Department of Educational Leadership, Learning, and Curriculum

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12774/17

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    Exploring the Impact of Identity-Based Student Organizations on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Spectrum Minority Students’ Integration, Belonging, and Academic Persistence in Higher Education
    (2024-08-29) Veenstra, Caitlyn
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Caitlyn R. Veenstra for the degree of Doctor of Education Presented on August 29, 2024 Title: Exploring the Impact of Identity-Based Student Organizations on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Spectrum Minority Students’ Integration, Belonging, and Academic Persistence in Higher Education Abstract approved: ___________________________________________________ Scott Mantie, PhD, Dissertation Committee Chair This exploratory, mixed-method study examines the role of identity-based student organizations in supporting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) spectrum minority students in higher education. Through convenience sampling, 44 participants were surveyed. Open coding revealed four key themes influencing student engagement: community building, advocacy and leadership, personal and professional growth, and inclusivity and resources. Descriptive analysis showed a significant 1.38-point increase in students’ sense of belonging after joining these organizations, suggesting a positive impact on respondents’ overall post-secondary experience. Notably, 76.9% of respondents intended to continue their involvement, with graduation being the primary reason for discontinuation. Identity-based student organizations were found to be vital pillars for fostering a sense of belonging, advocating for inclusivity, and promoting personal and professional growth for SOGI spectrum minority students.
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    Evaluation of the START Plan, a Mental Health Crisis Risk Rating Scale for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
    (2024-05) Caoili, Andrea
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Andrea Caoili for the degree of Doctor of Education, Learning, Leadership, and Community Presented on May 13, 2024 Title: Evaluation of the START Plan, a Mental Health Crisis Risk Rating Scale for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Abstract approved: ______________________________________________________________________________ Scott Mantie, PhD, Dissertation Committee Chair People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at increased risk of having mental health conditions compared to the general population. This risk, coupled with disparities in access to community-based mental health services results in higher crisis service utilization. There are few assessment instruments that consider the ecological context of mental health crises experienced by people with IDD. This observational, cross-sectional study takes place within the START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) program, a crisis prevention and intervention service for people with IDD and mental health conditions (IDD-MH). The study investigates the application of the START Plan, one of the primary assessment instruments used by START programs nationwide. The START Plan fills a unique gap by incorporating ecological factors that may contribute to crisis service use among this population. An existing data set (N = 6,397) from the START Information Reporting System was used. Chi-squared and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests were utilized to evaluate the relationship between START Plan scores and (a) reported sociodemographic characteristics (race, ethnicity, age, gender, living situation, and mental health iii diagnosis), (b) START crisis contacts, and (c) scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. Findings indicate a relationship between mental health instability and age, race, living situation, and number of psychiatric diagnoses. This study also found the START Plan to have strong predictive and construct validity, indicating the potential for application of the START Plan across mental health crisis services designed for people with IDD.
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    The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress Levels of Teachers and Students
    (2023-12) Zhu, Peihan
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Peihan Zhu for the degree of Doctor of Education in Learning, Leadership, and Community Presented on July 26, 2023 Title: The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress Levels of Teachers and Students Abstract approved: ________________________________________________ Christie Sweeney, Ed.D. Dissertation Committee Chair The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of mindfulness practices on the stress levels of teachers and students when those practices are integrated into the classroom in a systematic and purposeful manner. This study utilized qualitative case study methodology to investigate a mindfulness program’s impact on teachers and students. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, and school resources about the mindfulness program. Direct participants in this study were teaching/academic staff, administrative staff, and school administrators. Students were indirectly involved in this study. In this study, surveys were attempted by 46 teaching/academic staff and administrative staff. A total of three school administrators completed the surveys. Interviews were completed with five teaching/academic staff, one administrative staff, and two school administrators. The researcher also reviewed 21 student surveys designed, conducted, and provided by a wellness and social science educator at the school. The findings from this study have indicated that when mindfulness practices are implemented in a systematic and purposeful manner, as exemplified at the research site, THE IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS ON TEACHERS AND STUDENTS iii the program and the corresponding implementation of mindfulness practices demonstrated positive impacts on the stress reduction of teachers and students, while extending these impacts to administrators and the broader school community. Some examples of these positive impacts: teachers stated that practicing mindfulness transformed their teaching experiences, they felt less stressed, became more caring, and experienced improved relations with students; students stated practicing mindfulness helped them be calm, recenter, manage stress, and allowed them to resort to love and confidence; participating faculty/staff observed school administrators used mindfulness skills to connect the community as a whole; many participants described the mindfulness program at the school, along with the variety of mindfulness practices, helped foster a community of mutual understanding and connection.
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    Identifying Effective Professional Development to Meet Teachers’ Needs When Instructing English Learner Students
    (2024-05) Brazee, Erika
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Erika Brazee for the degree of Doctor of Education Presented on February 19, 2024 Title: Identifying Effective Professional Development to Meet Teachers’ Needs When Instructing English Learner Students. Abstract approved: _______________________________________________________________ Scott Mantie, Ph.D., Dissertation Committee Chair This phenomenological study explored elementary educators' identified needs for effective professional development, focused on the instruction and assessment of English Learners (EL) in schools with low EL incidence. Addressing teacher preparation through effective professional development was guided by Bruner’s (1960) constructivist theory and Knowles andragogy theory, specifically adult learning theory. The purposeful sampling for the individual semi-structured interviews included eight elementary Kindergarten through fifth-grade educators who had previously had an EL student. The teachers participated in a 45-minute Zoom interview. The responses were coded using descriptive focused analysis and In Vivo coding while anchoring. Three common themes were identified from an in-depth analysis of the transcribed interviews after multiple readings from anchor one and five from anchor two. Anchor one addresses the design and delivery of an effective PD, and anchor two reports on teachers’ identified needs for instructing and assessing EL students. Anchor one included the presentation of material: workshop, in-person, visuals, is of sustained duration, two half days, two times a year; Role of the learner: active learner; Role of the facilitator: supports collaboration, offers feedback and coaching, and use of models of effective practice and identified resources. Anchor two included math instruction, reading comprehension instruction, assessments, using technology, and understanding EL proficiency levels to provide evidence-based instruction. The researcher then developed a PD template using the data from this study and research on effective PD and best practices for instructing and assessing EL students in low-EL incidence areas.
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    Educator Perception: The Use of Student Voice to Increase Engagement in Social Emotional Learning
    (2024-05) Brault, Paula
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERATION OF Paula H. Brault for the degree of Doctor of Education in Learning, Leadership, and Community presented on March 25, 2024 Title: Educator Perception: The use of Student Voice to Increase Engagement in Social Emotional Learning Abstract Approved: Scott J. Mantie, PhD Dissertation Committee Chair There are decades of examples of the use of student voice to engage a student in curriculum. A sizeable gap in this research is the use of student voice in social emotional learning (SEL) to increase engagement. The purpose of this pragmatic study was to determine if incorporating student voice into the SEL curriculum is effective in changing adolescent student engagement. Online surveys were used to collect data. High school principals provided demographic information and SEL educators answered Likert Scale and open-ended questions regarding their impressions of student engagement with and without student voice. Data was also acquired from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website. Principals and educators at Massachusetts high schools with a population of less than 1,000, took part in the study. Qualitative and statistical analyses were used to make comparisons between programs that used student voice and those who did not. Of the 22 schools that participated, 15 school principals allowed SEL educators to participate and 23 educators completed the survey. Findings showed positive outcomes in attendance and discipline. The researcher also explored potential changes in SEL curriculum and the needs of educators to be comfortable teaching SEL.