Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Conference Program 2025, Georgia Southern University

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

2025 Program

2025 Conference Program, Georgia Southern University

SoTL Commons Conference

2025 Conference Program

Creating A General Psychology Curriculum That Embeds Humane Education, Kristina Marie Pham

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Academic freedom is under attack in the United States, hindering the ability of educators to develop critical thinking skills in students to prepare them for their roles as participating members of a democracy. The inquiry that informed the curriculum development is as follows: How to embed Humane Education and Participatory Action Research into a General Psychology class? The theoretical framework of Humane Education was the basis for utilizing the principles of Participatory Action Research in the General Psychology curriculum co-created with rural community college students. The Backward Design Model was chosen because the curriculum was created using an existing General …

Becoming And Belonging: Exploring Teachers’ Insights On Community Interest And Engagement In Waldorf Middle School Students, Monica Laurent

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research explores how Waldorf middle school teachers experience, perceive, and support the development of community interest, engagement, and belonging among the early adolescence years of middle school. Adolescence, particularly ages 11 to 14, is a period of profound developmental transition characterized by intense emotionality, evolving identity, increased peer influence, and growing social complexity. Rudolf Steiner’s philosophical and pedagogical framework positions this stage as a time that leads to the birth of the astral or feeling body, contributing to new levels of self-awareness and the emergence of individuality, the beginning of critical thinking, and moral judgment. This period is also …

Afit Generative Ai Teaching Guidebook Synopsis, Afit Faculty Learning Community, Mark G. Bateman, Brett J. Borghetti, Allen W. Dukes, Nicholas C. Francis, Mike Frick, Bobbie Oh, Kevin Patterson, Hiren J. Patel, Mark G. Reith, Erick S. Tyndall, Teresa M. Walton, Torrey J. Wagner, Timothy S. Wolfe, Jonathan Zemmer

AFIT Documents

The main objective of this work was to bring together various perspectives on how to envision incorporating Gen AI capabilities into the learning environment and identify some best practices for their implementation. Any instructor who is interested in these capabilities but does not necessarily have a technical background can find pragmatic use of the examples provided. While the examples have a wide range of applicability, they are meant to serve as a starting point for educators to explore what would be beneficial to their educational environment, from traditional classroom settings to online continuing education courses.

Virginia Literacy Act Expansion: Implications For Middle Schools, Candace Bechtold, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie J. Robnolt, David B. Naff, Kendall Hunt, Jan Collins

MERC Publications

This MERC research and policy review focuses on expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) to include support for middle school students across the Commonwealth. It explores three questions:

1. What were trends in middle school literacy prior to the VLA expansion?
2. What state policies exist for middle school literacy achievement?
3. What does research say about literacy intervention at the middle school level?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for middle school literacy policy and practice.

Supporting Students In Transition To And From High School, David Naff, Jamelle Simmons, Meleah Ellison, Shelby Garofalo, Laura Thoene, Kim Dupre, Sooyeon Moon, Karli Johanson, Paul Harris, Martin Darby, William L. Parker, Tracy Booker, Janel Miley, Mysia Perry, Xun Liu, Maggie Szydlowski, Ahmed Abbas

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of high school school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from high school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions …

Ai In Education: Teaching, Learning, And Thinking With Machines, Mary Strawderman, Jesse Senechal, Eric Ekholm, Jason Vest, Moe Greene, Dawn Johnson, Daniel Case, Oscar Keyes, Yaoying Xu, Robert Godwin-Jones, Kait Donahue, Kim Elmore, Haley Hendershot, Amy Corning, Paulina Guerrero, Samaher Aljudaibi, Justin Thurston

AI in Education: Teaching, Learning, and Thinking with Machines

This collection from the Humanities Research Center (HRC) Digital Technology in Education (DTE) working group arose from questions around how rapidly emerging generative AI tools are reshaping teaching and learning in K-12 and higher education. The contributions, loosely organized around ethics, policy, and practice, adopt a humanities lens to probe how generative AI and other emerging digital technologies impact human values, experiences, and social structures, surfacing their philosophical, ethical, cultural, and societal implications for schooling. From the perspectives of practitioners and interdisciplinary scholars, the pieces showcase various dimensions of AI's creative potential in education, while also questioning its limitations and …

The Impact Of A Creativity-Focused Course Design On The Development Of Pedagogical Creativity In Preservice Teachers, Joanna M. Weld

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Current preservice teachers have been apprenticed within an educational system that favors standardization which has limited their experiences with creative teaching and learning. The field of teacher education is currently lacking in frameworks to support the creative development of preservice teachers. The aim of this practitioner research, multiple-case study was to examine the impact of a creativity-focused course design on the beliefs of preservice teachers enrolled in a Secondary English Methods course in regards to the nature of creativity, the role of creativity in teaching and learning, their personal creative strengths and weaknesses, and creativity in lesson planning. Data was …

Tapping A Hidden Resource In Classrooms: Peer Interactions And Their Role In Language, Literacy, And Disciplinary Literacy Practices Among Adolescent English And Non-English Learners, Jina Byeon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative case study examines how peer interactions among six seventh-grade English Learners (ELs) and non-ELs serve as both a context for and a method of developing adolescents' literacy and disciplinary literacy practices. Data sources include two semi-structured interviews with each student and their four classroom teachers, student and teacher ethnographic interviews, 300 hours of classroom observations (in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science, English as a New Language Tutorial), and student-generated artifacts (e.g., worksheets).

Through the application of iterative and thematic data analysis, three key themes were identified: 1) adolescents' interactions with their peers fostered a supportive …

Teacher Perceptions Of Job-Embedded Professional Development: Is It Worth The Hype?, Sarah Lind Morton

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This dissertation examined the factors contributing to teacher engagement in professional development (PD) programs, focusing on how those teachers perceived their PD needs. The study concentrated on understanding teachers’ thoughts and concerns regarding various types of PD, including large, small, and online programs. Small group PD was also referred to as job-embedded PD (JEPD) for this study. The four specific methods of JEPD included professional learning communities (PLCs), data teams, feedback, and coaching. The research highlighted JEPD, emphasizing the importance of this type of PD in engaging teachers. The methodology employed was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study that included …

Mathematical Drought: The Impact Of Insufficient Instructional Resources In Middle School Math Education, Artia N. Alston

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This research analyzed and examined the impact of resource quality and availability within middle school math instruction within a selected school district. The VRIO framework explored how value, rarity, imitability, and organization influence instructional effectiveness and resource allocation. Collecting data through interviews and questionnaires from teachers and administrators helped to identify gaps in professional development, technology access, and instructional materials. The study revealed the disparities in resource allocation that have contributing factors such as school demographics, external financial support, and funding mechanisms. This examination identified a misalignment between available resources and instructional math needs affecting student performance. These results underscored …

Exploring Commonalities Of Effective Elementary Teachers, Doneen Johnson

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Low performing schools have consistently faced challenges in narrowing the achievement gap and meeting the needs of diverse learners, especially those living in high poverty situations. Effective teaching can significantly influence student outcomes and positively shape students’ academic trajectories through the use of high-impact strategies and relationship-centered instruction. This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to define and understand the characteristics of effective teachers, investigate the perceptions of effective teachers about the reasons for their success, and identify the strategies effective teachers use to support students in low performing elementary schools in a North Carolina school district. Quantitative data sources included a …

Investigating Teacher Self-Efficacy And Teacher Attitudes Toward Stem In North Carolina High School Science And Mathematics Classrooms, Kelly J. Ruff

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if North Carolina high school science and mathematics teachers differ in their STEM teacher self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and attitudes toward STEM instructional practices. The data collection instrument used in this study was the T-STEM survey. Science and math teachers voluntarily participated in the study and answered Likert-type survey items focusing on STEM teacher self-efficacy, STEM instructional practices, and outcome expectancy. Additionally, study participants answered demographic questions on gender, years of teaching experience, and the type of degree earned. Sub-scores for each survey section were calculated and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical …

The Impact Of Professional Learning Communities On Teacher Efficacy In North Carolina K–12 Public Schools: A Comparison Of Beginning And Experienced Teachers, Geneva Bell

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Teacher efficacy remains a critical factor in education, particularly within North Carolina K–12 public schools, where beginning and experienced educators encounter distinct professional challenges. Professional learning communities (PLCs) demonstrate potential in enhancing teacher efficacy, yet the differentiated impact across career stages remains understudied. This mixed methods study examined relationships between PLC dimensions and teacher efficacy among beginning and experienced educators. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) were administered to 96 participants to analyze statistical relationships between PLC components and teacher efficacy. Results indicated significant correlations between shared vision, supportive leadership, and collaborative …

Remote Learning During Covid-19: A Qualitative Exploration Of Parental Experiences In A Time Of Educational Disruption, Kendra N. Alston

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated how parents experienced remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention to how they managed educational challenges within the home. Using focus group interviews, the research explored the contextual factors that shaped parental engagement in their children’s virtual learning environments. The study was informed by the interpretive lenses of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989), experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), and critical pedagogy (Hooks, 1994), which guided the analysis but were not treated as data sources. The findings reflect firsthand narratives rather than theoretical assumptions, ensuring that conclusions remain grounded in participants’ lived realities. Key themes that emerged from …

Utilizing Technology To Support Collaborative Problem-Solving Of K-12 Students In Stem Education: A Multivariate Multi-Level Meta-Analysis, Marzieh Dehghan-Chaleshtori

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

As classrooms in the 21st -century increasingly incorporate digital tools, educators and researchers have turned their attention to the promising potential of technology in enhancing essential competencies such as collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills (OECD, 2017). CPS skills, including joint decision-making and coordinated problem resolution, are necessary for success in both academic and real-world contexts. While many studies have investigated individual problem-solving in technology-enhanced learning environments, the collaborative dimension remains underexplored (Graesser et al. 2018b). This dissertation addresses that gap by conducting a multivariate multi-level meta-analysis to examine the overall effects of technology use on K–12 students’ CPS skills in STEM …

Technology Integration In Online Feminist Pedagogy, Xinyue Ren

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Feminist pedagogy refers to a liberatory way of teaching to develop democratic and transformative learning experiences in which students can be empowered to make a social change (Grissom-Broughton, 2020). Previous research showed that feminist pedagogy was often used to guide course design and development in various disciplines, such as music, art, language, and environmental education (Cannizzo, 2021; Grissom-Broughton, 2020; Jespersen, 2014; Springgay & Zaliwska, 2017). For example, in music education, instructors increased the representations of multicultural voices in course materials and applied in-depth discussions and essays as learning assessments to develop critical and reflective thinking among students. In a feminist-oriented …

Designing Ai-Powered Learning: Adult Learners' Expectations For Curriculum And Human-Ai Interaction, Jinhee Kim, Seongryeong Yu, Rita Detrick, Xi Lin, Na Li

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Despite the potential benefits offered by GenAI technologies to provide innovative solutions to address distinct challenges faced by working adult learners (ALs) in higher education and beyond, there is limited understanding of how best to structure AI-powered learning for this population while ensuring their distinct needs and perspectives are considered. Hence, this study aimed to determine what curriculum and student-AI interaction would be required by situating ALs’ views. Through analyzing 48 e-portfolios and in-depth interviews with 20 ALs from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, the study found that ALs perceived content mastery and developing a lifelong habit of learning as …

Addressing Anti-Black Racism In Library And Information Science Curriculum, Amber Matthews

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This paper explores the development of the graduate course Anti-Racism in Library and Information Science that was piloted at Western University in 2022 and 2023. The one-semester (13-week) course was designed with Black-led community organizations and students contributed to anti-racist information and memory work through experiential learning partnerships. The course used critical Library and Information Science (LIS) literature alongside Black Canadian scholarly perspectives that were grounded in anti-oppression and anti-racism frameworks. The course goals were for students to develop an understanding of how race and other structural inequities inform lived experiences and tools to support collaborative community-led projects. The LIS-tailored …

Artificial Intelligence In Pharmacy Education: Balancing Technological Advances And Ethical Concerns Among Aspiring Pharmacists, Ubada Aqeel, Shibu John

Health Professions Education

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare, including pharmacy practice, by enhancing access to information, reducing errors, and supporting decision-making. However, its integration into pharmacy education remains underexplored. This study investigated pharmacy students' perceptions of AI's impact on their profession and the need for curriculum reform. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 245 Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) students from Jamia Hamdard, India. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering knowledge, perceptions, and opinions on AI in pharmacy. Responses were analyzed using non-parametric tests, including the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests, to examine group differences. Exploratory …

Graduate And Undergraduate Quantitative Education In Psychology In The United States: A Mixed Methods Approach, Abby L. Braitman, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Quantitative methodology is part of the core curriculum for training in psychology and is required of graduate students across all subdisciplines; as such, the depth and breadth of course content is a universal issue among psychology training programs. Required and supplemental quantitative content is constantly evolving with the development of new techniques or applications. Therefore, the purpose of this inquiry was fourfold; we aimed to (1) describe the current state of undergraduate quantitative education and establish a common set of current undergraduate curricular topics; (2) characterize graduate quantitative education in terms of required coursework, optional coursework, and omitted topics; (3) …

Restorative Leadership: A Generative Exploration With Women School Leaders, Camille Rénée Pauline Tyson Jacobs

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As schools increasingly adopt restorative practices, a parallel shift in leadership is occurring, challenging traditional leadership models like servant and transformational leadership. While research has largely focused on student outcomes, there is a critical gap in understanding how restorative practices influence school principals’ leadership. Given their central role in sustaining and expanding restorative initiatives, this study aimed to address that gap by developing a definitional framework for restorative leadership, grounded in the experiences of women school leaders in grades 5 to 12. Using sensemaking theory, the research examined how leaders conceptualize and apply restorative values in practice. Key questions included …

How Marriage And Family Therapy Graduate Programs Awaken, Develop, And Teach Clinical Intuition: A Hermeneutic Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Jessica Fountas

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research explored how marriage and family therapy graduate programs awaken, develop, and teach clinical intuition. Using criterion-based sampling and snowball sampling, six licensed marriage and family therapists participated in a two-step hermeneutic phenomenological study consisting of individual semistructured interviews and a follow-up focus group. Requirements for participation were licensed marriage and family therapists who were in clinical practice, had experienced the phenomenon of clinical intuition and awakening of clinical intuition, and used clinical intuition in therapy with clients and in systemic supervision with supervisees. The research findings highlighted 14 themes: Reflection of the Experience of Clinical Intuition; Bodily Knowing, …

Pick Up A Frog, Or Pet A Dog; Animals Are Our First Teachers, Allison Ratner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation’s goal was an attempt to answer the question: What are the emotional, cognitive, and/or spiritual effects of children’s relationships/interactions with animals that potentially impact their development? By utilizing autoethnography, I analyzed instances from my own life where interacting with animals changed me permanently; my thinking, my knowing, my feeling, my judgement, my empathy, my attitude, and my ethics. With a standpoint rooted in the research of experts from the fields of psychology and education, I combined my personal knowledge gained over a lifetime, to grant merit to the profundity of children’s relationships with animals. With the analyzed data, …

Clinical Pharmacology And Medication Safety: A Remote Learning Elective Designed For Senior Medical Students, Elizabeth B. Graham, William T. Wightkin, Curt R. Bay, Uzoma S. Ikonne

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

In the United States, medical educators have expressed concern that an integrated and condensed pre-clerkship curriculum risks leaving gaps in student pharmacology knowledge. This study evaluates a remote-learning clinical pharmacology elective that integrates fundamental pharmacology concepts and principles of medication safety and explores how the course impacts senior medical students' self-reported readiness for residency. Clinical Pharmacology and Medication Safety is a remote elective course for senior medical students. The course integrates a review of basic pharmacology with clinical pharmacology topics through case-based learning sessions led by clinical pharmacists and physicians. To evaluate the elective's effectiveness, students in the fall and …

The Degree Of Digital Leadership Practice And Its Relationship To The Level Of Outstanding Performance In Palestinian Universities, Alyan A. El-Holy, Mohammed H. Hamad

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study investigates the availability of digital leadership in Palestinian universities and its relationship to an outstanding performance. The descriptive-analytical method has been adopted as the research methodology. The main study tool is a validated and reliable questionnaire. The study sample consisted of (298) individuals in administrative positions at the Islamic University, Al-Aqsa University, Al-Azhar University, and Palestine University. They were selected through stratified random sampling.

The estimation level of administrative position holders for excellent performance and digital leadership in Palestinian universities is medium. The overall score for the excellent performance and digital leadership variables are (67.37%) and (64.6%), respectively. …

Conversations In The Classroom: Increasing Dialogic Inquiry To Dismantle Compliance-Based Teaching And Learning, Jill Rivera

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Verbal interpersonal communication has been diminishing from the teaching and learning process over the past decade in public-school classrooms. School district administrations mandate teachers to utilize digital learning platforms and standardized tests due to the ease at which this technology can quickly gather data. While the transition to digital platforms and test-based education may be well-intended, the result has often been a decrease in dialogic inquiry-based pedagogy which removes teacher autonomy, student agency, and has negative effects on students’ ability to critically think and effectively engage in communication and instruction. The over-emphasis on collecting data based solely on a digitized …

Ground Testing Of A Magnetic-Electrostatic Separation System For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation, Peter Bachle, Charles Wood, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The separation of lunar regolith by mineral composition and size category is useful forin-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The research presented herein discusses the designing and development of equipment that has the potential to separate lunar regolith into aluminum, iron-titanium, and magnesium-iron ores. Along with the metal ore separation, this equipment shows the potential to separate regolith by size categories. The combined effect of these separation methods generates output that is valuable to subsequent use in metal and oxygen extraction, additive manufacturing, and regolith sintering processes. The designed equipment uses a dual-strength magnet system with N42 and N52 neodymium magnets for …

Developing Memory And Understanding Skills For Subject-Specific Knowledge Processing And To Face High-Stakes Exams: A Case Study, Jabbar Al Muzzamil Fareen

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

University students possess different levels of language and cognitive abilities in gaining their subject knowledge and face tremendous challenges to get through the exams in distinction. The present education system expects the students to possess excellent subject knowledge and outstanding results in their exams. In light of this context, this paper attempts to address how students are engrossed in learning difficulties while subject knowledge processing and facing their examinations. Qualitative case study approach has been undertaken to analyze the language and cognitive skills of the students in memory processing of their subject knowledge to face the exams. Their language learning …