The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore how senior district administrators and principals describe the influence of the mentoring they received as a novice principal led to their transformative learning resulting in new capabilities and influencing career choices in the Southwest. The overarching research question was: How…

Efforts to improve technology integration for K-12 teaching and learning focus on professional development for teachers. This research study, however, implemented a professional development course in technology integration for educational content writers at a publisher in the Southeastern United States. This research is strategic because most…

This mixed methods action research study was conducted in a Title I, K-12 public charter school with the purpose of exploring teachers' capacities to implement student-centered learning after participating in effective professional development (PD). Participants attended a PD cycle where the staff chose the topic, learning was sustained over a…

In November 2020, the school board governing Patinmay Public Schools (PPS) passed a policy change requiring ethnic studies coursework to graduate. For several years, numerous people have worked to make ethnic studies a possibility for all students. My story with ethnic studies in PPS, however, began more recently in August 2020. Utilizing methods…

Research suggests that individuals learn best when they are involved in an experience through active learning (Bonwell & Eison, 1991; Michael, 2007; Seglem & Bonner, 2016). One of the current issues in education is that many learning environments are unengaging and only encourage students to take a passive role (Slavich & Zimbardo,…

Using a learning management system (LMS) to deliver robust content for K-12 students became an essential part of the discussion of technology's place in K-12 education when teachers were forced to teach online at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers used an LMS to deliver content in various ways and as part of different instructional…

This dissertation begins by examining certain underlying causes and factors impacting the performance of English Learners (ELs) in a Mid-Atlantic urban district through a comprehensive review of the literature. This analysis employs the PELP Coherence Framework, specifically arranging the underlying causes and factors by environment and framework…

This dissertation examines the developing understandings of teacher candidates being prepared to teach ELs in general education PreK-12 classrooms. As the ethnic and linguistic diversity in U.S. classrooms continue to increase, it is crucial that teacher candidates receive high-quality, effective training in teaching culturally and linguistically…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of former high school dropouts who have completed their high school credential through an adult education program and are enrolled in a postsecondary program of study at a technical college, community college, or four-year university in a state located in the…

Numerous studies have found that students of color are often subject to teacher biases or negative preconceptions. These biases often result in barriers and limitations that negatively impact students' academic achievement and social and emotional development. Studies have also documented the impact of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in…

Professional Development for Transformational Technology Integration: An Experimental Study of In-Service Teachers' Self-Perceptions of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Elena M. Tachau Drexel University Chairperson: Brian K. Smith, Ph.D. The rapid advancement of technology tasks K-12 schools with providing professional development…

The training and preparation of prospective teachers includes an important phase where the future teachers begin to make a transition from learner to teacher. During this time, prospective teachers begin to utilize the knowledge they have gained through coursework and life experience to begin teaching students of their own. During this time,…

Poverty has an effect on students, schools, and communities. Issues surrounding poverty interweave with education which affects student achievement. When educational development is not maximized, society pays the price in the forms of public health, crime, incarceration, resources, community involvement, and decisions made in the community.…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate transformative learning strategies implemented by 10 Title I elementary principals that influence novice teacher retention. Data were gathered by individual interviews. Data were analyzed using Creswell's (2013) description of qualitative research as a collection of data…

The purpose of this study was to engage middle school science teachers in collaborative dialogue to understand the implications of partnership values and principles in the classroom to transform their educational practice. Participants investigated issues which prevent partnership relationships in schools and ways to help transform education and…