This study examines if a relationship exists among three rich research streams, specifically the behavioral science of motivation, adult learning and leadership. What motivates adult professionals to continue learning and how is that connected to their style and efficacy as leaders? An extension of literature to connect Andragogy,…

This study explores how upper-grade elementary makers' spaces reveal creative thinking and critical thinking in identified and unidentified gifted students. It provides evidence that the situated learning context of makers' spaces elicit high-level motivation through constructionist practices and 21st century learning processes that leads to…

Middle school (G5-8) students' cognitive engagement, motivation, and future aspirations in science were quantified within informal contexts (week-long summer camps) with self-reported measures of cognitive strategies, self-regulation, value, self-efficacy, and future aspirations over the course of two phases (N = 152, N =140). The participating…

Research in this study investigated the impact of assessment on the learning outcomes of students an academic year and the students' academic success on the Louisiana End-of-Course (EOC) test. This study utilized a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design that included a non-equivalent control group selection. Participants…

Advances in technology have changed the world. Finding effective means for incorporating technology in the learning environment is important to educators. One of the newer strategies is blended learning, which is also known as flipped instruction. With this mode of instructional delivery, teachers maintain the role of instructional leader but…

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine, identify, and describe the perceived impact of the self-determination attributes of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on the persistence and retention of California licensed home-based early childhood educators who attended higher education degree programs. Methodology: This…

Enrollment into Arabic as a second language (ASL) in Dubai has increased steadily due to the high influx of expatriates' populations. Although Arabic is the primary language in Dubai, the government has mandated that Arabic be taught in all private schools for non-native Arabic speakers from grades one to nine. This was at the time when the…

In order for the U.S. to continue its superiority and competitiveness in science and technology worldwide, it will need to produce one million more graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects than it is currently expected over the next decade. One of the national priorities of the U.S. education system,…

This study was designed to explore how Generation Z learners experience motivation in higher education and the strategies they employ to increase motivation. The Generation Z learner is the newest population enrolled in higher education, and while they are digital natives like their predecessors, the millennial generation, their use of technology…

This study was conducted to understand the influence of individual mindfulness, and the impact of motivation in the form of positive language on mindset, with students who have deficiencies in math. Students with academic deficiencies enrolled in co-requisite statistics courses, with required workshops attached to the course to remediate the…

The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to examine faculty perceptions of effectiveness and impact of professional development for teaching, research, and service in a higher education institution in South Texas. This study provided quantitative and qualitative data from 165 faculty members from a Hispanic Serving Institution in…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the effects of the use of gamification on students' motivation and engagement in the college environment. The study drew from three theoretical principles: Self-determination theory, new literacy studies, and behaviorism. The study was conducted at Washington State University on two English…

Adult learners often have difficulty reaching high proficiency levels in a foreign language, and curriculum experts are on a constant quest for innovative practices in foreign language learning. The problem addressed by this study was that even with the implementation of different pedagogical approaches, including immersion and technology…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a flipped classroom model in an affluent suburban biology classroom through pre- and posttest data, a motivation and learning environment perception Likert scale survey, student interviews, and classroom observations. The instruments used were to analyze the effect of a flipped classroom…

This dissertation explores the area of student engagement. Precisely, the dissertation attempts to find out the importance, roles, significance and factors involved in online student engagement and their consequences in achieving a positive learning environment. The first stream of inquiry investigated the perceived links between students'…