This paper investigates how teachers learn about race in the school context, with a particular focus on teachers' development of racial competency. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews we find that teachers learn through three sources: from their peers, from years of experience, and from teacher preparation and in-service experiences.…

School leaders need to understand how to implement change through leadership as shifts in grading reform support student learning. The problem was educational leaders and school districts face many challenges transitioning from traditional report cards and grading systems to standards-based grading and reporting at the middle school level. A gap…

There is not a great body of research that exists exploring literacy self-efficacy perceptions of teachers through a qualitative lens, and it was noted that the voices of teachers were missing in literacy self-efficacy research. This qualitative study investigates teachers' perceptions about their literacy self-efficacy, as well as what factors…

There is a gap in educational research regarding teachers' narratives of teaching in diverse classrooms, especially in East Africa. It is essential to investigate teachers' beliefs and perspectives because these are strong indicators of their planning, instructional decisions, and classroom practices and can also frame their perception of…

The quality of inclusion for young children with disabilities in early childhood learning environments has long been attributed to the effectiveness of the teachers within such settings. As the service delivery system has shifted toward more inclusive models, endeavors to improve preparation for inclusion have been marked by efforts to combine the…

This dissertation aims to center the experiences of first-year writing educators in one program with a shared curriculum. Guided by social theories of learning and scholarship and practices in writing studies and writing program administration, I conducted qualitative surveys and interviews with teaching-focused faculty and graduate teaching…

This study aimed to examine the impact of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1973; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) on the access and equity of C-STEM learners of color under the following four tenets of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model: aspirational, familial, social, and navigational capital. A theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory…

Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has garnered attention in educational research for its potential to predict academic achievement and well-being. Despite this, its psychometric properties and applicability across diverse populations remain underexplored. This study aims to validate the Grit-O scale and explore its…

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of high school math teachers and administrators regarding professional development initiatives in secondary math education. Through a qualitative approach involving focus group discussions and individual interviews, the study examined accountability mechanisms, motivational factors, challenges, and…

Students faced many challenges during the onset of COVID-19 across the country, including isolation in their learning from not being able to be in the classroom with their peers. Although we are four years' post- pandemic, a survey found more than 80% of public schools reported "stunted behavioral and socioemotional development" in their…

College-level study abroad participation has been shown to positively influence a range of student outcomes including GPA, graduation rates, cultural competence, cultural capital acquisition, as well as, students' leadership skills. However, the influence of study abroad at the high school programs have mostly gone unresearched. The study abroad…

Many professions require continuing education to comply with practice and state licensure requirements, yet little is known about how learned information is transferred into practice. Using a qualitative descriptive case study research design, informed by E-Learning Systems and Knowledge Transfer theories, the application of learned principles…

The problem this study addressed is that K-12 teachers inconsistently implement technology into classroom instructional practices. The use of technology influences every aspect of our daily life. In fact, schools now have a responsibility to integrate technology into teaching and learning. This qualitative study aimed to investigate how K-12…

Engineering is fundamentally about design, yet many undergraduate programs offer limited opportunities for students to learn to design. This design case reports on a grant-funded effort to revolutionize how chemical engineering is taught. Prior to this effort, our chemical engineering program was like many, offering core courses primarily taught…

In 2017 Purdue evGrand Prix hired a K-12 Indiana public educator (the author) to write instructional material that could be implemented into participating teams' high school science and engineering classrooms. The goal was to create science-based integrated STEM learning experiences that complement the construction and racing of a 48-volt electric…