The implementation of course-based STEM research experiences in high school would greatly expand access to high-level research, thus providing more students with the type of integrated learning recommended by organizations such as the National Science Board and the National Academy of Science. While there is ample literature on the success of…

This research study involved the use of participatory action research to examine perspectives of a group of special education teachers regarding the feasibility of implementing inquiry-based teaching strategies with students who have disabilities in the social studies classroom. The study occurred at a therapeutic day school catering to students…

Picture books are often underused tools in schools and communities. The purpose of this research was to investigate the affordances and constraints of using picture books as tools to deepen senses of identity and belonging. Two cycles of participatory action research were conducted: the first with educators and the second with adults who…

The number of students interested in pursuing STEM in post-secondary institutions is on the decline. This is due to several factors, one being a lack of effective and innovative science enrichment (summer or after-school) programs for high school students (Baran et al., 2019; Kong et al., 2014). While traditional lecture-based science courses…

This dissertation-in-practice is a reflective self-study exploring the lived experience of the current researcher as a leader of Lesson Study (LS) over 2 years. Drawing on the concepts of perspective and engagement articulated by Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2016) in their "Learning in Landscapes of Practice" conceptual framework,…

This study uses a multi-faceted Improvement Science approach to conduct a case study of the leadership actions and organizational changes required while enacting two novel change ideas. The problem of practice addressed the lack of progress of English Language Learners (ELLs) and the persistent achievement gap between ELLs to their mainstream…

This case study investigates the professional learning and changes in teaching practices and leadership of four experienced, mid-career secondary mathematics teachers as a result of participation in the Midwest Master Teacher Partnership, a professional development partnership between a research university and a large, urban school district. The…

Educational research has been around for over one hundred years and has faced periods of optimism, pessimism, and skepticism. Currently, there is a plethora of educational research available for teachers and districts to use. However, there is a research-practice gap. This gap refers to the amount of research available and educators using the…

Teaching and learning processes often reflect traditional practices that do not meet the academic needs of historically underserved students, especially Latinx and Black students. The goal of the participatory action research project and study, anchored by our collective beliefs in critical pedagogy tenets, was to improve teacher practices and…

This teacher-action research project explores using critical contemplative pedagogy in an upper elementary classroom setting to determine how youth media practices can be informed with combined critical media literacy instruction and contemplative exercises. Analysis of students' media production and deconstructions reveal promising outcomes for…

The COVID disruption fueled the frequency of instructional decisions. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate award-winning faculty's instructional decisions and corresponding factors that influenced their instructional decisions. The study was conducted at a private research university in New York State during the COVID…

This dissertation is guided by my driving research question: what works for whom in education and why? I examine issues of instruction, assessment, and research approaches that begin to answer this question. Study 1 examines a classroom intervention's child x instruction interactions. Study 2 examines underlying cognitive factors, including…

Second language (L2) teaching and learning to become a L2 teacher are charged with emotional work, which is inextricably connected to L2 teacher identity and agency (Kayi-Aydar, 2019). Research on the emotion labor of in-service L2 teachers (e.g., Benesch, 2018; Gkonou & Miller, 2020; Nazari & Karimpour, 2022) and L2 teacher identity…

This series of three studies identified an experimental research gap in the field of deafblindness. Study 1, a descriptive study, identified types of articles published, and research designs used, in 37 peer-reviewed special education journals. A total of 4,854 articles published from 2012 through 2017 were examined to determine types of articles…

Though art education and creative placemaking are two established fields within the arts and culture ecosystem, very little research examines the intersections of these two domains. Specifically, a gap exists in practitioner voices to share their practical knowledge and experiences in the field. This study is an investigation of intersections…