This research targets retired singers from the university choral ensemble, offering an in-depth examination of the older adults' choir experiences, with a focus on their experiences and reflections. Prior studies have highlighted the benefits of musical involvement for retirees, including extending life expectancy, enhancing quality of life, and…

The purpose of this study is to examine the transition in a rural Midwestern school district from a long-serving superintendent who served sixteen years in the position to a recently hired superintendent, focusing on leadership behaviors and how the observed behaviors of the two superintendents influenced the transition period between…

U.S. workers are not sufficiently prepared for financial success in retirement. This qualitative phenomenological case study explored participants' perceptions of their retirement adequacy, financial literacy, and the effects of employer-sponsored programs to enhance their employees' financial literacy. This study intended to resolve U.S. workers…

This study examined the concepts of career preparation and the lives post-sport of retired former collegiate swimmers. Swimming is a sport that has next to no opportunities to compete professionally, meaning that all swimmers must undergo career preparation and transition into full-time careers once their eligibility has expired. This study was…

Nationwide communities struggle to meet the unique needs of at-risk populations. Currently, a large group of potential volunteers are entering retirement and moving into the next phase of their lives. There is a gap in the research specific to the volunteer motivations of older adults. Because of this gap, my study explored the volunteer…

With the growth of the older population due to longer life spans and a decline in birth rates, older adults will soon outnumber the younger population worldwide. One out of five workers in the United States reaches retirement age each day. This phenomenon has begun to cause a strain on Social Security funding and healthcare funding for those over…

As administrators in K-12 settings retire, it is often not apparent why they chose to retire, particularly if the retirement was sudden or there was unusual turnover in a geographic area. Each administrator has experiences unique to his or her situation. In this qualitative research study, the experiences of a group of K-12 administrators in a…

Many people believe that U.S. higher education is at a crossroads as tuition costs soar, diversity of the student body grows, and the number of traditionally aged students enrolling in college continues to decline due to lower birth rates in the early 2000s. Today's societal, political, and cultural pressures are unique and thus put added pressure…

This dissertation provides empirical evidence on estimating the treatment effects of school choice programs using quasi-experimental data. Chapter 1 implements the new econometric method proposed by Abdulkadiroglu et al. (2017a) in the context of the magnet school program in Wake County, North Carolina. Chapter 2 gives an in-depth analysis of the…

Transitioning out of college for NCAA Division III student athletes is a unique experience. Through the lens of the athletic identity theory, this study examined how Division III student athletes describe their experience transitioning out of college. Participants included former Division III student athletes from a university in the southwest…

This study examined the lived experiences of New York City educators who are teaching and learning in a high-stakes testing environment to improve students' learning outcomes. The research questions were: (1) What are New York City elementary school educators' experiences teaching in a high-stakes testing environment? (2) What are New York City…

This study explored private school principals' career outlooks because of their critical role in shaping academic environments essential for student success. Principals face multiple challenges that can affect career decisions. Employing an electronic survey, this quantitative study included 65 current private school principals, collecting data…

The rate of presidential turnover over the past decade has accelerated due to planned retirements, the onset of COVID-19, and the complexities and challenges (e.g., political and social) of providing institutional leadership in the context of higher education. This study focused specifically on Christian higher education, where the leadership…

The working retired population is more populated now than ever before in human history. There have been various studies in the area of Information Computer Technology use in the workplace, the area of workforce training, and the area of training of individuals within various age groups, but little to no research addressing the experience of…

This study addressed the lack of professional development and networking opportunities targeted towards school counselors in rural school districts. To address this problem, this study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of professional school counselors, in rural settings, and their participation in a professional learning community…