Purpose: This study provides insight into the nature of peer-mentoring opportunities for teacher candidates, including common challenges and benefits that can be used to inform best practices for implementing peer-mentoring programs by higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative interviews were conducted to glean…

Despite the growing prevalence of mindfulness in schools, the empirical landscape describing best practices for implementation is incomplete. The purpose of this project was to develop a framework that explicated the steps and considerations for implementing mindfulness at the whole-school level, rather than just considering individual classroom…

This dissertation consists of two chapters that examine the impact of educational and positive youth development programs on students' academic and behavioral outcomes. In the first chapter, I evaluate the effect of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, a school meal provision allowing schools meeting the eligibility requirements to…

There has been a recent increase in studies devoted to integrated science, technology, and engineering mathematics (STEM) education. However, as the field is emerging, there has not been a large amount of scholarship on how to best provide teacher professional development (PD) on integrated STEM education. On the other hand, well-grounded research…

This research presents the design of Career Counselling Information System (CCIS), a web-based career counselling information system. The research aims to reveal a design framework for a web-based career information system integrated with universities' labour market performance to support career guidance processes. This research is structured as a…

This study aimed to prepare, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a professional development program that develops Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of teacher educators. Qualitative research methods were used. The research was carried out with 10 teacher educators from different departments. Pre- and post-interviews were…

The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore current paraprofessional training programs offered to support paraprofessionals working with students with disabilities (SWDs), including both pre-service and in-service training. Specifically, this study evaluated training offered by local school districts within Southern…

Teacher preparation programs are designed to prepare teachers to support students. However, the supports and experiences teachers are exposed to are often described as academic support. This study explored how special education teachers depicted how their teacher preparation programs prepared them to manage elementary student classroom behavior by…

Early childhood forms the fundamental basis for developing various social-emotional skills and represents a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for healthy development. Insensitive learning environments in early childhood may lead to social-emotional difficulties, increasing the risk of developing severe behavioral problems. However,…

Modeling with mathematics (MP4) is a mathematical practice standard that can be used to engage students in mathematical content standards as well as additional mathematical practice standards. Research has shown the benefits of mathematical modeling (e.g., Aguirre et al., 2019; Cirillo et al., 2016a), but also the challenges teachers can face…

The educational curriculum is continuously changing according to technological developments. The Merdeka Curriculum is here to perfect the implementation of the 2013 curriculum. Implementation of the 2013 curriculum at the elementary school level is carried out through integrated thematic learning. This study aims to analyze the difficulties faced…

Guaranteed income (GI) pilots are increasing in popularity in cities and counties nationwide to improve compensation for early educators. By design, GI pilots focus on providing direct cash to participants with no strings attached. Direct cash is also a strategy sometimes used in early care and education (ECE) to increase income and help talented…

The purpose of this paper is to present the design, implementation and evaluation of the Personal Development through Resilience, Emotional Development and Well-being (PD-REW) project. This is a personal development project aimed at teachers in training, which contains elements of resilience, emotional development and well-being. It is based on…

The present study contributes to the body of work addressing the need for diversity in the educator workforce. The study examines six grant-funded projects designed to increase the diversity of teacher candidates, support these candidates through licensure, and ultimately increase the diversity of the teacher workforce in Ohio. Data was gathered…

Effective services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing depend on uniquely skilled professionals who coordinate their support. University programs have developed interdisciplinary models, training different types of professionals together to equip them for work settings that are increasingly inclusive and collaborative. These training…