In this study, I used feminist identity development as a theoretical framework to explore the experiences of 12 college sorority women. Participants shared stories from their college and early life, including the experiences they identified as the most influential to their growth and development. Five main themes of what influenced their feminist…

The college marching band provides students with opportunities that foster student development, defined as the personal growth and identity development of students due to environmental factors in higher education. However, previous research has not focused on the role of college marching band participation in student development. The goal of this…

Educators are always looking for new ideas and best practices to positively impact student learning. Particularly after the learning interruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, schoolteachers and leaders are seeking strategies to increase the rate of student academic growth. One approach that can be borrowed from leadership development is the…

Study abroad has been seen as a pathway to global competencies that will prepare students to be citizens of a global and interconnected world. Intrapersonal development is a dimension of global perspective important to consider as it reflects individuals' perceptions, awareness, respect, and acceptance of their own identity as well as others who…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore perceptions of first-generation college students with strengths-based development experiences. "Strengths-based development experiences" were defined as those that leveraged a student's results from the CliftonStrengths® assessment provided by the Gallup Organization. This…

Since the 1990s, colleges and universities throughout the United States have witnessed a substantial increase in student population demographics. In particular, upticks have been reported in the number of first-generation students enrolling in colleges and universities. There is evidence that first-generation college students often face…

The purpose of this study was to examine the individual perspectives and experiences of adult college students and their life contexts, resources, and demands experienced as they engage in the college environment and explore how adult college students utilize developmental regulation strategies to overcome goal conflict and achieve success while…

There is ample evidence that youth who have supportive relationships with others experience more positive outcomes (Kesselring et al., 2016 ). Positive Youth Development (PYD) emphasizes the promotion of better outcomes for youth by building on their strengths and providing supports and opportunities to foster the achievement of goals and…

There are two important premises at the core of the American democracy: inclusion and dissent. Focusing on the premise of democratic dissent, the overarching goal of this study is understanding how colleges may encourage desirable civic outcomes. This dissertation is proceeds in an alternative format, containing three distinct manuscripts. Chapter…

The study examined the reading and character growth of elementary school students (n = 2144) in urban public charter school classrooms (n = 88), focusing on the relationship between the students' growth and a character-focused lesson. Reading growth, as measured by in-classroom reading assessments, and character growth, as measured by self- and…

This evaluation case study explores the impact of the An Achievable Dream social, academic, and moral program on college student's performance in college. Through this study, the researcher was able to provide insight on college student and college student advocates perceptions of An Achievable Dream's social, academic, and moral program's impact…

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the developmental assets and academic achievement of urban underrepresented minority male and female students in a specialized science, technology, engineering, and math program, and the developmental assets and academic achievement of urban underrepresented minority male and…

The purpose of this study was not to disprove the effects of the current, common remedial literacy course design and the literacy practices within that help adolescent RLLs pass statewide assessment tests, but to describe the potential long-term impact of an innovative comprehensive approach to literacy (CAL) framed through an integrated course…

Violations of academic integrity occur frequently throughout the nation's colleges and universities. How this phenomenon is addressed differs among institutions with some proactively embedding a culture of integrity through curricular and co-curricular approaches and others addressing it superficially through mission statements and campus…

Because of national, state, and local accountability to prepare students to be college and career-ready, secondary schools are looking for ways to maximize student academic growth while in high school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between academic growth as measured by the changes in performance from students' 8th…