Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Lisa Avirett

Keywords

relational engagement. strategic engagement. strategic vulnerability

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This transcendental phenomenological (TPh) study aimed to help current and future teachers reach their full teaching potential by making them aware of the need to stay up-to-date in their field and meet the needs of different students in their classrooms. Furthermore, the investigation enabled educators to acquire strategies for mitigating mathematics anxiety and to identify a theoretical framework that aligned with their teaching pedagogy and learners. It also facilitated maintaining instructional control or compliance, fostering a conducive environment that encouraged teaching and learning. The phenomenological investigation explored the experiences of undergraduate and graduate professors regarding student-teacher alliances and their impact on the engagement and success of male students. It aimed to identify strategies used by educators at various academic levels, drawing on theories of investment, social learning, and attachment, within a Virginia mathematics program that included at least five instructors. The central research question governing this study was: What were teachers' experiences in forming a positive student-teacher interaction in a typical problem-solving classroom in relation to their teaching style? a) How did university math teachers describe their experiences building a working relationship with male students? b) How did university math teachers describe the challenges of building a working relationship with male students? c) How did university math teachers describe their most effective strategies for building a working relationship with male students? The data collection method included virtual interviews and demographic surveys to collect information from participants. The data from the various techniques consisted of Moustakas' (1994) data analysis approach to TPh, Findings suggest that graduate-level teachers demonstrate higher stimulus control over instructional variables, whereas undergraduate behaviors are more heavily influenced by remote establishing operations (EOs) related to perceived competence.

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