Education Commons^™

2025 Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

Higher Education Fact Book

This document is an overview of data collected by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Document revised and updated in July 2025.

Understanding Assessments For Adult English Learners: A Case Study Of Second Language Acquisition And Development, Chi Ma

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

While standardized tests have become the norm for assessing language proficiency, they may not effectively capture the diversity of adult immigrants, including their backgrounds, experiences, and varying levels of language proficiency. Grounded in experiential learning theory, sociocultural theory on second language acquisition, and concepts of identity, motivation, and investment, this study explored how the Adult English Learning (AEL) program utilized different types of assessments, what the needs and goals of AEL students were in learning English, and how various stakeholders, including teachers, students, and program coordinator, perceived current assessments reflecting students’ needs and goals.

The findings of the study reveals …

The Effects Of System Of Least Prompts To Promote Indpendence For A Student With Autism, Misty L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This study examined the effects of a System of Least Prompts (SLP) intervention on the independent skills, such as completing a daily schedule, setting alarms on a personal device, and transitioning into set activities, for a high-school student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and multiple co-occurring diagnoses. LB was a 15-year-old student who attended a specialized non-profit school for individuals with ASD and severe behaviors and was in the process of transitioning back into public school. He required support in self-management and choice making skills. The purpose of this intervention was to increase LB’s ability to evaluate his day …

Students Obtaining Tools To Achieve Regulation (Soar), Lacey D. Sanguinito

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

Students Obtaining Tools to Achieve Regulation (SOAR) is a doctoral capstone project that addressed the need for integrated social emotional learning (SEL) in elementary education. SEL is an evidence-based approach shown to improve academic outcomes, behavior, and long-term life success, yet implementation barriers remain in school settings. This project aimed to enhance student regulation, classroom engagement, and teacher confidence in SEL techniques through a multi-tiered approach. A scoping review of SEL literature identified the implementation methods and barriers to SEL curricula in elementary education, which informed the development of SOAR. SOAR consisted of (a) a 20-session, movement-based SEL curriculum targeting …

W.O.R.K. Towards Inclusivity In Employment, Chloe N. Tinklepaugh

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

W.O.R.K. Towards Inclusivity in Employment was a doctoral capstone project focused on promoting sustainable employment for neurodiverse individuals. Despite their capabilities, neurodivergent individuals often face barriers to employment due to employers’ misconceptions about their abilities (Bonaccio et al., 2020). This project addressed these challenges through three main components: researching employers’ perspectives, curriculum revision, and educating employers. For research, Luzerne and Lackawanna county employers were surveyed to assess their training, resources, and perspectives on neurodiversity in the workplace. Findings indicated that employers were open to receiving more education and training on how to support their employees, but they currently lack the …

Promoting Optimal Pediatric Development, Rachel N. Mills

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

This quality improvement capstone project embodied a multifaceted approach to supporting the infant and early childhood populations at a local pediatric outpatient clinic. The capstone project endeavors were guided by the theoretical underpinnings of the literature and results of in-depth needs assessments. The themes that emerged from the systematic review of the literature, which involved the efficacy of parent education programs in increasing parental knowledge and competence in supporting their child's physical and emotional development, were seamlessly integrated into the program. Evidence-based practice, principles of early intervention, and preventative care were used at the clinic to support infant and early …

Adjusting Your L.E.N.S: Learn And Educate With Neurodiverse Students, Jenna Potter

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

This doctoral capstone project, Adjusting Your L.E.N.S: Learn & Educate with Neurodiverse Students, focused on how occupational therapy (OT) can play a unique role in contributing to an inclusive postsecondary higher education (IPSE) program at a local university. This capstone project focused on supporting faculty, staff, and peer academic coaches, developing a transition camp for high school students, and enhancing the university’s current IPSE program to ensure that students with intellectual disability and autism can access higher education and learn within an inclusive and supportive setting. A faculty, staff, and academic coach training program was implemented to equip participants with …

Exploring Students’ Problem Framing In Historical Inquiry: Towards A Framework For Research And Instruction, Alex Honold

Education Faculty Articles

Problem framing is an essential yet under-explored aspect of problem-based historical inquiry. This study investigated how tenth-grade students in one AP US History class framed an ill-structured historical causal reasoning problem. Data included students’ written brainstorms, students’ responses to open-ended interview questions, and researcher-created causal diagrams. The analysis, grounded in both empirical data and existing literature on historiography and problem-solving, reveals three key dimensions for researching and teaching problem framing: (a) establishing the scale of the problem space, (b) identifying relevant agents and structures, and (c) establishing causal interactions. The findings underscore the importance of metacognition, particularly the need to …

Are We Expert Enough? Confronting Self-Doubt Through Critical Friendship, Kristen Gregory, Mark Diacopoulos

Faculty Submissions

As we transitioned to the dissertation stage, we experienced an increased sense of vulnerability, uncertainty, and tension where we simultaneously felt expert and novice in our development as teacher-educators and researchers. We embarked on a self-study with critical friendship and unpacked our understanding of novice-expert identity, placed ourselves within the context of this understanding, and reframed our perceptions. This process clarified how our self-doubt impacted our novice-expert identity, allowed us to critique our perceptions through another’s lens, and enabled us to successfully move forward. We offer our experiences as a model to support students through similar periods of self-doubt.

The Power Of Plate & Knowledge: Nutrition’S Role In Pcos Management For Asian American Women, Cassandra Curameng Diego Curameng

Nursing | Senior Theses

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic endocrine condition with symptoms that severely impair women's physical and reproductive health. However, individuals with PCOS, especially Asian American women, lack sufficient understanding of non-pharmacological symptom management options, such as dietary and lifestyle modifications. This research proposal explores whether culturally appropriate nutrition education can help manage PCOS symptoms and lessen the need for medical management. The literature critique focuses on addressing the knowledge gap regarding treatment management among women diagnosed with PCOS, health risks related to PCOS, ethnic differences, and nutrition. This proposal investigates the impact of a dietary education program tailored …

Awareness Of The Physiological Changes Occurring In Older Adults Can Reduce Dehydration And Electrolyte Imbalances, Lisa Isley

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Individuals over 65 years are at an increased risk of dehydration. The physiological changes that occur with age and medication consumption can cause fluid and electrolyte imbalances that can physically and mentally impair individuals over 65 years old. Objective: By providing education to individuals 65 years and older regarding the significance of drinking water and consuming electrolytes daily, older adults can reduce their dehydration symptoms and improve their quality of life. Method: The proposed research is a quasi experimental study geared towards individuals 65 years and older. The quasi-experimental study will include two pre-surveys and then two post-surveys. The …

Notes For The Stalled, V17n05, January-February 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Rod Library newsletter: Notes for the Stalled

Contents:

--- Stacks on Stacks
--- TEACH Project: IRTS on the Move
--- Career Readiness
--- UNI Spring Career Fairs

University Of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2025, University Of Southern Maine

Commencement Programs

University of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2025

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2025, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of the members of the University Research and Scholarly Activity Committee (USRAC) and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) — welcome to the Thirty-Third SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair!

This year’s event features 99 poster presentations and 9 oral presentations, showcasing the work of over 170 student and faculty researchers, writers, presenters, artists, collaborators, and faculty sponsors. These presentations represent a wide array of scholarly and academic activity from across SWOSU’s academic community, including the Departments of Art, Communication, and Theatre; Allied Health Sciences; Biological Sciences; Business; Chemistry & …

Personification: A Short Film, Charles R. Adams

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Personification follows a group of college students as they receive news that mysterious shape-shifting creatures are posing as humans. They quickly turn on each other, realizing there is no one they can trust. In the style of mid-20th - century horror films, notably Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), the short film explores themes of paranoia and the value of human expression in a time when generative AI seeks to replace the creative method. In keeping with this theme, the emphasis for this project was on the act of creation. Pre-production—which included scriptwriting, casting, and various organizational tasks—ran …

6. Mark: Sources And References, Matthew Lipman

Secondary School Curriculum

This sequential bibliography matches the 1980 edition of Mark page by page. It contains both sources—works that influenced Matthew Lipman in writing the novel—and references to philosophical works he and Ann Margaret Sharp recommend to explore the novels’ philosophical themes.

(2025) I'M Trying To Love Garbage (2021) By Bethany Barton, Peter Shea

Collected Papers of Peter Shea

Bethany Barton writes great books for kids about how minds change. In this one, the character’s arc is from thinking about garbage as just smelly icky stuff through empathizing (a little) with the creatures that feed on garbage, to eventually coming to see that all garbage is not equal; some needs special handling or it will clutter life up for a long time. The conclusion: I want to act like someone who thinks more about garbage, about what trash I create and where it ends up.”

Curriculum Vitae Of Philip C. Guin (1931-2007), Philip C. Guin

Collected Papers of Philip C. Guin

No abstract provided.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) Directed By Pippa Ehrlich And James Reed, Peter Shea

Picture Books

My Octopus Teacher combines a carefully structured love story with astonishing information about undersea life, documenting a year of encounters between a photographer and an octopus. It is important as a non-standard love story and as a reflection on the possibility of deep connection with non-human creatures.

(2025) My Octopus Teacher (2020) Directed By Pippa Ehrlich And James Reed, Peter Shea

Collected Papers of Peter Shea

My Octopus Teacher combines a carefully structured love story with astonishing information about undersea life, documenting a year of encounters between a photographer and an octopus. It is important as a non-standard love story and as a reflection on the possibility of deep connection with non-human creatures.

Curriculum Vitae Of Matthew Lipman (2025), Matthew Lipman, Maughn Gregory

Scholarship

This curriculum vitae of Matthew Lipman was prepared by Maughn Rollins Gregory over the course of many years, and completed in November 2025.

2025 Student Satisfaction Inventory, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Assessment Center Reports

Student Satisfaction Inventories produced by the SWOSU Assessment Center.

Being And Becoming Third-Space Professionals: A Case Study From Low-And-Middle Income Countries, Azra Naseem, Jannat Karim Khan, Tashmin Khamis, Jane Rarieya

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This case study explores the authors’ experiences of establishing the identity of third-space professionals at a multi-country university with campuses on three continents. In particular, it draws on their identities and experiences as female leaders in educational development. Using autoethnography, the authors reflect on their experiences to identify issues, strategies, and areas for further development regarding third-space professionals’ identities, particularly with regard to women. As the concept of third-space professionals is relatively new in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where the university is located, this journey of becoming and being third-space professionals was fraught with challenges that question traditional norms …

Cascade Approach On Teachers' Continuous Professional Development To Improve Learning Outcomes In Pre-Primary And Primary Education: Experience In The Implementation Of The F4l Project In East Africa., Fortidas Bakuza, Nyagwegwe Wango, Jane Rarieya

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The cascade method in education is a scalable and affordable continuous professional development (CPD) strategy that entails training a subset of teachers who impart newly learned knowledge to their peers. Enhancements to teachers' knowledge and abilities are among its positive results; nonetheless, problems such as content misunderstandings show how much improvement is required. This paper presents a study that examined the efficacy of a cascading approach to teacher professional development. According to this study, the most effective training approaches emphasize reflection and experience. Thus far, the cascade approach has shown potential for improving teaching methods and fits in with the …

Usawa Na Maamuzi Katika Mafunzo Endelevu Ya Walimu Kazini Yanayowezeshwa Na Teknolojia Nchini Tanzania: Zana Za Utafiti, Chachage Kristeen, Swai Calvin, Rwambali Innocent, Hennessy Sara, Koomar Saalim, Winston Edward Massam, Jacob Winnie, Anthony Gervace, Malibiche Mustafa, Fredrick Mtenzi

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Kifurushi hiki kina zana za utafiti zilizotengenezwa na EdTech Hub, Chuo Kikuu cha Dodoma, Chuo Kikuu cha Aga Khan, na Taasisi ya Elimu Tanzania kwa ajili ya utafiti unaochunguza upanuzi na mabadiliko ya kuendana na mahitaji ya walimu na mazingira ya shule katika utekelezaji wa Mafunzo Endelevu ya Walimu Kazini (MEWAKA) unaojumuisha matumizi ya teknolojia. Katika kuandaa zana hizi, tumetumia zana zilizochapishwa katika awamu ya kwanza ya utafiti huu na mifano kutoka sehemu mbalimbali, kwa kuzingatia mifano mizuri ya utafiti kuhusu elimu. Tunaweka zana hizi zipatikane kwa watafiti wengine na watendaji tukitumai kuwa zitakuwa za manufaa. Zana hizi zinapatikana kwa …

Equity And Agency In Technology-Supported Teacher Professional Development In Tanzania: Research Instruments Pack, Chachage Kristeen, Hennessy Sara, Koomar Saalim, Swai Calvin, Winston Edward Massam, Jacob Winnie, Anthony Gervace, Malibichi Mustafa, Mutura Emmanuel, Fredrick Mtenzi

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This pack contains links to research instruments developed by EdTech Hub, the University of Dodoma, Aga Khan University, and Tanzania Institute of Education for the second phase of a study investigating the scale-up and local contextualisation of a national technology-supported teacher professional development programme known as MEWAKA (Mafunzo Endelevu kwa Walimu Kazini, which translates as ‘teacher continuous professional development’ [TCPD] in English). The instruments draw on previously published research instruments used in Phase 1 of our research, plus examples from other sources that exemplify best practices in education research. We are making these tools available to other researchers and practitioners …

Credit Scoring In Digital Lending: A Stepwise Logistic Regression And Weight Of Evidence Approach In Kenya, Howard Omukami, Cynthia Mwau, Denis Kuria Wangui, Andrew Mbuya

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Mobile money lending has grown rapidly in recent years, with one of the major challenges being the determination of borrowers' creditworthiness, a classification problem complicated by credit risk and the choice of appropriate scoring models. Credit scoring, which uses statistical analysis of historical borrower data to estimate repayment likelihood, remains a critical tool for financial institutions in assessing lending risk. This study evaluates borrower creditworthiness using historical data from Mobipesa Limited, a digital lending company based in Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected from 495 borrowers over one year, comprising 33 predictor variables (32 numeric and one categorical). Stepwise logistic regression …

Bridging The Gap: A Comparative Delphi Study Of Elementary Educators And Business Leaders On Interpersonal Workforce Skill Needs, Jazmyne Mercedes Chaffin

Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative Delphi study was to identify similarities and differences between elementary educators and business leaders regarding interpersonal workforce skill needs for students leaving elementary school and workers entering the workforce. Additionally, this study sought to identify how both panels rate the importance of the identified skills and gather recommendations for teaching the skills. Finally, the study was designed to compare results. This study used a comparative Delphi method, consisting of three data collection rounds with expert elementary educators and business leaders. In Round 1, participants responded to an open-ended question designed to elicit perspectives on essential …

Accessible Extracurriculars Without Teacher Exploitation, Makenzie Wrightstone

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The research explores how extracurricular activities support holistic development and address barriers, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or with disabilities, using social reproduction theory and educational philosophies. It highlights how extracurriculars foster cognitive, social, and emotional growth but are often inaccessible due to financial, logistical, and instructional challenges. The study also examines teacher burnout and dehumanization, providing a historical view of extracurriculars in American schools, analyzing current policies, and considering how technology impacts student engagement. It proposes a transformative framework combining adventure, place-based, and transformative learning, advocating for integrating activities into school hours to enhance access, equity, and …

Current Trending Topics In Bilingual Education, Tomas Espinoza

2024-2025 Bill Martin Jr. Yearbook

Researchers have analyzed the results of the What’s Hot, What’s Not in Literacy surveys over the past two decades to increase literacy priorities and possible impacts. However, there is a lack of research in the field of bilingual education. Topics such as bilingualism, multiculturalism, social justice, biliteracy, minority representation, family engagement, culturally responsive pedagogy, college readiness, and 21st-century skills have not been as highly rated as in the past, yet these should warrant more attention to assist bilingual students better. The purpose of this study was to describe the current trending topics in bilingual education. Bilingual experts, teachers, and students …