This dissertation seeks to better understand the individual educational technology decision-maker and how they interact with other members of the educational technology decision making process in a public k-12 school setting. To do this, I asked the questions: who are the people who make educational technology decision in a K-12 school district?…

School administrators are responsible for the safety and physical well-being of the students. Although school disciplinary policies are in place, there is a problem with school administrators' practices and decisions when administering discipline for students' inappropriate behavior. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the…

Academic dishonesty remains a pervasive, multi-discipline dilemma which has been reported as having the propensity of resulting in longstanding consequences beyond academic settings. Previous research has suggested that students who participate in dishonest behaviors while attending institutions of higher education have greater tendencies to…

Research on school discipline and moral reasoning have typically been construed in separate spheres. The former has examined the outcomes of specific practices - from punitive to restorative - whereas the latter has examined reasoning about a variety of issues pertaining to justice, welfare, and rights. Moral reasoning about school discipline has…

This mixed methods study was designed to examine the factors that experienced special education teachers report as being influential in their decision to remain in the field of special education. The study collected data using surveys and interviews with experienced special education teachers to gather their perspectives and identify common themes…

This study was aimed to explore Chinese college and university students' motivations to study abroad and examining how their career aspiration influence their decision-making process. 5 research questions were developed from this research topic. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was applied. The researcher himself and the face-to-face…

Public school districts are embedded into local communities, forming a symbiotic relationship of mutual influence. District leaders, therefore, have a tremendous impact on a great number of stakeholders and in turn, there are many external and internal factors that impact how successful districts are in completing their mission. Given the…

In March 2020, the United States faced the COVID-19 pandemic that had already crippled the rest of the world. COVID-19 impacted every aspect of our lives, including imposing an immense negative impact on higher educational institutions, most notably among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This case study focused on Zion Hill…

Occupational Therapists (OTs) are tasked with making effective clinical decisions to maximize client outcomes. There is, however, a dearth of evidence regarding if, how, and when changes in clinical decision-making occur during the OT education process. This research report presents the outcomes of a quantitative study examining changes in…

This dissertation is presented in a journal-ready format and aims to inform professional development designed to support blended teaching. The first is a qualitative study of the practices of secondary educators currently using blended teaching strategies. Thematic analysis of the interviews identified activities teachers use in the online space…

This discussion essay explores the theory-practice nexus in comparative and international education (CIE) from the author's role as a third space professional and a budding academic-practitioner (Wilson, 1994) providing academic support to offshore international students at a New Zealand university. It engages with two debates related to the…

Family structure can influence level of risk children face and their likelihood of attending college, despite many benefits associated with higher education. The Resilience Theory suggests that protective factors mitigate risk exposure and help individuals recover from negative experiences. This study involved examining relationships between…

In the United States, HIV disproportionately affects people 13-45 years old, people of color, people in the south, and men who have sex with men. Given the growing number of postsecondary students within these demographic groups, this presents an equity issue and raises concerns for how higher education researchers and practitioners choose to…

This study explored relationships between hope, self-efficacy, and professional identity among a group of undergraduate engineering students at a western institution of higher education in the United States (US) over the span of an academic semester. We conducted a mixed-methods study with undergraduate engineering students to measure aspects of…

Research confirms that critical thinking plays a fundamental role in decision making and problem solving, skills that are essential to function as successful adults in a complex world. Consequently, it has been a focus of educational research for decades. Faculty meetings and teacher training sessions repeatedly run sessions on ways that teachers…