A growing concern in graduate medical education (GME), research indicates that some graduating residents are unprepared to enter unsupervised practice. The aim of this qualitative phenomenological study is to illuminate the resident experience surrounding the development of autonomy in clinical decision making relative to teaching practices.…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the educational approaches utilized to professionalize undergraduate/post-secondary digital media students into their preferred industries. A secondary aim of this research was to highlight the process of professional identity exploration undertaken by digital media students as they progress…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to increase grit, growth mindset, and self-efficacy in pre-adolescent students attending a K-5 public elementary school in Northwest New Mexico by implementing intervention activities in which students were given opportunities to learn and develop grit and growth mindset, thus resulting in improved…

Spatial skills, the set of cognitive skills that are responsible for our understanding of objects in real and imagined spaces, have been identified as a potential gate-keeper for STEM success. Because of the recent emphasis on improving education to prepare for the increasing demand for workers in STEM fields, there is a rising interest in…

For decades, educational leadership researchers have focused on school leadership behaviors, competencies, and skills that impact student outcomes measured by the students' performance on standardized tests. This practice has narrowed the focus for how the field approaches teaching and learning and the evaluation models that measure school,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of play by exploring kindergarten teachers' perceptions of play, specifically investigating teachers' perspectives on the importance of play, the role of the educator in play, and the changing face of play in response to evolving academic standards. This study utilized the qualitative approach…

This dissertation examines the impact of outdoor learning, including constructivist theories on student development in natural resource curricula. It highlights the importance of experiential, hands-on learning that connects students with nature. This approach challenges traditional methods by exploring active participation and sensory-rich…

Teacher education programs aim to prepare teachers by building repertoires of knowledge and skills, mindsets, attitudes, and beliefs to develop dispositions necessary to succeed in a teaching career. As teachers prepare to meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations, they need to attend to diversity issues and challenges and develop…

This dissertation explores the math identity development of Black and Latinx students who are taking developmental math classes in a community college setting. The study delves deep into the incorporation of inclusive pedagogical practices in the classroom. Placing emphasis on the successes of students, the research was based on Martin's (2000)…

This study delved into the critical examination of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and its integration into the English/language arts (ELA) curriculum. CRP, rooted in acknowledging and accommodating the diverse literacy levels, languages, and cultural practices of students, holds significant promise in enhancing educational equity and…

Educators, parents, and researchers uphold that intentional social emotional learning (SEL) can positively benefit student well-being, especially when the learning is integrated into all educational content areas. The problem under study was that though research has highlighted the connection between SEL and visual art education, how teachers…

This study explores elementary school teachers' perceptions of emotional intelligence (EI) influence on the academic development of African American elementary students within a charter school in North Carolina. Persistent academic disparities faced by Black students, exacerbated by systemic educational inequalities and socio-cultural challenges,…

What is success in college? And what are the implications of that success (or failure) in the life of students after college and for society more broadly? This ethnographic study explores first-year college programming and the potential benefits of diapraxis-inspired instructional methods as a bridge to authentic dialogue for 18- and 19-year-old…

In light of the lack of research on intercultural learning and acculturation in the music education field, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore international graduate music education students' (IGMES') perspectives on their intercultural learning experiences while studying at two Midwestern universities in the United States. The…

This project investigates the relationship between joy, critical consciousness, and critical civic learning that exist in critical hip hop pedagogy. In order to discover what is revealed about young people's collective definitions of joy, critical consciousness, and civic identity/literacy, I designed a methodology called Blackout Rap…