This study builds on an emerging literature within the effects of schooling tradition by extending the seasonal perspective to a class-based investigation of parenting logics and home influence. Using data from qualitative interviews conducted over the course of a twelve-month period that includes both the school year and the summer months, this dissertation examines possible linkages between home influence and summer learning, and tests the longstanding assumption that home influence acts in a constant and continuous way throughout the year. In particular, I investigate the expectations and beliefs that parents hold for their children during the long summer break from schooling and examine how summertime expectations and family practices differ from those during the school year. I find evidence that home influence changes across seasons, and that the availability of economic resources plays an important role in shaping seasonal change. Specifically, my data suggest that mothers’ attitudes and expectations vary by season, as do household rules around bedtime and screen time. I identify mechanisms that facilitate summer learning loss, including a “carry-over” effect, and I present evidence that the neighborhood context seems to take on outsize importance during the summer months. I also find that two sub-groups – children with disabilities and dual-custody families – seem to experience greater seasonal variation than the general population. My findings suggest the need to modify the assumption that home influence acts in a constant way and to develop a more precise understanding of home influence, one that takes into account the likelihood of seasonal variation, particularly by class and by subgroup.

This study, a multisite qualitative case study, examines the responses of three institutions of higher education to normative disruption of the gender binary. Normative disruption, or the challenging of the social status quo, occurs when power structures in society are pushed back against. Central to this study is the use of open systems theory, which positions higher education as a subsystem of American society, and therefore responsive to changes in the environment external of the institution. This study investigates how, if at all, these case sites employed Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) policies as an institutional response to changes in how gender was conceptualized on their campus. Specifically, this study addresses: 1. how changes in societal norms around the gender binary influence colleges and universities, 2. in what ways institutions respond to such changes, 3. what ways institutions reestablish organizational homeostasis around an expanded concept of gender, and 4. how institutional characteristics influence decision-making responses. Out of the findings of this study emerged the Model of Normative Disruption, a mechanism that can be utilized to understand institutional decision-making responses to normative disruption. The findings of this study suggest: 1. various societal and institutional factors influence the ways in which normative disruption manifests at a college or university, 2. institutional characteristics and culture impact all responses to normative disruption, and can either support or hinder change, 3. GIH is one mechanism of responding to normative disruption, but, depending on institutional characteristics, may not be sufficient enough change to reestablish organizational homeostasis, and 4. if the institutional culture is not an amenable environment to such changes, organizational homeostasis is difficult to reestablish. This study concludes with implications for theory, research, and practice. Importantly, I suggest that GIH policies might serve as an opportunity for administrators to begin the necessary conversations of understanding the myriad cisgenderist policies, practices, and culture that exist within systems of higher education.

This thesis explores the university experiences of the daughters of single mothers who are first-generation students in the United Kingdom. Data was collected during spring and summer of 2013. Participants were recruited through flyers, email, and social networking sites. Participants were sought who met the following criteria: they considered themselves to have been primarily raised by their mother (or their mother raised them alone for about five years or more during their childhood); they were current or recent undergraduate university students at any university in the UK, any mode of study (full or part time), and any age (traditional age or mature students); and they were first-generation students (the first in their family to attend university, which includes students whose siblings might have gone to university). A preliminary 30-question, online questionnaire was completed by 110 respondents. Among the survey respondents, 26 participated in qualitative, semi- structured interviews. After the interview, participants were encouraged to engage in reflective writing. Data was explored through a thematic, theoretical, and autoethnographical analysis. This research examines intersectionalities of gender, socio-economic class, race, and family status as they shape the students' identities and their university experiences. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks upon which this study is built include feminist theory, intersectionality theory, and the concept of social exclusion. The findings from this study contribute to the existing literature within the area of widening participation and social identities and illuminate the ways that single mother families are constructed by the media, by politicians, and in society. Additionally, this study bridges the gap between the existing literature on the experience of single mother families and the existing literature on the experiences of students in higher education, providing a deeper understanding of access, participation, and inclusion of this specific population of students as yet unexplored within existing research.

The thesis investigates whether there are different patterns of 15 year-olds' selection that educational expectations, according to the different transition processes that exist in Mexico. To accomplish this objective three research questions guide the analysis. First, what are the underlying factors that affect the different transition processes to UPS level used in different States in Mexico? Second, what are the characteristics of 15 year-olds selected at UPS and how do they differ in States that use different transition processes? Third, how do 15 year-old students, educational expectations differ by the transition processes used where they live? To answer these questions I use essentially a quantitative study. I perform a political economy analysis of the transition to UPS in Mexico using a documentary review. I develop a characterisation of the different transition processes. Additionally, I investigate the relationship between the different transition processes and students' socioeconomic background, achievement and expectations. The analysis uses data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (2009) and marginalisation information from the National Council of Population (2010). The methods used are statistical descriptive analysis and regression analysis (quantile regression, ordered probit model and sensitivity analysis). The political economy analysis provides a characterisation of the transition process to upper secondary level based on the standardisation of admission procedures and the extensiveness in the use of entry examinations. The results of the political economy analysis of the transition process suggests that States with more structured education systems tend to have homogeneous transition processes, while in States with less structured education systems, schools and entry examination institutions tend to have a stringer influence on the transition process and ergo the procedures are heterogeneous. Homogeneous processes tend to promote a more balanced intake of students according to their social background, regardless of whether they use entry examinations or not. Also, the selection of UPS appears to be more efficient at processes that have the most extensive use of examination and homogeneous procedures. Therefore it is inferred that the standardisation of procedures could be positive for the effectiveness and efficiency of the selection at UPS as homogeneous procedures were found also to be associated with slightly higher educational expectations on students.

<p> This qualitative study is about the experiences and challenges Black girls have while attending predominantly White high schools and what they are doing to navigate that particular space. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand more about how Black girls navigate White space as minority members of a system that was not originally intended for them. Through semi-structured interviews, Black girls were asked directly to share their lived experiences. This study hopes to illuminate and amplify the voices of Black girls and help others see them by giving them a platform to discuss and tell their stories. It also aims to create agency in Black girls by asking them to examine the challenges they face while attending predominantly White high schools and how they navigate that particular setting and make it work for them. </p><p>

The majority of city and county school systems throughout Tennessee and the United States at one time or another experience a budget crisis. In the state of Tennessee, school systems are funded through the Basic Education Program, established in 1992 as part of the Tennessee Education Improvement Act. The lawsuit of 1988, Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter, created the Basic Education Program. Through the years, the Basic Education Program has provided extra teaching positions, materials, and supplies and has provided the funding formula for school systems throughout the state. Many high-ranking administrators contend that the Basic Education Program has outlasted its time. School administrators from both city and county school systems indicate the program needs to be restructured to meet the current needs of the schools and students throughout the state of Tennessee. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the perceptions of educational equality and the advantages/disadvantages of the Basic Education Program. Through quantitative data, city and county school systems were compared for per-pupil spending, average teacher salary, and student achievement in the advanced proficient category for math and reading/language. These data were collected from the Tennessee Department of Education website and the Tennessee Education Association website. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with high-ranking administrators from city and county school systems in Northeast Tennessee. These administrators were purposively selected from systems containing both city and county schools. The findings of this study demonstrated that city school systems have higher per-pupil spending and higher teacher salaries than county systems. City school systems have higher student achievement levels in the advanced proficient category than county school systems. Interview participants agree that educational equity does not exist between city and county school systems in the state of Tennessee. The participants in this study express that although the Basic Education Program in Tennessee was effective, at one time, it should be restructured or redefined to meet the current needs of all students in the state of Tennessee.

This mixed-methods study explored the instructional methods that accomplished high school English teachers use in their classrooms to improve understanding of how those methods are influenced by the teachers' beliefs. A survey regarding classroom practices and beliefs was sent to 313 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in English Language Arts--Adolescence and Young Adulthood across the United States with a response rate of 50.8%. From these data, I analyzed the variety and frequency of practices experienced teachers use and the beliefs that influence teachers' instructional decisions. I then conducted follow-up interviews and classroom observations with selected survey participants from North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio and explored further the beliefs and motivations of those teachers who were both typical and outlying according to their survey responses. The study found that factors such as school setting, educational level, and gender had little impact on teachers' instructional strategies, although a relationship was found between gender and approach to teaching literature. The study also found that reading instruction dominated the classroom instruction of those teachers, with writing instruction a distant second. In addition, those NBCTs were found to be teachers who developed positive relationships with students, created student-centered classrooms, challenged students academically, and were dedicated to being lifelong learners. In the end, 3 distinct teacher types were identified: teachers who focus on English as a discipline, teachers who focus on more generalized educational goals, and teachers who focus on their students' emotional well-being. However, the study suggests that all the teachers who participated in the study formed a fairly homogenous group regardless of their differences and that teachers' own educational experiences in school played a more significant role in determining their classroom behaviors than did their educational beliefs.

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty members' perception of the status of technology support and services, their attitudes towards the incorporation of technology in general and with specific applications, and the barriers they perceive to technology use. Additionally, the study focused on the association among the predictor variables of faculty members' gender, age, professional status, years of higher education teaching experience, and tenure versus nontenure status with their degree of technology use. An online survey was designed to collect data to address the research questions in the study. The survey consisted of 44 questions, including areas for comments. Two-hundred ninety faculty members out of a possible 867 responded to the survey. Based on the results, conclusions have been drawn. According to the literature, the results of this study both contradict and support previous studies. Dimension 1, perceived technology support and services, and Dimension 2, perceived barriers to technology use, provided no significant difference when considering the demographic variables of age, gender, years of experience, faculty rank, and tenure versus nontenure status. Though, Dimension 3, attitudes towards the use of technology and specific applications, provided no significant difference when considering the demographic variable of age, faculty rank, and tenure versus nontenure status but there was a slight indication of significance based on years of experience. In addition, gender differences appeared among attitudes toward the use of technology and specific applications. Based on the results, females have been shown to have better attitudes toward the use of technology and specific applications, an area historically dominated by men. Also, faculty members with 1-9 to 10-19 years of experience have better attitudes toward the use of technology. While faculty members with 20 or more years of experience attitude is not significantly affected by years of experience. Additional research needs to be established to include: 1) research faculty members in other southeast states to determine whether or not findings from this study could be generalized, 2) research to include all community colleges within the Tennessee Board of Regents higher education system, and 3) research faculty members responses regarding community colleges role in providing technology training.

This qualitative study was conducted to attain and analyze the perceptions of adult high school dropouts living in the Southwest Virginia region concerning participation in General Educational Development (GED) preparation programs. Mounting evidence underscores the facts that the high school dropout rate remains high across the nation and that many eligible people are not participating in adult GED preparation programs. The people residing in Southwest Virginia are no exception. Nearly 35% of the region's population does not possess a high school diploma and the adult education providers struggle with low participation rates. In order to better understand the reasons for participation, this study examined the attitudes and issues involved in the decisions of GED preparation program participants to enroll and attend classes in Southwest Virginia. By examining these relationships between attitudes and behaviors, our understanding surrounding educational behavior patterns and adult education participation may increase. This study resulted in the emergence of 5 themes, which were consistently recurrent. These themes included negative perceptions about early schooling, detrimental impacts on quality of life and self-esteem, informal and limited awareness of available programs, employment-related motivators to participation and situational deterrents to participation. This study concluded with suggestions to increase participation in high school and adult education programs and recommendations for further research.

The purpose of the study was to examine the economic, institutional, and human impact of athletic programs at community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents community college system to determine how the athletic programs affects the benefits, or lack of benefits, for students, the institutions, and the communities. Sixteen participants were interviewed: two presidents, two athletic directors, four coaches, and eight student-athletes. The student-athletes represented four different sports and came from a variety of educational backgrounds and academic standing. The primary benefits perceived for the institutions and the student-athletes were the impact on missions, enrollment, educational and athletic opportunities, and retention. The primary negative impacts perceived were the lack of preparation for college work by high school graduates inside and outside the athletic programs and the difficulties in recruiting the best academic student-athletes. Some administrative and athletic participants perceived the lack of preparation of high school graduates to do college work as a great obstacle for some student-athletes and others in the community colleges. Emergent themes included time management, the stress of maintaining dual paths in academics and athletics, and the need of good housing environment. Mentoring by coaches, motivation to progress in academics, the assistance of student development services, and faculty and staff were perceived by the student-athletes as being beneficial to their success and progress. The implication from this study is that student-athletes represent a variety of socioeconomic and diverse backgrounds that may impact educational backgrounds. They also represent a variety of academic levels that vary from year to year. Student-athletes are successful, with planning and assistance, in reaching their educational and career goals. The problem of remedial education is an obstacle for some of them, for the institution, and for the state. To become successful in increasing the number of Tennesseans who attain higher education levels, the obstacle needs to be addressed in the community college system and, more importantly, in the elementary and secondary schools.