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Confronting Hegemony in Environmental Science Education: Faculty Perceptions and Practices
Full text linkThis qualitative study examined undergraduate environmental science faculty perceptions, attitudes, and practices related to curricular integration of critical perspectives and sociopolitical contexts. Emergent themes revealed faculty engagement with sociopolitical dimensions of environmental science is shaped by intersecting contextual factors—individual disposition, disciplinary traditions, departmental culture, institutional priorities, and the broader political landscape. Findings suggest that although most faculty acknowledge the importance of social political contexts, integration remains inconsistent, limited by individual sociopolitical development, disciplinary norms, time constraints, and lack of training or institutional support. Describing the spectrum of faculty awareness and praxis, ranging from acritical adherence to dominate norms to liberatory counter-hegemonic teaching, contributes to the understanding of how these factors shape, and in some cases limit, disciplinary discourse and impact
The Teacher Shortage Phenomenon in Southeast New Hampshire: Superintendent Perspectives and Responses to Hiring Challenges and Instructional Program Impact
Full text linkThe teacher shortage phenomenon has emerged as a persistent national concern with
profound implications for student achievement, instructional quality, and educational
equity (Bardelli & Ronfeldt, 2021; García & Weiss, 2020; Love & Love, 2022;
McHenry-Sorber & Campbell, 2019; Sutcher et al., 2019). This qualitative case study
investigates the effect of the teacher shortage phenomenon in the Southeast region of
New Hampshire, focusing specifically on how superintendents have adapted hiring
practices and how these adaptations have affected program delivery. Framed by a
conceptual model emphasizing salary, legislative influence, and public respect for the
profession, this study integrates superintendent perspectives, district-level data, and
contextual policy analysis to understand the local manifestation of a national issue.
Participants identified shifts in curriculum offerings, diminished applicant pools, and
morale issues among educators as central consequences of teacher shortage. Findings
indicate an increased reliance on alternatively certified or uncertified staff and raise
concerns about long-term sustainability and instructional capacity. The localized insights
reflect broader national trends and underscore the intersectionality of policy, community
context, and systemic inequities. In addition to needed structural changes to the
recruitment pipeline and improved professional support mechanisms, states with strong
local control policies must also consider the influence of local decision-making on how
the teacher shortage phenomenon is perceived and experienced within communities. This
study contributes to the discourse on workforce development in public education and
offers practical implications for educational leaders, policymakers, and community
stakeholders working to ensure access to high-quality instruction for all students
Building Consensus for School Librarian Collaboration
Full text linkThis Delphi study engaged 38 national experts in school librarianship to develop a consensus-based model of school librarian collaboration (SLC) that reflects current practice. Through three iterative rounds the panel achieved strong consensus on a definition of SLC, a framework representing a continuum of collaborative practice, and necessary conditions for success. The resulting definition of SLC is "an educator-to-educator partnership to enhance student learning through complementary expertise that develops over time and is built on mutual trust, shared goals, and open communication." The seven levels continuum of SLC are: Autonomy, Curation, Contribution, Coordination, Integration, Partnership, and Assurance. These levels allow practitioners to identify current collaborative practice and plan for growth. This work extends prior theoretical models by incorporating critical environmental, cultural, and dispositional factors that impact collaborative efforts and by creating tools to operationalize the consensus model for practitioners
Social-Emotional Learning Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: Reflections on Youth Voice in Out-of-School-Time Programs
Full text linkThis qualitative portraiture study explored the role of youth voice in shaping social-emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive practices (CRP), and youth agency within out-of-school time (OST) programs in Greater Boston. Former OST participants (ages 18-24) took part in interviews guided by an art activity called “Create Your Own SEL Model,” which encouraged reflection on cultural identities and SEL experiences. Themes of self-efficacy, family influence, self-expression, and boundaries emerged from the data. Participants shared how their sense of agency grew through active involvement in program development, reinforcing essential SEL skills like self-awareness, social awareness, and decision-making. The study underscores the importance of centering youth voices in OST program design to foster more culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments. It highlights the need to support educators in creating curricula that celebrate diverse cultural identities, promote transformational opportunities for historically marginalized students, and strengthen culturally sustaining SEL practices
A Formative Program Evaluation of the "Creating a Culture of Care in Schools Using Restorative Practices" Implementation Team Training
Full text linkThe Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) created the “Creating a Culture of Care in Schools Using Restorative Practices” program in response to requests from school leaders for assistance in training staff to equitably support the increasingly complicated and dysregulated behavior students were exhibiting. This need was complicated by the geography of Maine and its status as the state with the most rural schools (67%) in the U.S., which limits accessibility to training for many educators.
This mixed method formative program evaluation, presented for the degree of Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Community, grounded in the Ethic of Care, Sociocultural Theory and Restorative Justice Theory, examined the efficacy of the program’s implementation team training. Accessibility of programming for rural schools was also evaluated. Data was collected using a survey of implementation team training completers.
Findings revealed success in responding to the needs of rural schools as a result of the MSSCs policy of on-site training. Respondents achieved foundational understanding of restorative practices and application, but desired additional opportunities to rehearse the skills in supported settings. Additionally, a discrepancy was revealed between school administrators and staff in the perception of potential staff and community buy-in. This research contributes to the growing body of scholarship that defines best practices in school based restorative practices implementation, particularly in rural settings
INTERACTION BETWEEN STRATOSPHERIC MESOSCALE GRAVITY WAVES AND CYCLONIC ACTIVITY ON THE NORTHEASTERN AMERICAN COAST
No full textStratospheric gravity wave activity has small but distinct impacts on circulation,
thermal structure, turbulence, and mixing, rendering them crucial to accurate
understanding and modeling of the middle atmosphere. When extreme weather occurs, atmospheric disturbances can interact with the tropopause and lower stratosphere, generating and/or amplifying stratospheric mesoscale gravity wave (MGW) activity.
This study aims to identity patterns present in stratospheric MGWs during
extreme Nor’easter events, which have been identified to occur in a region that is a hotspot for gravity waves in the stratosphere, but have been minimally studied due to advances in satellite technology only allowing for effective research in the past 20-30 years, and due to gravity waves as a field being relatively niche to begin with. To accomplish the stated objective, nine case studies were selected - three comprised of major Nor’easter storms, three of moderate storms, and three of weak coastal lows.
Brightness temperature (BT) perturbations and variances were retrieved from
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations at the 4.3 !m band, which were then used to extrapolate relative comparisons between wave amplitudes Additionally, brightness temperatures associated with cloud-tops were retrieved from the 8.1 !m band, along with WPC 3-hour surface analysis data, NCEI 5-minute radar data, and SPC 12-hour 250 mb upper air maps.
These supplementary data were compared against the 4.3 !m BT perturbations
and variances for 12-hour timesteps over the course of 48 hours before and 48 hours after the selected midpoint for each of the nine events. Analysis found that results matched prior studies, and additionally identified several distinct patterns. Cases that met or exceeded the bounds for a strong event (minimum pressure =50 kt) consistently displayed heightened wave activity (above a threshold value of variance ≥ 0.05 K2) in trough or south-of-jet regions identified in previous work as a combination of both jet and convective influences. This was also somewhat present in moderate events, but not consistently in nearly all timesteps as it was in the major Nor’easters. Along with this, results showed that tropopause overshooting, a phenomenon responsible for stratospheric MGW generation and amplification, was frequently present during strong events. When this occurred, the position of wave packets with the highest variance values either mirrored the shape of the radar mosaic where overshooting was present, or did so twelve hours later, shifted further along the storm track, but in the same shape. Finally, results showed that areas of enhanced wave activity were typically bounded by fronts, with this being nearly always the case for strong events, and with a specific tendency for variance values ≥ 0.05 to follow the shape of cold cloud-top temperatures forming the comma cloud around a center low, but only on the northwest side of associated occluded fronts
A Qualitative Review of One High School Global Competency Diploma Program and Its Implications for Critical Global Citizenship
Full text linkThis study examined a global citizenship program in a U.S. public high school,
analyzing its role in fostering critical global citizenship. Global citizenship education
(GCE) has gained prominence in secondary and post-secondary institutions over the last
two decades in response to the expansion of globalization. Yet, GCE learning outcomes
often reflect hegemonic, neoliberal, or Western-centric viewpoints, prioritizing students’
preparation for competition in the global market over engagement in social justice causes.
This study draws on critical theory and Byram’s (2008, 2013) theory of intercultural
citizenship education to assess the program’s curriculum, organization, and alignment
with 21st-century education frameworks and world language standards. The study also
examines obstacles to program accessibility that may inhibit student participation.
Through a phenomenological approach, data was collected via anonymous online surveys
from 44 participants, incorporating perspectives from alumni, students, teachers, and
counselors on their experiences with the program. The findings revealed that the program
influenced students’ college and career trajectories, world language application, and
worldviews, shaping their involvement in global issues in the long term. The research
underscores the value of a multidisciplinary, experiential, and transformative approach to
GCE, requiring critical reflection, second language acquisition, and social engagement.
The findings inform stakeholders of recommendations for program improvement,
including student accessibility concerns, and contribute to the broader discussion of GCE,
suggesting policy considerations for establishing K-12 programs
The Space Between: The Story of a Rural School District Implementing Trauma-Informed and Equity-Centered Practices
Full text linkThis qualitative case study of a rural Vermont school district explores how place shapes the implementation of trauma-informed and equity-centered practices. Often treated as a static backdrop, place is reframed here—through Critical Place Theory—as a dynamic, interactive force shaped by and shaping educational practices. This study analyzes location, locale, and sense of place to frame place as interactive and evolving. Data collection included interviews, document analysis, and researcher engagement with the community to explore how place informs daily educational experiences. Findings reveal a shared desire for improvement across the physical, social, cultural, emotional, and psychological dimensions of place, with trauma-informed and equity-centered practices proving most effective when rooted in collective community efforts. Yet, tensions in implementation underscore the need for collaborative, context-responsive approaches that honor local values while fostering broader equity goals. These findings contribute to research on equity and trauma-informed practice, offering guidance for educators and leaders seeking meaningful community partnerships
Career Anxiety in Post-COVID Generation Z College Students
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented interruption during the early adolescent years, limiting the career exploration phase and interrupting career identity development. This descriptive qualitative phenomenological study was guided by the Career Constructivist Theory and grounded by the Ethic of Care, and explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students’ career-related anxiety. Disruptions to structured time and face-to-face communication led to prolonged alone time, increased social media use, and decreased social skill development. These conditions contributed to widespread mental health concerns, including increased social anxiety, leading to decreased motivation, increased procrastination, and greater indecision at the college level. Five years after the onset of the pandemic, social anxiety attributes that plague these emerging adults continue to interrupt the exploration of work experience opportunities, collecting career-relevant information, and gaining work skills in college. The findings underscore the urgent need for higher education institutions to acknowledge and address the ongoing social anxiety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
Superintendents’ Use of Student Achievement Data from New Hampshire State Assessments
Full text linkThe No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 began holding public schools accountable for improving student achievement in math and reading in grades 3-8. A provision of this act required states to administer annual assessments. This reinforced the civil rights aspect of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The intention was to ensure that underperforming students received intervention and support to close achievement gaps. This testing mandate was maintained when NCLB was reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Competencies for superintendent licensure in New Hampshire include the verbiage to promote achievement. One way to meet this competency is the establishment of “a strong professional culture of growth, openness and collaboration wherein educators engage in analyzing student data and planning program improvements that result in closing achievement gaps” (New Hampshire Education Law, Part Ed 506, §506.01(b)(1)(b), 2023). Thus, it is argued that superintendents, like principals, have a responsibility to use data from the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH
SAS) to promote academic achievement. Yet the extent of superintendents’ use of this data, and in collaboration with principals, is unknown. This knowledge might inform designers of technical assistance and developers of resources about ways to enhance superintendents’ capacity to use the data.
Correlational analysis from this quantitative study showed significant relationships when superintendents collaborated with principals to analyze and interpret data (i.e., data inquiry). Use of data to decide and plan also had strong connections. An Inquire, Decide, Plan (IDP) model highlights these strengths