This study explored the lived experiences of Latino migrant youth who were later able to achieve high levels of academic success. Through the use of narrative case studies, I examined which factors allowed these individuals to overcome substantial barriers to education to attain high levels of academic achievement. I was able to find that these…

This three-article dissertation analyzes the question of how to best prepare students transitioning from secondary education to post-secondary life. The first article examines the theories of self-determination, the self-advocacy skills needed for its success, and how the two relate to students with learning disabilities. The second article…

It is widely accepted by the field of mathematics education that proof and reasoning should be integrated into students' mathematical experiences across all grades and across a breadth of content areas. However, studies have shown that both secondary students and teachers have encountered difficulties with learning and teaching geometry proofs. By…

This exploratory case study delves into the instructional design of a gamified online course. The study focuses on how the professor incorporated game elements into a graduate-level online course. Participants in the gamified course were pre- and in-service mathematics teachers. The qualitative case study used two sources of data, an interview…

As journalism educators wrestle to keep programs up-to-date in an evolving news landscape, there is value in understanding how education in an early form of multimedia journalism--photography--came to be. Little attention has been paid to the intersection of journalism education and photojournalism. This subject furnishes a unique perspective on…

Educational reforms have created a climate of accountability and high academic pressure that has resulted in a pushing down of the curriculum into early childhood education. Once a prominent pedagogical feature, play is disappearing from kindergarten. The following is a doctoral dissertation that studied administrator, teacher, and parent…

The purpose of this case study was to understand non-mastery for students in the mBolden Academic Model at Piedmont City Middle School (PCMS). The following research questions guided this study: How does the mBolden Academic Model influence student success at Piedmont City Middle School? Furthermore, this study has answered the following…

The U.S. is no longer one of the world leaders in mathematics. In the future, more graduates will be needed to fill more than a million mathematics-intensive positions. However, the number of post-secondary learners graduating with mathematics-intensive degrees has been declining since 1984. Therefore, there will not be enough graduates to fill…

The purpose of this study was to examine administrator, library media and IT specialist, classroom teacher and student perceptions of the impact of makerspaces, as well as to identify what stakeholders could be doing to better support student learning and engagement in makerspaces. The Diffusion of Innovation Theoretical Framework guided the…

The purpose of this dissertation research was to identify a clear connection between teacher reflection, instructional coaching, and improved secondary reading instruction. During this case study, teachers explain and describe their understanding of the impact that two elements, instructional coaching and video reflection, have on secondary…

"Transformative Teachers" offers an insightful look at the growing movement of civic-minded educators who are using twenty-first-century participatory practices and connected technologies to organize change from the ground up. Kira J. Baker-Doyle highlights the collaborative, grassroots tactics that activist teachers are implementing to…

As the public education system becomes more diverse, voices of advocates who positively support students and optimize student outcomes are essential. This qualitative multi-case case study focused on the perspectives of five educational leaders who advocated in a public school district in Texas. A brief overview of historic voices in education…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the self-perceptions of Latino students at an institution of higher education in Eastern Pennsylvania. Specifically, first and second year Latino student's self-perceptions of campus assimilation and involvement in campus activities were studied. Latino assimilation into Western culture…

The world has progressed at unprecedented rates in recent years, but a majority of teaching styles and the delivery of instruction has barely changed since the inception of education. How can higher education institutions prepare students for a new age, when they continue to use outdated techniques? The intended exchange for college tuition is the…

An integrated data system (IDS) that links information from separate administrative data systems offers policymakers, program administrators and researchers a powerful tool to analyze interactive effects across systems and make more informed decisions to improve outcomes for vulnerable families. This case study discusses how two states (Washington…