Teaching has long since been understood as a moral and ethical endeavor (e.g., hooks, 1994; Hansen, 2021). It is also widely understood that to be a "good" teacher, teachers must "learn." Teaching requires exquisite responsiveness to students, relationships, content, and the social and political world (e.g., Ball & Cohen,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate novice middle school teachers' perceptions concerning classroom management. Classroom management is a crucial component of teaching. However, it has consistently been a difficult area for novice teachers or teachers having less than three years of teaching experience (Albright, 2017; Kelly et al., 2015;…

This study identified the experiences of middle school teachers in the Southeastern Louisiana participating in professional learning communities, using the social constructivism theory. The study uncovers the various factors that are present that influence instructional practices and student learning outcomes. Ten middle school teachers engage in…

Many teachers have become dissatisfied with their jobs, leaving their school district or the field of education to purse other careers outside of education. Recently, teacher attrition has been a problem for schools in Tennessee. The shortage of teachers in Tennessee led to the elimination of the Teacher Performance Assessment by the Tennessee…

Middle school students' ability to think critically and comprehend complex text is often challenging. Students often need additional academic support in this area. Close reading text is an instructional strategy that involves analyzing and looking at a text critically. The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study is to examine English…

The problem addressed was a post-COVD-19 pandemic increase in teacher attrition at an A-rated suburban middle school in a southern U.S. state. The increased attrition placed additional strain on local schools, teachers, and district personnel and affected the academic progress of students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore…

Despite decades of research, NOS is still rarely explicitly and accurately taught in K-12 schools (Abd-El-Khalick & Lederman, 2023). Teachers often address NOS ineffectively as a result of inadequate knowledge of NOS and science content (Wahbeh & Abd-El-Khalick, 2014) as well as NOS pedagogy (Hanuscin et al., 2011). A variety of contextual…

Teacher retention has been an issue for decades. Education researchers have grappled with this problem and explored how teacher characteristics, school characteristics, and organizational characteristics may predict teachers' decision to stay or leave their school sites. There is significant evidence showing that schools serving a majority of…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study is to explore how teachers describe the process of creating lesson plans that use drama-based instruction (DBI) in the classroom to engage students as well as how they describe their experience using DBI in the classroom to engage students. Fourteen teachers located in the state of Florida…

The purpose of the transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the role of adaptive learning programs in closing the learning gaps in mathematics for secondary students in Georgia following the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was that of Bandura's theory on self-efficacy, as it highlights how an individual's experience…

School districts seek to increase teacher retention in response to nationwide teacher shortages. The problem is that teachers who have taught for 5 years or less have the highest attrition rates compared to other teachers, with more than 44% of new teachers leaving the profession within the first 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative case study…

This study focused on automaticity, or the choices we make without conscious thought. Specifically, the study examined how math teachers improved their understanding of the practice and evolution of culturally responsive teaching by analyzing the lived experiences and metacognition of practicing middle school teachers as they assess student work…

Differentiated instruction focuses on students' readiness, interests, learning styles, and life circumstances, rather than a set curriculum. The perceptions faculty have about differentiated instruction can impact their willingness and ability to implement the practice in their classroom. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore,…

This dissertation explores how four critical teachers of color learn and develop through dialogue and reflection about their own educational and life histories as well as their work in ethnic studies classrooms. As K-12 schools in states like California integrate ethnic studies into their curricula, educators are looking to established ethnic…

Equitable instructional practices are vital to closing the educational achievement gap for African American students. However, there is a gap in research on understanding the lived experiences of educators and the ability to provide equity instruction to African American students. The impact of equitable instructional practices and the role of…