The qualitative phenomenological investigation utilized a snowball sampling method to research the experiences of undergraduate African American e-learners with networked support while studying medical science online. Recently, concern about the gender imbalance of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) emerged at the forefront…

There have been several studies regarding the factors as to why students drop out of high school in both urban and rural areas. However, there have been few studies, which have examined why female students in rural areas have left high school before graduating. From 2010-2014, there had been a 29% increase in the dropout rate among female…

For over the past 30 years, engagement has sparked a movement of faculty, students, and administrators to build learning cultures that deal more deeply with students taking accountability and involvement in their own learning. The problem is a lack of understanding of the teachers' experiences that influence their classroom engagement, no matter…

This qualitative, phenomenological study addressed the research question: What is the nature of the learning experiences of leadership coaches that lead to coaching competency? With the increasing recognition of leadership coaching as a meaningful leadership development experience (Allen & Hartman, 2008; Maltbia, Marsick, & Ghosh, 2014;…

Organization Development (OD) has been used in a variety of ways to improve organizations both large and small. Interestingly, the institutions that teach and conduct research on organizations have been slow to adopt or utilize OD approaches and practices in their own institutions. This dissertation will use a thematic meta-synthesis approach to…

The purpose of this qualitative case study (Merriam, 1988; Stake, 1994) was to understand how teacher perceptions of their knowledge, practice and students' knowledge change in a professional development learning opportunity that is based on their background knowledge in literacy instruction and what is determined to be their zone of proximal…

Inadequate, deteriorating, old school buildings and facilities are a major concern in many school districts across the country. Studies have determined that students perform better and learn more in newer, cleaner facilities. For school districts to be able to afford new constructions or renovations, school bonds are often necessary. There are…

The speed and availability of Internet-capable devices, such as computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, TVs, and tablets have made it possible for our society to be connected, and stay connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a new environment where common objects are uniquely identifiable and accessible…

This study examined how three different pre-reading (or relevance) instructions led to different learning outcomes for middle school students reading science texts on the topic of sweetness. The first was a generic instruction to read for understanding. The second prompted students to form a holistic explanation of the topic of sweetness, and the…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is an exploratory study to examine what contributes to the failure of the persistence of non-residential single-parents pursuing a college degree. The participants of this study included ten non-residential single-parent students between the ages of 21 and 50. The site of the interviews was in the…

Since the turn of the 21st century, the implementation of instructional technologies in the secondary classroom has increased exponentially. As a result, teacher support in its implementation has become paramount. Using a qualitative case study design, this research explored teachers' and administrators' perceptions of teacher support teams that…

The three article dissertation was a presentation of students' with learning disabilities perspectives on reading comprehension instruction. Article 1 set out to provide an historical perspective of reading and reading comprehension instruction. Topics covered in this research review included: reading comprehension, reading and learning…

This qualitative study explored employer practices that enhanced success for employees with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Four employers in the southwestern United States who partnered with Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center participated in the study. Data was collected through individual, in-depth interviews with the participants…

This study used a qualitative interpretive approach to examine perceptions of adult students in their final semester prior to graduation by analyzing what they believe contributed to their persistence to degree completion. Participants were all pursuing undergraduate degrees, were 25 years-of-age or older, and were enrolled in one of three schools…

This single site case study looked specifically at the foundation and the structure of an independent school in California with respect to how it managed its enrollment and retention rates. For context, the institution being studied utilized a high-tuition strategy combined with a strong financial aid program. In 2012, the school peaked in its…