Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Academic Advising On The Retention Of First-Year Students In A Gulf-Arab University, Selma Hagahmed

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigated academic advising and retention in a Gulf-Arab university. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in order to understand how academic advising could have potentially contributed to the improvement of student retention. The focus of the study was on first-year students in the College of Business and Economics and the College of Law in a Gulf-Arab national four-year institution. The study compared the Grade Point Average (GPA) and the number of credit hours in two groups of first-year students: 1) a treatment group of students who utilized academic advising services and (2) the control group of students who …

An Exploration Of Foster Parents' Continuing Education Requirements, Experiences, And Perceptions, Lori Ann Gionti

South Florida Education Research Conference

This poster proposal summarizes research regarding foster parents' perceptions of their post-licensing continuing education.

Why Teachers Stay: Elementary Teachers Share Perceptions Of The Job Since Legislative Reforms In Wisconsin, Catherine Marie Clarksen

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

WHY TEACHERS STAY: ELEMENTARY TEACHERS SHARE PERCEPTIONS OF THE JOB SINCE LEGISLATIVE REFORMS IN WISCONSIN

by

Catherine M. Clarksen

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014

Under the Supervision of Dr. Leigh Wallace and Dr. Latish Reed

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of elementary public school classroom teachers who remain in the teaching profession amidst legislative reforms that impacted their wages, benefits and working conditions. The study involved ten teachers who were perceived by their building principals as having a direct impact on positive student achievement. Additionally, each participant was required to have taught for a …

Factors Impacting Success In Ninth Grade Algebra I For High School Students, James M. Lamie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2013), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Race to the Top initiative of 2009 has placed a greater emphasis on high stakes testing. A renewed emphasis on math education for all students and their ability to succeed in high school mathematics place new challenges on today’s classroom teachers. Although the belief is that with new standards and best teaching strategies students will improve their test scores, there are multiple factors that can serve as deterrents to the success in mathematics for at-risk high school students (Balfanz, 2009). The …

The Purpose And Practice Of Academic Probation, Charlotte Hoover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic policies in higher education address institutional academic standards and student requirements including academic underachievement. Academic probation is one academic policy designed to alert students they are not meeting the minimum academic standards of the institution. Institutions offer a variety of student services to support institutional retention efforts and student persistence to graduation; however, there is little research that addresses academic policies and their role in the success of the college student (Brawner, Frillman, & Ohland, 2010). This qualitative case study was an exploration of the perceptions of undergraduate students and the administration by examining the policy of academic probation …

Predicting Student Adaptation To College By Learning And Study Strategies, Katharine S. Adams

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This study highlights the relationships between learning and study strategies with student adaptation to college. Postsecondary students (n = 146) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). Students were trifurcated into low, average, and high achieving groups by GPA. Data was analyzed using multiple regression and correlational techniques. LASSI subscales significantly predicted adaptation to college as measured by the SACQ for average and high achieving students, but did not significantly predict adaptation to college for low achieving students. The unique contributions of the LASSI subtests varied in …

Impact Of The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: An Examination Of Retention Of First Year Students In The Hampton Roads Area, Kim B. Sibson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has had a tremendous impact on higher education institutions (HEI) across the country. As of 2011, the Veterans Administration (VA) had issued G.I. Bill payments to almost 500,000 veterans. This research examines the effect of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on student retention in different types of HEIs in the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia, an area that has a high number of military and military-affiliated residents. Ex post facto data from various institutions have been compared, with a public university, a for-profit college, and a two-year public community college to examine the retention rates of …

Utilizing Traditional Cognitive Measures Of Academic Preparation To Predict First-Year Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Majors' Success In Math And Science Courses, Charles K. Andrews

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past several years, U.S. colleges and universities have faced increased pressure to improve retention and graduation rates. At the same time, educational institutions have placed a greater emphasis on the importance of enrolling more students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs and producing more STEM graduates. The resulting problem faced by educators involves finding new ways to support the success of STEM majors, regardless of their pre-college academic preparation. The purpose of my research study involved utilizing first-year STEM majors’ math SAT scores, unweighted high school GPA, math placement test scores, and the highest level of …

A Study Of The First Year International Students At A Canadian University: Challenges And Experiences With Social Integration, George Zhou, Zuochen Zhang

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

An increasing number of international students come to Canada for their higher education. As a unique group on Canadian campuses, international students deserve our attention so that we can understand their special needs. Using Tinto’s retention model as a theoretical framework, this study investigates the experiences of the first year international students at a Canadian university. It pays special attention to the challenges these students face in the process of their social integration into the new learning and living environment. Data were collected through surveys and focus groups. Data analysis reveals a comprehensive picture of international students’ socialization patterns and …

Allies In Learning: Critical Insights Into The Importance Of Staff-Student Interactions In University Education, Sarah Richardson, Ali Radloff

Ali Radloff

Discussions of the quality of learning in university education often focus on curricula. Less attention is paid to the role of student–staff interactions. In a context in which a host of factors place pressure on the opportunities for students and staff to interact, it is important to use empirical insights to inform decisions about how to optimise learning. This paper uses data from a large survey of students and teaching staff in Australia to suggest that students and staff should be regarded as allies in learning. It investigates student reports to suggest that frequent interactions with those who teach them …

The Effects Of Writing Centers Upon The Engagement And Retention Of Developmental Composition Students In One Missouri Community College, David Elton Ball

Dissertations

Student retention poses a major challenge to higher education in America. Research has demonstrated colleges that foster student engagement have higher retention rates than colleges that fail to do so. Writing centers are student services that improve student engagement and retention. This study focused upon the Fall 2013 cohort of developmental composition students in one Missouri community college, to determine if students’ use of the writing center made a positive difference upon student engagement or successful completion of their course. The study was designed with a two-pronged approach to answer four questions. The first question was posed to determine a …

Recruitment, Retention, Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Educators In Arkansas, Peggy B. Lee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Facing a crucial shortage of nurses and nurse educators, administrators of colleges and universities need to explore employment and individual characteristics that are related to recruitment and retention of nurse educators. Adding to the nurse and nurse educator shortage is the concern that the population of the United States is aging which creates a growing demand for more RNs. A further issue that complicates the nurse and nurse educator shortage is that nursing education is not producing enough RNs. Schools of nursing are positioned to have to prepare more new nurse graduates over the next decade in an effort to …

Multiculturalism And Student Retention: Designing The Identity, Culture, And Inclusion Leadership Certificate Program To Ignite Critical Engagement, Sonja C. Morgan

MAIS Projects and Theses

The purpose of this project is to design, propose, and receive funding to establish a critical multicultural leadership program for students at Pierce College Puyallup that will promote campus-wide diversity and social justice engagement. Named the Identity, Culture, and Inclusion Leadership Certificate, this extracurricular program is intentionally grounded in critical race, student retention, student development, and engagement theories to facilitate the integration of academic multicultural content with practical leadership application. This project was conducted by a student services professional working at a predominately white suburban community college in Washington State.

International Perspectives On Retention And Persistence, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Nicole Holland

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment Publications

Access to higher education globally is increasing dramatically; attainment of tertiary degrees is a high priority, as educational attainment is associated with increased personal incomes as well as growth of the middle class in developing countries. The purpose of this essay is to briefly examine retention and persistence issues from a global perspective, review some retention strategies that have been employed at schools outside the United States, and to identify several key factors that related to retention and persistence globally, including access, infrastructure, financial consideration, and readiness for tertiary education. There exists an opportunity to utilize knowledge gained in the …

Motivation And Retention Of Instrumental Music Students In A Suburban School District, Megan M. Dray

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivation of students to join and remain in instrumental music in suburban school districts through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The goal was to seek which area of motivation in each grade level and school building had the highest impact on student involvement and retention. Areas of motivation studied include teacher/student relationships, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, approach success/avoid failure, competition/ego, peer involvement, parental support, and financial issues. The sample included 205 students from a suburban school district in New York. Students were broken into groups based on school buildings …

Student's Perception Of Teacher Immediacy Behaviors On Student Success And Retention, Rebecca Rae Mullane

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation tested the relationship and the fit for a causal model between both verbal and nonverbal teacher immediacy behaviors in the classroom and affective learning, cognitive learning, and student success and retention. Data was collected from two distinct populations, a large Midwestern university and a Midwestern community college. Results indicate that both verbal and nonverbal teacher immediacy behaviors independently predict or cause a level of affective learning and cognitive learning, and affective learning predicts or causes cognitive learning, further supporting that path model. Practical implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for areas of future research development are …

Persistence Among African-American Males In The Honors College, Johnell Roxann Anderson Goins

Dissertations

Retaining African American students, specifically African American males, is an issue that plagues the American higher education system. Research shows that African American male students are the lowest represented group in the gifted studies programs (Ford, 2010). Lockie and Burke (1999); Chen and DeJardins (2010) and Bell (2010a) found that barriers to African American male retention in higher education include but are not limited to the following: financial assistance, the battle of the two-self concept, lack of mentoring/advising, low expectations from faculty, and alienation. In an effort to remove these barriers, institutions have implemented retention strategies such as more faculty …

Experiences Of African American College Graduates, Aundria C. Green

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons that African-American alumni from a historically Black university (HBCU) and a predominantly White university (PWI) chose to attend, remain in, and graduate from college. The central research question was how do African Americans describe their college experiences? The secondary research questions were (a) What led the participants to attend college? (b) What led the participants to persist in college? (c) What led the participants to graduate from college? and (d) How was race described by the participants? Thirty-seven African-American graduates from a historically Black university (HBCU) and a predominantly White …

Perceptions Of Academic And Social Integration Of First-Generation College Students At A Less-Selective Private Faith-Based University, Ann Watson

All Dissertations

The overarching goal of this qualitative research project was to fill a gap in first-generation retention literature pertaining to the particular academic and social integration issues weighting the probability of persistence for first-generation students who choose to attend a less-selective, private, faith-based university with strictly limited resources available to support high-risk students. This project was a single case study of a university that serves an undergraduate population where close to 60% fit the first-generation student profile of primary interest in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on a purposeful sample of 12 first-generation college students at the university during their …

Student Success And Service-Learning: Exploring The Relationship At A Two-Year Public Institution, Leah Renee Kicinski

Masters Theses

This exploratory study examines the relationship between service-learning and student success at a two-year community college in the urban Midwest. Students who participated in service-learning during the 2010-2011 academic year were identified by institutional research and planning (n=788); additionally, students completed a survey regarding service experiences and learning outcomes (n=280). The data suggest that student success appears to be related to service-learning; 76% of subjects who participated in service-learning met a success indicator compared to 62% of students who were enrolled 2011-2012. Additionally, students reported learning communication, critical thinking, diversity, interpersonal, and personal skills as a result of their participation.

Entry-Level Cognitive Mathematics Skill And First-Semester Mathematics Performance As Correlates Of Fall-To-Fall Retention Of Community College Students, Stephen Tyler Corbin

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between first-semester mathematics performance and fall-to-fall retention for first-time-in-college, degree-seeking community college students. The study further refined the investigation by seeking to determine if the significance of this relationship was affected by student readiness for college-level mathematics as of the first semester of enrollment at the institution under study.

The sample chosen for this study consisted of 1518 first-time-in-college, degree-seeking students enrolled in fall semester 2011 at a large, multi-campus community college in Virginia. The dependent variable was fall-to-fall retention, a commonly applied student success metric in the Virginia Community …

A Study Of The Factors That Predict Academic Success And Retention Of Student-Athletes, April A. Brecht

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Institutions across the country and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are continuously looking for ways to improve the academic success and retention of students. Most research focuses on the use of cognitive factors as predictors; however, there has been an increase in the use of non-cognitive factors in this research. This study used logistical regression in the examination of non-cognitive, cognitive, and demographic factors as predictors of academic success and retention of Division I first year student-athletes at a large, public, moderately selective, research extensive institution. The population consisted of 275 students who participated in 16 intercollegiate teams. The …

Epics: Broadening The Pathway Into Stem, Mindy Hart, Patrice M. Buzzanell, William Charles Oakes, Carla B Zoltowski

ADVANCE-Purdue Gender and STEM Research Symposium

The Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program was co-founded at Purdue University in 1995 and has since spread throughout the United States and globally with inroads into K-12 education through EPICS High. This presentation offers a synthesis of research findings and interventions gleaned from several datasets about students’ and alumni’s reported experiences with EPICS and the consequences of their participation. In particular, this presentation discusses the ways in which EPICS provides a different vantage point on the underrepresentation of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Specifically, researchers have been tackling this issue of underrepresentation for decades with …

Clay Modeling Of The Musculoskeletal System: Does Active Learning Increase Retention And Comprehension, Kelly Massey

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

The focus of a Structural Kinesiology course is a detailed study into the musculoskeletal system and joint action. The course contains a lot of memorization: skeletal muscle origin, insertions, innervations and muscle/joint actions but there is also an applied component for the content. Group study has been incorporated into the course to increase knowledge retention and comprehension however group interaction has been seen to be minimal. Two studies have looked at group construction of skeletal muscle models using clay during class time in assisting with the active learning of muscle origin, insertion and actions (Cruz-Espaillat et al., 2010 & Waters …

Adult Learner Considerations In Admissions And Enrollment, Tammy R. Johnson, Sonja G. Cantrell

Tammy R. Johnson

As national focus on retention and student success increases, many states and institutions are looking for ways to increase the number of students who ultimately earn degrees. Many are realizing that the non-traditional adult student population is a historically untapped demographic that can provide almost instant, positive changes in graduation rates. This group is often considered low-hanging fruit and can be targeted to quickly complete unfinished degrees. This is especially true for institutions that have a large number of non-completers with high numbers of earned hours. Many non-returners have 90 or more earned hours and simply need some encouragement and …

Teachers At Work: Factors Influencing Satisfaction, Retention And The Professional Well-Being Of Elementary And Secondary Educators, Patrick Edward O'Reilly

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study has been to explore the question of how factors in the work lives of teachers influence their experience of workplace satisfaction, and how satisfaction influences retention in the teaching profession. This study had three specific goals: (1) to examine whether five specified factors that teachers' encounter as workers influence their professional satisfaction, (2) to explore whether teacher satisfaction influences retention in the profession and (3) to determine whether school level taught plays a role in degrees of satisfaction a teacher experiences.

Data was collected over a period of five months, using a survey administered to …

Adult Learner Considerations In Admissions And Enrollment, Tammy R. Johnson, Sonja G. Cantrell

Sonja G. Cantrell

As national focus on retention and student success increases, many states and institutions are looking for ways to increase the number of students who ultimately earn degrees. Many are realizing that the non-traditional adult student population is a historically untapped demographic that can provide almost instant, positive changes in graduation rates. This group is often considered low-hanging fruit and can be targeted to quickly complete unfinished degrees. This is especially true for institutions that have a large number of non-completers with high numbers of earned hours. Many non-returners have 90 or more earned hours and simply need some encouragement and …

2013-2014 Berklee Factbook, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment

Berklee Factbook

No abstract provided.

Fixing Advising: A Model For Faculty Advising, Robert M. Crocker, Marlene Kahla, Charlotte Allen

Faculty Publications

This paper addresses mandates to fix the advising process with a focus on faculty advising systems. Measures of student success and satisfaction, administrative issues, and faculty concerns are among the many factors discussed. Regression analysis is used to explore long-voiced faculty complaints that students do not follow advice. A case study is used to illustrate changes in one department’s advising process and measures of student satisfaction are reported. A model of advising components is offered to illustrate practices suggested to realize the full potential of the advising process.

What Matters In College For Retaining Aspiring Scientists And Engineers From Underrepresented Racial Groups, Mitchell J. Chang, Jessica Sharkness, Sylvia Hurtado, Christopher B. Newman

Christopher B. Newman

This longitudinal study examined factors that contribute to the persistence of underrepresented racial minority (URM) undergraduates in STEM fields. The primary source of data came from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2004 The Freshman Survey (TFS) and 2008 College Senior Survey (CSS). The sample included 3,670 students at 217 institutions who indicated on the TFS that they intended to major in a STEM field, 1,634 of whom were underrepresented minority (URM) students. Findings indicate that Black and Latino undergraduates were significantly less likely to persist in STEM majors than were their White and Asian American counterparts. Background characteristics and college …