While research examining the literacy achievement of African American or sub-Saharan African students exists individually, there is little research that examines the two collectively, highlighting the shared paralleling influences in the achievement in literacy between African American and sub-Saharan African children as a whole. This narrative…

This dissertation explores North/South partnerships in higher education, shedding light on their practices and underlying logics. Recognizing the growing importance of these collaborations in addressing global challenges, universities are actively working to strengthen these ties. However, concerns about the potential replication of imperialistic…

This study explores the evolving landscape of international higher education partnerships, with a specific focus on the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). These countries, representing a significant portion of the world's population and economy, are redefining collaborative models in higher education, particularly…

This study investigates a major form of internationalization of higher education, international student mobility (ISM) in over 200 countries between 1999 and 2017. Various theoretical explanations of the phenomenon are provided, followed by descriptive explanations of ISM patterns and empirical analysis on push and pull factors. From descriptive…

This narrative research examines the experiences of five Saudi Arabian mothers of children with ASD who are living in the United States. Multiple interviews were used in qualitative research to learn more about the different experiences of these mothers. The purpose of the study was to learn about the participants' experiences, including their…

Some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) aim to designate the information and communication technology (ICT) sector as a central pillar to expedite their economic development, and a key element of ICT sector development is to nurture capable ICT workers. Scholars and policymakers concerned with those ICT workers tend to focus on nurturing…

This dissertation explores how country-level cultural values are associated with gender differences in the enrollment in and completion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), national achievement in mathematics and science, and students' science achievement. Study 1 explored how gender-equal…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify whether the corporate brain drain that results as baby boomers retire and highly educated skilled immigrants return to their nations of origin, or to other developing nations, impact corporations in developed countries; and identify effective solutions firms are using to address the void of…

Over the last decade, women have increasingly outnumbered men in higher education enrollments in the vast majority of countries around the world. Yet, studies reveal that women continue to be underrepresented as faculty, particularly in the higher echelons of the academic hierarchy and across traditionally male-dominated disciplines. This…

Although critical to functioning in the workforce, mathematics proficiency is low in the United States compared to other economically-developed countries. Researchers have shown that students begin to demonstrate weaknesses in math skills at the onset of pre-algebraic courses, usually during middle school years. In Alabama, low math scores are…

This study examines factors that contribute to the cross-border movement of international students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It analyzes characteristics of host countries (pull factors) associated with international students' arrival for education in STEM fields, as well as characteristics of home…

This qualitative study examined the differences among the experiences of 7 American undergraduate students; 4 who studied for a semester in Ghana, a developing country, and 3 who studied for a semester in England, a developed country. Using phenomenology as its guiding framework, transcribed interviews were analyzed and the focal phenomenon of the…

The mobile phone has arguably become the most ubiquitous information communication technology (ICT) in the world, including in the developing world. Introduced in the Philippines in the early 1990s, mobile phone penetration is expected to reach 100 percent in 2013, an interesting phenomenon since a third of the country lives below the poverty…

Millions of youths in developing countries are described by UNICEF as "invisible and excluded." They live at the margins of society, facing challenges to their daily existence, powerless to make positive changes. But the emergence of citizen journalism and digital storytelling may offer these youths a chance to share their voices and…

This dissertation consists of three essays on education and macroeconomics. The first chapter analyzes whether public education financing systems can account for large differences among developed countries in earnings inequality and intergenerational earnings persistence. I first document facts about public education in the U.S. and Norway, which…