Play has been discussed by mathematicians and mathematics educators as essential to mathematical progress and has been widely acknowledged to have a role in learning. Yet, play is rarely acknowledged, leveraged, or studied for mathematics learners beyond early childhood. Moreover, there are theoretical and empirical challenges with designing for…

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between culturally relevant Black American-sounding names and potential racial microaggressions within problem-solving scenarios in mathematics. Often, marginalized groups are unfairly characterized in society, leading to biased perceptions. Initially, I hypothesized that there would be no…

Adaptability has emerged as an essential skill in the engineering workforce due to constant technological and social change, engineering grand challenges, and the recent global pandemic. Although engineering employers and national reports have called for increased adaptability among engineers, what adaptability means in the engineering workplace…

This meta-analysis synthesized the findings from 23 published and five unpublished experimental or quasi-experimental group design studies on word problem-solving instruction for K-12 students with learning disabilities (LD) and mathematics difficulties (MD). A secondary purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze the relation between treatment…

Recent research has indicated that when individuals recognize and gain understanding of their own problem-solving style preferences, personal learning and group performance can be enhanced (Treffinger, Selby, Isaksen, & Crumel, 2007, "An Introduction to Problem-Solving Style"). Further, adult learning theory suggests adults prefer a…

The need for more engineers equipped with new skill sets is essential for ensuring our national security, climate sustainability, and maintaining our position as a global leader in innovation and as an economic world power. The design challenges engineers face increasingly require a human-centered, creative, practical, and systems-based approach…

Today the multidimensional global shortage of nurses is negatively impacting the work environment of hospital nurses and causing, in a cyclical fashion, decreasing work satisfaction, increasing nurse turnover, and decreasing patient outcomes. While strategies aimed at causation of the nursing shortage must be addressed, to support nursing until…

How can the secondary Geometry course serve as an opportunity for students to learn to "be like" a mathematician--that is, to acquire a mathematical sensibility? In the first part of this dissertation, I investigate what might be meant by "mathematical sensibility". By analyzing narratives of mathematicians and their work, I identify a collection…