The purpose of this dissertation was to experiment with qualitative research methodologies while exploring the complexities of doctoral education, research practices, philosophies of inquiry, and other topics intersecting with(in) educational scholarship. My vision for this work was fueled by postmodernist critiques of humanist education,…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to use an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach to discover generative instructional and assessment practices of teachers in the language arts classroom at a 5th and 6th grade low socioeconomic public school campus in Texas that earned five distinctions or three consecutive years. The study sought to design a…

At the intersection of scholarly literature on education psychology and early childhood education, documentation of pre-service teachers (PSTs) epistemic thinking can serve to clarify and guide how instructional practice is interpreted. This exploratory case study fills a critical gap in the field of epistemology by providing a profile of PSTs…

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore how African American male STEM graduates perceived instructional practices used in STEM classrooms in colleges in the eastern United States. Critical race theory and active learning theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. It was not known how African American…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine, understand, and describe the elements of restorative justice programs (relationships, community building, accountability, empathy) that high school principals and teachers in public school districts located in San Bernardino County, California perceive as most beneficial for changing…

Research has given us the understanding of the demographic disparity between white, largely middle class teachers and diverse lower socioeconomic school children (Grious & Silva, 2010), as teachers from the middle class society wrestle with meeting the needs of their culturally diverse students. In efforts to bridge the social and academic…

The problem was that Hispanic English Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in the ESL program had consistently failed the California High School Exit Examination (CASHEE) in greater numbers than their cohorts. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the life stories of Hispanic ESL students in identifying the factors…

This qualitative research study used narrative inquiry to explore the professional development experiences needed for assistant principals aspiring to the principalship as perceived by seven principals who lead effective Title I schools. Five research questions guided the investigation of professional development opportunities that principals of…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand single-mother community college students' perceptions of their ability to succeed. The theoretical framework that guided this research was Bandura's (1977) social cognitive theory concept of self-efficacy, defined as a person's belief in his or her ability to succeed. Given…

Principals are isolated in their work and suffer from low morale. The role of the principal has become increasingly complex and demanding especially within the current accountability model with the public nature of school report cards. This is a problem in Rocky Top Public Schools and in school districts across the country. The purpose of this…

The potential of our nation is hinged upon the strength of our educational system across all 50 states. Public education is the backbone of our country and continues to be a spotlight of focus for many. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan shared the "Nation at Risk" report, based on the findings from the National Commission on Excellence in…

The present qualitative study used socio-cultural theory (Wertsch, 1998), pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987), and reflective practice (Schon, 1983) to examine how social studies teachers define and develop inquiry questions. Existing literature reflects a long tradition of equating inquiry with high quality social studies instruction…

This qualitative phenomenological research study used narrative inquiry to examine police officer perceptions of effective school responses to active shooting scenarios. Creswell's (2013) six step process for analyzing and interpreting qualitative data was used to examine the interview information. The study results support the idea that changes…

Research indicated that former foster youth encounter unique challenges in pursuit of degree completion in higher education. Degree completion has the potential to promote self-sufficiency skills for former foster youth, decrease dependency on social services, and increase the likelihood of successful transition into adulthood roles. By aiding…

This qualitative study investigated how community colleges that have been nationally recognized for their success create and nurture environments to use data effectively. This kind of data use has been described as developing and sustaining a culture of evidence or a culture of inquiry. However, the exact definitions of culture of evidence and…