Education Commons^™

Research As Activism: Bridging Knowledge And Action For Transformational Change, Ardavan Eizadirad, Jennifer Straub, Emin Kilinc

Education Faculty Publications

Research as Activism is the fusion of scholarly inquiry with intentional advocacy and action. It transcends academic exploration by actively challenging systemic inequities and injustices, engaging marginalized communities, and driving tangible social change (hooks, 2003). Research as activism embodies a commitment to using research methodologies, epistemologies, personalized and institutional privilege, and accessible dissemination to dismantle oppressive structures, promote justice, and empower and centre voices often unheard, dismissed, silenced, or marginalized in traditional academic discourse or in community spaces (Eizadirad et al., 2023; Battiste, 2013; Simpson, 2017). As Audre Lorde (1984) emphasizes, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle …

Understanding Teacher Perceptions Of Intentionally Nurturing Students' Social And Emotional Competencies In The General Education Classroom, Chelsea Austin Clark

Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the perceptions and understandings of K-6 general education teachers regarding their role in intentionally developing students’ emotional competencies. This research builds upon that which establishes the vitality of developed emotional competencies by including the perceptions of teachers who have been tasked with working directly with students’ social-emotional development. The goal of the study was to offer an approach to understanding teacher knowledge and preparedness regarding social-emotional learning in the general education classroom to provide a clear understanding of how teachers’ classroom experiences have shaped their perceptions of intentionally nurturing students’ social-emotional development. The guiding research questions of …

Perspectives Of Novice Teachers To Prepare For And Work Equitably With Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Marilyn Hunt

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, narrative study highlighted the perspectives of novice teachers regarding their preparation to educate and work with students with ADHD equitably. The problem addressed in the study was the need to understand how novice teachers are prepared to work equitably with students with ADHD. The purpose of the study was to explore the development of knowledge and classroom management skills of novice teachers that prepared them for working equitably with students with ADHD in the general education classroom. The educational equity theory guided this study in relation to the preparation of teachers to equitably educate all students. Interviews were …

An Analysis Of Factors Influencing The Success Of Dual-Enrollment Students Through The Perspectives Of Faculty And Counselors, Starlett Mack

Student Theses and Dissertations

“An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Success of Dual-Enrollment Students Through the Perspectives of Faculty and Counselors” is a qualitative study. Dual enrollment has increased enrollment by offering opportunities to a broader audience. However, portions of this broader audience may be unprepared to face the challenges of being dual-enrollment students. A lack of preparation could cause increased anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and failure to complete classes. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and practices of counselors and teachers who staffed a dual-enrollment program at a Texas community college. In particular, it sought to understand the collective impact of community …

Professional Development Considerations: Social Studies Standards Which Diverge From A Singular Cultural Script, Jacqueline D. Costales

Student Theses and Dissertations

With New Mexico’s release of new K-12 social studies standards, the problem considered in this qualitative case study was teacher perception regarding their needs for professional development (PD) that is adequate to prepare them to teach the new standards which diverge from a singular cultural script. The purpose of this study was to catalogue the needs that teachers identify as necessary to support their standards implementation. Analysis of data included cataloguing teacher perceptions based on three concepts from the literature: the use of critical pedagogy, culturally relevant teaching through a responsive approach, and teacher guidance of students toward being prepared …

Effect Of Social Impact Project On Student Motivation, Engagement, And Achievement, Jayna Lise Moffit

Student Theses and Dissertations

The study’s purpose is to determine how student voice, empowerment, and empathy influence student motivation to affect student leadership, impactor identity, and academic achievement, students long-term, and the school culture at large. The self-determination theory is the study’s conceptual framework, which assumes individuals are behaviorally driven by the need to grow and gain fulfillment using the internal universal needs of competency, autonomy, and relatedness. Based upon a case study design with a reflexive latent thematic analysis, the researcher collected qualitative data using snowball sampling from students, teachers, and school leaders from a local junior high who each participated in a …

Examining The Influence Of Student Autonomy, Competence, And Student-Teacher Relatedness On Student Performance On High-Stakes Tests, Jennifer Gaston

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental cross-sectional study was to examine the possible relationship between students’ autonomy, students’ competence, and student-teacher relatedness, and their performance on ELA and math high-stakes tests. The self-determination theory was employed to guide the study. This study collected self-reported data from a sample of 116 5th through 8th grade students using the Basic Psychological Needs in the Classroom survey. This 5-point Likert-type survey determined to the extent that students’ perceived levels of the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness influence their test performance. Self-reported test scores from the 2022 administration of the Mississippi …

The Examination Of Hindering Factors Of 2-Year Community College Students’ Vertical Transfer To 4-Year Colleges, Rahime-Malik Howard

Student Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined hindering factors of 2-year community college students’ vertical transfer to 4-year colleges. The Rational Choice Theory guided the study and provided the scope of the problem, which is community college students' apprehension about transferring to 4-year colleges vertically. A quantitative Likert scale survey, which comprised demographic questions and measures of variable scales, was the data-gathering instrument. The measures of study variables were the College Persistence Questionnaire, the Student Financial Wellness Survey, the Academic Motivation Scale, and self-authored questions. The first three research questions of the study sought to explore whether apprehension to vertically transfer (RQ1), financial …

Student Engagement In The Asynchronous Learning Model: A Qualitative Study Of K-5 Arkansas Public School Caregiver Perspectives, Angela Maize

Student Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, a coronavirus strand, SARS-CoV-2, caused a global pandemic of respiratory illness, also referred to as the coronavirus (Covid-19). The U.S. government implemented massive school closures as a non-pharmaceutical intervention to mitigate the spread of the virus. The abrupt pivot to the asynchronous learning model resulted in low levels of engagement for many students. As a result of the pivot, students were expected to return to onsite instruction with a fraction of the learning gains, compared to a pre-pandemic school year. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore caregiver perspectives of the level of engagement exhibited …

Exploring The Recruitment And Retention Experiences Of Black Male K-12 Teachers In California’S Central Valley And Their Perceived Impact On Students, Leonard Jones

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study delves into the recruitment and retention challenges faced by Black male K-12 teachers in California's Central Valley, shedding light on their perceived impact on students. The underrepresentation of Black male teachers, comprising only two percent of the national teacher workforce and less than one percent in California, underscores the urgency of examining their experiences regarding recruitment, retention, and influence on students. Employing Critical Race Theory as a conceptual framework, the study aims to amplify the self-reported lived experiences of Black male K-12 teachers through the lens of gender and culture, specifically within the Central Valley region. Employing a …

Novice Teacher Retention And The Partnership School Model, Pamela Mangrum Everitt

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine the qualities novice teachers find valuable when determining whether or not they want to stay in their schools and districts after their first years of teaching. This case study also included undergraduate teacher preparation programs and whether or not graduating from a program with a partnership school model better prepares novice teachers for the classroom. Applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, this study involved the analysis of eight teachers’ questionnaires and interviews to determine what job satisfaction looked like to novice teachers from the same school district and whether or not …

Factors That Influence Third-Grade Reading Performance On The State Of Texas Assessments Of Academic Readiness (Staar), Angela Monette Long

Student Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study aimed to research factors that influence third-graders’ reading performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness is a standardized test used to measure the proficiency of students in various subjects. The independent variables of this study were student attendance, teacher’s professional background, and campus implementation of the Effective Schools Framework. Three years of data were collected from twenty elementary schools in the same North Texas School District. The theoretical framework used to explore the impact of the Effective Schools Framework was organizational learning theory. The theory explored …

The Impact Of Family Education On Social-Emotional Learning In Early Childhood, Amanda Leann Green

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the impact of family education in social-emotional learning on early childhood. The problem determined how family education on social-emotional learning impacted early childhood as perceived by teachers and families, how families and teachers described their perceptions of social-emotional learning, and how family education affected academic and social relationships in early childhood. Examining the participants’ data, viewed through the conceptual frameworks lenses of The Humanist Theory and the Collaborative for Academics, Social, and Emotional Learning, offered insight into the teacher and family perspectives on the school-family partnerships and implementation of social-emotional …

A Qualitative Study Of Early-Career Secondary Teachers' Experiences With Organizational Constraints And Supports As Related To Job Satisfaction, Jaime Lee Arnold

Student Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this qualitative study is the rise in teacher job dissatisfaction and low rates of retention, which has resulted in a significant increase in teacher vacancies in school districts across the United States. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the lived experiences of early-career secondary teachers with organizational constraints and supports as related to job satisfaction. This study’s guiding theoretical framework was the Job Demands-Resources Theory. Using a phenomenological approach, 13 early-career secondary teachers in northeast Tennessee were interviewed individually. A deductive and inductive analysis of data answered the research questions of the …

Examining The Influences Of Professional Learning Communities And The Data-Driven Decision-Making Process On Elementary Teachers’ Instructional Practices, Arrica Chandler

Student Theses and Dissertations

Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) requires educational leaders and teachers to monitor and evaluate programs and processes and link results to individual and organizational outcomes. A classroom teacher’s ability to collect and review data, analyze data to identify trends and strategies for student achievement, and use data to determine and implement instructional practices that influence student achievement is important to school improvement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate whether elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, human agency, participation in professional learning communities (PLCs) on DDDM, and their implementation of the DDDM process influence teachers’ instructional practices. The theories that served …

Teachers’ And School Leaders’ Perceptions Of A Community School Model’S Impact On Student Achievement, Kelsey Brabo

Student Theses and Dissertations

Community schools are a national initiative gaining traction due to the recent identification of the community school model as an evidence-based approach to education that satisfies requirements set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The community school model centers around four pillars: integrated student support, extended and enriched learning opportunities, active family and community engagement, and shared leadership. With rapidly rising poverty rates and the expansion of community schools across the country, there is a need to ensure the efficiency and effective implementation of the community school model. The problem addressed in this qualitative case study is that the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Reading And Mathematics Achievement Gaps Among Elementary Students Resulting From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kayla Lynn Caprio

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to discover Second through Fifth Grade rural North Texas teacher perceptions focusing on reading and mathematics student achievement gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown affected students not only academically but also socially as well. Through a qualitative case study design, this study collected qualitative data by interviewing seven-Second through Fifth Grade teachers through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and MAP data by analyzing MAP data collected in the beginning and middle of the year from the 2019-2023 school years. The social learning theory …

Exploring Teachers' Participation In A Literacy-Focused Professional Learning Community, Kerri Gentry

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological investigation was to explore teachers' experiences as they engage in reading literacy discussions and planning using the PLC process. The study targeted the large number of ninth-grade students entering high school with below basic Lexile scores and the lack of professional development for teachers in literacy to support the rise in low-level readers. Situational Learning Theory was this study's guiding theoretical framework, using professional learning communities as a lens to explore how teachers work collaboratively to develop literacy instructional practices and experiences to improve student literacy skills. This study explored nine secondary teachers from a …

Factors Influencing The Selection And Change Of Major For Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, David Allen

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study investigated the selection and change of majors for nine HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students. The study included individual structured interviews that provided data that answered the following research questions: 1) what factors influenced the initial selection of major, and 2) what factors influenced the change of major? Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory (BET), utilizing each of the five layers, was used as the theoretical framework to understand how the students’ backgrounds or their ecology influenced major choices. Participants were asked at the end of the interviews how their change of major impacted their graduation timing. Results …

September 11, 2024 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Course Design Template And Guide, Kimberly S. Ervin

All Faculty Scholarship

The Course Design Template Guide outlines a comprehensive approach to instructional design based on the backward design framework developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins. This guide explains how to use the Course Design Template that organizes course development into three stages: Identify Desired Results, Determine Acceptable Level of Evidence, and Design the Learning Experience. The first stage focuses on defining course and module learning objectives. The second stage involves creating summative assessments to evaluate learning outcomes. The third stage encompasses the development of course content, including teaching strategies, learner engagement activities, formative assessments, and instructional materials. Throughout the guide, …

An Integral Approach To Philosophy Of Nature, Carol Richardson

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Abstract

Quantum physicists and quantum biologists enjoy a mathematically-inspired romance with the wonders of nature at the quantum level. Recognizing the romance of mathematics and the quantum-to-cosmic level relational energetics of Nature can lead to a more integral, romantic, and even embodied phenomenology of the intelligence inherent within Nature’s relational and embodied energies. Approaching this quantum nature of Nature from the more romantic, wholistic views of the right hemisphere of the brain, rather than from the fragmenting views of the left hemisphere of the brain, one can begin to discover the self-organizing abilities of the energies of Nature at all …

2024-09-11 Sga Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Student Government Association.

Student Government Association Records

Meeting minutes of the Student Government Association from September 11, 2024.

Front Matter

The Writing Center Journal

Front matter for The Writing Center Journal 42:2 (2024).

Community College Writing Center Visitation And Outcomes: A Rad Approach To Assessing Writing Center Use And Student Success, Amy Overbay, Christopher W. Thurley

The Writing Center Journal

As institutions cope with the difficult task of managing scarce resources to support student learning, college writing centers, like other student services, need to be able to articulate and, at times, quantify the benefits they offer the populations they serve. This study examined outcomes associated with visiting the writing center at one American community college in a southern town. Using binary logistic regression, the researchers compared the effects of writing center visitation on the probability of passing and/or earning an A for students enrolled in introductory English and psychology courses, while accounting for other student-level covariates including prior GPA, SES, …

Graphic Design Atm, Amanda Hill

San Jose - Lonergan Chair in Catholic Philosophy

Summer 2024, Graphic Design ATM

In my Graphic Design course, I will teach the principles of observation, inference, and judgment through a structured peer review process.

The George-Anne Daily, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Examination Of Health Sciences Students’ Attitudes Towards Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education, Lindsay Blake

Student Theses and Dissertations

The need for the current study is found in the lack of cohesive teams at the professional level in healthcare. Lack of teamwork in patient care can result in miscommunication, leading to medical errors and patient safety events. The use of interprofessional education early and often in health sciences education is viewed as a way to help healthcare professionals begin learning interprofessional communication and collaboration through knowledge of other professions' roles and responsibilities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of simulation-based activities on health sciences students’ attitudes toward interprofessional education. The study focused on four questions …

2024-September-11-Etsu Safe Med Drop Off Sept. 28, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 11, 2024)—Student pharmacists at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy are helping remove outdated and unneeded prescription medications as part of an upcoming safe medication drop-off event on ETSU’s main campus on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The event takes place in parking lot 22a, which is the large lot next to the ETSU Parking Garage and near the Basler Center for Physical Activity. Turn onto Jack Vest Drive on main campus from either State of Franklin Road or J.L. Seehorn, Jr Road.

The safe medication drop-off will allow the public …

Tutors’ Perspectives On Their Work With Multilingual Writers: Changes Over Time And In Response To Revisions In Training, Tetyana Bychkovska, Susan Lawrence

The Writing Center Journal

A large body of literature on writing center pedagogy suggests that serving multilingual student writers requires approaches different from those developed for native English-speaking students, a difference that may pose unique challenges to tutors. To identify and address these challenges, we elicited tutors’ perspectives on their work with multilingual writers as well as examined how these perspectives change as tutors gain experience and in response to revisions in a training curriculum. Specifically, we analyzed survey responses provided by two consecutive tutor cohorts at three points in their first semester working at the writing center. The overriding theme to emerge from …