Disparities, bias, and inequities persist between girls and boys as the result of gender inequities in schools (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). In this participatory action research (PAR) project, I investigated how educators and educational leaders promote gender equity in an international elementary school. The project took place in the elementary…

Ending projects -- in whatever form that takes -- is a known area of difficulty for research that involves designing and implementing technologies with community partners. The ending process is particularly salient to underserved and marginalized communities and populations. This dissertation explores the project ecosystem and power dynamics in…

School reform efforts, though the subject of a great deal of scrutiny and research since the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983, have resulted in negligible positive net results for student achievement on any of our current scales of measurement. Additionally, our current school system has yet to fully or successfully pivot to a twenty-first…

This study was a qualitative participatory action research study that focused on the lived experiences of Black women who received prenatal care and gave birth in the state of North Carolina. The study was meant to investigate and address the racism and implicit biases these women experienced from the medical community they encountered, and the…

The purpose of this participatory action research (PAR) study was to examine the extent to which elementary school leaders enacted culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) practices with the ultimate goal of serving students who have been marginalized (Khalifa et al., 2016). As a district assistant superintendent, I supported four school…

The primary goal of this research is to examine New York State's humane education mandate, Section 809 of the Education Law; specifically, its history, barriers, and possible implementation solutions to achieve statewide elementary school compliance. It explores the educational system and its role in school compliance with the mandate. In…

Calls for increased involvement in science outreach have come from scientists (Alberts, 2018; Friedman, 2008), from professional organizations (Jayaratne et al., 2003; Lee, 2018; Toolin, 2004) and from funding agencies (Broadening Participation, 2008; Catsambis, 1995) to increase students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and…

When immigrant youth are harmed by institutional policies and practices that reinforce idealized notions of nationalism and assimilation through subtractive and coercive strategies, school leaders can turn to restorative justice as a technology of resistance. This participatory action research study, with the author as a participant, captures four…

Critical Participatory Action Research is a form of research where community members and researchers collaborate to plan and carry out a research project on an issue they identify together (Cammarota & Fine, 2008; Mirra, Garcia & Morrell, 2016). While most CPAR projects engage adolescents, an emerging body of research focuses on CPAR with…

This study sought to understand individualized information literacy instruction for first-year students of color in higher education, and the impact of that instruction on student performance and confidence levels. The study was conducted at a four-year doctoral granting higher education institution and was designed as a QUAL+quan convergent…

Situated at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), this postcritical ethnographic and photovoice study sought to explore how Latinx students define and practice civic engagement. Theoretically framed by Latino Cultural Citizenship (LCC), the study explored how current Latinx student civic engagement practices inform a Hispanic-Serving Institutions'…

Although the Belmont Report and associated federal regulations were written to protect individual research participants from undue risk and harm, Community-Based Participatory Research teams are concerned about insufficient protection of ethical concerns on a community level. This multi-case study examines the process institutional actors at two…

Education reform has been at the forefront of educational research for decades, depicted by government initiatives and policy, research, and pedagogical changes and recommendations. When considering elements of educational change, policy, best practices, and individual merit and retention have also been heavily in the spotlight, such as "A…

Picture books are often underused tools in schools and communities. The purpose of this research was to investigate the affordances and constraints of using picture books as tools to deepen senses of identity and belonging. Two cycles of participatory action research were conducted: the first with educators and the second with adults who…

This study delves into the underexplored realm of parenting practices among Latinx mothers of autistic children aged 10-16, focusing specifically on 10 Mexican heritage mothers. Through a Community-Based Participatory Research approach 10 mothers were recruited in partnership with a Latinx autism community agency and developed a culturally…