While countless studies have collected data on the effectiveness of various problem-solving models, few have attempted to identify which components of the training process are helpful to participants. Two teacher teams consisting of seven participants were trained in an adapted version of the Team-initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) model, observed…

This dissertation in practice investigated and addressed the issue of low faculty engagement with instructional design support (IDS) office support services at a regional comprehensive university in the United States. The Performance Improvement/Human Performance Technology (PI/HPT) model used in this study is a practitioner-based performance…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore general education teachers' successes and challenges implementing low-intensity behavior management strategies while teaching in a public school setting. Guiding this study was Bernard Weiner's attribution theory, as the theory relates to teachers' perceptions and use of behavior management…

This convergent mixed methods study investigated the relationship between the assessment-capable learning (ACL) instructional model, John Hattie's influence referred to as "students driving their own learning," and math achievement in kindergarten. While Visible Learning literature has focused on secondary and higher education, this…

This study examined the feasibility of elementary classroom teachers using function-based thinking, a modified FBA process, to address mild, but persistent classroom behavior. Through a series of professional development trainings, a pretest and posttest, regular consultation meetings and feedback sessions, and repeated observations, participants…

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the completion of a note taking and review intervention impacted developmental mathematics students' performance on course assessments. Note taking is a challenging skill that requires time and effort to improve (Boch & Piolat, 2005). Many developmental mathematics students struggle to…

A skill gap in Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments (PS-TRE) between U.S. Baby Boomers and younger generations has been documented in previous studies using the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Survey of Adult Skills (Rampey et al., 2016). Bringing this generation of workers up to speed in this…

Design problems are highly ill-structured, having "ambiguous specifications of goals, no determined solution path, and the need to integrate multiple knowledge domains" (Jonassen, 2000, p. 80). Design problems are generated by stakeholders to meet needs that exist outside of the classroom (Simon, 1973; Jonassen, 2000)--this is in…

This thesis explores two case studies into the use of short answers and self-explanation to improve student learning in physics. The first set of experiments focuses on the role of short answer questions in the context of computer-based instruction. Through a series of six experiments, we compare and evaluate the performance of computer-assessed…

Teachers routinely report they are under-prepared for the classroom management challenges of the modern classroom and pre-service training programs are an important point of intervention. However, few studies have investigated classroom management training at the pre-service level. The present study compares two different training approaches…

The use of mathematics performance tasks can provide a window into how a student is applying mathematics to various situations, how they are reasoning mathematically and how they are applying conceptual knowledge through problem solving and critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate, according to the elementary mathematics…

This study examined the effect of peer coaching on the development of effective teaching behaviors and teacher self-efficacy of education students in an early field experience. The convenience sample (N = 99) included undergraduate students enrolled in a required foundational course in special education at a large public university in the southern…

For decades, debates have raged about performance management in education. While it is essential to understand the degree of student learning and the nature of teacher impact in education systems, when attempts at managing outcomes go wrong, the consequences can be problematic. National Education Organization (a pseudonym for the organization…

The ability to solve problems in a variety of contexts is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing technological society. Problem-solving is a complex process that is important for everyday life and crucial for learning physics. Although there is a great deal of effort to improve student problem solving skills throughout the…

For the past few years, virtual environments (VEs) have gained broad attention from both scholarly and practitioner communities. However, in spite of intense and widespread efforts, most VE-related research has focused on the technical aspects of applications, and the necessary theoretical framework to assess the quality of interfaces and designs…