In 2020 a nationwide school closure happened in response to the health concerns associated with the COVID-19 virus. Districts expeditiously approached teachers with an unfamiliar virtual instruction pedagogy while many gave them little support. This unprecedented time in education led to a rise in vacancies in public schools during the pandemic…

Through this qualitative phenomenological I studied the lived experiences of online science instructors who teach online introductory science. The problem addressed in this study was the high failure and attrition rates in online introductory science courses among undergraduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived…

In the state of Utah, adult education students often leave their programs before 100 hours of instruction. This can leave students without the necessary academic knowledge, skills, and credentials to move forward with postsecondary education and training or employment opportunities. This phenomenological study examines the key factors of…

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative correlational study was to investigate whether any significant relationships existed between one-way student commute distance and retention for first-time, community college freshmen. Additional student success metrics such as three-year graduation rates, enrollment status, credit hours attempted…

Osteopathic medical students experience academic challenges during their preclinical years of medical school due to the rigorous medical school curriculum. Prior research identified several challenges experienced by these students and the need to explore resilience strategies which can be employed to address those challenges. The purpose of this…

Previous research by the authors found that mental toughness, as measured by the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ48; Clough, P.J., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. [2002]. Mental toughness: the concept and its measurement. In I. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology [pp. 32-43]. London: Thomson Publishing), was significantly associated…

Physical education teacher education is at a "tipping point" in history, where the survivability of the profession in many institutions of higher education may be in question. This monograph reflects an initial attempt to understand recruitment and retention in physical education teacher education programs from the perspective of program…

Although student persistence is an important metric for higher education administrators and working while attending school is pervasive among those who attend college, the extent to which work supervisors may impact students while attending college through interactions is underexplored. This study examines the relationship between supervisor…

Educational leaders have many responsibilities across a variety of settings. This is especially true of special education leaders, who work with an expanded age range, expanded needs, and expanded complexity not only resulting from compliance expectations and enhanced regulation but because of increasing research in the field guiding best…

Background: Students are more likely to persist when they both perceive themselves as capable of success (expectancy) and perceive tasks to be interesting, important, and useful (values) or less costly in terms of effort, lost opportunities, and psychological stress (perceived costs). Prior research has not examined whether these motivational…

African American STEM undergraduates may confront challenges that can impede their graduation and matriculation into the workforce. Mentoring has been shown to be a mechanism to help these students persist. Yet, an understanding of the effects of the learning that occurs in mentoring relationships on protégés' self-authorship development (i.e.,…

This article presents a qualitative study of how undocumented students experience a unique dimension of legal oppression in the U.S. that results in diminishing their hope in a country that they consider their home. Throughout this study and with the use of a Critical Legal Studies perspective, the author interrogates the role that U.S.…

Enrollment in dual credit classes has increased over the last 10 years benefiting K-20 education and high school students in providing an opportunity to obtain college credits and increasing postsecondary education enrollment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of achievement through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory by…

While the demand for open and distance education is increasing, it also faces high dropout rates. The reasons and solutions for student dropouts need considerable attention. This study aims to uncover the reasons for student dropouts considering the perspective of students, field experts, instructors, administrators, and support staff. Data from…

Adult student persistence in online programs is lower than in traditional college classrooms, but more adult learners are enrolling in online programs. Little research is available on students' needs and expectations for their success in online courses. A quantitative correlational study was conducted on student expectations of online learning…