Doctoral Candidate Brochures

An Investigation of the Effect of Project-Based Learning in Physics with the Use of Virtual Lab Technology on Grade 9 Students' Performance

For the degree of Doctor of Education, Interprofessional Leadership

May 8, 2025 | 9:30 a.m.

Traditional physics instruction in Chinese international schools emphasizes exam preparation through teacher-led drills, often neglecting practical skills and student motivation. While parents acknowledge project-based learning (PBL)’s potential to foster study motivation and experience, they remain skeptical about its academic trade-offs. This study evaluates how integrating PBL with virtual labs impacts ninth-grade students’ physics achievement, motivation, and learning experiences. Read more...

Meaningful Relationships Between First-Generation Undergraduates and Faculty Members: A Grounded Theory Approach

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Higher Education Administration

May 12, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.

The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to understand the process by which first-generation undergraduates develop meaningful relationships with faculty members. In alignment with the constructivist paradigm from which this study was positioned was the conscious choice to center the student and their agency in student-faculty interaction that leads to the development of a meaningful relationship. Read more...

Peer-Mediated Social Skills Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comparison of School-Based Approaches Using HLM

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School Psychology

May 13, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.

This study utilizes hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to determine the current impact of peer-mediated interventions for students with ASD in school-based settings, as well as determine if there is difference in impact between individual and multi-peer interventions and between interventions in which peers were and were not rotated. Results indicate that peer-mediated interventions employing multiple peers do not demonstrate significantly greater effectiveness than one-on-one peer-mediated approaches in fostering social skill development. Read more...

Post-Critical Approaches to Not-Yet Teachers in the Social Foundations of Education Classroom

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Cultural Foundations

June 3, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.

The purpose of this Dissertation is to think philosophically through my own experiences as a teacher in the undergraduate Social/Cultural Foundations classrooms, teaching preservice teachers. As a teacher who has been traditionally trained, but not always traditional in practice, I wanted to find a way to address the overwhelming amount of educational critique that was drawing my students away from engagement with the materials in the Social Foundations of Education course I teach. Read more...

Investigating the Impact of Lecture Voice Match or Mismatch on Student Expectations and Evaluations in Online Learning

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Learning Sciences

June 4, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.

How do design elements in online courses influence student satisfaction and motivation? One underexplored factor is the match or mismatch between the instructor’s voice and the voice used in pre-recorded lectures. This issue is especially relevant in base course models, where non-designer instructors (NDIs) teach the course using pre-developed materials that may feature a different faculty member’s voice. Read more...

Evaluating Virtual Reality's Effects on Task Performance, Physiological Variables, Psychometrics, and Cognition in Healthy College-Aged Individuals

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Exercise Physiology

June 5, 2025 | 1:00 p.m.

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging tool for enhancing physical performance and cognitive engagement. This study investigated the effects of VR and traditional physical gameplay on energy expenditure (EE), accuracy, balance, reaction time, enjoyment, perceived exertion, and cognition in healthy, college-aged individuals. 13 participants completed 11 sessions over two weeks, playing VR cornhole at every visit. Physical cornhole gameplay was assessed at baseline, midpoint, and final sessions. Read more...

Investigating the Nature and Implementation of Governmental Policies on the Inclusion of Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in General Education Settings in Saudi Arabia

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Special Education

June 9, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the nature and real-world implementation of governmental policies concerning the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities in Saudi elementary general education settings. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examined the lived experiences of seven special education teachers working in inclusive programs. Read more...

Athletic Training Preceptors' Awareness, Perceptions, and Integration of Clinical Teaching Models: A Mixed Methods Study

For the degree of Doctor of Education, Interprofessional Leadership

June 11, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to assess athletic training preceptors’ awareness, perceptions, and integrations of the SQF, OMP, and SNAPPS clinical teaching models. Graham et al.’s (2023) Modified Clinical Teaching Models Survey was used to assess preceptors’ awareness of clinical teaching models. This survey was followed up with semi-structured interviews that aimed to understand preceptors’ perceptions and integration of these clinical teaching models in practice. These findings were contrasted against preceptors who did not use clinical teaching models. Read more...

Beyond the Bell: The Educationalization, Schoolification, Professionalization of Afterschool Programs

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Cultural Foundations of Education

June 11, 2025 | 12:30 p.m.

Millions of school-age children and their families rely on afterschool programs to bridge the gap between the end of the school day and the end of the workday (Afterschool Programs, 2023). Afterschool programs’ “mixed or in-between quality” has kept them flexible over time, allowing them to adapt quickly to changes in practice, research, and culture (Halpern, 2003, p. 3). Even without an overarching governing body, afterschool programs have continued to expand and evolve as they work toward establishing their distinct domain. Read more...

A Survey on English Instructors' Perception of Digital Learning Tools in Language Teaching at University Language Centers in Indonesia

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction

June 20, 2025 | 7:00 a.m.

University language centers are important for university students' language mastery in Indonesia. Situated within the formal education of higher education in Indonesia, the teaching and learning process is mostly conducted within the classroom context and supported by the Digital Learning Tools (DLT). This research aims to reveal the English instructors' perception of using DLT in their language instruction within the classroom context, the challenges of using DLT for language instruction, and the support needed. Read more...