This piece of research is designed to achieve the following: (1) to highlight the salient biopsychosocial factors shared amongst many of the perpetrators of this school shooting phenomenon; (2) to reveal many of the noteworthy environmental factors, both, within the assailant's school system and in his/her immediate environment; (3) to discuss the…

This dissertation explored the role mentors play in female students' selection of a college for undergraduate education. Domestic and international female students enrolled full-time at a University in the Southeastern United States were engaged in a focus group setting to understand how mentors influence the college choice process. While research…

Reduced formal civic education, a decrease in intergenerational closure, and a drop in participation in political institutions and civic organizations, voluntary associations, and community-focused entities in recent decades mean it is likely that young people are not getting adequate civic training and are therefore less able to contribute to the…

Increasing attrition rates affect the quantity and quality of teacher human capital worldwide and pose threats to classroom practice and student learning outcomes. Understanding of these effects will be advanced by studying the reasons why preservice teachers leave or remain in the teaching profession. Literature indicates a range of influential…

The purpose of this study was to examine how college students who identify as queer and Muslim and attend 4-year colleges and universities integrate their religious and sexual identities. The study was conducted through a constructivist paradigm that acknowledged multiple truths and the role of the researcher in co-constructing knowledge. The…

This descriptive and interpretive multi-case study investigated secondary prospective teachers' (PTs') beliefs about mathematical authority and how their student teaching experience(s) influenced their beliefs. The theoretical framework guiding this study was comprised of a novel definition for mathematical authority I developed, a conception of…

Historically, the United States (U.S.) has led the world in the development of innovative high-tech solutions that increased employment opportunities, wages, productivity, and the economic growth of our nation. However, STEM workers are in great need to fill the millions of vacancies in the STEM workforce. Despite the increasing demand for STEM…

Many people are unaware of the challenges associated with a special needs child being part of the family unit. Special-needs children require additional support and resources to meet their unique needs, which can have significant implications for the entire family. Current research through self-reported study (N = 51) findings under statistical…

The driving theme for this research was cultural discontinuity as experienced in the American academic institutions. Cultural discontinuity is understood as a way in which the cultural practices and values of students' home culture affect the academic achievements of the students usually, resulting in low academic accomplishments. This phenomenon…

Research often overlooks the cultural significance of outdoor spaces for Black communities and their interactions with nature. Because of this prevalent oversight, there is a lack of emphasis on successful examples of how nature interactions have positively impacted Black children. This research study counteracted deficit models in environmental…

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how Nigerian Americans and their families understand academic success, identity, and family influence. This research study aims to understand these three areas by examining the experiences of five Nigerian American undergraduate students and their respective families. The data for this study was…

There are considerable challenges experienced by female South Sudanese refugees to access post-secondary education in the United States. Although these challenges are many, but little was known about their experiences to access and enroll into US post-secondary education. There has been a significant lack of research on how South Sudanese female…

The effects of student truancy behavior are felt not only by the truant student, but also by their family and by the community in which they live. Current research on the factors that lead to truancy behavior has shown student's that are truant have several identified risk factors present during their K-12 education. The purpose of this…

Past researchers have identified high levels of mental health concerns among graduate and professional students as well as some of the key predictors which lead to these concerns. They have also highlighted the negative consequences - both short and long-term - for untreated mental health concerns as well as the benefits for students who do seek…

Decision-making within school environments is critical to the continued improvement of services for all populations. Despite this high level of importance, there is limited information related to how systemic decisions are made in charter schools. There is also limited information on how charter school leaders interact with teachers and the impact…