Education Commons^™

Action Civics As A Powerful Tool—Not A Panacea—In The Provision Of High-Quality Civic Education. A Response To “The Domino Effect”: How Early Adolescence Describe Their Capacity For Civic Engagement", Daniela Kruel Digiacomo

Democracy & Education

Action civics happens when young people do research, action, and reflection on social or political issues they care about. In this third decade of the 21st century, action civics is often found in after-school and/or out-of-school contexts, and substantive research now shows its power and potential for providing transformative learning experiences for young people, as is evidenced again in "The Domino Effect: How Early Adolescents Describe Their Capacity for Civic Engagement"—one of the feature articles of this issue. At the same time, action civics, precisely because it is so often conceived and enacted in out-of-school time spaces, is not, and …

Beyond The Human: Democratic Education Through The Ethics Of Care And Carriance. A Response To “Reimagining Democratic Education With Care Ethics—Toward Care-Full Democratic Education”, Michalinos Zembylas

Democracy & Education

This is a response to Koponen and Kasa’s argument that feminist theorizing and care ethics have been overlooked as theoretical approaches in the current democratic education debate. Their article draws on these insights to theorize democratic education in ways that combine care and democracy. In my response, I aim to offer clarifying comments and questions while suggesting ideas to expand Koponen and Kasa’s analysis. Specifically, I highlight two perspectives that, in my view, warrant further exploration in democratic education: developing theoretical frameworks that move beyond human-centered and anthropocentric accounts and, embracing care and the concept of "care-carrying" or "carriance" (Ettinger, …

Science Education For Democracy And Sustainability: A Transnational Critique Of Policy Texts In A Fast-Globalizing Reform Ensemble, Geraldine Mooney Simmie, Sara Tolbert

Democracy & Education

In a fast-globalizing reform ensemble, we reframe science education for a concept of civic engagement connected to a new social contract for democracy and sustainability. The American philosopher of education John Dewey, writing in the early 1900s, asserted that democracy requires a facelift with each generation in order to respond to the urgent needs of the moment. Dewey asserted that education acts as a midwife in the delivery of democracy. In this transnational comparative study, we conduct a generative critique of science education reforms in two democratic nation states, Ireland and New Zealand. We draw from critical and feminist perspectives …

“You Don’T Have To Tell Them It’S A Lie”: Teaching Social Studies Within A Backsliding Democracy, H James Garrett, Mardi Schmeichel, Christopher H. Clark

Democracy & Education

In this essay, the authors posit that democratic backsliding, rather than partisanship, is the prevailing political situation in which civics and social studies teachers are working. The authors then present evidence from focus groups composed of practicing social studies teachers from across the United States to illustrate how the reliance on evidence and argumentation is the primary mode of navigating contemporary political issues. However, while these strategies are built on decades of research in civic education, the authors illustrate a conceptual dilemma: Inquiry strategies may not be able to accommodate the realities of democratic backsliding and its attendant misinformation. The …

“The Domino Effect”: How Early Adolescents Describe Their Capacity For Civic Engagement, Michelle Bauml, Jonathan W. Crocker

Democracy & Education

This qualitative study explored how 28 early adolescents described their capacity for civic engagement as they participated in a civic education camp in the United States and engaged in action civics inquiry projects about local issues. Focus group interviews revealed that these youth recognized the capacity of people their age to raise awareness and advocate about issues they care about while acknowledging their limits as youth and conceding that adults have advantages of age and power. Participants also described their capacity to take personal responsibility for their actions and efforts and to leverage relationships to influence others. Findings suggest that …

Has “Better Fafsa” Been Better Or Worse? A Study Of Student And Stakeholders’ Experience With The 2024-25 Fafsa, Jonathan S. Lewis, Alyssa Stefanese Yates

Journal of Student Financial Aid

The 2024-25 or “Better” FAFSA was intended to be simpler, addressing long standing issues with the federal financial aid application process, and expand financial aid eligibility to more low-income students and their families. However, its problematic implementation had negative implications for college access, affordability, and enrollment. This study reviews findings from a mixed methods case study of 274 students, parents, high school counselors, and financial aid administrators’ experiences navigating the 24-25 FAFSA. Interpreting participant responses through an administrative burden lens, the study found some intentional changes in the 24-25 FAFSA, such as the Direct Data Exchange and user-centered design elements, …

Financial Aid Matters: The Relationship Among Financial Aid, Retention, And Graduation Rates In Online Students, Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, Dane Skinner, Naomi R. Aguiar, Greta R. Underhill

Journal of Student Financial Aid

A wealth of evidence indicates that financial aid is positively associated with retention and graduation rates among college students attending in-person courses. However, limited research exists on the relation between financial aid, retention and graduation rates among undergraduate students earning online degrees. The purpose of this study was to examine these relationships among five cohorts of students (AY2014-2018; ns = 305 - 495) seeking online degrees. Using multinomial logistic regression models, the results indicated students who received more total financial aid had a higher probability of graduating and a lower probability of stopping out, with some variations by cohort. The …

Gender And Racial Gaps In Student Shadow Debts, Melissa Jones, Jodonnis Rodriguez, Amanda Stype

Journal of Student Financial Aid

This exploratory study delves into the intricate landscape of student debt by spotlighting the demographics of non-returning university students who grapple with unpaid bursar bills, a type of shadow debt not visible in traditional assessments of loan borrowing and repayment. Analysis of such shadow debt at one regional Midwest institution reveals that underrepresented minority students and female students are disproportionately burdened, facing 117% and 19% higher odds of unpaid institutional balances being sent to collections, respectively. These findings illuminate the urgent need for 1) tailored interventions that can bolster the resilience of at-risk students, effectively addressing and alleviating the financial …

An Authentic Leader Never Dies: Lessons Learned From The Seminal Work Of Elizabeth Yerxa, Daniel Cezar Da Cruz

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This Opinion in the Profession is based on the enduring legacy of Elizabeth June Yerxa, a pioneering leader in occupational therapy and occupational science, following her passing in December 2024. Rather than a traditional "in memoriam," the author uses the present tense to emphasize Yerxa's ongoing influence. The paper highlights four key themes from Yerxa’s work: the commitment of occupational therapy to social change, the importance of an occupation-centered education, the term “engaging in occupation”, and the establishment of occupational science as a foundational discipline. Yerxa’s advocacy for critical thinking, holistic perspectives, and the integration of diverse fields …

Promoting Sense Of Belonging Among First-Generation Students In Occupational Therapy, Pola Ham

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

First-generation students in occupational therapy programs face unique challenges that can impact their sense of belonging and academic success, potentially hindering efforts to diversify the profession. There is limited data on occupational therapy students who identify as first-generation students. However, the literature has noted improved efforts toward a sense of belonging in higher education among students leads to feeling a sense of connectedness with their peers and faculty, aiding in overall well-being, academic performance and retention. In contrast, a lack of these efforts can lead students to experience a diminished sense of belonging to the institution. This article examines the …

Occupational Balance Of Occupational Therapy Students Before And After Occupational Disruption Caused By Covid-19, Juan Pablo Saa, Georgia King, Kylee Lockwood, Tamara Tse

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictions have caused occupational disruption, yet little is known about their relationship with occupational balance, student satisfaction, and stress. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the occupational balance of occupational therapy students in the state of Victoria, Australia, and its association with measures of life satisfaction and distress.

Method: Participants completed the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ-11) twice (once rating their occupational balance before COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and again during the time these restrictions were in place); the Global Life Satisfaction Questionnaire; and the Depression, Anxiety and …

The Need For ‘Soft Skills’ In Occupational Therapy Curricula: A Descriptive Analysis Of French Students’ Internship Comments, Cynthia Engels, Nadia Oubaya, Aliki Thomas

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

A competent occupational therapist needs soft skills. Although the French national occupational therapy (OT) curriculum lists 10 competences to be acquired, they do not include soft skills. The objectives of this study were to (a) Identify the proportion of soft skills in OT students’ internship comments written by internship tutors and (b) characterize the mentioned soft skills to help determine whether and which soft skills should be included in the new OT curriculum nationwide in France. This was a qualitative descriptive analysis of tutors’ comments on internship evaluations based on the framework method. Of the 1060 internship reports, 1035 (98%) …

2025 Oerc Reserve Funding, Student Senate - Winona State University

Student Senate Passed Motions

This document is a Winona State University Student Senate (WSUSS) official motion passed on October 15, 2025. The WSUSS motion allocates between $15,360 and $30,184, dependent on which company the university decides to contract with, from the Student Life Reserve Fund (FY26) to support the Outdoor Education and Recreation Center (OERC) Bouldering Pad Replacement project.

Language Learning, Neurodiversity, And Advocacy: Tools For Success At Cod, Brian Kapustka

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Informed by the pedagogical applications developed in my project, A Sociocognitive Approach to Second Language Acquisition: Integrating Neurodiversity and Advocacy in Language Learning—itself grounded in Atkinson’s (2011) sociocognitive framework—this presentation explores the intersection of language learning, neurodiversity, and self-advocacy through a strengths-based and socially grounded lens. It highlights how multilingual and neurodivergent students experience language acquisition differently and how embracing cognitive diversity fosters inclusion and success at the College of DuPage. The session introduces practical strategies for understanding one’s learning profile, communicating needs effectively, and navigating COD’s academic support services. Emphasis is placed on developing self-advocacy language, applying reflective …

October 15, 2025 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Exploring Social And Emotional Learning Implementation At The High School Level: Professional School Counselors’ Perceptions Of Student Academic, Behavior, Course Performance Success, And Post-Secondary Readiness, Charlene Fletcher

Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative interpretive study explored high school counselors’ perceptions of the influence of a schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning program on senior students’ attendance, behavior, course performance, and postsecondary readiness in school districts across the United States. The study sought to gain insight into how the implementation of Social and Emotional Learning practices influenced student outcomes, and better prepared them for life beyond high school graduation. Data were collected through single questionnaires and single semistructured interviews with professional high school counselors who shared their perceptions on the influence of Social and Emotional Learning in fostering student success. The findings revealed …

Managing User Conflicts In A Water Aerobics Program On Behalf Of A Veteran’S Group: A Short Case Study, Hadley Blankenship, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., Jason L. Scott

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This article captures an experience in conflict management that happened during the summer of 2024 as a recreational therapy intern with an adaptive sport and recreation organization located in the Southeastern United States. The backdrop to the case is that a recreational therapy intern worked with various special needs populations – mainly with paraplegic (adult and youth) athletes and veterans. In many organizations, user conflicts and poor communication regarding service provision and scheduling hinder the implementation of programs for special populations, such as veteran groups. In this case, a problem occurred with the scheduling of a water aerobics program for …

Curbing Fatal And Non-Fatal Drowning Deaths: An Effort To Reach Under-Resourced Children In Baltimore, Maryland, Ashton P. Christo, William D. Ramos

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning remains a significant public health problem in the United States, with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting approximately 4,000 drowning deaths annually. Children aged 1-4 face the highest risk, and African American children are disproportionately affected–7.6 times more likely to drown than white children (CDC, 2024). In a city on the East Coast that is predominantly African American, limited access to swimming lessons heightens the risk. To reduce drowning rates, a collaborative swimming program was established between a city high school and a public school enrichment program. The initiative provided essential water safety and swimming skills …

Diversity In Aquatics:4th Special Issue, Tiffany M. Quash Ph.D., Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq, Steven N. Waller Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The theme of this special issue is “Building a Community of Champions.” The purpose of this theme is to highlight and promote a civic engagement perspective that engages, advocates, and supports communities of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in addressing the national, regional, and local evolving health-related issue of drowning. Aquatic Settings have been a pivotal focal point of social justice, water safety, and public health, not only in the past but also in our present day (Beale-Tawfeeq, Quash, et al, 2023 and Waller and Bemiller, 2023). Diversity In Aquatics (DIA) strives to positively impact the field of aquatics …

If We Tear It Down, We Might Build You A New One: The Troublesome Use Of Eminent Domain And Urban Neighborhood Swimming Pools, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., James H. Bemiller

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Public swimming pools are a vital part of America’s recreation and sport culture since the early 1900’s. Municipal swimming pools were initially built to provide recreation and hygiene to urban communities, regardless of race or class. However, a complex history of segregation, civil unrest, suburbanization, and funding challenges has resulted in a significant decline in public pools, depriving many communities of vital recreational spaces. In many communities, options for sustaining the operation of swimming pools have resulted in pool closures. Unfortunately, once swimming pools close, especially those in aging neighborhoods in central city areas, they are seldom resurrected. They quickly …

Teaching Swimming To Children With Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis Of Swim Instructorstea, Stephanie S. Garcia-Hidalgo, Martin E. Block

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

When teaching children with disabilities, swim instructors need to be able to assess the unique strengths and needs of each child to determine modifications needed to instruction, equipment, and the setting and then be flexible enough to make changes in real-time to ensure success for the child. Unfortunately, many swim instructors only work seasonally and have the occasional child with a disability, and as a result are likely to have limited training and experiences with children with disabilities. The purpose of this pilot qualitative study is to examine backgrounds, training, and experiences of six swim instructors who work with children …

Promising Practices For Increasing The Number Of Equity-Owed Lifeguards In Canada And The United States Of America, Sofia Pantano, Audrey R. Giles

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Currently a shortage of lifeguards exists in Canada and the United States (US) (Frommer, 2023; Santucci, 2024), and those who are working as lifeguards often do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve (Martinez, 2020). Increasing the number of lifeguards from equity-owed groups is a potential way of increasing the lifeguard workforce and decreasing the shortage of workers in these important roles, as well as a moral imperative. In this paper I explore challenges to and promising practices aimed at increasing the representation of members equity-owed groups in lifeguarding. I begin with an overview of lifeguarding in Canada …

Adopting Stuart Hall’S “Race, The Floating Signifier” As A Conceptual Framework Within Aquatic Research And Education, Kurt J. Cordice

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

During his 1997 lecture at Goldsmiths College in London, Stuart Hall, renowned for his contributions to sociology and cultural studies, offered his argument that the concept of race functions as a Floating Signifier. In this essay, Stuart Hall’s Race, the Floating Signifier is presented as a strong conceptual framework to support more accurate and effective positioning of race as an important consideration within aquatic research and education. Evidence from a range of disciplines, including historical research, is presented to establish both the importance and challenge of race within aquatic research and education. This evidence is also used to demonstrate …

20251015: Student Publications, 1904-2002, Student Publications

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the student publications, The Escalade, The Chimera, Et Cetera, Other-Wise, and Current Research in Review.

2025-10-15 Pac-22 Revisal Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Revisal draft of PAc-22 submitted to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate on October 15, 2025.

2025-10-15 University Graduate Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., University Graduate Committee.

Faculty Senate Records

Meeting minutes of the University Graduate Committee from October 15, 2024.

Building Swimming Skills In A Community Based Program For Black Youth: An Evaluation, Tyler Lennon Md, Mph, Ashley Hayes Mph, Leonardo Barrera Mph, Amy Hill Ms, Mph, Andy Miner, Michelle Macy Md, Ms

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Black youth in the United States disproportionately experience fatal drowning at rates up to five times higher than their white peers. Eliminating these inequities requires new approaches that address historical and structural barriers of learning to swim. The objective of this study was to evaluate the three-week long swimming component of a community-based discovery program to empower Black youth in Evanston, IL. Participants were Black youth ages 8-10 years enrolled in summer 2023 and 2024. Swim skills were assessed by instructors using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC). Caregiver surveys, collected post-intervention, also assessed perceived changes in swim …

An Innovative Approach Addressing Childhood Drowning: Making Use Of Collegiate Aquatic Facilities And Expertise, Gennette Cordova, Natasha Lloyd, Chezik Tsunoda

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The silent epidemic of childhood drowning, and the racial disparities associated with it require scalable and innovative approaches that both break cycles of exclusion and circumvent our societal tendency to overlook drowning as a matter in need of urgent resolution. No More Under, a Seattle-based water safety organization whose mission is to eradicate childhood drowning, has launched the Swim Safely Series. The series is a national program uniquely poised to overcome the various barriers associated with racial and socioeconomic drowning disparities by tapping into underutilized collegiate aquatic spaces and merging water safety with mentorship and social intervention.

“I (Still) Need Help On Many Things”: A Writing Center Replication Study Of First-Generation College Students’ Writing Challenges And Cultural Capital, Red Douglas, Ashley Cerku, Isabelle Lundin, Mary Gallagher, Xavier Iriarte, Sophia E. Williams, Kaylie Williams

The Writing Center Journal

Research has increasingly addressed first-generation (FG) students both in and outside the center (Baelemian & Feng, 2013; Bond, 2019; Denny et al., 2018; Ward et al., 2012), but there remains a need to address this unique student population from the perspective of critical theory. In a replication study of Bond’s 2019 “‘I Need Help on Many Things, Please’: A Case Study Analysis of First-Generation College Students’ Use of the Writing Center,” we examined the needs and perceptions of self-reported FG students in a writing center at a large, regional, public R2 university in the Midwest. We gathered preexisting digital data …

Front Matter, Georganne Nordstrom, Isaac K. Wang, Sherry Wynn Perdue

The Writing Center Journal

Front matter and introduction for Writing Center Journal 43.2.