This qualitative case study explored the pivotal role of staff development teachers (SDTs) as instructional leaders and their impact on teacher professional growth within elementary schools. While ample research has illuminated the essential components of effective professional development, there remains a gap in understanding the intricate…

This dissertation explores the dynamics of a formal classroom and an informal nature-based learning environment, focusing on their impact on student subjectification and knowledge authority. The study, conducted with a cohort of 27 fifth-grade students and their teacher, employs a comparative case study methodology to analyze how teaching…

The problem addressed by this study was that educators struggle with knowing which authentic literacy instructional practices and strategies were effective for improving student engagement and achievement levels in the middle grades. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to examine the instructional strategies related…

Effective collaboration and the development of collective efficacy are understood to have considerable influence on students' learning, with research showing that the presence of collective efficacy among educators is the strategy with the most potential to positively affect student achievement. Yet this strategy is rarely found implemented in…

The role of the chief diversity officer is relatively new in Catholic higher education (and in higher education more broadly). As more Catholic colleges and universities begin to add the role to senior leadership teams, there is a need to better understand the position in Catholic higher education. This multiple case study sought to understand the…

Low performing schools remain an issue within Louisiana. The problem addressed by this study was low student performance in underperforming schools due to lack of understanding in pedagogy by teachers. The use of master teachers as instructional coaches is one way this school district sought to improve student achievement. The purpose of this…

The importance of spirituality in the lives and identities of LGBTQ students is sufficiently documented in extant scholarship to encourage campus leaders to consider spiritual support in their efforts to improve campus climate (Birch, 2011; Gold & Stewart, 2011; Love et al., 2005; Means et al., 2016; Pryor et al., 2017), but there is minimal…

In 2020, higher education face-to-face classrooms suddenly came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and institutions transitioned traditional face-to-face courses to an online learning environment to maintain student enrollment and the continuation of education. Classroom instructors now faced the challenge of this transition and had to learn…

In response to globalization, many higher education institutions have focused on internationalization, which has been shaped by various rationales and manifests through various activities. The variation and complexity of the internationalization process, and associated benefits and challenges, make this topic important to understand at the…

School Resource Officers (SRO) are a vital part of any school district and school building. This research project aims to understand how SROs construct their identity in a school building. How do SRO go about in creating their role with all stakeholders of the school community through the frame of Role Identity Theory. A single case study was used…

How do literacy coaches function as policy actors? Using a case study of literacy coaches in a small, rural South Carolina school district, this dissertation explored the ways coaches act as policy actors, the policies coaches create, and how they institutionalize policy. This study focused on literacy coaches as policy actors. The South Carolina…

Student success is inextricably linked with the assessment of student learning, and the literature cites the need for faculty engagement in the assessment process. However, many issues related to the assessment process may be considered demotivators by faculty. The purpose of this study is to examine whether faculty motivation to participate in…

The international branch campus (IBC) plays a unique and important role in the globalization efforts of higher education institutions. Prior research identified and explored the challenges, motivations, and strategies exclusive to the IBC structure; however, there is limited research available regarding the experiences of administrators who…

Project-based (PBL) learning has been found to improve student achievement, engagement, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills; however, it is not widely implemented in K-12 schools in the United States. Prior research has established several barriers and challenges to implementing PBL in K-12 schools including challenges related to teacher…

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to develop an activity to address paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH), a sequela of traumatic and acquired brain injury (TBI/ABI), and evaluate pre-/post-activity knowledge and comfort levels. Participants were also asked to approximate intent to change future practice and…