This research study explored the development of a teacher-researcher identity and investigated the pedagogy of two teachers who completed an action research course. I sought to investigate the development of a teacher-researcher identity in connection to the utilization of critical responsiveness in order to address the stifling of teacher agency…

The present dissertation in practice (DiP) proposal delineates an action research study designed to evaluate the use of problem-based learning (PBL) in an eighth-grade earth science class to assess the impact of PBL on student achievement. I have observed that students often struggle with developing an understanding of how the motions of the sun,…

Laws such as the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB) and the "Every Student Succeeds Act" have shaped the landscape of education in many ways, including how professional development is structured. As a result, professional development has become increasingly limited to "training" teachers to carry out top-down…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the social and cultural instructional process on independent reading. In addition, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the administrator-teacher relationship on educational practices in a lab site classroom. Using an action research design, data was collected through…

Our current education system depends exclusively on standardization, accountability, and test scores, which often limits the learning within the classroom. This type of curriculum does not include children as contributors, their lived cultural experiences, or their voices and cultural diversity. The intent of this dissertation was to connect…

The public education system in the U.S. has been under assault with the latest neoliberal education reforms. Those reforms are characterized by their antidemocratic and homogenizing assessment system, which reinforces a banking model of education. Such model goes against teachers and teaching, linguistic and cultural diversity and bilingual…

This study used action research to help improve technology use in teachers' classrooms through the use of information gained from research of technology use in the classroom. The teachers were asked to be responsible for development and implementation of their own learning through the use of personal professional development. Throughout the study…

Professional development is best when embedded in one's practice and linked directly to the classroom. Opportunities for teachers to identify specific areas of concern in their classroom and problem solve solutions via action research promotes a culture of inquiry. This culture of inquiry is enhanced when teams of teachers collaborate and share…

I conducted a two-year case study of a cohort of two middle school mainstream teachers, one a mathematics and science teacher and the other a language arts teacher, and one elementary teacher involved in the LSciMAct ("Transforming Literacy, Math and Science Through Participatory Action Research") professional development project. The…

This qualitative action research study examined teachers' perceptions of leadership, research-based practices, and experience. I investigated how these three factors influenced the culture and change process at one suburban high school in order to better understand the context and to ultimately use the knowledge gained to improve the culture…

Prevalent models of secondary education in the United States have tended to privilege the acquisition of knowledge of scientific disciplines that is often peripheral to the experiences of students. My Advanced Placement Government classes were no different, and this caused me to wonder whether my classes were meeting the often-stated goal of the…

This study explored the relationship between professional development and improving teaching practices in the classroom. It tested the assumption that, when teachers become empowered through their selection of the forms of their professional development, deeper learning and reflection can become a natural part of their daily practices. In this…

The purpose of the study was to understand transformative learning in teachers' critical colleague relationships while participating in online, collaborative action research. This included generation of theory by teacher action-researchers relevant to their own practice, with a view to teacher transformation over time. The study addressed the…

The purpose of this action research study was to support the members of a fourth grade inclusion team, namely three fourth grade teachers and a teacher assistant in (1) developing a deeper understanding of student belongingness, (2) identifying teacher practices that contribute to a student's sense of belongingness, and (3) developing and…

The purpose of this study was to explore how critical pedagogy, culturally relevant curriculum, and student centered instruction impacted student engagement in reading for struggling high school readers, including first- and second-generation immigrants. The researcher/practitioner (r/p) chose to highlight Latinas in the study to understand the…