Participation in intensive, immersive, service-learning study abroad programs with intentional intercultural activities embedded in the course curriculum has been shown to enhance cultural competence as measured via the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) (Krishnan, Masters, Holgate, Wang & Calahan, 2017; Krishnan, Lin & Benson,…

This dissertation is about designing learning environments that foreground students' epistemic agency as they "do science" in a science classroom. I build on the prior work that combines two important strands in learning sciences - agent-based modeling of complex systems and constructionism to design learning environments. I call such…

Although systemic racism has always been a persistent problem in university theater training (Community of BIPOC Theatremakers, 2020a), heightened calls for action began in the late spring and early summer of 2020. In July 2020, some 300 BIPOC theater-makers drafted and signed an open letter to the theater industry at large (Community of BIPOC…

Literacy is an essential component of education and impacts learning potential through life. Development of literacy begins in infancy, and children who experience delays in their development are also at high risk of having delayed literacy development. Multiple programs have been designed to help at-risk children meet their developmental…

Digital badges promise greater transparency and granularity in documenting the professional learning and knowledge base of teachers compared to traditional credentials like certificates of attendance, resumes, and transcripts. Yet before they gain widespread acceptance, educational leaders must understand what they are, how to use them, and how to…

Evidence-based psychological treatments (EBPTs) for common mental health conditions are efficacious but remain underutilized in clinical service settings. Novel transdiagnostic and modular approaches that treat several disorders simultaneously promise to address common barriers to the dissemination and implementation of traditional EBPTs. Despite…

Using the Gap Analysis problem-solving framework (Clark & Estes, 2008), this study examined collaboration around international student enrollment and retention to the Midwest English Center (the Center) at a large Midwestern public university. The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organization…

Although the role of the principal has shifted from manager to instructional leader responsible for teaching and learning, little is known about supports offered to elementary teachers from principals in the area of mathematical literacy. Elementary principals are inconsistent in terms of supporting teachers' mathematical literacy instructional…

The sample (N=188) was 100% Black (N=188), 83.5% female N=(157), with mean age of 43.16 (min=18, max=72, SD 12.567). Some 81.4% (n=153) were working full- or part-time during the pandemic with low-moderate work-related risks for COVID-19 transmission (mean =2.56, min=0, max=7, SD= 2.102). The sample had a moderate household size (mean=2.64, min=1,…

The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to examine teacher candidates' perspectives and experiences about teaching students with dis/abilities from nondominant backgrounds in culturally sustaining ways. I conducted a series of individual interviews and focus groups with 12 teacher candidates in two teacher preparation programs…

The research presented in this dissertation describes a series of studies characterizing and assessing undergraduate chemistry students' knowledge related to the epistemic nature of scientific models and modeling. Engaging in authentic scientific practices, for instance, developing and using scientific models, has been identified as an important…

The current study investigated the correlation between English collocation test scores and three independent variables including vocabulary level, informal language exposure, and motivation. The study also examined which independent variable was the most influential in predicting the collocation tests scores. Data was collected using, Gyllstad's…

Growing up with a global perspective and teaching in highly diverse schools has fueled my desire to understand how instructional coaching and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy work together in education. This case study examined the current practices of instructional coaches to understand how they incorporate components of Culturally Responsive…

This case study discusses an investigation to develop and validate a survey designed to obtain information on practitioner self-reported knowledge, use, and perceived effectiveness of recommended classroom-based practices for the inclusive instruction of students receiving special education services for Emotional Disturbance. First, students will…

Substantial recent growth in online graduate programs has garnered the attention of the higher education community. Given their limited resources and capability, institutions seeking to scale their online graduate programs need to consider whether to insource or outsource this initiative. The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge and…