Peer Instruction gives practice in the abstract language of physics, addresses common misconceptions among students, and is more effective than traditional lecturing. However, it is not clear what makes Peer Instruction effective nor how we might improve the method. An emerging perspective is that what makes Peer Instruction effective is how it…

Both challenges and opportunities are inherent with a growth in Chinese international students in UK Higher Education. However, teachers from the West may not understand the differences in Chinese educational practices, which can lead to negative stereotyping of these students as passive and problematic. This paper rejects this deficit…

Developing structure sense is an important part of learning algebra. We investigated learners' structure sense of algebraic expressions involving brackets. This led us to propose the constructs "surface structure" sense and "systemic structure" sense. Using a random sample of 58 Grade 10 learners scoring above 40% in a test, we…

Many instructors use a syllabus quiz to ensure that students learn and understand the content of the syllabus. In this project, I move beyond this exercise's primary function and examine students' syllabus quiz scores to see if they can predict how well students perform in the course overall. Using data from 495 students enrolled in 18 sections of…

This paper responds directly to the question, how do we communicate our philosophy of art education? It does this by drawing upon previous research with "House of Imagination, School Without Walls" and doctoral research exploring children's learning identity as artists, to illuminate a philosophical approach to art education and its…

Many studies show the value of local history, especially multicultural history, to youth development and student learning outcomes. Incorporating local history into classrooms improves students' ability to question historical significance, analyze primary sources, contextualize their historical thinking, and embrace the learning process as their…

This study aimed to understand preservice teachers' perceptions of culturally responsive teaching within a teacher preparation program, guided by Geneva Gay's Culturally Responsive Teaching Framework. The research questions examined the extent of preservice teachers' knowledge of cultural diversity, their ability to validate the cultural…

The present study explored strategies teachers use to help people with ASD develop sociosexual skills for empathy expression. Previous research found the curriculum for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) does not always include strategies to teach the socio-sexual skills required for empathy expression. This qualitative descriptive study…

In this dissertation I explore instructors' work with instructional tasks as they plan to introduce various representations of derivatives. Drawing on the notion of "framing" from sociology, I adopt a situative lens to study calculus instructors' planning of instructional tasks. I rely on Herbst and Chazan's (2012) notion of…

The problem for this qualitative study was how educators experience professional development using podcast listening combined with independent jot journals and collegial discussions. The research questions aimed to discover whether teachers would accept or reject this professional development as well as potential lesson plan designs or…

This study examines how a mathematics professional learning (PL) program can contribute to building the capacity of local facilitators to implement PL designed to make high-quality instruction accessible to all students. Thirty-one local facilitators were trained in the use of the Math for All PL program and implemented it over one school year.…

Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the most prevalent service-connected disabilities of United States military veterans. Educational materials from active-duty, continental United States (CONUS) Air Force bases were evaluated for compliance with regulations and assessed for understandability, actionability, and readability to…

This study investigated the efficacy of the Beyond Rubrics Toolkit (BRT) as an embedded assessment instrument within makerspaces. Conducted as a pilot study at two Boys & Girls Club sites during afterschool programming, the research aimed to address the following research questions: (1) What skills are Youth Development Professionals teaching…

While teachers are provided with professional development, they do not always use the best practices, which can negatively impact their students' learning. This study addressed the problem of teachers not using the best, research-based instructional practices to instruct students in rural areas of Middle Tennessee. The purpose of this qualitative…

This dissertation addressed the issue of reduced transfer of training at a southeastern community college, specifically regarding the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies in online courses. Faculty at the college were required to complete a 45-hour training series on UDL, but evidence suggested that the training was not…