Student underachievement in math and social-emotional difficulties represent two urgent problems in our schools which have only been exacerbated since COVID-19. The reciprocal relationship between academic challenges and social-emotional problems, along with limited time and resources, suggest that a combined academic and growth mindset…

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed "The Experience of Being Gifted and Talented From the Perspective of Adolescents." The literature review supported the idea that there are many facets to an individual's experience of self and their place within different groups. Factors like identity development, social and emotional…

This study explored the intersection of Autistic burnout and educator burnout and it's the impact on mental health and wellbeing for Autistic educators in the United States. Through collaboration with five Autistic Community Partners (ACPs), the research team interviewed five Autistic Educators (AEs) who had left the field of education about their…

This critical autoethnographic dissertation delves into the personal journey of a Black female counselor and mother, whose path meanders through the complex terrain of education, leading her to a profound transition into the realm of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) leadership. Drawing from memories, emotions, and ongoing…

Black women have a unique process in forming their identities, because of the subordinated status of both their racial and gender identity. Black women in America have urged American society at large to understand the complexity and multidimensionality of the Black woman identity, due to issues of inequality being addressed through a single axis…

Despite the massive influx of new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion roles created across the public and private sectors since 2020, there remains a glaring gap in research in this critical area. While existing research showcases the disparities that systems of oppression created for Black women, what's missing is research providing actionable…

This qualitative study explores a pedagogical approach that centered participants' epistemic authority to select the ways of knowing and focus for their practices of science. Guided by Black feminist theory, the program facilitators and participants engaged multiple cultural practices to (re)define science practices and (re)center participants'…

Along the P-16 continuum, intersecting systems of oppression work to invisiblize, dismiss, and disparage Latina first-generation students' existing sources of knowledge, identity, and culture, resulting in long-term visible and invisible harm to their growth and well-being. Despite significant gains in higher education enrollment in the last two…

The purpose of this photovoice constructivist grounded theory study is to illustrate the intersections and developmental processes of a transborder identity among Transfronterizx students in postsecondary and higher education institutions at the San Diego-Tijuana border region by examining the psychosocial and cognitive-structural factors that…

This ethnographic case study employed a person-centered approach to explore the experiences of a Latinx family navigating an elite, predominantly White independent school in Los Angeles. The study aimed to examine how individual and collective identity development were shaped by these experiences, utilizing Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth…

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges and barriers that exist for recent college graduates with multiple historically marginalized identities in their early career development as they worked through occupational attainment, newcomer adjustment, and person-organization. Furthermore, the study aimed to learn about the strategies…