The purpose of this study was to explore four elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs) learning outcomes based on "affective characteristics," "science knowledge," and "pedagogical content knowledge" during a science methods course that incorporated "explicit instruction on drawing-to-reason" about…

The increasing diversity in American public schools presents challenges to teachers and administrators. Current methods of reading instruction for English language learners (ELLs) have been ineffective to meet their needs in acquiring vocabulary. Meanwhile, the amount of time afforded ELLs to become proficient with grade-level vocabulary presents…

Undergraduate mathematics education research focused on Introduction to Proofs courses has gained traction as more students are experiencing challenges in their proof-based courses. While studies have analyzed the teaching and learning of proofs, there is a growing need for research in students' understanding of mathematical logic and set theory…

Teachers play a large role in determining whether or not the classroom climate experienced by students is positive, especially through their visible emotional behaviors (i.e., neutral, positive, and negative emotional expressions). Research suggests that teachers make specific contributions to the classroom emotional climate in actions such as…

Large class size as a growing phenomenon in developing countries is closely related to two reasons: initiatives to achieve universal education and rapid population growth (Bendow, Mizrachi, Oliver, & Said-Moshiro, 2007; Shehu & Tafida, 2016). Given the fact that the large class phenomenon cannot be eliminated within a reasonable amount of…

The purpose of this Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship Study was to analyze the perceptions of parents and teachers of reading supports and barriers on the affective development of gifted readers. The research questions that guided this study were: What do parents and teachers perceive as the most effective reading supports that promote the…

Sociocultural influences such as family, nation, and personal identity impact undergraduate students' approaches to history in the classroom. In the digital age, social media is an equally powerful force shaping students' perceptions and understandings of history. Social media frames students' reactions to historical content, guides what they pay…

Moving beyond purposes for reading as fixed outcomes, this dissertation project explores the possibilities of affect theory for decentering or weakening those purposes so they might be seen as one element among many interacting in the classroom space. Because these purposes become the expected outcomes of reading with youth in secondary English…

Latinx students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE; ages 18-20), not enrolled in school, often do not fully employ mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) strategies to acquire English and may experience barriers to using MALL strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore what MALL strategies Latinx SLIFE (ages 18-20), not…

Affect is a domain of psychology that includes attitudes, emotions, interests, and values. My own affect influenced the choice of topics for my dissertation. After examining asteroid interiors and the Moon's thermal evolution, I discuss the role of affect in online science education. I begin with asteroids, which are collections of smaller objects…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship each of the mathematics web-based programs, MyMathLab and Assessments and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), has with students' mathematics achievement. In addition, the study examined the relationship between students' affective domain and the type of program as well as student…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are becoming a promising solution for delivering high-quality education on a large scale at low cost in recent years. Despite the great potential, today's MOOCs also suffer from challenges such as low student engagement, lack of personalization, and most importantly, lack of direct, immediate feedback channels…

Self-efficacy, gender, and motivation are subjective predictors of students' academic achievement. Self-assessment prompted by knowledge surveys involves metacognition, i.e., students' awareness of how they learn. Knowledge surveys can be used to measure changes in students' achievement level and to assist students in content review and inspire…

The purpose of this case study was to compare the pedagogical and affective efficiency and efficacy of creative prose fiction writing workshops taught via asynchronous computer-mediated online distance education with creative prose fiction writing workshops taught face-to-face in order to better understand their operational pedagogy and…

The focus of this research was on the affective learning experienced at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center--a museum that tells the history of slavery in the United States, the courage, cooperation, and perseverance enacted by many who overcame the challenges and consequences of the unfreedoms once practiced in America. Such a study…