Colleges and universities are increasingly under pressure to prepare students for professional success after graduation, and, at the same time, are facing calls to enhance student civic learning and to contribute to their local communities. High-impact practices have been embraced as pedagogical approaches to address these goals. In particular,…

This dissertation uses a multi-case study approach to investigate teachers' use of computer science (CS) tools and pedagogical approaches in the classroom following their participation in a computer science integration professional development (PD) program. Seven teacher participants took part in a weeklong PD program and received follow up…

The United States' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) businesses must be innovative to remain competitive in today's global forum (Authenrieth et al., 2018; Autenrieth et al., 2018; Genareo et al., 2016; Watters & Diezmann, 2013). New business employees must enter the workplace knowing the practical application of a 21st…

This qualitative study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of college students with mental health disabilities when requesting and using accommodations. Using a phenomenological approach aided in understanding the meaning of the lived experiences by considering their feelings and emotions. Findings showed that there are barriers…

This dissertation aims to address frequent calls for partnerships between informal science learning spaces and formal K-12 science education (e.g. Bevan & Dillon, 2010; Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; NRC, 2009; Stocklmayer et al., 2010) as well as how informal educators and organizations are or are not addressing issues of equity within these…

A century and more of educational research and writing suggests that experiential learning and field mentorship help students gain industry context, skills, and practical training. However, opportunities for mentorship are typically viewed as standalone events, taking place following curricular training or as a capstone to academic learning. Thus,…

Unlike the ineffective generic approach often used for teacher professional development, NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) Digital Badging offers access to a highly organized system of knowledge and personalized, online professional development (PD) through digital badging. This qualitative case study provided an…

Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two approaches to professional development methodologies implemented in public schools. A quantitative, correlational research design was employed to determine whether the academic success in the core content areas of reading, writing, math and science could…

The effectiveness of the Instructional Partnership Network (IPN), a collaborative initiative that provides professional development to school principals, has not been previously measured. An investigation of the impact of this state initiative on teacher efficacy, teacher trust in colleagues and teacher trust in the principal was conducted. The…

Forsyth Technical Community College (FTCC) face a shortage of funding to meet the demands of students, faculty, staff and businesses. Through this practitioner research, the utilization of the college's current customer relationship management (CRM) database advanced. By leveraging technology, the researcher assisted the college in meeting the…

Situated within the context of globalization, the purpose of this historical policy analysis study was to identify and describe the ways in which multiple actors shaped national higher education internationalization policy within the U.S., and to capture the emerging direction in higher education internationalization policy at the national level…

Sound Business Inc. (SBI) has worked to improve college access for Black and Latino students at A. Philip Randolph (APR) High School in New York City for over twenty-five years. This Case Study provides an in-depth look at the relationship between an in-house non-profit organization and an NYC public high school. How does this non-traditional…

Opinion polls in multiple countries recount a grim story, that people from Western and Muslim-majority countries regard one another as arrogant, intolerant, and violent, and that attitudes are not improving. Student exchange programs, which were widely expanded after World War II and during the Cold War, have become a vital component of public…

The purpose of this study was to determine the professional development needs of school-based leadership in preparation for a district-wide one-to-one initiative in a large urban school district. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to answer the three research questions that drove the study. Research for this study was…

This study uses practitioner research to examine secondary mathematics teachers' learning of literacy integration practices in the context of a district-wide literacy professional development series. The author, a secondary mathematics curriculum and instruction facilitator in a large, Midwestern suburban district, engaged in a two-year…