Although there is a large body of research on the effects of unstructured group therapy among college students, there is inconclusive research on how implementing tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) as a structured activity affects group cohesion for therapy groups made up of college students. Participants were adult, full-time university students…

Within this dissertation, I use design-based research along with discourse and interaction analysis to study classroom groups of mathematical learners to better understand and design for group structures and cultures that support students' learning mathematics and becoming mathematical communities. Specifically, I focus on the phenomenon of groups…

Creativity and collaboration are key components of a mathematician's work, and thus in the preparation of future mathematicians, undergraduate mathematics courses should aim to develop students who can effectively work collaboratively and creatively with one another. Despite this need, research on mathematical creativity has primarily investigated…

Once leaders of one-room schoolhouses, principals' roles have expanded to instructional commanders over complex public-school structures (Hallinger, 1992). As the roles and responsibilities of the school principal evolve and grow, more support for school leaders is necessary. Coaching has been defined as a "supportive model for systems…

Most mathematicians state mathematics is a field of beauty, creativity, and innovation, yet what is echoed by students is not how mathematics allows students to explore, but rather the ways in which it constrains and does not necessitate creativity. In comparison, many students associate coding with freedom, and the ability to create and express…

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an organization-wide book study in the K-12 environment. A growing charter school network was working towards an improved organizational culture to meet its mission. This study examined whether an organization-wide book study can make a difference in…

Effective active learning supports student engagement in generative learning behaviors, often through collaborative group work. Although collaborative learning has many benefits, it can be difficult for individual instructors to prompt knowledge building discourse in large enrollment courses. Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) can provide the…

Motivation, belonging, and inclusion are all critical factors for student success but can be difficult to support in asynchronous online courses. Active learning and required group work have been shown to increase student motivation in in-person and synchronous online courses, but little is known about their impact in online asynchronous settings.…

This study evaluated the experiences of faculty-practitioners, graduate students, and a community partner within the context of a professional development (i.e., career education) course at a large, research-intensive institution. Over the course of a 16-week academic semester graduate information technology students worked in collaborative…

Black youth in America must overcome many systematic obstacles to function successfully in American society. Racist social views and racist structures significantly impact Black youth's access to equitable education and resources and lead to disparate educational outcomes. One intervention that may help protect school age Black youth from the…

The present study examined the effects of a mind-body intervention, often used to decrease symptoms of anxiety, on self-conceptual levels of university students. It was not known if, and to what extent, the combination of mindfulness meditation and group fitness influenced the self-esteem and self-regulation of undergraduate students who…

Completion rates for first-generation community college students continue to be of concern for higher education leaders. Only one out of five students at community colleges obtain their desired degree in three years or less and first-generation students persist less than non-first-generation students. This qualitative descriptive study explored…

Women master's students face a variety of unique challenges throughout their education including feeling like imposters or like they needed to justify why they were choosing their education over other life priorities (Lininger et al., 2016; Younes, 1998). While Gordon (2016) identified barriers to graduate student success in master's level…

This autoethnographic case study examines the localization of the literature circle (LCs) methodology within a Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) pedagogy course, focusing on the training of prospective educators. Most Chinese K-12 EFL teachers, having graduated as English majors, frequently lack exposure to innovative, student-centered…

With the continual increase in online learning, demand for meaningful and effective digital instruction likewise has surged in recent years. Collaboration, too, has endured as a common pedagogical method. Yet, marrying collaboration with online learning can be incredibly difficult for both faculty members and students. Still, group work remains a…