Reports of ecological disturbances - wildfires, loss of biodiversity, drought, contaminated drinking water, extreme temperatures - fill the news. People have to navigate and manage these challenges. To do so effectively, requires that people are environmentally literate (EL), demonstrating an understanding of the problems, so they are motivated to…

The focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields has noticeably increased in recent decades with the rapid growth in technology. Mathematical knowledge and competence is in many ways a gateway to scientific and technical development, and therefore careers (Prieto & Delgado, 2007). Unfortunately, national and international…

The manuscripts in this dissertation enhance the research on the psychology of the undergraduate student experience in laboratory courses, those that typify collaborative practical work. For science and engineering fields in higher education, persistence of students who identify as female and/or as a member of an underrepresented ethnic minority…

Retention is a significant challenge at small universities and therefore research in this area is needed. The purpose of this quantitative correlational-predictive study was to examine to what extent high school GPA, standardized college entrance exam scores, and grit (perseverance and consistency) predict first to second year student retention at…

Cultivating a racially diverse special education teacher workforce is critical to the success of students with disabilities, particularly students of color with disabilities. We examine the literature and provide suggestions for recruiting, supporting, and retaining special education teacher candidates of color. Specifically, we present a vignette…

The purpose of this narrative study was to understand the stories of low-income nontraditional students at a small Catholic college in Upstate New York, as they describe their persistence experiences in earning a college credential. The study employed a narrative research design and utilized Bandura's self-efficacy theory as the theoretical…

There are nearly 250 teachers hired each school year due to attrition in Smith Independent School District (SISD). Attrition is a repetitive obstacle to finding qualified teachers for open positions. From the 2015-2016 to 2018-2019 school years, there were1,000 teachers hired across SISD due to attrition, representing a 24% teacher attrition rate.…

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the perceptions first-generation students (FGS) have of the academic impact of student support services (SSS) received while attending community college (CC) in the areas of student academic achievement, student engagement, student persistence, student satisfaction, and development…

The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey study was to examine the relationships among demographic characteristics, campus climate perceptions, and retention plans of faculty of color at selected community colleges in the North Atlantic Region of the United States. Data were collected using an online survey "Faculty Retention…

Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is a feeling of illegitimacy or fraudulence despite evidence to the contrary. Most people experience feelings of impostorism in their lifetime, and it has been associated with several outcomes in the literature. Although there is some evidence higher education may facilitate feelings of IP, community college students have…

Employed cancer survivors commonly experience stigmatization, work-related changes that create barriers to maintaining or returning to work, and high unemployment. Vocational rehabilitation (VR) services can be an important resource in job retention among cancer survivors, however the specific VR needs and most effective services for this…

The problem addressed by this study was the high attrition rate of African American males in U.S. urban community colleges. The disproportionately low retention rates of Black males negatively impact the students' quality of life and earnings potential while also affecting the local communities surrounding the college. The purpose of this…

This study presents a comparative investigation of the differences in retention and academic performance of Black and White Female undergraduate in a mid-sized university in the southern U.S. The study became a significant concern in higher education because average Black students' retention and performance rates were often lower than their White…

This study used a qualitative phenomenological method to investigate the experiences of women chief technology officers in community colleges and their experiences that led to attainment of leadership roles in technology. Throughout the history of the United States, citizens have witnessed gender inequality in the workforce. The gender inequality…

This mixed model study analyzed the relationship between school culture and teachers' intentions to remain in their current position, teacher job satisfaction, and teacher absenteeism. Among PreK-12th educators, significant negative relationships existed between four subcomponents of school culture that are collaborative leadership, teacher…