Prior research highlights the benefits of multimode surveys and best practices for item-by-item (IBI) and matrix-type survey items. Some researchers have explored whether mode differences for online and paper surveys persist for these survey item types. However, no studies discuss measurement invariance when both item types and online modes are…

The discourse on cost of attendance (COA) at American colleges and universities is ambiguous and complex. The literature around COA labels it as the 'sticker price' to attend college but categorization in this manner often negates the true application and meaning of this term. COA also accounts for living allowances (or indirect costs) to help…

This dissertation explores teacher and paraeducator training with a specific focus on generalization of training outcomes and social validity. Chapter 1 presents brief background information to introduce the research questions posed in Chapters 2, 3, and 4. Chapter 2 presents a systematic literature review of educator training studies that…

Workplace violence (WPV) is a national and global concern. In the United States, individuals who work in the healthcare industries are at a greater risk of experiencing WPV, and the number of injuries associated with WPV is rising. Data indicates that not all incidents of WPV are properly reported. Research suggests that the impact of WPV includes…

This study investigates the relationship between new teachers' retention in the first five years of teaching and mentorship support given to teachers. The teacher shortage in the United States is a documented problem and continues to grow. The inability of the education system to attract and retain quality teachers is a significant problem in the…

Leadership for learning has emerged as a framework that subsumes the core characteristics of instructional, transformational, and distributed leadership. Establishing an empirical measurement model of leadership for learning that simultaneously incorporates the perspectives of individual teachers, collective faculty, and principals has been a…

The "A Nation at Risk" report was released in 1983 and enumerated systemic flaws in the U.S. education system, highlighting science education as an area of concern (Denning, 1983). Over a generation later, a new opportunity has emerged to improve science education for all students, and especially the youngest learners. The Next…

All of our choices and all that sets us apart are governed by what we can do, what we want to do, and what we know. This dissertation aims to quantify two of these channels to better understand why we differ. The first two chapters focus on what we know and how it shapes societal gaps. The first chapter attacks the question of how much of the gap…

College students face an increased risk of sexual violence victimization and perpetration compared to the general population. Although sexual violence experiences within this population have received substantial attention by researchers, studies typically focus on male perpetrators and female victims. Although a number of measures have been…

The purpose of the current study is to shed a light on institutional internationalization efforts and undergraduate students' global learning outcomes in four-year higher education institutions in the United States exploring the topic at the student, institutional, and academic-major levels. Specifically, three research questions lead the study:…

In this quantitative study, discipleship strategies of churches in the Christian and Missionary Alliance were surveyed, to determine if discipleship strategies were effective at fulfilling the mission of helping people connect with God and grow spiritually. Data were collected from 30 church attenders from Western Pennsylvania churches, 27 of…

This research study seeks to explain how perceptions about higher education impact persistence in first-generation students within the University of Maine System. The design uses semi-structured interviews as well as data from the University of Maine System's 2020 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to analyze how engagement and…

This study aimed to observe measurement invariance between community college students and university students in response to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey instrument. Most studies of the CoI survey instruments have recorded and validated the instruments considering undergraduate or graduate students. This study sought to validate and prove…

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as…

Science reforms in the United States' education systems have been ongoing for over the last 50 years. These reforms are continually revised in response to the demand to increase employment in STEM careers. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) released in 2013 are the most recent standards-based science reform effort created using years of…