Existing research suggests that some transition activities (e.g., visits to kindergarten classrooms, home visits by teachers, sharing information with families) initiated by early care and education (ECE) settings, kindergarten teachers and elementary schools, and/or families can have small, positive associations with children's outcomes in…

From Fall 2019 through Spring 2020, The Hunt Institute released a series of policy briefs, "Attainment for All: Postsecondary Pathways," that highlighted scalable state-level strategies to boost postsecondary attainment rates among specific student subpopulations including high school graduates, first-generation students, and adult…

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' Powered by Publics (PxP) Equity Roundtable initiative brought students and administrators together to participate in roundtable discussions to capture barriers related to access, success, and career pathways for historically underrepresented students in higher education. The roundtables were…

Within the past 20 years, postsecondary institutions have seen an increase in the enrollment of students with disabilities. The purpose of this concurrent transformative mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of students with disabilities on assistive technology use in the postsecondary educational environment while considering…

This dissertation focuses on how the MAT program in Earth Science at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH MAT), a one-of-a-kind, museum-based urban teacher residency, conceptualized and enacted the project of learning to teach science for urban school contexts. The AMNH MAT is situated within the two nested contexts. The first context is…

In the United States there is increasing concern for teacher attrition, leading to an amplified focus on various teacher preparation pathways. This qualitative study included layers of interventions designed to examine the practices and perceptions of a district-based alternative certification program. Research questions explored the perspectives…

In 2016, the CCC Maker initiative provided the California Community Colleges with an influx of resources and energy designed to foster maker-centered learning (MCL). These hands-on practices have the potential to support the broader CCC mission by providing opportunities for engaged, empowering, and collaborative learning for the system's diverse…

In response to the maker movement, administrators are adding 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, and other computer-controlled machinery into school-based makerspaces at a rapid rate. These digital fabrication tools can potentially engage students in hands-on learning across all subject areas. However, adding these extra tools into schools…

Research indicates that youth aging out of foster care are less self-sufficient than their peers and are at increased risk of negative life outcomes such as unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, incarceration, and suicide (Berzin et al., 2011; Greeno et al., 2018; Gonzales, 2015; Courtney et al., 2010; Sum et al., 2002; Marrow et al., 2012;…

To date, there has been no known research completed on decision-making processes for integrating healthcare simulation activities into the paramedic curriculum. With a growing body of research that demonstrates simulation as a valuable methodology in healthcare education, it is important to understand how to appropriately integrate simulation…

The academic success of student-athletes is a hot topic on college campuses. This exploratory action research study seeks to understand the best ways to support student-athletes at a small, private college with a large student-athlete population. Utilizing the Whole Student Theory of Advising (WSToA) framework, student-athletes were surveyed and…

The practice of reference and information service (RIS) should be based on an understanding of how users seek information to fill information needs and of what they do with that information once they have found it. RIS professional education, therefore, should provide students with a strong grounding in information behavior. This study explores if…

Fluorescence microscopy is a useful tool that allows students to learn the principles of fluorescence visually in chemical and biological fields. However, fluorescence equipment has high purchase and maintenance costs and thus may not be available in educational institutions or insufficiently funded laboratories. In this study, a microscope stage…

This study explores the queer history of the University of North Dakota from 1980 to present day and demonstrates how LGBTQ+ student activism lead to the development of LGBTQ+ programs and services at the University. Situated in a socially and politically conservative state, the University of North Dakota provides an understanding of how LGBTQ+…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the research on students with dyslexia and the need to implement specialized academic services in higher education in the United States that contribute to their academic success. The researcher used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) to guide and conduct the…