This multiple-manuscript dissertation explored the measurement invariance (MI) testing with multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) approach from different perspectives. Study 1 explored MI from a theoretical perspective by conducting a systematic review study on MI practices in education. The findings of this study indicated…

Autonomy is often discussed as a necessary condition for professionalism in any field, including the teaching profession. In the educational context, autonomy is seen to be critical for teachers to be able to synthesize their knowledge and skills and translate them into effective classroom practices in the best interest of their students. In…

This study presents a conceptual and evidentiary study pertaining to the micro and macro level factors influencing the achievement gap among migrant children from a cross-national standpoint. First, this study provides the most systematic investigation of the immigrant educational paradox theory, which asserts that on average, immigrants'…

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perspectives of working with students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with two hundred twenty-eight K-12th grade teachers in Korea and the U.S. by using a concept mapping methodology. The four research questions were: (1) How do teachers in two different cultures (Korea and…

Elementary school students often exhibit a wide variety of different conceptions associated with algebraic thinking that their teachers fail to recognize or understand (Smith, diSessa, & Roschelle, 1994). It is crucial that elementary school teachers possess knowledge of the variety of different student conceptions and also boast abilities to…

When considering the most discernible indicator of dyslexia, most researchers have agreed that phonological awareness is perhaps the most pertinent sign (Gillon, 2004; Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006; Lyon, Shaywitz, & Shaywitz, 2003). However, is this true in languages other than English? How does orthography affect phonological…

Through observations, life history research, and qualitative data analysis, this study seeks to answer the question: Who and what influences elementary school teachers to ultimately use or not use art in their current classroom practice? This study examines the personal histories of nine elementary school general education teachers in the United…

There is a broad interest in narrowing achievement gaps among all groups of students and improving education by scientifically sound methods. On October 25, 2006, the United States Department of Education published new regulations allowing single-sex education in public schools whenever schools think it will improve student achievement. Thus far,…

Out-of-school time constitutes a major context of social and emotional development for children across cultures. Because it is not constrained by school attendance, weekend time allows cultural and gender differences in time usage to emerge. In this study, children's weekend activities, choice, and some of the related emotional outcomes were…

Debates about nationality and identity have particular relevance for multicultural nations such as Singapore and the United States where recent trends in immigration and an increasing multiplicity of identities problematize the notion of citizenship. Given that a nation's schools are where the dominant discourse of nation identity and history are…

Since the middle of the twentieth century waves of immigration have increased heterogeneity in American classrooms and contributed to new challenges and problems for both teachers and learners. These trends in the United States are, in fact, part of a global phenomenon of large-scale movement of people (Garcia Coll & Marks, 2009;…

The research supports the contentions that teachers' beliefs influence classroom practice and student achievement. Although research has been done to examine teachers' beliefs and classroom practice, limited research has investigated how one's culture and community affect teacher identity and mathematics classroom practice. The development over…

There is considerable debate about the relative importance of family versus school factors in producing academic and nonacademic student outcomes, and whether and how their impacts vary across different student groups. In addition to critically reviewing and synthesizing earlier work, this study extends the literature by (a) using the ECLS-K, a…