As the world contends with a global pandemic, climate catastrophes, white supremacy, coloniality, and concurrent genocides my attention splinters. In an act of futurity, or future making, I ask myself: "What is needed to move from this place toward softer, more liberatory futures?" This body of work finds its answer in exploring two…

Critical peace education sets forth a process-oriented pedagogy with key tenets that include inquiry, reflection, dialogue, critical value-assessment, and empowerment. Empowerment as tenet is unique because, when viewed comprehensively, it is recognized as an integral element required for the actualization of all other tenets within CPE. Although…

Undergraduate applied saxophone study revolves around the conservatory model. This inflexible model, often referred to as a master-apprentice relationship, can create an instructor-centric power dynamic which does not address the needs of the modern student. A classroom where the power lies so heavily with the instructor can stifle student…

This executive summary presents the findings and recommendations of a study on the cultural proficiency and culturally responsive pedagogy of educators. While teachers demonstrate a strong commitment to cultural proficiency and equity, it is implied that there is still room for improvement in areas such as conflict resolution and acknowledging…

The work of instructional design in community college settings is woefully understudied. This study documents that work in three community colleges in the southeastern United States while placing it in the theoretical context of neoliberalism, and in line with that theoretical context, takes a post-structuralist stance in its methodological…

While some might say that mathematics is neutral, free from political and social bias, social justice concerns can be found in the day-to-day actions of teachers in mathematics classrooms. Teaching mathematics for social justice requires teachers to gain knowledge of the world and systems of oppression as well as current efforts to both address…

Teacher agency has been a burgeoning topic of research in education and music education. In education research, professional agency has been associated with the influence of policy, teacher demographics, teacher beliefs, professional developments, and teaching environments. In music education, music teacher professional agency is a music teacher's…

Every citizen has the right to be equipped with scientific literacy to understand and make informed decisions within the discipline of science. Educators can utilize core science teaching practices (CSTPs) to develop scientific literacy. In response, this study identified the CSTPs utilized by preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) to develop…

Loneliness was declared a national epidemic in May 2023 and an international global threat in November 2023. Sense of belonging, or lack thereof, can greatly contribute to loneliness. Students who feel a sense of belonging at their institution tend to be more engaged and experience higher success rates, which can lead to increased persistence and…

In response to a proliferation of early literacy policy interventions and heightened and divisive rhetoric around an often-misunderstood concept referred to as the science of reading, this study interrogates the discourse surrounding a state-level early literacy policy within three distinct realms: the macropolitical, the local media, and the…

This dissertation explores the dynamics of a formal classroom and an informal nature-based learning environment, focusing on their impact on student subjectification and knowledge authority. The study, conducted with a cohort of 27 fifth-grade students and their teacher, employs a comparative case study methodology to analyze how teaching…

Students from marginalized and underserved groups have historically faced difficulties in learning mathematics. It is crucial to tap into the skills and creativity of such learners as it would positively impact our society. To cater to the needs of these learners, different mathematical pedagogies and initiatives are being implemented.…

This qualitative study explored core and adjunct faculty members' transformational leadership and power usage in relation to students' affective learning in the classroom. Current research has focused on instructors in general and has not distinguished between types of instructors. The literature on transformational leadership, social power bases,…

Schools, and subsequently teachers, have found themselves at the center of the nation's most recent "culture war." Vitriol over the honest teaching of social studies has been discussed in school board races, state legislatures, national media conversations, and presidential politics. Despite book bans, state laws, political rhetoric,…

Following the social turn in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in the 1990s (Block, 2003), researchers have increasingly focused on the emic perspective of learners. As a result, identity, subjectivity, and agency have come to the forefront in SLA research. In an effort to afford learners the means to negotiate meaning more freely and to position…