This dissertation presents a collection of three essays on the economics of higher education. Although these essays were conceived as independent research projects, they all concern higher education in Chile. For that reason, I begin in chapter 1 with a general overview of Chile's higher education system. I briefly describe the institutional…

This paper centers on the topic of gifted education. Namely, the focus of the discussion will be on the underrepresentation of students of color in gifted education, the underachievement of students of color in gifted education, and proportionate and equitable representation in gifted education. This paper examines research in the field over the…

Despite their lack of visibility, more than 7 million students in the United States are enrolled in rural school districts--about 15 percent of all public school students. Almost half of those rural students hover near or below the poverty line, and not all of them are white. More than 25 percent are children of color, according to a report by the…

The purpose of this study was to reveal beliefs of prospective teachers about "science" and "science history." The qualitative research approach was employed in the study. The study group consisted of 150 prospective teachers. A form developed by the researcher was used for data collection. The form consisted of open-ended…

This chapter uses critical race theory as an interpretive framework to explain and operationalize the role of race and racism in the lived experiences and challenges of Division I Black male athletes, and specifically in relation to engagement and achievement at Predominantly White Institutions.

Contribution: The current study finds that female-identified students report stronger associations between "helping others" and interest in bioengineering/biomedical engineering than non-females, while they report less interest in electrical and computer engineering overall, with similar associations to factors such as…

This paper evaluates the factors affecting the representation of females on governing bodies of UK universities. Applying resource dependence and stakeholder theory, the paper argues that it is in the interests of the organisation that there should be an equitable gender balance on the governing bodies of universities. Using data from university…

African American boys have been disproportionately represented in school discipline data. School counselors are encouraged to integrate cultural considerations while developing interventions for African American boys. A middle school counselor (the first author) utilized discipline data to create a culturally responsive group intervention designed…

While community colleges are experiencing an increase in the number of minority students enrolling, there has been a lack of substantial growth in the acquisition and retention of full-time minority faculty. For full-time African American female professors, this lack has resulted in the circumstance of underrepresentation. Studies demonstrate that…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the reasons for the continued underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in education and why barriers continue to exist for women from the perspectives and lived experiences of professional women leaders in education. A phenomenological approach within the…

According to former President Obama's Council on Advisors of Science and Technology (PCAST) analysis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduation rates, the study concluded that United States will require an increase in STEM graduation rates by 40% to keep up with future job demands. The PCAST findings and National Center…

Underrepresented student populations are faced with numerous barriers and are often overlooked on many college campuses. The aim of this research was to better understand academic cohorts and if they help reduce some of the barriers faced by African American and first-generation students which can ultimately affect retention and persistence to…

This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of African American students from the rural region of Alabama commonly known at the Black Belt and how the resources they received helped them prepare and gain access to higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine how factors such as rurality, race and class impact rural…

The study reveals the experiences of African American Males (AAM) as they entered and proceeded through the leadership pipeline in higher education. AAM continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in higher education at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) and the challenge is how to overcome the barriers to obtain the opportunity to…

This special issue of "School Psychology Review," entitled "Closing in on Discipline Disproportionality" examined promising approaches and critical issues related to the challenge of closing racial and ethnic gaps in schools' use of exclusionary and punitive discipline practices. In this introductory paper, we briefly reviewed…