This study investigates the implications of engaging plurilingual children in creative multilingual placemaking practices on their language awareness and sense of belonging. Children participated in carefully designed class activities, engaging in tasks focused on reflecting on their own identities, the community's, and the neighbourhood's,…

The UN Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urges the establishment of inclusive education and expansion of educational opportunities to maximize access to education among children with disabilities (CwDs). However, more than 90% of 150 million CwDs do not have access to education Rather, they are left without school…

This study aims to explore students' minority experiences while participating in religious education (RE). An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to answer the objective questions. Data were collected using the undergraduates' diaries and in-depth interviews with 9 senior high school students which were selected by purposive…

Children learn more effectively when parent-teacher engagement is high and homeschool communication and collaboration are optimal. The problem addressed in this study was a lack of parent-teacher engagement in two Title I primary schools within a charter school system located in a rural area of the Southeast. The purpose of this basic qualitative…

Over the last forty years, schools' use of exclusionary discipline tactics, such as suspension and expulsion, increased by nearly 50% (Office for Civil Rights 2014). Research suggests that the suspension and expulsion of students may negatively affect future educational attainment, interaction with the criminal justice system, and other indicators…

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has become the world's largest comparative assessment of academic achievement. While hundreds of studies have examined the factors predicting student achievement in PISA, a comprehensive overview of the main predictors has yet to be completed. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic…

As the largest youth development organization in the United States, 4-H may be uniquely positioned to meet the needs of rural LGBTQ youth. 4-H has undergone a significant shift towards increasing access, equity, and belonging for youth over the last ten years. However, there is a specific need for research that considers the unique experiences of…

Rural undergraduates lag behind urban and suburban undergraduates across many measures of college success, even though they graduate from high school at a higher rate. While a small but growing body of research literature addresses the challenges and barriers rural students face during the college process, few, if any, studies have focused…

Schools are frequently seen as the hubs of the community, providing resources and a gathering place for members of the community. The process of surveying the community in order to identify unique needs within the community, and then intentionally forging partnerships capable of ameliorating the specific needs, are strategies used by community…

"My Progress is Our Progress" is a qualitative study that examines how first-generation Latinx students navigate their experiences at three North Carolina community colleges. The Latinx population has significantly increased in North Carolina but that has not translated into an increase in Latinx student enrollment in higher education.…

Enrollment practitioners can learn important lessons from first-generation students who successfully navigated the path to college, lessons that enable them to tailor outreach efforts to this important population. A study by one of the authors (Holliday 2020) explored the identity of first-generation students as the deciders, or the primary…

Homophobic bullying constitutes a serious threat to adolescent well-being and could be understood as an ecological phenomenon, influenced by diverse school, regional, and community contexts. This study examined geographic variations in the relationship between school characteristics and homophobic bullying. Data from 2244 California schools,…

This exploratory qualitative study investigates the obstacles, local support, and learning outcomes for adolescent learners in Nepal taking massive open online courses (MOOCs). A convenience sampling method was employed, and a total of thirteen individual interviews were conducted with K-12 Nepali students. Utilizing thematic analysis, this study…

With an increase of English language learners in public schools across the United States, the importance of addressing the needs of students who require language access in their home language has resulted in an increase in the implementation of dual language programs. This increase continues to challenge educators to provide effective programs…

This dissertation, titled "Families, Culture, Community: Expanding Understanding of What Catalyzes Student Success in a Pre-College Upward Bound Program," investigates the critical factors influencing student success in the Upward Bound program through a funds of knowledge framework (Moll et al., 1992; Rios-Aguilar & Kiyama, 2012).…