The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the types of technologies teachers use in mathematics classrooms and how those technologies were implemented. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of the impact technology has on student achievement. This study explores teachers' perceptions of the available support teachers have for integrating technology in mathematics classrooms. Last, this study explores teachers' perceptions of being prepared to integrate technology into mathematics classrooms. Surveys were conducted for a quantitative approach on teachers' perceptions of technology in teaching and learning. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data was analyzed through item-analysis and coding to identify emerging themes. For each topic of inquiry, themes emerged. The themes were discussed in detail, findings were discussed, and recommendations were provided for supporting teachers to integrate technology into mathematics classrooms.

Middle America is dying. The United Nations reports the average number of deaths per 1,00 population in the U.S. has steadily increased an average of 1.2 per 1,000 persons annually since 2015. Existing research offer conflicting theories regarding the factors influencing the phenomenon. the purpose of this study was to examine reliable and valid secondary data to determine if statistical evidence exists to support the prevailing theories. Statistical evidence was observed that suggests the crude death rates among U.S. non-Hispanic white (NHWs) populations was significantly higher than other U.S. population segments between 2015 and 2018. Statistical evidence was also observed that suggests U.S. NHWs sought ambulatory services for alcohol and drug use self-injuries at higher rates than other U.S. population segments. However, the evidence suggest that U.S. NHWs are not more likely to experience earlier than expected deaths from excessive alcohol or drug use than other U.S. population segments. The study's implications are that U.S. policy makers should consider long-term economic development and sustainability strategies focused on the promotion of higher education as a deterrent to self-harm among U.S. residents without college degrees or skills certifications. The study recommends future large-scale quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-use studies that examine the micro, …

Following school closures in the spring semester of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the United States began making plans for a remote start to the 2020-2021 school year. In Texas, professional development plans were required by the Texas Education Agency for K-12 public school districts planning to provide online learning options for students. This study examined these professional development plans using directed qualitative content analysis methods to identify and categorize the learning experiences provided to educators in preparation for online instruction. The plans were coded in NVivo using etic codes based on relevant literature related to the TPACK framework, online teacher competencies, and standards for quality online teaching. Emic codes were created as needed during the iterative coding process. Data analysis revealed trends related to teacher training gaps, district priorities, target audiences, and the occurrence of professional development sessions. The study findings were discussed, and suggestions were made to inform the development and design of future professional development plans for online teachers at multiple levels. Recommendations for further research specific to in-service teacher professional development and preservice teacher preparation programs were offered.

This case study investigated the phenomenon of the black white test score gap by seeking to determine if there was a difference in the academic performance of African American students and their White peers. The determination of student academic performance was made using scores from second semester Algebra II classes at two high schools in the Tucson Unified School District. The data covered three academic years and was analyzed via SPSS (independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and a pairwise analysis) and content analysis for qualitative analysis. Findings revealed that there was no variance in the scores of African Americans and their White peers attending an affluent school; however African Americans attending a low-income school scored lower than all groups that were compared in this study.

Leadership theories have evolved since their inception and leadership development should also evolve in response to the changing needs of their organizations. There is a gap in the literature on the functionality of the various 360-feedback platforms that are mentioned in literature which makes it difficult to understand what reporting functionality is available in existing systems. The goal of this study was to examine participants' views of a newly developed Adaptive Learning 360-feedback (AL360) treatment platform for leadership development with a focus on self-directed learning for improved accountability. Participants were asked to share their learning development experience in the areas of person, process, and context with suggestions for improvement and how did this development compare to any other leadership development that they had experienced in the past. The AL360 platform was built by applying the research findings of scholars in the areas of leadership, 360-feedback leadership development and educational technologies. The treatment was applied in a business setting for all levels of leadership development. The case study identified creation of leadership of self-awareness and accountability for development without significant intervention of an executive coach. The research findings also list improvement opportunities, limitations, and future considerations.

A case study was used to survey 308 teacher trainees in western Kenya to investigate the extent to which pre-service teachers in two Kenyan teacher training colleges are prepared to integrate technology in teaching. . The study uses the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework to understand the knowledge needed by the pre-service teachers to integrate technology effectively. Data was gathered using the Survey of Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology and three open-ended questions. Data from the survey does not distinguish the TPACK variable among the respondents. The data suggests that the pre-service teachers rate themselves highly on the other six TPACK subscales of technological knowledge, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and technological content knowledge. Further, the data suggests that the respondents' personal use of technology, to a large extent, influences how they use technology in classrooms. Lastly, the data indicates that the survey instrument is inadequate in capturing all the TPACK subscales in this population as it shows weak internal consistency. These findings imply that faculty in these colleges need to be more intentional and deliberate in teaching the trainees how to integrate technology in lessons. Policymakers and college administrators may …

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped off decades of educational gains in the developing world and added 24 million more children to 775 million illiterates in the world. To counteract such a huge predicament, human learning agility comes into action. This human characteristic of knowing what to do when one does not know what to do, invokes the Soft System Methodology (SSM) approach to analyze illiteracy as the worst of all pandemics since it infiltrates into generations. After evaluating different effective teaching methods and utilizing the SSM approach, this paper proposes suitable pedagogies to educate deprived students. It examines Massive Online Open Courseware (MOOC) as a viable solution for K-12 students and compares it with a more robust educational technology model of Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). Using artificial intelligence, the ITS tailors the instructional content framework and teaching strategies after evaluating students' pre-existing knowledge, learning habits, & styles. The ITS engages the student with the lesson with a two-way dialog while providing customized instruction and immediate feedback. An ITS requires no human intervention and could be a suitable replacement for an inadequately qualified teacher or no teacher. Hence it could be a practical tool in tackling the global literacy catastrophe. A comprehensive …

As social media evolves, educators and other professionals have taken advantage of it as a teaching resource. This research focused on exploring the role of Instagram as a learning technology on health and fitness. In this research, there are references to literature that document the impact of social media on health and fitness. This study also highlights several features found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and other similar platforms to deliver learning content in real time. Several articles in this dissertation mentioned how social media content can influence the audience and their thoughts on health and fitness. Social media presents the opportunity to access information, impart knowledge as well as other forms of interaction.

Education and academic related services have become as important as manufacturing and, in some cases, even more important. Considering the importance of these services as it relates to manufacturing, a problem exists. Products such as education and academic services are far less specific in value when comparing with manufactured goods, even though their quality depends on resources which can be measured, such as funding. At the same time, we must be able to quantify them and compare their values with predetermined expected levels for each area of expertise, as well as with each other. The quality of the services provided, specifically academic services, is an intangible concept that can be assessed through various methods. This research study applies the Academic Services Experience Survey, a modified version of SERVQUAL, to solve a complex and multifaceted problem of assessing and improving the quality of academic services in higher education institutions.

This study employed Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model to better examine the reactions and learning experiences of a group of pharmaceutical industry sales professionals who participated in pandemic-related virtual compliance training in spring 2020. The field of learning technologies has few examples and limited knowledge regarding the evaluation of virtual training in the context of pandemic-related compliance training in the biopharmaceutical sector. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from industry participants, allowing an examination of their experiences relative to the first three stages of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation framework, namely the reactions of the trainees, the knowledge transferred to the trainees, and the performance as it relates to the trainees' changed behaviors because of their participation in virtually delivered training.

This phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of high school biology teachers from a school district in one of the states in the USA concerning the use of online platforms in online biology teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study interviewed teachers to evaluate the teacher experiences, challenges, and opportunities that online platforms presented in biology instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also analyzed students' perspectives based on the teachers' responses and district data obtained from the student engagement survey administered to all high school students at the school district every year. The findings of the study indicate that students experienced issues such as lack of engagement, unsuitable home environment to support learning, and poor attendance due to minimal monitoring when learning shifted to fully online. Teacher-related factors included inadequate preparedness to use technology to enhance teaching, limited content delivery, and increased teacher collaboration. In conclusion, the study recommends that school districts sufficiently prepare teachers to improve adaptability to different teaching and learning models, emphasizing the use of diverse educational technologies. Future studies should conduct quantitative or mixed studies to establish the extent and degree to which such factors as poor learner engagement contributed to …

The current study was conducted with foreign language students enrolled in the summer course at Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), an intense foreign language program. The study measured and analyzed students' preferences toward mobile applications for learning a foreign language. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data on students' preferences of mobile delivery modes for learning a foreign language. The research design deployed was single-case design at two points-in-time, called repeated measures design in the t-test statistics, where effects-over-time of treatment (i.e., using a technological device) were tracked. The effects-over-time of using a mobile device for learning foreign language skills were significant and the magnitude of differences in students' attitudes between Weeks 2 and 8 was also significant. Students must have felt that their performance had changed at Week 8 and that using a smartphone could have been the difference. The structure and the research methodology of having null hypotheses that are tested statistically are both clear enough to provide a template for a replication of the study with a different sample. The statistical tests used by this study can be replicated with different research problems or a different audience.