Research shows many new college students may be remedial in English language arts or mathematics (Jaggers & Bickerstaff, 2018). For faculty in journalism and mass communication (JMC) fields, teaching struggling student writers can be especially challenging as these students may not have the fundamental knowledge to build applied writing skills…

The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers can employ listening practices to gain a heightened understanding of not only what their students understand and how they are thinking about mathematics, but also as a way for teachers to build their own conceptual understanding of mathematics by reflecting on the different approaches their…

Many post-secondary institutions make significant use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) to evaluate teacher effectiveness and students' perceptions of their learning experiences in the course. However, it is unclear how teachers use SETs to inform their professional practice. Hence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to…

The students who suffer the most from the lack of equity in assessment by using inappropriate assessment techniques are those from Historically Marginalized Groups (Koelsch et al., 1995; Marion et al., 2020; Penuel & Watkins, 2020). The theory of justice, (Freire, 1993; Rawls, 1971) provided the lens to examine how the institution of schools,…

This dissertation explores the theme of applying video-based instruction on employment skill acquisition among secondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It consists of an introduction, three stand-alone papers, and a research statement. Chapter 1 presents the overview of the current competitive integrated…

This study uses two different approaches to examining student outcomes and understanding in the context of aspects of acid-base chemistry. It introduces the use of evidence centered assessment design as a design framework of a multi-dimensional acid-base titration laboratory and as an analysis tool of student performances in a lab setting and in…

This dissertation examines (1) the factors that mediate the ways in which preservice teachers perceive the relationship between the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and (2) how experiences with observing and designing instructional activities aligned with UDL and CRP principles influence…

Much of the research examining teacher discourse in learning environments has given little focus to teacher discourse while using educational technology such as simulations (Erduran, 2019; Tabak & Kyza, 2018). Research has shown how discourse often contributes to the developmental aspects of the learning environment such as argumentation or…

This research project aims to understand the multimodal composing practices and social relationships within the context of my third-grade writing workshop when an alternate approach to teaching writing is employed. This alternate approach disrupts a traditional workshop as the theory of writing is changed to a theory of making in a multimodal…

We conducted a systematic review of studies on mobile devices, including tablets, iPads, and smartphones, in teaching programs for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a search of the electronic databases (period 2002--2019) supplemented by a search for additional relevant articles by means of cross-referencing. In…

This project uses critical place inquiry (Tuck & McKenzie, 2015) to examine the Hanford Site to demonstrate the potential in wild pedagogies to engage not just immaculate and inspiring wildness places but also sites of ruin. Attending to places of ruin can illuminate the ways that the social, historical, and political are intimately…

A significant body of research highlights the rich linguistic and cultural experiences offered by spoken word poetry when integrated into English pedagogy, particularly through its fusion of written and performative modes and its opportunities for cultivating empathy and creativity. However, few studies have examined secondary English teachers'…

This paper examined the pedagogical use of cross-media film in higher education, as it highlighted cross-media in implementing a Culturally Responsive approach to enhance social justice learning in the classroom. The findings demonstrated the potential of cross-media film to engage learners through cultural relevance for the 21st century. The…

Growing literature documents the promise of active learning instruction in engaging students in college classrooms. Accordingly, faculty professional development (PD) programs on active learning have become increasingly popular in postsecondary institutions; yet, quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of these programs is limited. Using…

Higher education's attempts at tackling the issue of anti-racism in its ivory towers may be facing an uphill battle. Strong opposition within and outside academia, in addition to perceptions of cultural competency training, force institutions to rethink the ways anti-racism training should be designed and delivered. In this article, we present…