This phenomenological case study investigates the lived experiences of minority students attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Southern United States, addressing the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and recent legislative changes, particularly divisive concepts laws, on their sense of belonging and…

This research study considers third-level student experiences of electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) implementation during their education that occurred during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the purpose of this study was to identify the main challenges students face and document their experiences at an Irish higher…

This study integrates visual art with a public speaking assignment to explore participants' experiences and perceptions of engagement in the Teacher-Researcher's course at Lynn University. Using an action research design and with informed consent, seven students volunteered as participants. This study investigates these seven participants'…

Online learning is becoming more prevalent (Aylmer, 2020) and institutions are seeing an increase in disabled students (HEFCE, 2017; Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research [ANVUR], & National Conference of University Delegates for Disability [CNUDD], 2021; Rao, Edelen-Smith, & Wailehua, 2015).…

This research examined the effect of English language proficiency on the academic success, and cultural and social adjustments of Chinese international students pursuing higher education degrees at an HBCU in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The researcher used a qualitative research design for this study to acquire information…

This qualitative phenomenological case study examines the experiences of some Black college students in historically White institutions (HWIs) in Louisville, Kentucky during nationally publicized incidents of police violence that occurred in 2020. The study intends to identify the academic, emotional, and social experiences that impacted…

Queer students have been notably absent in qualitative studies involving historically White fraternities (HWFs). To address this gap and work toward a more inclusive representation of diverse identities within HWFs, it is essential to understand the challenges and opportunities that impact the experiences of current Queer members within these…

This autoethnographic dissertation research explores Critical White Studies (CWS) and racial trauma and their impact on Students of Color in a higher education setting. This study aims to challenge the deficit thinking of white educators who perpetuate racism in higher education. The relationship is examined to dismantle the white ideology of…

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…

The COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented global crisis, had posed unique challenges to the mental health of Generation Z (Gen Z) pharmacy students born between 1997-2012. This dissertation examined the profound impact of the pandemic on the mental health of this specific demographic. It shed light on the multifaceted factors at play due to the…

Agricultural educators can have a profound impact on student's lives and are often aware of their students' life experiences outside of the classroom. Students often treat their agricultural educator as a mentor, which increases their likeliness of confiding in them when facing hardships, such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). An ACE is…

Objectives: We investigated the holistic experiences of university students during the pandemic. Participants: Thirty-eight students in a public university system in New York City (NYC) purposively selected from neighborhoods highly affected by the pandemic based on level of self-reported impact. Methods: We conducted virtual in-depth interviews…

Prior research has demonstrated that women and racial minority undergraduate students experience stereotype threat in unwelcoming STEM classrooms in predominantly White institutions. Drawing from focus group and journal entry data with Latinx and African American undergraduate students (N = 52) majoring in a STEM field at an institution that holds…

Mentorship has been widely recognized as an effective means to promote student learning and engagement in undergraduate research experiences. However, little work exists for understanding different mentors' perceived approaches to mentorship, including mentorship of students from backgrounds and educational trajectories not well represented in…

Background: Developing teamwork skills is a central objective of engineering education. Psychological safety and conflict management are pivotal components of teamwork, yet despite their significance, research in engineering project-based learning (PBL) contexts is scant. Understanding students' experiences with psychological safety and its…