Education Commons^™

Reframing Narratives, Reclaiming Futures: Antiracist School Counseling And Black And Brown Girls In Stem, Renae D. Mayes, Lia D. Falco, Shontell Zenon, Dequindre Hughes, Yijia Chen, Lydia Ross, Medha Dalal

Journal of College Access

Black and Brown girls often have educational experiences that stifle their career aspirations, especially in STEM fields. These experiences can be exacerbated by educators who misunderstand and refuse to recognize their STEM potential, thus limiting their opportunity to build STEM identities. School counselors can disrupt these experiences through antiracist practices that cultivate homeplace and joy for Black and Brown girls to heal and grow while working to address harmful policies and practices. In this paper, authors discuss how school counselors can specifically use antiracist school counseling practices to support Black and Brown girls in STEM as a part of multi-tiered …

Acts Of Becoming: A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Lived Experiences Of West Virginia Teacher-Activists, 1990 To The Present, Phillip Elias Howard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This critical phenomenological dissertation explores the lived realities of becoming a West Virginia teacher-activist. Presenting the experiential accounts of three participants, its semi-structured questions Show the lifeworld forces, inherited (factical) self-identities, and occupational, "on-the-ground" classroom experiences that inspired its research collaborators to assert themselves as unionists and natural teacher-organizers. This dissertation utilizes a collection of Marxian, phenomenological, and post-structural interpretation devices to develop robust, sensemaking themes which reveal the meaning of participants’ lived reflections. It also provides thick descriptions of co-researchers' historic and current political, economic, and socio-cultural backdrops amid West Virginia’s right-wing political realignment of the 2010s, the eternal …

Statistical Analysis Of Evidence In Criminal Cases, Giuliana Leon Carrillo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ideally, the evaluation of relevant forensic evidence must corroborate the hypotheses that the prosecution and/or the defense holds regarding the commitment of a crime. Therefore, optimal forensic evidence would be the one that can be found all the time under the same circumstances, and cannot be found otherwise, making the forensic scientist able to evaluate this evidence given the hypotheses provided. Nevertheless, this is hard to find, as ideal evidence being only a concept.

In this project, the probabilistic interpretation of relevant forensic evidence investigated in criminal cases with the aid of Wigmore charts and Bayesian networks was proposed. Using …

Bangladeshi Students' Experiences With Formative Feedback At West Virginia University, Habiba Jahan Seam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines how Bangladeshi international graduate students at West Virginia University experience, interpret, and utilize written formative feedback within higher education in the United States. It explores how students' prior educational and cultural experiences in Bangladesh shape their engagement with feedback in a different academic context. I used a qualitative approach to collect data through two rounds of semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions with Bangladeshi graduate students to better understand how individuals make sense of formative feedback throughout their academic journey. Findings indicate that prior educational experiences play a meaningful role in shaping how students interpret and …

Who, What, When, Where And Why? Breaking Down The Creation And Adoption Of New College Programs And Their Impact On Higher Education: A Quantitative Study, Chandler Thomas-Scott Sagal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Institutions of higher education have historically been designed as engines of innovation and knowledge dissemination in the United States and across the world. Whether this comes by way of short-term credentialing programs at community colleges or through R1 research programs at prestigious universities, all institutions deliver value and knowledge through their academic programs. Over the past decade, colleges across the country have been adding new programs at a frantic pace. While some of these programs seem to provide a clear path forward to gainful employment, some have fallen flat and proven to be bad investments by both the institution and, …

A Survey Of Disability-Inclusive K-12 Public School Music Programs In The United States Where Best Buddies Friendship Programs Have Been Established, Geena Louise Jeffries Mattox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the presence and structural characteristics of disability-inclusive band, orchestra, and choir programs serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in K-12 public schools across the United States that implement the Best Buddies School Friendship Program. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is defined as group of chronic, lifelong conditions that originate before age 22, affecting physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. Despite federal legislation, peer reviewed scholarship specifically addressing access to performance-based music ensembles for students with IDDs remain comparatively limited. Employing a survey distributed nationwide within a defined population of schools implementing Best Buddies Programs, administered via …

The Hidden Process Of Student Placements: Perspectives From Slp, Ot, And Pt Coordinators, Almara Jane Sidney Hutchinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This comparative multi-case study examined the unseen processes behind clinical placement planning in allied health education. Clinical placements are essential to preparing students in speech-language pathology (SLP), occupational therapy (OT), and physical therapy (PT); however, little research has explored how Directors and Coordinators of Clinical Education (DCE/CCEs) navigate the complex decision-making involved in planning these experiences. Guided by Greco and Myers’ (2024) framework conceptualizing placement planning as an interaction between process and experience, this study explored how coordinators described their planning processes and the role of student-centeredness within them.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 DCEs/CCEs representing SLP, OT, and …

Humanizing Education Through Subject-Centered Instruction: A Mixed Methods Case Study Of Engagement And Achievement In An Exploring Hip-Hop As Literature English Elective, Alicia Hyman-Peters

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how humanizing education through relationally-driven, subject-centered teaching affects student engagement, literacy, and achievement in an Exploring Hip-Hop as Literature English elective at a diverse high school in Northeast Florida. Drawing on Freire’s concept of humanization, Noddings’ Ethic of Care, Palmer’s focus on subject-centered learning, and the culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies of Ladson-Billings, Paris, and Alim, the research investigated how humanized education restores meaning and connection to learning. Using a Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design, data from thirty students were gathered through surveys, participation and assignment records, standardized assessments, interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations. Quantitative findings …

The Impact Of Censorship On Curriculum And Black Women Secondary English Language Arts Teachers In Florida, Crystal Parker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the instructional, curricular, and school climate impacts of book censorship on Black women secondary English Language Arts teachers, exploring how they navigate and/or resist content restrictions. Using educational criticism and portraiture, this qualitative study captures the nuanced narratives of these educators. Grounded in Bourdieu’s Field Theory, along with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Historically Responsive Literacy, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, and Cognitive Pluralism, the research addresses the following questions: How do Black women teachers describe the influence of recent book bans on their curriculum choices? In what ways do their identities shape their responses to censorship? Data …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions Of Professional College Consultants Regarding The History And Future Of College Acceptance Inequity, Kimberly A. Spencer

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While inequities in college admissions processes in the United States have long been discussed, there have been seismic changes in policies during the last decade with increased competition for limited spots, significant cultural and political shifts affecting higher education, and the effects of the pandemic all further contributing to what has become a very complicated process. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore the perceptions of professionals working as Independent Educational Consultants counseling students through the college admissions process to gain insight into how the system is functioning for all students from those working closely with both …

January 2026 Cafe Newsletter - Special Edition, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) newsletter January 2026.

Guide To Matching Accommodations To Support Neurotypes, Niki Elliott Ph.D., Sylvia Mac Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Understanding which accommodations match your specific neurotype is one of the most powerful tools you have. This guide helps you connect each area of executive functioning to the accommodations you can ask for and the strategies and tools you can use yourself.

Guide For Parents Of Neurodiverse Students Entering Life After High School, Niki Elliott Ph.D., Sylvia Mac Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Sending your student into the next chapter is a big moment, for them and for you. This guide gives you the practical information you need: what changes legally and structurally once your student turns 18, how the accommodation process works in postsecondary settings, what you can do now to set your student up for success, and how to stay genuinely connected and supportive through the transition. Whether your student is heading to a four-year university, a community college, a trade or vocational program, or a certification pathway, the information here applies.

Guide To Life After High School For Neurodiverse Students, Niki Elliott Ph.D., Sylvia Mac Ph.D.

Inclusion in Postsecondary Education

Many neurodiverse students arrive at the next chapter of their lives carrying more information about what is difficult for them than what makes them extraordinary. This guide is about knowing your brain deeply, understanding what you need, and building a life after high school that actually works for you. Whether you are heading to a four-year university, a community college, a trade or vocational program, or a certification pathway, your neurotype is an asset. This is your opportunity to design a life around your strengths.

Clifton Photo Service Photographic Negatives, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of 106 photographic negatives created by the Clifton Photo Service of Statesboro, Georgia. The images primarily depict local school life at Statesboro High School, Georgia Teachers College and Southeast Bulloch. Subjects include campus buildings and classrooms as well as student life, athletics, school events and student portraiture.

(2026) Maughn Rollins Gregory Curriculum Vitae (Short Version), Maughn Rollins Gregory

Collected Papers of Maughn Rollins Gregory

No abstract provided.

(2026) The Importance Of Wonder, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Collected Papers of Maughn Rollins Gregory

In this editorial Maughn Gregory presents wonder as the root of philosophical thinking and a lifelong human capacity that begins in childhood. He argues that questioning and curiosity foster critical and creative thought, enriching our understanding of ourselves and the world. Yet social and educational pressures often diminish this openness over time. He encourages adults to actively renew their sense of wonder, especially through philosophical dialogue with children, whose imaginative questions can help revive shared inquiry and discovery.

(2026) Desegregating The Community Of Inquiry In Philosophy For / With Children: A Dialogue On Racism, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Darren Chetty

Collected Papers of Maughn Rollins Gregory

This dialogical article examines persistent challenges in engaging racism, colonialism, and white supremacy within the theory and practice of Philosophy for/with Children (P4/wC). Framed as a mutual interview between two long-standing colleagues, the dialogue revisits formative encounters in the P4/wC community and situates them within broader intellectual traditions, including American pragmatism, deliberative democracy, and Africana philosophy. Drawing on personal experience, archival material, and critical scholarship, the authors interrogate the metaphilosophical assumptions underpinning the “community of inquiry,” particularly its commitments to reasonableness, consensus, and democratic dialogue. Concepts such as the “gated community of inquiry,” white ignorance, nonideal theory, and insurrectionist ethics …

(2026) Three Traditions Of Philosophical Dialogue, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Collected Papers of Maughn Rollins Gregory

This chapter distinguishes and interrelates three major traditions of philosophical dialogue: inquiry, political, and contemplative. Inquiry dialogue, exemplified by the “community of philosophical inquiry,” emphasizes collaborative reasoning aimed at forming the most reasonable judgments about contested concepts. Political dialogue, exemplified by the story circle, shifts the focus toward democratic transformation, highlighting how discourse is shaped by power, ideology, and the need for emancipatory critique and action. Contemplative dialogue, exemplified by lectio divina, foregrounds self-awareness, ethical disposition, and attentive presence as conditions for meaningful exchange. Across these traditions, dialogue is presented as a normative practice that simultaneously cultivates the self and …

Teacher Mental Health And Student Success: Examining The Impact Of Educator Well-Being On Classroom Outcomes, Caleb Stiles

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between teacher mental health and student success through a review of current and foundational research. The purpose of the study was to explore how teacher stress, burnout, and emotional well-being influence student outcomes across academic, behavioral, and social-emotional domains. The literature revealed that teacher burnout negatively affects instructional quality, classroom climate, and teacher-student relationships, all of which are essential to student achievement and engagement. Research also showed that teachers with higher self-efficacy and stronger emotional regulation skills are better equipped to manage stress and create supportive learning environments. Organizational factors such as leadership support, workload …

Balancing Structure And Autonomy: A Coaching Approach To Classroom Leadership In Secondary Education, Violeta Morelos Gomez

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review explores how middle and high school teachers can balance leading their classrooms while also supporting students in a coaching role to help them make positive academic and behavioral choices. It looks at key ideas like clear expectations, giving students choices, building strong relationships, keeping students engaged, and using fair and respectful practices. Research shows that students learn best when teachers create clear routines, support them, and give them opportunities to take responsibility. When students feel safe, respected, and understood, they are more willing to participate and learn. Also, coaching practices, such as listening to students and guiding …

Executive Function Development And Academic Outcomes: Instructional Practices And Implications For Students With Disabilities, Sean P. Trewin

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Executive Function (EF) plays a significant role in academic achievement, behavior regulation, emotional development, and long-term life outcomes for students with disabilities (Pfeifer et al., 2021). This literature review examined the development of EF skills, factors that influence EF growth, evidence-based practices used to best support students with disabilities, and how EF effects the lives of students with disabilities with ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and SLD (Specific Learning Disability) in particular. Research showed that EF skills develop progressively from early childhood through adolescence and are shaped by many factors such as neurological, environmental, and social influences …

Play-Based Learning Within A Special Education Classroom, Cassandra L. Christiansen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the following research paper, play-based learning (PBL) will be explored for its potential to shape the educational experience of elementary-age special education children. This thesis examined a wide variety of academic articles, journals, books, and online resources to address this issue. These sources offered perspectives on the use of play-based learning in special and general education, including its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the challenges teachers may face when embedding play-based learning in their classrooms. The research will investigate many areas of play-based learning, including play-based strategies for fostering cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as the …

Brief Report: Naloxone Decline Among African American Kentuckians, Rayven Peterson, Mona Goggins, Destin L. Mizelle, Brittany Miller-Roenigk, Candice Hargons, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Opioid-involved overdose fatalities among African Americans continue to rise. The current study examines African Americans who reported use of opioids in the past 6 months and declined overdose education and free naloxone.   Method: Eligible participants included African American Kentuckians who used opioids in the past 6 months and consented to a larger study examining their opioid use. This paper qualitatively explored their reasons for declining overdose education and naloxone using an adjusted and inductive application of structural tabular thematic analysis.   Results: Out of 588 participants, 70 (12%) declined naloxone: the most cited reason for declining naloxone was already possessing …

Caregiver Training: Improving Social Determinants Of Health, Patient Safety, Empowerment Through Improving Elder Care Education And Skills, Kathleen Thimsen

Nursing Faculty Research

Caregiver training (CaGi TRaining) is a time-tested intervention aimed at improving safety in elders living and aging in place in the community. While elder abuse and maltreatment was the intial purpose of the project, with over 3500 Caregivers graduated from this program since 2009, the course has addresses social determinants of health, and improved workforce pipelines by providing stable employment, improved self-efficacy, and confidence demonstrated by self-reports at graduation and in follow up surveys. Previously learners without a high school diploma retruned to school to obtain a GED (40%), with an additional return to school for bacalaureate and degrees (27%) …

Exploring Pathways To Persistence And Self-Efficacy Among Historically Underrepresented Community College Students: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Sharmy Rene Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Research indicates that postsecondary institutions have struggled to retain historically underrepresented college students. These students continue to experience lower levels of persistence and college self-efficacy compared to their peers (Monjaras-Gaytan & Sánchez, 2023).

This dissertation is a mixed methods action research study that identified the academic challenges historically underrepresented college students face. This study focused on diagnosing the problem, engaging in multiple Reconnaissance phases, and using those findings to plan a contextually responsive intervention.

Findings indicate that historically underrepresented college students may benefit from enhanced academic support, stronger advising relationships, and greater opportunities to build peer connections. The findings of …

The Relationship Between Participants In The Certificate Of Educational Technology And Information Literacy (Coetail) Program And Professional Capital, Benjamin J. Sheridan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This study aimed to explore how educators involved in the Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy (COETAIL) program perceived the development of their professional capital within an online, cohort-based professional learning community. Based on Hargreaves and Fullan’s (2012) concept of professional capital, which includes human, social, and decisional capital, and guided by social learning theories, the study examined participants’ perceptions of professional capital development, the program features related to that development, and how participation influenced their professional paths. The research focused on international school settings, where educators often rely on networked professional learning because of geographic mobility and limited …

Implementation Of A Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle To Reduce Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries In The Intensive Care Unit, Xibo Lan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The goal of this quality improvement project was to utilize the SKINSAFE pressure injury prevention bundle during 12 weeks of implementation to increase evidence-based pressure injury prevention practices adherence and decrease risk of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) in the intensive care units (ICU).

Background

ICU patients experience high risk for hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) secondary to immobility and device related pressure. Initial adherence to SKINSAFE bundle was 55-56%. There was inconsistent use of heel offloading devices, wound photography and documentation. Prevention bundles were affected by staffing fluctuations and leadership turnovers.

Methodology

The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle for this project included …

Promoting Peer Collaboration Through A Blending Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Technologies In An Engineering Focused Nsf Research Experience For Teachers (Ret) Project, Joseph Brobst, Melani Loney, Imole Samson

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This brief paper describes findings drawn from a summer Research Experiences for Teachers project, in which secondary science teachers completed engineering research activities and designed related lessons using the Argument Driven Inquiry (ADI) framework. Teachers participated in a hybrid professional development sequence, engaging with a STEM program manager and each other in-person and through both synchronous online sessions and asynchronous engagement in a shared virtual space. We use a multiple case study approach to describe how interactions within these spaces facilitated peer feedback and informal mentoring and coaching, ultimately strengthening teachers’ lesson plans and leaving them better poised to translate …

Supporting K-5 Computer Science Integration Through High-Quality Teacher Professional Development, Shanan Chappell Moots, Joanna K. Garner, Joseph A. Brobst, Melani Loney, Lisa Steffian, Jennifer Maeng

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

Workforce development and education leaders have increasingly emphasized the need for high-quality computer science (CS) instruction for K-12 students. Though states have created and mandated the implementation of CS curriculum standards, few in-service teachers have been provided sufficient opportunities to develop CS pedagogical content knowledge and self-efficacy. This study evaluated the effect of a CS integration professional development (PD) program on K-5 teachers' perceptions of their capacity to teach CS and their implementation of CS-integrated lessons using a randomized controlled trial design. Treatment included an intensive online summer institute with school year follow-up. Results indicate statistically significant effects of the …