Education Commons^™

Teacher Candidates’ Reflective Practices Of Mathematics Curriculum From The Lens Of Universal Design For Learning, Weichen Zhao

Journal of Practitioner Research

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework encourages educators to proactively remove barriers in curriculum and instruction to increase accessibility for all learners. While UDL is often applied during lesson planning, it can also serve as a powerful tool for critically examining and revising existing mathematics curricula. Drawing on qualitative data from teacher candidates’ reflective journals and curriculum artifacts collected over two semesters, this study examines how guided reflection supported teacher candidates in identifying barriers, proposing inclusive adaptations, and deepening their understanding of equity-oriented mathematics instructional design. As a self-study grounded in participatory action research, the findings also informed the …

(Re)Imagining Research-Practice Collaboration And Partnership: Constructivism By Way Of Interdisciplinarity, Multimodality, And Humanity, Bethany Silva, Alecia Magnifico, Laura Allen, David Baroody, Ashley Barry, Shawna Coppola, Cathy Fraser, Emily Geltz, Anne Mcquade, Christina M. Ortmeier-Hooper, Laura Smith, Donna Turco

Journal of Practitioner Research

Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) have become an important vehicle for educational research. By connecting researchers and educators, RPPs can couple systematic research and practical application. However, relational practices for building research collaboratives are understudied, and RPPs often reinscribe power imbalances among practitioners and researchers. With its focus on the centrality of practitioners and their knowledge, practitioner research offers possibilities for disrupting such power imbalances. In this reflective essay, our team describes our efforts to harness practitioner research’s capacity to identify and address salient school-level issues and RPPs’ power to impact a wider audience. We identify practices to build relationships, inform research …

Breathing Life Into Sel: A Practitioner Inquiry On Hā, Belonging, And Multilingual Learners In Hawai‘I, Mylia Briggs, Monica Gonzalez Smith

Journal of Practitioner Research

This practitioner inquiry explores how a Pacific-oriented social-emotional learning (SEL) framework, Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ: BREATH), can affirm the cultural identities and emotional well-being of Filipino multilingual learners (MLs) in Hawai‘i. Implemented over a 15-week period in a third-grade classroom, the study draws on culturally adapted SEL lessons, student exit tickets and focus groups, and teacher reflections to examine how SEL shifts when grounded in Indigenous values, heritage language use, and community knowledge. Findings reveal three key themes: (1) Cultural Connection Fosters Belonging, (2) Language Visibility Promotes Emotional Safety, and (3) Identity-Affirming Practices Build Confidence and Voice. While students responded …

From Inquiry To Action: Leveraging Group Level Assessment To Elevate Teacher Voice, Claire C. Underwood, Leslie Kochanowski, Abraham Underhill

Journal of Practitioner Research

This methodological paper explores the use of Group Level Assessment (GLA) (Vaughn & Lohmueller, 2014; Vaughn, 2024) as a participatory approach to practitioner inquiry within an early childhood education program. Using Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s (2009) inquiry as stance as a guiding conceptual framework, GLA is framed as a methodology that affirms educator expertise, fosters collective reflection, and generates tangible action. We document the adaptation and implementation of the GLA protocol at the Arlitt Center, a university-affiliated early childhood laboratory school committed to teacher-led professional learning. Through an adapted GLA process, teaching staff engaged in identifying barriers and opportunities related to …

Exploring Researcher-Practitioner Authorship Collaboration In English, Foreign Language, And Mathematics Education, Rachel Cullen, Joseph Taylor, Matthew Laney, Mohamed Nouri

Journal of Practitioner Research

This study examined collaboration and bidirectional relationships between researchers and practitioners in the context of journal publications. Through exploration of research and practitioner journals in the areas of English, Foreign Languages, and Mathematics, we aimed to understand how authorship patterns and types of references illustrate the gap between research and practice. Findings indicate that collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the context of journal publications is minimal, and practitioner presence is scarce in research. The types of references included in publications are high quality regardless of authorship, but there is a problem of exposure that limits the research from reaching …

“We Still Exist”: Communication Experiences Among Transfer Student Socialization, Kampton Carter

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Transfer students typically have a distinct college experience from those who enter universities as first-year students. It is important to consider the differences between transfer students and the traditional student population, as these differences may significantly impact their adaptation to a new university. This research draws on interviews with five students who transferred to a faith-based private liberal arts university in the West from other institutions. These interviews revealed that transfer students go through three stages of the encounter phase of socialization: (1) barriers to integration, (2) adjustments to choices and expectations surrounding community and isolation, and (3) empowerment from …

Considering Moderating Forces As A Critical Lens For Understanding The Internationalization Of Higher Education, Jonah M. Otto

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Toward A Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning Curriculum For English Language Learners, Lynn Wolfe

MITESOL Journal: An Online Publication of MITESOL

Project-based learning (PBL) has been demonstrated as an effective strategy for millennial and Gen Z students, particularly in K-12 contexts, but this teaching approach is not commonly used in adult ESL classrooms. This paper suggests that a technology-enhanced PBL approach may transform otherwise teacher-centered and outdated ESL classes by helping English language learners (ELLs) develop linguistic fluency along with technological fluency that is essential for the 21st century workplace. Collaborative PBL activities involving the use of digital tools are presented in the areas of listening/speaking, reading/vocabulary, grammar, and writing, providing a foundation for a technology-enhanced PBL curriculum designed for adult …

Assessing The Relationship Between Online Information Verification, Overconfidence, And Media Literacy Learning, Tanya Notley, Sora Park, T.J. Thomson, Aimee Hourigan, Michael Dezuanni

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

To make informed decisions about a range of issues, people need to be able to determine if content they find online is trustworthy. To assess people’s ability to do this, we brought together findings from two nationally representative surveys of adult Australians. In the first survey (n = 3,852), we examined adult media use and asked respondents about their level of confidence in their ability to verify information online. The second survey then tested a subset of these participants (n = 2,115) to assess their ability to verify information online. The findings show that most adults have a …

April 28, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Cultivating The Dream In African American Men Through Black Excellence And Success, Sylvia Lawan Branch

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Achieving Black Excellence has been a goal for African American men for several decades; yet this movement has been hindered by social, emotional, and discriminatory life experiences from early childhood through adulthood. Black Excellence has been a phrase used in recent years to highlight achievements for African American men in wealth, mental health, well-being, fatherhood, and academic achievement. The main objective of this dissertation was to define and examine dimensions of Black Excellence among African American men, including elements that contributed to personal fulfillment and broader social impact. To determine recommendations to achieve Black Excellence (Scott, 2017), 10 semistructured interviews …

Providing Individualized Support For Students With Adhd, Jeremy Scott Clymer

Masters Projects

Many general education teachers lack sufficient skills to successfully serve students with special needs. This project aims to provide professional development materials for pre-service and in-service educators which will provide them with information to help them achieve better outcomes for students with ADHD. Based on existing research about how ADHD can affect students differently and how to best account for those learning differences, the project provides background information about the different subtypes of ADHD, best practices for curriculum design, common accommodations for students with ADHD, and types of interventions that can help students with ADHD succeed. It includes a slide …

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion In The Uae: A Systematic Review Of Evolution And Influencing Factors, Muna Mohamed Alhammadi, Reem Aldhaheri, Adam Jeffers

All Works

This study presents a systematic review of literature on in-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2006 to 2025. It investigates two main aspects: the evolution of teachers’ attitudes towards teaching students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the UAE over the selected period and the factors influencing these attitudes. A total of 25 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. The results indicate that teachers generally maintain positive attitudes towards inclusion as a policy; however, different concerns about implementing the inclusion policy emerged from the literature. Several factors significantly influenced teachers’ attitudes …

Addressing The Hidden Curriculum Through Trauma-Informed And Culturally Responsive Teaching For Multilingual Learners, Gabrielle Moeggenborg

Masters Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs), including refugee, transient, and culturally and linguistically diverse students, often enter schools with experiences of trauma that impact academic performance, behavior, and sense of belonging. Additionally, the hidden curriculum in U.S. schools reinforces inequities for these students. The purpose of this project was to develop a high-quality, research-based educational handbook integrating trauma-informed practices with culturally responsive teaching to better support MLLs and mitigate the effects of the hidden curriculum. This project involved an extensive review of peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary research on learning theories, trauma, culturally responsive teaching, and multilingual education. Historical and contemporary literature was synthesized to …

Increasing Reading Motivation And Engagement Of Students In Upper Elementary And Middle School, Emmalene K. Scheffler

Masters Projects

Reading motivation and engagement contribute to reading achievement, but many students do not experience them (Barber & Klauda, 2020). With roots in the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000),  this project aims to employ reading teachers of grades  five through eight with practices that bolster reading motivation and engagement by supporting students' psychological needs for autonomy, self-efficacy, and collaboration. Much research has been done regarding reading motivation, but until recently these studies have been focused on elementary school students. Research on upper elementary and middle school reading motivation is both innovative and necessary because intrinsic motivation to read declines as …

Improving Reading Motivation For Upper High School Students: Thematic Book Clubs For The Ela Classroom, Isabella Haskin

Masters Projects

Though strong literacy skills are commonly understood to be essential for a successful life, reading comprehension rates continue to fall in the United States. A major factor in this literacy trend is a disinterest and lack of motivation to read among high school students. Research shows that students lose interest in reading as they progress through school, often due to a lack of choice and relevancy of school assigned texts. To address this issue, this project aims to provide educators with a replicable unit plan that will motivate students to read, and subsequently strengthen their literacy skills. It pairs a …

Beyond The Paycheck: Intentionally Designing Student Employment As A Developmental Experience, Miranda Schriedel

Masters Projects

Student employment in higher education has been found to be a facet of the student experience on campus. Research has shown student employment spaces are marginally being leveraged as student-learning opportunities that contribute to student’s personal and professional development. This project examines the effects of student employment on students and the potential it holds when designed intentionally by institutions and supervisors who prioritize student-learning and career preparations. When combining theoretical understandings of personal and professional development with characteristics of practices that have high-impacts on students, student employment can emerge as an inclusive and versatile opportunity for student employees. Through goal-setting, …

20260428: Presidential Cabinet, 1926-2002, President's Office

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the Office of the University President. Items were received in the early 2000s and include notable materials from the Administrative Cabinet, Executive Committee, the President's Cabinet, College Council, Administrative Operational Objectives, the Commission on Planning, Commencement, and Institutional Profile data.This is not an exhaustive list. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

Beyond Symptoms: A Narrative Counseling Interpretation Of First-Year Student Anxiety In Indonesian Higher Education, Azizah Abdullah, Rizky Andana Pohan, Ramtia Darma Putri, Triyono Triyono, Marimbun Marimbun, Rahmi Dwi Febriani

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The transition to higher education is a critical period in which first-year students face new academic demands, financial pressures, social adjustment challenges, and uncertainty about the future. However, limited research has examined how freshmen make sense of and narrate their anxiety, particularly in the Indonesian context. This study aimed to explore the main domains of anxiety among first-semester students in Indonesian public universities and to interpret these experiences through a narrative counseling lens. The study employed a qualitative online survey design with an interpretivist orientation. Data were collected from 199 first-semester students through open-ended questions addressing anxiety-provoking situations, sources of …

Interactive Associations Between Physical Activity And Sleep Architecture On Cognition In Community-Dwelling Older Black Adults, Joshua L. Gills, Anhiti Dharmapuri, Rachel Mccray, Shreshtha Shah, Anthony Q. Briggs, Purbanka Pahari, Dominique Tanner, Mark A. Bernard, Elena Valkanova, Korey Kam, Ankit Parekh, Lisa L. Barnes, Gbenga Ogedegbe, Omonigho M. Bubu

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Growing evidence suggests an interactive relationship between physical activity (PA) and sleep in shaping cognitive performance. Enhanced sleep features, like greater K-complex density and slow-wave activity, may reflect mechanisms through which PA and restorative sleep improve cognitive function. PURPOSE: To examine how PA and sleep architecture interact to influence cognition in older Black adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 51 participants (mean age: 63.1 ± 15.8 years) from NYU’s Aging Research In Sleep Equity and Dementia Prevention Program. Participants underwent neuropsychological testing, polysomnography, clinical evaluation, and seven days of actigraphy to assess PA and sedentary behavior. Cognitive tasks measured processing …

Use Of Resistive Exercise Snacks To Improve Upper Body Fitness In Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Zachary Abouelkawaam, Kevin Vaughan, Alexander Rothstein, Abdelmohsen Mossolem, Jean-Paul Dodier, Carlos Africa, Freddie Leong, John Handrakis

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Graduate/undergraduate students lack time for consistent physical activity, leading to declines in fitness. Exercise snacks (ExSnck), short bouts of submaximal exercise performed throughout the day, may offer a solution. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a 6-week upper body ExSnck program on endurance, strength, power, and enjoyment compared to a 1-set maximal exercise (MaxEx) protocol and a control group. METHODS: 43 participants were randomly assigned to ExSnck (n=15), MaxEx (n=16), or Control (n=12) groups. The ExSnck group performed 33% of their maximal push-ups and plank time for 3 sessions/day (sessions ≥2hrs apart). The MaxEx group performed the same …

Association Between Coaching Behavior Styles And Athlete Well-Being: A Systematic Review, Matthew Benavides, Olivia Evola, Devjja V. Joshi, Arpita M. Bedarkar, Amerigo Rossi

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Coaching behavior plays a critical role in shaping athlete outcomes, including motivation, performance, satisfaction, and burnout. PURPOSE: Evaluates how different coaching styles are associated with athlete well-being and the psychological mechanisms involved. METHODS: A detailed search of ProQuest, Gale and EBSCO databases was done. Five peer-reviewed studies that met the inclusion criteria of college student athletes competing in NCAA or NAIA in the US or Canada and studies involving the coaching styles of either autocratic, democratic, transformational, congruent leadership or intrinsic motivation were systematically reviewed. 1,900 athletes were evaluated in the included studies of relationships between coaching behaviors and student …

“I Am Shining Like Never Before”: A Qualitative Study Of The Preparation For Leadership And Vocational Call Among Lay Hispanic Women Educators In U.S. Catholic Schools, Bernadette Mary Boyle

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Catholic education was established and staffed by religious individuals called by the principle of mission and vocation: to serve and support immigrant, socio-economically disadvantaged Catholic communities. But by 2016 less than 3% of full-time professional Catholic school staff were avowed religious, and these historically Eurocentric schools across the United States have declining enrollment (Donohue & Guernsey, 2023). This has challenged Catholic leaders to consider whether Catholic schools can still fulfill the founding mission of Catholic education. In 2022, Ospino and Wyttenbach reported on “the various ways in which Hispanics educators are transforming the American Catholic school experience” (p. 5) and …

Understanding And Evaluating The Impact Of Pathway Programs, Benjamin Boer

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

A brief by Educatoin Systems Center (EdSystems) on the outcomes and lessons learned from the data collection processes and analysis for the Accelerated Model Pathways for Information Technology (AMP-IT) initiative, including an overview of the scaling of IT college and career pathways in the participating school districts, an understanding of the “milestones” that students meet prior to graduation, and how these milestones can be used to evaluate the program and assess longer-term outcomes. Additionally, the summary explores the challenges faced in collecting data and how EdSystems is adapting its data collection and analysis approach to improve understanding and evaluation of …

Career Conversations In Academic Advising: Tools For Integrating Career Into Everyday Advising, Molly Landa

Masters Projects

With a growing concern about the value of higher education, higher education institutions need to adapt to the evolving career needs of students. With the frequent interactions academic advisors have with students, advisors are uniquely positioned to help student align their academic and career plans. However, literature reveals that many academic advisors struggle to have career conversations with students due to a lack of confidence and time with students. Furthermore, the literature illustrates the importance of integrating academic and career advising because it provides students with holistic support that better supports their needs. Therefore, the purpose of this project is …

From Deficit To Empowerment: Culturally Responsive Leadership Development In Student Affairs Practice, Bethany Dallas

Masters Projects

Students of Color represent a growing population enrolling at Historically White Colleges and Universities (HWCUs). Within these institutions, race-neutral practices and programming hide the racialized contexts that shape the experiences of Students of Color on predominantly White campuses. When analyzing leadership development practices at HWCUs, frameworks that do not account for the implications of race may reinforce dominant norms, thereby limiting the effectiveness of leadership programs in supporting diverse student populations. Simultaneously, student affairs professionals may be ill-equipped to address racial dynamics and must proactively seek out professional development opportunities to increase cultural competency.

This project proposes a professional development …

The Life Of Richard Henderson Rivers, Nell Peerson

Documents

This article is on the president of LaGrange College and Florence Wesleyan University, Dr. Richard Henderson Rivers. This "paper" was completed as an assignment for Research in the History of Southern Education in 1933.

Approaching Learning Satisfaction: Factors Influencing Educational Video Learning, Fei Wang, Douglas Havard, Tara Barnhart

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The rapid expansion of digital education has accelerated the use of online instructional videos, yet variability in video design and production quality continues to shape learners’ engagement and satisfaction. This study developed and tested a structural equation model to examine predictors of undergraduates’ satisfaction with educational videos. Using survey data from 964 students, learning satisfaction was positively predicted by image clarity (β = 0.381, p <  0.001), learning motivation (β = 0.18, p = 0.006), and interactive behavior (β = 0.182, p = 0.011). In contrast, video attachment tools showed a small negative direct association with satisfaction (β = −0.116, p = 0.042). Teacher performance and video …

Using Multiple Means Of Representation To Enhance Higher Education Student Learning, Cathy Stephens

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

Today’s students enter higher education from diverse backgrounds with differing educational pathways. Universal design for learning recognises that learners are not homogenous and suggests ways of improving engagement, understanding and agency for heterogeneous learners by including varied resource formats and instructional approaches, or multiple means of representation. While institutional imperatives often call for consistency of approaches and pre-designed content formats, this small pilot study asks if the implementation of varied resources and activities can enhance student comprehension and understanding of project requirements in a creative course. This small-scale study surveyed students on the perceived value of a variety of resources, …

University Of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, April 27, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate.

Documents - Faculty Senate

Meeting minutes from the Faculty Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.