The academic outcomes of retention, completion, persistence and final exam scores between courses taught with open educational resources (OER) and courses taught with publisher content (non-OER) were investigated in this mixed method sequential study. The perceptions and experiences of the instructors who taught the courses were also explored. The…

Despite students of color comprising over 50% of current classroom populations and the United States Census Bureau's prediction that people of color will become the "majority-minority" in the overall United States population by 2043, these trends fail to correlate with representations of educators of color in P-12 education, especially…

Although significant gains have been made in recent years with regard to increasing access to higher education for African Americans, with 38.4% of Black 18 to 24 year-olds enrolled in college as of 2016 compared to just 25.4% in 1990, completion rates have not kept pace. The national six-year graduation rate for Black students at four-year…

The purpose of freshmen orientation is "bridging the gap to college" (Tinto, 1993, p. 159). All college orientation programs have three objectives: provide information, set expectations, and provide social integration (Greenfield, Keup, & Gardner, 2013; Schofield & Sackville, 2010). Research supports a positive relationship…

Retention of first year college students has been problematic in many U.S. colleges, and different mentoring frameworks have been explored to help resolve the issue. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine how the mentoring program at Brown Community College (BCC; pseudonym) positively increased retention of first year…

Various research studies have established that nearly half of all students who decide to pursuit a math, science, or engineering field change their mind and seek a different major. The National Center for Education Statistics shows a decrease in the number of degrees in engineering and related fields from 36,900 degrees in the 2003-2004 academic…

The incessant social, cultural and economic changes in which society is immersed, does require developing coping skills towards change that allow teenagers to successfully develop as active subjects of society. Within this framework, the school environment is considered an ideal scenario to work resilience in the adolescent stage. Based on these…

This case study looks at the Teacher Career Pathways programme, introduced in 2013 by the New York City Department of Education, with the cooperation of the United Federation of Teachers. Conceived as an alternative to merit pay schemes promoted by the Federal Government, the programme allows teachers to apply for teacher leadership roles, while…

In the U.S, education is both a right and a privilege and there is a relationship between the level of education and weekly wages (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Despite this, less than two percent of the population has a doctoral degree. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to focus on these perceived characteristics and the degree to…

In the U.S, education is both a right and a privilege and there is a relationship between the level of education and weekly wages (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Despite this, less than two percent of the population has a doctoral degree. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to focus on these perceived characteristics and the degree to…

There is much evidence that the prospect of reward modulates cognitive control in terms of more stable behavior. Increases in expected reward magnitude, however, have been suggested to increase flexible behavior as evidenced by reduced switch costs. In a series of experiments, the authors provide evidence that this increased cognitive flexibility…

A newly identified character trait defined as "passion and perseverance for long-term goals," grit adds to our understanding of student behavior. While certain parts of grit can be taught, research is only beginning to examine how educators can do so.

College student persistence continues to be a vexing problem for colleges and universities. In Rethinking College Student Persistence (2014), Braxton, Doyle, Hartley, Hirshy, Jones, and McLendon explored the indirect role between cultural capital and first-year student persistence. The significance of this role becomes more important when one…

Low teacher engagement and retention are challenges faced by many schools, especially in high poverty contexts. In this case study, readers will draw on feedback and reflections provided by teachers that reflect realistic concerns current and aspiring school and districts leaders are faced with today in an endeavor to respond to these challenges.…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how science teachers who persisted in urban schools interpreted and responded to the unique features of urban educational contexts. With 17 alumni who taught in metropolitan areas across seven states, the Science Educators for Urban Schools (SEUS) program provided a research setting that…