Theses and dissertations produced by graduate students affiliated with Mississippi State University's College of Education.
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Theses/Dissertations from 2025
In search of educational justice: Lived experiences of community college presidents and their authentic critical leadership, Juan Felipe Arzola
Streamlined technology systems: Optimizing technology systems for Meridian Public School District, LaToya Atterberry
The Teaching Experiences of Black Women Faculty in Educator Preparation Providers Licensure Programs at Predominantly White Institutions, Tiffiney M. Atterberry
An investigation of non-persistence of second and third year engineering students at a midsize research university in the South, Kimberly Elizabeth Ball
Post secondary teaching toolkit: A concise resource to highlight effective pedagogical strategies for post-secondary instructors, Matthew Thomas Blackwell
Effects of psychological arousal and relaxation on muscle performance, activation, and heart rate variability during maximal muscle strength and precision tasks, Allison Ann Brown
Creating a framework for offering alternative credentials at Mississippi State University, Marian Montgomery Chancellor
The role of institutional image in first-generation student choice to attend a rural Southern community college, Megan Caves Clark
Improving engagement through readers' theater: A systematic literature review and teacher process portfolio with program proposal, Karen K. Crum
The evaluation of traditional and latency based functional analyses on the identification of the function of inappropriate mealtime behavior, Mallie N. Donald
Social validity of functional analysis variations, Rita M. Druffner
Mentorship in music education: Crafting a supportive path for new teachers, Stephen P. Fields
How do tuition benefits affect university staff retention, social connection, and institutional commitment?, Lian A. Harris
High-achieving community college transfer student experience with orientation and their first-semester transition, Jake Hartfield
Over and under identification of Emotional Disturbance (EmD) in minority students: Implications for best practices in EmD assessment, Danielle Chanell Jackson
A systematic literature review of the implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs) in K-12 education, Melanie Jackson
Biomechanics of softball pitching and the relationship between functional field tests and pitching performance, Joshua Spencer Johnson
Designing an instructional coaching model for residency-based alternate route teacher candidates in Mississippi to improve instructional competencies and self-efficacy, LaMareshia Daoma Johnson
Best practices in community college adult education: Literature review and synthesis, Jon H. Lightsey
Expanding access: A college access model for English learners, Amanda Blackwell McLeod
Investing in your own: How university leaders should aim to invest to retain quality staff in undergraduate recruitment offices, Grant Alexander Nerren
Perceptions of community college financial aid and admissions practitioners regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Felicia Marie Orr
Motivating factors leading to job satisfaction of teacher assistants and their perceptions of such, Jon Oswalt
Faculty perceptions and use of open educational resources in postsecondary STEM classrooms, Gabriel Posadas
The relationship between internal coherence and student learning in high achieving middle schools: A Mississippi study, Christina Coleman Reynolds
The effectiveness of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in title I secondary schools, Robyn Rush-Grace
Assessing the kinematics and kinetics about the knee with an isokinetic dynamometer and force plates during field-based and lab-based trials., Samantha Ann Searles
Measuring what matters: A policy analysis of statewide accountability systems through the lens of college and career readiness, Steven DeAndre Shadwick
Does an adapted swimming program improve self-efficacy in individuals with intellectual disability?, Georgia Grace Starr
Mastering skills together: effects of video modeling on parent-implemented academic intervention, Chelsea S. Thorpe
Academics vs athletics: Prioritizing the students in student-athletes and the importance of their return to the classroom, Stephen Walker
Work-life balance and the impact of COVID-19 on faculty at Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs), Taneshia Turner Winston
Theses/Dissertations from 2024
Academic self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and academic success of international graduate students, Rawan Alzukari
Perceptions of university staff member organizational belonging in higher education: A quantitative analysis, Amanda McKnight Baine
Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cardiovascular health of adults with and without Down syndrome, Brantley Kyle Ballenger
Examining barriers in building multicultural competency within school psychology faculty, Orlandria D. Beamon
Evaluating the effects of incremental rehearsal at increasing drivers permit exam material knowledge for individuals with ASD, Madison Billingsley
Understanding the correlation between socioeconomic status and student achievement amongst high school students in rural Mississippi, Aiesha L. Brooks-Hodges
An analysis of suspension days among students in special education and general education in a rural school district, LaKesia Falanda Bryant
A phenomenological exploration of the lived experiences concerning motivation to persist to graduation among degree-seeking academically successful African American Male students at Mississippi Community Colleges, Tolernisa Ronta Butler
Utilizing supplemental instruction in English Composition I: Are there differences in retention and success outcomes?, Timothy Edward Clouse
The physiological and biomechanical effects of awkward working postures, Hunter Derby
The impact of academic advising on persistence in nontraditional students completing a baccalaureate degree online, Kali M. Dunlap
The community college experience of autistic students, Jeffery Matthew Gordon
The impact of stimulus set size on efficiency of sight words training, Junchen Guo
Feasibility and effectiveness of physical activity program in people with Down Syndrome using Self Determination Theory, Maria Haider
Producing college and career ready graduates in rural high poverty school districts, Hilute Hudson III
Evidence-based practices: The special educator’s experience, Breana Joi Jamison
May our impact continue: A qualitative study of university graduate diversity recruitment work in an era of shifting state-level DEI policies, Mark Anthony Jimerson Jr
An examination of middle school and high school special education students in inclusion classrooms employing co-teaching model, Antwaunette Jones-Taylor
Reclaiming the journey: A phenomenological study of Black lactation professionals, DeAndra Monet Kees
Socioeconomic status and rural community college students’ academic outcomes, Robert Jason Kelly
Customers’ advocacy for environmentally friendly golf courses: The role of green brand image, feelings of gratitude, and relationship quality, Taewoong Kyung
Adolescent black girls anger and aggression: What we can learn, Dawn Michelle Latiker
A narrative inquiry exploring the role of trust in college decision making among rural Mississippi community college students, Barbara Mauer Lee
Effects of an auditory versus visual stimulus on reaction and response time during countermovement and squat jumps, Russell K. Lowell
The impact of financial aid awards on Alabama community college student success, Theresa V. Mays
Beyond the classroom: Leveraging P-12 education brand equity to cultivate community capitals and drive economic growth in rural Mississippi, Patrick Braden Miller
The effect of teacher efficacy on career technical education program participation in select Mississippi schools, Lori Parkman Nail
Humblebragging as a self-promotional strategy on social media, Sangwon Na
The impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainings and study/work abroad experiences on the ability of staff and faculty to build systems of support for international students, Alina Fasirovna Nigmatullina
The digital divide among urban university students in the post-pandemic era, J. B. Oleet
Third-grade Choctaw students’ perceptions of an in-school Choctaw language and culture program, Amy L. Pauls
Examining special education programming through the lens of upper elementary and high school general education teachers in select black rural schools in Mississippi - Do they feel prepared to serve?, Natasha Michelle Porter
A comparison of reading fluency interventions: Group Repeated Reading and Rapid Read, Michelle Renee Poynter
Inclusion: Survey of Mississippi general and special education teachers view and experiences in an inclusion classroom, Patricia Ratliff
Traditional and nontraditional community college student mental health, Jenny R. Sanders
Adverse childhood experiences, behavioral problems, and the role of positive childhood experiences, Scout Savoy
International student-athletes' agency, authorship, and voice at U.S. higher education institutions, Malia Nicole Schimminger
An updated secondary education program strengthening literacy instructional capacity through targeted coursework and teacher residency, Kaleb Andrew Smith
An examination of teacher candidates’ planning processes as they seek to integrate technology into disciplinary literacy instruction, Kimberly O. Smith
Determining the impact of incorporating National Board standards during pre-service experiences on teacher success, future National Board certification, student growth, and teacher retention., Michelle Leigh Stubbs
Special educators’ attrition and retention in the post-COVID-19 era: A systematic literature review, Brandi J. Young Sumrall
Understanding Black student affairs professionals’ perceptions of racialized incidents in sorority and fraternity life, Ashley LaShi Swift
Theory, school policy, and practices in education and culture in a classroom setting for minority students, Philip Turner
How teacher-student relationships affect child and adolescent resilience, Tashina R. VanderWoude
"We don't say that, Margaret!" : Narratives of white women admissions officers and their exploration of whiteness and white racial identity, Kelsey Aline Walker
Three rival versions of physical education: A MacIntyrean analysis of the field, Clayton Michael Whalen
Choosing a foundational mathematics course in higher education: How is the decision made?, Heather Marie Wood
Serving students with specific learning disabilities: Identifying prevalent eligibility practices in Mississippi, Phyllis Marie Yucatonis
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
Examining the impact a bus driver attendance incentive program had on bus driver attendance in a rural Mississippi school district, Samuel B. Allison
Philosophies of Mississippi college readiness programs, Cory Ellis Bailey
Examining the impact that a modified school calendar had on teacher attendance in a rural Mississippi school district, James W. Carlisle Jr.
Experiences of school administrators and teachers: Challenges and promising practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, Helen Teresa Hyde Carter
Teachers’ perceptions of teacher incentives on district attendance incentive programs and their impact on improving overall teacher attendance, Ginger Hearon Cockrell
Faculty experiences facilitating study abroad, Francis Edmond Dechert
The effectiveness of PBIS for students who have Behavior Interventions Plans, Valeria Shaunta Fortune-Wilson
Predicting how science self-efficacy and identity contributes to postsecondary STEM degree selection, Bo Jason Hayes
Marxist analysis of social and economic narratives in childrens' cartoons, Shane McGregor
Cameroonian immigrant youths: Perceptions of influences on educational attainment and outcomes in American schools, Marlise De Paul Ngassam
Taking care of what matters: How student involvement and characteristics relate to senior student sense of belonging, Kayla Pineda
Examining shifting factors predictive of health center utilization on college campuses using the ABM theoretical model, Kimberly Loren Reynolds
Disabilities in higher education: The impact of the disability resource center at Mississippi State University, Brecken Rush
Increasing graduate school enrollment in a shrinking applicant pool: A look at factors influencing college choice, Lindsey Erin Storey Shelton
The experiences of teachers in predominantly Black schools, Kennetra Smith
Evaluating the utility of trial-based functional analyses of inappropriate mealtime behavior: A comparison of identified functions across functional analysis methods, Meredith Huff Staggers
Does Mississippi school principals’ age, race, gender, educational attainment, work experience in education, or evaluation scores influence accountability points?, Braxton Dywayne Stowe
Novice teacher perceptions of induction supports provided during the first year, Keri James Tawater
Evaluating the GREET-STOP-PROMPT intervention in decreasing racial disparities in school discipline, Alexandra Utley
