In the educational world, there is a growing amount of scholarship directed toward China. Much Western writing has focused on the supposedly deficient aspects of Chinese education: rote memorization, large class size, teacher-centered methodology. While there are those who challenge the deficiency view of Chinese education--Watkins and Biggs, Jin…

Online students at some California community colleges are experiencing lower success rates than their peers in face-to-face versions of the same courses. Insight into the forces shaping student success in online courses is needed to address such disparities. The purpose of this study was to explore, in-depth, the lived experiences of faculty…

This qualitative research study examined the teacher-student and student-student interactions that took place in two elementary parochial classrooms staffed by teachers nominated as effective by their supervisors. The study also examined relationships, similarities and differences between the teacher-student and student-student interactions.…

This qualitative phenomenological case study explored the lived experiences of a purposive sample of 20 current and past early education teachers who have experience in assessing children through observational assessment. The purpose of this study was to determine if bias affects the documentation of observational assessment and the implementation…

The first two goals of "Teaching Our Way to the Top, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools" (CMS) Strategic Plan 2014,--Effective Teaching and Leadership and Performance Management--make clear that the district's top two priorities are ensuring excellent instruction districtwide and creating a performance culture organized on the…

The identification and utilization of community funds of knowledge has been essential in understanding and assisting cultural groups to bridge the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to examine the community funds of knowledge, the role of the parent, and the partnerships of a rural school in southeastern "Appalachia," United…

The purpose of this replicated study was to discover the critical dimensions of leadership demonstrated by two Catholic school principals who successfully facilitated change in their schools, and the strategies and skills they practice to create that change. These leaders were deemed effective because they were recommended by the Assistant…

Change in schools is ever present. This study looks at change in regard to the implementation of Response to Intervention. Response to Intervention is being implemented in schools around the country. With this implementation come many changes to a school--in the administration, the faculty, and the students. Very little research exists concerning…

The researcher studied the effect of multiple strategy instruction on the reading comprehension of low-achieving and average first-grade readers, and gifted first-grade students. The researcher also sought to determine how the effect of multiple strategy instruction differs according to gender. Running records and "Assessing Comprehension…

The role of interest in educational settings has been seen as a significant factor in nurturing an appreciation for learning and influencing the extent to which that learning occurs. Interest can be divided into two sub-categories, individual interest and situational interest. Individual interest is personal rather than global, slow to develop,…

This qualitative research project used a multiple case study methodology, in connection with observational learning to explore to what degree prospective online secondary teachers achieved an awareness of instructional design strategies as they concurrently observed online instruction in two unique online courses: one with student-centered…

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study was to explore with four secondary social studies teachers their experiences teaching controversial issues. Through a better understanding of the motivation of these teachers, the successes and challenges they experienced, and the strategies they utilized, more informed decisions about teaching…

Many issues (e.g. impact of cultural hegemony, cultural mismatch, marginalization, stereotypes) contribute to conflicting and difficult learning environments for American Indian children and other children from marginalized cultural groups. The purpose of this study is to determine how the cultural integrity of American Indian students is…

This dissertation consists of two manuscripts to examine student motivation and engagement in the foreign language classroom. The purpose of the first paper is to propose a model that distinguishes between motivation and engagement. The paper highlights the connections and differences between motivation and engagement in order to point out issues…

The need for spatial thinkers is evident in the growing concerns regarding the performance of U.S. students in mathematics and the lack of interest in spatially-driven fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Although the focus on spatial research has fluctuated over decades of educational reform, a platform has been…