Learning, Teaching and Curriculum electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Designing critical social studies curriculum : how the synthesis of critical theories, curricular frameworks, and teacher practice generated the P.O.W.E.R. Framework(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Caffrey, Genevieve Erker; Castro, Antonio J.This dissertation examines how five core dimensions of criticality identified in critical scholarship functioned and evolved when put into practice by teachers designing and enacting K–5 social studies curriculum. The study unfolded through a two-year critical participatory ethnography (Carspecken, 1996; Madison, 2020; Paris & Winn, 2014) in a small progressive district within a conservative Midwestern state. In response to teachers' expressed need for a comprehensive critical framework to guide their curriculum design, the author utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021) to synthesize the central components of 38 critical theories and 105 critical curricular frameworks, thereby generating an initial conceptual model. Through crystallization (Ellingson, 2009), this paper traces how the initial model--when enacted in practice--underwent iterative refinement and emerged as a more theoretically grounded and pedagogically usable critical framework for teachers called the P.O.W.E.R. Framework, which stands for Presence & Personhood, Oppression & Opposition, Wisdom & Wit, Entanglements & Empowerment, and Relevance & Responsibility. Findings conceptualize criticality as a relational moral architecture that sequences affirmation before harm, pairs injustice with resistance, balances heaviness with joy, illuminates complexities within systems, and culminates in meaningful student-led action grounded in solidarity and reflexivity. Engaging with the P.O.W.E.R. Framework enabled teachers to design a critical social studies curriculum with greater confidence and coherence. Rather than replacing identity-specific frameworks, P.O.W.E.R. functioned as an overarching schema that rendered other critical frameworks more accessible and applicable, demonstrating that making criticality intelligible and usable is itself an act of social justice and care. Implications underscore the need for curriculum designers and district leaders to cultivate the structural and relational conditions necessary for the coherent and sustainable development of critical social studies curriculum and instruction. The study calls for expanded critical participatory ethnographic research designs and further examinations into how the critical dimensions of P.O.W.E.R. operate across diverse contexts. Finally, it urges scholars, practitioners, and leaders to collaboratively address the field's fragmented infrastructure so that teachers can spend less time cobbling materials and more time empowering students.Item Voices of rural Missouri mothers : exploring the opportunities for informal education experiences of breastfeeding mothers in rural communities(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Bridgewater, Sara Ann; Zangori, LauraBreastfeeding offers well-documented health benefits, yet mothers in rural areas often face unique barriers that impact initiation and continuation. This mixed-methods study explored the breastfeeding experiences of mothers in rural Missouri using the Social Ecological Model, with a focus on how informal education and support systems influence breastfeeding outcomes. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys, while qualitative data were obtained via in-depth interviews with mothers from three rural counties. Findings indicate that while personal motivation and informal support networks--such as family, peers, and social media--play a critical role in sustaining breastfeeding, systemic barriers persist. These include limited healthcare access, weak enforcement of breastfeeding-related policies, and minimal workplace accommodations. Participants emphasized the need for greater access to local breastfeeding education, stronger community resources, and consistent policy implementation tailored to rural contexts. The study highlights the complex, multi-level influences on breastfeeding practices and underscores the importance of community-specific interventions to promote equitable breastfeeding support in underserved areas.Item Exploring beginning mathematics teachers' perceptions of university-based teacher induction programs(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Stewart, Maria Elizabeth Nielsen; Webel, CoreyUniversity-based teacher induction programs are a relatively new form of beginning teacher induction which are housed in a university rather than provided by the schools where new teachers are hired. Like many induction programs, university-based programs seek to support new teachers as they transition into the teaching profession but are unique in that they exist both inside and outside of the teacher's school culture. For math teachers specifically, these programs have the potential to mitigate tension between the reform-oriented instructional practices they learned at the university and the traditional instructional techniques they experienced both in their own K--12 schooling and in their new jobs. In this dissertation I investigate how these university induction programs interact with beginning middle and secondary math teachers' goals and visions for instruction, the promoted actions of their schools, and other elements of the school culture and climate, to consider its role in teacher learning and development. Utilizing zone theory to understand this interaction, I investigated two university-based teacher induction programs 1) Desert Valley, which was specifically designed for middle and secondary mathematics teachers and 2) Oceanside, which was designed for all K--12 teachers regardless of content area. The findings from this study suggest that the beginning math teachers at Desert Valley felt supported in implementing reform-oriented math practices in their classroom but that their perceptions of their student capabilities had a limiting effect on how many of the ideas were integrated into their practice. The teachers from Oceanside perceived the program as providing more individualized, general supports which helped them to implement their own vision of instruction, which was typically aligned with their school colleagues. While both of these programs were designed to support beginning teachers, the findings suggest that they also had the potential to create additional tensions for teachers as they navigated their school culture and climate.Item Game design as an implicit instructional context prompting engagement and improved accuracy of self regulatory learning(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Snyder, Rebekah; Zangori, LauraPrior research establishes participation in the game design process as beneficial for student engagement and cognition. This work studies a course designed for student participation in analog game design and its impact on student development of self-regulated learning (SRL) . The study took place in a high school biology elective classroom in a rural setting. Applying the forethought, performance, and self-reflection lens for SRL, the work analyzes the successful prompting of the game design cycle through the design, performance, and formative-evaluation phases. The game design learning context was found to be well aligned with prompting different stages of SRL. When the design phase aligned with the appropriate SRL prompt, student engagement and accuracy in regulatory actions were high. Additional external scaffolding, which acted as SRL prompts, was only successful when aligned with the design phase that students were engaged in. The study promotes the benefits of the game design context on SRL development through participation in the game design cycle.Item Exploring the experiences and persistence of women in undergraduate mathematics and statistics programs(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Baah, Faustina; Otten, SamuelWomen's enrollment in collegiate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs is low, and of the few who enter these programs, research shows they are at least 1.5 times more likely to leave the field than their male peers (Ellis et al., 2016). Various factors have been identified as reasons why women leave math-intensive STEM majors (e.g., mathematics, statistics). Focusing, instead, on women who have continued into the upper levels of their STEM majors, what factors explain their persistence? Through student surveys and focus group interviews, this study extends existing research by exploring the experiences and persistence factors of women who continue in mathematics or statistics majors beyond introductory calculus courses to understand what, according to them, contributed to their decision to continue. Findings include that undergraduate women in mathematics or statistics view their academic development factors as more influential to their persistence than was their social support. This preference stems from their satisfaction with academic development factors (e.g., quality of instruction, internship opportunities) compared to social support factors (e.g., study groups, faculty-student interaction). The findings suggest the need for universities, colleges, and academic departments to continue to implement policies and strategies that support women's academic growth while also addressing their social support experiences to improve retention for more women in these STEM fields.