Understanding the freedom that students have to make decisions they value enables them to remove barriers to their valued aspirations and obstacles to their freedom and helps them take actions toward their aspired futures. Using the capability approach, this study examines how economically disadvantaged youth in Ethiopia exercised their agency to…

This dissertation presents a phenomenological qualitative study that examines the lived experiences of six Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Directors representing county, urban, and suburban school districts. The study aims to explore the perspectives, challenges, and strategies of SEL Directors in implementing SEL programs district-wide. The…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to investigate educators' perspectives on their professional preparedness, the effectiveness of their teaching methods, and the challenges encountered while providing homebound education within a mid-sized school district in North Texas. Semi-structured interviews with 8 teacher participants were…

This study explores the experiences of senior Black women leaders in higher education. It aims to focus on the barriers they face and the support they receive during their professional journeys. The study conducted in-depth interviews with nine Black women in various roles within higher education institutions. The research aims to unveil the…

In the United States, Latinas are underrepresented in obtaining PhDs that lead to high level professional careers and academia. This may be due, in part, to patriarchal academic institutions and approaches that have historically devalued the cultural experiences and identities of marginalized populations, including Latinas in higher education.…

Teachers significantly impact students' academic success amidst life difficulties and societal influences (Harlacher & Merrell, 2010; Malureanu & Enachi-Vasluianu, 2021). This qualitative research study was designed to understand the impact of implementing a district-wide social-emotional learning initiative from the teachers' perspective.…

The world is full of parents of special education students who do not know how to support their children through the individualized educational program (IEP) process. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was designed to create a shared decision-making process whereas parental involvement is at the forefront of the IEP process. This…

Community college women do not obtain the HPV vaccine at the same rate as university women. The aim of this study was to discover the perceptions of community college women in relation to the human papillomavirus (HPV) and associated cancers, the perceived barriers and benefits of obtaining the HPV vaccination, and how health behavior decisions…

Student veterans face a spectrum of socialization challenges intrapersonally, interpersonally, in communities, and structurally due to the cultural differences between the military and college. More comprehensive programs that individually and collectively address these challenges need to be developed, and it has become apparent that a new model…

Guided Pathways is a systemic reform movement focused on increasing community college completion rates and student achievement (Bailey et al., 2015b). Within the California community college (CCC) System, every college is implementing Guided Pathways, and the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) continues to use this framework…

Traumatic events can alter the brain structure, affecting cognitive capacities and academic performance. Educators at all grade levels are responsible for supporting students through trauma-informed approaches. Previous trauma-informed research focused on K-12 education levels. Graduate-level occupational therapy educators' experiences and…

Organizations are dynamic, and employees must pursue continuing education to remain current on the most recent innovations, technological advances, and competencies in their respective career fields. However, employees often experience obstacles in completing continuing education, resulting in a lack of course material acquisition and, ultimately,…

Criminal justice scholars and practitioners have sought to identify strategies to increase and improve diversity in police agencies since the 1960s Civil Rights era. Moreover, the difficulties recruiting racial and ethnic minority police officers indicated there is distrust and fear of the police, which includes police culture/practices that…

Focusing on teachers' practices amid a national curriculum 'implementation' project for schools identified as having high enrolments of students experiencing disadvantage, this paper uses narrative methods to illustrate what we refer to as teachers' everyday work-for-change. Teacher interview data was generated via a longitudinal multi-site case…

The 2017 general comment (GC21) to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on children in street situations, provides a framework of legal guidance for governments developing policies aimed at protecting street-connected children and sets up the rationale for more awareness raising and public education to counter negative…