Efforts to understand changes in teacher curricula following the adoption of reform-based standards, such as the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) remain incomplete and prior scholarship has identified several topics in the standards (e.g., nuclear chemistry and kinetics) that remain infrequently addressed in teachers'…

This study explores how children from two to nine years of age develop Computational Thinking (CT) skills. The term "CT" denotes a set of cognitive processes that are useful for framing and solving problems using computers and other information processing agents. Acquisition of CT skills is traditionally associated with learning to code…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) can provide a structure for teachers to engage in learning processes that improve their classroom practices collaboratively. If followed consistently with the literature, PLCs are a robust professional learning model that can support teachers collectively through learning and reflecting on their classroom…

Increased public scrutiny and outcry over police shootings of unarmed Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to name just two, forced a greater awareness of societal demonizing and criminalizing of Black and Brown people due to racial stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. This examination of American…

Continued professional learning and development of school leaders is a way to improve schools and promote positive organizational change (Andreoli et al., 2020; Kim, 2020; Rieckhoff & Larsen, 2012) as well as and a way to support sustainability in a profession with high rates of turnover (Levin et al., 2020). Although principals and…

Amid an ever-changing landscape in higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed unprecedented disruption and challenge in its wake. Though future ramifications have yet to be seen, the present phenomenological study sought to expose the lived experiences of traditional classroom faculty during the abrupt and unexpected transition to emergency…

Many teacher noticing studies focus upon noticing of disciplinary ideas. However, important teacher learning occurs connected to other aspects of teaching/learning such as discourse moves to equitably distribute participation, teacher persona, and classroom management. The purpose of this study was to identify what middle school science teacher…

This study employed art-based research with phenomenological qualitative inquiry to understand the perspectives of professionals who are working in the Israeli school system with children diagnosed with selective mutism. Selective mutism (SM) is a disorder originated in anxiety in which a child, between the ages of 3-5, does not speak at school…

As beginning teachers face challenges and seek support, many never receive the guidance needed to help them become effective teachers. Lack of support can build obstacles that lead to job dissatisfaction and failure to retain teachers. Nationwide, states have adopted legislation to require induction programs for new teachers to improve teacher…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to gain an understanding of the impact trauma informed professional development has on Pennsylvania public school elementary teachers' perceptions of school climate. The extent to which trauma informed practices have influenced elementary teachers (K-6) perceptions of school climate is not known.…

The issue that this study addresses is the lack of implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in today's classrooms. To address this problem, the purpose of this study will be exploring the experience of students positively impacted by a teacher coded as using Social Emotional Competence. To gather data, assessment scores of several…

I provide considerations for TPC instructors and programs regarding developing students' IC skills.I start by examining key conversations and found that issues teaching IC arise when frameworks, texts, and/or individuals do not define key terms related to culture and IC. To address this issue and create a strong foundation, I establish some of the…

This study explored the mathematical beliefs of two second-grade teachers. This exploration included 1) the nature of mathematics beliefs and orientation towards teaching and learning held by the teachers, 2) how their beliefs were developed and, when applicable, changed, and 3) how their beliefs influenced their mathematics instruction. It used…

This study examined elementary school teachers in suburban locations within the United States. Cultural competence is an understanding of various cultures. With the growth of diverse populations in suburban elementary schools, cultural competence of teachers is desired. This study examined 84 suburban teachers that completed an online survey. This…

In this qualitative study we sought to understand the experiences of K-12 school personnel serving on Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) leadership teams. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews and five focus groups across three states and five school districts to determine team members' perceptions regarding facilitators and…