This mixed-methods study explores childhood trauma with a primary focus on the beliefs and attitudes of elementary school administrators in their ability to offer trauma-informed leadership and assist their teachers in trauma-informed care (TIC) and education. Participants at various stages of their careers were recruited from elementary schools across 10 U.S. states (N = 240). Employing an explanatory sequential mixed method design, Phase I assessed school administrators’ attitudes using the attitudes related to trauma-informed care scale (ARTIC-45) (see Appendix A). Phase II employed semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data to explain further and clarify the quantitative results. Findings suggest that elementary school administrators have positive attitudes related to trauma-informed care. Findings also suggest years of administrative experience shows a negative statistically significant relationship while the number of TIC training hours shows a positive statistically significant relationship to attitudes related to trauma-informed care. Analysis also suggests no statistically significant relationship between years of teaching experience and attitudes related to trauma-informed care. A closer examination of the ARTIC – 45 subscales indicate elementary school administrators have negative personal support attitudes toward TIC implementation and negative feelings about the systemwide support they receive from colleagues, supervisors, and administration to implement TIC.

The purpose of this study was to document the perceptions of high school teachers regarding their experiences, challenges, and needed skills related to instruction in an online learning environment during the 2021-2022 school year in one North Carolina school district. This study explored teachers' perceptions of their experience with online teaching. Because COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to close for the 2021-2022 school year, schools suddenly shifted from face to face to online learning. A qualitative research design was used to collect and analyze data. Nine teachers at four high schools who taught math, English and science during the 2021-2022 school year completed 1:1 virtual interviews. The interview protocol was consisted of nine interview questions and was used to collect qualitative data. A data analysis was conducted to analyze teachers' interview responses regarding teaching online during the pandemic. The data showed 100% of the participants had concerns about lack of participation and engagement of student when online. In addition, 100% of participants stated they felt teaching online was more stressful than teaching face to face. Findings suggested that teachers are concerned with the lack of student participation and engagement, increased stress of teaching online, and that in the future more professional development in the use of technology is needed for teachers. By examining high school teacher perceptions regarding their experiences teaching online, data can provide educational leaders with findings and implications which, can help improve online learning in the future. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to document the perceptions of high school teachers regarding their experiences, challenges, opportunities and needed skills related to instruction in an online learning environment during the 2021-2022 school year in one North Carolina school district. Nine teachers who taught online in the 2021-2022 school year were interviewed. From the interviews conducted, the researcher has provided three findings: teachers' concern for the lack of student participation and engagement, increased stress of teaching online, and the need for more professional development in the use of technology is needed for teachers.

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This qualitative study explores the effects of environmental adaptations of a classroom on the attention of students with autism. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of the changes as perceived by the four participants. The study is part of a larger study exploring the effects of environmental adaptation of a classroom on the attention/engagement of students with autism. The specific adaptations are the installment of sound absorbing walls and the installation of halogen lighting in a classroom with the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System™. The participants were four boys with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) who were between the ages of twelve and twenty-one years of age and had attended the school for more than one year. The study is a multiple single subject A-B- +(B+C) design. The study took place over a six week period with 3 phases of two weeks each. Phase (A) was baseline assessment of students in their assigned classroom, phase B followed the installation of sound absorbing walls using the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System™ and phase three was following the installation of halogen lighting. Journaling was the qualitative, phenomenological method used in which all participants, in their own `voice' could provide feedback on the baseline phase (pre-modifications) post- wall phase and post- lighting phase. The results of the journaling provided insight into individual student and cross-student themes, chief among them: post-modifications 3 of 4 participants provided comments on improved ability to perform on learning tasks, the same 3 participants provided positive emotional responses following modifications. One clinical implication is the importance of obtaining a first-person perspective from ASD students for both researches as well as in the classroom. / Occupational Therapy

Enrollment in cyber schools has increased steadily from their inception in 1996 through 2019. Despite this increase there is a limited understanding of how to train teachers to teach in virtual classrooms. Most virtual professional development is created and delivered by leaders of cyber schools. Therefore, to contribute to the literature on teacher training for online schools, this dissertation explores what school leaders of a cyber school perceive about the skills required to teach online and how they address these skills through the preparation and ongoing development of their new and veteran teachers. All 30 members of the focal school’s leadership team were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire, and additionally, they were invited to participate in an interview. The data were analyzed via frequency calculations and coding. Conclusions were focused on the knowledge gaps of new teachers, what defines a successful professional development experience, the state of teacher training at cyber schools, and the extent school leaders are involved with the creation of professional development at their school. I found that the knowledge gaps of new teachers depend on their prior teaching experiences, with the teachers who have more experience in brick-and-mortar schools having the most gaps. The most effective professional development activities were characterized to be engaging, relevant, timely, and a good example of what teachers should do in their own classrooms. The focal school uses several forms of professional development to meet the needs of new teachers: an in-person onboarding, induction, and mentorship. At the focal school, veteran teachers are provided with grade-level weekly workshops and a content-level professional learning community. Involvement in the creation of professional development is dependent on an individual’s title and role. / Educational Leadership

External and internal stakeholders in higher education are asking for accountability about what takes place in the classroom (Alexander, Clinton, and Kean, 1986; Hart Research Associates, 2010; Spellings, 2006). They want to be assured that the learning institutions claim is occurring on campus is in fact happening (Alexander, 2000). In response, academic leaders have produced information about active learning strategies in classrooms (Seifert, Pascarella, Wolniak, and Cruce, 2006; Tsui, 2002; Umbach and Wawrzynski, 2005), student approaches to learning (Biggs, Kember, and Leung, 2001), and faculty-student interaction that lead to increased use of higher order thinking skills (Kuh, 1995; Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991; Reason, Terenzini and Domingo, 2007). Although there is extensive literature on learning that occurs in academic settings on college campuses, data on whether students are engaging in higher order thinking skills in non-academic settings are less prevalent. This study sought to understand whether students' higher order thinking skills (HOTs) are influenced by their involvement in non-academic activities (NAIs). I analyzed data from college seniors who completed the 2010 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to address two questions. First, I explored what factors emerged from the items about non-academic involvement (NAI) on the NSSE. Second, multiple regression models were employed to determine the extent to which variance in HOTs could be explained by these NAI factors. There were 14 items on the 2010 NSSE that, based on literature, measured frequency with which students engaged in NAIs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two independent factors consisting of 7 items: Relationships (3 items) and Diverse Perspectives (4 items). These two factors explained 21% of variance in students' higher order thinking skills. Students who are exposed to diversity and develop close relationships use HOT skills more frequently. This suggests implications for those who work in admissions, student affairs, and human resources, among others. The findings also inform policies related to promotion and tenure as well as student involvement. / Ph. D.