The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of personalized professional development (PPD) on induction teachers' sense of teacher self-efficacy when employed to address a teacher-identified, student-centered problem of practice using improvement science. Induction teachers' problem of practice focused on at least one of three areas:…

This research argues that to increase information security awareness effectiveness in preventing data incidents, a learning mindset must be in place at the individual and organizational levels. The motivation for this research stems from the continued number of data breaches that are increasing in size and scope at an alarming rate, negatively…

This dissertation tested the effect of academic engagement and social engagement on developing soft professional skills for low-income, high-achieving students in higher education. Using the publicly available data of GMS scholarship, the analysis was consisted of EFA and SEM. The general effect model gave a general idea about the tested…

Education is a vital aspect in society, and refining its process to assist learners is an essential component in order to continue to provide students with meaningful educational learning opportunities. Schools have a responsibility to prepare students for success in life after high school, including college, career, and life. Schools have…

Up until recent technological developments in neuroscience and advancements in brain imagery techniques, educators and scientists had little insight into what was occurring in the minds of learners. These developments in the field of neuroscience have led to increased knowledge about how the brain develops and learns in childhood. Understanding…

This dissertation explored questions related to teaching graphing skills to graduate students in behavior analysis. In Study 1, a survey of BCBAs asked which graphing conventions behavior analysts are most likely to revise. Only five conventions received high overall agreement and differences in revision ratings were associated with demographic…

Occupational credentials provide an additional--and, at times, alternative--path other than traditional academic degrees for individuals to increase productivity and demonstrate their abilities and qualifications to employers. These credentials take the form of licenses and certifications. Although a critical part of the workforce landscape, the…

Two years ago, we presented a newly formalized process for systematically inculcating new faculty into our department, which up to that point had relied solely on the generosity of the department chair, seasoned faculty, and other new faculty for advice, support, and the sharing of ideas, resources, and knowledge about the specifics of the…

Engagement in learning is crucial for students, having long term effects that extend beyond a student's schooling years. However, many students, particularly at the secondary level, are not actively engaged in their schooling. Deficit mindsets, low self-efficacy, and a system that places excessive demands on teachers all lead to low expectations…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of instruction that challenges students to answer questions in a practical manner using their understanding of learned course content. The question at the heart of this study concerns if and how faculty in one institution are currently using PBL. I used an exploratory descriptive case study to research the…

With the increasing demands on school administrators, districts are realizing that the job of leading schools cannot be left to the building principal alone. Educational organizations are being forced to re-imagine the roles of those leaders and how teacher leadership, specifically instructional coaching can contribute to the overall well-being…

This dissertation examined the term legal literacy as it applies to education, the state of legal literacy in educators today, and how that might be improved through lens self-efficacy. This dissertation is organized into four separate papers. Paper 1 is a review of the literature about legal literacy in both the field of education and in the…

This dissertation is an extended prescription for the inclusion of social justice in high school biology (HSB) curricula. Chapter 1 is context: a review of social injustice (mainly racism) in the US, and the specious scientific justifications for it. Chapter 2 explores how three veteran teachers introduce social justice in HSB classes. A…

This qualitative case study examined how six educators utilized professional development training designed to foster equity in the classroom through culturally sustaining pedagogy, critical reflection, and the development of student self-efficacy. Research participants engaged in professional learning during the Fall or Spring of 2018-2019 and…

Since 2008, the Ministry of Education in Grenada, where this study took place, started curriculum reform with the implementation of the HighScope curriculum in preschools. The problem is that many teachers faced challenges implementing the HighScope curriculum. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of early…