Social justice education is critical work that should be integrated into the teaching and learning in schools. Because this learning is not an isolated event, nor does it solely exist within the classroom walls, family engagement structures are of importance. Both social justice education and effective family engagement involve inclusive…

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…

Given adolescents' increased mental health needs, there is a demand to critically investigate policies in place that are specifically designed to support students with mental health disabilities. Teachers are inadequately prepared or trained to support students with anxiety or depression. According to the U.S. Department of Education, mental…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how middle school general education teachers describe their role, the support they received, and the ways they implemented RTI strategies to support students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom setting in the Northwestern region of Georgia. The Response to Intervention conceptual framework was…

This descriptive phenomenology study investigated middle school mathematics teachers' formative assessment practices in the Dominican Republic. The study explored three research questions about the types of formative assessment strategies teachers implemented, how they used formative assessment data to make instructional decisions, and the…

This descriptive case study examined the perceptions of 6 beginning teachers regarding the supports offered to them during their 1st year of teaching. Based on purposeful and convenience sampling through administrative recommendations, the participants included 4 middle school 6th, 7th , and 8th grade teachers in their 2nd year of teaching. I…

Successful technology integration takes many forms and performs several functions, but at its core, the integration of technology into a curriculum must feel seamless, be student-centered, and begin with the end goal in mind. The purpose of this study was to explore how the role and function of middle and high school special education teachers…

Currently, the state of Ohio has a separate licensure classification specific to middle-level education, but this was not always the case. Prior to 1998, core teachers were prepared by universities to focus on elementary (K-8) or secondary (7-12). Teachers who obtained their license after the reform are broken into three groups: Early Childhood…

This dissertation sheds light on conceptual change dynamics in a knowledge-building classroom to better understand the complex ways students' reasoning and ideas shift in conversation with other members in the classroom. Specifically, this dissertation attempts to characterize the contextual considerations that result in students converging to…

Parental involvement is an integral variable that bears a significant value in the overall academic achievement and learning process of a student's educational journey. Therefore, all parents should play a major role in their children's academic success from elementary through middle and high school. The prime focus of this research was to examine…

To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

Researchers have studied technological use in face-to-face learning environments and in remote learning environments in K-12 education. I studied how technology was related to the self-efficacy of face-to-face learners and remote learners. Through the framework of Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory, I used a qualitative research design to…

The problem addressed by this study was that educators struggle with knowing which authentic literacy instructional practices and strategies were effective for improving student engagement and achievement levels in the middle grades. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to examine the instructional strategies related…

Educators have been leaving the field of education at a high rate each year with no signs of slowing down. Tennessee, as well as many other states across the country, have started the school year with unfilled positions due to so many vacancies. Previous researchers found educators left due to an overwhelming workload paired with an escalation in…