Three studies in this dissertation examined the career aspirations of collegiate aviation students: student motivation with respect to career aspirations, military aviation career aspirations, and student perceptions of career pathway programs. Findings from each of these studies are valuable to students pursuing careers in aviation and industry…

The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 included a provision for the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on equal opportunity claims, climate surveys, and programs to address climate issues at the military service academies. Specifically, this report addresses: (1) the extent to which…

Students have many options as they leave high school and enter postsecondary education or the workforce. But during the six years that the Data Quality Campaign has reviewed report cards from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, it has been found that states have struggled to provide a robust picture of all of these options on their report…

Much research has been conducted on student veterans, in general; however, research on student veterans in engineering majors is very sparse. There is national recognition of the importance of student veterans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields as evidenced in the passage in 2020 of a bill investigating the lack of…

The National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) seeks to increase opportunity for rural students through the power of actionable data and evidence. NCRERN partners with networks of rural school districts to generate and evaluate strategies for improving student outcomes. For more information about NCRERN's work, see the…

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, changed law enforcement policy and practice forever. At a glance, one could argue that this was the seminal moment in U.S. law enforcement history where traditional police officer training and equipment quickly transitioned to training and equipment that some argue is more conducive to soldiers on a…

The problem that guided this study was the low proportion of students scoring 3 or more on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (APELC) exam at one Department of Defense (DoD) school. Moreover, the qualifying ratios were lower than students attending all DoD and U.S. schools. The need for teachers to examine the performance of…

This study explored the challenges to persistence among active-duty women in online undergraduate degree programs. There is a gap in existing literature surrounding the specific challenges that active-duty women face in persisting. The frameworks that guided this research were Bean and Metzner's nontraditional student retention model and Angelino…

Objective: To examine perceptions of mental health stigma among first-year student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs). Participants: 107 SSM/Vs enrolled in a first-semester seminar completed a pre- and post-test measuring five constructs; 1) stigma toward mental health in the military, 2) academic readiness, 3) mental health stigma in college, 4)…

The diversity of higher education institutions is changing, and more post-traditional students, including those associated with the military, are engaging in higher education. Almost every post-secondary institution in the United States has military students. In 2020, $11.5 billion was spent on over 875,000 eligible military students. Military…

This study explored multisystem protective/risk factors for explaining resilience/adjustment in emerging adults with/without neurodevelopmental disorders facing the transition to a stressful non-academic context, mandatory military service. Participants were 904 conscripts (498 males, 55%) ages 18-25 years (M = 18.70, SD = 0.77) in four groups,…

Student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs)--defined as undergraduates in the U.S. military or who have military experience--have been an emergent group of adult learners in American 4-year universities. Because SSM/Vs diversify universities and are supported by significant public investments, their success is critical. Little quantitative research,…

This study employs descriptive qualitative analysis to explore the experiences of eight Mexican American veterans utilizing Veterans Affairs education benefits to pursue baccalaureate degrees. Participants were recruited in Southern California at two California Community Colleges and three California State Universities. The findings suggest that…

In modern science there is a permanent search for new effective forms of organization of the educational process in physical training at higher education institutions of different orientation. The article presents a solution of the actual scientific and practical task of improving the level of physical fitness of students and increasing the…

Professional school counselors are tasked with providing information about postsecondary options to high school students and their families. Opportunities in the military offer a variety of benefits; however, misconceptions about military education and career pathways are prevalent among students, families, and educators, so professional school…