Although higher education institutions may be described as forward-thinking in areas such as research, their teaching practices are often perceived as lacking in innovation. This disjunction has led educators, researchers, and policymakers to question the role and implementation of change in higher education contexts and the factors that affect…

Data-based decision-making has been a frequently used policy and practice intervention used in schools to help inform the decision-making processes of educational practitioners, with the aim of improving student outcomes. Interim benchmark assessments are designed by commercial test developers to support educators in this framework. In fact, the…

This qualitative case study explored the relationship between teachers' trust of their principals and their decisions to implement feedback. Four tenured teachers who teach in a public school district in Pennsylvania participated in the study. Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared their experiences receiving feedback and their…

This quantitative study investigates the predictive power of machine learning (ML) models on degree completion among adult learners in higher education, emphasizing the enhancement of data-driven decision-making (DDDM). By analyzing three ML models - Random Forest, Gradient-Boosting machine (GBM), and CART Decision Tree - within a not-for-profit,…

This study examines the complex dynamics of teacher retention within Catholic schools, seeking to understand the motivations, factors and alignment of reasons provided by teachers for their decision to stay or leave their positions. Utilizing Sher's Theoretical Framework (1983) as its guiding principle, the study examines the factors that motivate…

Decision-making within school environments is critical to the continued improvement of services for all populations. Despite this high level of importance, there is limited information related to how systemic decisions are made in charter schools. There is also limited information on how charter school leaders interact with teachers and the impact…

This research study explored the perceived impact of the campus visit on the college search process and whether specific elements of the campus visit were perceived to have greater or lesser influence on individuals' college choices. The research sought to specifically address the questions: 1. What impact do matriculated undergraduate college…

This study reviewed the college decision of non-first generation Latinx students from the Rio Grande Valley border region. While there is a vast amount of literature on first generation students, there is a gap in literature for non-first generation students overall, with a larger gap for those non-first generation students that may be Latinx from…

Mergers among public HEI's in the United States are occurring with regular frequency, but with little research to understand the impact that mergers have on value outcomes at the micro, meso, and macro level. Previous research suggests that there needs to be a more robust way of assessing merger outcomes both quantitatively and longitudinally…

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to explore and expand upon prior research relative to short- and long-term factors affecting high school principal tenure and motivational influences that inform principal tenure in traditional high schools. Theoretical Framework: The foundation for this qualitative study is based on the theoretical…

Demand for ethical leaders in agriculture is high to meet 21st century goals, while ethics course offerings in land-grant institutions are limited. The purpose of this case study was to establish a baseline of current University of Arkansas Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Science (Bumpers College) agriculture and natural resource…

School superintendents make many decisions throughout their careers in an attempt to educate students. Many people, both inside and outside of education try to influence the decisions made by superintendents. Many of these influences are political in nature. This study looks at the history and levels of political influence in education, identifies…

Teacher attrition, or teachers voluntarily leaving the field, has been a persistent problem in United States public schools and serves as one of the primary drivers of the urgent teacher shortage crisis. Mitigating teacher attrition requires a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of why teachers leave the field. This dissertation employs three…

This qualitative exploratory study investigated the selection and change of majors for nine HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students. The study included individual structured interviews that provided data that answered the following research questions: 1) what factors influenced the initial selection of major, and 2) what…

Scripted/narrowed curricula are tangled in the webs of school reforms and standardization. Teachers are experiencing a monumental challenge: the deprofessionalization of their roles as educators. I sought teachers' understandings of how scripted/narrowed curricula impact their curriculum autonomy, specifically, their professional responsibility…