Today's college students can choose from a multitude of learning modalities. Many students elect to earn their degrees through 100% online college programs; however, online learners present higher attrition rates than their on-ground peers (Grau-Valldosera et al., 2019). Many theorists attempt to explain how students can succeed in college,…

Billions of dollars are spent each year on training the most important organizational asset: employees. However, employees are resigning from organizations at an unprecedented rate, citing the lack of developmental opportunities as one of the reasons. Understandably, organizational leaders want to identify the benefits and quantify measurable…

Student disengagement and disconnection post pandemic has become a prominent concern in higher education. As colleges and universities navigate the post-pandemic landscape, addressing student disengagement and reconnecting them to the learning community has become a priority. Gamification has been used in education since early 2010s, however, the…

This phenomenological study investigated elementary teachers' perspectives on student engagement in competency-based education (CBE) classrooms in an upper Midwestern rural school district. The study addressed the limited research on CBE implementation in elementary settings by exploring teachers' lived experiences related to learner engagement.…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative multiple case study was to address gaps in the research by exploring student engagement in a nature-based school in Georgia and a Missouri school moving to nature-based education. By considering three key dimensions of student engagement, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional, this in-depth investigation…

There has been an increase in the mental health concerns of students of all ages over the past several years. Specifically, since COVID-19, the social and emotional needs of students at the elementary school level have become drastically more evident. This qualitative action research study aimed to understand teachers' implementation of Morning…

A history of trauma can have a significant negative impact on the functioning of a student in the school environment. Check & Connect, a school engagement and dropout intervention program, has been found to have positive effects on student school engagement and decrease the likelihood of dropping out of school. However, a review of the Check…

The problem addressed through this study was the inconsistent implementation of RTI2 in the mathematics classes for special education (SPED) upper elementary (i.e., Grades 3-5) students at a Southwestern, urban Tennessee school district (SUTSD). Students in SPED have low mathematics proficiency. Researchers have demonstrated that RTI2 is a process…

Teachers in a rural southeastern state school district are not integrating technology in ways that provide students with engaging technology-based learning experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' current technology-based instructional practices based on the substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR)…

This dissertation explores the development and implementation of a community-based educational program, iDREAM, aimed at teaching minoritized youth about Artificial Intelligence (AI) with an emphasis on ethics and social justice. Partnering with two NGOs, this study integrates Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) and Critical Computational…

Digital storytelling is a promising method to improve the quality of online learning. Digital stories are short videos using multimedia elements. Digital stories can be instructional, narrative, or informative. Digital stories can be categorized in several different ways, but most often as personal narratives, instructional videos, or historical…

This action research study investigates the role of Data-Based Decision-Making (DBDM) in increasing academic outcomes within a charter school network. During Cycle 1, interviews and focus groups with teachers, interventionists, and school deans shed light on critical themes, including leadership, data collection, analytic capacity, and a culture…

The study utilized a mixed-methods approach involving snowball surveys and teacher interviews. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling, and the surveys were administered online. The surveys were designed to gather information from teachers about their experiences with implementing class meetings. Additionally, teacher interviews were…

With the changes in the educational landscape, holding students' attention has become an even more crucial point. Educators are having to find creative ways and means to engage students and make learning 'fun'. There have been numerous research studies to show that gamification can be used to drive student engagement, achievement, and reinforce…

Technology is an ever-changing resource that is more advanced now than it has ever been. This action research project explored how teachers intentionally plan the use of technology in their classroom based on the objectives that need to be taught. The main study that this action research explores is how can I align my objectives to integrate…