This study aimed to investigate the influences instructional coaching had on middle school math teachers. Accountability demands have impacted teaching and learning, and the push to use high stakes tests to measure teacher quality and effectiveness has limited teacher autonomy, agency, and efficacy. Teachers need professional learning that…

Nursing professional development (NPD) is an evolving nursing specialty role that combines expertise in clinical nursing with ongoing education in acute care settings. A novice NPD practitioner may not understand the complexities, demands, and stressors that accompany a work role transition. This qualitative case study used thematic analysis and…

Multilingual learners labeled as disabled have less access to bilingual educational programming compared to their nondisabled peers. As well, special education teachers have not been prepared to support multilingual learners. Therefore, the present study examined whether coaching may be an effective form of professional development for special…

Classrooms continue to become more diverse, and the overall demands on educators have expanded (Howe & Lisi, 2020). These changes require teachers to engage in cross-cultural interactions, to adapt instructional strategies, to be aware of the mental health states of young people, and to be more active in social justice issues (Baldridge, 2014;…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how experiences with mentoring lived, professional turning points, and crises of faith influenced post-seminary professional development for Christian church leaders in Southern Michigan. The theoretical foundation that guided the development of the study was based on Mezirow's…

At a young age, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit restrictive/repetitive or stereotypical behaviors that hinder their participation in the general community. The play activities of children with ASD often lack creativity, diversity, and flexibility due to deficits in social and communication abilities. Play activities for…

This dissertation is comprised of two studies that investigate the nuances of parent and peer ethnic racial socialization (ERS). I focus on the dynamic relationship between parent and peer ERS by examining its frequency and effects specifically for Black emerging adults in college as well as uncovering the prevalence of Black college students'…

Amidst continued disparity in educational outcomes and problematic responses of educators to underrepresented students, The National Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Project (SEED) trains leaders to facilitate conversational communities focused on inciting multilevel change and social justice. The present study utilized Interpretative…

Short term study abroad use by community colleges has been on the rise. This study looks at the effectiveness of short term study abroad programs at a community college. The study examines the use of these programs in promoting student retention, completion, and growth in intercultural competence. By looking at student retention and completion…

Given the rapid growth of research-practice partnerships (RPPs), we need a framework that helps the field understand how RPPs can facilitate organizational learning in service of local educational improvement and transformation. Drawing on sociocultural and organizational learning theories, we argue that learning can happen for the organizations…

Purpose: Systematic reviews of literature are routinely conducted to identify practices that are effective in addressing educational and clinical problems. One complication, however, is how best to combine data from both group experimental design (GED) studies and single-case experimental design (SCED) studies. Percent of Goal Obtained (PoGO) has…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how school leaders are assisting at-risk students in urban schools develop social capital. It sought to understand specifically what strategies they perceive as useful for developing social capital with students. This study's findings are significant to the field of education in providing…

This dissertation examines a case of an international development initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the United States and implemented in North Macedonia. The specific initiative was a youth development program including a substantial career counseling component called the Macedonia Youth…

The purpose of this study was to identify and explore how curricula in queer studies at Community College of the Bay (CCB) reflect and ignore the lived experiences of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPOC) by engaging queer studies students as co-researchers in virtual participatory action research (VPAR). This research…

Although external engagement practices, such as parent, family, and community engagement, are widely acknowledged as good teaching practice, there are no regulations and little fiscal support in the state of California for conducting these practices within the school system. Using the conceptual framework of community equity literacy (CEL) (Green,…