Education Commons^™

A Liberatory Approach To Allyship: Lgbtq+ Ally Training At A Catholic University, Hugh Smeltekop, D. Chase James Catalano

Journal of Catholic Education

Teachings that undergird Catholic universities hold seemingly contradictory messages about affirming the dignity of LGBTQ+ people and adherence to some Catholic teachings. LGBTQ+ trainings that cultivate allyship are intended to increase individual awareness/ analysis, develop skills to support students, and align with aspects of the institutional culture and mission. Yet, there remains a paucity of research of how faculty and staff navigate what it means to act as an ally to LGBTQ+ populations. Using a multi-method exploratory design, we examined how faculty and staff at a Catholic university made meaning of their experiences attending an LGBTQ+ ally training. We utilized …

Addressing Teacher Turnover In Catholic Schools: Lessons Learned From The University Consortium For Catholic Education Model, Ronald D. Fussell, Maureen Cole

Journal of Catholic Education

The United States is experiencing a teacher shortage that threatens the vitality of Catholic Schools. Yet, specialized Catholic school teacher formation programs under the umbrella of the University Consortium for Catholic Education model consistently produce Catholic school teachers who are well-formed for their ministry and who tend to remain employed in Catholic schools. This qualitative, grounded theory study sought to answer these two research questions: 1) Why do Catholic school teachers who are graduates of UCCE teacher preparation programs commit to remaining employed in Catholic schools; and 2) How can the experiences of UCCE program graduates be applied to traditional …

Catholic School Teaching As Participation In The Common Good, John L. Beltramo

Journal of Catholic Education

Increasing rates of teacher attrition have exacerbated the shortage of teachers in regions of the United States. In response, some scholars have proposed initiatives that promote the professionalization of teaching, hoping to attract and retain new teachers through greater classroom autonomy and stronger professional development. Others have advocated for a vision of teaching as a vocation, through which teachers can find deeper meaning and thereby better tolerate challenging working conditions. While both conceptualizations of teaching hold compelling implications for the field, their lack of grounding in a broader conception of community ultimately limit the extent to which they can respond …

Exploring Catholic Faith In Shakespearean Drama: Toward A Philosophy Of Education, Francis T. Davis

Journal of Catholic Education

Book review on collected essays exploring how and why to use Shakespeare in Catholic education

Setting The Stage For Success: Readiness And Connectedness As Antecedents Of Learning Continuance Intention In Online Learning, Yingqi Tang, Hungwei Tseng, Yu-Chun Kuo, Hsin-Te Yeh, Jianfang Liu

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Through a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study investigated how dimensions of online learning readiness and online connectedness influence students’ intentions to continue to take online courses. Data from 369 students who took at least one online course at a four-year public university showed that online learning readiness had a stronger relationship with continuance intention than online student connectedness, while online learning readiness had a significant correlation with online student connectedness. Online learning readiness and connectedness were indicators of online learning persistence. Factors such as age, computer/internet self-efficacy, self-directed learning, learner control, and facilitation influence students' intention to continue with …

Exploring The Factors That Influence K-12 Teachers’ Use Of Open Educational Resources, Yu-Chun Kuo, Yu-Tung Kuo, Hungwei Tseng

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The features of open educational resources (OERs) have the potential of enhancing teaching effectiveness and student learning experiences in K-12 education. Encouraging K-12 teachers to use OERs requires an understanding of the factors that have an influence on teachers’ decisions to adopt or use OERs in their teaching. In this regard, this study explored the factors related to how teachers perceived their use of OERs, including the perceived ease of use of OERs, perceived usefulness of OERs, intention to adopt OERs, attitudes, OER self-efficacy, and so on. The relationships of several proposed factors were explored. The participants were teachers from …

The Impact Of International Baccalaureate (Ib) Courses: Experience And Outcome Differences For Full Ib Diploma Earners Vs. Non-Diploma Earners In An Urban School In The Us, Christopher Jennens, Nilufer Guler

Research, Publications & Creative Work

This study examines differences in educational experiences and outcomes for high school(HS) students who participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and earned full diplomas compared to those who participated in the IB Diploma Program but did not earn the diploma. ACT scores, after-high school placement, and HS graduation rates of 256 participants were collected. 122 participants completed an online survey, and 12 participated in interviews. The results revealed that the educational outcomes and experiences for diploma and non-diploma earners were vastly similar. Diploma earners had significantly higher ACT scores, but their college entrance and other academic outcomes were …

Benefits And Challenges With The Modular Model Of Teacher Certification In Australia: Listening To Teachers’ Voices, Bernard Brown, Rohan Nethsinghe

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines teachers’ views about the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Certification 2.0 Modular Model (CMM 2.0). The research reveals teachers’ voices and agency in relation to HALT certification. Participants in this study included HALT certified teachers, current HALT participants, and prospective participants. The semi-structured interviews conducted provide insights into the benefits and challenges associated with the CMM 2.0. Thematic coding and systematic analysis were applied to the data to arrive at the key findings. The research revealed that teachers believed that the modular approach was advantageous as it was flexible and provided professional recognition and development. Issues …

Challenging Assumptions: Ai And Teacher Assessment Identity Formation, Nadia Ollington

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This article explores the ways in which teacher educators can strengthen the developing teacher assessment identity of preservice teachers who are at the precipice of Industry 4.0, where work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and assessment will require flexible thinking. This reflective case study narrative outlines a teacher educator’s experiences in a novel assessment task using Generative AI for technology enhanced learning in an Australian postgraduate teaching program. In the task, those who held positive beliefs and emotions about AI were more likely to engage in flexible thinking skills than those who were more critical of the AI. To ensure that …

Changes In Mentor Teacher Participation In Postgraduate Secondary Initial Teacher Education: Climatic Conditions Preceding Workforce Reform., Alison L. Hilton, Chad Morrison, Felicity I. Mclure, Kathryn G. Dehle, Sandi Fielder

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Professional Experience placements provide invaluable opportunities for pre-service teachers to connect their expanding knowledge to teaching practice. When done well, these experiences are underpinned by purposeful and continuous guidance from experienced mentor teachers. Significantly, the participation and engagement of Australian mentor teachers in this process is voluntary in nature, meaning the system relies on teachers ‘opting-in’ to mentoring. This research examines mentor teacher participation within Secondary-level initial teacher education courses and highlights issues relating to overall mentor teacher (and host school) engagement. Analysis of placement data over a five-year period to 2021 illustrates a significant change in participation with a …

From Guesswork To Growth: Understanding How Preservice Teachers Interpret And Enact Appraisal Within A Teacher Performance Assessment, Allison Byth, Thembi Mason, Laurie Werrett

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In Australia, the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA) is a capstone summative assessment evaluating preservice teachers ‘classroom readiness’ across five practices: planning, teaching, assessing, reflecting and appraising. In our work with preservice teachers, appraising the impact of teaching emerged as the most conceptually and practically challenging practice. To understand how preservice teachers interpreted and enacted appraisal, this exploratory case study analysed 15 GTPA submissions that met standards in the first four practices but not in appraisal. The findings highlight common issues, including conflating appraisal with general reflection, difficulty interpreting and applying data meaningfully, and presenting narrative accounts rather than evaluative …

Fostering Learner Autonomy In Efl Setting Through Multiliteracy Pedagogy: A Case In Tertiary Education, Desi Surlitasari Dewi, Rudi Hartono, Sri Wahyuni, Sri Lestari

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The intersection of learner autonomy and multiliteracy pedagogy in EFL settings remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study investigates how multiliteracy pedagogy fosters learner autonomy in the EFL context. The study involved 24 university students majoring in English, for whom English was primarily a third language. The participants attended an intermediate speaking course, a compulsory class in their curriculum. A learner autonomy questionnaire was administered to measure autonomy in the EFL speaking context before and after the implementation. Additionally, semi-structured interviews and classroom observations enriched the data. The findings indicate a significant improvement in learner autonomy following the implementation …

Raising Information Literacy Of Biology Pre-Service Teachers: Study On Three Problem Solving Methods, Muhammad Saefi, Hadi Suwono, Rifka Fachrunnisa, Widi Cahya Adi, Herawati Susilo, Ahmad Kamal Sudrajat

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Integrating information literacy teaching methods with subject-content curricula to develop prospective biology teacher students' abilities is still problematic. This quasi-experimental research, with a nonrandomized pretest-posttest control group design, intends to compare the influences of challenge-based learning (CBL), problem-based learning (PBL), and problem-solving through classroom discussion (PCD) – as the control- in improving information literacy. This study involved 183 students from three classes of freshmen and three sophomores in the biology education program. The results showed that CBL significantly improved students' information literacy compared to PBL and PCD across five indicators: 1) identifying the required information, 2) attaining the required information …

Teacher Resilience In South Africa: The Self-Efficacy And Teacher Efficacy Of Pre-Service Teachers Preparing To Teach In A Challenged Context, Carine Jonker, Marien Alet Graham, Liesel Ebersöhn

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This publication addresses a gap in high-quality, quantitative studies on teacher resilience within the less-researched context of the Global South. Specifically, it examines the self-efficacy and teacher efficacy of three cohorts of final-year pre-service teachers in South Africa (N = 1,193). This article aimed to contribute evidence on teacher resilience from an under-researched African context and population. Despite contextual challenges, the pre-service teachers indicated high intrapersonal resilience-enabling pathways, with a statistically significant relationship between their self-efficacy and teacher efficacy. The authors propose an evidence-based framework of how high levels of self-efficacy and teacher efficacy may enable prospective teachers to teach …

All About Over-The-Counters: The Use Of Public Health Principles In Health Education, Himanshu Gandhi

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The transition from high school to college can be extremely tough on students. There is a massive restructuring in schedules, academics, social lives, and even health. While many students come to college prepared to tackle their respective majors and courses, many of them aren’t prepared to handle the challenges of independent living. One of these challenges is self-healing and preventative care. As part of the University Honors Program, I have had the privilege of taking the first step of many in tackling this challenge. My project consisted of researching several common over-the-counter medications, utilizing my pharmaceutical and biochemical background to …

Approval Of Parent-Child Aggression As A Mediator Of Intergenerational Child Abuse Risk: An Evaluation Of Racial Differences, Casie H. Morgan, Christina M. Rodriguez, Doris F. Pu, Zoe O. Elkins

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose

Personal history of parent-child aggression (PCA) can predict future parenting behavior, but some effects may differ between racial groups. Black parents in the U.S. are more likely to encounter discrimination and personally experience and approve of PCA, which may account for previously reported group differences. This study examined whether personal PCA history predicted later parental child abuse risk mediated by PCA approval across the transition to parenthood, and whether effects differed by race.

Methods

Expectant parents (non-Hispanic White sample: 95 mothers with 86 fathers; Black sample: 94 mothers with 85 fathers) participated in a prospective longitudinal study, assessed prenatally …

Family Stress Processes Underlying Covid-19-Related Economic Insecurity For Mothers And Fathers And Children's Internalizing Behavior Problems, Joyce Y. Lee, Shawna J. Lee, Sehun Oh, Amy Xu, Angelise Radney, Christina M. Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

COVID‐19 and its economic fallout have resulted in unprecedented financial insecurity and material hardship for many American families, with a disproportionately negative impact on children and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts. The current study applied the family stress model to examine the family processes underlying pandemic‐related economic insecurity and children's internalizing behaviours. Online survey data from an economically diverse sample of mothers and fathers, who experienced at least one type of pandemic‐related economic insecurity in the United States (N = 259), were collected across two longitudinal time points in the early weeks of COVID‐19: (1) 14 April and (2) 30 …

Graduate And Undergraduate Quantitative Education In Psychology In The United States: A Mixed Methods Approach, Abby L. Braitman, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Quantitative methodology is part of the core curriculum for training in psychology and is required of graduate students across all subdisciplines; as such, the depth and breadth of course content is a universal issue among psychology training programs. Required and supplemental quantitative content is constantly evolving with the development of new techniques or applications. Therefore, the purpose of this inquiry was fourfold; we aimed to (1) describe the current state of undergraduate quantitative education and establish a common set of current undergraduate curricular topics; (2) characterize graduate quantitative education in terms of required coursework, optional coursework, and omitted topics; (3) …

Am I As Effective At Identifying Emotions As Artificial Intelligence? A Comparative Study Of Emotional Recognition, Traci R. Grove, Alexandra T. Lucas, Maryann Martin, Cathleen M. Deckers, Lulu Sherif Mahmood, Nicole Danaher-Garcia, Mark W. Scerbo, Suzan Kardong-Edgren, Janice C. Palaganas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Learning conversations, or dialogues aimed at deepening understanding and reflection, are deeply influenced by emotions. Effective communication is influenced by emotional intelligence - the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both one’s own and others’ emotions. While advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer new tools for emotion recognition, these technologies still struggle with accurately interpreting subtle and culturally diverse emotional expressions, sparking debate about their reliability and effectiveness. This article provides a comparative analysis of human versus AI recognition of emotions during an end-of-course reflective learning conversation.

Methods

Emotions during a structured post-conference debriefing were analyzed and coded by …

Understanding The "Paradox" In Black-White Alcohol Outcomes: Examining High-Effort Coping And Health Behaviors With A Focus On Black Populations And College Students, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite experiencing more physical health disadvantages and psychosocial stressors, Black Americans consistently report better mental health outcomes compared to White Americans—a phenomenon commonly referred to as the Black-White health paradox. Alcohol research has identified another racial paradox suggesting Black Americans are at greater risk for alcohol-related problems despite drinking less than White Americans, which is known as the Black-White alcohol paradox. While both paradoxes are well-documented, few studies have examined their potential overlap or how insights from one might inform understanding of the other. Although the alcohol paradox is usually examined among older adults, it may be important to consider …

Navigating Uncertainty As An “Adolescent Organization”: Addressing The Needs Of Lgbtqiaa+ Young People In A Complex And Adaptive Service Organization, Suzie Staley

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Throughout history, lesbian, gay, Transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and agender plus Students have been marginalized in society and, in particular, K-12 schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of young adults and recent high school graduates to gather information about their experience in K-12 educational environments to determine if their developmental needs were met. This study focused on youth who attended K-12 schools in a specific district in Southeast Michigan and participated in out-of-school time programs at a local teen center. Through in-depth interviews with youth participants and focus groups with teen center staff and …

A Narrative Portrait Of Black Teachers Mitigating Deficit Thinking Through Culturally Responsive Professional Learning, Mia A. Rollack

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study was developed in response to the deficit thinking Black students experience, which stems from the historical and ongoing racism in the United States. As result of receiving my K-12 education and teacher education in this country, it is no surprise that I, along with other Black teachers, can also hold a deficit perspective of Black students. After engaging in equity-based professional learning, I had a shift in beliefs that made me curious about the experiences of other Black teachers participating in professional learning as well. A combined focus on culturally responsive leadership and deficit thinking informed the …

Opportunities Await: The Impact Of School-Based Mentoring In Cultivating Youth Resources, Tara Mager

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative research explores the impact of school-based mentoring (SBM) relationships on youth, focusing on how these connections build social networks and open access to valuable resources. Through in-depth interviews with youth participants, this study examines characteristics that mentors, both within and outside the SBM program, cultivate to help mentees navigate academic and personal challenges. Grounded in social capital theory, the findings reveal how SBM and natural mentoring relationships foster trust, resource sharing, and youth resilience. This research provides practical recommendations to enhance SBM programs and suggests directions for future studies to deepen understanding of the characteristics that make mentoring …

Interprofessional Collaboration To Create Visual Supports In Preschool Classrooms: Perspectives Of Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Shelby L. Klick

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate students following participation in a Preschool Visual Supports interprofessional education (IPE) project. Though IPE initiatives have become more prevalent in healthcare, they are limited in preparing future education professionals. Using qualitative inquiry, this study aimed to explore and assess the impact of an interdisciplinary collaborative project and how participation might influence SLP students’ future approach to creating visual supports for young children and their confidence to do so. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes across five semi-structured interviews conducted with SLP graduate students at a Midwest university. The data …

Elementary-School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perspectives On Implementing Literacy, Samantha Kadian

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores elementary-school-based speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) perspectives about implementing literacy. Though the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) standards specify literacy is within their scope of practice, many school-based SLPs may not be addressing reading and writing competencies. The literature indicates that several constraints may contribute to this lack of involvement, including a lack of preparation, varied expectations, and ambiguous definitions. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the perspectives of elementary-school-based SLPs. Three SLPs were interviewed in a semi-structured format, and the data from the interviews was examined using qualitative analysis. The findings indicated that SLPs …

Life Is Just A Classroom: Student Perceptions Of Courses Incorporating Popular Culture, Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Some faculty design and teach college courses that incorporate popular culture, presumably to engage and spark interest in students. The purpose of this study is to examine student perceptions of courses that incorporate popular culture. College students (N = 464) were randomly assigned to read a course description and learning objectives that incorporated popular culture in general, the specific popular cultural celebrity Taylor Swift, or no mention of popular culture (control). Incorporating popular culture generally or specific to Taylor Swift had no overall effects on topic interest in the course or likelihood to enroll. However, students with greater interest in …

A Series Of Studies On Social Annotation: How They Came To Be, Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

1 Of 84 The Discursive Tactics Of Perpetuating White Normativity In Public Education: A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis Of Anti-Crt Policies Across 18 States, Alison Wilson, Alissa Blair, Jason L. Endacott, Christopher Giller, Christian Z. Goering

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, state policies banning "divisive concepts" have proliferated as part of a coordinated effort to undermine racial justice by framing critical discussions of race as "indoctrination" and imposing ideological restrictions on curriculum and pedagogy. Using critical policy discourse analysis informed by a critical study of whiteness, this paper examines how 22 policy documents from 18 states operate discursively to shape the parameters of race-related discourse in public education. Our findings suggest that these policies employ three primary discursive maneuvers: (1) constructing false equivalencies that equate white discomfort with racial oppression, (2) appealing to "universal" values to obscure systemic …

The Relationships Between Parent/Guardian And Teacher Inclusion In School Decision-Making Processes, Perceptions Of School Quality, And Retention In Schools, Julie Bergmann

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study offers an explanation of the relationship between the inclusion of parents/guardians and teachers in Michigan K-12 public school decision-making processes, perceptions of school quality, and subsequent parent/guardian and teacher retention by the school. Decision-making structures and participation in those structures, participants’ own childhood experiences, trust, agency, relatedness (belonging), and usefulness were considered in constructing a model of best fit to explain the relationships between decision-making inclusion, perceptions of quality, and retention. What emerged from this 225-participant (121 parents/guardians and 104 teacher) survey was a model that affirms that professional learning communities (PLCs) are a structure that supports greater …

Finishing My Sentence: A Critical Autobiography Of A Black Woman Who Has Been The Principal And The Prisoner, K.C. Wilbourn Snapp

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This critical autobiography explores how my experiences as a Black woman born and raised inDetroit profoundly shaped my worldview, leadership style, and professional decisions as a school principal. Anchored in the theoretical framework of critical race feminism, this study examines the intersections of race, gender, and place, revealing how Detroit’s complex social, historical, and cultural dynamics informed my development and the paradigms that guided my thinking as both an educator and a leader. Through self-reflection and scholarly inquiry, I analyze how these lived experiences influenced my approach to problem-solving, community engagement, and the pursuit of equitable learning environments. This work …