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 dissertation focused on sustainable development (SD), curricular development, and practices in the health professions, specifically in occupational therapy practice. It is divided into five chapters. The first chapter provides background information, the second chapter uses the [C]STAUNCH tool to analyze the degree of sustainable development…

This descriptive, qualitative case study investigated how three high school teachers in non-STEM subject areas developed integrated STEM (iSTEM) pedagogies for conventional classroom lessons in a high-technology makerspace. The school in focus adopted a STEM teaching policy that required all teachers to implement iSTEM teaching in the school's…

The field of biology is becoming increasingly fragmented, and this fragmentation spills over into the ways our students think and learn about biology. Biology education policy documents stress the importance of teaching biology in an integrated manner and call for the biology education research community to establish a unifying paradigm for the…

This action research study honors teacher-as-researcher and utilizes qualitative methods of data collection alongside emergent design to study arts-integrated teaching and learning at a mid-sized Midwestern university in a social studies methods course. The thinking and learning of both pre-service teachers and the teacher educator/researcher are…

This dissertation explores the perceptions and understandings of K-6 general education teachers regarding their role in intentionally developing students' emotional competencies. This research builds upon that which establishes the vitality of developed emotional competencies by including the perceptions of teachers who have been tasked with…

Given that arts integration and engaging in arts processes is a productive pathway to helping learners make deeper connections to content and making sense of their world, the work to be done is supporting a shift in teaching practices. This dissertation examines artist/teacher partnerships across periods of planning, teaching and reflection to…

As the content knowledge of the world grows, so do the demands placed upon our educational system. These demands come from a variety of sources--local, state, national, and corporate agencies. Critical to meeting these demands are the knowledge, skills, and practices teachers need to educate today's youth. Researchers in the area of teachers'…

This study addresses the inadequacies of the traditional ninth-grade science curriculum at The Charter School of Wilmington (CSW) and proposes a focused initiative to enhance the curriculum's relevance and effectiveness. The current Integrated Science & Research curriculum lacks socioscientific inquiry, neglecting to incorporate social issues…

The call to better prepare nurses in safety and quality performance resulted from the concern of the Institute of Medicine regarding egregious gaps and errors in U.S. hospitals that resulted in serious injuries and patient deaths. Quality and safety education for nursing (QSEN) competencies were set forth in 2005 to enhance nursing curricula and…

STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons and activities as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling STEM literacy (Tsupros, Kohler and…

An arts equity gap exists in K-12 grade education. African American and Latinx students have fewer opportunities for access to arts education than do White students. In California, charter schools have an opportunity to address the equity gap for students in those demographic groups. The goal of this qualitative case study was to observe how Kahlo…

There has been a nation-wide push for an increase in the use of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. With this shift in epistemological, pedagogical, and curricular content, there is a need to develop an understanding as to what integrated STEM education is, particularly among…

The integration of oral health into health professions education and practice, or oral health integration, is one of the most pressing issues facing the United States health care system. Health professions faculty must be ready to engage in curriculum change to incorporate oral health clinical competencies in the education and training of future…