Project based learning (PBL), a well-known pedagogical approach, is becoming more widely recognized for creating and sustaining student engagement and motivation in 21st-century learning while improving academic achievement. Teachers support this hands-on, collaborative approach and see it as beneficial for students of all learning modalities, but…

Problem based learning is a teaching methodology that utilizes patient scenarios to facilitate student learning that may improve clinical reasoning. While problem based learning has been adopted in many medical schools, the transition to other health profession schools, including physical therapy schools, has been slow and often criticized. The…

This doctoral project explores the relationship between Catholic school culture and teacher burnout within the context of Catholic secondary schools in the state of Texas. While the subject of teacher burnout has gotten considerable attention in educational research, there is very little research on the specific relationship between school culture…

Meeting standardized test benchmarks is a challenge for elementary school students in Texas. The problem is that some elementary schools do not meet the performance standards of the fourth-grade STAAR state test average. Problem-based learning is a model used in schools to initiate problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach to real-world…

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) often handle chaotic life-and-death situations that require higher-order thinking skills. Improving the pass rate of EMT students depends on many factors, including the use of proven and effective teaching methods. Results from recent research about effective teaching have suggested that the instructional…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a 2-year professional development model in math and science on the self-efficacy of the teacher and its effects on teacher practice and student outcomes. Further, this study sought to incorporate the instructional use of Inquiry-Based Learning methods of Problem-Based Learning, Japanese…