Learning another language is considered a key 21st century subject, something that all students should begin in elementary school. However, most school districts in Illinois do not offer students the opportunity to learn another language in elementary school. There are effective and high quality programs available to learn another language that…

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of a theoretical model encompassing psychological theories underlying student retention in postsecondary education. New conceptual operationalizations were applied to elaborate Bean and Eaton's theoretical model of student retention. The influences of student entry characteristics,…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how elementary teachers use different social media platforms to connect with other teachers for informal professional learning. The researcher sought to understand how elementary teachers decide which platform(s) to use and how their expectations vary among different social media platforms.…

Chinese students make up the largest and second largest group of internationals in U.S. and Canadian universities, yet they receive scant attention in terms of how they decide to study transnationally in North America. Most of the research on Chinese families' study abroad decision-making has been conducted with those from first tier eastern…

Racial microaggressions are subtle, seemingly innocuous acts that target people of color. They have been found to have negative social, emotional, and psychological consequences, including increased anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation. This study examined how Black women respond to racial microaggressions at a historically White institution.…

The achievement gap has a long history in the United States of America which is demonstrated by inequitable graduation rates. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2019, the continued genocide and murder of countless Black and Brown people, civil unrest demonstrated by protests nationally after the execution of George Floyd and countless others,…

Teachers consider many different kinds of factors in determining student grades. They use a mix of achievement and non-achievement factors in grading decisions, to the criticism of educational measurement experts (Brookhart, 1991; Brookhart, 1993; Frary et al., 1993; Popham, 2009). The factors that influence this decision making are particularly…

Students, parents, and government leaders continue to question the value of higher education in general and of a liberal arts education in particular (Council of Independent Colleges, 2015; Fischer, 2022; Strauss, 2019). With students enrolling in liberal arts programs in significant numbers, and with the majority of those students now reflecting…

This dissertation seeks to better understand the individual educational technology decision-maker and how they interact with other members of the educational technology decision making process in a public k-12 school setting. To do this, I asked the questions: who are the people who make educational technology decision in a K-12 school district?…

School administrators are responsible for the safety and physical well-being of the students. Although school disciplinary policies are in place, there is a problem with school administrators' practices and decisions when administering discipline for students' inappropriate behavior. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the…

Academic dishonesty remains a pervasive, multi-discipline dilemma which has been reported as having the propensity of resulting in longstanding consequences beyond academic settings. Previous research has suggested that students who participate in dishonest behaviors while attending institutions of higher education have greater tendencies to…

Research on school discipline and moral reasoning have typically been construed in separate spheres. The former has examined the outcomes of specific practices - from punitive to restorative - whereas the latter has examined reasoning about a variety of issues pertaining to justice, welfare, and rights. Moral reasoning about school discipline has…

This mixed methods study was designed to examine the factors that experienced special education teachers report as being influential in their decision to remain in the field of special education. The study collected data using surveys and interviews with experienced special education teachers to gather their perspectives and identify common themes…

This study was aimed to explore Chinese college and university students' motivations to study abroad and examining how their career aspiration influence their decision-making process. 5 research questions were developed from this research topic. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was applied. The researcher himself and the face-to-face…

Public school districts are embedded into local communities, forming a symbiotic relationship of mutual influence. District leaders, therefore, have a tremendous impact on a great number of stakeholders and in turn, there are many external and internal factors that impact how successful districts are in completing their mission. Given the…