This study explores, through a single case qualitative study, how one school successfully leveraged academic conversation as a schoolwide instructional practice to foster rigorous learning opportunities for all learners. Furthermore, it explores the professional learning leveraged to support teachers and their professional growth in order to…

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of six early-career educators as they confront their district-assigned duties and the profound effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) within public elementary classrooms. Through an integrated analysis of teacher experiences and social-emotional learning (SEL), this research employs a…

As a young and dynamically evolving discipline, statistics evokes many conceptions about its purpose, the nature of its development, and the tools and mindset needed to engage in statistical work. While much research documents the perceptions of statisticians and experts on these matters, little is known about how the disciplinary perspectives of…

Teachers bring parts of themselves, among them, gender, age, and race into the classroom. In addition to the routine stress of teaching, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have the added stress of managing the expression of their sexual orientation in the classroom. This study explores the ways in which my own identity as a…

America's educational system has historically provided the best advantages for learners to use their potential to reach their learning, social, and professional goals. In contrast, it has also marginalized and oppressed the rights and opportunities of culturally diverse groups, i.e. African-Americans and Latinos, through the misrepresentation of,…

There is a need for higher quality professional development for writing teachers (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010; Kiuhara, Graham, & Hawken, 2009). Even though writing is an essential skill, quality writing instruction for students and the professional development for writing teachers is lacking (National Commission on…

This dissertation proposes to enrich the scope of history education research, and by extension the preparation of history and social studies teachers and the classroom experiences of their students, through the inclusion of autobiography in the study of history. Education research on the teaching of history has typically focused on what scholars…

This mixed methods study investigated how professional learning communities could support reformed teaching practices in the secondary science classroom. To assist preservice teachers with implementing these practices in the classroom, teachers must have a space for metacognitive reflection on their teaching practices (Darling-Hammond, 2006).…

An arts curriculum director of an urban, Pre-K-12 school district north of Boston, Massachusetts researched literature about feelings of connectedness and professional learning among itinerant, art teachers. The study employed a framework of communities of practice for itinerant art teachers. The strands found across the literature were the state…

Teaching is a dynamic profession with many factors influencing change and growth. There are new standards every decade, new students every year, and new technology seemingly adopted before full integration of old technologies. Teachers must regularly develop to keep up with change. Unfortunately, when teachers reflect on traditional learning…

This study centers on one early-career English language arts (ELA) teacher's development of his critical pedagogical discourses (CPD) within the contextual discourses of collaboration and data informed instruction. These contextual discourses circulated assumptions of teaching and learning that are privileged by the political ideologies of the…

K-8 school administrators are expected to provide professional development (PD) to bilingual teachers that will enhance instructional practices. PD is an important factor that may lead to student academic achievement. However, it was unclear in what ways K-8 administrators provided PD for bilingual teachers to enhance instructional practices for…

Low levels of academic success for primary grade students attending rural schools located in the southern region of the United States may be related to student resilience. Researchers have found that educators can support the development of students' resilience, which can result in improved academic success, but little is known about how teachers…

Educational assessment is an ever-present component of any formal learning environment that has critical consequences for students. Despite this relevance, there is a gap in knowledge regarding one of its foundations--namely, assessment "fairness." In particular, social class-based fairness of classroom assessment practices has been…

Given the competing contexts of teacher education, it is important to uncover what teacher educator knowledge concerning curriculum design and development emerges in design, implementation, and instruction during the transition from in-person to online contexts. Yet, there is little research that uncovers teacher educator knowledge in curriculum…