The problem addressed in this study is teacher retention and attrition, and the importance of this study is related to the teacher shortage. Districts have limited access to quality educators, and to maximize student learning, districts should work to maximize their retention rates and reduce attrition rates of high-quality educators. The purpose…

This dissertation examined the perceived impact of education abroad programs on the retention of African American male students in higher education, utilizing Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning and Tinto's Theory of Student Retention as the conceptual framework. Given the underrepresentation and systemic barriers faced by this demographic,…

This study examined the academic persistence of student fathers at a Texas community college through a single-site case study approach. Two key research questions guided the inquiry: (1) How did the community college describe its efforts to support academic persistence for student fathers? (2) What factors did student fathers perceive as…

In 2016, the GED® introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to identify testers who are academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting "college-ready" GED® graduates from remedial coursework. I show descriptive evidence that those identified as…

In the Angel Studios 2024 movie "Cabrini" set in 1889, an Italian immigrant woman comes to America with a fierce passion for helping marginalized children. Charged with a seemingly impossible task, she perseveres through each obstacle. While watching the movie, I felt angry throughout at the injustices faced. Afterwards, I felt inspired…

The Public School Forum's Top Education Issues outlines the Forum's priorities on what should be at the forefront of education policy decision-making each legislative biennium as the Forum works toward eliminating the systemic inequities that exist throughout the educational system and ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality…

Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has garnered attention in educational research for its potential to predict academic achievement and well-being. Despite this, its psychometric properties and applicability across diverse populations remain underexplored. This study aims to validate the Grit-O scale and explore its…

The researchers examined the associations between thinking styles and grit. A cross-sectional design was adopted, with two weeks of data collection. The Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II and the Grit Scale were administered to 365 signing deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) Arts and Design students and 443 hearing university students in mainland…

This research aimed to determine if community college students who complete an associate degree before transferring are likelier to complete a baccalaureate degree than those who transfer before completing an associate degree. Additionally, this study examined if the type of institution, public vs. private, that a student transfers to impacts…

This dissertation is comprised of two chapters regarding the economics of post-secondary education. The first concerns effects of peer gender: Large gender differences exist in the take-up and completion of college majors across academic fields. The degree of gender concentration within fields tends to increase over time spent in college. In this…

A growing body of literature seeks to challenge the deficit-oriented narratives around Black students in mathematics by exploring the perspectives and experiences of successful Black students and professionals in the field--in doing so, aiming to provide counternarratives to the dominant discourse that center their participants' voices, as well as…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly every aspect of the social and economic lives of individuals, families, and communities. It also highlighted and deepened existing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. Education, too, was negatively impacted by the pandemic. Research has provided ample evidence about the challenges related to learning…

Many interventions are being studied to help combat barriers into STEM fields that contribute to high attrition and low persistence rates (Chen, 2013; Ejiwale, 2013; Ellis et al., 2016). One such intervention is near-peer mentor (NPM) programs, which utilize undergraduate students as academic supports to fellow undergraduate students. Studies have…

In a 2023 report by the National Student Clearinghouse, the "some college, no credential" population stood at 40.4 million in 2021, up 3.6 percent from a year earlier. Of this population, more than half (21 million, 52%) were 25 or older at the time of their last enrollment. One solution to this reality is to reengage this population and…

The shortage of teachers from Black, Asian and minoritised groups is well documented. Over the past decade, a body of research has confirmed that discrimination and inequality is a factor in the recruitment of teachers from Black, Asian and minoritised groups in England. Drawing on findings from the 2017 Runnymede Trust Report, which highlighted…