This dissertation examines the effectiveness of a professional development program designed specifically to provide foundational knowledge and skills to Technology Teachers in preparation for a transition to a Technology Integration Specialist position. Specifically, it evaluates the Technology Teachers' changes in knowledge and beliefs as a…

A growing number of schools are implementing PLCs to address school improvement, staff engage with data to identify student needs and determine instructional interventions. This is a starting point for engaging in the iterative process of learning for the teach in order to increase student learning (Hord & Sommers, 2008). The iterative process…

Community colleges are unique in the higher education realm. Open access, the demographics of students, communities served, locations, and funding sources all present distinct circumstances. A strategic plan supported by leadership, faculty, staff and the external environment is needed to steer students on pathways to success. The focus on…

The United States is in the midst of a nursing faculty shortage, particularly those that provide clinical instruction. Clinical instructors play an integral role in undergraduate nursing education by bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and nursing practice; this position is also the most difficult to recruit for and retain. The factors…

Recent research shows that teachers' level of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) and their beliefs about teaching and learning effect teaching practices and student achievement. Higher levels of MKT typically lead to more effective teaching abilities in terms of helping students make meaning of mathematical concepts, but beliefs seem to be…

Project-based learning is one approach used by teachers to meet the challenge of developing more technologically proficient students. This approach, however, requires students to manage a large number of tasks including the mastery of technology. If a student's perception that their capability to perform a task falls below the task's difficulty,…

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to investigate school librarians' self-efficacy in the multiple literacies. This study was conducted to develop an understanding of the role of librarians in the multiple literacies, and what they feel has an impact on their capacity to implement multiple literacies practices.…

Quality Professional Development (PD) interventions are important to improve teaching in schools (Desimone, 2009) and students' achievement (Wayne, Yoon, Zhu, Cronen, & Garet, 2008). Recent research has been focusing on learning using a situative perspective (Greeno, 2006). Within this body of research, this study analyzed elementary school…

This mixed-methods research examined student achievement in reading comprehension as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade Test for Reading Comprehension, and specific reading strategies (Frayer Model & Summarization/Paraphrasing strategy) in Grades 6-8 classrooms. The purpose of this research was to determine if a difference exists in…

In higher music education, there remains a tendency toward instruction that places the teacher at the center and keeps the role of students as recipients of knowledge bestowed upon them by the instructor. And while there are innovations in education that challenge this paradigm, the research on these innovative techniques, particularly in higher…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore employees' perceptions of their relationships with their direct supervisor, and to determine why employees chose to remain at SSM Health. This study used a three-part research design comprised of quantitative Likert scale rating statements, Henschke's (2016) Modified Instructional Perspectives…

The purpose of this study was to examine the intercultural sensitivity of College of Education students who participated in short-term, faculty led, study abroad programs at a large, urban, branch, university in the Southeast. The research questions in this study were addressed using a mixed methods approach. This method provided for the…

The State of Illinois adopted the Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics on June 24, 2010 as a means for students to succeed in college, in a career and in life. The new standards had instructional shifts in content and practice that differed from the 1999 Illinois Learning Standards. The new mathematics standards contained fewer topics for…

Roosevelt University's Black Male Leadership Academy is an educational and youth development program for Chicago Black male high school students that includes both a weeklong Residential program at Roosevelt University's downtown Chicago campus and monthly "Second Saturday" meetings. The program includes several components that aim to…

This mixed methods study explored how elementary school teachers who use Twitter extensively use it to support their professional learning and development. Four research questions guided this study: 1. How are teachers using Twitter for their professional learning and development? 2. What do teachers report learning from their use of Twitter? 3.…