Education Commons^™

What Approaches Can A Preschool Teacher Use To Support Their Students’ Emotional Regulation Skills?, Lydia Caldwell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Emotional regulation is a foundational skill in early childhood, closely linked to social skill development, mental well-being, and long-term academic success. Throughout this paper, researcher Lydia Caldwell explores the following question: what approaches can a preschool teacher use to support their students’ emotional regulation skills? Drawing from both literature and personal classroom experiences, this project was created with the author’s profession in mind. As a special educator who works with preschool students, Caldwell sees firsthand the amount of children struggling with emotional regulation, also referred to as self-regulation. The project will result in a series of flyers which serve as …

A Comprehensive Study Of Library-Led Textbook Affordability Initiatives In The United States, Mitchell Scott, Rachel E. Scott

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This study presents findings from a survey and interviews investigating library-led textbook affordability initiatives in the United States. The results document diverse considerations and divergences in workflows, challenges librarians face in establishing and maintaining textbook affordability programs, and the intersection of these initiatives with library and institutional strategies. Findings suggest that these programs have grown in number and scale over the past few years, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, and are sustained—even without permanent, designated funding—due to consistently positive perceptions about their impact on student success, just-in-time delivery, and alignment with library and institutional goals.

Efforts Of Public 2-Year Higher Education Institution Leadership Reducing Nonexempt Student Affairs Employees’ Intention To Quit, Christopher M. Viser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative qualitative study examined the influence of leadership support and workplace factors on the intentions of nonexempt student affairs employees to leave a public 2-year higher education institution (HEI) in Texas. The study addressed the issue of workplace factors contributing to these employees’ developing intentions to quit their jobs. The research focused on identifying the workplace factors that most significantly influenced nonexempt student affairs employees and explored how leadership support influenced employee experiences. The study used narrative inquiry as its methodology to gather employee narratives through semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom, a communication platform. Nine participants were selected for …

The Impact Of Students' Attendance On Their Academic Success: A Ypar Study, Quennella Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) is a collaborative research approach that empowers students to examine issues affecting their lives and communities. This action research aimed to investigate the relationship between students’ attendance and academic success on middle school students, focusing specifically on eighth-grade students based on the theoretical framework of the critical race theory (CRT) in education and the self-determination theory (SDT). Three research questions were explored related to the impact of students’ attendance on their academic success: 1) What do students consider factors that lead to their poor attendance? 2) How do students feel they can be supported in …

Analyzing Factors Affecting Retention And Attrition Rates Of Teachers In The Pee Dee Region Of South Carolina, Jessica Allen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to determine the factors and variables that affected the retention and attrition rates of novice and seasoned teachers in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. Utilizing three frameworks, the Self-efficacy theory, the Social Identity theory, and the Multidimensional Theory of Burnout, the researcher conducted a virtual survey of 33 respondents and interviewed seven participants to collect data. Data was thematically coded to discover commonalities amongst the participant responses.

The data revealed administrative influence, teacher working conditions such as autonomy, time, and control, and workload were the most frequent elements of …

Lgbtqia+ Materials In The Elementary School Library – Examining Purchase And Use: A Mixed Methods Approach, Valerie Byrd Fort

Theses and Dissertations

The need for and importance of diversity in children's literature is well documented, and this study adds to that body of research by addressing LGBTQIA+ materials in elementary school libraries. This mixed-methods study investigates the attitudes, selection, purchasing, and use of LGBTQIA+ materials written for an elementary school age audience by elementary school librarians in U.S. public schools.

Using a national survey distributed electronically to elementary school librarians, quantitative data from 325 participants were collected to examine the extent to which librarians purchase and use LGBTQIA+ materials. Additionally, qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 15 survey respondents, offering …

The Use Of Threat Assessment Protocols In K-12 Schools On Disciplinary Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Natasha Lynn Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

School personnel utilize the BTAM process to investigate threats of violence made by students through identifying, assessing, and managing potentially dangerous situations. This process is not intended to be disciplinary in nature, and previous studies conducted have shown that when a BTAM model is implemented, students who make threats toward others receive fewer suspensions or other types of removal as a result of the threat; however data on threat assessment outcomes has not been conducted in South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to examine administrators' knowledge and perceptions of BTAM models and perceptions of discipline outcomes for students …

Hearing The Unheard: Creating A Brave Space To Analyze The Experiences Of Men Of Color In Student Service Roles And Their Mental Health Challenges Within Higher Education, Calvin Maurice Joyner

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the experiences of five men of color in student service roles dealing with mental health stressors, such as discrimination, workplace burnout, tokenism, and low morale. To highlight their experiences, a brave space was utilized as an intervention. The following questions were examined and answered within this qualitative, action research study: (1) What are the experiences of men of color with mental health challenges in student service roles? (2) How do mental health problems affect the personal and professional lives of men of color in student service roles? (3) How do the brave spaces impact the mental health …

Students’ Experiences Using Peer Review To Affect Writing Self-Efficacy And Writing Performance In An Undergraduate Mass Communications Writing Course, Nina Morrison Brook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to examine the impact of peer review on writing self-efficacy and writing performance in an undergraduate online writing for mass communications course. The study focused on two research questions: (1) How and to what extent does structured peer review affect undergraduate students’ writing self-efficacy in an online writing for mass communications course in a large public Southeastern university? and (2) How and to what extent does structured peer review affect undergraduate students’ writing performance in an online writing for mass communications course in a large public Southeastern university? This research used peer review …

Understanding Community College Students’ Thoughts And Motivations Regarding Tutoring In An Undergraduate Mathematics Course, Whitney Paige Cherekos

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examines community college students’ thoughts and motivations regarding tutoring, with the aim of identifying disparities in tutoring utilization and engagement at a community college in North Carolina. The purpose of the dissertation is to evaluate tutoring effectiveness and explore students’ perceptions of tutoring. The findings of this study led to proposed solutions to reduce or eliminate the barriers that today’s community college students encounter when needing academic support.

To evaluate tutoring effectiveness, I collected quantitative data from institution registration reports, transcripts, tutoring logs, and an anonymous student survey for students enrolled in multiple sections of a single …

In Their Own Words: How Standardization Shapes Student Learning Experiences, Jessica Cantley

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study explores how students perceive and experience standardized and elective educational environments in a rural, Title I high school in the U.S. South. Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with seven diverse participants, the study investigates student-defined learning objectives, motivation and engagement across different classes, and youth perceptions of valuable learning experiences. The research is grounded in constructivism, applying feminist theory and critical race theory as lenses to challenge power dynamics and promote equality in education.

Findings confirm the problem of practice that inspired the study by revealing a contrast between students’ experiences in standardized …

Self-Efficacy And Mathematical Identities In A Rural Georgia Middle School Classroom, Gavin Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Even into adulthood, some people have a strong resentment of math. Their beliefs toward their mathematical abilities have created a fear of the subject, resulting in an avoidance of anything math-related. These thoughts and beliefs regarding math and mathematical abilities begin somewhere along an individual’s academic journey in a math classroom. This action research study, using a mixed-methods approach, attempted to uncover the origins and development of self-efficacy and mathematical identities in rural eighth-grade students. Furthermore, this study explored ways that a teacher can influence these sets of beliefs and examined the impact on academic performance. The framework used to …

Getting Poked (Lovingly) With A Stick: A Study Of Parental Involvement During First-Year Students’ College Transitions, Mary Ellis Glymph

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, some higher education professionals have observed an increase in parental involvement in the lives of their students during their transition to college. While involved parents are sometimes referred to as “helicopter parents,” this new generation of parents often fits more into the label of “snowplow parents” or “lawnmower parents.” This sort of over-involvement impacts students’ personal and academic development far beyond high school graduation; during college, students can struggle to adjust to new levels of academic rigor, but they can also struggle with self-confidence and internal motivation due to their lack of experience with addressing their own …

Using Critical Literacy To Illuminate Multicultural Perspectives In A Second Grade Classroom, Amelia Marzieh Hecker

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching about equity and diversity can be a challenge for elementary school teachers due to many factors including lack of understanding, resistance from parents, and discomfort due to the current political climate. This action research aims to examine the experiences of the teacher and second grade students as they use cultural literacy to explore multicultural texts. This action research took place in an upper-middle class community in the suburban area of Long Island, near New York City, where most participants identified as white. The data for this research took place over a six-week period. Observations, transcripts, journaling, and artifacts were …

Examining Coping, Individual Resilience, And Family Resilience As Strengths-Based Factors For Lgbtq+ Individuals, Elizabeth Moriarty Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and More (LGBTQ+) individuals are part of a diverse and complex community that has unique considerations regarding physical and mental health. While there is ongoing health equity research regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, the focus is often on health disparities. A strengths-based approach to helping LGBTQ+ individuals through research and other avenues may be beneficial. This multi-manuscript dissertation includes two studies that explored the current literature on strengths-based factors such as coping, individual resilience, and family resilience within LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as determined the feasibility of utilizing these factors to assist LGBTQ+ individuals with health and …

Examining The Impact Of Teacher Participation In Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development Intervention On The Academic Achievement Of Culturally And Socioeconomically Diverse Students, Emelyne Viteve Baucicaut

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examines the impact of a Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) intervention on elementary teachers' instructional practices and student outcomes in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). The goal was to address student underperformance by enhancing teachers' PCK and exploring how improved content knowledge and pedagogical strategies influence classroom teaching and student achievement. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, baseline data were collected through surveys, classroom observations, and student assessments. Over five weeks, teachers participated in professional development focused on lesson planning, student exemplars, and success criteria. Due to scheduling constraints, computer-based assessments were replaced by analyzing student work …

Enhancing Self-Efficacy In Ap Psychology Through Targeted Intervention Strategies, Felicia Jennifer Butler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method action research case study was to measure the effects of an individualized intervention on academic self-efficacy and academic achievement in an Advanced Placement (AP) psychology class. The study focused on four students who received a failing grade on the first unit test and took place over an eight-week period. Quantitative data was collected in the form of assessment data (both formative and summative), survey questions modeled after the General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (GASE), and assignment completion. Qualitative data was collected in the form of semi-structured interviews and open-ended reflection questions. The findings suggest that psychology …

Who Do I Want To Become?: Validating Identity As A Key Component Of A Teacher Leadership Framework, Denae Kizys

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, teaching has been a solitary profession within a hierarchy, where educators work in isolation and their roles are primarily focused on instruction. However, as education has evolved, especially post COVID-19, there is a shift towards a need for a more collaborative, ecosystem-based approach, where teachers are not only in their classrooms but acting as teacher leaders within this ecosystem. This research aims to understand the development of teacher-leader identities through the use of the proposed, Ecosystem of Teacher Leadership Framework, which uses elements of self-leadership, recognition, and the ecosystem. Through both qualitative and quantitative methods, a survey-like interview was …

Action Research To Explore The Use Of Augmented Reality To Support High School Students In Understanding And Creating Art Work In A Drawing Course, Alicia Joanne Cobler

Theses and Dissertations

High school students in Drawing 1 at a high school in South Carolina struggle to understand meaning or make personal connections to their own artwork. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of immersive reality technology, specifically augmented reality (AR), in art for high school Drawing 1 students to help them understand meaning in art and create their own meaningful artwork. Creating personally meaningful symbolic works of art is one of the first Visual Art National Core Standards (National Core Visual Art Standards, 2014). Creating meaning in artwork allows students to understand society, provide an opportunity …

Separate But Not Equal: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Of Adjunct Structural Empowerment, Experiences, And Perceived Needs In A Midwestern Community College, Shauna Sowga

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions are increasingly reliant on contingent or gig-based labor in the form of adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty make up the majority of community college faculty, yet they tend to receive the least support, resources, and training investments from colleges. This is no different at Metro Community College, a large, urban college in the Midwest. The problem of practice for this study revolves around Metro Community College social sciences adjunct faculty’s needs for support, resources, and training to do their jobs effectively. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study examined these adjuncts’ structural empowerment, experiences, and perceived needs for support …

Promoting The Mathematical Success Of High School Geometry Students Through Project-Based Learning, Amanda Shankle-Erdman

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explores the impact of project-based learning (PBL) on the mathematical success of high school geometry students, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Students from low SES households often face challenges in acquiring foundational math skills, which in turn leads to low math-related self-efficacy and poor academic performance. The study aimed to determine whether implementing PBL enhances students' understanding of geometry, improves students’ math-related self-efficacy and anxiety, and changes students’ attitude toward math by creating real-world connections to their lived experiences. Using a convergent mixed-methods approach, the study collected both qualitative and quantitative data from high school …

Multi-Dimensional Strategies Impacting Beginning Readers’ Word Solving And Engagement, Brooke Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studied the impact of reading instruction on beginner-level readers’ decoding skills and engagement among four first-grade students in Lexington, South Carolina. The following research question directed the study:

Will an instructional strategy foregrounded on direct, systematic phonics instruction in conjunction with multi-dimensional reading strategies improve beginner readers’ decoding skills and engagement?

The study is grounded in several theoretical frameworks, including Scarborough’s Reading Rope (Appendix A), the Simple View of Reading, the Active View of Reading (Appendix C), Onset-Rime phonics instruction, and Self-Determination Theory. Interventions included the LETRS Science of Reading Phonics Small Group Plan (Moats & Tolman, 2019) …

Bridging The Gap: Implementation And Perception Of High-Leverage Practices Among General And Special Educators, Jacqueline Ann Viotto

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the use and perception of High Leverage Practices (HLPs) among general and special education teachers within educational settings. Utilizing a concurrent mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to examine how HLP knowledge and use by educators. This dissertation investigates the knowledge and use of HLPs in inclusive settings through the following research questions:

1. What is the self-reported knowledge and use of HLPs by teachers?

2. What are the differences in self-reported knowledge and usage of HLPs in inclusive environments when comparing general education and special education teachers?

3. How do general …

Filling In The Gaps: Evaluating A Self-Regulated Learning Strategy For Middle School Students Using Action Research, Leslie Eller Southerland

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the effects of a self-regulated learning innovation on middle school students’ self-regulated learning skills. One way to address problems such as student motivation, student engagement, and distracting behaviors in the classroom is to explicitly teach self-regulated learning skills such as goal setting, strategy use, self-monitoring, and systematic practice. Two research questions guided this study: (1) How and to what extent does a self-regulated learning innovation impact 7th and 8th grade students’ self-regulated learning skills (planning, self-monitoring, evaluation, reflection)? (2) In what ways do 7^th and 8^th grade students …

Evaluating Chatgpt To Answer Multi-Modal Exercises In Computer Science Education, Eng Lieh Ouh, Kar Way Tan, Siaw Ling Lo, Benjamin Gan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study investigates ChatGPT-4o's ability to answer multi-modal assessment exercises in computer science (CS) courses. While the use of large language models (LLMs) to answer text-based exercises are extensively researched, their ability to answer exercises involving artifacts of other modalities remains underexplored. To close this gap, we evaluate ChatGPT-4o's answers to 120 multi-modal CS exercises in programming, software design, human-computer interaction, statistical analysis, process analysis, and simulation. The multi-modal artifacts in these exercises include class diagrams, sequence diagrams, user interface images, analytical charts, workflow diagrams and object-flow diagrams. Our comparisons to the expected answers of these exercises show that ChatGPT-4o …

Prompttutor: Effects Of An Llm-Based Chatbot On Learning Outcomes And Motivation In Flipped Classrooms, Yuhao Zhang, Eng Lieh Ouh, Chong Jee Adam Ho, Siaw Ling Lo, Kar Way Tan, Feng Lin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study explores the integration of a Large Language Model (LLM) based chatbot, PromptTutor, into flipped classrooms (FC) for undergraduate Computer Science (CS) education. PromptTutor is designed to provide personalized, immediate feedback to support student learning in FC by incorporating reflective learning and scaffolding strategies. The traditional FC typically lacks this immediate feedback during the pre-class learning phase, risking decreased student motivation according to existing literature. This study examines if students improve in learning outcomes and motivation after using PromptTutor. Through a controlled crossover experiment with 50 students, the study demonstrates statistically significant improvements in students' quiz performance and motivation …

4. Administrative Policies, Services And Facilities, Saint Mary's College Of California

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

Faculty Handbook Supplement For Nursing Faculty, Saint Mary's College Of California

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

6. Communications Policies Of Interest To The Faculty, Saint Mary's College Of California

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

3. Academic Policies And Services, Saint Mary's College Of California

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.