Background/Context: Schools are spending more money than ever on a growing number of educational technology programs which are designed to boost student learning outcomes, especially after the integration of online learning that was necessitated by COVID-19 pandemic school closures and disruptions (Instructure, 2024; Teras et al., 2020). Rigorous…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of IXL Math in an elementary school context, using a randomized-control trial (RCT). This study examined mathematics achievement trajectories of 545 Grades 3-5 students across four elementary schools in a small Michigan school district during the 2022-23 school year. Teachers were randomly…

The purpose of this collective case study was to examine how four elementary music teachers (from different U.S. regions) integrated modern band into their curricula. Data included semi-structured interviews, videos, emails, and a researcher journal. Teachers integrated modern band to improve student "buy-in" and to gain instruments. All…

The purpose of this dissertation-in-practice was to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of K-5 elementary school teachers in a suburban Central Texas school on their use of blended learning in the classroom. Before conducting the study, previous research on blended learning was reviewed in the areas of student achievement, student…

This study examined the impact of iPad integration on student motivation, engagement, and learning skills in a mathematics program. Subjects included 143 students aged 8 to 14 years old and 63 parents in an Indian-based school in Dubai where the national curriculum required the use of tablets be integrated into school subjects starting at grade…

Scientific inquiry is an often misunderstood concept in many elementary classrooms. On the inquiry spectrum, teacher-directed (TD) scientific inquiry is prevalent in schools. From a critical and social constructivism framework, TD inquiry programs affect students' original/unhindered questions, called primal inquiry (PI), and processes in science…

The benefits of using digital storytelling are well documented in the literature. Whether and how these advantages can be extended to digital story-writing, especially for young learners, remains underexplored. Recent advancement in technology has the potential of streamlining the stages of planning and revising in a process approach to second…

This convergent mixed method study investigates learner engagement during a blended, transmedia curriculum called CryptoComics, which is designed to teach 3rd-5th graders about cryptology and cybersecurity. Curriculum design is presented through the lens of four engagement facilitators: (1) anchoring the curriculum with a comic book, (2) blending…

More and more jobs involve STEM, yet women are still underrepresented in many STEM fields, particularly engineering and computer science (National Science Foundation, 2019). Rural students in particular have historically faced numerous obstacles to entering STEM fields, including low educational aspirations, lack of STEM role models, and lack of…

Since public schools began in the United States, there has been an academic gap between different groups of people. In normal face-to-face situations, the academic gap is not closing. In March 2020, schools closed worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to emergency remote teaching. Because of the uncertainty of the pandemic, educators,…

This case study of two fourth-grade teachers explored teachers' literacy instructional practices and perceptions of their professional agency during the hybrid synchronous teaching of the COVID-19 pandemic. In anticipation of the challenges of hybrid synchronous instruction, these teachers combined their classes to co-teach 39 students. Analysis…

The promise of "21st century learning" is that digital technologies will transform traditional learning and mobilize skills deemed necessary in an emerging digital culture. In two case studies of video making, one in a Grade 4 classroom, and one in an adult literacy setting, the authors develop the concept of "production…