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International students' adjustment has been studied for many years. However, "first-generation" international students have not been adequately explored. International students and first-generation students both have many obstacles they must navigate and adapt to quickly to succeed in school. This study aimed to better understand who first-generation international students are and the types of experiences they have while adjusting to life and college in the United States. To explore this population, qualitative research methods were utilized. There were two portions of this study; the first was a short survey that collected demographic data and asked students to define who first-generation international students are (N=47). The second used participant answers to select international students, who identified themselves as first-generation, to interview (N=8). Throughout data analysis grounded theory methods were utilized. The intersectionality theory framework was also used to investigate the layers of identity participants had and how that might have influenced their experiences. Findings and Conclusions: The first research question explored how international students define first-generation international student. An open-ended survey question was utilized to address this. Three themes were identified and from those the following definition of first-generation international student was proposed, 'those who are the first in their family to study internationally; family is not limited to just parents or siblings'. The second portion of the qualitative data explored the experiences participants had. Support, challenges, cultural adjustment, transition aids, and opportunities were discussed. These findings provided insights on various ways students find help but also showed several challenges as well as gaps in resources afforded to them. Findings of this study provide a basis for a population that should continue to be explored and echoes other studies that highlight the continual growth of this group. Additional insights discuss ways universities might better assist this underserved population by providing programs specific to first-generation international students. As identified through qualitative findings such programs would best serve if geared towards academic and social adjustment support and on-going academic aid. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The pandemic, COVID-19, increased the online activity of millions of adolescents globally resulting in an unprecedented amount of youth using the internet leaving them susceptible to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a global issue that has severe consequences on adolescents' mental health. Teachers have a vital role in the effective implementation of cyberbullying interventions and initiatives. However, teachers' perceptions impact their behaviors and beliefs in cyberbullying prevention and intervention because they may understand the phenomenon in different ways. This qualitative study aimed to understand eight high school teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding their perception of their role in prevention or response to cyberbullying in a Southeastern state during the pandemic from March 2020 to May 2023. Data collected using semi-structured interview was transcribed, analyzed, and coded to identify themes from the perceptions provided by the participants of the study. Seven themes emerged which were: defining cyberbullying, cyberbullying occurrence, teachers' comfort level, difference with students' social skills, create strong relationships with students, actions when encountering cyberbullying, and training. From the conceptual framework of Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the findings stressed how vital professional development is create cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs that give teachers the comprehensive knowledge and confidence to stop students from bullying each other. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation aims to bridge the gap between validity theory and the practice of validation. The dissertation employs a three-article approach. Following the introduction in Chapter I, three independent manuscripts representing three empirical studies are presented (i.e., Chapters II - IV). Each chapter is a stand-alone publishable manuscript, consisting of an introduction, review of literature, methods, results or findings, and discussion and implications. The Chapter II study used the Delphi method to explore measurement experts' conceptions of validity and validation. The purpose of the study was to define and reify three key aspects of validity and validation, namely test-score interpretation, test-score use, and the claims supporting interpretation and use. Definitions were developed through multiple iterations of data collection and analysis. By clarifying the language used when conducting validation, validation may be more accessible to a broader audience, including but not limited to test developers, test users, and test consumers. The Chapter III study used a phenomenological research design to explore K-12 teachers' perceptions of compassion and compassionate leadership. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize and operationalize compassionate leadership from the perspective of K-12 teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Study findings highlight how social interaction, supportive relationships, and workplace culture mediate compassion and compassionate leadership in the context of K-12 education. The Chapter IV validation study used a quantitative approach to examine the Compassionate Leader Behavioral Index for Educators (CLBI-E); an instrument designed to measure compassionate leadership in PreK-12 education. CLBI-E development is described in the Chapter IV study, and Rasch (1960) measurement was used to evaluate validity claims related to the psychometric properties of the CLBI-E. A total of 68 PreK-12 teachers participated in this study. Results suggested the CLBI-E possesses strong psychometric properties; thus, presenting validity evidence based on the internal structure of the instrument. In addition to each Chapter's unique contributions to a respective field of study, Chapter V of the dissertation details how the studies presented in Chapter II, Chapter III, and Chapter IV work together to conceptualize validity and validation in educational and psychological testing. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Background and Purpose: Physical therapy (PT) student academic and clinical success is dependent on their ability to develop clinical reasoning in the first year, especially prior to the first clinical education experience. However, literature has revealed a very low ability of learners to spontaneously transfer basic science knowledge into clinical reasoning. The purpose of this study was to examine entry-level PT student critical thinking ability and understanding of clinical reasoning concepts, study methods, and testing strategies to improve student clinical reasoning. Participants: Study participants included 19 incoming PT students, mean age of 21.3 years, 57.9% female and 100% Caucasian. A focus group determined 11 of the 19 participants were able to provide acceptable definitions of clinical reasoning and thus appropriate for participation in the phenomenological interview regarding clinical reasoning perceptions. Methods: This mixed-methods study utilized the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) to quantify student critical thinking ability. The number of correct responses formed a composite overall score for the entire test and in each of the areas of critical thinking. The composite score was also accompanied by a qualitative rating: Superior (86-100), Strong (79-85), Moderate (70-78), Weak (63-69), or Not Manifested (50-62). Student perceptions of clinical reasoning were gathered via focus group and interviews. Interviews were conducted with 11 eligible students and response saturation was achieved. Interviews were transcribed and codes developed using the MAXQDA data analysis software. Interpretation of the codes developed themes used to answer the research questions. Results: Entry-level incoming PT students displayed overall moderate critical thinking abilities. Additionally, students were able to provide acceptable definitions of clinical reasoning but were largely unaware of Bloom's taxonomy, students understand clinical reasoning study methods involve more than memorization, and students are unaware of approaches to answer clinical reasoning test questions. Significance: Since PT student success is dependent on the ability to develop clinical reasoning skills, educators should introduce critical thinking and clinical reasoning concepts and methods of improvement early, preferably during student orientation. Early education on Bloom's taxonomy, hierarchies of learning, and strategies to answer clinical reasoning test questions has the potential to improve PT student success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Community colleges play an important role in providing access to higher education to underserved student populations who often arrive on campus underprepared for the academic rigor of a college classroom. To support these students, many community colleges have implemented academic coaching programs. Built from professional coaching practices, early studies on academic coaching indicate that it can have a positive impact on student retention and completion rates; however, much of that research has largely focused on the quantitative effects of the practice at four-year institutions, and research conducted on academic coaching at community colleges has indicated difficulty in identifying consistent use of a coaching framework and evaluating it as a practice. This qualitative multi-case study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating shared practices and experiences of three community college academic coaching programs. With the resulting holistic analysis of academic coaching in community colleges using Ives' (2008) coaching dichotomies, this study provides an updated definition of academic coaching in the community college context and implications for practice and creating an opportunity for future studies to evaluate effectiveness of coaching programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact that school learning environment has on student achievement from the perspective of the school employees. The research was carried out using a mixed methods approach, evaluating historical data to determine relationships between school learning environment and student achievement in two rural schools in West Virginia. Current research indicates that a supportive school learning environment influences school success and effectiveness positively (Hattie, 2008). While school culture is identified in various ways throughout the research, the definitions repeatedly align and generally describe the school culture using a combination of the following terms: beliefs, norms, habits, customs, traditions, attitudes, relationships and behaviors within a school (Bayar, 2021) (Atasoy, 2020). While some research seems to indicate that a students' homelife and socioeconomic status contribute to their level of academic achievement (Bradley, 2022), additional research indicates that the schools hold the responsibility of student success in a variety of ways, including positive relationships and a supportive school learning environment (Sack-Min, 2018). The intentions of this study were to contribute to research in identifying the relationship between school learning environment and student achievement as well as to answer the question, "Does the perception of the school learning environment from the perspective of the school employees impact student achievement?" Identifying contributors to increased student achievement will be beneficial to school districts that are trying to improve student learning outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Schools, institutionally designed to formalize education, often leave individuals longing for something more. Multiple disciplines attribute the pursuit of something more to transformation. While a common discussion in academic literature, transformation is underdeveloped in education. This dissertation explored transformational education from a complexity perspective with neurological considerations while investigating the alignment of this construct with American teacher preparation programs. The study contributed to the literature by providing a conceptual framework, including a definition and seven dimensions of transformational education, rooted in the underpinnings of education as dynamic, complex adaptive systems. The study involved a two-stage exploratory sequential mixed methods approach. The first stage included a qualitative grounded theory method through which current literature from multiple disciplines informed the development of a definition, seven dimensions, and a 15-item questionnaire. The study then applied the qualitative findings to a quantitative nonexperimental descriptive cross-sectional analysis, examining whether American teacher preparation programs are designed to support transformational education. Ultimately, the mixed method study highlighted opportunities for educators to align more closely with the dimensions of transformational education, particularly by prioritizing neurological, mastery-based, personalized, holistic, philosophical, and wisdom-cultivating practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This critical ethnography studies five Latino boys, their parents and teachers and how they see themselves as part of the academic community in a public middle school on eastern Long Island. Students were observed in classes and students, parents and teachers were interviewed. Each interview was recorded and transcribed. Tables were created that identified themes. Pragmatic Horizon Analysis was used to understand the nuances of the participants' responses. All members of the study had the same definitions of caring. Many gave examples of Noddings' definition of relational caring. However, when members talked of how teachers should care for students, most members of the study gave examples of virtue caring. All of the boys and teachers in the study saw themselves as part of the academic community and gave examples of ways in which they identified as readers and writers. Parents saw teachers as partners in student learning, but teachers felt parents did not care about their child's education because they did not use the digital tools provided by schools and did not contact the schools. However, parents' denial of their own education and their concern they cannot communicate with schools resulted in parents limiting their contact with teachers. While parents and students had aspirational goals for the boys, eight of the nine teachers felt the boys would pursue vocational occupations in the future. The study supports the idea that some misconceptions are based on racial positioning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Addiction has been conceptualized in various ways throughout history, leading to ongoing debates about its definition and the most effective approaches to treatment. While healthcare professionals and paraprofessionals have long been involved in addiction treatment, there remains a lack of consensus on the best practices for addressing addiction and training of professionals in this area. Although addiction-specific standards have been integrated into counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) since 2009, the latest change of CACREP standards in 2024 has removed addiction standards from all non-addiction specialty tracks. This removal may exacerbate existing concerns regarding students' perceived lack of readiness and self-efficacy in working with individuals struggling with substance use disorders and addictions, as reported in previous research and academic literature (Astramovich & Hoskins, 2013; Chasek et al., 2012; Goluboviv et al., 2021; Kerwin et al., 2006; Lee et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to address this gap by exploring experts' perspectives on the importance of specific elements within addiction education and training, to best inform future CACREP curriculum and development of counselors-in-training (CIT). The research question: "How do experts within the addiction field rank the importance of knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary for adequate addiction training and best practices?". The study employed a mixed methods approach called Q methodology to analyze the data collected. Through open-ended questionnaires, experts in the field of addiction provided their insights on the most important to most unimportant knowledge, skills, and awareness needed to adequately prepare CITs to work with clients experiencing addiction and addiction related concerns. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Drawing upon principles of participatory action research, this study collected input from secondary school stakeholders (teachers, students, caregivers, alumni, staff, and administrators) to create a local definition of quality teaching for students at an urban charter school in the northeastern United States. Analysis of stakeholder input produced four themes, reflecting participants' views of quality teaching: support for students' individual differences, flexible learning structures, development of knowledge about students to engage and build relationships, and development and use of professional knowledge. The resulting definition of quality teaching partially overlaps with the principles of culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, 2012) with shortcomings that must be acknowledged in undertaking equitable change. The project presents a possible model for engaging school stakeholders in solidarity-driven codesign (Ishimaru et al., 2018) and important considerations for doing so, especially within institutional restrictions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color (BIPOC) medical student wellness has been studied almost exclusively by utilizing quantitative research methods. Few studies have looked at BIPOC medical student wellness through qualitative research methods. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to study BIPOC medical student wellness through interviewing, describing, and analyzing their lived experiences while in medical school. This is the first known study utilizing IPA to research the lived experience of BIPOC medical students. With this research, how BIPOC medical students experience personal wellness as they navigate systemic racism in medical schools was investigated. This study was guided by one main research question and two sub-questions. The main guiding question: How do BIPOC medical students make meaning of personal wellness as they navigate historically White medical school ecosystems? The sub-questions included: (a) How do BIPOC medical students define personal wellness for themselves? and (b) What resources do BIPOC medical students point to as their key support systems at predominantly White medical institutions? Intersecting identities, critical race theory (CRT), and ecological systems theory (EST) were considered, and four Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were identified. Conducting future qualitative studies on BIPOC medical student wellness, especially focusing on action-oriented research, is recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation investigates teacher candidates' definitions of inclusive learning and their preparation and confidence to collaborate to create accommodations and modifications for students receiving services and supports in the general education mathematics classroom. Further, the characteristics of the accommodations and modifications they create within small working groups of general educators and intervention specialist teacher candidates provide insight into their beginning attempts at this work. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was originally to create an operational definition of the "appearance of competence" to design valid questions for educational professionals supporting twice-exceptional (2e) learners to create a testing instrument. Through the methodological process of grounded theory, a replacement research question emerged as to how teachers' perceptions of classroom behavior impact how they adapt to and support 2e learners? The Spiral Model of Development (SMD) was chosen as the theoretical framework for this study. Grounded theory was used to construct the central theme, the process of adaptive connection, on how teachers view 2e-typical behavior and respond to learners' needs. The process of adaptive connection aligned with the SMD via Bronfenbrenner's process--person--context--time model. This study was a means of expanding the SMD paradigm shift for teachers to see themselves and their students in an updated relationship where the teacher transitions from a reactive modality to responsiveness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

With numbers over half a million, student-athletes are a significant, yet unique, population on college campuses. They encounter unique experiences and face unique challenges, not the least of which is navigating the competing roles of student and athlete. Navigating these roles within the high-stakes and competitive world of collegiate athletics is the context in which student-athletes must develop a definition of success. Based on the theoretical framework of Chickering and Reisser's (1993) vectors of establishing identity and developing purpose, the purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to determine how student-athletes define success from their personal perspective and move toward a more nuanced understanding of how the development of their student-athlete identity and perspective on career transition informed their definition of success. Seventeen former student-athletes were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured format with open-ended questions. Themes related to the student-athletes' definitions of success, how the definitions changed over time, and how their definitions of success impacted their career transition were identified from the responses. The results of the study suggest student-athletes participate in an iterative process of developing and refining their definition of success as they progress through various experiences and developmental stages. The process is largely reactive and highlighted by an overwhelming lack of intentional decision-making. Recommendations are made for how institutions can more fully support student-athletes through a proactive process of defining success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Academic freedom is an oft-invoked buzzword in debates about campus speech and the American university. But how have courts treated legal disputes where faculty members have invoked academic freedom as a potential constitutional interest? And how do faculty themselves conceptualize academic freedom? The similarities and differences between these two approaches to academic freedom are critical in a political and social climate where universities are a site of contestation. To examine these questions, this dissertation used a mixed-methods approach to academic freedom, drawing from both legal and social science research methods. The legal analysis found that federal courts have been inconsistent in how they consider academic freedom. Though the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken of academic freedom as a "special concern of the First Amendment," the Court has failed to definitively articulate whether academic freedom has constitutional protection. Lacking guidance, lower federal courts have applied academic freedom in contradictory ways. A survey of future university faculty members showed support for academic freedom in a variety of university contexts. Respondents also expressed concern that a lack of academic freedom has a chilling effect on university faculty. However, attitudes about academic freedom were tempered by politics--both in the partisan identity of the respondent and in the political content of a hypothetical professor's speech. Ultimately, this dissertation suggests that legal and professorial conceptions of academic freedom have multiple important differences. While courts have been reluctant to extend academic freedom protections to faculty governance, respondents felt that academic freedom was necessary in their interactions with colleagues and administrators. Conversely, while federal jurisprudence has held that public employee speech as a citizen on a matter of public concern is generally protected by the First Amendment, respondents were less likely to speak as citizens due to concerns about a lack of academic freedom. By blurring definitional boundaries, these differences may undercut the use of academic freedom as a primary justification for the protection of professorial speech. This dissertation concludes by emphasizing the limited nature of constitutional protection for academic freedom before offering avenues for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation explores bridge n-sections of knotted surfaces in 4-manifolds by defining invariants that measure the complexity of their topology and by giving geometric constructions that determine Lagrangian surfaces in 4-manifolds under certain conditions. First, we present an elegant geometric construction that generates all triple grid diagrams. A triple grid diagram is a combinatorial representation of certain knotted surfaces in [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 2], which can determine a Lagrangian surface under specific conditions. Previously, only a few examples of triple grid diagrams were known, and no efficient method for producing examples existed. Our key insight is to approach the search by focusing on the abstract, Tait-colored cubic graph [gamma] that we aim to realize through a triple grid diagram, rather than conditioning on the grid size n. From this viewpoint, the problem reduces to pure linear algebra and can be solved efficiently in polynomial time, as compared to testing pairs of permutations, which requires O((n!)[superscript 2])-time. This work is a collaboration with Lambert-Cole. Second, we define invariants L* and L[superscript P] of bridge n-sections of knotted surfaces in 4- manifolds. These invariants measure the complexity of knotted surfaces in terms of paths in the dual cut complex and pants complex, respectively, of a closed, oriented surface. These invariants generalize previous L-invariants for trisected 4-manifolds. We establish fundamental properties of these invariants, distinguish them from previous L-invariants, and compute them for several explicit examples. Additionally, we prove that these invariants detect unknotted surfaces in certain 4-manifolds. This is joint work with Aranda, Blackwell, Karimi, Kim, Meyer and Pongtanapaisan. Third, we introduce quadruple grid diagrams for the 4-section of [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 1] x [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 1], analogous to triple grid diagrams for [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 2]. Due to their highly symmetric nature, we modify the construction to define quasiquadruple grid diagrams. The additional flexibility of quasiquadruple grid diagrams has the ability to determine embedded Lagrangian surfaces in [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 1] x [doublestruck C doublestruck P superscript 1] under certain conditions, following an adapted version of the similar construction for triple grid diagrams. Furthermore, we generalize the notion to define geometric n-tuple grid diagrams for toric sympletic manifolds. This work is joint with Fushida-Hardy and Wakelin. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study serves to collate and evaluate measures of self-directed learning (SDL), with the goal of guiding the measurement and discussion of SDL. Used in a variety of settings, many applications of SDL have been proposed, but a consistent definition has yet to be formulated. Despite the lack of a cohesive definition, several tools exist to measure SDL. Within this study, which implemented the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) protocols, 157 articles were analyzed for content and themes were identified. An important finding of this study was a definite lack of cohesion in application and understanding of SDL as a framework. While some regard it as a stand-alone learning intervention, others address it as a personality trait. Close examination of the instruments used to measure SDL led to the conclusion that it is both inappropriate and ineffective to continue using, as they broadly lack construct validity and generalizability. Limitations of this study are single subject research, number studies available within databases used, and lack of raw data from studies covered. Future research surrounding the conceptual framework and instrumentation is indicated to further develop the field's understanding of SDL's value and implications. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There needs to be more information on how teachers use social-emotional learning (SEL) in the elementary classroom. The problem is that elementary teachers' familiarity with effectively teaching SEL lessons in the general education classroom is unknown. A gap in literature exists, including research that explores elementary teachers' knowledge of SEL in metro Atlanta Title 1 schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the elementary teachers teaching in Grades K-5, their knowledge, and their perspectives on effectively implementing SEL in education. The theoretical framework shows how the sociocultural learning theory supports the study. Three research questions focus on how teachers define SEL, implement SEL, and on their professional development on SEL. A case study design was used with a sample size of 20 out of a target population of 51 certified K-5 educators. Participants were selected using a questionnaire; they gave their signed consent and then participated in an interview and focus group. The data were hand coded using a theoretical thematic analysis framework. Seven final themes were found: self-awareness, social awareness, relationships, effects on academic performance, lack of proper training, lack of support, and lack of time. Results show that teachers define SEL as self-awareness and social awareness. Teachers implement SEL by building relationships with students, and they say social-emotional development affects students' academic performance. Teachers expressed a lack of proper training, support, and time for SEL. Recommendations for further research include identifying an expanded participant sample for a quantitative study or using different schools or ongoing professional development for a qualitative study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Professionalism is a required curricular component in accredited medical laboratory science (MLS) programs in the United States and is a critical element for career success and optimal patient care. A standardized definition of professionalism in MLS, however, has yet to be established. This poses a challenge to MLS programs when pertaining to teaching professionalism to MLS students. To explore a novel method for teaching professionalism in MLS, interactive and virtually simulated case studies were designed and built to cover three professional behaviors required of MLS professionals. Before and after case study completion, students (n= 49) responded to a survey designed using the theory of planned behavior, measuring the constructs of attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and intentions as predictors of behavior. Students were also asked to define professionalism in MLS before and after completing the case studies. According to survey results, upon completion of the virtually simulated case studies, the impact of subjective norms on students' professional behavior increased significantly (p < 0.05). Elements of subjective norms were also present in students' definitions of professionalism in MLS. As compared to their initial definitions, students' revised definitions of professionalism in MLS exhibited more concrete ideas such as examples of what professional behavior looks like and examples of the outcomes of such behavior, demonstrating learning due to the virtually simulated case studies. The findings of this study provide MLS educators with insight regarding a standardized definition of professionalism in MLS along with evidence of an effective teaching method for professionalism skills required of MLS students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of instructional coaches in order to understand the ways in which context influenced their view of their roles and how they supported teacher growth. The theoretical and conceptual foundations for this study include a distributed perspective, a phenomenologically informed lens, and a pragmatic worldview. The sample consisted of 9 elementary instructional coach participants from different content areas and programs provided within the site. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a review of the district's instructional coaching program documents were used, and thematic analysis led to four findings that encompassed the contextual conditions that challenged or propelled the work of the instructional coach. Conclusions from this study found that these contextual components are a great focal point for districts to consider when implementing a well-established instructional coaching program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study sought to explore whether access to definitions and general representations influences the construction of general direct arguments. Data was collected in college mathematics courses for prospective elementary school teachers. Participant arguments were analyzed along two variables: the generality of the representations and the viability of the conceptual insight they included. Participants were given one of three proving tasks. One task included no definitions, one task included definitions in the conceptual register, and the third task included definitions in the symbolic register. A randomized block design was used to explore the relationship between the definitions and the two variables. Qualitative methods were used to explore how participants intended their arguments. This study found that: (1) the inclusion of definitions on proving tasks does not have a substantial influence on the generality of the arguments or the viability of the conceptual insight used and (2) examples and algebraic representations were used as placeholders to demonstrate a procedure and to stand for the domain as a class of objects. The findings also indicate that the manner in which students are generalizing about the domain of the claim determines the structure of the domain they attend to, the conceptual insights available to them, and thus their ability to construct a viable argument. Future research is needed to connect the existing understanding of actions that support student generalization to supporting students in developing viable general direct proof. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Among college students in the United States nationally, non-suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviors have become alarmingly and increasingly common. Among those willing to disclose, recent estimates indicate 25-30% engaged in NSSI in 2020 alone. Prevalence is significantly elevated among students who identify as a sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning, etc. [LGBQ[plus]]), with estimates indicating an average of 40% of these students reporting NSSI. However, escalation in severity and prevalence over the last decade has been accompanied by stagnant, low rates of help-seeking among these students, who appear to only be willing to disclose and pursue formal treatment upon experiencing severe distress and suicidality. A review of the existing literature revealed internalized stigma as a key variable that appears to explain both the escalation in self-harm engagement and lack of willingness to seek support. Several gaps in the literature were also identified, including: (1) lack of an expansive, inclusive definition of self-harm, (2) lack of inclusion of self-harm and sexual orientation as variables of interest in nationally-representative research investigating college student help-seeking attitudes and behavior, and (3) lack of investigation into the influence of different types of internalized stigma on the relationship between self-harm and help-seeking, including stigma directly related to self-harm behavior and stigma related to sexual orientation. This study employed a correlational analysis approach to understanding relationships between the study's key variables, including psychological distress, severity of self-harm engagement, willingness to seek psychological help, and three distinct types of internalized stigma: internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI), internalized stigma of self-harm (ISSH), and internalized heterosexism (IH). The three variables of internalized stigma and severity of self-harm engagement were also investigated for their ability to predict willingness to seek psychological help. A sample of college students (n = 302), recruited via the online crowdsourcing platform Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), completed a brief self-report survey of their experience. Measures included the Kessler 10-item Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Tool (NSSI-AT), the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Inventory-10 (ISMI-10), the Self-Injury Social Reactions Questionnaire (SI-SRQ), the Sexual Identity Distress Scale (SIDS), and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Results of correlational and regression analyses indicated that internalized stigma and severity of self-harm engagement were significantly associated with willingness to seek psychological help among this sample. In the overall sample, which included students with and without self-harm engagement, ISMI was the most significant predictor of willingness to seek help, regardless of sexual orientation. However, among students who did engage in self-harm, at any level of severity, the severity of their self-harm was the predominant predictor of their willingness to seek formal psychological help, over and above the effects of internalized stigma. Results also supported significant relationships between ISMI, ISSH, and IH among the target sample of participants who identify with all three of these minority identities: mental illness, self-harm engagement, and LGBQ[plus] identity. Among LGBQ[plus] students, self-harm severity was additionally related to IH, such that those with greater IH reported more severe self-harm. Surprisingly, when measured dichotomously between heterosexual and LGBQ[plus] students, no significant differences in severity, internalized stigma, or help-seeking willingness were found between students based on sexual orientation. Additionally, psychological distress was found to be unrelated to any other variable of interest. These findings support the existing literature that self-harm is prevalent and severe among college students, and add to the literature by demonstrating that internalized stigma and increasing severity of self-harm explain students' reluctance to seek the help of formal psychological services. As such, it is imperative that clinicians and other professionals who serve these students are prepared to competently, and compassionately, evaluate and treat severe self-harm engagement, in order to reduce the likelihood of amplifying the effects of internalized stigma that prevent students from seeking help initially. Among other recommendations, results implicate future research to: (1) define self-harm utilizing a comprehensive, evaluative approach that does not require participants to self-identify and label their behavior, (2) further investigate internalized stigma as a barrier to help-seeking utilizing a multi-faceted definition that separately measures stigma related to various minority identities, including specifically toward self-harm engagement and LGBQ[plus] identity, (3) further analyze internalized stigma as a co-variate in courses of illness that include self-harm engagement, and (4) explore the efficacy of interventions designed to reduce internalized stigma (toward mental illness, self-harm engagement, and LGBQ[plus] identity) for their ability to potentially reduce self-harm severity, increase willingness to seek formal psychological help, and increase service utilization. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation surveys several landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases of academic freedom in the 20th and 21st century to argue for the value of a tolerant and liberal interpretation of unrestricted academic freedom. Central to its argument is a defense of Oliver Wendell Holmes 1919 ruling in "Abrams" that society is best served where all expressions are tested in a "marketplace of ideas," a term first used by John Stuart Mill in his 1859 essay, "On Liberty." In an era of increasing casualization of academic labor (the adjunct labor force) and political paranoia about terror, I conclude that the continual defense and affirmation of academic freedom as a concept is particularly necessary to counterbalance repressive forces on academic knowledge production. I argue that the idea of academic freedom in America, expressed in the American Association of University Professor's "1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure," has been greatly limited by social and political developments in the 20th and 21st centuries. The consequence of the erosion of academic freedom within the American academy is that generations of future students will not question or challenge the status quo. By looking at the erosion of academic freedom, I will argue that the philosophical basis of academic freedom must reside in the "marketplace of ideas," and that contemporary labor practices threaten to extinguish academic freedom as it has been defined for over 100 years. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study explored two aspects of K-12 core content area teachers' experiences with digital citizenship through the Connectivism lens (Siemens, 2005). First, it explored how teachers instruct students on digital citizenship topics, including how they define digital citizenship and integrate it into their core content area curriculum. Second, it examined teachers' experiences and needs regarding digital citizenship professional development. This study followed a basic qualitative approach and used interviews with a follow-up questionnaire to gather data. Participants' responses were analyzed using Fereday and Muir-Cochrane's (2006) six-step, hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. Findings and discussion were presented through the learning theory of Connectivism. Information on how core content area teachers define digital citizenship was summarized using the S3 Guiding Principles from Ribble and Park (2019). Information on teachers' experiences integrating digital citizenship into their core content curriculum revealed five major themes: Responsibility, Student Behavior, News & Media Literacy, Non-Cognitive Competencies, and Technology Use. Findings related to professional development experiences were presented through five broad themes: Personal Learning Networks, Parenting & Family, Self-Exploration, Technology Facilitators & Other Technology Champions, and Participating in the Digital World. Findings related to teachers' professional development needs regarding integrating digital citizenship into their core content curriculum were summarized through three themes: making this content relevant and authentic for their students, raising awareness among their peers to build a community around teaching digital citizenship, and identifying resources to integrate this subject matter into their curricula. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to examine how six formerly homeschooled individuals, aged 19-45 who received at least five years of homeschooling, perceive their current life satisfaction through multiple means of data collection: biographic sketch survey, recorded audio from Zoom interviews, field notes, and a digital storytelling exercise. This case study, that was bounded by the participants' homeschooled experience, sought to examine formerly homeschooled students' perceptions of their current life satisfaction through the lens of symbolic interactionism. The research was guided by the following research questions: How do individuals, aged 19-45 who were previously homeschooled for more than five years, perceive their current life satisfaction? and How do individuals, aged 19-45 who were previously homeschooled for more than five years, describe the influence of homeschooling on their current life satisfaction? Direct answers via biographical sketch survey, interview transcripts, and digital storytelling exercise shed light on how formerly homeschooled students aged 19-45 view their current life satisfaction and how homeschooling impacted that perception. Three themes emerged from the data: Participants' perceptions of their current life satisfaction were positive; Homeschooling was not the only factor to contribute to their current life satisfaction; and Homeschooling impacted their current life satisfaction. The findings from this qualitative collective case study suggest that formerly homeschooled individuals have a positive view of their current life. Through the lens of symbolic interactionism theory, every participant defined life satisfaction based on their own experiences and how they interpret their world. While many of the definitions were similar, it varied for each participant due to their life experience and the meanings of items such as family, children, friends, career, hobbies, and animals that contributed to their current life satisfaction, which supports "Life satisfaction is a cognitive judgment by which an individual evaluates the quality of life according to their own criteria" (Pavot & Diener, 2009 as cited in Ataserver et al., 2023, p. 23).The research also showed that homeschooling was not the only factor that contributed to the participants' perception of their current life satisfaction. Homeschooling did not have an impact on the participants' perception of their current life satisfaction whether that experience was positive or negative. My research confirmed that formerly homeschooled students can lead fulfilling lives and have a high life satisfaction, even if they did not enjoy every aspect of their homeschooling experience. This study serves to inform homeschooling parents to better recognize their child's future life satisfaction has the potential to be based on the homeschooling experience. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Innovative learning environments are increasingly built and implemented in schools, but are not necessarily being used according to designers' intentions. The goal of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of the innovative learning spaces they were charged with using and to determine if they were being used effectively and as designed. The research was guided by three basic questions: what were the teachers' perceptions of these spaces, was the teacher pedagogy need to change to accommodate the space, and did the teacher feel support by campus leadership. The fourth research question centered around the goals and vision of the design team that created the innovative learning space. The crux of the issue was that the districts vision for the space came to fruition once the teachers were in the actual space with the students. This qualitative study interviewed seven teachers in the educational setting and separately interviewed the design team. The results indicated that some of the teachers were unaware of the definition of an innovative space and believed that they were utilizing the space in ways that met the designs of the campus leadership. Furthermore, teachers felt the new designs caused a classroom management issue as well as safety and security concerns. The design team felt that teachers needed more training on how to use the innovative spaces and that they were not being used as intended. To inform future school and district policies as well as educational leadership practices, more work is needed around what types of training might be more effective in helping teachers make a pedagogical change if assigned to an innovative learning environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There have been multiple studies with regard to the different aspects of soccer hooliganism throughout the world; the majority of these have been focused internationally. The most common trends of hooliganism examined include: harassment, vandalism, fighting, theft, public intoxication, and crowd disorder revolving around the game of soccer in countries throughout the world. This phenomenon has been analyzed in detail in the United States with regard to the big four: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. However, while soccer is the most popular sport in other countries, it lags in comparative popularity in the United States. To date, there has not yet been extensive research into the development of the phenomenon known as soccer "hooliganism" in the United States. Furthermore, there is ambiguity with regards to the definition of hooliganism, what constitutes it and what does not. Radmann (2014) demonstrated that the terms hooligan and hooliganism are problematic, as they are not emotionally neutral. Additionally, the media uses these terms interchangeably to indicate multiple different phenomena revolving around soccer games. This study examined survey results from NAIA soccer players and their perception of hooliganism within the context of professional soccer in the United States. Additionally, the economic impact of hooliganism on professional soccer clubs was examined. It should be noted that many NAIA soccer players actually hail from other countries where hooliganism is prevalent, and as such, they have an understanding of its implications. The survey instrument consisted of questions regarding the perception of hooliganism and the propensity of hooliganism to occur in the United States. Each element of hooliganism was distinguished based on significance determined by the players, and conclusions were drawn to identify the perception of hooliganism and propensity for hooliganism to occur in the United States. Furthermore, the survey provided insight regarding the economic implications of hooliganism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examines the concept of Meaningful Digital Learning using a Grounded Theory research framework to provide a definition for it and identify its main characteristics. The concept of Meaningful Digital Learning was studied from the perspective of 10 undergraduate students in the College of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Data was collected using focus groups and analyzed using Charmaz's (2006) Constructivist Grounded Theory Method. The study produced a Grounded Theory for Meaningful Digital Learning comprised of three main hypotheses: (1) Meaningful Digital Learning is a cognitive emotional process that is achieved through the conglomeration of five conceptual themes: Learner Control, Goal Achievement, Interactive Experience, Stimulation and Engagement, and Real-Life Simulation. (2) Establishing a Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment supports Meaningful Digital Learning. (3) Effective interaction between Digital Learner, Digital Instructor, and Digital Asset facilitates Meaningful Digital Learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in political activism. The research question "How do undergraduate students who attend universities describe political activism, engagement, and acceptance on campus?" was used to guide the data collection process. A basic qualitative research methodology was used, including semistructured interview questions to collect information and NVivo qualitative analysis software to analyze the data. Constructivism and critical theory served as the theoretical framework. For this study, a sample of 10 undergraduate students from a university in the southcentral United States volunteered to participate. The participants were at least 18 years old and had experiences with political activism. The focus of the study was on their definition of political activism, involvement, and perceived acceptance among students and higher education leaders. Findings revealed undergraduate students are motivated by complicated topics, such as racism, police brutality, voting rights, and gender equality. In addition, the participants shared their experiences with higher education leaders regarding political activism. The findings may be useful to students thinking about participating in political activism and higher education leaders in understanding political activism among students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

High-quality teachers have been shown to be a foundational component in the success of students in k-12 education. High-quality teacher recruitment, selection, and retention become a cornerstone of a high quality school. The problem, of identifying, hiring, and retaining high quality teachers, is addressed in this dissertation. The school had to replace over half of their teachers in a nine-month period for assorted reasons such as relocation, retirement, and new job opportunities. The new teachers hired in this period had a churn rate of 50%. Administrators reported that this turnover of new teachers was centered on the lack of students achieving positive learning outcomes and the lack of connection to the students The three journal articles investigated how to identify and retain high quality teachers and how high quality teachers impact student and school success and its application in a small private school environment. Quality teachers are the single most important influence on the success of a student and consequently the success and growth of a private school in a competitive environment (Balossi and Hernandez, 2015). Article 1 is An Integrative Review of Literature on definitions of teacher quality using the methods outlined by Torraco (2005,2016). This article shows how an integrative literature review of 382 publications resulted in more than 250 definitions of teacher quality that was subsequently merged into 40 descriptions of teacher quality and lists the characteristics, personal qualities, and skills of high quality teachers. This dissertation addresses a matter of significant importance for one small private school that had to replace a large percent of teachers and had higher than desired churn rates. This dissertation uses a three-article approach to address this problem. The first step in addressing the problem is to have a clear understanding of what is a high quality teacher based on evidence from research. The next step, for this specific setting, is to explore how a variety of stakeholders from a small private preparatory school including administrators, parents, and teachers view high quality teachers. Finally, take the findings from article 1 and article 2 and apply them to create a method to continuously improve the selection and retention of high-quality teachers in a small private preparatory school. Article one is an integrative review of literature that sought to answer the questions: (1) How does the literature define a quality teacher and (2) What are the specific characteristics, personal qualities, and knowledge assets of quality teachers? Article 2 utilized a q-methodology approach to engage key stakeholders: teachers; administrators; and parents to group and prioritize the definitions of a quality teacher. Article 3 describes what is needed to put into practice what is learned from the literature review and Q-Sort methodology using improvement science methodologies such as the Carnegie Foundation "The Six Core Principles of Improvement" (Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, & Lemahieu, 2015) and implemented with the Spiral Human Performance Improvement Model (Marker et al, 2014). Tools such as Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle, and Ishikawa's Fishbone diagram (a.k.a. Cause and Effect Diagram) were used to drill down into causality to create action steps. The school's recruiting and selection process was changed to a Behavior-Based Interviewing method(BBI) using a rubric acquired from the research on the definition of a high quality teacher. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Diversity and inclusion are well regarded as beneficial and advantageous for communities, organizations, institutions, and societies. Equity or fairness is commonly understood as necessary for democracy. Public perception about what institutions can and should be doing to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, (DEI), continues to change as social, political and legal ideology changes. Prior approaches to solving problems around DEI in higher education have involved inclusive programming and resources for vulnerable populations, strategic admissions practices to increase representation of minorities, addition of diversity content to curriculum, multicultural programming and events, and retention initiatives. However, the elite sector still does not reflect the demographics of the larger society and equity and education justice have not yet be reached. (Elite institutional status is based on wealth or institutional resources, power/influence, selectivity, and prestige). Minoritized groups still experience exclusion and marginalization. Institutions often fail to identify the root causes of stagnant DEI and continually defer to "best practices" to solve their diversity problems. In many cases, there are a limited set of considerations when developing policy and actions and initiatives are not aligned with overall purpose and goals. Despite the monetary resources allocated to advancing formal institutional practice, resources are not consistently allocated or distributed to support clear sets of strategic efforts across higher education or within the elite sector. An initial literature review revealed that DEI work covers different elements in different higher education institutions (universities), indicating that there may be conflicting frameworks and goals informing practitioners internally and externally. There is no prevalent existing framework or theory that practitioners utilize across the field, leaving questions about the effectiveness and validity of any one method or approach. Differences in institutional approach to DEI may stem from ideological or theoretical debates or from fundamental differences in institutional mission, purpose, culture and values. Research about the institutional framing of DEI work has not yet been done. Ideology within DEI discourse has not been studied. Neither DEI design, framing nor ideology have been studied comprehensively with grounded theory or analyzed with multiple critical theoretical lenses. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies have focused primarily on differences in outcomes for social groups, admissions and completion statistics, micro-level experiences, the compliance aspect of DEI work, and administrative practices. The ideology studies focus on "diversity ideology" and do not focus on elites or triangulate data sources. While rankings based on quantitative diversity data (i.e., "demographics") are available to the public, there is no recorded data about how the elements of DEI policies are qualitatively crafted and presented in the media. This dissertation filled these voids in the policy research by exploring how elite higher education institutions construct DEI practice through definitions, design, framing and ideology. I began with the following four questions: 1) How is DEI policy institutionally defined and designed in elite higher education, 2) How do institutions frame DEI, 3) What theoretical ideologies are represented in institutional and public discourse, and 4) What are the implications for knowledge, power and privilege? I applied constructivist grounded theory (ConGT) methodology and textual analysis to study elite higher education institutions as policy developers and producers of knowledge and ideology. I explored institutional DEI as it is presented in web spaces because these sites play an important role in regulating institutional and public understanding of DEI work and the educational experience at Universities. I triangulated institutional website data with public discourse that creates, represents, and reproduces dominant and alternative frames and ideologies. I developed an aspect framework, frame typology and scheme of ideologies that can inform DEI practice. Through applying critical theories to grounded theory, the study produces a critical grounded theory and analysis. As part of my critical analysis, I introduce new theoretical concepts--"populations of interest," "intersectionally minoritized," "privilege-consciousness," "systemic exclusion," and "institutional identity" (face, voice, and character). The study develops Critical Institutional Identity Theory (CIIT), which can be utilized to study DEI at institutions and organizations as well as other social phenomena. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

For many students with disabilities, exclusion from the general education classroom is common. Educational agencies are required to follow the policies mandated by IDEA. Educators need to understand how to meet needs of students with disabilities and follow the legal mandates as equitably and effectively as possible. They are required to implement both: meeting student need, and legal mandates, without clarification of either concept. Ambiguity and uncertainty of the concept of inclusive practices often obstruct the most appropriate placement for students with disabilities which, in turn, impedes the ability of students to gain the most value from their educational experience. The purpose of this inquiry was to reveal commonalities among stakeholders in their perceptions about educational inclusion and inclusive practices within the state of Louisiana. The study surveyed administrators, teachers, policymakers, advocates, parents, and former students, across the state. This research set out to establish commonalities among instructional, organizational, and ideological perceptions that define inclusion. Three data collection instruments were used. These were The Attitudes Towards Teaching All Students (ATTAS-mm) instrument, the Parents Attitudes Toward Inclusion (PATI) scale, and Survey of Inclusion Services (SIS), a researcher-developed instrument. The omnibus survey was prepared for electronic distribution via Survey Monkey. A directed form of the survey was developed for the targeted groups.Findings from this study verified that educational inclusion is demanding and meeting the needs of the individual with a disability is difficult. A brief, one-sentence definition of educational inclusion is not comprehensive enough to cover the magnitude of the concept. Therefore, this researcher would propose a definition of inclusion that demands and employs the following inclusionary strategies that drive practice. (1) A student-centered communicative relationship must be established, where members feel valued, seen, and heard. An unfair advantage occurs when unvoiced concerns emerge unexpectedly, commonly to the detriment of the student, the team, and the relationship. (2) Attitudes must be positive, with a willingness to emphasize and accept the similarities of students with and without disabilities rather than the differences. Including students with disabilities in the Gen-ed classroom, based primarily on the need for socialization, or because of the label or exceptionality associated with the student is unfair to the student, peers, and the educator, often leading to an unintended inequality in the classroom. (3) A student-centered expectation of shared responsibility for all students, including those with disabilities, is mandatory. This expectation will encourage "relationships" that will foster improved access to equitable educational opportunities for all students. (4) Instruction must be student-centric. Student needs and requirements must be considered in the planning and delivery of content. (5) Developing positive relationships among all members involved in educating a student with a disability must remain a priority. All members should be supportive and supported as they work together for the common good of the child's education. (6) Student acceptance, not just tolerance, is key to producing well-adjusted, hard-working individuals. The student should know that they have value by how they are treated and accepted by others. (7) Decisions on the academic setting must target specific student needs and student tolerance for the academic environment. The student must benefit from his placement and feel that he belongs there. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The study of engagement has become recognized by engagement researchers, educational practitioners, and administrative policy makers as having the potential for offering solutions to many of the concerns associated with aspects of modern formal learning environments. Engagement may afford protective aspects for students who have (or are in danger of becoming) identified as at-risk; students that traditionally have disproportionately come from historically underserved communities of color and low socio-economic status. Despite the acknowledged potential, inconsistencies in research uses of the concept have hindered reliable measures of an integrated form of engagement. This research reconceptualizes engagement as the experiential manifestation (manner of existence) as well as the functional manifestation (purpose of existence) of momentary episodes of the psychological characteristics established from conventional modern research as constructs of the concept. The reconceptualization of engagement as a two-dimensional construct of the privately and publicly manifested episodes of psychological characteristics affords an integrated measure of the concept as the product of the determinate dimensional constructs of intra- and inter-engagement. This study was the initial use of the integrated engagement model developed from the quadrants of integrated engagement conceptual framework derived from this reconceptualization. The investigation relied on a non-experimental, relational correlational, quantitative analytical research methodology. The objective in testing the model was to identify if correlational relationships existed among the investigated characteristic episodes. Statistically significant correlational relationships were found to exist among the engagement variables as well as participant academic achievement variables. Findings suggest further analysis of the model is warranted to determine the efficacy of its use as a measure of integrated engagement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Research and understanding of principals' definitions of inclusion, along with the leadership competencies they identify as necessary in supporting this definition, is lacking and has not been done in this study's context previously. The purpose of this study was to understand how school principals define inclusion as it pertains to students with disabilities and to identify the associating leadership competencies they view as supporting that definition. The researcher utilized qualitative methods and a phenomenological research approach to carry out the study. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to gather the data for the study. Four principals from an urban school district in Phoenix, Arizona were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed, reviewed for accuracy, and analyzed. The findings of this study reflect the variety in principals' definitions of inclusion and the leadership standards they associate with supporting that definition. While variation exists in definitions and standards among participants, several common themes were identified. In defining inclusion for students with disabilities common themes included intentionality, access, same experience, heterogeneous grouping, and team-teaching. Participants identified several different leadership standards that aligned with their definitions of inclusion. Four leadership standards were identified by different combinations of two participant responses. One leadership standard was identified by all participants as supporting definitions of inclusion for students with disabilities. Findings indicated participant's experiences as teachers, assistant principals, and principals impacted their definitions of inclusion of students with disabilities. Findings also suggested a principal's focus on a particular model of teaching impacts their view of whether or not they "do" inclusion and, therefore, potentially limits their focus on and support of inclusive practices for students with disabilities. Finally, findings revealed PSEL Standard 4: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment was essential to all participant's definitions of inclusion. Given this, district and school leaders should examine how students with disabilities are provided access to the general education curriculum and provide training to teachers on how to support students with disabilities accessing this content. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The concept of nanotechnology has existed since Richard Feynman's inaugural lecture at the California Institute of Technology in 1959. As a coined term, the honor went to Norio Taniguchi in 1974. Since those two epochs, like any other STEM field, there are two significant concentrations: how to teach it and what it means epistemologically as a body of knowledge. Since the National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2000, the commercial market has made nanotechnology products ubiquitous to consumers, though not readily considered in their purchase decisions. There is a general lack of consensus on the definition of nanotechnology and the central motivation for individuals from all cultural backgrounds to pursue studies, prepare, and a career in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology combines STEM disciplines; it is fitting to look at motivations from traditional fields as overlap or divergences may exist. A more straightforward definition of the field will facilitate better communication between academia and industry. This study aims to discern the influences, motivations, and experiences leading to nanotechnology and STEM career commitment, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities. The research questions pursued are (1) what influences, motivations, and experiences drive undergraduate or graduate students to choose to pursue STEM disciplines like nanotechnology; (2) apply this learning to an existing nanoengineering, nanoscience population; (3) apply these learnings in recruitment efforts to bring more women and underrepresented minorities into nanoengineering and nanoscience fields. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

School bullying is a significant health concern for youth worldwide. The struggle to combat bullying in schools is an ongoing issue. There is no universally accepted definition for bullying, though there is widespread agreement. The voice and understanding of those that experience bullying the most has not been considered in defining and describing bullying in the literature. This phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experience of rural middle school students who had been bullied. Participants were rural middle school students, in grades 6-8, who had filed a bullying report in the past two years. Findings suggested four main themes with one subtheme that indicated rural middle school students had a deeper description of bullying than the accepted definition in the literature. Their descriptions were thick with feelings and emotions demonstrating that bullying is a very personal experience, deep seeded in challenging emotions. Themes also indicated that students had a resilient spirit that gave them great strength to cope. With the voice of students being heard, the experience of bullying for rural middle school students today can be better understood and the work done to prevent harmful long-term consequences can be more effective. Specific areas of future research and suggestions for future interventions are identified. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Organizations advance and grow by solving problems one at a time, and management graduates should possess critical thinking and problem-solving capacities to be effective business managers and creative engineers. The problem was that critical thinking and creative problem solving are operationally ill-defined in engineering and management education. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover how, if at all, the engineering and management scholar-practitioner community in British Columbia, Canada, perceives the concepts of critical thinking and creative problem-solving. A three-prong critical thinking conceptual framework was used as template for defining and relating the two key concepts of the study. Research questions asked about operational definitions of critical thinking and creative problem solving and any relationships between them. Data were collected by interviewing eleven participants, with experience as educators and practitioners, and thematized into concepts for developing a theory that describes the perceived meanings of critical thinking and its relation to problem-solving. Findings included that employer's expectations can be better met through critical thinking employees' contributions to find the right problems and solve, or manage, them effectively. Finally, it was illustrated that positive social change ensued from improving the critical thinking and problem-solving capacity of graduates, as they support to their organizations in delivering products and services of value to elevate the living standards of society at large. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Mathematical definitions are central to learning and doing mathematics. Research has uncovered significant differences between how mathematicians and non-mathematicians construct, reason about, and refine mathematical definitions. Various strands of research provide insight into the development of definitional practices, yet an integrated approach to addressing foundational questions of development is lacking. Further, existing approaches often fail to account for the conventional nature of mathematical definitions and the social nature of defining practices. In the first paper of this dissertation, I present a sociocultural framework in which mathematical definitions are treated as cultural forms that emerge to serve specialized functions in collective practices. Building upon Saxe's (2012) treatment of the development of mathematical ideas, I describe the development of definitional practices as constituted through processes of micro-, onto-, and socio-genesis of definitional form-function relations. In the second and third papers of this dissertation, I present two empirical studies that utilize the framework described in the first paper to examine similarities and differences in undergraduate mathematics and humanities students' approaches to defining mathematical terms related to rational number. Study 1 examines participants' conceptualizations of the function and forms of mathematical definitions. Study 2 examines participants' process of defining, with a focus on the formulation and iterative refinement of definitions for three foundational mathematical ideas -- fractions, multiplication, and division. Results provide evidence of two distinct definitional practices. Mathematics students tended to define for communication and proof, as they constructed and frequently revised definitions aimed at setting a standard for how a word form could be used across a disciplinary community. Humanities students tended to define for learners, constructing definitions aimed at advancing understanding and providing procedural instructions, often defining by example. Findings imply that while college mathematics majors are being enculturated into mathematical practices of defining for a disciplinary audience, work needs to be done to provide pathways for more students to engage in mathematically authentic practices of defining. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This exploratory phenomenological dissertation research evaluated students', instructors', and administrators', definitions and perceived value of experiential learning pedagogies. The research comprised interviews in late 2018 and early 2019 within a program run by a large public American university on its Singapore campus (pseudonym AmUAsia). At the time of this research, the Singapore Ministry of Education was actively promoting the inclusion of educational methods that moved beyond lectures and exams (Meng, 2018; Ministry of Education, 2021). Mr. Ng Chee Meng stated, "Students learn through experimentation--they try, fail, try, learn from it and try again (Meng, 2018, Paragraph 40). It is within this Singapore national education context that AmUAsia operates. With each of the interview groups--students, instructors, and administrators--the research questions explored the definitions of experiential learning, personal descriptions of instances of experiential learning at AmUAsia, and assessment of the value of experiential learning. The conceptual framework incorporated Dewey (1938), Lave (1991), and Lave and Wenger (1991), with focus on the contrast between learning through lecturers alone and learning through experiential activities, usually when combined with lectures. The data analysis lens was the Kolb (2015) Experiential Learning Theory (KELT) model, but with modifications from Bergsteiner et al. (2010) to account for the continuum from "student as receiver to student as actor." The data from this research indicated that every student participant could share examples of experiential learning. Every AmUAsia instructor used some form of experiential learning method. The three AmUAsia administrators all discussed positive value for experiential learning. However, most instructors gave little or no thought to their teaching methods with respect to experiential learning. The students had not heard about experiential learning before I interviewed them. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This mixed methods cross-sectional survey study framed in amalgamation theory (Ehri, 2020) and the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) explored the ways in which k-2 general classroom teachers define, understand, and teach sight word development through an orthographic mapping lens. The study utilized a convergent parallel design to concurrently analyze, merge, and compare the quantitative online survey results of 624 teacher responses explicated alongside the perspectives of 15 teacher interviews. A constant comparative analysis of the open-ended responses identified three key recurring sight word definitions: any word recognized instantly (38.5%), a phonetically irregular word (16.8%), and a high frequency word (HFW) (13.1%). Approximately a third of the total participants agreed with at least two or more sight word definitions. Further analysis of open-ended responses identified 45 daily "essential" sight word classroom practices with about a third of the practices aligned to orthographic mapping principles (n = 219). Statistically significant differences were found for sight word definitions and instructional frequencies with medium to large effect sizes among responses aligned to orthographic mapping principles. Teachers in consistent agreement with orthographic mapping principles were also consistent in significantly lower frequency means for teaching irregular HFWs as unanalyzed visual wholes and higher frequency means in applying phonemic awareness training to irregular HFWs. Altogether, triangulated results highlight varied levels of consistencies among specific sight word definitions and practices across teacher beliefs, literacy training/curricula, and schools with larger percentages of at-risk student populations (e.g., Title 1). Teachers trained in Evidence Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI) was the only specialized certification group to report significantly less students struggling in letter-sound correspondences, phonemic awareness, and sight word recognition when compared to other training groups (Orton-Gillingham, LTRS, Calkins). Practical significance taken from the converged database of this study is reason to consider a potential choice overload phenomenon that may have adverse consequences impacting teacher beliefs and optimal practices around sight word development. Recommendations for future research and optimal classroom practice implications are explored. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Leadership is a challenging task and leading well requires interpersonal skills that inspire those they lead to follow them. The aim of this grounded theory study is to explore the experiences of educational leaders who thoughtfully engage in trust-building and express vulnerability in their leadership practices. This study explored how six principals at kindergarten through 12th grade schools experience trust and vulnerability as building leaders. Three research questions guided this study: how do leaders experience trust, how do leaders generate trust, and how do leaders experience vulnerability. In this study, we begin by understanding the background to the problem and introduce the literature that provided a framework for this study. This study begins with an in-depth analysis of the history of trust research followed by how researchers have defined trust. Following the trust definitions, the literature explores the implications of trust in education and concludes with an overview of data on vulnerability in leadership and vulnerability in education. This grounded theory study was designed to explore vulnerability as means of improving trust is a topic that has not been extensively explored in education. While researchers understand the value of generating trust, not much is understood about the experience of vulnerability in education. Grounded theory provides an opportunity to explore novice topics to explore unknown theories. Grounded theory also provides the researcher with an opportunity to follow the research and explore what unfolds in data collection. By following the data as it emerges the researcher is able to further investigate themes that may be left behind in a traditional qualitative or quantitative study. Following the methods, data is presented from this study and concludes with implications and areas that require future research. The findings for this dissertation include trust as a significant influencer of Relational Trust theory and empathic leadership practices. I also present data that demonstrates the significance of expressing vulnerability as an educational leader. Much research has been conducted on the topic of trust, but little is known about how leaders experience trust, leaders looking to facilitate trust in their practice may benefit from understanding how other leaders experience trust and vulnerability in their role as leaders. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Research indicates that readers break down complex words into their smallest, meaning-based units (morphemes) when spelling (e.g., Senechal, 2000). However, it remains unclear how morphemes are formed and whether newly formed morphological knowledge (i.e., knowledge of morphemes) is strong enough to support word learning. The current research proposes to address this gap in the literature by investigating how adult readers use recently acquired morphological knowledge when learning compound words. The first morpheme in each of the compound words was a novel non-word. Participants learned the meanings of the novel morphemes (e.g., "breese" = "fish"), and after a one-day delay, participants were re-exposed to those morphemes in novel compound words that contained the novel morpheme that had been learned the previous day ("e.g., breesebin"). The compound words were presented in sentence context that taught participants meanings to the compound words that either (1) were consistent with the meaning of the novel morpheme contained in the compound word (e.g., "breesebin" = "fish storage"); (2) were inconsistent with the meaning of the novel morpheme contained in the compound word (e.g., "breesebin" = "alleyway"); or (3) contained no contextual cues from which the meaning of the compound word could be derived. The current research found that participants were more successful at learning the novel compound words when they were able to use morphological knowledge from the novel word learned on day one to support their learning on day two. This was true for both learning the spellings of words and learning the meanings of words, despite participants receiving no instructions to consider the words' morphological knowledge. These findings support the body of literature that stress the importance of emphasizing morphology during language instruction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Federal discourse pertaining to college access requires clarified definition. Use of the college access construct has become commonplace, yet no unified refinement of meaning exists. This study, which covered U.S. presidential communications from January 2009 to October 2021, addressed the abstraction of language as leaders presented ideas, policies, and opinions. Observable trends impacting social mobility for students from underserved populations were of central interest. The research methodology, Quantitative Ethnography (QE), used the tool of Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). Eight codes were identified through grounded analysis: Affordability, Pathway Program, Underserved Populations, Class Systems, Upward Mobility, Career Readiness, Trajectory, and Career Technical Education (CTE) and assessed through postmodernism. The Code most commonly appearing in the data set was Upward Mobility. Two codes tied for second-most-common: Affordability and Pathway Programs. In terms of connections among the codes from a broad overview, the most dominant communication patterns among the three presidents included epistemic links from Pathway Programs to both Affordability and Underserved Populations. Overall congruence across administrations was notably lacking. Conclusions drawn included that presidential discourse pertaining to the U.S. college access dilemma may be accurately described as circular, as illustrated by an original figure demonstrating the researcher's "Axis of Access" concept. Due to the churn of new administrations with differing definitions of college access coming into power every 4 to 8 years, a substantial hurdle for stakeholders in the U.S. Department of Education and related divisions was identified; therefore, a recommendation made was to create a new College Access Bridge Division in the U.S. Department of Education, to enable consistency of discourse and policy implementation. The incorporation of kin networks into pathway programs starting in middle school was recommended at the pathway program level, as was expanding criteria for such programs. Both national and global implications were discussed. Of note: this dissertation marks the first utilization of QE and ENA in the field of higher education in the United States. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Throughout the relatively short history of American social studies education, its purposes have shifted in response to social and educational changes. The contest for the American social studies curriculum has continued since its inception, influenced by various stakeholders and educational theorists. Given widespread socio-political turbulence, particularly in the years following the 2016 election, this dissertation takes place at an opportune time to revisit the purposes of social studies. This dissertation explores the perceptions of 21 pre-service and in-service teachers and asks the question, "how do teachers perceive the purposes of social studies education?" To approach this question I adopted a constructivist grounded theory methodology. I conducted 21 interviews and allowed theory to emerge from the data to answer two sub-research questions: "How do pre-service and in-service teachers perceive the purposes of social studies education?", and "How do teachers make sense of complex internal and external pressures and relate to the purposes of social studies education? "Several notable findings emerged from the results. I found teachers adhered to no singular, unifying purpose of social studies education. I argue for a fluid approach to purpose that allows for greater teacher professionalism and autonomy. When faced with pressures such as state policy, teachers exhibited varying degrees of resistance and prioritized their autonomy and the needs of their students. Teachers that resisted state policy were most commonly experienced in-service teachers. Notably, teachers perceived a debate between the importance of skills versus content in social studies education which I framed within existing educational sociology debates on the various dichotomies underpinning educational purpose; between neoconservatism and postmodernism, between instrumentalism and intrinsic meaning, between top-down policy and bottom-up context-driven instruction, between teacher alienation and self-actualization. The majority of teachers believed that developing specific social studies related skills was more important than content knowledge which highlighted a trend away from the intrinsic value of social studies knowledge and towards the instrumentalization of education. Social studies was increasingly defined by its utility. Finally, teachers noted the changing ontology of teaching itself given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

School climate is increasingly recognized by scholars and policymakers as a crucial factor associated with students' educational experiences. Hence, practitioners endeavor to equitably measure and improve school climate to promote favorable student academic and behavior outcomes. Unfortunately, school climate research is fragmented, and a research-practice gap exists in best scale development and validity testing practices. The result is a proliferation of practitioner-developed school climate measures lacking solid theory-grounding and evidence to support intended score interpretations and uses. In response, Whitehouse et al. (2021) proposed a validity testing framework for practitioner-developed instruments aimed at supporting culturally responsive school climate measurement. Their framework, however, suffers from key limitations regarding the transparency of content validity assessment, breadth of validity evidence reported, and methods used to examine measurement invariance. Therefore, this study sought to replicate and extend their validity testing framework by using a standardized rubric to assess content validity, examining measurement invariance via the alignment method, and analyzing the predictive validity of group mean scores. By applying the extended validity testing framework to a practitioner-developed school climate student survey, the study also aimed to provide useful evidence to a large urban district with respect to the validity of comparing survey scores across Black and White middle school student groups and using scores to inform continuous improvement of student learning. Results suggest the extended framework is superior to the original for obtaining general content, factorial, and predictive validity evidence, and assessing measurement invariance across racial subgroups, provided the number and size of groups are adequate. Findings suggest the district's middle school student survey is culturally responsive, although it may not sufficiently address all critical school climate dimensions. To improve the survey, the district must settle on a clear definition and taxonomy of school climate to facilitate a program of validity testing, and publicly document all available validity evidence. Future studies should clarify alignment sample size and simulation study requirements and extend the framework to assess additional validity concerns and for use with person-centered approaches. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative study aims to analyze the definition of the African American/Black racial group and how it affects the United States education system. Document analysis and interviews are the key approaches used. Constructs of social justice, critical race theory, stereotype threat theory, and color-confrontation theory collectively serve as theoretical lenses for data analysis and interpretation. The two major concerns explored in this study are: Can the "legal definitions" assigned to race and ethnicity classifications for United States citizens cause a condition of disparity and injustice for people of the African American/Black racial group? Does the exclusion of the phrase "having origins in the original peoples of" as found on Standard Form 181 negatively or positively impact students? Researched materials presented for this study reviewed the origin of the African American race category and the relationship to social justice, equity, and equality within the United States and the public education system. Upon examining the background of all the race categories used within the United States system analyzed documents discussed the perpetuation of the intention to exclude the African American/Black person from being considered a human being who is "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," (Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776). Findings from in-depth interviews show participants of this study were unaware of the non-existence of the words "having origins of the original peoples of," and some participants suggested that the truth is purposely hidden from African American/Black history. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation studies how institutions of higher education occupy a unique space that can add to the discourse of business studies by relating how consumers can simultaneously function as products. This is substantiated by defining the word "student" beyond the traditional meaning of a student as learner when considering the higher education business model. As such, the student as defined in this research co-exists as both consumer and product, shifting institutional culture and power dynamics while influencing senior-leadership decision-making. Given current research on the topic shows a one-sided view, concentrating on students as consumers rather than products or both, this study addresses gaps in the current research, with a focus on how the concept of higher education has not only two products (the curriculum and the student), but also two consumers (the student and the corporate structure who seeks to employ graduates at the lowest value, but the most productivity). A further gap in the research that served to benefit this study considered low-resourced, minority serving institutions with business models that depend on student enrollment, particularly Full-Time Equivalencies (FTE), to meet institutional budget constraints. Such a definition of the student binary that exists at tuition-driven, mission focused institutions create challenges that exist with accommodating and somewhat acquiescing to student socio-economic needs, organizational behavior, and institutional culture. Thus, using grounded theory, this qualitative study identifies semiotics as a business practice that not only creates symbolic meaning of the word "student", but also identifies how "that" definition shifts depending on function, influencing the institutional power structure and decision-making practices of institutional leadership particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In particular, this study used a sample of nine senior-level administrators at the 37 small, private HBCUs under the UNCF umbrella to determine how leadership redefines the student as an economic binary that influences and sustains the financial business model at these institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative grounded theory study created a theory, including a definition, of overcommitment in undergraduate students at a four-year public institution. Although overcommitment has been studied for decades, the concept of overcommitment in undergraduate students has not been thoroughly explored. Undergraduate students can overcommit in a variety of domains, including academics and co-curricular activities. The central research question for this study is, how do full-time undergraduate students define overcommitment? Overcommitment has been tied to several mental and physical health issues. With student mental health issues on the rise on college campuses, it is imperative that overcommitment in undergraduate students be explored and defined. This study included 21 undergraduate college student participants, who met the following criteria: (1) enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student; (2) identified by a higher education professional as committed or overcommitted. Data was collected through a demographic survey, as well as, 60-minute semi-structured interviews on Zoom with each student participant. Data were analyzed through three rounds of coding: (1) open coding, (2) axial coding, and (3) selective coding. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the undergraduate students' overcommitment definitions: doing too much, lack of basic self-care, and detriments to mental and physical health. After synthesis, it was determined that undergraduate students define overcommitment as "taking on too many commitments to the overall detriment of mental and physical health, due to the lack of basic self-care." The interview codes were ultimately developed into themes to create the theory of undergraduate student overcommitment as evidenced in the Undergraduate Student Overcommitment Model and answer the remaining research sub-questions about identification, challenges, benefits, and social supports and strategies. The theory explains undergraduate students' rationale for overcommitting and has six levels: self, family, peers, school, future dreams and goals, and society. After careful data analysis, it was determined that how undergraduate students define overcommitment and how they live out their overcommitment is different -- their definition does not encapsulate the full picture of undergraduate student overcommitment. Based on extensive research through this grounded theory study, I offer a new definition of undergraduate college student overcommitment: A motivation cycle fueled by a high need of approval from self and others, that involves exerting excessive effort through numerous commitments, in hopes of obtaining delayed rewards. This study is beneficial for students, parents/families, and higher education faculty and staff, especially student life and student leadership personnel, to learn about overcommitment. Recommendations include students and parents/families learning about undergraduate student overcommitment, attending workshops and trainings, and having real and realistic conversations about undergraduate student overcommitment. Recommendations for higher education professionals include intentionally selecting a variety of students for various leadership roles, changing language about what graduate/professional schools are "looking for" in regards to admission, implementing overcommitment workshops, encouraging mental health services, and expanding mentor experiences. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation articulates and defends a view about linguistic competence called 'variabilism'. According to variabilism, the epistemic demands of full linguistic competence vary in a particular way. More specifically, variabilism holds that different individual lexical application conditions (individually essential metaphysical ways of being providing essence-giving satisfaction conditions on reference) vary in whether comprehensional awareness of them is required to be fully linguistically competent with the words whose application conditions they are. For some individual conditions, like those for 'bachelor' (e.g., being unmarried, being male, being an adult), linguistic competence intuitively appears to demand robust awareness of them, while for others, like those for 'water' (e.g., being a chemical, being two atomic parts hydrogen, being one atomic part oxygen) no such demand seems in force. This dissertation seeks to defend the reality of this variability by explaining its objective basis. This defense is developed with the challenge of semantic externalism in mind in particular, a widely embraced view which many regard to render implausible all accounts of linguistic competence which place uniform, robust, and psychologically "internal" epistemic demands on users of an expression. Such a view would seemingly threaten variabilism's affirmation of any words for which linguistic competence requires robust awareness of any of their application conditions. The dissertation concludes by suggesting a handful of potential implications and applications of the theory of linguistic competence developed in relation to various familiar and important topics in the philosophy of language. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

McMillan Public Schools (MPS) is a public school system in the southeastern part of the United States that serves approximately 28,000 students. Gregory Middle School (GMS) is one of 52 schools within MPS that serves 985 students. I used MPS and GMS as pseudonyms to anonymize the school system and school. In July 2019, I was appointed as the principal of GMS, and I quickly implemented critical initiatives related to the climate. School climate is defined as the prevailing atmosphere within the school, which encompasses physical, academic, and social dimensions (McGiboney, 2016). Based on data from the 2018--2019 school term, it was clear that the school's climate required immediate attention. All available data sources were reviewed, including student discipline reports (MPS, 2020a), stakeholder surveys (Cognia, 2019), and the school report card (State Department of Education, 2019). Each area of concern contributed to a negative school climate and created an environment that was not conducive for teaching and learning. The leadership team implemented critical initiatives in the areas of (a) human resources, (b) student discipline, (c) student safety, (d) school operations, and (e) school facilities. This program evaluation identified (a) the strengths, (b) the weaknesses, (c) the opportunities, and (d) the threats (SWOT) of the critical initiatives implemented at GMS related to the school's climate during the 2019--2020 and 2020--2021 school terms. After conducting a literature review, I adopted the learning organization evaluation (LOE) conceptual framework paired with SWOT analysis, which provided a formal structure for conducting my program evaluation. The LOE is composed of four major steps, including (a) focusing the evaluative inquiry, (b) carrying out the inquiry, (c) implementing inquiry activities, and (d) applying learning (Preskill & Torres, 1999). Collaborative learning and evaluative inquiry guide the LOE conceptual framework. The LOE model facilitates success for organizations that wish to study internal processes or procedures. The LOE model is a systematic series of steps that should be followed when conducting a program evaluation (Preskill & Torres, 1999). I paired the LOE with a convergent parallel design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). Next, I invited the current faculty and staff employed during the 2019--2020 school term to participate in the program evaluation. A coinvestigator conducted the qualitative focus group interviews on two separate occasions. The coinvestigator ensured employee anonymity. Twenty-one faculty and staff members participated in the focus group interviews. I utilized deductive content analysis to analyze the focus group interviews. Additionally, I distributed the quantitative research instruments via Qualtrics, and I received 31 responses. The small sample size was a limitation. As a result, inferential statistics were not possible. Because qualitative and quantitative research represent data differently, I developed joint display matrices to merge the information from both data sources. To sufficiently answer the evaluation questions, I created four main categories based on the (a) strengths, (b) weaknesses, (c) opportunities, and (d) threats of the critical initiatives related to the change in the school's climate. Based on each main category, I created categories in alignment with the definition of school climate. Despite the recent improvement in the climate of the school, it remains an area of concern. While I noted improvement in many areas, the results revealed a need for further intervention in some areas. To further school improvement efforts, I developed a continuous improvement plan (CIP) based on the results of the SWOT analysis. The CIP will include critical initiatives for each area in order to facilitate success. I will communicate the results to the faculty and staff of GMS and school system administrators in a series of future round table discussions and professional development sessions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]