Many educators believe that developing a sense of community in their schools is necessary for having a vibrant and effective learning environment. Sense of community is a complex social construct with many proponents. Socioemotional learning programs purport to help young students develop emotional skills in order to develop intellectually and…

Teachers generally experience a decline in self-efficacy levels during a curriculum change, and Georgia converted from a Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) the last several years. Middle and high school math teachers experienced an annual tiered rollout of the mathematics curriculum, and this qualitative study was…

This dissertation presents my explorations in both molecular biology and science education research. In study one, we determined the "ADIPOQ" and "ADIPORI" genotypes of 364 White and 148 Black BrCa patients and used dominant model univariate logistic regression analyses to determine individual SNP and haplotype associations…

This study examines if practices that advocate for 21st century skills are in conflict with the mandates of NCLB. Interviews with influential school leaders of high achieving elementary schools focused on collecting data about 21st century skills. This study was designed to (a) Determine if 21st century skills are addressed in high achieving…

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate and describe how elementary teachers in exited Program Improvement-Safe Harbor schools acquire student achievement data through assessments, the strategies and reflections utilized to make sense of the data to improve student achievement, ensure curriculum and instructional goals are aligned,…

There is an increasing demand for individuals with engineering education and skills of varying fields in everyday life. With the proper education students of high-needs schools can help meet the demand for a highly skilled and educated workforce. Researchers have assumed the supply and demand has not been met within the engineering workforce as a…

In today's increasingly interconnected world, it has never been more imperative for American schools to incorporate global education into their curriculum. As we prepare students for their future roles as global citizens who must confront a whole host of new challenges, it is critical that our students understand other cultures and people and…

The challenges facing today's schools are greater than ever. The impetus to improve educational outcomes for all students and compete with the rest of the world has become one of the country's most important endeavors. Several important factors have been identified in research as supporting improved teaching in today's schools, the impact of…

The present study will assess the effectiveness of a social emotional learning curriculum implemented in a Midwestern high school with special education students. The specific social emotional curriculum utilized at this particular school was organized and delivered by the school psychologists at the high school, based on the Strong Teens…

This study focused on the degree to which New Jersey public middle school principals perceived that New Jersey public middle school teachers are implementing the New Jersey Core Curricular Content Standard for Technology (Standard 8.1 Computer and Information Literacy), mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) into their teaching…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new music education program in Cyprus. The program which was created by the author of this study, combined early childhood music education and children's literature. Nine lessons were created which included three original children stories and six songs. Five primary music teachers implemented the whole…

This study examines the implementation of a problem-based math curriculum that uses problem situations related to global warming and pollution to involve students in modeling polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Each instructional module includes activities that engage students in investigating current social justice and…

The state of public education in the first decade of the 21st century is at a crossroads. Unlike the challenges that have confronted public education in the past, public schools are faced with the possibility of becoming obsolete. With the rapid advances in technology, increased school choice via charter schools, home schooling, and virtual…

Purpose, scope, and method of study: Although computer technology has been a part of the educational community for many years, it is still not used at its optimal capacity (Gosmire & Grady, 2007b; Trotter, 2007). While teachers were identified early as playing important roles in the success of technology implementation, principals were often…

This dissertation examines a curricular approach at an institution that claims to maintain a liberal arts focus--that of the canon of Great Books as implemented as a formal curriculum at St. John's College. My research question is: what enabled the Great Books program at St. John's College to survive for over seventy years? The significance of…