In 2014, Miskitu participants in the communities of Raitipura and Kahkabila and several of their children had dropped out of school. Earlier quantitative research revealed a problem of low matriculation in elementary and high schools in all of Nicaragua. This inquiry differed from others in that it was a qualitative study focusing on one group of…

In this age of data based decision making and accountability, parent involvement and data collection are paramount. This study represents a significant contribution to educational research by extending the understanding of home-school communication media with specific regard to daily progress reports. The purpose of this study was to compare…

This heuristic study involving seven coresearchers, which included the author, explores the experiences of women from mother-present/father-absent homes and their ability to form and maintain close female friendships. The heuristic research model was chosen to provide the opportunity to conduct research in a very personalized, collaborative way…

This mixed methods, phenomenological study examined how cultural tension influences career development for Asian American community college students. Students initially completed Phinney's (1992) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) and an instrument developed for this study called the Cultural Identification Survey. The mean for ethnic…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of doctoral student mothers pursuing doctorates in higher education as well as the meanings ascribed to the doctorate. This study was guided by Rich's (1976) notion of motherhood as experience and as institution held in tension with postmodernism's interest in discourse and difference. As…

First-generation students are more likely than non-first-generation students to depart from a postsecondary institution before a degree is attained. Factors that could impact academic persistence among first-generation students include low self-efficacy, lack of financial resources and parental support, poor college planning, and minimal school…

Within the framework of social cognitive career theory, social cognitive career variables, demographic variables, and the contextual variable, parent support, were examined to determine their predictive value for eighth-grade students' career exploration behavior. Results suggest that the social cognitive career variable, intentions/goals,…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry qualitative study was to explore the formal (school-based) and informal (home-based) school involvement experiences of Hispanic immigrant parents with dominant Spanish language proficiency and to understand the personal, environmental, and social factors that influence the school involvement process of these…

This study examined the patterns of parental involvement and parenting styles of a particular sample of academically successful African American males who attended and graduated from historically Black colleges or universities. More specifically, investigated was the presence of any relationships between parental involvement, parenting styles,…

Social mobility is often viewed as a way to alleviate poverty and create equality; it represents the basis upon which the United States is viewed as a meritocratic nation of opportunity. Missing from this persistent narrative, however, is analysis of the actual experience of social mobility. This qualitative study explores the narratives of…

This quantitative research study examined the relationship between student achievement in reading and mathematics on the STAR (Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading and Mathematics) and parent involvement in specific character development activities. The research design was quantitative in nature and conducted in two similar elementary…

American Indians have the largest high school dropout rates of all ethnic groups in the United States. Though drop outs technically occur in high school, they actually begin with lowered academic achievement during elementary school years. Looking to mothers as the primary caretakers, this study sought to explore the correlations between American…

By what means do mothers' developmental histories potentially influence their sense of maternal self-efficacy? This qualitative dissertation examines the perspectives and experiences of sixteen Japanese mothers concerning relationships with her children, her husband and her parents. Analyses in this study are based on interview transcripts and…

This study explored media usage among adolescents and its relations to academic performance and aggressive behavior from a qualitative research perspective. This study represents the first of its kind by utilizing a phenomenological methodology to gain insights about lived experiences of adolescents' media use relative to their academic…

This work develops a constructivist grounded theory describing the influence of family and those that serve a role similar to family on the academic decision making of undergraduate first generation in college (FGC) students majoring in engineering. FGC students, in this study, are students with neither parent having attained a bachelor's…