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Dissertations of Practice

Dissertations of Practice published by Northern Illinois University.

Dissertations of Practice from 2025 2025

THE WINNING COMBINATION: A STUDY OF THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK WOMEN HEAD WOMEN BASKETBALL COACHES ON THE DIVISION I LEVEL, Monique Bernoudy

SCHOOL LEVEL PATTERNS IN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ILLINOIS’ CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAYS: EXPLORING PATTERNS BETWEEN ENROLLMENT AND POSTSECONDARY MATRICULATION IN THREE PATHWAYS, Nikolas C. Butenhoff

Advanced English as a Second Language Writing Students in an Accelerated Cohort: Influence of Peer Support on Motivation, Stacy Cameron

"This College Is Run by Women": The Narratives of Overburdened and Burnt-out Community College Women Faculty, Lindsay Spence Carson

AN EXPLORATION OF CHANGE IN TEACHERS’ SEL PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEFS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A SEL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE FOR URUGUAYAN TEACHERS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS, Sheila Coli

STORIES OF NAVIGATING HIGHER EDUCATION TOWARD SUCCESS: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY ON THE EXPERIENCES OF THAI AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS, Archawee Dhamavasi

Taking the Leap: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Entanglement of the Vertical Transfer Process and Engineering Identity Development among Community College Students, Janice Edwards

Building Diversity Pathways from Community College to Law School: A Descriptive Case Study, Marc D. Falkoff

Reimagining Traditional Education Through Humanizing Models of Personalized Learning: Examining Implementation in the Midwest, Laura R. Garland

SCIENCE IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AMONG MINORITIZED STUDENTS IN PROFESSIONAL STEM STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS: A BASIC QUALITATIVE STUDY, Michaela Friedrichova Holtz

A Multiple Case Study on Racial Equity Plan Implementation at Illinois Community Colleges, Jennifer Jennings

WHY DO TEACHERS STAY OR LEAVE?: THE RELATIONSHIP OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, PEER PERCEPTIONS, SATISFACTION OF SALARY AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR ON THE BIG CAREER DECISION, Thomas Kanwischer

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FIRST-DOLLAR PROMISE PROGRAMS AND STUDENT ENROLLMENT, RETENTION, AND COMPLETION, Jennifer Kotowski

"OH, I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT. THIS IS GOOD!": A CASE STUDY OF THE VALIDATION EXPERIENCES AND RESILIENCY OF FOSTER CARE ALUMNI IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Candida Mumford

SUPERINTENDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON EFFECTIVE SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE: AN ANALYSIS OF KEY CHARACTERISTICS IN SOUTH COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, Dana R. Nichols

Impact of Academic Advising on Student Satisfaction and Persistence, Michelle Pickett

A Qualitative Examination of Multilingual Latino Students’ Perspectives of their Educational Journeys in Preparation for Careers in STEM, Rebecca S. Powers

Early Childhood Teachers’ Epistemological and Pedagogical Beliefs on Interactive Media Integration for Teaching Literacy: A Qualitative Multiple Case Study, Sadia Qamar

Graduate Students in Medical School: Navigating Their Roles as Students and Parents, Laura Rafaj

Understanding Motivations for Graduate Assistant Unionization at a Large, Private, Elite Research University in the Midwest, Cynthia Shannon-Hutchison

Another Kind of First Year Experience: A Narrative Inquiry of the Experiences of International Students' Transition in the First Year, Arezou K. Soto

"Why Am I Still Here?": Identity-Conscious Supervision and the Experiences of Black Residence Hall Directors, Lauren Teso

“A LIFT-UP, NOT A HANDOUT”: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF RESOURCE SCARCITY AND EMERGENCY MICROGRANTS ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS, Heather Weinstein

QUALITY CONTROL: HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS DEFINE, RECRUIT, AND RETAIN HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS, A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY, Tandalaya White

Dissertations of Practice from 2024 2024

A Qualitative Case Study of the Equity-Minded Institute Faculty Reflections: Designing Transformative Faculty Learning Communities, Maria Aguilar Beltran

A QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COREQUISITE SUPPORT COURSES AND COLLEGE ALGEBRA SUCCESS, Kathleen Almy

A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF DISABLED STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH ONLINE COURSE ACCESSIBILITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, Jason Altmann

A CASE STUDY ON FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSE OF BELONGING FOR LATINX STUDENTS, Javier Aquino

It Takes a Village: Understanding Community College Chief Diversity Officers’ Experiences with Mentoring Relationships, Keith R. Barnes Dr.

COMMITMENT TO TEACHING: THE ENABLING CONDITIONS FOR COLLECTIVE EFFICACY, COLLECTIVE EFFICACY, SCHOOL CLIMATE, AND JOB SATISFACTION, Greta Behan

An Exploration of Teacher-Student Writing Conferences in a Fourth-Grade Classroom, Tracy Beling

Can High School GPA Predict College-level Course Success at Community Colleges?, Joseph M. Bergman

"The Impact of Being Seen": A Study of Restorative Practices at Community Colleges, Mikel Birch

Being A Leader: Exploring Generation Z Students’ Conceptualizations of and Engagement in Leadership in College, Zachary G. Birch

THE HIP HOP COLLECTIVE, Veronica Bjorkman

BUILDING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIVE RELATIONSHIPS: UNDERSTANDING SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER PERCEPTIONS OF TRUST AND ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES, Jason Blume

UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND PERCEPTION OF ROLE IN DECISION-MAKING THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF HISTORICAL, LEGAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES ON LOCAL DECISION-MAKING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION, Jacquelyn M. Bogan

To Speak or Not to Speak: Institutional and Presidential Statements in Response to Community Crisis Events, Kimberly L. Caponi

POINT BREAK: EXPLORING ASSOCIATIONS OF BURNOUT, LOCUS OF CONTROL, AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE PRINCIPALSHIP, Matt Condon

DRIVING ON EMPTY: EXPLORING PRINCIPAL BURNOUT AND INTENT TO TURNOVER, Colleen Cook

How Middle-Grade Students Navigate the School Library and Grade-Level Reading Classroom to Support Their Independent Reading and Literate Selves, Laura Crisp

MENTORSHIP MATTERS: SHAPING TOMORROW'S LEADERS TODAY, Thomas Davidson

LEARNING TO LEAD WITH AN EQUITY LENS: A CASE STUDY OF A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM, Maurice L. Davis

Lived Experiences of Latino/a/x Students at Emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions in the Midwestern United States, Elizabeth Depew

A Braven New World: A Qualitative Case Study of Career Readiness Efforts on Career Identity and Career Self-Efficacy for Students at a 4-Year Public University, Catherine W. Doederlein

You Belong Here: How The African American Success Unit Supports A Sense Of Belonging For Black Men At An Urban Institution In Chicago, Joyce Elam

GUERRERAS (WOMEN WARRIORS): LATINA FACULTY UTILIZING THEIR CULTURAL CAPITAL TO ADVANCE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE, Dora E. Escobar

Feeling at Home in the Basic Communication Course: A Qualitative Case Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions of a Connected Classroom Climate at One Midwestern University, Cynthia A. Grobmeier

NAVIGATING ACADEMIC ADVISING IN HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS: CULTURAL COMPETENCIES, RESPONSIVENESS, AND STUDENT-CENTERED PRACTICES, Alicia Guzman-Riley

Exploring How Out-of-Class Student Engagement Shapes Undocumented Students' Sense of Belonging, Taylor D. Hartman

Implementing the Least Restrictive Environment Through Co-Teaching: The Role of Administrative Support, Maureen Hatfield

IN ORDER FOR MY VOICE TO BE HEARD, I HAD TO CREATE MY OWN SPACE: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF BLACK COLLEGE STUDENT SUCCESS IN CREATIVE MAJORS, Rachel Horton

LEAN ON ME: THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INFORMAL SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WORKPLACE FOR BLACK WOMEN DOCTORAL STUDENTS (BWDS) TO FOSTER DEGREE COMPLETION, Terrica J. Huntley

Does Path Matter?: A Quantitative Study Examining Mathematics Course-Taking Patterns and Degree or Transfer Attainment, Jacqueline Kraus

"IT’S HARD TO BE AN ENEMY OF STUDENT SUCCESS”: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF A CULTURAL SHIFT TOWARDS STUDENT SUCCESS, Lisa R. Lawless

THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL: SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS’ MOTIVATION FOR SCHOOL GOVERNANCE, Andrew Lobdell

Faculty Perceptions and Integration of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Programs Designed for Adult Learners, Jennifer Mattingly

EXAMINING ONBOARDING PRACTICES IN SCHOOL SETTINGS: A SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY PERSPECTIVE, Gabriel Medina

Community College Library Technical Assistant Students’ Experiences with Student-to-Student Engagement in Asynchronous Online Courses: A Qualitative Case Study, Amanda Musacchio

Teachers' Perceptions Regarding Legal Literacy Surrounding Student Discipline in Illinois, Ayla Peczkowski

TEACHER PERCEPTION ON ROLE STRAIN, SELF-EFFICACY, AND CLASS COMPOSITION: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE IMPACT ON K-5 TEACHERS’ REMOTE TEACHING EXPERIENCES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, Suzana TS Thomas Peterson

SEL WALKTHROUGHS: PROMOTING PRACTICES THAT FOSTER SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, Garrett Podgorski

“WE ARE ALL SORT OF FIGURING IT OUT TOGETHER”: A CASE STUDY ON HOW AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING COURSE SHAPES CAREER READINESS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENTS, Rebecca Reuland

A CASE STUDY OF INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCES TEACHING IN THE HYFLEX MODALITY AT A MIDWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN A POST-PANDEMIC CONTEXT, Jaime Riewerts Budziak

COLLEGE FRESHMAN OR COLLEGE JUNIOR? A PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE EXPERIENCES OF DUAL-ENROLLED STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTEND A PUBLIC 4-YEAR UNIVERSITY, Shari K. Ruehling

Examining the Rockford Public Schools' Master Scheduling Process as an Open System to Achieve Sustainability, Renee E K Schott

RESEARCH-BASED ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES: CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE ELA INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES THAT DRIVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TITLE I SCHOOL DISTRICTS, TeQuila Stamps

THE COMPLEXITIES OF DISPROPORTIONALITY IN A LARGE URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT: A LOOK INTO DISTRICT INTERVENTIONS AND IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES, Linnie Tennile Tarrant

AN ANALYSIS OF K-8 SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION: UNDERSTANDING THE NEED, GAUGING THE EFFECTIVENESS, AND DEFINING BEST PRACTICE, LeeAnn D. Taylor

The Surge of College-Credit Accumulation in Early College Programs: Understanding Early College Program Advising, Alexandria Terrazas

SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETING: HOW SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ LACK OF BUDGET KNOWLEDGE CAN LEAD TO NEGATIVE IMPACT ON FUNDING, Maria Treto-French

INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE OF SHELTERED INSTRUCTION OBSERVATION PROTOCOL (SIOP) IN A PK-8TH GRADE DISTRICT, Joseph Trsar

THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF LANGUAGE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION: AN EXPLORATION OF HOW SYSTEMS SHAPE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND HOW PERCEPTIONS SHAPE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE, Leticia Valadez

Latino Students' Perceptions of Belonging and Inclusion of the Recruitment Strategies and Marketing Materials at an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution, Julie Wiejak

Associations Amongst Basic Psychological Needs and Burnout Amongst Illinois Principals, Matthew Zediker

Dissertations of Practice from 2023 2023

"Leaving My Mark In White Spaces": A Critical Qualitative Case Study Exploring Black/African-American Undergraduate Women's Perceptions of the Campus Environment's Influence on Persistence at a Hispanic-Serving Women's Institution, Keri Anne Alioto

Standards-Based Grading in Traditional-Grading Contexts: A Case Study in Asynchronous Professional Development, Christopher A. Bronke

Interventions Utilized to Improve Attendance Amongst Secondary Students Experiencing School Refusal Behaviors, Kristen E. Bronke

High School Interrupted: A Case Study of Postsecondary Pathways and College Choices Following the Covid-19 Pandemic, Robert Cook

The Transformative Power of Student Affairs Case Management: A Qualitative Case Study, Thomas L. Cravens II

"Some of My Best Friends are Librarians": A Case Study of Community College Faculty Perceptions and Usage of the Academic Library, Nancy A. Deegan

Placement Measures in Dual Credit: A Quantitative Study, Jessica I. Pickel

Open Educational Resources and Student Success in a Hispanic Serving Community College: Do Ethnicity and Financial Needs Matter?, Vasumathi V. Raman

Perceptions of Mental Health Support Services Among South Asian Students, Naina Richards

Middle School Grow Your Own Teaching Program, Andrew J. Vondran