Education Commons^™

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 …

Can We Digitize A Soul? A Study Of Ai And Ethics, Spirituality, And Humanity, Debra S. Espinor, W. Scot Headley, Linda Samek

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The rapid advancement of computing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping both society and the educational landscape. This study examines faculty experiences and attitudes toward the role of AI in teaching and research within the distinct context of Christian higher education. While recognizing the potential of AI to drive educational innovation, this research also addresses significant faculty concerns regarding the implications for academic integrity, critical thinking, and intellectual property. Specifically, the study investigates faculty perspectives on data security and privacy, the reproduction of creative expression in art and music, and the broader impact of AI on the liberal …

Teacher Identity Formation In A Christian University: Expectations And Experiences, Heather J. S. Birch

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This qualitative phenomenological study examines the alignment between applicants’ expectations and graduating candidates’ lived experiences in a teacher education program at a Christian university. Drawing on data from 166 participants collected during application interviews and final capstone conversations, the research explores how candidates anticipated and later reflected on the program’s faith integration, community, and professional formation. Findings reveal that most candidates’ expectations were met or exceeded, highlighting three key shifts: faith experienced as lived values within an inclusive community; unexpected depth of relational support from faculty and peers; and meaningful professional and personal growth rooted in the faith-explicit context. The …

Using Storytelling Of Incarnational Encounters To Disrupt Narratives Of Otherness In Teacher Education, Tina Marie Keller

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The incarnation is the ultimate illustration of crossing the chasm between two groups. God's choosing to become flesh tells us of his nature, love, and desire to redeem humanity. Jesus Christ alone is incarnate; however, in history, there have been individuals who have stepped outside the norm and have encountered those unlike themselves, humbly modeled after Christ’s incarnation. Incarnational encounters are the stories of people, whom society deems to be in opposition, finding the imagination to attempt to follow the incarnation of Jesus. For Christian preservice teachers, the model of incarnation is a biblical foundation that can guide the ways …

An Editorial: If I Should Fall, Patrick Otto, David Weir

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Abstract

The future of Christian higher education will be determined by whether today’s leaders can identify and train successors who are called to the mission and vision of each institution. The task of transitioning to a new generation of leaders has become more complicated as research shows that the church in America is in decline. The increased use of adjuncts adds to the dilemma because it takes time and a single-minded focus to prepare high-level leaders.

We are at a critical time finding the right people to replace the Baby Boomer generation, which has led well past retirement age. As …

From The Editor, Sean Schat

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Our editorial team is excited to share this issue with you. We have a good balance of theoretical essays, research articles, and book reviews.

Theoretical Essays

• In An Editorial: If I Should Fail, Patrick Otto and David Weir (Oral Roberts University) explore the emerging leadership crisis in Christian higher education, drawing on a compelling naval metaphor to navigate the complexities of leadership transitions and the need for new leaders.

• In Using Storytelling of Incarnational Encounters to Disrupt Narratives of Otherness in Teachers Education, Tina Marie Keller (Messiah University) introduces and explores the concept of incarnational encounters, moments “when individuals …

Community-Based Participatory Research In Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway To Relevance And Engagement, Laura Justice, Stacy Phillips

EFNEP

This article explains how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can strengthen the design of digital nutrition tools by ensuring they are culturally relevant, accessible, and grounded in community needs. By engaging participants as equal partners, CBPR enhances trust, usability, and long-term impact. The approach aligns with EFNEP’s mission to deliver inclusive, community-driven nutrition education and provides a framework for developing sustainable, adaptable tools that reflect the lived experiences of the families Extension serves.

Elementary Music Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Class Size On Tonal And Phonemic Awareness In Second-Grade General Music Classes, Ariel A. Supinger

Masters Theses

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative study was to investigate elementary music teachers’ perceptions of the impact of class size on tonal and phonemic awareness in second-grade general music classes. The researcher-designed questionnaire was sent to elementary music teachers who teach second-grade general music in elementary schools within urban, suburban, and rural school districts.

The Impact Of Teacher Verbal And Nonverbal Communication On Student Motivation, Claire E. Haines

Masters Theses

The classroom environment is one of vast areas of scholarly literature yet may levels of understanding classroom communication remain unexplored. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the lived student experience with how teacher communication impacts student motivation in general as well as intrinsic forms of communication. Data for this research was taken directly from student accounts of verbal and nonverbal interactions with teachers that impacted their motivation. One of the key findings of this research was the observed process that participants described through interviews. This observed three step process displayed how verbal and nonverbal communication were expressed to have …

The Effects Of Phonetic Knowledge And Bilingualism On The Acquisition Of Non-Native Consonant Clusters, Kylie Wakley

Theses and Dissertations

Speech motor learning involves the production of new sounds or sound sequences. This study investigated how explicit phonetic knowledge and bilingualism affect how individuals acquire sound sequences that do not occur in English, or non-native consonant clusters. Sixty adults with typical speech, aged between 18 and 27 years, participated in the experiment. The researcher recruited participants into four groups based on their phonetic background (experienced or not) and language background (monolingual, bilingual). The participants produced stop-stop and fricative-nasal clusters in the initial position of nonsense words across six practice blocks. The duration of each cluster was measured, which in English …

Unlocking The Colleague Next Door, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

The structural barriers that isolate faculty from one another—individualistic reward systems, professional identity protection, disciplinary silos, fragmented time—have been documented in detail elsewhere. This paper begins where that analysis ends. Its sole focus is solutions: what actually works, what you can do without waiting for your institution to change, and most importantly, what you can do today. It is organized in three movements: evidence-based institutional strategies, community-level structures any group of faculty can build, and a granular map of the smallest possible individual first steps—the ones that cost almost nothing and have an outsized probability of changing how you experience …

The Silent Silos Of Academia, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

We work in an environment rich with latent brilliance. Walk down any corridor of a modern university building, and you pass office after office housing world-class expertise, profound pedagogical insights, and raw intellectual power. In terms of human capital, academic faculty represent arguably the most concentrated pool of cognitive resources on the planet. Yet, a strange paradox haunts higher education: despite living and working in such proximity, university faculty remain profoundly isolated. We operate as solitary islands, locked within our own intellectual silos, rarely leveraging the immense potential of our peers.

This isolation is not a personal choice, nor is …

Catalogue Of The Officers And Students Of Lagrange College, North Alabama Session 1843-1844, Messenger & Rollston, North Alabamian Office

Documents

Catalogue of the Officers and Students of LaGrange College, North Alabama (1844)

Printed in Tuscumbia.

An Analysis Of Professional Development Preferences, Needs, And Engagement Among Family And Consumer Sciences Teachers In Illinois, Sally E. Arnett

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this study was to identify the professional development preferences, needs, and engagement of family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers in Illinois. Signature pedagogy and its three theoretical elements served as a foundational framework for structuring respondents' professional development considerations. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected through an online survey completed by 45 (42%) Illinois FCS teachers. Findings indicated that teachers preferred professional development that was offered in person, located within geographical proximity, and scheduled during contracted working hours. Respondents identified discipline-specific FCS content, effective lab management, and the integration of AI in an FCS classroom …

Interest Requires Knowledge: Initial Development Of A Measure Of Career Knowledge, Sarah Ferguson, Marjorie Blicharz, Kara Ieva, Christopher J. Winkler, Theresa Cann

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This paper details a measurement development study conducted in multiple phases to establish the reliability and validity of scores from a measure of career knowledge that can be specified to career fields. The initial development study focused on surveying and mapping careers in the engineering technician cluster, in alignment with a larger intervention study on career exploration of STEM technician and technologist careers. A short seven-item measure of perceived career knowledge was developed and piloted to address the need for empirical data on students' career knowledge, an outcome of interest to practitioners and researchers in career development. Exploratory and confirmatory …

Breaking Academic Silos: A Guide To Faculty Collaboration And Intellectual Growth, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This is a guide to make academic collaboration easy and doable.

Making Data Usable For Schools And Colleges: The Regional Data Collaboratives Approach, Benjamin Boer

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This white paper outlines a strategic initiative by the Education Systems Center (EdSystems) to establish regional data collaboratives that improve how schools and colleges use information. Unlike traditional top-down accountability models, these collaboratives focus on longitudinal data sharing to help administrators understand student transitions from ninth grade through postsecondary completion and into the workforce. The framework relies on four core competencies: legal data agreements, secure management, linking analytics, and meaningful presentation of results. By examining factors like dual credit, pathway participation, and 9th-grade performance, these partnerships aim to identify and eliminate educational inequities. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to create a …

A Correlational Study Of Work-Related Factors On Private School Teachers’ Stress And Anxiety, Anna E. Guilliams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational predictive study is to examine the factors of class size, hours worked during the week, and hours given to plan a week and determine if there is a predictive nature between these factors and perceived stress and anxiety in private school teachers. Determining the root causes of the rising rates of teacher stress is imperative to the future of the education system because teacher stress has a direct relationship to attrition, job satisfaction, teacher physical health, and job performance. A group of 115 private school teachers from a southern state participated in online surveys to …

Quantitative Correlation Of Middle School Students’ Perspectives Of Teacher Caring And Student Effort, Susan Lackey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to study the potential correlation between the middle school students' perspectives of teacher caring and student effort. The study was important because it investigated an understudied population in a new geographic location. The sample included 352 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students within five middle schools in eastern North Carolina. Two instruments were used to collect survey data from the students. The first instrument administered included the MUSIC Model of Motivation Inventory, which was derived from the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation®. The second instrument was the Course Effort Scale, derived from the …

Unmasking Unity: A Grounded Theory Study Of Holistic Executive Functioning Intervention Development By Support Personnel For Twice-Exceptional High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In A Rural Residential School Setting, Christopher R. Chouiniere

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this situational analysis grounded theory was to develop a unified theory of how support personnel develop and implement interventions for executive functioning development for twice-exceptional students with autism spectrum disorder. The central research question was, “How do support personnel implement holistic and hierarchical executive functioning interventions for twice-exceptional students with autism spectrum disorder?” As there was no appropriate theory to describe holistic and hierarchical executive functioning interventions, situational analysis, as a derivative of grounded theory, was used in this qualitative study. Ten participants, from rural boarding high schools, were interviewed, participated in focus groups, and completed internet …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Student Enjoyment In Classical Private School, Non-Classical Private School, And Non-Classical Public School Social Studies Courses, Ginger B. Knapp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative design study was to investigate differences in the enjoyment of history/social studies as an academic subject among high school juniors and seniors educated in classical Christian private school, non-classical Christian private school, and non-classical public-school settings. The study is important because its measure of enjoyment is associated with teaching pedagogy or instructional methodology. Prior quantitative studies have associated achievement with standardized test scores, recommending that future studies explore the link between instructional methodology and achievement. This research study fills the literature gap by employing a sound psychometric measure of enjoyment to examine its associations …

Barriers To Physical Activity Among Community College Students, Erica Keels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceived barriers, motivators, and student-identified strategies related to physical activity among students enrolled at a community college located in Northwest Florida. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Health Belief Model (HBM), and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study employed a qualitative descriptive design to examine students’ lived experiences and perceptions that influence their physical activity behaviors. Data were collected through an online open-ended survey administered to students aged 18 years and older. A total of 134 students initially accessed the survey, and 126 eligible participants …

Exploring The Modality Delivery Experiences Of K-12 Teachers In Instructional Practice Professional Development: A Transcendental Phenomenology Study, Nayonda T. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study will be to describe the modality delivery experiences in instructional practice professional development for K-12 teachers at MGM School System. The central research question that will guide the study is: What are the modality delivery experiences of K-12 teachers participating in instructional practice professional developments? In addition, guiding questions will be implemented to understand the phenomenon of professional development. The guiding questions will be: What are the rules experiences of K-12 teachers participating in instructional practice professional development? What are the activities experiences of K-12 teachers participating in instructional practice professional development? What are the …

Women In Ministry Leadership: Balancing Work, Personal Life, And Family Responsibilities, Coretta Shawn Thompson Siler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women in ministry leadership experience specific difficulties managing professional ministry, personal health, and family obligations (Frederick, T. V., Dunbar, S. B., & Hargrove, D. S., 2023). This paper focused on the specific struggles of women in ministry leadership, despite the numerous challenges women face across various fields. Its purpose was to examine the obstacles, interactions, and repercussions of these issues in faith-based groups and church leadership. The Dissertation-in-Praxis addressed these difficulties and offered a one-day workshop as a real-world solution. It aimed to educate women in leadership on biblical concepts, leadership styles, and methods for juggling their obligations. With servant …