Despite the widely recognized effectiveness of place-based education (PBE) by researchers in the science education community, there is a lack of resources and curriculum appropriate for the environment of urban schools. Unequal access to quality science curriculum materials is an ongoing issue facing urban schools in the United States. This basic…

The purpose of this study was to explore the need for an individualized curriculum within special education for students living with autism spectrum disorder. Previously conducted research disclosed a need for further research to understand the differentiation of curriculum for students living with autism spectrum disorder. The research question…

This study explores the development and implementation of a five-day curriculum designed to enhance students' understanding of algebraic concepts through the integration of educational robotics and growth mindset principles. The study is structured around three research questions that investigate influences on decision-making in curriculum design,…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how students develop cultural competency through participation in an experiential learning-embedded college course. Existing literature often addresses career readiness, student success, cultural competency, and faculty-student affairs collaboration as distinct areas of research. However,…

This dissertation served as a case study that examined the impact of a districtwide system of support drawn from existing literature and organizational structure and management. The identified framework, the Limelight County College and Career Readiness Intervention (LCRI) Framework, utilized the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle of improvement…

Colleges face growing pressures to maintain or enhance the quality of what they offer while being challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse range of students. Staff in higher education face the challenge of supporting students to feel they belong and are valued. The co-creation of teaching and learning is one model in which we may be…

A common educational assumption is that coherence is a pre-requisite for a "good" curriculum. Indeed, in mathematics education this perspective has persisted both nationally and internationally as a foundational principle for curriculum design, reform, and evaluation. While curricular coherence is often unquestioningly accepted as…

The purpose of this study was to investigate historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) athletic administrators' (i.e., Directors of Athletics, Senior Women Administrators, Commissioners) perceptions of curriculum development and design of a graduate (doctoral) level curriculum for athletic programs. Few studies were reported in the…

In higher education, significant efforts have been made to improve student success outcomes. In this dissertation, two important problems related to student academic success are considered. The curriculum plays a crucial role in shaping student success. Curricular complexity has been shown to be inversely related to the graduation rate of…

Education reform has been at the forefront of educational research for decades, depicted by government initiatives and policy, research, and pedagogical changes and recommendations. When considering elements of educational change, policy, best practices, and individual merit and retention have also been heavily in the spotlight, such as "A…

This study aimed to understand how and why social media and other online platforms are used as curricular resources by preservice teachers during their semester of student teaching. Furthermore, the study examined how preservice art teachers critically analyzed and transformed their approach to using online sources through the use of a curricular…

In this dissertation, I explore how researchers, teachers, and students can learn together across various contexts in K-12 computing education. These explorations are situated within the development and implementation of the Getting Unstuck curriculum, a set of educative curriculum materials (Davis et al., 2017) designed for upper elementary…

The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum recognizes approaches to learning skills (ATLS) as an integral part of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework. This vital element of learning is designed to be embedded in the program standards and practices of the inquiry-based IB curriculum. After an evaluation visit by the IB school visit…

Virtual schools have gained popularity by providing students with the flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere. The appeal of virtual education lies in its capacity to enhance student choices and improve the efficiency of public education (Molnar et al., 2019). Online learning, with its adaptable and personalized approach, proves more effective than…

The demand for virtual learning environments in K-12 educational systems has grown exponentially in the past twenty years. The need for model K-12 learning environments became evident when the Covid-19 global pandemic caused an unparalleled closure to in-person learning environments that sent traditional school settings on a tailspin trying to…