Introduction: "A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life" (Wooden, n.d., para. 1). The focus of this dissertation was to explore associations between attachment of high school athletes to their coach and the athlete's ability to cope in the athletic environment. In looking at high school coach-athlete relationships…

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of first-at-institution female community college presidents in the United States, focusing on the social influences they encountered. Despite community colleges serving a large number of female, underrepresented, and low-socioeconomic students, leadership roles are…

The current study aimed to examine the effect of adverse childhood experiences on mental and physical health, forgiveness and spirituality. A total of 579 adults between the ages of 18 and 32 years completed an online survey. Participants were asked to report demographics and completed various measures. A total of 579 adults between the ages of 18…

This study explores how Christian educators in liberal arts universities understand the contribution of wonder-filled moments in their classrooms. As a transformative emotion, wonder and the related awe challenge education's prevailing objectification and instrumentalization, inviting students and educators to embrace an appreciative and open…

Student veterans face a spectrum of socialization challenges intrapersonally, interpersonally, in communities, and structurally due to the cultural differences between the military and college. More comprehensive programs that individually and collectively address these challenges need to be developed, and it has become apparent that a new model…

This mixed methods case study examined how a student success program at a private four-year college in the eastern region of the United States may enhance student success and students' associated feelings of a sense of belonging. Results and findings add to the overall student success literature and may benefit other institutions in higher…

With an increasingly diverse student body, the retention of Teachers of Color continues to be an area of high interest within education research. In the context of in-service experiences, existing literature identified relationships as a key sustaining factor for teachers and source of social capital, although many Teachers of Color look outside…

Leveraging Pekrun's (2006) control-value theory and Festinger's (1954) social comparison theory, I explored college students' experiences with academic social comparisons (real or perceived) specifically as they relate to achievement emotions (i.e., anxiety, pride) and self-regulated learning strategies (i.e., time and study environment, effort…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented disruptions in education, as schools were forced to make a rapid transition to virtual learning in March 2020. Students' motivation seemed to decline significantly during and after this virtual learning period, which ranged from months to over a year in various areas of the United States. This…

International students in a Japanese university struggled with issues of loneliness, lack of belonging, and feelings of not mattering. These issues inhibited their ability to form friendships with domestic students. This study sought to investigate causes and find actionable solutions to international student social networking issues. Participants…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how lived experiences of Title 1 teachers affect social-emotional connections with their at-risk students. Because of the influence teachers have on their students, it is important to understand the life experiences and how they carry an abundance of vitality in teachers' decisions in the…

This research study served to examine casual inferences within the relationships between social connectedness, drinking, resilience, and loneliness for both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual-identifying college students. The literature reviewed identified there is likely a relationship between these constructs whereby social connectedness was expected to…

The phenomena of connection, competence, and self-efficacy have not been explored in the context of an after-school girls club. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of nine girls engaged in a quilting project in an after-school program for expressions of connection, competence, and self-efficacy using a feminist quilting…

School counselors have been encouraged to operate within a multi-tiered system of support and develop a comprehensive school counseling program to oversee the academic, social emotional, and career development of their students (Goodman-Scott & Ockerman, 2019). To guide their program, school counselors may choose to utilize the American School…

The role of coach-athlete relationships on youth athlete performance and development outcomes has generated significant research interest seeking to understand the dynamics that underlie the nature and development of these relationships. Earlier investigations focused on understanding coaching styles and coaching leadership behaviors which made…