This mixed-methods action research study aimed to improve school climate through the creation of a student advisory program that addresses the need to build strong relationships between middle school students and teachers. The program also intended to help students build a variety of skills that would help them meet challenges at school and in life. The implementation of this program took place in an international school in China over a period of 3 school years (2021/2022 to the mid-point of the 2023/2024 school year). With the conclusion of each school year, changes were made based on three rounds of quantitative and qualitative data in the form of questionnaires given to students and advisors. Small group discussions with students and the use of reflective logs written by advisors were also used. An analysis of the data indicated that the student population felt an increasingly overall positive experience in the advisory program through the 3 years. They experienced increased positive relationships with classmates and advisors and were more comfortable advocating for themselves than before. Meanwhile, actions taken to increase the collective efficacy of the group of teachers serving as advisors, including (a) the increase of resources and materials, (b) more frequent communication, and (c) the elevation of particular advisors to the role of lead advisor, lead to an improvement in overall experience. Advisors felt increasingly positive about their understanding, buy-in, and ownership of the advisory program. Overall, teachers felt the work they did in advisory was helpful to students. Lastly, in additional surveys taken by parents and students, perceptions of the school experience improved during this 3-year period. Implications for future practice and recommendations are discussed.

This mixed methods action research study was conducted in a Title I, K-12 public charter school with the purpose of exploring teachers’ capacities to implement student-centered learning after participating in effective professional development (PD). Participants attended a PD cycle where the staff chose the topic, learning was sustained over a three-month period, and teachers received monthly feedback on classroom observations through personalized coaching. The guiding framework for this study was sociocultural theory because the PD design mirrored student-centered learning where the teacher is seen as a guide alongside the student. In this theory, meaning making is a social experience where perspectives of both the teacher and the student contribute to creating new knowledge. Quantitative data collected included a pre-/post-study survey and classroom observations scored on a rubric, and qualitative data consisted of exit interviews. All data was collected and analyzed concurrently, and a researcher’s journal assisted in real-time by providing a space for reflection that was used to determine PD needs, coaching conversations, and interview questions. Quantitative data revealed that the teachers perceived the intervention as slightly boosting their capacity to implement student-centered learning; however, the classroom observations indicated that teachers did not reach levels of proficiency. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data, six themes emerged, which support the idea that PD can be a transformative experience when it is centered around praxis: 1) collaboration with colleagues, 2) PD gives teachers new ideas, 3) classroom feedback is valuable, 4) teacher reflection, 5) thought partnership, and 6) student choice. The discussion includes limitations and implications for future practice.

The issue of teacher shortages has been a national crisis in the United States. Teachers have expressed feeling exhausted and burnt out from the profession. The COVID-19 pandemic made these feelings worse, with the rates of teachers leaving the profession being higher than what has occurred in the past. Teachers’ sense of belonging at their schools and their professional identities as educators can have an impact on their decisions to stay in or leave the field of education. Participation in a community of practice has been shown to have a positive impact on teachers’ sense of belonging and identities. This qualitative study cultivated a community of practice composed of teachers who were new to their schools but not necessarily new to teaching. Data collected included interviews, recordings of community of practice meetings, participant reflection documents, and a researcher journal. Results suggested that teachers valued getting to know their colleagues, learning unique classroom practices, and that their participation in the community of practice had a positive impact on their sense of belonging at their new schools. The impacts of the community of practice on teachers’ professional identities were inconclusive. The discussion included an analysis of themes that emerged from the data, limitations of the study, and recommendations for researchers and practitioners.

Parents of gifted adolescents often face unique challenges in supporting their children’s social and emotional learning (SEL). The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to examine (1) As a result of a SEL parent workshop series, what changes were observed in: (a) Parental knowledge of SEL? (b) Parental self-efficacy in supporting their gifted child’s SEL needs? (2) What did parents perceive as the most useful aspects of the SEL parent workshop series? The intervention took the form of a flexible five-session virtual workshop series and was delivered via a combination of asynchronous and synchronous instruction. The workshop series was designed to provide families with key information on giftedness in adolescence to help them better understand how characteristics of giftedness impacted their own child’s socio-emotional development. Results from this study showed a statistically significant increase in parent knowledge of SEL concepts, and a mean increase in parental self-efficacy. While participants rated all aspects of the intervention workshop as useful, limited participant engagement shifted the workshop model from a collaborative model to a highly individualized one. As a result of the study, it is clear that parents do benefit from additional information on SEL support strategies, but continued research is needed to develop an intervention where the content and format best support participant needs.

New teachers quit the profession at high levels, particularly in rural and urban schools. These high rates of turnover create staffing issues, particularly in high-needs areas like math and special education. High levels of stress and dissatisfaction with the profession have been cited as common reasons teachers exit the profession within the first few years. However, positive interventions from the field of positive psychology as well as mindfulness have been used in the workplace and have been found to support increasing wellbeing as well as reducing stress. This study defines workplace wellbeing as a construct of positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning/purpose, achievement and health within the workplace. In this mixed methods quasi-experimental study, 26 new teachers within a large suburban schools were sorted into experimental (n=13) and a control (n=13) groups. The experimental group was provided with a mindfulness training (in-person or virtually) as well as was asked to journal twice a week about three things that went well during the week, why those things went well, and what impact that had on students. The experimental group was invited to share their journals with their Teacher Induction and Support Program (TISP) coach in-person during their weekly confidential meetings. The control group was asked to write down any three things that occurred over the week (positive, negative, or neutral) and was also invited to share this with their TISP coach. Participants completed journals for the months of November, December, and January. All participants took a workplace wellbeing survey (developed by Peggy Kern and used with permission of Dr. Kern) at October, December, March and June. Additionally, five participants from the control group and five participants from the control group were interviewed about their experiences as new teachers and their experiences using the interventions. Participants in the control group experienced decreases in their workplace wellbeing throughout the year whereas participants in the control group experiences steady or increases to their workplace wellbeing, particularly in the areas of positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and self-efficacy. Participants in the experimental group also reported mindfulness practices increased their confidence and promoted positive emotional regulation that supported a positive classroom, despite challenging student behaviors. While this study uses a small sample size, these findings were confirmed in qualitative data, quantitative data, and are consistent with findings in related literature. While the findings are consistent with findings in related studies utilizing positive interventions and mindfulness within the workplace, these findings run counter to studies on the emotional experiences of teachers which assert that teacher’s (particularly new teachers) experience high levels of negative emotions and stress, particularly during the middle of the year. The findings from this dissertation suggest positive interventions and mindfulness may bolster new teacher’s workplace wellbeing and self-efficacy during the first year.