Education Commons^™

Ai In Pk-12 Education: Implications For Teaching And Learning, David Naff, Meleah Ellison, Casey Bailey, Tzu-Wei Wang, Kiana Bradford

MERC Publications

This research and policy review from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for teaching and learning in public PK-12 education. It is part of a two part series with a companion report focused on AI implications for PK-12 policy. The report explores two questions:

1. How is AI shaping teaching and instructional practice?
2. How is AI shaping student learning and development?

It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations for PK-12 policy and practice.

The Retrograde Pendulum: Reversing Course On Standards-Based Grading, Jay C. Percell

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This commentary details one large, suburban school district that, after a decade-long commitment to implementing standards-based grading (SBG), reversed course, abandoned the initiative, and returned to traditional grading. This article provides a postmortem of the ambitious reform effort, drawing upon previous research and recent district survey data from teachers and parents. Among the factors leading to the reform's reversal are that, despite a carefully planned, multi-year rollout, the initiative was unable to resolve persistent concerns about implementation inconsistency, student motivation, and the technology reporting platform. Internal pressures were exacerbated by external turmoil, including personnel turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic, and …

From Designation To Implementation: A Qualitative Study Of Support Structures For Latinx Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Steven A. Freeman

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study addresses the persistent misalignment between the enrollment-based designation of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the extent to which these institutions implement intentional practices that support Latinx student success. As HSIs continue to grow nationally, it is critical to examine whether institutional efforts move beyond symbolic designation toward meaningful “servingness,” particularly given the increasing reliance on these institutions to advance social mobility and educational attainment for Latinx students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the support structures an HSI provides to promote Latinx student success and to examine Latinx students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of these supports. …

Communication College Students And Their Career Readiness: An Evaluation From The Employer's Perspective, Carson Mann

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Higher education institutions are seen as places that educate students in specific subjects and provide training that leads to either a career or further learning opportunities. Unfortunately, public trust in higher education has plummeted since 2015. The evolution of higher education has been the subject of speculation by various groups, but developing translational skills through effective internships could very well solve the issue at hand. Institutions ought to have data -driven evidence about their disciplines’ effectiveness and their translational ability to the workforce. To understand this, student career readiness must be evaluated. Students' career readiness is a vital measure of …

The Interaction Between Academic Self-Efficacy And Social Support: Exploring Moderation Effects On Academic Performance And Emotional Well-Being During The Transition To Secondary School, Luis Josué Ortiz Martes

Theses and Dissertations

The transition to secondary school can intensify academic demands and emotional strain, making it a critical context for examining students’ psychological and social resources. This applied dissertation examined whether perceived social support (SS) moderates the association among academic self-efficacy (ASE), academic performance (AP) and emotional well-being (EWB) among seventh-grade students at a private, multilingual school in Puerto Rico. Using a time-lagged, nonexperimental correlational design, 14 students completed the academic subscale of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) and the Social Support Appraisals Scale (SS-A) at the start of the academic year; EWB was assessed at midyear with the Negative and …

La Relación De La Estructura Organizacional Del Programa De Transición En La Efectividad De Los Servicios De La Secretaría Asociada De Educación Especial En Puerto Rico, Janet López De Jesús

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada examinó la relación entre la estructura organizacional del Programa de Transición y la efectividad de los servicios ofrecidos por la Secretaría Asociada de Educación Especial (SAEE) del Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico. El estudio surgió ante la necesidad de comprender cómo los elementos estructurales del sistema educativo influían en la prestación de servicios dirigidos a estudiantes con discapacidades durante su proceso de transición hacia la vida adulta, particularmente en áreas como el empleo, la educación postsecundaria y la vida independiente. La investigación se desarrolló mediante un enfoque cuantitativo, con un diseño descriptivo correlacional. Los datos se …

Relación Entre El Liderazgo Situacional En Directores Escolares Y Nivel De Competencias Digitales Integrando Los Estándares Iste-El En Escuelas Ore Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Mayra Enid Rodríguez Romero

Theses and Dissertations

Esta investigación examinó la relación entre el liderazgo situacional en directores escolares y el nivel de competencias digitales, integrando los Estándares ISTE para Líderes Educativos (ISTE-EL) y la Teoría de Liderazgo Situacional, en escuelas del sistema público pertenecientes a la Oficina Regional Educativa de Arecibo, Puerto Rico, durante la pandemia del COVID-19. El estudio surgió ante la necesidad de comprender cómo los directores escolares respondieron a la transición abrupta de un modelo educativo presencial a uno virtual en un contexto caracterizado por limitaciones estructurales, tecnológicas y organizacionales. Se empleó un diseño cuantitativo de alcance descriptivo-correlacional, con una muestra de 30 …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Its Role In Maximizing Students’ Performance On Standardized Tests, Keisha Ricketts-Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to highlight the importance of pedagogy for cultural responsiveness, and to explore the relationship between such pedagogy and middle school students’ performance on state or standardized tests. Therefore, this study explores the educational or academic values that students will gain from being engaged in a learning environment that recognizes their culture and uses it as a tool to maximizing their educational outcomes.

This research employed convergent parallel mixed method design. Therefore, it implemented the qualitative and quantitative approach at the same time and placed equivalent worth to the information collected by each approach. Therefore, the …

La Enseñanza En Línea Para Superar La Deficiencia En El Aprendizaje De La Biología En Estudiantes Del Primer Año De Una Universidad En Puerto Rico, Sergio Medina Ríos

Theses and Dissertations

Esta investigación aplicada se desarrolló a partir de una preocupación concreta observada por el investigador en su trayectoria como educador universitario en Puerto Rico: la dificultad persistente de los estudiantes de primer año para comprender conceptos fundamentales en biología. Muchos de estos jóvenes ingresan a la universidad con lagunas formativas que limitan su aprovechamiento académico, especialmente en disciplinas científicas que demandan razonamiento crítico y conceptualización abstracta.

Frente a esta realidad, el estudio propuso la implementación de estrategias de enseñanza en línea como respuesta pedagógica a dicha deficiencia. Con base en la experiencia adquirida en la impartición de cursos virtuales, se …

Percepción Del Liderazgo Para El Uso De Tic En Educación Secundaria Durante El Ambiente Vuca De La Cuarentena Por Covid-19, Josefina Fernández

Theses and Dissertations

La presente investigación tuvo como propósito analizar e interpretar la percepción de los docentes de educación secundaria respecto al proceso de liderazgo que facilitó la adopción de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) como único medio para dar continuidad al proceso educativo durante la cuarentena por COVID-19. El estudio partió del reconocimiento de que esta transición se desarrolló en un contexto volátil, incierto, complejo y ambiguo (VUCA), en el que los líderes escolares debieron afrontar ausentismo, resistencia al cambio, presión emocional y exigencias pedagógicas y tecnológicas sin precedentes.

Desde un enfoque cualitativo con orientación fenomenológica, la investigación …

Examining Language In Exclusionary Discipline Practices: A Mixed Methods Study Of A Medium Florida School District, Kathleen A. Wonnell

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined office discipline referrals and the language used by teachers when describing disciplinary incidents. Additionally, it explored the coding assigned by administrators to these office discipline referrals and how those codes impacted the consequences assigned, possibly contributing to the use of exclusionary discipline. This mixed-methods study sought to contribute to the body of research on exclusionary discipline and disproportionate disciplinary outcomes. Office discipline referrals that resulted in exclusionary discipline in two comprehensive high schools were examined and administrators from the same schools who are responsible for coding disciplinary incidents were interviewed.

Themes that emerged from examining the …

Employee Perceptions On The Role Of Job Demands And Burnout On Employee Engagement In Nonprofit Sector: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Tania P. Sierra

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore how nonprofit employees perceive the role of job demands and burnout in shaping employee engagement. The study focused on nonprofit organizations in Southern Arizona and used a qualitative descriptive methodology to center employee voice and provide context-rich insights into workplace well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants representing diverse roles and career stages. The study aimed to inform nonprofit leaders and stakeholders about the relational and structural conditions that influence engagement, resilience, and emotional labor in mission-driven environments.

Thematic analysis revealed six interrelated themes, including role multiplicity, time pressure, emotional labor, and …

Estrategias Lúdicas Como Didáctica En La Formación Especializada De Licenciados En Educación Infantil, Fe Rosalía Alba Veloz

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue explorar la percepción que poseen los docentes acerca del uso de estrategias lúdicas como recurso didáctico en la formación especializada de los estudiantes de la Licenciatura en Educación Infantil, y cómo dichas percepciones inciden en sus prácticas áulicas dentro de una universidad pública en República Dominicana. La investigación se fundamentó en teorías constructivistas, particularmente en el enfoque Histórico-Cultural de Vygotsky y en la noción de zona de desarrollo próximo, además de los aportes de diversos autores que han resaltado la importancia de vincular teoría y práctica, reconocer el papel de las emociones en el …

Efectividad De La Educación A Distancia Usando La Plataforma Del Microsoft Teams Entre Los Maestros De Las Escuelas Intermedias De Puerto Rico, Minelly Irizarry Echevarría

Theses and Dissertations

Este estudio examinó cómo los docentes de las escuelas intermedias de la zona sur de Puerto Rico aplicaron la educación a distancia utilizando la plataforma Microsoft Teams, implementada por el Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico. A través del aprendizaje colaborativo, el aprendizaje significativo y las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, se identificaron las áreas de necesidad y oportunidad de los docentes al implementar dicha plataforma. El objetivo fue establecer la efectividad que presentó el educador al momento de lograr un proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje efectivo en los educandos.

El soporte teórico de esta investigación se fundamentó en las teorías …

A Case Study Of Employees’ Perception Of Leadership Styles In Law Firms, Naylet M. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored employees' perceptions of their supervisors’ leadership styles and how those perceptions shape their job performance and satisfaction within a mid-sized personal injury law firm operating across multiple offices in the Southeastern United States. The effectiveness of leadership styles in law firms significantly influences employee performance, productivity, and organizational success, yet the unique contextual factors of legal practice environments have remained substantially underexplored in the leadership literature. Much of the existing research has focused on general organizational settings rather than the knowledge-intensive, hierarchical, and high-pressure dynamics that characterize law firms. This applied dissertation was designed to address …

The Lived Experiences Of Hispanic Women In The Workforce: The Journey To Leadership And Leadership Styles, Ileana Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Hispanic women in leadership positions within the United States workforce. Grounded in Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examined how Hispanic women interpreted the challenges and opportunities associated with their intersecting identities as both Hispanic and female leaders. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight Hispanic women currently serving in leadership roles across diverse industries.

Findings revealed that participants encountered persistent systemic barriers, including underrepresentation, intersectional discrimination, limited access to mentorship and leadership networks, and pressures to conform to dominant workplace norms through code-switching. These challenges were cumulative and embedded within …

First-Year Academic Success Strategies For Student Veterans, Vincent Ciarla

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions and experiences of student veterans regarding academic success strategies during their first year of college. The study was guided by three research questions examining perceived difficulties, needed support systems, and overall transition experiences. Five student veterans who had successfully completed their first year at a community college participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using multi-cycle coding procedures, including open coding, pattern coding, and cross-case analysis, resulting in the identification of recurring themes.

Findings indicated that participants experienced initial confusion related to institutional processes, challenges navigating educational benefits, and difficulty adjusting to differences …

Effects Of Mental Health Services On Adolescents’ Mental Health-Related Behavior Problems And Academic Performance, Marsha Bernard

Theses and Dissertations

The problem to be addressed in the research study was that students who are marginalized and racially profiled exhibit behavioral problems in school and lack the resources to understand and manage their emotional behaviors. The purpose of the study was to determine how mental health counselors in schools and in the community can assist marginalized families with adequate mental health services. The study sought an understanding of the underlying causes of disruptive behaviors and miscommunication between students and administrators. Overall, the study revealed that mental health has an impact and plays a critical role in the day-to-day experiences of marginalized …

El Estrés Laboral Como Factor De Riesgo En El Rendimiento De Los Docentes De Una Institución Privada De Educación Superior En Puerto Rico, Sarahi Alvarado Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Los seres humanos en diferentes momentos de su vida han experimentado lo que es el estrés, y las organizaciones de una forma u otra han buscado disminuir o eliminarlo dentro del entorno laboral. El estrés laboral es un factor determinante en el desempeño laboral, las enfermedades y la estabilidad emocional de los recursos humanos en las organizaciones. Este trabajo se enmarca en un enfoque cualitativo a través de un estudio fenomenológico.

El propósito de este estudio fue valorar la incidencia del estrés laboral como factor de riesgo en el rendimiento de los Docentes de una Institución Privada de Educación Superior …

From Bias To Bottleneck: A Quantitative Analysis Of Gender Preferences In Tech Hiring, Uma Chidambaram

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined whether gender preferences influence hiring decisions in the information technology (IT) sector, and whether such preferences contribute to the ongoing labor shortage in the field. Despite national and international initiatives to close the gender gap, women continue to represent only 28% of the United States IT workforce and remain significantly underrepresented in technical and leadership roles. Grounded in the Eagly and Karau (2002) Role Congruity Theory of Prejudice, this study investigated whether evaluator gender and candidate gender alignment affect interview selection outcomes at the résumé screening stage for both leadership and non-leadership IT positions.

A quantitative, …

Efectos Del Uso De La Tecnología En El Aprovechamiento Académico Y El Desarrollo De Habilidades Lingüísticas Y Escritas En Estudiantes De Tercero A Quinto Grado De Una Escuela Privada Del Área Este De Puerto Rico, Sonia I. Estrada Guzmán

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue analizar los efectos del uso de la tecnología en el aprovechamiento académico y el desarrollo de habilidades lingüísticas y escritas de los estudiantes de tercero a quinto grado en una escuela privada del área este de Puerto Rico. La investigación buscó identificar cómo las herramientas tecnológicas influyeron en la comprensión lectora, el dominio de las reglas gramaticales, el conocimiento de las normas ortográficas y la capacidad de redacción escrita. El marco teórico utilizado fue la Teoría del Aprendizaje Móvil de Traxler. El diseño del estudio fue cuantitativo con un enfoque cuasiexperimental y el instrumento …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social-Emotional And Behavioral Factors That Impede Preschool Adjustment, Allease J. Glamore

Theses and Dissertations

Children with behavioral and social-emotional challenges struggle to adjust to the preschool environment which places increased demands on preschool teachers to implement effective strategies. The purpose of the study was to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding social-emotional and behavioral factors implicated for successful preschool adjustment. The theoretical framework guiding this study is grounded in the integration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, social-emotional learning theory, and behavior theory. A case study design was used to examine the perceptions and use of social-emotional and behavior interventions and supports by four early childhood teachers across two programs.

Data were collected using qualitative in-depth one-on-one …

Análisis De Las Competencias Digitales Docentes Aplicadas Al Modelo Educativo Híbrido En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Ishwara Ayala Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

El modelo educativo híbrido ha surgido como una alternativa que integra la educación tradicional con los avances alcanzados durante la pandemia, convirtiendo la competencia digital docente en un aspecto cada vez más relevante. Esta disertación aplicada analizó las competencias digitales de docentes universitarios en la implementación del modelo educativo híbrido en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico, enmarcada en el modelo TPACK y la teoría conectivista.

El estudio adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con diseño no experimental de corte transversal exploratorio, utilizando el cuestionario HybridEduCom para medir dichas competencias. La muestra estuvo conformada por 40 docentes de una IES privada en …

Increasing Reading Comprehension Of Middle School Students With Hearing Disabilities, Abbis Bivins

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the effectiveness of researcher-created training sessions for teachers designed to improve reading comprehension in class for students who are deaf or hard of hearing was examined. The training was focused on key instructional components, including morphology, syntax, vocabulary, phonology, explicit feedback, and activation of prior knowledge. Additionally, parent-focused strategies such as collaboration with professionals, reading routines, summarization, interactive reading, and the use of home language were taught. A qualitative research design was used to explore the perceptions for both teacher and parent groups following participation in six 1-hour training sessions.

Teachers’ findings indicated increased confidence, intentional instructional …

Manejo De Oportunidades En Tiempos De Crisis: Liderazgo Y Cambios En Una Organización -Estudio De Caso, Maria Valente

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para proporcionar informaciones relevantes sobre situaciones de crisis que amenazan la supervivencia de las organizaciones. Además, busca comprender los fenómenos que desarrollan las crisis y explorar los resultados significativos del liderazgo en tiempos de crisis.

Se empleó un diseño de investigación cualitativa. Los elementos descritos en esta investigación cualitativa evalúan el impacto de las situaciones de crisis, describiendo cada etapa y factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos que son responsables por la desestabilidad en la organización.

En este estudio se identificaron las prácticas de liderazgo y los proyectos estratégicos que permiten planificar oportunidades de cambio en el …

Implementing Effective Reading Strategies To Improve Reading Comprehension Among Minority Students, Mirlene Georges Moreau

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined teachers' perceptions of instructional strategies used to support reading comprehension among minority middle school students. The purpose of the quantitative, non-experimental correlational study was to examine relationships among teacher-reported instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, culturally responsive teaching practices, and perceived student reading comprehension outcomes. Because the study relied on survey perception data rather than direct achievement data or experimental intervention, findings were interpreted as associations rather than causal evidence. Data were collected through a researcher-developed survey administered to middle school English Language Arts, ESOL, and reading teachers. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) summarized demographics …

The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Skills Training In Enhancing Teachers’ Ability To Write Specific, Measurable, And Individualized Iep Goals Targeting Quality-Of-Life Skills, Emilia Endean

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation sought to assess the effectiveness of a behavior skills training (BST) protocol in improving teacher behaviors for writing high-quality individualized education plan (IEP) goals that target quality-of-life (QoL) domains. High-quality IEP goals that target both academic and functional repertoires are required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and are essential for students with disabilities to achieve meaningful outcomes. BST is an effective intervention for teaching a variety of skills. No prior research has explicitly examined the application of BST for teacher professional development in writing IEP goals.

This single-subject study used a time-lagged multiple probe …

Factores Determinantes Clave Para La Deserción Escolar En Jóvenes Adultos De 18 A 45 Años En Puerto Rico, Jan L. Martínez Delgado

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para evaluar los factores determinantes en la deserción escolar en jóvenes de 18 a 45 años en Puerto Rico. La deserción escolar en las escuelas puertorriqueñas es un problema continuo. Aunque el abandono escolar puede darse en escuela primaria o secundaria, mientras más temprano ocurra, mayores serán los problemas para el individuo. La pregunta de investigación que busca responderse es cuáles son las experiencias previas que influyeron en el abandono escolar en el área San Juan de Puerto Rico entre jóvenes adultos de 18 a 45 años. Con dicha pregunta planteada, el investigador desarrolló una …

Improving Middle School Students’ Scores On Math Word Problems Through Reading Comprehension, Diane M. Burgess

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to address the poor performance of middle school students on math word problems attributed to the lack of reading comprehension skills. A review of standardized math assessments for middle school students confirmed that the greater proportion of questions is made up of word problems. Despite having strong mathematical skills, middle school students are likely to fail to find the correct solutions for math word problems. In the middle school classroom, the development of reading comprehension skills and mathematical abilities are tasks required of different teachers. Math teachers at a middle school in Florida did not …

Teachers’ Experiences Implementing An Ai-Supported Reading Program In Kindergarten Through Grade 2: A Generic Qualitative Study, Janet Harrell

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was completed to explore kindergarten through grade 2 teachers’ experiences implementing an artificial intelligence (AI)-supported reading program during literacy instruction. Guided by a generic qualitative design, the study was designed to examine how teachers prepared to use the program, integrated it into daily literacy instruction, used AI-generated data to inform instructional decision-making, and experienced the instructional and contextual conditions that supported or hindered implementation. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 10 kindergarten through grade 2 teachers with experience using Amira Learning. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Four themes emerged from …