Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences existed in the attainment of Texas Education Agency approved industry-based certifications of Texas high school graduates by their ethnicity/race, gender, and economic status. In the first study, the degree to which the attainment of Texas…

The purpose of this study is to assess whether there is a relationship between neighborhood inequality in which underrepresented minorities (URMs) with STEM degrees reside and their employment in STEM fields. The current study deploys an Intersectional Theory (IT) research framework and Bourdieu's Theory of Practice to identify the influence of…

Wage gap statistics continue to show that efforts around equitable pay distributions continue to fail. These data inform us that the outcomes are not meeting expectations therefore something must change. We still see nationally that white men are paid more than any other gender or racial group, which tells us that we are hiring more diverse…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on ninth-grade students' mathematics achievement in a rural school district located in South Carolina. Students enrolled in ninth grade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2018- 2019 school year) Algebra I EOC scores were compared to the students enrolled in ninth grade for…

Efforts like holistic review admissions by nursing programs to create a more ethnically diverse student body have led to increased enrollment of students with underrepresented ethnic and cultural social identities. However, these students continue to experience higher attrition rates compared to their White, middle-class peers. Although both sense…

This dissertation examined disparities in initial placements and Length of Stay in Custody of children in North Carolina experiencing child maltreatment. This research examined how the Length of Stay in Custody and type of initial placement was associated with the age, race, and gender of children who had been removed from the care of their…

Dental school is a four-year, rigorous educational endeavor packed with difficulties and challenges predental students have not experienced during their undergraduate studies. In addition, dental schools demand developing new coping and learning skills to meet the requirements of a student-centered, fast-paced curriculum. In response to these…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the change in mathematics self-efficacy of students enrolled in a college mathematics course at a community college in Missouri. The change was measured over a single semester as a pre-test and post-test. The timing of this study is significant, given that it follows statewide changes in…

Re-injury anxiety is common among college student-athletes at the varsity (Podlog et al., 2011; Putukian, 2016) and club (Watanabe et al., 2023) level. Coping with sport injury has been studied in previous reviews (Putukian, 2016; Sims & Mulcahey, 2018) and literature (Kontos et al., 2013; Schlierf & Vosloo, 2020), but the relationship…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the moderating effects of economic advantage and race/ethnicity on graduation rates during COVID-19. Data collected from the Tennessee Department of Education's Graduation Cohort Rates was examined for a numerical relationship between the variable of race/ethnicity with…

This study investigated the factors influencing students' performance in science subjects at different schools in a school district in the midland area of South Carolina. For the convenience of the study and to maintain confidentiality, the school district is named Midland School District 2022. The population of this study included students in…

This study explored the math course taking patterns of Nebraska's secondary students from 2014-2020 using statewide data. Three course taking patterns were identified and examined. There are nuanced differences through these pathways based and race and gender. Student success through the pathways is dependent on course placement in the first year…

Nursing educators are challenged to find strategies that will develop critical thinking and clinical judgment abilities in students. As technology has advanced, the use of virtual simulation platforms has increased in use in nursing courses. This study examined the effect of a pilot virtual simulation intervention on critical thinking and clinical…

One of the categories of failing public schools is turnaround schools, which requires effective school leadership and teachers to improve student achievement scores. However, the impact of principals' self-efficacy beliefs in successfully turning around failing schools is unknown. The purpose of this research was to investigate principal…

Student veterans are a unique population on college/university campuses who may face numerous obstacles associated with transitioning from service member to student. One of the most daunting challenges these student veterans face occurs when they earn a grade for Failure for Nonattendance (FA). The GI Bill ®/Post 9/11 benefits that student…