Bleeding Out From The Redlining: An Autoethnographic Study Of Racial Equity Policy Enactment In A Large, Urban School District., Anderson Aven Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study investigates the enactment and impact of racial equity policies within Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), a large urban school district in Louisville, Kentucky. The research is motivated by the ongoing challenges of achieving true educational equity for Black and Brown students, a struggle rooted in historical injustices such as redlining. Despite over seven years of policy implementation aimed at promoting racial equity, academic and behavioral disparities between Black and Brown students and their White counterparts have shown little improvement. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, this study employs autoethnography to intertwine personal narrative with scholarly analysis, exploring the lived …

Burning The Wick At Both Ends: A Three Paper Investigation Of Burnout And Educators, Karla P. Miner

All Dissertations

Researchers in the late 20th century identified the impact of burnout on organizational and individual success. The urgency to address burnout in education has intensified following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher burnout, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of inadequacy, has been a commonly discussed topic among educators internationally following the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies highlight the alarming rates of burnout among educators, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to support well-being and mitigate educator attrition. This collection of papers addresses three primary aspects of burnout and practice: a literature review of individual and organizational practice, a …

Collaboration In Action: An Exploration Of Collaborative Practice-Based Learning In Perservice Teacher Coursework, Logan W. Qualls

All Dissertations

New teachers report not feeling prepared to effectively collaborate with other professionals and families; however, collaboration is a large component of their day-to-day work. Thus, there is a need for teacher preparation programs to incorporate instructional methods that provide preservice teachers with opportunities to not only learn about the concept of collaboration but also to put those skills into place prior to entering the classroom. One possible answer to this need is to incorporate practice-based learning. Practice-based learning has been shown to effectively increase skill implementation for instructional and behavior management strategies; however, there is a lack of research regarding …

White Secondary Social Studies Pre-Service And First Year Teachers’ Emotions Surrounding Topics Of Race In Light Of Current Censorship Laws, Noble M. Edmisten

All Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the varied emotions of white, pre-service and first year secondary social studies teachers when facing the possibility of teaching topics of race, especially in the current “anti-CRT” political climate. Using Critical Race Theory and Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotion as a guiding framework, this exploratory, multiple case study employed a variety of qualitative data collection methods and analysis practices. The cross-case analysis, using Constant Comparative Analysis, identified six common themes across the individual cases. The findings revealed that white pre-service and first year secondary social studies teachers believed race was impacting every area of life, they …

Teacher Efficacy In Reading Intervention: The Role Of Coaching And Professional Development In Foundational Literacy, Susan S. Chapman

All Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice utilized improvement science methods to increase teacher self-efficacy in foundational reading practices and to address the oral reading fluency (ORF) challenges of elementary students who consistently score below proficiency. Rooted in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and the Active View of Reading, the study aimed to build teacher confidence in delivering foundational reading instruction while improving student ORF rates. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was implemented with second-grade teachers and targeted the following aim: increase ORF by 12 words correct per minute (wcpm) for students receiving Tier 3 intervention over an eight-week cycle. Coaching, using the student-centered coaching …

Are They Ready? Impacting Kindergarten Readiness Through The Science Of Reading, Traci T. Boyles

All Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate how Science of Reading (SOR) professional development for preschool teachers, implemented through collaborative teaching and assessment cycles, influences the kindergarten readiness of preschool students.

Students from impoverished families start kindergarten at a considerable disadvantage regarding literacy. Literacy-focused curricula and professional development for teachers strongly affect reading outcomes. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) provides a systemic framework for data-based problem solving and decision-making. The MTSS framework aligns literacy interventions with tiered supports to ensure all students receive the assistance they need to achieve reading proficiency.

The South Carolina Child Early Reading Development …

A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Of The Social Studies Academy In South Carolina Middle Schools, Audie Cherry

All Dissertations

There is a global labor shortage in the agricultural industry and middle school is a critical time to get students serious about career decision making. The Studies of Occupations, Culture, and Innovations toward Agricultural Literacy (SOCIAL) Studies Academy is a high impact professional development program in South Carolina that provides experiences and for middle school social studies teachers (N = 12) to become more suited to teach their standards associated with the agricultural sciences with hopes of encouraging more students to pursue agricultural careers. This study was a mixed-methods convergent parallel design that examined 1) Academy Fellows (n = 4) …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Support Needs Of Community College Faculty, Ramona C. Shelton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of community college faculty members in Tennessee regarding the supports they feel they need to be successful academicians both inside and outside of the classroom. Thirteen faculty members participated in the study, representing the 4 faculty ranking categories at the institution: adjunct/part-time, new full-time, junior/untenured, and senior/tenured. Interviews were semi-structured to allow the participants the opportunity to share their honest experiences on what support needs they have, how those needs have been met, and what support areas they expect to emerge in the future. Four academic administrators also participated in the study in …

Connecting The Dots: Teacher Self-Efficacy, Student-Teacher Relationships, And Behavior Management In Early Childhood, Courtney Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study was designed to explore the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, student-teacher relationships, and use of behavior management strategies in early childhood education. Previous research suggests that effective early childhood education improves a child’s academic and social outcomes. This study sought to explore factors contributing to teacher effectiveness in preschool teachers. The hypotheses were that (1) teacher self-efficacy will directly affect student teacher relationships, (2) that studentteacher relationships will directly affect teacher’s frequency, confidence, and success of their behavior management strategies, and (3) that student-teacher relationships will act as a mediating variable between teacher self-efficacy and the frequency, confidence, and …

Impact Flc Report Spring 2025: A Report By The Impact Evaluation Team, Evaluation And Learning Research Center, Impact Evaluation Team

IMPACT Reports

This is the 2025 Spring report of Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT) Week. IMPACT was created in 2010, and is a large collaborative initiative on the Purdue West Lafayette campus involving multiple key partners across campus including the Office of the Provost, Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE), Purdue Online (PO), Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies (Libraries), the Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC), and Institutional Data Analytics and Assessment (IDA+A). IMPACT works with instructors to redesign large enrollment, foundational courses with the aim of engaging students more fully in their learning and creating a more student-centered …

Examining The Development Of Collective Classroom Efficacy At The Secondary Level, Bradley K. Dutson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

How can educators develop cohesive and productive learning communities at the secondary level? Prior research has investigated how classrooms develop collective classroom efficacy (CCE) or the shared belief that, as a classroom, they can achieve their learning goals together as a community. Previous studies suggest that CCE at the elementary level is developed with a teacher acting in the role of a community organizer. The teacher employs social and academic practices which incorporate the use of relevance, relationship, and responsibility. These help to establish four key elements of developing CCE which include: 1) a positive classroom environment, (2) persistence and …

Conceptions Of Climate Change Skepticism: A Phenomenographic Investigation On Perspectives From Climate Scientists And Climate Activists, Candace L. Penrod

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study addresses how climate change denial is understood by climate scientists and climate activists. This research also investigates what communication strategies addressing climate change denial are used by climate scientists and climate activists. Phenomenography was selected as a methodology to address the qualitative and quantitative aspects of this inquiry. Pre-recorded data from interviews with six climate scientists and six climate activists living in the Intermountain West were used as the data source. Interview transcripts were read, marked, and coded to identify how climate scientists and climate activists understood climate change denial. Five conceptions of climate change skepticism were identified …

Using Disposition-Based Tools To Identify Highly Effective Teachers For School Hiring, Matthew W. Dias

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A principal can impact student learning by hiring great teachers, but identifying great teachers is difficult. The goal of this study was to determine whether using a survey of teacher dispositions would be a useful tool to find effective teachers, in other words, teachers who help students grow academically at high rates. The study included a survey of teachers and a review of their students' academic performance on a reading assessment to see whether there was a correlation between self-reported surveys and student results.

Authentic Digital Writing Parameters In College Composition: Design, Implementation, And Assessment Of A Culture Jam, Mary Ellen Greenwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As technology reshapes communication, college classrooms must adapt to prepare students for writing in a quickly changing world. This dissertation investigates how authentic writing—writing that feels meaningful, relevant, and tied to real-world purposes—can enhance student motivation, confidence, and writing skills in college composition courses.

The study introduces a multimodal assignment called a Culture Jam, where five participants critiqued and remixed media messages, such as advertisements or social media posts, to create their own critical digital compositions. Over three weeks, participants created their Culture Jams, shared feedback with peers, and reflected on their experiences. This project focused on five key elements …

Infographic: Digital Technology Use In Schools, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A new report presents 2025 survey data from 104 senior staff in Australian schools about their school’s use of digital technology. The findings show that most schools are using AI tools and that the use of other digital technology has changed since 2023.

The Impact Of A Multilingual Learner Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Student Perceptions Of Teacher Support, Mark A. Bryan

Dissertations

The population of multilingual learners is struggling to adapt to mainstream classes because the educational system has failed to support them on the same level as native English speakers. The gap in achievement and lack of teacher preparation demonstrates a clear need to support teachers who educate them. This study, a nonequivalent (pretest and posttest) control-group design combined with a cross-sectional survey design, addressed the effectiveness of a professional development series focused on best practices for teaching secondary math to multilingual learners. The professional development intervention consisted of one 45-minute initial session followed by twelve 15-minute mini lessons throughout the …

Digital Media In Teaching & Learning Reading Comprehension: The View Of The Efl Pre-Service Teachers In An Indonesian Higher Education, Mistang Mistang, Ruslin Ruslin, Zul Aini Rengur, Hijrah Syam, Siti Wirana

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed the dynamics of reading comprehension instruction, particularly in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. This study aims to explore the perspectives of EFL pre-service teachers regarding the teaching and learning of reading comprehension in digital-based learning environments. Additionally, the research seeks to understand the challenges these preservice teachers face in teaching reading skills and to investigate the effectiveness of current digital media in enhancing EFL pre-service teachers’ reading comprehension abilities. Employing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected through online questionnaires distributed to 26 respondents, while qualitative data …

Carrying Light In The Shadows: Four Portraits Of Critical Literacy Teacher Agency In Unlikely Contexts, Cassandra Schroeder

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study utilizes portraiture methodology to explore how educators in politically conservative and predominantly White schools enact critical literacy teacher agency. Using a theoretical lens of critical literacy and second-wave Whiteness studies, this research examines the lived experiences and instructional moves of four veteran English/language arts teachers. Through cross-case analysis, the study traces how teacher agency is contextually responsive and dependent on their professional identity, awareness of sociopolitical issues, and traditional school curricular expectations. The findings highlight how educators assess risk, navigate community norms, and maintain critical literacy through dialogic pedagogy and strategic adaptation. The four teachers in the …

How Are Teachers Leading Now? From Access To Activism: An Introduction To The Special Issue, Kaavonia Hinton, Jori S. Beck

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In this introduction to a special issue on teacher leadership (TL), the editors argue that recent attacks against antiracist teaching have influenced TL. Thus, we offer an overview of several issues these collected authors explore related to TL, including access to TL for teachers of color; advancing equity through leadership teams; self-care for teacher advocates; and TL as advocacy, activism, and antiracist work.

Student Supports For Achieving College And Career Readiness, Edward C. Fletcher Jr., Turhan K. Carroll, Bo Hyun Lee, Carrie Burggraf

Journal of College Access

School community members help to foster students’ college-going mindsets by creating and facilitating a college-going culture within the school. Based on our findings of a school district composed of a majority ethnically and racially diverse student body, we found the district to be successful in promoting social capital by way of a school stakeholder community. The school stakeholders leveraged social capital to promote a college and career going culture within the context of career pathway programs. This culture promoted a sense of belonging where students felt supported in achieving their goals of being college and career ready. Most notably, the …

Examining How Self-Regulated Learning Professional Development Affects Teacher Srl Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices, Stephanie Greenquist-Marlett

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies promote valuable student learning outcomes including academic achievement and lifelong learning (EU Council, 2002). Teachers have an opportunity to cultivate student SRL development within their classrooms (Azevedo et al., 2008). While teachers believe in the benefits associated with SRL promotion (Spruce & Bol, 2014), their positive attitudes are not often supported by adequate knowledge of SRL strategies. This leads to a lack of self-efficacy for developing SRL instruction in classrooms (Dignath & Büttner, 2018; Zimmerman et al., 1996). SRL-based professional development (PD) interventions have demonstrated their effectiveness for increasing teacher SRL instruction and implementation (Cleary et …

Should College Students Be Inventors? A Case Study Of A Mathematics Professor In India, Praveen Chhikara, Rochelle Gutiérrez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This qualitative case study attempts to understand instructional roles and goals that a mathematics professor in India sets and envisions for engaging students around abstract mathematical concepts. We generated the data with the professor while he participated in professional development program sessions we provided on the active role of students in learning mathematics. Guided by two theoretical lenses of Realistic Mathematics Education and Rehumanizing Mathematics, our data analysis identified three main themes through the teaching practices that he employs or conceives: (1) Supporting students to avoid faulty foundations by developing proofs, (2) Offering opportunities for exploration by giving appropriate guidance, …

Graphical Timetables As A Real-Life Example Of Different Representations Of Functions, Olav G. Imenes

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This paper examines 203 pre-service teachers' reactions and learning when they were introduced to a real-life situation in which it is natural to publish officially both graphs and tables of a given function: the situation of operating a railway. I found that almost all the pre-service teachers managed the easiest tasks, like calculating speeds, distances, and time for train represented by graphs. However, the more complicated tasks, which required interpretations of the graphs and tables, such as planning for a delayed train, finding which trains were locals, freight trains etc., were more difficult for them to grasp. There were few …

Training To Teach: Creating Inclusive Learning Environments, Rebecca Anne Rose

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

Inclusion is often discussed as a policy imperative, but its true impact is realised only through daily classroom practice. As student teachers, we argue that inclusion should move beyond compliance to become a mindset and a lived commitment. Our experiences reveal that policy and practice are not always as intertwined as we hope. As future educators, we aspire for inclusion to require ongoing self-reflection, courage, and compassion, ensuring every student is seen, valued, and empowered to succeed. We believe policy must genuinely support and reflect this commitment, making inclusion not just a requirement, but a fundamental part of educational culture …

One Story, Jo Hawkes

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This paper, originating from the ‘Power of Us!’ conference held in June 2025, reflects on the session titled One Story, which considered how stories can help us to learn about others. The paper offers an insight into the session, sharing reflections from the discussions and calling for a renewed attention to how we teach with literature and how we help children find a love of reading.

Foreword To The Special Issue: The Power Of Us Conference, Christopher Lore, Harriet Dismore

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This introduction to the special issue of the Plymouth Institute of Education Open Journal summarises the thinking behind the organisation of the Power of Us Conference held at the University of Plymouth on May 1st, 2025. The theme of the conference was creating more inclusive schools and communities through fostering dialogue between all participants in inclusive spaces: students, families, local authorities, community organisations, leaders, and numerous others. This conference can form a model for creating other inclusive spaces for sharing best practice and enabling as many voices as possible to be heard.

Editorial - Conference Proceedings And Reflections, Alicja Syska, Claudia Blandon, Katherine Gulliver, James Tarling, Jo Hawkes

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This editorial introduces a special issue that documents 'The Power of Us' conference on inclusive education (1 May 2025, Spaghetti Bridge and University of Plymouth) through an innovative format that captures a wide spectrum of scholarly exchange. Rather than presenting traditional abstracts and formal papers, these proceedings privilege the voices and experiences that emerged in real time -audience reflections, presenter insights, and the emotional and intellectual responses that shaped the day's conversations. The editorial outlines the rationale for this approach, positioning it as a more complete representation of how knowledge about inclusive education is co-created through dialogue between diverse stakeholders. …

Social Justice & Advocacy In Human Services, Cailyn F. Green, Bernadet Dejonge, Nikki Golden, Kim Brayton, Carrie Steinman, Shannon Raybold

Milne Open Textbooks

Read this book online at: https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/social-justice-in-human-services/

Social Justice & Advocacy in Human Services delves into the complex realm of social justice, offering a deep dive into historical roots and theories to practical applications in the field. This text covers fundamental concepts, including power, privilege, and oppression, and explores critical issues like racism, gender, sexuality, poverty, religion, and disability in the context of the United States. The last section of the book hones in on the field of human services, discussing power, privilege, and bias in this context, and lastly exploring equitable distribution, human rights, and the systems and entry points …

Review Of Teaching Primary Source Research Skills To 21st-Century Learners, Alexandra Y. Bush

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

In Teaching Primary Source Research Skills to 21st-Century Learners, Julie Thomas offers guidance and encouragement to instructors of primary source research skills. Largely without sacrificing detail or quality of analysis, Thomas provides information on existing resources, required literacies and competencies, pedagogical theory, and advice on programmatic sustainability that are accessible to readers at a wide range of professional levels. Drawing on benchmarks and taxonomies across disciplines, this book outlines the components and considerations needed to sustain a primary source research skills teaching program. The text offers an accessible and extensible method of deepening one’s understanding of the field while …

The Evolution Of Schooling: From Industrial Obedience To Techno-Autonomy, Seb Taylor, Ron Roberts Ii

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This paper examines the enduring architecture of the American education system as a mechanism designed for compliance, not creativity. Rooted in 19th-century industrial logic, the structure of schooling, its physical design, time constraints, and assessment methods, has remained largely static despite seismic cultural and technological shifts. Through historical analysis and contemporary critique, this work interrogates the persistence of standardized methods, institutional prestige, and top-down instruction as barriers to meaningful learning and value creation. Drawing from interdisciplinary research and live case studies, including Alpha School’s AI-powered, mastery-based model, the paper advances the concept of techno-education: a student-centered paradigm informed by feedback …