Social group disparities persist in who chooses to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in higher education. Goal congruity theory has highlighted how perceptions of other-oriented opportunities in STEM can spur interest among underrepresented students. The present work extends this framework by considering how…

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the emotional intelligence (EI) of K-12 school principals with student outcomes that included: student achievement, student growth, and student attendance. The participants in this student included principals form various schools in the state of Tennessee. The data from this mixed method…

This qualitative descriptive design study aimed to understand how males of color in a mentoring program described how natural mentoring relationships support their social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development during the transition from high school to college in a southern state. The researcher used Hagler's (2018) Process Model of Natural…

The value of higher education, and particularly the four-year undergraduate venture influenced from the liberal arts tradition, is largely framed around the impact it has on a broad range of skills and dispositions that serve to enhance human flourishing. Employers and society more broadly can benefit from individuals who are committed to careful…

Black women have a unique process in forming their identities, because of the subordinated status of both their racial and gender identity. Black women in America have urged American society at large to understand the complexity and multidimensionality of the Black woman identity, due to issues of inequality being addressed through a single axis…

Along with the inclusion of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) into the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) World Readiness standards, there has been recent interest in the field of Chinese foreign language teaching towards integrating ICC into the course curriculum. However, many Chinese teachers still display…

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to view the influence that implementing growth mindset could have on a private preparatory school and the students' academic achievements. Qualitative methodology was used to investigate the influence of growth mindset could have on student learning in a private preparatory school. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine advancement toward three tasks of psychosocial development for a national group of academic peer advisors. Previous research and program evaluations have shown the positive impact serving as a peer advisor has on undergraduate students, in addition to the institutional and advisee benefits generated. In…

The outcomes associated with higher education can have a pivotal impact on students individually and also on communities economically (Wilton, 2012). Scholars like Labaree (1997) and Aram and Roksa (2011, 2014) touched upon the competing interests from the stakeholders involved with higher education. Colleges and universities are expected to…

The prevailing view of student retention has been shaped by theories that view student attrition through the lens of institutional action or inaction and less on the student's situation or college experiences. Students seek to persist and graduate, however obstacles get in their way. More than half of all student attrition takes place in the first…

This dissertation examined narratives of seven current and former students of a Southwestern university in the United States who participated in short-term study abroad language and culture immersion programs (3 to 4 weeks) in three different locations outside of the United States. The research explored how the short-term study abroad participants…

This study applies Baxter Magolda's theory of self-authorship (2001) from the literature of student development theory to examine the experiences of undergraduate adult learners. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate adult learners enrolled in an adult degree program and whether their experiences were influenced…

Despite many reform initiatives, including the federally funded initiative titled the Smaller Learning Communities' (SLC) Model, many students are still underexposed to comprehensive guidance programs. The purpose of this mixed method project study was to examine which components in a comprehensive guidance program for the learning academies at a…

The purpose of this study is to answer the call of the National Endowment for the Arts (2011), and various other arts-related organizations, for extensive research on the ability of the fine and performing arts to improve the quality of life for those who participate in them. Guided by C. Robert Pace's theory of quality of student effort, this…

This study explores the relationship between student athlete development and coach leadership behaviors in NCAA Division III football players. Three key elements support this study. The first, Thelma Horn's model of coaching effectiveness, provided the framework for the impact of coaching behaviors on student athlete development. The second,…