Reflections Of Linguistic Experiences In A Borderland: Influences On Cultural Identity And Teacher Praxis, Iliana Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

This Autoethnographic dissertation uses autohistoria-teoria to critically analyze my lived curriculum as a Mexican-born raised in the borderland of the Rio Grande Valley. This research aims to understand the influence of my linguistic experiences on my cultural identity and teaching praxis within the same context. Drawing from Anzaldua’s (1987) concept of Borderlands as a contextual lens and Raciolinguistics as a theoretical framework, I examine and reflect on key linguistic experiences that have perpetuated colonizing linguistic practices rather than fostered linguistic diversity. Additionally, Culturally Linguistic Sustaining Pedagogy serves as a framework to critically analyze my teaching praxis in relation to my …

Barriers To Hispanic Post-Secondary Education In Science Fields, Luis Slayton

Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to examine whether external barriers could be identified and are present throughout a Hispanic individual's educational life. The beliefs of the Hispanic community regarding education and the nature of acquiring an education could be relevant to the factors that impede the completion of high school. A survey approach was chosen as the methodology for the study due to the confidential nature of a questionnaire. Human nature tends to be more honest when not asked personal questions face-to-face. Additionally, there is potential to generalize attributes from a small sample to a larger population, allowing inferences about the identified …

Engaging Minds: Assessing The Impact Of Arts-Integration On Science Achievement And Engagement Using Planned Experimentation, Fonda G. Dupre

All Dissertations

Elementary science education is essential for fostering inquiry, critical thinking, and problem-solving, yet it is often reduced or deprioritized due to the pressures of high-stakes testing in reading and mathematics. Despite federal calls for a well-rounded education under the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), instructional time for science remains limited in many schools, particularly in under-resourced and high-poverty contexts. This reduction of science instruction time exacerbates achievement gaps and limits student engagement and interest in STEM fields.

This planned experiment investigates whether Arts-Integrated science instruction can increase student engagement and improve academic achievement among fourth-grade students at Foothills Academy of …

More Than Numbers: Interrogating The Instructional Capacity Of Middle School Mathematics Teachers, Yashica R. Latimer

All Dissertations

This study examines how middle school mathematics teachers conceptualize and enact culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) within a district-supported professional learning initiative. Guided by the CRMT framework developed by Aguirre and Zavala (2013), the research explores how instructional decision-making intersects with equity-focused pedagogy.

Two central questions inform the study: (1) How do middle school mathematics teachers interpret and apply CRMT principles in their classroom practice? (2) What specific instructional strategies do teachers use to integrate cultural responsiveness into their instruction?

Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, data were collected from three teachers participating in a professional learning group called MORE …

Teacher Efficacy In Reading Intervention: The Role Of Coaching And Professional Development In Foundational Literacy, Susan S. Chapman

All Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice utilized improvement science methods to increase teacher self-efficacy in foundational reading practices and to address the oral reading fluency (ORF) challenges of elementary students who consistently score below proficiency. Rooted in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and the Active View of Reading, the study aimed to build teacher confidence in delivering foundational reading instruction while improving student ORF rates. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was implemented with second-grade teachers and targeted the following aim: increase ORF by 12 words correct per minute (wcpm) for students receiving Tier 3 intervention over an eight-week cycle. Coaching, using the student-centered coaching …

Investigating The Impact Of Instructor Presence In Lecture Videos On Learning Experiences: A Comparative Study, Keone K. Fuqua

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

As online learning continues to grow, understanding how instructional design features influence student experience becomes increasingly important. One critical feature in video-based instruction in instructor presence - the degree to which the instructor is visually or vocally present in the lesson. The purpose of this study was to investigate how varying levels of instructor presence in asynchronous lector videos affect students' perceived relatedness, satisfaction, engagement, content retention, and cognitive effort.

A mixed methods experimental design was employed, with 93 undergraduate and graduate students from a public university randomly assigned to one of three video lesson conditions: Full Presence (instructor visible …

An Evaluation Of Key Components Of Natural Resource Camps, Undergraduate Persistence And Success In Natural Resources, Brandy Bishop

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the key components that connect natural resource camps, undergraduate persistence, and overall success through gainful employment within the natural resource industry. The aim of this study was to assess early interest and attitudes towards natural resource career pathways and how education interventions shape students’ career outcomes thus leading to overall success. A longitudinal mixed method design was used combining Conservation Careers Camp survey data (n = 39) with institutional records for Forestry majors (n =655) in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. Quantitative data was analyzed through …

Rhetorics Of Encounter: Toward A Biocentric Theory Of Discourse, Matthew D. Whitaker

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Encounters with more-than-human identities are transformative moments that stand to affect dispositional and bodily change in individuals. From close brushes with wild animals in National Parks to everyday interactions with local ecologies, encounters invite us to feel and think differently about the nature of our realities. In Rhetorics of Encounter: Toward a Biocentric Theory of Discourse, I draw from interdisciplinary perspectives to disrupt the idea of rhetoric as a representational medium, arguing that rhetoric occurs not just through textual exchanges of words and symbols, but through embodied moments of contact with other responsive beings. Invoking George Kennedy’s theory …

Engaging Minds: The Impact Of Multimodal Instruction On Multiplication Facts, Ashleigh Cobey

All Dissertations

This dissertation examined the impact of a multimodal, station-based instructional approach on student engagement and multiplication fact fluency among third-grade students at Hopeful Elementary School (HES), a Title I, high-poverty school. Traditional methods of rote memorization have not consistently met the needs of all learners, particularly those from under-resourced backgrounds or with disabilities. This study explored how structured opportunities to practice multiplication through music-based, game-based, and technology-enhanced learning experiences influenced student engagement and fluency.

Using a multimethod design, the intervention group participated in the Multimodal Multiplication Intervention, rotating through three stations Monday through Wednesday and selecting a preferred station on …

Exploring The Impact Of Generative Ai To Mitigate Educator Burnout, Katie E. Acevedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how sixth–12th grade educators at a single-gender public school in West Texas perceived the role of generative AI in reducing workload, minimizing stress, and supporting professional autonomy. The study focused on concerns related to teacher burnout and the time demands of instructional and noninstructional responsibilities, exploring how emerging technologies might offer practical relief. The study aimed to understand how educators use generative AI tools and identify both the benefits and challenges associated with their integration. Framed by job demand-resource theory, connectivism, and heutagogy, the research explored how generative AI can function as a job resource, …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Therapy To Reduce Disruptive Behavior In High School, Wendy Nell Peters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this project was to determine the impact and effectiveness of Gina Biegel’s mindfulness techniques for stressed teens method on adolescent anxiety and the disruptive symptoms that lead to high school adolescents being assigned to detention. This project described a quantitative correlational design research project that investigated a small adolescent sample size, with a goal of decreasing the number of local high school adolescent students who are repeat detention offenders, by implementing Gina Biegel’s mindfulness techniques for stressed teens method on those high school adolescents who were assigned to detention. This was achieved by collecting demographic data from …

Rigor And Academic (Re)Socialization: The Faculty Role In Student Success Curriculum, Kendra Knight, Stephanie Grau, Elissa Foster, Jay Baglia

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

In the post-pandemic learning era, communication faculty experience tensions among expectations for flexibility, sensitivity to students’ well-being, and our commitment to the academic rigor of our courses. These tensions, we argue, may be resolved through offering academic (re)socialization as a stand-alone element of the communication curriculum. This essay explicates the development and implementation of a for-credit workshop-style course aimed at bridging gaps in student academic capital laid bare by the COVID-19 learning crisis. “Communication Fundamentals for College Success” is a collaborative effort among six communication instructors to support practical and socio-emotional skills that undergird students’ transdisciplinary intellectual growth. We reflect …

Journal Of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume, 2025

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Inclusive Education Programs For Children With Disabilities, Haley Misiewicz

Masters Projects

This project addresses the ongoing need for high-quality professional development that equips early childhood educators with effective strategies for inclusive education. Research consistently demonstrates that inclusive settings benefit both students with disabilities and their typically developing peers, yet many educators report a lack of confidence, training, and support when implementing inclusive practices. Grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and informed by federal legislation such as IDEA and ADA, this project presents a professional development toolkit designed to support preschool through second-grade teachers in creating accessible, responsive classroom environments.

The toolkit consists of a 90-minute training session, …

Integrated Stem Education For In-Service K-5 Elementary Teachers: Definitions, Self-Efficacy, And Teaching Practices, Amani Alhassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing interest has been evident in implementing integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching in public schools. However, teachers need to be professionally prepared and increase self-efficacy in teaching integrated STEM in their classrooms. Little is known about how teachers' self-efficacy in teaching integrated STEM is related to teachers' practices around STEM integration, particularly in K-5 classrooms.

This convergent mixed-methods study involved surveys with open- and close-ended questions to determine the integrated STEM perceptions, definitions, classroom teaching practices, and self-efficacy level in teaching integrated STEM for 79 northeast Tennessee K-5 teachers. The study also investigated the relationship between teachers' …

The Marginalization Of Black Students And The Burnout Of Black Teachers, Jasmine N. Wilson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Black students' language and culture should matter inside the classroom, but the K-12 education system perpetuates racist ideologies that otherwise stifle and shame Black students and their identities. There is a disproportion between the number of White teachers and Black students in minority-serving K-12 institutions, and this racial mismatch severely influences Black students’ academic success. In addition to the racial mismatch between White teachers and Black students, K-12 institutions foster a prejudiced learning environment that condemns African American English speakers. There is an abundance of research that suggests that Black teachers, Black culture, and Black English are of the utmost …

Reflection And Reimagination As Resistance: Towards Humanizing Critical Writing Pedagogy, Grace Y. Kang, Sonia M. Kline

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Given the pressures, demands, and standardization teachers face in our sociopolitically charged times, teachers need opportunities to reflect and reimagine their instruction. Drawing on critical and related scholarship, we conceptualize critical humanizing writing pedagogy. We share our instructional moves as teacher educators for enacting humanizing writing pedagogy in a graduate course and supporting teachers to enact humanizing writing pedagogy in their K-12 classrooms. Specifically, we show how a graduate student and practicing teacher found ways to shift toward critical orientations as she navigated her school’s curriculum and state standards. We argue that sociocultural and critical lenses provide powerful tools for …

Young Adult Literature As A Catalyst For Empathy, Engagement, & Empowerment: A Generational View, Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer, Ashleigh S. Dubie, Catherine J. Miller

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Abstract: This article is a glimpse into Young Adult Literature (YAL) pedagogy from a generational perspective. One university professor and two of her former students describe the processes, pedagogies, and challenges of introducing YAL theory, texts, and topics in university methods courses, as well as in the secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. The former students will report on how they have taken ideologies and lessons learned from their university methods courses and implemented YAL in their ELA classrooms during their intern teaching semesters. Finally, the importance of including YAL in our classrooms in order to build empathy, engagement, and …

Should College Students Be Inventors? A Case Study Of A Mathematics Professor In India, Praveen Chhikara, Rochelle Gutiérrez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This qualitative case study attempts to understand instructional roles and goals that a mathematics professor in India sets and envisions for engaging students around abstract mathematical concepts. We generated the data with the professor while he participated in professional development program sessions we provided on the active role of students in learning mathematics. Guided by two theoretical lenses of Realistic Mathematics Education and Rehumanizing Mathematics, our data analysis identified three main themes through the teaching practices that he employs or conceives: (1) Supporting students to avoid faulty foundations by developing proofs, (2) Offering opportunities for exploration by giving appropriate guidance, …

An Editorial Moment Of Silence In Honor Of H. Len Vacher, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

H. Len Vacher, co-founding editor of Numeracy and giant in our field, passed away April 21, 2025. A brief testament to his contributions to numeracy can be found in an editorial in the previous issue of this journal. Here, we take a moment of editorial silence in Len's honor.

Reflection On The ‘Power Of Us’ Conference: How Mainstream Schools In England Offer Provision To Children With Special Educational Needs (Sen), Grace H A Cooper

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

The majority of children in England with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) are educated within mainstream schools. Due to the broad range of needs of children, it is essential that mainstream schools are provided with adequate funding, preparation and training to ensure that the inclusion of every child is achievable and expected. Furthermore, sometimes schools feel that they cannot offer ample provision to give every child an equitable access to learning and therefore they are directed to SEND schooling – can a mainstream school be considered inclusive if they cannot support all children? This article will consider these arguments …

The Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Curricula: A Moral Obligation, Kira I. Vasquez

Masters Projects

Culturally responsive education has long been accepted as critical to supporting students’ academic, social and emotional success at school–particularly for those from historically marginalized communities. Under the current presidential administration, however, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have come under attack, and many educators avoid their professional and moral obligation to implement culturally responsive curriculum for fear of political and professional repercussions. Grounded in Gloria Ladson-Billing’s theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and Gholdy Muhammad’s framework of Culturally and Historically Responsive Education (CHRE), this project aims to reaffirm the value of culturally responsive teaching and learning. Chapter One outlines the problem, …

The Evolution Of Schooling: From Industrial Obedience To Techno-Autonomy, Seb Taylor, Ron Roberts Ii

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This paper examines the enduring architecture of the American education system as a mechanism designed for compliance, not creativity. Rooted in 19th-century industrial logic, the structure of schooling, its physical design, time constraints, and assessment methods, has remained largely static despite seismic cultural and technological shifts. Through historical analysis and contemporary critique, this work interrogates the persistence of standardized methods, institutional prestige, and top-down instruction as barriers to meaningful learning and value creation. Drawing from interdisciplinary research and live case studies, including Alpha School’s AI-powered, mastery-based model, the paper advances the concept of techno-education: a student-centered paradigm informed by feedback …

Teaching Philosophy, Growing Child’S Empathy : Derrida’S Trace Theory For Critical Thinking And Character Education, Fatimah Fraya, Fristian Hadinata

International Review of Humanities Studies

Child bullying cases increased significantly following the pandemic and took its toll on the need for emergency tackling and preventive action. This research focused on philosophy as a an approach to character building, using the synthesis method of literature views which also inspired from previous teachings known as Philosophy for Children (P4C), combined with hands-on experiment simulation. The aim is to discover a practical learning concept to enable philosophy to be introduced in children's classrooms at a certain age. Researchers found the intersection between philosophy and child character building beneficial in refining their empathy cognitively and creating better generations in …

Better Together: Embedding Media Literacy Into Academic Courses, Chereeka Garner

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In an era where digital information is abundant and often misleading, equipping college students with media literacy skills is more crucial than ever. This lightning talk will provide a streamlined guide to developing a comprehensive media literacy course specifically designed for college students. Attendees will learn about the essential components of the course, including how to design an engaging curriculum, implement effective teaching strategies, and utilize assessment methods to gauge student understanding.

Participants will be able to:

Understand the importance of media literacy within the broader context of information literacy and its impact on college students’ ability to navigate digital …

Virtual Lecture, Live Lecture, Flipped Classroom: Does Dpt Pain Curriculum Format Affect Student Pain Beliefs? A Preliminary Study, Jeb Helms, Jamie Ball, Kory J. Zimney Pt, Dpt, Phd

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Currently there are multiple published examples of successful DPT delivery models for the International Association for the Study of Pain curricular guidelines. However, there are no direct comparisons between different IASP delivery models such as in-person vs hybrid or lecture vs flipped classroom. The purpose of this study was to compare 3 delivery formats for teaching a DPT pain science IASP based course (1. Virtual Lecture 2. In-person Lecture 3. Flipped in-person) for pre course and post course differences in student biomedical/biopsychosocial beliefs, and confidence to treat patients in pain.Method The instructors remained consistent throughout the study period, …

Narrative Inquiry As Contemplative Methodology, Lauren A.H. Brown

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This reflective essay describes how contemplative practices, including mindfulness, presence, deep listening, contemplative reading, free writing, visualization, bearing witness, and loving kindness, were engaged during my doctoral research study. As a novice researcher but experienced practitioner, contemplative practice guided my research and creative processes, allowing me to present a deeper understanding of the participants in my study while simultaneously bringing a heartfulness to my ethical decisions. While it is not uncommon for researchers to draw on their existing skills in mindfulness and other contemplative practices, I propose that contemplative practice is central to narrative inquiry research, making it both a …

Practical Intelligence: Generative Ai Toolkit For Nurse Education, Jennifer Vanderlaan, Lisa Nicholas, Necole Leland

Nursing Faculty Research

This toolkit delivers a structured introduction to generative AI tailored for nurse educators, offering practical guidance across six domains: foundational concepts; course and lesson design; assignment development; scholarly applications; simulation integration; and strategies for facilitating student engagement with AI. Beginning with an accessible overview of how generative models function and where they fail. It presents frameworks for critical evaluation and transparent use. Subsequent sections demonstrate how to leverage AI for organizing curricula, writing objectives, crafting assessments, and generating discussion prompts, all aligned with professional standards. Applications in scholarship cover literature search planning, peer‑review simulation, and evidence‑based question development. Simulation chapters …

Using Media As A Source In Lessons: Media Literacy Methodology And Constructivist Media Decoding, Ayşe Aslı Sezgin Büyükalaca, Chris Sperry, Cyndy Scheibe

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy, beyond being an independent course, can be integrated into educational content at various levels through a structural approach that emphasizes questioning and understanding diverse perspectives. Students need tools to analyze diverse content critically, so it’s important to move away from traditional teacher-centered instruction. This paper examines a question-based approach to integrating media literacy into Turkish educational courses, emphasizing the Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD) method. The study highlights CMD’s potential to address gaps in Turkiye’s media literacy education, offering a detailed discussion of its theoretical background and benefits within the Turkish context. By illustrating CMD’s adaptability and value, this …

Constructivist Media Decoding In Elementary School: Media Literacy Instruction Across A School Year, Faith Rogow, Bridget Crossman, Michele Coolbeth, Janet Balk

Journal of Media Literacy Education

In 2021, Ithaca College’s Project Look Sharp conducted a pilot project to demonstrate that school librarians were in a unique position to provide media literacy instruction and function as building and district leaders to mentor teachers in media literacy integration. The initiative taught librarians to use constructivist media decoding (CMD) – an inquiry-based, curriculum driven approach to media analysis and production. This article, informed by the evaluation of that effort, offers a qualitative view from three elementary school librarians who were part of the pilot cohort. They describe how they implemented CMD in ways that can be duplicated by other …