In structural equation modeling, relationships between exogenous and endogenous variables are often assumed to be linear though that is not a requirement. A recent trend in modeling latent interactions and moderations has stimulated further inquiry into nonlinear relationships and the analysis techniques associated with those types of models.…

Research has shown that most STEM doctoral students are not prepared for their future careers. To address this gap, this dissertation explored and made sense of engineering doctoral student experiences related to their development as early career professionals with a variety of future career interests. One consideration embedded throughout the…

Attracting and retaining diverse individuals is a core goal for reform efforts within in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gateway courses. Evidence-based instructional strategies in STEM, including those that incorporate scientific practices, have demonstrated promising findings regarding student learning gains. Inspired by…

The purpose of this study was to replicate Reeve et al., (2023) by applying the newly proposed tripartite model of self-determination theory (SDT to the context of higher education. The study also investigated the validity of the "Three State Questionnaire" (TSQ) as a measurement tool in higher education. The study consisted of 521 first…

Workplace stress is pervasive and changes to the postsecondary teaching and learning environment have contributed to stress among women faculty and adversely impacted their personal well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the constructs in the health belief model (HBM) play a role in the use of worksite wellness…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore how African American alumni describe the contributions of African American faculty and peers on goal setting, self-motivation, and ongoing persistence at Predominately White Institutions. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was gathered through interviews and questionnaires…

A mixed-methods study was conducted to investigate Idaho's elementary school teachers' perceptions of the Idaho Evaluation Model as a motivator for teachers to improve their instructional practice, and to determine if teachers' experience level impacts these perceptions. The quantitative data was obtained from 157 Idaho kindergarten through…

The United States Federal Government believes that "technology can be a powerful tool for transforming learning" (U.S. Department of Education, 2017, p. 1). The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the beliefs and actions of high school principals regarding technology integration using Bolman and Deal's 4 Frames (Structural,…

School climate is one of the most important school level factors shaping children's developmental outcomes. More specifically, school climate has been found to contribute to school practices that promote or hinder students' academic achievement, academic engagement, and academic motivation with more positive reports of school climate improving…

This qualitative case study explored the perspectives of teachers towards their professional development (PD) in a school with a high population of low-income students. The study focus was driven by critical theory with a unique application of attribution theory as a part of the data analysis. This moved the data analysis beyond simply a…

This qualitative, non-experimental meta-synthesis explored the antecedents, consequences, and interventions of both active and passive procrastination among university students. Based on the academic procrastination paradigm proposed by Schraw, Wadkins, and Olafson in 2007, the study synthesized and interpreted the findings of twelve purposefully…

This dissertation investigates the initial and ongoing motivations of language revitalization practitioners. This study extends our understandings of language revitalization from the programmatic and sociological levels to the level of the individual practitioner. It also extends theory in L2 motivation into a largely unstudied language learning…

Colleges and universities have experienced a decline in enrollments and growing financial instability, creating an uncertain environment throughout the higher education sector. Uncertainty can potentially decrease employee engagement. Disengaged employees typically cost U.S. corporations $350 billion annually (Osborne & Hammoud, 2017). This…

While language aptitude and motivation are considered to be important contributors to second language (L2) attainment, two major gaps in the past research have been (1) a lack of nonlinear models stemming from a naive and tacit assumption that learning outcomes are linearly related to their predictors, and (2) a lack of unified and integrative…

School improvement remains one of the most prevalent and often controversial topics in education today, and key to improving schools is understanding the role teachers play as a primary influence on student learning. Consistent and ongoing improvement, however, has not been subjugated to education alone, and looking for improvement strategies…