The purpose of the study was to better understand how international school middle school teachers can help cultivate a student's sense of belonging by creating a space for students to explore factors shaping their gender identity. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) study took place at an international school in South Korea that enrolls…

In this dissertation, I explore the ways in which childhood is represented in three Korean American narratives for youths: An Na's "the Fold," Lyla Lee "I'll Be the One," and Tae Keller's "When You Trap a Tiger"--to theorize the concept of "Otherhood," that is, a childhood in which the experience of being…

This publication provides a summary of data relating to students, programs, subjects and training providers in Australia's government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system, defined as all Commonwealth and state or territory government-funded training delivered by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, other government…

The purpose of this study is to analyze community college Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CC HSIs) to identify the structures of serving for Latinx students within their college and district. A critical case study analysis (Merriam, 1998, Pasque et al., 2017 Yin, 2018) was performed within one district of California's Central Valley region through…

The purpose of this action research study was to understand what workplace factors fostered a sense of belonging and overall job satisfaction in the staff of the researcher's university. Participants and data collected in Cycle One consisted of three focus groups, three stakeholder interviews, and an anonymous survey of all administrative staff.…

The community of inquiry (COI) framework is a theoretical and practical model for creating deep, meaningful online learning experiences through three essential and interconnected elements: teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are the typical communication medium in a COI; therein, a…

Teachers of students at the Skipping School are tasked with teaching their students to read while managing a host of complex emotions and behaviors that negatively impact the quantity and quality of their instruction. The purpose of this Action Research study was to examine and lessen existing barriers to effective reading instruction for teachers…

The police and the community have been long engaged in an ever-evolving dichotomous relationship. This relationship has been strained over the recent decade by police brutality, media coverage of police misconduct, and the increased call for police transparency. Both parties in this disparaging dynamic see the need for improved engagement and…

The importance of establishing positive relationships is a common theme in educational philosophies and recommended practice. Educators inherently believe this to be true. It is assumed relationships are the key to academic and behavioral success, as well as students' social emotional well-being. Furthermore, relationships may even be the key to…

The transition to graduate school is a unique experience that is challenging for every student as they leave behind many sources of support and enter a new environment that requires incredible independence to navigate. However, programs and institutions often do not focus on supporting the needs of graduate students specifically. Previous research…

Purpose: The goals of this research study included evaluating the outcomes of Interdisciplinary Science Threshold Experience (InSciTE) on student experience of science discipline, level of sense belongingness to a large Faculty of Science (FoS), outcomes in learning science literacy skills and whether a student's background played a role in the…

Rural undergraduate students at flagship universities in the United States are typically outnumbered by their urban and suburban peers. Students from rural demographic backgrounds bring different forms of social and cultural capital to higher education with them. This phenomenological study at a flagship university in the Deep South region of the…

A unique model of government and civil society cooperation has emerged in Ukraine since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and grew even more important amid the full-scale invasion of Russia. Recent reforms and teacher professional development in Ukraine build on this model that promotes addressing national-level challenges in equitable…

When thinking of wellness in dance, we often think about addressing mental or physical health-related challenges facing performers, although when looking at community dance, there are additional considerations to ensure the wellness of citizens and neighbors participating in dance programming. Gaps remain in dance education training to prepare…

Blind/partially blind people are underrepresented in post-secondary education and lack equitable opportunities to develop a sense of belonging. This study shares narratives of 28 blind/partially blind students from across Turtle Island (in what is colonially called Canada) using Teng et al.'s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) as a…