The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to test the conservation of resource theory and the self-efficacy theory to determine if a relationship existed between teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas public schools. The immediate impact of the shutdowns in response to the unknowns of COVID-19…

This quantitative study examined general and special education teachers' self-efficacy, attitudes, and teaching efficacy in implementing inclusive practices in Texas secondary schools. Grounded in Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, the research explored how teacher efficacy impacted the successful integration of students with disabilities into…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to assess if and to what extent differences exist in traditionally and alternatively certified STEM teachers' perceived teacher collaboration and teacher self-efficacy, among teachers in Texas. The sample consisted of 202 participants (Alternative n = 202; Traditional n = 89). Results from…

Youth who are exposed to more adversities in life and at-risk for engaging in delinquent behaviors have been found to be less likely to have a caring adult in their life. Mentoring is among one of the most evidence-based preventative interventions/supports applied to at-risk youth in order to promote resilience/protective factors. Youth mentoring…

This dissertation investigated the relationship between mindset and self-efficacy among special education teachers in Region 2 of Texas. While approximately 500,000 students are provided special education services in Texas public schools, special education students perform significantly lower on state assessments in reading and math than their…

This study investigated the relationship between principal self-efficacy and campus accountability rating and whether there were any differences in self-efficacy and outcome expectancy based on campus rating. 29 public school principals in Texas elected to participate in the study which included demographic questions, a question related to outcome…

School principals are tasked with a daunting number of responsibilities, all of which must culminate in increased student achievement. The complexity of these responsibilities have left school leaders overwhelmed, resulting in diminished confidence and potentially substandard job performance. This study addressed the problem that many school…

The purpose of our correlational, quantitative study was to determine if time spent using digital media (i.e. text messaging and social media) influences students' media writing self-perceptions (MWSPs). We measured students' perceived writing ability using the MWSP scale and their time spent using digital media with the social networking time use…

This quantitative study examined the relationships between elementary teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy, school culture, and implementation of instructional strategies. The teachers were employed across four schools within one northern Texas school district. The data, collected through three different surveys, garnered teacher perceptions of…

Dental caries is a chronic oral condition that disproportionately affects low-income women. The aim of this research was to investigate relationships between dental nutrition knowledge, socioecological factors, and prevalence of dental caries in low-income women. This quantitative cross-sectional study involved 220 women who were recruited from…

In this study, the researcher explored the relationship between K-8 STEM science teachers' self-efficacy and factors that contribute to building positive self-efficacy. The factors correlated to self-efficacy in this study were STEM teachers' type of certification, the number of hours per week spent in collaboration with peers, the number of…

This study examined the effect of a 10-week activity tracker, companion social website, and text messaging intervention on body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, physical fitness, and physical activity (PA) self-efficacy of children. Children (n = 98) were assigned to one of three groups: activity tracker group, text messaging group, and…

The purpose of this study was to obtain an understanding of inservice special education teachers' collective teacher efficacy (CTE), culturally responsive teaching (CRT) self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy beliefs, as well as to examine the relationship among these efficacy beliefs. By using the validity and reliability of a self-made…

The last five decades of educational research have shown the construct of teacher self-efficacy is related to student achievement: the higher the efficacy of the teacher, the greater the impact on the student. Additionally, teachers who demonstrate more of a growth mindset--a belief a person's intelligence can change--than a fixed mindset--a…

Higher education institutions are faced with pressure to graduate more doctoral students, but universities are faced with an increasing population of doctoral students who identify themselves as first-generation; however, there is not much known about this specific population as well as other generational students (i.e., second and other…