Since the 1960s, business leaders and educators used the idea of "goal setting theory" as a guide to success. Teachers who implemented goal setting strategies contributed to student success and achievement. During my study, I found little existing literature focused on academic goal setting implementation for students in Tennessee rural…

Prosocial behaviors (e.g., sharing, helping) are important for adolescents' academic and social-emotional wellbeing and can be predicted by students' adoption of prosocial goals. Due to the recent uptick in experiences with learning online for adolescents, understanding what prosocial behaviors look like for students within this context, as well…

Amidst debates over book-banning and diversity legislation, this study investigated teachers' literature selection processes, emphasizing the impact of mandates on decision-making. Employing a mixed method design, the research analyzed quantitative survey data from 60 middle-grade teachers, revealing a stable emphasis on specific text…

A problem in the field of education is a high rate of teacher turnover. Because the problem is reaching a crisis level, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive dissertation study was to describe influences of an Educational Support Program for novice teachers relative to their feelings of support, job satisfaction, and teacher self-efficacy.…

In response to a shift to high-stakes assessments, teachers are changing their instruction and approaches away from research-based formal training on best practices teaching in response to the stress and pressure this shift has created (Avalos et al., 2020; Gonzalez et al., 2017; Musoleno & White, 2010). More research is needed on teachers who…

The overall achievement levels of Somali students in Minnesota's urban schools are considerably lower than their peers. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), 2023) reported that only 5% of all tested Black or African American students identified as English language learners met or exceeded the standards in science, 21.7% in reading, and…

Educators are always looking for new ideas and best practices to positively impact student learning. Particularly after the learning interruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, schoolteachers and leaders are seeking strategies to increase the rate of student academic growth. One approach that can be borrowed from leadership development is the…

Preventing and responding to student misbehavior is an integral part of classroom management and one of the most important skills an educator can have. Despite its importance, many educators receive inadequate training in this area. Many leave their pre-service training lacking confidence in addressing behavior and do not receive training once…

Demographics of suburban schools are shifting from predominantly White families to include more individuals and families of color, immigrants, and those who are economically vulnerable (Diamond & Posey-Maddox, 2020). In order to lead their changing communities in pursuit of equity, school administrators need support and guidance to recognize…

Teaching science through inquiry-based methodologies has been advocated by several governmental and professional organizations (National Research Council [NRC], 2000; NGSS Lead States, 2013); however, their use is not widespread. Why is this? What science teachers do in their classrooms is shaped by their beliefs, especially their beliefs about…

This study sought to find if the implementation of the strategy of goal setting and reflective portfolios would improve reading comprehension among long-term English learners (LTELs), which in turn would impact their FastBridge aReading scores. LTELs have difficulty reclassifying, resulting in negative outcomes regarding graduation rates and…

Ninth grade students who attend Boundary High School (BHS) encounter a host of academic, social and emotional challenges commonly associated with the transition from middle school to high school. To the extent BHS ninth grade students navigate these challenges during this vulnerable time in their educational journey determines their overall…

COVID-19 disrupted schools across the country. Students and teachers were asked to work together virtually. During this virtual experience the students at Frederick County Middle School struggled to complete learning activities independently. An improvement science approach was used to investigate this problem. Through the improvement science…

This dissertation studies several key issues related to teacher turnover, mentorship, and discrimination. The first chapter examines the impact of misbehaving students on the likelihood of novice teachers leaving their positions within the first five years. Utilizing data from North Carolina between 2007 and 2015, the study employs quasi-random…

As the need for competent Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce and entrepreneurial development continue expanding globally, there is value in assessing if current educational processes expose middle school students to STEM curricula and career guidance at an optimal age. In addition, more research is needed to…