Research demonstrated peer-to-peer mentoring provides advanced or experienced undergraduate students the opportunity to play a significant role in impacting an individual's leadership values, especially values of citizenship, commitment and collaboration (Hirsh et al., 2021). The action research study explored the expansion of peer mentor…

As "divisive concepts" educational policies continue to be implemented across the United States, it is important to consider how preservice teachers (PSTs) are being prepared for this teaching landscape. Within an upper-level undergraduate education foundations course at a public university in Iowa, this critical case study (Dyson &…

Preservice elementary teachers' attitudes towards mathematics are often negatively influenced by their K-12 education. Accordingly, teacher educators must allow preservice elementary teachers to experience mathematical instruction differently to change their attitudes toward mathematics and their conceptions about what it means to teach and learn…

This exploratory, mixed-method study investigated how strength-based approach to mathematics instruction (SBAMI) influences the academic optimism of general education and special education pre-service teachers (PSTs). Academic optimism, linked to student achievement in previous research, was used as the theoretical framework. Data included…

Given the current political climate of division, the study of history is important now more than ever, but the value of the study of history has been marginalized. This study used student focus groups to understand ways in which history could be taught in such a way that its importance is emphasized through relevance and connection to current…

This dissertation examines the key challenges faced by collegiate aviation faculty members as they transitioned from in-person coursework to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews profiled four collegiate aviation faculty members' experiences with the…

An institution of higher education will create a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) as a hub for pedagogical and professional development for its faculty. While CTLs have developed over the past fifty years, their administrators and staff have endeavored to develop, strengthen, and enhance quality pedagogical skills for anyone who teaches for…

This paper explores the intersection of U.S. graduate music student experiences and mental health. A literature review discussing nineteenth-century mechanist piano pedagogy practices, Carl Seashore's Measures of Musical Talent, the impact of neoliberal capitalism on students, and an overview of current U.S. studies on university music student…

Instructional strategies are essential to reform initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The problem was higher education instructors in STEM disciplines continue to use siloed and teacher-centered strategies in courses even though integrated and student-centered approaches are more effective in engaging…

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine how, and to what degree learning methods (student-centered or instructor-centered) and gender independently or interactively made a difference in adult student achievement. The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Third Edition (WIAT-III) was utilized to measure…

The problem addressed through this study was the absence of a critical examination of laboratory exercises used with first-year nonbiology majors and the deployment of virtual laboratories in the biology department at the project site university without critical analyses associated with the efficacy of virtual labs. Grounded in Mayer's cognitive…

Given the rapid pace of change in technology, a new generation of learners in college, and continued demands from business and industry for better-prepared graduates, the call to reform the undergraduate educational experience has continued to increase. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors, if any, influence faculty use of…

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling for the transformation of undergraduate nursing education to prepare new graduates for the complexities of practice. To improve preparation for practice, faculty responded by incorporating student-centered, active learning strategies (SCALS); however, the effectiveness of SCALS has not…

As the engineering education system continuously evolves to meet the demands of modern industry and society, there is a need for a methodology that would manage and resolve the complexities inherent in engineering educational systems. Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a structured approach to system design that utilizes models across all…

Educators are continuously searching for ways to increase teaching effectiveness and improve student outcomes for nursing programs across the country. Educational research historically has focused on student engagement and teaching effectiveness separately, and while there is a connection that is presumed between the two in the literature, it is…