Today's complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new…

The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented 40 million preschool children globally from receiving early childhood education (UNICEF, 2020a). Parents around the world were thrusted into providing remote learning for their preschoolers with little experience or training. This study attempts to fill the gaps in research of the experiences of parents of…

Gamification and game-based learning have been used in the educational setting as an active learning strategy to increase student engagement. This study investigated the extent of the effect of gamification and game-based learning on student engagement of online Allied Health students in the Cultural and Ethical Influences course at Northwestern…

This dissertation was conducted using case study methodology to examine how teachers of different content areas integrate media literacy into their instruction to address the specialized knowledge and discourses of their disciplines after participating in a media literacy online professional development, how they applied the content from the…

The learning environment in K-12 education has been a topic in education for many years, especially in the United States. The problem that was addressed in this mixed methods study is that students' standardized test scores may be affected by the learning environment--whether a traditional classroom or a virtual setting. The purpose of this…

Historically, teacher preparation programs do not adequately prepare teacher candidates to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning. In addition, an underlying concern is if teachers are ready for online learning and teaching, and sparse research has focused on the preparations of teachers in integrating technology and online…

Adult students with dyslexia have academic challenges with reading, writing, and phonological skills. The problem addressed by this study was adult students with dyslexia in universities have lower success rates in e-learning courses than students without dyslexia. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the lived…

The national shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 13th , 2020 caused education systems to close on an unprecedented scale. Many educators were not prepared to continue instructing online then, and students continue to grapple with the new reality of navigating online modalities now. Without face-to-face interaction, learning changed as…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine if, and to what extent, there is a relationship between online faculty ethics positions and their transformational leadership practices at multiple four-year universities in the southeastern United States. It was not known if, and to what extent, there is a relationship between…

This dissertation explores how teachers perceive and engage with multimedia integration in their online teaching practices to effectively involve students. The study specifically focused on teachers in grades three through seven at an international school in Saudi Arabia. The research questions delved into teachers' descriptions of their…

Professional learning is defined as a context-specific, career-long endeavor that is guided by standards, grounded in the educator's individual work, and tailored to the educator's stage in career development (Schlager & Fusco, 2003). Research related to professional learning for educators conveys the need for change. Studies indicate that a…

In the spring of 2020, the academic school year for all educational institutions was tremendously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused great concern with school administrations, teachers, parents, students, and their communities. In the fall of 2020 and the following two years, many school decision-makers responded by offering students…

The current set of studies examined whether two common appraisals that students make during learning (whether they have control over their learning and whether they place value into learning the material) give rise to common types of thoughts students also experience (mind wandering, personal connections, and freely-moving thought). Study One…

This quantitative study investigates instructors' perceptions of the factors influencing technology integration in their instruction, spanning the years 2019-2023, encompassing the transition from virtual to in-person learning after COVID-19. It examines technology integration barriers and supports experienced by instructors in the Midwestern…

This quantitative study investigates instructors' perceptions of the factors influencing technology integration in their instruction, spanning the years 2019-2023, encompassing the transition from virtual to in-person learning after COVID-19. It examines technology integration barriers and supports experienced by instructors in the Midwestern…