Education Commons^™

The Lived Experience Of Secondary Charter-School Teachers Who Implement Artificial Intelligence In Their Daily Instructional Practices, Gabriela C. Villa

PhD in Education

Little is known about the lived experiences of secondary charter-school teachers in Broward County who use artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily instructional practices. To address this gap, the purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand teachers’ lived experiences with AI integration in their daily instructional practices. The study was guided by the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which supported an understanding of how teachers integrated technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge when using AI. Using convenience sampling, 10 secondary charter-school teachers with teaching experience ranging from 5 to 21 years were recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured …

Cultural Humility In The Workplace: A Causal-Comparative Study Of Foreign And Local Hire Employees In International Education, Natalie A. Ortiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cultural humility is recognized as a framework for fostering respectful relationships in culturally diverse workplaces. However, limited research has examined cultural humility within international education in regard to workplace dynamics and power imbalances that may exist between foreign and local hire educators. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine differences in perceived cultural humility levels between foreign and local hire employees in PreK-12^th grade private international schools in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The study also examined whether years of international educational experience and the number of international educational assignments influenced perceived cultural humility levels. Data …

Navigating The Political Waters Of Rural Superintendency In Texas, Brian D. Aiken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Superintendents frequently report job-related stress and politics as primary reasons for early resignations. Rural superintendents and school boards engage extensively with community stakeholders, intensifying the impact of local political influence on decision-making. The purpose of this study was to describe how five rural superintendents in Texas experience the influence of political will on decision-making and, subsequently, on their well-being. Perceptions of sources of political influence and the strategies used by superintendents to navigate political influence were investigated. Participant data were gathered through district documents and semistructured interviews. The research captured the challenges the rural superintendents face. The participants in this …

Rural Elementary School Principals’ Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors As An Influence On School Climate, Annalysa L. Elledge Dr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how principals in rural elementary schools in the southern United States perceived their leadership behaviors as influencing school climate. The study was guided by the authentic leadership model, with a focus on compassion, relationships, values, and self-discipline. A qualitative exploratory design was used to examine the experiences and perceptions of certified principals with at least 3 years of experience leading rural elementary schools. Purposeful sampling resulted in a sample of 26 principals. Findings indicated that principals perceived authentic leadership behaviors as important contributors to positive school climate in rural elementary schools. …

Servingness In Solidarity: How Filipina/X/O American Student Organizations Cultivate Belonging, Clarissa Mae Lico Calimbas

Dissertations

Filipina/x/o American college students represent one of the largest Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States, yet their educational experiences remain underexamined within institutional research and higher education scholarship. Aggregated under the broader Asian American category, Filipina/x/o American students are rendered invisible by data practices that obscure the distinct colonial histories, socioeconomic realities, and identity negotiations. This qualitative study examined how Filipina/x/o American students at Pacific State University (PSU) describe their involvement in Filipina/x/o American Student Organizations (FASOs) and how that involvement shapes their sense of belonging, cultural identity development, and academic persistence. Guided by a critical race phenomenological framework …

Special Education Teacher's Perceptions Of Genai For Creating Individualized Lesson Plans, Mahadevan Iyer

Dissertations

In the United States today, 7.3 million students are receiving special education (SPED) services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004). Rules and regulations governing SPED help ensure that SPED students receive good quality education. Section 1414(d) of IDEIA requires schools to provide specialized academic instruction as per each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). SPED teachers are responsible for accommodating, scaffolding, and individualizing the curriculum to meet the goals specified in the IEP. Defining the individualized curriculum is an added responsibility for a SPED teacher. This study examined SPED teachers’ access to instructional materials that implement EBPs …

Vision With Grace: Intersectionality Of Education And Spirituality, Preeti Jha

Dissertations

Contemporary educational leaders face increasingly complex challenges, systemic inequities, educator burnout, and demands for transformation, yet existing leadership frameworks fail to address the inner lives and spiritual practices that sustain such demanding justice work. While research demonstrates spirituality's role in leadership effectiveness, this dimension remains largely unexplored in educational research, particularly regarding how spiritual consciousness shapes daily practices and social justice engagement. This qualitative study will examine how spirituality shapes educational leadership and social justice engagement through portraiture methodology and in-depth interviews with three spiritually aligned educational leaders in Northern California. Drawing upon the Bhagavad Gita, Spiritual Leadership Theory, and …

Unlocking Potential: Rural Community College Students And Preparation For Post-Secondary Studies, Lindley M. Gilliaum

College of Education

Rural community college students often encounter educational, financial, and structural barriers that influence their readiness for college and their transition into postsecondary education. Although community colleges serve as a primary point of access to higher education for many rural students, limited research has examined how these students perceive their own college readiness and the experiences that shape those perceptions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to examine the lived experiences of first-year rural community college students and their perceptions of college readiness, secondary educational experiences, and barriers to postsecondary success. Guided by Perna's (2006) Nested Model of College …

Counselors-In-Training’S Perceptions Of Counselor Educators’ And Supervisors’ Roles In Developing Grief Counseling Self-Efficacy, Tonya Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors-in-training (CITs) encounter grieving clients despite limited grief-specific preparation. Understanding these experiences could inform preparation for supporting grieving clients. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored these perceptions. The purposive sample included 10 CITs who were master’s-level students completing field experience or postgraduate counselors under clinical supervision, lacked independent licensure, attended or graduated from Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)–accredited programs without required stand-alone grief coursework. None had a direct supervisory, instructional, or evaluative relationship with the researcher. The research question was: How did CITs perceive and make meaning of the role …

Sustaining Small Tutorial, Coaching, And Shadow Education Operations In Nigeria, Adeyinka Adebose Dawodu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some tutorial and training center managers lack effective strategies effective business sustainability strategies, resulting in poor performance and reduced profitability. Tutorial business stakeholders realize that failure of these centers creates a loss of opportunities for Nigerian youth who depend on their training and preparatory services. Grounded in the performance prism framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and explore effective strategies that Nigerian Tutorial/training center managers use to sustain their centers beyond 5 years. The participants were six managers of tutorial/training business centers who have sustained their centers in nonaffluent areas of Lagos and Ogun …

Medical School Admissions Officers' Perceptions On Lower Admissions Rates Of Black Applicants In Georgia, Wanda Sebrena Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was the disproportionate lower admission rates of Black students compared to their White counterparts at a Georgia medical school. Grounded in Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction, the purpose of this study was to explore admission officers’ perceptions on the factors contributing to lower admission rates of Black applicants at a Georgia medical school. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews with 10 admissions officers were conducted. Through Saldaña’s first- and second-cycle coding procedures, the following nine themes emerged: (a) Medical College Admission Test scores create barriers for Black applicants; (b) unequal educational resources and …

Identifying Barriers To Reporting Concerning Behaviors In A Public Secondary School, Will Durgin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Threat assessment is an effective school safety practice that allows schools to identify concerning behavior and intervene before it reaches a crisis. Because this process often begins with a staff member recognizing and reporting a concern, this study examined how school staff interpret concerning behavior, understand their responsibility to report it, and what can make reporting more difficult.

The study used a two-phase action research design in a small, rural public school district in western New York. The first phase used a survey built around five behavior vignettes, while the second phase consisted of staff interviews.

Staff generally agreed when …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Challenges Related To Science Vocabulary Instruction In Wyoming Elementary Schools, Alexis Barney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Science vocabulary supports conceptual understanding, engagement in scientific discourse, and achievement across content areas. The problem addressed in this study was Wyoming’s low literacy and science performance, as indicated by standardized and national test scores, highlighting the critical need for improved vocabulary instruction to close gaps in content-specific terminology that hindered elementary students’ understanding and achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Wyoming elementary science teachers’ perceptions of challenges, instructional strategies, and recommendations for improving science vocabulary instruction. Guided by Vygotsky’s (1978) constructivist theory and the concept of the zone of proximal development, the study included …

Supporting Multilingual Learners Through Culturally Responsive Practices, Betsy Twedell

Graduate Teacher Education

This literature review examined how educational leaders can implement culturally responsive practices to support multilingual learners, improve academic achievement, encourage a sense of belonging, and advance equitable educational outcomes. A total of sixteen qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies were reviewed, along with two conceptual studies that provided additional guidance. Three recurring themes emerged: culturally and linguistically responsive practices, professional development, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). The research suggested that multilingual learners were best supported when educators viewed students’ languages, cultures, identities, and lived experiences as academic assets and integrated these resources into instruction. Findings also showed that professional development …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Student-Centered Technology Integration, Kiyana Janise Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was the inconsistent integration of student-centered technology among elementary teachers in an urban school district in the southeastern United States. Grounded in the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework, the purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perspectives on the factors influencing their integration of student-centered technology. Using a basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 experienced certified K–5 teachers with at least 1 year of experience integrating technology into the curriculum. Data were analyzed through two-cycle inductive coding and thematic analysis resulting in six themes: teachers (1) demonstrated foundational …

Fostering And Maintaining Relational Trust Between Massachusetts Public School Superintendents And Their School Committees, John J. Robidoux

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of public school governance in Massachusetts relies on the collaborative partnership between superintendents and elected school committees. However, school committee members often lack professional backgrounds in education, leading to role confusion, political friction, communication breakdowns, and a reduced ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with the superintendent. While the structural roles of these entities are well-defined by policy, there is limited research on the internal, lived experiences of district leaders navigating the multifaceted dynamics of relational trust as they relate to effective school district operations. This study addresses the gap in understanding how relational trust is …

Creating Collaborative Strategies: The Influence Of Principal Leadership In Teacher Retention In Rural Secondary Schools In Dhalai District, Tripura, Northeast India., Valerian Castelino

Educational Studies Dissertations

Teacher retention has become a growing concern across India and the world. In rural, tribal, and multilingual contexts, the challenge is even greater. This research, Creating Collaborative Strategies: The Influence of Principal Leadership in Teacher Retention in Rural Secondary Schools in Dhalai District, Tripura, Northeast India, explores how school leadership influences teachers’ decisions to remain in rural schools. The research focuses on Tripura, a small state in Northeast India known for its tribal diversity, geographic isolation, multilingual classrooms, and limited educational resources. The research is informed by a multi-theoretical framework: Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, Non-Economic Capital Theory, and Transformational Leadership …

Cultivating A Culture Of Belonging: Elementary Principal Practices, Sara Macneil

Educational Studies Dissertations

A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need that influences students’ experiences, relationships, and engagement within their school context. It is shaped through intentional actions and everyday experiences. Understanding how school leaders intentionally shape conditions that foster students’ sense of belonging requires further exploration. This study focused on an elementary school principal and sought to identify specific leadership practices that strengthen the sense of belonging for elementary students. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through a sense of belonging survey and small group interviews. The survey data provided a measure of students’ sense of belonging and were used …

The Perceptions Of K-5 Teachers Regarding Their Preparedness To Implement Trauma-Informed Practices, Matthew P. Londo

Educational Studies Dissertations

Childhood trauma significantly impairs students' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning, yet teachers frequently lack the preparation necessary to address its effects in classroom settings. This mixed-methods study examined the perceptions of K-5 teachers regarding their preparedness to implement trauma-informed practices (TIPs) at a public elementary school in a mid-sized urban district in central Massachusetts. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed to gather data from 20 selected K-5 educators via a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and semi-structured Zoom interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed that participants employed four primary …

Navigating Predominantly White Institutions: A Narrative Inquiry Restorying Native American And Indigenous Students' Lived Experiences Of Higher Education, Chandra Anderson

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Previous research has examined retention rates of Native American and Indigenous students within the United States in higher education; however, there remains a significant narrative silence regarding the lived stories and personal chronologies of these students (Brayboy et al., 2015; Davidson & Lopez, 2023; Oxendine et al., 2018). The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to elicit and restory the lived narratives of Native American and Indigenous students enrolled in predominantly White institutions (PWI) of higher education. This study’s literature review themes include: (a) history of Native American and Indigenous students, (b) contemporary research on Native American and Indigenous …

Teacher Mentoring As A National Imperative: A Multi-Paper Dissertation, Ramiro Pesina

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

This multi-paper dissertation investigates teacher mentoring as a critical intervention in human resource development designed to address the complex challenges facing the teaching profession, including high attrition rates and the need for sustained professional support. The study is organized into three connected studies: an integrative literature review on technology enhanced mentoring, a longitudinal qualitative study that devises a comprehensive mentoring model covering cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects, and a phenomenological case study in which a formally structured mentoring program in a North Texas school district is analyzed in terms of execution and outcome. Critically important findings indicate that well-crafted mentoring …

Beyond The Pail: A Holistic Approach To Early Literacy Through Executive Functioning And Motor Develepment, Christie Vantilburg

Masters Projects

Traditional reading models, such as the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, have historically isolated reading mechanics into word recognition and language comprehension silos. While foundational, these static frameworks overlook the vital cognitive role that active self-regulation and executive functions (EFs) play in text processing. As states like Michigan roll out statutory mandates under Public Act 146 requiring comprehensive educator training on dyslexia and its secondary behavioral impacts, a critical gap remains between higher-order cognitive science and daily classroom instruction. This project addresses this gap by translating contemporary developmental neuroscience and literacy frameworks into a practical, classroom-ready curriculum …

A Mixed-Method Study To Determine The Relationships Between Academic Confidence, Anxiety And Success In College Physics I At A Small Midwestern University, Jason Fenske

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to examine the effect of a variety of factors on student success in College Physics I. These factors include the transfer of knowledge from both high school physics and prerequisite mathematics courses for use in physics as well as anxiety, academic confidence, physics confidence, and methods designed to address these. The experiment occurred in a medium-sized midwestern university in two different classrooms. The results of this experiment showed that there is a direct correlation between mathematics confidence and physics confidence and therefore between these and student success. The study found that students who …

“Voices Of Tomorrow”: A Youth Participatory Action Research Study Of A Middle School Advisory In An Urban Public Charter School, Seth Hull

Theses and Dissertations

Urban middle schools often grapple with how to create spaces that affirm students’ identities and foster authentic engagement within a broader landscape shaped by standardized testing and accountability pressures. This dissertation examines Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and advisory as two relationally grounded practices that can address these challenges. Grounded in critical hope (Zembylas, 2013), culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017), and community responsive education (Duncan-Andrade, 2022), the study explores the experiences of 12 middle school students who spent seven months investigating their school’s advisory program as student-researchers, as well as the findings that emerged about advisory. Data sources …

Don’T Let Us Down: A Phenomenological Study Of African American Employees’ Perceptions Regarding The Benefits Of Professional Development In Student Affairs, Courtney Nicole Demings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of student affairs professionals are critical to the success of higher education, allowing for a concentrated exploration of African American student affairs professionals who are often employed in 2-year U.S. community colleges. The general problem was that African Americans may leave student affairs in community colleges if they do not perceive supervisory support for professional development and, in turn, career advancement. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand and interpret their lived experiences, illuminate the barriers to their career advancement, and discuss the impact of supervisory support. As such, this action research employed qualitative research through the …

Harkness Seminars In The Humanities, Sarah S. Novlan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This participatory action research study explored the effects of Harkness seminars on students’ cognitive, affective, and metacognitive learning in secondary humanities classes. Educators need an effective, flexible, and adaptive method to promote student learning beyond superficial content acquisition. With the decoupling of virtue formation from knowledge acquisition, knowledge gaps from COVID-19 lockdowns, and the rise of artificial intelligence in student plagiarism, a proven method to address all aspects of student formation is needed. Using a participatory action research framework for this qualitative study, conducted at an independent K–12 school site in Texas, the researcher interviewed six secondary humanities teachers over …

Shifting To Using Desmos Or Geogebra Graphing Calculators In High School Mathematics Classrooms, Nancy Lin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most high school math classrooms in Long Island use the Texas Instruments TI-84+ CE graphing calculator in the three Regents math courses. Texas Instruments holds approximately 80% of the market share of the international graphing calculator market. At a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $150 per TI-84+ CE, an inequitable situation exists for math learning, as underfunded schools and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds cannot afford to purchase one for home use. Such students have less experience using the handheld graphing calculator when they take high-stakes math exams. Through case studies of four suburban school districts in New York that …

Teaching Third Graders To Read Multisyllable Words: Segmentation Versus Whole Word Reading, Jolie D. Heath

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the early years of elementary school when children are still learning to read, they are presented with words of increased syllable length, and orthographic and morphological complexity in the texts they read.  Although multisyllabic words comprise 90% of words in the English lexicon and carry important linguistic information for expanding vocabularies and comprehension of content, few studies have focused on teaching middle elementary children to read multisyllabic words.  Many children lack strategies to identify these longer more complex words accurately and easily, leading to reading difficulties that place weaker readers at higher risk for school related problems and limit …

School Leadership And Collaboration: A Case Study Of Leaders’ Experience Implementing Vertical Alignment Practices, Tara R. Wehmeyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Changing student demographics within a large elementary school increased the need for collaboration between leadership and staff as they implemented a wide range of initiatives to support student learning. Grounded in the transformational leadership theoretical framework, this exploratory case study sought to systematically observe and gather knowledge about the experiences of campus leaders as they implement vertical alignment teams to foster a collaborative approach while instituting required initiatives. The sample included seven campus leadership team members and data collection utilized transcribed semistructured interviews, debriefing sessions after vertical alignment team meetings, meeting observations, and a researcher’s journal. All data were analyzed …

Beyond The Binary: Strengthening Nursing Students’ Proficiency Of Equitable Health Promotion, Martha K. Findley

Theses

Background: Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) populations continue to experience significant health inequities, yet prelicensure nursing curricula often lack structured, evidence‑based training to prepare students for equitable care.

Purpose: This study evaluated whether a targeted, transgender‑focused simulation could improve nursing students’ clinical knowledge and preparedness for providing equitable health promotion to SGD populations.

Methods: A pre‑/post‑intervention design was used with senior‑level nursing students who completed a transgender patient simulation emphasizing communication, assessment, and equitable health promotion. Students completed a validated survey measuring knowledge and preparedness in caring for SGD patients.

Results: Significant improvements across most survey items demonstrated that the …