The enrollment of students in the United States public school system is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. According to research, students of color benefit from having teachers and leaders who look like them as role models and the classroom dynamics that diversity creates. However, the ethnic and racial diversity of teachers and…

This study examines how cultural values may impact East Asian parents seeking educational services for their child. Using the lens of acculturation theory to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, findings reveal a complicated relationship between racial identity and the special education space. The quantitative data substantiates a…

According to the "2016-2017 Rural Schools Spotlight Report," Texas is home to more than 1,240 school districts with almost 665 serving less than 1,000 students. One focus for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been serving the needs of small and rural sites as they comprise more than 50% of the state's districts. In South Texas, a…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) parents of students receiving special education transition services describe involvement experiences, cultural values that influence involvement, and school interventions for parent involvement in the state of Texas. Hirano and Rowe's…

The implementation of Title IX has increased women's participation rates in intercollegiate athletics tenfold, yet women's representation in athletic leadership remains marginal compared to men. As such, the purpose of this study was to understand the social construction of gender as it relates to intercollegiate athletic leadership at Eastern…

This dissertation explores how country-level cultural values are associated with gender differences in the enrollment in and completion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), national achievement in mathematics and science, and students' science achievement. Study 1 explored how gender-equal…

In 2008 the school dropout rate in Central Appalachia was at 27% and the drug problem was epidemic. An investigation centered on a sample of Central Appalachian residents who had been discharged from the local outpatient clinic for opiate dependency revealed insights into their educational experiences and an understanding of drug dependency and…

The education attainment level of residents in rural Appalachia has consistently ranked below the remaining populous of the United States. Although distance education initiatives have attempted to bridge the disparities between rural Appalachia and the rest of the nation, online community college students in this region are likely to drop out or…

The development of branch campuses in higher education is not a new phenomenon. Over the past decades, however, branch campuses have expanded throughout the world as Western universities have begun to deliver their programs and course offerings in countries that expect the West to provide educational (and, by implication, economic) success. Middle…

Biometric technology is rapidly gaining popularity as an access control mechanism in the workplace. In some instances, systems relying on biometric technology have not been well received by employees. One reason for resistance may be perceived privacy issues associated with biometrics. This research draws on previous organizational information…

In this study the author examines the cultural dimension of communalism, one of the nine dimensions of Afrocultural expression; specifically, academic communalism will be investigated, which can be seen as an interdependent culture of attitudes, beliefs, and values within a learning environment. With the use of the Academic Communalism Scale, the…

In this dissertation I investigated how teachers interpreted intercultural differences and tensions embodied in fictional short stories and films. Participants in the study were 14 English teachers from China, South Korea, and the United States. My key research questions were: How are cultural differences understood and articulated by teachers…