In contemporary public education in the U.S., the student demographics are substantially becoming diverse in the classroom, resulting in a mismatch in the racial and cultural composition of the teaching force. Given the current situation, mathematics teacher educators raise a concern about the ways to mitigate the disconnect between students…

The purpose of this multiple explanatory case study was to investigate the preparation of underserved school band programs for a Music Performance Assessment (MPA). Specifically, I examined racial, economic, and social inequalities, which are well documented in the research literature, and the related achievement gaps of underserved public school…

The California State University's Graduation Initiative 2025 has strengthened and renewed campuses' commitment toward supporting students on their educational journey to ensure they meet their ultimate goal of graduation. Of equal importance is the elimination of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic equity gaps in graduation completion, especially for…

School sense of belonging is critical for students' academic achievement and emotional well-being. The development of a sense of school belonging is influenced by direct and indirect factors within the school environment. Categorization into low and high achievement groups based on academics is a process largely outside the direct control of a…

This study investigated how peer support has influenced the lived experiences of Salvadoran men in higher education. In particular, this study focused on exploring the academic, emotional, and personal components of the peer support experiences of Salvadoran men in higher education. Moreover, this study also examined how interacting with peers,…

Male students of color often receive harsher disciplinary consequences than their same age White peers. Disproportionate discipline practices have existed within the education system for years, primarily due to a historical systemic issue of implicit bias due to race. One intervention used to quell some of these disparities is Restorative…

Within the last decade, scholars of color have researched and advocated for better support for first-generation, Latine students, in particular through the critical analysis of the impact of the campus racial climate (Franklin et al., 2014; Huerta & Fishman, 2014; Hurtado & Alvarado, 2015; Kouyoumdijan et al., 2017). These reimagined…

Ethical counselors promote social justice (American Counseling Association, 2014). Based on counselors' specialty and site of practice, promoting social justice involves different goals and methods. One way for college counselors to promote social justice is to support students from groups historically excluded from higher education at their…

In cyber charter schools, middle-school students face many barriers to developing STEM identity. My theory of improvement was to address sense of belonging in a large virtual classroom to develop STEM identity in my students. By utilizing diverse STEM role models that reflected my students' racial or ethnic identities and an inquiry-based approach…

Children spend most of their time at home in their early years, yet efforts to promote human capital at home in many low- and middle-income settings remain limited. We conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention which encourages parents and caregivers to foster human capital accumulation among their children between ages 3…

This qualitative dissertation investigates the experiences of men of color participating in Male Success Initiatives (MSIs) and examines the impact these initiatives have on their undergraduate experiences. Central to the study are two main research questions: How do MSIs influence and shape the experiences of men of color participants? And, how…

The need for universities to effectively support students identifying as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Colour (BIPoC) remains a pressing element of strategies to close awarding gaps. Within overall support packages, the contribution of Learning Developers merits investigation, since these staff are often responsible for nurturing growth in…

The social and health crisis provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions in teaching-learning models have had an impact on the academic experience of university students. The object of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect relations existing between perceived academic stress, perceived social provisions, and…

This mixed methods program evaluation study was designed to assist faculty in better understanding students' multicultural and social justice training experiences, with the goal of improving program curriculum and instruction. It also offers a model for counselor educators to assess student experiences and to make changes that center social…

The shortage of mathematics teachers necessitates deliberate efforts to retain high-quality ones in many parts of the world. This puts teacher job satisfaction in the spotlight since satisfied teachers are likely to retain their jobs. Thus, the purpose of this study is twofold. The first is to quantify the influence of teacher self-efficacy and…