Gifted students' often go unchallenged in the classroom, and this lack of tailored instruction can lead to decreased motivation, which, in turn, influences underachievement, which is a significant concern since these children, theoretically, should be our highest achievers. This 4-week (i.e., eight instructional days) semi-randomized,…

This dissertation examines the development of combinatorial reasoning in high school students through an in-depth analysis of a problem-solving session involving the Pizza Problem. The study, part of the long-term Rutgers-Kenilworth longitudinal research project, focuses on four 11th-grade students as they explore and connect concepts related to…

For many learners in the United States, the education system has been dominated by compulsory education that largely ignores the learning that can happen when learners are able to follow their curiosity and explore without significant adult intervention. The research problem was that despite a wide body of literature on the benefits of…

Given the well documented fact students often struggle with proof and proof-related activity for various reasons, more educators have shifted to incorporating pedagogies involving collaborative learning given their benefits to student learning. However, there is still surprisingly little research focused on the nature of students' collaborative…

Teenagers are often disengaged in high school. Self-determination theory suggests that support for competence, autonomy, and relatedness may facilitate engagement. Co-creation encourages students to take responsibility for their affective engagement and work with teachers to create a context that supports their basic needs. Youth Participatory…

The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the impact of game mechanics on developing collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills. CPS skills are important for the complex work environments of the 21st century, and games appear to provide potential learning experiences where such skills can develop. The research questions of…

Problem-solving, collaboration, and adaptability to in-person and virtual environments are critical for success today. Therefore, brick-and-mortar and online instructional models have shifted to ensure that K-12 students are prepared with these skills for 21st-century challenges. Grounded in systems theory, the study examined the inputs,…

This qualitative, instrumental case study examined how a mentor inquiry community can serve as a space for mentors to articulate their knowledge and what about the inquiry community, its characteristics, might harm or help that development. Using Design-Based Research as the methodology, a mentor inquiry community, composed of three…

In computer science education, introductory computer programming courses tend to be the most challenging for novices, with higher dropout rates than other computer science courses. Recruitment and retention of students in computer science fields is an important area of focus in computer science education research, and previous research has…

It may sound strange, but in today's mathematics classroom, teachers are encouraged to have students struggle. This struggle, however, is not what might come to mind upon first hearing the word. The struggle I refer to here is what researchers have termed "productive struggle," which is present when students must persevere in solving…

As a tangible and motivating medium for students to engage in computational thinking, robotics has drawn interest from educators and researchers as K-12 schools continue to integrate STEM into curriculum. Through this mixed methods study, the researcher sought to explore the effects of robotics instructional methods (task-based and project-based)…

Despite high scores and abilities, girls lose interest in science and math throughout middle school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the computer science research field will grow 19% by 2026; however, only 18% of the bachelor's degrees in computer science are earned by women in the United States (ComputerScience.org, 2021).…

This research study employed quantitative and qualitative designs to explore the impact of immersive technology on the Computational Thinking (CT) capabilities of students enrolled in an engineering program at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The quantitative study in this research employs a survey design approach to explore the…

Collaborative learning has long been investigated for its benefits to learners. Prior research indicates that collaboration may help students develop more sophisticated arguments and learn more effectively. While a great deal of research has been completed on how elementary students collaborate, there has been little research on how they…

Teachers are struggling to transfer newly acquired knowledge and skills from professional learning experiences into their classrooms. This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of how professional learning communities (PLCs) enhance elementary teachers' instructional practices based on interviews with teachers in a rural school district.…