03/09/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Erin Ritz “Promoting Equity in Biology Education: Empowering Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Professional Learning Communities."

Candidate: Erin Ritz
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling, STEM
Defense Date: March 20, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom 
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Promoting Equity in Biology Education: Empowering Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Professional Learning Communities

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Amie Milkowski, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Lindsey L'Ecuyer, Ed.D.

Abstract
Students with disabilities (SWD) continue to experience inequitable outcomes in secondary science, even in well-resourced school settings. At Sky High School (pseudonym), SWD consistently score lower than their peers in ninth-grade general-level biology, a gateway course that shapes access to advanced STEM pathways. Guided by an improvement science framework, this dissertation-in-practice addressed two research questions: (1) how participation in a six-week professional learning community (PLC) influenced general-level biology teachers’ self-efficacy for supporting SWD, and (2) how teachers experienced collaboration focused on differentiated instructional practices, routines, and assessments in biology. Using a mixed-methods Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, the intervention was implemented with four general-level biology teachers in a suburban public high school in the northeastern United States. Quantitative data were collected using the Biology Teacher Self-Efficacy Survey (BTSES), and qualitative data included teacher reflections and empathy interviews. Results showed an increase in mean BTSES scores from 2.90 (SD = 0.25) to 3.30 (SD = 0.18), representing a 13.87% gain in self-efficacy and exceeding the study’s 10% improvement aim. Qualitative findings indicated that structured collaboration, co-design of lessons, and access to ready-made instructional tools increased self-efficacy in inclusive practices. Limitations include the small sample size, single-site context, and short intervention duration. Despite these constraints, findings suggest that intentionally designed PLCs can serve as effective tools for strengthening teacher self-efficacy and advancing more equitable biology instruction.

Keywords: educational equity; students with disabilities; biology education; teacher self-efficacy; professional learning communities; improvement science