Within the specific context of Saudi Arabian high schools, I conducted a qualitative study to gain a greater understanding of how decentralization, a significant reform initiative, affected principals and teachers. The study centered around participants' perspectives, challenges, and successes. I actively sought recommendations for improving the…

Degree attainment is a shared goal of college students, higher education institutions, and the larger society, as graduates have lower rates of unemployment, higher rates of civic engagement, pay higher taxes, and are able to better prepare future generations for academic success as compared to their counterparts (Museus et al., 2008).…

This study sought to add to the limited existing literature regarding the experiences and challenges of first-generation doctoral students. Amidst fifteen interviews with first-generation doctoral students, who completed their doctoral degree at an R1 research institution in California, the research provided information about the journey students…

What can be done to promote the academic success of learners? More than a question, it is a major challenge of our time. In this perspective, metacognition seems to be a way to empower learners to take ownership of their academic success. Considering the recommendations established in the literature, we co-constructed with teachers a metacognitive…

Psychological grit has gained substantial interest among traditional higher education practitioners, with many seeking the link between grit, academic performance and retention. The literature pertaining to distance education cohorts is scant, however, especially within the South African context, which holds unique challenges for accessing and…

In most higher education institutions, White men and women have dominated senior academic positions and are viewed as more capable of serving as senior administrators than women of color. In comparison, the number of women of color leaders in predominantly White institutions is lower than in historically Black colleges and universities. For…

Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to algorithms that predict college-student success to inform various decisions, including those related to admissions, budgeting, and student-success interventions. Because predictive algorithms rely on historical data, they capture societal injustices, including racism. In this study, we examine…

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACE, have been shown to cause long-term difficulties in an individual's physical health, impacting their chances of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, and various other medical conditions that can affect day-to-day life. Adversities experienced during childhood, such as physical,…

Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to algorithms that predict college-student success to inform various decisions, including those related to admissions, budgeting, and student-success interventions. Because predictive algorithms rely on historical data, they capture societal injustices, including racism. In this study, we examine…

This capstone investigates the integration experiences of new faculty at Somerset Community College (SCC) through Organizational Socialization Theory (OST). Acknowledging the multifaceted challenges that new faculty encounter, ranging from adapting to an unfamiliar academic culture to navigating institutional policies and building relationships…

This three-article format dissertation presents a comprehensive examination of the 2017 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), focusing on its measurement properties across diverse community college student populations. Study 1 centered on the validity of the internal structure of CCSSE. Exploratory and confirmatory factor…

Even though individuals now have increased access to higher education, first-generation college students (FGCS) remain disadvantaged. Without prior college exposure, experience, or a college-going family tradition, FGCS face challenges navigating higher education institutions which can lead to decreased college retention and completion rates.…

Objective: Accelerated Second-Degree (ASD) programs play a crucial role in addressing the nursing shortage. However, when ASD students drop out, it negatively impacts all involved parties. Despite facing similar challenges as adult learners, some ASD students successfully graduate while others do not. By comparing and contrasting these two groups,…

How Latina administrators construct their leadership philosophies in the K-12 public education system and what makes them unique in a traditionally male-dominated context was explored in this qualitative study. Using a narrative inquiry approach, seven Mexican American women working as school principals in California's Central Valley were…

This paper reviews 38 studies conducted between 2015 and 2022 on collaborative assessments in open-distance and e-learning (ODeL) contexts, focusing on the benefits, types, challenges, and strategies to improve collaborative assessments. This qualitative review aims to investigate collaborative assessments within the ODeL comprehensively. The…