This dissertation investigates the complex phenomenon of high school dropouts and the social factors that contributed to them making that decision. The research included interviewing six high school dropouts, whose ages ranged from 35-45, all of whom were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Each interview was conducted in…

Cognitive load is the effort needed to process and store information in memory and can be measured via subjective, physiological, and performance methods. Virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) enhance science aptitude and motivate students to pursue science careers. Cognitive load is divided into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Oneida women who completed doctoral degrees and are enrolled members of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin tribe of Indians. Theoretical Framework: The framework for this study is based on Weiner's 1985 attribution theory of motivation. Weiner…

With the increase in online course enrollments each year, there is a continued examination of online course persistence, particularly in accelerated online courses. This examination of online course persistence has typically examined individual learner factors as contributors to persistence. However, research examining the institutional and…

Higher education retention research has taken on renewed importance in recent years with support for standardized entrance exams waning and student loan debts commanding social and political attention. Economic pressures have further exasperated college attrition and pushed researchers to better identify at-risk students before they experience…

This study investigated the involvement of the Social Agency Theory within a multimedia learning environment to improve English language proficiency. The primary aim of this study is to find the effects of designing language learning instructional videos following the embodiment principle on language learners' motivation, cognitive load and…

Although a number of studies have been conducted to explore how various individual difference (ID) factors such as aptitude, motivation, and anxiety contributing to L2 learners' speech performance over a period of time of L2 learning, only a few examined the effect of the three ID factors on learners' L2 speech performances based on classroom…

The purpose of this study was to examine how male students of color (MSOC) describe the experiences that motivated them to overcome scholastic challenges and achieve academic success. This qualitative investigation used a multiple case study approach to capture the perspectives of ten participants who experienced scholastic challenges yet…

Despite the growing recognition that second language (L2) listening is a skill incorporating the ability to process visual information along with the auditory stimulus, standardized L2 listening assessments have been predominantly operationalizing this language skill as visual-free (Buck, 2001; Kang, Gutierrez Arvizu, Chaipuapae, & Lesnov,…

In this study, I explored the interactions among genre, task complexity, and L2 proficiency in learners' writing task performance. Specifically, after identifying the lack of valid operationalizations of genre and task dimensions in L2 writing research, I examined how genre functions as a task complexity variable, and how learners' perceptions and…

The preparedness of students to enter college is an ongoing issue of national concern. The purpose of the study was to conduct a mixed method descriptive case study to answer the question: "How African-American and Hispanic High School Students in an Urban Charter High School may benefit from the Early College High School Model of receiving…

While higher education personnel continue to be challenged in fostering student persistence, they are especially perplexed with how to promote higher persistence and retention rates among African American men. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how African American male undergraduate students persist at a…

Over the past 25 years, there has been a call for change within American higher education, with an increasing number of foundations, national organizations, and individual researchers pushing for institutions of higher education to become more involved with the surrounding communities and American society (Campus Compact, 2011; Glass &…

This study is a transcendental phenomenological study that described the experience of students' interest in science from elementary school through middle school grades and the identification of the factors that increase or decrease interest in science. Numerous researchers have found that interest in science changes among children and the change…

The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional effectiveness of different levels of chunking (simple visual/text and complex visual/text), different forms of feedback (item-by-item feedback, end-of-test feedback and no feedback), and use of instructional gaming (game and no game) in complementing animated programmed instruction on a…