This retrospective narrative investigation challenges aspects of structural determinism. The biographical data generated in the study revealed that the baby-boomer, male participants were not academically constrained by their working class identities. Interpersonal relationships experienced within an individual's unique communities of practice…

This qualitative phenomenological studied investigated the lived experiences of first generation Latino and Latina community college students who share common behaviors in their pursuit of educational attainment. Based on Tinto's (1994, 2002) persistence theory a narrative investigation collected data through interviews from 10 first generation…

Native American Indian (NAI) students continue to graduate from college at much lower rates than their peers. However, it was not known how NAI students perceived the lived experiences that positively influenced their ability to continue in their pursuit of a bachelor's degree. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify the lived…

Background/Context: Literatures on college-going cultures offer patterns and lists of practices that promote schoolwide attention to college-going for nondominant youth, often with organization-level analyses of policies and procedures. Other literature identifies promising practices and challenges to conventional instruction, often examining…

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…

Background: The field of higher education abounds with qualitative research aimed at highlighting the needs, struggles, strengths, and motivations of academically struggling students. However, because of the small-scale nature of these studies, they rarely enter the public debate or impact institutional policy concerning access, remediation,…

Traditionally, the status of workers in early childhood services in England has been low. Foundation degrees and the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS, from September 2013 Early Years Teacher Status) were established with a view to improving the skills and standing of early years practitioners. There appears however to be an ongoing…

This qualitative study explored pre-service teachers' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as the theoretical framework (Ajzen, 1991) to understand these beliefs and pre-service teachers' intentions for why they…

Even in marginalized towns it is possible to find school communities that have developed relationships that encourage the construction of institutional cultures and management structures prone to superior academic performance compared to others within the same context. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative research project conducted in…

From 1966 to 1972, Flintridge Elementary school located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada implemented a short lived gender reform plan to help raise boys' achievement. Shaped by a variety of complex historical factors and fuelled by a desire for innovation, educators from Flintridge Elementary sought to address the educational needs of primary school…

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to examine the relationship between running away from home between the ages of 12 and 14 and dropping from high school among youth. Propensity score matching was conducted in estimating the effect of running away on high school dropout while controlling for confounding…

This article is based on research in an ongoing ethnographic investigation of schooling in a multiethnic, multiracial school on the outskirts of a major Swedish conurbation in an area of multidimensional poverty. First, it analyses the use of an individuating, visible pedagogy, which contains a large number of routines that are designed and…

The context of education is changing based upon social, political, and accountability factors. As a result, many large urban districts have turned to small school reform in efforts to address student learning outcomes. Research demonstrates that effective leadership influences school achievement and culture. This qualitative study examines the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the complexities of successful attainment and achievement of 10 Mexican American males in a rural Southwest community college. This study strives to offer insights concerning the questions: (1) What behavioral patterns of current family, peers, and conditions in school have influenced the educational…

In this article, Uma Jayakumar, Rican Vue, and Walter Allen present their study of Young Black Scholars (YBS), a community-initiated college preparatory program in Los Angeles. Through in-depth interviews and surveys with twenty-five middle- and higher-income Black college students, they document the positive role of community in facilitating…