This qualitative research study addressed a notable gap in existing literature by examining the perceptions and relationship between experiential learning and college and career readiness within the homeschooling context. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 13 homeschooled students from northwestern Florida. To gather data, indepth,…

One of the many aims of colleges and universities is helping students to develop leadership knowledge and skills in a global world. This is recognized to be a complex goal that, among other influences, involves identity development and how students understand themselves as leaders. Developing a leadership identity is a multifaceted process that…

This action research case study examined how adolescent male readers in reading intervention classes experienced and identified themselves as readers. Additionally, this case study was a self-study in that explored how I, a reading specialist, fostered student reading engagement and reader identity development. This study explored the research…

Increasing student retention is one of the greatest challenges faced by community colleges. First-year community college students face a complex set of issues in grappling with their new academic roles and identities. Therefore, there is a need for effective retention efforts that support students during this time of transition. First-Year…

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…

Throughout history, higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United States (U.S.) have espoused the goal of developing an educated citizenry with the capacity to engage across difference and contribute to solving the major issues in society (Association of American Colleges & Universities [AACU], 2019; Kezar, 2004). Although significant…

A student's sense of belonging can affect many aspects of their achievements, and their academic and social life (Freeman et al., 2007; Hausman et al., 2007; Hoffman et al., 2002; Strayhorn, 2012). Vaccaro and Newman (2022) contended only by understanding the process of belonging development, one can develop a sense of being as students navigate…

This study examined the team and classroom experiences of student athletes in the autonomous student athlete climate. A narrative qualitative research approach was used to describe and interpret the experiences and perceptions of six NCAA Division I student athletes from three different universities located in the Midwestern and South-Central…

Social group disparities persist in who chooses to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in higher education. Goal congruity theory has highlighted how perceptions of other-oriented opportunities in STEM can spur interest among underrepresented students. The present work extends this framework by considering how…

After completing the first-year seminar, this qualitative research study explored traditional first-generation students' lived experiences in their sophomore year. The second year of college is primarily viewed as challenging and difficult for sophomores. Nevertheless, colleges and universities tend to provide less support to sophomore students…

The first year of college is a time of challenging transition for many. Students are adapting to a new way of learning as well as developing as adults. Using a mixed methods design, this action research study aimed to provide insight into the student experience for academically at-risk first-year students in a health professions program at a…

This dissertation examined the perceived impact of education abroad programs on the retention of African American male students in higher education, utilizing Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning and Tinto's Theory of Student Retention as the conceptual framework. Given the underrepresentation and systemic barriers faced by this demographic,…

Teacher candidates, while completing their student teaching internship, are part of an important teaching-and-learning triad. The other members of the triad, mentor teachers and university field instructors, provide essential support to teacher candidates throughout the student teaching internship experience (Yee, 1968). Recent research has…

The number of initiatives developed to support student persistence and retention in higher education has expanded a great deal within the last 10 years. Many of these solutions have been created with the intent to directly influence and enhance students' cognitive abilities while disregarding the critical role that non-cognitive factors play in…

This dissertation investigated the science identity development of first-generation college students (FGCS) within learning assistant (LA) -supported science classes. The research aimed to uncover the complex and multifaceted processes through which FGCS come to see themselves as "science people" and how various elements of the…