Research suggests that a student's persistence in higher education is influenced by their academic preparation, commitments, and involvement, (Tinto 2005). Predictors including student demographics, academic preparation and commitments have shown in previously studies to affect the rate at which students persist in higher education, (Pascarella…

Online education is the fastest growing segment of higher education. Unfortunately, many students attending college online fail to successfully earn their college degrees. The high attrition rate among online students proves costly for both the student and the university and is a multifaceted problem. This study investigated whether academic…

This study investigated students' attitudes toward massive open online courses (MOOCs) and their intention to use MOOCs for learning. Participants were administered a pre-existing survey that examined their future use of MOOCs based on the three theories: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), learning strategies, and cognitive appraisal. Demographic…

Research indicates that mental health issues are highly prevalent among college students (e.g., American College Health Association, 2018) and that first-generation students could be a higher risk of experiencing psychological distress compared to continuing-generation college students (House et al., 2019). Research also documents approximately…

Psychological capital (PsyCap) is a higher-order construct comprised of four psychological resources: hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO), and has been linked to academic achievement and engagement (Hazan Liran & Miller, 2019; Luthans, et al., 2012). Interventions designed to build PsyCap may be particularly helpful for…

College STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) major matriculation and attrition decisions may be influenced by experiences occurring much earlier in students' lives than their contemporary college experiences. This research was guided by social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), which describes how…

The official stance of the Association America of Medical Colleges (AAMC) regarding the undergraduate major of applicants for admission to medical school is that there are no required or preferred majors. While the AAMC is the body that governs admission to allopathic medical schools in the United States, this statement does not provide clarity to…

A wide range of efforts has been explored to fill the United States' need for professionals in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Understanding the factors that influence student persistence in out-of-school educational spaces such as outreach programs is important to meeting this demand. Outreach programs are…

The under-representation of Blacks in the actuarial profession has persisted for decades. However, to date, little theory-driven research has been conducted to examine variables that may influence the career choice behavior of Blacks pursuing an actuarial profession. The purpose of this research was to identify and examine the relationships among…

Prior research on Latinos in higher education has centered on challenges in four-year universities (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1978, 1983; Wild & Ebbers, 2002). However, many Latinos in the United States seek higher education in two-year colleges where they comprise the largest group, representing between 41% to 46% of the student population…

Bullying and cyberbullying nowadays have become an issue that a substantial number of college students have to deal with. However, most people do not think they occur as frequently in universities as in high schools or middle schools, and few of them are willing to intervene in a bullying situation when they see one. The goal of this dissertation…

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which project selection, participation in specialized camps or trainings, school type, and demographic factors impact the likelihood of an intended STEM major choice for 4-H members. The study was a quantitative, correlational study seeking to understand relationships and predictions between…

Background/Context: Teacher education students in the U.S., regardless of their personal beliefs, knowledge, and levels of awareness, are racially positioned to participate in an education system and society embedded in colorblind ideology. More research is needed that describes the ways in which colorblind ideology informs how teacher education…

The examination of student (entry characteristics, academic performance, career goals, and interaction with peers and faculty), program (programmatic interventions, academic major, and learning communities), and institutional support characteristics (financial aid and residence) that relate to cohort intent to persist are studied among 490 PGA…

The purpose of the secondary data analysis was to examine the attributes of students who intend to persist at the same religiously affiliated institution. The review of literature indicated that persistence has been studied extensively, but there has been only limited investigation of persistence focused on religiously affiliated institutions. The…