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…

Young learners were observed in a summer literacy program at a southern university in order to identify and understand literacy entanglements and how they contributed to the way children developed literacy. Data collection consisted of observations, researcher journals with extensive field notes, and a collection of artifacts relating to…

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'…

The world of work is changing, and soft skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and collaboration are essential for professional and personal success. With the increase in online enrollment, institutions can improve online learning to promote the development of soft skills. There has been a lack of articulated methods or…

This qualitative study takes a phenomenograpichal interest in the experiences of students in a school district that responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by using digital tools for instruction and to support a culturally relevant learning experience. Previous research focuses on teacher beliefs and the benefits of multiliteracies as they intersect…

Many post-secondary institutions make significant use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) to evaluate teacher effectiveness and students' perceptions of their learning experiences in the course. However, it is unclear how teachers use SETs to inform their professional practice. Hence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to…

The need for quality science education has long been established, but despite reform after reform, it remains a current concern. What we know as good teaching is not happening, perhaps because there is an increase in science teachers using alternative certification programs to enter the field. This lack of formal training causes teachers to have a…

There are systematic barriers to educational equity in the U.S. higher education system, and the system overwhelmingly fails Latinx undergraduates more often than other students. It is crucial that evidence-based methods be used to reduce the existing postsecondary student success inequities. Scholars have linked specific educational practices to…

Professional learning for teachers requires an immense amount of time and resources, but it often shows varying efficacy in terms of shifting teacher practice or impacting student growth. Studies have identified the characteristics that lead to more impactful professional learning experiences. In Cycle 1 research, this study began by asking…

Many school districts in New Jersey similar to Troy School District are experiencing an increase in English language learners (ELLs). More and more, these ELLs are being taught in general education classrooms alongside their general education peers. As a result, collaboration between general education and English as a Second Language (ESL)…

In the light of research suggestions, teachers have been tasked to empower students to experience mathematics as a dynamic process of exploration (Boaler & Greeno, 2000; Langer-Osuna, 2017; Romberg, 1994), rather than recalling a static body of knowledge. This task demand teachers to create a fundamentally different learning environment in…

This study looked at teacher and administrator perceptions of the high-stakes policy environment on the influence of teaching gifted and talented students through the lens of systems theory. The national accountability standard of NCLB created a previously unmatched standard of accountability for student performance through high-stakes testing.…

The challenges of entrepreneurship make learning integral to the entrepreneurial process. However, many entrepreneurs work in relative isolation and lack opportunities to engage with peers in ways that promote meaningful reflection and learning. This study explores the experience of group coaching as a setting for meaningful learning and change in…

Instructional technology use in United States preschool classrooms remains a limited and widely debated practice. In urban communities, preparing preschool students for academic, social, and economic success is further threatened by the well-documented digital divide. This qualitative phenomenological study included ten subjects and examined the…

The purpose of this existential-phenomenological study was to address the first-person perspective of what it is like to experience clinical reasoning during a simulation. It was not known how a novice nurse would describe the experience of actualizing clinical reasoning during the academic simulation experience. In order to maintain the…