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Description
Utilizing action research and a qualitative research study design, the purpose of this study was to glean how participation in the Building Community Through Discourse Intervention (BCTD intervention) influenced the cultural and social awareness of six Development and Alumni Relations (DEVAR) managers at The University of California, Davis (UC Davis). To investigate DEVAR managers’ comfort, knowledge, and skills discussing and advocating for diversity and inclusion (D&I), the BCTD intervention featured four topical units: racial issues in the workplace, privilege issues in the workplace, identity issues in the workplace, and applying theory to practice. Over ten weeks, DEVAR managers were required to read assigned chapters from So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, watch proposed videos related to D&I, maintain a participant journal to reflect on their experiences throughout the study, and engage in bi-weekly focus group discussions hosted via Zoom to review the prescribed learning material. Guiding the study were two theoretical frameworks: Communities of Practices and a Pedagogy of Discomfort. Through narrative analysis, a storytelling approach was used to present the findings of the study based on four themes derived from the data: the impact of fear on managers’ willingness to advocate for D&I, the importance of dialogue and the role of time in the learning process, and the need for more skills to adequately apply learning to practice. The study discovered that the BCTD intervention improved the comfort and knowledge of DEVAR managers to discuss and advocate for D&I. However, the study did not favorably affect their ability to transfer their increased understanding of the challenges of diverse staff to their managerial practice. Subsequently, as academia and private businesses alike begin to place a greater emphasis on social justice, implications for future research entail: expanding the length of time to conduct a similar situated or designed study to focus on providing participants with enhanced learning opportunities to improve their ability to apply their learning to practice, in-person focus group discussions as opposed to Zoom, and increased representation amongst study participants to enhance the richness of shared experiences.
ContributorsJackson, Craig L (Author) / Markos, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Wolf, Leigh (Committee member) / Keister, Shaun (Committee member) / Hilton, Adriel (Committee member) / Antonucci, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Demand for specialty coffee worldwide is increasing, yet producers primarily located in developing countries struggle to cover their production costs and sustain their livelihood. Coffee producers are globally seeking higher profits by adapting their conventional production practices to be more socially and environmentally responsible. This dissertation aims to analyze the U.S. import demand for coffee and investigate consumer preferences and willingness to pay for coffee labels representing sustainability efforts. Chapter one introduces the coffee industry and the three chapters of this research. In the second chapter, I analyze the influence of consumers' values and the warm glow effect of giving on their willingness to pay for sustainable coffee using a non-hypothetical auction mechanism. I use an information treatment to test the effect of information on consumers' willingness to pay. Providing information increases the premium consumers are willing to pay for sustainable coffee. Regarding values, consumers that like coffee and experience the warm glow of giving are willing to pay a premium for coffee with a sustainability label. Using a hypothetical online choice experiment, in the third chapter, I investigate coffee consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for Fair Trade, Direct Trade, Rainforest Alliance and USDA Organic coffee. I find that consumers value sustainability labels that aim to solve social issues more than those whose primary goal is to solve environmental problems. I find that when two labels are together on a coffee bag, there is no effect on consumers’ utility. However, there is a positive effect on consumers' willingness to pay for coffee labeled simultaneously for Fair Trade and Organic, and simultaneously for Direct Trade and Organic. In the fourth chapter, I estimate coffee price elasticities between major coffee exporters to the U.S. and calculate pass-through import cost using a system-wide differential demand system. I compare imports of arabica and robusta green coffee and estimate the degree to which they complement each other or substitute one another. I find that arabica and robusta from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico are substitutes but some exceptions show a complementary relationship. The inclusion of the exchange rate into the demand system has a significant effect on U.S. coffee demand. I find an incomplete pass-through cost of the exchange rate to U.S. import prices.
Chapter six concludes by summarizing the results of this dissertation and discussing the future challenges for the coffee industry.
ContributorsFuller, Katherine (Author) / Grebitus, Carola (Thesis advisor) / Schmitz, Troy (Committee member) / Hughner, Renee (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This mixed methods action research study was conducted in a Title I, K-12 public charter school with the purpose of exploring teachers’ capacities to implement student-centered learning after participating in effective professional development (PD). Participants attended a PD cycle where the staff chose the topic, learning was sustained over a three-month period, and teachers received monthly feedback on classroom observations through personalized coaching. The guiding framework for this study was sociocultural theory because the PD design mirrored student-centered learning where the teacher is seen as a guide alongside the student. In this theory, meaning making is a social experience where perspectives of both the teacher and the student contribute to creating new knowledge. Quantitative data collected included a pre-/post-study survey and classroom observations scored on a rubric, and qualitative data consisted of exit interviews. All data was collected and analyzed concurrently, and a researcher’s journal assisted in real-time by providing a space for reflection that was used to determine PD needs, coaching conversations, and interview questions. Quantitative data revealed that the teachers perceived the intervention as slightly boosting their capacity to implement student-centered learning; however, the classroom observations indicated that teachers did not reach levels of proficiency. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data, six themes emerged, which support the idea that PD can be a transformative experience when it is centered around praxis: 1) collaboration with colleagues, 2) PD gives teachers new ideas, 3) classroom feedback is valuable, 4) teacher reflection, 5) thought partnership, and 6) student choice. The discussion includes limitations and implications for future practice.
ContributorsLoveall, Jill Nicole (Author) / Richardson, Carmen (Thesis advisor) / Frias, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Haddy, Lana (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently adopted the new academic standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (STEELS). Scaling STEELS across the commonwealth is a challenging endeavor that depends upon local school districts' implementation of STEELS-based instruction. Therefore, it behooves local school districts to develop strategies supporting local STEELS adoption. The current action research study examined the influence of an intervention built around a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to support a local school district’s implementation of STEELS guided by the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM; Hall & Hord, 2020). Four secondary science teachers from the Bellwood-Antis School District participated in a PLC. The implementation process of the PLC group was measured via the three diagnostic dimensions of CBAM: Innovation Configurations (IC), Stages of Concern (SoC), and Levels of Use (LoU). A concurrent mixed-methods action research design was employed to collect and analyze CBAM measures. The SoC dimension was measured quantitatively via the Stages of Concern Questionnaire. Individual scores were converted to a whole-group PLC SoC Profile for analysis. SoC, LoU, and IC dimensions were assessed qualitatively via semi-structured interviews. Meta-inferences were developed from combined data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. A CBAM diagnosis for the PLC group was the primary outcome of this action research cycle, which indicated that the PLC members moved into the early phases of implementation during the intervention. Findings from the current cycle of action research informed an updated intervention game plan to be used in the next phase of implementation.
ContributorsMartin, Travis (Author) / Boutot, Amanda (Thesis advisor) / Coudret, Dude (Committee member) / Wagner, Don (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
This dissertation examines the dynamics of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) through a qualitative multiple-case study that explores the boundary work between university researchers and K-12 practitioners. It is framed within Wenger’s communities of practice theory and focuses on the concept of ‘boundary work,’ which is pivotal in understanding the collaboration and knowledge exchange in these partnerships. The study is titled “A Tale of Two Brokers” reflecting the critical role of individuals who bridge the divide between academic and practical spheres. It argues that the concept of boundary work is critical in understanding and improving the functioning of RPPs, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the role of brokers in facilitating these partnerships. Key findings reveal that effective boundary work in RPPs is contingent on mutual respect, shared goals, and a deep understanding of each community’s values and practices. The study highlights that while researchers and practitioners often have different priorities and approaches, successful brokers can harmonize these differences to create a productive partnership. These brokers often possess qualities such as flexibility, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of academic and practical contexts.
In conclusion, this study contributes to the broader understanding of how university researchers and K-12 practitioners can effectively collaborate. It underscores the importance of recognizing and nurturing the role of brokers in RPPs, providing valuable lessons for future collaborations between academic researchers and practitioners in various fields.
ContributorsKanavel, Kathie Ann (Author) / Boutot, Amanda (Thesis advisor) / Bowers, Nicole (Committee member) / Going, Mary Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Amidst mounting global crises spanning environmental, social, and economic domains, sustainability education has emerged as a vital pathway toward a thriving future. However, despite its promise, the concept of sustainability often remains superficial, leaving educators ill-equipped to address its complexities. While efforts to integrate sustainability into education are underway, critical pedagogy, a crucial tool for fostering social change, is notably absent from instructional practices. This action research project utilized critical pedagogy to design and implement a critical professional development (CPD) workshop within a larger fellowship program to center justice within sustainability in both content and pedagogical approach. As a result, participants’ definitions and understandings of sustainability increased across all measurements of extent, breadth, and depth. Specifically, participants redefined collaborative relationships and more prominently included notions of justice and equity in their conceptualizations of sustainability and sustainability education. The use of critical pedagogy encouraged teachers to analyze intersectional oppressive systems and fostered a new, critical perspective on sustainability. In their own educational designs, participants demonstrated an intention to model elements of critical pedagogy, such as dialogic action and permeable content. Finally, in alignment with the intended outcomes of CPD, participants developed cooperative space for co-learning, built unity, shared leadership, and felt confident implementing their own professional development to address context-specific concerns. By using critical pedagogy in sustainability education, the workshop participants prioritized deep and caring relationships which fostered empathic engagement with the intersectional and often dehumanizing systems that have led to interconnected global crises. The results indicated that using CPD as a framework could be effective in teacher professional development for sustainability as a design and implementation tool to center critical work that examines systemic issues of injustice and exploitation against both humans and our planet.
ContributorsCashion, Molly Elise (Author) / Judson, Eugene (Thesis advisor) / Casanova, Carlos (Committee member) / Goebel, Janna (Committee member) / Boyce, Ayesha (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Community college students make up nearly half of all college students (41%) and community colleges provide a unique opportunity for educators to instruct students in a more close-knit learning environment. While one goal at Estrella Mountain Community College is to support all students in their learning, some students, particularly Black and African American students, face equity gaps in milestones such as successfully completing classes, which may be due in part to a lower sense of belonging in the classroom. To address this problem of practice, a book study was conducted using the tenets of Communities of Practice (CoPs) to explore Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain (CRT-B) by Zeretta Hammond. The study aimed to enhance educators' self-efficacy in culturally responsive teaching (CRTeaching) and cultural care and empathy towards their students, which was aligned with the goal of increasing inclusion and belonging in EMCC classrooms. This is because CRTeaching has been found to boost students' sense of belonging in classrooms. Pre- and post-measures were used to assess any changes in these constructs, with educator participants also distributing surveys to their students before and after the book study. Both surveys included quantitative and qualitative measures, with additional interviews conducted with four educator participants.
The study found a significant increase in educators' self-efficacy for CRTeaching and general instruction, as well as a non-statistically significant increase in cultural care/empathy and students' sense of belonging and inclusion in the classroom. This increase was documented using several measures. Qualitative findings from both groups were also closely analyzed, leading to the development of a conceptual framework that can be used to advance CRTeaching or increase buy-in for such professional development opportunities in the future.
ContributorsWager, Erica (Author) / Judson, Eugene (Thesis advisor) / Ross, Lydia (Committee member) / Van Puymbroeck, Christina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Financial literacy is an area of knowledge with which many Americans struggle. For students transitioning from a free public K-12 system to a pay-to-attend system in higher education, understanding the actual cost of college becomes vital so they can persist to graduation. This study focused on low-income, campus-housed first-year students in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University. Incoming students were provided with early college financial coaching during the summer prior to their fall semester to investigate how the program might affect participants’ college cost financial literacy, the level of outstanding balances, and intent to register for the spring semester post-intervention. The students participated in Smart Start, an early college cost financial coaching program. The program included three one-on-one coaching sessions encompassing an in-depth overview of mandatory and flexible college costs, setting and updating a college budget, and constructing financial SMART goals. In this mixed methods study, participants took a pre-and post-survey and participated in a culminating interview. The study results demonstrated an improvement in college cost financial literacy, inconclusive results regarding participant balances owed to the university at the beginning of the fall, and no immediate impact on how students describe their intent to persist.
ContributorsLoera, Blanca (Author) / Ott, Molly (Thesis advisor) / Coronella, Tamara (Committee member) / Correa, Kevin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
The researcher explored the impact of a student voice initiative (SVI), the Student Ambassador Council (SAC), on the social-emotional competencies (SECs) of middle school, 5th- 8th grades students. Drawing upon the principles of youth empowerment, more specifically Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and social-emotional learning (SEL), the SAC provided a platform for students to actively participate in decision-making processes within their school community. The researcher employed action research using a mixed methodologies approach, combining surveys, interviews, and participant observations to gather data on students' experiences and perceptions of the SAC. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-surveys did not reveal significant improvements in students' SECs following their participation in the SAC. However, qualitative data from open-ended questions on the post-survey, interviews and observation provided further clarity demonstrating the initiative fosters growth in students’ perceptions of Student Voice, Social Awareness and Self-Efficacy in addition to student development in confidence, self-directed learning and civic engagement. Moreover, the study also suggested broader implications of the SAC on school climate and administrative practices. Findings suggested that SVIs like the SAC contributed to a more positive and inclusive school environment, promoting greater collaboration between students and school staff.
ContributorsEllis, Stacy E (Author) / Beardsley, Audrey (Thesis advisor) / Bowers, Nicole (Committee member) / Stafford, Neil (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
This dissertation investigates the impact of a pedagogical class and a Community of Practice (CoP) on the implementation of reading strategies by faculty at a community college. It explores the types of reading strategies instructors plan to use, their integration into classroom practices, the factors enabling or impeding this implementation, and the influence of attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control on their intentions to use these strategies. The study employs a mixed-methods research design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. The findings reveal that instructors intend to adopt various reading strategies, with the pedagogical class and CoP playing significant roles in their professional development and instructional practices. The research identifies enablers and barriers to implementing reading strategies, highlighting the importance of supportive institutional contexts, professional development opportunities, and reflective teaching practices. By examining the application of reading strategies in the context of community college instruction, this dissertation contributes to the broader understanding of effective teaching practices and faculty development in higher education.
ContributorsMatthesen, Cathy Jeane (Author) / Dorn, Sherman (Thesis advisor) / Buss, Ray R (Committee member) / Brooks, Eric (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024