This study explored how a poverty simulation experience influenced educators' social empathy levels and educational practices. More specifically, twenty-nine educators' levels of social empathy were measured using the Social Empathy Index (Segal, Wagaman, & Gerdes, 2012) in a pre/posttest design. Influences on educational practices were…

School counselors are change agents, leaders, supporters, and advocates who address the social-- emotional, academic, and career needs of their students. School counselors must be multiculturally competent to meet the needs of all their students. Developing multicultural competence is a complex and ongoing process that includes gaining awareness,…

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) programs have proliferated significantly in recent years and they are finding their way into different educational and therapeutic purposes. This systematic review aims at analyzing the virtual reality and augmented reality programs designed to promote the development of social skills in individuals…

Background: Group singing for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is an established intervention not only to improve voice and speech difficulties but also for emotional and social benefit. Less is known about the experiences of group singing on the couple--the person with PD and their spouse or partner together--and studies have not specifically…

Even in the age of spellcheck and other assistive tools, spelling remains an important skill. Learning how to spell can be challenging, especially for students with high-incidence disabilities. Fortunately, tools such as graphic organizers may assist students with spelling. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a novel flowchart tool on…

The present study examined the effectiveness of a cooperative skill intervention program using theme-based joint block play for young children. Thirty-two 4--5 years old preschoolers from Shanghai, China, were assigned to the experimental group while thirty-two children comprised the comparison group. The experimental group was engaged in an…

Current literature reveals the importance of expanding the educational toolchest to include teaching through games. Game-based learning has been extensively studied, underscoring a human need to have fun while learning. This research project focused on the development of "Paved Paradise: A Tiny House Ecovillage Board Game," that could…

Public charter schools lack research that determines what makes them successful. Charter schools are relatively new, existing for around 30 years in the United States. The depth and breadth of research focusing on public education rarely includes charter schools. The research focusing on charter schools specifically is quite limited. Like…

This study assessed the impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on the mood profile, anxiety, mental well-being, and stress of university students. Stress has always been a widespread issue for university students, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the problem. The need for stress alleviation therapies to be further investigated within…

Objective: Examine the effects of a relaxation course with a mindfulness meditation component in a two-group pre-test and post-test non-randomized study design. Participants: Participants included 219 undergraduate students (experimental group: n = 103; control group: n = 116), 18-43 years old. Methods: Completion of measures of stress,…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to analyze the effect of a literacy program on general music students in the fourth grade within an urban public school district in Northeastern Illinois. Two fourth grade classes, instructed by two different licensed music teachers, received the treatment program of one Lyrics2Learn…

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the understanding of novice principals' perceptions of mentoring to support and improve the professional abilities of new principals. Although the advantages of principal mentoring are acknowledged, it is not widespread. There is a dearth of literature discussing the perspectives of mentees on…

Preservice teachers (PSTs) are expected to possess a relational understanding (i.e., knowing how to do and why) of mathematics for ambitious instruction. This study aimed to shed some light on the possibilities of supporting PSTs' development of relational understanding of fractions through engaging them in writing collective argumentation.…

The Department for Education (DfE) provided funding for secondary schools to establish short face-to-face summer schools over the 2021 summer holiday, to help them make up for learning lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lasting for one or two weeks, summer schools involved a blend of academic learning and enrichment activities and were intended to…

Effective professional development is critical for improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. The present systematic review sought to gather evidence exploring the effects and key components of in-service special education teacher training in EBPs. This review identifies six essential components of training…