Novice teachers must gain significant knowledge and skills on the job (Baumgarter et al., 2018), but the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic created an environment for education's newest teachers that no one could have predicted (Dvir & Schatz-Oppenheimer, 2020; Kaden, 2020; Mecham et al., 2021). A review of the literature identified a…

As early career elementary teachers (ECETs) teachers have a direct impact on student achievement, it is necessary for universities and school districts to implement programs that support the first years of teaching. ECETs express frustration with the significant demands of teaching. Further, ECETs are severely disadvantaged by the lack of…

Faculty at Bucknell, similar to those at most colleges and universities worldwide, have traditionally begun their careers with a limited understanding of the teaching practices available to them and for what purposes those various practices were considered useful. Though many faculty have done their own research into teaching activities and become…

The purpose of this study was to feature the induction experiences of new principals and assistant principals and whether or not this experience supported the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to be effective building level leaders. More specifically, it provided an exploration of the PIL induction program sponsored by the Pennsylvania…

Federal stimulus funding expired in 2011-12. NCLB performance mandates approached the 2013-14 deadline. The ESEA waiver became an option with first year of implementation, 2012-13. This convergence of forces and timeline provided the opportunity for this study. The study sought to explore whether or not superintendents from Connecticut,…

The virtue of student engagement in all aspects of college life has been studied extensively throughout higher education. Research demonstrates that engagement in academics and the social aspects of college lead to retention and persistence. Beyond persistence, engagement has been linked to numerous other desirable effects of college. This…

Although teachers continue to implement an array of best practices, learners identified as unsuccessful according to criteria may lack engagement to succeed in the current curriculum activities. Even as teachers continue to apply best practices in the classroom, data does not support continued improvement of student engagement and achievement of…

In American public education today, a school can become successful or unsuccessful based on leadership. In this age of school reform, it is only appropriate to determine common leadership characteristics among successful educational leaders so that appropriate leadership training and development can be part of school improvement. This dissertation…

This ethnographic case study investigated second year college students who participated in the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program at a technical college in northeastern Pennsylvania. In order to understand how learners stayed motivated in a college setting, I selected participants who were in their second year of the TAA program. A total of…

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary teachers perspectives on the impact that Lesson study participation had on their knowledge and teaching of mathematics. The study explored teachers perspectives of how Lesson study participation affected their mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical-content knowledge. Lesson study is a…

To succeed in today's information-rich society, students must utilize technology effectively. Online tools present unique opportunities to create and share knowledge. It was unclear if the use of these tools impacted student motivation, since many teachers were not incorporating technology of interest into lessons. Another concern was the…

This study examines the relationships between students' academic motivation, evidence of achievement as measured by assessments and the effects of feedback in mediating effort. Policy makers currently view student achievement is as synonymous with proficiency on standardized tests. Testing students as a means of determining educational…

The qualitative ethnographic study involved exploring the educational, background, and professional experiences of senior-level African American administrators in higher education. The following research question guided the exploration of the experiences and perceptions of African American administrators in higher education from the Mid-Atlantic…

The purpose of this study was to describe school working conditions perceived by beginning teachers about their first year of teaching in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The specific working conditions that were examined were those identified in the research as contributing to either teacher retention or attrition. The researcher developed three…