More than 85% of federally funded research initiatives fail to produce significant positive results (Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2013). Moreover, of the less than 15% that do yield positive results, none show replicability outside of their original setting (Pogrow, 2017; Kizilcec et al., 2020). Mixed results are present in even the most…

Sensory processing difficulties (SPD) can significantly impact a child's behavior, learning, and overall well-being. However, many educators, particularly those teaching in the early grades, lack the necessary training to recognize and effectively respond to these challenges. Consequently, students exhibiting atypical behaviors are often…

In this dissertation I explore instructors' work with instructional tasks as they plan to introduce various representations of derivatives. Drawing on the notion of "framing" from sociology, I adopt a situative lens to study calculus instructors' planning of instructional tasks. I rely on Herbst and Chazan's (2012) notion of…

When instructing very large groups of students in science, it can be difficult to engage all students in the content and measure their understanding. A major unaddressed challenge in science instruction is how specifically to design and implement strategies that engender active learning particularly in high-enrollment undergraduate courses. Active…

This convergent mixed methods study investigated the relationship between the assessment-capable learning (ACL) instructional model, John Hattie's influence referred to as "students driving their own learning," and math achievement in kindergarten. While Visible Learning literature has focused on secondary and higher education, this…

In the modern era, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have revolutionized diverse fields yet a deficiency in geographical education lingers in the U.S. educational system. This dissertation offers a thorough analysis of this gap, focusing on the potential of the GIS as an innovative solution for enriching geographical education. The Geospatial…

This dissertation explores the intricate dynamics between the self-perceptions of undergraduate mathematics (UM) educators and their conceptions of excellent teaching practices conducive to student learning. Employing a sequential mixed methods approach, the study addresses two primary research questions. First, it investigates educators'…

Since the beginning of public education, the skills and instructional methods have been connected to the needs of the workforce. Over time, these skills and needs have changed. In the early 19th century, during the industrial revolution, public education was focused on basic memorization and rote skills. In the 20th and now, 21st centuries, the…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate by using a PBL design if giving student more ownership in classroom cellphone policies has positive outcomes. This study looked at not only the behavioral aspect of classroom cellphone usage, but also the impacts of using a PBL design on student engagement, ownership, and knowledge…

In this dissertation I will present my work in both the fields of spintronics and physics education research. In the first section, I present a method to account for spin pumping in spin torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) measurements. A spin current can be generated via the spin Hall effect (SHE), which is typically transverse to the charge…

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the completion of a note taking and review intervention impacted developmental mathematics students' performance on course assessments. Note taking is a challenging skill that requires time and effort to improve (Boch & Piolat, 2005). Many developmental mathematics students struggle to…

There have been recent pushes for more active learning in mathematics classrooms, especially at the undergraduate level. To incorporate more active learning, there is a need for tasks that explicitly support this type of instruction, attention to student reasoning and whose ideas are publicly acknowledged, and awareness of differences in students'…

"Vicarious learning" research is a burgeoning area of inquiry, which examines the learning of students who observe and are engaged with video- or audio-taped presentations of other people engaged in learning (Chi et al., 2008). In such studies, the students or "vicarious learners" (VLs) are positioned as indirect participants…

"Vicarious learning" research is a burgeoning area of inquiry, which examines the learning of students who observe and are engaged with video- or audio-taped presentations of other people engaged in learning (Chi et al., 2008). In such studies, the students or "vicarious learners" (VLs) are positioned as indirect participants…

This practitioner action research study explored features of NGSS-based pedagogies to improve secondary education student engagement, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. It examined ways that constructivist pedagogies might encourage students to understand science by putting their skills and knowledge into practice as young…