There are more students expecting a teaching career than there are teachers in the current population. On average across OECD countries, 4.2% of 15-year-old students expect to work as teachers--a greater proportion than the share of teachers in the adult population. An analysis of 2015 data from the Programme for International Student Assessment…

Underrepresented student populations are faced with numerous barriers and are often overlooked on many college campuses. The aim of this research was to better understand academic cohorts and if they help reduce some of the barriers faced by African American and first-generation students which can ultimately affect retention and persistence to…

This study investigated the cognitive factors that impact the completion of mathematics problems, specifically algebraic-reasoning, by individuals who use tactile materials (i.e., braille) compared to those who use print materials. The inquiry investigated working memory, task time, cognitive load, efficiency, and the predictive quality of…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of collegiate experiences of non-heterosexual African American males (AAMs) on their retention and persistence. Eight non-heterosexual AAMs participated in interviews where they described their college experiences and their perceived impact on their retention and persistence.…

Academic self-efficacy refers to a student's confidence in successfully performing academic tasks at a designated level. Empirical research in US students suggests academic self-efficacy is a positive predictor of university student academic performance and retention, two outcomes that need to be increased in Saudi students. Given the potential…

In 2010, Arkansas became the most recent state to establish a state lottery program, which allowed lottery revenue to serve as the primary funding source for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. The primary goal of this research study was to begin understanding the type of impact the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship funded by the…

Much of the persistence of low-income, first generation college students literature focuses on deficit models: the obstacles and limits this population encounters in their college experience. Few scholars examine strategies and behavior leading to achieving a college degree. This study utilizes an anti-deficit approach to identify the resiliency…

In an effort to better understand the higher education outcomes of students with disabilities in Maryland, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), in partnership with the state's higher education institutions and the Maryland Department of Disabilities, created a survey administered to colleges and universities in Maryland to collect…

Teach for America (TFA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of the nation's most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence. After completing their two-year assignment, TFA teachers are encouraged to remain in the teaching…

The goal of this causal-comparative, mixed methods study was to measure the degree of success that supplemental instruction (SI) promotes success and retention. The overarching goals of supplemental instruction are to improve student grades, reduce attrition, and increase student retention in a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)…

Despite a push from the government, academia, and industry to increase the number of STEM-educated professionals in the United States, the number of college students pursuing STEM majors and completing STEM degrees is inadequate. One of the causes of low retention in STEM is the impostor phenomenon, a feeling of fraudulence experienced in…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to discover reasons Oklahoma T & I teachers choose to remain in teaching; many of whom were described as career switchers. Of particular interest was examining various types of teacher supports and factors, including mentorship that contributed to participants' decisions to remain in the teaching…

As educators, both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations persist as career outcomes. However, educators are often asked to contribute to their workplace through tasks not directly related to students and student outcomes. These non-teaching workloads can result in a lack of intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction for faculty in high technology…

This study examined the impact of racial and gender intersectionality on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity development and the academic achievement of Black female STEM undergraduates attending an HBCU. Research has demonstrated that the intersection of race and gender are likely to subject Black women to prejudice…

The incessant social, cultural and economic changes in which society is immersed, does require developing coping skills towards change that allow teenagers to successfully develop as active subjects of society. Within this framework, the school environment is considered an ideal scenario to work resilience in the adolescent stage. Based on these…