Scholarly Works, School of Education

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/23745

Research articles, presentations, and other scholarship

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 283

Equity Leadership in K–12 Online Communities Under Democratic Duress
Mullen, Carol A. (MDPI, 2026-02-06)
To understand virtual leaders’ work at the intersection of equity and community, virtual school leadership (VSL) was examined with relevance to preparation and research. Research questions were: How is VSL described in extant literature? How is VSL applicable to leaders’ preparation and development? An integrative review approach was applied to online learning and virtual leadership linked to community and equity concepts. Document analysis was used to qualitatively code 34 (of 132) studies. Despite the demand for cyber schooling, some US preservice programs may lack training on leading equitably and collaboratively in virtual environments. Five findings address what virtual school leaders (aspire to) do in their jobs. Community and equity were leadership orientations as well as concerns discerned from perceptions of virtual schooling. Online public education is ensnared in global democratic backsliding for 82 countries, yet VSL remains underexplored in research. This literature review/conceptual work introduces Equity and Community in K–12 Online Leadership, an original conceptual framework informed by professional standards, virtual learning theories, and factors central to leadership. A critique of findings, along with recommendations for leadership preparation and practice, responds to the call for better preparing preservice leaders for the demands of K–12 online learning.
What Happens to the Rainbow During the Storm? TQ Center(ed) Diversity Workers’ Strategic Navigation and Freedom Dreaming During Sociopolitical Turmoil
Duran, Antonio; Pryor, Jonathan T.; Feldman, Steven; Catalano, D. Chase J.; Kannan, Kalyani; Oliveira, Kristopher (MDPI, 2025-12-31)
The intention of trans and queer (TQ) center(ed) diversity work is to address the persistence of heterosexism, trans oppression, and other manifestations of oppression in higher education. Yet, TQ center(ed) diversity work has often been in a precarious position of understaffing and limited resources. In the current moment, the impact of anti-DEI legislation on TQ center(ed) diversity work is evident by the recent shutting down of centers and services across the United States. Yet, how do those in these roles navigate these challenges and still imagine liberatory futures in the face of such legislation? This paper stems from a larger participatory action research project, which explored the narratives of 14 TQ center(ed) diversity workers as they navigated the tumultuous sociopolitical climate that seeks to disrupt and/or defund their work. Our findings underscored how TQ center(ed) diversity workers found ways to subversively navigate their practice in the face of anti-DEI legislation, including empowering students to engage in the action of ‘complaints.’ Additionally, their stories revealed the challenges in being able to think about liberation within an institutionalized role, especially given the spectrum of sociopolitical contexts where they were present.
Conundrums and Bellwethers: Interpreting Research Trends
Wells, John G. (Virginia Tech Publishing, 2025-05-16)
Windows into Refugee Lives: Using Graphic Novels to Cultivate Empathy and Understanding Across K-12 Classrooms
Fortune, Donna J.; Kambach, Anna (Virginia Association of Teachers of English, 2025-10)
Graphic novels, like When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, provide a powerful gateway for teachers to foster empathy and understanding with K12 students. This article explores how graphic novels combine visual storytelling with text to engage learners of all ages in discussions about refugee experiences. By integrating reflective activities and critical literacy strategies adaptable across grade levels, educators can use graphic novels to build cultural awareness, deepen comprehension, and inspire students to connect with global issues meaningfully. The article offers grade-specific implementation strategies that can be scaled appropriately for elementary, middle, and high school contexts.
Indigenous invisibility: Gaps in education about Indigenous peoples among environmental decision-makers
Hunt, Brittany D.; Emanuel, Ryan E.; Wilkins, David E.; Wilkins, Shelly H. (Wiley, 2025-11-25)
Millions of Indigenous people belong to hundreds of Tribal nations and selfdetermined communities throughout the United States. Many of these groups continue to steward lands and waters that have shaped their distinct cultural and political identities since time immemorial. Increasingly, environmental professionals acknowledge the need to respect, understand, and defer to Indigenous knowledge about Earth’s stewardship, but substantial barriers prevent full realization of these goals. One deep-seated barrier is a widespread deficiency in basic education about Indigenous peoples. Education on Indigenous peoples in schools is often fraught with two problems: erasure and stereotypes. Thus, students who pursue environmental careers often lack basic knowledge about the specific Indigenous groups in their region or about Indigenous peoples generally. Despite this lack of education, environmental professionals are entrusted with a variety of decisions that directly affect Indigenous peoples as well as their lands and waters, a situation that has implications for environmental justice. Here we report on a study designed to gauge, in detail, knowledge about Indigenous peoples held by a group of environmental professionals, asking questions such as: What did you learn in school about Indigenous peoples? What do you know about Indigenous people today as it pertains to your work? We found that study participants generally learned little in school about Indigenous peoples, that their learning was demarcated by common stereotypes, and that the bulk of their learning was rooted in Eurocentrism. We provide recommendations on how environmental professionals can fill specific gaps in their education about Indigenous peoples and build partnerships for future work.
Shared space and resource use within a building environment: An indoor geography
Villarreal, Mark; Baird, Timothy D.; Tarazaga, Pablo A.; Kniola, David J.; Pingel, Thomas J.; Sarlo, Rodrigo (Wiley, 2025-03)
Indoor spaces are essential to most humans' lives. Furthermore, in many cases, buildings are shared indoor environments that contain diverse people and resources. Spatial patterns of use are important but under-examined aspects of human-building interactions. This study leverages perspectives from human-environment geography and mechanical engineering to examine spatial patterns of use within a network of shared indoor spaces in an academic building at a research university in the United States. Here we ask: (1) What spaces and resources do building users value? and (2) How are values associated with observed measures of use? We hypothesise that spatial patterns of use follow an ideal free distribution (IFD), a common ecological model of resource use. To test this, we define measures of value and use derived from mixed qualitative (n = 50) and survey-based social data (n = 196) and data from a building-based system of accelerometers. Our analyses provide some support for the IFD hypothesis. We discuss the implications of this finding and potential new avenues for geographic research in shared indoor environments.
Building as common property: examining Ostrom's model in an innovative university residence hall
Baird, Timothy D.; Tural, Elif; Kniola, David J.; Pingel, Thomas J.; Abaid, Nicole (Routledge, 2025-10-18)
Buildings are not only physical infrastructures but also socially and institutionally produced environments that structure access to space, resources and community life. This study draws from human–environment geography, common property theory and scholarship on built environments to conceptualize buildings as shared indoor environments that function as common pool resources and can be governed as common property regimes. Using an ethnographic approach, we examine a large, mixed-use academic–residential building at a U.S. research university to better understand how it was produced and governed as a shared resource. Data from stakeholder interviews, institutional documents and participant observation reveal governance dynamics that align closely with Ostrom’s design principles, including clear boundaries, collective choice, monitoring and sanctions. We identify both the institutional mechanisms and spatial strategies that contribute to sustainable, cooperative use of shared indoor resources. We also propose a conceptual framework that links building governance to broader national design trends, institutional mental models, and localized scarcities and abundances. Our findings offer practical insights for designers, campus planners and institutional decision-makers seeking to foster more inclusive, adaptive and sustainable building use.
Parenting Through the Storm: Practical Tools for Big Emotions and Challenging Behaviors: An Introduction to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Johnson, Amanda; Henry, Sarah M. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2025-09-15)
A Phenomenological Investigation of Interdisciplinary Mental Health Collaboration in Schools
Boulden, Rawn; Henry, Sarah M. (Wiley, 2025-12-26)
Background: Youth mental health concerns are rising, with schools key access points for support. Interdisciplinary collaboration among school mental health professionals (SMHPs) is vital for addressing complex needs but is often hindered by role ambiguity, staffing shortages, and systemic barriers. This study explored SMHPs' lived collaboration experiences in U.S. public schools. Methods: Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 SMHPs across K-12 settings. Data were analyzed to identify themes describing collaboration experiences. Results: Five themes emerged: (1) context for collaboration, including formal structures like MTSS and informal interactions; (2) benefits such as holistic care, efficiency, and preventing students from "falling through the cracks"; (3) facilitators like clear communication, trust, and respect; (4) barriers including confidentiality constraints, role confusion, and limited time; and (5) training needs, with participants calling for interdisciplinary preparation and ongoing development. Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: The study highlights the importance of structured, role-aware collaboration. Recommendations include collaboration agreements, peer learning communities, and interdisciplinary training in graduate programs. School leaders should embed collaboration into improvement plans to enhance coordinated student support. Conclusion: Strengthening structured interdisciplinary teamwork and clarifying roles can improve school mental health service delivery and student outcomes.
The Land-Grant University’s Role in Lifelong Workforce Development in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources: Leveraging the Relationship between Academic and Extension Programs
Roberts, T. Grady; Barry, Debra M.; Bunch, J. C.; Browning, Suzanna; Dossett, Jason C.; Easterly, R. G. III; Goff, Cassandra; Montealegre, Juan; Myers, Brian E.; Nesbitt, Heather; Steward, Jason; Switzer, Jessica (Clemson University Press, 2025-11-19)
Today’s food, agriculture, and natural resources (FANR) workforce is constantly evolving. Lifelong learning is no longer a lofty goal but is now a necessity. Colleges of agriculture at land-grant universities have the potential to meet the lifelong learning needs of the FANR workforce. In this article, we present a model where the academic and Extension components of colleges of agriculture at land-grant universities can link together to provide seamless lifelong workforce development. Our model is built on workforce development theory and is based on the traditions of the land-grant universities evolving to meet the needs of the people. Our model can serve as the catalyst for meaningful discussions at each land-grant university about meeting workforce development needs.
Balancing act: Optimal class size and course design in online higher education
Hodges, Charles B.; Lockee, Barbara B. (2026-01-13)
In this paper, the authors examine the complex relationship between class size and the design of online courses in higher education. Drawing on recent research, industry reports, and U.S. government regulations, it explores how optimal class sizes vary based on course objectives, student engagement needs, and instructional approaches. The analysis reveals that effective online class sizes generally range from 12 to 30 students but can differ significantly depending on course design, subject matter, and program type. Recommendations include that institutions must balance pedagogical best practices and regulatory requirements when determining online class sizes, emphasizing the need for flexible, context-specific approaches that align with broader institutional strategies for online learning while considering faculty workload and the time to adjust course design to accommodate changing class sizes.
Do unique conceptions of constructs overtly influence students' use of the representativeness heuristic? Not quite!
Olaguro, Modiu; Wilkins, Jesse L. M. (Pennsylvania State University, 2025-10-27)
The predictive basis of the constructs associated with the use of the representativeness heuristic has rarely been investigated. To address this gap, we obtained, via written responses, qualitative and quantitative data on high school students’ (n=70) conceptions of randomness, fairness, and independence, parsing them into categories to allow us to infer if they influence students’ use of the heuristic. Amidst variations within each construct, we found no relationship between the unique ways randomness and independence are conceived and subsequent use of heuristic. Our study not only provides quantitative support for the naiveness of certain conceptions of constructs but their limited potential to serve predictive purposes. Implications for research and instruction follow.
Comprehension for Emergent Readers: Revisiting the Reading Rope
Kambach, Anna Elizabeth; Mesmer, Heidi Anne (Wiley, 2024-05-01)
This article discusses language comprehension and developing skills with emergent readers, in particular verbal reasoning and language structures, that are necessary for later reading comprehension.
Industry 4.0’s Artificial Intelligence – A Blessing and a Nightmare for the Workforce
Mukuni, Joseph Siloka (IntechOpen, 2025-12-01)
The nature of work has been changing since the invention of machine tools during the First Industrial Revolutions in the mid-1700s. In recent years, advancements in technology have accelerated the rate of change in work, particularly with the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is also referred to as Industry 4.0. One of the notable fruits of Industry 4.0 is artificial intelligence (AI). It has come as a blessing to industry because of its tremendous contribution to improved productivity. Industry is now able to produce more for less with more precision, thanks to advancements in technology that have brought about AI. For the workforce, AI can be seen as a blessing to the extent that it is a tool that makes work light. This has the potential to lower labor costs because work that needs to be done by many people can be done by fewer people. However, artificial intelligence is also a nightmare because of its potential to threaten job security, workplace safety, and worker well-being. This chapter discusses the advantages of AI, the challenges that it poses (including ethical issues, fears of the unknown, alienation, worker safety, and job insecurity), and the pedagogical implications of AI (including reskilling, adoption of strategies for lifelong learning, experiential learning, holistic learning, and multidisciplinary learning). The chapter also recommends that workforce development institutions should adopt learner-centered pedagogical approaches which foster experiential learning, prepare learners for lifelong learning, and facilitate acquisition of soft skills (such as communication, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking).
Design, Development, and Formative Evaluation of a Hybrid Remote Quantum Laboratory Supporting HBCU Partnerships
Clark-Stallkamp, Rebecca; Reis, Nikita (Springer, 2024-06-01)
Quantum information science and engineering are expanding and scaling worldwide. As government and industry push to expand quantum applications around the world, education institutions scramble to train the next generation of quantum-aware engineers in the Quantum pipeline. However, as educational institutions seek to expand the pipeline, not all learners have access to Quantum training or equipment. Quantum laboratories, an expensive component of STEM education, often remain exclusively accessible to institutions with affluence and funding, thus creating systemic barriers for underrepresented learners to the Quantum pipeline. This design-based case study describes the three-year design and development of a hybrid remote online Quantum laboratory in partnership with historically black colleges and universities across the US with the goal of expanding access for underrepresented learners to Quantum training. The study describes the prototypical design, development, and formative evaluation of the prototype's iterations and reflects on design decisions made resulting from formative feedback during the design process.
Let’s do COVID: cultural orientation in online education—via instructional design
Al Amri, Kamla; Johnson, Alicia Leinaala (Springer, 2025-11-01)
This literature review investigates the role of cultural diversity in instructional design within online learning environments. Through a structured review of literature from 2010 to 2023, including seminal works and recent studies, this research examines how culture is defined, researched, and implemented in instructional design. The review was guided by five research questions exploring: definitions of culture in instructional design literature, research approaches to studying culture, implementation in the instructional design process, differences in cultural considerations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and challenges arising from cultural diversity. Key findings reveal an evolution from static to dynamic definitions of culture in instructional design. While theoretical frameworks for implementing culture in instructional design have matured, practical application remains challenging. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed both innovations and setbacks in cultural considerations for online learning design. Persistent challenges include creating materials accessible across diverse populations, addressing socioeconomic barriers, and overcoming resource constraints in evaluation practices. This review contributes to the field by synthesizing current knowledge about cultural considerations in instructional design while identifying significant gaps in research and practice. Findings can inform more effective approaches to incorporating cultural considerations in instructional design, particularly in increasingly diverse online learning environments.
Examining the elements of culturally relevant pedagogy captured and missed in a measure of high-quality mathematics instruction
Thomas, Casedy Ann; Berry III, Robert Q.; Sebastian, Rose (Springer, 2024-10-01)
Mathematics instruction is not race or culture neutral. For students who have been historically marginalized in mathematics classrooms, high-quality mathematics instruction, instruction that helps students build conceptual understanding, on its own might not be enough to disrupt inequities. These students might also need instruction that is culturally relevant, with teachers who demonstrate cultural competence, build critical consciousness, and support student learning. Our goal in this study was to understand which components of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) are captured and which are missed in a typical U.S. framework of high-quality mathematics instruction. To find the overlaps and gaps, we analyzed the mathematics lessons of three elementary teachers through both the lens of CRP and the Mathematics-Scan, a mathematics observation tool. We found the strongest overlap between the two frameworks in the patterns of strengths and weaknesses in the teachers' lessons. When the teachers were delivering high-quality instruction, they were also often supporting students' learning or showing cultural competence. When the teachers were delivering lower quality instruction, they were also often missing opportunities to enact CRP. At the same time, key elements of CRP including linguistic support for students, high expectations, critical consciousness, and nuances within cultural competence, were missed by the high-quality instruction framework. High-quality instruction was the foundation for CRP in the teachers' classrooms, but CRP was more than just high-quality instruction. We conclude with recommendations for increasing the alignment between the frameworks and implications for international educators also grappling with equity in their own frameworks of mathematics instruction.
It’s Time: Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve Student Listening in the College Classroom
Fortune, Donna J. (Taylor & Francis, 2025-01-01)
Active listening is a critical skill for college student success, yet digital distractions increasingly hinder students’ ability to engage fully in classroom discourse. This article builds upon Funk and Funk (1989) foundational work on listening skills by adapting their framework specifically for higher education contexts. Drawing on recent scholarship in contemplative practices (Barbezat and Bush 2013), active empathetic listening (Bletscher and Lee 2021), and strategies for managing distraction (Lang 2020), this article presents evidence-based approaches for improving student listening in college classrooms. The three-part framework—building classroom community, managing digital distractions inclusively, and implementing purposeful listening practices—offers practical strategies that foster deeper engagement, critical thinking, and meaningful dialogue. Emphasis is placed on the research-supported practice of structured dyadic exchanges as a method to build listening stamina and skills transferable beyond academic settings.
The Impact of Computational Labs on Conceptual and Contextual Understanding in a Business Calculus Course
Spencer-Tyree, Brielle; Bowen, Bradley D.; Olaguro, Modiu (Springer, 2024-08-19)
This study investigates the impact of computational labs on students' conceptual understanding of calculus in a one-semester Business Calculus course. The computational labs integrated Jupyter Notebook as the modeling tool. Using the Calculus Concept Inventory, quantitative analysis was performed to measure differences in conceptual knowledge between a control and experimental group based on whether the student engaged in computational labs compared to traditional classwork. Qualitative analysis was conducted to understand student perspectives about the value of participating in computational labs during the course. The qualitative data involved student reflections at the end of each lab experience. Although the quantitative analysis did not produce statistically significant results, the qualitative analysis revealed the students perceived the computational labs as beneficial regarding their understanding of the content and practical applications of the material. Notably, the students reported the labs offered a unique way to solve problems, allowed for connections to real-life mathematical situations, and helped to visualize calculus concepts. This paper describes the research project and offers practical applications of computational labs in Business Calculus courses, as well as suggestions for future research.
"We're Controversial by Our Mere Existence": Navigating the U.S. Sociopolitical Context as TQ-Center(ed) Diversity Workers
Kannan, Kalyani; Oliveira, Kristopher; Feldman, Steven; Catalano, D. Chase J.; Duran, Antonio; Pryor, Jonathan T. (MDPI, 2025-09-29)
In the face of escalating sociopolitical hostility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, trans and queer (TQ) center(ed) diversity workers in higher education are navigating increasingly precarious professional landscapes. This study explores the lived experiences of TQ-center(ed) diversity workers through a general qualitative design informed by participatory action research (PAR). Drawing on the concept of “burn through,” critiquing the role of institutions in the exhaustion of practitioners, and the theory of tempered radicalism, describing the fine line diversity workers must navigate to advocate for change within oppressive systems, we examine how these practitioners persist amid institutional neglect, emotional labor, and political antagonism. Findings from interviews with eight participants reveal three central themes: the systemic nature of burn through, the protective power of community, and the multifaceted role of liberation in TQ-center(ed) diversity work. Participants described both the toll and the transformative potential of their roles, highlighting community as a critical site of resistance and renewal. This study contributes to the growing literature on TQ advocacy in higher education and underscores the need for institutional accountability and collective care in sustaining liberatory futures.

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