Research into second language acquisition (SLA) has shown that individual difference (ID) variables can be strong predictors of language achievement (e.g., Dornyei, 2003; Skehan, 2003). Traditionally, this research conceptualized ID variables as static and monolithic variables (e.g., Dornyei, 2010). More recently scholars have questioned this…

Teacher empathy is important for students and teachers. However, this complicated construct has varying, non-linear consequences. For instance, teacher empathy can improve grades (Gehlbach et al., 2022), reduce school-based discipline (Okonofua et al., 2016) improve teacher interpersonal decision making (Aldrup et al., 2022), but also increase…

Previous literature has shown that voicing contrast is a difficult feature for Chinese-English emergent bilingual learners of L3 Spanish (Bravo Diaz, 2020; Chen, 2007; Zhang, 2022). The production of voicing contrast in stops has been broadly investigated in second and third language studies (e.g., Zampini, 1998; Llama, 2010; Wrembel, 2014), but…

Systems thinking is the ability to see the big picture and the related elements when designing, and how these relationships form the big picture. In engineering design, systems thinking is valuable to both industry, as well as engineering education. As such, it creates opportunities for researchers to better understand systems thinking of both…

The success of school communities and their stakeholders is determined by the leadership at the helm of the organization, as the arc of decision-making lies within their hands. Therefore, an analysis of principals' decision-making processes and their potential impact is of great significance. In the realm of decision-making, "systems thinking…

Preschool special education students' lack of personal-social skills is affecting their kindergarten readiness and placing them at risk for exposure to school discipline in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the quality of school discipline…

Research conducted by Tech Pro (2014) indicated that the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept is gaining momentum with 74% of organizations already having some BYOD program or planning to implement one. While BYOD offers several benefits, it also presents challenges that concern information technology leaders and information security managers.…

This dissertation conducted a science classroom intervention using two instructional approaches, computational modeling and paper-based pictorial modeling, in the context of food webs. A series of research papers were written on the impact of the intervention on students' attitudes and learning, and on teachers via professional development and…

Leadership in information technology (IT) firms remains a topic for study. Understanding how IT professionals react to leadership styles creates an opportunity for IT leaders to better lead by matching expectation to leadership style. Previous research has linked transformation leadership to the learning organization in the pharmaceutical sector,…

Six hundred fifty-seven (657) members of the American School Counseling Association responded to the researcher-developed survey, the "School Counselors Perceptions of Family Systems Perspectives Questionnaire" (SCP-FSPQ). The instrument assessed school counselors' perceptions of preparedness, competency, importance and frequency of…

How prepared are central office administrators to lead school districts in the face of changing standards and changing student populations? The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the responses of central office administrators in the top 5% performing school districts in Washington State with the goal of identifying common attitudes…