It is the responsibility of educator preparation programs (EPPs) to develop well-rounded teachers who are capable of integrating technology into their instruction. Most EPPs include instruction in pedagogy, content, and technology as well as a formal field experience; however, there is a gap between the theory learned in courses and application of…

The use of instructional technology resources in the teaching and learning process may influence student academic achievement. The problem addressed in this study is a lack of understanding of the effectiveness of instructional technology resources on elementary student academic achievement. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental…

Computational thinking (CT) is a critical problem-solving skill that can help students be successful in school and the 21st-century workplace (Wing, 2006). This project builds on past research showing that educational robotics can be a useful and cost-effective means to teach CT to primary school students. Past research has not yet resolved…

Though researchers have demonstrated that adaptive practice software is an effective tool to use with primary grade students, they have not fully established the impact blended eLearning tools have on upper elementary students in a suburban school setting. The problem facing one southeastern state district was that their schools had selected…

After the COVID-19 pandemic came to the United States in March 2020, teachers and educational leaders looked to virtual learning as a way for students to overcome learning challenges and improve educational experiences for students. Stakeholders were met with conflicting claims about virtual learning. Proponents of virtual learning claimed virtual…

Students who graduate from high school not reading on grade level do not have the same post-secondary opportunities as students who read on grade level. Many researchers have found that struggling high school readers are not successful reading independently above the second-grade level; a significant percentage of high school students cannot read…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the academic impact of a technology-based instructional module for content vocabulary instruction in the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Introduction to Engineering course. The goal of the study was to answer two key questions: (1) How does implementing a technology-based instructional module impact…

This study explored the impact of computer-assisted interventions on academic growth in reading comprehension. Participants in this study were middle school students in a West Tennessee charter school system. The investigation aimed to determine if students, both general and exceptional learners, would have a difference in academic growth scores…

Virtual instruction and blended learning are two of the fastest growing learning modalities in K-12 education. Blended learning is a formal education program in which students learn at least in part through online learning with some element of student control over time, place, path or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick and mortar…

Despite prolific access to technology within America's K-12 systems, more research regarding how investments in educational technology affect student outcomes is warranted. A growing body of research has looked at changes in student achievement due to educational technology access. However, often student access within these studies is not well…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of faithful use of Imagine Math, a computer adaptive math intervention for elementary students in grades three through five. To achieve this objective, the researcher compared the math achievement growth as measured by the NWEA MAP math assessments from fall 2021 to spring 2022 between the treatment group and…

COVID-19 and the resulting school closures sent shockwaves through school systems that are still felt today. Students, particularly those in the United States, have been relatively free of long term closures to school; as a result, the impacts of this era are unlikely to be similar to past experiences. Both teachers and students were sent home to…

This quantitative study explores the success rate of middle school students who chose to participate in virtual learning during the 2020-2021 school year. Students were provided access to the internet and Chromebooks and had attendance requirements within the program. Families that chose the virtual learning option agreed to give the students…

This study was designed to evaluate a teacher-focused professional development program intended to provide educators with tools needed to combat mathematics learning loss created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued disruptions to learning that followed. This project-based dissertation-in-practice surveyed 23 secondary math teachers and…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift in education that necessitated that teachers adapt how they educate and communicate with their students. Previous researchers examined general education teachers' experiences transitioning to online teaching but did not establish how alternative teachers and the at-risk students they taught were affected. The…