This dissertation investigates the practice of blogging by multilingual graduate students in a TESOL program in an American context. The focus of the study is to understand the relationship between the practice of blog writing and the sense of authorship of the participants. The sense of authorship in this study mainly refers to how students see…

In the two decades since the introduction of the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM, 1991) describing effective mathematics instruction, researchers have found U.S. teachers still lack the ability to foster productive mathematical discourse. Three instructional practices are key to teachers' ability to support rich…

The purpose of this study was to answer the question, "What are the experiences of students who have completed the Achievement Academy program?" In collecting data to answer this question, a series of clarifying questions also emerged: "What are the cultural, academic, and personal costs and benefits associated with being a part of…

This study examines the perceived roles, responsibilities, and situational leadership qualities of Maryland and New Jersey National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) coordinators. Currently there is no research which examines the roles and responsibilities expected of NCATE coordinators and how the work of accreditation…

This study explored the phenomenon of student affairs professionals working at Arizona State University who shifted from a student affairs unit to perform similar work in an academic unit. The conceptual framework for this exploration was social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974), which asserts that individuals develop a self-concept or image that…

Science education in schools is often inadvertently designed so that it is frequently inconsistent with students' lived experiences (Aikenhead, 1996, 2001; Brickhouse & Potter, 2001). Science is therefore seen by students as an endeavor for someone else, contributing to a lack of access to the knowledge necessary to address scientific and…

Geologic field trips are among the most beneficial learning experiences for students as they engage the topic of geology, but they are also difficult environments to maximize learning. This action research study explored one facet of the problems associated with teaching geology in the field by attempting to improve the transition of undergraduate…

The success of strategic information systems planning (SISP) is of paramount importance to academics as well as practitioners. SISP is a management process that enables organizations to successfully harness the power of current- and next-generation information systems (IS) applications to fulfill their business goals. Hence, by capturing the major…

This dissertation investigates and problematizes emergent bilingual students' achievement gaps in an existing corpus of middle-school science assessment data. I first characterize achievement gaps across national data, state data, and the corpus of approximately 27,000 students as an analytic backdrop. I then sample a subset of the 6th grade…

In the current age of accountability, there are increasing pressures on building principals to raise standardized test scores. School administrators must identify and implement effective leadership practices that will exert a positive influence on classroom instruction and ultimately enhance student achievement. Research has shown the leadership…

Native American students from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community have attended Stapley Junior High, one of 13 junior high schools in the Mesa Unified School District, since its doors opened in the fall of 1994. Over the years a variety of instructional practices have been used in an effort to improve academic outcomes for these…

The goal of this research was to understand the different kinds of learning that take place in "Mod The Sims" (MTS), an online "Sims" gaming community. The study aimed to explore users' experiences and to understand learning practices that are not commonly observed in formal educational settings. To achieve this goal, the…

Over $8 billion is spent yearly, on college education in one Southern U.S. state, yet the employment effectiveness of public and private 4-year undergraduate business degrees (effectiveness defined as obtaining employment or entering into a degree program requiring a 4-year business degree by the end of Year 1 and remaining employed or in a degree…

Educational Leadership is inherent of many qualities. Individuals who possess leadership stand apart from the mainstream population in general society and in any organization, thus they are change agents who influence others by their uniqueness and dynamism. The art of leadership is challenging, but meaningful, and purposeful as the focus is…

The influence that teacher beliefs have on classroom instructional practices in areas such as science and mathematics have been studied and documented by researchers. However, only a few researchers were found to have specifically investigated the influence of technology teachers' beliefs on instructional practices, relating to the teaching…