This article explores my PhD research into Tongan family practice, looking at how Tongan families support and care for their member with "siva-tu'amelie's" (special needs) education. The article discusses the layered approach of both Pacific and non-Pacific methodologies that I used during the study to ensure a safe space for…

Crowdsourcing is a digital method used in business and academia to engage public participation in the provision of services, ideas, or information. This original case study focuses on examining process-based challenges of combining knowledge and skills of diverse crowdsourcing stakeholders in a network for shared learning. Participatory action…

In an era of increasingly diverse education, the need to understand the effectiveness of differential instruction on learning outcomes is critical in creating inclusive and student-centered learning experiences. This study aims to comprehensively review the effectiveness of differentiated instruction on student learning outcomes and investigate…

Modern classrooms are increasingly diverse. Students vary in their academic abilities, personal interests, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and previous experiences (Allen et al., 2013). To meet the varied needs of students, educators must adapt their instruction so all are able to find success. Modifying lesson plans and changing instruction…

Attitudes lead to actions. Therefore, teachers' attitudes affect the learning opportunities and experiences of all students in their classroom. The misunderstandings surrounding giftedness affects these attitudes of teachers. This cross-sectional, descriptive, non-experimental study described and explored educators' attitudes towards students…

This action research study examines the experiences of parents of autistic children served by Autism Speaks, Inc. It seeks to understand and improve the organization's engagement with this stakeholder group and determine ways in which the capacity of the members of this group can be built towards influencing the interaction between Autism Speaks,…

Chronic absenteeism continues to be an ongoing problem for schools in the southern Illinois region. This project aims to examine how schools meet the basic needs of chronically absent students, and if there are systems in place to track how student's basic needs are met. Basic needs were defined by the theory and work of Abraham Maslow. The data…

This queer narrative study examined the stories of two gay college men living with HIV and their relationship to HIV/AIDS. Foucault's technologies of the self served as the conceptual framework. Technologies of the self are practices, strategies, and narratives participants used to resist the stigma-tizing symbolic violence of AIDS. The men…

This study represents North Carolina community college student experience with food insecurity. Two-year students have a wide variety of challenges as they make their way to finishing a credential. One such challenge, hunger, has always been a component; awareness and discourse have not. The purpose of the research is to understand the narratives…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how preschool teachers describe their learning needs, understanding, and practice of social and emotional child assessments in the northeast United States. This research emerged from the problem space of recent literature--theory: Bandura's Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and…

Many first-generation, African American male students who enroll in primarily White institutions do not persist. This phenomenological study aimed to understand academic persistence in first-generation African American male students enrolled at a four-year, primarily White institution. The theory guiding this study is the theory of human…

Student dropout in higher education is a challenge for higher education systems. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on analyzing motivational aspects in order to counteract dropout. However, the detailed impact mechanisms and processes of motivation on dropout have not been sufficiently researched. For example, there is very…

Many adults above 40 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have not been diagnosed or were diagnosed late into adulthood. Furthermore, those diagnosed may have limited community resources and assistance in adult life. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the current discourse on this topic and to identify voids in research and…

The percentage of undergraduate students in the U.S. who report a visual disability is over 3.5%, and worldwide over a billion people claim a significant visual impairment. As more higher learning institutions build Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), it's critical to understand how these students experience such a different style of learning…

The study of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within a social and emotional learning (SEL) program is timely as it supports the increasing body of literature on narrowing the educational gaps prevalent among Black students. Current research is lacking regarding if and how educators utilize CRP to support the learning of SEL competencies with…