The increased attention to student learning outcomes, student success and graduation rates continues to intensify as the demands from parents, students and government agencies on colleges and universities for accountability continues to build. Since the 1980's there has been a plethora of research on the topic of attrition, retention, student…

Students with disabilities face several barriers during their academic lives. However, as many of them manage to access a variety of resources, their experiences can be examined through the lens of salutogenesis, which is employed to analyze the mechanisms whereby people succeed in preserving their wellbeing while dealing with stress and…

This study explored the perception of student veterans regarding how they navigated barriers to academic success. The number of military and student veterans entering higher education continues to grow. Military education benefits provide financial support to eligible military personnel and veterans entering post-secondary education after…

The purpose of this collective instrumental case study was to examine the experiences of six undergraduate students from traditionally marginalized populations with regard to their preparation for, admission to, and retention within a music education degree program. Analyzed and reported through the lens of critical theory, data sources included…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore second year college students' experiences with academic support programs and their personal academic coping strategies. The research questions were designed to collect data regarding the experiences with academic support programs of U.S. Midwest public college students who were continuously…

This article deals with the problem of student dropout during the first year in a higher education institution. To date, no model on a budget has been developed and tested to prevent dropout among Engineering Students. This case study was conducted among first-year students taking evening classes in two practical engineering colleges in Israel.…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of students (N = 26) in an undergraduate music education degree program in an attempt to identify commonalities among students persisting to degree completion. All participants were in their final year of the music education degree at the time of the study. Multiple data collection methods…

School leaders can ally with other educational stakeholders to encourage undocumented student persistence in Pk-12 schools. We explore (1) how school leaders create systems of support for undocumented and newly arrived immigrant students, and (2) how school leaders interpret and implement policies or school structures that affect student…

Nationally an estimated 41% of traditional students who begin seeking an undergraduate degree do not persist through degree attainment. Guided by Tinto's theory of student departure and the theory of social integration, the purpose of this study was to identify the reasons students withdrew from college prior to degree completion. A qualitative…

The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of how a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) is cultivating Black male achievement in STEM. In this in-depth qualitative case study, we explore 2 resource-intensive and successful STEM pathway programs at Morehouse College, the only all-male HBCU in this country, as an…

The purpose of this case study was to examine the role of social capital in the enactment of a faculty-based initiative designed to improve student success and completion at one community college. The concept of social capital--or the actual and potential resources that are embedded in relationships--has been examined in research studies in many…

In this qualitative study, I explored the strategies that international undergraduate students at a public research Midwestern university in the United States employ to persist and survive their educational transition to achieve academic excellence. Using Tinto's (1987) theory of persistence as the theoretical framework, this paper employed a case…

Why do over 90% of the learners in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) never finish the course? There is a need for further studies focusing on the learners' experiences of participating in MOOCs and factors that influence the decision to complete or drop out of the course. To deepen our understanding of why learners complete or drop out of MOOCs,…

Active duty United States soldiers encounter unimaginable stressors and challenges throughout their military career. Many of these soldiers are also simultaneously working to achieve a long-term goal of obtaining post-secondary education, yet they face unique challenges due to the demands of military service that traditional students do not.…

This article presents findings from a case study that explored creative persistence through a reconceptualization of what it means to "fail" within an educational setting. Participants included in-service teachers enrolled in a semester-long graduate level educational technology course who reflected that they were able to view their…