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In the dynamic educational environment, college and university leaders are feeling more pressure from federal and state funding agencies to justify the rising cost in college education. A major influence in student success is the ability of students to develop attainable educational and career goals. College administrators put academic advisors in place to help shape and advance these goals and to give students additional support. A strong emphasis is put on the importance of academic advising. The research study sought to examine what can be learned from individual interviews with exemplar academic advisors to improve the academic advising process. The research study specifically explored how exemplar faculty's perceptions of academic advising impact the advising process at North Atlantic Technical College (pseudonym). To answer this question, the exemplar advisors detailed their perceptions of the tools, training, and education they have and use toward carrying out the advising process. Participants also described what barriers and supports are in place to determine how their perceptions of academic advising impact the outcome at North Atlantic Technical College. The research design used was an interview-based basic qualitative study to build on previous studies of academic advising by reviewing the literature on what should happen throughout the advising process and which skills and tools the advisor uses to assist students in navigating through academic, career, and personal objectives. Findings within the study identify advisor perceptions of the academic advising process and bridge the gaps between understanding and inefficiency in the advising processes. Applying such understanding may prove advantageous for both students and advisors by (1) elevating retention for the college/university, and (2) successfully guiding the student toward earning a college degree. [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.]

World language (WL) teachers are often at the forefront of using cutting edge technology for language teaching and learning purposes. However, as technology is ever changing, WL educators often lack adequate professional development (PD) opportunities to ensure effective technology integration while maintaining their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) in an ever-changing digital world. Strategic PD such as Lesson Study (LS) can provide affordances that impact world language educators' TPACK and foster technology enhanced language learning in an authentic and meaningful way. Utilizing the theoretical framework of TPACK, this study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods to design and analyze how PD models like LS can provide opportunities that impact world language teachers' TPACK. Participants consisted of a community of practice of three world language teachers from an urban south central Texas school district as well as the researcher. Data collection included recordings and transcripts of Lesson Study meetings, teachers' original, modified, and refined lesson plans, recordings of participant's lessons as well as the associated observation instrument, semi-structured interviews, and journal entries written throughout the LS cycles. Data was stored and analyzed within the Dedoose software system on an encrypted computer. The findings demonstrate that throughout the LS cycle, teachers were provided with opportunities for collaboration, reflection, instructional design planning, innovation, and practice. These opportunities had an impact on the overarching conception, knowledge of student understanding, knowledge of curriculum, and knowledge of instructional strategies components of teachers' TPACK. Implications in terms of research on TPACK and Lesson Study as a method for in-service professional development are discussed. This research seeks to leverage LS as form of PD to develop WL educators' technology integration and TPACK. [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.]