America's fire departments are busier than ever, responding to both emergency and non-emergency calls that have dramatically increased over the last several decades (National Fire Protection Association [NFPA], 2021b). This dissertation in practice analyzed the on-duty training model of a mid-sized fire department in the northwestern United…

Implementing ambitious teaching practices is a student-led teaching style that emphasizes being student-centered instead of a teacher-centered teaching approach. This qualitative descriptive study looks at how special education teachers describe their use of authentic activities, social context, and classroom culture in the implementation of…

In the context of a first-year composition course at an HBCU, I explored the potential of Open Educational Resources (OER) and OER-Enabled Pedagogy (OEP) to better understand how the resources and the pedagogical practices surrounding their use might innovate teaching and learning. In this study conducted with 14 participants from online, hybrid,…

This dissertation explores the experiences of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. ABE/ESL learners are a unique but integral population within the language learning community and are largely excluded from the scholarly discourse. Research in the context of language learning and instruction…

Even with significant resources and professional development committed to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, some elementary teachers do not feel prepared to integrate multidisciplinary content or implement project-based learning (PBL). Further research is needed for school leaders to shift traditional education…

This study explored the concept of phygital within enrollment management, examining its transformative impact on the student journey. Phygital, a blend of physical and digital experiences, serves as a focal point of this research in addressing a notable gap in existing literature. This research involved a two-phase exploratory qualitative study…

Decades of research indicate that formative assessment promotes achievement (Black & Wiliam, 1998a; Hattie & Timperley, 2007) and that we must learn more about how to implement formative assessment effectively in higher education settings (Bennett, 2011; Kingston & Nash, 2011; Morris et al., 2021) where most instructors deliver…

Multimodality is a growing pedagogical strategy for both in-person and online instruction that arose from instructional practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative case study explored how faculty in two undergraduate postsecondary classrooms leveraged their multimodal literacies to provide learning opportunities across both…

This exploratory study, in which the participants portrayed a critical role, aimed to discover the perceptions of professional development in changing educator practice at the secondary level with middle school teachers in an urban school district. The data collection process included semi-structured interviews with nine secondary teachers via…

This study explored the strategies used by university instructors to motivate students and how they perceive their effectiveness in in-person and online modalities. Educators in higher education must understand instructors' strategies for motivating students in in-person or online classrooms, as student motivation is associated with students'…

The nationwide decline in mathematics achievement has prompted curriculum leaders to search for a research-based framework with proven results. Implementing John Hattie's Visible Learning practices in a school district in upstate South Carolina significantly improved overall mastery of mathematics. This approach empowered teachers and students,…

Enhancing Upskilling Strategies in the Workplace looks at the financial services industry and how the employee workforce is provided with tools and resources to address personal and professional needs ensuring business continuity. In the research, Manuel Kortright explores educational practices, personality and learning needs, learners'…

This dissertation addressed the issue of reduced transfer of training at a southeastern community college, specifically regarding the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies in online courses. Faculty at the college were required to complete a 45-hour training series on UDL, but evidence suggested that the training was not…

The current study examined teachers' perceptions of online and blended professional development and their implementation of acquired learning in the classroom. Interviews with K-12 teachers from across the United States revealed key themes and implications for professional development practices. Collaboration emerged as a crucial element, with…

Professional training for language instructors needs to be more accessible and high-leverage in order to meet the growing demand for proficient users of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese languages. More specifically, teachers of these languages need exposure to effective teaching methods designed to meet the language-specific needs required to help…