This dissertation examines the dynamics of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) through a qualitative multiple-case study that explores the boundary work between university researchers and K-12 practitioners. It is framed within Wenger's communities of practice theory and focuses on the concept of 'boundary work,' which is pivotal in…

A business school's reputation is a valuable intangible asset. Reputations have been found to influence human behavior related to applications, enrollments, faculty hiring, donor giving, and graduate employment. Despite these findings, there remains room for more research into the defining characteristics of business school reputations. Likewise,…

Over the past 50 years physics education research (PER) has grown into a thriving subdiscipline of physics. PER grew out of a desire to approach education research and development from a disciplinary perspective, operating under the assumption that good physics education is deeply rooted in the disciplinary knowledge and practices of physicists.…

The aim of this qualitative action research study was to explore what happens when first-generation college students engage with Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) as a form of humanizing research experience that can serve as an alternative to traditional research experiences for first-generation college students. It also investigated…

In this study, I use theories of poststructuralism, feminist new materialism, posthumanism, and affect to investigate and theorize my experiences as a classroom teacher entangled with dominant discourses related to gender, social class, neoliberalism, and postfeminism. This dissertation is non-traditional in structure, as it addresses teacher…

Once research questions are posed, researchers must answer many a priori questions regarding research design before analysis can be performed and any conclusions can be made, including sample selection criteria, data collection method, model specification, analysis and estimation technique. The choices made by researchers along this forking path…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from 18 published augmented reality researchers to determine their perceptions on: (a) how augmented reality will influence high school education in the future; (b) how augmented reality will impact curriculum and instruction, taking into account specific content areas (e.g., science,…

This study examined the perceptions of institutional research practitioners in advancing racial and ethnic equity, including understanding if institutional researchers view themselves as change agents and whether institutional researchers feel equipped or have the capacity to advance racial and ethnic equity at their institution. Further, this…

Institutional researchers use skills from their diverse backgrounds to collect, analyze and report data about their institutions to stakeholders representing various interests and levels of data literacy. However, there is little research into how these professionals process data and none into what aspects are important to institutional…

In this self-study, I propose a curriculum fragment methodology to work toward a greater understanding of the boundaries (Herdandez-Saca et al., 2023) between special education and disability studies that strengthens both teacher education and disability studies in education (DSE). Specifically, I engage in critical reflection on my teaching…

A number of groups have historically been underrepresented in the education sciences in the United States, notably students of color, students who have experienced economic hardships, first generation college students, students with disabilities, and armed service veterans. The context of this study is a program to increase the recruitment and…

This dissertation seeks to investigate how digital gestures connect to students' mathematical understanding when playing "From Here to There!" (FH2T). This investigation explores the intersection of three fields, game-based learning, embodied cognition, and mathematics education. I used three studies which break down the different…

STEM graduate students go through various stages in their development as researchers. Specifically, Ph.D. students are expected to complete coursework, work on their research, help with projects in the lab they are working in, maintain equipment, mentor other researchers, and fulfill departmental requirements. In this dissertation, I have explored…

The state of California has the largest community college system in the United States with 1.8 million students from diverse backgrounds and 64% percent of students who are economically disadvantaged (California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, 2022; Felix & Castro, 2018). California community colleges also experience inequitable…

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of learning technology professors with National Science Foundation (NSF) external grant funding focused on education. The study investigated stories related to using NSF grants by learning technology professors across the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It enumerated the…