The purpose of this dissertation was to experiment with qualitative research methodologies while exploring the complexities of doctoral education, research practices, philosophies of inquiry, and other topics intersecting with(in) educational scholarship. My vision for this work was fueled by postmodernist critiques of humanist education,…

This dissertation came to fruition because of my long history as a public-school educator and leader, and my deep admiration for the educators who have dedicated their lives to public service and growing young people. We no longer live in a time in which educators dedicate their life to teaching or leading in public schools. Teacher and…

The school-to-prison pipeline has been an ongoing phenomenon for many decades that disproportionately and negatively impacts students of color. Due to research suggesting school principals play a critical role in the student disciplinary decision-making process, the present study aimed to better understand how principals make discipline decisions…

To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore how secondary transition teachers make postsecondary transition programming decisions and how their firsthand experiences inform the transition process for students with autism without a comorbid intellectual disability. There is a need for additional research that helps identify…

Non-compliance is a challenge for practitioners serving children with and without disabilities. Many interventions have been developed to increase compliance. High-probability request sequences (HPRS), an antecedent-based intervention that is based on behavioral momentum theory, is one way to increase compliant behavior. HPRS includes the…

This article reports on the first results of the educational model piloted in EUTOPIA, a transnational university alliance established under the European University initiative. We discuss the theoretical underpinnings and core principles of our model which seeks to enable students, academics and societal partners to form Connected Learning…

Teacher leadership is essential for increasing teacher quality, addressing teacher turnover, and ultimately improving student learning. In this paper, we describe a teacher leadership program that developed 14 secondary mathematics teacher leaders. The quantitative data from the assessments and surveys indicate improvement of knowledge for…

Montessori educators face increasing demands to support growing numbers of students who have developmental delays or disabilities, and early detection and support are essential. Yet, detecting developmental delays is a complex task, and early childhood educators do not typically receive specialized training. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires…

This study examines the effectiveness of a custom-designed chatbot in a blended learning environment, focusing on its adherence to instructional guidelines and its impact on student engagement. The chatbot was designed to prompt students with questions about concepts related to various academic majors, encourage elaboration on their responses, and…

Practicum is seen as an avenue in teacher education where pre-service teachers have the opportunity to turn theory into practice. Teachers begin to form their identities during practicum. This article examines how pre-service teachers' identities are formed through the lens of sociocultural theory. Data for the study were gathered through a survey…

This research paper introduces a novel program structure for a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) aimed at increasing enrollment by offering two career-driven, non-gated tracks. The declining interest in education professions among college students and the resulting deactivation of university PETE programs due to…

During this uncertain time, teacher education has never been more needed for West-East dialogues and Reciprocal Learning. Xu and Connelly's concept of reciprocal learning aims to harmonize the West-East dichotomy and foster appreciation in education and understanding of each other's culture and history. This book focuses on the field work done by…

Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility and physical activity-based afterschool programs have been identified as two avenues for learning social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. However, the transfer of SEL skills learned in programs is limited. One issue restricting transfer may be the misalignment between values and messages among a…

Limited research has examined the impact of Bounce Back (BB), a trauma-focused intervention for elementary-age students, on student academic engagement and daily classroom behavior. This study utilized both ongoing direct and indirect measures of student functioning to evaluate student progress and inform the implementation of BB. Participants…