This study served to enhance STEM education in rural areas elementary classrooms, where schools often contend with limited resources. The literature called attention to a gap in students not exposed to STEM instruction until they reached secondary school. This gap was revealed in the literature to show a decline in students pursuing a career in…

This study investigated how Mississippi teachers perceive the effectiveness of student engagement in elementary classrooms. A descriptive statistical study was conducted using a web-based survey sent to elementary school teachers in central and delta school districts in Mississippi. Quantitative methods were used, and data were collected and…

This mixed methods study explored how elementary teachers reported using a commercially published instructional unit to plan and deliver science instruction in their elementary classrooms. Of particular focus is what elements of the program teachers eliminated during planning and instruction, what outside materials teachers added to instruction,…

This study employed design-based research to explore the efficacy of professional learning materials and approaches in developing social justice advocacy with rural elementary teachers in Appalachia. Bronfenbrenner's (2005) bioecological theory and Boler's (1999) pedagogy of discomfort formed the theoretical framework for the design,…

Elementary social studies resources have faced criticism for well over 30 years. Text that is too complex (Beck et al., 1989; Beck & McKeown, 1991), contains questionable content (Chu, 2017; Wade, 2012), and is boring to students (Kelley, 2021; Schug, 1982) and teachers (Zhao & Hoge, 2010). More recent studies have found that teachers are…

Educators, parents, and researchers uphold that intentional social emotional learning (SEL) can positively benefit student well-being, especially when the learning is integrated into all educational content areas. The problem under study was that though research has highlighted the connection between SEL and visual art education, how teachers…

The Common Core State Standards have driven an awareness for college and career readiness in schools today. This effort has brought to light the role text complexity plays in the classroom and the importance of students being exposed to complex text. Educators' understanding of complex text and their expectations when choosing text is…

This qualitative case study explored instructional decisions exemplary primary teachers (kindergarten-third grade) made in order to engage students in mathematics. The phenomenon of teachers altering, supplementing, or utilizing district-given materials to support student engagement and understanding was studied. Specifically, this involved…

AI-enabled educational tools have great potential for enhancing learning and teaching, yet there is a notable lack of study on AI-focused professional development for K-12 teachers. This phenomenological study employed the TPACK framework to examine teachers' incorporation of AI and engagement in professional development activities. The use of a…

In 2019, RAND Corporation asked teachers which digital programs they used. This dissertation study expanded on this research by exploring the features contained in these programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between teachers' access to features and school, teacher, and feature characteristics. This study had two…

While research reports that teacher turnover is still pervasive in schools and school districts across the United States, research is still needed regarding the ever-growing incidence of continuous teacher turnover. The problem addressed in this study is the rising level of teacher turnover in first through eighth grade during the first five years…

The following designed-based implementation research (DBIR) study explores the impacts of a research-practice partnership (RPP) on two fifth grade ELA teachers and the researcher as they engaged with the designing and implementation of two critical literacy pedagogy (CLP) units through the adaptation of mandated New York State Common Core (NYSCC)…

Over the last several decades, forms of reading have expanded far beyond conventional print-based text to include multimodal representational forms rooted in new practices and contexts (Miller, 2007) including a variety of text formats within technologies. This rapidly changing digital landscape has impacts on the ways in which students engage…

Students deserve to see representations of themselves in the books that they read, but with low amounts of culturally diverse books being published, this is not an easy feat. Students are exposed to a wide variety of literature in their classrooms, and as the need increases for culturally responsive teaching, it is important to explore how…

Children in Hawai'i demonstrate the highest rates of oral caries in the nation due to multitude of factors, such as a lack of appropriate funding or education, absence of fluoridation in water systems, no local dental schools, and racial/ethnic/socioeconomic disparities. This quality improvement project aimed to increase confidence and knowledge…