Experiences are the impressions developed through gaining, using, fostering, and sometimes disposing of a service or product. Recent years have shown an ongoing emphasis placed on experiences and their impacts; one of particular interest for this study are the experiences of para-collegiate student-athletes. Using the Experience Type Framework…

The last three decades have witnessed an exponential growth of the Church in South Asia. Regions that have been formerly closed to the gospel, are beginning to witness an unprecedented harvest. However, South Asia continues to present a daunting challenge to proclaim the uniqueness of Christ within its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and…

This research examines the intersection of competency-based education (CBE) and efficacy in schools, aiming to construct theories explaining how CBE contributes to teachers' beliefs in their ability to influence student achievement, foster collaboration, and strengthen collective efficacy. Employing a critical constructivist grounded theory…

This ethnographic dissertation research project focuses on a digital storytelling workshop called Food/Stories which took place in collaboration with Black Yield Institute in Spring of 2023. The Food/Stories workshop is the case study that I used to explore the effectiveness of Collaborative Visual Storytelling, a methodological approach that…

University students are increasingly coming together to take action for racial justice and equity. Anti-racist student organizing includes how students collectively work to address racism and oppression at their institutions or beyond through sociopolitical engagement and action (e.g., protests, political education). Minority-serving institutions…

Teacher retention is an important factor to the school context. It governs the success of students and school organizational health. Without a healthy and committed teacher population, schools begin failing to serve the very people they aim to help. School districts and research have identified several factors that aid in teacher retention. These…

Intercollegiate athletics and fundraising expectations, at institutions of higher education, continue to increase and the pressure on athletic fundraisers has never been greater. There has been little study on the effects of organization structure and design and its effect on fundraisers that work to raise funds for the athletic department. This…

There's an old adage, "Children are to be seen and not heard." But what do you do in the case when students are not seen? They may not be seen due to absences, or they may not be seen due to flying under the radar, but if we believe that all students can learn, then all students must be seen as well as taught with consideration for all…

This study delves into the complexities of change in the educational setting and examines the relationship between educator readiness for change and factors related to the organization's culture which directly impact student achievement. The historical lack of progress in implementing change efforts in the United States, coupled with widening gaps…

While clinical engagement is widely considered to be essential to the rehabilitation process, little empirical evidence exists examining the influence of engagement-enhancing practices on clinical performance. This dissertation study sought to evaluate the impact of a set of clinician-driven engagement practices, targeting key affective states,…

Many institutions of higher education are better known for their athletics programs than their academic offerings. Should a crisis arise, athletics scandal and notoriety can threaten the future trajectory and financial health of the campus. As such, lapses in intercollegiate athletics oversight can create fractures and tensions within institutions…

The research problem for this study was that secondary English teachers are often inconsistent in their use of personalized learning during instruction. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore research questions on secondary school English teachers' perceptions of personalized learning and challenges to its consistent use as an…

Leadership development programs offer the opportunity for an organization to invest within to identify and support the next generation of leaders. Community colleges are complex organizations whose survival depends on competent leaders who can address the organization's business and academic needs. The academia and departmental isolation culture…

This study examined the fundamental values, beliefs and principles that guided the work of Native Hawaiian principals (po?okumu) in Hawaiian-focused charter schools. Through an ethnographic case study, the lived experiences of seven Kanaka po?okumu/po?okula (of 14 possible participants) were collected through surveys, individual and group…

The aim of this dissertation was to analyze efforts at the time of this study to vertically align curricula between secondary and post-secondary institutions and then analyze how much needs to be done to close the gap in curricular and performance expectations as students transition to higher education. To narrow the focus, this dissertation…