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Sex, Riots, and Holy Water: How Modern Society Desecrates and Reconsecrates the Sacred
No full textThis thesis explores how modern societies desecrate and reconsecrate the sacred through rhetoric, ritual, and visual performance. Using three case studies, Nazi Germany’s transformation of Quedlinburg Abbey, the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Sabrina Carpenter’s controversial church music video, “Feather,” this project analyzes how sacred meaning is violated and restored in religious, civic, and popular contexts. Drawing on Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic cycle and postsecular theory, it argues that desecration and reconsecration are dialogic acts that expose competing moral vocabularies within culture. Each event demonstrates that even in a secular age, people respond to ruptures of ultimate meaning with rhetorical rituals of repair, seeking to reaffirm communal identity and transcendent moral order. Through rhetorical criticism integrating visual, ritual, and aesthetic analysis, the study reveals how sacredness persists as a persuasive force in public life, continually redefined through moments of outrage, performance, and renewal
A Faith-Based Approach to Mental Health Challenges
No full textABSTRACT
This project sheds light on mental health issues within the Black community and the need for faith communities to intentionally address mental health issues in communities of color. Black men are oppressed by an interplay of cultural, historical, societal, and economic factors that impact their well-being. Racial discrimination and oppression are non-medical drivers exacerbating mental health disorders among Black men. The influences of culture and faith fabricate barriers to help-seeking behavior, and mistaken perceptions of masculinity cause many men to suffer in silence. To begin erasing derogatory perceptions of mental health disorders, faith communities need to increase mental health awareness through theoretical exposition of Scripture. Given the implicit bias embedded within the Black community regarding the relationship of faith and mental health, faith leaders have an opportunity to adapt and engage in courageous conversations. The faith community should take the lead in normalizing conversations about mental health. Exploring the intersectionality of faith and mental health, this study developed a faith-based curriculum to engage Black men in a conversation about mental health
The 4-Day School Week: Impacts on Rural Texas School Districts
No full textThis study examined how school administrators, teachers, and parents in rural Texas districts view the effects of the 4-day school week. Across Texas, a growing number of districts have adopted shorter calendars to address teacher shortages, boost morale, and manage tight budgets. The goal of this research was to gain a clearer understanding of how this schedule shift influences student performance, district finances, and teacher recruitment and retention. The study followed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through two means. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 school administrators, while 29 teachers and 42 parents completed surveys. Research participants came from six rural districts that currently operate on a 4-day school week. Interview questions focused on district experiences before and after the change, while the surveys provided additional insights from teachers and families. Responses were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify recurring ideas and differences among the various groups. Coding helped organize the data, and comparisons across interviews and surveys were used to strengthen consistency and reliability. Findings indicated that most administrators did not observe a decline in student academic performance or state testing outcomes. Some participants reported slight gains in attendance and modest improvements in student behavior. Administrators reported that the condensed schedule helped in recruiting and retaining teachers and boosted morale. Although cost savings were limited, reductions in transportation and utility expenses were noted. Overall, the 4-day school week appears to offer practical advantages without negatively affecting academic achievement. However, a few administrators noted that more time is needed to determine the academic impact, given other factors that districts have experienced since implementing the 4-day school week. For many rural districts, the transition from the 5-day school week has been a manageable balance between maintaining educational standards and addressing operational challenges
Understanding the Retention of Alternatively Certified Teachers: Key Factors and Insights
No full textThe problem addressed in this study was the high attrition rate of alternatively certified teachers
who often exit the classroom at greater rates than traditionally trained teachers, particularly
within their first 5 years of teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived
experience of alternatively certified teachers to identify the support, conditions, and leadership
practices that contributed to their persistence. A qualitative phenomenological study was used,
with data collected from 14 alternatively certified teachers who work in a Central Texas school
district, utilizing semistructured interviews. Data collection methods included interviews,
member checking, and researcher field notes. Research procedures included coding the
transcripts, developing themes through repetitive analysis, and cross-checking data with
participant feedback to strengthen trustworthiness. The findings indicate that supportive
leadership, mentoring, and positive campus culture were key to teachers’ decision to remain in
the profession. The participants emphasized the significance of belonging, autonomy,
professional growth opportunities, and personal meaning gained from student success and
accomplishments. Continuous encouragement from colleagues and administrators reinforced
teacher resilience and motivation. The study concluded that alternatively certified teachers’
retention is heavily impacted by relational, cultural, and leadership factors rather than external
incentives. Schools that intentionally promote positive environments, provide quality
mentorship, and support collaboration can improve teacher persistence. These findings highlight
the need for preparation programs, districts, and policymakers to design systemic supports that
address professional and personal dimensions of teacher well-being
Breaking Barriers: Mentorship Pathways for Hispanic Women in Leadership Roles
No full textThis study aimed to understand the unique lived experiences of 10 Hispanic Latinas serving in leadership roles in 2-year community colleges in Texas. As the graduation rate of Hispanic women increases, institutions must identify mentorship programs that motivate women who continue to graduate to seek leadership positions within their institutions. Through life stories and lived experiences, the study\u27s findings illustrate that mentorship is essential to creating, but that self-determination and self-advocacy also make it possible to find paths to leadership. Through thematic analysis, three themes emerged from the data: identity and representation, mentorship and support structures, and resilience and advocacy. Furthermore, this study aims to contribute to the scholarship on Hispanic women in higher education leadership roles who lack mentorship pathways for growth within Texas community colleges.
Keywords: Hispanic women, Latinas, leadership, mentorship, higher education, critical race theory, LatCrit, resilience, cultural identit
Exploring the Role of Christian Religiosity in the Acceptance or Rejection of AI Chatbot Use Among Faculty at Church of Christ Universities
No full textHigher education institutions are navigating the benefits and challenges of generative AI chatbot use and preparing faculty and students to engage with these tools ethically and responsibly. The problem is that there are many challenges and barriers to using these technologies in higher education, and Christian higher education institutions must also address context-specific considerations regarding mission and vision rooted in biblical faith and practice. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression through structural equation modeling was to examine faculty perceptions of AI chatbots and how Christian religiosity moderates acceptance. An online survey was distributed and administered to faculty at Church of Christ universities. The sample size included 212 faculty from six universities. The theoretical framework for this study is the artificial intelligence device use and acceptance model adapted with the Faith Maturity Scale. The data and structural equation model were analyzed using SPSS and Julius.ai. It was found that performance expectancy through cognitive attitude (b = 0.766, p = .000) was the strongest pathway to chatbot acceptance, while effort expectancy through cognitive attitude (b = 0.255, p = .000) and affective attitudes (b = 0.277, p = .000) also positively predicted acceptance. Horizontal religiousness significantly dampened the effect of cognitive attitude on chatbot acceptance (b = -0.136; p = .049). Administrators at Church of Christ universities should develop policies, guidance, and training that address the impacts of performance and effort expectancy and cognitive and affective attitudes on the chatbot acceptance. They should also address the impact of horizontal religiousness on cognitive attitudes toward AI chatbot acceptance.
Keywords: AIDUA, artificial intelligence device use acceptance model, AI chatbots, Christian religiosity, faith maturity, higher educatio
Efforts of Public 2-Year Higher Education Institution Leadership Reducing Nonexempt Student Affairs Employees’ Intention to Quit
Get PDFThis narrative qualitative study examined the influence of leadership support and workplace factors on the intentions of nonexempt student affairs employees to leave a public 2-year higher education institution (HEI) in Texas. The study addressed the issue of workplace factors contributing to these employees’ developing intentions to quit their jobs. The research focused on identifying the workplace factors that most significantly influenced nonexempt student affairs employees and explored how leadership support influenced employee experiences. The study used narrative inquiry as its methodology to gather employee narratives through semistructured interviews conducted via Zoom, a communication platform. Nine participants were selected for interviews based on their full-time employment status as nonexempt student affairs employees at public 2-year HEIs in Texas. Each participant had at least 1 year of experience in one or more of the following departments: admissions, advising, business office, financial aid, or recruiting. The analysis of the participants’ interview responses identified three overarching themes: employee empowerment, relationships, and workplace culture. In addition, the participants emphasized that career development and advancement, compensation, and leadership support were the primary factors influencing their decisions to stay or leave their jobs. The research findings recommended that HEI leaders adopt the transformational leadership approach to positively influence and motivate their nonexempt student affairs employees. Public 2-year HEIs leaders in Texas would be able to better support and guide nonexempt student affairs employees who are impacted by workplace factors that influence their intentions to quit
Under the Legal Lens: Navigating Psychological Safety and Conflict for Black Women in Legal Support Roles
Get PDFThe intersectional challenges of Black women in legal support roles are an overlooked phenomenon in organizational research. Despite diversity efforts in the legal profession, Black women face challenges due to gender, race, and professional status that impact their career advancement, as well as their mental and psychological well-being. As a result of experiencing the effects of racialized workplace dynamics and destructive leadership behaviors, Black women in legal support roles find resilience through self-protection strategies while working through the effects of intersecting forms of oppression in legal workspaces. This study addressed the lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of Black women in legal support roles when dealing with workplace conflict, as well as their perspectives on the role of leadership support in conflict navigation. Guided by a theoretical framework that integrates Black feminist thought, psychological safety theory, and conflict theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how Black women in legal support roles navigated psychological safety amid workplace conflict while working within in-house legal departments in the United States. Using the interpretive phenomenology framework, this qualitative research included semistructured interviews of 11 Black women in legal support roles who work or have worked in-house in legal departments, offering them an opportunity to create knowledge through their reflections. Participants completed semistructured interviews recorded through Zoom. The data were thoroughly reviewed using pattern coding and thematic analysis to combine and organize the key findings into themes. The study findings revealed that psychological safety is not universally accessible, as participants described the constant need to manage stereotypes and hyper-surveillance, and often chose to self-protect through disengagement or silence during conflict. The findings highlight the identity-informed and relational nature of psychological safety and offer a deeper understanding of resilience, power, and exclusion in legal workspaces through the lens of Black feminist thought, psychological safety theory, and conflict theory. The findings call for more identity-conscious leadership that considers race, gender, and professional status in order to consider the unique challenges faced by Black women in legal support roles and foster more equitable work environments
Pre-K Teachers’ Perceptions About Professional Learning: Influence on Instructional Methods, Classroom Management Skills, and Student Outcomes
Get PDFThe purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to solicit pre-K teachers’ perceptions about professional development and its influences on instructional methodology, classroom management skills, and student outcomes. Interviews conducted with 11 teachers from childcare centers in a major urban city of Illinois provided insight into experiences of types of PL and development engagement, such as online courses, webinars, learning communities, coaching, mentoring, professional conferences, and content selection. Other experiences involved social-emotional learning, lesson planning, project-based learning, and how to teach children with special needs. The interview data collected from the participants yielded five themes using Colizzi’s data analysis method. The themes were (a) commitment to continuous learning, (b) instructional innovation, (c) improved classroom structure, (d) improvement in instruction, and (e) knowledge of child development. The findings led to some recommendations to help improve pre-K teachers’ professional learning and development activities: (a) Teachers should receive guidance on selecting content that aligns with the pre-K curriculum, (b) early childhood education program directors must develop long-term professional learning and professional development models for teachers, (c) training based on the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Guidelines on the Curriculum, (d) implement follow-up mentorship programs, (d) prioritize engagement-driven learning by incorporating interactive workshops like learning communities, and (e) real-time instructional mentoring and coaching to enhance teacher knowledge and development. The recommendations aligned with major themes identified in this study and added to the knowledge about teachers’ perceptions of professional influence on classroom instructional methodology, classroom management skills, student outcomes, and alignment with developmentally appropriate teaching. The participants recognized that engagement in professional learning and development activities could lead to improved teaching methods, innovative teaching strategies, practical classroom management skills, improved teacher knowledge in child development, and developmentally appropriate teaching, which could lead to better student outcomes in all developmental domains and the acquisition of skills for kindergarten readiness
Navigating Barriers: The Experiences of First-Generation, Low-Income, Hispanic Male STEM Majors Enrolled in Texas Universities
Get PDFThis qualitative descriptive study explored barriers, strategies, and career aspirations of 10 firstgeneration, low-income Hispanic male STEM students at Texas universities. Prior research highlighted systemic inequities affecting this group’s academic success. The study addressed how these students described educational barriers, strategies to overcome them, and influences on their STEM career aspirations. Data were collected via 10 semistructured Zoom interviews, online questionnaires, and open-ended questionnaires from participants at four Texas-based universities. Reflexive thematic analysis with NVivo software identified five themes: sociocultural and economic barriers, academic and institutional challenges, resilience and coping strategies, support systems, and influence on career aspirations and identity. Results showed barriers like financial constraints, familial expectations, cultural dissonance, academic rigor, and resource limitations. Students employed time management and peer collaboration, relying on family, mentors, and scholarships. STEM education helped shape ambitions and Hispanic identities, despite tensions. Findings suggested that culturally responsive mentorship, financial literacy programs, and peer-led initiatives would enhance equity. These insights inform institutional practices to support underrepresented students, fostering diverse contributions to STEM innovation