The implementation of course-based STEM research experiences in high school would greatly expand access to high-level research, thus providing more students with the type of integrated learning recommended by organizations such as the National Science Board and the National Academy of Science. While there is ample literature on the success of…

The role of lecturers at the University of Guyana has always included research. However, the productivity of these lecturers has historically been low. This dissertation examines the reasons for low research productivity among lecturers and attempts to understand the underlying concerns. Through a series of action research cycles, the researcher…

Research training is critical for doctoral students in CACREP-accredited CES programs as it prepares individuals to become high quality research producing faculty at colleges and universities. However, there is a need for improvement in research quality in the field of counseling. The purpose of this study was to examine research preparedness of…

The purpose of this three-part dissertation is to contribute to the improvement of the field of postsecondary CTE by (1) investigating how the literature defines "high-quality CTE" through an integrative review of the literature, (2) exploring the viewpoints postsecondary CTE educators have toward the term "high-quality CTE"…

This dissertation-in-practice is a reflective self-study exploring the lived experience of the current researcher as a leader of Lesson Study (LS) over 2 years. Drawing on the concepts of perspective and engagement articulated by Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2016) in their "Learning in Landscapes of Practice" conceptual framework,…

Scholars repeatedly addressed the importance and challenges of providing practical research training for master's-level CITs (Jorgensen & Umstead, 2020). However, most articles on counseling research education highlight the training for doctoral students, and most articles on pedagogical practice left out the Council for Accreditation of…

This case study investigates the professional learning and changes in teaching practices and leadership of four experienced, mid-career secondary mathematics teachers as a result of participation in the Midwest Master Teacher Partnership, a professional development partnership between a research university and a large, urban school district. The…

The study examined how a collaborative teacher team developed common understandings of and implemented culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to support African American students. Utilizing participatory action research (PAR) as the primary methodology, a group of educators broadened and deepened their understanding of CRP and concentrated their…

Educational research has been around for over one hundred years and has faced periods of optimism, pessimism, and skepticism. Currently, there is a plethora of educational research available for teachers and districts to use. However, there is a research-practice gap. This gap refers to the amount of research available and educators using the…

One of the most complex student populations are those whose first language is not English. As such, multilingual learners (MLLs) are often disproportionately referred to special education. Educators cultivating equitable practices for MLLs is imperative, given many educators do not have adequate training or knowledge. Drawing on social learning…

The COVID disruption fueled the frequency of instructional decisions. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate award-winning faculty's instructional decisions and corresponding factors that influenced their instructional decisions. The study was conducted at a private research university in New York State during the COVID…

Action research (AR) is a form of systematic inquiry by which practitioners address their own problems of practice. Professional development (PD) is a means by which teachers contribute to school improvement and student achievement. Too little research has gathered the qualitative perceptions of former participants in action-oriented professional…

Language should not be a hurdle for English language learners in mathematics. The participatory action research study focused on how first-grade teachers identified, planned, and implemented discourse strategies to support English Language Learners in math instruction. To do so, I engaged three teachers who were English Language Learners as…

At the researcher's local level, comprehensive transition planning on the part of secondary special education teachers has historically been lacking. There have been several cases that went to litigation over transition planning issues. The district received a citation from the Connecticut State Department of Education for the school year…

One way to bring about change in higher education is to introduce professional development programs for higher education, however these programs have been found to be ineffective at promoting positive change for individuals and departments. To address the need for better programs, I worked on two projects: one project attempts to identify a way to…