The life of a traditional aged college student is filled with many fast-moving decisions and new life experiences. When conflict arises in a student's life, it can upend a student's progression if they are not properly trained to deal with conflict. Current conflict management teaching curricula being given to students are insufficient due to…

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns were phenomena experienced by the majority of the modern world, but not everyone experienced it in the same way. Each person brings their own past, their own interests, and their own needs to the lived experience. Pre-pandemic research on art therapy suggests that creative expression could be helpful…

This study examines the educational journey and professional challenges faced by performing artists holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. Utilizing an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology, the research delves into the lived experiences of ten BFA holders in the performing arts, exploring their motivations, career…

The sweeping changes brought forth by the pandemic led me to reshape my dissertation in order to develop non-academic skills that will allow me to better meet the shifting challenges of our times. Mine is a non-traditional project focused on the application of technologies and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (the process by which…

This qualitative case study explored the use of Readers Theater through the experiences of emergent bilingual students in a first-grade bilingual classroom. Readers Theater is a strategy that has produced great results in helping the development of literacy in reading fluency, motivation, and comprehension. The research regarding the use of…

The benefits of arts education have been widely explored by researchers. However, much of the research conducted has been done with broad strokes encompassing all arts disciplines. Additionally, the studies conducted have focused primarily on quantitative data and relationships of student achievement to their participation in the arts. There is…

Evidence derived from the 2012 and 2015 College Senior Surveys (CSS) noted showed that college seniors, at a historically Black university, graduated with little to average soft skills. Soft skills, such as personal characteristics and relations with others, are needed for students to succeed in postgraduate careers. The purpose of this study was…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, understand, and document former students' perceptions of the vocationally focused theater training they received at a 2-year community college and to discover how that training helped them meet their goals and expectations for careers in the theater. Listening to individual stories of theater…

Though there has been a great deal of research on the transition into college, there has been relatively little research on the transition out of college. This is particularly true in relation to theatre arts majors. Though recent graduates face many challenges post-college, there has been minimal exploration done on how graduates experience…

While higher education has historically been tasked with the responsibility of fostering the moral development of society's future leaders, this duty is even more challenging today, as recent studies are reporting Millennial college students have higher levels of narcissism, coupled with declining levels of empathy and creativity compared to prior…

College instructors are content experts but ineffective at creating engaging and productive learning environments. This mixed methods study explored how improvisational theatre techniques affect college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and…

This dissertation discusses how engaging in arts-based identity exploration activities can help traditional-age undergraduates (ages 18-24) develop increased self-awareness and cultural sensitivity. The dissertation first explores the participatory inquiry paradigm and the roles of artistic/creative expression in holistic knowledge creation and…

The purpose of this study was to analyze factors that predict marijuana use and grade point average among undergraduate college students using the Core Institute national database. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey was used to collect data on students' attitudes, beliefs, and experiences related to substance use in college. The sample used in this…

Employing the research approach known as portraiture, this study investigated the varying ways in which three secondary English language arts teachers at a visual and performing arts high school conceptualized and designed multimodal literacy learning. Also studied were the ways in which their students responded to these designs; and in keeping…

Individuals with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFA) demonstrate atypical development resulting in significant deficits in the areas of perspective-taking and observational learning. These deficits lead to challenges in social interactions and academic performance. In particular, children with HFA tend to struggle with comprehending…