Academic achievement.

Current literature confirms that self-efficacy, academic self-concept, and
participation in undergraduate research influence the academic performance and
aspirations of students. However, a gap in the literature remains as research has yet to
explore whether students who have participated in research have a higher sense of
research self-efficacy and academic self-concept than students who have not participated
in these activities. In addition, it is unknown whether undergraduate researchers pursuing
STEM degrees differ from students pursuing non-STEM degrees, nor if they vary by
gender.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the research self-efficacy and
academic self-concept of undergraduate researchers, compare these beliefs to nonresearchers,
and to examine how these measures differ by gender and field of study (i.e.
STEM and non-STEM fields) among undergraduate researchers. Additionally, this research identified various factors that predict research self-efficacy and academic selfconcept.
This quantitative study was conducted at a public university located in the
Southeast region of the United States. Using survey methods participants’ background
information, academic self-concept, and research self-efficacy was collected.
Participants were students who had participated in undergraduate research as well as
students who had not participated in research activities. Both groups completed the same
survey. This study gained insight into the research self-efficacy, academic self-concept,
field of study, and gender differences among undergraduate researchers and how they
compare to non-researchers. Research findings may assist colleges, universities, and
offices that promote undergraduate research in recruiting students to participate in
research activities. Findings also contribute to literature supporting undergraduate
research as an element that contributes to student success in undergraduate education.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a school counselor led classroom intervention, Student Success Skills (SSS) program (Brigman & Webb, 2010), on Grade 5 Hispanic student’s self-regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. The study used non identifying archival data from a random controlled trial (RCT) collected at 30 elementary schools in one school district during the school year 2012-2013. Attendance was collected at the end of the school year when students completed Grades 4, 5, and 6. Data were collected at three points: pretest, posttest1, and posttest 2. A series of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) tests and univariate analyses were conducted to determine statistical significance between the treatment group and comparison group in self- regulation, school attendance, and test anxiety. Effect sizes using a partial eta square were calculated for each dependent variable. The results support the Student Success Skills (SSS) classroom program (Brigman & Webb, 2010) implemented by certified school counselors was documented.

As adolescents transition to middle school, math confidence and performance
declines (Eccles et al., 1993; Lee, Statuto, & Kadar-Voivodas, 1983). These declines are
typically attributed to social and maturational changes (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991;
Simmons & Blyth, 1987). In this dissertation, I explore the hypothesis that low parent
support for schoolwork is also responsible.
Latino-American adolescents are especially at risk for math difficulties.
Maintaining adolescents’ engagement and performance in math are important goals for
mothers because high levels of both are requisites for many professional careers. This
dissertation will focus on Latino-American families to determine if mothers’ homework
involvement is associated with changes in children’s math-related outcomes across the
transition to secondary school. Parental involvement in math homework is assumed to mitigate declines in math
performance during this transition. Cognitive models suggest that involved parents utilize
scaffolding (Rogoff & Gardner, 1984) and instruction to ensure math achievement
(Pomerantz & Moorman, 2010). Motivational models suggest that involved parents foster
math engagement by bolstering child confidence, modeling management strategies, and
promoting values that encourage children to work hard (Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994;
Simpkins, Fredricks, & Eccles, 2015). However, empirical evidence in support of the
importance of parents in math achievement is limited. While positive forms of
involvement co-occur with better math outcomes (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2005; Rice et al.,
2013), no studies have examined such associations longitudinally. Children who are
uninterested in math may be more susceptible to the effects of parental homework
involvement because they lack internal motivation for mastery that underlies performance
in other children.
The present study examines the extent to which Latina-American mothers’
involvement in math homework is effective in preventing declines in child math-related
outcomes (i.e., perceptions of math ability, etc) during the transition to middle school.
Child math interest was postulated to moderate this association. Results indicated that
low maternal homework involvement predicts worsening child math-related outcomes,
but only for children who were intrinsically uninterested in math.
The findings hold important implications for parents, who must work to ensure
that they remain engaged in their children’s activities, especially if children appear
uninterested in math.

Psychologists have studied the relationship between personality and academic
performance for over a century, and more recently the relationship between personality
and situations, but no connection between academic performance and situation
characteristics has been researched. The current study examines this relationship using
the DIAMONDS dimensions and undergraduate GPA. Participants wore a life logging
camera to capture pictures of their surroundings for 24 hours and then self-sorted and
rated the photos into meaningful situations. Results found support for previous findings
of the relationships for personality with GPA and situations. Significant correlations
were found between GPA and Adversity, Deception, and Mating situations, though none
were significant unique predictors. There was also no correlation between GPA and
percentage of situations which took place in a classroom setting, though there was a significant correlation with time spent in a classroom. Limitations and future research
ideas are discussed.

A report issued in 2012 by the United States Government Accountability Office
(US Government Accountability Office, 2012) concluded that the United States is not
producing enough graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) to meet the demands of its economy. According to the National Center for
Educational Statistics (2001), fewer than fifty percent of students nationally possess a
solid command of mathematical content. This study tested whether the insertion of
Academic Service Learning (ASL) into intermediate algebra courses improved students’
performance, their motivation to learn the subject, and attitudes towards mathematics
learning. ASL is an educational strategy that integrates meaningful community service
with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities (Duffy, Barrington, West, Heredia, & Barry,
2011). The subjects in this study were thirty-four students enrolled in intermediate
algebra at a large public university in southeast Florida. The participant group consisted
of fifteen students who completed the requirements of the ASL program and the
comparison group consisted of nineteen students who initially showed interest in the
program but dropped out of the study early in the semester.
Through a mixed method analysis, the study found that the proportion of students
who passed the course in the ASL group was greater than the proportion of students in
the non-ASL group. Similarly, the mean final course grade in the ASL group was higher
than the mean final course grade in the non-ASL group.
The results of the qualitative analyses showed that all the participants enjoyed the
ASL experience. In addition, some participants felt that the ASL project raised their
motivation to learn mathematics and increased their competence in mathematics.
However, both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that the students’
participation in the ASL project did not affect their attitudes towards mathematics
learning. The study concluded that Academic Service Learning has the potential to help
improve students’ success rates in developmental mathematics courses as well as increase
their motivation to learn the subject.

In a growingly complex and ambiguous world it is thought that flexible, change-oriented leadership that encourages a culture that is risk taking, innovative, and proactive is necessary to survive and prosper. The extant literature offers entrepreneurial leadership as having a positive impact in such environments in business settings. Schools, which are not exempt from complex and ambiguous environments, might also benefit from this new type of leadership. Hence, this study expands the study of entrepreneurial leadership to the education profession, examining the relationship between principal autonomy, a principal’s entrepreneurial orientation, school culture, and school performance.
This study, supported by findings of numerous educational leadership studies, posits that a significant positive indirect relationship exists between a principal’s entrepreneurial orientation and school performance, with school culture as a mediating variable. It is proposed that a greater disposition to proactive and risky behaviors in pursuit of innovation will correlate with greater cultural innovativeness, leading to higher levels of school performance.
The contribution this study makes is both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, it adds a new dimension to the educational leadership literature by investigating the potential effectiveness of entrepreneurial leadership in improving teaching and learning in American schools, and the impact of risk taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness as individual distinct determinants of school performance. Practically, the study could identify new dispositions valuable to principals in efforts to improve their school’s performance. The study uses a nonexperimental, quantitative research design to explore these relationships, using correlational and regression analyses.