Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons^™

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 …

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.

Best Practices For Classroom Seating Arrangements: A Narrative Literature Review, Sophia M. Williams

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Every K-12 classroom has a unique dynamic produced by students and managed by its teachers. The relationships between peers, as well as the relationships between students and their teacher play an integral role in how students work and behave each day. An important aspect of the classroom dynamic that teachers’ control is seating arrangements. Indeed, extant research has debated on the best practice for seating arrangements in classrooms to create optimal learning environments that benefit both pupil and teacher. Some studies suggest that students work better when they are working with people that they have positive relationships with. Contrarily, others …

Transformative Teaching And Learning - Practicing Emancipation Through Co-Construction And Dialogue In Workplace Learning, Lisa Roe

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING: PRACTICING EMANCIPATIONTHROUGH CO-CONSTRUCTION, AND DIALOGUE IN WORKPLACE TEACHING ANDLEARNING

June 2026

Lisa A. Roe, B.A., University of Maine

M.Ed., Suffolk University

Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Patricia Krueger-Henney

This dissertation investigates how emancipatory and creative practices can transform vocational high school classrooms into spaces of shared power, dialogue, and mastery-based learning. Using an autoethnographic methodology, I examined my practice as a vocational educator in information technology over the course of an academic year.

Grounded in Wheatley’s fractal organization theory, Kincheloe’s critical constructivism, Lave and Wenger’s situated learning, and dialogic pedagogy, …

Compassion At The Core: Reimagining Schools As Centers Of Human Flourishing Through Youth-Led Action Research, Tara S. Waudby

Dissertations

In an increasingly competitive and standardized world, student wellbeing is a growing priority in K-12 education, alongside an emerging focus on human flourishing. While not commonly paired with wellbeing science, compassion is gaining prominence as an important systemic mindset. Focusing on compassion in schools cultivates attitudes of caring, openness, generosity, concern for others, and concern for the environment, leading to positive impacts on organizational culture and learning. This points to a broader question about what it means for students and communities to flourish. However, it is unclear how compassion is experienced in the lives of students. A common solution has …

Career Aspirations Of Generation Alpha In A Changing World: Perspectives Of Students, Parents, And Educators In Religiously Affiliated Private Schools, Cynthia Susan Grace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This qualitative case study served as a needs assessment to examine how students, parents, and educators perceived and influenced career development within a contemporary high school context, with particular attention to Generation Alpha as its oldest members entered secondary education. To contextualize the study, research on prior generations and evolving career trajectories was reviewed to better understand the shifting landscape shaping this cohort's development. The study was grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994) and informed by a values-based perspective of purpose, examining the interaction between individual beliefs, contextual influences, and emerging career pathways. Data were …

Editorial: Academic Freedom: Embracing Diverse Voices, Margaret Grogan, Peter Tolmie, Jane Freedman, Scott Schaffer, John Offer, Andrea M. Feldpausch-Parker

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"The articles assembled in this Research Topic (RT) offer a timely discussion of a fundamental principle upon which both scientific endeavor and higher education are founded: academic freedom. While there is no single accepted definition of academic freedom, most scholars accept that there are three basic dimensions: the freedom to research in a scientifically agreed-upon and rigorous fashion; the freedom to express academic points of view; and the freedom to educate and to learn (Maassen et al., 2023). In this RT, the first and second of these dimensions are effectively grouped together around an interest in the latitude for scholars …

Exploring The Experiences Of Physically Challenged Students Enrolled In Path-Fit Courses: A Case Study, Princess Jhoarn A. Sarael, Shermina C. Yusop, Jessel A. Lapinig, Chandelyn C. Linto, Vanessa Lynne C. Seville

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This qualitative case study explores physically challenged students’ experiences in PATH-fit courses within Philippine higher education, investigating their challenges and adaptive strategies. Through in-depth interviews with five students and two instructors in Pagadian City, researchers uncovered significant barriers, including exercise difficulties, physical discomfort, and social exclusion that profoundly impacted course participation. Despite facing substantial obstacles, students demonstrated remarkable resilience by developing innovative coping mechanisms such as proactive instructor communication, creative alternative activity engagement, and strategic leveraging of written assignments. Employing Resiliency Theory, the research challenged conventional disability perspectives, emphasizing that students’ true potential lies in psychological flexibility and problem-solving skills …

Leveraging The Intersection Of Ai And Play To Foster Human Connectedness And Character Formation, Lori B. Doyle, Ashley Brandon

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The benefits of fostering character formation are vast, encompassing psychological, social and emotional growth, yet there is no universally prescribed manner by which to proceed. Central to these efforts is human connectedness, which enhances psychological functioning and provides a pivotal foundation for well-being. Emerging factors such as integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the pedagogy of play are novel topics for the conversation within the character formation discourse. These elements, while tangentially related, hold significant potential to amplify character formation and sense of belonging. This paper examines the intersection of AI, pedagogy of play, and character formation through a theoretical …

The Pedagogical Lineage Of The Kaplans And Its Future, Taylor Yeracaris

Journal of Math Circles

This article describes the origins of Bob and Ellen Kaplan's Math Circle, one of the first Math Circles in the U.S. It covers Bob and Ellen's personal histories and some of the wide-ranging impact of their work and philosophy of teaching. It also discusses how the current form of their organization, The Global Math Circle, is working to carry forward their legacy, including building community and supporting Math Circle leaders with the Nexus project.

Balancing Beliefs In The Curriculum: Exploring The Educational Value And Constitutional Limits Of Teaching About Religion In U.S. Public Schools, Maria Rina Limbo

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This thesis examines the educational value and constitutional limits of teaching about religion in U.S. public schools. It asks whether public schools may teach about religion academically without violating constitutional neutrality, where the boundary lies between education and indoctrination, and how religious literacy might be integrated in ways that benefit students while honoring First Amendment constraints. Using a mixed-methods design, the study gathered survey data from 104 adult participants drawn from diverse educational, religious, and community backgrounds across multiple states. Surveys were distributed primarily through mailed and hand-delivered print copies, with a small number completed electronically. Quantitative data were tabulated …

The Impact Of Leadership Skills On Pbl Group Dynamics, Jaime W. Burke Hicks

Education Theses and Dissertations

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined the role of intentional leadership instruction in addressing persistent challenges in Project-Based Learning (PBL) group dynamics within a middle school setting. The Problem of Practice centered on students’ inconsistent demonstration of leadership behaviors, including communication and accountability, which limited the effectiveness of group work despite prior exposure to PBL structures. This study was conducted at a university-affiliated public charter school in East Texas, where PBL serves as a core instructional model.

Guided by an Improvement Science framework and structured through a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, this study employed a mixed-methods embedded design to evaluate …

Should The Illiberal Arts Be Servile In A Classical Christian Education, Nadine B. Kong Mrs.

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

The purpose of this thesis is to research the role and position of the illiberal arts in a classical Christian education (CCE).  The current climate of growth for CCE makes it a fitting moment to consider what bearing the illiberal arts should have on paideia formation.  To answer this question, the historical context of CCE and the illiberal arts is presented.  This leads to a complex issue around the various imprecise terms and historical attitudes surrounding the illiberal arts.  Some synonymous terms have demeaning connotations: ‘servile arts’ or ‘illiberal arts,’ and others less negative, such as ‘common arts’ or ‘mechanical …

Paradigm Pivot: Envisioning A New Education System To Cultivate An Era Of Human Intelligence, Heather J. Leslie Phd

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

This think piece proposes a new paradigm for the education system that moves towards more humane practices and away from more mechanistic, standardized practices in order to cultivate intrinsic motivation, authenticity, and the capacity for each person to develop their unique human abilities in the era of artificial intelligence.

Finding Black Joy: Understanding How Black Students Are Seen, Affirmed, And Nourished In Expanded Learning Opportunities., Jamila Mosley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black students experience Black joy within expanded learning opportunity (ELO) programs and how those programs are structured to nurture that joy. It is guided by the central research question: How do Black students describe the ways in which an expanded learning opportunity program fosters their joy through experiences of being seen, affirmed, and nourished? Using an instrumental case study design at two secondary schools, the study draws on semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of students participating in robotics, debate, Sister Circle, cheer, basketball, and creative writing. Data were analyzed through multiple cycles of coding, first …

Teaching Note - Embedding The Human Library Experience Within Social Work Curriculum, Emily M. Paine

Social Work Faculty Works

The Human Library is a global initiative designed to challenge stereotypes and foster dialogue through storytelling and presents a unique opportunity for experiential learning within social work education. This teaching note explores how the Human Library framework can be integrated into social work curriculum in alignment with the 2022 Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, with particular emphasis on Competency 3: Engaging in Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practice. When embedded in coursework, the Human Library enables students to engage in brave and authentic conversations with storytellers who share aspects of their lived experiences, promoting mutuality, …

Do No Harm?: An Assemblage Of Care, Compliance, And Resistance To North Carolina’S Parents’ Bill Of Rights, Sarah Cornette, William Pryor Iv

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

North Carolina’s Parents’ Bill of Rights (NC-PBOR) requires school counselors to disclose sensitive student information to parents, creating profound legal-ethical dilemmas. This study examines how counselors navigate these mandates through interviews, surveys, and arts-based analysis. Findings show counselors experience institutional betrayal, ethical precarity, and emotional exhaustion, yet also engage in subtle resistance through strategic ambiguity, relational buffering, and quiet noncompliance. Methodologically, we integrate coding, poetic inquiry, and visual confection to capture affect, embodiment, and contradiction often missed by conventional analysis. By foregrounding emotion and multiplicity, we contribute to assemblage-informed policy studies and queer qualitative inquiry, while bearing witness to the …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Femtoring Book Club: Turning Pages, Uplifting Latinas, Heather A. Hathaway Miranda

Gatherings

Amid the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I initiated Learn, Laugh, Lead, and Self-Love, a virtual femtoring program designed for Latina women aged 19 to 25. This weekly space incorporated interactive elements such as icebreakers, creative responses to visual art, and intentional community-building practices to cultivate trust and solidarity. After one year, the virtual gatherings transitioned into a monthly femtoring book club for women of color, launching with The Four Agreements and centering themes of gratitude, affirmation, and the reflective practice of sharing tunas and espinas© (joys and challenges). Drawing on my prior participation and support of an in-person …

P–12 District Equity “Shutdown”: Equity Directors’ Experiences Amid Anti-Equity Organizing, 2020–2022, Andrew Matschiner

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article examines local experiences of the national attack on district equity work intended to better support Students of Color and LGBTQ+ students over the 2020–2022 school years. Drawing on theory on zones of mediation and interviews with over 70 district “equity directors” (EDs) nationally, I analyze how together national, state, and local pressure led to district equity “shutdown.” Forms of district equity shutdown included censoring equity-focused communication and language, eliminating district equity-focused programming or personnel, and restricting books and learning resources, with 40% of EDs reporting at least one form of district equity shutdown.

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 …

Is Academia Becoming Démodé — Or Can It Reinvent Itself?, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"And yet, in the wider cultural imagination, academia has become, in many ways, démodé. Out of fashion. Out of step. No longer the epicenter of intellectual authority or social innovation that it once was. The challenge before us is whether we allow academia to drift further toward irrelevance, or whether we reinvent it for the generations now walking through our doors."

Precarious Privilege: Exploring The Intersection Of White Teacher Habitus And Social Justice In International Schools, Kevin L. Workman

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the underresearched phenomenon of White teacher allyship within an emergent diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) movement in international schools. Gaining momentum in 2020 as a digital, postcolonial counterstory, the movement exposed structural inequities and racism across the international school ecosystem. Applying an antiracist reading of Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of practice, the study analyzes how White teachers (n = 8) from diverse international contexts understand, experience, and assess their participation in DEIJ activities. Thematic analysis of interview data corroborated the digital voices, explicitly identifying White supremacy as a key force shaping the field’s doxa. The study …

Do Themes Improve Visitor Outcomes In Interpretive Programs?, Amber K. Hawes

All Theses

Thematic interpretation is widely promoted as being integral to an effective interpretive program. Some studies have suggested that thematic interpretation may enhance visitor outcomes; however, park visitor demographics have changed over the last decade, and others have suggested alternative approaches. In this study, we systematically observed live interpretive programs at 330 programs at 52 National Parks across the United States, monitored the extent and characteristics of theme usage, and collected visitor surveys immediately following each program. We used these data to determine the influence of the presence and characteristics of themes and theme questions on visitor outcomes. The results suggest …

Why Are Parents Choosing Forest Preschool? A Look Into Parent Choice And Outcome Expectations In A Forest Preschool Setting., Victoria M. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As interest in alternative early childhood education settings continues to grow, Forest Preschools—programs emphasizing immersive outdoor, nature-based learning—have gained increasing attention from parents across the United States. This qualitative research study explores the underlying motivations and decision-making processes that lead families to choose Forest Preschool settings. Guided by Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory, which examines behavior as a function of person and environment, the study investigates the dynamic interplay of personal beliefs, social influences, and contextual factors that shape parental choice. Specifically, this study addresses four key research questions: (1) How do families who choose Forest Preschools gain information about preschool …

“Rj Is About Learning How To Be Together”: A Qualitative Study Of School-Based Restorative Justice And Pandemic Recovery, Annmary S. Abdou, Ashley M. Mayworm

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted educational landscapes by disrupting instructional modalities, widening equity gaps, and accelerating the mental health needs of students and educators. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of school-based restorative justice (RJ) practitioners as they navigated challenges and opportunities during the pandemic and reflected on its potential role in recovery efforts. Through a participatory action research (PAR) process, survey data were collected from RJ practitioners and leaders across diverse educational settings to examine (1) the impact of the pandemic on RJ implementation, (2) the priorities of educators in pandemic recovery, and (3) the role RJ can …

Boricua En La Luna: An Ethnographic Case Study On The Spatializations Of Puerto Ricans In New Mexico, Neritza Díaz Cruz

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This ethnographic case study investigates the spatializations of Puerto Ricans in New Mexico, a state where the community is small, dispersed, and often invisible. The purpose of this study is to examine how Puerto Rican identity is shaped, expressed, and contested across New Mexican spaces. Drawing from critical spatial theory, this study investigates how broader structures such as language ideologies become spatialized in the everyday lives of five Puerto Rican adults living in the Albuquerque area. Data was gathered through interviews, observations, and participatory mapping. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data with a focus on how lived, perceived, …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Fostering Inclusive Teaching: Care-Centred Approaches In Business Schools Of The Visegrad Countries, Agnieszka Brzozowska

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

Purpose: This study aims to explore the experiences of business students in the Visegrad Group countries during the transition to online learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the social aspects of their educational experiences.

Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 students across four business schools in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The interviews were analysed thematically to identify key insights regarding students' perceptions of online education and the importance of social interactions.

Findings: The findings reveal that students significantly missed interpersonal relationships during online learning, highlighting a strong …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …