U. S. educational policies focused on the use of high-stakes standardized achievement tests and top-down accountability to improve student achievement have had an insignificant impact. Furthermore, the focus on once-a-year standardized tests to measure student success negatively impacts daily classroom instruction and assessment practices.…

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of a professional development program aimed at enhancing early childhood education (ECE) teachers' abilities to identify and address developmentally appropriate versus maladaptive behaviors in young children. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the study involves pre- and…

Trauma-informed care in schools has been a relatively newly researched topic, albeit with limited focus on the efficacy of related practices from the perspective of those implementing them. Educators have been considered service providers with limited knowledge of trauma and trauma-informed care as their career education programs tend not to…

As a required part of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, students with disabilities within the United States are required to receive transitional services to help support their exit from school and ascension to adulthood. A common transitional service revolves around preparing students for the college setting, at either a university, community…

Increasing student diversity and the global emphasis on inclusive education necessitate a critical focus on teacher preparedness in implementing inclusive practices within classrooms. Teacher preparedness in inclusive practices is essential to ensure all students thrive in a truly inclusive educational environment. Universal Design for Learning…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) vision for mathematics education is to provide every student with high-quality instruction from highly effective teachers. Achieving this goal requires a solid mathematics curriculum, competent and experienced teachers who can integrate instruction with assessment, classrooms with the proper…

The problem addressed in this study was some early elementary teachers have low self-efficacy about their scientific knowledge and ability to support children's scientific learning; consequently, they are less likely to dedicate instructional time to science. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how elementary school…

Research and interest in trauma-informed pedagogy have grown substantially. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes knowledge of trauma symptoms, associated behaviors, and environmental and instructional trauma-informed strategies. Various scales measure attitudes and experiences with trauma-informed practices; however, the literature suggests a lack of…

This action research study examined the effects of professional development on teaching for conceptual understanding in Algebra I. "Conceptual knowledge refers to knowledge of the underlying structure of mathematics-the relationships and interconnections of ideas that explain and give meaning to mathematical procedures" (Eisenhart et…

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle with comorbid disorders like anxiety. However, special education teachers may lack the training to implement specific interventions in the classroom setting for adolescents with ASD and anxiety. This qualitative action research study was conducted to examine how special education…

Many Career and technical education (CTE) teachers concern themselves with the practical application of skills in their course content. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have increased the emphasis on disciplinary literacy in courses making every teacher a literacy teacher requiring every teacher to teach students to be literate in their content…

This mixed methods study addresses special education teachers' (SETs) knowledge and beliefs about specially designed instruction for reading, individualized education program (IEP) development, and aspects of future professional development opportunities that are supportive on these topics. Special education teachers are the primary authors of the…

Despite legislation being consistently passed to support post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities, year after year since the completion of "The National Longitudinal Transition Studies," national employment statistics continually demonstrate that implementation of intentions is wanting. A large percentage --50-60%-- of…

Early childhood inclusion classrooms are becoming more prominent, but Head Start teachers need more job training to prepare them for the diversity of students in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate research questions about the challenges faced by Head Start inclusion teachers, the strategies they use…

Elementary teacher candidates (TCs) must learn to teach many subject areas. Although some mathematics education researchers have framed elementary teachers' knowledge as a deficit (i.e., lack of depth of mathematics knowledge), this dissertation considers elementary teachers' broad knowledge as a strength. Many elementary teachers and TCs feel…