This multi-methods study explores changes in engineering interest and identity of middle and high school students (n = 79) attending introductory-level engineering summer camps at a large western land grant university. Middle school is a critical time when student interest, identity, and subsequently career choice begin to emerge and hence it is…

This qualitative descriptive design study aimed to understand how males of color in a mentoring program described how natural mentoring relationships support their social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development during the transition from high school to college in a southern state. The researcher used Hagler's (2018) Process Model of Natural…

A major concern in science education is how to help students form science identity to increase their aspiration for STEM careers. Given the key role of experiences in individual's science identity formation, STEM experiences related to project-based learning (PBL) have received increasing attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to…

Identity is a foundational element in a person's development and can influence all aspects of a person's life. Although research on adolescent identity development is a growing field, there are opportunities for additional research on this stage of development, with specific focus needed on the role of asynchronous development. This study utilized…

Although there is a great deal of research on students with disabilities, there has been little exploration of twice exceptional students, those who have both learning disabilities and gifts and talents. There are even fewer studies of twice exceptional students who are gifted and talented in the arts. This research was based on extensive…

The Early College High School (ECHS) Initiative was created to increase college readiness and postsecondary degree completion by combining high school and college to smooth the transition from secondary to higher education. Outcomes for ECHSs include high rates of student educational progress and degree completion for graduates. While ECHSs are…

Growth mindset has received more focus in schools in the past fifteen years as a possible way to improve various educational outcomes. There are important possible benefits if students believe in the malleability of intelligence and the potential to improve in ability and various human qualities. Students with growth mindsets set self-improvement…

The New Castle County VoTech School District (NCCVT) in Delaware, with St. Georges Technical High School as a school within this district, embraces the vision of creating graduates who are college and career ready, advocating for the use of rigorous academic curricula to equip students with the necessary skills for life beyond high school. Despite…

Prior research on student voice shows that when adults genuinely listen to and value student input, students are more likely to feel they belong and can learn in their educational setting. Given this, the purpose of this research study was to evaluate if previously disenfranchised students would develop a greater sense of agency, academic identity…

Research shows a decline in U.S. adolescent mental health over several decades. It also suggests that higher levels of life satisfaction lead to better mental health outcomes in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate correlations between adolescent life satisfaction and eight developmental attributes that can be fostered by…

College access among underserved youth in the United States has expanded dramatically in recent decades, due in part to "achievement ideology," or institutional and cultural messages that equate hard work plus educational attainment with upward mobility. But, college completion rates for this group have remained low, and student loan…

Which factors help young adults choose educational pathways leading to higher educational attainment? Academic self-concept (ASC), achievement, and socioeconomic background have all been found to be important predictors of postsecondary educational choices and success. Although research has shown that student composition in secondary school may…

Global citizenship is a citizenship model that draws growing attention of practitioners and education theorists. Global identity is an important prerequisite for the development of global citizenship. This empirical study conducted in three social studies classrooms investigated whether social studies classroom discourse contributes to the…

Young people now more than ever live in a diverse, complicated world. In spite of the qualitative proliferation of differences, however, the current social situation in late-stage capitalism is articulated as superficial multiculturalism. Critically examining how bodies materially experience cultural boundaries is then important for enhancing the…

The paper is a cross-case analysis of identity development of youth throughout their first year attending two alternative high schools. Alternative schools fall in an interesting space of being able to provide innovative and supportive opportunities that are different from mainstream schooling, yet also alternative schools are part of a mechanism…