Because the dominant narrative in the media around teachers is fixated on the burnout and unhappiness they are experiencing, this dissertation study explored the joy female Critical Teachers of Color experienced while teaching during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this qualitative study, I employed both autoethnography and portraitures as a way…

Full-time enrolled students participating in full-time employment is a growing trend on college campuses. This dissertation serves to explore the perceptions of full-time employed, full-time enrolled graduate students' perceptions on the impact of their support systems on their ability to persist. The proposed study utilizes Laura Perna's…

The purpose and goal of this quantitative method, causal-comparative study was to explore the impact of a year-long mentorship program on the self-efficacy, collective efficacy, perceived support, retention plans, and effectiveness of novice (i.e., 1st-3rd year) teachers in a rural, public school district in Mississippi. The mentorship program…

This study analyzes the reasons for stop out behavior in a first-year composition class. The study was intended to be mixed methods, but the quantitative data, which was to be collected via survey, yielded too low of an n-value to allow for statistical analysis; therefore, case study research, analyzed through a social context framework, was…

Latinx students already constitute the largest minority group of students graduating from the United States secondary school systems and projections show the Latinx population continuing to increase between now and 2036 (WICHE, 2020). Both in the United States overall, and within the Appalachian Region, the increase in the Latinx population and…

People with severe/profound intellectual disability experience challenges in communicating and require their communication partners to adapt to their means of communication. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is recognised as a potential means to meet their communication needs. Interventions need to be aimed at both the individual…

The United Arab Emirates hires many teachers from abroad to work in both the private and public school systems. Recruiting foreign teachers can be exceedingly costly, especially when one considers the financial investment associate with air fare, health insurance, housing, transportation, and a competitive salary, along with the substantial…

Objective: To examine the relationships between contexts of physical activity, grit, and GPA in a college population. Participants: 875 Undergraduate students from a large, southern university participated between October 2018 and March 2020. Methods: Participants completed an electronic survey evaluating physical activity and grit. The university…

Objective: The transition into college can pose barriers for student success. We examined the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) compared to an active and no treatment control group, respectively, on stressor appraisals, academic persistence, and performance in university students. Participants: Students were randomly assigned to…

Studies have consistently shown that teacher retention is affected by elements such as school climate, student discipline, student achievement, working conditions, school leadership, and collegial relationships (Berg, 2020; Cameron, 2007; Dahlkamp, Peters, Schumacher, 2017, Davis, 2019). However, there is not significant data that is specific to…

This pilot study aimed to evaluate a pre-educational resource program (PREP) for transfer nursing students to determine its impact on persistence and preparedness. Drexel University (DU) College of Nursing and Health Professions offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for traditional and transfer students. Evidence demonstrates a gap in the pass…

This study looked at the link between academic motivation, student-instructor relationships, and student engagement on a Historically Black College and University campus. This study used quantitative research methods to identify a relationship between students' academic motivation, campus engagement, classroom engagement, and student-instructor…

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on teacher attrition in Arkansas, with many educators facing unprecedented challenges and stressors in their work. However, public data does not give context to why teachers chose to leave. This study aimed to investigate teacher perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on attrition in Arkansas…

There is, a significant gender representation gap in higher education. Along similar lines are the aspect of hiring faculty that identify as female within an ethic minority group, despite the noted benefits of hiring a diverse faculty. Unfortunately, many studies on minority hiring do not differentiate between the two genders, as a result there is…

The problem that was addressed through this basic qualitative study is a shortage of qualified primary teachers in the target school system due to yearly teacher turnover. The purpose of this study was to explore primary teachers' perceptions of motivators and challenges related to continuity in the target school system. Herzberg's…