Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) pose few barriers to enrollment and are typically free of charge to those that take them. Unlike enrollment in traditional, for-credit learning experiences, learners may persist or drop out of MOOCs at will with few consequences. This dissertation is an exploratory study meant to identify factors associated with…

The desire of higher-ed leadership to internationalize programs to attract foreign students may not align with the perspectives of educators in the classroom. In the elementary and secondary school settings, a teacher's perspective can impact culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student achievement. However, the current literature does not…

Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, this study explored what and how noncognitive characteristics including self-concept, self-appraisal, navigation of the system and racism, goal-setting, an available support person, leadership experience, community involvement, and acquired knowledge impacted the learning experiences of students…

When it comes to preparing prospective teachers who are typically white monolingual middle-class females, some research tends to start with the "problems" to be fixed--the prospective teachers' lack of knowledge and experiences, their problematic mindsets and beliefs--especially when learning to teach minoritized learners, including…

With the increase of educational programs and classes offered online, any people have taken advantage of the convenience of these offerings. Along with the rapid growth of distance learning, there has been a reported high attrition rate among online learners. Some research suggests that part of the attrition involved student expectations not being…

This study empirically investigated the impact of an online learning community project on university students' motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). A newly-proposed L2 motivation theory--the L2 motivational self system (Dornyei 2005; 2009)--was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The three aspects of motivation…

Nursing schools are facing demands to admit and graduate increasing numbers of students to meet the needs of the future healthcare system. Nursing schools must therefore admit, retain and graduate qualified applicants, able to provide care in complex healthcare environments. Educators are challenged to identify the best educational practices to…

Teachers of English as a Second Language use curricula offered to them for their classroom instruction. Although there are many good materials to be used in the classroom, and many opportunities to develop themselves professionally, research shows that including students' backgrounds into the curriculum will engage the students and benefit them. …

The purpose of this study was to examine and identify support service needs and preferences of distance learners studying at the Turkish Open Education System (OES). In order to fulfill this purpose, views and perceptions of OES students on importance and accessibility of student support services at the OES were investigated through a mixed-method…