In 2021, Child Trends was selected to conduct a literature review and develop a policy and practice report to map the history of systemic racism in the U.S. and how it has influenced early childhood education (ECE) policy and practice, with a particular focus on educator pay and benefits, preparation, and workforce stability. This report…

Micro-credentials have received renewed attention by universities as a potential pathway to highdemand careers. The goals of this study were to understand the prevalence of micro-credentials offered by universities, the characteristics of universities offering micro-credentials generally and information systems (IS) micro-credentials specifically,…

Recruitment is one of the main strategic tools for universities, which aim to hire the best possible candidates for their academic positions. However, not every institution can hire whom they perceive as the best. Our paper investigates what are perceived to be the most pressing hindrances to attracting the best researchers. We focus on national…

This dissertation studies the labor market outcomes of college graduates. The choice of college major is one of the most direct ways for college graduates to acquire skills and earnings differences between college majors rival those between high school and college graduates. In each chapter, I combine rigorous descriptive analysis methods with…

This paper presents a study that analyzed the relationship between Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) and mid-career median pay and was conducted at a state university. The analysis was based on 49 courses prefixes from 5 different colleges/schools within the university. The SET data was collected from a wide range of courses, and the analysis…

This dissertation studies the effect of higher education costs on students' outcomes in the labor market, particularly when credit constraints are absent. It utilizes the UK's institutional setting to identify such an effect. The key findings are as follows. (i) Increasing tuition fees does not have adverse effects on students as long as credit…

Administrative assistants within the higher education system are a vital part of universities, including supporting students, faculty, and administrators. Although administrative assistants are essential to a college or university, they often lack recognition and salary support for their contributions. This applied qualitative study seeks to…

The growth in digitalisation has led to an increasing demand for digital skills in various job sectors. In particular, employers in scientific job areas have shown interest in candidates possessing digital competencies. This study aims to analyse the digital skill requirements for candidates in scientific job opportunities. The content analysis is…

Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also investigated the impact of job satisfaction on their professional commitment. To achieve the objectives of the study, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to verify the level of job satisfaction and its impact on professional commitment. To obtain relevant and sufficient data,…

The study is devoted to the evaluation of the determinants of job-education mismatches and their impact on salaries of university graduates. We use a comprehensive and nationally representative survey of Russian university graduates. The study employs a self-evaluated measure of mismatch and a statistical variant for robustness and interpretation…

International research suggests that increasing numbers of autistic people are entering higher education. Currently, very little is known about this population. For example, the rates of autistic people enrolling at UK-based higher education institutions, the demographics of this population, the subjects they study and particularly their graduate…

My social position emerges from years of activism and a rural, working-class history. For decades, I have worked in adult/lifelong learning and development--inside communities and post-secondary institutions--always with the goal of achieving a more just and equitable world. While I aspire to these ideals, I have also had to learn that acts of…

We survey undergraduate students at a large public university to understand the pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors driving their college major and career decisions with a focus on K-12 teaching. While the average student reports there is a 6% chance they will pursue teaching, almost 27% report a nonzero chance of working as a teacher in the…

The three articles that comprise this dissertation examine different ways that current teachers can express leadership outside of their classrooms, through labor activity and within-school instructional leadership. I use descriptive and quasi-experimental quantitative analysis to examine which teachers take on these roles, their effectiveness, the…

Previous research has shown that female doctoral graduates earn less than male doctoral graduates; however, there has been little research on the determinants of this gender pay gap. This paper investigates the determinants of the gender pay gap among doctoral graduates in Germany. By relying on human capital theory, traditional gender roles and…