Community colleges throughout the United States have declared "global competence" as a learning objective for their students since the last decade of the 20th century. The North Carolina (NC) Community College system is no exception, as its statewide mission statement lists preparing students to be globally competent as a goal for all 58…

The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the perceived status of adjunct faculty and improve their sense of belonging and organizational inclusion in a community college English department. Adjunct faculty are the majority in public two-year campuses, yet they are not fully included in college activities or organizational…

Curriculum, and the teaching and learning that stem from it, is at the heart of each higher education institution. Faculty have the responsibility for developing curriculum in higher education contexts, yet little is known about the beliefs faculty hold of curriculum that underpin how they engage in the curriculum development process. Using…

Public higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for ensuring that all students achieve their educational goals with respect and dignity. Faculty cultural competency preparedness is an essential professional development measure that HEI leaders can take to provide ongoing support to faculty not representative of the student demographic…

Chemistry is considered a difficult subject by most students. Its difficulty lies in Chemistry's complex and abstract nature. This highly abstract nature requires constant interplay and coordination between the macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic representations. Experts can successfully navigate the various representations without overloading…

International faculty and their stories are becoming a topic of interest for many academics (Kim et al., 2011). Due to their cultural background, international faculty experience academia differently than their U.S. counterparts. It is becoming crucial to understand international faculty and how their experiences affect their job satisfaction, and…

During the 2013-2014 school year, schools in the United States purchased over 23 million personal technology devices, such as iPads, to use for educational purposes (Herold, 2016). Research demonstrates that technology can be implemented without a sound curricular and pedagogical basis (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). Deploying the iPad as an…

The dominant image of mathematics as an abstract, universal, disinterested, and pure body of knowledge both misrepresents disciplinary practice and alienates many students. Undergraduate proof-based courses such as real analysis, which are supposed to introduce students to contemporary academic mathematics, often contribute to such idealized…

Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an explicitly stated goal of many mathematics departments across the country, and addressing ongoing disparities in outcomes and experiences within undergraduate mathematics is a shared responsibility among undergraduate mathematics community members. Despite the prevalence of ideological,…

This action research study aims to identify and address equity gaps within a PK-8 New Jersey school by leading a professional learning community (PLC). The study will use action research methods to conduct an educational equity audit, which will inform the annual school plan and create a leadership action plan to stimulate organizational change.…

Since their advent as supplemental staff at community colleges four decades ago, part-time instructors, or adjuncts, have since been employed with increasing frequency and in escalating numbers across all institutional types of American higher education. Currently comprising approximately forty percent of all postsecondary faculty, part-time…

This doctoral dissertation explores the perceptions of diversity leadership by department chairs in engineering and computing in higher education and their role in creating social change. Using a qualitative research design, this study explores the lived experiences of department chairs who are tasked with leading diversity and inclusion efforts…

Two studies investigated the effect of departmentalized instruction on ELA and math achievement among 5th grade students in a large, urban school district. In 84% of the findings from the two studies combined, students in departmentalized classrooms produced significantly higher scores in ELA and mathematics, relative to students in generalized…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this study is to describe the perspectives, processes, and experiences identified during the implementation of the SIG Transformation Model in a rural school district in Mississippi. The Transformation Model is one of the four approved prescriptive models identified by the federal government…

Over the last several decades, language teacher identity has become a growing field of research due to its link with teacher performance and student achievement (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Beijaard et al., 2000). However, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are often excluded from the LTI research despite language departments' increasing…