Teacher empathy has often been considered vital to successful and equitable teaching practices; however, empirical results have been inconsistent as to the effect of teacher empathy on educational outcomes. Further, researchers have questioned the effectiveness of both recent operationalization's of teacher empathy as well as its application in…

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs focus on growing the STEM workforce. The problem is many middle and high school students in Texas require support from the STEM teacher to comprehend complex science texts. Research shows interest in science begins to decline in adolescence leading to a shortage of employees to…

The purpose of this mixed method nested case study is to: (a) provide indicators and experiences math educators have recognizing math anxiety in students; (b) identify ways in which middle and high school math educators implement creative teaching strategies to reduce math anxiety in middle and high school students; and (c) look at the veracity…

Students who are considered "Stealth Dyslexics" may use their gifts and talents to mask their disability until the time comes when the rigor of academics peels away the mask and students are identified in middle or high school with dyslexia or reading difficulties. The primary aim of this mixed methods study was to investigate a reading…

This study explored how principals who have experienced success in working with underrepresented students in STEM have challenged inequitable practices and transformed the culture of their schools so that all students can thrive. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to identify four principals who served as the cases for the study. The research…

The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to understand the impact of prior exposure to sexual health education on middle and high school students' sexual health knowledge, self-efficacy, and intentions. The study analyzed a secondary dataset that included pre- and posttest results collected for program evaluation purposes by a…

Military-connected students experience behavioral, emotional, and academic concerns during their parents' deployments to other states or countries for training or defense of the United States of America. These military deployment cycles affect students with disabilities who struggle to learn at the same rate as their peers. The problem addressed…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore and bring understanding to the role of school counselors and their social-emotional work with adolescent mothers. Data were collected from six participants via video interviews and analyzed utilizing a transcendental phenomenological approach. The selection…

The current exploratory study used data on students in grades six through 12 in North Carolina to examine the effectiveness of their mathematics teachers. Its purpose was fourfold: (1) to identify teacher qualification indicators that are most important for predicting students' math scores; (2) to empirically identify teacher qualification…

A significant body of scholarship in Physics Education Research (PER) has documented that students have intuitive knowledge resources that they use to make sense of the physical world. Similarly, for physicists, symmetry is fundamental to making sense of the universe. In this dissertation, I explore students' intuitive resources related to…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that all school districts provide a free appropriate public education to students with Individualized Education Plans in their least restrictive environment. Co-teaching in inclusion classrooms is a collaborative effort, with a general education teacher and a special education teacher, to…

Innovative technologies are being created, and individuals and companies are embracing and using emerging technology to customize all aspects of their lives and businesses, including learning spaces. Today's learners demand authentic, meaningful learning experiences in real-world settings (Cook & Artino, 2016; Garcia-Cabrero et al., 2018;…

This qualitative single case study provides insights on the influences of assistive technology on students with vision impairments within the middle and high school grade levels. The problem addressed in this study is students with vision impairment face limitations in accessing the educational curriculum; however, when assistive technology…

Despite an increasing understanding of how underlying systems of oppression show up and operate in STEM classrooms, little is known about how Black joy and reauthoring can be utilized in supporting Black youths' navigation of oppressive, anti-Black systems as STEM learners. Partnering with community educators, scholars, and middle and high school…

Elements of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) that create a connection with academic learning are based on one main principle: Effective, lasting academic learning and SEL are built on caring relationships and warm but challenging classroom and school environments. Although potential varies from student to student, each student deserves the…