This mixed methods participatory action research study explored how an instructional coach influenced a state mandated curriculum adoption at a Title 1 urban middle school. The purpose of this study was to identify ways in which an instructional coach supported a veteran staff during the adoption of new curriculum standards. The instructional…

The goal of the study was to investigate how teachers' reflection and asking for feedback--critical aspects of teachers' professional growth--can be explained and stimulated by teachers' self-efficacy, principals' feedback, and servant leadership characteristics. A mixed-method study was conducted with data collected from surveys and interviews…

This mixed methods study examines 126 community college students enrolled in developmental reading courses at a mid-sized Southwestern community college. These students participated in a survey-based study regarding their reading experiences and practices, social influence upon those practices, reading sponsorship, and reading self-efficacy. The…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of E-readers during guided reading instruction would affect students' reading motivation, attitude toward reading, and reading comprehension. The study utilized on a quasi-experimental mixed methods research design that involved 35 fifth grade students in two fifth grade reading classes. For 10…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to better understand the perspectives of parents with children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders regarding the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, and interventions implemented to help their child meet IEP goals. The web-based survey included both closed and open-ended items.…

Maternal emergent literacy practices during shared-reading interactions with 18-36-month-old toddlers were examined. The investigation of emergent literacy behaviours of both mothers and toddlers investigated included the examination of phonological awareness and written language awareness. Participants included 15 mother-toddler dyads from middle…

The theory of plate tectonics is the conceptual model through which most dynamic processes on Earth are understood. A solid understanding of the basic tenets of this theory is crucial in developing a scientifically literate public and future geoscientists. The size of plates and scale of tectonic processes are inherently unobservable,…

Current scholarly understanding of information security regulation in the United States is limited. Several competing mechanisms exist, many of which are untested in the courts and before state regulators, and new mechanisms are being proposed on a regular basis. Perhaps of even greater concern, the pace at which technology and threats change far…

Service providers are increasingly recognizing the need to develop effective methods for delivering supporting services to military families during deployment. Research suggests that military families experience increased levels of stress during the cycle of deployment. Bronfenbrenner (1979) conceptualized the family operating within the context…

Tyack & Tobin (1994, p. 454) describe that the "grammar of schooling," like the shape of classrooms, has remained remarkably stable over the decades. This has frustrated generations of reformers who have fought to change standardized organizational traditions. Typically school reform has taken the form of innovations in education.…

Urban superintendents are hired and commissioned to raise student achievement, especially for students who have been traditionally underserved by underperforming public schools. Site principals have a significant impact on student achievement; therefore, successful superintendents must be able to recruit, select, and hire effective principals in…

This mixed-methods study was conducted to determine practices being used at Missouri community colleges for serving students with psychiatric disabilities using a survey created from a compilation of best practices guidelines. Survey items were developed by reviewing over 40 expert sources on the subject of disability services. Descriptive…

The purpose of this research was to determine building administrators' perceptions of their role in literacy reform and how their perceptions may influence policy. This investigation utilized a mixed-methods approach through a Likert-style survey instrument that contained opportunities for constructed responses which was developed by the…

Historically, qualitative and quantitative approaches have been applied relatively separately in synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence, respectively, in several research domains. However, mixed methods approaches are becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and practices of combining qualitative and quantitative research components at…

The purpose of this study was to add to our understanding of the motivations toward service among college students, to get a clearer sense of how students choose their service involvements, and to better understand the learning outcomes from service involvement during college. Findings indicated differences in how students spoke about their…