This research project sought to evaluate potential barriers limiting the use of augmented reality welding simulators into career and technical education welding curricula. This study used quantitative and qualitative case studies to address five objectives: (1) What is the operating cost of a CTE welding program, (2) Are there cost savings on…

Organizational climate (OC) affects employees, their interactions with students, and is essential to student achievement. However, the research is limited in that it is not clear how college faculty and staff perceive OC factors that may contribute to student academic achievement. The aim of this study was to answer the following research…

This study aimed to understand the barriers that two-year college students face that prevent graduation and the possible intervention program to assist them with overcoming these barriers. The perceptions of academic advisors working at a two-year college were gained in the areas of barriers related to environmental factors, social integration,…

The purpose of this study was to examine sustainability policies and practices at community colleges. A social-constructivist worldview guided my exploratory qualitative study that targeted nine sustainability professionals at eight community colleges with enrollment under 10,000 in the midwestern region of the United States. I relied on the…

This qualitative phenomenological inquiry aimed to explore the experiential dimensions of first-year, first-semester college students' perceptions of their college readiness from high school to a junior college in Belize. Employing Leedy and Ormrod's (2016) methodology for data analysis, the researcher engaged a purposeful sample of 30 first-year,…

Burnout has become a prevalent issue in workplace environments, significantly affecting individuals' mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of burnout among community college counselors in Southern California, a group often overlooked in existing research. While…

"The Laboring Scholar: Community College Geographies and the Politics of Care" is an institutional ethnography that investigates the personal, political, and economic costs to student caregivers seeking a college degree. Through a critical analysis of student interviews and a close examination of community college structures and…

Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder" published in 2008 inspired the world to explore the outdoors. He brought to light the decreasing time children are spending in nature and just enjoying all the benefits it has to offer. Many studies have also explored nature deprivation and the…

Community college presidents must understand the phenomenon of campus safety. For this mixed-methods study, community college presidents in one state were surveyed, and three presidents from the same community college system participated in in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics measured the levels community college presidents' knowledge and…

This qualitative study contributed new insights into the complex interplay between California Community College (CCC) campus climate and faculty-led diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) changemaking. Using focus groups and interviews with 22 full-time faculty, this study found that supportive campus policies and practices, such as…

This study explored the arrebatos (academic and non-academic) challenges and well-being experiences of Latina students in California community colleges (CCCs). Grounded in Anzaldua's theory of conocimiento and Prilleltensky's psychopolitical well-being theory, the study captures the testimonios of eight Latina students, the arrebatos (academic and…

Although 80% of entering community college students express a desire to earn a bachelor's degree, only about 30% transfer to a four-year institution and even fewer complete a bachelor's degree within six years. The Loss/Momentum Framework (LMF) is a tool for identifying interactions between an institution and its students that can either propel…

Mental health concerns are a significant challenge for college students across the country. While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges, it did not create them. Mental health symptoms among college students have been rising dramatically for the past decade, and the easing of the pandemic will not make them evaporate. These…

There is a need to fully understand why Hispanic students are not as successful as other cohorts of students are when completing college. In past research, the focus has been on persistence and retention, but understanding the need for connection and feelings of campus immersion have been absent. The research questions investigated the barriers…

Even though the importance of technical and vocational education is acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the university sector has dominated the discourse on the role of postsecondary educational institutions in sustainability. This comparative study widens the scope by highlighting…