Although K-12 online learning has experienced exceptional growth, research in the area has lagged behind. This dissertation addressed this gap in the literature using a multiple article dissertation format. The first article used survey data from two online English courses at the Open High School of Utah (OHSU) to examine students' reported interactions with content, peers, and instructors. The large majority of students viewed all investigated types of interaction as educational and motivational. Students perceived learner--instructor and learner--content interactions to have significantly higher educational value than learner--learner interactions, and viewed learner--instructor interaction to be significantly more motivational than learner--content interaction. Furthermore, nine significant correlations were found between the time students spent on human interaction and course outcomes. The second article examined learner-parent and parent-instructor interactions within the same context. Similar to the first article, survey data was used to measure parents' and students' perceived quantity and quality of parental interactions with students and teachers. It was found that generally students and parents viewed parent--instructor and learner--parent interactions as motivational. Students viewed learner--parent interaction as significantly more motivational than did their parents. The quantity of reported parental interactions tended to negatively correlate with course outcomes. These negative correlations may be the result of parents' tendency to increase interaction levels following poor student performance and may not reflect the actual impact of parental interactions on individual student learning. When discussing the results in the second article, the claim was made that future research should look beyond the quantity of interactions and develop a theoretical framework that identifies and categorizes the roles of individuals in improving student outcomes. The third article of this dissertation presents such a framework that can help guide K-12 online research and design. The Adolescent Community of Engagement (ACE) framework consists of four main constructs that make up a K-12 online learning community. The first three (student engagement, teacher engagement, and peer engagement) build on previously established online frameworks that originally emerged from higher education contexts. In addition, the ACE framework recognizes the role of parents in their child's learning and introduces a fourth construct, parent engagement, which builds on two previously established face-to-face frameworks.

This dissertation is presented in a journal-ready format and aims to inform professional development designed to support blended teaching. The first is a qualitative study of the practices of secondary educators currently using blended teaching strategies. Thematic analysis of the interviews identified activities teachers use in the online space and how they are connected to in-person activities. Activities aligned with two prior frameworks. Moore's (1989) interaction framework supported classifications of student interactions with content, other learners, and instructors. Kimmons et al.'s (2020) technology use framework supported classifications of student use of online technology in passive, interactive, and creative ways. Participants connected online activities to in-person learning through (a) using data generated while students worked online to inform in-person activities, (b) building relationships in the online and in- person space, and (c) preparing for and reinforcing in-person learning in the online space. These findings lead to recommendations for preservice and inservice teacher professional development as well as future research. The second article is a phenomenological study of the lived experiences of two elementary and two secondary educators new to blended teaching that received coaching support while participating in a professional development program aimed at supporting their implementation of blended teaching practices. Studying these experiences can inform practicing coaches, administrators of coaching programs, and current research regarding what contributes to a successful coaching program to support blended teaching. Coaches supported participants' teaching practice during planning, implementation, and reflection phases. Coaches also built partnership relationships with teachers by conveying credibility, treating teachers as equals, communicating in a positive, non-judgmental way, being readily available, and cooperating with other teaching supports. Future research could address the changing support needs of teachers as they gain experience.

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According to the National Center for Education Statistics, even though 97% of classrooms have at least one instructional computer available, only 40% of teachers in public schools (including elementary and secondary) report using computers in the classroom often. My project aims to illustrate the barriers that are keeping K-12 teachers from integrating technology in their classrooms, such as the lack of availability for training, teacher’s lack of knowledge or schooling, or a lack of IT support. It also discusses possible solutions to the problem, such as teacher training and better resources. By assessing the Level of Technology Integration, or LoTi, we can learn how much or how often a teacher is using technology in a classroom. My project consists of conducting a research study that will aim to reinforce the hypothesis that the LoTi in K- 12 schools is lower than expected, considering the availability of computers and technology. By learning the severity of the obstacles teachers face, we can work on possible solutions. The findings of this study were that teachers face barriers that inhibit them from implementing technology no matter what type of school environment they are in. These barriers come from lack of time, access, but most strongly from the self-efficacy of the teachers. Teachers need professional development and training to develop their skills and confidence, which will positively impact students, the school, and the overall education system.

Thesis advisor: Raquel Muñiz / The concept of trust at the central office level has been examined primarily between the superintendent and schools or school leaders. The literature speaks to variable ways that researchers define teams in organizational settings, measure team effectiveness in education, and capture the importance of trust in teams. However, there is a gap in the educational literature concerning trust and teams, specifically among teams within the central office in the K-12 education setting. During times of crisis, trust becomes even more critical, as does the expectation that teams are working interdependently, rather than working in silos (Cornell & Sheras, 1998). Through a qualitative case study of one district with more than 5,000 students in the northeast region of the United States, I examined collective trust in teams at the district level through the examination of the five facets of trust, leadership behaviors that create the conditions for team member inclusion as a means of working across boundaries, and the presence of a collective mission toward collective action.I found that the perceptions of trust among district leaders and principals varied and that the variance was influenced by one’s seniority in the district hierarchy. Proactive strategies for team member inclusion were impacted by a leader’s perception of his/her power to influence a given situation. Moreover, the stated purpose of team missions was most often connected to information-sharing; thus, district meetings were perceived as transactional in nature. As such, the findings support a small number of recommendations within K-12 districts to create the conditions for greater inclusion and collective trust in teams at the central office level: (1) narrow the five facets of trust that matter to district leaders and team members to align perception and expectations around what builds trusting relationships; (2) explicitly work to invite participation of team members to create inclusive communities; and (3) clearly define and consistently communicate an individual team’s purpose to create a collective mission aligned to overall district goals. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Following school closures in the spring semester of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the United States began making plans for a remote start to the 2020-2021 school year. In Texas, professional development plans were required by the Texas Education Agency for K-12 public school districts planning to provide online learning options for students. This study examined these professional development plans using directed qualitative content analysis methods to identify and categorize the learning experiences provided to educators in preparation for online instruction. The plans were coded in NVivo using etic codes based on relevant literature related to the TPACK framework, online teacher competencies, and standards for quality online teaching. Emic codes were created as needed during the iterative coding process. Data analysis revealed trends related to teacher training gaps, district priorities, target audiences, and the occurrence of professional development sessions. The study findings were discussed, and suggestions were made to inform the development and design of future professional development plans for online teachers at multiple levels. Recommendations for further research specific to in-service teacher professional development and preservice teacher preparation programs were offered.

Traditional pedagogy offers students opportunities to enhance various skills and acquire content knowledge; however, additional steps can be taken to enhance student achievement, prepare them for future occupations, and bridge the divide in access to technology. A curriculum that integrates coding instruction affords students the opportunity to augment their collaboration, communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. This is especially crucial for traditionally marginalized populations who have experienced inequitable access to technology. Nevertheless, coding is not integrated in schools in different domains, including Catholic institutions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA). This dissertation used a descriptive and inferential quantitative methodology to survey K–12 Catholic school teachers’, administrators’, and STEM directors’ understanding of what coding entails, assess their perceptions of coding’s potential to enrich student achievement, to prepare them for future occupations, and diversify STEM representation both in academics and in the workplace, and evaluate the potential link between educator epistemology and pedagogy with the penchant to incorporate coding instruction and the constructionist framework in the classroom. The largest diocese of the country, the ADLA, was the sole focus of this study and the data demonstrated participants have a relatively limited understanding of what coding entails, but they do believe it results in various benefits for students. Nevertheless, their epistemology and pedagogy are not ripe for constructionism to take hold in the classroom to facilitate coding.

This study conducted at the University of Central Florida was completed to inform the Ed. D. in Education program within the College of Education and Human Performance. The main purpose of the study was to determine the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) project types that should be allowed for use as the capstone requirement based on a needs analysis of K-12 schools and school districts. The secondary purpose was to inform the instructional design of the program to ensure the necessary skills and knowledge required are included in the program. The study was conducted in the University of Central Florida's Ed. D. in Education program and employed a qualitative approach to a needs analysis. Interviews were conducted with two distinctly different participant groups. The first group was comprised of administrators and teacher-leaders identified by a superintendent of a rural school district in Central Florida as "highly effective". The second group of participants was comprised of current Ed. D. students working in K-12 education with more than 10 years' experience. This research identified specific project types that best support school improvement and should therefore be integrated into the Ed. D. in Education program as allowable project types for use as the Dissertation in Practice. The results also identified qualities of highly effective administrators and teacher-leaders that may be considered by program faculty for inclusion in the design and implementation of the curriculum for the Ed. D. in Education program. Implications of this research include using the results to inform instructional practices and the allowable DiP projects for the Ed. D. in Education program. As this study was a needs analysis that serves as a basis for program instructional decisions, the results of this study may inform other Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) member institutions how to modify or enhance their programs as well. The focus on this study was exclusively on K-12 education. However many students enrolled in the program work in business, government, or non-profit settings. This research could be replicated to determine improvement project types that are commonly implemented in those settings in order to better meet the needs of all students enrolled in the Ed. D. in Education program.

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