Complexities in African international students' adaptation and experiences impact their success in their new social and academic environment as these complexities go beyond the diversity of socio-cultural background to the collective classification of identification, resulting in less provision of assistance by institutional structures of support.…

The deleterious effects of ethnic-racial discrimination on youth's academic adjustment are well-documented. Although theory and empirical studies point to the protective and promotive role of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development for academic adjustment in contexts of adversity, its role in the academic adjustment of Colombian adolescents is…

At the transition to higher education, students from diverse backgrounds develop peer networks that support learning in higher education. However, few studies have investigated how students' background characteristics play a role in social selection mechanisms such as friendship and help-seeking and what drives the formation of diverse peer…

Persistence across undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs is exceptionally low. Recent studies have shown that social support and sense of belonging are particularly important for students who are historically underrepresented in STEM, yet few interventions have directly targeted or investigated these…

Caring Campus-Faculty is a program that supports faculty as they develop and implement "behavioral commitments" designed to help students feel a sense of belonging and to support them in their educational journey. Developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change, Caring Campus was evaluated by the Community College Research Center…

Motivating girls to enroll in computer science (CS) courses is critically important. Stereotypes that girls are less interested than boys in CS may deter girls. Three preregistered experimental studies (N = 1,053) examined causal links between gender-interest stereotypes and middle school students' CS motivation. Experiment 1 showed that…

One of the responsibilities of high school counselors is to assist students in achieving grade-level promotion leading to graduation. Through building relationships with students experiencing barriers to remaining academically on-track and strengthening communication with these students, their families, and their teachers, school counselors can…

Available research discusses the first-generation undergraduate experience, graduate students' sense of belonging, and first-generation graduate students, but little research shows the themes that impact a first-generation graduate student's sense of belonging. Understanding the first-generation graduate students' experience as a marginalized…

Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) and inclusive school policies and practices that affirm youth with minoritized sexual orientations or gender identities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer youth; LGBTQ+ youth) are two sources of support for LGBTQ+ youth that could promote school belonging. The current study tested a three-level…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research was to explore how students described their experiences within a semester-long, new-student orientation program as contributing to their year-to-year re-enrollment at a community college in Arizona. Two research questions guided the stud. Exhaustive review of prior research indicated the…

The challenge of managing student behavior and fostering a positive school culture has become increasingly important, especially among schools serving diverse and marginalized populations. Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) offer a promising solution by focusing on conflict resolution and relationship-building rather than punitive measures. This…

Efforts like holistic review admissions by nursing programs to create a more ethnically diverse student body have led to increased enrollment of students with underrepresented ethnic and cultural social identities. However, these students continue to experience higher attrition rates compared to their White, middle-class peers. Although both sense…

The retention disparities in undergraduate degree attainment are a persistent problem within the United States, especially for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), first-generation and low-income students, and women (referred to as marginalized groups in STEM [MGS] hereafter) pursuing STEM degrees. The following exploratory article…

Passion in education, both for teachers and students, plays a critical role in shaping learning experiences and outcomes. This study explores the interplay between students' perceptions of their teachers' passion for the field, perceived social support, and students' passion for their field of study. Using a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed 355…

Community colleges have historically faced significant challenges in retaining students, particularly from underserved populations. While extracurricular activities like athletics have been shown to enhance student engagement and persistence, the specific impact of athletic participation on retention and sense of belonging among diverse student…