Although trajectories of youth volunteering were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, nevertheless some youth persisted in volunteering, and others emerged as volunteers. To understand volunteering trajectories, the present mixed method study proposed a model adapted from prior literature and examined volunteer trajectories during the pandemic.…

This study examined the potential mediating roles of relationship satisfaction and dual-career lifestyle satisfaction in the association between investments and commitment to a relationship. The participants comprise 213 Turkish dual-career married couples (N = 426) between the ages of 19-60, who have been married for at least seven months. Two…

An emerging approach to diversity and inclusion initiatives within the sciences is to consider the assets and resources (in the form of capitals) held by individuals from underrepresented groups. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, we performed a systematic literature review to explore the secondary types of capital that exist within the STEM…

Teachers are indispensable in the public education system in California. There is a need for more credentialed teachers in California and a need for those willing to pursue the profession. A qualitative collective case study addressed low morale, teacher satisfaction, and decreasing desire to remain in the profession due to COVID-19. The demands…

Several factors, such as declining birth rates, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the current downward trend in college enrollments in the United States (Marcus, 2021, May 22). Declining enrollments create a greater focus on retention of students. Retention, however, is complicated by factors such as rising tuition costs, an uncertain…

"Student Success" helps students develop positive behaviors that will lead to success in college and beyond. The book provides a practical framework, how-to exercises, a behavioral observation measurement system, behavioral profiles, self-tests, and a behavioral change methodology for individuals, families, and schools seeking to…

Objective: Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is a key trait of social anxiety and has been linked to isolation and low self-esteem. Impulsivity has been shown to amplify the risk of socially anxious individuals engaging in risky behaviors such as suicidal behaviors; yet little research has examined associations between FNE and suicidality or the…

The present study aimed to achieve two main objectives: 1) investigating the components and predictors of grit among Thai Dramatic Arts students, hereafter referred to as TDART students, in a Thai college; and 2) establishing and validating a grit scale specifically designed for TDART students. A total of three hundred and forty-five TDART…

Although each person faces their own share of challenges, it is their individual perception and responses to these difficulties that determine how they are affected by them. In this paper we investigate the association between gratitude and human prosperity including the underlying mechanism that helps people thrive during trying circumstances. We…

Most organizations were created because there was a need for a service, product, or mission that would assist others in need. When considering what compels volunteers and workers to be consistent in organizations, motivation is imperative. The behavior of leadership, especially the ability to influence, has affected the volunteers and workers of…

College writing center practices differ greatly from the types of conventional writing instruction students and faculty are used to in classrooms. While conventional college lectures typically lead to a summative assessment in the form of grades based on students' performance on high-stakes assignments, writing centers are seen as tutoring centers…

This study is part of a larger research that explores the creation of an instrument to capture the social and cultural factors that affect Black students' persistence in STEM. Most research on self-efficacy in the science education literature were either done at predominantly White institutions, during summer programs for students of color, or on…

Past studies of grit's educational benefits, such as science engagement, showed mixed results across cultures. So, we elaborated the prior model of grit (perseverance of effort, consistency of interest) with "adaptability to situations" (forming a "triarchic model of grit" TMG), and tested TMG's relation to subsequent science…

We investigated the effects of a major revision of the differential and integral calculus curriculum, the primary goal of which was to improve STEM retention. The revamped curriculum has greater emphasis on the power of computing to help visualize patterns and gain insights to better prepare students for STEM majors, and less emphasis on…

In the U.S. public educational system, the superintendent role is crucial for shaping student outcomes, yet it is predominantly occupied by White males (73%), with African American females making up less than 1% of these positions. Historical research on superintendents often overlooked gender and racial diversity, contributing to the…