Teachers in Puerto Rico are more than just educators--they serve as mentors and guides and play a significant role in shaping their students' lives as they lead them towards transformative changes. As teachers consider transitioning from their jobs to other objectives outside the academic field, they must prioritize their students' best interests.…

This research targets retired singers from the university choral ensemble, offering an in-depth examination of the older adults' choir experiences, with a focus on their experiences and reflections. Prior studies have highlighted the benefits of musical involvement for retirees, including extending life expectancy, enhancing quality of life, and…

The purpose of this study is to examine the transition in a rural Midwestern school district from a long-serving superintendent who served sixteen years in the position to a recently hired superintendent, focusing on leadership behaviors and how the observed behaviors of the two superintendents influenced the transition period between…

U.S. workers are not sufficiently prepared for financial success in retirement. This qualitative phenomenological case study explored participants' perceptions of their retirement adequacy, financial literacy, and the effects of employer-sponsored programs to enhance their employees' financial literacy. This study intended to resolve U.S. workers…

This mixed methods study examined teacher attrition and burnout, along with factors contributing to teachers' intent to leave their positions due to job dissatisfaction, work-related stress levels, and student behavior. The following questions guided this study:What was the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and intent to leave? What…

This study examined the concepts of career preparation and the lives post-sport of retired former collegiate swimmers. Swimming is a sport that has next to no opportunities to compete professionally, meaning that all swimmers must undergo career preparation and transition into full-time careers once their eligibility has expired. This study was…

This qualitative study examines the perceptions of current and former instrumental music educators regarding the reasons behind music teachers leaving the profession. The study aims to provide evidence to better understand these issues and their implications for educational leadership. By conducting semi-structured interviews with seven former…

With the growth of the older population due to longer life spans and a decline in birth rates, older adults will soon outnumber the younger population worldwide. One out of five workers in the United States reaches retirement age each day. This phenomenon has begun to cause a strain on Social Security funding and healthcare funding for those over…

Many people believe that U.S. higher education is at a crossroads as tuition costs soar, diversity of the student body grows, and the number of traditionally aged students enrolling in college continues to decline due to lower birth rates in the early 2000s. Today's societal, political, and cultural pressures are unique and thus put added pressure…

People with disabilities have been identified as representing the largest marginalized group worldwide. A negative attitude towards people with disabilities has been an extended paradigm in American society. Improving the treatment of people with disabilities has led to national policy and legislation changes. However, health inequities continue…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have created opportunities, within schools, as a means to work together to share professional inquiry and further explore various strategies to increase student achievement. Previous research on PLCs mostly focused on ways school staff and faculty engaged on topics of student performance and student…

Transitioning out of college for NCAA Division III student athletes is a unique experience. Through the lens of the athletic identity theory, this study examined how Division III student athletes describe their experience transitioning out of college. Participants included former Division III student athletes from a university in the southwest…

This study examined the lived experiences of New York City educators who are teaching and learning in a high-stakes testing environment to improve students' learning outcomes. The research questions were: (1) What are New York City elementary school educators' experiences teaching in a high-stakes testing environment? (2) What are New York City…

The rate of presidential turnover over the past decade has accelerated due to planned retirements, the onset of COVID-19, and the complexities and challenges (e.g., political and social) of providing institutional leadership in the context of higher education. This study focused specifically on Christian higher education, where the leadership…

This dissertation is comprised of three essays on the economics of education. The first and third chapters examine marijuana legalization and its effects on students, while the second chapter examines the impact of pension incentives on teacher quality. The first chapter examines the extent to which there are negative spillovers of recreational…