This explanatory sequential mixed methods study, which consisted of QUAN [right arrow] to qual investigated the impact of mathematics word problems among African American students in the seventh grade. This study applied a culturally relevant education (CRE) lens to examine how students solve mathematics word problems. Ladson-Billings (1997) and…

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the extent to which being labeled as an economically disadvantaged student contributed to the number of exclusionary discipline referrals in secondary schools belonging to three neighboring school districts in South Texas. The framework was based upon the Diamond et al.…

Project based learning (PBL), a well-known pedagogical approach, is becoming more widely recognized for creating and sustaining student engagement and motivation in 21st-century learning while improving academic achievement. Teachers support this hands-on, collaborative approach and see it as beneficial for students of all learning modalities, but…

Many special education teachers experience low self-efficacy when it comes to supporting the problematic behavior of their students. Low self-efficacy not only results in emotional exhaustion, burnout, and decreased retention, but also directly impacts the success of students in the classroom. The problem this qualitative descriptive study sought…

Problem based learning is a teaching methodology that utilizes patient scenarios to facilitate student learning that may improve clinical reasoning. While problem based learning has been adopted in many medical schools, the transition to other health profession schools, including physical therapy schools, has been slow and often criticized. The…

A primary concern in academic institutions is the high frequency of academic dishonesty among students. Concerns surrounding this issue negatively affect the institution's reputation and the acquisition of external funding. The purpose of this research was to explore the increasing prevalence of academic dishonesty at higher education…

The study examines the perspectives of using the Desmos calculator of Algebra I students' conceptual understanding and procedural fluency to write, graph, and solve linear equations in Algebra I STAAR. While the students have continuously used technology for mathematics assessment, emergent bilingual students in South Texas still need help passing…

This study examined the academic persistence of student fathers at a Texas community college through a single-site case study approach. Two key research questions guided the inquiry: (1) How did the community college describe its efforts to support academic persistence for student fathers? (2) What factors did student fathers perceive as…

This dissertation explores how environmental engineering can utilize STEM education as a strategic tool, enhancing social sustainability and thereby empowering underserved Hispanic communities in West Texas. Responding to significant educational and resource disparities, this research introduces an innovative interdisciplinary framework that…

Many teachers do not feel that their pre-service training adequately prepared them to manage and teach students with learning/behavioral challenges, a situation that often diminishes a teacher's sense of instructional self-efficacy. Researchers observe that many teachers with low self-efficacy skills in the classroom also have issues with their…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, or to what extent, the soft skills of a principal, as perceived by their teachers, can predict a positive school climate at the middle school level in a large Independent School District (ISD) in southeast Texas. The theoretical constructs of attribution and emotional…

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in early 2020. With it, came a range of concerns, panic, and scrambling for "quick fixes," as families learned to navigate rapid and sometimes confusing pandemic changes. Thirty million Americans were under- or uninsured at the start of the pandemic, so both preventive measures and access to…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of kindergarten through second grade early career teachers (ECTs) as it pertains to behavior management in elementary Title I schools and the supports they perceive they need to effectively manage disruptive behaviors of their students. This study was accomplished by a) holding a…

Many educational systems are generally viewed across the United States as failing to meet the increased demand of preparing an educated workforce to sustain the nation's economy and overall citizen way of life. One such failing is represented in the number of students not completing high school. To address the systemic dropout problem, federal and…

According to the United States Department of Education (2012, 2016), degree completions are a vital measure of overall institution success. Significantly, declining student persistence rates and low degree completions are consistent problems in public colleges throughout the United States. Not only are diminishing retention and incomplete degrees…