Latina preservice science teachers make the transition from science student to teacher is scant. This study aims to address this gap by exploring improvisation as a pedagogical tool in order for Latina pre-service teachers make meaning of the transition from student to teacher and what this might mean in terms of identity. According to Pool et al.…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the use of live actor improvised simulations as an innovative teaching tool in the development of social justice advocacy competencies for school counselors in training (SCITs). The feminist theoretical framework that guided the design of this study is from the challenges of bell hooks in her…

The past few years have proven a need in higher education for tools that help educators and students maintain a flexible and highly adaptive approach to their coursework. Research into applied improvisation has shown that the improvisational mindset is beneficial to educational settings in this way, in part because of the way it encourages…

The purpose of this research study was to examine the impact of Racial Battle Fatigue on First Nations students in higher education through the lens of Tribal Critical Race Theory. This work is grounded in understanding how the weight of racialization affects the experiences of First Nations students enrolled at Institutions of Higher Education.…

The ability to identify errors by sight and sound--commonly referred to as "error detection"--is a musical ability needed in a variety of music professions. Instructors of undergraduate aural-skills courses often agree that strong error-detection skills are an essential outcome of these courses; however, error-detection activities are…

This research is about the underlying process language learners rely on to be able to engage effectively in unscripted conversations without premeditation, or "improvisation." To engage in improvisation in another language, one needs to recognize those elements of the evolving cultural context that are significant at the moment. By…

Qualified teachers are a crucial component of preschool programs for improving young children's social, literacy, cognitive, and academic outcomes. Research shows that children are more sociable, exhibit a more developed use of language, and perform at a higher level of cognitive tasks if their teachers have bachelor's degrees and specialized…

The purpose of this study was to develop a jazz improvisation rubric for the evaluation of collegiate jazz improvisation. To create this measure, research objectives were devised to investigate the aurally-observed performer-controlled components of improvisation, which aurally-observed components should be evaluated in an improvisatory…

This qualitative multi-case study explored undergraduate psychology students' experiences participating in creative drama activities the instructor/researcher developed to teach psychological concepts. The study was conducted in three introductory and developmental courses in a mid-western community college setting. Participants (cases) included…

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the professional preparation of students in online classes at a Christian theological seminary. Concerns of theological education involve the capacity or incapacity of community development and somatic or embodied learning in online education. Using a theoretical framework drawn from…

This study documented the experiences of staging Vaslav Nijinsky's "L'Apres-midi d'un Faune" in a higher education dance program. The ballet was staged from Labanotation. Research questions focused on teaching and learning pedagogy, characterization of the process over time, experiences of the participants and teaching approaches. The project…

The purpose of the current study was to examine the use of creative arts in group supervision and its perceived effects on case conceptualization and counselor development from the counselor-in-training's perspective. Research questions guiding this study included: How do counselors-in-training (CITs) perceive the experience of participating in…

Jazz education has been a part of school music programs in the United States in both extracurricular and curricular settings since the 1920's. An enormous growth in the popularity of stage bands and jazz ensembles was experienced between the 1940's and 1980's resulting in a vibrant, widespread acceptance of jazz in the music curriculum (Luty,…

The present study investigated the strengths and areas of improvement for elementary music teacher preparation from the perspective of multiple members of a single body of music teachers. Subjects for the study were elementary music teachers from an urban school district in the southern United States. All elementary music teachers in the school…