This dissertation examines the development of combinatorial reasoning in high school students through an in-depth analysis of a problem-solving session involving the Pizza Problem. The study, part of the long-term Rutgers-Kenilworth longitudinal research project, focuses on four 11th-grade students as they explore and connect concepts related to…

There exists a gap in the literature that discusses the issue of those who teach STEM degree courses who have not been given appropriate training to effectively integrate and implement analytical problem-solving skills (APSS) within their curriculum. At the center of this research is the need for effective training of implementing analytical…

There are many factors which contribute to college/university retention rates, two of which are a sense of entitlement and a lack of academic coping skills among rising college freshmen. The theoretical foundations of this research is conflict theory in education and social construct theory. This study examines grade inflation and social promotion…

The participants were grade 9-12 students (n = 75) from one suburban high school who were part of the Future Problem Solving Program (FPSPI). The research involved both quasi-experimental and correlational components. First, an ANCOVA was used to compare the mean scores of the Qualifying Problem (QP) for both the treatment and comparison groups…

Recent trends indicate a significant decline in the number of students graduating from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the US. The under-representation of students of color, females and low income students in STEM programs has also been documented. Design Based Science (DBS) instruction has been suggested to improve…

The purpose of this study was to discover what teaching strategies were utilized by Special Day Class (SDC) teachers to prepare their 9-12 grade students to pass a course in Algebra 1 and the mathematics section of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). This study used a mixed methodology involving a quantitative survey and qualitative…

This study examined adolescent developmental experiences and participation in extracurricular activities. Providing youth with multiple channels to nurture their development and acknowledge their interests and strengths can play a significant role in their holistic growth. This is a descriptive study of a mixed-methods design (quantitative and…