As higher education struggles to prove its ongoing relevance within the broader society in the face of increasing costs and little visible accountability, community engagement has emerged as one strategy to demonstrate that relevance. Such engagement is difficult and often messy, however, and structural differences among universities and the…

In this study, the researcher endeavored to examine Morris County, New Jersey, middle school teacher and principal perspectives on the use of technology in their classrooms and schools. Specifically, this study examined teacher engagement, implementation and limitations related to the use of technology with middle school students. This study used…

Despite the documented affordances of technology to enhance language teaching and learning, technology use does not seem to be normalized just yet. This dissertation investigates the factors that impact university-level language teachers' technology use and integration. Adopting the ecological perspective as a guiding framework, this study…

Bullying has been recognized as a significant social issue and research has shown that bullying behaviors tend to increase during the middle school years. Research trends indicate that current attention given to bullying has been influenced by public outcry against a growing number of tragic school and community-based events involving youth, many…

The Rhode Island Department of Education determined that 56% of high school juniors in public schools are not meeting mathematics performance standards. If a student is not proficient in school, then his or her ability and desire to continue education are diminished, raising the chances of drop out. Hispanic students have the highest dropout rate…

The study focuses on the eradication and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS (human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) as one of the main thrusts of Africa's 21st Century Development Goals. It investigates the significant role which language and education can play in fast tracking the attainment of this goal using a three-pronged…

What affect does female participation in the Training Future Scientist (TFS) program based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Maslow's Hierarchies of Needs have on female adolescents' achievement levels in science and their attitude toward science and interest in science-based careers? The theoretical framework for this study was developed…

Ghana is highly vulnerable and threatened by several hazards and has sought ways of minimizing impacts of hazards events over time including demonstrating an interest in developing an emergency management training and an higher education degree program. Yet, as of 2013, the country has not developed a disaster management training program or a…

This qualitative case study examined the self-efficacy beliefs of three high school principals in economically disadvantaged high schools with consistently high graduation rates for African American males. With the demand on school systems to perform in a politically driven, assessment-based paradigm, there is a need to describe and analyze the…

This dissertation examines the relationship between a particular method of teaching and learning about careers, and the development of wisdom in young adolescents. By conducting a case study of a specific classroom experience, I examine the ways in which students make meaning of their own career development as well as meaning of the course itself.…

Identifying means of assisting teachers in integrating technology during their instruction is becoming more important as the rate new technologies enter the classroom accelerates. The primary means of helping in-service teachers employ new technologies in their classrooms is frequently professional development. Unfortunately, professional…

An internal assessment was conducted utilizing a sociotechnical systems approach and cultural lens as a means of exploring the dynamics of a blended doctoral program. Blended learning environments were conceived of as sociotechnical systems, and blended programs were defined as programs that utilize multimodal means for the mediation of…

Students who grow up speaking regional dialects benefit from learning code switching (CS) strategies to allow bidialectal communication across their social worlds. This rationale proposes that students' home language of Appalachian English is acceptable at home and should be preserved; however, another set of language patterns, those of Standard…

Agricultural literacy of K-12 students is a national priority for both scientific and agricultural education professional organizations. Development of curricula to address this priority has not been informed by research on what K-12 students understand about the agri-food system. While students' knowledge of food and fiber system facts have been…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand how gender is constructed at a women's college. Specifically, the researchers use Judith Butler's (1990) work on performativity to frame how members of the campus community perceive transgender students are integrated into the college. Through semi-structured interviews with faculty,…