The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how rural K-12 leaders in Utah describe their leadership practices. The theoretical framework was based on Robert Greenleaf's Servant Leadership Theory. This study explored three research questions pertaining to: How Rural K-12 leadership practices were described, challenges that…

This dissertation investigates the complex phenomenon of high school dropouts and the social factors that contributed to them making that decision. The research included interviewing six high school dropouts, whose ages ranged from 35-45, all of whom were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Each interview was conducted in…

Epistemic beliefs, epistemic cognitions, and self-regulation processes have a significant role in students' learning. Through this study, I investigated the role of mechanical engineering students' epistemic beliefs and epistemic cognitions involved in self-regulation processes while working on tasks with different difficulty levels. In this…

This study concentrated on word problems in Grades Kindergarten-3 and the application of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and the Content Standards. The study also included an analysis of focus, coherence, and rigor in the materials. The textbooks used were among the first editions to be published after the acceptance of the Common Core…

The objective of this dissertation was to explore the paradoxical nature of Combinatorics as both a difficult and accessible domain in Mathematics, particularly for K-12 students. This paradox in Combinatorics' nature raised questions about how students interact with problems in this domain and the factors influencing their understanding and…

The issue of low math performance, particularly in schools serving historically marginalized communities, requires immediate attention. Despite implementing various interventions, including leadership changes, curriculum updates, and hiring consultants, student achievement in math has remained stagnant at Ida B. Wells Academy (Wells). This case…

It may sound strange, but in today's mathematics classroom, teachers are encouraged to have students struggle. This struggle, however, is not what might come to mind upon first hearing the word. The struggle I refer to here is what researchers have termed "productive struggle," which is present when students must persevere in solving…

Students obtaining graduate and postgraduate degrees experience a high level of demands and stressors, often engaging in avoidant behavior in response. As these advanced studies are known for their rigor, the identification of strategies to support student successes and decrease student avoidant behavior is imperative. One such strategy identified…

Novice programmers need well-designed instruction and assessment informed by research and critical perspectives to conquer the historical challenges associated with completing introductory computer programming courses successfully. These issues include high dropout and failure rates, the struggle to acquire and retain basic programming knowledge,…

While contemporary mathematics education literature argues that curricular resources, such as textbooks, play a significant role guiding mathematics teachers in what and how they teach, it also shows that these resources often do not do what they say they will do, nor adhere to the standards they claim to further. When it comes to the most…

Struggling with mathematics is important for several reasons. According to learning theorists and empirical studies, the act of struggling can help students learn mathematics. Also, several important mathematics education documents advocate that students should engage in struggle as part of the problem-solving process. In addition, being able to…

Teaching and learning mathematics in an elementary classroom is a complex process in negotiating a balance in encouraging participation, responding to students, making connections between interactions, and planning for upcoming interactions. In a search for instructional models and structures that support and encourage student engagement in…

National mathematics achievement results show that elementary students in the United States are not increasing in cognitive ability or critical thinking skills (NAEP, 2020). For this increase, mathematically promising students require more opportunities for cognitively demanding mathematics instruction. As a result, this descriptive study focused…

Strategies mathematics teachers use can unintentionally have an adverse impact on student anxiety in the classroom. The purpose of the Action Research study was to investigate and strengthen strategies that mathematics teachers use to reduce student anxiety. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of interviews and a focus group with…

Design thinking is a process for solving complex problems through creative actions. There are three primary ways design thinking is being used in education today: (a) as a teaching tool, (b) as a strategy for teachers to redesign their students' learning experiences, and (c) as a tool for school leaders to design school change (Gallagher &…