The enrollment numbers of international students studying in U.S. colleges and universities are continuing to rise. It is predicted that there will be about 8 million international students by 2025 as compared to 2 million in 2004 (an increase of 300%). To ensure that international students have an effective online learning experience, faculty…

In educational research, scales are often presented as the ontological reality of a study. This study problematises this starting point and suggests approaching scales as experienced and epistemically used. Thus, this study asks how international students studying at Finnish universities during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic negotiated…

This dissertation explores the impact of racism, the campus racial climate, and the racial climate of graduate programs on the lived socialization experiences of Black students in doctoral programs. This dissertation utilizes a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of Black doctoral students, discusses the historical…

Despite their aim to foster belongingness, a small percentage of incoming college students (1%-2%) report feeling excluded (not belonging) during their outdoor orientation program. Feelings of exclusion are often highly consequential to a person transitioning to college. This study explores the experiences of students reporting low levels of…

In this qualitative study, undergraduate and graduate students (n = 21) who identified as foster care alumni (FCA) were interviewed about the factors that influenced their academic persistence and retention as they pursued a degree at a 4-year public university in California. Several themes emerged from the study: (a) systemic barriers, (b) a…

This phenomenological study explored current perceptions of the personal safety of gender and sexual minority (GSM) college students in college campus settings through the application of queer theory. By collecting the personal experiences, perspectives, and feelings of GSM college students, the study identified coherent themes and suggested…

This study aimed to understand the ways in which college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience and develop their understanding of emotions and emotional wellness. Semi-structured interviews with college students with IDD were conducted. The research team utilized consensual qualitative research (CQR) to analyze…

The purpose of this research study was to uncover any patterns of experiences provided in teacher preparation programs that pre-service elementary teachers perceive as helpful in boosting confidence before student teaching. There is a lack of experiences known to improve teaching self-efficacy, or the belief in oneself to perform a learned skill…

This qualitative research study describes the experiences of eight graduates of an online career or technical education (CTE) program. Through transcendental phenomenology, this study explores the student perspective in an in-depth and personalized fashion to create a composite description of the experience. Existing literature in this field was…

Students' mathematics and science motivational beliefs are crucial determinants of their school academic achievement in math and science. The current study aimed to identify the group memberships of students' motivational beliefs in math and science, which are closely related. Furthermore, this study probed the predictive effects of individual…

Graduate school is a stressful endeavor for students, causing the incidence of mental health distress to be higher in this group than in the general population. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the mental health supports for graduate students in teacher preparation programs. Cycle 1 data were collected in…

The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Asian theological students as they transitioned from face-to-face to online learning while enrolled in an onsite theological degree program amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all other institutions, theological schools had to move their faculty and…

Although numerous studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of augmented reality (AR) in education, the influence of education students' learning experiences on their AR technology acceptance in the classroom has yet to be examined thoroughly. In this empirical study, we explored the affective experiences (i.e., positive emotions, negative…

As an emerging study destination for international students, Malaysia contributes to the changes in student mobilities from the traditional South-North to the South-South direction. However, research on doctoral students' expectancy and values for their international education in Malaysia, as well as the factors that have changed the international…

Research indicates that the adverse effects on post-secondary students from the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented on a global scale. Specifically, there is limited research that focuses on international students' mental wellness, resilience, and well-being experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study qualitatively explores the resilience…