Education Commons^™

Exploring Educators' Experiences With School Ecosystems: A Qualitative Inquiry, Jane Mcintosh Cooper, Sheila Baker, John Decman, Leslie Gauna

School Leadership Review

This exploratory inquiry offers a glimpse into educators’ perceptions that connect their professional values and goals to their lived experiences in classrooms. Through the use of an open-ended survey, participants gave positive and negative experiences and ideal scenarios. Findings suggest that visibility and validity, professional advancement, and voice and agency were key gauges of alignment or dissimilitude for participants. Implications for administrators and leadership are discussed.

A Synthesis Of Professional Socialization Literature And Educational Opportunities In Occupational Therapy, Jessica Nakos

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this topic on education paper is to synthesize the literature on professional socialization across disciplines, emphasize professional socialization as a research priority, and discuss opportunities to improve occupational therapy education. Relevant literature from higher education, business education, and health care professions were included that support the critical role of professional socialization to development of professional identity. A critical appraisal and discussion provide reflection on the role of educators, opportunities for program improvements, and implications to occupational therapy research and education. Dimensions of meaning associated with professional socialization are introduced and offer a unique occupation-based lens through which …

Hymns Of Babel: A Song Cycle Fmus Composition Project, Reed Spencer, Steven Day

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Hymns of Babel Research Brief

Over the course of the eight-week faculty mentorship undergraduate scholarship period, Dr. Reed Spencer and senior Steven Day composed a twelve-song cycle on the theme of Generation Z’s interaction with social media. This piece sought to articulate the thoughts, emotions, responses, and impulses that accompany the virtual world. Many of the songs explored where we find God in our social media age, as well as how we create gods, try to act as a god, and pretend there is no God. The collaborative process began by creating a rough lyrical structure and purpose, followed by …

A Mixed-Methods Study On The Implementation And Perceptions Of Grading For Equity Practices In A Sixth Grade Science Midwest Middle School, Lisa Meacham Stein

Dissertations

Equitable grading practices were a focal point in present-day educational discussions and gained increasing attention in recent years due to concerns regarding fairness, inclusivity, and student success. This research study examined the principles and implementation of equitable grading practices within a sixth-grade science classroom. The researcher synthesized existing literature, examined case studies, and considered the perceptions of students, teachers, and the researcher study in order to contribute to the ongoing discussion on creating more equitable grading systems.

Key areas of focus included the history and development of the education system, the purpose and significance of grades, the examination of traditional …

Teacher Perceptions Of Principal Personality And Intent To Remain: A Causal-Comparative Study, Brittani Leanna Blair

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study is to explore the relationship between teachers' perceptions of their principals' personality traits, based on the big-five factor structure, and the teachers' intentions to remain in the teaching profession. Research indicates school leadership significantly influences American teachers' commitment to teaching, highlighting the need to understand teachers' perceptions of principal personality traits given the teacher shortage crisis in the United States. Data from a sample of 278 teachers was collected using an online Qualtrics survey that included the M5-50 personality questionnaire items and an item related to teacher intent to remain in the profession. …

School Culture, Teacher Experience, And Commitment: A Phenomenological Study Of High School Teachers At A Cyber Charter School, Sarah Cole Brodish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the influence of school culture and leadership on the experiences and levels of commitment of high school teachers at a cyber charter academy in the northeastern United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Dansereau, Graen, and Haga's Leadership-Member Exchange Theory, which examined the impact of leadership relationships on school culture and teacher experience. This study sought to answer the primary research question: How does school culture influence teacher experience? A phenomenological approach was chosen to gain a deeper understanding of these experiences specifically, a hermeneutic phenomenological …

Office Files, 1980-1999, University Communications Office

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Pathways To Cybersecurity Excellence: Insights From Industry And Academia In The Southeastern Us, Humayun Zafar, Carole L. Hollingsworth, Tridib Bandyopadhyay, Adriane B. Randolph

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This research article examines conversations happening between cybersecurity academics and industry leaders with a goal to improve the development of cybersecurity professionals. We specifically focus on efforts in the Southeast region of the United States. The discussion features insights from a panel consisting of an academic cybersecurity researcher, a Chief Information Officer (CIO) of a leading technology company with over 1,000 employees, and a CIO of a financial services firm, which employs over 3,000 people. The discussion sheds light on the challenges and opportunities involved in aligning cybersecurity programs with industry requirements. This article explores strategies for academia and businesses …

The Role Of Adaptive Learning Programs In Secondary Mathematics: A Phenomenology Study, Shameka Sharae Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the role of adaptive learning programs in closing the learning gaps in mathematics for secondary students in Georgia following the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was that of Bandura's theory on self-efficacy, as it highlights how an individual's experience impacts their belief in their ability to complete specific tasks. The central question in this study sought to identify the experiences of secondary math teachers who use adaptive learning programs to address learning gaps in mathematics following the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants for the study consisted of 10 to …

Exploring The Benefits Of Dual-Language Immersion Programs: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Ashley Cunningham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand current practices in dual language immersion (DLI) programming, identify biases, and investigate designs for implementing dual language immersion programs to provide consistency between programs in elementary schools in Georgia. The theory guiding this study was Cummins' threshold theory, as it describes the process of language acquisition for young children and the cognitive effects of bilingualism. Selected public elementary dual language immersion teachers in Georgia participated in an individual interview, focus group, and a questionnaire to collect data. Data analysis was used to interpret the findings to answer the central research …

Pedagogical Disruptive Innovations And Positive Deviance During Covid-19 Mandatory School Closures: A Case Study Of Public-School Teachers In San Juan County, New Mexico, David R. Mcgee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to discover and describe the types of positive deviance and disruptive innovation during the non-voluntary transition to remote learning for teachers from San Juan County, New Mexico. This study investigated how classroom teachers altered their pedagogical practices from their face-to-face classroom juxtaposed to their non-voluntary transition to the remote classroom. Positive deviance is defined as any outcome is unique, non-normative, extraordinary, uncommon, and honorable and is perceived as positive to the organization. Disruptive innovation is a business theory that explains how a good enough innovation can be pushed through as a …

Predicting Educator Perceptions Of Tennessee's Teacher Evaluation System: The Role Of Teacher Gender, Years Of Experience, And School Level Taught, Leonida T. Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, correlational study aims to determine if a predictive relationship exists between teacher perceptions of Tennessee's teacher evaluation and the linear combination of teacher gender, years of experience, and school-level taught (elementary, middle, high). Although teachers have recognized the current teacher evaluation system, many educators expressed concerns about it. This study is vital in determining teachers' perceptions of the evaluation system. Participants of this study included a sample of 108 certified elementary, middle, and high school teachers from one of the public school districts in southwestern Tennessee. Data were collected via an anonymous, self-paced online survey utilizing a modified …

Experiences Of Classroom Teachers In A Mastery-Based, Personalized Learning Environment: A Phenomenological Study, Scott Russell Thunstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of classroom teachers in a mastery-based, personalized learning environment and looked at the potential organizational exhaustion that could come from teaching in an environment like this in secondary schools throughout Idaho. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) and specifically the self-efficacy theory found within the SCT framework, as it shows a direct connection between behavior changes and a person's perception of self-efficacy, which may impact organizational exhaustion and burnout. This study used a transcendental phenomenological research design to describe the lived …

Performance Feedback Influence On Special Education Teacher Self-Efficacy, Margaret Stout

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative true experimental pretest posttest design research study was conducted to determine the effect two types of performance feedback had on overall special education teacher efficacy and instructional strategies efficacy. Determining the effect is important because teacher efficacy positively impacts student academic outcomes. In-service public school special education teachers who teach students with low incidence disabilities from Virginia were randomly assigned to two different virtual trainings where the Teachers Sense of Efficacy Scale was used as both the pre-training and post-training instrument. An ANCOVA was performed on the data resulting in the first null hypothesis being rejected and the …

Lived Experiences Of Special Education Co-Teachers With High-Leverage Instructional Practices At Secondary Title I Campus: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Aaron M. Logan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to investigate the lived experiences of special education co-teachers with high-leverage instructional practices at secondary Title I campuses. The central research question of this study was how special education co-teachers at secondary Title I campuses describe their lived experiences with high-leverage instructional practices. Bandura's social cognitive theory guided this study. In particular, the triadic reciprocal causation defined in social cognitive theory guides the study's questions and analysis. Triadic reciprocal causation influences how people communicate, work through tasks, and conduct daily activities related to personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. The social cognitive theory …

The Forgotten American Heroes: A Phenomenological Study, Lynda Burke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of service providers who work first-hand with homeless veterans in Tennessee. Americans seem to view homeless people as inferior to others without considering the factors that have led these individuals to become homeless. They fail to acknowledge the hardships they face, the daily challenges to their mental health, and the invisible wounds that go unnoticed and are often overlooked. As more men and women have returned to the United States following their service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other global locations, a significant number of combat veterans are struggling with untreated or unmanaged mental health …

Experiences Of Educators In Implementing Mindfulness In K-6 Special Education Transition Settings: A Case Study, Matthew David Bilchak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study will be to understand the perspectives of implementing mindfulness-based interventions for special education teachers in elementary special education transition settings. The theory guiding this study involves experiential learning, which requires students and educators to acquire skills to promote self-regulation actively. A qualitative case study approach provides insight into the advantages and challenges of implementing mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) to understand elementary special education teachers' perceptions. Ten educators from rural Pennsylvania school districts compromise the sample pool. Collection methods include interviews, lesson plan analysis, and surveys. Triangulation of data reveals how educators in special education transition …

Social Skill Development In Teenagers With Autism Who Are Homeschooled In Rural Southwest: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Caregivers, Sondra J. Bistline

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the caregiver's lived experience of social skill development in their teenage or young adult students who have autism. Vygotsky's social constructivism theory frames the structure of social development within the student's family, community, and local culture. The central research question guiding this study was, what were the caregivers' lived experiences of social interactions with their homeschooled teenager or young adult diagnosed with autism? All participants were caregivers of teenage or young adult students diagnosed with autism who received all or part of their schooling through homeschooling, micro-schooling, or habilitation services …

Does Deviating From Agile Principles Have An Impact On Project Success In North Carolina Higher Education Institutions?, Douglas A. Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Agile software development projects are over three times more likely to succeed than waterfall projects, but 58% of agile-led projects are unable to satisfy the timeline, budget, and customer (Standish Group, 2020). This quantitative correlational study examines if a relationship exists between deviating from the 12 agile principles outlined in the Manifesto for Agile Software Development (Beck et al., 2001) and the perceived level of success for agile software development projects within North Carolina higher education institutions. The general problem addressed by this study is the failure of organizations adhering to agile principles resulting in unsuccessful software development projects. Using …

The Lived Experiences Of Active-Duty Military Parents Caring For A Child With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Grades 6 - 12: A Phenomenological Study, Anna Marie Douglas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard military parents concerning their efforts to cultivate an environment of academic success for their children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bowlby and Ainsworth's theory on attachment guided this study, explaining the correlation between insecure attachments and the display of worsening ADHD symptoms when breaking or not adequately establishing a secure attachment. The method this research study used was phenomenological hermeneutic. The sample for this study included 10 active-duty and Reserve military parents with at least one child diagnosed with ADHD and …

Non-Black Students' Perceptions Of Diversity And Inclusion At Historically Black Colleges And Universities: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Gary Aaron Tyler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand diversity and inclusion through the experiences of non-Black students attending a historically Black college and university (HBCU). Diversity referred to the integration of various racial and ethnic groups, and inclusion referred to conditions on campus that reflect practices and relationships that produce a feeling of being valued, respected, and supported by the institution and peers. The theory used in this study was Tinto's theory of integration, as it examined the existential experiences of students who integrate into an HBCU campus. This study's central research question asked: What are the integration experiences …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Onboarding Practices: Mid-Atlantic Region Public High School Teachers' Lived Experiences, Tiffany M. Draper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the lived experiences of Mid-Atlantic region public high school teachers participating in onboarding practices, which provides insight into best practices to increase teacher self-efficacy and decrease attrition rates. The theory guiding this study is Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, as it links ineffective and effective onboarding practices for new high school teachers with their levels of teacher self-efficacy, aligning with teacher retention and attrition rates. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy provided a framework with which to answer the central research question and three sub-questions: (CRQ) What are the lived experiences of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy In Special Education Classrooms, Ashley Deluccia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe experiences of dialectical behavior therapy for special education teachers at a large, suburban school district in the Southeast United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT), as it explains how new behaviors are learned and acquired. The central research question was: What are special education teachers' experiences of dialectical behavior therapy at a suburban school district in the Southeast United States? This qualitative design utilizes a phenomenological method. The sample included 12 special education teachers in behavior classrooms receiving dialectical behavior therapy. The setting was …

Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Impact Spaced Practice And Retrieval Have On Mathematical Fact Fluency In Third-, Fourth-, And Fifth-Grade Students, Stefanie L. Breneman-Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group study was to determine if there is a difference in mathematical fact fluency among third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students with varying practice methods and spacing intervals while controlling for pre-test scores. The study filled the literature gap by examining the impact of each variable and their combined additive effect in a third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade student population. Given the importance of math fact fluency on overall math performance, finding the most effective means for building retention is imperative. The sample included 196 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students. Data collection was completed …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Influence Of Student-Centered Learners On Traditional Teacher-Centered Faculty In Medical Education, Michael Shan Deel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the challenges for traditionally teacher-centered medical faculty incorporating student-centered learning at the Pharmacy College. The theory guiding this study is Kolb's theory on experiential learning, as it shows how individual experiences provide insight into areas of challenges, especially in teaching methods. This study aims to answer the question of how traditional teacher-centered faculty incorporate student-centered learning experiences to ensure the end result for students in the medical education curriculum. This study includes 12 full-time faculty at a single rural graduate-level degree medical school. The medical institution of a rural graduate-level medical …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of College Graduates With Chronic Illnesses Who Faced Health Threats And Interruptions In Their Daily Activities, Paula J. Uzuka

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses who graduated from college while facing health threats that often interrupted their daily activities. The theory that guided this study was Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Bandura defined self-efficacy as what a person understands about their ability to accomplish specific goals. In addition, Leventhal's construct, the common-sense model of self-regulation, provided the substructure of Bandura's theory, illustrating that with the right guidance, individuals can make decisions and manage their own health. An individual can use the theory and model to determine the necessary actions to …

Challenges Faced By Adult Gifted Students Who Have Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phenomenological Study, Dawn M. Nessler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the educational experiences of gifted adult students who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). The theory guiding this phenomenological study was Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration, with a focus on how the tragedy of various natures impacts the development of an individual's identity. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the shared educational experiences of gifted undergraduate students who have experienced a TBI. 12 participants from Strong Minds, Kind Hearts, a Christian counseling and educational office located in Northwest Florida engaged in the study. Stratified sampling was used within the …

Virtual Versus Tangible Math Manipulatives: A Quasi-Experimental Study Comparing The Impact Of Different Types On Mathematical Understanding, Haley L. Gullion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design study was to measure the effects of both types of manipulatives on student mathematical understanding of 1st and 4th grade, Title I students. This data is needed for teachers to make informed decisions regarding their instructional choices. 270 participants were separated into three groups based on which type of manipulative their classroom teacher used during instruction: physical, virtual, or both. After 10 weeks of instruction with these manipulatives, student achievement was calculated for each student utilizing the Universal Screeners for Number Sense, and the groups within each grade level band …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Language Shift Of Ikalanga In Botswana: Implications For Language Revitalization, Annah Sephene Macha

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study explores the phenomenon of language shift among the Bakalanga community in Botswana, focusing on the gradual displacement of the iKalanga language by dominant languages such as Setswana and English that hold official status for education and broader communication. iKalanga faces significant challenges, as minority languages face extinction globally, the Bakalanga’s experience reflects broader trends where dominant languages supplant indigenous ones in education and wider communication. This research employed a phenomenological approach to investigate how the Bakalanga transmit knowledge amidst this language shift. Data was collected through focus groups, life history narratives, documents, and individual interviews, and analyzed using …

Exploring The Academic Health Department Model: A Study Of Awareness, Attitudes, And Practices In Kentucky's Local Health Departments​, Jonathan Dunham Vorbeck

Online Theses and Dissertations

Public health involves the organized efforts of society to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote health. These efforts are exemplified through partnerships across various public and private sectors, including academia, which are crucial in addressing complex public health challenges. The concept of an Academic Health Department (AHD) embodies a formal collaboration between academic institutions and public health practice organizations, aiming to integrate public health practice with academic training, research, and service delivery. Despite the documented benefits of the AHD model, there is a knowledge gap regarding local health departments' (LHDs) awareness, attitudes, and practices related to the model, particularly in …