge Program (CBP) designed for high school students who are deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh). Persistent disparities in reading outcomes among d/Dhh students have been linked to differences in language access, communication access, and opportunities to receive specialized instruction. Using the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) evaluation model, this study evaluated how the CBP identified and addressed students' reading needs, implemented evidence-based instructional practices, and supported reading development through a three-week summer program.

Participants included 45 d/Dhh high school students from 12 southeastern states, as well …

Teacher Judgment In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: Collaborative Inquiry Into Generative Ai For Udl-Aligned Instructional Planning In Elementary English Language Arts, Melissa G. Metz

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explores how teacher-facing generative artificial intelligence (GAI), specifically Google Gemini, can support educators in UDL-aligned instructional planning within a Title I elementary school. Although AI is often discussed in terms of student-facing applications, less is known about how GAI can assist teachers with lesson planning, differentiation, and the demands of sustaining inclusive Tier I instruction. Guided by a conceptual framework integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and technology integration perspectives, the study engaged four educators in collaborative inquiry through AI Visioning Workshops, reflections, interviews, and planning artifacts.

Data were analyzed through iterative coding, analytic memoing, and …

Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support For School-Based Mental Health Services: An Explanatory Case Study Of An Elementary School, Laura Acker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative explanatory case study examined how school-based mental health services (SBMHS) are implemented within an elementary school’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and sensemaking theory, the study examined how educators and school-based professionals interpret and enact their roles in supporting student mental health within educational contexts. Data were collected through interviews with five MTSS team members and analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Results showed that mental health implementation is not a fully integrated system of supports but rather a process shaped by roles and relationships influenced …

The Un-Bridged Pipeline: Leading And Preparing Women Of Color To Senior-Level Higher Education Administration, Jacqueline D. Slater

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite increased educational attainment among Black women, representation in senior‑level leadership positions within higher education remains limited. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Black women who serve or have served in senior‑level academic administrative roles and explores how those experiences inform guidance, preparation, and decision‑making for future Black women leaders. The study focuses on practical barriers, workplace realities, and strategies that shape leadership entry, advancement, and retention.

Using a descriptive case study design, five Black women with professional experience as presidents, provosts, vice provosts, and academic deans participated in semi‑structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Purposeful sampling ensured …

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 …

Accessibility Services And Support In Small And Rural Academic Libraries, Robert M. Amerson, Deborah Tritt Harmon

The Southeastern Librarian

This exploratory study examines how small and rural academic libraries support students with disabilities. While grounded in a professional commitment to equitable service, these libraries often face challenges, such as limited staff, aging infrastructure, and stagnant funding. Survey results from 38 librarians reveal a strong dedication to accessibility, despite institutional constraints. Respondents identified barriers, such as insufficient training, inadequate resources, and minimal collaboration with campus disability offices. However, many also reported implementing personalized, student-centered services and cited the advantages of flexibility and close student relationships in small academic settings. The findings underscore the need for tailored support, increased training opportunities, …

A Study Of The Impacts Of Infusing Data Analysis And Research In An Interdisciplinary Environmental Economics Course, Sean P. Macdonald

Publications and Research

This paper explores the impacts of introducing quantitative literacy skills in an interdisciplinary Environmental Economics course typically taught as an issues and policy course without a quantitative component. The study examines the effects of infusing an engaging, student-selected data collection and analysis assignment on students' quantitative reasoning skills, as well as their interest in and attitudes about data analysis and quantitative information. Using data gathered from a set of pre- and post-assessment questions designed to measure changes in quantitative reasoning skills and attitudes, the findings point to significant attitudinal impacts, gains, but smaller, insignificant gains in quantitative reasoning skills.

Reclaiming Agency: Ai Hallucinations And Translingual Interrogations In The City Tech Writing Center,, Joseph Franklin, Anna Laura Falvey

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.