Other Education Commons^™

Avian Influenza And The Approach To Designing An H5n1 Vaccine, Lauren N. Hickey

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N1 has been responsible for the culling and deaths of millions of birds since 2022 with concern for wildlife, livestock, and human infections occurring as well. With eggs flying off the shelves in grocery stores, even individuals not involved in the agricultural industry have seen the drastic effects of this disease first-hand. For chickens, this virus works quickly and overpowers the innate immune system before the adaptive immune system has time to properly respond. Therefore, a safe and effective vaccine could reduce the number of poultry deaths and prevent the continuous spread of the infection. …

Improvements Upon Reprocessing Of Orthopedic Single-Use Instruments, Alyssa P. Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Internal Medline data for Hospital A, a level I academic trauma center, identified a quality gap due to improper segregation and underutilization of orthopedic single-use device reprocessing bins. The baseline reprocessing rate of 4% for orthopedic products results in missed sustainability opportunities, financial strain, and increased regulated waste. A proposed quality improvement intervention implemented updated communication strategies, visual management tools, and education modules to reinforce current reprocessing workflows and close knowledge gaps. Outcome measures include the percentage of SUDs collected for reprocessing, survey results on reprocessing awareness, and potential financial savings in Appendix I. Early data showed a 10% year-to-year …

Advancing Blended Education: Caribbean Lecturers’ Reflective Narratives Of Caution, Creativity, And Change, Mia A. Jules, Donna-Maria B. Maynard, Grace A. Fayombo, Jason E. Marshall, Tanya Newton, Kamilah Hutson, Amanda Kellman, Cherise Bynoe, Mikaila Collymore, Jo-Ann Prosper-Chase, Laura Lee Foster, Adicia Clarke

Journal of Global Education and Research

Blended teaching requires lecturers to constantly self-reflect on their pedagogical practice to enhance student learning. However, there is yet to be a significant corpus of literature that highlights the cognitive resources that lecturers in higher education should possess to effectively use blended learning strategies. It is important to understand the intellectual resources required for blended pedagogy so that such capabilities can be fostered during faculty-training programs; ultimately resulting in innovative strategies to ensure quality learning outcomes and the advancement of university-level blended teaching mandates. This qualitative case study explored how twelve Caribbean lecturers experienced and navigated the teaching process in …

“None Of Them Use Facebook Anymore, It’S Just For Us, Internet Dinosaurs” Czech Media Education Teachers And Social Media, Karolína Šimková, Ana F. Oliveira, Annamária Neag

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

In today’s digital age, media education teachers are expected to be at the forefront of guiding young people through the complex digital world. This study aimed to explore how media education teachers’ personal and professional engagement with social media shapes their teaching practices in Czech primary schools (teaching pupils aged 11–15). Through 17 semi-structured interviews, we delved into teachers’ social media use, classroom discussions, and pedagogical approaches to media education to identify the distinct attitudes these teachers hold toward social media. The study shows that Czech media education teachers’ diverse strategies for integrating social media into their curriculum are primarily …

Related Arts Teachers In A Professional Learning Community: On The Phenomenon Of Implementation, Noah Friedman

Journal of Practitioner Research

In recent decades, the popularity of teacher collaboration and data-driven instructional practices has seen the increased use of the professional learning community (PLC) model as a method for school improvement. Within the PLC framework are singletons, educators who are the only ones who teach their subject in their buildings (Hansen, 2015). In elementary school settings, related arts teams (e.g. music, art, physical education, and so on) are often included in a PLC as an afterthought. To accommodate the distinctive needs of this team, I created an intervention tool and method to provide support to related arts teams as they implement …

October 2026 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

October 27 Special Event for SWOSU Alumnus & Author, Dr. Jim Logan

October 29 Dedication of the Randy L. Beutler Building

October 30-31 SWOSU Homecoming

November 5 SWOSU Near You: Elk City

November 13 Shoot For The Stars Sporting Clay Shoot

November 13-14 Baseball Alumni Weekend

December 2 SWOSU Presidental Investiture

December 12 Fall Commencement

Reducing Food Waste Through Education And Community Collaboration, Myeesha Lance, Sharneece Gary

EFNEP

This Land-Grant Press publication explores strategies to reduce food waste through education, innovation, and community engagement. It highlights consumer behaviors, date label confusion, and planning practices that drive waste, while offering practical solutions like meal planning, grocery management, and clearer food labeling. Key takeaways include the importance of behavior change, policy collaboration, and Extension-led outreach. Target audiences include educators, policymakers, community leaders, and households seeking to improve sustainability and food security

Access In Teaching Stem Subjects To The Blind, Ashley E. Neybert

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

There are still many gaps in the literature regarding the difficulties faced by instructors of students who are blind and low vision and who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. We surveyed 26 K-12 STEM teachers about accessible materials they are aware of versus which accessible materials they use in their classrooms, their thoughts on how common challenges identified in the extent literature affect them in their teaching, and their perspective on how much extra time may be required for blind and low vision students (if any) to effectively learn STEM subjects.

Adapting To Change: A Mixed Methods Approach To Understand How Colleges And Universities Are Utilizing Animals To Help Students Transition Into Higher Education, Christopher Puglisi, Shalini Mathew, Nicole D. Schutter, Monte Meyerink, Abiah George

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Individuals experience several changes in their lives, with one of the most impactful being leaving home to attend college. It is no surprise that college-age students need mental health support, especially in times of adjustment. To address this adjustment, animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have recently gained substantial attention. In this study, college and university departments that help students transition to higher education were surveyed (N = 59) and interviewed (N = 6) to understand how AAI are utilized. Results indicate that AAI have potential to ease students’ higher education transition, though institutions must establish an outline that states the benefits of …

Opening Day! A Networking Activity For The First Day Of Class, Kerri Anne Crowne

International Journal of Transformative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Diversity has increased in our classrooms, and students, on average, spend over seven hours on screens daily. These factors create more complexity in higher education. Networking provides opportunities to engage students with others and build social capital in diverse environments. So, during the first day of the semester, I conduct a networking icebreaker that provides students the chance to get to know their classmates better. During the activity, students use a handout with a table of criteria to find someone in the class who fits each criterion listed. Then they write the person’s name in the table and ask them …

Empowering Generations: The Role Of Family And Consumer Sciences In Advancing Financial Literacy And Resilience, Stephen Molchan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In this article, I explore the critical role of family and consumer sciences (FCS) in advancing financial literacy and resilience across generations. By addressing systemic financial challenges and integrating financial education into its curriculum, FCS empowers individuals and families to make informed decisions and build secure futures. The article highlights strategies such as early intervention, culturally relevant programs, and community outreach, emphasizing how FCS equips individuals with practical skills in budgeting, saving, debt management, and risk assessment. I discuss the importance of advocacy for financial inclusion and consumer protection as a means to create equitable opportunities for financial well-being, underscoring …

Hospitality And Tourism Students’ Perceptions Of Well-Being, Belonging, And Engagement In Their Academic Endeavors And Extracurricular Activities, Cynthia S. Deale, Seung Hyun Lee

International Journal for Business Education

Background/Introduction/Purpose: This study examined hospitality and tourism college/university students’ views of their engagement, well-being, and sense of belonging in academic and extracurricular activities, based on 130 responses from students in the United States.

Methods: Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses. Qualitative comments were also obtained.

Results:  Respondents felt positive overall about their engagement, and many participated in extracurricular activities. The relationships between class engagement and sense of belonging, and between campus engagement and sense of belonging were significant, and the sense of belonging significantly influenced student subjective …

Impact And Utilization Of Asl Lab Spaces In University Settings, Nathan J. Dutra, Michele Vincent

Journal of Interpretation

American Sign Language (ASL) is a challenging yet rapidly growing language taught at both secondary and higher education levels. Despite its increasing popularity, there is limited literature on utilizing ASL labs as learning centers. This quantitative study examines the implementation of a new ASL lab at a large four-year university in California. It investigates the factors influencing participation, the motivations behind students' involvement, and their perceptions of the lab's effectiveness. Results indicate significant associations between course modality, instructor influence, and lab participation. The study suggests that ASL labs function as cultural and educational spaces that promote visibility of Deaf culture …

September 2026 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

September 11 SWOSU Charitable Hunt

October 30-31 SWOSU Homecoming

November 5 SWOSU Near You: Elk City

November 13 Shoot For The Stars Sporting Clay Shoot

Volume 9 (2026) Climate And Responsibility

International Journal on Responsibility

This issue focuses on the various ways responsibility affects environmental justice. Specifically, this volume urges us to think about how societal and individual (in)action influences ecological crises and what informs this behavior, with a specific focus on religious and Indigenous beliefs and values.

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

Agapē, Aretē, And The Arena: Exploring Sport Through Faith, Reason, And Olympism, Gary V. Meegan

Journal of Catholic Education

Young people have a passion for play, for competition and sport, a place where they feel fully alive. As a result, Catholic schools have introduced courses to explore sport and spirituality, delving into the working of God in their lives through athletics. However, the study of philosophy is integral to the understanding of the Catholic faith, therefore any education must also include the study of philosophy if it is to be authentically Catholic. The opportunity to create a course that incorporated both disciplines with sport resulted in a high school elective course titled, Philosophy and Theology of Sport. Its purpose …

Finding God In All Things: A Course On Theology Of Sport At A Jesuit High School, Craig M. Smith

Journal of Catholic Education

This article examines the development, structure, and impact of a senior elective course on the Theology of Sport at an all-boys Jesuit Catholic high school in the east coast of the United States. Grounded in Ignatian pedagogy and the Catholic theological tradition, the course invites students to reflect critically on their lived experiences in sport through the lenses of play, spirituality, and Church teaching Drawing on sources such as Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Play, papal and Vatican statements on sport, and contemporary theological reflections on athletic experience, the course challenges the tendency to silo athletics from other dimensions of student …

The Bambisanani Partnership: A Global Initiative Activating Faith And Sport, David Geldart, Matt Hoven

Journal of Catholic Education

The Bambisanani Partnership: A Global Initiative Activating Faith and Sport Partnership is a United Kingdom-based charity that originated as a sports-based partnership between St. Mary’s Catholic High School in the UK, and Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu- Natal (KZN), South Africa, in 2006. Inspired by papal teaching about sport, this article explores the ways in which this particular program has been successful in providing opportunities to live out the Catholic faith through sports participation. The partnership, which remains based at St. Mary’s School and is run entirely by volunteers, operates in the Nkandla region of South Africa, which is …

The Magis Ministry Model - Building Sustainable Sports And Performing Arts Ministries, Drew J. Vilinsky

Journal of Catholic Education

The Magis Ministry Model addresses the documented decline in youth religious practice by leveraging the high participation rates in secondary school athletics and performing arts. Recognizing that many students struggle to connect faith with what they value, the model embeds lay adult chaplains within teams and troupes to provide a "ministry of accompaniment". Key to this framework are chapel talks—weekly, 15- to 20-minute reflections that invite students to encounter God through their specific craft. Longitudinal data from Saint Ignatius High School demonstrates significant impact:  over 74% of surveyed participants strongly advocate for the program's continuation, and successful head coaches now …

Faith, Formation, And Sport: How Diocesan Athletic Associations Articulate Catholic Mission, Samuel Naab

Journal of Catholic Education

As Catholic schools navigate declining enrollment, expanding school choice policies, and increasing specialization in youth athletics, diocesan Catholic youth athletic associations represent an understudied site of mission articulation and identity formation within Catholic education. This study examines the organizational composition of diocesan athletic associations in the United States and analyzes how these organizations construct and communicate mission and Catholic identity through governing documents. Using structural topic modeling, the study analyzes 81 mission-oriented statements drawn from publicly available handbooks, bylaws, and policy manuals of 51 diocesan athletic associations. Results indicate that mission-oriented language across organizations reflects a consistent set of value-based …

A Comparative Analysis Of Educator And Parent Perspectives Of Catholic High School Athletics, Kevin J. Calkins

Journal of Catholic Education

This study surveyed parents to compare their perceptions of the role of athletics in the Catholic high school environment with those of educators, and to examine the degree to which athletics influences parental enrollment decisions. Educators and parents mostly agree on the role of interscholastic athletics in Catholic high schools. The most noticeable difference between educators and parents is about the perceived role of athletics in student formation. While the strength and health of a Catholic high school’s athletic program are important considerations when parents choose a Catholic high school for their child, the results indicate that academic quality is …

Trauma-Informed Coaching: An Application Of Catholic Social Teaching To Formation And Healing Through Sport, Kristin K. Sheehan, Peter Piscitello, Elaine Cassidy

Journal of Catholic Education

Mission-driven athletic programs aim to form the whole athlete—physically, emotionally, socially, morally, and spiritually. A critical component of this mission is equipping coaches to serve as ministers of the Church while embracing trauma-informed practices. This paper introduces the rationale, process, and techniques for trauma-informed coaching as a research-based approach to supporting athlete mental health. Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, this framework emphasizes community, participation, and the dignity of the human person, particularly care for the vulnerable. Drawing on neuroscientific and psychological research on trauma alongside Church documents and papal pronouncements, the paper demonstrates how trauma-informed coaching fosters healing and resilience …

The Case For Sports In Catholic Schools: Philosophical Considerations And Practical Guidelines, James Foeckler

Journal of Catholic Education

Building on the work of Jānis Ozoliņš, this article establishes a philosophical justification for the place of sports at catholic schools and follows with practical guidelines for the integration of athletics and academics in catholic schools. The justification relies primarily on the works of Patrick Kelly and Thomas Aquinas and asserts that moral formation and play are essential elements of the end of sport which is victory. The guidelines concern implementation of sports with respect to the student-athletes themselves, the academic curriculum, and families. The article considers moral formation with respect to Aquinas's cardinal virtues and makes distinctions between catholic …

Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past, Dries Vanysacker

Journal of Catholic Education

This article presents a historiographical overview of the development of the role of sport within the Western European Catholic education in the 20th century. Since the late 19th century, combining gymnastics with new sport disciplines was a huge challenge for Catholic schools. Within the 20th century, changing political situations and educational policies by governments continuously influenced the Catholic education theories and practice. Catholic schools also depended on the Holy See’s policy concerning education and its attitude toward sport. As the Catholic pedagogy is part of a broader theological concept of the human being, and the latter changed in the 1950s/1960’s, …

Sport, Human Flourishing And The Common Good: A Jesuit Perspective, Patrick M. Kelly S.J.

Journal of Catholic Education

The author interprets humanist and early Jesuit education inspired by the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the flow psychology theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to highlight that they bring about differentiation – the development of the different interests, skills, dimensions of the person – and integration – in a way that is connected to community and fosters the common good. The inclusion of physical education and sports in the humanist and early Jesuit schools – the first instance of it in Catholic schools – was influenced by longer traditions which emphasized the unity of the person and a “play ethic”, …

Sport Is The New Religion? Speculations In A Time Of Profound Cultural Change, Richard M. Rymarz

Journal of Catholic Education

Utilizing a narrative approach, this article begins with an indicative account of how religion and sport are related in a particular context. This narrative is a prelude to a closer examination of the decline of religion in contemporary culture. Religion is conceptualized following Durkheim. Its decline, using sources such as Berger, Luckmann, and Stoltz, is simply explained by using powerful descriptors such as loss of ritualized practice, secular competition, and diminishing plausibility. A second narrative is offered as a departure point for the oft-discussed maxim that sport is the new religion. Rather than one being seen as a substitute for …

Introduction, Max T. Engel, Matt Hoven

Journal of Catholic Education

Sports are a big deal in Catholic schools. But their educational, communal, and even spiritual elements within participating school communities are often underestimated in the research. This introduction firstly offers a concise survey of the theoretical foundation for Catholic endorsement of sports. It then provides a framework for understanding the major authors in the field and the key issues that scholars confront in the area. It concludes by outlining the articles presented in this special issue and invites readers to consider engaging with this expanding community of scholars and practitioners. Overall, this introduction explains the purpose and rationale for this …

Correcting And Connecting Character Formation, Dane C. Joseph

Essays in Education

This essay details some assumptions that the author, through his lived experience working in higher education character formation and assessment, has identified as being potentially problematic to institutional endeavors to form character. These assumptions are framed using theoretical perspectives from within the behavioral and social sciences. A few solutions are offered, with the main one being to reframe formation from passive, single events to an activity navigated responsibly by and with all stakeholders, as well as to assess formation via everyday lived experiences both within and outside the classroom.

Political Interest And News Media Literacy Among University Students: Case Of The U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2023), Nhat Anh Nguyen, Ngoc Thuy Duong Le

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

In today’s complex media environment, the ability to critically evaluate news plays an essential role in shaping political interest, especially among youth. Although media literacy has been extensively investigated in relation to civic outcomes, the particular link between news media literacy (NML) and political interest is still little known. This paper investigates this link among Vietnamese university students by means of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as a prominent foreign policy instance. Drawing on Potter’s (2004) cognitive model and Maksl et al.'s (2015) NML scale, this study primarily employs a quantitative approach using survey data (N = 410), complemented by …