Education Commons^™

Movement As Metamorphosis: An Examination Of Transformative Learning In Dance, Whitney Egstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the arts-based methodology of Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship (Uhrmacher, Moroye, & Flinders, 2017) to examine the curriculum and pedagogy of a Colorado-based dance studio, this qualitative dissertation explores how transformative learning (TL) unfolds within the context of adult dance education. Grounded in Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning, the study investigates how dance becomes a medium for personal transformation, identity reconstruction, and emotional healing. Data collection included six hours of interviews with instructors and students and twelve hours of class observations, focusing on how adult learners experience curriculum not just as technical instruction, but as an embodied, relational journey …

Reading Interventions In The Modern Era: Reconceptualizing The Utility Of Video Games, Senaida Mehmedovic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Youth in the United States continue to have difficulty developing reading skills, with only 31% of fourth graders reading at a “proficient level” (NAEP Reading: National Average Scores, 2024). Youth struggling to develop reading skills often have reading anxiety (Chow et al., 2021; Martinez, 2019; Ramirez et al., 2019), which impacts their reading skill development even more (Mohammadpur & Ghafournia, 2015); the interwoven and cyclical relationship between reading anxiety and reading comprehension requires interventions to address these needs concurrently (Francis et al., 2019; Francis et al., 2021; Grills et al., 2012). The increased avoidance and paired aversion of reading-related tasks …

June 13, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Self That Practices Deeper Teaching: An Exploration Of Influences On Teacher Beliefs And Values, Kerstin L. Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, educators have called for “a fundamental redesign of the industrial-age classroom.” However, despite ongoing discourse around educational reform, the majority of teachers still use the industrial model of education while too few teachers implement deeper teaching practices which situate students as active learners in addressing complex, real-world challenges rather than being passive recipients of knowledge. Existing literature does not explore the influences upon the beliefs and values of teachers who create deeper learning experiences.

This qualitative study employs educational criticism and connoisseurship to illuminate the inner self of those who practice deeper teaching. Drawing on in-depth observations, interviews, …

Foldit Education Mode, Brett Schulz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foldit education mode is a puzzle campaign within the protein folding video game Foldit. Education mode, initially designed as a classroom supplement for undergraduate biochemistry courses, has been expanded to provide a more comprehensive learning tool to players without a background in biochemistry. The edited and added levels teach players about protein biochemistry through playing puzzles designed to convey information and gameplay mechanics. The new Foldit education mode campaign features 49 levels grouped into 11 categories. The campaign has 6 new levels designed specifically for education mode and 4 levels adapted from the traditional Foldit campaign for use within education …

Staff Council Minutes, Georgia Southern University

Staff Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas

No abstract provided.

Game-Based Learning As A Dynamic System: A Review Of The Literature, Meadow Mcgalliard

University Honors Theses

Game-based learning (GBL) in its development as a field has found itself at an ever-increasing complexity with regard to theories, design elements, and outcomes that define it. It's been long since proven that games produce learning and the ways in which this benefits educators and designers have broad applications, from direct game implementation to integrating GBL knowledge into non-game spaces. The density and complexity of design in GBL prove beneficial for learning opportunities, as the adaptability of design can create an almost infinite series of outcomes in a highly replicable manner. In this broad review, I attempt to display the …

Staff Council Agenda, Georgia Southern University

Staff Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effects Of Africana Studies On Black Undergraduate Students: A Qualitative Case Study, Lanaya M. Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Particularly in the context of American K-12 schools, education has been manipulated to control—rather than liberate—students through the erasure and distortion of Black history, experiences, perspectives, and capabilities. Additionally, American schools prioritize memorization and obedience while failing to equip students with critical thinking skills. As a result, students are trained to become workers rather than innovators, worldbuilders, and change-makers. For nearly a century, Black educational critics have stated that these systems were designed to subjugate Black community members through dehumanization and enslavement of the mind. These critiques are foundational to the aims of Afrocentric education which posits the life experiences …

Conceptualizing The Explanatory Fully Longitudinal Mixed Methods Case Study Design: A Demonstration With An Arithmetic Education Trial With Kindergarten Children, Menglong Cong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In employing longitudinal mixed methods designs, researchers have commonly used the fully longitudinal mixed methods design. This has occurred mostly in the health sciences but less in education. The current investigation proposes a novel longitudinal mixed methods research design, explanatory fully longitudinal mixed methods case study design. It demonstrates its potential for addressing research inquiries in educational research using the arithmetic learning trajectories datasets. This study is presented in three components. The first is a quantitative phase, selecting an exploratory case from a previous arithmetic learning trajectories study (Clements et al., 2021) for qualitative analyses based on maximizing the …

Excellence Gaps: A State-Based Review Of Policies, Jonathan M. Jennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how state education policies address excellence gaps among student subgroups in gifted education. Using a multiple case study design, it examines the policy mechanisms, identification practices, and funding models employed across states to promote equity in advanced academic access. Grounded in critical policy analysis, the study highlights systemic disparities perpetuated by inconsistent definitions, underfunding, and limited accountability structures. Findings reveal that while some states adopt promising interventions - such as universal screening and dual enrollment support - many fall short in ensuring sustainable, inclusive practices. This research calls for reform grounded in transparency, comparability, and justice for …

Sustaining Queerness: A Phenomenological Study Of Colorado Educators, Devani Lemmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to engage queer Colorado educators to explore how to sustain their identities as queer educators in a politically fractured state. By focusing on Colorado, I could assess the extent to which the legal protections afforded there adequately support educators in sustaining themselves. Additionally, the findings from Colorado had the potential to further illuminate factors influencing teacher sustainability and retention on a much larger scale. The questions for this research project were: 1) How are queer educators sustaining themselves and each other in an increasingly volatile political climate? 2) What, if any, factors impact queer …

Phenomenological Inquiry: High School English Language Arts And Reading Professional Development Design And Delivery, Michelle Jestice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological inquiry aimed to understand the overall essence of public high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery from an inclusive, sociocultural, responsive theoretical lens. The lens extended previous scholarship, combining six educational concepts and theories to develop an ideological framework for high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery. They include Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, Knowles’ (1978) andragogy, Shulman’s (2013) content-pedagogy-curricular contextualization, Hammond’s (2015) culturally responsive teaching, Bennett’s (1986) intercultural competencies, Smale-Jacobse and others’ (2019) and Tomlinson and others’ (2003) concepts of differentiation: referred to as SACReD. A central …

Infographic: Pisa Insights - Students' Mathematics Anxiety, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

Each cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) includes a student questionnaire. One topic – mathematics anxiety – is characterised by feelings of tension, fear or apprehension when a person is faced with mathematics-related tasks. Today’s infographic provides useful prompts for teachers when considering their own students.

Paving The Way: Cultural Relevance In College And Career Readiness Programs, Jacqueline Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students of color face persistent educational and systemic barriers that impact their success in college and career readiness (CCR) programs. Standardized approaches to CCR often fail to address the cultural identities, lived experiences, and needs of diverse learners (Castro, 2013; Malin et al., 2017; Welton & Martinez, 2014). Guided by the theoretical framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, with the extension of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, this instrumental case study investigates how one CCR initiative—the Legacy Scholars Program (LSP), implemented by a Western Urban School District—integrates culturally responsive practices to better serve students of color. Through interviews, observations, and artifact analysis, this …

Peering Into The Past And Future: Connection, Challenge, Growth, And Rural Peer Mentors, Tinker Elizabeth Jacobs Duclo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer mentoring is a recognized strategy for supporting student success, academic persistence, and belonging in higher education. However, while mentee benefits are well-documented, the long-term effects on peer mentors (PMs) remain underexplored, particularly at Rural-Serving Institutions (RSIs). My evaluation bridges that gap by examining the lasting impact of PM service through a qualitative evaluation of the Rifle Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Peer Mentor Program. Guided by Rural Cultural Wealth (RCW) theory and using the Most Significant Change (MSC) model within a constructivist framework, my evaluation centers alumni PM voices, gathering their reflections on the significant changes and impacts of their …

Home Bound: Explaining The Neoliberalization Of Regional Public University Districts Through An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Becket C. Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I examined housing costs in neoliberalized consumer spaces (Cunningham, 2016; Saunders & Ramírez, 2017) in regional public university (Orphan, et al., 2022) districts. I use geographic methods (Jonas, et al., 2015; Daché-Gerbino, 2018) with an explanatory sequential mixed methods design and a complex case study approach (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). Results from my spatial analyses showed that residents who live within one-half mile of universities spend more on monthly housing costs ($1,331) than those who do not ($1,227) except in the case of regional public universities ($1,184). Results from a regression analysis demonstrated that eight institutional variables predicted 33.2% …

Survival Guide For Queer Families In Heteronormative Healthcare: Liberatory Consciousness And The Paradox Of Dependent Healthcare, A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, Dwenna A. Holden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study I explored and analyzed how the queer experiences of an anonymous higher education institution in the western United States’ self-identified queer faculty and staff intersected with the discursive framing of the college’s dependent healthcare structure and documents. Within a critical paradigm I designed research around a high-density theoretical approach to weaving various branches of queer theory together with critical theory around policy and law in relation to queer bodies and hostile heteronormative policy environments. I arrived at solutions based in complaint, survival, and transformation. I used critical policy discourse analyses to interrogate the college’s dependent healthcare documents …

Stewards Of Place, Stewards Of Democracy: The Role Of Regional Public Universities In Rural Political Well-Being, Katie Kleinhesselink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative embedded single-case study explored how a rural-serving regional public university (RPU) contributed to the political well-being of its politically polarized service region ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Guided by the stewardship of political place theoretical framework, which integrates rural consciousness, the Community Capitals Framework, and the stewardship of place framework for RPUs’ public engagement, the study utilized policy discourse analysis to examine regional residents' and internal constituents' perceptions regarding WPU’s role in promoting regional political well-being. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, direct observations of campus civic engagement events, and institutional document reviews.

The study demonstrates that regional …

Chingonas In Charge: A Phenomenological Study Of Latina Educational Leaders In Colorado, Paulina Yvette Lerma-Banuelos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite comprising 76% of the U.S. teaching workforce (2017−2018), Latina women held only 8.5% of principal roles and 2.7% of superintendent positions. In places such as Colorado, where Latinos make up 15.1% of the population, this inequity highlights the pressing necessity for better representation. The present study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the fundamental essence and attributes of leadership among Latina K−12 administrators in Colorado, with a focus on the concept of “chingona” and its transformative significance in their professional journeys. The name “chingona” was historically rejected by young Latina women because of connotations to being aggressive or …

From Deficit To Asset: Developing An Equitable Early Warning System For Ninth Grade Success, Stephanie Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I explored the design and implementation of an asset-based Early Warning System (EWS) to support ninth-grade students at The Academy, a PK-12 charter school, during their critical high school transition. Using Practical Action Research, I addressed the question: How might a comprehensive EWS leverage student assets and systemic support to ensure success? Over one academic year, the study unfolded in two phases: Phase I employed qualitative methods—interviews, focus groups, and data reviews—to identify gaps, while Phase II developed an enhanced EWS, integrating map and street data for richer student profiles and staff collaboration. Findings underscore a human-powered EWS rooted in …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

Language Style Evaluation Validation For Implementation On Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Meghan A. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored various methods of evaluating language style for integration into prompts designed for a sophisticated augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. A total of 395 individuals without a language disorder were recruited via a crowdsourcing platform to complete five surveys. The initial four surveys were designed to assess individuals' language style using different approaches (questionnaire developed with ChatGPT, self-written, questionnaire developed by Hartman and McCambridge, and choosing tags). Following the completion of these four surveys, a fifth survey was dynamically created based on the responses in the previous four surveys. Each possible response in the fifth survey was …

A Toolkit For Improving School Climate: Lessons Learned From Action Research In A Network Of 16 Charter Schools, Grant E. Erwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators today face daunting challenges, especially in addressing persistent gaps in outcomes for historically underserved students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Practitioners often cite school climate as a key barrier to student success—an assertion supported by research linking school climate to students’ academic and personal outcomes. This study sought to improve school climate across 16 urban middle and high schools within one charter network. Using a mixed methods Collaborative Action Research (CAR) design over multiple years, the study triangulated academic research, external resources, and on-the-ground lessons to provide practical guidance for other educators. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders and …

Elevating After-School: Addressing After-School Program Quality Through Improvement Design, Kate Marie Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Pathfinders After School, a national after-school provider can improve program quality amid rapid expansion. As enrollment has grown, program quality has declined, evidenced by decreasing net promoter scores (NPS), rising student behavior incidents, and terminated district partnerships. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), this mixed-methods study uses improvement science methodology to test systemic interventions that empower key user groups and enhance program effectiveness. An improvement team, composed of crossfunctional organizational members, conducted root-cause analysis to identify primary drivers of after-school program quality. Core focus areas included staff training, student engagement, feedback mechanisms, and implementation fidelity. …

Marketing Management Of Cemetery-Based Religious Sites To Improve The Economic Level Of Society, Dian Mohammad Hakim, Imam Wahyudi Karimullah, Winarto Winarto, Maskuri Maskuri

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study discussed the potential of cemetery-based religious tourism as an economic development strategy, with the Sunan Ampel Cemetery in Surabaya, Indonesia, as a case in point. By analysing its marketing management strategies, the study demonstrates that successful tourism development requires more than just pulling in tourists; it requires an integrated approach that includes infrastructure and technology development, stakeholder collaboration, and local community involvement. With close to two million visitors each year, Sunan Ampel is an excellent example of the huge economic gains from successful religious tourism efforts. This paper emphasises the need to convert historical religious sites from passive …

Perceptions Of Exclusionary Discipline In Inclusive Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Co-Teachers’ Experience With Special Education Students Of Color, Tino Tomasi

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Exclusionary discipline practices in public middle schools disproportionately impact students of color in special education, disrupting their academic progress and social development. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms perceive the use of exclusionary discipline for special education students of color. The study explored the lived experiences of eight public middle school co-teachers through three research questions: (1) How do public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms perceive the use of exclusionary discipline for special education students of color? (2) How do public middle school co-teachers in inclusive classrooms …

The Write Time For An Autoethnography: How Writing Project Has Shaped My Understanding Of Professional Learning In Community, Tracy Brosch

Dissertations

This study critically examines the cultural and societal phenomenon that comprises the National Writing Project (NWP), specifically reflecting on my experiences of re-designing Gateway Writing Project professional learning experiences as a leader in the organization. I reflect on my encounters, collaborations, and decisions as an Institute instructor and analyze them within the theoretical framework of Communities of Practice using autoethnography as my research methodology. This autoethnographic narrative documents my analysis and understanding of NWP’s framework of social practices, chronicling my journey from participant to advocate and from organizer to leader. Employing the autoethnographic method enabled me to illuminate my own …

Exploring K-12 Educators Remaining In The Profession In Louisiana Public Schools: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Brittany Benoit

Student Theses and Dissertations

School systems across the United States and worldwide face significant challenges due to a shortage of qualified teachers. These conditions negatively affect student outcomes and place additional financial burdens on school systems. Teacher shortages often lead to larger class sizes and increased workloads for existing educators, further exacerbating the issue. Addressing teacher retention is crucial to improving educational quality and stability within school systems. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences and perceptions of relationships that influenced K-12 Louisiana Public School educators to remain in the profession. Guided by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the research emphasized intrinsic factors that contributed to …

Closing The Learning Gaps: When Special Education Students Receive Grade Level Content Through Inclusionary Practices, Shaun Ross

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the academic outcomes of special education students receiving core instruction in an inclusionary model compared to those receiving their instruction in a resource classroom. The research problem addressed the achievement gap between the two instructional approaches and how they impact student academic performance. The findings are relevant to educators, school administrators, and policymakers looking to improve instructional strategies for students with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to determine whether inclusionary based instructional practices led to higher academic achievement than the traditional pull-out model. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Positivism, the study …