In this paper we explore perspectives of academically successful students from low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds in an Australian university regarding their success. In response to initiatives arising from the Australian Government's 2008 "Review of Australian Higher Education," university cohorts have increasingly…

The Chinese government has implemented a series of special admission policies in recent years to promote higher education equity. One of the key approaches is the 'Rural Students Quota Plan', which requires elite universities to enrol a certain number of rural students from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds each year. This study…

This study examined the direct and indirect relationships among resilience, its individual-level protective factors (i.e., courage and self-compassion), and its positive outcomes (i.e., prosocial behavior tendencies) in a sample of adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds in Türkiye (Turkey). Quantitative data were collected through surveys…

Increased reliance on student loans to finance higher education (HE) raises concerns about unequal access and repayment burdens. However, who borrows and what motivates students and parents to borrow remain unclear. A longitudinal survey tracked parents and students from high school into their early career to explore the effects of socioeconomic…

My dissertation explores the higher education transition decisions made by senior high school students from diverse social backgrounds in Chile. I examine how family, school, and the broader institutional and political context interact with and influence these decisions during times of major social changes and educational reform. Through a…

Voices from high achieving Black students allow the conversation to move from a deficit way of thinking to an asset-based perspective leading to greater opportunities for academic success. Through the lens of resilience theory and also through examining protective factors, this qualitative study employs an interpretative approach, enabling…

Oklahoma's universal pre-K (UPK) program has long been a classic "man bites dog" story. In 1998, Oklahoma became the second state in the U.S. to offer free pre-K to all four-year-olds. Coupled with growing evidence of the critical importance of the early years in brain synapse formation, results like Tulsa's have encouraged state and…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) play a prominent role in today's society. At the same time, studies show that the gap in science performance between students from lower socioeconomic background and students from a more advantaged background is wide. Studies further show that role models can have a positive effect and the…

Sense of belonging is a fundamental human motivation and, in higher education settings, has been associated with students' motivation and academic outcomes. However, less is known about the nuances of how students define belonging within a university context, and how their gendered and socio-economic identity-based experiences inform these…

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which Black and Latinx undergraduate students of first-generation and low-socioeconomic backgrounds understand how the components of summer bridge programs influence their persistence at four-year colleges and universities. This generic interpretive study revealed that there are several…

This study examined the relationship between school service quality and student learning satisfaction in public and private high schools in China, considering the influence of students' socioeconomic background and household registration location. A comparative study was conducted using a questionnaire administered to 22,588 students in 20…

Interest is the basic driver of a person is doing something to achieve his goals, and in action-reaction theory, the measure that is widely used is attitude. Through behavioral intention to adopt, we examined its effect on online learning interest using perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU) and self-efficacy (SE). In addition,…

In recent years, English-language voluntourism (EVT) has grown in popularity, with many conceptualizing it as a form of cultural exchange between English speaking volunteers and members of a non-English speaking host community. This article explores relationships between and within volunteers and host groups of an EVT program in Lima, Peru. Using…

While quality teacher-student classroom interaction is crucial in promoting students' learning, literature recognizes the meaningful effects teachers' and students' social background characteristics and cultural values or orientations have on classroom interactions. However, the extent of relationships between elements of the social and cultural…

This dissertation explores the participation dynamics of BIPOC students in voluntary paid internships at a Midwestern HBCU, highlighting critical systemic barriers and the effectiveness of support systems. The study was prompted by a recognized gap in engagement among BIPOC students despite available internship opportunities. This research aimed…