In the wake of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing public attention has been paid to the ability of citizens to use and understand news media, information, and digital technology. Conversations about media literacy--the ability to critically engage with media--are ongoing in the press, schools, and…

In response to Tennessee's decades-long stagnant reading achievement levels, the Tennessee Literacy Success Act (TLSA) was enacted to ensure all Tennessee children will learn to read using a foundational literacy skills approach. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the TLSA legislation and its impact on educator preparation…

In response to Tennessee's decades-long stagnant reading achievement levels, the Tennessee Literacy Success Act (TLSA) was enacted to ensure all Tennessee children will learn to read using a foundational literacy skills approach. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the TLSA legislation and its impact on educator preparation…

The roles and responsibilities of colleges and universities vary globally but a common objective remains to prepare students for life after graduation. Institutions of higher education emphasize career readiness within their students' chosen fields of study. Digital literacy has become an important part of this employability in a time defined by…

The current global trends demand that we remain conscious of how distinct norms in groups we affiliate with affect decisions. Among developmental aspects, childhood language acquisition depends heavily on epigenetic interactions between the innate and the immediate environment (Sinha, 2017). This explanatory sequential mixed methods study explored…

This qualitative narrative inquiry research study used the conceptual framework of adult learning theory and Learning Forward's 11 Standards for Professional Learning to examine the impact of job-embedded coaching professional learning practices for increasing educators' digital literacy skills, as well as how the transfer of these skills and…

The aim of this mixed methods study was to examine how restorative practices might be explored by teachers in the context of self-designed and embedded integrated STEM and literacy professional learning to promote utilization of these practices as tools for orchestrating and nurturing strong and equitable learning communities within their…

This study addressed a deficiency in the agricultural literacy of the U.S. population by focusing on the challenges that core subject teachers face when integrating agriculture into their curriculum. Using a phenomenological research approach, this investigation explored the lived experiences of Louisiana teachers who piloted a 4-H STEM…

Educators of graduate cybersecurity education lack decision methodologies to aid in selecting and prioritizing cybersecurity criteria and tools to provide hands-on learning in cyber courses. Educators are challenged with keeping the cybersecurity tools in the education curriculum relevant and updated. The risk of not doing so, is possibly…

In response to factors in the landscape of the American education system (i.e. growing diversity of the K-12 student population, lack of diversity in the K-12 teacher workforce, current events highlighting racial and socioeconomic inequities, and a growing understanding of the opportunity gap), university teacher educators (TEs) have worked to…

Elementary teachers can help students develop a critical literacy lens and learn how to question, analyze, and challenge assumptions. In turn, this can develop an inclusive classroom. My teacher action research looks at how critical literacy impacts both me, the teacher, and my fifth-grade students, in a predominantly White suburban public school…

This study examines best practices for secondary literacy intervention and instruction. It also exemplifies the ability of Arts Based Educational Research to give voice to struggling and striving high school readers. This dissertation encompasses three time horizons. The first was the crafting of a 'non-fiction fiction ' play (Goldenstein, 2013;…

This qualitative case study conducted under the informed exploration phase of design-based research explored the design process of an online teacher professional development (OTPD) prototype course for Korean language teachers to adopt a multiliteracies-based pedagogy in the K-12 context. This study is a response to the lack of research on…

The purpose of this action research was to explore the information and communication technology (ICT) literacy skills of first-year minority students at Saint Augustine's University in order to develop a plan for an ICT professional development program. ICT skills are essential in our rapidly-changing and technology-driven society. While there is…

This dissertation is a component of a larger group project that examines the concept of legal literacy within the educational system. Research over the last fifty years has demonstrated concern that educators have gaps in their legal knowledge in many areas, including church-state relations, student record-keeping practices, discipline, rights of…