Emporia State McNair Scholars Research Forum

Throughout this paper, readers will learn about adaptive leadership, the transformative strategy for personal, group, and organizational change developed at Harvard University. This kind of change can come from a person who initiates an act to lead, not just from a person of authority. While adaptive leadership is evident in how people interact in the environment, interpretations of that leadership play a major part in how people perceive a scenario. An interpretation can guide ideas of what to do next and how to work toward a desired outcome or goal. There are various factors in how an interpretation is utilized in a situation, whether it is seen in a technical problem or within an adaptive challenge. Interpretations can help aspiring leaders in education, business, politics, and at home with close loved ones. In society, there are stories to explore and support the concept of adaptive leadership. The stories of adaptive leadership surround challenges that evolve a person to think in ways one did not acknowledge before. Overall, an act of initiative can begin with anyone. If a person believes there is a necessity to change, then one is willing to take risks. There are aspirations for adaptive leadership to accomplish in society. Hopes of understanding the value of developing growth and demonstrating the power of interpretations are emphasized in this research.

This McNair project proposes to uncover instances of Classism through its multifaceted relationship between discrimination, bias, and socioeconomic disparities that may impact soldiers’ mental health and well-being in Fort Riley, KS. Through an integrated analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, the study intends to offer actionable recommendations for promoting inclusivity, resilience, and positive mental health outcomes among active-duty service members regardless of their socioeconomic background. A questionnaire will be conducted and applied to participants within the Fort Riley, KS military community.

Are we providing appropriate education and support for autistic students? "Students with ASD often lack the skills to display appropriate social interactions and some may engage in problem behavior to serve a social function, such as to obtain student-teacher interactions" (Macintosh & Dissanayake, 2006). This is currently an issue in the educational system. It includes examining whether our training is adequate and whether these students feel safe in our environments to learn and grow. There is a lack of research addressing these concerns. My surveys aim to help understand the difference between assisting autistic students in public and specialized private schools.

This study will examine how social expectations have shaped the male and female identities in undergraduate students. Previous research discovered which college majors are male-dominated or female-dominated; this will be used as a framework to determine if there are any changes since that study was completed. However, the majority of this research has become outdated due to the shift in societal expectations on gender. Participants in this survey’s study will take a questionnaire that will address the gender differences between study habits and majors of undergraduate students. It will also address if the gender of professors plays a role in the classroom, and which gender is found to be more approachable. This study is important because it will help determine if the nature of these gender differences has remained in higher education settings, specifically in undergraduate students or if societal expectations have changed and so have the gender differences. 
Keywords: gender differences, study habits, majors, undergraduate students, sex segregation 

In a time when information is being accumulated on the internet at unprecedented speeds, producing high-quality news is becoming increasingly strenuous on those who report it. Violence against journalists has contributed to the extreme work-related pressure that reporters are facing (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2024). Such pressure may lead to career burnout, high levels of stress, substance abuse, and much more (Flannery, 2022; Reinardy, 2009). This study seeks to discover if the implementation of daily self-care habits may prevent these psychological stress symptoms. In this study, about 150 reporters from different parts of the country will be surveyed on their current stress/burnout symptoms. Half will participate in self-care habits for one month and half will not. A small portion of the sample will be asked to journal their experiences during the experiment. The content of the journals will undergo thematic analysis to understand the deeper challenges faced with maintaining care for oneself in a high-stress field like news. A post-survey will then be used to find if there is a statistically significant difference in the use of self-care activities on the mental health of news personnel. If this is found to be the case, newsrooms could benefit greatly from this research by encouraging their employees to take part in these habits. Moreover, if better mental health creates better workplace efficacy, the world could benefit through the accuracy of the news content they receive.

Keywords: Journalists, news, reporters, self-care, burnout, stress, trauma, substance abuse, mental health

The purpose of this research study is to provide conceptual clarity around parental mediation strategies utilized to monitor adolescent social media use and to measure the effectiveness of the parental mediation strategies used. The following research project will use qualitative methodology through open-ended questions administered anonymously to participants in the form of an electronic survey. The population being studied does not have specific inclusions/exclusion criteria based on sex, ethnic, or racial backgrounds. However, the participants must be parents or legal guardians of adolescents who use social media. Simple random sampling will be used to obtain participants through web-based advertisements on relevant social media sites. There is no specific hypothesis for this study due to its qualitative nature and open-ended questions. The overarching goal for this research study is to gather and uncover parents’ views and beliefs surrounding strategies to monitor adolescent social media use.

The jury plays a significant role in analyzing the presented facts through sound judgment, honesty, and a complete sense of fairness. Upon doing so, the selected jury members decide whether or not the defendant is guilty of the crime they are charged with. Jury service has become a part of democracy in the United States, and a way for U.S. citizens to participate in the judicial process. However, the jury selection process is seemingly a process many citizens are unable to describe. The purpose of this study was to determine and explain what public attitudes are of the jury selection process in District 5. The research primarily used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. The qualitative phase involved document analysis, where credible documents were thoroughly examined. The analysis provided background information into the principles of the jury selection process. Then, the quantitative phase involved using a questionnaire, interviews, and surveys to determine public attitudes of the jury selection process. Results showed that public attitudes are generally negative, and many individuals lack the necessary knowledge of the selection process. Ultimately, this project aims to help people understand what public attitudes are while giving them the opportunity to learn more. Through this project, research participants and readers can both expand their knowledge of America’s “common law” system and enrich their patriarchal devotion to America as citizens.

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are at higher risk for experiencing several adverse mental health outcomes, such as psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide (Mental Health America, n.d.). One influencing factor in the problematic mental health of these individuals is lower than average self-esteem, influenced by discrimination, marginalization, and low levels of social support (Taylor, et al., 2020; Mental Health America, n.d.). Art therapy is one avenue that may provide a unique method of coping and expression for queer people, though like other realms of psychology, its effectiveness and usage has been underutilized and understudied with the LGBTQ+ community, a historically underserved population. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of art therapy interventions as a way to improve self-esteem (Ching-Teng et al., 2019; Roghanchi et al., 2013; Franklin, 1992). The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of an art therapy intervention on LGBTQ+ community members’ self-esteem and self perception of their queer identity. This will be measured using the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale and other Likert type items in a pretest-posttest single-group design. I hypothesize that participants in the LGBTQ art therapy intervention group will have higher self-esteem scores after the intervention. This information would be helpful for the art therapy community and the LGBTQ community, as well as expand the literature within the psychology field with a widely underrepresented and under-researched population.

Recent assessments from the National Assessment of Educational Progress have revealed a concerning trend: reading scores for both age nine and age 13 students in 2022 and 2023 have shown significant declines compared to previous years. Consequently, there is a heightened urgency to foster lifelong literacy skills among students. This research project investigates the integration of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics (AICL) to enhance literacy instruction, aiming to address declining literacy proficiency among students. Highlighting the role of dynamic literacy pedagogies and technological advancements, this study emphasizes the correlation between childhood literacy levels and success in educational and professional domains to frame the exploration of how AICL can amplify or transform 8th and 9th-grade English language arts curricula. Leveraging AI-enhanced curriculum and frameworks like Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the PICRAT model, educators can personalize instruction, identify strengths and weaknesses, and enhance engagement with textual materials aligned with Common Core standards. Through document analysis of openly licensed 8th and 9th-grade literacy skill-focused curricula from EngageNY and transcendental phenomenology, this study examines a preservice teacher’s integration of AICL in literacy education, generating actionable insights for educators. By exploring innovative approaches to literacy pedagogy, this research can support educators in their goal of cultivating critical thinkers equipped with essential literacy skills for success in the 21st century.

Key Words: artificial intelligence, document analysis, literacy pedagogies, literacy proficiency or discrepancies, transcendental phenomenology