Transitioning from a student to a practitioner can be a very difficult and challenging period in one's career. Early career school psychologists are not only responsible for adapting to the everchanging and fast paced work of school psychology but must also deal with adjusting to a new career. This qualitative phenomenological study focused on…

The wellbeing of early care educators is essential for lessening burnout and increasing teachers' intentions of staying in the field. Protective factors related to the wellbeing of early care educators in the field have been given little attention in research and practice but have such a profound impact on programs, classrooms, children, and…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research was to describe classroom management strategies inclusive teachers employed to create an environment that fosters students' learning and social development in inclusive classrooms. This study explored the experiences of inclusive educators in the classrooms, intending to gain perspective on how…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine middle school leaders' perceptions of school climate following school closures from COVID-19. The literature review suggested that school leadership is vital in establishing and maintaining a positive school climate. Interviews examined middle school leaders' perceptions of school…

Academic literature has traditionally characterized educator burnout as a problem to be addressed through individualized solutions such as greater resilience training, grit, or self-care. A national survey of American principals conducted in January 2022 showed that they were experiencing job-related stress, burnout, depression, and difficulty…

As technology advances, the educational landscape continually evolves to integrate innovative technologies into teaching and learning strategies. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology with potential for inclusion in educational systems. This dissertation delves into the role of AR in education, structured around three connected studies, each…

As the global human population increases, the need to provide sustainable food and water systems is becoming more prevalent. The United States has been at the forefront of training individuals to contribute to the agricultural and natural resource workforce by establishing the land-grant university (LGU) system. However, LGUs face challenges…

The topic of this study was to provide a description of instruction identified and provided by teachers of students with visual impairments. It was not known how teachers describe vision interventions, environmental adaptations, and educational modifications for students with cortical visual impairment. The study was conducted in Southwest…

In this study, I will explore some of the root causes behind middle school students' failure to attend class. Data shows that students are labeled chronically absent when they miss more than 10% of a school year, regardless of the absences- expelled, unexcused, or suspended. According to the U.S. Department of Education, about seven million…

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational study was to examine if a predictive relationship existed between teachers' sense of efficacy and the dimensions of instructional leadership considered both collectively and individually, among K-12 teachers in North Carolina. The Instructional Leadership Model and Tschannen-Moran and…

The purpose of this study was to understand K-12 school department chairs' lived experiences with burnout, a condition caused by chronic workplace stress that manifests as exhaustion, cynicism and mental distancing from one's work, and a sense of ineffectiveness (World Health Organization, 2019). Semi-structured interviews conducted over Zoom with…

The purpose of this research was to gain understanding and awareness of the perspectives of Black teachers who were raised in Africana Vernacular English (AVE)-speaking households and how they used their upbringing to navigate home and school settings. The specific linguistic and cultural needs of AVE speakers are not being adequately accommodated…

Understanding youth relationships with nature--what nature is, where nature is located, and why nature is meaningful--is important for a range of contemporary issues, from promoting health and well-being to advancing a sustainable future. Relationships with nature are profoundly influenced by the lived experiences of youth, as they form social…

This thesis explores the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in two challenging scenarios -- autism therapy, and network-constrained, remote collaboration. In the first half of this thesis, we highlight the design and implementation of CustomAR and Augmented Playgrounds -- two applications that leverage the visualization and contextual abilities of AR…

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in beginning teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to teach based on whether they attended traditional university-based programs or alternative certification programs regarding content knowledge, classroom environment, providing meaningful chances in instruction, a variety of…