Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

This mixed methods study examines how intervention specialists (IS) in secondary (9-12) education navigate the competing demands of individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with mild to moderate disabilities amidst standardized expectations set forth by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) policies. This phenomenon, referred to as "competing demands," challenges IS professionals who strive to balance personalized educational goals with high-stakes accountability measures. Through surveys and interviews of educational leaders and IS, this study explores how educational leaders and IS professionals work to meet both individualized and standardized benchmarks. Findings reveal that IS specialists experience significant frustrations related to scheduling, graduation requirements, and the ability to individualize within the standard curriculum. This study discusses key factors that influence these professionals' ability to support student achievement, including administrative support, access to resources, and the framework of service delivery for students with mild to moderate disabilities grades 9-12. Implications for educational leaders suggest the need for policy adjustments and resource allocation to better support IS staff and their students in achieving individual skill development and overall educational success. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how competing demands, if left unaddressed, will contribute to a generalization educational plan rather than the intended individualized plan for students with disabilities. This research highlights the need for systemic shifts to optimize student outcomes for those with mild to moderate disabilities at the secondary level.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2025, EDU Teaching and Learning

Artificial intelligence has influenced the field of English language learning in different aspects, and several applications have been developed to support English Language Learners (ELLs) and teachers. Due to their advancements and popularity among teachers, students, and administrators, using AI tools for learning languages has been a trending topic. Thus, scholars have published works about how to use AI tools in different settings to support the input, output, and interaction of humans and machines in the process of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Studies on the use of AI tools for teaching and learning English in higher education have highlighted both the positive impact on language learning and concerns regarding data privacy and academic integrity. However, there is still a research gap specifically addressing the use of AI tools in ESL/EFL K-12 classrooms. To fill this gap, further studies on the use of AI tools in ESL/EFL K-12 contexts are necessary to understand how these tools are used to support teachers and learners who are already using AI tools inside and outside the classroom but lack insight into the extent of support these tools can provide. This narrative research synthesis informed by the input, output, and interaction hypothesis by Krashen, Swain, and Long (1985) and taxonomy of AI tools in education by Holmes and Tuomi (2022) aimed to investigate what AI tools are used in the context of ESL/EFL K-12 classrooms, the English skills they are used to supporting, the perceptions of teachers and students about effectiveness, challenges, and limitations of these tools, the topics regarding the use of AI tools and the recommendations regarding the use of AI tools. Five research questions were used to guide this synthesis. Twenty-three studies conducted between 2022 and 2024 were selected for this review and analyzed using a coding sheet aligned with the five research questions. The analysis of the studies showed that AI tools were more used in Asia (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2025, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership

Preparing youth for the workforce is a growing priority in the United States as required skills evolve. While college and career readiness (CCR) is widely discussed in K–12 education, the role of nonformal education programs like 4-H in fostering CCR remains underexplored. This study examines how Ohio 4-H professionals perceive CCR within the positive youth development framework. Using Q-methodology (Q), this research identifies key perspectives on experiential learning, mentorship, and career exploration in youth preparedness for postsecondary education and the workforce. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and the 4-H Thriving Model, this study explores how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and supportive environments shape career readiness in nonformal education settings. Findings reveal four perspectives among 4-H professionals: (a) Hands-On Pathways to Career Success, (b) Building Bonds and Belief through Mentorship, (c) Empowering Youth for Community Impact, and (d) Discovering Identity and Purpose. These perspectives highlight the value of hands-on experiences, strong adult-youth relationships, and self-efficacy in fostering CCR. Implications include a creating standardized framework for CCR efforts across Ohio 4-H, offering enhanced professional development for 4-H professionals, and developing stronger partnerships between 4-H and postsecondary institutions. This study contributes to research on nonformal education's role in workforce preparation and provides insights for strengthening CCR initiatives in youth development programs.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2025, Educational Administration

This study explores the concept of a “prepared” citizen in the context of high school education, focusing on how Mountain View Public Schools (MVPS) can assess and align their curriculum with community expectations of graduates. The research aims to define what it means to be a “prepared” citizen, drawing on qualitative data from interviews. Stakeholders from various community sectors, including school leadership, local businesses, post-secondary schools, and law enforcement will contribute to this definition. The study seeks to bridge the gap between academic success (e.g., graduation rates) and broader community goals by identifying behavioral indicators of prepared citizens and methods for measuring them. The findings will help MVPS evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of their vision statements.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2025, EDU Teaching and Learning

Teachers experience inevitable uncertainty in their teaching practice and must build a tolerance for uncertainty despite the discomfort and risks that they might associate with it. Similarly, students should be prepared to tolerate, face, and navigate uncertainty both inside and outside of the classroom. In the context of the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom, poetry is an apt site for both teachers and students to practice navigating ambiguity and tolerating uncertainty in preparation to face riskier and more uncomfortable forms of uncertainty. This study examines how teachers experience uncertainty in their classrooms and how they might plan for students to practice navigating uncertainty through poetry. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews drawing on phenomenological theory and methods and narrative inquiry. The analysis revealed that across sources of uncertainty, teachers overwhelmingly associated uncertainty in their classrooms with anxiety, discomfort, and risk. Some teachers similarly disliked ambiguous poetry, while others appreciated poetry that produced uncertainty. When asked to plan for their students to read ambiguous poetry and navigate the resulting uncertainty, teachers used layered pedagogical approaches to ask students to produce multiple interpretations, surface ambiguity, and compare interpretations. The findings suggest that teachers need to be prepared to face the risks associated with uncertainty through building their tolerance for uncertainty and that efforts to reduce uncertainty by establishing a barrier between the classroom and its contexts are futile, leaving teachers even less prepared to face inevitable uncertainty in their classrooms.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

This mixed-methods study explores the concept of Pedagogical Instinct (PI) in Waldorf education by examining its relationship to the teacher's sense of self-efficacy and professional development. Connected to Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy, PI refers to the intuitive and adaptive capacity of teachers to respond to students' individual needs, integrating technical skills, relational awareness, and ego development. Quantitative data from 168 survey respondents were analyzed to assess relationships between self-efficacy, PI, teacher training, and demographic variables. Qualitative data from 65 respondents to 9 open-ended questions provided insights into the lived experiences of Waldorf teachers in relation to PI. Findings revealed a strong correlation between PI and self-efficacy, with higher levels of both associated with completion of Waldorf teacher training and longer teaching experience. However, it was not possible to fully discriminate between effects of training versus length of experience. Three key components of PI emerged: (1) mastery of technical skills, including pedagogy and curriculum; (2) relational awareness, enabling responsiveness to students; and (3) ego development, fostering equanimity and presence. The study highlights gaps in current Waldorf teacher training programs, particularly in preparing educators for classroom management, differentiation, and parent engagement. While Waldorf training emphasizes personal growth and anthroposophical study, practical skills and real-world application require greater emphasis. The findings support integrating experiential learning, mentorship, and professional development tailored to individual teacher needs. Transformational learning theory and ego development principles provide a framework for fostering PI through reflective practices and sustained support. Professional development structures that prioritize collaboration, mentoring, and inner work can further enhance teacher growth. This study (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2025, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

Black college student outcomes are well researched areas in education literature. This dissertation sought to explore the influence of academic and ethnic racial socialization on experiences of shame and guilt and examine the association of those relationships on Black college student retention and persistence. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to investigate the socialization experiences of 272 Black college students in the U.S. Conditional process model analyses revealed that academic socialization is associated with experiences of guilt and shame—guilt predicted improved retention outcomes, while shame predicted lower retention outcomes. The analysis also revealed that while ethnic racial socialization moderated the relationship between academic socialization and shame/guilt, it did not moderate the relationship between academic socialization and retention or persistence. The major themes that emerged from the interviews included “Diamonds Are Made Under Pressure—Sociocultural Messages That Led to Experiences of Shame and Guilt,” “Birth Order and Gender Roles,” “I Almost Dropped Out—Experiences that Endangered Their Persistence,” “Me, me, me…messages about identity,” and “Support, In and Outside of Family.” Combined, these findings highlight the interplay of socialization processes in Black families, the effect of those socialization processes on experiences of shame and guilt in Black families, and the result of those relationships on college persistence and retention for Black students. Recommendations for future research with Black students and families were made and implications for campus-based practitioners and clinicians were suggested. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2025, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This study examined employer perceptions of the preparedness of students with disabilities (SWD) who completed secondary career and technical education (CTE) programs in Ohio. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research explored how employers assess the technical and soft skills of SWD, their workforce integration, and potential employment barriers. Surveys and open-ended responses from 30 employers provided insights into perceived strengths and weaknesses in CTE graduate readiness. Findings indicate that while CTE programs effectively equip SWD with technical skills, challenges persist with soft skills, workplace integration, and self-advocacy. Employers expressed concerns about SWD's abilities to communicate effectively, collaborate in teams, and adapt to workplace demands. Respondents noted that experiential learning opportunities (e.g., internships and cooperative placements) significantly enhance SWD job readiness. Employers with prior experience hiring SWD showed greater confidence in their capabilities, reinforcing the importance of exposure and structured workplace interactions. Grounded in social cognitive and contact theory, this study underscores the role of self-efficacy and meaningful employer-student engagement in employment outcomes. Recommendations include enhancing soft skills training, fostering stronger industry-education partnerships, and providing targeted self-advocacy instruction. Policy implications suggest ongoing employer training, increased transitional support funding, and initiatives to reduce employment disparities. Future research should include longitudinal studies tracking employment trends and assessing engagement strategies. Addressing these gaps can help CTE programs better support SWD in achieving meaningful, sustainable employment and contribute to a more inclusive workforce.

Ed.D., Antioch University, 2025, Education

The persistent health disparities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States are deeply rooted in systemic racism embedded within medical education and clinical practice. Historical acceptance of racial supremacy in the United States has shaped both the foundations and continued practices of medical education, leading to entrenched biases that affect healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This dissertation critically examines the intersection of race, education, and health by analyzing how historical and contemporary understandings of race and ethnicity shape medical curricula, healthcare practices, and patient care. Through the integration of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and ScT, this study deconstructs racialized knowledge systems in medicine and examines their impact on health equity. CRT provides a lens to analyze how systemic racism is embedded within medical education and practice, illuminating the ways racial bias is institutionalized and perpetuated in healthcare structures. SCT contributes by exploring how individuals internalize societal norms and beliefs, which influence the attitudes and behaviors of both medical practitioners and patients. Finally, ScT emphasizes the role of social networks and relationships, highlighting how disparities in access to healthcare resources and support systems affect health outcomes in marginalized communities. Together, these theories offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the layered and interconnected influences of race, education, and healthcare, guiding the study's aim to challenge and dismantle biased practices within medical training and clinical care. Chapters I and II introduce the research problem and establish a comprehensive foundation, outlining key theoretical frameworks—CRT, SCT, and ScT—while exploring the historical roots of racialized practices in medicine, including the legacy of unethical experimentation and the Flexner Report (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

The rapid ascent of increasingly capable artificial intelligence (AI) brings new potential to revolutionize education—for better or worse. This study investigates the attitudes of high school teachers toward the integration of Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, commonly known as ChatGPT, to support teaching and learning. This research seeks to understand the key factors that influence teachers' acceptance or resistance to using ChatGPT, focusing on the potential benefits and challenges posed by this advanced AI technology. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is used as the theoretical framework to forecast teachers' willingness to adopt ChatGPT for educational purposes. The research employs the quantitative attributes of a Q-methodological approach to classify and analyze the perspectives of high school educators. The study examines how some perceive ChatGPT as an asset to teaching and learning. Conversely, findings also illuminate concerns that ChatGPT will have a negative impact, thereby instilling a sense of caution about its integration. Participants in this study, 18 high school teachers, completed a web-based Q-sort that revealed three distinct viewpoints: Learning to Fly, Welcome to the Machine, and Comfortably Numb, which collectively accounted for 53% of the variability in the data. The results revealed varied opinions regarding technical confidence, openness to integration, perceived benefits, and potential liabilities. The findings provide insights into the diverse attitudes and beliefs held by high school educators regarding the educational use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The findings of this research contribute to the ongoing debate about the role of AI in education. The results emphasize a need for professional development programs to build teachers' capacity to effectively incorporate AI tools in the classroom. Ultimately, this study seeks to shed light on the factors that promote or inhibit the adopt (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Positive school environments have been shown to raise academic achievement. Youngstown East High School has had six principals in six years, and there has been a strong sense of disconnect from the community in their support (both academically and athletically) of the continuous changes that have been made in the Youngstown City School District. East High School has a 99.8% economically disadvantaged population with 13.6% being English Language Learners and 27.1% students with disabilities. Using Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) to address discipline to affect the management of absenteeism and academic interventions, what measures can be taken to raise the staff and student morale of the high school environment? How can Golden Bears Alumni contribute to the culture and climate as they relate the past to the present? Since the Youngstown City School District is focused on PBIS and must use the Academic Improvement Plan to completely move out of the watchful eyes of the State of Ohio, one must ask how, exactly, can culture and climate improve the academic and athletic performances of their students? How can the district build school pride within the school as well as the surrounding community? How can remaining alumni be used as resources to connect to outliers who could possibly invest in East High School? This study explores these questions by examining data on the effects of climate and culture within the school and community and its impact of school pride on academic achievement and athletic performance, with a specific focus on improving the school pride at Youngstown East High.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Collaboration with others is an integral part of our development as people. In the realm of education, collaboration among faculty and staff has been found to be an asset to developing shared goals and successful educational outcomes. This mixed method action research study explores the backgrounds and perceptions of educators in regard to collaborative experiences in a private high school setting. Through a combination of demographic surveys, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group, four main themes emerged. These were motivations for collaboration, external factors that affect collaboration, effective collaborative practices, and the impact of collaborative group makeup. These findings were utilized to develop an action plan to create regular effective collaborative communities in this educational setting.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This dissertation quantitatively investigates the prevalence of student electronic smoking device (ESD) use and its correlation with disciplinary actions. Findings indicate an increase in student vape usage and an increase in disciplinary measures. This research provides critical insights into the need for data-driven policies that address vaping in schools and offers a foundation for further research on student discipline and substance abuse.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

This critical participatory action research study lays the groundwork for a bottom-up evaluation framework for dropout recovery high schools, also known as Type I Alternative Education Campuses (T1AECs). By gathering qualitative data documenting the unique experiences and goals of T1AEC students, the research seeks to amplify the voices of young adults who reclaim their educational journey in alternative settings. The findings aim to construct an evaluation framework that centers on students' needs, supports meaningful engagement, and captures a broader range of outcomes than traditional accountability measures allow. The study holds potential to inform policy recommendations, improve school evaluation practices, and ensure that alternative education programs meet the diverse needs of students who are disenfranchised by traditional high schools.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

In higher education, the focus on student success often takes center stage in research and the professor-as-teacher practice. While numerous empirical studies concentrate on the growth and development of undergraduate students, this dissertation delves into professors' relational and felt experiences in positive teaching-learning relationships. Four terminal-degreed professors from four different schools and three different disciplines–education, humanities, and leadership–engaged in photography and were then interviewed. Participants reflected on their photographs and their experiences in a teaching-learning relationship with their students. The present study aimed to illuminate the unspoken language of connection by utilizing interpretive phenomenology and photovoice to uncover professors' relational and felt experiences and how these moments energize and rejuvenate them. Research revealed two overarching themes: generativity and seeing students' humanity; and five group experiential themes: foundational influences, relational proximity, intentional presence, assessment as a learning conversation, and feeling aligned. The theoretical foundation of this dissertation weaved together a diverse array of theories and concepts, including relational cultural theory (RCT), somatics, and embodiment. The insight from the literature combined with the findings from this study offer understanding in how professor-student relationships in higher education can be places of mutual empowerment, empathy, and mattering. By grounding the research framework in human interaction's relational and fluid, alive, and pulsating bodies, this dissertation contributes to a more humanized and inclusive understanding of the intricate relationships that shape higher education. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, EDU Teaching and Learning

This dissertation answers the guiding question how do the narrative elements of character, plot, and storyworld work together to create the young adult contemporary realistic romance (YACRR) genre? With a textset of fourteen YACRR narratives that have been published since 2010, I identify nine generic codes that occur frequently enough to be considered significant to the formulaity of the genre. Through methodologies of desire-centered research (Tuck 2009) and perpetual girlhood (Doermann 2022), I consider which type(s) of girl(s) have historically gotten to see themselves as a love interest and as desirable and how a young reader might metabolize those representations in relation to themself since identity is often shaped through cultural representations and the media provided to them. I employ rhetorical narratology, more specifically, the Rhetorical Model of Audience (Phelan 2020), because of its function in guiding the reader to find the point of the narrative. The point of YACRR narratives, I found, is that they are engaging, as all genre fiction is, but they are also pedagogical in that they provide models to young readers of what a safe and respectful relationship looks like. In this way, YACRR protagonists are both mimetic and thematic characters. Since young adult literature is mostly about first experiences and uncharted territory (Carpan 2004, 2009), being provided with healthy models of romance can help the implied reader, or the narratee, as they navigate new-to-them experiences. In order for this navigation to happen, YACRR protagonists and storyworlds are written to be ordinary so that the reader can slip themselves into the protagonist position and superimpose their own hometown in place of the storyworld in the narrative. In this way, the engagement into the narrative and the pedagogical implications can merge. A double consciousness is at play here because the narratee feels an affinity with the protagonist and the storyworld all the while knowing (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

The impact of oral anxiety (OA) in the context of a second language learning (SLL) environment cannot be overemphasised. Understanding the experiences of teachers from diverse cultural and geographic contexts can help in shedding light on this especially important phenomenon. This researcher seeks to gain a better understanding of teachers' experiences with OA, and their perceptions about effective ways to reduce OA in second language (SL) classrooms. Through a qualitative comparative methodology and case study design, data was gathered utilising semi-structured interview instruments, and teachers' journals. A purposeful sample of participants was obtained from secondary school SL teachers, in Guyana and the US, through a snowball sampling method. Subsequently, the data was analysed first through open coding, then closed coding, and finally, through cross themes analysis. Cross-case analysis was used to examine the data gathered. Implications for SL teaching and culturally responsive teaching may be garnered and promoted through this research. In the context of this dissertation, second language learning and foreign language learning are used interchangeably.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Approximately 11 million women and five million men in the United States report experiencing interpersonal violence (e.g., sexual violence, physical violence, psychological harassment, or stalking) before the age of 18 (CDC, n.d. -a). Victims may face a decline in grades, depression, anxiety, unwanted pregnancy, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, or even death (Adhia et al., 2019; CDC, n.d. -a; CDC, 2017, 2019a; East & Hokoda, 2015). Educators are an important mitigating factor of teen dating violence, and therefore, must understand its dynamics to develop strategies to keep students safe (Offenhauer & Buchalter, 2013; Storer & Strohl, 2017; Taylor et al., 2016). A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate the overarching research question: What is the capacity of educators to prevent or mitigate adolescent interpersonal violence? The quantitative section of the study features the survey results of 115 diverse education staff. The qualitative section highlights the interviews of 13 select educators. The data analysis includes a correlational analysis (i.e., regression) and identification of themes from the open-ended responses. Results indicated concerns regarding a lack of knowledge of social media and technology, limited time, sparse curricula, and limited resources to prevent or mitigate adolescent interpersonal violence. State legislation and district policies also limit the capacity of educators to support students' needs, especially those from vulnerable populations who are more susceptible to victimization (e.g., Black, LGBTQ, and students with a disability) (Agius-Ferrante & Oak, 2020; Crawford, 2023; East & Hokoda, 2015; Norris-Brown et al., 2020). Implications of this study suggest that while educators want to help students develop healthy relationships, most staff are not provided the time, resources, training, or professional autonomy to make this a reality.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

Antisemitism has a long and troubling history in the United States, often manifesting in various social settings, including organized sports. This study investigates the experiences of Jewish-American youth athletes in Central Ohio, focusing on how modern antisemitism affects their participation in sports and overall well-being. Recent data shows a resurgence of antisemitic incidents, which has prompted a need for detailed exploration of its impacts on young athletes. The problem addressed in this study is the increasing prevalence of antisemitism in youth sports and its detrimental effects on Jewish teenagers in Central Ohio. Through a Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) methodology, this research combines qualitative and quantitative data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issue. Surveys conducted with Jewish teenage athletes reveal experiences of verbal abuse, exclusion, and other forms of discrimination leading to heightened psychological distress, and negative impacts to Jewish identity and sense of belonging. This study underscores the urgent need to address antisemitism within youth sports in Central Ohio. By implementing targeted community interventions, harm can be mitigated and a supportive environment for Jewish athletes can be fostered. This research contributes to the broader understanding of how antisemitism affects minority youth in sports and provides a framework for future studies on marginalized groups. Continued efforts and collaboration among community organizations, educational institutions, and policymakers are essential to combat antisemitism and promote inclusivity in youth athletics.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

This research study examines the empowerment perceptions of Black female secondary school administrators, emphasizing the impact of gendered racism. It investigates how induction practices can enhance their empowerment through competency, meaning, self-determination, and impact. This social justice study employs an explanatory mixed-methods design, incorporating the theories of intersectionality, gendered racism, Afrocentric feminism, and psychological empowerment. It identifies three key themes: the creation of safe spaces, differentiated mentoring, and culturally responsive professional development. These insights guide a strategic action plan for an induction program for Houston-area school districts, aiming to foster the empowerment and success of Black female administrators.