This dissertation research study examined the use of a social-emotional learning curriculum framework (SELCF) to respond to opportunities for growth in social-emotional learning (SEL) skills among students in the early childhood classroom. The five skills addressed within this study include empathy, emotional intelligence, social problem-solving, communication, and self-advocacy among kindergarten students following the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study employed an action research mixed-methods concurrent triangulation framework where data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the collection of participant-produced illustration artifacts to create a comprehensive and holistic data set. Pre-interview data shows that the participant group had minimal background knowledge of the five social skills examined during the study. Post-interview data shows that participants made significant growth in all five skills taught within the SELCF. The quantitative and qualitative data is triangulated to reinforce the findings of this mixed-methods action research project. Through thoughtful and intentional instruction delivered to kindergarten students through the SELCF, all students showed statistically significant growth in all five skills assessed. Data triangulation provided further insight into participants’ critical thinking and cognition to show a deeper understanding of the social-emotional learning skills addressed in the SELCF. By providing young children with effective instruction and opportunities to practice their social-emotional skills, educators pave the way for children to be successful and capable members of society.

Community college students make up nearly half of all college students (41%) and community colleges provide a unique opportunity for educators to instruct students in a more close-knit learning environment. While one goal at Estrella Mountain Community College is to support all students in their learning, some students, particularly Black and African American students, face equity gaps in milestones such as successfully completing classes, which may be due in part to a lower sense of belonging in the classroom. To address this problem of practice, a book study was conducted using the tenets of Communities of Practice (CoPs) to explore Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain (CRT-B) by Zeretta Hammond. The study aimed to enhance educators' self-efficacy in culturally responsive teaching (CRTeaching) and cultural care and empathy towards their students, which was aligned with the goal of increasing inclusion and belonging in EMCC classrooms. This is because CRTeaching has been found to boost students' sense of belonging in classrooms. Pre- and post-measures were used to assess any changes in these constructs, with educator participants also distributing surveys to their students before and after the book study. Both surveys included quantitative and qualitative measures, with additional interviews conducted with four educator participants. The study found a significant increase in educators' self-efficacy for CRTeaching and general instruction, as well as a non-statistically significant increase in cultural care/empathy and students' sense of belonging and inclusion in the classroom. This increase was documented using several measures. Qualitative findings from both groups were also closely analyzed, leading to the development of a conceptual framework that can be used to advance CRTeaching or increase buy-in for such professional development opportunities in the future.

Science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) classes are required for families in the United States. Due to this requirement, there have been more STEM focused schools present in the educational landscape. Traditionally a high school offering, middle schools are now developing more focused STEM curricula, opening STEM campuses, and creating opportunities for students to expand their STEM knowledge. Parental involvement at the middle school level can be lacking, which is also observed in STEM specific campuses. This action research study examines communication and connection with parents on a STEM middle school campus. The purpose of this study was to create a program where parents can meet once a month with each other and staff on campus to start building a thriving partnership. Ten parent participants were chosen to take part in this three-month study. Each month, participants would meet for an hour to discuss agenda items created by participants at previous meetings. The researcher employed a mixed methods design to understand connection and communication with parents on a STEM middle school campus. To analyze data, descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data, and themes were developed via grounded theory for qualitative data. Results determined that participants' views rose overall from pre to post-innovation in communication and connection. In addition to the gains seen quantitatively and qualitative data, the researcher developed three themes: connection, communication, and parent voice. Overall, the monthly parent meetings were a success overall and enhanced communication and connectivity in the STEM magnet campus. Several limitations, including a lack of diversity in the study population and researcher error, hindered this study. Suggestions for future research include replicating the study while removing the limitations seen in this study and conducting subsequent cycles of AR. Finally, suggestions for future practice indicate the vital need to involve parents in attending programs and in the design, delivery, and application of programs.

Students in higher education require the skills and knowledge to creatively solve some of the pressing social, economic, and environmental issues confronting humanity. In 2015, the United Nations and its member states developed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address complex global issues and systemic barriers to achieving sustainable development across the world. The SDGs help guide the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), an initiative of the UN Global Compact that aligns signatory business schools with a set of values consistent with responsible management principles. This action research study examined bridging the knowledge gap of faculty transitioning from teaching traditional business curriculum to PRME and the SDG implementation in the curriculum in a polytechnic setting. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory was used as the guiding theoretical framework. An intervention in the form of a faculty development micro-credential was created and implemented for study participants. Using a quantitative research design with pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys, participants reported a statistically significant increase in knowledge after the PRME micro-credential.

Nationally, schools in the United States struggle to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. Previous research supports using teacher pedagogy training and mentorship to increase retention. This study examines the use of mentorship in a high school Grow Your Own teacher training program and student career selection. The action research study used a mixed-methods approach framed by social cognitive career theory. The study explores how student self-efficacy beliefs and career selection evolved through a semester-long mentorship program. The study also examines mentors' ability to identify student pedagogy strengths. This study builds on previous research about teacher recruitment and retention. The findings outlined in this study highlight the use of mentorship in a high school grow your own teacher training program and the student's future career selection. Most participants changed their perception of the teaching profession through the four-year teacher training program. Mentors also reported a high level of confidence in identifying student pedagogy strengths. The fluidity of student career selection through high school allows for professional training programs to inform their decision. High school career training program designers can also use the information collected through mentorship to shift their actions based on the information received. The use of grow your own professional training and mentorship in this study could be applied to professions outside of teacher training to develop high-skill workforce pipelines. Keywords: Teacher Recruitment, Teacher Retention, Grow Your Own, Career and Technical Education, Teacher Shortage

Arizona State University's Sun Devil Fitness and Wellness department plays a vital role in enhancing the physical health and well-being of its student population. However, the demanding responsibilities placed on campus recreation professionals, combined with the high expectations for student engagement, have led to a concerning rise in employee turnover. To address this issue, a comprehensive series of professional development workshops was designed, aiming to empower campus recreation professionals in navigating their roles effectively and improving their overall experience. This mixed-methods action research study was conducted to address the challenge of employee retention among entry-level campus recreation professionals at Arizona State University. The research encompassed both quantitative and qualitative assessments, focusing on critical factors such as self-efficacy, career success, job satisfaction, sense of belonging, and motivation. The study aimed to determine whether significant differences existed in these variables before and after the intervention. Data collection involved surveys, open-ended questions, and interviews, offering a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the professional development workshops. The results of this study indicate that the professional development workshops served as an effective intervention on various constructs. Quantitative data showed a positive change in career success, motivation, and job satisfaction among staff members, while qualitative data shed light on key factors influencing employee retention. These factors included the lack of professional development opportunities, unclear career advancement pathways, a strong desire for more substantial recognition, and the paramount importance of supportive leadership and a positive work environment.

As schools continue to focus on outcome-based instructional practices, less emphasis is placed on the creativity and reasoning necessary for students to become effective critical thinkers. As a result, students struggle to demonstrate creative problem-solving skills in the classroom. This study examines how the facilitation of an instructional problem-solving intervention, Creative Cognitive Process Instruction (CCPI), can foster creativity, improve student metacognitive regulation, and support students in developing problem solving strategies. Participants included (n = 33) 7th grade science students in a California public middle school. Mixed methods were used to assess how and to what extent CCPI changed students' metacognitive regulation and attitudes and approaches to creative problem solving. Outcomes from this study indicate that a structured approach to problem solving along with creative and metacognitive instruction and a scaffolded support system had a positive impact on students' creative problem-solving perceptions and abilities. Notably, students demonstrated an attitudinal shift from “getting the work done” to “getting the work done well”, corresponding with a focus on understanding the problem followed by an improvement in solution synthesis. Students also demonstrated improvement in comprehension and metacognitive planning abilities, divergent thinking, their perception of science, and their self-perceived competency in science. This research may suggest how to enhance classroom practices to facilitate a more creative and engaged problem-solving mindset, foster the implementation of creative problem-solving strategies in the classroom, and support existing theories of the intersectionality of metacognition and creative problem solving.

College and university enrollment has decreased nationwide every year for more than a decade as educational consumers increasingly question the value of higher education and discover alternatives to the traditional university system. Enrollment professionals seeking growth are tasked to develop and implement innovative solutions to address increasing enrollment challenges by being responsive to consumer values, interests, and needs. This multi-phase mixed methods action research study explores educational data mining and machine learning to understand and predict the enrollment decisions of admitted applicants (n=3,843) at the online campus of a public research university (phase one). Then, this innovation is distributed to understand how university enrollment professionals (n=7) interpret and are affected by the factors that influence online student enrollment decisions (phase two). Logistic regression was used to evaluate 24 independent variables to classify each applicant into a dichotomous dependent outcome: will an applicant enroll or will they not. The model identified 10 significant predictors and accurately categorized 81% of the enrollment outcomes at its peak. The population was comprised of online adult learners and the findings were carefully compared to the findings of previous studies which differed in institutional settings (on campus) and student populations (first-year students). Additionally, the study aimed to extend the work of previous literature through a second application phase within the local context. The second phase was guided by distributed leadership theory and the four-stage theory of organizational change and introduced the model to enrollment professionals within the local context through participation in a workshop coupled with a pre-/post-workshop survey. This convergent parallel mixed methods design resulted in themes that demonstrated enrollment managers had a genuine desire to understand and apply the model to assist in solving complex enrollment challenges and were interested in using the model to inform their perspectives, decision-making, and strategy development. This study concludes that educational data mining and machine learning can be used to predict the enrollment decisions of online adult students and that enrollment managers can use the data to inform the many enrollment challenges they are tasked to overcome.

A mixed methods action research study was designed to answer three research questions based on inter-rater reliability (IRR) in compliance calls for transition at a state education agency, perceived confidence levels in making and discussing compliance calls, and perceived confidence in sharing transition resources. An innovation based on andragogy and frame of reference training (FOR) was designed and implemented with twelve participants to answer these questions. To measure the effects of the innovation, participants completed a pre-and post-innovation review of five student files, analyzing the IRR for the group as compared with a gold standard (GS) both before and after the innovation. Additionally, a smaller group sample for the same five files post-innovation was collected to compare group results for IRR with the GS to the combined individual results. A retrospective survey was also utilized in which participants rated their confidence in each component pre- and post-innovation. Based upon analyses of these data, several key findings were identified. Higher inter-rater reliability was noted when participants reviewed files within small groups and in the area of annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals aligned with measurable post-secondary goals. Lower IRR was reported in nuanced files, files for students with low-incidence disabilities, and files with more instances of non-compliance. Results indicated that participant confidence in making and discussing transition files in the field improved post-innovation. Lastly, participants indicated higher confidence in sharing best practices in transition with the field post-innovation. Implications for this research include training suggestions, additional practice with low-incidence and nuanced files at the state agency, and group review of files in other state monitoring systems.

First-generation college students (FGCS) are considered underrepresented minorities in healthcare. While there are numerous studies on undergraduate students, little is known about FGCS in graduate programs, as this information has not been routinely collected. As such, diversity has been measured only based on race or ethnicity, which may not capture diversity from a broader definition. Furthermore, current research provides a deficit narrative, presenting these students as lacking in abilities and capital. However, these students were successful as undergraduates to enter graduate school and likely have undisclosed strengths. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to develop a comprehensive understanding of FGCS in graduate healthcare programs. All students enrolled in physical therapy, occupational therapy, or pharmacy programs at Creighton University in Phoenix were invited to complete a survey with items related to demographics, parental educational attainment, cultural capital, help-seeking and help-avoidance, and sense of belonging. Additionally, most of the FGCS in this study participated in semi-structured interviews with questions related to cultural capital and experiences in their current programs. The results show that FGCS in this study demonstrate similar cultural capital, help-seeking and help-avoidance, and sense of belonging as their peers. From the interviews, the FGCS strengths include family support, navigational capital, a desire to give back to their communities by providing care in underserved areas, and they have a desire to connect to faculty and peers. Challenges include family stressors, finances, mental health, and academic issues. These are presented with evidence-based recommendations for faculty and administrators. This study provides a more holistic view of FGCS as they navigate graduate school. By avoiding a deficit narrative, this study improves our understanding of FGCS.