Student-athletes represents a large population within college communities and finding balance between the two identities of "student" and "athlete" can prove to be challenging. Researchers have shown that conflicts between the two identities exist, but there exists a limited number of studies in which scholars have analyzed the…

The concept of mastery learning was formally identified and explained by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues in 1968. Since that time, there have been strong supporters (Guskey, 2010; Hunter, 1982; Meece et al., 2006) and critics (Anderson & Burns, 1987; Arlin & Webster, 1983; Slavin, 1987, 1989) of this strategy and the educational…

One of the main challenges in intervention research today is understanding who benefits from universal school programs. Partly, this challenge involves capturing the diversity of experiences, needs, and traits in across students that may explain "who benefits" from interventions. Here, we studied "motivation profiles" (i.e.,…

This dissertation evaluated the efficacy and effectiveness of a first-year freshman seminar course designed to improve self-regulated learning skills and bolster academic success. First-year seminars (FYS) are designed to help at-risk students (as indexed by their admissions criteria) gain the learning and motivational skills they need to succeed…

Undocumented college students experience a myriad of stressors (e.g., fear of deportation, limited resources; transitioning to college; Enriquez et al., 2018; Hurst et al., 2013) because of systemic oppression, yet they often engage in various advocacy efforts to challenge those oppressive systems. Although different persuasion (e.g., "Focus…

Students who experience statistics anxiety have reported struggling with academic performance, an increase in academic dishonesty, and an aversion to careers or majors that are perceived to rely on statistical skills. Research has suggested that statistics anxiety is related to lower levels of motivation; however, it remains unknown if, or to what…

The nature and significance of women student veterans' learning experiences are largely unknown. The purpose of this qualitative basic design study was to gain understanding of the learning experiences of women student veterans by analyzing their perspectives of their own learning both in the military and in college using Belenky et al.'s…

The distinctive characteristics and learning needs of Generation Z students present unique challenges to faculty in higher education. Factors such as faculty teaching styles and availability of learning resources impact academic success for all students. However, Generations Zers' 8-second attention spans; aversion to lengthy reading assignments;…

In the era of emerging technologies in the 21st Century classroom, secondary English Language Arts (ELA) students may exhibit complications in navigating literacy in blended learning environments. The purpose of this research study focused on addressing a gap in the current literature in these specific areas to investigate the relationship between…

Developmental education is a subject of increasing interest, and many current educational reforms are aimed at helping developmental students to succeed. As such, outcomes for developmental students are important for evaluating programs and supports offered to students in this situation. One such support is learning strategies coursework. Prior…

This study with college and university emerging adult undergraduates (N = 189) aged 18-24 tested the social learning and flourishing theory hypotheses, examining to what extent the relationship between social networking addiction (SNA) and student-motivated strategies for learning are mediated by self-esteem (M1) and a sense of flourishing (M2).…

Soft rot diseases cause crop losses all over the world. These losses can have large economic impacts and threaten international food security. Soft rot bacterial pathogens produce pectolytic enzymes that attack the pectin around plant cells resulting in smelly, wet, and mushy tissue maceration. Once symptoms are visible, the crop cannot be used or…

The persistent work-readiness gap between accounting education and practice highlights the urgent need to develop stronger critical-thinking skills in graduates. This qualitative study was conducted to explore how a cocurricular online program at a South African, private, higher education provider contributed to the development of…

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to examine if, and to what extent, a predictive relationship existed between charismatic teaching and students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in community colleges in the Northwest United States. The theoretical foundation for this research was the charismatic leadership…

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing…