Access to post-secondary education for first-generation college students (FGCS) has become even more important after COVID-19 brought to the forefront the most affected in the workforce: those who had a high school degree or less. College access programs play a vital role to move the needle in closing the educational achievement gap. These…

Dual enrollment is an early college opportunity for high school students who are in an eligible high school class with a qualified high school instructor. Research has shown that participation in an early college program like dual enrollment increases college persistence and retention rates post high school. However, students from underrepresented…

A large number of students across the globe each year enroll in general chemistry courses as an academic requirement to obtain their degree. Although many take chemistry courses, it is not a subject sought out by many as a potential career. In some instances, chemistry hinders students from achieving their career goals. A plethora of chemical…

This study used the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) Study to examine home learning and parent attitudes to education during COVID-19 in relation to demographic and household financial circumstances and parent educational aspirations. The findings showed that White, female, and degree-educated parents were more likely than their…

This study examined factors influencing veterans' postsecondary institutional choices. Individual interviews were conducted with 30 veterans separating from military service and twelve military education officials and counselors. Results indicated most veterans transitioning from the military who aspire to enroll in postsecondary education intend…

This study presents findings from testing an innovative student-centred drama-based teaching methodology for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines for secondary school students. The method, based on performances, was tested in two case studies, Spain and the UK, on a sample of 2089 students. These performances have…

This study centers the experiences of 9 Latinas enrolled in a continuation high school. This study attempts to understand how this continuation school engages with Latinas and attempts to improve their conditions and opportunities in this marginalized sector that is overrepresented with racially minoritized youth. Despite all the challenges they…

Teachers and administrators should work together to develop research-based, sensible strategies that model around Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and social-emotional learning (SEL), common methods for disruptive innovation, to satisfy college and/or career goals. Throughout the literature review, two components were…

Students' out-of-school science participation has been identified as a factor that supports adaptive science outcomes. Researchers have largely investigated students' out-of-school science participation in terms of structured science activities (e.g., attending a science camp), with far less consideration of how students' involvement in…

To evaluate how Advanced Placement (AP) courses affect college-going, we randomly assigned the offer of enrollment into an AP science course to over 1,800 students in twenty-three schools that had not previously offered the course. We find no AP course effects on students' college entrance exam scores (SAT/ACT). As expected, AP course-takers are…

My dissertation explores the higher education transition decisions made by senior high school students from diverse social backgrounds in Chile. I examine how family, school, and the broader institutional and political context interact with and influence these decisions during times of major social changes and educational reform. Through a…

First-generation college students (i.e., those whose parents do not hold a bachelor's degree or higher), enter college without the same resources, skills, and knowledge as their non-first-generation counterparts which may lead to disadvantage regarding their chosen field of study in college (Prospero and Vohra-Gupta 2007; Roksa and Levey 2010;…

This article focuses on the need identified by African Canadian students for a "racial oasis" -- a physical space designed to increase their exposure to positive racial identities -- which can support them in developing a community of support among peers who understand the effects of anti-Black racism, and to identify strategies for…

In recent decades, it has become the case that leaving school early may no longer be the conclusion of one's educational experiences, with more alternative educational spaces for disenfranchised learners becoming accessible. This qualitative study examines the experiences of 14 young adults in Ireland who, having left their mainstream school prior…

Adult learners from the Caribbean diaspora continue to enroll in American colleges as they seek to improve their academic ambitions. As they do, they utilize varying instructional strategies to assist in achieving their educational goals, one of which is cooperative learning. While cooperative learning is widely used across different age groups…