The shortage of STEM workers, particularly in computer science, is compounded by the underrepresentation of women and certain minoritized racial/ethnic groups in these fields. Efforts to address worker shortages and broaden participation include improving traditional STEM education pathways and creating alternative pathways. While persistence has…

University agricultural programs' struggle to attract students is leading to a disparity in the number of available jobs in agriculture and the number of qualified applicants to fill these positions. This study sought to garner a unique students' perspective of ways that universities and specifically agricultural programs can support and encourage…

Introductory calculus is mandatory for postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors (Bressoud, 2015); however, many students do not persist through introductory calculus to further STEM study (Rasmussen et al., 2019). One reason for this may be that students struggle with the prior mathematical knowledge required…

This research investigates university students' success in their first programming course (CS1) in relation to their motivation, mathematical ability, programming self-efficacy, and initial goal setting. To our knowledge, these constructs have not been measured in a single study before in the Finnish context. The selection of the constructs is in…

This study investigates the influence of K-12 STEM education on the retention rates of Black women pursuing STEM majors in higher education institutions in Texas. The problem addressed in this study is the unknown influence of K-12 STEM education on Black women majoring in STEM in Texas higher education institutions. This research aims to describe…

A growing number of university graduates delay workforce entry to reverse transfer to a community college for additional training. This trend is common in 2-year physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs where over 34% of all PTA students have a prior earned bachelor's degree. The problem addressed in this study is that little research is…

Latinx students are making educational gains; however, disparities persist for traditionally marginalized groups. Informed by LatCrit and using Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth model, this study highlights the disparities and societal inequities that Latinx students face while illuminating their cultural assets. Twenty Latinx college students…

This narrative inquiry qualitative study analyzed eleven community cultural wealth (CCW) capitals (cultural strength and assets) to determine whether they were utilized by first generation Mexican American students to thrive in their trajectories from high school to elite universities. The 11 explored capitals--"academic,"…

The aim of this study was to verify if technological factors have an influence on persistence in online courses. A theoretical model encompassing seven variables was tested, some of them borrowed from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions,…

Over the past 20 years, the field of computer science has experienced a growth in student interest. Despite this increase in participation rates, longstanding gender gaps persist in computer science. Recent research has examined a wide variety of individual factors (e.g., self-efficacy, sense of belonging, etc.) that impact student interest and…

The purpose of this qualitative study focused on the experiences of first-generation students attending a technical college in rural West Tennessee. The results of this study may identify barriers faced by students from these special populations and may also provide insight into the support systems that motivate these students to persevere.…

This study explores how the goals and enactment of three tailored calculus courses, referred to as course variations (standard calculus, life sciences calculus, and physics calculus), at the same university impact students' mathematical identity. In this mixed-methods study, we draw on the framework of figured worlds to interpret how students'…

The problem addressed in this study was that low-income, high-achieving students have lower success rates in higher education institutions socially and academically compared to students of higher-income status regardless of academic ability. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to investigate how low-income students who excelled in high…

The aim of this study was to verify if the UTAUT model, enriched with anxiety and factors relating to students characteristics and to the specificities of online courses, influences persistence in online courses. A theoretical model encompassing 13 variables was tested. Three moderating variables (gender, age and prior online course experience)…

Stakeholders at institutions across the United States are continuously looking for ways to improve the academic success and retention of students. We used logistical regression in an examination of noncognitive, cognitive, and demographic factors as predictors of academic success and retention of Division I first-year student-athletes. The results…