Mathematics anxiety can be a debilitating experience, and research shows that elementary-level preservice teachers experience high levels of mathematics anxiety. Current shifts in mathematics education from a procedural focus to a conceptual focus may exacerbate these high anxiety levels. The research reported in this study explored how preservice…

Chinese choral music has been developing for more than a century, as has higher choral music education in China. There is not yet a standard choral curriculum system in Chinese music colleges and universities. Furthermore, because of the language barrier and cultural differences, Chinese choral educators and conductors show a strong preference for…

In this dissertation I report findings from two studies of the literacy abilities of children with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. I had two overarching goals: 1) evaluate the applicability of theories of reading and spelling acquisition developed based on typically developing children to…

This study is an extension of Slutsky's (2016) dissertation about technology self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to extend the generalization of the original study, considering the knowledge of teacher technology self-efficacy as it relates to integrating technology in the classroom. I built on previous research and added related…

Elementary general music focuses on the comprehensive development of skills over a wide range of musical possibilities. Even as elementary general music expands to embrace a myriad of ways of making music that do not involve traditional Western staff notation, teaching students to read staff notation still seems to be common in elementary general…

According to Duncan (1971), counselor educators who do not prioritize counseling practice may experience challenges in their teaching. For Duncan (1971), maintaining counseling practice "helps to keep the counselor educator alive to real-life counseling situations" (p. 157) and is beneficial to draw from in their teaching practices.…

Despite the fact that professional learning is the main means for maintaining quality educators and improving school instruction, professional learning does not guarantee teacher implementation of professional learning or increased student achievement. The inconsistency reflects the complexity of implementing professional learning with teachers…

In 2012, Northern Kentucky University began offering a Best Practices in College Teaching (BPCT) course. Prior to this program evaluation, the course had not been assessed in any formal manner. The gap in knowledge lies in understanding the unique aspects that the BPCT course offers. The Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE) developed by Michael…

The empirical research on dialogue-based pedagogies shows that they improve student outcomes and, thus, teachers should make more use of these methods. However, deeper analyses about whether certain modes of dialogue are better than others is under-researched, resulting in little information about which models best help teachers develop effective…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have traditionally evaded or been silent on issues of (in)equity and, thus, critiqued for their lack of attention to how social injustices create different outcomes for different groups (The Education Trust, 2020). Furthermore, these efforts have been criticized for placing the burden on individual…

This study contributes to the knowledge and planning that impacts the efforts and staffing of instructional specialists. This investigation contributes to having a better understanding of what an instructional specialist possesses in terms of qualities when interacting with teachers. Further implications can help determine how to shape and develop…

Special education teachers employ a variety of strategies to support the needs of students in their classrooms. This research focused on the beliefs that special education teachers have on the incorporation of dance to support academic, behavioral, physical, sensory, medical, social-emotional, and communication needs. Included in this study was an…

Traditional education has a history of examples and experiences of the disconnectedness in the relationship between teacher preparation and standardized achievement scores. The present investigation underscores the intertwined conflict within teacher preparation and its relationship to standardized achievement in the context of special education.…

Critical literacy--which I define briefly here as a lens that assumes no text is neutral and therefore an important goal of reading and writing is to evaluate and critique the power and perspectives that all texts contain--has been continuously well-theorized over the past half-century but is less frequently taught or studied in practice,…

Academic achievement in elementary science achievement scores throughout Title One schools in metro-Atlanta could be identified through analphabetism and improper vocabulary instruction to accommodate students' learning styles. Teaching words explicitly entails extensive time and patience when exposing new science vocabulary. However, teaching…