Georgia Southern University
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Professional Learning on Productive Struggle: Effective Math instruction for Elementary Teachers and Students
No full textProductive struggle is an instructional approach to mathematics that focuses on the strength in the struggle. When students spend time struggling through a mathematics task they build determination, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, creativity, and independence. Professional learning is how education evolves and becomes more effective. With the world changing and growing at lighting speed, professional learning keeps educators sharp and up to date with the most effective teaching strategies and trends. This presentation will detail the researcher’s current dissertation project on increasing knowledge of and likelihood of implementation of productive struggle in elementary math instruction following a professional learning implementation
Student Liaisons for Autism: Using College Students in Bridging the Communication Gap
No full textThis three-year action research study, currently in its first year of implementation, pairs Kennesaw State autistic undergraduate and graduate students with trained student researchers who serve as liaisons and support resources. These researchers address behavioral and social challenges in college settings, including miscommunication with peers or professors, executive functioning difficulties, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Through mentorship and advocacy, the project seeks to reduce risks of mental health issues, academic withdrawal, and future under- or unemployment. The mixed methods include single-case research design and quantitative analysis, incorporating pre- and post-intervention normed assessments to evaluate impact. Preliminary results show a positive gain in social, study, and communication skills among participating students. Researchers plan to expand the study to include local high school juniors and seniors who intend to attend the university, creating a bridge in the transition from special education services to college-level accommodations
Marcus Anderson
No full textProgram for the funeral of Marcus Anderson, held at Jonesville Baptist Church on January 10, 2026.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/willowhillheritage-obituaries/12358/thumbnail.jp
Pediatric IBD-Related Hospitalizations in 2019 and 2022
No full textBackground Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic gastrointestinal condition affecting over 80,000 children in the United States, with rising incidence and hospitalizations. Purpose This study assessed trends in pediatric IBD-related hospitalizations and examined associations between hospital, stay, and patient characteristics with IBD case complexity and length of stay using HCUP-KID data from 2019 and 2022. Methods A retrospective serial cross-sectional study included hospitalizations for patients 0 - 20 years old with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis in the first three diagnosis fields. ICD-10 codes classified cases as complicated or uncomplicated. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of complicated IBD, and negative binomial regression examined factors associated with length of stay. Results Total pediatric IBD hospitalizations decreased from 15,307 in 2019 to 13,211 in 2022 (18.44 vs. 16.02 per 100,000 children, p \u3c 0.0001). Complicated IBD hospitalizations slightly decreased from 6,122 in 2019 to 5,933 in 2022 (7.38 vs. 7.19 per 100,000, p = 0.152). Hospitalizations for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis decreased (p \u3c 0.001), with complicated Crohn’s disease hospitalizations also decreasing (p = 0.022). Admission to rural hospitals (vs. urban teaching hospitals), admissions in March or December (vs. January), and 2022 hospitalizations (vs. 2019) were associated with higher odds of complicated IBD, whereas female sex (vs. male), ages 0 – 5, 6 – 11, and 18-20 (vs. 12 – 17 years), medium hospital bed size (vs. large) and ulcerative colitis were associated with lower odds. Longer hospital stays were associated with complicated IBD, admission in September (vs. January), age 0 – 5 (vs. 12 – 17), Native American race (vs. White), Medicaid or other insurance (vs. private), and ulcerative colitis, whereas shorter stays were observed for age 18 – 20 (vs. 12 – 17), small hospitals (vs. large) and urban non-teaching or rural hospitals (vs. urban teaching). Conclusion Overall pediatric IBD-related hospitalizations declined between 2019 and 2022, with total hospitalizations decreasing for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and complicated hospitalizations decreasing for Crohn’s disease. Length of stay was influenced by hospital, stay, and patient characteristics, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions and regionalization of care to improve pediatric IBD outcomes
Building a Better Teacher: Developing the Communications Skills of Pre-Service Teachers for More Effective Classroom Instruction (a study & a method)
No full textPre-service teachers in EPP’s (Educational Preparation Programs) are anticipated to enter the K-12 setting with strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills. However, evidence suggests a troubling decline in these essential soft skills (Hart Research Associates, 2018; Robles, 2012). This presentation reports findings from a quantitative study conducted with undergraduate education majors enrolled in a communications course. The data set consists principally of a validated soft skills inventory to assess competencies in areas such as teamwork, adaptability, professional demeanor, and oral communication. Statistical analysis exposed deficits in initiative-taking, conflict resolution, and audience awareness—skills that are critical for effective classroom management and student engagement (Rosenberg, Heimler, & Morote, 2012; Collie et al., 2012). Observational data together with reflective student narratives further suggest that education programs often emphasize technical knowledge over the “performative” dimension of teaching. Rooted in social-emotional learning theory and career readiness frameworks (Zins et al., 2004; NACE, 2023), this session offers concrete strategies for incorporating soft skill instruction into teacher preparation programs and calls for renewed attention to holistic teacher development
Unlocking Literacy: Structured, Systematic, and Multisensory Phonics Intervention with Struggling 5th Grade Readers
No full textMany upper elementary students continue to struggle with reading because they lack a strong foundation in phonics and decoding skills. Unlocking Literacy: Structured, Systematic, and Multisensory Phonics Intervention for Struggling 5th Grade Readers explores how intentional phonics instruction, typically reserved for early grades, can be adapted to meet the needs of older learners. This intervention uses a structured and systematic approach while incorporating multisensory strategies that actively engage students in connecting sounds, letters, and meaning. The goal is to build decoding accuracy, fluency, and confidence so that students can access grade-level texts more successfully. Results from classroom implementation show that 5th grade readers benefit from explicit phonics instruction when it is hands-on, consistent, and tied to comprehension. This work emphasizes the importance of continuing to address foundational reading skills beyond the primary grades and provides practical strategies that educators can use to support struggling readers in upper elementary classrooms
Research Methodology: ChatGPT as a Tool for Coding 4,000 Dissertations
No full textThis research study is in the process of examining over 4,000 Ed.D. dissertations collected from 56 doctoral programs nationwide. The long-term goal is to conduct a meta-analysis, but the project is currently focused on developing a methodology for large-scale data extraction. Initially, a graduate student was manually reviewing and coding each dissertation into a spreadsheet. Over the course of a year, this yielded data from approximately 400 dissertations. This data includes the population of the study (P-12 or higher education), research methodology (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods), chapter lengths, and the number of citations used. While this process was effective, the time to do so makes it impractical to analyze the full dataset. To address this, the researchers have explored using artificial intelligence to automate this process. Using ChatGPT, the data was extracted from the PDFs of the dissertations into tables that can be exported. To ensure the reliability and accuracy of using AI in this process, the ChatGPT-coded data was compared against the 400 manually coded dissertations. The initial findings suggest that AI-assisted coding can accurately extract such data while drastically reducing the time to do so. This presentation will discuss this methodology and findings
A Pervasive, Yet Rectifiable Taboo: Addressing the Mental Health Challenges of International Doctoral Students in STEM Fields
No full textInternational students are critically important to doctoral education in the United States due to their significant contributions to teaching, scholarship, and the campus environment. Literature indicates that international doctoral students exhibit remarkable agency while transcending complex geopolitical, social, and institutional problems to successfully navigate doctoral programs (e.g., Nguyen & Robertson, 2020; Sun & Wu, 2024). Nevertheless, open discussions about international students’ mental health challenges remain taboo. The taboo nature of mental health is especially powerful in doctoral STEM environments which celebrate “grit,” resilience, and self-sufficiency while either tacitly or openly discouraging students from seeking help. This qualitative phenomenological study investigates the taboo of international doctoral students’ mental health challenges by drawing upon multiple interviews with eight international doctoral students working in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at a U.S. research university. Data pertaining to mental health challenges point to four themes: 1) cultural isolation and displacement, 2) financial insecurity, 3) advising relationships, and 4) support networks. Analyzing data through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this article then argues that institutions must consider how to address challenges on all five levels - micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono - to better support international doctoral students
Developing Metacognitive Awareness in Teacher Candidates: A Study of Curriculum and Planning in an MAT Program
No full textThis study examines the development of metacognitive awareness among teacher candidates enrolled in an accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Drawing on Scales, Wolsey, and Parsons’ Becoming a Metacognitive Teacher and the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory for Teachers (MAIT), the study investigates how teacher candidates engage with metacognitive practices while completing a course on curriculum and planning. Participants (n ≈ 20) completed the MAIT survey at the beginning and end of the eight-week course, and engaged in structured reflection activities designed to support awareness of their own decision-making in lesson planning and instructional design. Data collection includes paired pre- and post-surveys, written reflections, and course artifacts. Analysis will employ both quantitative (descriptive statistics, paired-sample comparisons) and qualitative (thematic coding of reflections) approaches to identify shifts in awareness and application of metacognitive strategies. Findings are expected to contribute to understanding how structured opportunities for metacognition within teacher preparation can strengthen candidates’ instructional decision-making, adaptability, and self-efficacy. The study has implications for integrating metacognitive frameworks into teacher education coursework to better prepare beginning teachers for the complexities of classroom practice