The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds that chose to pursue a career in STEM at STEM High School. For the purposes of this study, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds were generally defined as students that qualify for the free and…

The project's objective is to understand how undocumented immigrants navigate political and professional challenges to become public school teachers in California. As a sanctuary state where the need to diversify the teaching workforce is urgent, California is an important site for studying undocumented teaching pathways and pedagogical practices.…

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (Chancellor's Office) Rising Scholars Network was established to make college accessible to currently and formerly incarcerated community college students. Key partnerships with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Foundation for California Community…

Building on prior research documenting associations between youth purpose and academic, psychological and physical well-being, this study examined the contributions of workplace learning (WPL) to youth purpose and internal motivation among 281 youth of diverse racial and ethnic identities and economic status enrolled in two high school networks…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid implementation of online learning in California's 9-12 public schools, necessitating an examination of administrators' perceptions of this new educational landscape and its impact on student engagement. This qualitative dissertation explored how administrators perceived the effectiveness of online learning in…

When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order was initiated, the career and education outlook for DACA recipients expanded as the legal employment authorization allowed for aspirations and pursuits of higher degrees and consequently career fields commensurate with their education (Abrego, 2018). DACA is approaching its 10th year…

Postsecondary education is associated with achieving economic self-sufficiency and other positive outcomes. Young people in foster care face challenges pursuing postsecondary education, which can lead to them being less likely than their peers to enroll in college and less likely to earn a degree when enrolled. One federal initiative meant to…

Office hours are one of the most common support mechanisms found in courses. Despite the prevalence of office hours in life sciences classes, there has been little investigation of how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students perceive office hours, particularly at non--research intensive universities or other institutions where a…

To promote health equity, it is crucial to educate the next generation of healthcare workers about disparities early on during their education. We developed a virtual research program at a medical school in the United States of America with the goal of increasing the awareness of youth about the complexities of health inequities. The program was…

This qualitative study examined the experiences of formerly incarcerated students in community colleges. In this study, participants described how they made meaning of their postsecondary education experience through their decision to start college, the college preparation, and faculty interactions that collectively influenced their academic…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic upended the academic trajectories and opportunities of many community college students in the United States. While four-year universities have seen an uptick in applications in the 2021-2022 academic year, community colleges have experienced a sharp decrease in enrollment, signifying significant…

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary general music teachers' experiences and perspectives with classroom management within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants consisted of five practicing elementary general music teachers in Southern California who participated in three individual interviews, one focus group, and two…

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, college students across the United States temporarily became online learners regardless of their learning modality preferences. Academic libraries and the student support they offer also went entirely online for extended periods. How did this involuntary online environment affect students' library research?…

The technology in the K-12 classroom has changed from being a tool that educators can utilize on an as needed basis, to a classroom necessity. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore K-12 technology directors experiences in the decision-making process of integrating technology in a K-12 education system at a district level…

The aim of this study was to better understand Latinx adolescents' experiences during the pandemic and the transition to distance learning. Guided by the community cultural wealth framework, this study focuses on the key challenges and the sources of support that Latinx adolescents relied on during this unique period. Participants included 40…