A narrative inquiry study explored six graduate students' experiences of "imposter syndrome" during their graduate studies. Semi-structured interviews occurred with each participant at two time points: one initial interview and a follow-up interview to discuss the impact of the initial interview and to perform member checking. Each…

Feelings of distress over the unknowns of the future refers to an intolerance of uncertainty (IU). IU is significantly linked to internalizing disorders like anxiety. College students are in a unique position of uncertainty and anxiety as they emerge into adulthood. Additionally, external sources of uncertainty, like the economy, may contribute to…

Women face unique challenges in pursuing a doctorate, with potential barriers including Imposter Phenomenon (IP) and Multidimensional Perfectionism (MP). Intersectionality can intensify these feelings for Women of Color. Additionally, societal and organizational barriers hinder women's advancement to leadership roles, perpetuating stereotypes and…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate how first-year college students describe their experiences with stress and coping. This study sought to understand what coping mechanisms first-year college students use when they experience stress. Prior to this dissertation, it was not known how first-year college students describe…

College student retention is an important concept in higher education. For individuals, college retention translates to earning a degree, and for institutions, it translates to maintaining revenue. Many factors put college students at risk for withdrawing from college, including being a student from Appalachia, being considered a first-generation…

Sit-in protests are occurring more frequently on college campuses and yet are viewed with greater disdain by university administration than more conventional protest actions. This grounded theory research study aims to explain the decision-making process of student activists who participate in a sit-in of a university space. Additionally, the…

Most Americans will experience a form of trauma before adulthood, resulting in hindered learning and emotional regulation. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational-predictive study was to examine if and to what extent the two facets of Emotional Regulation, Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression, considered collectively, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which first-year college students' perceptions of their high school physical education experiences have influenced their current levels of physical activity and enjoyment of physical activity. This study provided information on the activities included in high school physical education…

The purpose of this research was to explore master-level counseling students' lived experiences when taking online counselor education courses within the past five years (i.e., 2017-2022). Traditionally, counselor education programs and classes are offered through in-person learning modalities. However, the increased movement and utilization of…

This qualitative phenomenological investigation explores the impact of systemic racism on stress among African American doctoral students in clinical psychology aged 25 to 55 and identifies coping strategies employed by this demographic. The study analyzes participants' experiences, emotional responses, and coping mechanisms in the face of…

Adult learners represent a growing population of students seeking postsecondary education. This qualitative investigation sought to understand the lived experience of the adult learner during matriculation. Through the use of semi-structured questions, 15 newly enrolled adult learners participated in a private, one-on-one interview to describe…

This qualitative research was conducted with the goals of investigating the experiences of African American male college students who have encountered instances of racial injustice and bigotry on college campuses, as well as investigating the consequences that such incidents have had on the participants' academic performance during their academic…

For social justice and change to occur in classrooms, it is necessary to consider the perspective of learners. Voices from learners around math education is limited in research, especially for younger students. This study examined math class from the perspective of elementary students, with math identity and equitable mathematics instruction as…

The current conditions concerning the use of mobile technology in higher education suggest mobile devices such as smartphones will soon be integrally relied on to support formal and informal student learning. However, the formal use of mobile technologies in higher education has yet to establish a notable foothold, and m-learning pedagogical…

Many students lack the ability to maintain positive perceptions of their mathematical self-belief, resulting in undesirable social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a cognitive reframing strategy on third and fourth grade math intervention students' perceptions of their mathematical…