This narrative self-study explores an elementary school teacher's curriculum-making during a critical incident in their career (March 2020-May 2020 and August 2020-December 2020) teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using narrative inquiry and memory-work, I consider the tensions within curricular forces and identity and the ways in which my…

With recent advances in generative artificial intelligence, it may come as no surprise that AI influences our society in profound ways. This dissertation project examines how educational and social media platforms and their algorithms shape educational practices and the identity, digital literacies and views of middle school youth participants.…

Teaching experiences changed during COVID-19 from face-to-face to online, and teachers encountered numerous challenges. Considerable research has been conducted on many of the issues that teachers at different grade levels faced in this transition. The experiences of elementary school teachers, however, have not received much attention. The…

The adoption of technology in educational settings remains a multifaceted challenge. This dissertation explores teachers' beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes regarding the impact of technology on students. There were two research questions related to the research problem. Research question one stated: To what extent do the factors of technology…

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative research study was twofold. First was to examine the impact of the use of the mindfulness computer program, Inner Explorer, on math success as measured by the cumulative CAASPP scores in sixth-grade tests. The second was to determine how the use of Inner Explorer affected students'…

Integrating technology in classrooms has been discussed in many countries. Technology integration in Lagos, Nigeria, faces significant challenges due to several factors, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to technology, and insufficient teacher training. The lack of reliable electricity and internet connectivity hinders schools'…

While K-12 online education and cyber charter schools have existed for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 compelled every professor and teacher globally to participate in this mode of instruction. Four years after the pandemic, many brick-and-mortar K-12 schools have retained cyber or online classes within the curriculum to offer students more…

The problem that was addressed through this study was the decline in home-to-school partnerships within a local, public, and ethnically diverse middle school (DMS) in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents' perspectives on the decline in home-to-school partnerships at a DMS. Using Epstein's six…

Online learning for K-2 students is now an alternative to the traditional classroom. It is important to understand these learners have different needs and requirements than the older online learner. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to study K-2 teachers' experiences and perceptions of online teaching to understand the key components…

The purpose of this case study was to understand the perceived change in educator attitudes from the pandemic concerning technology at Cornerstone School. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of motivation of educators to try new ways to use technology in their classrooms. The theory guiding this study was J. Bruner's constructivist…

The shift to online learning management systems such as Canvas seemed to assume students would become more independent and self-regulated, yet little research has been conducted in this area, especially with school-age students. This study examined the ways middle school students engaged with an online learning management system (LMS) and their…

This study explored student and teacher perspectives of technology use at Franklin Elementary School in South San Jose, CA, using qualitative, quantitative, and observational methods, including interviews, observations, and surveys. Thirteen teachers responded to a survey on educational technology use. Among this group, eleven provided interviews,…

This study explored the conceptual and practical tools 4th grade teachers use to teach writing in an online classroom. Considering the importance of writing proficiency, the continuous growth in online teaching, and the lack of research in the teaching of elementary writing in an online classroom, this study was both timely and necessary.…

This dissertation consists of three papers. In each paper, I leverage a different quantitative method to study a downstream effect of technology on educational outcomes. In the first paper, I study the impact of an online math learning program on 3rd through 5th grade math achievement in Louisiana. Employing Zearn Math usage metrics and…

With the ever-changing world of education, it is important to stay current with the delivery of technology, and it is imperative that educators be aware of the social and emotional development of students during hybrid learning environments. At almost every level, administrators and teachers have discovered the rapid increase of technology and its…