Many students today lack preparedness for college-level math. Colleges and universities offer developmental math courses; however, students are failing these developmental courses and they often have low math self-efficacy. Educational technology and alternative classroom models are used to try to alleviate low success rates in developmental math courses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between math self-efficacy and math achievement in students in developmental math courses that used the software platform Connect Math. Research questions focused on self-efficacy and math achievement differences between students in computer mediated and traditional lecture-based developmental math courses, as well as differences in their opinion of Connect Math. Guided by self-efficacy theory, a quasi-experimental study was conducted and data from students in traditional lecture-based (n = 81) and computer-mediated (n = 76) developmental math courses was analyzed. ANCOVA analysis revealed a significant relationship between age and math self-efficacy, p = .042 and a significant relationship between class type and student's perceived helpfulness of Connect Math, p = .005. Analysis also found a difference in GPA with computer-mediated students having a slightly higher GPA than traditional lecture-based students . Furthermore, results indicated instructor significantly predicted student opinion of Connect Math, p = .023. Results suggest that greater access to technology did not significantly predict greater success in the developmental math course. With higher completion rates of developmental math courses, colleges and universities could see greater graduation rates for all students.

The rate of adoption of 1-to-1 computing in U.S. K-12 schools does not meet the requirements of educational standards, and it is unclear why the requirements for use of digital technology inside schools have still not been met. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to analyze the thoughts of school leaders, classroom educators, and technicians about the integration of 1-to-1 computing using Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory as the framework. The research questions probed leader, teacher and technician views of integrating 1-to-1 technology. Participants consisted of 1 school leader, 1 technician, and 3 classroom educators from a Georgia school who consented to be interviewed. Data were collected through a series of audio-recorded interviews. Analysis consisted of open and axial coding of the transcripts of interviews, resulting in themes addressing the research questions and supporting the framework. Results included participants indicating that 1-to-1 technology has to be useful, observable, and 'try-able.' They responded that teacher input should be used in adoption of new technology, and technology should come in a variety of forms, a 1-size-fits-all approach will not be successful. Classroom educators indicated they used peers, trying and observing a technology, and research as information sources when considering a new technology. Funding emerged as the largest barrier in adoption of 1-to-1 computing. Reported benefits included high student motivation, ability to self-pace course work, online assessments, and preparation of students for future education and employment. Positive social change may occur when decision makers use these findings to develop effective integration of one-to-one computing to positively influence instruction and learning.

Community college instructors continue to search for effective instructional methods that promote student success in developmental mathematics courses such as intermediate algebra. According to research, mathematics is a major obstacle for students succeeding, persisting, and completing community college programs. Each student enrolled in intermediate algebra has an ACT sub-score of 16 to 18 or an ACCUPLACER sub-score of 57 to 75. Most community colleges in Mississippi use placement testing to determine the strengths and needs of students. However, students approach math with high anxiety, more than any other areas, which interferes with their learning. Research indicates that to improve students’ success and retention in developmental mathematics, instructors must successfully promote active learning, which utilizes a variety of teaching techniques to incorporate various learning styles, methods, and initiatives. The purpose of this study is to determine which instructional method (traditional lecture, traditional lecture with lab, or online instruction) best tailors or supports student performance in intermediate algebra. Final letter grades for the semesters from fall 2014 to spring 2016 and beginning and ending enrollments for each intermediate algebra class at 2 community colleges in the state of Mississippi were analyzed, yielding for a quantitative research study. According to the study, 80% of the students completed intermediate algebra with a grade C or higher in the traditional lecture with lab courses, while 64% of the students completed intermediate algebra with a C or higher in the traditional lecture courses, and 50% of the students completed intermediate algebra with a C or higher in the online courses. However, more students were retained in the traditional lecture courses (retention rate of 83%). Therefore, this study supports and recommends the importance of instructional lecture courses in developmental algebra classrooms. Developmental algebra courses need to be “instructor-taught” courses. Instructors need to demonstrate and explain the mathematical process for solving problems while implementing active learning.

Researchers are finding that the No Child Left Behind legislation's mandatory testing provision has resulted in many schools reducing art instruction (Abrams, Madaus, & Pedulla, 2003). In addition to the reduction of art instruction in formal curricula, incorporation of art into classroom teaching strategies has also declined (Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, 2000). While many schools neglect art to focus on subject areas addressed by No Child Left Behind mandated tests, others have embraced the arts as an instructional strategy to improve test scores (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006). Mississippi's Whole Schools Initiative, a school improvement program that infuses art throughout the curriculum, has stimulated and enriched student learning when it is seriously and systematically implemented (Corbett, Morse, & Wilson, 2004). This study investigated the process through which art infusion is taking place in a Mississippi Whole Schools Initiative model school. The research design was descriptive. The participating school was purposively selected. The emerging analysis of collected data directed the selection of key informants. Observations, interviews, informal conversations, and an examination of documents and other artifacts were used to collect data. The study found the following: (a) the school's staff felt art infusion is a more effective way to teach because it motivates students, involves parents and the community, addresses student learning styles and multiple intelligences, and enhances staff morale; (b) the site administrator was particularly concerned with hiring staff, staff development, planning, finances, and parental and community support; and (c) staff development, planning, specialists, artists in residence, fund raising, resources, parental and community support, classroom management, and instructional strategies are particularly important areas in infusing art throughout the curriculum. Recommendations are the following: (a) making Mississippi educators aware of the potential of art infusion as a school improvement strategy, (b) including art infusion instruction strategies in teacher education programs, (c) including art infusion strategies in local school district's professional development plans (d) employing at least one certified art teacher in every Mississippi public school, (e) increasing funding for Mississippi schools addressing school improvement through art infusion, and (f) conducting further research on specific strategies for enhancing instruction through art infusion.

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to and what factors inhibit the integration of computer technology in classroom instruction in the middle school setting at selected schools in a central Virginia public school system. Information derived from this study may be used to assist in the planning and decision making process by central office and building level administrators.;The population for this study included teachers from three middle schools in a central Virginia public school system. This school system has demonstrated through the Virginia Standards of Learning test scores, an even distribution of results regardless of demographics. A pilot study was conducted in the same school system. Participants completed a questionnaire, and a sample of participants was interviewed. The results were coded and chunked for the purpose of establishing an emerging theme or themes.;There has been a wealth of quantitative data with regard to student to computer ratio and computer to classroom ratio over the last several years. However, there is scant data from a qualitative perspective that may allow for in-depth answers to questions regarding the factors that come into play as to the reasons for the use or non-use of available technology.;Findings indicate that respondents appear to use computer technology for a range of personal reasons, yet are reluctant to use and integrate that technology into classroom instruction. In addition, thematic analysis revealed that time, access, and support appear to be major factors that inhibit the use and integration of computer technology in classroom instruction.

This dissertation explores how faculty development for online teaching in higher education might facilitate transformative learning and the transfer of instructional practices across teaching modalities. The first manuscript examines how the essential constructs of transformative learning are promoted in online faculty development and which elements of faculty development help to foster transformative learning. The second manuscript describes a case study that emerged from a university faculty development seminar to prepare instructors to teach online. The purpose of this study was to examine how, if at all, the Online Faculty Development Seminar changed five participants’ perspectives of teaching. This study found written reflection activities, combined with dialogue with colleagues, and having experienced instructors come in to tour their courses and discuss lessons learned contributed to perspective transformation. The third manuscript examines whether instructional practices introduced in the seminar would transfer to instructors’ in-person teaching and how faculty development and the experience of teaching online may have facilitated that transfer. The study found participants experienced perspective transformations that affected how they perceived their role as instructors, and they transferred some online course design and instructional practices to their in-person teaching. These practices included incorporating more digital tools to in-person courses, communicating clearly and transparently, designing courses with intentionality, and paying forward the lessons they learned to assist colleagues transitioning to teaching remotely in Spring 2020. Findings suggest that a structured course design process, self-reflection activities, opportunities to dialogue with colleagues, and course tours from colleagues aided in transfer of practices across modalities.

This study explored the correlation between perceived contextual factors (leadership, collegiality, resources, professional development, autonomy, and respect) and departmental climate for teaching quality improvement in STEM settings across institutional types and faculty's institutional roles. Institutional types include associate's colleges, doctoral-granting universities, master's colleges and universities, and baccalaureate colleges. Faculty's institutional roles included full professor, associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, and instructor. Gappa et al.'s (2007) framework regarding faculty work was used to explain the explored correlation. Two hundred and seventy-eight faculty members in STEM settings across institutional types participated in the web survey. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was utilized to analyze the collected data and test the research hypotheses. The results indicate there were perceived contextual factors positively correlated with departmental climate, for teaching improvement across institutional types except between collegiality and associate's colleges. Moreover, the results revealed that although these factors are positively correlated with departmental climate for teaching improvement among faculty, regardless of their ranks, lecturers are not supported with resources, and instructors are not supported with autonomy. Further, the findings indicate that faculty in STEM are generally satisfied with and supported by their departmental climate. Research implications support the idea that for improved teaching in STEM, policy makers and stakeholders need to focus on providing support, resources, and increased autonomy for lecturers and instructors.

Excessive academic workload has been cited as a leading cause of medical student stress, depression, and drop out. A study was conducted at a Southeastern Medical School to identify a relationship between institutionally prescribed workload (objective workload) and the students' perceptions (subjective workload). The existing school workload policy and the Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence workload estimator were utilized to calculate time to complete two types of academic artifacts: (1) assigned (required) course materials and (2) recommended (optional) course materials, which we compared at the Module level to identify difference in objective workload. The students' perceptions of workload were analyzed according to the Keller's Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction framework for student motivation and compared to the student's statements of satisfaction for each module. Additionally, a content analysis to analyze the learning objectives for the highest and lowest instructional day workload was performed. Results from the study indicated similar objective workload calculations comparing the USCOM out of class workload policy and the RICE CTE workload estimator when the lowest difficulty and purpose parameters were selected. The selection of higher difficulty and purpose parameters within the RICE CTE workload estimator indicated a significant variance in workload calculations. Learners were generally motivated by the course content and delivery methods but preferred more self-directed learning methods. Content analysis for two courses resulted in rejection of 13% and 16% of learning objectives analyzed due to poor construction and lack of objective based language. The remainder of the learning objectives analyzed resulted in a 20% categorized as Higher Order Cognitive Skills (HOCS). Innovations of this study included categorizing medical student workload in the domains of objective and subjective workload, the use of the Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence workload calculator as an alternative for course workload estimation, as well as well as assessing medical student's motivation utilizing Keller's model of motivation.

Educators and policymakers advocate for the implementation of problem-based approaches to STEM education in K-12 classrooms to help students develop 21st-century skills such as the ability to think critically, collaborate, and problem-solve. The first exploratory case study in this three-article dissertation examines how students engage in STEM-focused PBL experiences and the meaning of these experiences for the development of their STEM identities. The second study utilizes Braun and Clarke's reflective thematic analysis framework to explore the experience of a model STEM teacher at a high-performing STEM-focused elementary school as she implemented problem-based learning in the first year of a school-wide progressive reform initiative. Overall findings from the first two articles indicated missed opportunities to connect students' lived experiences to the problem-solving process. The final article in this study introduces the practice of asset mapping, which has traditionally been used in the field of social work and community development and applies it to the context of a STEM-focused PBL activity. The novel Problem-based Learning through Asset Mapping (PLAM) Framework recognizes the assets students bring to the learning process and supports educators aiming to leverage these assets to solve problems that are relevant and meaningful to learners.

Proponents of K-12 online learning claim that it can provide more equitable learning opportunities by offering access to courses that might not otherwise be available to students, and by providing personalized learning experiences. Despite the growth of online learning in K-12 public schools, very little is known about what constitutes good online teaching. The purpose of this interpretivist investigation was to learn about some of the ways in which culturally responsive teaching can occur online. This study focused on the practices of four full-time online high school teachers. Using the methods of grounded theory research, I analyzed data generated through observations of online courses, interviews with teachers, and teacher-written narratives in order to learn how four instructors practiced culturally responsive online pedagogy in one state-supported online program. Results indicated that the teachers engaged in frequent and ongoing dialogue with their students. The teachers used multiple strategies to get to know their students, to build class community, to adapt instruction to students’ learning needs and preferences, and to make learning relevant. Teachers also discussed contextual factors (e.g., program structure and student enrollment) that impacted their practice. However, some characteristics of culturally responsive pedagogy, including infusing students’ cultures into the curriculum and helping students to challenge power and hegemony, did not emerge. A discussion of these results includes potential implications for educational leaders at the state, district, and program levels, as well as recommendations for future research on culturally responsive online pedagogy (CROP).