In this multiple case study, I asked ten practicing secondary educators in the Midwest to express the purposes and practices that drive their teaching regarding climate change education. The theoretical framework grounding this qualitative study is that of critical theory, in which one leverages critique to bring about social change. I analyzed…

This research is a study of the educational systems of South Africa and the United States in a comparative perspective. The research examines the success and failures of the two systems, taking black student dropout rates as a case study for understanding the structural, philosophical and public policy foundations of the genesis and development of…

Many researchers cite living more sustainably as humans' most pressing long- term challenge. Living sustainably can be defined as meeting one's needs without interfering with future generations ability to meet their needs. Engaging students with the social causes and effects of sustainability issues may help to address and create…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how interactions between undergraduate students and their learning environments influenced their development toward critical consciousness. Critical consciousness represents a complex way of making meaning of one's self in relation to one's social world that is necessary for meeting the…

This dissertation research is positioned within the social problems that can be found in urban, rural, and suburban neighborhoods. Some communities face a host of problems that may be linked to the prevalence of drugs, gang violence, homeless families, robberies, and other social dilemmas. Finding solutions to these types of social problems is a…

During these unprecedented complicated times, there is an equally unprecedented need for an informed citizenry. Many of us watch democracy get played out on the 24-hour news networks. Still others bear witness to it in the social commentaries embedded in the entertainment provided by late night comedians like Jon Stewart. Humor provides a largely…

Evangelical institutions of higher education began introducing programs of social work education after 1960 during a period of academic reform and dramatic social change. Public dialogue increasingly acknowledged impoverishment as a reality in America, and the renewal of social concern among evangelicals stimulated interest in education for the…

There is very little research on the phenomena surrounding the life stories and experiences of teen parents who completed their associate's degree. This dissertation is a case study that tells the life stories of five teen parents who graduated from the Cincinnati Branch of Chatfield College with an associate's degree. Narrative Inquiry provides…