This dissertation aims to define the connection between one's perceptions of self and how one conceptualizes leadership. This study first conceptualized my own identity, seeking to connect my past experiences and interactions with others utilizing a term borrowed from Eastern philosophy, samskara, to see how they impact my current practice within…

The tumult of the early 21st century created a need for leaders who act responsibly in times of crises. Responsible leadership differs from other leadership styles in its attention to the engagement of diverse stakeholders and decisions that support the common good. In the growing field of responsible leadership studies, scholars call for more…

This work explores the complex cognitive processes students engage in when addressing contextual tasks requiring linear and exponential models. Grounded within Piagetian constructivism and the Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) epistemological perspective (diSessa, 1993, 2018), this empirical study in a clinical setting develops a Microgenetic Learning…

Sparse information exists on how elementary teachers might use reflective journaling as a tool for professional development (PD) to enhance their teaching methods. The problem is that even though elementary teachers have access to a variety of PD opportunities, these opportunities are often insufficient for meeting individual teachers' needs to…

The culminating experience of the student teaching internship provides the preservice teacher (PST) a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practice. It is a time to develop critical thinking skills, pedagogy and practical knowledge learned from their courses (Rhoads et al., 2013; Turvey & Hayler, 2017). A quality internship…

This study is focused on exploring ways to disrupt imbalanced power dynamics in educational settings, specifically elementary schools. It includes reflections of the researcher's journey and experiences as a teacher in District of Columbia public and charter schools and how those experiences shaped who she became when she entered school…

This arts-based narrative research was an inquiry into how embodied dialogic spaces can provide access to dance learning reflections by students after graduating from a pre-professional dance program (DanceWorks, Berlin, and Palucca University, Dresden, in Germany, and Duncan Center, Prague, in the Czech Republic). Dialogic spaces, a term used by…

Pennsylvania's implementation of the Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education (CR-SE) Program Framework Guidelines aimed at eliminating the barriers which prohibit student achievement. These competencies are required to be a part of the preservice teacher training as well as induction programs and continued professional development for…

This qualitative study investigates the development of coaching expertise within Division I college football, conceptualizing the coaching staff as Mission Critical Teams (MCTs) within a situated learning framework. Through phenomenological analysis of 27 semi-structured interviews with current and former Division I head football coaches, this…

This dissertation examines the transformative potential of reflective practice in student assessment and feedback, while also developing tools to gain a nuanced understanding of teacher feedback dispositions and practices. It outlines the development and refinement of three novel tools: the Reflective Classroom Assessment Protocol (ReCAP), the…

In this three-paper dissertation, I examine three seemingly unconnected historical philosophers--Locke, Cockburn, and Kant--on questions concerning moral knowledge, human nature, and moral development. In the first chapter, my focus is on Locke's peculiar claim that a demonstrative science of morality is possible, and I address an interpretive…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how undergraduate music therapy students perceive, describe, and make meaning from their pre-internship clinical experiences. Using a basic qualitative research approach and marrying arts-based methods with reflexive thematic analysis methods, the following research questions guided my…

Research has shown the importance of diversity representation in education both in PK12 and in higher education, but disability and neurodiversity have often been left out of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) conversations in higher education. Disabled and neurodivergent faculty members in higher education face barriers and stigma, and…

The purpose of this dissertation is to reflect on and make sense of my practice as a teacher educator. As a response to the growing field of self-study research in the field of teacher education, my study answers the following question: What is my lived experience as a White teacher educator? This research took place during the student teaching…

Research suggests discrepancies between principals of color and White principals in their motivations and reflections on racism and how it shapes their philosophies, practice, and persistence in leading schools in historically underserved urban communities. Several scholars have discussed the pivotal role of early racial identity experiences in…