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The rise of double-segregation and the fall of literacy: A critical narrative inquiry into the experiences of teachers in public schools in Georgia
No full textThis dissertation explored the topic of double segregation in Georgia public schools, a trend in which racial and economic divisions reinforce one another within communities and schools. This phenomenon of double segregation has impacted student literacy among traditionally marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups. My qualitative study aimed to address a significant gap in the existing literature by documenting the lived experiences of educators within these doubly segregated environments. By bringing their educators’ narratives to light, this study aimed to heighten awareness and empathy among policymakers and inspire integration plans that could make education more equitable for all students. By investigating the stories of teachers with a Critical Race Theory Lens, I aimed to highlight the systemic inequities affecting oppressed groups in Georgia public schools. I examined research questions involving educators’ experiences in integrated and segregated school environments and their perceptions of literacy and school culture. As I used the narrative inquiry design to collect data via interviews with nine educators across Georgia, I ensured that each participant reflected schools that differed in racial and economic composition and represented a diversity of racial, age, and gender profiles. By diversifying my sample, I sought to offer a range of educator perspectives. Three major themes emerged from my thematic analysis of participant narratives: economic inequality creates barriers to student literacy, holistic teaching practices improve student outcomes, and teacher burnout is a pervasive issue. My findings stressed the need for policy interventions to address double segregation and its impact on literacy.Dobbins, PamelaStrevig, AprilWorkman, JamieEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
The Whimsy and the Woolf: Literary Nonsense in the Works of Virginia Woolf
No full textMuch has been said on the sense of Virginia Woolf's works, but little on the nonsense. Literary nonsense is a genre most often associated with Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, but it also has a home in Woolf's use of conversation in Freshwater and Between the Acts. In the act of reading these works, impressions of nonsense arise and show a tension between sets of order and disorder which is reflected in the behavior of rules governing conversation. Using Stanley Fish's affective stylistics, H.P. Grice's pragmatics, and Elizabeth Sewell's definition of literary nonsense, nonsense appears in these two works as a game played out between order and disorder through conversations between characters and the conversation between reader and text. This order and disorder corresponds to moments in which conversational implicature works as intended on the one hand, and those moments when it breaks down on the other. Using progressive decertainizing from Fish's affective stylistics, a close reading of both texts shows how impressions of nonsense arise in the space between conversational implicature breaking down and being restored. The tension in this space can then be favorably compared to the tension in Elizabeth Sewell's definition of nonsense as a game. Wim Tigges' genre taxonomy of whole and partial nonsense provides context to how these works can be classified after a close reading has been performed, and provides a foundation for what it means to call something a work of literary nonsense. A classification of either whole or partial nonsense is reached for both works according to Tigges' taxonomy, along with a discussion afterward about the implications of what this means in the context of the current scholarship.Katawal, UbarajByrd, MelanieThompson, TheresaM.A.Englis
A Narrative Inquiry of How Parents Experienced Their Child’s Middle School Transition in Select Regions of Georgia
No full textThis qualitative study chronicles the narratives of three mothers whose children transitioned from elementary to middle school. Each participant was interviewed on three occasions to capture their lived experiences in what often has been considered a tumultuous time for families. The interviews focused on the participants' experiences before, during, and after their child transitioned to middle school, created portraits of what participants felt their roles were in elementary and middle school, and identified resources the participants had available to them during the transition.
Through qualitative data analysis techniques applied to the participants’ narratives, it was evident that the participants felt a lack of communication at the middle school level, experienced a sense of uncertainty regarding parental expectations in the middle school transition, and were unaware of how the middle school transition would drive their family’s daily routine. Additionally, the participants offered advice to future middle school parents and to schools to potentially improve the parental transition to middle school.
The conceptual frameworks for this study were stage-environment fit theory, role exit theory, and role construction. Practical implications from this study include, but are not limited to, classroom teachers, schools, and school districts identifying the needs of their incoming middle school parents to best outfit them with the skillset needed to successfully navigate being a middle school parent.Workman, JamieHartsell, TaralynnPaine, DeborahEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
Navigating Dual Identities: Reflecting on the Impact of Military Life and LGBTQ+ Identity on the Academic Performance, Aspirations, and Well-being During Secondary Education
No full textThis mixed-methods study examined how school-related risk and protective factors influenced the academic performance and emotional well-being of military-connected LGBTQ+ young adults. While prior research has focused on LGBTQ+ students and military-connected youth separately, few studies have explored their intersection. Using an explanatory sequential design, 71 participants aged 18–25 completed a survey on school climate, victimization, identity expression, and academic performance. Follow-up interviews with six participants added depth to the findings.
Results showed that school climate strongly affected students’ safety, self-expression, and engagement. Frequent relocations disrupted friendships and required students to assess each school’s inclusivity. Some participants disengaged due to marginalization, while others found stability in academic success. Supportive educators, inclusive policies, and affirming peer networks were key protective factors. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs guided the analysis. While basic needs, such as housing and food, were usually met through military resources, psychological needs like safety and belonging were inconsistently addressed, limiting students’ ability to thrive. The study highlights the importance of consistent, inclusive practices in schools serving military-connected youth. By centering LGBTQ+ voices, it offers insights for creating supportive environments where all students can succeed.Wander, RyanSuriel, ReginaArchibald, JamesMartinez, ReynaldoEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
Experiences of International Latinx Students When Studying in an Institution of Higher Education in the Southeast of the United States
No full textThis research study explored the experiences of International Latinx students (ILS) who sought a graduate degree at an institution of higher education (IHE) in the Southeast of the United States. ILS represent 4.3 % of the 1 million international students (IS) in the United States. In several research studies, ILS have reported cultural, linguistic, academic, and social challenges when studying at U.S. IHEs. Although studies about IS experiences exist, most of these concentrate on students from China, Korea, and India, whereas there is a gap concerning the ILS perspective in the literature on international studies. This study explored the experiences of ILS when seeking a degree in U.S. IHEs. I used a co-constructed autoethnography (CCAE) methodology and included ILS as collaborating research participants. The collaborators and I reflected on our experiences as ILS and positionality to construct an overall understanding of seeking a graduate degree at a U.S. IHE. Testimonios and follow-up conversations were used for data collection and analysis, which included coding and emergent themes. This research study provides valuable and original data about ILS’ native language (Spanish) and the U.S. language of instruction (English). This study revealed that ILS had difficulties with the English language, which collectively led them to develop negative emotions when using English language as the language of instruction and learning. This research study provides an original contribution as it explores the experiences of ILS in the United States. IHE administrators, professors, and ILS can glean educational practices that ILS consider crucial for their learning process from this study.Suriel, ReginaLennon, SeanMartinez, JamesEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
Old Berrien Newsletters Vol 7. No.2.
No full textThis item contains 1 PDF with 4 pages in addition to 4 JP2 filesThis document details the history and cultural significance of dirt track racing in South Georgia, particularly within Berrien County. From its early "Jalopy" days in the 1940s and 50s to "Stock Car" racing by the 1960s, it became a staple Saturday night activity for many families. The Thunderbowl Speedway in Valdosta, a 3/8-mile oval, was a prominent venue that operated from 1959 until its final closure in 1999, attracting numerous local teams. A key figure highlighted is Jimmy Griffin of Nashville, Georgia, renowned for his ingenuity as a racecar builder. Griffin famously challenged the dominance of Ford flatheads by building a highly successful Chevrolet #60, which, despite bending rules, became a fan favorite and a formidable competitor, even leading to rule changes to accommodate its innovation. The newsletter also mentions other area tracks, such as the short-lived Ocilla Speedway, which closed in the 1950s due to liability concerns after an accident
The Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Morale Levels of Middle School Teachers in Southeast Georgia
No full textThe purpose of this quantitative study was to examine teacher morale among middle school teachers with and without a Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade Assessment based on content area and grade level. Teacher morale is significant because it has a major impact on student achievement. A descriptive research design using an abbreviated version of “The Purdue Teacher Opinionnaire” was employed to answer the research questions. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used to analyze the data.
The findings of this study included the following: First, teacher morale scores varied between the GMAS and No GMAS groups, with limited statistically significant findings; however, notable patterns emerged from the descriptive data. Second, significant differences were found in teacher morale among grade-level groups. Seventh-grade teachers scored significantly higher than teachers in grades six and eight. Third, while teacher morale scores differed across content areas, only limited significant results were found. Significant interaction effects between content areas and GMAS emerged in specific subjects, and descriptive data revealed meaningful patterns. Fourth, participating teachers demonstrated moderate to moderately high morale levels regardless of content area, grade level, or GMAS presence.
Because only limited evidence of significant differences was found regarding the direct impact of GMAS presence and content area on teacher morale, further research with a larger sample size is recommended. The implications of the study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.Hsiao, E-LingHartsell, TaralynnHill, LaverneEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog
The Effects of Daily Training on Time Management, Athletic, and Academic Motivation for Collegiate Female Student Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study
No full textFemale student athletes at junior colleges across the country are competing in college sports that require different motivations and time management skills to be successful. The purpose of this study is to examine junior college female student athlete’s motivations and time management skills based on their daily training demands. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to compare sport, race, and academic year amongst junior college female student athletes in the states of Georgia and Florida. The quantitative portion of the study examined sport and race as it relates to academic, athletic, and career motivation on the Student Athletes Motivation on Sport and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ) instrument. Additionally, the Time Management Survey (TMS) instrument examined sport and academic year as it relates to time management skills based on the daily training demands of the junior college female student athletes. For the qualitative portion of the study six focus group discussions took place to gain more insight on the quantitative results. The results from the observed research concludes that female student athletes for this study regardless of race, sport, and academic year are comparatively motivated to be successful in the classroom, and they prioritize their time spent on academics regardless of their daily training demands. Additionally, female student athletes in the sport of basketball tend to have higher career aspirations to play at the professional level. Speculation of these results is related to the small percentage of female student athletes that need their college sport to stay focused to attain a degree even though they still have hopes to make a professional career out of their sport.Brockmiere, LantryDowney, StevenAsola, EugeneEd.D.Adult & Career Educatio
The Journey from Traditional Student to Adult Learner: Hurdles and Victories
No full textThe following study was conducted with five adult learners who returned tocomplete an undergraduate degree after stopping or dropping out of college as traditional students. Basic interpretive inquiry was used to find themes in their stories to understand their experiences as traditional students that led to their departure, their reasons for returning to finish their degrees and their experiences as a returning adult learner. Each participant shared his or her experiences during a 90-minute interview process. The interviews were transcribed and themes were developed from the participant’s responses. From the interviews, the researcher gained a better understanding of the adult learner experiences. These findings were connected the conceptual frameworks for Schlossberg’s transition theory and Knowles’ andragogy. While the responsibilities for most of the participants as adult learners differed little from when they were traditional students, their motivation for attending had shifted from extrinsic to intrinsic. Additionally, as adult learners, the participants focused on the age difference between them and their peers and how that would impact their experience and sense of belonging. While institutional challenges existed like policies around transfer credit, course offerings and a lack of clear support structures specific to adult learners, the voice of faculty speaking encouragement to the participants made a significant impact on their experiences as students. Based on these research findings, it is recommended that additional research be conducted on traditional age students with adult learner responsibilities, on the population of students who know they must take breaks in education and leave with a plan to return, and the experiences of faculty teaching adult learners. Keywords: Education, Higher; Adult education; Dissertations, Academic--United States; 4-year degree; Adult students; Degree Completion; Non-traditional student; Stop OutWorkman, JamieHull, KarlaArchibald, JamesEd.D.Curriculum, Leadership & Technolog