Student veterans may encounter educational barriers that can impact transitions to college. This research focused on veteran transitions to college during onboarding. Onboarding is beneficial in a higher education setting and, when properly deployed, can help ease transitions. This study involved the development, implementation, and assessment of…

MakerBuses are travelling makerspaces that deliver hands-on tools and resources to community-wide locations to foster 21st century learning and development. Often found in K-12 schools, MakerBuses provide accessible and tangible learning opportunities for all learners, even in the most underserved communities. This single, typical case study…

Textbook costs in United State post-secondary education have dramatically increased since the 1970s. Open educational resources (OER) have been proposed to significantly lower or eliminate textbook costs and provide faculty options in selecting current and individualized course materials. OER adoption by faculty across the United State…

This study examines the effects of self-efficacy, students' effort and access to educational resources, and teachers' development on the achievement of elementary school students in mathematics. Using the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) restricted data set, this study determined if and how these three aspects individually…

For music educators the continued mandate for inclusion has accentuated the importance of being able to instruct students with a wide variety of learning differences. Even so, music educators have expressed frustration with a potential lack of competencies and resources related to teaching students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was…

This dissertation examines how education and migration policies negatively shape access to and opportunities within post-secondary education for Latinx students in mixed-status families. To do so, I develop the concept of deficit policies, or policies that presume deficits in the targeted population and then produce those deficits. Engaging a…

Open Educational Resources are free or low-cost, openly licensed course materials used in place of more expensive, commercial ones. Data collected from an open-access institution in Florida was analyzed using multiple regression to determine the relationship of Open Educational Resources with short-term student outcomes. Short-term outcomes of…

Historically, bodegas or corner stores are linked with hundreds of thousands of Latinos that left the Caribbean after World War II and came to live in New York barrios. These stores tailored their products to the needs of Hispanics and Latinos, providing a place for people to purchase products from their country of origin. Today, bodegas sell a…

While college was once just for a few people, college access has increased. More students are attending college than ever before, but access does not correlate with degree persistence. Many prospective students cannot attend college due to the increasing cost of tuition. Affordability is a risk to all students, but it is especially difficult for…

Within a decade following World War II, more than two million veterans attended college through the use of the GI Bill, with an additional almost 5.5 million taking advantage of vocational training (Mettler, 2005). Now, over fifty years later, "Only one in ten veterans using GI Bill benefits enrolls in institutions with graduation rates above…

Traditional commercial textbooks used in postsecondary courses are often problematic due to their rigidity, tendency to mirror the dominant culture, and the substantial cost imposed upon students (Junkala et al., 2022; Lambert & Funk, 2022; Wu, 2022). Although replacing these texts with open educational resources (OER) can facilitate more…

The escalating cost of textbooks presents a considerable barrier for students in higher education. Open educational resources (OER) have emerged as a viable solution to the problem, offering freely available learning materials that can potentially alleviate the financial burden on students and enhance their academic success. OER not only reduces…

Neurodiversity is the celebration of the diversity of minds. It is the understanding that people think, sense, and behave in different ways, and the assertion that the non-normative ways which people and their minds operate are, in fact, good. Neurodivergent people are beginning to access higher education at much higher rates than ever before.…

This research study examined the leadership awareness and understanding of Open Educational Resources (OER) for educational access and affordability of teaching and learning resources in Malawi, Africa. According to UNESCO: United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (2023) low-income countries, like Malawi, have limited…

This study analyzed the strengths and areas for improvement in the resources and support provided to college access practitioners serving in urban charter and public-school communities. Prior research has examined the impact that college and career readiness resources and support have on students' postsecondary preparation and success. Limited…