An implicit assumption of many university classes is that students will spend a large amount of time outside the classroom refining their understanding of the material to develop mastery of the concepts. This is especially true in first year mathematics courses at the undergraduate level. However, little is known about what students do to fulfill…

English learners are one of the fasting growing populations of students in the United States, particularly in the Southeast. Little is known about how teachers in this region support the instructional needs of English learners in a mainstream classroom, despite reports that they receive limited preparation and professional development to meet the…

In this ethnographic study, I explored two discussion groups and discovered Third Space elements such as cultural hybridity, counterscript, and sharing of experiences and resources contributed to a safe learning environment existing at the boundaries between participant personal and professional spaces. The groups operated under the auspices of a…

This research explores various aspects of technology in education, including learning applications, equipment, infrastructure, and pedagogy. Technology can be used for course delivery, assessment, communications, research and other learning activities. As educational institutions transition more of their academic courses, resources, and services…

The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in the evaluations of music teachers conducted by individuals with varying backgrounds in music and observation techniques. Part I compared evaluations completed by school administrators and music department leadership. Part II utilized the findings of Part I to create focused and…

Engagement is hypothesized to be an important mediating factor in young children's development and learning. A major purpose of early intervention for young children with disabilities is to promote child engagement. While child engagement and related factors have been descriptively investigated since the 1970s, few studies have systematically…

The principal plays a key role in establishing a culture of collaboration and ongoing learning, and his/her actions related to effecting change are vital to the success of the school. A principal can contribute to the advancement of teacher expertise by engaging in specific behaviors. One such behavior is focused feedback, which leads teachers to…

This study investigates the processes and products of multimodal and multi-authored digital media composition. Using ethnographic case study and Mediated Discourse Analysis (Norris & Jones, 2005), this study focuses specifically on the digital media composition of radio and film documentaries, examining struggle among students, media, and…

This qualitative study applied the theory that reading skills are predictive of high school graduation to examine the impact that reading proficiency has on student success in online credit recovery programs for credit deficient students, many of whom struggle with reading. Since reading proficiency impacts academic achievement in general, this…

Using universal design instruction (UDI) as a framework, this study explores the inclusive teaching practices of four award-winning humanities and social sciences faculty at a large urban Research I university located in the northeastern region of the United States. UDI, a framework used to assist teachers in creating proactively inclusive…

We hear or read the following phrases often: "Everybody spends so much time on their smartphones that they never look up." "Just send me an email and we'll work out the scheduling." "You'll find all the job application materials on our website, where you can submit your application online." However, adults with low…

Inquiry-based classroom is widely distributed in the school science based on its useful and effective instruction. Science teachers are key elements allowing students to have scientific inquiry. If teachers understand and imply inquiry-based learning into science classroom, students will learn science as scientific inquiry and understand nature of…

The purpose of the research was to study pre-service teachers on social responsibility and self-efficacy through service learning. The mixed methodology included two major procedures (i) the actual use of a developed service learning instructional model by means of action research principles and qualitative research and (ii) the study into the…

The current research builds upon the sociocultural orientation to family literacy with the creation of a community-based family literacy experience, "the preschoolers' book club," for a group of white, middle-class preschool children and their families. These families and their shared literacy experiences were framed as a set of…

This study in adaptive leadership reveals what factors contributed to how leaders and teams navigate change within the church planting context of Christian Associates (CA) Europe. In the beginning chapter, I lay the foundation for the study of individuals and teams within CA by describing my research, CA's history, and the significance of the…