This dissertation explores how four critical teachers of color learn and develop through dialogue and reflection about their own educational and life histories as well as their work in ethnic studies classrooms. As K-12 schools in states like California integrate ethnic studies into their curricula, educators are looking to established ethnic…

Teaching middle school students during adolescence can be challenging; moreover, students who have been impacted by trauma have additional needs and supports to succeed in school. According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2013), two-thirds of children in the United States indicated they had experienced a traumatic event before age…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring in the household or community that hold painful or distressing outcomes for children immediately and in their future (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). School counselors work with children and young adolescents suffering from negative mental health…

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Appalachian elementary and middle school teachers who have been identified as working in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) schools. This study used Lifeworld Theory to engage in discussion about the teachers' individual experiences in using PBIS in their classrooms in relation to…

This study investigated the lived experiences of (12) elementary and middle school principals in the Northeast United States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the emergency COVID-19 guidelines that have been implemented across schools in the United States, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how principals…

The aim of this study is twofold: one is to examine the relationship between mathematics achievement and three sources of mathematics self-efficacy (social persuasion, vicarious experience, and physical state) separately through mastery experience as a mediator, and the other is to investigate the relationship between vicarious experience and…

This research focuses on the social pressures experienced by parents at schools identified as middle class across southern California. The literature review of school finances, the LCFF, funding levels, and studies stretches all the way back to the Coleman report. Within this vast body of prior research remained a void in the data. This missing…

This study explores the experiences of science and mathematics teachers during the Triple Pandemic: a pandemic of COVID-19, poverty, and racism. The intersection of COVID-19, poverty, and racism created a novel educational context for teachers to navigate. Using an intersectional qualitative case study approach, this study highlights the stories…

This paper draws on Bakhtin's (1981) notions of discourse and ideological becoming to investigate how adolescents' experiences with young adult literature and other texts might inform their thinking around issues of social justice. We engaged in a number of activities with the young adolescent participants: thought maps, illustrations of poignant…

This case explores the complexities of how consolidation perpetuates stereotypes among different social classes in a rural Appalachian school setting. Examined are the experiences at the intersection of social class in rural U.S. school districts when two communities--one affluent and one underresourced--are consolidated. We present a nuanced…

A school counselor's education and training are often inconsistent with the job duties assigned by the school. These discrepancies from perceived appropriate job duties can lead to uncertainty and negatively impact the school counselor's sense of self-worth. This study explored the research question: "What are the experiences of school…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore and bring understanding to the role of school counselors and their social-emotional work with adolescent mothers. Data were collected from six participants via video interviews and analyzed utilizing a transcendental phenomenological approach. The selection…

Even though mental health has continued to move to the forefront of the public attention, there continues to be a resistance in recognition of a mental health concern, and treatment for certain mental health conditions or disorders by the majority of adolescents and youth that are not seeking treatment. The purpose of this qualitative multiple…

The experience of positive events is associated with increased positive affect, which can beneficially impact the physical and mental health outcomes of adolescents. Despite an increase in important life events during adolescence, little research has examined the influence of positive events on affect in this population. This study used Ecological…

Although culturally responsive curricula are designed to educate students to be both socially and culturally successful, the curriculum implementation leadership practices middle school principals have used to support such curricula have been unclear. This study explored how middle school principals in southern Texas were supporting their teachers…