Herein I present a comprehensive view of mentoring and professional development programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education. In CHAPTER 1 I describe a brief outline of this dissertation. In CHAPTER 2 I present a meta-analysis and systematic review of undergraduate mentor programs, where I find an…

The purpose of this study is to explore how induction programs impact untenured teachers' overall experiences and perceptions. This study focused on stories, experiences, and values that were explicitly discussed by each participant related to their district's induction program. In general, strong induction programs provide an intense level of…

There is a gap in the literature and a lack of clarity for how leadership efficiency and fidelity can be affected by cataloging dropout prevention programs in the educational sector. While several evidence-based dropout prevention strategies are available, their effectiveness for increasing leadership efficiency and fidelity is unclear. Thus, this…

This qualitative study was intended to understand how Black women employed in a government municipality advanced to upper supervisory positions and to the top 25% of wage earners since the city's data reveal this is a challenging endeavor for Black women. A phenomenological inquiry was used to gather data through semistructured interviews from…

Getting new teachers off to the right start is essential for teacher retention and student success. This book shows the nuts and bolts of induction that really works. Drawing on the successful, research-based SHINE program, the authors demonstrate the key components for setting up or tweaking your new teacher induction program, including involving…

Background: Augmented reality (AR) emerges as a technology with considerable promise and substantial potential for pedagogical integration within language education contexts. However, there remains a scarcity of review studies exploring the best practices and principles for oral communication facilitation based on robust theoretical models or…

This descriptive research study was done at a small, rural-serving, liberal arts university within an online, graduate-level special education teacher preparation program. Participants were graduate students (n = 9) who were provided a technology kit as a recruitment tool. All participants were completing their licensure coursework over one year…

Aim/Purpose: This study examined the understudied perceptions of higher education instructors on the use of art-based AI generators in digital art, design, and creative-based courses and answered the research questions: (1) how disruptions by generative artificial intelligence (GenAIs) are impacting teaching, and (2) what are the major factors…

This review aimed to map the literature surrounding strengths-based approaches in studies with autistic adolescents focusing on adult transition outcomes, by describing the active ingredients of interventions and the properties of assessment tools. Relevant databases were searched for articles surrounding strengths-based practices, which met the…

America is wasting much of its human capital. That's because many high-achieving, low-income students (HALO students) fall off the education track and never reach the gates of our top colleges and universities. Regrettably, these capable young people won't reap the benefits of a four-year degree, which remains a solid engine for upward mobility…

Best practices for integrated STEM courses work well when teachers are adept at implementing them and when students are in a learning environment where they can communicate and collaborate while simultaneously working with and investigating manipulatives with their hands. When the COVID-19 Pandemic forced many K-12 schools to close in March of…

The aim of this study was to use sociocultural perspectives to elaborate on Eccles' parent socialization model and create a culturally grounded, multidimensional model of parent support among Mexican-descent families. Given Latinx underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, we focus on science as an important…

State-mandated, standardized testing can have negative consequences on classroom practices in the Northeastern United States due to significant pressure placed on classroom teachers to demonstrate student achievement. The purpose of this research was to examine how elementary classroom practices, in grades three through five, were influenced based…

The purpose of this article is to recognize the importance of mentoring in higher education and to identify useful strategies to ensure effective mentorship. The authors demonstrate and apply evidence-based approaches and strategies for effective mentorship in both online and in-person classroom settings. A discussion of four major strategies…

The Internationalization of Higher Education has led to uneasiness among non-US universities about their international reputation, ranking, and local legitimacy generating a growing interest in US accreditation. Specifically, non-US Colleges of Education pursue accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)…