This study used a transformative, convergent mixed methods design, with a crossover analysis, to investigate the K-12 and postsecondary experiences young adults with disabilities perceive as influencing their persistence in postsecondary education. Thirteen young adults who were persisting in or had completed postsecondary education programs…

Community colleges are an important, yet understudied, tier of the higher education system in the United States. Community colleges serve students from all socio-economic backgrounds. As such, community college students face challenges to their educations not seen in those attending more traditional schools. This dissertation recognizes these…

Literature has suggested the role of affective variables such as self-confidence, motivation, and anxiety in second and foreign language learners' willingness to communicate in conventional language learning classrooms. However, little has been explored regarding the association of such affective variables inside and outside the classroom and…

Research has shown that academic momentum is a key factor in degree completion for students attending 4-year institutions. The characteristics of 2-year students (also called community college students) often lead them to engage in behaviors contrary to the theory of academic momentum, and these behaviors theoretically reduce their likelihood of…

While demand for computer science and information technology skills grows, the proportion of women entering computer science (CS) fields has declined. One critical juncture is the transition from high school to college. In our study, we examined factors predicting college persistence in computer science- and technology-related majors from data…

This paper estimates the relationship between students' psychosocial and academic outcomes during their first three years enrolled at public, four-year institutions. Our sample is comprised of students from low-income backgrounds who applied for a competitive scholarship and enrolled at a four-year public institution. We follow two cohorts of…

The lack of students' persistence (or student's effort to continue their academic studies until degree completion) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and the attrition of STEM students as well as the shortage of STEM workers have gathered much attention from policy makers, governmental agencies, higher education…

Students change their majors for various reasons, and academic advisors often assume the role of facilitating that change through institutional agreements or contracts. Therefore, advisors need to identify time periods during enrollment with the greatest likelihood that students will seek to change majors. They must also examine the student…

This study presents a mixed methods explanatory analysis of the influence of Stafford loan debtload on persistence among undergraduate students attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in the Southwest of the United States. Using data from cohort 2010, fall to fall persistence was examined to assess if debtload was related to persistence for all…

Low income students are more likely to leave college without a degree than high income students although there are low income students who persist to graduation. The most likely time for students to leave the University is after the first year. The purpose of this qualitative study of low income students, both retained and not retained, is to…

This study investigated grit, a non-cognitive trait, and its relationship to the student success of college sophomores at a STEM institution. Researchers have suggested that what students do matters most (Astin 2003; Pascarella and Terenzini 2005). This research explores the importance of co-curricular involvement in developing and fostering grit,…

The purpose of this study is to explore the role that academic hope has in an appreciative advising setting and how it relates to GPA and student internal assets (commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity) in a population of undergraduate students who received appreciative advising services. Additionally,…

Understanding the determinants of teacher mobility is important in order to implement effective policies for the recruitment, retention, and fair allocation of teachers. The teacher transfer policy implemented in Punjab, Pakistan, is intended to address corruption and a fair allocation of teachers in public schools. However, the policy has…

To support efforts to improve students' college readiness and success, leaders at the Palau Ministry of Education and Palau Community College want to understand the experiences and background of Palau High School graduates who are better prepared for Palau Community College. This study identified the Palau High School academic preparation…

This longitudinal study was aimed to describe and understand student adjustment trajectories during the college transition. Participants came from a large random sample of Quebec high school students. They completed a multidimensional measure of adjustment at two times before entering college and at two other times after college admission.…