The Science Of Reading The Trenches Of The First World War, Shannon T. Bontrager Ph.D.

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

This paper provides a lesson plan for secondary teachers to begin thinking about tying the literature connected to the Science of Reading to practical classroom lessons. It provides an example of using Science of Reading strategies to get students to investigate and imagine what the trenches of the First World War were like.

Why Theory Matters In Infant And Toddler Practice: Unpacking Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, & Vygotsky, Derrick Toups

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article is intended to help infant and toddler educators deepen the why behind the what and how of their daily interactions by unpacking and connecting the seminal early childhood theories of Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, and Vygotsky, what they look like in the classroom, and why they benefit children.

Building Early Reading Foundations In Prekindergarten: Preparing Students For Kindergarten, Denise Rueter, Laura K. Simmons, Cynthia Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Preparing children for the transition to kindergarten literacy instruction requires intentional support of foundational early reading skills in prekindergarten classrooms. At the same time, early childhood educators must balance explicit instruction with developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) that emphasize play, exploration, and child-centered learning. This article describes instructional practices that support the development of emergent reading skills, particularly letter recognition and phoneme identification, within prekindergarten settings. Drawing on research in early literacy development, the article outlines a small-group instructional routine that includes shared storybook reading with print referencing, phonemic awareness activities, and multi-sensory, play-based practice opportunities. Examples of center-based activities that …

Building The Foundation For Stem In Toddler Classrooms: Practical Strategies For Novice Teachers, Melissa L. Johnson

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Young children are natural explorers, and even in the toddler years, they demonstrate the inquiry behaviors foundational to later science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. However, early STEM experiences are often underutilized in toddler classrooms, primarily due to misconceptions about children's capabilities and a lack of developmentally appropriate resources. This article, written for novice educators, offers practical strategies and examples to help integrate STEM into toddler classrooms. Drawing on current research, national standards, and classroom-based implementation strategies, this piece outlines how to create engaging environments that support toddlers' curiosity and emerging STEM thinking across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Yoga And Young Children, Jayapriya Ranganathan, Cynthia F Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Abstract:

This article examines the role of yoga as an effective pedagogical tool to support social-emotional learning (SEL) and physical development in early childhood education settings. Grounded in current understandings of mindfulness and executive functioning, the integration of yoga practices—such as breathing exercises, meditation, and developmentally appropriate postures—can promote self-regulation, attention, and emotional resilience in young children. Drawing on classroom-based observations from a toddler program, the article outlines practical strategies for incorporating yoga into daily routines, emphasizing accessibility, consistency, and engagement through imaginative play and storytelling. The findings suggest that regular yoga practice fosters a calm, focused learning environment and …

Leading With Heart: How New Directors Can Build Trust And Morale Among Child Care Staff, Kamille Watson, Cynthia Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

For both new and seasoned directors, leading a new childcare center requires navigating the complex work of building staff trust and sustaining morale, particularly when teams have endured repeated leadership changes or existing internal concerns. Because early childhood programs rely heavily on relational, emotionally demanding work, effective leadership must be rooted in connection, transparency, and compassionate engagement. This article provides a practical framework to help novice directors cultivate strong, trust-based relationships that support both staff well-being and program quality. Drawing from current research on compassionate leadership, emotional intelligence, and organizational consistency, the article outlines actionable strategies for building rapport, fostering …

Professional Identity Formation And The Nextgen Bar Open Opportunities For Law Student And Law School Success, Neil Hamilton

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

So Much More Than Greenacre, Christine Rollins

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Medical Student Readiness To Provide Care For Youth Involved In The Juvenile Justice System, Tara Rahmani, Noah Kos, Kristen Bartow, Sospeter Machani, Jonathan Hakim, Elyse Vanderwoude, Anastasia Sahu, Abigail Schuch, Jennifer Mendez Ph.D, Laura Benjamins Md,Mph, Faap, Aahivms, Anupama Devara, Adeel Khan D.O.

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title

Enhancing Medical Student Readiness to Provide Care for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Authors

Tara Rahmani, Noah Kos, Kristen Bartow, Sospeter Machani, Jonathan Hakim, Elyse VanderWoude, Anastasia Sahu, Abigail Schuch, Jennifer Mendez, Ph.D, Laura Benjamins, MD, MPH, Anupama, Devara, MD, Adeel Khan, DO

Background

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system face profound health inequities with higher rates of mental health needs, substance use, and trauma. Despite this, medical students rarely receive preparation to work in correctional health settings. Prior research has shown that youth in detention often exhibit behaviors shaped by past trauma and neglect, which …

From Learners To Leaders: A Peer-Led Simulation Program For Anesthesia Procedural Skills Training In Medical Students, Noah S. Kos, Ryan Beyers, Chloe Sutlick, Benjamin Sun, Tochi Mbagwu, Dr. John D. Mitchell Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: From Learners to Leaders: A Peer-Led Simulation Program for Anesthesia Procedural Skills Training in Medical Students

Authors: Noah Kos, Ryan Beyers, Chloe Sutlick, Benjamin Sun, Tochi Mbagwu, John D. Mitchell, M.D.

Background: Procedural skill competency is vital in medical education, but limited faculty availability poses challenges. We implemented a peer-led simulation program teaching peripheral IV insertion (PIV) and endotracheal intubation, with a focus on student leadership.

Methods: Sixteen peer educators, trained by attendings, conducted monthly workshops from July-October 2025. Students practiced at PIV and intubation stations, assessed via validated rubrics (17 items for PIV, 21 for intubation; 5-point scale). …

Suprasegmental Symphony: A Curriculum For Teaching Word Stress, Focus, And Rhythm To Native Chinese Speakers, Beini Ding

Master's Projects and Capstones

Native Chinese Mandarin speakers face significant intelligibility challenges in English due to phonological transfers from their syllable-timed L1 to the stress-timed rhythm of English, a problem often overlooked in instructional settings. This capstone designed, developed, and proposed a targeted curriculum to bridge this gap, Suprasegmental Symphony: A Curriculum for Teaching Word Stress, Focus, and Rhythm to Native Chinese Speakers. Chapter I establishes the problem from both research and personal practitioner perspectives, identifying a specific need for suprasegmental instruction and presenting a theoretical framework that synthesizes Contrastive Analysis and Communicative Language Teaching. Chapter II reviews scholarly literature, analyzes existing curricular models, …

A Journey Into Implicature: Do You Know What I Mean?, Brian Tura

Master's Projects and Capstones

In everyday communication, English speakers often use implied meaning in a multitude of situations and variety of ways. Research has shown that explicitly teaching meta-pragmatic concepts, such as implicature, can have a positive impact on students’ ability to not only understand implicature but can also help them think about English in a different way, providing insight into native speakers’ use of the language. Even with this evidence, implicature is rarely found in ESOL teaching materials, and when it is found, there is seldom any direct discussion on how to appropriately use implied meaning. The purpose of this project is to …

Embedding Clinical Application Assignments In Dnp Education: A Model For Practice Hour Acquisition, Cynthia Plonien

Nursing Faculty Publications & Presentations

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs must ensure graduates complete a minimum of 1,000 post-baccalaureate clinical/practice hours aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials. As programs transition to accelerated and online formats, achieving these hours has become increasingly challenging, particularly for students entering without prior supervised clinical experience. Traditional models relying on terminal practicum courses often create feasibility limitations and variability in the quality of practice experiences. This article describes an innovative curricular model that embeds Clinical Application Assignments (CAAs) across didactic coursework to support longitudinal acquisition of clinical hours. This approach provides a feasible and …

Beyond A Corrective Experience: Reimagining Liberation In Special Education, Erin Elise Macnabb

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study establishes a critical bridge between special education and liberatory pedagogy, positioning these historically siloed fields as interdependent for systemic justice. While Special Education Teachers (SETs) daily work involves resisting systemic oppression, special education has been historically excluded from liberatory pedagogy and instead focused on medicalized models and deficit based assumptions. The separation of liberatory pedagogy and special education contributes to professional siloing and a culture of compliance that prioritizes bureaucratic processes over the meaningful and radical work of SETs.

The research utilizes a qualitative design rooted in Collaborative Critical Inquiry (CCI) where an intentional sample of veteran, …

Cultivating Healing: Understanding Pinay Adolescent Social And Emotional Well-Being, Dylan R. Francisco

Doctoral Dissertations

The Filipina/x/o American community is the third largest Asian American ethnic community in the United States (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2023). Among the population, adolescents in particular have been identified as being in a pivotal period, as adolescence in the Asian American community marks the unfolding of identity development, in addition to increasing familial and societal pressures (Choi et al., 2018).  Existing research has identified Filipina/x/o American adolescents in particular to have higher rates of smoking, alcohol use, teen births, depressive rates, and thoughts about suicide. Despite these growing concerns, limited studies have been conducted on this specific ethnic community …

The Effectiveness Of Mastery Learning On Student Achievement Across Stem Disciplines: A Meta-Analysis, Francis Siangco Estabillo

Doctoral Dissertations

Mastery learning has been one of the most extensively researched instructional strategies in education, studied continuously since the 1960s. Prior meta-analyses have consistently found positive effects of mastery learning on student learning outcomes, however, none have examined its effectiveness on student achievement explicitly within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

This comprehensive meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of the mastery-learning instructional strategy on student achievement across STEM disciplines in K-12 and higher-education contexts. A systematic literature search yielded 85 studies with combined sample sizes of 10,244 participants that met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q,I^{2 …}

Fostering Collaboration For Mission And Social Justice: Qualitative Case Studies Of Models Of Jesuits And Non-Jesuit Administrators, Faculty And Staff Members’ Partnerships At Arrupe Jesuit University (Aju) In Zimbabwe And Centre De Recherche Et D’Action Pour La Paix/ Université Jésuite D’Abidjan (Cerap/Uja) In Côte D’Ivoire, Abdon Rwandekwe Edd

Doctoral Dissertations

Jesuit higher education has historically depended on collaboration between Jesuits and non-Jesuit administrators, faculty, and staff to sustain its mission of promoting faith, justice, and the holistic formation of students. In recent decades, demographic shifts within the Society of Jesus and increasing institutional complexity have led to a greater reliance on Lay collaborators in leadership and academic roles. Despite strong ecclesial and Jesuit directives encouraging shared mission and co-responsibility, many Jesuit institutions continue to struggle with translating these ideals into equitable governance and collaborative practices. This challenge is particularly significant in African contexts, where Jesuit universities operate within diverse cultural …

Perception And Practice: A Multiple Case Study Exploration Of Teacher Beliefs Of Intelligence And Praise Practice Implementation In The Primary School Classroom, Johanna Rose Hall

Doctoral Dissertations

Possession of a fixed or growth mindset of intelligence has been shown to substantially influence student academic behaviors and achievement. Students who view intelligence as fixed are more likely to avoid academic challenges and learning opportunities, whereas students who view their intelligence as malleable are more likely to embrace challenges and persist through difficulty. Given the importance of fostering a growth mindset of intelligence in students, this study examines how primary school teachers’ beliefs about the malleability of intelligence influence the type of praise they use in the classroom. Specifically, this study explores how teachers’ internal and underlying beliefs shape …

Identifying Social Disparities Inside The Colombian Jesuit Schools From The Students’ Perceptions, Fr. Edwin Mauricio Martínez Callejas Sj

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis conducts a comprehensive investigation into social disparities within Colombian Jesuit schools through the voices and perceptions of their students. Employing a Critical Pedagogy framework inspired by Paulo Freire, the research centers on understanding how students from three Jesuit schools in major Colombian cities—Medellín (Colegio San Ignacio), Bucaramanga (Colegio San Pedro Claver), and Barranquilla (Colegio San José)—perceive and navigate issues of social inclusion, ethnic diversity, gender equality, socioeconomic status, political polarization, and religious plurality. The study utilizes qualitative methods, including focus groups and interviews with students, teachers, staff, and parents, to explore school convivencia (coexistence and social harmony) and …

A Quantitative Study On Broadband Access Rates In K-12 Schools And Student Academic Achievement, Tonya Michelle Todd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As technology evolves, so do K-12 educational platforms and policies. However, research into broadband access’s influence on student academic achievement is limited and some are outdated. Without adequate knowledge on the topic, educational and policy leaders are at risk of misallocating educational technology funds. Given the substantial monetary investment involved in the implementation of this public education policy and the limited research on the influence of broadband access rates on student academic achievement, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether the SC Educational Technology Plan’s broadband expansion influenced student academic performance.

This quantitative study sought to determine whether …

Second Annual Advances In Business Education Conference 2026 Proceedings, Kelsey Metz

Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference Proceedings

Conference Overview: The Second Annual Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference was held on May 21–22, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Hosted by the LMU School of Business, the ABE Conference exists to promote teaching excellence, scholarly inquiry, and regional engagement through innovation and collaboration in business education.

With a focus on fostering meaningful dialogue among educators, researchers, students, and industry professionals, the conference welcomed more than 70 attendees representing 11 institutions from across the Appalachian region and beyond.

The event was structured around four key tracks:

Pedagogy and Teaching Excellence: Showcasing innovative teaching methods, instructional technologies, …

Social Determinants Of Low Educational Attainment, Isabelle Graham, Kevin Lieng, Aubriana Weisbach

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper examines how socioeconomic and demographic factors influence low educational attainment across U.S. cities. The analysis estimates both a linear regression model and a semi-log model to evaluate how poverty, unemployment, family structure, age composition, overcrowding, racial and ethnic minority share, broadband access, and housing cost burden affect the percentage of adults without a high school diploma. The results show that poverty, overcrowding, and minority share are the strongest predictors of low educational attainment, each exhibiting positive and highly significant effects. Overall, the findings highlight the role of social factors in shaping educational outcomes in high school.

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, May 2026, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Asian American Multiraciality And Cultural Wealth In Higher Education, Marielle Song Lyons

Master's Theses

Multiracial Asian American college students endure pervasive and commonplace monoracism, multiracial microaggressions, and deficit-based narratives in higher education, which negatively impact their sense of self, belonging, and mental health. Through narrative methodology, the present qualitative study captures the stories of three multiracial Asian American undergraduate students and how they are making sense of their racialized experiences and cultural wealth in higher education. The results of this study suggest that (a) multiracial Asian Americans experience monoracism and multiracial microaggressions, which shape their understanding of cultural legitimacy and impact their behavior, sense of self, and relationships with others; (b) monoracism and multiracial …

Meeting Their Needs: Experiences Of Uc Berkeley International Graduate Students Navigating Financial Strain, Ryann M. Hirt

Master's Theses

Of prior research on student experiences with financial strain, little has specifically focused on international student experiences in higher education while studying in the U.S., in tandem with financial strain. This qualitative study, through utilization of narrative methodology, explores the ways in which international students–in particular, graduate students–experience and navigate financial strain during their studies at a large, R1: Doctoral university: the University of California, Berkeley. The research was guided by three questions: (a) What are UC Berkeley international students’ stories of navigating financial strain? (b) What are the experiences of UC Berkeley international students with external and internal (campus) …

Prekindergarten Teacher Experiences Implementing Research-Based Instructional Practices That Support Dual Language Learners, Elizabeth Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Leadership Self-Efficacy: Racial Identity-Related Ideological Values, Racism-Related Stress, And Resilience Among Asian American Educators In K-12 Schools, Chong Lor

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the underrepresentation of Asian American educators in K-12 leadership and the limited leadership pipeline available to them. Specifically, this study examined the extent of the relationships between Asian American racial identity-related ideological values (AARIIV), Asian American racism-related stress (AARRS), resilience, and leadership self-efficacy (LSE) among Asian American educators in K-12 schools.

This study was grounded in three theoretical perspectives—AsianCrit, the Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans, and Social Cognitive Theory—that provided the theoretical rationale for examining the racialization of Asian Americans in relation to leadership. This theoretical foundation guided the development of the …

Book Review - The Serendipity Of Hope, Ken Badley

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

A review of Lee, S., & Markham. I. S. (Eds.). (2023). The serendipity of hope. Pickwick. (ISBN: 978-1666737066. Softcover. 292 pages.)

Book Review - Everyday Christian Teaching: A Guide To Practicing Faith In The Classroom, Greg Veltman

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

A review of Smith, D. I. (2025). Everyday Christian teaching: A guide to practicing faith in the classroom. Eerdmans. (ISBN: 9780802883001. Softcover. 227 pages.)

Effects Of An International Teaching Experience On Pre-Service Teacher Self-Efficacy, Janet George, Jared Johnston

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This study investigated the effect of faculty mentoring on the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teacher (PST) candidates. Between 2023 and 2024, eight PSTs took part in a two-week international teaching experience. The overall experience was built on Bandura’s sources of self-efficacy (1997). For the study, we used Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk-Hoy’s Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale (1998) to measure the PSTs’ sense of self-efficacy before and after the experience. We utilized a convergent mixed-methods research design to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effect of faculty mentoring upon the PSTs’ sense of self-efficacy. The results of our study showed that faculty …