This study explored the role of faith in the motivation of undergraduate computer science students and considered the implications for Christian Higher Education in the United States, by reviewing the existing literature on the subject. Academic motivation of computer science students is a global concern evidenced by studies around the world that…

In this study, 80 ninth-grade students enrolled in Algebra I from a high school in south Texas completed the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale for Children (ITIS) Survey and the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) Survey, before and after a set of interventions. The students were divided into one of four groups, three with applied…

Dyslexia is a reading disability that interferes with accurate and fluent word reading. Deficits in word reading may cause secondary consequences, including reading comprehension difficulties. However, despite inherent word reading problems, there are students with dyslexia who exhibit resiliency that manifests as better than expected educational…

One of the main challenges in intervention research today is understanding who benefits from universal school programs. Partly, this challenge involves capturing the diversity of experiences, needs, and traits in across students that may explain "who benefits" from interventions. Here, we studied "motivation profiles" (i.e.,…

Given the role of scientific argumentation in science education (Osborne, 2010), argumentative discourse styles provide a means to understand the various dialogue types with distinct rhetorical features that individuals adopt during argumentative activities. Previous research indicates that different argumentative discourse styles lead to varied…

This research aimed to investigate elements of professional development that can positively impact the conduct of educators through professional development. Professional development is needed to address a problem in the field of education with educators' mindsets negatively impacting students' achievement and school experience. Some educators'…

Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 1985, 2018) suggests that teachers' autonomy support and control practices (i.e., motivate students through internal motivational resources or through external pressure and control) directly impact student motivation, achievement, and well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2018). To prepare future teachers who…

The Florida Department of Education requires that student teachers complete the Florida Teacher Certification General Knowledge (GK) Exam for certification. As of 2021, the Florida pass rate for the GK exam, the first of the required exams, is 63% and the pass rate at FIU is a similar 62%. There were also 28,517 GK retakes statewide that year. As…

This dissertation consists of a theoretical review and two empirical studies investigating college students' academic effort beliefs (AEB) and their relationship to academic functioning. The overarching goal of this project was to (a) better understand how college students think about effort as it relates to their academic endeavors, (b) develop a…

In the present study, the race-focused and race-reimaged framework is applied to motivational belief theory to explore factors related to Latinx high school students' enrollment into AP math and AP science. Incorporating a person-centered approach to the methods, latent profile analysis was conducted to identify the unique math and science…

This dissertation aims to advance our understanding of Asian American students' choices and trajectories in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, especially in math-intensive STEM sub-fields, by investigating Asian American female and male students' math-related motivational beliefs held in high school and whether/how…

Impending teacher shortages are a major concern in K-12 education. One potential way to grow the pipeline of new teachers is dual enrollment (DE) Teachers for Tomorrow (TfT) programs, which expose students to teaching careers and allow them to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. The purpose of this quantitative study was to…

Students' motivational beliefs about physics can influence their engagement and performance in physics as well as retention in their majors and careers. Students from underrepresented groups in physics such as women may not have enough encouragement and role models to help them develop strong motivational beliefs in physics. The societal…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to establish if teacher engagement influenced student success in alternative education among schools within the Capital City of Virginia as well as the Central Region of Virginia. Teacher perception was examined qualitatively by using the phenomenological research technique to ascertain how teachers…

Student grades and motivational outcomes in introductory physics courses can influence their retention in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and future career aspirations. In recent years, many research studies have focused on inequities in calculus-based introductory physics courses, e.g., by investigating gender…