Previous studies showed that social capital may serve as a source of resilience for students in risky situations (Aldrich, 2012; Kokubun et al., 2020; Kordan et al., 2019; Pfefferbaum et al., 2017). The current study aimed to explore a possible association between one indicator of middle school students' social capital -- school attachment -- and…

Understanding how to foster belonging and ensure equitable engagement in STEM fields for diverse students is a critical need in education today. Despite substantial growth in the STEM workforce (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023; NSF, 2023a), there remain persistent gender and racial/ethnic gaps in students' access to advanced STEM education,…

This study examined how virtual middle-school teachers establish meaningful and productive teacher-student relationships in virtual environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight virtual middle-school teachers, utilizing narrative inquiry methodology and the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The themes that emerged…

Women are underrepresented in the field of computer science. The presence of female computer scientists has changed over time, with a downward trend in the past few decades, with only 18% of women compared to men earning their degrees in computer science. Increasing the numbers of female students who pursue computer science not only will lead to…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a detrimental effect on child development and children exposed to these events early in life are at risk for maladjustment as they enter and progress through school. This study examined the developmental pathways through which ACEs influence student-teacher relationships in kindergarten, internalizing…

Black women majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) experience a number of emotions as they navigate spaces and seek their identity. Black women experience greater challenges when striving for their sense of belonging while at PWIs than at Historically Black Colleges and…