This study explores the impact of providing dedicated time and professional learning focused on cross-curricular lesson planning on teacher efficacy and pedagogy. Grounded in Bandura's theory of Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) and guided by Root-Bernstein and Root-Bernstein's concepts of interdisciplinary problem-solving, this research aimed to…

This dissertation explores the diversity and depth of scholarship at the intersection of feminist studies and science and questions where and how these inquiries might be taken up in the university curriculum. The dissertation theorizes a postmodern, reconceptualist curriculum as it intersects with critical and complexity theories that takes up a…

Globally, the demand for people prepared to enter Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers is increasing. To help fill this demand, many formal and informal STEM educational interventions have been implemented in the K-12 domain. However, due to the lack of a clearly defined framework for documenting the nature and scope of the…

The interaction of proximate research universities is a multifaceted and increasingly relevant phenomenon in today's higher education landscape. The three essays herein add to science policy and innovation literature by exploring the challenges, opportunities, and expectations that arise when multiple universities operate in a region. The first…

The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum recognizes approaches to learning skills (ATLS) as an integral part of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework. This vital element of learning is designed to be embedded in the program standards and practices of the inquiry-based IB curriculum. After an evaluation visit by the IB school visit…

This dissertation detailed the ways by which stakeholder interactions affected interdisciplinary curriculum development in the novel field of esports at Mideast State University. Due to the prevalence of esports in higher education, the sudden popularity of the esports field, and the role of esports in an already overloaded curriculum space, this…

Online distance learning, a modern educational practice, has influenced music pedagogy in the past several decades. It involves synthesizing interdisciplinary studies in philosophy, music, technology, and sociology. In this study, an integrated approach has been developed to create a unique curriculum for an online group piano course in a…

This project examined the adoption of cybersecurity into computing programs within liberal arts programs and whether the rate constitutes an innovative program. The research questions focused on the lived experience existing faculty members have had with the cybersecurity curriculum within liberal arts computing programs. Liberal arts general…

I developed a new global curriculum, Schoobio, in which middle and high school students become citizen scientists and change agents as they engage in transdisciplinary activities culminating in their advocacy for biocultural diversity on their school grounds. The foundation for this place-based learning curriculum is pragmatic constructivism, a…

Technical literacy instruction and authentic learning opportunities need to be implemented through cross-curricular collaboration into secondary ELA curriculums to bridge the disconnect between K-12 education and the demands of the 21st-century workforce. The Common Core State Standards as well as newly adopted legislation in Maryland, Blueprint…

The digital turn in higher education has been described as potentially transformative for students' access, participation, and learning in higher education. However, for undergraduate students, digital literacy practices and genres are often repurposed to scaffold the reproduction of historically dominant academic literacy practices and…

This study presents a critical policy analysis of California's Assembly Bill 329 (AB 329) regarding inclusive sex education, coupled with a series of coding phases of relevant data. AB 329, enacted in 2015, mandates comprehensive sexual health education in California schools, aiming to address the needs of diverse student populations, including…

As the content knowledge of the world grows, so do the demands placed upon our educational system. These demands come from a variety of sources--local, state, national, and corporate agencies. Critical to meeting these demands are the knowledge, skills, and practices teachers need to educate today's youth. Researchers in the area of teachers'…

The use and understanding of mathematics is a crucial component of the physical sciences. Much work has been done in physics education research and science education more broadly to determine persistent difficulties with mathematics. This work has led to the development of numerous problem solving strategies aimed at helping learners approach…

Most contemporary reforms in American science education center around ideas of improving student science literacy (Dauer & Forbes, 2016) with the goal of enabling informed engagement on scientific issues (NRC, 2012). This is particularly true for decisions that affect the public interest, including public health, the environment, and the…