Teachers in 13 states are evaluated using value-added models (VAMs), a measure of student growth on standardized tests. The problem is that value-added models evaluate intermediate-level teachers' ability to have students perform on a standardized assessment despite other factors affecting students' academic performance, such as socioeconomic…

Although graduate-educated engineers are essential for the professoriate, technological advancement, and the growth of the U.S. economy, there is concern about the shortage of future PhD-holding engineers pursuing careers in academia and industry. This shortage relates, in part, to high levels of attrition among engineering graduate students. It…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the ways in which LGBTQ+ students at the University of Miami make meaning of their shared experiences in the LGBTQ+ Mentorship Program that the university offers, in order to explore ways in which higher education institutions might consider better supporting this key group of students.…

The transition to college is a transformative time in a student's life. The first year of college is especially critical as the transition from secondary education to college can determine whether a student succeeds or fails in in college (Gale & Parker, 2014; Taylor & Harris-Evans, 2018). Students with depression enter their first year of…

This study was designed to explore, record, explain and describe the lived experiences of African American male students engaged in mentorship programs for post-secondary education. This study takes an exploratory phenomenological approach to research and is conducted at a mentorship program site. The following research questions guided this study…

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the feelings, thoughts, critical incidents, and coping mechanisms of female high school principals and their experiences with the impostor phenomenon. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that none of the demographic factors such as number of years as a head high school…

Two out of every three special education teachers leave teaching within the first five years. Veteran teachers who stay possess characteristics that sustain them even when faced with difficulties; they are more resilient. Teacher resilience is the ability to cope with difficult situations and to not allow difficulties to deter the desire to teach.…

There is evidence that participating in physical exercise reduces stress and the risk of many physical maladies. Exercise is also correlated with higher levels of approach motivation, or a tendency to approach challenge as an opportunity for growth or improvement instead of an opportunity for failure. To date, most research on this relationship…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and understand lived experiences of university administrators in their efforts to care for, respond to, and begin recovery of a student community after a tragedy. Additionally, the study sought to discover support systems for university administrators working to move the campus forward and…

Latino/as are the largest minority group within the United States and have the fastest projected population growth within the United States but currently have the lowest baccalaureate attainment rate of any racial or ethnic group. Traditional methods of measuring and supporting Latino/a students have not been successful and need reevaluation.…

Using Dornyei's (2005) L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) and Kubanyiova's (2007, 2009) model of 'possible language teacher selves' as main theoretical frameworks, this multiple case study explored four language teaching assistants' developmental patterns with regards to their ideal language teacher selves over a two-year period. It also examined…

Well-being is essential to promote students' development. The present research investigated the association between life events, perceived stress, smartphone dependency, coping behaviors, and psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling, and the sample consisted of 303 undergraduates at one public university…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the career paths and preparation of female vice-presidents employed in community colleges in the state of Mississippi. There is limited qualitative information available that describes the career paths of vice-presidents in the state's community colleges. Community colleges are making great…

The context and experiences of student-parents is an important topic for higher education. Educators need to know who these adult students are and where they come from. Due to the additional responsibilities that student-parents carry, educators are challenged by the fact that most of these adult students are enrolled in higher education on a…

The study of student transfer has been researched since the inception of the community college. It was not known how community college students interested in transfer and community college administrators perceive the transition into a four-year institution. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how transfer-interested…