Education Commons^™

Voices Unheard: Multilingual Students Reshaping Rural Stem Education, Erin Brooke Elliott-Elrod

College of Education

The multilingual student population in the United States averages 10.6% nationally. Growth has been most pronounced in the rural Southeast, where schools face demographic shifts with limited linguistic support. At one rural Deep South school named Ridgeway High School (a pseudonym), multilingual student enrollment grew from approximately 5% in 1998 to over 50% by 2024 (A. Harrison, personal communication, January 24, 2026). Yet, not one EL-designated student achieved proficiency in English Language Arts, and school-wide math proficiency stands at 9.15% (Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), 2024). STEM disciplines compound these barriers, as access to content and discipline-specific discourse depend …

A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Exploration Of The Influence Of Culturally Responsive Professional Development And Years Of Teaching Service On Culturally Responsive Teaching Scores, Brandon N. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study compared the relationship between culturally responsive professional development and culturally responsive teaching scores against years of teaching service, and culturally responsive teaching scores. The significance of the study is that it increased our understanding of the interactions between the variables, towards increased efficacy of interventions implemented to reduce exclusionary educational policies and practices. A convenience sample of 200 K-12 in-service teachers practicing within the United States were administered the Culturally Responsive Teacher Preparedness Scale to measure the teaching scores after facilitating a comparison among those who participated in professional development or not; and novice, mid-career and …

A Phenomenological Study Of Career And Technical Agricultural Education Instructors’ Lived Experiences Teaching Students With Disabilities: A Qualitative Study, Evelyn Renae Newton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Career and Technical Agricultural Education instructors at the secondary level as they taught and supported students with disabilities in Career and Technical Agricultural Education programs in the eastern-central Georgia region. At this stage of the research, the phenomenon was defined as understanding the skills and actions teachers used to help students with disabilities succeed in Career and Technical Agricultural Education programs. Disability theory informed this research because it addressed the societal barriers to disability that hindered the participation of individuals with disabilities in educational settings. The …

Middle School Teachers' Lived Experiences Using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy To Promote Equity: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Doris A. Dapaah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of using culturally responsive pedagogy to promote equity among students of color for middle school teachers in an inner-city school district in New York. The theory guiding this study was culturally responsive pedagogy, as it emphasized recognizing learners’ diverse backgrounds and experiences to promote academic achievement for all students in schools with diverse populations. The central research question was: What were the lived experiences of middle school teachers as they engaged in using culturally responsive pedagogy in their classrooms? The study included 10 middle school teachers …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Career Maturity In Young Adults And Early College Students In Career And Technical Education Programs, Meghan P. Paquette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine differences in career maturity between young adult and high school students enrolled in Career and Technical Education District programs at a rural community college in Arizona. Grounded in Social Learning Theory and Career Construction Theory, the study explored how early exposure to Career and Technical Education influences career maturity. The sample included 196 students, half high school Career and Technical Education District students and half young adults aged 18 to 24 participating in Career and Technical Education. Career maturity was measured using the Career Maturity Inventory Form C, which assessed …

Building Students’ Self-Efficacy Through Cross-Age Mentorship Focused On Stem Growth Mindset: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Heidi J. Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the self-efficacious experiences through a cross-age mentorship program between sixth-grade and Kindergarten students for parents at Seven Maples Elementary School in the Southeastern United States. The theory guiding this study is Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which describes how building confidence influences a person’s self-efficacy. This study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology and gathered data through interviews, physical artifacts, and focus groups with parents whose students participated in the Kindergarten Buddy Program, a cross-age mentor program between sixth-grade and kindergarten students. The interviews, physical artifacts, and focus group responses were recorded and …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Self-Efficacy In Certificate And Degree Programs At The Community College Level Upon Graduation, Stephen Wakefield Phelps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study investigated whether student-perceived occupational self-efficacy differs between graduates of community college certificate programs and those completing Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. The research also addresses a gap in the literature regarding how award type influences occupational self-efficacy among students in automotive, diesel, manufacturing, and welding programs. The study employed a causal-comparative research design, examining the relationship between the categorical independent variable of award type (certificate or AAS degree) and the quantitative dependent variable of occupational self-efficacy. Participants (N=209) were students in their graduating term from community colleges in a Northwestern state who were completing one …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Gun Violence On Psychological Functioning And Perceived Psychosocial Supports In St. Louis’S Marginalized And Underserved Communities, Desirae Mecole Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies gun violence as a leading public health concern in the United States. Marginalized and underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by poverty and crime, including firearm violence. Gun violence exposure has been linked to complex trauma, anxiety, substance use disorders, and depression. St. Louis, Missouri, has one of the highest rates of gun violence and mortality in the nation; however, research lacks an understanding of the psychological toll. Limited phenomenological research has examined how adults residing in marginalized and underserved communities experience gun violence exposure psychologically and perceive psychosocial supports. This study …

Inclusive Or Self-Contained: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Parents’ Lived Experiences With Classroom Placements For Students With Disabilities In The Mid-Atlantic United States, Nicole M. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of students with disabilities in self-contained and inclusive classrooms for families at K-12 schools in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The theory that guided this study was person-environment fit theory. The central research question that guided this study was: What are the lived experiences of families who have students with disabilities placed in self-contained and inclusive classrooms in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States? This study employed a structured qualitative data collection approach incorporating document analysis, individual interviews, and letter writing. Findings from all …

Sixth-Grade Inclusive Chorus Curriculum, Lauren Rancourt Eubanks

Masters Theses

This curriculum is an eighteen week block plan for sixth-grade inclusive chorus. Emphasizing adaptive activities and specific strategies for students with disabilities, this curriculum can be used with any middle school repertoire concert plan. Through visual aids and color coding, students with disabilities can participate effectively in the performance of melodic contour, rhythm, and repertoire. This curriculum is for a sixth-grade chorus that is preparing for a concert, in which students rehearse two to three times weekly. Drawing from the Orff approach and Dalcroze techniques, this curriculum has adaptions to activities in which students can demonstrate their understanding of musical …

Investigating The Relationship Between Locale, Transportation, And Chronic Absenteeism In Rural Schools, Dawn T. Cook

College of Education

Chronic absenteeism poses a severe threat to public education, directly eroding student achievement by compounding instructional time loss. This correlational study, grounded in bioecological systems theory, examined the relationship between student transportation access, regional isolation, and chronic absenteeism within public elementary and middle schools (grades 3–8) in Alabama. The study used primary self-reported data from a standardized parent survey administered across five public schools and secondary archival records covering every rural public school in Alabama. I analyzed the data using binary logistic regression models and a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that primary transportation modality (bus versus …

Spatial Distribution And Ecological Implications Of Phenolic And Chlorinated Pesticides In The Drainage Systems Of Alexandria, Egypt, Manal G. Mahmoud, Mohamed Amer, Laila A. Mohamed, Tarek O. Said

Blue Economy

Anthropogenic activities contribute substantially to the release of toxic organic contaminants into aquatic environments. In the present study, selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phenolic compounds were investigated in twelve hotspot drainage systems in Alexandria, Egypt. The abundance of organochlorine pesticides across the investigated sites followed the sequence ∑HCHs > ∑CDs > ∑DDTs. Total HCH concentrations ranged from non-detectable levels to 84.0 ng L⁻¹, with an overall mean of 24.1 ng L⁻¹. Concentrations of cyclodiene pesticides (CDs) varied from below the detection limit to 18.52 ng L⁻¹ and averaged 9.36 ng L⁻¹. Meanwhile, total DDT levels ranged from

Phenolic compounds, including phenol, dichlorophenol, …

Latino Perceptions Of Nature, Recreation, And Community Engagement In Wasatch And Summit Counties, Utah, Elsa Perez, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Lewis Kogan, Isaac Helton

All Current Publications

This fact sheet presents results from a Utah State University study on Latino perceptions of nature, recreation, and community engagement in Utah's Wasatch and Summit counties and barriers to accessing programming. It also includes tips for increasing Latino participation in nature programs.

A Systematic Review Of Cipp Model Implementation In Educational Program Evaluation: A Comparative Study Of Türkiye And Indonesia, Zahid Zufar At Thaariq, Memet Karakuş, Fatma Altun

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study compares CIPP (context, input, process, product) evaluation model implementation in educational programs across Türkiye (Turkey) and Indonesia through a systematic literature review. Despite structural similarities as Muslim-majority countries, no comparative research has examined how national contexts shape CIPP application in both settings.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a Scopus search yielded 25 empirical studies (seven from Türkiye and 18 from Indonesia) analyzed using directed content analysis and comparative methods.

Results: Findings reveal two contrasting national patterns: (1) Türkiye’s “systematic formalism,” characterized by structured processes, standardized methodologies, and European Union policy …

Sdrc Update (Volume 7, Issue 4), Dlsu Social Development Research Center

SDRC Publications

The October 2026 issue of SDRC Update highlights research on child development and Filipino nursing knowledge, alongside the contributions of researchers and emerging scholars. This issue features the validation of the enhanced and expanded Philippine Early Learning and Development Standards (PELDS) for children from birth to 8 years old. It also showcases the Narsolohiyang Pilipino project, which examines Filipino experiences and ways of knowing as foundations for nursing knowledge through a decolonial lens. The Researcher Spotlight features Dr. Carmelita I. Quebengco, recipient of the 2026 Evolutio Socialis Distinguished Researcher Award, highlighting her contributions to indigenous education and community development. The …

Comparing The Working Conditions Of Principals And Assistant Principals In South Carolina, Brian Cartiff, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Reports

School administrators’ working conditions are closely linked to important professional outcomes, including their well-being, job satisfaction, and future career plans (Collie et al., 2020; Marsh et al., 2023; Mitani, 2018; Starrett et al., 2026; Steiner et al., 2022). Yet research on administrators' working conditions has focused primarily on principals, with comparatively little attention to assistant principals despite their central role in school leadership and daily operations (Barnett et al., 2012; Goldring et al., 2021). As a result, it remains unclear whether the working conditions associated with principals’ job satisfaction and intent to remain in their school leadership roles operate similarly …

A Comparative Study Of Four Typographic Treatments In Coffee Shop Brand Visual Perception, Ivo Ramadhani, Siti Indah Lestari

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Typeface is an integral component of visual identity that communicates verbal information while contributing to the visual character through which a brand is perceived. This study compares audience responses to four specific typographic treatments in the fictional coffee shop brand Titik Temu, rather than treating Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Decorative as universally representative categories. A quantitative comparative approach with a repeated measures within subject design was employed. The stimuli used Sabon, Work Sans, Authentic Harmony, and Nusantara Font for the Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Decorative treatments, respectively. The brand name, coffee shop concept, color palette, and major visual …

Representation Of Beauty: Gendered Discourses In Czech And Indonesian Advertisements, Indah Kurnia Herliani, Nurenzia Yannuar, Yusnita Febrianti, Ahmad Faizuddin

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Beauty advertising is a public multimodal site in which gendered beauty ideals are made visible and linked to consumption. This study examines how beauty is constructed in the linguistic landscape (LL) of public advertisements in two localized urban settings: Olomouc, the Czech Republic, and Malang, Indonesia. We combine LL as the spatial and sociolinguistic framework, multimodal analysis through Cheong's (2004) Generic Structure Potential (GSP), and Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA), operationalized through Fairclough's (1992) three-dimensional model. Rather than treating the two sites as representative of their countries or regions, we use them as comparative case studies to examine how similar …

Ai Tutor, Online Course, Or Both? A Randomized Experimental Pilot Study For Evaluation Capacity Building, Lendel Kade Narine, John M. Diaz

Extension Research

Extension lacks literature comparing standalone generative artificial intelligence (AI) with structured professional development for capacity building. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, this study evaluated the effects of an asynchronous online course and a custom AI tutor on evaluation knowledge and self-efficacy among Cooperative Extension professionals. We conducted a randomized 2 × 2 factorial pilot study crossing access to an evaluation certificate course with access to a custom Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT). Of 144 registrants, 78 provided matched pre- and post-test data, with attrition differing across conditions. Data were analyzed using a three-way mixed factorial ANOVA. Course …

Strengthening Communities With Extension's People Empowering People Program, Stacey F. Stearns, Faye Griffiths-Smith

Journal of Extension

Programs that encourage personal growth, community connections, and civic engagement are even more essential as digital technology and virtual platforms disconnect residents from communities. The University of Connecticut People Empowering People (UConn PEP) program is one option. It strengthens individuals and communities through a 10-week facilitated program, hosted by the community, and taught by UConn-trained facilitators. UConn PEP has expanded to other states, was translated to Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese, and three other countries expressed interest in offering the PEP curriculum. Programs such as this are an area for continuous expansion as Extension adapts to the changing needs of audiences.

A Sneak Peek Into Prehistory: Curating An Interactive Fossil Display To Spark Interest In The Ua Little Rock Natural History Museum, Syd Joheim, Rene Shroat-Lewis

Research and Creative Works Expo

Arkansas does not currently have a dedicated natural history museum, creating a unique opportunity for UA Little Rock following the recent donation of an expansive fossil collection. In response, the university established a natural history museum initiative intended to benefit both the campus community and the broader public across Arkansas. This initiative provides accessible resources for learning about natural science, evolution, and the state’s prehistoric past, areas that are often underrepresented in informal science education. It also serves as a platform for outreach, student engagement, and undergraduate research, strengthening UA Little Rock’s role in science education, workforce development, and community …

Fmea Reveals Ppe Noncompliance As The Priority Grinding Machine Accident Risk In An Indonesian Vocational School Workshop, Salman Fawwas Albaihaqi, Marsono Marsono, Imam Muhtarom, Mingchang Wu

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in vocational school workshops represents an urgent priority given that students interact directly with high-risk equipment such as grinding machines, yet often demonstrate low compliance with safety protocols. This research aims to identify failure modes on grinding machines in SMKN 1 Jenangan workshop and formulate evidence-based risk control recommendations. A quantitative descriptive approach using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was employed, involving 10 purposively selected respondents (practical instructors and technicians). The research instrument was validated using Content Validity Index (CVI) by three experts in occupational safety and mechanical engineering. Results identified 15 failure modes …

Exploring The Viability Of A Mobile Platform For Families Of Children With Autism: A Community-Based Approach, Natasha N. Babulal

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Families raising children with autism spectrum disorder face chronic stress, social isolation, and significant barriers to accessing consistent, relevant support. Existing digital tools are largely child-focused, fragmented, and not designed with caregiver well-being or peer connection in mind. This mixed-methods exploratory study assessed the viability of a community-based mobile application designed to address those gaps by connecting caregivers, providing practical strategies, and facilitating access to professional guidance.

The study was grounded in social support theory and the technology acceptance model, and examined caregiver-identified needs, preferred app features, and willingness to engage with a proposed digital platform. Data were collected from …

Higher Education Pathways For Native American Students In Nevada, David Damore, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Policy Briefs and Reports

This policy brief examines educational performance and outcomes for Native American learners in Nevada using data from the Nevada P-20 to Workforce Research Data System provided by the Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada System of Higher Education. Based upon analysis of these data and information collected from state and national sources, we propose public policy interventions to support Native American students in Nevada. The brief also evaluates the significant measurement and data challenges that limit researchers’ ability to evaluate Native American educational pathways and the implications this has for policy decisions.

Afterword: Reimagining Higher Education Internationalization As A Practice Of Racial Justice, Louise Michelle Vital, Jing Yu, Benjamin Denga

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This afterword reflects on the two-part special issue, “Examining Race, Racism, and Racialization in the Internationalization of Higher Education from Global Perspectives,” published in the Summer 2026 edition of the Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. Bringing together twenty-nine contributions, the issue centers race as foundational to how higher education internationalization is imagined, organized, practiced, and contested across global contexts. The afterword synthesizes key insights across both volumes, showing how internationalization is shaped by colonial histories, geopolitical inequalities, market logics, legal regimes, linguistic hierarchies, and racialized structures of belonging. Contributors challenge celebratory and neutral accounts of global engagement …

Selected Others In A Non-Western Host: Racialized Governance Of Southeast Asian Students In Taiwan’S Technical And Vocational Higher Education Under The New Southbound Policy, Chia-Ming Hsueh

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This article examines how Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy constructs and governs Southeast Asian students within higher education internationalization. Drawing on critical discourse and policy analysis of public policy documents, institutional materials, recruitment discourse, and related media sources from 2016 to 2024, the study argues that Southeast Asian students are positioned as “selected others”: welcomed as regional partners and future talent while also subject to differentiated forms of linguistic, administrative, and labor-oriented governance. Focusing particularly on Taiwan’s technical and vocational higher education sector, the analysis identifies three interrelated dynamics: selective inclusion by nationality and educational track, Mandarin as a technology of …

Advancing Equity Through Mentorship: Supporting Racialized Immigrant And International Students In Canadian Higher Education, Cecilia Bukutu Phd, Viola Manokore Dr, Michael Safo Ofori

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Mentorship initiatives have increasingly supported racialized students in Canada, yet gaps remain in addressing their intersectional needs. This study examines the experiences of Black postsecondary immigrant, refugee, and international students in the Mentorship and Resilience Project (MRP), a racially concordant mentorship initiative. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, data were drawn from interviews, focus groups, and post-workshop surveys. Guided by Anti-Black Racism and Intersectionality frameworks, the study explores how institutional diversity discourses may operate as non-performative practices that obscure structural inequities. Findings show students faced intersecting challenges related to migration status, race, and gender, marked by tensions between invisibility and hypervisibility. …

‘Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind’: Refugee Students And Internationalization Practices In Canadian Higher Education Institutions, Zuhra Abawi, Nidhi Menon

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

As of 2024, over 123 million people have been forcibly displaced due to war, persecution, climate catastrophe, and geopolitical instability. Among them, young people constitute a significant portion, many of whom aspire to rebuild their lives through higher education. Canada, a top destination for refugee resettlement, remains deeply inequitable for refugee access to postsecondary education. Although lauded for its commitments to diversity and inclusion, Canadian settler-colonial hierarchies and racialized politics of belonging continue to shape which displaced bodies are seen as deserving of education, opportunity, and protection. These dynamics underscore how forced migration, race, and higher education intersect within the …

Lost In Translation: How Higher Education Studies Conflates Latinx And International Latin American Experiences Through Misplaced Racialization, Eduardo Santander

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This autoethnographic study examines how higher education studies conflates international Latin American and domestic Latinx student experiences through what I term “misplaced racialization”, namely, the imposition of domestic racial categories onto international students that fundamentally misrecognizes their distinct positioning as temporary residents, adult-onset racialization subjects, and transnational knowledge holders. Colonial logics are not merely structural; they breathe through the field’s racial grammars. Drawing on Fricker’s (2007) hermeneutical injustice, I argue that higher education’s epistemological boundedness, its lack of native theory and reliance on borrowed American frameworks, does not merely contain colonial logics but is constituted by them, rendering those logics …

Seeing Through Indigenous Eyes: Language, Humility, And The Possibilities Of International Research, Janine E. Metallic

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay critically examines the internationalization of higher education through Indigenous epistemologies, asking: What might international research look like if guided by Indigenous values such as language, humility, and relationality? Drawing on Indigenous research methodologies and autoethnographic reflection, the essay explores how global academic norms, rooted in colonial legacies, often marginalize Indigenous ways of knowing. Theoretical constructs from Wilson (2008), Kovach (2021), and Smith (2021) inform the analysis, emphasizing relational accountability and ethical engagement. The discussion highlights that Indigenous language situates knowledge in place, humility resists prestige-driven scholarship, and relationality redefines research as reciprocal and community-centered. These insights challenge dominant …