Why are some fields and occupations more diverse than others? In this review, we describe a conceptual framework--the field-specific ability beliefs (FAB) model--that provides a promising answer to this question. This model proposes that gender and racial/ethnic imbalances in a field or occupation result in part from the confluence of two beliefs:…

Agricultural Education relies heavily on national and state professional associations to serve School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers. Because there is not 100% membership in these organizations across the country, it is vital to learn what is holding teachers back from joining and identify the needs of current members to encourage…

This qualitative study explores parents' perceptions and satisfaction with schools' test preparation materials and the effects and challenges of district-mandated test preparation materials on teachers. Parents attempt to assist their students in getting into the best schools by spending money on commercial test preparation materials and private…

Understanding how students reason with logical implication is essential for supporting students' construction of increasingly powerful ways of reasoning in proofs-based mathematics courses. We report on the results of an NSF-funded case study with a mathematics major enrolled in an introductory proofs course. We investigate the epistemological…

This qualitative study examined the stories of women of color (WOC) executive leaders working on a California State University (CSU) campus, exploring how they have achieved success and persevered in the face of systemic barriers. Drawing on in-depth interviews with eight WOC leaders, this dissertation explored their individual experiences and…

The number of students with disabilities educated in the general education classroom has increased over time. As a result, administrators in inclusive settings have more expectations and responsibilities as an instructional leader. Therefore, the research problem addressed is that administrators are struggling to provide instructional leadership…

Following a 3-study format, this multi-methods dissertation investigates three prominent issues surrounding inclusive approaches to faculty development, instructional approaches, and student learning in the community college. The first study employs text mining techniques to examine how centers for teaching and learning at community colleges…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the lived experiences of recent racially and ethnically diverse athletic training graduates and factors that contributed to their successful completion of a professional athletic training program. To do this, a survey including the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education…

To understand why Native American members are hesitant to enroll in higher education, it is necessary to understand this population's barriers to achieving this goal. Degree attainment by American Indians has remained consistently low while other minority groups have consistently risen. The focus of this qualitative single-case study was on…

Decreased academic achievement of middle school students is occurring due to educators' inability or reluctance to differentiate instruction and the barriers that impede or prevent its use. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies for implementing differentiated instruction in the classroom and overcoming…

Lecture-only style teaching where a teacher delivers content and students are tested on the retained information is the predominant approach in higher education. Alternatively, active learning is an instructional method in which students become engaged participants in the classroom through the use of in-class written exercises, games, problem…

This study used newly collected survey data from the Perceptions of Educational Barrier Scale -- Revised (PEB-R; Gibbons, 2005) to examine the reported educational barriers of students who are currently enrolled at the University of Midwest and who graduated from one of the five designated rural high schools in Forest County, Illinois. The…

As online adjunct instructors continue to fill an instructional role and meet the needs of online learners, university leaders need to look for ways for professional development to increase online adjunct instructors' sense of community and meet their diverse needs. The critical problem of this study recognized that online adjunct instructors have…

According to the Pew Research Center (2016), there are approximately 3.9 million children in the U.S. educational system who have at least one undocumented parent. This study aims to explore the academic experiences of Latinx college students in mixed-status families to find ways in which institutions can better support them on their higher…

Development of the cardinality principle, an understanding that the last number-word recited in counting a collection of items specifies the number of items in that collection, is a critical milestone in developing a concept of number. Researchers in early number development have endeavored to theorize its development. Here we critique two widely…