In Chapter 1 I investigate the supply of college majors and how this facet of institutional behavior influences student outcomes and costs in higher education. As a first contribution, I identify a decades-long trend in 4-year postsecondary education in the United States--the production of bachelor's degrees measured by their concentration across…

This mixed-methods study addressed the generational differences in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among elementary teachers in North Carolina. Intrinsic motivation to persist in the profession was examined through the lens of Pink's theory that autonomy, mastery, and purpose determine a person's degree of intrinsic motivation. Information…

Retaining qualified teachers in America's schools is one of the nation's challenges in education. Current research revealed teacher turnover had risen to 16.9% nationally, which equates to 2.7 million teachers, including 2.1 million who left the profession before retirement. In order to make a positive change in teacher retention, teacher…

This dissertation study concerned the lack of underrepresented minority students matriculating through the health professions pipeline. The term pipeline is "the educational avenue by which one must travel to successfully enter a profession" (Sullivan Alliance, 2004). There are a significant number of health professional pipeline…

This dissertation presents findings from an ethnographic study of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) enrolled in a specialized postsecondary education program at a public university in North Carolina. Specifically, it discusses how 10 students engaged in postsecondary education activities and developed student…

Geospatial tools and technologies have become core competencies for natural resource professionals due to the monitoring, modeling, and mapping capabilities they provide. To prepare students with needed background, geospatial instructional activities were integrated across Forest Management; Natural Resources; Fisheries, Wildlife, &…

The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to explore how novice occupational therapy assistants begin to understand their profession, form practice beliefs, and subsequently select and initiate certain treatment methods and approaches with clients. The primary source of data for this study was obtained via semi-structured…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and "make sense" of how beginning teachers experience and define lack of principal/administrative support during their beginning years of teaching. Utilizing grounded theory as a conceptual framework, I sought to deconstruct the stories and lived experiences of nine beginning…

Over the past decade, the nation has seen an increase in high school dropout rates as well as an increased need for a more skilled workforce. The Early College movement in North Carolina was a collaboration between public schools and colleges designed to address these needs. The program immersed child learners beginning in the 9th grade in classes…

The purpose of this study was to better understand occupational turnover among librarians and archivists by examining the careers of individuals who have left or intend to leave the profession, in order to identify the factors associated with turnover, and to discover the career outcomes of those who leave. The dissertation analyzes a subset of…

This mixed-method study explores the variables that teachers consider when deciding to remain at or leave their schools, with a specific focus on how teachers consider an incentive program. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that schools serving high concentrations of low-performing, non-White, and low socioeconomically situated students have…