This individual case study is part of a larger group study examining how principals benefit from and shape professional capital to improve schools. Principals play a critical role in supporting student learning, while also structuring the culture of the school and mediating external demands. Despite the importance of the school principal,…

Immigration is a hotly debated and deeply polarizing topic in American society. The past few decades have seen an influx of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and the Americas who contend with having a double-minority status. This qualitative study advances an understanding of the lived experiences and acculturation process of immigrant academics of…

This phenomenological study aims to illuminate Black men's academic experience in undergraduate education during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Specifically, what is the academic experience of Black men in undergraduate education during the COVID-19 pandemic within the United States? The intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic on the…

This dissertation was an investigation of how students in two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) programs construct their bilingual identities inside and outside the school setting, highlighting the unique and multifaceted nature of their language development and cultural identity formation. TWBI programs aim to cultivate bilingualism and biliteracy,…

This study is a phenomenological study that explores the impacts that racial affinity groups and varsity athletic teams have on the perceived sense of belonging, social capital development, and identity development of students at one New England independent boarding school. The rationale for this study comes from the notion that many independent…

Previous studies have shown that participation in social networking sites (SNSs) enhances users' knowledge, social capital, and quality of life. However, people with intellectual developmental disabilities (PIDD) do not use SNSs to the same extent as the general population does. This study aimed to explore the experiences of those PIDD in South…

Recently, there has been a greater focus directed towards the collegiate experiences and success of male students of color on college campuses. In response, many campuses have begun implementing interventions or programs for the purpose of retaining Latinx men and men of color. Male-centered student programs provide Latinx men with a community and…

While attending a highly selective institution provides for greater support and services, the experiences of Latinx college students within this context have not been fully studied. Only recently has the collegiate success of first-generation Latinx college students become a focal point of discussion in the research; however, less research has…

Taking our lead from Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet," this project represents our attempt to stimulate dialogue between 30 physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP) early career academics (ECAs) and 11 PESP professors. First, the ECAs were invited to write a narrative around their experiences as PESP ECAs. Second, a narrative…

Over the past twenty years, the high penetration of mobile phones as a means of interpersonal communication, especially among adolescents, has facilitated access to broader social environments outside their own family. Through the extension of their social environment, teenagers are able to establish new and more extensive relationships, while…

Low-income, first-generation students face numerous barriers on the path to college. However, millions of these students persevere and ultimately enroll. How do these students remain motivated on the road to higher education despite these challenges? This collective case study explored influences on the motivation of low-income, first generation…

Circular seating arrangements can help instill a sense of belonging within classroom communities with overall positive effects on learning, emotions, and well-being. Yet students and their teachers within certain language classroom contexts, due to sociocultural limitations, may be relegated to learning in antisocial environments instilled partly…

This study examined the role of volunteer experiences on Black African international students' social integration and adaptation at a predominantly White Mid-Western university in the United States. The study explores micro-level interactions and relationships fostered during volunteering as well as feelings of inclusion/exclusion and personal…

In this article, we use interview data collected in a four-year longitudinal study of first-generation university students to answer the question: how might the ethnicity of first-generation students impact their university experiences? After briefly examining previous literature written on the educational achievement levels of ethnic-minority…

This work will focus on how different social relationships, namely shared identity and personal tie, will impact cooperative behavior, a form of social capital. I designed and conducted an economic game study to show that shared identity and personal ties work differently on cooperation among people and resource flow in social groups. Many factors…