To study beliefs about ability and STEM major choice, I conduct a field experiment where I provide students with information that they are above average in their top fields of study. I find that STEM students are more likely to switch out of their major and that non-STEM students fail to switch into STEM at the same rates as other fields. I also…

Eligibility is a policy construct unique to California. UC and CSU are the only US universities that distinguish between eligibility for admission and admission itself and set separate requirements for each. The eligibility construct derives originally from California's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, which famously mandated that UC admit…

Implementation of AB 705 in fall 2019 required California community colleges to use high school grade point average (HSGPA) as the main measure of placement and maximize the likelihood of students being placed into transfer-level English and math courses. Since that time, research has shown that with the vast increase in access to transfer-level…

For many Latinx community college students, grades are a key indicator of academic success and therefore research in non-cognitive factors such as grit and growth mindset is needed. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, and to what extent, there is a relationship between grit and growth mindset of Latinx…

This dissertation examines relations between education-related self-beliefs and socioeconomic (SES)-based disparities in education. SES academic achievement gaps are a serious problem in the United States; however, they are not fully accounted for by objective family resources alone. I build from the premise that there is a subjective,…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the bachelor's degree graduation rates of three groups of undergraduate students at a regional, public university in Kentucky. The three groups consisted of those registered with disability services, those registered with disability services…

Two-year state and community colleges provide convenient and affordable educational opportunities with open admissions policies, which make them "value-added institutions that are uniquely different than traditional colleges and universities" (Grubbs, 2020, p. 205). Students across the nation enroll in 2-year colleges to pursue their…

The transition from middle school to high school is known to be one of the most critical times in a student's educational career. Ninth-grade students walk into larger schools; for some physical, emotional, and social developmental stages initiate; many encounter new demands of more rigorous academics; opportunities for participation in various…

This quantitative research study explores student-athletes' involvement in educationally purposeful activities offered at higher education institutions competing in a Midwest athletic conference within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While there is some research regarding involvement in educationally purposeful…

High school graduation rates gradually increased to 80% until 1968, at which point there was a steady decline until 2002 when the passage of No Child Left Behind required states to measure and increase graduation rates for all students (Kamenetz, 2015). With this greater accountability in place, educators readily identified ninth grade as a…

This study was carried out to investigate the motivational persistence levels of students who received sports education and examine in terms of some demographic variables. In the study, the "Motivational Persistence Scale" consisting of long-term purposes pursuing, current purposes pursuing, recurrence of unattained purposes…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of a second-order state-like construct "psychological capital" (or PsyCap) as an underlying mechanism explaining the personality-academic achievement (AA) relationship in the educational context. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual model was statistically tested on a…

Teaching and understanding mathematics is a significant concern in any educational system. Largish efforts are made by various researchers to find out the causes of students' performance in the subject. Despite every one of these endeavors issues still, endure. The researchers used a descriptive-correlational design to gather data through an…

The volume of transfer students across college and university campuses in the United States continues to rise; however, institutions continue to struggle with identifying and applying best practices that encourage these students to earn their baccalaureate degree at rates comparable to their non-transferring peers. Prior research suggests many…

This non-experimental, quantitative study used a correlational research design to determine if a significant, positive relationship existed between students' completion of a series of CTE courses and earning industry-recognized credentials and sense of self-efficacy toward employment pursuits. The study further sought to determine if a…