We pilot tested an identity-based relevance-writing intervention designed to support developmental community college students' (N = 54) educational commitment, value, and persistence. The intervention was embedded within regular journal assignments in two study skills courses with a third section serving as a comparison group. The intervention…

Objective: In numerous calls for reform to community college math instruction, contextualization has been identified as an effective approach to teaching and learning. Yet, little is known about how faculty contend with math contextualization and how they make decisions about its adoption. This study explored how community college faculty teaching…

Community colleges expand access to higher education and play a key role in efforts to increase and diversify the future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. While community colleges increase access to higher education and millions of students attend them for some portion of their education, the experiences of…

This quantitative study investigated the impact of campus climate on the ethnic identity development and sense of belonging among Middle Eastern and North African/Southwest Asian and North African (MENA/SWANA) college students. This student population has largely been absent from research due to their classification as White in the U.S. Census and…

This article presents findings from a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study on the experiences of six undocumented college students at a community college in the Midwest United States. We focused on two main research questions: What are some of the key developmental experiences of undocumented youth? What is the impact of these…

Community colleges are a pathway in higher education for many students, including students who are pursuing baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Because of the increased demand for professionals in the STEM workforce, a successful transition from community colleges to the university setting is…

Many students who begin their education at a community college intend to earn a four-year degree. Yet Engle and Tinto (2008) conclude that "only 5 percent of low-income, first-generation students who started their education at community colleges had acquired bachelor's degrees within six years." For too long, universities have seen…

The purpose of this study was to explore the mentorship women of color leaders provide other women of color seeking leadership advancement in Student Services at California community colleges. Specifically, the interviews and observations were designed to capture the identity-conscious strategies, related to the intersection of race and gender,…

By many accounts, developmental writing courses in community colleges fail to teach students skills needed to be successful in college-level coursework. In the current study, an identity-based pedagogical approach aimed at Promoting self-Relevance, triggering identity Exploration, facilitating a sense of Safety, and Scaffolding identity…

In this study, using the concept of "perezhivanie" as an analytical tool, we were trying out new ways to investigate L2 identity taking the peripheral educational context into account. We examined how two graduates from non-academic high schools perceived their peripheral school situation through their "perezhivanie," and…

Although field and research experiences have been shown to help retain students in the geosciences, there is less known about how and why this is the case. We created a field-based research experience for five students with a range of backgrounds and prior experiences. We used mixed methods case study research to identify affect-related…

The experiences of first-generation college students are not monolithic. The nexus of identities matter, and this book is intended to challenge the reader to explore what it means to be a first-generation college student in higher education. Designed for use in classrooms and for use by the higher education practitioner on a college campus today,…

Policymakers have argued that increasing the number of highly skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals is critical to the economic stability and growth of the U.S. In addition, a desire to resolve the historically low representation of racial/ethnic-minority students in STEM has been a critical aspect of the…

Generation 1 learners are adult immigrants who first enter the U.S. educational system through adult ESL before transitioning to credit courses. Based on interview and observation data from six Generation 1 learners' first term in college courses, this taxonomic analysis explores the learners' expectations of what it means to be a student through…

This chapter explores the role of gender as a critical aspect of identity formation. The chapter reviews how narrow definitions of gender deeply shape campus climate, particularly for individuals who challenge norms in terms of gender identity, gender expression, and gender roles.