The purpose of this study was to examine the career trajectories of two teachers in the United States and their decision to leave teaching Spanish. Data for the study emerged from the teachers' narratives about their school-based experiences and the consequences of those experiences on their decisions to reorient their work in the educational…

North Carolina postsecondary faculty, similar to faculty around the world, who prepared their spring 2020 semester courses for face-to-face delivery, were required to quickly transition to Rapid Online Teaching and Learning (ROTL). This transition was expected within a short time frame, often one to two weeks, and for many faculty members, both…

This qualitative phenomenological study addressed the underrepresentation of Black males in education by exploring the professional and lived experiences of Black male educators in urban North Carolina schools. The study utilized Critical Race Theory (CRT) to contextualize the lived experiences and persistent struggles of Black male educators and…

Much research has been done on LGBT students in relation to campus climate and academic achievement, which suggested that a positive campus climate may positively influence students' academic success. However, no research has yet been done to understand the value of campus climate, student levels of depression anxiety and stress, and student level…

In the United States, our traditional educational model is outdated, with subpar academic achievement and a high dropout rate. Alternative education provides non-traditional settings designed to help prevent students from falling through the cracks, but the atypical format and at-risk population can make it difficult to assess how effective…

Youth of color are severely underrepresented in STEM which is can be attributed to low socioeconomic status, lack of representation, varying levels of racism faced within different institutions and systems. Without proper support and representation, youth of color can begin to feel that STEM is not a field they identify with or feel they belong.…

In the spring of 2019, RTI implemented the All Hands on Deck program in three North Carolina counties. The program was funded by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction School Safety Grant, which was offered in response to a growing need for safer schools in the state. According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 10.1% of…

Both early childhood maternal language input and the quality of classroom instruction in elementary school have been shown to be important environmental supports in predicting children's literacy skill development. However, no studies have simultaneously examined these two environmental supports in relation to children's early language skills and…

Background and purpose: Trans people of color experience health inequities related to their multiple marginalized identities. While historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) provide supportive learning environments for Black students, it is unclear if these protections extend to LGBTQ+ students. As trans youth experience barriers to…

Connection to nature (CTN) can help promote environmental engagement requisite for addressing extreme environmental challenges. Current generations, however, may be less connected to nature than previous ones. Spending time in nature can counter this disconnect, particularly among children. In relation to CTN, this study evaluates the relative…

Purpose: This investigation examined the challenges faced by women in leadership positions in the US construction industry. The overall purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the challenges, and identify suitable practices, strategies and suggestions to support the employment and retention of women in the US construction…

A teacher shortage continues to plague the SBAE profession. While this shortage has been quantified and explored from the perspective of individual teachers, little research has taken a systemic approach to the problem of the SBAE teacher shortage. We posit the teacher shortage problem as inextricably linked to a convoluted job description and…

The lack of women in elected leadership roles trickles down to student governance at colleges and universities (American Student Government Association, 2016). The researcher sought to understand how women student leaders made meaning of their experiences as a leader and how their understanding influences their actions and motivations. Through the…

This study explored a place-based summer enrichment offering for gifted rural students through the lens of a critical pedagogy of place (Greenwood, 2003). To ameliorate well-documented opportunity gaps for rural students, we established a residential camp on our university's campus where middle school students engaged in STEM and humanities…

Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a schoolwide initiative implemented in many schools to address discipline concerns and promote a positive school climate. This phenomenological study examined the school climate perceptions of 12 staff members from three secondary schools in two North Carolina school districts that implemented…