Research on self-efficacy and how it is developed in K-12 educational spaces has primarily focused on traditional classroom spaces and activities. Little research has focused on self-efficacy development in the context of outdoor experiential learning. Through this study, I use focus groups, in-depth interviewing, and on-line journal prompts to…

Educational institutions have experienced growing pressures on retaining high-quality staff. The problem was resistance to learning new technology and low K-12 veteran teacher technology self-efficacy (Francom, 2020; Sabic et al., 2022), and the implications for changes in professional development leadership. The purpose of this qualitative case…

This study examined the perceived preparedness of educators working in Title 1 schools to address the mental health needs of students. Data were gathered from educators (defined as teachers and other school personnel; N = 299) employed by eight Title 1 public schools within one district in Florida, most of whom were K-5 teachers (n = 199).…

Christian school administrators are faced with daily decision-making responsibilities regarding several aspects of a school. Before this research study, there was little research in the field of education with Christian school administrators as the sample population. The aim of this correlational study was to examine Florida Christian school…

This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the experiences of school-based administrators in K-12 public school settings within the state of Florida who navigate the challenges of Impostor Phenomenon while concurrently pursuing a doctoral degree. The research draws on the personal stories of four participants--three women and one man--who are…

This study aimed to explore preservice teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to support students who have been exposed to or/are currently encountering adverse childhood experiences. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a form of trauma and are very likely to occur among students. Due to students spending a significant amount of time in…

COVID-19 presented educators with a quick transition to virtual teaching. The problem was that secondary teachers in southwest Florida had to overcome obstacles, including preparedness, to teach successfully using different modalities during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on this topic is important because teachers' perceptions will…

Culturally competent teachers are in high demand as the English learner (EL), culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student population increases in the U.S. However, the teaching force continues to be predominantly female, White, and monolingual, inexperienced in dealing with diverse populations. Typically, teacher preparation to teach ELs…

Leaders in education must focus on improving teacher attrition because teacher turnover contributes to lower student academic achievements by disrupting the learning environment for both students and teachers (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). This study took place in a North Florida School district where school and district leaders are…

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.…

Background: Grief and loss are common experiences for children and adolescents, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators feel unprepared to support grieving students due to lack of training. We studied educator experiences receiving grief-sensitive training as part of the grief-sensitive schools initiative (GSSI), which provides…

While many studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between learning in the arts and students' critical thinking disposition, few studies have investigated the influence of an interdisciplinary art-related teaching approach and its correlation with academic student behavior confidence in anatomy and physiology (A&P). Therefore, this…

The Florida Department of Education requires that student teachers complete the Florida Teacher Certification General Knowledge (GK) Exam for certification. As of 2021, the Florida pass rate for the GK exam, the first of the required exams, is 63% and the pass rate at FIU is a similar 62%. There were also 28,517 GK retakes statewide that year. As…

A quantitative literacy course titled "Computational Geology" has been taught at the University of South Florida for over 20 years at the undergraduate level, largely by the same professor. Due to the extended course tenure, a unique opportunity presented itself to qualitatively study what the perceived broader impacts of the course were…