African American student academic performance is a topic of much concern in the U.S. (Allen, 1992; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper et al., 2012; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992). Thus, the task of closing the academic achievement gap between Black and White students is a worthy assignment undertaken by…

Are our schools doing enough to create environments where learners are motivated to learn, and can problem solve and be autonomous in their learning? The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine a sample of schools in Indiana and determine to what extent they are utilizing research-based methods to ensure an environment where learners…

Laboratory courses have been the focus of much research and debate in the field of chemistry. One goal for the laboratory that is consistently cited by faculty is student learning of hands-on skills. Despite this, hands-on skills are rarely assessed in practice because to do so is resource intensive. Digital badges allow each individual student to…

A set of studies is reported describing the demographics, outcomes, and motivations of students who start in engineering and switch their major to engineering technology. There has been extensive research in engineering persistence, but little focus has been given to the "T" in STEM. Most research combines technology with other science…

This dissertation was conducted in a gendered academy in a low-income community in northern Indiana. The study examined how involvement with inquiry-based mathematical tasks embedded in a curricular unit impacted the geometric reasoning of elementary aged African-American males. The curriculum included activities focused on angles, lines and…