This qualitative case study sought understanding of unique mentoring relationships of six faculty ambassadors and nine Hispanic first-generation students (HFGS) as part of a first-year initiative program. The single site was a career college in Texas, Taylor College. There were three research questions to guide inquiry comprised of six faculty…

This dissertation investigates the impact reading Young Adult Literature (YAL) has on students' empathetic responses as well as their capacity to take action regarding a social justice issue chosen by the student. Drawing on data from a 10th grade honors classroom at a Title 1 school in the Southwest, this ethnographic case study investigates how…

Gifted students in transition to college may be at risk for underachievement, difficult transition, or even attrition. Giftedness by itself is not always sufficient for academic success in college. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to construct a theory regarding the process of transition to college for high-achieving gifted high…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the insights of a small group of women to determine factors important in encouraging creative confidence and specific activities that would contribute to creative growth. There were three research questions that guided the study, using an open-ended questionnaire and a focus group…

The dynamic act of knowledge transfer, or the connection of a student's prior knowledge to features of a new problem, could be considered one of the primary goals of education. Yet studies highlight more instances of failure than success. This dissertation focuses on how knowledge transfer takes place during individual problem solving, in…

The meaning of college choice for Latina community college students who transferred to baccalaureate-granting institutions was explored in this dissertation. The methodology of hermeneutic phenomenology informed the process of data collection, which used focus group interviews, individual in-depth interviews, and a researcher reflective journal. …

Instructional time for social studies in elementary classrooms has decreased since the passage of Goals 2000 and No Child Left Behind, with content contracted to align with reading goals. Consequently, opportunities for preservice teachers to observe and teach social studies lessons have diminished. This qualitative multiple case study examines…

Adult education literature generally acknowledges the appropriateness of the incorporation of instructional strategies that stress students' prior experience. Whether this appropriateness applies to students from diverse cultural backgrounds, such as adult students in ESL programs, is not clear. Based on the assumption that students from different…

This study examined the discourse of preservice teacher candidates in order to better identify those practices and experiences by which they shape their identity and conceptualize their role in teaching. The study's purpose was to find out (a) how secondary preservice teacher candidates conceptualize the practice of their teaching, (b) what…