In support of school districts experiencing teacher shortages, the state of Alaska provides for provisional certification of individuals who hold a bachelor's degree but who have not completed the requirements for teacher licensure. This certification allows individuals early entry into a classroom as full-time teachers contingent upon concurrent…

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore selected teachers' perceptions of the factors that motivated them to remain in their teaching jobs throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic despite the national rise in teacher turnover trends, particularly in Title I schools. Alaskan schools experience up to 85%…

The problem addressed in this study is that zero-tolerance policies impact African-American female students through suspension, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals more than their White counterparts. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative ex post facto study was to determine if a significant difference exists in the exclusionary…

Most bilingual programs are built around a clear separation between the two languages used throughout the school day. However, in bilingual research centers (BRCs), a key component of the Gomez and Gomez Dual Language Enrichment model, students can choose which language to use. This is what sparked my interest, because I wanted to understand more…

Citizen Science programs create a bi-directional flow of knowledge between scientists and citizen volunteers; this flow democratizes science in order to create an informed public (Bonney et al. 2014; Brown, Kelly, and Whitall 2014). This democratization is a fundamental part of creating a science that can address today's pressing environmental,…

Upon regaining the right to direct education at the local level, the North Slope Borough (NSB) of Alaska incorporated Inupiat educational philosophies into the educational system. The NSB in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks established Ilisagvik College, the only tribal college in Alaska. Ilisagvik College seeks to broaden…

This dissertation summarizes a study of the use of online homework with developmental mathematics students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. To address the problem of high failure rates in developmental mathematics courses this study investigated the relationship between online homework and academic achievement, persistence, and attitude.…

This dissertation analyzes the potential impact community broadband availability has on personal and classroom levels of technology adoption for high school students and teachers in Alaska. Community broadband availability was defined as, (a) terrestrial broadband availability; (b) satellite broadband availability; and (c) no broadband available.…

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are disproportionally burdened by high rates of sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy, heightening their need for sexual health interventions that are aligned to their unique culture and social context. Media technologies, including the Internet, cell phones, and video games, offer new…