The problem addressed in this qualitative descriptive study was that despite the evidence illustrating the significance of STEAM curriculum in students' academic and career success, there was still a considerable degree of uncertainty regarding what challenges were faced by P-8 schoolteachers and what support may be required to facilitate the…

This dissertation study uses an alternative dissertation format to deliver two separate but interrelated studies. As a whole, the dissertation is connected by a single overarching research question: "What are the characteristics of effective, meaningful, and equitable science instruction through modeling and how do teachers' pedagogical…

Building upon the work of Cooney (2021) and Finch (2016), this quantitative study sought to explore if there was a correlation between kindergarten through fifth-grade general education teachers' perceived level of social-emotional competence (SEC) and their implementation of social-emotional learning (SEL) through instructional practice within…

The Christian Church has always considered the Bible to be the Word of God, a collection of ancient documents that were inspired by God and communicate the teachings of God for His people. While it is essential for Christians to understand the truths contained therein, it has been well documented that biblical literacy among Christians in America…

A mid-Atlantic state has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that require teachers to integrate inquiry-based instruction into the classroom. The problem at the local level is a new inquiry-based curriculum, based on the NGSS, is being mandated without identifying the instructional strategies teachers are using to…

This study examined the performance gap of principals' leadership influence on teachers' capacity to enact a 21st century skill curriculum at Singapore School of the Future (SFS). The purpose of this study was to apply the gap analysis problem solving framework (Clark & Estes, 2008) to identify root causes of the knowledge, motivation and…

Background Significance: A shortage of clinical sites has made it difficult for the psychiatric technician (PT) to practice skills, such as therapeutic communication. Therapeutic communication is an important component of the PT curriculum. The development of virtual reality (VR) software has the potential to enhance communication skills,…

In 2022, Ohio House Bill 436 went into effect. The law required Ohio reading teachers to shift their literacy instructional practices to be consistent with structured literacy based on The Science of Reading research. This large body of research may be in direct conflict with widely used instructional practices that are generally thought of as…

In response to the global crisis of type 2 diabetes prevalence, this dissertation investigated the impact of a culturally sustaining, health-centric science curriculum contextualized in type 2 diabetes. Using a case study methodology, it explored how the curriculum shaped math and science preservice teachers' (PSTs) perceptions of science and how…

There is a need for intervention programs that support teenagers' social and emotional development in American public schools. Education stakeholders have observed a disproportionate decline in social-emotional skills among minority and at-risk adolescents in low performing schools, increasing dropout rates and early exposure to the criminal…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore if and to what extent a correlation existed between the implementation of the Sown to Grow social and emotional learning curriculum, academic growth, and attendance. The study was grounded in the CASEL framework used by district leaders and curriculum designers to guide the…

Recent studies on student engagement suggest that students become decreasingly engaged as they proceed through their secondary-level school experience (Gallup Inc, 2015; Hodges, 2018; Washor & Mojkowski, 2014; Yazzie-Mintz, 2007). The consequences of low student engagement or disengagement in schools can be significant, leading to poor…

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of middle school principals regarding the implementation of the arts. Although the New York State Education Department (2015) has mandated arts curriculum into all grade levels within a middle school environment, not all schools comply. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study…

This descriptive study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to explore what elementary educators report about implementing digital citizenship as well as their perceptions regarding its value in elementary classrooms. In April 2021, 92 educators who worked directly with students on a daily basis during the 2020-2021 school year…

This study examined the use of restorative practices in one school district. As examined in this study, restorative practices are defined as processes that precede wrongdoing in an attempt to prevent discipline offenses from occurring and processes used to respond once an offense has occurred. The purpose of the study was to examine teacher…