The problem was the lack of SEL and social presence practices in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused student engagement to decline. The purpose was to explore educator perceptions of how SEL social presence practices affect student engagement during the transition from traditional learning. Grounded in social constructivism…

This study examines what undergraduate students say they learn about engaging with difference and across cultures in the Michigan Union and the Trotter Multicultural Center at the University of Michigan, a historically white institution. The University of Michigan is a historically white institution because of its majority of white students,…

Writer identity has gradually become a focus in writing scholarship in recent years. From a social constructivist lens, writer identity is not optional; it resides in all texts. And it is a construct that does not exist in a vacuum, but is shaped by the sociocultural and academic context, and simultaneously individual writers agentively select…

Due to the evolution of online learning, enrollments in online course have reached an all-time high. The concept of student engagement, a historically popular term used within higher education, has adopted many definitions and descriptions over time. As institutions have historically linked student engagement to aspects of academic achievement,…

The North Dakota Teacher Support System (NDTSS) mentoring program is available to 1st-year teachers employed in the state public schools. Because there has been limited research on the topic, the purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how participation in the mentoring program affects the experiences and developing…

This dissertation provides insights into the potential for the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) and a complementary instructional model, transdisciplinary STEM, to advance constructivist approaches to high-quality education by providing a framework and pedagogical model that authentically communicate these principles for…

Storytelling is universal and is popular in many cultures where it is a medium people use to preserve their beliefs, social values, wisdom, and cultural experiences as well as transfer them from one generation to another. In American Samoa, over 90% of students are classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) and literacy rates are very low,…

Latinx students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE; ages 18-20), not enrolled in school, often do not fully employ mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) strategies to acquire English and may experience barriers to using MALL strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore what MALL strategies Latinx SLIFE (ages 18-20), not…

Online learning is dynamic, and due to increased popularity, it is rapidly expanding at the post-secondary level. Technology has changed the way students acquire new information. Online faculty are responsible for supporting the academic success of their online undergraduate students in a technology-rich learning environment. The instructional…

This three-article dissertation contains three approaches to the topic of professional learning communities and their impact on student achievement. Article I is a synthesis of the literature related to the purpose of professional learning communities. Implications in educational settings are also presented in this article. The context of the…

This case study highlights the social-cultural relevant pedagogical impact a bilingual teacher has on the middle school ESL classroom through her Latina identity and lived experiences. Data gathering occurred over six months through the principal participant's in-depth interviews, classrooms observations, and document analysis of classroom…

This multiple case study investigated how teachers utilized C3 Framework-aligned instructional materials created with the Inquiry Design Model in unique contexts. Contextual factors related to how teachers enacted and experienced the C3 Framework were explored, in addition to how they planned, implemented, and assessed C3 Framework-aligned…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the perspectives and reflections of students and an educator who engaged in the assessment techniques of versioning and critique in a high school classroom employing Technology-Based Music Instruction (TBMI). The use of versioning (whereby students saved projects daily with a different file name), and…

The college open door policy initiated in the 1960s made access to higher education available for more students in the United States. People who were once excluded from enrolling in college now have an opportunity to earn a college degree. Some first-time students, significantly underprepared in writing, have been required to enroll in…

With all of the research devoted to the use and effectiveness of constructivist learning principles in high school science classes, it is somewhat surprising to find that there is very little research devoted to constructivism's use in international settings. The problem that this lack of research poses is that classrooms are increasingly diverse…