Education Commons^™

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 …

Social Capital In The Puerto Rican Deaf Community, Javier Figueroa Quintana

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

There is limited literature regarding the social capital of deaf individuals in the United States (U.S.). There are few studies on deaf individuals in Puerto Rico (P.R.), and none explicitly examines deaf Puerto Ricans’ social capital. This qualitative study aimed to understand and capture the experiences of the deaf Puerto Rican community by focusing on how deaf Puerto Ricans utilize social capital to achieve success. The two main research questions guiding this study are: How have deaf Puerto Ricans utilized social capital to achieve success? What are deaf Puerto Ricans' perceptions of success? This study centers around Yosso's (2005) Community …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Marketing Education: A Conceptual Framework For Curriculum Enhancement, Aisha Ghimire, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This paper introduces a Constructivist–Experiential GenAI Integration Framework to embed Generative AI (GenAI) across undergraduate marketing curricula. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, the framework positions GenAI as a learning partner, through hands-on, reflective, and ethically informed learning. Discipline-specific vignettes illustrate how GenAI can enhance marketing courses through accessible and scalable activities that align with diverse class sizes, institutional resources, and delivery modes. By leveraging freely available GenAI platforms, the model promotes inclusivity while cultivating AI literacy, ethical reasoning, and strategic agility. The paper concludes with recommendations for empirical validation and cross-institutional collaboration to ensure that GenAI-driven marketing education …

Clusters Of Student Perceptions Of Ai-Assisted Grading: Implications For Fair And Transparent Assessment Practice In Higher Education, Roberto Bello

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly embedded in assessment and feedback systems, understanding how students perceive these technologies is vital for maintaining trust and fairness in higher education. This study investigates how students experience AI-assisted grading through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that incorporates fairness, transparency, and trust as pedagogically relevant constructs. Survey data from undergraduate marketing students (N = 142) were analyzed using cluster analysis, revealing three distinct perception profiles: Enthusiasts, Pragmatists, and Skeptics. These clusters differ significantly in their willingness to rely on AI feedback, perceived fairness of algorithmic grading, and expectations of …

Assessing Shifts In Leadership Language: A Comparative Study Of The Aacc Competencies For Community College Leaders, Bethany A. Siehr

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Leadership competency frameworks are widely used in community colleges to guide hiring, professional development, and succession planning. However, little is known about how leadership expectations evolve within these frameworks over time or how revisions reflect shifts in what the field values as legitimate leadership preparation. This study examined longitudinal change in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders across four editions published in 2005, 2013, 2018, and 2022.

Using a structured comparative document analysis, the study applied an extraction grid, a modification classification framework, and the Semantic Aspect Scale to identify additions, deletions, augmentations, separations, …

Perceptions Of The Community Eligibility Provision (Cep) Program, Angela H. Napier

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how educators and families perceive and experience the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and its influence on student attendance, engagement, well-being, and school climate within one public school division. While prior research has established quantitative links between universal meal programs and academic outcomes, limited research has explored how stakeholders interpret and experience these effects in practice. Addressing this gap, this study employed a convergent mixed-methods design, integrating archival attendance data, surveys, and semi-structured interviews with principals, assistant principals, teachers and families. Quantitative findings revealed modest but inconsistent changes in absenteeism following the CEP implementation, while qualitative findings provided …

Identifying Professional Development Needs Of Deans At California Community Colleges, Matilda D. Chavez

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative, descriptive study examined the professional development needs of deans, associate deans, and directors in the California Community Colleges System. Using the American Association of Community Colleges leadership competencies, the study analyzed how mid-level leaders rated the importance of leadership tasks and their ability to perform them. It also compared results by gender, race or ethnicity, years in the role, district type, and preferred professional development methods.

Data were collected with a 47-item, fixed-format survey using Qualtrics. The sample was a nonprobability quota drawn from 17 California community colleges (N = 71). Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including t-tests …

Considering Special Education Program Performance Analysis And Teacher And Student Involvement In Transition Planning: A Delphi Study To Prioritize Student Interests, Strengths, And Transition Assessment, Charles S. Thull

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Individualized education program (IEP) transition plans are required to be based on student interests and strengths, and use age-appropriate transition assessments, yet limited guidance exists on how to prioritize these elements. Despite decades of transition planning research and policy development, students with disabilities continue to experience poor postsecondary transition outcomes, special education teachers report limited readiness to support transition planning, university special education programs lack transition focused coursework, and transition plans are created for compliance and lack transition assessment information. Considering these concerns, this study used a modified Delphi method, informed by Human Performance Technology (HPT) and Ecological Systems Theory …

The Role Of Autonomy And Motivation On Teacher Retention: A Mixed Methods Study, Jordan Overton

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Teacher retention remains a persistent concern in the United States, with nearly 13% of classrooms unfilled by licensed teachers. Grounded in self-determination theory and basic psychological needs theory, this mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the relationship between teacher autonomy, motivation, and intentions to leave, while also exploring the contextual factors that shaped teachers’ perceptions of autonomy within their work environments.

In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 123 elementary and middle school teachers across three school divisions in Southeastern Virginia. Measures included teacher autonomy, work motivation, and intentions to leave one’s school or division and the teaching …

Bullying Coping Strategies Among Students In Grades (9-11) Considering Social Support, The Mediating Role Of Emotional Regulation, And Certain Demographic And Contextual Variables: A Mixed-Method As Perspectives By Students And Counselors, Fahima Hamed Alsaidi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study had an interpretive aim, focusing on understanding students’ bullying coping strategies used by students in grades 9-11 in Sultanate of Oman. It also explored differences in bullying coping strategies according to demographic and contextual variables. Moreover, it analyzed the causal relationships between coping-bullying strategies, social support, and emotion regulation. The quantitative findings were interpreted through counselor’s perspectives. The study used a mixed method with an interpretive sequential design. It involved (2,581) male and female students from grades 9-11 in the quantitative phase and (10) social and psychological specialists in the qualitative phase. Instruments included three scales (Social Support, …

Digital Citizenship Among Middle School Students In Oman: A Study Considering Various Variables, Suad Saleh Al Wahaibi, Khalfan Zahran Al-Hijji, Raja Maznah Raja Husain

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study examined the level of digital citizenship (DC) among grade 10 students in Oman with respect to gender, internet usage duration, and exposure to online threats. A total of 1,022 students participated during the 2022/2023 academic year. The study employed a questionnaire constructed on Ribble’s (2015) Respect, Educate, and Protect (REP) model and applied a random cluster sampling technique. Results revealed that students’ DC level was moderate overall. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female students, while there were significant differences in DC scores in terms of facing online threats and in terms of internet usage …

The Digital Dilemma: Social Media’S Influence On Children’S Well-Being In Developing Nations: A Systematic Literature Review, Hilal Hamed Al Busaidi, Ayman Al Shukri, Moosa Al Shukaili, Yahya Al Niyadi, Adil H Al Kindi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of teenagers and children, particularly in developing countries. Though it opens avenues for communication and expression, it also plays a serious role in mental health. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of published studies from 2015 to 2025, utilizing the databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to assess the impact of social networking sites on the mental health of children’s populations in low- and middle-income countries. The review identifies three concern areas: cyberbullying, increased anxiety and depression rates, and socioeconomic factors’ effects. Literature suggests that adolescents …

Building Leadership Capacity In Rural Schools: A Regional University Partnership, Chelsea Feusner, Aprille Phillips, Po Hu, Michael Teahon

The Rural Educator

The roles of school building and district administrators in rural areas have expanded in the last decade. Expanded responsibilities are amplified in rural school districts where there are fewer administrators to assume a multiplicity of roles. Additionally, educator shortages make it increasingly challenging to recruit and retain school leaders. While larger school districts in metropolitan areas have developed ongoing professional development and support programs to help school leaders meet the ever shifting and complex expectations placed upon them, school administrators in relatively rural regions receive less support. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore leadership constructs believed to …

Considering Ai Adoption And Use: Promises And Paradox For Rural Education, Elizabeth Wargo, Juhee Kim, Jeff Simmons

The Rural Educator

This article explores the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within rural education, with a specific focus on the rural context of Idaho. While AI offers new possibilities for educational transformation, its implementation in rural schools presents unique paradoxes. Using a mixed-methods approach involving a statewide survey, working focus groups, and associated documents, this study investigates how AI can empower and challenge rural educational practices. Drawing on Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory, we illuminate the AI opportunities and barriers perceived by rural education stakeholders. We conclude by discussing implications for advocacy, policy, practice, and research to ensure just and …

Careers In A Box: A Promising Career Exploration Curriculum For Rural Youth, Kristine M. Ramsay-Seaner, Amber Letcher, Elizabeth Koob, Meagan Scott Hoffman, Laura Hasselquist

The Rural Educator

This article highlights a career exploration curriculum that was developed to support the vocational guidance needs of school counselors working in six rural, high-need communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Based on social cognitive career theory, Careers in a Box was created to bridge existing gaps in career exploration curricula for rural middle school youth. This grab-and-go curriculum introduces participants to specific careers across the spectrum of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and provides them with hands-on activities associated with these careers. While program evaluation is ongoing, preliminary results indicate an associated increase in personal resilience in …

Evaluating A Research Experience For Teachers: Benefits And Challenges For Summer Stem Professional Development, Mark T. Felts, Darcy Tessman, Emily Simpson, Mark Nanny

The Rural Educator

This focus group study examined the participant motivation for and potential impact of the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program on rural STEM educators. Due to geographic isolation and low wages in rural areas, STEM teachers often engage in summer work, which provides practical, real-world applications of STEM principles and enhances instructional methods during the school year. By fostering university partnerships and providing summer research opportunities, RET aligns with the National Rural Research Agenda’s (NREA) priorities of enhancing community relationships and bolstering teacher preparation, recruitment, and retention. Findings indicate that participation in RET boosts teachers’ curricular skills, professional networks, and …