Education Commons^™

Elements Of The Criminal Mind, Kelsie A. Esposito Ms.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Studying human behavior and societal dynamics has captivated scholars across time. From ancient philosophers like Plato to contemporary researchers, the quest to comprehend our distinctiveness and the mechanisms that enable harmonious coexistence remains paramount. This thesis examines the enigmatic realm of the “criminal class,” looking at their identity and actions and the cognitive processes underpinning their behavior. Focusing on violent criminal offenders, this thesis seeks to provide greater meaning and understanding of the criminal mind.

From Carnival Games To Plastic Filters: Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers To Teach Engineering, Jennifer Kidd, Pilar Pazos, Kristie Gutierrez, Danielle Rhemer, Stacie Ringleb, Krishna Kaipa, Isaac Kumi, Orlando Ayala, Francisco Cima

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Preservice teachers (PSTs) in an educational foundations course were tasked with leading elementary students in an engineering design challenge. In order to explore different approaches for helping the PSTs develop competence in engineering education, two implementation methods were tested. In Spring 2022, PSTs collaborated with undergraduate engineering students to develop carnival-themed design challenge lessons. In Fall 2022, PSTs worked with their PST classmates to teach a professionally prepared engineering lesson focused on designing plastic filters. PSTs’ knowledge of engineering and engineering pedagogy were compared across the two semesters using an exploratory approach. Both groups showed increases in engineering knowledge and …

2024 Merc Annual Report, David Naff, Jesse Senechal, Paula L. Ogston-Nobile

MERC Publications

This is the annual report of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-2024 academic year. It includes vignettes depicting MERC activities in the past year that align with each of its five principles: research, relevance, rigor, multiple perspectives, and impact. It concludes with a discussion of MERC's commitment moving forward.

Trends, Challenges, And Evidence-Based Strategies For School Dropout Prevention In Virginia, David B. Naff, Thea Racelis, Regina Frazier, Meleah Ellison, Christina Tillery, Andy Bristow, Audra P. Lancaster, Sabrina Evans, Leah Wiedenhoft, Dina Abdul Rahman, Sharrie Merritte, Karli Johansen, Sooyeon Moon, Jean Samuel, Tara Davison

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy brief explores school dropout prevention by focusing on recent trends and research. It addresses the following questions:

1) What are recent trends in school dropout?
2) What factors contribute to school dropout?
3) What are the consequences and implications of school dropout?
4) What are evidence-based strategies for school dropout prevention?
5) What are federal, state, and division-level policies related to school dropout prevention in the MERC region?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Research To Policy To Practice: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Special Education Recruitment Using State Emergency Funds During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jarrod Hobson

Theses and Dissertations

An adequate supply of special education teachers is a long-term critical need in many schools across the United States. The Covid-19 Pandemic increased the urgency of this need, but also brought about new opportunities to address these long-standing challenges. Policymakers and government agencies played a vital role in capitalizing on these opportunities. This dissertation study consists of two content analyses of publicly available documents related to actions of the executive branch of state governments to address critical special education shortages from March 2020 to September 2024. The first qualitative content analysis consists of 51 documents which include the “State Plan …

From Temporary Nurse Aide To Certified Nurse Aide: Examining Temporary Nurse Aides’ Perceptions Of Situated Learning As Preparation For The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program Examination, Amy Taloma

Theses and Dissertations

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) staffing shortages in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities. To address these shortages, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) authorized LTC facilities to employ Temporary Nurse Aides (TNA). The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) developed free online training for individuals which is much shorter than traditional nurse aide training and does not require hands-on skill training or a clinical practicum. The Federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended in October 2022. As a result, TNAs are no longer authorized to work in LTC Facilities …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

Exposing The Camera: The Pedagogical Possibilities Of Critical Camera-Based Arts Curriculum, Oscar Keyes

Theses and Dissertations

Cameras are a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives, especially in schools, found in students’ smartphones and state-of-the-art surveillance systems. This research project emerged from an iterative redesign process of a Photography for Art Education course, structured around the camera’s dual nature as a tool for creative expression and social control. While cameras have long been used to address social issues through documentary techniques; this critical eye can be turned onto the apparatus itself. This study drew heavily upon the historical work of Allan Sekula (1986), who observed how easier access to cameras resulted in both democratization (for the People) …

Special Educators’ Insights On Essential Mentoring Components: A Mixed-Method Examination, Rachel W. Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-method study used the Nominal Group Technique to gain insights into the essential components of mentoring programs for new special education teachers. Mentors and mentees participated in highly-structured focus groups in which they generated, discussed, ranked, and rated ideas about important elements of mentoring and considerations for matching mentors and mentees. Transcriptions of interviews were coded and analyzed to generate themes, and means of rankings and ratings were calculated. Qualitative and quantitative data were compared, and data were disaggregated by the racial background of the participants. Findings indicated that mentoring programs and matches must be thoroughly individualized and focus …

Rocketship Education: An Exploratory Public Policy Case Study, Vladimir Gresham Ivanovic

Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory case study of the finances of the Rocketship charter school chain, especially those related to real estate. Rocketship is a not-for-profit charter management organization, one of the first in Santa Clara County, California. This study seeks to determine if the financial transactions related to Rocketship charter schools yield profits for investors, despite Rocketship itself being a non-profit entity, and if they do, how and where do they do so. In order to characterize fairly and completely the profits of Rocketship Education itself and Rocketship-related entities, this study uses publicly available documents to track money flowing …

(Miss)Educated Latino Males: Academic Preparedness, Navigation, And Retention At 2-Year Colleges, Nannette Stephanie Regua

Dissertations

This study centers Latino males, first generation, first year students at four 2-year colleges in the Silicon Valley by understanding their experiences in transferable English 1A Writing Composition course and looking at the acts of instilling a sense of belonging and mattering by institutional agents and support services that are invaluable to student retention and success. The purpose of this study is to determine Latino male students’ perceptions of academic preparation, navigation, and success in higher education after the implementation of California Assembly Bill 705. My findings revealed important themes that map onto conceptual frameworks, most notably the Community Cultural …

Queer A.F.: Queer Educators In Affinity Family Personal-Professional Development, James Egisto Aguirre

Dissertations

Scholarship shows that affinity groups are spaces of support, learning, and healthy career development that are responsive to the needs of a particular marginalized community. The concept of heteroprofessionalism– the implicit or explicit pressure/s queer educators feel to fit within the proverbial cisgender/heterosexual (cishet) box–is but one of a myriad issues and pressures affect queer educators across the nation. This study brings queer educators from one school district together to unpack their experiences through the lens of heteroprofessionalism. Via queer theory, qualitative, written response data was collected and subsequently analyzed in three, half-day sessions offered in spring 2024. Thirty participants …

"Who The Hell Am I? What Am I Bringing In Here?": A Phenomenographic Exploration Of Antiracist Mentor Development, Kelly Lynn Mack

Dissertations

Teacher attitudes toward racial diversity profoundly impact students, especially when compounded by teacher and student demographic disparities. Despite the purported goal of addressing biases and deficit thinking that limit teachers' ability to support all learners, antiracist pedagogy in teacher credentialing is poorly understood. Also included in the credentialing process, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in California engage in a two-year induction program, collaborating closely with an induction mentor to attain their clear credential. Employing a qualitative, phenomenographic approach, this study explored how mentors within a longstanding induction program understood and implemented antiracist pedagogy. The research uncovered significant insights into (a) dimensions …

How Can We Do Better? Understanding Student Experiences And Support Needs During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kevina M. Brown

Dissertations

This dissertation study aimed to provide opportunities for students at San José State University (SJSU), to share about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and to provide feedback and recommendations regarding resources and culturally engaging supports on campus. The research inquiry involved survey and interview methodology to gain insights into student experiences pertaining to financial and mental health challenges and academic disruption and social isolation during the beginning, middle and end of the pandemic, as well as their engagement with resources and supports provided on campus. Recruitment was done by flyer distribution throughout campus and via email distribution to students …

Addressing Equity Gaps In Stem: A Self-Study, Prabhjeet Kaur Brar

Dissertations

The Hispanic/Latinx population is increasing nationwide and in the state of California; however, the Hispanic/Latinx population remains underrepresented in STEM professions contributing to a lack of diversity in STEM. To increase the academic success of the Hispanic/Latinx student population in STEM majors, high leverage research-based teaching strategies through the lens of historically responsive literacy were applied and examined throughout this research. The purpose of this mixed-methods self-study was to examine the impact of research-based effective strategies/high leverage practices on Latinx students’ success rates in my introductory biology classrooms. The study focused on two biology course sections with a laboratory. Each …

Exploring Liberal Arts Education: Unveiling The African Perspective, Eyram Bleboo, Kamilia Kalmoni, Yaw Kwakyi

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This is a dynamic magazine which details the African perspective and context of liberal arts education. This magazine captures different community members' stories and experiences across diverse institutions. It also includes quotes, and research articles under core themes.

Methodology Toolkit For Participatory Student Surveys, Rusudan Margiani, Anna Sebestyén

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

The Methodology Toolkit for Participatory Student Survey at ELTE University represents the participatory action research of student opinion within the POLIR Institute at ELTE University. It describes the methodology of different stages of the research which contained all the characteristics of PAR such as: participation by the people being studied; the inclusion of popular knowledge; a focus on power and empowerment; consciousness raising and education of the participants; and change and reform through the Action Plan and Toolkit to encourage further PAR inspired evaluations and reform across ELTE University and beyond in other universities in Hungary and countries in the …

Scaffolding The Academic Writing Process, Jennifer Browdy

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

In the AI age, it is essential to break down writing assignments into stages that can be assessed individually, so that as teachers we have an opportunity to intervene early if we see students getting off track in any way. This LAS Guide presentation will unpack the scaffolding necessary to guide students in producing high-quality writing in the humanities based on textual analysis, including: • Individual close reading and collaborative note-taking • In-class discussion techniques that require careful listening • Crafting both open-ended discussion questions and research questions • Research-based oral presentations • Collaborative and individual draft work, from response …

Enhancing Pedagogy With Artificial Intelligence, Inesa Stolper

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This guidebook provides an introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pedagogy for beginners. It explains fundamental AI concepts and essential tools for teachers, addressing key challenges at the intersection of teaching and technology. The guide outlines various methods for incorporating AI into curriculum design and classroom activities to develop critical thinking skills and modernize teaching practices.

"Cosmos Toolkit: Resources For Teaching Natural Sciences From A Liberal Arts Perspective ", Jorje I. Zalles, Alexis Hidrobo

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This book distills the experiences of professors that teach a university course on natural sciences as part of a liberal arts curriculum. It is a compendium of lesson plans and activities that have been successfully put to use in the classrooms of Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the first private university in Latin American whose educational philosophy is specifically focused on the liberal arts. As part of a common liberal arts curriculum, USFQ offers a course on natural sciences named Cosmos, which is mandatory for all students. Cosmos courses are taught by a diverse group of professors, each one …

"A Liberal Arts Guide To Academic Writing In The Age Of Ai: Crafting Meaning, Empowering Students ", Tara Keenan

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

The advent of generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) and large language models (LLMs) will require a sea change in how and what we teach students of all levels. Research strongly suggests that most university students are regularly using these in our courses, so it is incumbent on us to establish norms and best practices regarding their use, ethics, and literacy. This strengthening guide provides modular lesson plans for an advanced university-level English Composition course that focuses on the teaching of critical reading and writing as well as information literacy. This guide provides (i) practical lessons that address genAI and LLMs and …

An Introductory Guide To Developing Liberal Arts And Sciences Education, Azamat Sakiev

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

Human learning styles, goals, and beliefs about the purpose of education differ greatly. What should we learn, how do we learn it, and to what end, are some of the key questions that underlie this difference. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning because individuals have unique needs, different preferences, and varying aptitudes. Because of this there are several approaches and philosophies to education, of which liberal arts and sciences is one. The task in this guide is to define what this approach is, outline its characteristics, and identify prospective areas for its development in which anyone could contribute.

Storytelling In The Liberal Arts & Sciences Classroom, Will Buckingham

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This is a practical guide for putting storytelling to work in the liberal arts and sciences classroom, to build community, confidence and connection. Written in collaboration with Wind&Bones CIC (Scotland), this guide provides a new approach to storytelling in the classroom, putting direct one-on-one communication at the heart of storytelling. Through this approach, students can make stronger connections with their peers and with the subject-matter they are studying, while growing in confidence and building stronger, more engaged communities of teaching and learning. The guide offers a robust framework for thinking about storytelling and communication in the classroom and provides a …

Implementing Student-Centered Learning In Larger Classrooms In Esl Contexts, Chathuri Weerasinghe

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This strengthening guide sheds light on how student-centered learning in larger classrooms with diverse ESL proficiencies can be implemented through systems change in higher education institutions. Insights are built on the collective experience of faculty at the School of General Education (GenEd) at Brac University in Bangladesh and honors the work of these faculty in implementing student-centered LAS education throughout the larger BracU ecosystem.

Ecomedia Literacy & Sdgs: A Handbook For Higher Ed, Antonio López

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This guide is designed to inspire curriculum designers and planners in the liberal arts and sciences to integrate SDGs through ecomedia literacy across disciplines. It aims to empower educators and institutions to become catalysts for social and environmental change through innovative learning activities that integrate media literacy, environmental awareness, and the interconnected goals of the UN's SDGs.

Scaffolding Activities And Formative Assignments For Building Confidence And Success In Students, Dale Mineshima-Lowe

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

This guide addresses the challenge of engaging students in their learning by focusing on creating learning activities that build foundational knowledge and skills. It emphasizes the importance of scaffolding, where activities are broken down into manageable "chunks" to support student development. The guide draws on pedagogical theories such as Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and the concept of scaffolding introduced by Wood, Bruner, and Ross, as well as later contributions from Boice and Kellogg on scaffolding writing and thinking skills. The author reflects on personal teaching experiences, noting that student engagement is not solely about ability but also about fostering …

Disciplining Subjectivities And Sensing Time At A Us University, Amy N. Sojot

Education Studies Faculty publications

Informed by new materialism as well as Stefano Harney and Fred Moten’s concept of the undercommons, this article is a philosophical investigation of the feelings of time upon disciplined bodies and subjectivities in the university. Drawing from the author’s experience while participating in an anomalous reading group, this mode of inquiry is reflective and interpretive, mirroring the personal nature of sensation. The article first turns to Foucault’s analysis of how time disciplines the subject, followed by a discussion of the university’s perceptions of time. Finally, a sense of “useless” time is explored in terms of the undercommons to disrupt temporally …

Sharing Stories Of Hope And Transformation In U.S. Higher Education: An Ereader By Portland State University Students, Óscar Fernández, David Peterson Del Mar

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

This eReader showcases stories of hope and transformation written by diverse students enrolled in University Studies courses at Portland State University. The goal is to motivate first-year and transfer students to see that, in higher education, they are not alone in their personal, familial, and academic struggles—and personal, familial, and educational achievements.

How Saudi Undergraduate Students Perceive Teacher Support, Basic Psychological Needs, And Academic Motivation, Anas M. Alhudib

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the Saudi undergraduate educational environment, exploring relationships among teacher support, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, academic motivation, and GPA. The study investigates whether basic psychological needs mediate the relationship between teacher support and academic motivation, utilizing a structural equation model with 312 Saudi undergraduate students. The findings reveal a positive relationship between teacher support and basic psychological need satisfaction, influencing academic motivation. Interestingly, GPA did not correlate with other variables. Various models were tested, resulting in two sets of models that underscore the significant role of basic psychological needs as mediators in shaping the relationship between …

Examining Twitter As A Learning Tool On Saudi Female Undergraduate Student Achievement And Attitudes: A Mixed-Methods Study, Hend Bamalan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Today’s learners commonly belong to a generation that grew up surrounded by using technological devices in classrooms, such as smartphones, laptops, iPads, or other tools – making them digital natives. To meet the nature of digital natives’ learning needs, the focus of educational institutions has been on adapting their instructional practices to align with the new realities. In Saudi Arabia, higher education institutions were encouraged to include more instructional technology to align with the nature of digital natives and improve students’ academic performance and engagement. The use of Twitter as a learning tool in higher education is a new educational …