My thesis work is focused on conceptual and epistemic learning and characterizing the environments in which this learning takes place. Earlier studies conducted by the Stowe group explored how instructional practices, instructional emphasis, and assessment emphasis relate to student outcomes in general and organic chemistry courses. Student…

The purpose of this study was to explore the information, activities, and methods teachers take and apply to their classrooms and teaching after participating in a two year long professional learning (PL) cohort entitled "Equity and Inclusion in the Classroom." The PL was based on Hammond's (2015) "Ready for Rigor" framework…

This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurse educators using flipped classroom methods with learning activities proven to be successful in students' achievement of learning outcomes. Specifically, it aimed to identify the learning activities that nurse educators have found to be most successful in terms of student achievement of learning…

From my personal point of view, the role of a program evaluator is to gather information about the thoughts and experiences of individuals impacted by the program and to use the findings to inform program improvement. However, participants in the evaluation may be reluctant to share their full thoughts due to factors such as power imbalances and a…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how elementary STEM teachers describe their use of engaging activities and strategies to help students learn from their mistakes during STEM instruction in the Southeast region of the United States. The theoretical foundation was Bruner's Social Constructivist Theory. Two research…

One of the key challenges of Engineering Education is developing students' ability to navigate and solve problems that have multiple solution paths. In order to accomplish this, the process of solving these moderately- and ill-structured problems needs to be better understood. We used two approaches to achieve this. First, we performed problem…

Integrating science and engineering has become a focal point for current research in science and STEM educational fields. Infusing engineering design as an application of scientific principles is beneficial, as it demonstrates an authentic, real-world application and allows for not only student engagement and enthusiasm, but also an avenue to…

Mathematics education researchers suggest that providing the opportunity to struggle with important mathematics (SOS) is a necessary component of lessons in order for students to conceptually understand mathematics. There are many ways to promote and support SOS, yet very few lessons demonstrate SOS in today's middle grades classrooms. This study…

In this dissertation, I report results from a study that investigated the impact of students' engagement in a series of tasks in an introductory proof course that was designed to stimulate their learning of reading strategies to support their comprehension of mathematics proofs. Specifically, I investigated the impact of the design of five…

Even though phenomena, observations or experiences that appear in our lives daily, are particularly important in STEM, historically they have been a missing component in science education, which frequently focused on general content knowledge. Concentrating primarily on content knowledge does not always give students the tools to apply knowledge…

One challenge in STEM education is the learning of technical terms. In order to reason about higher-order scientific concepts, knowledge of technical vocabulary is often a prerequisite. Improving this knowledge may enhance the learning of higher-order concepts because it reduces cognitive load students experience while learning. To that end, we…

Christian schools seek to educate students from a biblical worldview to produce graduates who know God and can discover their unique role in furthering God's kingdom. To achieve this goal, Christian schools need teachers steeped in a biblical worldview. However, studies have shown that many Christian school teachers trained in secular educational…

Community college mathematics faculty have instituted changes to address inadequate preparation of incoming students to learn college-level mathematics. However, they could do more to develop student cognitive capabilities to enable underprepared students to successfully learn college mathematics. This basic qualitative study examined the…

Kindergarten teachers must balance the competing interests of meeting grade level standards, including teaching students to be literate, and integrating developmentally appropriate practices. Students need to have opportunities to read, write, listen, and speak; however, a didactic, teacher-centered approach is not in the best interest of young…

Mathematics plays a crucial role in engineering education. Students who are good at math are often advised to consider engineering as a career. In this study, engineers, mathematics teachers, and engineering professors were asked about the type of mathematics representative of engineering, whether the engineering problems created by math…