This qualitative research study explored how undergraduate students at a public four-year land grant university can co-create a sense of belonging through an appreciative inquiry (AI) process. The study employed a strengths-based and generative approach to investigate the experiences of students within the same student organization, focusing on…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nontraditional students' experiences and strategies used to overcome math anxiety. It addressed two research questions; how adult students developed their beliefs about math anxiety, and how they described the strategies used to change their beliefs and become successful in completing an…

This dissertation examines the integral role of identity in first-year composition, a crucial site of writing instruction predominantly taught by contingent, often inexperienced faculty. It explores how identity is manifested in composition textbooks, which are pivotal in transmitting knowledge about writing and pedagogy across various programs…

Assessment drives learning and determines success in higher education. In a robust and defensible system, assessment should not exclude based on extraneous student characteristics, particularly as the student body becomes more diverse. This research sought to examine classroom assessment designs that might make assessment inclusive. A critical…

This qualitative research study addressed a notable gap in existing literature by examining the perceptions and relationship between experiential learning and college and career readiness within the homeschooling context. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 13 homeschooled students from northwestern Florida. To gather data, indepth,…

This qualitative action research study aimed to examine and improve the experiences of social connectedness and sense of belonging among Black students at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Initial data collected from Cycle 1 showed that Black students faced multiple challenges on campus, primarily stemming from a perceived negative campus…

The purpose of my study was to document the leadership development of students enrolled in a college leadership development program. Specifically, I was interested in documenting their preconceptions of leadership, leader identity development, motivation to lead, perceptions of effective leadership, and program takeaways that positively impacted…

Asian international students have long constituted the largest portion of the international student body in the United States (U.S.), a trend that persists despite the hurdles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These students play an essential role in stimulating the U.S. economy, facilitating cross-cultural exchange, and nurturing international…

Purpose: This study explored undergraduate college students' opinions of the CDC's online "Solve the Outbreak" (StO) game, a recommended aid in higher education for teaching concepts epidemiological outbreak investigations. Methods: The study was conducted as a game debriefing, in which 16 students enrolled in an undergraduate-level…

This study examined the "Future Career Autobiography" (FCA) with six Australian undergraduate students. The study aimed to explore: (1) the FCA as a qualitative career assessment instrument that facilitates career storytelling and reflexivity on future career plans and (2) the implications of narrative career assessment procedures that…

This study examined the ways in which an equity analytics tool -- the SEET system -- supported middle school science teachers' reflections on the experiences of diverse students in their classrooms. The tool provides teachers with "equity visualizations" -- disaggregated classroom data by gender and race/ethnicity -- designed to support…

Educational researchers have widely used the term "racial microaggressions" as a theoretical framework for examining everyday and subtle forms of discrimination predicated against people of color. However, there are historical and contemporary differences in how Black people experience schools and other social institutions that a racial…

Ideological diversity, or the "honest consideration of multiple views, often competing for claims that privileges a vigorous or spirited debate of ideologically different ideas which are to be judged on their logical soundness and intellectual merit" (Von Bergen & Bressler, 2017, p. 26), is a growing research interest in the higher…

The interest in yoga, mindfulness or similar yoga-based practices (YBP) has grown exponentially in the western world, also within education, including physical education (PE). Although some studies have been conducted on YBP in PE, yoga has not yet been researched in the framework of physical education teacher education (PETE). Using a regional…

Homesickness, a distinctly human phenomenon, is common among college students, domestic or international and is the focus of this research. In this study, we focused on international students in American institutions to better understand the relationship among homesickness, acculturation, and social media use. Through focus group interviews,…