Each year, the existing cohort of elementary teachers at The American School participate in a professional development program. This program includes both academic and social adaptation resources and support for teachers within the school community. Previous to this research study, the program mostly included training on academic programs, assessment strategies that align with the policies and resources for teachers to explore to support their curriculum. Most teachers requested training on the standards and assessment practices as the school made strategic shifts toward new pedagogical practices. Glaringly absent from this training was any support with the cultural transition for teachers, most of whom have not worked within a Mexican school setting with a largely Mexican family demographic. This action research study draws from theories of decolonization, postcolonialism, culturally relevant pedagogy, cultural mindset and critical whiteness studies. This case study took place during the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year at The American School, in Torreón, Mexico. Four international elementary teachers were randomly selected to participate in the study and agreed to engage in all elements of the data collection over the course of two months. Data collection included teacher classroom observations, multiple collective biography sessions, a focus group and individual interviews. The results from this study demonstrated that a colonial mindset heavily influenced teachers' decisions and beliefs about their work, sense of power within the classroom and how they interact with their students. Additionally, the research suggests that there was a dominant teacher-centered approach to pedagogical practices, and this reinforced traditional and Eurocentric values. Finally, an analysis of teacher emotions suggested elements of both white fragility and white fatigue centered around conversations of race, culture and oppression. The conclusion of this study includes a discussion of recommendations for future training, with the hopes of the patterns demonstrated in the cases studied.

The purpose of this study was to explore factors and personnel involved in the decision-making process used to determine electronic heath record (EHR) training methods employed by healthcare organizations in 2023. Additionally, the purpose was to learn more about EHR training leaders’ perspectives of various training methods, and to determine how and to what extent EHR training methods were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bounded rationality and the theory of transactional distance were the two guiding theories for this study.This mixed-methods action research study was conducted in a virtual setting and included 47 EHR training leader participants who worked at various health systems across the United States. Data was collected via an 11 item EHR training methods survey. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and a Wilcoxon rank test was used to analyze changes in EHR training methods in 2019 and 2023. Qualitative data was reviewed, coded, and analyzed in such a way as to be consistent with the grounded theory approach. Data was triangulated to corroborate findings. Results indicated that the pandemic, or other contributing factors between 2019 and 2023, had a statistically significant effect on EHR training methods. In addition, the majority of EHR training leaders felt that the most effective training method was a majority in-person with some virtual/remote/eLearning, and that the most efficient training method was a majority of virtual/remote/eLearning with some in-person. EHR Training Directors, EHR Training Managers, and Executive Leaders were the most identified roles involved in the decision-making process which typically involved collaborative meetings and discussions with various stakeholders. Furthermore, resources, cost, and effectiveness were the most identified driving factors related to EHR training method decisions. The discussion focuses on answering the four guiding research questions and provides implications for practice including suggestions for organizations to minimize cognitive limits in the decision-making process, re-evaluate EHR training decisions to ensure appropriate decision-makers were involved and that decisions aligned with their goals, and consider if resources and cost should be the leading driving factors related to EHR training methods.

This action research-based dissertation aims to explain how belonging is understood of a group of adults who spent a significant portion of their childhood in globally nomadic families. A hermeneutic phenomenological lens was used throughout the inquiry The research process revealed that belonging and identity are deeply intertwined and that for these adults, belonging is defined by relationship rather than physical proximity; their sense of belonging was varied and defined by multiple dimensions which is consistent with the multi-layered cultural identities of the participants; and that belonging can be experienced imperfectly due to issues of permanence and socio-cultural perceptions of not fitting in. The second aim of this dissertation was to examine how a temporary, online community built participants’ understanding of their lived experiences, particularly among the axes of belonging and identity. The analysis indicated that a meaningful depth of understanding can be created among relative strangers, given the design of the online community and willingness among the participants to meet each other with intention and generosity within that design. This study adds to an under-researched area within existing literature by offering an authentic description of the lifeworld of adults beyond their globally nomadic childhood and makes actionable suggestions for current ex-patriate families and the sponsoring organizations who send them.