Integrating computational thinking (CT) and/or computer science (CS) into K-12 curricula has the potential to provide learners with early exposure to the possibilities of creation, engagement, and contributions within a technology-driven society. However, in order to weave CT and CS into their existing curricula and classrooms, K-12 teachers need…

This dissertation study uses an alternative dissertation format to deliver two separate but interrelated studies. As a whole, the dissertation is connected by a single overarching research question: "What are the characteristics of effective, meaningful, and equitable science instruction through modeling and how do teachers' pedagogical…

As community colleges strive to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world, this study investigated the challenges and opportunities in internationalizing history curriculum at these institutions. The research addressed the limited understanding of community college history faculty's perceptions and experiences regarding…

This two-phase study examined the educative features of upper elementary Eureka Math curriculum as well as examined take-up of those educative features in two classrooms at each grade level. Using an analytical framework based on Males (2011) and Quebec Fuentes and Ma (2018) in the first phase, I coded the educative features of a module at both…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy skills have become essential to prepare youths for 21st- century needs. Despite the efforts to broaden AI education in K-12 classrooms, teaching AI concepts is mostly limited to Computer Science classrooms. Nonetheless, approximately half of U.S. high school students cannot access any Computer Science classes.…

Research on science-education reform affirms the importance of taking into consideration teachers' pedagogical beliefs in relation to the constructivist perspective to ensure successful implementation of a reform-oriented curriculum. In addition, prominent studies pinpoint the need for teachers to have sufficient pedagogical content knowledge…

This study explored the implementation of Project Lead The Way (PLTW) integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in four first grade classrooms. Data was collected from four teachers and two media specialists via interviews and student PLTW Light and Sound unit assessment scores. A self-efficacy survey was…

As young children increasingly use the Internet, the children need to learn and apply cybersecurity fundamentals to protect personal data. Teaching young students the basics of strong passwords and data protection in a K-12 classroom setting is an obvious starting point. The literature shows an absence of approved cybersecurity curriculums for use…

Self-service design tools are flooding K-12 environments and altering the way instruction can be designed and delivered. As a result, schools are utilizing existing academics to both design and teach their own curriculum. These academics, called "designers-by-assignment", tend to have limited training in instructional systems design and…

Designing professional development that effectively supports teachers in learning new and often challenging practices remains a dilemma for teacher educators. Within the context of current reform efforts in science education, such as the "Next Generation Science Standards," teacher educators are faced with managing the dilemma of how to…

This one-year long ethnographic case study seeks to add to the body of literature on EFL teachers' identities in Colombia by drawing on ethnographic methods and sociocultural theories to examine the identity construction of four EFL teachers at the university level. Specifically, this study explores how EFL teachers' identities shaped and were…

Undergraduate teacher preparation programs face scrutiny regarding pre-service teachers' preparation upon graduation. Specifically, scholars contend that teacher preparation programs do not adequately prepare pre-service teachers to plan for effective instruction. Situated in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, this…

This study sought to identify the relationships among elementary teachers instructional practices in mathematics pre- and post-CCLS implementation in relation to technological and pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), formative assessment, reflective practice, receptivity to change, academic optimism, and instructional leadership across age,…

The purpose of this "intrinsic multi-descriptive" case study was to explore how a mathematics curriculum leadership graduate degree program influenced seven participants' views and actions as they transitioned into new mathematics curriculum leadership roles. The mathematics curriculum leadership graduate degree program was a joint…

In this era of high-stakes testing and accountability, curricula are viewed as catalysts to improve high school students' mathematics performances and a critical question is whether single subject or integrated curricula produce stronger student outcomes. This study was designed to investigate the effects of an integrated reform-based curriculum,…