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The ScholarShip is a digital archive for the scholarly output of the ECU community. Its mission is to capture, preserve, and make available the intellectual output of East Carolina University's faculty, staff, and students.

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Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
GROWING STRAIGHT AND TALL: THE SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ IMMERSION IN A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING INITIATIVE ON REPORTED DISCIPLINARY INFRACTIONS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
(East Carolina University, 2026-05) McCanney, Emily C.
Students with disabilities (SWD) continue to experience exclusionary discipline at disproportionately higher rates than their peers, despite federal policies intended to promote equitable practices. These outcomes are often linked to unmet social, emotional, and behavioral needs, as well as inconsistent school-level supports, particularly within special education settings. Set in a rural, low socioeconomic middle school in North Carolina, this study examined how the SEL professional learning, and a specific SEL-aligned character education program, The Positivity Project, impacted (a) the number of disciplinary referrals issued by those participating teachers to SWD, (b) teacher perception and understanding of SWD behavior and (c) how they administered discipline, and (d) the participating teachers’ self-efficacy. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, and Seligman’s PERMA model, this study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design that also indexed outcomes against data from a comparison site. Quantitative findings showed a substantial reduction in discipline disproportionality at the intervention school (RDR decreased from 33 to 10), while the comparison school showed no corresponding change. Teachers at the intervention school also reduced reliance on exclusionary discipline and adopted more proactive practices. Qualitative findings revealed a shift in teachers’ understanding of student behavior—from viewing it as defiance to recognizing it as an expression of need. Although self-efficacy did not increase quantitatively, it was redefined through relationships, reflection, and contextual understanding. These findings suggest an association between SEL professional learning and a shift in teacher beliefs and practices, serving as a key mechanism for improving self-efficacy, reducing discipline disproportionality, and improving outcomes for SWD.
Access status: Open Access ,
PERCEPTIONS OF ACADEMIC ABILITY AND THE ROLE OF SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY INSIDE THE GED CLASSROOM
(East Carolina University, 2026-05) Taylor, Arcelle
High school dropouts often reenter education with limited academic support and prior negative schooling experiences that undermine confidence and persistence. Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Educational Development (GED) programs provide critical pathways forward, yet many learners continue to face challenges related to academic self-efficacy and engagement. This qualitative study examined how theory-informed instruction grounded in cognitive learning theory and challenge and support theory shaped the academic experiences of GED students in an ABE program at a rural community college. Data from student interviews, classroom observations, and instructor interviews indicate that students entered the program with resilient self-beliefs despite past challenges and that participation in a supportive yet challenging learning environment reinforced confidence, engagement, and future educational aspirations. While students experienced the intervention as seamlessly integrated into the broader GED program, instructors described it as strengthening intentional, learner-centered instruction and reinforcing their professional identities. Together, these findings suggest that theory-informed instruction adds meaningful value by enhancing both student academic self-concept and instructional practice within adult education settings.
Access status: Open Access ,
ANALYZING THE EXPERIENCES OF STAFF, STUDENTS and PARENTS ON THE EFFECTS OF PROVIDING MTSS FRAMEWORK INTERVENTIONS and SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM
(East Carolina University, 2026-05) Cannon, Janarde
Providing supports and interventions to students that are behind academically is critical to their success. These struggling students must be supported by addressing their academic gaps, while also addressing factors that contribute to them being considered at-risk. The MTSS Framework is a research-based approach that has been shown to be effective in the process of supporting students that are at-risk of not being successful in school. This study seeks to analyze the results of implementing the MTSS Framework within an Alternative Learning Program. The purpose of this research is to collect data on the thoughts and opinions of staff, students and parents on the effects of the MTSS Framework supports on students enrolled in our Alternative Learning Program. Data analyzed from this study will be used to gauge how best to support future students that enroll in our Alternative Learning Program.
Access status: Open Access ,
INCREASING STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH THE USE OF DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES IN MIDDLE GRADES MATHEMATICS
(East Carolina University, 2026-05) Peters, Amanda Atwell
This Dissertation in Practice examined the effect of differentiated instructional practices on student proficiency, engagement, and teacher perceptions of student learning in middle grades mathematics classrooms. The study was guided by three inquiry questions: (a) What is the effect of differentiated instruction on student proficiency in middle grades mathematics classrooms? (b) How does the use of differentiated instruction impact teachers’ perceptions of student learning? and (c) How does implementing differentiated instruction influence student engagement in middle grades mathematics classrooms? Using an improvement science framework with a convergent mixed-methods design, the inquiry was implemented across three Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Quantitative data sources included End-of-Grade assessments, benchmark assessments, and diagnostic measures used to examine changes in student proficiency and growth. Qualitative data sources included teacher and student surveys, focus groups, classroom observations, and walkthrough data, which were used to examine instructional practices, engagement, and teacher perceptions. Data was collected and analyzed concurrently to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of differentiated instruction. Findings indicated that the implementation of differentiated instructional practices was associated with increased student engagement and improvements in student proficiency, particularly among students previously performing below grade level. Teachers reported increased awareness of student readiness, greater instructional flexibility, and improved confidence in addressing diverse learning needs. Qualitative findings further suggested that differentiated instruction fostered more inclusive learning environments and promoted higher levels of student participation and ownership of learning. The results of this inquiry support differentiated instruction as an effective approach for addressing persistent achievement gaps in middle grades mathematics. Implications for practice highlight the importance of sustained professional learning, instructional coaching, and system level support to ensure consistent and effective implementation. Recommendations for future research include expanding the inquiry to additional sites and examining the long-term impact of differentiated instructional practices on student achievement and instructional equity.
Access status: Embargo ,
Dosimetry calibration for low-energy protons produced in the ECU accelerator laboratory
(East Carolina University, 2026-05) Faridnejad, Homeira
Large doses of ionizing radiation are routinely employed in radiation therapy to destroy malignant tumor cells. Among the available modalities, proton and heavy-ion beams produced by particle accelerators have been widely recognized as highly effective techniques for cancer treatment. A key advantage of these particle beams is their ability to deposit the majority of their energy within a well-defined and localized volume inside the body, thereby maximizing tumor dose while minimizing irradiation of surrounding healthy tissues. Despite these advantages, continued experimental and methodological studies are required to further refine dose delivery, improve biological effectiveness, and reduce uncertainties associated with particle-beam therapy. In this context, ongoing experiments in the accelerator laboratory at East Carolina University (ECU) are focused on investigating the biological effectiveness of low-energy proton beams in inducing cell damage and tumor cell killing. Accurate interpretation of these radiobiological experiments critically depends on precise knowledge of the radiation dose delivered to the cellular targets. Even relatively small uncertainties in dose determination can lead to significant ambiguities in the assessment of biological response, underscoring the need for robust and well-validated dosimetric techniques. The primary objective of this dissertation is to test, develop, and validate accurate methods for measuring the radiation dose delivered during cell irradiation experiments conducted in the ECU accelerator laboratory. Multiple independent dosimetry techniques are systematically evaluated, including Gafchromic film dosimetry, and solid-state detectors. Experimental dose measurements obtained with these detectors are compared directly with calculated dose values derived from Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 toolkit, providing a quantitative framework for cross-validation. Results obtained from experiments using Gafchromic films demonstrate that careful, proton-specific calibration is a critical factor in achieving reliable dose measurements. In particular, the dose response of Gafchromic films is strongly dependent on proton energy and linear energy transfer (LET), and inappropriate calibration can introduce substantial systematic errors. Consequently, this work emphasizes the development of a physically consistent calibration strategy and a comprehensive validation methodology, forming a solid dosimetric foundation for current and future proton-based radiobiology studies at ECU.