Along with the deinstitutionalization movement, supports for persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) have shifted to promotion of person-centered supports inclusive in the community. Although successes have occurred regarding physical inclusion, skill building and social inclusion have not fared as well for those with more significant…

The purpose of this concurrent, mixed-methods study was to investigate the implementation of the non-presumptuous literacy bag program as a critical component of increasing parental involvement in rural Appalachia schools related to student literacy achievement. The program was designed to increase parental involvement in book readings and related…

The purpose of this mixed-methods program evaluation was to determine the impact, if any, that the implementation of a voluntary performance-based compensation system had on an Ohio suburban district's goal to compensate effective teaching. The district formed a committee that researched teacher compensation systems that rewarded a variety of…

This mixed-methods action research study investigated the impact of makerspaces on student creativity. Seventy fifth-grade students were exposed to makerspaces for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected using two assessment instruments. Prior to the experience, the students were given a preassessment of their creative potential using the…

The government and society are increasingly questioning the value of libraries and higher education institutions (HEIs). While there is no one agreed upon standard of value or a way to measure it, both Library and Information Science (LIS) and Education research have suggested that library and educational resources and services should demonstrate…

This mixed-methods explanatory study focused on analyzing the impact that National School Lunch Program eligibility had on (a) scholastic performance; (b) Appraisal of the Academic Influences Inventory results; and (c) the rates of absenteeism, tardiness, and disciplinary referrals within large groups of American Indian and White students in…

Background: This study is about teachers' collective activity during the development and initial year of a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused school in the USA. The target school of this study was inclusive, as it sought admission of students from varying backgrounds and levels of ability. Drawing from narrative…

Constructivist-based pedagogy is particularly applicable to gifted secondary students in the sciences due to the increased background knowledge of the population and the nature of the study of science. This research was an investigation of the effectiveness of a residential constructivist-based summer learning experience in aquatic biology and…

Independent schools pride themselves on providing a unique educational experience for students, one that is robust and mission-driven and capitalizes on lower student-to-teacher ratios that allow for more personalized learning and high-quality teachers. Numerous studies measure teacher effectiveness in public schools, yet there is little research…

Genre serves as a useful lens to investigate the range of evidence derived from automated writing evaluation (AWE). To support construct-relevant systems used for writing instruction and assessment, two investigations were conducted that focused on postsecondary writing requirements and faculty perceptions of student writing proficiency. Survey…

American students typically attend kindergarten at the chronological age (CA) of five and currently with the implementation of Common Core State Standards, there are expectations that children learn how to read in order to meet these academic standards, despite whether or not they are developmentally ready. This mixed methods study examined age…

Problem Statement: Training qualified teachers depends on the quality of the trainers. From this point of view, the quality of teacher educators and their instruction in the classroom are important to train qualified teachers. This is because teachers tend to see teacher educators who have trained them as role models, and during their school…

Despite the call for a transformation of teacher education in the 21st century, surprisingly little has changed. This includes how the practical, hands-on component, known as a field experience is structured. Previous research, conducted in 2010, specifically examining how teacher education programs address K-12 online learning through their field…

This article describes a qualitative mixed-method study of students' perceptions of place and space in an academic library. The approach is informed by Scott Bennett's model of library design, which posits a shift from a "book-centered" to a technology supported "learning centered" paradigm of library space. Two surveys…

In this research, the authors present a framework for developing Intercultural Competence (IC) and use Tridimensional Digital Virtual Worlds (3DVW) as environments for developing Intercultural Competence. They developed an artifact, via Design Research, constituted by an educational method using the 3DVW Second Life® as the place for a virtual…