Teachers' professional identities are the foundation of their practice. Previous scholarship has largely overlooked the extent to which the broader reform culture shapes teachers' professional identities. In this study, I draw on survey data from 950 teachers across four US states (California, New York, Florida, and Texas) to examine the extent to…

This study examined the perceived preparedness of educators working in Title 1 schools to address the mental health needs of students. Data were gathered from educators (defined as teachers and other school personnel; N = 299) employed by eight Title 1 public schools within one district in Florida, most of whom were K-5 teachers (n = 199).…

Teachers are responsible for providing opportunities to use learning strategies in the classroom. The students' engagement shows an observable reflection of the educator's teaching practice. This qualitative case study highlights teachers' perceptions of student engagement in the urban elementary classroom. The research questions asked about…

Background: Grief and loss are common experiences for children and adolescents, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators feel unprepared to support grieving students due to lack of training. We studied educator experiences receiving grief-sensitive training as part of the grief-sensitive schools initiative (GSSI), which provides…

Secondary teacher preparation programs lacking in coursework in social--emotional learning (SEL) fail to acknowledge changing learner demographics, leaving educators underprepared to meet their students' needs. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the perceived experiences of select secondary teachers…

At intersections of popular music education, music technology, and community music practices, music teachers in the United States adapted to teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically from March 2020 to March 2021. The purpose of this research was to better understand the perspectives of modern band teachers regarding the…

This dissertation responds to the dearth of research in responding practice of instructors teaching in college composition online writing classrooms, especially addressing both how they do it and how "care-fully." More specifically, the dissertation investigates the responding thoughts and behaviors of instructors teaching writing within…

Educators in PK-12 schools were surveyed to seek their perceptions of colleagues who they considered informal teacher leaders, defined as leaders who were not appointed to a leadership role by a school or district administrator. The survey asked administrators, educational specialists, and teachers working in PK-12 schools across four states to…

Adoption of online resources to support instruction and student performance has amplified with technological advances and increased standards for mathematics education. Because teachers play a critical role in the adoption of technology, analysis of data pertaining to how and why teachers utilize online resources is needed to optimize the design…

Florida's College and Career Readiness Initiative (FCCRI) required schools to administer a community college placement test to 11th-grade students and enroll students who did not pass in a college readiness course. Christine Mokher, James Rosenbaum, Alexis Gable, Caitlin Ahearn, and Louis Jacobson surveyed teachers of the course and found that,…

Urban schools across the country have been identified as having far lower rates of students that are prepared to graduate into STEM college programs and/or begin STEM careers. Issues with urban high school's drop-out rate and below average performance on STEM courses, in concurrence with the increasing demand for STEM occupations across the United…

Even as schools have increasingly adopted multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as their service delivery model, the role of special educators within MTSS has yet to be clearly defined. Scant research considers how well-prepared teachers feel for their roles in this model. The purpose of this study was to better understand the extent of Florida…

States and districts across the country have experimented with various college and career readiness initiatives designed to help students complete the postsecondary education they need to succeed in the labor market. Yet how do teachers view their students' likely college capabilities following these efforts? Can the reforms help work-bound…

In teacher inquiry, the metaphor of stance is used to describe a positionality towards teaching that includes questioning classroom practices, engaging in cycles of continuous improvement, and generating knowledge. We expand the metaphor of stance to include a metaphor for complicated movements while maintaining balance -- dynamic structural…

This paper uses data from research projects that deliberately set out to tell positive stories about educators who were working with the children and families of migratory agricultural workers in the US. The aim underpinning these projects was to move beyond the deficit discourses and stories of blame that so often circulate, particularly in…