This study examined the impact of a newly created Academic Advising Professional Development (AAPD) online program focused on the three major components of the "Concept of Academic Advising" for new and experienced advisors. The four-unit training, created in Blackboard, was designed to educate advisors on the meaning and application of…

This dissertation explores the integration of Place-Based Scientific Inquiry (PBSI) into science education through participatory design-based professional development for instructors at Sky School, an outdoor education program in southern Arizona. PBSI emphasizes student-centered, inquiry-driven, experiential learning grounded in outdoor contexts.…

There is a plethora of research showing the effectiveness of active learning in a variety of academic disciplines; however, very few higher education faculty implement these techniques effectively into their classrooms. Departmental teaching culture influences the use of active learning as faculty's teaching behaviors often reflect the shared…

Children in schools are experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress (Muris et al., 1998), which has a critical impact on a child's ability to learn (Hammond, 2015).According to MindfulSchools.org, there is a clear link between an emotionally positive classroom climate and academic achievement. As a school leader, during an unprecedented time of…

School leaders play an important role in creating a caring and supportive environment in which teachers can be successful. In this dissertation in practice (DiP), the scholar-practitioner examined an active learning environment that demonstrated how school leadership took strategic measures for improving student participation in a national…

Across the nation, there is increasing national interest in improving the way mathematics departments prepare their graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) because of their integral role in teaching lower division mathematics courses, particularly within the Calculus sequence (Speer, Deshler, & Ellis, 2017). While there have been several studies…

The Learning Assistant (LA) model is a successful peer support model for increasing student learning gains, LA's content understanding, and recruitment of well-prepared K-12 science teachers. LAs are undergraduates who facilitate active learning in a classroom while simultaneously taking a course in pedagogy and working with the faculty instructor…

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which professional development programs within EARCOS member schools are consistent with research-based principles of effective practice. In addition, this study sought to identify the professional development opportunities that are being provided to EARCOS teachers. Finally, this study…

The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of educational leadership on student participation in the National Program of Science and Technology Fairs (Programa Nacional de Ferias de Ciencia y Tecnologia [PRONAFECYT]) in the primary schools of Costa Rica. The study identified the role that governmental, community, and school site…

The purpose of this study was to compare elementary classroom teachers' actual practice and perceived importance of English Language Arts professional development in five professional development dimensions: alignment, content and modeling, active learning, collaboration, and follow-up, in high and low mastery, low needs schools. The schools…

With schools continuing to fall short of No Child Left Behind standards and with future challenges just around the corner, educators must identify and make positive changes in schools. Researchers must work to recognize and exhibit how student achievement is fostered and inform educators of options on how to move in a positive direction according…

Professional development has been a focus of public education since World War II, yet, it was not until the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act in 1994 that professional development became federally mandated. The infusion of educational technology at the start of Goals 2000 created a natural connection with professional development. In…

Research has begun to create a consensus about the essential characteristics of professional learning opportunities that impact teachers' knowledge and practices. These key characteristics include duration, teacher collaboration, active learning, a content knowledge focus, and a connection to school goals. A recent national study (Darling-Hammond,…

This is a study to examine Indonesian Christian Teachers' Perceptions of the effectiveness of professional development programs offered by the Association of Christian Schools International Indonesia (ACSI-I) and by the Indonesian National Department of Education. The study was focused on how Indonesian Christian teachers perceived the…

This dissertation, organized in chapter format, is comprised of a collection of case studies designed to explain why some teachers are not prepared to meet the challenges of the National Education Technology Plan despite the pervasive evidence of technology in our personal and professional lives. The first case study is the personal history of one…