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This dissertation investigated the development of stereotypes surrounding public school children in Brazil, primarily focusing on poor students of Afro descent. It explored how these stereotypes have influenced education policymaking and examined the efforts of Darcy Ribeiro and Paulo Freire to challenge these prevailing notions. Employing archival research to trace the historical creation of stereotypes about Black Brazilians from impoverished backgrounds since the country's declaration of independence, the study delved into historical accounts and perspectives offered by various political actors--policymakers, educators, families, and society in general. The aim was to understand how ideas and images about poor and Black students have been constructed and impacted the education policy process in the country. The findings revealed that historically, governing elites associated vulnerable populations with societal problems such as crime, diseases, and idleness. Consequently, different policies were designed and implemented, predominantly proposing work as a solution to restrain Black and poor populations. For children, schools emerged as spaces where they should be disciplined and tailored to meet the needs of the workforce. To understand the historical construction of these stereotypes, I conducted interviews with education stakeholders to assess the persistence of these ideas and the efforts schools make, or fail to make, to counteract the influence of negative social constructions on public school students. The research also delved into Ribeiro's and Freire's perspectives on public education--how they attempted to translate their theories into practice, and the complexities encountered during the design and implementation of their policies in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the city of Sao Paulo, respectively. This occurred during a pivotal period: the redemocratization of Brazil. As influential figures in policymaking, they faced resistance from those adhering to traditional narratives reinforcing stereotypes. Archival research and interviews with individuals who worked with Ribeiro and Freire in the design and implementation of their policies were central to understanding the challenges they faced in attempting to transform public schools in Brazil. The findings underscore the intricate connections among historical narratives, policy formulation, and the persistent endeavor to reshape the educational landscape for marginalized communities in Brazil. This research contributes to unraveling the dynamics of challenging stereotypes in education and delves into the transformative potential inherent in policy interventions. By focusing on Brazilians who are most reliant on public policies, the study not only informs the academic discourse but also provides insights for policies that can meaningfully impact the lives of those historically underserved. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The modern college instructor in the United States faces several unique dilemmas due to students' increased access to information via the internet and social media, increased polarization across the nation, and increased unrest resulting in more experiences impacting mental health. As such, modern instructors are faced with the challenge of balancing the hard reality of honestly teaching about society's history and current issues with optimistic realism for progress already made and progress yet to come. This research examines how using focused, optimistic pedagogical approaches, based in learning theory, can positively influence students' outlook on the world and their place in it by using pre-testing and post-testing to gauge pedagogical success. Seven unique pedagogical approaches are developed and tested to aid instructors in this endeavor. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The dissertation focuses on the Chinese literacy experiences of different generations of Thai Chinese families in Thailand, spanning periods characterized by varying ideologies toward the Chinese language, which have either constrained or facilitated its acquisition. This qualitative work examines how evolving national policies and international politics have shaped language ideologies and the valuation of Chinese literacy within these families. The research began by investigating documents and conducting interviews with Thai Chinese individuals who attended Chinese schools during the politically turbulent period of the 1940s to 1960s when the Chinese language was unwelcome and treated as a threat. Then, it traces the subsequent generations in these families and the shifting policies up to present-day Thailand, where Chinese is highly regarded for its economic benefits. The central question is: How do different generations of Thai Chinese families in Thailand experience historical changes in policies and ideologies around literacy and language? Through narrative inquiry and ethnography within the language ecology framework, this research underscores the interplay of language ideologies, individual experiences, local dynamics, and global politics. The intergenerational lens reveals the power dynamics that time plays in personal and familial language acquisition amid globalization and neoliberalism. By exploring intergenerational narratives and memories, the research demonstrates the loss of heritage literacy and the changing ideologies regarding the valuation of Chinese across generations. It also reveals the promising power of individuals, families, and communities to resist dominant language pressures while safeguarding their unique heritage language and culture. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The sweeping changes brought forth by the pandemic led me to reshape my dissertation in order to develop non-academic skills that will allow me to better meet the shifting challenges of our times. Mine is a non-traditional project focused on the application of technologies and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (the process by which people build mental representations from words and pictures) to the field of remote instruction. My work is a bilingual lesson on "corrales de comedias," open-air theaters dominating the cultural landscape of the Spanish empire during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is comprised of an animated introduction and three chapters, as well as several knowledge check and scenario-based learning activities that touch upon the historical evolution of these theaters, the actors and institutions involved in its growth, the customs and complications of an incipient entertainment industry, and its impact on the development of the dramatic production of the Spanish Golden Age. I will broadly describe the project and its theoretical foundations in the introduction. Then, I will explain the research process behind writing the lesson and some of the problems I encountered. Finally, I will reflect on the rationale behind the visual style of my lesson in terms of affective quality, instructional design, and historical accuracy. The appendices contain the lesson script, the results of the qualitative and quantitative evaluations completed by learners in the pilot study, as well as a discussion of the issues raised by learners and how they were resolved. Links to the most current version of the lesson, both in English and in Spanish, can be found in my personal digital portfolio: www.chechesilveyra.com. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The Executive Functions are a collection of higher order brain functions. Nevertheless, there exists much confusion on what they are and how they function. This dissertation explores the history, theory, and application of the Executive Functions as they apply to school psychologists. Topics such as the current leading theories of the Executive Functions, tools used in assessment, how to communicate results, and current interventions and accommodations are presented. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation study utilized an author-researcher-developed multistage university technology transfer capital efficiency model to evaluate university technology transfer relative capital efficiencies and trends via nonparametric and parametric analyses. Five research milestones were achieved. In completing research goal one, the researcher-author conducted an extensive literature review of key federal policy measures that contributed to the gestation and evolution of university technology transfer from the agrarian economy of the 18th and 19th centuries; to the industrialization economy of the first two-thirds of the 20th century; and to the knowledge-based economy of the latter third of the 20th century through the present. In achieving research goal two, the author-investigator developed a new four-stage university technology transfer capital efficiency model to allow for a more fine-grained representation and analysis of university technology transfer processes and complexities. This model had three major variants. To attain research goal three, the researcher-investigator measured university technology transfer capital efficiencies at the aggregate system, joined network, and independent stage levels from 2010 to 2020. Furthermore, year-to-year capital efficiency changes for each university were measured by performing Malmquist total factor productivity index decomposition for 10 consecutive year-to-year pairs between 2010 and 2020. To fulfill research goal four, TreeNet regression--an artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithm with stochastic gradient boosting--was utilized to model the effect of essential factors on capital efficiency scores for the joined network and individual stage levels. In meeting the fifth research objective, linear regression analysis was performed to examine the influence of 12 overarching institutional characteristics on university technology transfer capital efficiency. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This research study focused on gathering the experiences of adversity of Generation Z, Latinx, children of immigrants in addition to exploring how they navigate their adversity. The purpose of this study was to recognize the multiple and intersecting identities and experiences to advance the knowledge about Generation Z and to better understand how to support these students in a way that is relevant and recognizes students' cultural wealth. A platicas methodology (Fierros & Delgado Bernal, 2016) and a community cultural wealth model (Yosso, 2005) theoretical framework were utilized to create spaces where high school students could engage in two-way conversations that validated their personal ways of knowing and the knowledges that are derived from familial tradition, shared memories, and cultural histories. Moreover, qualitative data collection methods included audio/visual recordings of individual and group platicas, transcriptions, and researcher generated platica summaries. Utilizing a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), the data were analyzed and coded. Five main themes were identified that recounted participants' reflections and experiences with adversity, the coping mechanisms that participants engaged in, the people and tools that they rely on for support and the perceived gaps of support that exist in various areas of their lives. Each of these themes was further disaggregated into sub-themes that allowed for further exploration that interlaced the community cultural wealth model (Yosso, 2005) to provide a deeper look into the forms of cultural wealth that Latinx children of immigrants within Generation Z utilize to navigate adversity. Finally, the researcher made recommendations based on the findings that include: a) academic institutions and educational leaders need to create educational opportunities that support students' emotional well-being, b) educators need to foster a safe environment for students that include their emotional/mental safety, and c) educational leaders need to invest in their students by hiring more support personnel with social emotional expertise so that students have access to equitable services on site. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This critical bricolage study interrogated colonial mentality (CM) among six Filipina educators who are members of the Decolonial Studies Research Network through "kuwentuhan" (storytelling) sessions and used insights gathered from the "kuwentuhan" sessions to facilitate a group ideation session with the participants on how they might reimagine Philippine education ten years from now. Six research questions were categorized under "Naming" (What are the key stories that participants tell when they describe their experiences with colonial mentality? How do the individual stories and the grand historical narratives help support, contradict, or shape one another?), "Reflecting" (How do the participants feel about the stories they shared? What insights have they gleaned from their experiences?), and "Acting" (Using the design justice framework and the insights gleaned from our "kuwentuhan" sessions, how might Filipina educators reimagine Philippine education, ten years from now? How can this study inform the fields of decolonial feminist studies and decolonial futures in the Philippines?). To answer these questions, multiple theoretical frameworks and analysis methods, including the hermeneutic circle, were used. A key finding is the reconceptualization of CM as a complex, systemic, and global problem, rather than an individual psychological construct. New insights and specific ideas about the futures of the Philippines implicate not only the decolonial work of educators in the Philippines, but also of educators and practitioners in the political, economic, and sociocultural spheres, both within and beyond the Philippines. To support domestic and international actors' work in their respective communities, the decolonial portals pedagogical tool and Decolonial Design Futures framework can be used to collaborate in transdisciplinary ways, and to boldly imagine and design decolonial futures. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Rising Autism diagnosis rates have prompted numerous awareness campaigns, treatment programs, social-emotional learning initiatives, research institutes, etc. Developing analogously, the Neurodiversity movement--an activist-led social justice movement focused on equity and justice for neurodivergent people--has presented compelling critiques of the ways neurodivergent children are educated and treated in therapeutic spaces. Activists' scathing critiques of 'best practices' in autism treatment have prompted a bitter public feud (played out in op-eds, policy hearings, social media, etc.) between themselves and parents/professionals because parents/professionals have overwhelmingly focused on cure and rehabilitation--a goal that autistic activists reject. The most vitriolic behavior centers around the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (i.e., applied operant conditioning) as a treatment for Autism. Despite years of parent activism fighting for insurance coverage for ABA therapy, autistic activists (many of whom have experienced ABA therapy as children) continue to regard ABA as 'torture,' 'Autistic conversion therapy,' and 'abuse' due to both the practices of the field and the onto-epistemological assumptions that underlie Autism treatment in general. However, most attempts to curb the use of more violent interventions (i.e., the use of aversives like skin shocking) have been unsuccessful. This dissertation answers the question of 'why' several decades of activism disparaging the use of ABA as a treatment for autism have hardly even slowed the expansive growth of the ABA industry. I demonstrate how both 'sides' of the Autism Culture Wars' continued reliance on identity politics (#actuallyautistic vs Autism Moms) pins the problem on their adversary's refusal to empathize, which allows the real perpetrator--the autism intervention industry--to pursue profit over the interests of autistic people, parents, and professionals. My work intervenes by sidestepping moral, identitarian argumentation in favor of a nuanced approach more equipped to analyze the development of an autism industrial complex. This dissertation provides a historical account of the rise of behaviorism in the United States post World War Two. While many scholars and activists have argued that the field of ABA has inflicted harm upon neurodivergent children, there are very few accounts of how ABA became the preeminent therapy for autism. My dissertation utilizes archival research from the B.F. Skinner Papers at Harvard University and textual analysis of the first thirty years of publications in stand-alone behaviorists journals The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JAEB) and The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA). This dissertation explores the sociopolitical arrangements that facilitated the rise of behaviorism in experimental psychology, education, and social services. I contextualize behaviorism within the project of modernity and demonstrate how behaviorism's legacy as one of the most dominant schools of psychological thought in the 20th century is due in part to the business acumen of early figures like Skinner. I argue Skinner and the early behaviorists were able to exploit the anxieties of the white middle class regarding otherness, social deviance, disability, and racial integration to elicit the support of universities, government agencies, private equity, and a large swath of the public, and demonstrate how these logics persist in the present. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Community engagement and service-learning programs have become staples in the curricula of colleges across the United States. While the intentions behind many of these programs are altruistic, they can often unwittingly replicate oppressive power dynamics with the communities they seek to serve. This dissertation explored how feminist community engagement can mitigate many of these dynamics through an examination of a girls' mentoring program that operates through a university women's center and abides by the values of feminist community engagement. This study aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of the program's history and the relationships between the university and community partners, which enabled the program's sustainability and success as defined by participants. A qualitative case study approach was utilized, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants representing the women's center and community site. Particular attention was given to the complexity of institutional relationships, navigating challenges, and the implications of using a feminist lens in community engagement programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study investigates the impact of the Trinidad and Tobago Panyard steelpan experiences on the development of the secondary school, forms one to three (middle school), music teachers' pedagogical implementation, and how these pedagogical practices are represented in today's classroom or not. The case study exploration acknowledges that while the instrument was being developed in formal educational systems, there was already a history of teaching and learning of the steelpan in the community Panyard contributing to its global growth. The symbiosis among instructional practices in the Panyard, the K-12 system, and postsecondary institutions continues to be the fertile space for understanding steelpan curriculum and instruction. Using the lenses of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Decoloniality and Legitimation Code theory I analyzed these Panyard steelpan experiences and their impact on teachers' pedagogical practice. I used some of the data to map the observed integrative knowledge building using the Autonomy dimension of Legitimation Code Theory. "Within-group cultural practices" and "common, across-group cultural practices" (Paris, 2012, p. 95) were also analyzed iteratively, contributing to the growth of both the researcher and participants. This study intentionally provided opportunities to understand Steelpan's histories and social constructs better. Moreover, participants' backgrounds, biographies and experiences also provided contextual evidence for their pedagogical perspectives (Greene, 2001). I also gained greater clarity about how each participant's relation and proximity to the Panyard steelpan experience was demarcated by familial influence, and more importantly, participants of this study represented a "critical conscious" community that bridged the Panyard and the School (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). I recommend creating and developing a Panyard steelpan curriculum and intentional Panyard steelpan experiences for pre- and in-service music teachers to value and sustain the contribution of the identified steelpan pedagogical elements and their corresponding histories. Since the study is in Trinidad and Tobago, which invented the steelpan, many opportunities may also be provided for global future curriculum development, professional development, alternative pedagogical approaches, assessment, and learning outcomes in steelpan studies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Considered normative from the second half of the 20th century (Danziger, 1990), null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) has received consistent, largely unheeded criticism. Critiques have received more attention in recent years with the recognition of the replication crisis in the social sciences and the American Statistical Society's statement and special issue on p values (Wasserstein & Lazar, 2016; Wasserstein et al., 2019). This paper seeks to provide a framework for understanding the issue by looking at the history of NHST and investigating some alternatives to the methodology. A brief review of the history, spread, and critiques of NHST is provided to help place the issues in context. Supplemental and alternative methods are described to demonstrate the range of available options to NHST. A selection of viable alternative methodologies and supplements to NHST are demonstrated using simulated data sets. Those methods that provide decision rules are compared with NHST using Monte Carlo method simulations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study explores the queer history of the University of North Dakota from 1980 to present day and demonstrates how LGBTQ+ student activism lead to the development of LGBTQ+ programs and services at the University. Situated in a socially and politically conservative state, the University of North Dakota provides an understanding of how LGBTQ+ students organized in the 1980s out of necessity to combat social opposition and discriminatory state legislation. LGBTQ+ students were burdened with the responsibility to create their own support services and resources as there is no historical evidence of the university administration taking steps to improve the campus environment for LGBTQ+ students prior to the development of programs and services in 2017. This study contributes to the historical study of LGBTQ+ people by centering on LGBTQ+ student activism in higher education. Grounded in critical historical inquiry, oral history interviews, and primary source evidence aids in telling a more complete story of queer history at the University and connecting it to the current affairs and status on the institutional commitment to LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff. It also uses queer theory as a theoretical framework to guide and understanding of LGBTQ+ student experiences and the oppression they faced that lead to queer resistance. This study argues how LGBTQ+ student advocacy and activism was the driving force for the University of North Dakota, the flagship university in the state, to become a cultural battleground in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Many young adults are experiencing human sexuality related issues and disorders. Researchers have found ample evidence linking hindered human sexuality discussions with clients by mental health professionals to low and reduced comfort, lack of willingness, and non-positive attitudes about sex. There is limited research that shows there is a connection between sex-based discussions in the field of mental health and the lack of clinicians' education and training in the field of human sexuality. One of the most essential ways to identify, treat, and promote sexual health is a thorough sexual history taking by clinicians. Mental health professionals agree that taking a sexual history and knowing how to take a sexual history is important in the mental health field. With that, more than half of all counselors do not believe they take and have been trained to take a sexual history during an intake or initial counseling sessions. This study found human sexuality and education can increase college counseling professionals 'probability to take a sexual history from their clients. Comfort and willingness regarding human sexuality and sex related topics also increased college counseling professionals 'probability to take a sexual history from their clients. Attitudes regarding human sexuality and sex related topics was not found to be a predictor. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In this three-article dissertation, I explore the history of Western gardens in educational literature as well as the ontologies and epistemologies that underpin contemporary learning in gardens. Through a critical posthumanist and Indigenous scholarship lens, I collaborated with a school garden, a community garden and an indigenous garden to examine onto-epistemologies that permeate the relationships between humans and more-than-humans in gardens, revealing ways of being and knowing that are favored and the ones that are pushed out of gardening experiences, while exploring entryways to non-Western ways of being and learning in the garden. While each article stands on its own, taken together they paint a complex, rich and nuanced picture of more-than-human relationalities that occur in gardens and of human engagement deriving from different ontoepistemological orientations. This research contributes to the existing literature by exploring issues regarding environmental and sustainability education's (ESE) approach to learning in gardens, specifically the salient role of gardens in ESE's strategy in attenuating the climate crisis, by examining how gardens are conceptualized, who has agency in gardens, and what knowledges are privileged in gardens as learning spaces. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The protection and safety of students and staff in American schools are vital because students need to feel secure and nurtured in their environment in order to achieve academic success (Bakioglu & Geyin, 2009). While school shootings have been monitored since the early 1970s, it was not until 1999 that one received widespread media coverage (Altheida, 2009). While the Columbine shooting gripped the public's attention and generated school safety policies, it did not instigate enough change to end school shootings (Birkland & Lawrence, 2009). Schools across the nation have implemented, and continue to add, safety measures to prepare for an emergency like a school shooting. While there has been a great deal of energy given to limiting casualties and protecting students during a school shooting, more attention needs to be focused on stopping school shootings from occurring. While school shootings represent a small subset of violent incidents that occur in American schools, these events are extremely concerning because of the detrimental impact they have on students and the community (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2019). This study was designed to determine if a relationship exists between five conditions of past school shootings. For school staff, law enforcement, and politicians to address the ongoing threat of school shootings in American schools, they must have an understanding of the context of past school shootings. This understanding will allow them to identify areas of weakness in schools' safety plans. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between specific factors in past school shootings. These conditions included the time of day, time of year, location of the shooting, the grade level of the school, and the motivation of the shooter. A review of literature provided evidence that research on school shooting factors is necessary. Public perception believes that schools are unsafe because of the high number of acts of violence that take place within a school (Algozzine & McGee, 2011). While the perception may not always be the reality, the perception does apply added pressure to school leaders to make sure that they are doing everything in their power to protect students. The target population for this study was schools spanning three southeastern states who have had a school shooting on their property in the last ten years. Data was collected on each school-shooting event from the 2011-2012 school year until the 2020-2021 school year from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security's K-12 School Shooting Database. The school shooting characteristics of time of day, time of year, location, grade level of the school, and the motivation of the shooter were analyzed to determine if a relationship exists between the school shooting conditions. A Causal comparative research design was used in this study. This model was defined as "...a design that seeks to find the relationships between independent and dependent variables after an event has already occurred" (Salkind, 2010). Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the study variables through frequency tables. By definition, descriptive research "describes a phenomenon with statistics such as frequencies, percentages, averages, and sometimes a measure of variability" (McMillan & Wergin, 2010, 6). Inferential statistics was used to analyze each research question with a Chi-Square test to determine statistical significance. Statistical significance was "used to report whether any difference between the group means is not likely to be due to chance" (McMillan & Wergin, 2010).Based on the findings, the data showed that each condition for a school shooting had a statistically significant difference in at least one variable. For the condition of time of day, the data yielded from the Chi-Square test indicated that the number of school shootings that took place after school, before school, during morning classes, and during afternoon classes were all statistically significant. For the condition of time of year, the data yielded from the Chi-Square test indicated that the number of school shootings that took place during the fall, meaning during the months of September, October, and November, were statistically significant. For the condition of the location of the shooting, the data yielded from the Chi-Square test indicated that the number of school shootings that took place outside of the school building, but on the school property were statistically significant. For the condition of grade level of the school, the data yielded from the Chi-Square test indicated that the number of school shootings that took place at high schools and elementary schools were statistically significant. Lastly, for the condition of motivation of the shooting, the data yielded from the Chi-Square test indicated that the number of school shootings that took place as a result of an escalation of a dispute, accidental shooting, domestic target, illegal activity, and suicides was statistically significant. Findings have implications for further research in the area of school shootings. It would be of interest to evaluate additional characteristics of school shootings or to consider the time of day, time of year, location of the shooting, grade level of the school, and the motivation of the shooter in other regions of the United States. It is recommended that state governments, school districts, and individual schools take in consideration the information and findings presented in this study regarding the five conditions of school shootings in an effort to implement strategies to prevent school shootings from occurring in the future. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For much of the twentieth century, the Future Farmers of America was one of the most powerful youth organizations in the country and a leading voice of the American farmer. Its top members met regularly with U.S. Presidents, including Jimmy Carter who was an alumnus of the organization, and high-ranking executives from the nation's largest agribusinesses. As they developed social capital networks, Future Farmers and FFA alumni gained a reputation as the rising elite of American agriculture. Perceived to be exemplars of agricultural capitalism, active Future Farmers and alumni consumed agribusiness products, promoted technological advancement, influenced agricultural markets, and accumulated substantial amounts of agricultural capital which they reinvested into expanding their farming operations. FFA leadership supported these perceptions by ensuring that members became the most visible representatives of, and were most likely to describe themselves as, the future of capitalist agriculture in the United States. This visibility was communicated by putting corporate and political leaders into contact with those young men best exemplifying the traits of the FFA's core identity, one which was patriarchal, Protestant, wealthy, and white, reinforced materially by the FFA's blue corduroy jacket. This examination of the Future Farmers of America shows how the organization supported wealthy farmers as they sought to build financially stable farming operations for themselves, while protecting their rural communities as vibrant civic spaces. This examination is twofold, using the FFA as a lens to examine the economic and social transformations in American agriculture during the twentieth century, while simultaneously exploring the ways in which the FFA's staff, along with its members and alumni contributed to and supported these changes. By examining the Future Farmers of America, we can see reflected the capitalist transformations within American agriculture over the course of the twentieth century. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Standards of academic writing are documented in style guides adopted by academic disciplines, style guides such as the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and Scientific Style and Format." Some of the standards in these style guides are expressed as prescriptive or proscriptive rules that provide academic writers with language advice. Regarding such prescriptive and proscriptive rules, this dissertation has two goals: (i) to identify and describe the body of rules that form standard academic writing and (ii) to examine whether such rules matter; that is, whether they are followed in current academic writing and whether adherence to such rules has changed over time.To accomplish the first goal, six style guides adopted by academic disciplines were analyzed to identify rules. The identified rules (n = 537) were categorized by their aim (e.g., promoting clarity, removing bias), linguistic category (e.g., lexical, grammatical), and the disciplines for which they are intended, among others. These basic categorizations revealed contradictions in how prescriptive and proscriptive rules are traditionally viewed in the linguistics community. Prescriptive and proscriptive rules are often referred to as "grammar rules," but the vast majority of the rules are, surprisingly, about lexis. As discussed by Curzan (2014), rules are often associated with arbitrary judgements regarding what constitutes "correct" or "standard" language, but rules can also be motivated by desirable values in writing such as clarity, concision, and bias-free language. Such basic categorizations and descriptions show the various layers of rules, furthering our understanding of rules and their study as a sociolinguistic phenomenon.To accomplish the second goal of the dissertation, 155 rules were analyzed in a corpus of reputable journal article writing in four disciplines (i.e., biology, history, psychology, mechanical engineering) during two periods (i.e., 1950, 2020). The corpus included 17,085 articles with 117,707,019 words. The corpus analyses provided insights into (i) which rules are violated more versus less often, (ii) what characteristics are shared by rules that tend to be violated more often, and (iii) which rules will likely continue to be followed or violated. A few of the major findings are as follows: (i) lexico-grammatical or grammatical rules are generally violated more often than lexical rules; (ii) surprisingly, some bias-free language rules are violated (e.g., the use of the biased terms opposite gender, opposite sex, and chairman); (iii) current academic writing violates the rules that proscribe the dense use of nominalizations, long noun-noun sequences, and adverbial uses of based on, and there is a considerable increase in the frequency of these features from 1950 to 2020, indicating that the rules proscribing these features will likely continue to be violated; (iv) academic writing in biology, psychology, and mechanical engineering include fewer agentless passive voice constructions in 2020 compared with 1950, and this decrease in the frequency of passive voice constructions is related to the increase in the use of the first-person pronoun we; and (v) the proscribed use of the relative pronoun "which" in restrictive relative clauses is mostly followed by academic writers, and adherence to this proscription has increased from 1950 to 2020. The findings of the dissertation have implications for the study of prescriptivism as a sociolinguistic phenomenon and for anyone involved in the writing, teaching, and/or editing of academic writing. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation makes a significant contribution to the literature for several reasons. In paper one, I argue that learning a set of useful concrete practices, in addition to CRP mindsets, can help White scholars and educators prepare to lead diverse classrooms, build culturally relevant curricula, and form strong relationships with students with various identities. To explore these practices, I analyze interview and classroom observation data from six White teachers who are experienced in employing CRP teaching practices. The goal of paper two is to understand the process of how White social studies teachers committed to using culturally relevant curricula make decisions about the curricula they will use in their courses and how they actually go about building said curricula. A culturally relevant curriculum includes the experiences of students in the classroom, values their diversity and the contributions of their community, and invites them to bring their identities into classroom discussions. Such a curriculum should therefore promote the academic success of all students, encourage cultural competence and acceptance of students' own and others' cultures, and stimulate an eye toward sociopolitical consciousness in which students analyze and explore how to confront real-world issues (Ladson-Billings, 2014). Paper two therefore focuses on social studies classrooms, in particular, and asks: What are White teachers doing to create culturally relevant social studies curricula and what goals do they have for these curricula? Finally, in response to a phenomenon that I observed emerging from my data, paper three asks: How do White teachers incorporate stories and tools of resistance, resilience, and hope while also teaching students about hard, historic realities and their lasting impacts? Studying the teaching of hard history and hope yields two benefits. First, it provides information on how, in practice, White teachers achieve balance in teaching these sometimes-competing goals. Second, understanding these practices has implications for the teacher training and professional development of White educators, especially as the teaching of hard histories becomes increasingly relevant, important, and common. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

"'To Make History the Living Force': The Professionalization of Public History, 1880- 2000" challenges how we often distinguish public history education from "traditional" history education and shows how debates about public history teaching reveal a larger and more dynamic story about all historians' professional identity, craft, and education. Historians have tinkered with historical training since the current model of graduate education emerged in the 1880s, and "To Make History the Living Force" situates the experiential and practice-based curriculum of public history training programs within this larger narrative of disciplinary formation and professionalization. The historians at the heart of this study sought to reform historical training to prepare students to navigate what National Park Service historian Dwight T. Pitcathley once described as "the spaces between," spaces where academic scholarship confronts public memories, both individual and collective, and where historians face the uncertain legacy of professionalization, unhampered by the minutiae of historiographical debates and unrestricted by the artificial yet elusive borders that divide academic and public spheres. By approaching the development of public history training as part of a broader story of historical professionalism, we come to understand how the Public History Movement of the 1970s offered new models of historical training that emphasized the interdisciplinary and dialogical nature of historical practice. We also acknowledge how historians carved out new spaces of authority in the contested and foggy terrain of historical work in the United States. The local and national stories told in "To Make History the Living Force" evidence the symbiotic relationships among teaching, scholarship, and service that formed historians' professional identities throughout the twentieth century and shaped the Public History Movement that emerged in universities in the 1970s. Historians have limited studies of public history's origins and evolution to certain time periods, rooting the field's methods and academic programs to specific episodes in American history, including the Progressive era, New Deal, Civil Rights Movement, and the 1970s academic employment crisis. By focusing on the ways in which the methods and goals of public historians are distinct from "traditional" historians, scholars have overlooked the ways in which the Public History Movement is part of an evolution of historical training and practice. Ultimately, I argue that the emergence of the Public History Movement in the late 1970s was the culmination of a persistent, century-long debate about the methods and purpose of historical training and practice. Public history programs are rooted in the establishment of the American historical profession in the late nineteenth century. As historians formed an academic discipline, they also took control of private and state-managed historical agencies and established new standards for historical work in public life. As they took on roles as archivists, curators, and administrators, historians began to reform collegiate history education training through supplementary workshops, internships, and comprehensive courses of study. The historians I follow throughout this study never sought to develop a new field of historical study. Instead, they offered an entirely new vision of historical training that better reflected the diverse ways history shapes public life. Their vision entered the mainstream at a moment when social activism and national economic woes demanded reform within collegiate history departments, challenging exceedingly narrow notions of historical professionalism and offering a new model of historical training that centered the dialogical nature of history. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This doctoral dissertation analyzes the course of student activism at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, the largest campus in Puerto Rico's public university system, during the first three decades of the island's current political status as an "Estado Libre Asociado" (Associated Free State/Commonwealth). It makes contributions in three lines of argument: university-state relations, connections between the student activism and the Puerto Rican independence movement, and student demographics and cultures. I found that the Puerto Rican state was committed to public higher education to advance socioeconomic mobility and instill civic virtue. Contradictions within the colonial "Estado Libre Asociado" are traceable through the University of Puerto Rico as it participated in the development of a cultural nationalist imaginary while having expansive US military presence through ROTC programs. I also explore interactions between student activism and pro-independence organizations off-campus, particularly in years known as the peak of the "Nueva Lucha por la Independencia" (New Struggle for Independence). I refrain from describing mid-twentieth century pro-independence student groups as a unified student movement, instead highlighting their diversity constant evolution. While the "Nueva Lucha" is known for its Left-leaning bent, this dissertation demonstrates that legacies of socially conservative Puerto Rican Nationalism exerted considerable influence over pro-independence student activism in Rio Piedras. Additionally, I explain the ways in which student demographics and cultures shaped waves of student protest in Rio Piedras. I examine how the campus became more socioeconomically and ideologically diverse during the mid-twentieth century due in part to "Estado Libre Asociado" initiatives and federal GI Bills. Increases in enrollment during this time resulted in the growth of annexationist (pro-statehood) student organizing in opposition to pro-independence groups in a campus where most of the student body did not belong to any political organization. Debates regarding university reform, anti-war activism, student-worker collaborations, and struggles in favor of expanded access to higher education shaped activist trajectories and contemporary discourses that represent students as leaders of social mobilization in Puerto Rico. Overall, this dissertation shows ways in which campus protest in Rio Piedras influenced the development of Puerto Rican political identities during the mid-twentieth century. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

One of the critical roles of instructional leaders is to help teachers with technology integration. Instructional leaders should be familiar with emerging technology and understand how they can help teachers integrate new technology appropriately into their classrooms. One tool that has become increasingly popular to support student learning is virtual reality (VR). The purpose of this study was to explore the use of VR in a social studies classroom as it pertained to three key areas: content knowledge, students' classroom engagement, and historical empathy. The study utilized a quasi-experimental mixed methods to collect data, and both qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed. Specifically, a pre and post test, pre and post-survey, video recordings, teacher and student interviews, writing reflections, and field observations were collected during the course of this study. There was a VR group and Website group that explored the life of Anne Frank during the Holocaust and her time within the Secret Annex. The results of this study showed that no statistically significant difference in content knowledge and social studies engagement were found. However, statistically significant growth was observed in the development of historical empathy. Qualitative data particularly revealed that the use of both VR and the website was beneficial to promote student engagement, understanding of historical past, and historical empathy. The findings suggest that integration of VR is beneficial for student learning and instructional leaders should find ways to support teachers' integration of VR in K-12 classrooms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This project engages in the cultural exegesis of digital technology for the benefit of training men and women for Christian service in a world shaped by the presence of technologies like smart phones and social media. The author developed a course dedicated to teaching students at an undergraduate Bible college to apply the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians and "take every thought captive" in regards to digital technology. Using insights from Scripture, history, and philosophy, students were led to develop and articulate a theology of technology. Additionally, this project is interested in the application of this theology. In this course, the researcher challenged the students to consider the effects of digital technology on both personal discipleship and ecclesial ministry and to develop virtues and disciplines in response. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of the yearly principal attrition rate on the state accountability ratings of 144 traditional public high schools in Mississippi from 2015-2019 and the proficiency rate of high school students in Mississippi in mathematics, reading, science, and history as evidenced on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program End-of-the Course Assessments from 2015 to 2019. The study examines these factors using the accountability formula in Mississippi under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The schools were ranked by their letter and numerical rating according to the Mississippi Accountability System for each year. Next, the proficiency rating of each school in Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and U.S. History was compiled. The third step was identifying the names of the principals at each school from 2015 to 2019 indicating any principal attrition. Each research question was tested using in the Pearson r correlation with an alpha level of 0.5. Linear regression with a confidence interval of 95% was used to predict variance. There were correlations found in this study, but they were weak to negligible based upon the results of the statistical measures. The data supported a significant relationship between principal attrition and the school accountability ratings in 2016-2017. This study found the relationship between the yearly principal attrition rates to be statistically significant in mathematics for all years except 2015-2016. In reading, it was found that only during the 2016-2017 school year that there was a significant relationship between the yearly principal attrition rate and the proficiency rate. As it relates to science and history, it was found to be a significant relationship in history between yearly principal attrition and proficiency in history in 2016-2017. In 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the study revealed a significant relationship between yearly principal attrition and proficiency in science. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Educational quality is a way to influence the future of the American economy (Hanushek, 1986). Large-scale assessments are designed to determine quality in education by measuring student achievement. A connection exists between the standards, teachers, and assessments that form a system of accountability within education. State and national accountability policies place value in certain educational fields, thereby preferring some while excluding others. As a result, accountability systems influence the field of social studies in several unanticipated ways. Consequential validity suggests that assessments should include value implications and relevance (Messick, 1989).While assessment research examines the disciplines of mathematics, science, and language arts in a more holistic manner, the few social studies assessments are often divided among the field's various disciplines. The purpose of social studies, and its development of standards, is firmly linked to the current state of disunity within the social studies field. These issues are reflected in teacher preparation policies as well as state assessment policies. Social studies advocates have proven that, in other subjects, teachers and instructional methods are influenced by assessment. Fortunately, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides an opportunity to determine whether the exclusion of social studies within the state/national accountability system is impacting student achievement in social studies.The current systems make social studies uniquely positioned for studying the effects of large-scale assessment upon the field. Uses and interpretations of assessment data by researchers have been limited in social studies because the subject is not incorporated into most accountability policies. State policy governs educational standards, teacher licensure, and the extent of assessments upon students. For this study, the social studies NAEP assessment is divided into three separate tests (U.S. History, Geography, and Civics). By looking at data from the fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade 2010 social studies NAEP tests, this study will investigate some of the unintended consequences of educational assessment culture. I will examine social studies through different lenses and apply the concept of consequential validity to social studies in order to understand the value of social studies within education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This paper presents an action research study as part of a Dissertation in Practice. Based on observations from the classroom of the participant-researcher, Problem of Practice is described: an over-reliance on teacher-centered instructional methods and the mismatch of these instructional techniques to the pedagogy endorsed by the International Baccalaureate. Through the identification of this PoP led to a research focus concerning student achievement, instructional methods, and the use of historical simulations in the social studies classroom. As a result of this research focus, the research question of "what, if any, is the possible impact of historical simulations on student achievement?" In order to answer this question, a quasiexperimental research design was developed where data was collected through a pretest and a posttest in order to determine the student achievement based on a historical simulation exercise versus student achievement based on traditional, teacher-centered instructional methods. While the study did not produce statistically significant results, the study did produce practical results that could be considered by the participant-researcher in order to develop an action plan. The action plan that was developed as a result of the findings of this study provides a framework for the participant-researcher to continue to study the use of historical simulations while hoping to affect positive change as a curriculum leader. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation aims to illuminate divergent ideologies of literacy and personhood in the United States and England, utilizing literary and non-literary texts from the nineteenth century to shed light on the historical constraints and conventions shaping our current moment. My version of the nineteenth century is a long one, since I look at nineteenth-century rewrites of the eighteenth-century novel "Robinson Crusoe," and I reference a few works of contemporary historical fiction set in the nineteenth century. My analysis centers on trajectories of negative personhood--in particular prisoners, slaves, and vagrant laborers--in accordance with the idea that a nation is defined by how it treats its most oppressed citizens. By comparing a range of transatlantic literary responses to canonical texts, such as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Bleak House," I demonstrate that American literature develops an increasingly exclusive model of literacy, whereas British literature advances towards a vision of universal literacy. Texts where African Americans do acquire literacy, such as "The Life and the Adventures of a Haunted Convict," I argue, still perpetuate exclusion and perceived failure to achieve moral growth. I integrate these insights on transatlantic contexts surrounding literacy with contemporary continuities, particularly in prison education and the school-to-prison pipeline. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.) [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

While grassroots and student activism surrounding the first Earth Day in 1970 played a role in fostering environmental studies programs around the country, this dissertation narrates the untold story of other forces that served as crucial catalysts. Established conservation education models, the dynamics of college and university funding, and the political economy of outdoor recreation all played essential roles. The downplaying of these forces in historical narratives has contributed to a paradox facing environmental educators: how to pursue the profound transformation of American society while simultaneously working within established political economies to keep institutions financially solvent. When this paradox is ignored or misunderstood, it can lead to superficial solutions and ideological polarization that reflects broader American environmental politics. It can also lead to students who feel a deep sense of frustration, confusion, or desolation about their moral or spiritual lives and their role in addressing environmental problems. A fundamental set of forces intensifying these problems are the norms and structures of higher education that privilege not only the specialization of academic disciplines but the segregation of intellectual learning from social, moral, and spiritual education. Sophisticated environmental education will require the navigation of another paradox: maintaining the strengths of specialized expertise while avoiding a fractured educational experience for students. To achieve this, colleges must foster a culture of mutual learning and healthy vulnerability between teachers and students, integrate learning inside and outside the classroom, and engage in honest assessments of institutional history and political economy. These findings are based on research at a series of college and university campuses, with a focus on three primary case studies: the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a large public research university with a long and rich tradition of conservation education dating back to the early 20th century; Northland College, a small liberal arts college in northern Wisconsin, which put environmental education at the center of its mission and identity beginning in 1970; and Hope College, a small liberal arts college in Michigan with the curious mix of a longstanding and vibrant evangelical Christian culture and environmental education and sustainability programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation addresses a problem of practice stemming from the accountability movement and its emphasis on high-stakes testing in the social studies classroom. An examination of the problem of practice led to the research question: How does the use of the scientifically based method of historical inquiry affect student perceptions of cultures other than their own? The purpose of this action research study was to examine the use of historical inquiry as a means of combating the lack of depth in a formal curriculum focused on high-stakes testing and a hidden curriculum that promotes a "top-down," Eurocentric approach to history which can affect students' perceptions of cultures beyond their own. A one-group pretest-posttest quantitative design was used to determine the viability of using historical inquiry and multicultural content to increase ethnocultural empathy among student-participants. An analysis of the data did not indicate any statistically significant changes. However, increases in the Empathic Awareness mean score and the median scores of three individual items warrant further study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This case study provided an analysis of expectations of 10 college history/social science professors at a single 4-year state university. In this qualitative dissertation study, the researcher explored how history/social science professors provide access to social capital resources to increase college readiness. Stanton-Salazar's (2010) social capital theoretical framework, which pertains to the networks and resources that increase student success with resource-generating adults as institutional agents, formed the basis for this study. Institutional agents include several roles, such as a resource agent, knowledge agent, integrative agent, advocate, role model, and program developer (Stanton-Salazar, 2010). Interviews were the primary means of collecting data in this study; the researcher also used document analysis of faculty syllabi and notes, which were compared with interview data to identify themes. A qualitative data management program was used to code the data. Findings included descriptions of social capital, evidence of impact, and factors that supported best practices. The following themes were significant to these professors working to increase social capital: (a) strengthening students' writing skills and reinforcing students' reading as a resource agent; (b) generating academic interest as an integrative agent; (c) developing student critical thinking skills as a knowledge agent; (d) reinforcing high expectations as a role model; (e) protecting the interests of students as an advocate; and (f) providing opportunities as a program developer. The researcher determined that little attention by others (e.g., K-12 educators, administrators, policy stakeholders) was paid to the day-to-day operations of history/social science professors as institutional agents or social capital providers that directly influence student outcomes. There are implications at the postsecondary and secondary levels for teachers and professors to continue to improve students' critical thinking skills, college readiness, and support existing reinforcement of instructional models that maintain student success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation is a semi-longitudinal investigation of the design, application and evaluation of a novel abstraction of two learning theories---William Demmert, Culture-Based Education and Seymour Papert, Constructionism, to form "Cultural Constructionism." This study was driven by an interest to explore the linkage between cultural history and computing history and how they interplay in mind, culture, history and activity, in an effort to understand why there are so few Indigenous students in computing. This study investigates the potential of a learning theory that responds to Indigenous culture to support learning activities that can increase interest in the computing sciences. The theory was used to guide the design of a computing workshop and to test the application of the theory in an intervention. The workshop provided the opportunity to observe and investigate its effects upon ten Indigenous high school students, who participated during the summer of 2010. The students' responses from discussion sessions that formed part of the workshop and during interviews at the end of the workshop were recorded. The ten students were tracked between 2010 and 2015 to observe their choices for further education. During the passage of time, one student did choose computing as a subject of study. In 2015 four of the students agreed to be interviewed, later one declined to allow his responses to be used in this research. These interviews contain the students' reflections on the effects of workshop, and their views on the matters discussed during the workshop. The results suggest that the Cultural Constructionism theory is useful in structuring educational activities in computing for Indigenous students. It shine a light on many challenges in the lives of Indigenous students, and suggest that the workshop had value for the participants in responding to these challenges beyond providing knowledge of computing. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Current literature has suggested that despite scholars in other fields gleaning vast amounts of experimental data to use to hone curriculum decisions and support their disciplines, researchers in social studies education have failed to look at Significant Life Experiences (SLEs) of Historical Preservationists (HPs) for the same benefit. The American Historical Association (AHA) cited a twenty-one percent dip in history majors since 2012 (Townsend, 2017), historic sites like Colonial Williamsburg have been hit by a lack of interest and visitation from the public (Tiedemann & Marsico, 2017), and many local historical associations and community museums have uncertain futures due to potential problems recruiting volunteers (Birck, 1998). The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of current HPs in their lifelong advocacy of various types of historical work. The research questions for this study focused on the lifelong lived experience that these individuals deemed as significant and influential. Purposeful (criterion based) sampling was employed to identify sixteen participants who were seen as influential in different areas as HPs. Data collection included open-ended interviews, artifact collection, and reflexive journaling. The data were analyzed using traditional phenomenological methods such as bracketing (Epoche), horizontalization, coding clusters of meaning into themes, textural descriptions, structural descriptions, and the building of the Essence (Moustakas, 1994). The study revealed that the themes of (1) Family, (2) Sense of Place, (3) Historical Empathy, (4) Offering Historical Education, and (5) Career and Achievement were relevant in HP's lives. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For centuries, languages have been changing and evolving in complex, systematic ways. The study of past stages of a linguistic system and the overarching linguistic patterns characterizing the arc of change over time characterize the field of linguistics known as historical linguistics. Historical linguistics serves to illuminate both the sources and earlier phonetic and morphosyntactic features of a given language and the present trajectories and modern features of those same systems. This has implications for Second Language Acquisition. Indeed, existing literature suggests that instruction in various aspects of historical linguistics correlates positively with increased confidence, motivation, global competence, and multicultural identity. This study explored the effects of introductory historical linguistics exposure on the L2 Motivational Self as defined by Dornyei (2005) and revisualized for multilingual learners by Ushioda (2017) and Lasagabaster (2014), among others. After a one-week treatment period, qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed to determine if changes could be detected in middle and high school language learners' levels of motivation, enjoyment, and sense of identity in the foreign language classroom. Quantitative results revealed significant results in the areas of self-efficacy and metalinguistic awareness. Qualitative analysis revealed strong support for increased L2 enjoyment, L2 motivation, and self-efficacy, and revealed moderate support for lowered L2 anxiety and higher self-confidence. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The problem presented by this study was reduced synchronous instruction in online learning environments often causes students to disengage by not participating in coursework or completing assignments. Additionally, a reduced amount of synchronous instruction opportunities yielded a reduction in coursework progress, decreased interaction, and reduction in successful course completion among online students specifically in 11th and 12th grade. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the relationship between synchronous instruction and student engagement (participation and course completion), and synchronous instruction and course pass rates specifically for 11th and 12th grade online students in Nevada. This study focused on examining four courses (English, Math, Science, and History) associated with 11th and 12th grade online students and the correlation between the amount of synchronous instruction, to their overall engagement and overall course completion grades. Student data included student participation (course completion), synchronous instruction, and final course grades. This study was based on one online school, Nevada Connections Academy, serving students all across the state of Nevada. Throughout this study, a focus on synchronous instruction and its correlation to participation and course pass rates was investigated. Previous research consistently indicated/revealed synchronous instruction produces a positive impact on overall student learning (Claman, 2015; Garrett Dikkers, 2015). Overall, this study yielded results that showed some positive correlation between synchronous instruction and participation, course completion, and course pass rates, but did not show an overall significance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined the extent hiring for mission and personal religious formation play a role in a Catholic parochial elementary school lay principal's spiritual leadership. This study also examined the relationship between a principal's personal and professional demographics and a principal's spiritual leadership. Ciriello (1993) was used to form the spiritual leadership framework and Breslin (2000), Caruso (2002), and Murray (2011) were used to form the hiring for mission framework. The personal religious formation framework was formed using Nuzzi (2012), and Smith and Nuzzi (2007), and D'Antonio et al. (2007) and Smith and Nuzzi (2007) formed the demographic framework. The study's data was obtained from 191 Catholic parochial elementary school lay principals from randomly selected (arch) dioceses from each of the seven National Catholic Educational Association regions. Study participants completed an anonymous online 90 question survey that was created by the researcher. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation coefficients, multiple regression, and analysis of variance. The study's major findings include: incorporating mission into the entire principal hiring process is a significant factor in the principal exhibiting spiritual leadership in the areas of faith development, building Christian community, moral and ethical development, and Catholic history and philosophy; principals who reported a strong personal religious formation manifested in faith beliefs and spiritual practices are likely to advance the school's religious mission through spiritual leadership in the areas of faith development, building Christian community, moral and ethical development, and Catholic history and philosophy; principals who take four or more theology courses in college or graduate school and/or study or major in Catholic educational leadership in college or graduate school are likely to exhibit spiritual leadership in the areas of Catholic history and philosophy and faith development. This study's information could be used by (arch) diocesan officials, pastors, and principal search committees to develop a Catholic parochial elementary school lay principal hiring process that will support hiring principals who are prepared to serve as the school's spiritual leader. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Students often fail to develop a sophisticated understanding of scientific topics despite years of formal education designed to help them do so. Through studying how students learn the physical sciences, conceptual change researchers have amassed a large body of evidence that people, rather than being empty vessels who passively accept scientific theories, already possess rich intuitive theories about the world. More recently, researchers have argued that these intuitive theories shape how people understand the social world as well. In this project, we explored these intuitive theories about people and how these intuitive theories differ from how experts in the social sciences think about people. To do this, we used the Delphi method, a method of surveying experts that uses iterative rounds of quantitative judgments and comments. We created seven Delphi panels, each comprised of professors from a specific field of the social sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology) and asked them to explain the most consequential ways that studying their field changes how one understands and explains the human world. Three of the panels were highly successful, one was moderately successful, and three were largely unsuccessful due to low participation. Findings indicate that social scientists can describe several consequential ways they think about the human world differently from those who have not studied the social sciences. Similarities and differences across fields of the social sciences are discussed, as well as differences within the fields as described by panelists. However, these disagreements within and across fields, and especially disagreements over the correct way to interpret terms, make it difficult to generalize across the social sciences as a whole. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Game-based learning has entered the mainstream, yet little research has examined its influence within an early elementary setting, in the subject of history, or within the context of entire curricular unit. This dissertation examines two years' worth of data during which an augmented reality, geolocated mobile game was embedded within a second-grade history unit. Using a designed-based research approach, I designed and implemented this digital game using the ARIS platform and then examined impacts upon student experiences, student learning within and beyond the intended curriculum, and on teachers' decision-making and planning. Over the course of the two years, 58 students and 3 teachers participated. Analysis indicates that early elementary students can experience flow and a magic circle while playing a constructivist-influenced game. While indicators of curriculum specified learning are inconclusive, data suggest that there may be a game-effect for learning beyond the curriculum, greater retention for some students, and a greater level of enthusiasm and sense of ownership of historical content. Findings also suggest teachers' perceptions of curriculum-embedded games evolved over two years from that of being an 'add-on' to being a catalyst for learning. Their role shifted from that of direct instructor to that of facilitator, thus influencing their instructional decision-making. Implications for research, game-design, and teaching are provided. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study compared the factors of library anxiety in 23 upper level history and 24 physical education majors. The Library Anxiety Scale (LAS) was administered. This scale measures the five factors of library anxiety: barriers with staff, affective barriers, comfort with the library, knowledge of the library, and mechanical barriers. A t-test was run to measure the difference in the level of anxiety experienced by both groups. The t-statistic was 2.554, which is a statistically significant difference. A series of algorithms was performed for each factor for both groups allowing a study of the individual factor responses. Implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are made. Appendixes contain 30 charts and graphs, the LAS, a table of factor values by factor, and letters used in the study. (Contains 39 references.) (Author/SLD)

The impact of using integrated metacognitive instruction on high school students' achievement, self-efficacy, and test anxiety was studied. Forty students in 2 advanced geography classes in a large suburban high school participated. The level of metacognitive strategies students used at the beginning of the semester was assessed and compared to that of the end of the semester, and these levels were compared to those of a control group. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to measure metacognitive strategy use, self-efficacy for learning, and test anxiety. It was hypothesized that the treatment group would have higher scores on an achievement test, that they would report higher self-efficacy scores, and that they would also report lower test anxiety scores. Treatment effects were in the direction that was hypothesized, but there were no significant differences between the two groups, a result that may be attributed to the small sample size. Significant interactions were found between gender and achievement, metacognitive self-regulation, and test anxiety. Males had higher achievement scores, and females reported higher levels of metacognitive strategy use and higher levels of test anxiety. Attachments include lesson plans, the MSLQ, and forms used to conduct the study. (SLD)

The purpose of this study is to examine the number of history books published in England during the 16th century, and attempts to estimate who were the publishers, authors and printers, and intended and actual readers. The main data source for this study was the electronic version of the "English Short Title Catalogue," provided by the Research Libraries Group. All books dealing with history in that period were extracted, and a search was conducted separately on each year. A review of the entire collection of "history books" using content analysis lead to an estimation of what should be considered "chronicles." The study concludes that during the 16th century there was a slow and persistent growth of history literature. Historical events, not the success or downfall of the publishing industry, affected the history publications. "Chronicle" is defined as follows: "a continual practical narration of compiled miscellaneous random and unconnected facts from the most available number of sources in a chronological order in an attempt to picture martial, ecclesiastical, governing and private affairs in an uncritical manner." Appendices include tables and charts for the research and five English history books (and copies of their title pages) of the 16th century located in the Kent State Library. (Contains 34 references.) (AEF)

This paper explores the thesis that a discrepancy exists in the treatment of physical disease over mental illness when care is provided by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Inconsistencies exist in the form of narrowed and abbreviated treatment models coupled with outmoded views towards mental illness. Strategies currently used by HMOs to limit the treatment and care of mental illnesses such as substance abuse can also be used to restrict access to marriage and family therapy. HMOs also do not take into account individual differences, and have a complete disregard for environmental, demographic, and multicultural factors. After chronicling the history of HMOs in the United States, the paper explores the effects of HMO decisions on consumers. It reports the results of the questionnaire distributed to consumers, providers, and executives to determine if the consumer is being denied qualitative mental health care. It concludes with an exploration of more humanistic and acceptable alternatives to mental health care. With this paper the author hopes to: (1) educate newly licensed mental health practitioners to issues regarding HMOs in order that they can protect their interests while maintaining integrity in their treatment of mental health patients, and (2) promote awareness of any ethical concerns that might result as HMOs dictate treatment for mentally ill patients. (Contain 47 references and three appendixes.) (Author/JDM)

This dissertation is a local, specific study on the Chamorro language policies of Guam. Scholars have noted since the beginning of the American occupation that the Indigenous Chamorro language of Guam is dying and is in danger of becoming extinct within the next generation. As the hub of American military presence in the Asia Pacific region, the island of Guam is a major site of increasing militarization. This study asked: What does is it mean that the Chamorro language of Guam is dying in the wake of increasing militarization in Guam? The objective of this study was to understand the impact of and response to militarization in Guam on Chamoru Systems of Knowledge through language policies. The threefold purpose of this study to accomplish this was: 1) to examine historical documents and research for evidence of formal and informal information policies implemented by the U.S. military on Indigenous people in Guam to understand how their existing IKS was affected; 2) to examine current formal and informal information policies to understand the existing efforts aimed at reversing the impact of historic policies; and 3) to interview individuals to understand the impact of and response to these policies on access to and flow of cultural information. The overarching question guiding this study was: What is the relationship between militarization in Guam and the flow of information within the Chamoru Indigenous Knowledge System? To address this question, the following research questions were investigated:RQ1: What formal and informal language policies were historically implemented in Guam under colonial rule? a. Who implemented these policies? b. How were these policies enforced? c. What were the intended outcomes of these policies? RQ2: What formal and informal language policies currently exist in Guam? a. Who implemented these policies? b. How were these policies enforced? c. What were the intended outcomes of these policies? RQ3: How has militarization affected these policies in Guam? RQ4: How have these policies affected the flow of information in the Indigenous Knowledge System in Guam? RQ5: How have the Indigenous Chamorro people responded to these policies? This dissertation is a study of language policies as information policies and the myths that shaped the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of the Chamorro people of Guahan as expressed through stories by the Chamoru Manamko', or elders. Inafa'maolek, the concept of Chamorro relationality grounded this study and utilized Talking Story, the Pacific Islander method of communicating and sharing information, for data gathering. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The proliferation of new media has created significant changes to how students interact with cultural diversity in the twenty-first century. No longer limited to interactions available only in their local contexts, many students connect online to highly diverse places, peoples, and texts. This dissertation describes these interactions as twenty-first century multicultural learning. Although multiculturalism is typically defined locally according to a nation's populace, this empirical case considers the increased salience of transnationalism and the growing importance of linguistic and cultural flexibility in an era of globalization. While recognizing seminal multicultural education scholarship that is foundational to this study's evolution (Banks, 2009; 2013; Hernandez-Sheets, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Lee, 1992), this study proffers a reexamination of multicultural learning in a rapidly changing communication landscape. This study features DramaCrazy.net, a free website on which people posted, watched, and discussed Asian dramas. Data collection focused on DramaCrazy's Korean dramas forum and spanned two months of almost daily visits to the site from May through June of 2013. Data included peripheral observations, Web traffic estimation data, over 200 screenshots, and eight printed discussion threads. Content analysis of publicly available data (Brett, 2010; Farnel, 2015; Hine, 2014; Hughes, 2012; Thelwall, 2008) allowed for close analysis of "archives of naturally occurring, non-reactive, online interactions" (Hewson & Laurent, 2012, p. 183). The forum's majority was adolescents who lived in diverse locations outside of Korea. A central finding was that these youth pursued multicultural learning and identity construction through their reading and composition of digitally mediated texts. They generated knowledge about Korean language, history, and contemporary culture, as well as information about their local contexts. Their literacy and language practices also involved digitally mediated self-representations that signified belonging to diverse locations and multiple affiliations. Through a semiotic approach to examining meaning-making practices wherein "choice is the basis of and the expression of meaning" (Kress and Selander, 2012, p. 267), I discuss these adolescents' literacy and language choices as meaningful to their understanding of themselves and others. Their participation in the forum involved imagining, analyzing, articulating, and remixing their cultural identities, social worlds, and connections to global others. They composed "transcultural" self-representations that disrupt a fixed categorical logic of identity that persists in school policies and practices (Kim, G.M., 2016a; 2016b). These complex cultural identities highlight a need for more student-centered definitions of culture in education research and practice. As culturally relevant (Ladson-Billings, 1994) and culturally responsive (Gay, 2000) pedagogies have become the established approach of many teacher education programs, these asset-based pedagogies require updating to include ways that cultures are learned and lived by students through digitally mediated, transnational, literate practices. In a spirit similar to Paris and Alim's (2014) "loving critique forward" this study aims to advance multicultural education research in general, and literacy and language studies in particular, through its documentation of transcultural digital literacies and languages. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

My dissertation examines the role of women in the Cuban Revolution through the lens of the 1961 Literacy Campaign. Using archival sources, print media, oral histories, and other primary source accounts, I argue that the Campaign was a key formative period for the nascent revolutionary state and for the 250,000 teachers who worked in it. Beginning in the guerrilla insurgency of the 1950s, the 26th of July Movement invested in education and described political education as a central component of its proposed changes to Cuban society. After 1959, this institutional emphasis on education facilitated the political mobilization of women and the creation of mass organizations like the Comites de Defensa de la Revolucion and the Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas. Individual women engaged critically with propaganda for the Literacy Campaign, volunteering to teach with the expectation that their professional horizons would be expanded through their work. In the decades that followed, their work also influenced their relationship with the revolutionary project. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation analyzes how mandated high-stakes tests and college and career ready standards influence local curricula and the reproduction of inequalities between students. I found that inequalities were reproduced based on distinctions between students in co-taught courses (classes that required the presence of an aide to assist students with disabilities or behavioral problems) (CT), Regents courses, and advantaged placement (AP) courses. Standardized tests, specifically the Common Core and Regents, hindered the levels of knowledge that students in CT and Regents tracks participated in, or in the case of AP students, caused them to engage with a bit more advanced learning. Although teachers were required to prepare students for high-stakes tests, their agency did play an essential role in framing pedagogy in all of the classrooms observed, because teachers were able to construct their lesson plans and interact with students independently. Teachers provided AP students with skills directly that would help them in college because of the distinctions teachers made between students. Thus, a combination of high-stakes standardized test scores and social and cultural capital constructed social boundaries that influenced the expectations of teachers and college preparation for students. Teachers were aware of the limits of standardized tests though, so there was potential for non-reproductive tendencies between tracks. I based my research on Jean Anyon's (1981) study of social class, Pierre Bourdieu's understanding of culture, and critical pedagogy. Similar to Anyon I outline four levels of knowledge based on insights from her categories, Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, 1969), and college and career readiness. However, rather than focusing on inequalities between schools, I focus on inequalities within a school. I conducted qualitative research methods in the form of in-depth interviews and the observation of seven classrooms across the disciplines history, mathematics, English, and biology at a fringe-rural high school. This dissertation outlines an analysis of how a fringe-rural school located in upstate New York addressed the needs of socio-economically disadvantaged students and middle class students. Understanding the relationship between social class and the hidden curriculum in a rural school sheds light on successful strategies for educating students from similar demographics. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

One of the most challenging questions in ecumenical liturgical theology is how the relationship between the eucharistic bread and wine and Jesus Christ's body and blood can be appropriately described. In this dissertation, I take a new approach to this longstanding issue by drawing upon the field of cognitive linguistics. Based on this field, I argue that there is no clear division between literal and figurative language: rather, all human cognition is grounded in sensorimotor experience, and metaphor and related forms of figurative language are basic building blocks of thought. Complex realities are ordinarily understood by means of more than one metaphor, and eucharistic theology is no exception. Inherited models, then, are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as they can appear when literalized; rather, they can serve as complementary members of a shared ecumenical repertoire of "metaphors of eucharistic presence." The central element of this repertoire is the motif of identity, grounded in the Synoptic and Pauline institution narratives and expressed as the conceptual metaphor THIS LOAF AND WINE ARE JESUS' BODY AND BLOOD. From a cognitive standpoint, this metaphor can be acknowledged both as figurative "and" as true in the proper sense, resolving a dichotomy that has divided the churches since the Reformation. (A closely related but directionally opposite metaphor, JESUS' FLESH AND BLOOD ARE HEAVENLY, LIFE-GIVING BREAD AND DRINK, comes from John 6 and provides the warrant for spiritual rather than sacramental communion.). The identity motif is complemented by four major secondary motifs which, while non-scriptural, have developed over time as ways of interpreting and elaborating on the eucharistic encounter: change, containment, conduit, and representation. Each has unique entailments that conflict when understood literally but complement one another when seen as multiple metaphors for the same transcendent reality. Such an approach can support a tolerance for differences regarding the practices of reservation and adoration. Inaugurating a previously unexplored interdisciplinary conversation, this dissertation contributes to ongoing ecumenical reconciliation not only by addressing the issue of eucharistic presence but also by demonstrating a cognitively informed approach which may hold similar promise in other historically controverted areas. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This mixed methods study explores the institutionalized master narrative of public institutions and how the mandated policies enacted by public institutions impact Latina social studies teachers when delivering instruction to their students. A socio-transformative constructivist framework guides this study to affirm that knowledge is socially constructed and mediated by cultural, historical, and institutional contexts (Rodriguez, 1998, 2002). Because knowledge is socially constructed, this study analyzes how Latina social studies teachers use their identity, ethnicity, race, and gender to disrupt the set parameters as established by local school districts, district board members, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas State Board of Education. It is theorized that because these societal public institutions impact delivery of instruction, Latina social studies teachers not only serve as sources of knowledge for their students, but also that there is negotiation between the teacher and the institutionalized master narrative of these public institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Theological education among Latin American Baptists began during the epoch of colonial missions as a part of the long-range strategy developed by missionaries primarily from North America. Beyond translation, contextualization had little importance in those beginning stages. Over time, the seminaries were nationalized, yet today the earlier patterns of non-contextualization are still in evidence in many of these theological institutions. The weaknesses of the uncontextualized models are most obvious where theological training is offered to indigenous church leaders. In those circumstances, despite the cultural differences, there is little intentional adaptation for the particular needs of the indigenous student's ministry context. Sadly, adjustments for the students' ministry language are also lacking. The students, all of whom are bilingual and literate in Spanish, are expected to learn in Spanish. A less visible but nonetheless important problem can also be observed among the majority culture students. Too often lesson plans are repeated year after year, resulting in a loss of effectiveness. Cultures never stop changing, and failure to contextualize continuously curricula, courses, and classroom procedures is likely to result in irrelevant training rather than effective ministry. Intentional application of contextualization principles and practices is frequently absent in theological education among Baptists in Latin America. Likewise, an appreciation of the importance of contextualization is often lacking among the North America providers of theological education resources. Therefore, as globalization provides more and more opportunities for cross-cultural theological education, contextualization becomes increasingly important (and its absence increasingly critical) for everyone involved. The thesis of this investigation is that the application of the principles and practices as well as the attitudes and values of contextualization to the cross-cultural theological education process will significantly enhance the understanding and applicability of the cross-cultural learning experience. At the same time, contextualization can help to minimize syncretism and irrelevance--the unintended but natural consequences of globalized theological education. Further, the application of contextualization principles and practices can result in an intercultural dialogue within the framework of a shared biblical worldview. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Film is a tool used in the social studies classroom, even if it contradicts documented history. Suggestibility, the incorporation of misinformation from historical feature film, is commonplace, and some social studies instructional methods exacerbate inaccurate memories. Existing research indicates that attempts to counter suggestibility have met with limited success. This convergent parallel mixed methods study explored different research strands, using clips of actual footage in tandem with historical feature film clips to counter the historical errors. Data collection for the quantitative and qualitative strands of the study occurred simultaneously, analysis occurred separately, and they converged with meta-inferences inherent to mixed methods research. Qualitative themes suggest a variety of student content understandings and historical understandings from the clips, and illustrated that students can act as historians, which, in turn, suggests that students can act as analytical citizens. Quantitative results determined that actual footage countered suggestibility from historical feature film, and warnings were efficacious in limiting suggestibility when participants viewed the actual footage first. Although not apparent in the quantitative findings, convergent mixed methods findings illustrated that actual footage remained with participants. This study suggests that actual footage should be utilized in the social studies classroom, as it resonates in memory and adds to students' content and historical understandings. The findings illustrate that students need time to ponder the material presented in social studies classes to develop complex historical understandings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigated if the implementation of six different female-oriented teaching strategies had an effect on the attitude of middle school female science students. Female-oriented teaching strategies included single-sex groupings, student-teacher interactions, introduction of female role models, guided-inquiry teaching pedagogy, demonstration of real world relevance of science, and the implementation of more technology into science lessons. Quantitative data was collected by an initial and final administration of an attitude survey. The survey consisted of 48 Likert-type questions and was separated into six attitude domains (perception of the science teacher, anxiety, self-concept, value, enjoyment and motivation). Qualitative data was obtained through student journaling and interviews. A two-tailed, paired "t"-test was run on the qualitative data to gauge a degree of change in attitude, while deductive coding methods were used to gain female students' viewpoints of the strategies implemented. The implementation of four of the six female-oriented teaching strategies had a positive effect on the female students' attitude toward science. These strategies included grouping students in single-sex pairings, using guided-inquiry lessons, showing students the relevancy of science, and introducing female students to historical and current women in science. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]