Students with reading difficulties frequently struggle succeeding in middle school courses due to poor early reading and language skills. Research suggests that students with reading difficulties and comorbid behavioral concerns may have difficulties making appropriate gains when exposed to academic instruction. This study examined the extent to…

The demands placed on principals have increased exponentially in the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, especially for principals who lead high-needs schools. Given that principals are the primary problem solvers, it is critical to better understand their preferred decision-making styles. Decision-making is influenced by perceptions of…

This study examined the relationship between quality of friendship and social networking site (SNS) usage, co-rumination, and self-disclosure among 355 adolescents aged 11 to 15. Participants completed an online questionnaire addressing frequency, intensity, and rate of their online communication, how they perceived the positive and negative…

The purpose of this study was to examine how to restore a child's social-emotional well being. As an administrator in a middle school, I have the opportunity to see the natural state that our children are in on a daily basis. I have observed over time, more specifically since COVID-19, that children are struggling to balance their emotions, their…

College aged students have one of the highest rates of suicidality, however, research on suicidality often negates the experiences of college students of color. The sample included 122,465 college students of color and explored the relationship between suicidality and variables such as academic distress, clinician initial assessment of…

Undergraduate students in an education program, or preservice teachers, are expected to practice and teach productive struggle in mathematics as they prepare for their career. Productive struggle in mathematics requires students to persevere in solving rigorous tasks, despite their frustration in doing so. Therefore, a student's level of…

This dissertation offered insights into the repercussions of safetyism within societies shaped by cognitive distortions and political correctness. Safetyism, which prioritized emotional safety over intellectual liberty and a multitude of viewpoints, contributed to heightened vulnerability among individuals. Protecting individuals from provocative…

This qualitative-phenomenological study captured parts of the lived experiences of veterans who chose to stop or end their degree or training program which took place after military service. The researcher focused on this specific population as it was observed that no one had taken the time to hear the stories of those veterans who were ultimately…

How do preservice teachers with low and high teacher self-efficacy respond when instructing a simulated classroom with challenging behaviors? This research study identified the responses of four preservice teachers as well as examined their teacher self-efficacy and teacher anxiety measures following their participation using Teach Live™, an…

Nature experiences have been shown to have a number of positive impacts on adults and children (Louv, 2012, Williams, 2017). These benefits include an improvement in the ability to direct one's attention, a reduction in the symptoms of stress, and an increase in creative play. Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989), Stress…

The increasing complexity of global challenges demands a STEM-enriched approach to learning for all students, regardless of their future career paths. Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is a pedagogical method to foster a STEM-enriched education, engaging students in the design of societally impactful, interdisciplinary solutions. To investigate the…

This qualitative study analyzed the perceptions of recent college graduates of the influence of Snapchat use on their interpersonal relationships while enrolled in college. 10 recent college graduates between the ages of 21 and 24 were interviewed. Data was analyzed by hand, and several themes emerged regarding how Snapchat both positively and…

Food insecurity has been a prevailing issue among college students for a number of years. Over the past decade, studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence rate of food insecurity on college campuses ((El Zein et al., 2019; Gaines et al., 2014; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018; Patton-Lopez et al., 2014; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Riddle et…

Teacher burnout during the pandemic has resulted in a mass exodus of teachers that, compounded with consistently low enrollment in teacher preparation programs, has caused a severe and catastrophic teacher shortage. This qualitative study investigated teacher perceptions of pandemic-related workload and emotional stress and their effects on job…

This dissertation investigates the extent to which a media audience's degree of technology acceptance (as a mediator) and interactivity of the media influence the user's sense of presence, enjoyment, and message engagement, and finally lead to attitude change (persuasion). The study also explores how the user processes a message and changes the…