Education Commons^™

Exploring The Impact Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy On Student Cultural Capital, Jessica Asten Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the intersection of cultural capital and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within the context of eighth-grade social studies education. Grounded in a theoretical framework of Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, and principles of critical curriculum theory, this research study investigated how elements of objectified and embodied cultural capital manifested in student participants and how those elements may have been influenced using culturally relevant instructional strategies. Within the context of a mixed methods design, a qualitative survey instrument was administered to students enrolled in South Carolina and United States history courses and sought to …

Instructional Practices, Belonging, And Self-Efficacy In Rural Inquiry-Based Classrooms: A Structural Equation Model Of Direct And Indirect Effects, Jennifer Nichol Harrist

Theses and Dissertations

Research on inquiry-based learning (IBL) has largely focused on student achievement outcomes, with less attention given to how classroom social dynamics influence students’ motivational beliefs, particularly within rural educational contexts. Rural schools often operate within smaller, close-knit communities where interpersonal relationships may shape students’ academic experiences in distinctive ways. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between instructional practices, belonging, and students’ academic self-efficacy in rural inquiry-based learning environments. Using self-efficacy theory and belonging frameworks, the study investigated whether students’ perceptions of teacher and peer belonging mediated the relationship between instructional practices and perceived academic competence.

Survey …

Meeting The Needs Of Students With Disabilities In School Crisis Plans, Christine L. Montesi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine crisis preparedness among educators in public schools across York County, SC. More specifically, the study explored how prepared educators believe they are to meet the needs of students with disabilities during and after a school-based crisis. While a majority of public schools report having written crisis plans in place, less is known about crisis preparedness for students with disabilities. Respondents were asked to provide input on ways to address the needs of students with disabilities during a crisis and report their own perceptions of preparedness.

Data were collected through a survey and …

Soft Skills As The New Hard Skills In The Industry 5.0 Era, Miria Zangirolami Munoz

Theses and Dissertations

As technological advancement reshapes educational and professional landscapes, the human dimensions of teaching have become increasingly critical. This action research study examines the gap between the strong academic preparation of Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) pre-service teachers and their readiness to meet professional workplace expectations. Situated within the context of Industry 5.0, where human-centered skills are emphasized alongside digital competence, the study explores how soft skills, punctuality, digital etiquette, presentation skills, and professional attire, can be intentionally developed within teacher education. Guided by the strength model of self-control and achievement goal theory, a targeted workshop intervention was …

From Survival To Social: The Evolution Of Strategic Competence In B2 English Learners During Collaborative Board Gameplay, Hazza Bin Hazza

Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the communicative strategies of B2-level English language learners was conducted to investigate the evolutionary trajectory of strategic deployment in informal, collaborative, and non-instructional settings. While traditional research has predominantly focused on digital or explicitly educational games within controlled, single-session tasks, a notable gap remains in understanding how learners navigate the linguistic and social demands of non-pedagogical, commercially available board games over repeated encounters. This qualitative case study addressed this gap by observing four learners as they engaged in four sessions of Forbidden Desert, a collaborative survival board game.

The theoretical framework integrated Sociocultural Theory, Communicative Competence, and …

Reimagining Math Instruction: An Improvement Science Study On Student Choice And Teacher Support Systems In 5th Grade, Nikki G. Gilmore

Theses and Dissertations

This improvement study investigates the potential impact of implementing choice-based assignments on student performance in fifth-grade mathematics. Recognizing that traditional, one-size-fits-all instructional models often limit student engagement and ownership, this study explores how offering students meaningful choices in their learning tasks can improve academic outcomes. Grounded in the principles of improvement science, the study began with an examination of student data, empathy interviews, and root cause analysis using tools such as the Five Whys, fishbone diagram, and driver diagram to better understand the problem of practice. This process positioned choice not as a luxury but as a strategic lever for …

Increasing Equity In Technology Integration, Whitney Anne Colley

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice focuses on unequal integration of technology across the district. This action research study aimed to understand teachers’ experiences and promote equitable use of technology in classrooms by implementing a coaching cycle centered on co-teaching and collaboration, which supports teachers beyond simply substituting traditional tools with technology, toward more meaningful integration that improves learning. Teachers often use technology as a direct substitute due to limited time and rushed professional development, which can affect their confidence and effectiveness. The study took place in a public elementary school serving 700 students, in which all students from second to fifth …

Examining Shifts In Attitudes Toward Mathematics: A Mixed Methods Study In Undergraduate Business Calculus, Kathryn Pedings-Behling

Theses and Dissertations

Students in my non-theoretical Business Calculus course at the College of Eastshore almost never begin the class with a positive attitude towards mathematics. They are taking the course to fulfill their general education requirements in mathematics, and for most of them, this will be their last experience in a formal classroom setting with a mathematics educator. This profile of a math-reluctant student is not unique to my Business Calculus course; I have spoken with many fellow educators in similar situations who experience the same persistence of negative attitudes toward mathematics from their own students. Their attitude not only has implications …

From Sounds To Success: Multi-Sensory Parent–Child Engagement For Early Phonics Among 4-Year-Olds In Rural Jamaica, Kyc-Ann Denise Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Early literacy disparities remain a persistent challenge in rural Jamaican communities, where many young learners begin school with limited exposure to systematic phonics instruction despite the rich cultural and linguistic resources present within their families. This Dissertation in Practice examined how a multi-sensory parent– child engagement approach could improve phonemic awareness among four-year-old learners in a rural early childhood classroom in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Anchored in an equity-oriented improvement science framework, the study used two iterative Plan–Do– Study–Act (PDSA) cycles to test strategies that integrated systematic phonics instruction with culturally responsive parent engagement practices.

The intervention included daily multi-sensory phonics …

I Fina’Nå’Guen I Famagu’On Put I Tåsi: The Impact Of Phenomena-Based Learning On Explaining And Conceptualizing Ocean Acidification In The Pacific, Angelia Jean Blas-Lizama

Theses and Dissertations

This convergent mixed methods study examined the impact of a new phenomena-based (PhBL) lesson plan—grounded by social constructivism and the NGSS framework—on 1) student ability to explain and contextualize a phenomenon, and 2) assess student perceptions of PhBL compared to traditional science instruction. This addressed the shift towards science education reform that better prepares K-12 students for the STEM pipeline and creates student agency surrounding human impact on the environment. Ocean acidification was the selected phenomenon for this study as it was culturally and locally relevant to the participants—sixth-grade science students at a Pacific Island public middle school. Findings revealed …

Perception Is Reality: Co-Teachers’ Perceptions On Co-Teaching, Tabitha Stewart Strickland

Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is a service delivery option that high schools use to assist in meeting the needs of students with high-incidence disabilities in general education classrooms. This quantitative study investigates the effectiveness of co-teaching in South Carolina high schools by examining co-teacher perceptions related to fidelity implementation, the descriptions of current co-teaching classrooms, student outcomes, specially designed instruction in the co-taught classroom, teacher preferences, and barriers to effective implementation. The results reveal co-teachers (n = 117) agree that 58% of the implementation practices are occurring; co-taught classrooms are described as having 31 to 40% of students with special needs in classes …

Reimagining Civic Readiness: Middle School Teachers’ Definition And Perceptions Of The Importance Of Civic Readiness, Razak K. Dwomoh

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article examines how middle school social studies teachers define “civic readiness,” how teacher motivation shapes civics instruction, and why middle-level civics is integral to engaged citizenship. The paper presents teachers as “curricular instructional gatekeepers” and argues that civic readiness (preparedness/willingness) differs significantly from civic competence (mastery) in terms of meaning, scope, and outcomes, proposing a four-staged pathway from readiness to engagement, then development, and finally to competence. It further provides an overview of three interrelated concepts (academic readiness, college readiness, and career readiness) to juxtapose civic readiness within the larger literary discourse. The …

Strengthening Students' Political Thinking Skills By Researching The Annexation Of Texas, Rebecca Macon Bidwell, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The unit plan in this manuscript uses best practices from the C3 Framework published by the National Council for the Social Studies and Wayne Journell’s ideas about political thinking to engage students in discussion of the politics leading to the nomination of Governor James K. Polk as the Democratic Party nominee for president in the U.S. 1844 presidential election. Students explore the impact of candidates’ views of the annexation of Texas during this election as well as the influence of President Jackson on the nomination process in the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the election pitted Governor James K. Polk, the dark …

Making Social Studies Work In The Age Of Ai, Angelo Letizia

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The purpose of this paper is to first outline a more embedded stance toward AI use, which I have labeled invisible philosophy and history as DNA and use this embedded framework as a backdrop for a more concrete discussion of skills and dispositions in regard to the use of AI in the social studies classroom and beyond. This dual positioning, one more theoretical and one more concrete, calls attention to the fact that AI should not simply be seen as some flashy tool divorced from a more nuanced and embedded understanding of its role in society. A list of practical …

Hitler Must Be Killed: A Wwii Case Study, Jeffrey Byford, Presley Shilling, Alisha Milam

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Social studies education during the 1960s experienced an educational renaissance known as the new social studies movement. Over 50 projects were funded by the National Science Foundation or private corporations to interject a student-centered curriculum into K-12 classrooms during this period. Nearly 60 years later, can student-centered decision-making activities be used in an era of high-stakes testing and planned curriculum? This article attempts to rekindle students' interest in decision-making and discussion by exploring elements in Moral Reasoning: The Value of Life from the Harvard Social Studies Project (HSSP). The activity called "Hitler Must Be Killed" helped students bring the content …

Cultivating Teacher Agency: Professional Development For Culturally Sustaining Environmental Stem Education In South Texas, Uma Ganesan, Angela M. Chapman, Alexander Hernandez

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This qualitative multiple-case study examined how culturally and linguistically sustaining environmental STEM (CLSE-STEM) professional development transformed in-service teachers' practices across three South Texas high schools serving predominantly Hispanic populations. Through a three-phase design, eight STEM teachers participated in sustained professional learning focused on implementing culturally situated, liberatory pedagogies addressing educational inequities. Data included focus group interviews, classroom observations, teacher-created curricula, and student artifacts collected from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025. Findings revealed five interconnected themes demonstrating teachers' evolution from deficit-based to asset-based approaches: place-based environmental stewardship, strategic translanguaging implementation, teacher agency development, enhanced student engagement, and elder knowledge integration. Results …

2026 April, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for April of 2026.

The Magazine, Spring 2026, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Alumni Association Publications

The Magazine of Morehead State University from spring of 2026.

"School Clubs Are Great Here, But They Are Not For Me" A Narrative Inquiry Of Students' Experiences With After-School And Extracurricular Activities, Janae Khadijah Baine

Theses & Dissertations

This study focused on the narratives of four high school students who did not participate in after-school or extracurricular activities at a suburban high school in the Northeast region of the United States. Understanding participant narratives supported a recognition of the problem that many students were opting out of beneficial non-compulsory school activities. The purpose of this study was to present the narratives and perceptions of students from Northridge High School who shared the reasons they did not participate in any of the available after-school and extracurricular activities. The selected site was nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education …

Eagle-Winged Worms: Seeing Contingent Faculty Through Currere, Nicholas Hayes

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This currere explores my experiences as part-time contingent faculty working at multiple institutions (a so-called freeway flyer). Covering the years from 2005-2015, the regressive mode draws from my experiences teaching writing composition and literature at a community college, arts college, and three religious universities. A central impetus for this exploration is a desire to understand the ways I was socialized by these institutions and how that socialization shaped my understanding of my identity within and through my status as contingent faculty. Higher education (especially first-year writing programs) has become dependent on contingent faculty. The increased reliance on part-time contingent faculty …

The Role Communication, Collaboration, And Leadership Practices Play In Parents’ High School Volunteering Experiences: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study, Julee Gould

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This qualitative case study explored parents’ perceptions and experiences related to volunteering at a suburban high school in California, with a focus on both the motivations and challenges that shape involvement. Guided by two central research questions, the study explored (1) parents’ perceptions regarding the motivations and challenges for parent volunteering at the high school and (2) how parents feel about their experiences when volunteering as their children transition from elementary to secondary school. While existing research consistently links parent involvement to improved academic and emotional outcomes for students, parental engagement often declines during the secondary years. By integrating an …

Always On, Never Off: A Phenomenological Study Of Entry-Level Residence Directors In Coextensive Environments, Brent Ploughe

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how entry-level live-in residence directors make meaning of their professional roles while living within institutionally structured environments that merge domestic space with ongoing job responsibility. Although existing scholarship on housing and residence life addresses burnout, boundary management, emotional labor, and attrition, dominant work–life balance frameworks presume that work and home exist as separable domains subject to individual regulation. Such assumptions remain insufficient for professionals whose residences are embedded within the institutional architecture they oversee. Guided by Borderlands Theory (Anzaldúa, 1987), this study reconceptualized the live-in residence director role as a structurally produced borderland in which …

Surviving The Hood: An Autoethnography On Violence, Trauma, And Agency, Deonte Tanner

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The epidemic of gun violence is no secret in the United States. Many empirical studies have focused on gun violence, trauma, and race, and have even offered solutions to the phenomenon. However, limited research has called forward the voice of those most impacted (Black boys) and the counters they believe are feasible to their own experience. This work was grounded in critical race theory (CRT). At the same time, it attempted to supplement CRT with careful reflection on what helped me avoid the very kinds of historical and structural exclusions facing Black boys in the hood that CRT helps reveal. …

The Unspoken Struggles And Unseen Strength: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Single Motherhood In Higher Education, Alexis Summer Gunartt

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Despite the social, economic, and generational benefits of degree attainment, single mothers remain underrepresented in higher education. This autoethnographic research explores the lived experiences of single mothers as they navigate higher education. Guided by feminist theory and critical perspectives on higher education, this study examines how power, gendered expectations, and institutional structures shape single mothers’ academic experiences and persistence. As a single mother myself, I draw from personal narrative along with narrative interviews from other single mothers engaged in higher education, this study examines how financial strain, childcare challenges, institutional inflexibility, and cultural norms shape educational persistence. Using autoethnography as …

Redefining Retention: Analyzing The Experiences Of Black Men In Higher Education Through The Lens Of Race, Masculinity, And Strength-Based Approaches, Roderick Waters

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Black male students have continued to face systemic challenges in higher education, particularly at historically White institutions (HWIs), where they experience lower retention and graduation rates compared to their peers. Although enrollment numbers have increased, institutional barriers, racialized campus environments, and deficit-based narratives have continued to contribute to disparities in academic success. Much of the existing research has focused on the challenges Black male students encounter rather than the strategies, relationships, and institutional conditions that support their persistence. This study sought to shift that focus by exploring the lived experiences of Black men who persisted at an HWI through an …

Capability Expansion Or Constraint: Examining Equity And Academic Outcomes In Chicago’S Option Schools, Lacherie Reed

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study examined how success is defined and measured within Chicago’s Alternative Learning Institutions (ALIs), focusing on academic and postsecondary outcomes across 40 Option Schools. Grounded in the broader landscape of alternative education, the research highlights how these schools function as second‑chance pathways for youth who have disengaged from traditional settings. Using a quantitative, correlational design, the study analyzed quantitative performance indicators—including attendance, credit attainment, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment. Findings reveal significant variation in how ALIs conceptualize and operationalize student success, shaped by governance structures, accountability pressures, and the unique needs of over‑age and under‑credited learners. While many schools …

Merging For Success: A Case Study On School Mergers As A Sustainable Alternative To Closures In Urban Education, Darcy Lynn Maxim-Otterbacher

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Urban public school districts across the United States continue to face declining enrollment, financial instability, and persistent racial and socioeconomic inequities. In response, school closures have often been used as a primary strategy to address these challenges. This qualitative case study examines school mergers as a potential alternative to closures by exploring the lived experiences of school professionals during the merger of two urban elementary schools in the Midwest. Grounded in Critical Race Theory and Transformative Leadership Theory, this study investigates how educators experienced the merger process from planning through implementation, the challenges and supports encountered, and the ways relationships, …

Beyond The Script: A Qualitative Study Exploring Drama Teachers’ Experiences Using Improvisation In Chicago Public Schools, Nicole Theresa Minardi

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Scripted and standardized curricula remain prevalent in American classrooms. Relying on an authoritarian view of education, in which the teacher imparts knowledge to students, scripted curricula can delegitimize the teaching profession, stifle dialogue, and limit student engagement. Conversely, decentering the teacher can create space for more collaborative and engaged learning. This basic interpretive qualitative study explored how Chicago Public Schools drama teachers described their experiences incorporating improvisation into their instruction. Grounded in critical pedagogy and a social constructivist epistemology, this study examined how drama teachers currently use improvisation in their classrooms, as well as the benefits and challenges they encounter …

The Impact Of Leadership Of International Baccalaureate Schools In Low Socio-Economic Communities, Sheena Wallker-Carruthers

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has expanded rapidly into schools serving low socioeconomic status (SES) communities in the United States as part of broader efforts to increase access to rigorous, internationally recognized academic programming. While research has documented positive student outcomes associated with IB participation, less is known about the leadership conditions that support the long-term sustainability of IB programs in under resourced contexts. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examines IB leaders’ perceptions of implementation and sustainability challenges in low-SES school settings, the relationship between those challenges and perceived leadership effectiveness and program outcomes, and the adaptive strategies leaders identify as essential …

Leadership Approaches In Music Administration: Intra And Interconnections Of Adaptive, Servant, And Transformational Leadership In Music Educators Transitioning To Administrative Roles, Joel Raynald Defayette

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Music educators who transitioned into administrative leadership roles brought a distinct set of pedagogical, interpersonal, and artistic leadership practices; however, these approaches were not always fully recognized or understood within broader educational leadership contexts. As leadership theory expanded across disciplines, a need emerged to examine how music educators’ leadership identities evolved as they moved from classroom instruction to administrative positions. This study addressed how leadership styles—particularly adaptive, servant, and transformational leadership—were experienced, interpreted, and enacted by music professionals who advanced into educational leadership roles. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore whether a dominant leadership style emerged …