As the cost of living continues to increase over time, many Americans are placing greater scrutiny on the financial choices they make. An area for such evaluation is if the outcomes of going to college continue to be worth the cost. One underrepresented group, first-generation college students (FGCS), is less likely than non-FGCS to attend and…

Pay inequity controversies cut across all disciplines and fields in higher education (Meara et al., 2020; Toutkoushian & Conley, 2005). Despite efforts to reduce the wage gap, gender wage inequities persist and continue to adversely affect women across various sectors (Katzeff, 2019; Schieder & Gould, 2016). Since passing the Equal Pay Act…

This quantitative correlational study explored the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic job factors and overall teacher job satisfaction, focusing on their impact on teacher retention in four California charter schools. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between various intrinsic,…

K-12 students who ride the school bus have more than likely experienced service interruptions due to the school bus driver shortage. The current driver shortage promotes underpinnings influencing student education today. With more than 26 million students dependent on school buses, the path to replenishing the nation's school bus driver faction…

The problem addressed in this study was the negative impact salary has on adjunct faculty job satisfaction and under what conditions adjunct faculty experience job satisfaction in higher educational institutions in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore adjunct faculty attitudes and perceptions of how salary impacts adjunct…

All of our choices and all that sets us apart are governed by what we can do, what we want to do, and what we know. This dissertation aims to quantify two of these channels to better understand why we differ. The first two chapters focus on what we know and how it shapes societal gaps. The first chapter attacks the question of how much of the gap…

This dissertation studies the effect of higher education costs on students' outcomes in the labor market, particularly when credit constraints are absent. It utilizes the UK's institutional setting to identify such an effect. The key findings are as follows. (i) Increasing tuition fees does not have adverse effects on students as long as credit…

The three articles that comprise this dissertation examine different ways that current teachers can express leadership outside of their classrooms, through labor activity and within-school instructional leadership. I use descriptive and quasi-experimental quantitative analysis to examine which teachers take on these roles, their effectiveness, the…

The increasing number of teachers leaving the profession has put a serious strain on the education system, and principals have identified various strategies they implement which could impact teacher retention. Prior research indicated that school principals play a crucial role in the retention of teachers by developing a supportive school…

The lack of enough nurse faculty is a primary cause of the insufficient RN workforce. Without addressing the faculty shortage, the number of future nurses will continue to fall short, negatively impacting the quality of care. This study aimed to evaluate the individual nurse's actual and perceived return on investment for the transition from a…

This doctoral dissertation examines the relationship among the three components of organizational commitment: affective, continuance and normative, job satisfaction, and turnover intent of New Jersey superintendents. Additionally, it examines the interplay between job satisfaction and organizational commitment, exploring whether job satisfaction…

This study investigated the relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and teachers' satisfaction with their salary, the number of years teaching, and the principals' communication about the kind of school they want. Teacher attrition in the K-12 public school system is a well-documented problem citing many motives and causes. The recruitment…

This study investigated the factors influencing retention among Catholic private school teachers in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on motivational and external elements. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews with five teachers, I delved into the impact of intrinsic motivators like leadership and school culture as…

This study examines job satisfaction among special educators while focusing on factors such as workload, administrative support, compensation, and self-efficacy. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, and informed by push and pull theory, the research in this study combines both quantitative and qualitative data analysis through the collection of…

The shortage of teachers is an immense challenge for schools in Illinois, as well as throughout the United States. Districts are changing and adapting their practices to recruit new teachers, but similar changes and efforts need to be implemented to retain the teachers currently in our schools. This research study gave a confidential survey to the…