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Experiences Of Women Trustees: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Women Trustees At Private Religious Colleges In The South, Amanda Main

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

In the United States, women are underrepresented on college governing boards and trusteeships, occupying only about one-third of those positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). In the Southern United States, female representation is dramatically lower, with women holding somewhere between 11-15% of those board positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). Feminist research identifies persistent sexism as the reason for the continued gender inequities. Sexism in social and organizational structures may present as microaggressions, a lack of agency, lack of female role models and mentors, explicit and inherent gender-based biases, lack of flexibility in work arrangements, and women being assigned work that does …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of The Embodiments Of Catholic Social Teaching By Doctoral Alumni From A School Of Education Of An Independent Catholic University: A Phenomenological Study, George Munjanattu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study set out to understand how the doctoral alumni from the School of Education of an independent Catholic university experience embodiments of Catholic Social Teaching in their everyday lived experiences. The conceptual framework of seven Catholic teaching embodiments allowed the researcher to explore the perspectives of the doctoral alumni about their experiences with their values and beliefs about family, community, solidarity, human dignity, different responsibilities in their lives, care for creation, and their current engagement with various social justice activities. This research was a phenomenological qualitative study using interviews and artifacts review. Twelve participants were interviewed to explore their …

Cultivating Connectedness To Nature In The College Classroom: A Consideration Of Nature-Based Pedagogy In Undergraduate Education, Cody H. Nygard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Nature-based environmental education, and research around the cultivation of connectedness to nature, has focused primarily on younger learners without paying close attention to the development of nature-based college curriculum (Leiflander et al., 2013; Ernst & Theimer, 2011; Cheng & Monroe, 2010). Additionally, spirituality as a mechanism for engaging students in the development of connectedness to nature has largely been neglected in higher education pedagogical research (Crowe, 2013). The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a nature-based, spiritually engaging undergraduate environmental course on students’ connectedness to nature. This quasi-experimental, mixed methods case study compared changes to connectedness …

The Pain Of Helping: Crisis Response Teams Experiences With College Student Suicide, Audra E. Dowling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative multicase study explores the lived experiences of seven higher education professionals who serve or have served on a crisis response team at the time of a college student suicide. It asks the following research question: How has a college student suicide impacted the individual psychological needs (safety, trust, esteem, intimacy, control) of those serving on a crisis response team? Using constructivist self-development theory (McCann & Pearlman, 1990) as a lens, psychological needs have been analyzed as fulfilled needs or distorted needs across two interviews and three journaling prompts to assess the impact on seven participants in this qualitative …

The Effect Of A Specifically Designed First-Year Experience Course On Student Veteran Retention And Graduation Rates At A Public University, Anthony Dotson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

According to the United States Congressional Budget Office (2019) nearly $100 billion tax-payer dollars have been spent on education since the passing of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. That is more than the gross domestic product of at least 130 different countries per the latest World Bank’s (2022) rankings. Given the sheer enormity of the figure, one would likely assume that the educational needs of our veterans and their families have been well met if not surpassed. Unfortunately, like many assumptions related to veterans, that would be an inaccurate one. The reality is far more disturbingly …

How Does Exposure To Pelvic Health Content In Entry Level Physical Therapy Curricula Impact Students’ Comfort Level Discussing Sexual Health With Future Patients?, Elizabeth Levay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to pelvic health content in physical therapy school curricula and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ comfort levels discussing sexual health issues with future patients. As holistic, autonomous health care providers, physical therapists must be confident in addressing all aspects of health with patients, including sexual health. Lack of attention to patients’ sexual issues may result in aspects of health going unaddressed, leading to poor patient care. The research hypothesis was that increased exposure to pelvic health topics within entry level physical therapy education will improve students’ …

Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Phenomenon For Students Who Commute To Campus At Private, Not-For-Profit, Four-Year Institutions, Bryan P. Hamann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

There has been substantial research conducted around facilitating student success at

institutions of higher education and exploring the student experience of undergraduate students,

specifically, those students who take part in the residential communities which have become

synonymous with the college experience. Through these studies, higher education administrators

have learned the significant role residential communities play in a student’s success and

persistence and have used these findings to inform master plans for institution’s

capital improvements, programmatic initiatives for residential communities and more. Although

this research is helpful for informing the decisions of higher education administrators as they

create plans for student …

Do You See What I See? Experiences And Socialization Of African American Male Doctoral Students At A Pwi, Victor Vinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

This qualitative study will use an anti-deficit approach aimed to examine the classroom experiences and socialization experiences of African American male doctoral students in a higher education doctoral program at a Predominately White Institution (PWI). The understanding of these classroom and socialization experiences is critical to the ways and means that African American males employ to persist through doctoral programs, striving to reach the mountaintop: attainment of a Philosophy of Doctorate degree. The guiding research questions are 1) How do African American male doctoral students’ classroom experiences influence their persistence in doctoral programs? and 2) What socialization experience(s) influence …

Exam Review Versus Categorical Feedback, Which Is Better For Improved Scores In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students?, Bethany Huebner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Introduction: Computer-based assessments are commonly used in the physical therapy education curriculum. Feedback is an essential part of the learning process, but what effective feedback entails in the computer-based assessment environment is unclear. Educators may choose from knowledge of results, knowledge of correct results, and elaborated feedback.

Subjects: Students enrolled in a DPT program; N=49.

Methods: This study was a mixed-methods single-subject quasi-experimental design aimed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between feedback and computer-based assessment scores. Two forms of feedback were assessed during a semester with repeated testing and alternating feedback forms. Students completed an assessment and were given one …

Evaluating Feedback Post-Computer-Based Assessment In Health Professions Education: A Systematic Review, Bethany Huebner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: Computer-based assessments are common in health professions education and offer robust feedback options. The style of feedback that is best for student learning is unclear.

Aim: To systematically review feedback post-computer-based assessment literature to identify key feedback strategies to optimize student learning and retention.

Methods: A search of electronic library databases, a supplemental Internet source, and reference lists were completed. Inclusion criteria were any English-language sources that used feedback post-computer-based assessment. Data were analyzed qualitatively and summarized descriptively.

Results: There were 134 records identified for initial relevancy through screening by title and abstract. The full texts of 41 records …

The Influence Of Martial Arts On The Quality Of Life Of College Students, Benjamin Harris

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Students come to college in order to attain a degree that allows them to improve their quality of life (QOL) after graduating (Morris, 2017). However, the stressors associated with attending, including anxiety depression (Beiter et al., 2014), insomnia, and headaches (Caldwell et al., 2017), negatively impact their ability to be successful. It is then necessary for higher education institutions to address those issues by exploring and creating opportunities that can improve student QOL. The objective of this study is to understand the health-related experiences of students enrolled in a university martial arts club during college.

This qualitative case study is …

Teaching Non-Cognitive Skills For College: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Low-Income, High-Minority, Urban School District In Southeastern United States, Elizabeth Byron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This instrumental, multisite case study examines the role of secondary teachers in preparing high school students for the non-cognitive skills needed to persist in and graduate from college, using Bourdieu’s (1984) and Lin’s (1999) social capital theory as a guiding framework. Non-cognitive skills are defined as the “behaviors, thoughts, and feelings” of students (Borghans, 2008). Data collection for this study is based on semi-structured interviews via telecommunications with secondary educators and postsecondary student success practitioners and electronic archived documentation of non-cognitive skills found to be important for college success by the interviewees. In this study, college success is defined as …

Does Anywhere + Anytime = Success? Mobile Learning, Engagement, And Student Success In Higher Education, Sarah Nichter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study aims to understand the possible impact of mobile learning on engagement and student success in the online environment. The research questions ask what impacts mobile learning has on student engagement, measured with Self-Regulated Learning (SRL); what impact mobile learning has on the SRL constructs of environment structuring, task management, and time management; and what associations mobile learning might have with student success and persistence. One hundred sixty-two undergraduate online students participated in the study through the survey instrument, utilizing the Online Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire (OSLQ). ANOVA results showed that lower levels of mobile learning use engaged in SRL …

“We Live In Two Worlds”: Foreign-Born College And University Presidents – Perspectives, Leadership, And Resiliency, Kristie Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of foreign-born college and university presidents in the United States to determine how their cultural background and traditions influenced their leadership and prepared them to lead. The study also examined the strategies foreign-born university presidents, who self-identify as people of Color, utilized to navigate to and through the presidential pipeline and ways in which resiliency was demonstrated. The study was grounded in asset-based community development and resiliency which provided a framework to understand how the presidents contribute to their campus and local community and how they were resilient in their presidential roles.

Fifteen …

High School Counselors As Social Capital In A Career Academy High School Model For Low-Income Students: A Case Study, Onyejindu Oleka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative study explored the idea that high school counselors, acting as a form of social capital, could influence the postsecondary opportunities of low socioeconomic students. This study used case study design to analyze freshman academy counselors and their influence in the career pathway selection process to answer two research questions: 1) Using the knowledge available regarding college and career opportunities, how do freshman academy counselors influence low socioeconomic students’ career pathway selections? and 2) How do freshman academy counselors’ perceptions of college and career opportunities for low socioeconomic students influence low socioeconomic students’ career pathway selections? This study uses …

Hidden Identity: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Of Black Male Identity Development At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Therron Rogers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative study used constructivist grounded theory to create an identity development theory for Black males who attended an historically Black college or university (HBCU). Cross’s (1991) Black identity development theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Guiding this study were two research questions which were: 1) how do the experiences at a historically Black college and university influence the identity development for Black males; and, 2) what external factors influence the identity development for Black males who attended a historically Black college and university? Eight Black males participated in this study. Criterion sampling was used to …

Analyzing Two-Year College Student Success Using Structural Equation Modeling, Jessica Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The goal of this study is to more fully understand the scope of community college student success using the principles of mindset, engagement, and college readiness. Using structural equation modeling ensures this study is able to measure the combined effects these concepts have on student success, group differences, and the combined model of student success. Findings suggest student success can be significantly impacted by self-belief and mindset behaviors that can outweigh the initial effect of academically under-prepared students. Groups included in this study are non-traditional students, minority populations, first generation students, and Pell eligible students.

Job Satisfaction Of Student Conduct Administrators And Their Use Of Restorative Justice Practices, Leslie Maxie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effects of restorative justice practices on the job satisfaction of student conduct administrators. This study focuses on Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theory’s intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation for student conduct administrators who use restorative justice practices (RJ). This quantitative study used a member sample from the Association of Student Conduct Administrators (ASCA) with 176 electronic responses received.

Significant results found that student conduct administrators are more satisfied intrinsically if given the opportunity to take on new responsibilities, given appropriate responsibility and recognition from their supervisor, and if they can make a …

Privilege, Bias, And Cultural Competence: An Examination Of How Lived Experience Shapes Academic Advising Practices, Jennifer Englert-Copeland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

As college campuses become increasingly diverse, the need for multicultural awareness among faculty and staff has become a critical component of student success. Though rising diversity among students promotes a rich and more robust learning environment (Gurin, 1999; Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002; Hurtado, 2007; Sleeter & Grant, 1994) and correlates with various positive educational outcomes (Hu & Kuh, 2003; Umback & Kuh, 2006), student affairs and higher education professionals may be ineffective when managing and responding to diversity. For faculty and staff within community college settings, the need for multicultural awareness, including awareness of privilege and bias, is …

Twenty Shades Of Black: A Phenomenological Study Of The Dating, Hooking Up, Belonging, And Thriving Experiences Of Black Women Students At Private, Predominantly White Institutions, Patricia Carver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative study explored and described the dating and hooking up experiences of 20 Black women students who attended private predominantly White institutions (PPWIs). Further, this study used a phenomenological approach to explore how the participants’ dating experiences influenced their thriving and sense of belonging, with particular interest in the intersections of their race and gender. Four frameworks were used to shape the study: Black feminist thought, intersectionality, sense of belonging, and the thriving concept. The following questions guided this study: (a) What are the dating experiences of Black women at PPWIs? (b) How do these experiences shape their perception …

Self-Efficacy As A Predictor Of Interview Performance And Admission Yield For Doctor Of Physical Therapy Applicants, Jordan Wiehebrink

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

As the demand for physical therapists continues to grow, so too does the importance of student selection for their professional education programs. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs have become competitive due to high application volume from increased projected job demand. Admissions committees responsible for identifying applicants must determine which application variables to consider and how to measure. They must also identify individuals that will be able to successfully perform both within the program and the profession. For this study, consideration of perspectives from positive psychology and emotional intelligence highlighted the concept of self-efficacy. Further, identification of its associated measurements …

A Grounded Theory Study: Transition Experiences Of First Year College Students With Pessimistic Explanatory Styles, Hannah Piechowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Depression has increased as a presenting concern among college students seeking counseling services, reaching 41.23% in 2016 (Reetz, Bershad, LeViness, & Whitlock, 2016). A Pessimistic Explanatory Style has been found to be related to depression, poor academic success, and GPA (Chang & Sanna, 2007; Dweck, 2008; Ramirez, Maldonado, & Martos, 1992; Seligman, 2011; Stipek, 1988). Further, undergraduate enrollment has decreased nationally by six percent between 2010 and 2015 (NCES, 2018). These factors support the need to explore overlooked aspects that can support a student’s transition into college (Hutson & He, 2011). This grounded theory study explored the transition experiences of …

The Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict And Academic Progress Comparing Division Ii Male Student-Athletes To Male Non-Student-Athletes, Andrew Schroeder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Data shows that there is a lack of progress in male graduation rates in recent decades in higher education (Diprete & Buchmann, 2013). This study examines the impact of gender role conflict and academic motivation on academic progress with first and second year Division II male student-athletes and male non-student-athletes at a Midwestern, Carnegie classified master’s college and university (larger program institution). Gender role conflict creates a narrow definition for masculinity in which males are expected to behave (O’Neil, 1981). Using general linear regression and binary logistic regression models, the researcher analyzed data of participants’ (N = 116; N …

Student Success Behaviors And Gender: Exploring The Impact On First-Year Students, Sarah Ramage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

College demographics are rapidly evolving, and one area of concern is the enrollment and retention rates of male students. The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that in 2010, 57 percent of undergraduate students were female (Weaver-Hightower, 2010). The same report stated that the percentage was projected to grow to 59 percent by 2018 (Weaver-Hightower, 2010). Between 1997 and 2007, female enrollment has risen dramatically faster than male enrollment, with a 29 percent jump in 10 years. Male enrollment increased by 22 percent in the same time (Weaver-Hightower, 2010). Over time, this growing gender imbalance in higher education has been …

Transition For Students With Autism: A Multi-Case Qualitative Study Exploring How Male Students With Autism Experience Postsecondary Education, Christine Bojanowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This dissertation was multi-case study designed to examine how three male students with autism experienced the academic, social, and self-advocacy aspects of postsecondary education. The study was driven by the following conceptual framework concepts: entrainment, social capital, self-determination, and disability studies. The research question for the study was: How do male students with autism experience the academic, social, and self-advocacy needs of postsecondary education from the perspectives of the students themselves, their parents, their professors, their disability coordinators, and their tutors? Data were collected via multiple interviews with the students, their parents, their professors, and the disability coordinators at their …

A Comparative Study Of Three Approaches For Enhancing Teaching Knowledge Of Dyslexia, Kayla Steltenkamp

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Teachers are the foundational component of the education system. Annually, they are required to engage in professional development opportunities to expand their knowledge. Since 1985 there has been a profusion of legislative attention to the reading disability dyslexia. Included in legislation is the mandate for teacher training, but there is a lack of research on effective professional development to increase teacher knowledge of dyslexia. This study compared three models of professional development to assess their efficacy in increasing declarative knowledge of dyslexia for elementary general education teachers. The results indicated that the use of simulation training alone was less effective …

Impacts Of Website Visibility And Family Income On Use Of The Net Price Calculator, Hunt Chouteau Helm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Higher education attainment benefits individuals and society. But access to higher education is not equitable. Students from low-income families, even those with equal qualifications, are underrepresented throughout the education pipeline, and the gap by family income increases at each educational milepost. The major impediments to increasing college-going rates for lower-income families are financial, experiential, motivational and informational. A key informational impediment is the difficulty families have in understanding information about college costs and financial aid. In 2011, the federal government attempted to improve information access for all by requiring colleges and universities to post a Net Price Calculator on their …