Over the past decade, makerspaces have increased in popularity all over the globe (Lou & Peek, 2016) and their addition continues to be a popular trend in the K-12 educational space. In the K-12 environment, the decision to implement a makerspace frequently consists of finding, repurposing, or building a suitable space, and outfitting it with…

This dissertation focuses on the professional philosophies, practices, and collaborative negotiation skills used and developed in two teacher education programs within two countries and how novice teachers integrate these ideas, skills, and processes in classrooms and schools. Simultaneously, this research examines how the patterns of democratic…

This multi-case research study explored the literacy perspectives and self-reported practices of a group of teachers who graduated from a Teacher Education Program (TEP) with a culturally responsive (CR) framework. The study also compared and discussed changes over time in an educational system immersed in discourses of efficiency, accountability,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which John Dewey's experiential theories were embedded in leadership preparation curricula in departments of leadership and college student personnel administration at universities in the Midwestern United States. John Dewey, who is considered to be America's greatest philosopher, defined…

This dissertation uses theoretical explorations and participant conversations to consider the constitutive possibilities of ethnographic writing that works between students, faculty, and communities and uses those possibilities to describe the philosophy and key elements of an ethnographic composition pedagogy. The project begins with an…

Although there has been a surge in the number of adults entering accelerated academic programs at community colleges over the last decade, there has not been a similar increase in the number of adult learners who persist and achieve their degrees. This qualitative inquiry uses a case study methodology to explore in what ways educational…

This study was undertaken to develop a rich image and understanding of the actions taken by the leaders in charge to translate the Reggio Emilia approach into their university Child Development Lab School and associated teacher education classes. As the university selling is one in which the links between theory, research and practice are highly…

Researchers in history education have argued the importance of closing the gap between how history is practiced in the discipline and how history is taught in schools. This study explores how three teachers who had learned to teach historical thinking in their teacher education program then implemented these practices in their first year of…

In this dissertation, I argue that curricular choices in Composition are overdetermined by the academic labor system and its negative effect on the status of composition theory. Despite the growth of disciplinary knowledge, composition programs are still staffed largely with underpaid and under supported faculty and graduate students, many of whom…

The relationship between the philosophical orientation of a high school citizenship education program and the kinds of competencies that students exhibit on a nationally administered civics knowledge assessment was investigated. The researcher imposed a philosophical paradigm of political perfectionism on the citizenship education curriculum in…