Supplemental instruction (SI), a peer assisted learning model, improves course performance, retention, and graduation rates of post-secondary education students. Researchers have questioned if the success of SI is due to students becoming more aware of assessment demands or if SI also promotes construction of new knowledge. The purposes of this…

As more women increasingly assume leadership roles that were traditionally occupied by men, the possibility that the leadership strategies of men and women will differ continues to attract attention. In many developing countries, including Kenya, women are still underrepresented in leadership but there are a few women who have risen through the…

Despite decades of research into the racial construct known as "whiteness" (e.g., Roediger, 1991; Frankenberg, 1993; Leonardo, 2002), as well as on white privilege and racism within predominantly white institutions (PWIs) (e.g., Harper & Hurtado, 2007), little research exists exploring the work of white faculty who confront racism in…

Understanding how university medical school faculty and staff perceive the institution's mission statement, in conjunction with their person-environment fit, can provide administration with useful insight into: employee's match to the institution's mission statement, employee level of organizational commitment, and reasons for retention. This…

With all of the research devoted to the use and effectiveness of constructivist learning principles in high school science classes, it is somewhat surprising to find that there is very little research devoted to constructivism's use in international settings. The problem that this lack of research poses is that classrooms are increasingly diverse…

The purpose of this study was to explore the cognitive adaptation processes of African immigrant women who are professionals. Theories of transformational learning and social cognitive theory were employed to examine cognitive restructuring motivated by learning among women immigrants. The research investigated underlying agentic perspectives and…

Background/Context: Teacher education students in the U.S., regardless of their personal beliefs, knowledge, and levels of awareness, are racially positioned to participate in an education system and society embedded in colorblind ideology. More research is needed that describes the ways in which colorblind ideology informs how teacher education…

Little research about Deaf Mentors is available, but available studies suggest that they benefit families with a Deaf Child. These mentors can support professionals who work directly with the child and their family. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of having a Deaf Mentor involved in early intervention with Deaf children and…

This study determined the teacher-perceived experiences within the blended learning environment to fill a void in previous data. The three research questions defined blended learning, explained strengths and challenges, and provided feedback on teaching programs. This qualitative case study used an ethnographic framework through interviews,…

Teacher education programs have been grappling with how best to prepare preservice teachers to integrate technology since the early 1990s. Past research has focused on preservice teachers' attitudes towards technology in the classroom, intention to integrate, and the impact of specific instructional strategies. Much research has also been…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover new teachers' expectations of building administrator support compared to their lived experience in the first year of teaching in a new district. This study also investigated how those supports (or lack thereof) impacted their decision to stay in their current assignment, their current district,…

This dissertation study explores the experiences of 11 undergraduate women in a variety of engineering majors graduating from a Southern, research, predominately White institution and the use of theory to understand those experiences. While narrative inquiry is used throughout, this dissertation study is organized into three separate papers. The…

This dissertation explores the ways that instructors at a community college perceive instructor-student rapport in online and face-to-face classes. While instructor-student rapport has been shown to play an important role in student retention and success (Benson, Cohen, & Buskist, 2005; Granitz, Koernig, & Harich, 2009; Murphy &…

Professional development is learner-centered, where the responsibility to engage in further educational experiences belongs to the individual and is a critical way to prepare for career advancement. In higher education, cisgender women do not hold the majority of chief student affairs officers (CSAO) positions, which is unexpected given their…

Digital participatory platforms like Wikipedia are often celebrated as projects that allow anyone to contribute. Any user can sign up and start contributing immediately. Similarly, projects that engage volunteers in the production of scientific knowledge create easy points of entry to make contributions. These low barriers to entry are a hallmark…