In recent years, social status has been re-conceptualized as a unique and dynamic social identity that shapes motivational processes, guiding pursuits of status-related goals. Therefore, social status is not a static social positioning, but instead a developing construct that informs cognitions and behaviors, particularly during status…

This case study examines preservice teachers' cultural experiences with voice and how those experiences shape their professional philosophies and practice with student voice in the classroom. Four female preservice teachers with Caribbean heritage were selected from a convenience sample. Participants were interviewed twice. Artifacts included…

When we are young, we are often asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question is challenging for many to answer. When we are young, our idea of what we can be is often based on what we know given our short life experiences or occupations held by those close to us or where we grow up, such as a teacher, nurse, farmer,…

Multivariate count data is ubiquitous in many areas of research including the physical, biological, and social sciences. These data are traditionally modeled with the Dirichlet Multinomial distribution (DM). A new, more flexible Dirichlet-Tree Multinomial (DTM) model is gaining in popularity. Here, we consider Bayesian DTM regression models. Our…

Navigation of the state and federal child welfare and special education systems in the U.S. presents significant challenges for caregivers, particularly those of children with disabilities. This dissertation explores the experiences of caregivers who were involved in these two systems, discussing the challenges they faced and analyzing the…

Educational leaders in a public school system contribute to the success of students and impact the learning environment. Discovering ways to support these important professionals is a worthwhile endeavor. An educational leader's professional identity is significant to their performance and serves as a compass to guide decisions and actions.…

Families are often the forgotten partners in education and in educational research. It is important to consider input from families regarding their children's education. Their voices are crucial ones that should be heard more often. The research is currently lacking information about families' perceptions about the education of their children with…

The contemplation of the potential future gains and consequences of current behavior, known as future orientation, can be of special importance in the counseling field as it might have positive and preventive implications on physical and mental health. In its simplest form, future orientation refers to people's subjective view of the future…

In my journey of teen and young adult growth (junior high up to college) I have always had a vision and a plan to achieve goals. The reason I had goals is because I had an awareness of who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. When I started having children, I taught to them the things that I was taught to understand, recognize, and…

This case study examines Makerere University through the lens of U.S. land-grant ideal and normative domains in order to provide a deeper understanding of global higher education. A case study uses multiple types of data to create a holistic perspective. As well as interviewing Makerere stakeholders representing diverse sectors, numerous documents…

This study intends to better understand the experiences of poor and working-class undergraduate college students who are enrolled full-time at state flagship universities and who hold on-campus leadership positions within high-intensity student organizations. This study explores how poor and working-class students come to high-intensity…

More than 30 years after its inception, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards continues to attract and certify educators who demonstrate accomplished teaching (Cowan & Goldhaber, 2016). The voluntary and rigorous process of National Board Certification is an accomplishment over 130,000 teachers have attained (NBPTS, 2022b).…

This study highlights the importance of giving Black female administrators a platform to share their stories and make meaning of their experiences as intersectionality. The idea for this study was born of countless conversations I had with Black female educators at all levels. As I reflect on them, the topic of trauma as a result of anti-Blackness…

In this study, I inquire into Teacher Ambassador Programs through the utilization of theoretical concepts such as aspirational labor (Duffy, 2017), capital (Bourdieu, 1984; 1986), and cruel optimism (Berlant, 2011). I describe how women are produced to aspire for neoliberal capitalist subject positions, such as the "good enough woman…

This qualitative case study explored working class individuals' perceptions of social mobility in a changing the community. The explored community was traditionally a working class community. It was near a metropolitan area that was growing more prosperous. Many residents commuted to the metropolitan area and the community started turning into a…