Past DCG Award Winners

The Effect of Institutionalized Barriers On Students Underrepresented In Athletic Training

According to the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 81.9% of athletic training students (ATS) in professional programs are White (CAATE, 2016), which is an overrepresentation when compared to the 58.3% of higher education students who identify as White (Digest of Education Statistics, 2015). After a database search for articles examining this topic, it was concluded that no research had been published on the factors that have created and sustained this inequality. This dissertation seeks to identify the barriers that unrepresented ATS face during their professional programs and to understand their effects on the student's progress towards graduation and certification. This will be accomplished through a mixed-methods investigation. Data collection will include the distribution of an original survey to identify the frequency with which current ATS experience barriers that are common among students across health care education programs. Additionally, qualitative data will be collected as current ATS log and describe their experiences through digital journaling. The findings of this dissertation will help us understand what barriers exist in higher education that prevent underrepresented students from pursuing or completing a degree in athletic training.

The Impact of Microaggressions and Racial Identity on Adolescents’ Cognitive Functioning

Racial microaggressions communicate hostile and derogatory messages towards people of color (Sue et al., 2008). These microaggressions are a common and negative facet of everyday lives for individuals holding racially marginalized identities and often result in detrimental consequences (Smith et al., 2007; Nadal et al., 2014; Keefe et al., 2014). For example, previous research has shown that exposure to racial microaggressions is linked to the depletion of cognitive resources in adults (Banks & Landau, 2021; Murphy et al., 2012). While this relationship hasn’t been studied in adolescents, we know that high school students holding marginalized identities experience microaggressions and find them offensive (Banks et al., 2020; Kohli et al, 2018). Using experimental methods, I will examine the impact of microaggressions and racial identity on adolescents’ cognitive responses. I hypothesize that (1) participants exposed to microaggressions will experience a depletion of cognitive resources from pre- to post-test, (2) the relationship between exposure to microaggressions and diminished cognitive functioning will only be relevant for participants of color, and (3) participants of color who report a strong racial identity will experience greater cognitive depletion than participants of color reporting a weaker racial identity.

Factors that Influence Preservice Middle School Teachers’ Response to Students’ Mathematical Thinking About Data Analysis

The goal of this qualitative case study is to examine how preservice middle school mathematics teachers’ (PSTs) respond to their students’ mathematical thinking of data analysis and the influential factors of those responses. Many mathematics educators had pointed out the importance of teachers’ practices of responding to students’ mathematical thinking as needing consideration (Leatham et al., 2015; Milewski & Strickland, 2016). Teachers’ responses to their students are crucial to control the students’ discussions and to evaluate students’ verbal and written mathematical thinking (Ball, 2003). I will examine four PSTs’ responses to their students in their classroom teaching in clinical experiences of methods course. I will collect the data from lesson plans, lesson plan reflections, videotaped, pre and post lesson interviews, fieldnotes. This study is benefitted to the prospective teachers and mathematics educators who are teaching preservice teachers, to understand how preservice teachers learn to respond to their students and what things need to consider while teaching the preservice teachers so that they can do informative in-the-moment responses to their students.

Illustrating Postcolonial Margins: Locating Experimental, Collaborative, Indian Graphic Narratives in the Twenty-First Century

This dissertation investigates the importance of experimental, collaborative postcolonial graphic narrative publications in the twenty-first century, using Tara Books as a case study. Tara Books experiments with the graphic narrative form by incorporating local techniques of Indigenous folk-art illustrations into their style of storytelling and markets them internationally. Through select texts published by Tara Books, this interdisciplinary research project reassesses the genre of postcolonial Indian graphic narratives as it experiments with its mode of storytelling, representation, and presentation of the book form. These experimental texts can be argued as objects of cultural resistance, both on a local and global scale, and every chapter of this dissertation presents a counter-narrative, of some sort, that challenges a dominant ideology. It reassesses the potential of this narrative genre as a ‘textual museum’ in the twenty-first century, especially in a post-pandemic setting. The study also shows how the Indigenous art forms are trans-mediated to the genre of graphic narratives, thereby acknowledging the publication process as an activity system, and how a global lens of analysis helps in understanding the aesthetic and discursive shift(s) they inaugurate.

Getting Straight to The Point: A Bystander Training for Pre-Service Students to Address Sexuality-based Microaggressions in the School Setting

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth face discrimination that puts them at risk for mental health difficulties (APA, 2016). The occurrence of microaggressions (i.e., every day, often unintentional slights) in schools are a type of discrimination experienced by these students (McCabe et al., 2013). These microaggressions occur as a result of indoctrinated normalization of heterosexuality (Kitzinger, 2005). School professionals who might advocate for LGBTQ students by addressing microaggressions when they occur are instead ignorant to harassment faced by LGBTQ youth and are poorly trained to address these issues (Aurora et al., 2016; McCabe et al., 2013). Using experimental methods, I will explore the effects of a workshop aimed at addressing sexuality-based microaggressions in schools on preservice teachers’ attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge about microaggressions targeting LGBTQ youth. I hypothesize that participants who are exposed to the workshop (1) will become more aware of the occurrence and impact of microaggressions, (2) demonstrate an increase in positive attitudes towards LGBTQ youth, and (3) will report higher levels of intention to intervene when witnessing microaggressions as compared to participants in the control condition.

A Study of African Students in Community Colleges

This dissertation is a study of African students in community colleges. In particular, the research examines the motivations as well as the experiences of African students in the two-year institutions in the United States. Through a qualitative study and using semi-structured interviews, the research sought the perspectives of 8-12 African international students in two community colleges in Illinois. Additional data sources for this research include university documents such as international admission brochures as well as documents from African student associations. Theoretically, this research utilizes two conceptual frameworks: The Bohman international student community college decision model and the Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory. The two theories complement each other as one helps in exploring the journey of African students while the other helps examine their experiences. Specifically, the Bohman international student community college decision model useful in understanding the factors that motivate African international students to study in community colleges, while Hofstede’s cultural theory will be useful in exploring how cultural dimensions influence the experiences of African students in the colleges. The findings of this study will help institutions and student affairs professionals in addressing the unique needs of the African international student population in community colleges.

Effects of Heat Wave Timing, Continuity, and Fluctuating Temperatures on Sexual Development and Underlying Gene Expression in a Turtle with Temperature-dependent Sex Determination

The thermal environment can have complex effects on an organism, but most of what we know about how temperature influences organisms comes from studies that utilized constant temperatures. Because almost all organisms live in environments where temperatures fluctuate, using constant conditions can produce spurious results. With the rapidly changing climate, there is an increased urgency to understand how organisms respond to more variable temperatures. If heat waves increase in frequency and duration as predicted, it is necessary to understand how heat waves could affect thermally sensitive species, such as reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which sex is determined by temperatures experienced during embryonic development. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta) exhibits a type of TSD in which cool temperatures produce males and warm temperatures produce females. The development of the bipotential gonads into ovaries or testes is regulated by gene networks induced at warmer or cooler temperatures, respectively. In the proposed research, we use ecologically relevant temperatures to determine how heat wave timing and continuity affects sex ratios and underlying gene expression in T. scripta. The proposed research utilizes fluctuating temperatures and heat waves to more accurately reflect natural conditions.

An Analysis of the Underrepresentation of Minorities in STEM Education

The purpose of this study is (1) to better understand URMs’ positive educational experiences that led to majoring in STEM or education; (2) to examine the experiences that have challenged URMs’ success in STEM or education; and (3) to investigate the reasons why URMs are not interested in pursuing STEM education. The urgency of this research is based on the statistics indicating the low representation of URMs in STEM fields, teaching fields, and specifically STEM teachers. It will highlight the positive experiences of URMs that support an interest in STEM and education; but also, analyze how systemic racism in schools affects URM students’ interest and academic success in STEM education. In this study, original surveys and individual interviews will be used to collect data. The participants will be URM STEM and education majors. Critical Race Theory framework will focus this research on how race and racism in schools causes unequal educational opportunities for minority students. This phenomenological study can add rich information to areas in education that are still experiencing racism and better understand the influence of educational experiences on URMs’ pursuit of STEM, education, and STEM education.

Understanding Female Millennial Administrators and their Perceptions and Experiences of Leadership in the Community College

This research is intended to qualitatively explore and examine the perceptions and experiences of female community college administrators, who were born in the Millennial generation, as it relates to leadership. For the purposes of this study, the Millennial generation refers to individuals born between 1981 – 1996. It is important to note that the stories and lived experiences of females who identify as part of the Millennial generation, working within community college administration, are neglected. Because of this neglect, research is needed to explore and gain an understanding of how leadership is perceived and experienced. More specifically, this study proposes to better understand how gender may impact Millennial women’s perceptions of leadership overall, as well as their perceived ability to move into senior-level leadership roles within the community college. What differentiates this study from other studies on leadership, specifically within the community college, is its focus on women and the female perspective through which leadership is perceived, while also taking into consideration generation identification. By utilizing a feminist lens to conduct this research, an opportunity to add to the growing expanse of leadership literature is presented.

Neuromodulators rescue neuronal activity from heat stress

Changes in body temperature pose a challenge to the nervous system and can lead to disruptions of motor control and vital behaviors. Neuronal activity requires the spread of electrical signals throughout the neuron to initiate action potentials required for those vital behaviors. Acute temperature changes disrupt these processes. It has recently been suggested that neuromodulators – paracrine chemicals released within the brain - may help to restore neuronal activity. It is currently unknown how these neuromodulators achieve temperature compensation. I hypothesize that elevated temperatures prevent neuronal activity by hindering the intraneuronal spread of electrical signals, however neuromodulation re-establishes signal spread and with it, neuronal activity. I test this hypothesis by measuring signal spread in an identified motor neuron at varying temperatures, and separately in the presence of a neuropeptide modulator known to rescue that neuron's activity at high temperatures. To determine whether the cellular actions elicited by the neuropeptide enable temperature compensation, I use a computer-brain interface to manipulate the ionic current elicited by the neuropeptide. Because ionic currents are ubiquitous across species, this will provide broad insight into the role of neuromodulators for temperature compensation and the mechanisms by which they act.

Multivariate sexual selection on male song in northern house wrens

Beautiful and abundant, bird song as a sexually selected trait has long captured the attention of biologists. Although previous studies have examined single facets of bird song in relation to male competition and female choice, selection typically acts on multiple components that collectively influence male mating success. By studying how multiple components of song simultaneously play a role in male competition and female choice, we can better understand how sexual selection has directly and indirectly shaped this elaborate and complex trait. I aim to identify which potentially correlated components of male song are sexually selected in northern house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), small songbirds with highly complex, multi-component songs. Male song in this species appears important in male competition and female choice, yet the particular components that elicit the most intense aggression in males, or are most attractive to females, remain unknown. My research will address how sexual selection has shaped male song by testing the hypotheses that (1) male reproductive success is influenced by different song components, and (2) males and females respond differently to synthesized songs differing in putative quality of components.

Non-Tenure Track Faculty Perceptions of Preparedness to Teach and Pedagogical Support in Postsecondary Education

U.S. universities rely heavily on a workforce to educate undergraduate students without intimate knowledge of the supports needed for those employees to fulfill the expectations of their positions. With estimates ranging from 50% to 70% of faculty in U.S. higher education being categorized as Non-Tenure Track (NTT), post-secondary education has moved from a model of predominately Tenure Track (TT) faculty to one of NTT being the new faculty majority (Bergman, 2011; Holler, 2014; Kezar, 2014; Hensely, 2016). Much of the literature pertaining to NTT focuses on pay equity, working conditions, job protection, and the exploration of how the inversion of the professoriate occurred with little focus on the experiences of the NTT faculty (Feldman & Turnley, 2001; Fuller et al., 2017). This qualitative study explores NTT faculty’s perceptions of pedagogical preparedness when they began teaching at the postsecondary level as well as how these individuals describe pedagogical support they receive. Pedagogical supports evaluated include professional development, evaluations, orientations, and sociopolitical factors impacting the NTT experience. Interviews with NTT faculty, administrators, faculty developers and labor union representatives as well as document review inform the study.

Enabling students' transformative experiences and conceptual change regarding evolution through culturally relevant instruction

My dissertation strives to identify pedagogical methods that enable students’ understanding of evolution, such that they use it outside of class to inform their experiences and decisions. While biologists view evolutionary theory as biology’s unifying principle, this view is not emphasized to nonscientists and pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs), which is problematic given that many PSETs are expected to teach evolutionary ideas. Evolution is widely recognized as a culturally laden topic, yet the science education community lacks a curricular resource to teach evolution inclusively and equitably. I have developed an introductory biology course utilizing the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science model to make evolution relevant to students’ everyday lives to encourage conceptual change. Through four iterations, quantitative data have been collected through a conceptual knowledge assessment and a survey assessing how students perceive evolution as relevant to their lives. Preliminary data show significant gains in evolution knowledge and evidence of students applying evolution to their lives. All course work was collected as qualitative data, including written and video reflections designed to elicit students' perceptions of how evolution relates to their lives, which are currently being analyzed. This research may reframe how biology is taught, inclusively and equitably, to nonscientists.

Thermal fluctuations produce ecologically relevant profiles for hormone signaling and gene expression in a species with temperature-dependent sex determination

Sex determination refers to the process by which cues from genes (genotypic sex determination) or environmental conditions (environmental sex determination) trigger bipotential gonads to develop into either ovaries or testes. Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a well-studied form of environmental sex determination in reptiles. The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) exhibits a form of TSD where cool incubation temperatures produce males and warm incubation temperatures produce females. In species with TSD, gonadal differentiation is regulated by network of genes and hormones that induce male or female development. TSD is most frequently studied using constant male and female incubation temperatures, which fail to capture the variability that organisms experience in the wild. In the proposed research, we use ecologically relevant laboratory incubations to understand the underlying mechanisms organizing the sex-determining process in T. scripta. Fluctuating incubations are used to produce ecologically relevant expression profiles for sex-determining genes and to decouple the effects of temperature and hormone environment on gonadal differentiation. This study represents the first time that fluctuating temperatures and hormones have been used in concert to characterize the the molecular mechanisms underlying TSD.

Faculty Voices in Faculty-Led Programs Abroad

My research study explores the experiences of faculty members who develop and lead study abroad programs for students enrolled in higher education institutions. The principal research questions are: What motivates faculty members to become involved in the development and implementation of short-term study abroad programs? What was involved in creating and leading the short-term, faculty-led program? What obstacles did they encounter and how did they overcome them? What did students gain from their participation in the program? What could institutions do to better support them in the development and facilitation of short-term study abroad? Using qualitative methodology, I will interview 10-15 faculty members to understand their perceptions and experiences engaging in this work. The results of this study will give voice to faculty members to inform institutions on how to use policy and practice to further support faculty in developing educational exchanges for students.

Identities, Experiences, Perceptions, and Wanted Changes in the School: LGBTQ+ Students and Students of Color

Students of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or other (LGBTQ+) youth experience significantly high rates of discrimination and bullying while at school, which can lead them to perceive their school environment as unsafe and unsupportive, contributing to a host of negative academic and social–emotional outcomes (Kosciw, Greytak, Giga, Villenas, & Danischewski, 2016; Pollock, 2009). All youth, regardless of background, should be able to develop and express their personal identities in a supportive school climate that is free of discrimination and prejudice (National Association of School Psychology, 2017). The purpose of the current study is to better understand the identity of high school students on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, learn about their experiences regarding intentional and unintentional aggression as well as their perceptions of school climate, and gain insight into what they would change about their school to make it safer. Participants in the study will be students who attend a LGBTQ+ support group at a Midwestern high school. Data will be collected via focus groups, as the researcher will solicit information about participant experiences in school, their perceptions of school climate, as well as the changes they feel would make school a more supportive environment.

A Holistic Exploration of Fatigue Experienced by Women Before a Myocardial Infarction

Quantitative studies have demonstrated that fatigue is the most common myocardial infarction (MI) (“heart attack”) symptom experienced by women prior to MI. However, studies exploring the unique dimensions of this symptom are limited, making clinical decision-making difficult. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore adult women’s unique and shared experiences of prodromal MI fatigue. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study design with across-case and within-case analysis is being used. Ten women have been enrolled from a large hospital in Illinois using purposive sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted during hospitalization, and two to three months post-discharge, a follow-up interview will be conducted. Women were also provided with a journal in which to record thoughts. A supplementary interview with family members or friends will also assist in data triangulation. Analysis will involve constant comparison, coding and categorization, visual displays of data, and thematic development. Importance: The results from this study will assist in providing a holistic description of this symptom. Understanding MI fatigue’s quality, severity, and influence on activities of daily living will assist clinicians in recognizing fatigue and intervening prior to a heart attack.

The Impact of Inclusive Curriculum on Attitudes Toward Sexual Minority Populations

Students enrolled in educational institutions are consumers of curricula, which include the formal and informal lessons disseminated to students (Wiles, 2008). Hidden curriculum consists of informal lessons that reflect the norms, beliefs, and attitudes of the greater institution (Alsubaie, 2015; Kelley, 2009). Researchers suggest that heteronormativity (i.e., belief that heterosexuality is the default sexual orientation) is commonly present within hidden curriculum (Walton, 2005) and may lead to more negative attitudes toward sexual minorities. Further, research suggests that these attitudes may be associated with increased levels of victimization, which is related to several negative outcomes for sexual minority individuals (Kosciw et al., 2018; Rey & Gibson, 2008). As part of the current study, the researcher seeks to examine the impact of inclusive hidden curriculum on attitudes toward sexual minority populations. Given that research indicates that exposure to media that includes sexual minority populations leads to more positive attitudes toward sexual minority individuals (Calzo & Ward, 2009), it is hypothesized that exposure to academic material that is inclusive of sexual minority individuals will improve heterosexual individuals’ attitudes towards sexual minority individuals.

The effects of handwriting and typing practice on transcriptional fluency and written product outcomes

While handwriting occupies a small amount of instruction time, it’s becoming increasing common for young students to type their schoolwork. The current study will examine the effects of handwriting and typing practice on early elementary school children’s transcriptional fluency and written product outcomes. Three classrooms of second-graders will be assessed on their fluency and written outcomes before and after an eight-week intervention. Measures will be taken in both handwriting and typing modes. One classroom will practice handwriting, one will practice typing, and a third will serve as a control group. Data will be analyzed to determine within-group and between-group differences in transcriptional fluency and written product outcomes.

How African American Community College Online Learners Succeed

African-American community college students perform twice as poorly in online classes when compared to their non-Black peers. As online learning grows in popularity, and more African-American community college students enroll in online courses to balance school with work and family obligations, the demographic’s higher online course attrition rates threaten to further exacerbate low college completion rates and educational inequity. This study aims to uncover strategies that successful African-American community college online learners employed to earn high grades in their online courses. Positive deviance will be used as the framework in this qualitative interview study, which aims to discover how African-American community college students beat the odds in online learning. Insights gained from study participants may be used to help members of the population improve online course success rates and reduce educational inequity.

The role of the TON1A protein in dividing plant cells

Plant cell division occurs with the formation of a cell wall between the two dividing cells. The location of this cell wall is determined at the onset of the division cycle by a structure known as the preprophase band (PPB). The PPB is an organized, circular array of microtubules around the nucleus of the cell. It is important for the PPB to be oriented properly for the dividing cell wall to develop optimally. By directing the orientation of the cell wall, plant cells can control the direction of their growth. TON1A is a protein known to be involved in the formation of the PPB. When TON1A is absent, the PPB fails to form, leading to a misplaced cell wall after cell division. TON1A interacts with multiple proteins to form a complex which regulates the formation and orientation of the PPB. Little is known about the constituents of this microtubule-organizing complex and what regulates its formation and activity. My research aims to determine what domains of TON1A are involved in its interaction with proteins forming the complex that orients the PPB and the role of TON1A phosphorylation in the process.

The Intensities of Elementary School Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Mathematical Identity and the Use of Effective Practices

Because many elementary school teachers teach all subjects, they face the daunting task of knowing and implementing research-based teaching practices for each content area. The purpose of this study is to describe relationships among the characteristics of mathematical self-efficacy, mathematics teaching self-efficacy, and mathematical identity of elementary school teachers and the influence these characteristics have on the use of effective teaching practices as defined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] (2014). Both Lacanian Psychoanalysis and moderate hermeneutics will play a role in guiding the structure and analysis for this study. Specifically, I will apply a phenomenological hermeneutic methodological design. Data sources include mathematical autobiographies, interviews, observations, and multiple lesson plans of ten elementary school teachers. The participants will be teachers identified as particularly effective by their principal or by virtue of having received a state or national teaching award. Analysis will involve establishing a holistic understanding of the teachers’ characteristics (i.e., mathematical self-efficacy, mathematics teaching self-efficacy, and mathematical identity) and the possible interrelatedness of the characteristics, including the possible connection to the use of effective practices.

"Let’s Play!!": Critical Gaming Literacy Engagement in a Secondary ELA Classroom

Teens are engaging with other youth around the world and are participating in online video games, fanfiction sites, and other affinity spaces (Gee, 2017) where people have the same interest or passion for “some shared identity connection to some shared activities, values, and norms” (p. 111). Educators use technology daily to support student learning (Ruggiero & Mong, 2015); however, the technology integration in the classroom has been for more traditional academic assignments (Hutchison & Reinking, 2011; Peterson & McClay, 2012). Some would argue the integration doesn’t parallel youth technology practices in their everyday lives (Gee, 2007) where meaning is created with multimodalities within teen popular culture practices. In this research study, I will explore the nature of student literacy learning and practices with digital video games to more fully understand the affordances that this area can offer to the field of education and even more importantly the implications on student learning. The focus will be less on the tools of technology and more on technology as a type of literacy practice. The significance of this relationship is based upon the idea of understanding more about student literacy learning within popular youth texts and culture.

Illustrating Childhood: Trauma, Empathy, and Memory in Graphic Memoir for Children

Working at the intersections of life writing, children’s literature, and memory studies, this dissertation will examine graphic memoirs for children and young adults, including Jarrett Krosoczka’s Hey Kiddo, David Small’s Stitches, Craig Thompson’s Blankets, Cece Bell’s El Deafo, Vera Brosgol’s Be Prepared, Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, and Shannon Hale’s Real Friends. I interrogate these texts for the ways in which they represent the engagement between the textual narrating and narrated I on the one hand and the text and the young reader on the other, arguing that this engagement is representative of the memorative process. I will suggest that these texts function simultaneously as material-discursive traces of individual memory (the neurobiological process of the author) and also contributions to/engagements with cultural (collective) memory of the concept of childhood and the child. I propose that the memorative process is fundamentally narrative and argue that autobiographical narratives—and, by extension, memory—represent an empathic engagement between the narrating and narrated I. In the final chapters, I turn toward the implied child reader, challenging the contemporary understanding of narrative empathy as an unproblematic good.

The goal of this research is to elucidate Head Start caregiver and educator beliefs concerning effective parenting, teaching, and the home school connection during the preschool years. It is important that organizations designed to serve children and families with low income, such as Head Start, develop a strong conceptualization of what it means to parent and to teach effectively. While previous research has attempted to define both parenting and teaching within this population, there are two main limitations with this research. First, many previous investigations have focused heavily on the deficiencies of these parents, their homes, and their values (Ullucci & Howard, 2015; Abell, Clawson, Washington, Bost, & Vaughn 1996). Second, research that has sought to define effective practices employed by the parents and teachers has done so by studying each enterprise separately (McWayne et al., 2017). That is, there is little known about how these key entities conceptualize the role of their counterpart and how this may influence collaboration. The present researchers aim to address the limitations of previous studies by uncovering the perspectives of caregivers and teachers through a strength-based and qualitative approach.