Purpose: This study investigates middle school students' learning experiences through digital storytelling, applying a multimodal analytical framework to uncover patterns in digital stories. This study explores how participants engage in pedagogical activities, reflect on their learning experiences, and articulate their voices through digital…

Research on trauma in education has primarily focused on the student experience while the prevalence and scope of educator trauma remains largely unexplored, especially through an identity-conscious lens. This study addresses the gap in our understanding of educator trauma through a national survey of United States educators. Results indicated…

Black girls' unique needs are often ignored in the educational system and left out of the literature, causing their voices to be unheard (Harrison, 2017). Their negative experiences in school can lead to frequent absences, gaps in education, and missed opportunities to pursue higher education. This increases the likelihood of Black girls dropping…

The Learning Team at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa received funding in 2014 to create and conduct a long-term outdoor learning experience for Hillsborough County, Florida, fifth-grade students. The program was designed with four parts to optimize students' experiences in their local watershed, including both classroom and field activities. This…

The aims of this qualitative study were (1) to understand the experiences of two middle school English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) teachers as they planned and implemented critical literacy into a unit in their existing curriculum and (2) to understand the experiences of students as they engaged in a curriculum embedded with critical…

This action research aimed to study the use the Gamification-Incentive-Feedback (GIF) Model in enhancing the classroom learning experience of Grade 9 students in a private school in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. The research used convenience sampling and used a combination of Likert scale pre-intervention and post-intervention survey questionnaires…

This dissertation explores how four critical teachers of color learn and develop through dialogue and reflection about their own educational and life histories as well as their work in ethnic studies classrooms. As K-12 schools in states like California integrate ethnic studies into their curricula, educators are looking to established ethnic…

Research has shown that ninth grade is uniquely important for student success, yet despite increased investments, leaders aren't always equipped to meet ninth graders' distinct needs. The transition from middle to high school is both critical and complex, as students encounter significant changes during this time, including taking on more advanced…

Teaching middle school students during adolescence can be challenging; moreover, students who have been impacted by trauma have additional needs and supports to succeed in school. According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2013), two-thirds of children in the United States indicated they had experienced a traumatic event before age…

Purpose: Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined factors of secondary early field experiences that preservice teachers consider significant and how these experiences impact them as educators. Method: Preservice teachers (N = 13) completed two 10-week early field experiences, one at each level--middle school and high school. Data…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring in the household or community that hold painful or distressing outcomes for children immediately and in their future (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). School counselors work with children and young adolescents suffering from negative mental health…

The study was conducted to understand teacher's experience of burnout and its course, in addition to how burnout is related to classroom factors and student experiences. I used a person-centered approach, which accounted for all three burnout dimensions (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low perceived accomplishment), to…

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Appalachian elementary and middle school teachers who have been identified as working in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) schools. This study used Lifeworld Theory to engage in discussion about the teachers' individual experiences in using PBIS in their classrooms in relation to…

Objectives: This study explores the experiences and coping strategies of secondary students as they engaged in learning activities during the pandemic. It investigated the sources of student stress during the pandemic, and the extent to which the pandemic influenced the stress that they usually experience. Method: Semi-structured interviews were…

Background: Fitness testing is frequently conducted in school-based physical education. However, researchers dispute if fitness testing should be discontinued or, when appropriately implemented, has value. In Singapore, the National Physical Fitness Award test develops students' knowledge and skills to assess, maintain, and improve their fitness…