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…

This paper uses the framework of transition as "becoming" to explore what young people learned from participating in a post-secondary transition program that was co-designed by young people. The 9-week youth participatory action research (YPAR) involved six staff collaborators (SCs) and seven youth collaborators (YCs). Data comprised…

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…

Purpose: As a contribution to the ongoing Meaningful Physical Education (PE) research, this study seeks to understand secondary students' conceptualizations of meaningful PE experiences, using Group Concept Mapping. Methods: Participants were secondary students (n = 55) in an urban sports academy. Conceptualizations of meaningful PE experiences…

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…

In this study, the lack of teacher preparation to incorporate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies in the classroom that could benefit African American and Latina girls in urban secondary schools was examined. Research showed that over 50% of students in urban schools experienced SEL challenges which correlated with higher risks for…

The purpose of this research was to develop an understanding of the shared lived experiences of women with ACEs who dropped out of high school, later returning to adult literacy programs to receive remedial education to prepare for and complete GED requirements, and explored the barriers they had to overcome to do so. The following research…

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…

Focus is shifting from individualized to collective learning for teachers, but many schools struggle to structure and enhance collective professional learning. This interview study aims to explore possibilities for and barriers to leading collective professional learning in school by studying teachers' and principals' perspectives on how school…

U.S. Census Bureau Report (2020c) showed Hispanic students constituted 18.5% of the U.S. population, 36% attended higher education and only 14% completed postsecondary education. Research has shown Hispanic, specifically Latinx, students faced barriers in accessing higher education's hidden curriculum, compounded by deficit beliefs about their…

Students enrolled in accelerated academic programs are not immune to mental health concerns that other students may face. Despite the increasing evidence that perfectionism is correlated with psychological distress among adolescents, there is a gap in the literature on how interventions developed for use in adolescent populations may affect this…

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…

Engineering for US All (e4usa) is a National Science Foundation-funded first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at making engineering more inclusive and accessible to underrepresented populations. The "for us all" mission of e4usa encompasses both students and teachers. Paramount to the success of e4usa was the construction of professional…

"Let it be known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever-present Teacher in its classes, the model for its children, the inspiration for its staff." - Anonymous. This study explored the journeys and experiences of women leaders in Catholic secondary schools, focusing on their challenges and…