Education Commons^™

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

The Impact Of Environmental Education Delivery Methods And Outreach Messaging On Attitudes, Interests, And Intended-Behavior Changes Toward Nature, Vanessa Elizabeth Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) is important for environmental awareness and stewardship. Involving youth and adults in EE ensures current and future generations will conserve natural resources. This thesis explores impacts of delivery methods on participants’ environmental attitudes and behaviors toward nature through middle school classroom- and camp-based EE instruction, focus group interviews with rural minority youth, and adult responses to aquatic conservation outreach messaging. I observed no difference in environmental attitudes between online versus in-person delivery of EE lessons for middle-schoolers. Outdoor-based learning may be more impactful for EE than experiential, classroom-based learning. Focus group outcomes suggested youth EE programs should …

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine Donahey

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is associated with positive academic and mental health outcomes for adolescents. These socialization messages come in 3 forms: cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust. The ERS literature has mainly focused on African American populations but is expanding to include other demographics, such as Latinx individuals. Since much of ERS research has been conducted from the perspective of parents, the current study sought to add to the literature by evaluating adolescent experiences with ERS in their own words. The study was conducted using focus groups with late adolescents and young adults …

Searching For Balance: The Reading Choices, Experiences, And Habits Of Women In Higher Education Leadership Roles, Laura Burns

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Women in higher education leadership roles face complicated challenges in their professional roles, and struggle to maintain work-life balance, yet they make time to read for professional development and for pleasure. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, focus group methods, and grounded theory coding, this study examines the reading choices and habits of women in higher education leadership roles, delving into how they balance their reading between material tied to their professional interests and leisure reading material, and to what extent reading for pleasure contributes to their work-life balance. The study explores what reading materials women academic leaders consume, and where they …

Exploring The Impact Of A Professional Identity On Teacher Retention: A Phenomenological Study, Elizabeth A. Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is a great deal of research literature available on the causes for and the impact of teacher attrition and research on professionalism, there is little research to prove what connection, if any, exists between the two. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to determine whether the development of a strong professional identity could positively impact teacher retention in a specific school. The research was conducted by first gathering baseline data from teachers who took 2 established surveys, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and the Professional Self-Identity Questionnaire (PSIQ). Focus group interviews with volunteer teachers followed. Survey …

Content Of Sexual Assault Prevention Programs: What Evidence Could Change College Women's Minds?, Abigail Lee Moser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault is a serious health issue for college women. Unfortunately, the results of previous research revealed that intervention programs designed for women have been largely ineffective at changing women's attitudes, knowledge, and victimization concerning sexual assault. The purpose of the present investigation was to identify forms of persuasive evidence that women report as having changed their attitudes, knowledge, and behavior concerning sexual assault. Focus groups were used to identify common themes college women use to explain their understandings of these topics. These focus groups discussed how close family members impacted their behaviors concerning sexual assault, how they gained their …

The Reality Of The Greene County School System Preschool Program., Kathryn E. Crumm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State funded preschool programs are recent phenomena in the United States and the state of Tennessee. The intent of the researcher was to explore the implementation of the preschool program in the Greene County Schools system and to develop a better understanding of the effects of this process at the classroom level. This study may provide significant information for other pre-k programs in the state of Tennessee or nationwide programs in partnership with Head Start.

The preschool program in the Greene County Schools system consisted of 16 classes with nine of the classes in partnership with Head Start and one …