Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Notes On Redefining "Popular" Culture, Paul J. Ramsey

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This article critiques the classic literature on popular culture, redefines the concept for the contemporary era, and introduces the following articles in this special issue of Impact. The articles in this issue demonstrate not only the ways in which popular culture has evolved in recent decades but also reveal the deeply educational aspects of that culture by shining a light on what is learned through it. 

Keywords: popular culture, education, informal education

Front Matter

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Classroom To Campus: A Qualitative Case Study Of Exemplary First-Year Seminar Instructors In Student Transitions At A Louisiana University, Brianna J. Doucet

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how exemplary first-year seminar (FYS) instructors design and implement pedagogical strategies that support students’ transitions into higher education through the lens of Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory. Conducted at a public university in Louisiana, the study explored how university-identified, award-winning instructors foster academic, social, and emotional adjustment among first-year students, a critical priority amid the impending enrollment cliff and the growing need to retain enrolled students. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, findings revealed exemplary instructors design intentional, relational, and reflective learning environments. They view transition as a shared institutional process, model adaptability and lifelong learning, …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Delivery Of Trauma-Informed Services To Hospital-Based Clients Ot, Frank Czuba

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Hospitalization can traumatize clients and impact overall health outcomes, leading to increased hospital readmission rates and resulting in a negative impact for both clients and providers. Limited information exists regarding how hospital-based occupational therapists evaluate and address trauma, even though incorporating trauma-informed principles into professional practice can enhance the occupational therapy process. The study explored the comprehension and perceived significance of trauma-informed tenets among occupational therapists delivering services in hospital-based settings. A quantitative research study with an exploratory design was implemented to explore how occupational therapists (OT) understand and utilize trauma-informed practices with their clients in a hospital setting. An …

The Role Of White Racial Identity Development In Leadership Practices: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study In White Educational Leaders, Kaitlyn Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how white educational leaders experience and make meaning of their racial identity development as they lead adult professional learning focused on racial equity and culturally responsive practice. Grounded in Helms’s White Racial Identity Development (WRID) model and guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study explored the lived experiences of ten white leaders across PK–12 and Institution of Higher Education (IHE). Data were collected through three semi‑structured interviews per participant and analyzed using IPA’s six‑step process. Five major themes emerged: transformational experiences that shifted leaders’ understanding of race and privilege; the critical role of white affinity …

Equity In Coastal Resilience: A Framework For University Engagement In Community-Based Projects, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Marina Saitgalina, Ogechukwu N. Nwandu-Vincent, Khairul A. Anuar, Thomas Allen, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

As communities face intensifying climate hazards, it is vital to strengthen resilience in ways that explicitly prioritize social equity. This study examines how higher education institutions can better support government, nonprofit, and community partners in advancing equity-centered coastal resilience in the U.S. Utilizing a qualitative research design, we analyze discussions among researchers and practitioners during a three-day workshop. We present a framework derived from a thematic analysis of breakout group transcripts from a three-day national virtual workshop involving 113 researchers and practitioners. The analysis identified four core themes: the necessity of aligning projects with community-defined priorities; the foundational role of …

Enhancing International School Implementation Capacity: Supporting Contextualized Learning At An International Baccalaureate School In China, Christopher J. Hayden Iv

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

International schools allocate substantial resources to implement progressive curricular innovations; however, the advantages offered by these developments are contingent on their effective execution within classroom settings. This mixed methods action research (MMAR) study examined the implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Context (GC) Strategy in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) at an international school in China and asked how the school might strengthen its capacity to enact this and similar innovations. Following a sequential MMAR design, a reconnaissance phase combined a whole-staff survey (n=87) with qualitative interviews to diagnose the individual, organizational, and contextual factors shaping implementation. Analyses identified …

The Role Of Education In Reducing Social Inequality: A Systems-Level Analysis Of Socio-Technical Infrastructures And Policy Governance, Aisling O'Shea, Batzorig Dashnyam, Ximena Quintanilla

Women's & Gender Studies Faculty Publications

Social inequality remains one of the most persistent challenges to global systemic stability, threatening the robustness of democratic institutions and economic sustainability. Education has long been theorized as the primary mechanism for social mobility and the mitigation of disparate life outcomes; however, its role within modern socio-technical infrastructures is increasingly complex and often contradictory. This paper provides a comprehensive systems-level analysis of the relationship between educational architecture and social stratification. By examining the structural trade-offs inherent in contemporary pedagogical deployment, the research evaluates how institutional governance, digital infrastructure, and policy mandates either facilitate or hinder the reduction of inequality. The …

An Ethnographic Study Of First-Generation Alumni At Dartmouth College: Perspectives From Alumni, Faculty, Staff, And Administrators, Brittney A. Roden

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

First- generation college students (FGCS) often face challenges adapting to the academic and social environments of elite institutions like Dartmouth College. Lacking familial experience in higher education, they must decode unspoken institutional norms, contributing to stress, social isolation, and barriers to accessing institutional support. This study examines how FGCS experience academic pressure, social belonging, and engagement with campus systems, and how these shape their personal and professional trajectories. Drawing on participant-generated audio diary journals with alumni, qualitative interviews with faculty and staff, and a review of existing literature, this research highlights the interplay of academic stress, coping strategies, cultural capital, …

Accessing Campus Mental Health Services In A Nigerian Southwestern University: Barriers To Academic Success, Caroline Dada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a significant health concern among higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A substantial treatment gap exists in the Nigerian healthcare system, and this gap is further worsened by cultural and religious barriers, which reinforce stigma that discourages students from seeking professional help. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the barriers students encountered when accessing mental health services at a university in Southwestern Nigeria, to increase service access. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with seven professional mental health providers at a university counseling center between March and April 2025. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify …

Impact Of Instagram Flyers In Higher Education: Within Resident Assistant Program Attendance Marketing, Mary J. Mcdonald

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This exploratory pilot study examines whether posting Instagram digital flyers affects Resident Assistant (RA) program attendance in the higher-education Housing and Residence Life (HRL) context. Instagram has emerged as a dominant channel of communication among Generation Z (1997-2012). As a result, higher education institutions have increasingly used social media to prompt student engagement and foster belonging, in hopes of strengthening retention. Using a quasi-experimental matched comparison design, attendance data from the 2024 academic year without Instagram flyers were compared to the 2025 academic year with Instagram flyers. The independent variable was the implementation of Instagram digital flyers, and the dependent …

Student Loan Debt And Higher Education Disruptions During Covid-19, Arielle Kuperberg, Danny Turkson, Joan Maya Mazelis, Katherine Fredricks, Anurag Pant

Journal of Student Financial Aid

We collected and analyzed a survey of 1,018 undergraduate students enrolled at a public regional university in Spring 2021, examining pandemic disruptions to education, living situations, and finances in the first year of the pandemic, and their relationship to loan presence and reports of taking out more loans as a result of the pandemic. Over half of students had student loans, and over one-third of them reported that they increased loan debt due to the pandemic. Results revealed pandemic-related academic and financial disruptions increased student debt for some. Students with loans were also more likely to have moved out of …

The Paradox Of Discipline: Equity, Standardization, And Black Student Outcomes In Public Schools, Latricia T. Davenport

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite efforts to address profound discipline disparities impacting Black students, the implementation of alternative disciplinary approaches like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Restorative Justice (RJ) has failed to eliminate significant disproportionality in school discipline. This study investigates how teachers navigate the challenges of disciplining Black students within a paradoxical school environment that juxtaposes equitable, human-centered methods with a historically rooted managerial paradigm emphasizing uniformity and zero tolerance. Drawing upon systemic racism and the concept of 'apprenticeship of observation,' this study explores how teachers' implicit biases about Black students are formed by long-held institutional norms and personal experiences. It …

Borderlines Of Becoming: Transfronterizx College Students Navigating Surveillance, Hybridity And Belonging Along The Us-México Border, Aylin Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This narrative literature review examines the educational experiences of transfronterizx college students along the U.S.– México border, a population largely absent from higher education scholarship. Drawing on Borderlands Theory, Anzaldúa’s frameworks, and critical perspectives on neoliberalism and militarization, this thesis highlights the border as a site of both constraint and possibility. Structural violence, surveillance, and militarization intersect with linguistic, racial, and class hierarchies to shape students’ mobility, identities, and sense of belonging. At the same time, students mobilize hybrid identities, cultural wealth, and transborder networks to assert agency, cultivate belonging, and resist deficit narratives. It also identifies persistent gaps, particularly …

Exploring Hiring Managers’ Strategies For Recruiting Diverse Educators In A Southeastern State, Keisa K. Davis Ma

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the strategies applied by hiring managers within one state in the southeastern United States to recruit diverse teachers. The purpose of the study was to explore hiring managers’ experiences and knowledge of minority teacher recruitment. The primary research question for this study was: What strategies do hiring managers in the school district under study find most effective in overcoming barriers to recruiting minority educators, and how do they measure their success? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and thematic coding was used to arrive at emerging themes, patterns, and perceptions. The findings revealed that while hiring managers …

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Reimagining Civic Education In The United States: Integrating Research, Policy, And Practice For Democratic Renewal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Civic education in the United States faces persistent challenges, including inequitable access, curricular fragmentation, and reluctance to address controversial social and political issues. This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of research, policy analysis, and practice-based case studies to reimagine civic education for the 21st century. Drawing on core scholarship supplemented with additional peer-reviewed studies on school segregation, charter school demographics, and race-conscious student assignment policies, the study examines the historical evolution of civic education, structural inequities, political avoidance, and promising innovations. Using a qualitative synthesis approach, the findings highlight five thematic areas: structural inequities, curricular misalignment, sanitized narratives, limits of …

Anderson University Student Handbook, 2025-2026, Anderson University - South Carolina

Handbooks

The Anderson University student handbook for the 2025-2026 school year.

Professor Perspectives: Inclusion Of Students With An Intellectual Disability In Transition Programming On A College Campus, Melissa Jane Massey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) are often unemployed or underemployed compared to students who do not have ID. Transition or postsecondary programming for students with ID has increased in recent years in response to the U.S. federal requirement for special education professionals to complete transition plans before students turn 16. The requirement for transition planning in Texas is age 14, and the ARD committee including the student and parent come together to develop goals for future planning. Transition plans include information on future employment, future independent living skills, and agency connections that students with ID may need to access to …

Collaborative Reflections On A Practical Journey Through Transcendental Phenomenology Data Analysis, Tyler Kulp, Hissah Alzahrani, Michele Parker

The Qualitative Report

Although transcendental phenomenology is widely recognized in qualitative research, there is limited discussion of how researchers come to understand and apply its methods in practice. This paper examines how reflective collaboration enhances the understanding and use of transcendental phenomenological analysis. It involves the first author, a recent doctoral graduate, the second author, a current doctoral student, and the third author, the doctoral advisor, using a collaborative approach. We draw upon the first author’s dissertation, providing clear, actionable guidance for simplifying the analysis process. The discussion highlights the value of collaborative reflection in making the methodology more accessible and enriching understanding …

Preparation, Development, And Refinement Of The Interview Protocol In Qualitative Research, David C. Coker, Adebowale Akande

The Qualitative Report

Interview protocols are by far the most common method utilized in qualitative research data collection. Novice and experienced researchers, from working on dissertations to grant proposals or other publications, often lack detailed interview design methods, as many educational programs do not require specific coursework on interview protocols and question development. To improve qualitative research, we make a proposal to incorporate an interdisciplinary approach that operationalizes three stages: preparation, development, and refinement. Preparation involves mapping the extant literature to define broad, narrow, and focused topics to write actionable standards, goals, and objectives. Development uses instructional design and educational psychology to construct …

About The Contributors

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Transpositions: Reflections On Friendship And Nine Days In October With Peter Beilharz And Sian Supski, Christopher G. Robbins

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

In this essay, the author uses the idea of transposition to reflect on Peter Beilharz and Sian Supski's historic visit to Eastern Michigan University and southeast Michigan in October 2024. Transposition is used to deprivatize Robbins's reflections to consider broader and more generalizable concerns relative to pedagogy and educational philosophy. Further, transposition, in this regard, provided a way to reflect on the (increased) importance of friendship in academia.

Keywords: transposition, translation, friendship

"Through A Medium Of Fordism": Images And Ideas On Utopia, Lisa Voelker

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

The concept of utopia, which has long captivated human imagination, offering a vision of an ideal society that can be inspiring, is elusive at best and harmful in many of the actual attempts we’ve seen throughout history. This photo essay takes me through the philosophical underpinnings of Fordism’s Utopian ideas, the cultural intersections between the United States and Australia, and the enduring fascination with antiquity that shapes our modern identities (Gray, 2018). I aim to learn more about the contradictions and patterns that define our collective and individual pursuits of an ideal world.

Keywords: utopia, contradictions, liberation, photography

The Flaying Of America's Utopia: What New Dreams Can Be Imagined?, Rachel Robbins-Whited

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

Amid the collapse of American constitutionalism and the crisis of late capitalism, this paper argues for the urgent reimagining of global education through Critical Globalization Studies (CGS). Drawing from world-systems analysis, Fordism, and utopian theory, it traces how the United States exported capitalist hegemony globally, contributing to our current interregnum. The paper proposes CGS and Critical Global Citizenship Education (CGCE) as pedagogical tools for cultivating ethical, justice-oriented youth capable of imagining post-capitalist futures. Emphasizing glocalization and the legitimacy of non-Western epistemologies, the work calls for a reversal of hegemonic flows, where peripheral cultures help to reshape global education. It addresses …

Road Trip!: U-Turns, Detours, And Construction Aplenty In Fordist Modernity, Eric Ferris

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

Beginning with Peter Beilharz’s (2015) assertion that the modern and its active form, modernization, are often reductively conflated with both Fordism and Americanism, this essay teases out the idea that modernization is multifaceted, contested, and global in scope, despite the pains that both Fordism and Americanism have taken to obscure this unevenness in an attempt to monopolize the narrative of modernization. From there, it takes seriously Beilharz’s (2015) assertion that modernization imprints itself onto both production and consumption, and that among its paramount innovations is its impact on culture. The essay asserts that in addition to the automobile, Fordism has …

Forging Desire Paths In Undesirable Times, Rachel Dick

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

Drawing on the visit of Dr. Peter Beilharz and Dr. Sian Supski to Eastern Michigan University in October 2024, this essay explores the relationship between desire paths and our intersectional identities. Examining the impact of modernity on our lived experiences and conceptions of utopia, the essay explores the reality of the paths we must navigate daily to function in a society built on systems of power and oppression. Ultimately, the essay argues that marginalized individuals must draw survivance and insurgent lines, rather than truly desirable lines, in order to strive towards utopia.

Keywords: desire paths, utopia, identity, survivance, insurgent

Desire Paths: The Visible And Invisible, Audrey Farrugia

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This paper explores the concept of desire paths, unplanned routes created by people to move quickly through an environment, and their relationship to inclusivity and social justice. Building on Sian Supski’s public talk at Eastern Michigan University’s College of Education, sponsored by The Workshop for Community+Collaboration and the Morris Chair for Educational Transformation, which highlighted the use of desire paths in everyday life, this paper promotes the exploration of the unconventional and often invisible desire paths created and traveled by marginalized people.

Keywords: desire path, inclusivity, disorientation guide

Sowing The Seeds Of Utopia Collectively, From Australia To America And Everywhere In Between: A Methodology And Practice For Resistance And Emancipation, Rachelle F. Marshall

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

This reflection on internationally renowned scholars Peter Beilharz and Sian Supski’s visit to Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in October 2024 presents utopia as a sociological methodology useful for research in educational studies. Presenting a brief introduction and exploration of the methodology, this article considers the cultural changes that are necessary to teach toward democratic, ecologically sustainable utopias compared to capitalist visions of utopia. As a starting point for further discussion, this personal reflection merely scratches the surface to provide a glimpse into the conditions that would underlie a democratic, ecologically sustainable utopia and serves to document a few of the …

Letter To Peter Beilharz And Sian Supski, Dante Dorsey

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.