The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology study was to understand the experiences of non-traditional undergraduate students taking online courses at a public or a private university in Virginia. The self-determination theory, which guided this study, explained the motivated behaviors of intrinsic and extrinsic needs that affect the…

The purpose of this qualitative evaluation was to understand how the Ascent program, a bridge initiative at Plymouth State University, programmatically addressed institutional concerns regarding student retention and persistence during its three-year pilot phase, according to the perceptions of past participants, faculty, and administrators. The…

Background: Previous research has revealed that teaching self-efficacy could play a critical role in engaging students in integrated STEM education; however, teachers' multiple identities in STEM education (i.e. implementers, disseminators, and designers) and their commitment with respect to the different identities have not been considered and…

The current longitudinal case study investigated emotional and motivational states in a self-directed and mobile-assisted language learning environment. The participant of the study was a highly motivated language learner who used the Busuu application for a period of one year to learn German. Tracing the participant's emotional and motivational…

The purpose of this study was to gather feedback from Black female students who are navigating their way through the secondary STEM pathway. The study, modeled on the "Social Cognitive Career Theory" (Lent and Brown, 2006, 2008; Lent et al. 1994, 2000) was used to explore factors that influenced the interest and persistence of Black…

This document synthesizes key findings from Chapter 3 of the "Systems and Supports to Develop Indigenous Educators Landscape Analysis Report." It is designed to help inform leaders of districts, teacher education programs (TEPs), and state and regional agencies about promising practices and innovative solutions for recruiting and…

This study was inspired by the Indian movie 'Three idiots' and purposed to investigate the reasons behind the high rate of engineering degree programmes dropouts in India. Accordingly, factors related to academic, demographic, economic, family, future, institutional, personal, and social were derived and examined on their impacts on student…

Computer-assisted learning platforms (CALPS) increasingly include gamified elements to improve student outcomes by enhancing their engagement with content. Although evidence exists that gamified programs increase engagement and learning outcomes, there is little causal research on what programmatic mechanisms drive the effect between engagement…

While doctoral training can be a challenge for a student of any background, there are specific challenges that face first-generation doctoral students. In addition, over the last decade, the number of women completing doctoral degrees has continued to increase. Many women in doctoral programs also have children at home and professional…

The problem addressed through this study is the adversities undergraduate SWDs faced that could lead to lower retention and completion rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of undergraduate students with disabilities taking online courses and adversities…

The national teacher shortage in the United States is a problem that has been steadily growing since the turn of the century (Sutcher et al., 2016; Sutcher et al., 2019; U.S. Government Accountability Office [U.S. GAO], 2022). Two of the main factors of this shortage are the decreased enrollment in teacher education programs and the retention of…

In this study, the author examines six veteran teachers' perspectives on how administrative support has impacted their decision to stay in the same building. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (a) teachers feel administrators should leave them alone; (b) teachers want administrators to protect them; and (c) teachers want to be valued as…

This study examines Black faculty experiences at a regional comprehensive, public university in Kentucky. Using critical race theory (CRT), I examine the factors impacting Black faculty experiences at a historically White institution (HWI). Specifically, in this study, when referring to institutions of higher education, this translates to…

Despite high prices, many college students do not re-file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or file late, making college less affordable. Low-cost technological interventions delivering personalized information and/or advising may improve refiling and academic outcomes, but questions remain regarding the efficacy of this…

We analyze the impact of COVID-19 diagnoses on student grades, retention, and on-time graduation at a large public university. Even though COVID-19 rarely causes major health complications for a typical university student, diagnosis and quarantine may cause non-trivial disruptions to learning. Using event study analysis, we find that a COVID-19…