The Representation Of Feminine Beauty In Generative Artificial Intelligence Models, Haley R. Stacy

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology advances, its influence on media and societal perceptions becomes increasingly significant. This dissertation explores how popular generative visual AI models represent women and the implications for racial and body type inclusivity. This study examines women’s perceptions of AI-generated representations. Two primary research questions are being explored: (1) How do AI-generated algorithms represent women in visual outputs when prompted with broad beauty-related keywords? (2) How do women perceive their representation in these AI-generated visual outputs? Through a detailed analysis of AI-generated imagery, the research uncovers implicit and explicit biases within these systems. The research also gathered …

The Impact Of The Implementation Of The Interconnected Systems Framework (Isf) On Educators, Kayla Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Amid growing concerns around teacher retention and educator job satisfaction, this study explored how system-level frameworks, particularly the Interconnected System Framework (ISF), could influence key teacher outcomes. While the ISF has been widely associated with improved student outcomes, this research investigated its potential to enhance educator experiences, focusing on working conditions, retention rates, and school climate. Quantitative analysis revealed that schools implementing the ISF or PBIS reported significantly more favorable working conditions and school climate compared to non-implementing schools. Although teacher retention rates did not significantly differ across implementation types, notable variability within the non-implementing group suggests a need for …

The Role Of Educational Administrators In Shaping School Culture, Bo B. Culver

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative multiple-case study explored the role of educational administrators in shaping and sustaining positive school culture across three high schools in Alabama: a suburban public school, a rural public school, and a private Christian academy. Guided by transformational and ethical leadership theories, the study examined how administrators influence school climate, navigate challenges, and respond to external pressures. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and cultural artifact review. Findings revealed that administrators who modeled ethical leadership, maintained visibility, and fostered relational trust were more effective in cultivating inclusive, resilient, and values-driven school cultures. Shared leadership practices and …

Bridging Diversity And Discipline: Stakeholder Perceptions Of Dei And Technical Rigor In Agriculture Education, David A. Yarbrough

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

School-based agricultural education (SBAE) serves as a foundational model for preparing students through classroom instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), and FFA involvement. This study examined the perceptions of Georgia high school agricultural educators regarding how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives impact technical rigor and traditional agricultural knowledge within SBAE programs. Educators reported that DEI efforts did not compromise technical rigor, and traditional elements, such as SAE and FFA, remained central to program success. These findings suggest that inclusion and tradition can coexist, with DEI seen as a complement rather than a conflict with SBAE goals. The results provide valuable …

The Role Of Faith-Based Adult Education In Black And Marginalized Communities, Brian Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how faith-based and strengths-based adult education programs impact the cognitive well-being, life purpose, and socioeconomic outcomes of Black, and marginalized adult learners. The research seeks to understand the lived experiences of participants, motivations, and barriers to inform more inclusive and effective adult education practices. Additionally, the study aims to understand what impact these organizations are having on the self-efficacy, socioeconomic outcomes of Black and marginalized students, while looking to align areas for improvement. While the study uses quantitative methods to answer research question, the focus of questions bring insight that would …

Student Centers: The Intersection Of Campus Ecology And Sense Of Community, Caitlyn A. Wine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Student centers are more than physical structures as they function as dynamic environments that serve as the hearthstone of campus, providing spaces for students to gather, connect, and engage. However, their role in fostering students’ sense of community remains underexplored. Grounded in campus ecology theory, this study explored whether time spent in the student center and specific forms of interaction predicted students’ sense of community. A quantitative survey design was employed, the Student Center and Sense of Community Intersection Survey (SCSCIS), to assess student center usage and perceived sense of community. Results indicated that time spent in the student center …

Principal Perceptions Of Leadership Preparedness To Promote Family Engagement In Urban Title I Elementary Schools, Marcus Kimber

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research examines urban Title I elementary school principals’ perceptions of their family engagement readiness based on university leadership preparation and/or district-level professional development. Based on Epstein's Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence, this research examines how educational leaders overcome socioeconomic inequities, trust problems, and communication failures to develop equitable relationships with families. Themes that revealed preparation deficiencies and prospective high-impact family engagement methods emerged from semi-structured interviews and ongoing comparison analysis. Principals value family engagement and recognize its impact on student achievement and school climate, but most feel unprepared to implement systematic, sustainable student engagement strategies. Leadership training …

Spirituality And Unexpected Leadership: The Untold Stories Of Black Women Assistant Principals, Iantha B. Kittles

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative study that uses the theoretical framework of Womanism (Walker, 1983/1967) to examine how Black women assistant principals use spirituality as a guidepost for their work in K-12 educational spaces. To expand on the work of Womanism, I draw on Dr. Berlisha Morton’s Southern Womanism (2016) and Dr. Emilie Townes’ Womanist Spirituality (1995), grounding this study in the conceptual framework of Southern Womanist Spirituality, which emphasizes the intersection of Black women’s work, spirituality, and social justice as well as race, gender, and place. The study uses a hybrid research methodology, Hush Harbor Circles, to promote healing …

Afghan Students Are More Than Just English Learners, Farilla Saboor

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis examines the strengths that Afghan students and their families bring to U.S. schools and how these strengths are often overlooked. Drawing on my experience as an Afghan immigrant, math teacher, and bilingual instructional aide, I explore how Afghan students, parents, and teachers describe these cultural, linguistic, and relational assets that shape students’ learning and sense of belonging. I use the Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) and Funds of Knowledge (FoK) as guiding frameworks to understand the aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant capital present in participants’ experiences (Moll et al., 1992; Yosso, 2005).

I conducted qualitative interviews with …

Experiential Learning Through Simulations In Fully Online Asynchronous Courses: Exploring The Role Of Self-Debriefing, David De Jong, Sara Dexter

Research & Publications

Online preparation of professionals is increasing in higher education, which in educational leadership prepa ration programs raises the need for a means to provide authentic simulations of leadership experiences and help aspirants learn from them. This study presents a content analysis of 826 responses from 59 different school leadership students who, following each of the 14 simulations they experienced, wrote one response in an asynchronous format as a form of self-debriefing. The five themes identified map to the four phases of the experiential learning cycle (Kolb, 1984), suggesting that virtual opportunities to practice leadership in tions may serve as grounding …

Campus Climate Perceptions And Developmental Needs Of Non-Monogamous Students In Postsecondary Education, Dayna B. Lewis-Jones

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

they identify as necessary. Ten college students who self-identified as non-monogamous participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings show that most were unaware of any campus resources specific to their identities and often felt invisible within student affairs structures. Students described balancing self-acceptance with stigma and highlighted needs such as knowledgeable staff, peer connection, and inclusive spaces. Overall, the study indicates that acceptance strongly influences both climate perception and developmental outcomes. These results point to a gap in higher education practice and emphasize the importance of policies, training, and resources that acknowledge and support non-monogamous students. Keywords: non-monogamy, polyamory, relationships, sexuality, student …

The Arts And Student Engagement: Correlational Insights For School Accountability Of Low Income, English Learners, And Foster Youth, Paul Treesuwan

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the relationship between students’ engagement in the arts and their engagement in both academic classes and the broader school community within a diverse, urban, public charter high school. Using survey data from 251 students in grades 9–12, analyses explored whether arts engagement was associated with academic and school-community engagement and whether these relationships differed across English Learner (EL), low-income (F/R), and foster-youth subgroups. Results revealed that arts engagement was moderately and positively correlated with both academic engagement and school-community engagement confirming consistent cross-domain associations. ANOVA analyses detected no statistically significant differences in engagement levels by EL, …

Women Of Color In K-12 Educational Leadership Pursuing Higher-Level District Advancement In Public Education, Telicia R. Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This paper focuses on the inequities in leadership along with gender and racial intersections that may contribute to barriers for Women of Color who have already acquired mid-level leadership positions and are seeking opportunities to acquire positions deemed as senior district-level positions. This qualitative case study was explored through the lens of feminist poststructuralist and equity theories. The objective was to research the participants and ascertain participant perspectives on the role that race, and gender constructs have played in their ability to attain their current positions and how any barriers encountered impact their attempts at new levels of career advancement …

The Influence Of Family-School Communication On Junior High School Students’ Academic Success, Stephen Junior Amoah

Masters Theses

This study examines the influence of family-school communication on students' academic success in the context of Ghana, with a particular focus on Junior High School (JHS) students. While existing research emphasizes the importance of family involvement in educational outcomes, limited studies explore how family-school communication directly affects academic success in Ghana. By using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative and qualitative data collection. The quantitative component includes an online survey distributed to JHS graduates, assessing the frequency, impact, methods, and barriers of communication between families and schools, as well as their perceived effect on academic performance. The survey includes …

Relationship Between School Climate And Effectiveness, Michele D. Franklin Mrs

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship between school climate and school effectiveness in six rural elementary schools. School effectiveness was defined by state reading, math, and index achievement scores. The districts’ Studer Education Survey and the KSA’s Quality of School Climate and Safety survey assessment data were combined to determine each school’s climate score. The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework guided the study. The study examined a rural school district’s focus on providing a system of support for reading, math, social emotional learning (SEL), and behavior (SEB) that influenced school climate and ultimately …

The Equitability Of Virtual Public High School Education In Urban School District, Carissa Jury

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Virtual education has become an integral component of modern high school education, particularly in urban districts where diverse student populations require flexible and equitable learning environments. This qualitative study explores the equitability of virtual public high school education in an urban school district, focusing on accessibility, student experiences, and policy implications. Using social constructivism and ecological systems' theory as theoretical frameworks, this research investigates factors influencing equitable outcomes, including access to technology, teacher and community support, and socioeconomic status. Data was collected through structured interviews and focus groups with students and parents engaged in virtual education. Key findings indicate that …

Extending The Applicability Of Thermal Protection System Ballistic Limit Equations Beyond The Testable Regime, William P. Schonberg, Michael D. Squire

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spacecraft use thermal insulation in their design, which is usually placed on their exterior. As such, it is susceptible to high-speed impacts by meteoroids and orbital debris, which can damage it to a point where the protection it offers is below acceptable limits. It is important to be able to characterize expected levels of damage stemming from such high-speed impacts. In this paper, we extend the applicability of a previously developed ballistic limit equation (BLE) for one such thermal insulation material using the results of a series of Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Code (SPHC) impact simulations at velocities in excess of …

Opportunities Await: The Impact Of School-Based Mentoring In Cultivating Youth Resources, Tara Mager

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative research explores the impact of school-based mentoring (SBM) relationships on youth, focusing on how these connections build social networks and open access to valuable resources. Through in-depth interviews with youth participants, this study examines characteristics that mentors, both within and outside the SBM program, cultivate to help mentees navigate academic and personal challenges. Grounded in social capital theory, the findings reveal how SBM and natural mentoring relationships foster trust, resource sharing, and youth resilience. This research provides practical recommendations to enhance SBM programs and suggests directions for future studies to deepen understanding of the characteristics that make mentoring …

Rising From The Ashes: Reading Impacts And The Effects Of Recovery Educational Services Following A Major Natural Disaster, Tiffanie Lousia Lambert

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This Improvement Science Dissertation examined solutions to improving literacy outcomes for students in an elementary school that experienced a wildfire during the pandemic. School data revealed lagging reading growth among students displaced by the wildfire despite educational recovery efforts. A root cause analysis to understand students' limited reading recovery led to more global concerns about school-wide literacy programming and the limited use of evidence- based approaches. School-wide data revealed that fewer than 30% of students in the school met literacy benchmarks since the wildfire. Though the fires disproportionally impacted low-income neighborhoods with higher representation of English Learners and students receiving …

Conceptualizing And Operationalizing Equity In School District Strategic Planning: From Paper To Practice To Performance, Joshua T. Fraser

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative document analysis examined how five school districts in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest conceptualize and operationalize equity in their strategic planning documents, and the extent to which their stated intentions align with measurable outcomes. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, particularly the concepts of racism's permanence and interest convergence, the study analyzed 67 documents, including strategic plans, board materials, achievement data, and policy documents collected between May and June 2025. Through systematic three-phase coding informed by critical discourse analysis, four distinct equity approach typologies emerged: Transformative Anti-Racist, Liberal Excellence, Individual Achievement, and Resource Equity. Findings reveal that …

Shame And Shame Resilience Among Students In An Alternative Suspension Program, James Alvin Rader Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study investigated the impact of an alternative suspension academic recovery program on shame and shame resilience among academically suspended college students. Grounded in shame resilience theory, the study examined changes in shame, specifically avoidance behavior, negative self-perception, and overall feelings of shame, and in shame resilience, including critical awareness, recognition of shame, the ability to verbalize shame, help-seeking behaviors, and total shame resilience. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-program surveys using the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-4 (TOSCA-4) and a researcher-developed Shame Resilience Scale. Qualitative data were then gathered through postintervention focus groups to …

Leadership Practices And Preparation Pathways Of High Impact Principals In An Urban School District: A Mixed Methods Study, Kimberly D. Vaught

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study examined the leadership practices and preparation pathways of high-impact principals in an urban school district, focusing on those leading high-poverty Title I schools. The study aimed to identify key leadership traits, transformational practices, and preparation pathways while providing recommendations for leadership development programs to support sustained school improvement. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used. Phase 1 involved a 30-item Likert scale survey administered to high-impact principals, assessing leadership practices such as goal setting, instructional monitoring, fostering collaboration, articulating a vision, and preparation for leadership. Phase 2 included semi-structured interviews with a subset of principals to more …

The Power Of Church Leadership Training And Development: Equipping, Empowering, And Encouraging Church Leaders To Lead Effectively, Monique Kirk

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored perceptions of a church’s ministry leadership team to determine their preparation in the tools, skillsets, and strategies needed to lead themselves and others well. The study sought to understand the needs of these church ministries to meet the spiritual and daily needs of the members they serve. The study used a mixed methods design, employing a survey and focus group that examined perceptions of ministry experiences, training, development, and other support. Results were examined through the lens of Lewin’s (1947) force field analysis to determine both driving and restraining forces on effective ministry leadership (Hussain et al., …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Students' Perceptions Of Social-Emotional Factors In Teacher-Student Relationships And Its Impact On Academic Achievement Of Impoverished High School Youth, Jeannine L. Carrington

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of former students from a Title I high school in a disadvantaged urban community, focusing on how socio-emotional factors in teacher-student relationships influenced academic achievement. Grounded in Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory and the CASEL (2017) social-emotional learning (SEL) framework, the study examined how teacher encouragement, emotional support, and expectations impacted student motivation and persistence. Twenty alumni participated in semi-structured interviews, analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: teacher encouragement, emotional support, high expectations, cultural awareness, and long-term impact. Findings suggest that emotionally supportive, trusting relationships foster self-efficacy, engagement, and …

Ripple Effects: A Study On Organizational Turnover Within A State Education Agency, Kayce L. Cook

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study examined employee turnover within a state-level government agency, emphasizing its impact on organizational efficiency, program continuity, and educational outcomes. Utilizing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the study investigated the underlying causes of turnover and identified strategic solutions for improving employee retention. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design integrated quantitative survey data with qualitative insights from anonymous open-ended responses and confidential interviews, providing a comprehensive understanding of employee experiences. Findings revealed that work-life imbalance, lack of career advancement, ineffective leadership, and inadequate communication were among the drivers of turnover. Employees expressed frustration over pay inequities, limited …

Full Issue

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

A Retention Model You Will Actually Use: The Development Of A Retention Model Grounded In Research And Designed For Practice, Steve Conn

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Inclusive Teaching: Strategies For Promoting Equity In The College Classroom, Kara E. Martin

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

How To Know A Person: The Art Of Seeing Others Deeply And Being Deeply Seen, David A. Winkler

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Christian Higher Education: An Empirical Guide, Roy Y. Chan

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.