SWLD are often underperforming in STEM courses compared to their peers without learning difficulties. Furthermore, how students perform in 9th grade is found to be a strong predictor of high school success, graduation, enrolling, and persisting in college (Easton et al., 2017). The study aimed to investigate whether the use of PBA, a…

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)…

In the modern era, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have revolutionized diverse fields yet a deficiency in geographical education lingers in the U.S. educational system. This dissertation offers a thorough analysis of this gap, focusing on the potential of the GIS as an innovative solution for enriching geographical education. The Geospatial…

Since the beginning of public education, the skills and instructional methods have been connected to the needs of the workforce. Over time, these skills and needs have changed. In the early 19th century, during the industrial revolution, public education was focused on basic memorization and rote skills. In the 20th and now, 21st centuries, the…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate by using a PBL design if giving student more ownership in classroom cellphone policies has positive outcomes. This study looked at not only the behavioral aspect of classroom cellphone usage, but also the impacts of using a PBL design on student engagement, ownership, and knowledge…

In 2005, Dale Dougherty and O'Reilly Media founded "Make Magazine," and coined the term Makerspace, which is broadly defined as a community workspace where people come together to solve problems using materials and tools they might otherwise not have access to (Dougherty, 2012). Recently, schools have allocated funding and resources into…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study is to examine the perceptions of Language 2 (L2) learners about project-based learning (PBL) at a Midwestern high school to acquire their mathematical concepts in English. L2 learners' insights using a PBL environment to construct their skills for college readiness, higher order thinking, autonomy,…

Decision-making and design in uncertain situations in which information is limited and goals are ambitious or conflicting are a part of common practices of engineers. Such abilities in engineering practices are important to develop for all students from elementary school through college and graduate school. An important aspect of decision-making…

There is an increased interest in integrating engineering design into K-12 classrooms because it equips students to solve real-world problems. However, before students are introduced to real-world problems, K-12 teachers may need to develop inquiry pedagogies and establish a learning context that supports student problem-solving. This study…

There is currently much conversation on the issue of the achievement gap as scholars, politicians, and educational leaders continue to grapple with educational inequity and underperformance of students in urban neighborhoods who are mostly Black and Latinx as compared with higher performing students, mostly white, in suburban neighborhoods. This…

A qualitative phenomenological study examining the learning activities that take place at a college radio station. The research objective is to understand the social practices that make possible or hinder the construction of learning experiences at KCSS, the campus radio station at California State University, Stanislaus. Document analysis,…

In an effort to interest more students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes (STEM), more school systems have implemented maker education in the formal school setting. However, many teachers assigned to implement the maker curricula met difficulties due to their unfamiliarity with the maker mindset and lack of the…

Poverty has been identified as a barrier for at-risk student achievement across America. Can personalized competence-based learning provide at-risk students the skills and knowledge needed to close the achievement gap on the state assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) for students after a two-year treatment? The…

This dissertation studies students' identity negotiation in a project-based Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science class. The College Board has encouraged schools to diversify enrollment in AP STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) courses, in which White and Asian males have been historically overrepresented. This trend may be…

Engineering is a relevant tool to solve current challenges in a variety of fields. There is a demand for engineers in the workforce and a method to solve that demand is to introduce students to engineering prior to college coursework. One of the ways that students can engage with engineering earlier is through engineering design projects. This…