This dissertation focuses on the production of knowledge that contributes to economic growth through the accumulation of human capital and technological change. More specifically, I look at the proclivity and effectiveness of different types of universities and colleges to send individuals on to pursue a doctoral degree in science or engineering…

Beginning in the latter part of the 20th century, and especially since the advent of No Child Left Behind, the roles and responsibilities of the elementary school principal have undergone significant expansion. While the primary function of the principal at one time may have been to serve as the manager of the physical plant of the school and as…

Many current policy initiatives focus on teacher qualifications and high-stakes assessments for students as a means to improve mathematics education in the United States, but this approach ignores the actual practice of teaching through which students have opportunities to learn mathematics. The present study is an effort to answer scholars'…

Scope and Method of Study: This Naturalistic Inquiry Case Study examines principal succession at two small, rural high schools through naturalistic inquiry presented through the lens of Mary Douglas' grid and group cultural typology. A grid and group cultural analysis survey was sent to all school employees then in-depth, follow-up interviews…

This cross-sectional study explored how IT system and software development team members communicated in the workplace and whether teams that used more verbal communication (and less text-based communication) experienced higher levels of collaboration as measured using the Teamwork Quality (TWQ) scale. Although computer-mediated communication tools…

The purpose of this study is to examine how high schools with shifting demographics respond to the academic and social needs of English language learners. Increasingly schools and teachers are asked to teach students who come from homes where English is not the primary language. The implications of shifting demographics impacts high school…

As historical relationships of Slavs and Albanians in the western Balkans have been subject to a wide range of scholarly interpretations, this dissertation seeks to present the facts of linguistic evidence of Slavic-Albanian contact, and apply them to an informed understanding of Slavs' and Albanians' interactions historically. Although…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate how early childhood teachers working in Head Start programs made meaning of preschool-age children's physical activity play by exploring their personal childhood and professional experiences with physical activity play. The study was conducted to contribute research-based recommendations for…

Scope and Method of Study: An educational philosophy and teaching style provide a foundation for understanding and for guiding guide decisions about curriculum, teacher-learner relationship and professional practice. The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to describe the educational philosophies and teaching styles of the teacher…

Student math achievement continues to be a national, state, and local concern. Research suggests that note taking can improve academic achievement, but current research has failed to report how low achievers might benefit from using note taking during math classes. The purpose of this study was to determine if teaching students structured note…

Physical sciences and engineering doctoral programs serve as the most important conduit through which future academics are trained and prepared in these disciplines. This study examined women doctoral students' protege-mentor relationships in Physical sciences and engineering programs. Particularly, the study examined the influence of such…

A call for a bridge between research and practice is nothing new, yet it seems to be an impossible task to accomplish. Despite the dedicated efforts made by numerous researchers in the past, the world is still largely separate between researchers and teachers. One piece of evidence is that research studies seem to have only a little impact on…

Scope and Method of Study: This study was concerned with perceptions of academic facilitators, academic obstacles, and psychological well-being of college honors students. Differences in the way factors of academic success are perceived, and the relationship these perceptions have with psychological well-being were examined. College honors…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 have directly contributed to an increase in students receiving inclusive specialized instruction within the general education classroom setting. To accommodate these students, many schools have implemented the practice of co-teaching, or…

Academic achievement gaps for African American children have been associated with disparities in early cognitive development, inequitable access to high-quality education, and father absence, often resulting in lower rates of graduation. Examining ways that may mitigate this problem is important to families and educators. The purpose of this…