The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the demands of the already challenging teaching profession. This study sought to investigate if correlations existed among the perceptions of teachers' regarding job satisfaction, principal leadership behaviors and school climate using pre- and post-surveys. Survey data was collected from a target…

This transcendental phenomenological study focused on determining the factors contributing to teacher exits from Mississippi schools during and since the global COVID-19 pandemic. Developing a more robust understanding of the teacher labor market and teacher exits is vital to ensuring that students can access a high-quality education. Participants…

COVID-19 changed the course of education. There had to be a way to adequately provide educational services to students in a safe and effective manner. Most school districts chose blended learning, to be referred to in this study as BL, as the best solution. This qualitative study was framed Siemens and Downes' learning theory of connectivism…

Teacher retention in the rural setting is a topic of concern. Teachers are choosing to leave the profession for a variety of reasons. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify factors teachers in a rural school district in Mississippi perceived as promoting teacher retention. Additionally, this study examined teachers' perceptions…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this study is two-fold. One purpose is to examine whether there is a correlation between Mississippi community college instructors' self-reported recollections of their coping self-efficacy and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second purpose is to explore Mississippi community…

School attendance is a valuable key element in promoting academic achievement and determining student success inside and outside the classroom. However, due to the unforeseen circumstances of a deadly contagious, airborne disease, known as COVID-19, the pandemic has created the largest disruption within the education system in history, affecting…

This three-article dissertation examined the perceptions of school-based agricultural education teachers in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama on self-efficacy and professional development activities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first article was an examination of teacher self-efficacy in delivering instruction in three classroom…

In the U.S., state guidance to schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was politicized. We used state-level political affiliation to explore whether access to curricular resources differed pre-pandemic or during pandemic remote teaching and teachers' reported control over curricular resources during pandemic teaching. We found that…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools had to make the difficult shift from face-to-face instruction to distance learning, which was especially difficult for schools in rural areas with limited resources and services. The purpose of the exploratory case study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of general and special educators…

Language educators were unprepared for emergency remote language teaching (ERLT) due to lack of training in online pedagogy and negative perceptions of online instruction, and the rural community of language educators have been challenged in unique ways. Using the intersections of content (language teaching), space (rurality), and context…

Since 2017, Jackson State University's (JSU) Minority Advancement through Recruitment and Retention in Science via Outreach Program (MARRS-OP) developed a series of professional development (PD) programs designed for 6th-12th science teachers in under-resourced Mississippi school districts. Due to COVID-19, MARRS-OP's original program design was…

Statement of Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this evaluative case study is to describe and explain how third through fifth grade teachers perceive the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) practices on student behavior management within three urban elementary schools in Central Mississippi. The sample…

This study explores the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, focusing on the increased reliance on online learning tools as the "new normal." The study delves into the challenges and opportunities faced by Mississippi schools in integrating technology during the pandemic, examining the perspectives of teachers…

Nationwide, the teacher shortage and turnover concerns are an ongoing, ever-growing issue in public education. Ingersoll and Perda (2009) define turnover as the "migration of teachers from one school district to another" (p. 8). In 2016, the nationwide report on teacher retention showed that nearly half a million teachers will leave…

In 2020, COVID-19 disrupted schooling disproportionately affecting economically disadvantaged learners, students of color, and those living in rural spaces. Nearly three years following its initial onset, the world has entered a "post-pandemic" era. Consequently, all teachers need continued professional support and training related to…