The learning study reports on part of a larger project being lead by the author. In this dissertation I explore one goal of this project--to understand effects on student learning outcomes as a function of using different methods for connecting out-of-school experiential learning with formal school-based instruction. There is a long history of…

Understanding present barriers to choosing a STEM major is important for science educators so that we may better prepare and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. This study examined the relationships between participation in competitive science events, gender, race, science self-efficacy, interest in science, and choosing a STEM…

The researcher conducted a multiple case study of co-teachers on the middle school level to determine their perspective of the challenges of co-teaching and to research what strategies would best address these challenges. The primary research question was "What do Coweta County middle school co-teachers perceive as the challenges of co-teaching at…

This dissertation examines the parental involvement policies and programs of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the country's fourth largest school district. Through a holistic case research methodology, it explores the multiple perspectives and practices of district- and school-level employees who are charged with involving families…

The study started as a critical response to a new sheltered science content course introduced by the school district where I teach ESOL students. Although the course was a bold and timely initiative, it was not supported by a well-built curriculum, realistic educational goals, and appropriate instructional materials. As I was unsatisfied with what…

This qualitative study used a historical research method to eliminate the gap in the historical knowledge of Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) curriculum evolution in the post-Cold War era. This study is the only known analysis of the forces that influenced the ACSC curriculum and the rationale behind curricular change at ACSC in the post-Cold…

The purpose of the study was to examine generic instructor characteristics capable of predicting learning outcomes for application to the evaluation process of formalized trainers within U.S. Marine Corps vocational specialty courses. A survey instrument was created based on research findings from multiple training disciplines and educational…

Targeted, school-based behavioral interventions that are designed in the positive behavior support model and created for elementary students at-risk for severe problem behavior have used four approaches to measuring response to intervention: (1) office discipline referrals, (2) systematic direct observation, (3) standardized behavior rating…

With rapid advancements in information and communication technologies, computer-mediated communication channels such as email, web, mobile smart-phones with SMS, social networking websites (Facebook), multimedia websites, and OEM devices provide users with multiple technology choices to seek information. However, no study has compared the…

The present study explores the use of discourse markers (DMs) in talk-in-interaction of Korean-English bilingual children and their monolingual peers in two languages. The corpus-driven analysis proposes a core meaning of the two DMs as signaling contextual divergence in two monolingual groups. Both similarities and differences coexist in the…

Wikis have been gaining attention in the academic literature, suggesting their use as knowledge repositories in organizational environments and even as collaborative tools for reviewing scholar publications. And yet, little is known about factors that foster or discourage adoption of this technology. Taking elements from similar artifacts such as…

This experiment examined decisions made by teachers using only status data with those made by teachers using growth and status data. Middle school math teachers from five schools within a single school division located in Virginia participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the status only or growth and status group.…

Although much as been written about information technologies and politics, less is known about how information is handled in congressional personal offices. What happens when a constituent sends an email to their Congressman? How does a Senator get information about the pros and cons of a proposed bill? A study was conducted to understand the…

This hermeneutically crafted qualitative study examines how six university-educated middle-class Pakistani Muslim women negotiate the competing expectations of traditional Muslim culture and the emancipated ethos of the university. It uses Robert Kegan's constructive-developmental theory, whose Subject-Object scoring system distinguishes a…

School districts' decisions across the country are influencing the satisfaction level of teachers, in both positive and negative ways. With statistics reporting as high as fifty percent of teachers leaving the profession in the first five years of experience (Ingersoll, 2003), determining the reasons for teacher dissatisfaction are important in…