Project OCCAMS (Online Consortium for Accelerating Middle School) developed and piloted an accelerated curriculum through a design-based research approach combining the Integrated Curriculum Model, principles of culturally responsive instructional design, and extensive compacting. The program created a pathway for diverse middle school students to…

Due to the shortcomings of traditional schools, innovative supplementary (e.g. out-of-school, summer) programs have been identified as important sites for the positive development and learning of Black youth. This study foregrounds Black youth perspectives to offer additional insight into the role of supplementary programming. Drawing from 15…

Purpose: Evidence demonstrates that many school children fail to master fundamental movement skills (FMS). Little is known about the teaching and learning of FMS in Hong Kong. This study aimed to capture voices from both teachers and students to better understand the current FMS practices in primary physical education. Methods: Semistructured…

The objective of the study was to develop a prototype for an accessible, high quality, cost and time-effective 'Development Profiling Tool' for use in reception classes. This would build a unique picture of every individual child's developmental at the beginning of their educational journey, meaning that interventions for any comparable areas of…

Cultivating children's creativity and imagination is fundamental to preparing them for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Engaging in creative learning enables children to think independently and critically, work cooperatively, and take risks while actively engaged in meaningful projects. While current trends in education, such as maker…

This dissertation in practice focused on the use of Motivational Interviewing in the school environment between school staff and families. More specifically, this program evaluation sought to see if the use of Motivational Interviewing by school staff could improve parent participation rates in student attendance improvement conferences (SAICs).…

The purpose of the study was to explore the use of visuals as it applied to English Language Arts instruction for teachers in suburban and urban middle and high schools in a metropolitan area in the state of Georgia. This study was implemented to address the reading needs of students in response to the changing context of literacy in an age of…

Since the voices of program administrators in adult English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs in post-secondary and higher education settings were underrepresented in the research literature, this exploratory study of instructors of adult emergent bi/multilingual learners (EBLs) who became program administrators was an initial attempt…

This study examined verbal and non-verbal features of mother-infant shared book reading in Australia during the first year of life and explored the relationship between these features and infant cognition. Mother-infant dyads were observed in this cross-sectional study reading an unfamiliar book in a laboratory setting when infants were aged 6…

Liminality, both etymologically and practically, is generally meant to be navigated through, not permanently occupied. The Disney "Descendants" series, marketed for ages seven to twelve, is an example of children's literature that engages with liminality as not only a lasting choice but also one of joy and reconciliation. The books…

While the scope of a transition toward renewable energy, and away from fossil fuels, as well as other sustainable economic practices is daunting, the United States has recently begun to obtain policy momentum in the push to decouple economic activity from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A suite of recent federal laws, as well as state and local…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has become increasingly important in the US due to its influence on the nation's educational needs, the creation of a skilled labor force, and opportunities for more tech-savvy workers. However, the evaluation approaches and methodologies used in STEM education programs have come…

The escalating incorporation of digital pedagogical technology in higher education, particularly in the post-pandemic period, posits a potential evolution in the paradigm of language instruction and assessment. The focal point of this research is to uncover the digitally-mediated language assessment practices (D-LAP) employed by Thai EFL lecturers…

The unprecedented growth in the use of AI and its related technologies will put a tremendous stress on US institutions to produce the required number of technologically prepared workers to fill critically important job openings. In the US, low-income and URM students participate less vigorously in STEM-related fields; the problem is even more…

The present study aims to examine the Executive Function (EF) skills of preschool-aged children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), and explore the variables related to their EF skills. Thirty preschoolers who were DHH and an additional 35 preschoolers with typical hearing were recruited. All DHH use spoken language as their communication…