Understanding youth relationships with nature--what nature is, where nature is located, and why nature is meaningful--is important for a range of contemporary issues, from promoting health and well-being to advancing a sustainable future. Relationships with nature are profoundly influenced by the lived experiences of youth, as they form social…

This study examined teachers' current knowledge on trauma and trauma-informed practices. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to identify whether teachers and staff within the school setting feel confident in being able to work with immigrant and refugee children and whether teachers would benefit from having training on trauma and…

Children at the intersections of language learning, racialization, and dis/ability status experience systems of power in a very particular way. This manuscript amplifies the experiences of bilingual nonspeaking children and their families to upend the notion of educational and medical professionals as the primary experts in the learning process.…

This study delved into the perceptions of educators regarding the impact of student trauma on teachers and how they coped within classroom settings. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 selected candidates in rural West Texas School Districts, the research aimed to shed light on the need for enhanced teacher training programs. The findings…

Children in medical facilities encounter systemic barriers to education despite legal mandates. This study aimed to enhance educational opportunities by addressing inconsistencies through research-based strategies. The study adopted a dual strategy, positing that proactive organizational readiness measures alongside the implementation of an…

Although the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing, children are less likely to be identified with ASD in schools compared to clinical settings. Moreover, Latino children are less likely to receive an identification of educational autism than non-Latino peers. This research explores the identification of educational ASD and…

Since 2000, school-based mentoring programs have become a popular intervention for students who are struggling in school. The goals of school-based mentoring programs target the reduction of office visits and tardiness, while working to increase grades and social development. Past research includes recommendations for more qualitative examinations…

The current study looked to understand the lived experience of special education teachers who work with children and young adults with disabilities in a non-academic setting (NAS). The study explored relationships between the learning experience and the teachers' self-efficacy in the setting. The experience of pre-service and in-service special…

Building upon the foundational Home Literacy Environment (HLE) model, this study developed a contemporary framework that integrates digital literacy practices and the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, alongside traditional literacy activities. Utilizing hierarchical linear regressions, findings from 74…

This dissertation explores how hearing parents with deaf/hard of hearing children come to understand deafness. This mixed methods study used an online survey and multiple case studies (volunteers from survey). Participants were asked about early intervention experiences and beliefs about deafness. The survey had 74 respondents and five families…

Military children go through an adjustment when their military parent leaves for deployment. This study examined deployment through the lens of military children. It looked closely at how they perceive and describe their deployment experience. It used the emotional cycle of deployment to understand their emotions during the three deployment…

Children and adolescents spend the majority of their day engaged in sedentary behaviors (SB), while also not meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations. The failure to develop and maintain health enhancing behaviors from a young age may impact an individual throughout their life. With children and adolescents spending a large proportion of…

Despite changes in laws and access to education, individuals with disabilities continue to have fewer positive postsecondary outcomes than their non-disabled peers (Shogren et al., 2015). Negative secondary and postsecondary outcomes for individuals with disabilities include failure to graduate from high school, lack of postsecondary education,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how second-generation emergent bilingual Latina/o/x children are socialized to language and literacy practices in their rural community's school, home, and religious context. Gathering from theoretically grounded and research-based studies on language socialization, a qualitative study using…

The purpose of this study is to design and test a children worship service that may facilitate active participation and learning with limited resources. This study is focused on finding elements to design a children worship service with and applying them into it in a small church in contrast of large churches with more resources in space, budget,…