This teacher-action research project explores using critical contemplative pedagogy in an upper elementary classroom setting to determine how youth media practices can be informed with combined critical media literacy instruction and contemplative exercises. Analysis of students' media production and deconstructions reveal promising outcomes for…

This action research study explored crucial components of play-based learning through a researcher created survey and through an analysis of six elementary and six secondary teacher participant responses. The study also investigated maker education through analysis of a portion of survey results from fourteen university students through a study…

Disparities, bias, and inequities persist between girls and boys as the result of gender inequities in schools (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). In this participatory action research (PAR) project, I investigated how educators and educational leaders promote gender equity in an international elementary school. The project took place in the elementary…

Professional development (PD) for public school teachers evolved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As California schools shut down for in-person learning, several online PD opportunities were provided out of necessity as districts explored new ways to support teachers. The purpose of the Blended Professional Development (BPD) action research…

The purpose of this participatory action research (PAR) study was to examine the extent to which elementary school leaders enacted culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) practices with the ultimate goal of serving students who have been marginalized (Khalifa et al., 2016). As a district assistant superintendent, I supported four school…

The primary goal of this research is to examine New York State's humane education mandate, Section 809 of the Education Law; specifically, its history, barriers, and possible implementation solutions to achieve statewide elementary school compliance. It explores the educational system and its role in school compliance with the mandate. In…

The purpose of this professional practice dissertation (PPD) was to examine and provide Department of Defense Education Activity Schools practical and real-world solutions with regards to continuous improvement within its educational equity program. This process was examined and analyzed through a qualitative action research approach and design…

Educational action research, a participatory research method, has garnered widespread attention in scholarship. Previous studies of the intentions and experiences of action researchers have indicated a need for a deeper understanding of within-school action research programs. However, conversations about the utility of educational research have…

Critical Participatory Action Research is a form of research where community members and researchers collaborate to plan and carry out a research project on an issue they identify together (Cammarota & Fine, 2008; Mirra, Garcia & Morrell, 2016). While most CPAR projects engage adolescents, an emerging body of research focuses on CPAR with…

Service-learning is defined and applied in myriad ways across the world. While the roots of this pedagogy lie in the well-intentioned acts of addressing unmet social needs and, in general, helping people, this has not always been the outcome of the interactions. In many cases, engaging in service-learning has led to harmful reproductions of…

The problem addressed by this study is that students are not implementing literacy strategies they learned in English language Art classes in their mathematics classes. The study's purpose is to explore how seventh-grade students utilize literacy strategies modeled by teacher/s in the mathematics classroom and implementation to deconstruct and…

Parental involvement in schools can make a difference on the success of the children at the school. The parental involvement in inner-city schools has been researched on the positive effects it can have on schools. However, there is not a best practices method of raising parental involvement. This research looks at the parental involvement at…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of instructional coaching in supporting the instruction of Emotional Support teachers in an online teaching environment. I centered the coaching of each Emotional Support teacher around a specific core teaching focus. The results of the study were inconsistent; with each participant showing…

My dissertation is structured as follows: introduction, background, methods, findings in the form of a PowerPoint presentation designed for teachers at my school and "Reading Teacher" article, and implications. Introduction: In response to my students underperforming in language arts I developed my research question; How can I use…

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…