LGBTQ+ youth make up a significant portion of the United States student population (Conron, 2020). A sense of belonging for middle school students is an essential indicator for academic achievement and positive motivational and health outcomes (Kosciw et al., 2020; Steiner et al., 2019), yet LGBTQ+ students experience less belonging than their…

School counselors are being called to reestablish their roles as leaders, advocates, collaborators, and change agents. Unfortunately, several barriers hinder school counselors' advocacy, including limited instruction and training on advocacy during preparation programs, lack of knowledge or awareness of resources and policies, limited access to…

Although scholarship has shown that new teachers struggle to make the transition to in-service teaching and enact the progressive practices that they learned during pre-service preparation, little research has explored how first-year teachers develop a justice-oriented practice during this transition. This project centers on a critical learning…

Although social justice advocacy is a core competency of counseling psychology training, a lack of formalized training prohibits trainees from engaging in advocacy efforts, specifically at the community and systems-level (Alexander & Allo, 2021). Moreover, prior research has suggested that counseling psychology trainees are feeling…

While counselors do gain knowledge on advocacy in their educational program, little is known about how school counselors communicate and advocate in their relationships with principals. The purpose of this study was to seek clarity on how school counselors describe their experience in their relationships with school principals as they communicate…

Although special education advocates have played an essential role in obtaining rights for individuals with disabilities, there is still much unknown about their motivations, challenges, roles, and the meaning they made from their experiences. Research into Saudi parent advocates of children with disabilities and their complex daily life issues…

The field of modern counseling is conceptualized through a lens of social justice advocacy with professionals tasked with actively engaging in advocacy efforts. However, counselor education has been slower to make systemic changes needed to decolonize and dismantle the field to prepare future counselors with the skills needed to adequately address…

Autistic students are enrolling at higher educational institutions at an increasing rate. To keep up with the population of pupils, colleges and universities are finding ways to support students. Yet, a small percentage of students who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder do not succeed in attaining a degree. This trend is significant and…

This study employed design-based research to explore the efficacy of professional learning materials and approaches in developing social justice advocacy with rural elementary teachers in Appalachia. Bronfenbrenner's (2005) bioecological theory and Boler's (1999) pedagogy of discomfort formed the theoretical framework for the design,…

This generic qualitative research study examined licensed professional counselors' (LPC) experiences with advocacy engagement in the rural school setting. Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory provided the theoretical foundation to describe the experiences of LPC advocacy engagement for varying systemic level needs of clients. The sample…

This qualitative phenomenological study used narrative research to investigate the diversity gaps in teachers' preparedness and their perceptions of diverse teaching methods in multicultural middle school classrooms. The student population became diverse in the last years. To close the diversity gaps, create equity and social justice it was…

Blind and low vision youth represent a diverse, low incidence disability student population in United States public schools. This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of four Black mothers and grandmothers, each primary caregivers of blind/low vision (BLV) children, related to their experiences with navigating the education system and…

This study used narrative inquiry and critical Whiteness methodology to investigate the racial justice allyship barriers and development of White women student affairs professionals. A process of White women's allyship development was derived from participant interviews and is comprised of three interrelated phases: barriers to taking action,…

The journey of Black women into senior leadership roles within higher education institutions is characterized by a complex interplay of personal and professional realms shaped by the intersecting forces of racism and sexism. This dissertation examined the lived experiences of these trailblazing leaders, revealing the systemic barriers they…

Embracing parental advocacy is pivotal in navigating the challenges associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Such challenges include stress, stigmas, educational challenges, and access to support and services. This study's purpose was to examine parents' and adult primary caregivers' perspectives when advocating for an individual with ASD.…