Active learning is known to improve student outcomes in many STEM courses. Here, we present strategies for incorporating active learning into a large enrollment General Chemistry I course using small group activities during class time. This approach was found to mitigate gender disparities in overall course grades and reduced the number of General…

The present study examined the professional experiences of school psychologists who self-identify as having a social justice orientation in their practice, using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. Themes related to varying levels of service delivery (individual and systemic), occupational barriers, such as lack of time, resources, and…

My dissertation focuses on coordination around personal data and human-data interaction in a high-stakes, high-performance environment: college sports. In the last decade, wearable tracking technologies--e.g., FitBit, Garmin, Catapult, Whoop, Oura Ring--have introduced new data streams, such as heart rate and sleep measurement, which college…

School districts throughout the Commonwealth have engaged in initiatives to increase educators of color. Ingersoll et al. (2019) argue that while "many believe that the small number of minority teachers is caused by a lack of recruitment or intake" they concur with Pearson and Fuglei (2019) that recruitment is not the only problem. The…

The transformation of higher education through legislation geared to improve outcomes focused on student persistence and college completion rather than student enrollment has forced colleges and universities to re-evaluate the success of all its students, particularly underserved students who have historically faced challenges in completing…

As students transition from elementary to middle school, they often perform at a reduced academic level than their elementary school academic performances. Middle school is the time when students experience changes developmentally, emotionally, physically, and socially. Students will experience personal and academic problems if the school or…

The field of biosensors is a burgeoning area of research and employs a large number of chemistry graduates. The impact of strip tests in detecting coronavirus was palpable during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and will further drive the biosensor industry. Despite their common usage, a coherent introduction to the basics of sensing remains missing…

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a seismic and ongoing disruption to K-12 schooling. Using test scores from 5.4 million U.S. students in Grades 3-8, we tracked changes in math and reading achievement across the first 2 years of the pandemic. Average math test scores in the fall of 2021 in Grades 3-8 were 0.20-0.27 standard deviation (SD) lower…

Preservice teachers need many opportunities to practice teaching skills prior to using the skills in high-stakes settings like real, live classrooms. Role play is an accessible and flexible option for embedding skill practice into individual courses. They may focus on specific high-leverage practices (HLPs) and enable preservice teachers to engage…

Using data from a survey administered at 61 institutions from 2011 to 2015, we examined how campus support structures for sexual minority students (e.g., a recognized LGBTQ student organization) influence student perceptions of the campus climate for worldview diversity at Christian colleges and universities. Further, analysis of the survey data…

The purpose of this study was to examine how male students of color (MSOC) describe the experiences that motivated them to overcome scholastic challenges and achieve academic success. This qualitative investigation used a multiple case study approach to capture the perspectives of ten participants who experienced scholastic challenges yet…

A classic belief of the university as a place of public discourse (Arendt, 1979) without the need for close emotional connections (d'Entreves, 2019) is being challenged. As American colleges progressively evolve into large pluralistic societies that are interacting in transnational ways (Sweeny, Weaven, & Herington, 2008) across mass…

Education and training board (ETB) schools, previously called Vocational schools, were established in the Republic of Ireland in 1930. At the time of their genesis, these schools were initially prevented from offering students a pathway to upper secondary/university, leading to them being viewed as 'second-rate'. Drawing on interviews with school…

Most novice teachers and even some experienced teachers can lack appropriate tools for designing teaching strategies that ensure the quality of education. The ability of working in teams is crucial in educating professionals. The literature proves that social relations influence the performance of teams. For instance, the team cohesion is directly…

As the student population in U.S. public schools becomes increasingly ethnoracially diverse, many school districts and hiring personnel have taken proactive approaches to recruiting teachers of color. The drive to diversify the teaching force is supported by a range of academic and nonacademic outcomes for students of color. Yet, many districts…