The significance of this study was to give an active voice to the experiences of women superintendents. By giving voice to the lived experiences of women superintendents, the study sought to further understand the phenomenon of women dominating the teaching profession and other entry-level positions in education yet having a noticeably limited…

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of new principals regarding their ability to fulfill the nine requirements of the South Carolina Program for Assisting, Evaluating, and Developing Principal Performance. The findings revealed that novice administrators believed they were effective at implementing the nine principles and that a…

In recent years, gratitude practices arising from positive psychology have increased in the classroom. Considering teachers' vital role in creating an environment that fosters positive character development such as gratitude is critical because their own perceptions about gratitude and how well-prepared they are influences student engagement.…

Educational intervention research addresses multiple barriers that under-sourced communities face in education. I test three methods to improve education program design and evaluation to develop programs that have substantial and lasting impacts on student outcomes. In my dissertation, I review current challenges to educational program evaluation…

Intro. A full account of speech perception requires explaining how listeners organize the acoustic signal into speech objects (perceptual organization) and how listeners use their memory for language to impart meaning to the speech objects (linguistic memory). Traditionally these mechanisms have been investigated separately, and thus theorized as…

This study explored the relationship between multiple teacher factors and shifts in teacher technology integration practices for the development of 21st-century student skills. More specifically, through a multiple regression analysis, teacher technology knowledge, teacher technology skills, school culture, and teacher self-efficacy were examined…

This descriptive case study investigates how full-time community college curriculum faculty members perceive and navigate professional development in their community college. Community college faculty teach nearly two-thirds of all undergraduate students in the United States and have a significant impact on the success of their students.…

Most of the world's population believe in the idea of learning styles (Dekker et al., 2012; Howard-Jones, 2014; Macdonald et al., 2017; Torrijos-Muelas et al., 2021). The theory of learning styles conveys individuals learn best in a certain way (e.g., visual, auditory, or kinesthetic). An extension of this theory is the hypothesis that an…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate alternative and effective forms of instruction for young students with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher examined and compared the difference in the instructional formats of 1:1 discrete trial teaching and small-group discrete trial teaching. Targets were chosen in receptive language and…

YouTube viewers watch over a billion hours of videos monthly and have multiple choices on professional development resources. User-generated content (UGC) on YouTube is created by individuals instead of brands and uses different typologies of video production styles. This study examined 80 YouTube microlearning videos that provided insight into…

A well-designed compliance program is necessary for higher education institutions (HEIs) of all sizes to mitigate the risks of severe penalties and reputational damage resulting from regulatory noncompliance. The U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines provide a broad framework comprised of the Seven Elements contributing to an effective compliance…

The purpose of this qualitative study, using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, was to explore the lived experiences of how nursing faculty are trained, developed, and emotionally supported in addressing academic misconduct in the classroom. The problem to be addressed by this study was that nursing faculty lack training, development, and…

To tackle today's most challenging problems, we must explore effective and scalable ways to train the next generation in leading the design and research of high-impact solutions. In addition to core design-research skills (i.e. prototyping techniques and research methodologies), learners must also develop the metacognitive skills necessary for…

This phenomenological dissertation explores the lived experiences of secondary social studies educators situated in the Appalachian region. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used as a philosophical and methodological approach to gather insights into this phenomenon. Interviews were conducted with three educators to capture their experiences from their…

Professional development is ubiquitous in education, with over 90% of teachers engaging in professional development activities, yet often with limited perceived impact on their practice. This dissertation situates itself at the critical juncture of professional development quality and teacher self-efficacy, investigating the transformative…