Parents and educators are at the forefront of promoting children's health and well-being. Yet little is known about the factors that contribute to forming a positive relationship between parents and their children's educators. Very few researchers have investigated the perceptions of parents, teachers, and support staff regarding the factors that…

This study explored the prevalence, understanding, and use of growth mindset in gateway courses amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach, the study was guided by three research questions: 1. What is the relationship between faculty mindset and faculty perception of student mindset in gateway courses? 2. How…

This study explored the prevalence, understanding, and use of growth mindset in gateway courses amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach, the study was guided by three research questions: 1. What is the relationship between faculty mindset and faculty perception of student mindset in gateway courses? 2. How…

In the spring of 2020, brick and mortar colleges had to abruptly adapt to the reality of COVID-19 and transition to entirely online environments in a manner of weeks. This required a rapid (< 2 weeks) acquisition of knowledge and flexibility in using technology, most commonly Zoom. Upon completion of the semester, and after debriefing with…

Background: School equity refers to the extent to which students are treated fairly, ensuring that each student receives what they need to be successful. School staff can play a vital role in creating an equitable school climate for adolescents, but little is known about how staff perceive equity in their school and how this in turn may relate to…

The prison population is a growing problem in the United States, as the number of incarcerated individuals surpass those in larger countries. The sequence of students being pushed out of the classroom and into the prison system has been termed the preschool-to-prison pipeline (Mallett, 2016). While exploring possible strategies to help mitigate…

The developmental path of children has not changed, but the world around them has. More than ever, it is imperative that students have the social and emotional skills to help them thrive in school, in their homes, and in their community. Mindfulness helps support social, emotional, and academic learning as it assists children in becoming more…

Multidisciplinary teams have become a consistent part of school culture and the decision-making process (Buck et al., 2003), however limited and inconsistent research (Huebner & Gould, 1991) is available regarding the effectiveness of multidisciplinary teams within the school environment. Current literature provides common themes regarding…

For close to a decade, the Jefferson County School District (JCSD) was characterized by failed academic performance and financial instability. Some of the factors that drove these outcomes include school board dysfunction, poor use of financial resources, failure to recruit and retain highly effective teachers, revolving school leaders, and the…

The purpose of this action research was to examine information literacy skills in undergraduate students. In particular, this research investigated students' knowledge and self-efficacy of information literacy skills. Furthermore, this study explored students' application of information literacy and how students apply information literacy skills…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences in student chronic absenteeism between schools with high positive scores for perceptions of central components school climate and schools with low positive scores for perceptions of central components of school climate. This study assessed the difference…

The aim of this qualitative case study was to shed light on factors perceived by facilitators of adult learning to influence the transformation of their fixed/growth mindsets with the potential for enhanced or sustained feedback receptivity. This was achieved by exploring the experiences of a core team of facilitators of adult education in an…

This dissertation narrates the data corpus of a 3-year autoethnography of a gaming community that created a history-themed esports event, the EU4 LAN. Descriptive writing and thematic analysis was utilized to illustrate the enacted roles of EU4 LAN community's (I)dentities across its affinity network. The aim of this research has been to elucidate…

Student success is influenced by accessibility and educational experience. These two factors shape academic rigor, teacher support, and post-secondary preparation, all essential elements for the growing number of disenfranchised youth attending alternative schools. In a study by Convertino and Graboski-Bauer (2018) on college readiness versus…

During the 2020-21 school year, remote instruction due to COVID-19 significantly limited children's access to school-based social interactions. As schools return to in-person instruction, we ask: Can poetry and metaphor be used to develop theory of mind (ToM)/reflective functioning and emotional literacy in the early elementary setting? This…