The growing number of U.S. engineering jobs signifies a need for more students to pursue engineering degrees. To increase access to engineering education, in 2015, Texas A&M University established Engineering Academies (EA) in cooperation with selected community colleges. The problem addressed in this study was a lack of knowledge about why…

Purpose: This research aims to understand university faculty, staff, and administrators' role in advancing institutional change in justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (JEDIB) at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).Background. JEDIB initiatives have recently expanded across many U.S. higher education institutions, while HSIs are…

As central social and political institutions, U.S. universities have an important public service calling that extends beyond their teaching and research mandate. Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of U.S. universities have reoriented their institutional priorities towards becoming more sustainable across the board, which includes…

In March 2020, 90% of schools shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many schools responded by quickly moving classes online into a period of what has been called emergency remote learning (ERL). The problem addressed in this research study is the lack of engagement among middle-school students due to the home environment during emergency remote…

Problem of Practice: School principals have a powerful effect on student achievement, school culture, and teacher turnover. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals (2020), the average career of a school principal is four years, and one in five school principals leave their schools annually. These numbers are even…

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This…

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact that school learning environment has on student achievement from the perspective of the school employees. The research was carried out using a mixed methods approach, evaluating historical data to determine relationships between school learning environment and student achievement in two rural…

This study explores the relationship between race and teacher identity, specifically understanding how the two concepts intersect and (re)present themselves within the classroom environment. This study analyzes six teachers' narratives of identity, race, and teaching to explore themes of race and identity as they traverse from their earliest…

Pellow's (2018) four pillars of Critical Environmental Justice (CEJ) provided a framework to address environmental justice challenges in this study of the San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition's (SDUSC) Climate Ambassador Program. I used participatory action research to collect data from six participants in a key-informant interview,…

American society is on the precipice of an imminent shift in racial and ethnic representation of non-white citizens as the dominant culture. As microcosms of America's population, the burgeoning of this change is evident in diverse student demographics within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In spite of this approaching change, PWIs'…

Sadly, teacher job satisfaction has been recently depicted as a "portrait of broad teacher discontent" (Phi Delta Kappa, 2019, p. k3), negatively impacting teachers' well-being and retention. This study employed a mixed-methodological approach, composed of: (1) an exploratory factor analysis of participant responses to the Teacher Job…

The purpose of this research is to explore how Jewish students experience achieving a sense of belonging on campus. This research is important for understanding the experiences and factors that affect this group of students and might lead to suggestions for how Jews may achieve a healthy sense of belonging and avoid alienation, which might affect…

Whereas many college freshmen succeed during their first year, some struggle with transitioning. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive generic study was to examine the difficulties some high school graduates experience adapting to the college social environment. First-year college students often have feelings of homesickness, isolation,…

The purpose of this basic qualitative, interpretative study was to explore the relationships among blended learning classrooms, communities of inquiry, and student engagement in secondary grades in Tennessee. I conducted this study using the Communities of Inquiry framework to find a deeper understanding and gain insight into Tennessee public…

There is little to no research regarding novice elementary special education teachers (SETs) and their emotional well-being while in the school environment. The goal of this work is to illuminate special education teacher's voices missing in previous research. Additionally, this research examines the impact of work-related stressors on novice…