Student support is a key focus within the widening participation agenda, as effective support enhances retention and success. However, student support is not well defined in higher education, which is problematic as it is difficult to measure success if stakeholders have different definitions. Without clear boundaries in student support, educators…

This article summarizes the processes and findings of a 2-year collaborative action research (CAR) project that analyzed and aimed to counteract some of the most negative educational effects of English linguistic imperialism in the field of English language teaching (ELT) and, more concretely, in the context of English as a foreign language…

Multiculturalism and social justice are considered major forces in the counseling profession, revolutionizing the complexity of social identity, cultural identity, and diversity. Although these major forces have influenced the profession, many challenges exist with their implementation within counselor education curriculum and pedagogy. A major…

This chapter discusses rigor through an examination of academic experiences that promote college outcomes for all students, particularly for those from marginalized backgrounds or with lower academic preparation.

Identity and meaning are fundamental to human experience and are particularly pertinent during adolescence and times of adversity. While identity development and meaning making can be different for vulnerable young people, who experience multiple adverse life events, there is currently little evidence of how these young people construct identity…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the influence of mentoring on the acquisition of transformational leadership skills by effective Title I elementary principals. Five research questions guided the inquiry of the study to determine whether or not mentoring had an influence on the acquisition of transformational leadership skills. The…

This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of preparedness among teachers who entered the teaching profession from both traditional and alternative educational training settings. This study focused on teachers with less than five years of experience in the Title I setting. Conducted through both quantitative and qualitative measures,…

The United Kingdom has a considerable attainment gap between students from the most and the least advantaged backgrounds. This gap opens up in the early years, with disadvantaged pupils already over four months behind their more advantaged peers by the time they start at primary school. The gap then continues to widen as students progress through…

The problem with the first-level digital divide in U.S. schools has been well-documented for over thirty years. However, it is not only important to acknowledge that a divide exists, but it is important to understand why it matters, how it affects students and their futures, and what influences contribute to bridging the divide. This study used…

This article analyses the experiences of teachers of literacy working in underprivileged communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. The purpose is to provide teachers in poorly resourced schools within economically deprived areas an opportunity to voice their experiences of teaching literacy. The article is based on an empirical study using…

Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services to enrolled children and families. The Head Start program provides comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged…

This article presents the main qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study which applied Zoltán Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System to explore the L2 motivation of 291 non-English major students in a regional university in Thailand. This article focuses on exploring three highly-motivated underprivileged students' English motivation to gain…

This study examined longitudinal relations between emotion knowledge (EK) in pre-kindergarten (pre-K; M[subscript age] = 4.8 years) and math and reading achievement 1 and 3 years later in a sample of 1,050 primarily Black children (over half from immigrant families) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Participants were part of a…

We estimate the impact of school finance reform on adequate and equitable district spending, school resources and student achievement in Pennsylvania. From the 2008-09 to the 2010-11 school years, amid the Great Recession, Pennsylvania's "Act 61" increased aid to school districts spending below state-determined adequacy targets…

Objectives: Breastfeeding is the optimal method of infant nutrition. Despite this, rates of breastfeeding in high-income countries are low and mirror wider health inequalities with women from under-served populations being least likely to breastfeed. In the UK, adolescent mothers from areas of high socio-economic deprivation are among the least…