Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Content Analysis Of Spanish Language Curriculum In Texas, Sarah Moore, Jessica Sanchez, Sarah Herrera

Journal of Global Awareness

The shortage of Spanish-speaking social workers is significant in the United States, especially in border states such as Texas. Experts are calling for Spanish language training in social work education. However, it is unclear whether social work programs are incorporating Spanish into their curriculum at a pace needed to keep up with demand. Using conceptual content analysis, this article examines the frequency of Spanish language courses relevant to social work education across Texas.

Notes From The Editor, Jay Nathan

Journal of Global Awareness

No abstract provided.

Physical Performance Differences Between Top And First League Female Football Players: Insights From Locomotion Metrics, Mariola Gepfert, Artur Gołaś, Miłosz Drozd, Katarzyna Strońska-Grabień, Piotr Sawicki, Ewelina Lulińska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study aims to compare locomotion metrics between Poland’s Top League and First League at the team level using 10 Hz GPS. Methods: Team-level match data (autumn round) were analysed. The following metrics were computed: total distance, high-speed running (HSR: 19–23 km·h⁻¹ [5.28–6.39 m·s⁻¹]), sprinting (> 23 km·h⁻¹ [> 6.39 m·s⁻¹]), accelerations and decelerations at two thresholds (> 3.0 and > 4.0 m·s⁻²), and Player Load (arbitrary units, tri-axial accelerometry). Between-league differences were tested with Mann–Whitney U; rank-biserial effect sizes were reported. Results: Top League teams covered more sprint and HSR distance and performed more ACC/DEC at both thresholds (all …

Intradistrict Inequality: Examining Educational Opportunity In Richmond Elementary Schools, Tara Sheehan

Honors Theses

Educational inequality in the U.S. is often discussed across district lines, but differences between schools within the same district are just as significant. This paper examines intradistrict disparities in Richmond Public Schools (RPS) by comparing William Fox Elementary and Broad Rock Elementary. Although both schools operate under the same district, they serve very different student populations and produce markedly different outcomes. William Fox serves mostly White and economically advantaged students, with higher test scores, lower absenteeism, fewer behavioral incidents, and access to a wide range of enrichment programs. Broad Rock, on the other hand, serves predominantly Hispanic and Black students, …

A Phenomenology Of High School Educators’ Experiences Teaching Students With Traumatic Backgrounds In South Carolina, Amanda R. Eron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe educators’ lived experiences teaching high school students who have experienced trauma in South Carolina. This study focused on the following central research question: How do educators describe their lived experiences teaching high school students who have experienced trauma in South Carolina? The study explores three research sub-questions: (1) How do educators describe and understand the complex demands they experience and the available resources they have within their classroom, schools, and school district? (2) How do educators describe their experience with trauma-related training or education? (3) How do educators describe their …

Play, Instruct, Lead: Investigating The Influence Observing Same-Gender Role Models Has On Leadership Development Of Collegiate Women Student-Athletes Coaching At Youth Sports Camps: A Phenomenological Study, Mercy-Nora Osei

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how observing same-gender role models influenced the leadership development of collegiate women student-athletes (CWSA) when coaching at youth sports camps (YSC) at NCAA institution campuses in the United States. The theory that guided this study was Albert Bandura’s theory on social learning, as it explained the relationship between observational learning and the influence role modeling had on leadership development. The central question was: How does observing same-gender role models influence the leadership development of collegiate women student-athletes when coaching at youth sports camps? This study used a transcendental phenomenological design to …

Military Quality Of Life And Its Impact On Spouses’ Perceived Stress And Marital Satisfaction, Jazmin L. Frett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation research discusses the challenges of military life that can impact the overall quality of life for spouses and how their perspective on the military quality of life can influence depression amongst spouses and their overall marital satisfaction. Military couples endure many military-imposed challenges that affect the quality of life due the demands and nature of military life. The military as a culture can create stress and anxiety for military spouses. Although there may be some resources that the Armed Forces can provide to assist with enriching marriages, it is not apparent of those sources aide in how spouses …

Leading From Within: Integrating Ignatian Pedagogy Into A Theoretical Framework For Leadership Preparedness, Vivian A. Amu

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

In Jesuit higher education institutions, enduring principles and values invite educators and students from all backgrounds to consider integrating the essence of Ignatian pedagogy into their own practices as well as develop leaders who are prepared to confront, transform, inspire, and participate in leadership globally. It requires both institutional investment and student involvement in the learning process. Using the Ignatian pedagogical model, constructivism theory of learning, Dewey’s theory of experience, and past literature on leadership preparedness, this article presents a dynamic self-exploration for leadership preparedness (SELP) framework. It is a theoretical framework rooted in self-discovery through reflection and growth. The …

Centering “Ubuntu” To Build Research Confidence And Joyful Collaboration, Suyent Rodriguez Candeaux, Brandi Wells-Stone

Feminist Pedagogy

As feminist scholar-practitioners who are committed to an abolitionist teaching praxis, we are embracing the concept of Ubuntu, “I am because you are,” to build Black students’ research confidence through joyful collaboration. This critical commentary draws on our autoethnographic accounts to discuss how centering decolonial, critical, and Black feminist frameworks shifted how we support students in co-constructing knowledge through a cohort based undergraduate research program. Our collaborative approach to pedagogy has built students’ research confidence through culturally centered practices that value diverse ways of knowing and student contribution. Love (2019) argues, “abolitionist teaching is not sustainable without joy” (p. 120). …

Walking The Walk: Centering Praxis In Teaching Abolition, Mei-Ling N. Malone

Feminist Pedagogy

Teaching abolition in the university setting from a theoretical standpoint often leaves students feeling disconnected from its real-world implications and does not connect or empower students to join this work. Bettina Love argues that “too often we think the work of fighting oppression is just intellectual. The real work is personal, emotional, spiritual, and communal.” As an assistant professor of African American Studies and an abolitionist feminist, who centers praxis in my pedagogy, my involvement in abolition organizing on campus is the real work that Love asks of educators. I organize with a small group of students and professors to …

Decolonizing Monopoly: Intersectionality, Abolition, And Fun, Faith Deschamps, Caroline Mullins, Elizabeth Sumoza, Vanessa Hildebrand, Veda Hyunjin Kim

Feminist Pedagogy

“Abolitionist teaching is not sustainable without joy” (Love 2019: 120). We propose a joyful classroom activity that recreates the game “Monopoly” to bring to the forefront the lived experiences of people in late racial capitalism. This re-creation is an exercise in which undergraduate students rewrite both the characters to represent intersectional identities in the United States and the chance cards to represent the contemporary context. Students then play the game with these characters and end with a reflection on the lesson. In this way students are able to exercise prior course learning on identity, privilege, inequality, intersectionality, social stratification, organizing, …

Creating Abolitionist Classroom Environments And Three Abolitionist Learning Activities, Marina Bell

Feminist Pedagogy

In this paper I describe some of the approaches I have developed over the past six years of abolitionist teaching in the classroom. I will focus on three activities for helping students grapple with abolitionist concepts, principles, and values experientially, with the goal of generating conversation about some of their most challenging aspects, and working through emotions around them. Specifically these exercises are: 1) Distinguishing between carceral and abolitionist reforms, 2) What do we do with “the dangerous people” and our feelings about them?, and 3) A mutual aid exercise in which I have students identify and choose together what …

The Ethics Of “Educational” Prison Tours, Alessandra Milagros Early, Nicole Mckenna, Alison Colby, Lucas Alan Dietsche, Ashley Kilmer

Feminist Pedagogy

Research examining undergraduate student attitudes toward corrections suggests that criminal justice majors hold more punitive sentiments in comparison to their peers in other fields (Mackey & Courtright, 2000). While taking criminal justice courses can shift attitudes (Farnworth et al.,1998; Lane, 1997), how classes are taught can impact student sentiments. Experiential learning, for example, expands learning beyond the classroom (Stacer et al., 2017). Although disciplines have embraced this method, incorporations in criminal justice curricula sometimes manifest as tours of active correctional institutions (Smith et al., 2009) which can be extractive and dehumanizing for people who are incarcerated (C. Agans, personal communication, …

Daring To Dream: Practicing Hope In A Discipline Dependent On Maintaining The Carceral Status Quo, Alessandra Milagros Early, Alison Colby, Ashley Kilmer, Lucas Alan Dietsche, Nicole Mckenna, Hayley Jackey

Feminist Pedagogy

Abolitionist educators may grapple with the cognitive dissonance produced by ethical conflicts arising in their work within academic institutions with well-established ties to the Prison-Industrial Complex (PIC). This is especially likely for those within criminal justice departments whose mission and ideological underpinnings often clash with abolitionist principles. Teaching in classrooms outfitted with furniture produced through the labor of imprisoned people, instructing students who plan to work within the criminal legal system, and contributing to a curriculum that may support State violence and injustices are just a few examples of the tensions that abolitionists in Academia encounter. Additionally, we recognize that …

To My Fellow White Women, With Love..., Hailey N. Otis

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

From Margins To Center: Black Feminism And Radical Imagination In The Classroom, Jane Mahon, Amanda Pierson, Jovanna Walker

Feminist Pedagogy

We center Black feminism and the radical imagination as necessary conditions of abolitionist pedagogy, and share our experiences of how the prominence of these epistemological frameworks fostered the co-construction of knowledge in a police and prison abolition course at one of the richest and whitest private educational institutions in the United States. Drawing on our experiences as abolitionists, activists, and scholars, we remain resolved that abolitionist epistemologies and pedagogies can and should be incorporated into traditional classroom settings to the benefit of all classroom members. Traditional postsecondary curriculums and the preeminence of official knowledge require the segregation and diminution of …

Profit & Loss: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Salience Of The Black Male Experience In Top-Tier U.S. Mba Programs, Craig Woodward

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study aimed to explore the educational, cultural, and personal challenges faced by Black males in MBA programs and to identify factors that aid their persistence in completing their degrees. The research design employed a qualitative approach to narrative inquiry as its methodology, using one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The study used resilience theory as its theoretical framework, approaching it from both an academic and psychological perspective. Respondents were recruited from the top 50 MBA programs in the United States according to the 2023 edition of U.S News and World Report (2024). There were a total of 15 African American respondents who …

Unseen, Unbroken: Black Women In Educational Leadership Overcoming Inequities, Microaggressions, And Invisibility, Inspiring Perseverance And Resilience In Future Black Women Leaders, Angella Baldwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the challenges that Black women face when pursuing leadership roles in K–12 education, specifically in middle schools. Despite being prepared and eager to lead, Black women are often overlooked and made to feel invisible. Still, we persevere, navigating barriers with determination, faith, and purpose, and continue to support those who follow. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, Endarkened Feminism, and Structural Intersectionality, this study centers Black women’s lived experiences as valid sources of knowledge. It highlights how leadership is shaped by overlapping systems of oppression and resistance, and how it is sustained by prayer, faith in God, and …

Creando Conexiones Verdaderas?: Examining Latinx Families’ Lived Experiences With Family-School Partnerships, Jacqueline M. Eddy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family-school partnerships are essential for a child’s academic and social-emotional well-being in schools. These partnerships thrive when families and school personnel cultivate trusting, communicative, and cooperative relationships. However, families from minoritized communities, such as those from Latinx backgrounds, may encounter challenges that prevent them from forming strong, meaningful relationships with teachers and administrators. This qualitative dissertation study was grounded in a social constructivist paradigm and a phenomenological tradition. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Latinx families as they navigate relational aspects of family-school partnerships in their children’s schools. Using semi-structured interviews, four participants were …

Examining The Complementary Nature Of Working Memory And Dual Coding Theory, Elizabeth Hofschulte Collins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The working memory system is responsible for maintaining, manipulating, and transferring information into long-term memory, yet it operates under strict capacity limitations. Dual coding theory proposes that information can be encoded both verbally and visually, allowing learners to distribute cognitive load across complementary representational systems. Leveraging dual coding may therefore enhance recall, particularly for noun-based stimuli, though there is little to no research exploring this possibility. In the present study, 529 adults completed a forward digit span task and pre-test and post-test free recall tasks involving concrete, abstract, and mixed nouns. Participants were assigned to one of four instruction groups …

Navigating Leadership In Bilingual Education: Exploring The Preparation, Experiences, And Adaptability Of Bilingual Education Leaders In The Southwest, Cynthia Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the experiences of school-level bilingual program leaders in the Southwestern United States, focusing on how their preparation, lived experiences, and local contexts shaped their leadership practices and decision-making. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the research examined how habitus and various forms of capital (cultural, social, and symbolic) influenced leaders’ approaches to developing and sustaining bilingual programs. Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth (CCW) further expanded this lens by highlighting the aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant forms of capital.

Using a qualitative multi-case study design, the research analyzed policy documents, leadership preparation coursework, and semi-structured …

The Implementation Of Tact And Bidirectional Intraverbal Training In Teaching A Foreign Language: A Systematic Replication, Karen Parra Caballero

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current study replicates and extends Yamaguchi and Matsuda (2024) to evaluate the effects of foreign tact and bidirectional intraverbal training on teaching foreign-language vocabulary to adults. An adapted alternating-treatments design was used to evaluate the effects of learning vocabulary of a foreign language through tact teaching (tacting a picture in French), foreign-native intraverbal teaching (vocalizing a French word in the presence of the Spanish word), and native-foreign intraverbal teaching (vocalizing a French word in the presence of the Spanish word). Each teaching condition had an assigned stimulus set for teaching, and an additional stimulus set was included as a …

Beyond Barriers: Improving Employment Outcomes For Young Adults On The Autism Spectrum, Kendra L. Cope

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to face persistent barriers to employment, often stemming from challenges in communication, adaptability, and multitasking. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to strengthen these employment skills through immersive, low-stress practice. This study evaluated a VR-based intervention using Floreo VR modules, guided practice, and performance feedback to enhance job readiness among high school students with ASD. A multiple-probe design across three skill domains: multitasking, handling interruptions and changes, and workplace communication to examine skill acquisition and maintenance with three students with ASD aged 16–18. Data from task-analysis checklists, interobserver agreement …

Las Voices: The Impact On Black Young Males In A Critical Mentorship Program In The Las Vegas Valley, Sean C. Tory

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In America, Black young males face an enormous amount of pressure regarding their social and racial identity. They battle with racial macro/microaggressions, stereotypes, racism, and socialization from various industries and systems. The community organization, King of Jewels, has been able to adopt effective strategies to help Black young males navigate these issues through critical mentorship. This paper will first demonstrate the importance of critical mentorship, Black Racial Identity Development, and will then outline the steps necessary to fill the gaps found in mentorship and Black Racial Identity Development literature. This qualitative study investigates the use of critical mentorship (CM) and …

Investigating Teacher Perceptions Of Strategies That Led To Success Of Long-Term English Learners Passing English Assessment Exams, Whitney Hodges

Ed.D. Dissertations

Long term English learners are those who have been enrolled in United States public schools for at least five to seven years yet have not exited language services via passing scores on language assessments. Those students have less opportunity to take preferred elective courses in middle and high school, and less opportunity to take higher level course work. This impacted the students, teachers, and instructional leaders when it came to scheduling, fulfilling graduation requirements, and meeting schoolwide and statewide growth and achievement goals. Previous researchers provided strategies for helping newcomers learn a language, and move from basic interpersonal communication skills …

Book Review: Academic Coaching: Coaching College Students For Success, Corinne Bishop

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Book review: Howlett, M. A., & Rademacher, K. (2023). Academic coaching: Coaching college students for success. Routledge. 196 pp. ISBN: 9781032272214 (paperback), 9781032265711 (hardcover), 9781003291879 (ebook).

Prevention Of Suicide As Perceived By Educated Adults In Ondo Metropolis, Ondo State, Nigeria, Margaret Kehinde Soetan

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigated prevention of suicide as perceived by educated adults in Ondo metropolis, Ondo State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. Population of the study consisted of all educated adults in Ondo metropolis, Ondo State. The sample comprised two hundred (200) educated adults randomly selected from the metropolis. Structured questionnaire was used as instrument to collect data for the study. Data collected was analysed using mean, ranking, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed the perception of prevention of suicide as giving people hope for a better life after current problems are resolved, …

The Interplay Of Morphology, Syntax, And Semantics In Kuria Verb Extensions Within The Mara Region, Mary Charwi

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Verb extension morphological affixes that significantly alter verb meaning are a defining characteristic of Bantu languages. This paper investigates the morphosyntactic behaviour, semantic implications, and functional roles of extensions within Kuria, a Bantu language of Tanzania. The study adopts Hyman’s morphocentric approach, specifically the CARP template (Causative-Applicative-Reciprocal-Passive), as its foundational framework to test whether Kuria adheres to this pan-Bantu default ordering. The data were collected in Tarime District (2014-2015) using a mixed methods approach, comprising questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and video stimuli with 13 rural and urban speakers, and text analysis (the Kuria Bible). Through rigorous morphosyntactic parsing, the analysis reveals …

From Incomplete To Impactful—Finalizing Unfinished Nursing Projects In Nart And Polypharmacy For Lasting Improvement, Paula Thanh Nhat Pham, Armine Lianna Chamichyan, Anastasia Yerofeyeva, Stelene Alexis Tragus

Master's Projects and Capstones

This quality improvement project addressed the problem of incomplete or unsustained clinical initiatives at a long-term care facility by introducing Kotter’s Change Model, an evidence-based framework designed to support and sustain lasting improvements in clinical practice. Within the context of a religious-based residential community for older adults with complex chronic needs, the objective was to strengthen the facility’s capacity to implement and sustain change more effectively. By using two previously unfinished initiatives, the NaRT triage tool and Polypharmacy management process, the project applied Kotter’s model to evaluate how structured change strategies can improve staff engagement, leadership alignment, and long-term project …

Holding Space For Complexity: Remembering Leslie Combs, Kimberly A. Morelli

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This tribute reflects on the teaching legacy of Allan Leslie Combs, focusing on his capacity to hold space for complexity during intimate online salons conducted with students and colleagues. Drawing from my experience as a participant in these gatherings, the essay highlights Leslie’s emphasis on relational, creative inquiry over rigid theory. Rather than positioning development as linear progress or achievement, these conversations were experienced as an ongoing, reflective inquiry into consciousness itself. Leslie’s mentorship fostered deep personal reflection and affirmed lived experience as a valid and generative source of knowing. His legacy endures not only through his scholarship, but also …