Fewer than 10% of private and public school teachers implement instructional innovation following professional development sessions (Spelman et al., 2016). This qualitative interpretive phenomenological study addressed the problem of private school teachers' desires for effective professional development to improve student learning outcomes. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to investigate if a relationship exists between the perceptions and misconceptions held by educators regarding ELL students and the educators' decisions to refer these students for ESE services. Methods: After the initial reading of the 26 articles, they were first organized…

The concept of mastery learning was formally identified and explained by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues in 1968. Since that time, there have been strong supporters (Guskey, 2010; Hunter, 1982; Meece et al., 2006) and critics (Anderson & Burns, 1987; Arlin & Webster, 1983; Slavin, 1987, 1989) of this strategy and the educational…

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of grading policies and practices. A phenomenological study was pursued as the method allows for a deeper, more meaningful investigation into the lived experiences of subjects. In this case, a sample of secondary teachers working for a district that has recently adopted a mastery-based…

The aims of university System Dynamics (SD) programs include the mastery of systems thinking skills, modeling skills, and/or application to solving real-world, dynamic, complex problems. Existing research has articulated learning sequences of what learners should know and be able to do, and when. It is called the competence development framework…

When the purpose and meaning of grades is not well-defined by an organization, there is a disconnect between curricular/assessment practices and student engagement. This study sought to investigate origins and find solutions in regards to discerning a student's knowledge and mastery of a subject and how this is reflected in the grade, and how…

The effects of fluency-based instruction and accuracy-based instruction on contingency adduction were assessed using an alternating treatments design. Stimulus equivalence tasks were used to measure contingency adduction. Stimulus classes were composed of arbitrary visual forms. One treatment condition consisted of teaching fast, fluent responding…

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how HESA graduate students? conceptions of critical consciousness transform and evolve during a diversity course and the pedagogical practices that foster consciousness-raising. Each of the twelve participants completed two semi-structured interviews and three journal prompts. Using a case study…

In response to a shift to high-stakes assessments, teachers are changing their instruction and approaches away from research-based formal training on best practices teaching in response to the stress and pressure this shift has created (Avalos et al., 2020; Gonzalez et al., 2017; Musoleno & White, 2010). More research is needed on teachers who…

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an integral role in identification and treatment of developmental language disorders (DLD). Best practices include the use of language sample analysis (LSA) as part of a comprehensive evaluation. However, LSA requires a specific set of foundational morphological and syntactic knowledge. Previous…

The mastery learning pedagogical approach recognizes that mastery is not always achieved on the first attempt, and learning from mistakes and perseverance is fundamental to learning. Research has suggested that mastery learning can have a positive influence on underrepresented engineering students' learning and course performance. Yet, there is a…

This research explores the intricate interplay between effective grading practices and the cultivation of a growth mindset within secondary education. The study delves into the methodologies employed by educators in determining grades, emphasizing the use of project-based assessments and comprehensive rubrics to ensure fairness and objectivity.…

This study investigates the relationship between mastery goal performance and achievement on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test. With policies like the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) placing increased importance on standardized-state assessments, schools are making efforts to improve scores, often by focusing…

This quantitative study sought to examine the role of self-efficacy on the enrollment decisions made by women for a second year of high school physics. Not enough information is known about why there is a significant decrease in the proportion of women in second year high school physics programs after their introductory year. This study took place…

For more than ten years, students at Bayard Middle School have not demonstrated mastery of the Common Core State Standards based on their performance on the state assessment administered every spring. Regardless of the particular assessment, students have consistently scored at the bottom of the state when compared with their grade-level peers.…