The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning…

Operationalism, representationalism, and pragmatism are three major philosophies of measurement in psychology and education. These philosophies play important roles in designing and conducting measurements, as well as interpreting results. When measurement results are available, validity evidence plays important roles in supporting the…

The PISA assessment indicated that the United States performs at the bottom tier among OECD membership nations in secondary school math education. The dearth of math proficiency presented a significant problem for the United States to maintain its future leadership in global technology. The purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to…

The problem was the impacts of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum on Chinese teachers' self-efficacy and student-centered learning practices were unknown. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine the impacts of the International Baccalaureate curriculum on Chinese teachers' reports of self-efficacy and…

This dissertation aims to understand the contribution of schools to reducing bullying behaviors and, in turn, to examine the benefits for students of attending a school that effectively reduces bullying. In doing so, this dissertation contributes to the literature on bullying by (a) locating the school as a key environment in social-ecology of…

This study explored students' perceptions of classroom quality in gifted and non-gifted education settings in Saudi Arabia. The researcher used the Zone of Proximal Development theory and Expectancy Value Theory to frame the study. The research was conducted across three public schools (458 students) and two private schools (353 students) that…

This study was conducted in India, where teachers use the lecture method of communication in the classroom. It is important for the teacher to establish credibility while communicating to motivate the students in the classroom. The study examined the relationship between teacher communication, and teacher credibility, student motivation, and…

The Performance Expectations described in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) pose significant challenges for assessment design. Multiple models of assessments, including paper-and-pencil and hands-on based performance assessments, can be utilized to assess student competency while applying scientific and engineering practices, in the…

Researchers using VAM (Value-Added Models) methods have found that student achievement is substantially impacted by both schools and teachers. However, most of this work has been conducted within the context of the United States. Information is lacking about the educational system in China. This first study examines methodological concerns…

This dissertation explored the roles schools can play in the successful outcomes of large carnivore or keystone reintroduction projects. Schools are more than centers for knowledge acquisition--they connect their community and disseminate information quickly to a wide audience. This study took place in California's Eastern Sierra Nevada, a…

This study examined the effects of a dynamic geometry software (DGS) program, GeoGebra, on student engagement and student achievement on students in four geometry classes at a secondary school in Belize. Two teachers and 139 students in ninth grade were part of this study for three weeks during a geometry unit. There was a control group that was…

This study examined differences in the academic performance of students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 in Seventh-day Adventist schools in the United States and Bermuda based on their level of involvement in school music organizations--band or choir--and school sports--varsity or intramural--as measured by standardized achievement and ability tests.…

The Program for International Assessment tested students in mathematics from 41 countries and found that students in the United States ranked in the lowest percentile. This struggle with math among youth in the United States prompted this quasi-experimental quantitative study about using interactive technology to engage and motivate 9th grade…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) education system is missing an educational plan that can provide students the necessary information to learn about themselves and the world of work and help them make a smooth transition from primary school to secondary schools and the workplace. To address this gap, this study examined 9th graders' career awareness…

An ethnographic, descriptive research methodology was used to explore the service delivery of three U.S. charter schools (one independent and two dependent secondary public charter schools) in Southern New England, United States as they relate to grade nine mildly disabled special needs students. Field research was also conducted in Costa Rica and…