Research suggests that support offered by an instructor can have a significant impact on the student experience, both in terms of classroom performance and affective well-being. Research also suggests?that there are different types of support that instructors can offer (e.g., emotional support, instrumental support, informational support, and…

Student-athletes have long been a population of interest to researchers regarding identity development and academic success. More specifically, researchers have looked into the identity foreclosure of student-athletes; its impact on academic success, motivation, and career outlook; and differences of this foreclosure among student-athletes. Most…

Over the past twenty years, a shifting demographic in schools has created the need to view and lead them through a culturally proficient and equitable lens. School leaders, however, remain short-changed on the preparation time needed to address important issues that surpass the narrow lens of content and instruction. This study used a qualitative…

This dissertation investigated the critical issue of staff retention during and after the pandemic in public schools. Focusing on instructional staff, the study explored the impact of self-efficacy, relationships within the school setting, and administrators' support on their decision to remain in or leave their positions during these…

As educators are becoming more aware of the mental health needs of young adults, and the impact of trauma and poverty on student learning and development, there is an increased need for different pedagogical approaches that view the student holistically in the classroom. In addition, staff and faculty are experiencing burnout in record numbers. An…

This qualitative research examines the construction and negotiation of Japanese language teacher identities (LTIs) both inside and outside classrooms at public universities in the United States. In the past fifteen years, Japanese has become one of the most studied foreign languages at college level (Furman et al., 2010; Goldberg et al., 2015;…

Data on school discipline inequities have shown disproportionate numbers of Black students suspended and expelled compared to their non-Black counterparts. Despite the implementation of evidence-based solutions such as positive behavior supports and intervention, educator professional development, and restorative practices aimed at closing the…

Colleges and universities have taken on the legislative challenge within the state of North Carolina to engage civically through joint efforts with school districts within counties with dire challenges to improve academic and social and emotional outcomes for children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of lab school processes…

Giant kelp ("Macrocystis pyrifera") forests are icons of marine beauty, acting as critical marine ecosystems with great ecological and economic value. Kelp forests are hot spots for biodiversity and provide myriad ecosystem services such as nursery habitat for commercial fisheries, nutrient cycling, wave attenuation, as well as…

Young women of color continue to be significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, and statistics. It is critical to investigate issues regarding the motivation of young women of color in nontraditional STEM domains because significant attrition…

Project-based learning is gaining popularity as a student-centered approach to education. It provides a multitude of benefits, especially compared to the practices surrounding standardized testing. The purpose of this action research study was to examine and improve teaching practices related to project-based learning at the elementary school…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine experiential training as a best practice for preparing community college faculty to teach online. Using the TPACK framework, the study reviewed the impact of providing faculty training related to technology tools and pedagogy for course design to learn about participants'…

As the COVID-19 pandemic shook the very foundation of our educational systems, Connecticut created adjustments through the 2020-2021 Teacher Evaluation Flexibility Plan. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, three research questions were explored through the theoretical lenses of Knowles' (1978) adult learning theory and Weick's…

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to fill a gap in literature surrounding the perspectives of Black pipeline students on the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare profession and their pursuit of a health career. Student perspectives are significant because minorities make up only 28% of all health-related professionals. Of that…

Educators come to the classroom with a range of prior experiences with mathematics and with teaching (Bullough, 1997; Horn et al., 2008; Lortie, 1975). In addition, research has shown that prior experience with mathematics can drastically impact educators' feelings, beliefs, and views of themselves as math teachers (Graven & Lerman, 2018;…