Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Student Beliefs And Self-Efficacy On Performance In Higher Education Stem Courses, Lauren Nicole Fogg

Doctoral Dissertations

In engineering education, students often face feelings of inadequacy, leading to academic struggles and potential dropout. This dissertation investigates the impact of interactive course materials on students' confidence and self-efficacy in problem-solving, focusing on an Engineering Materials class at Louisiana Tech University. Over four quarters, involving seven sections and 218 students, a 13-question Likert scale survey was administered repeatedly, alongside demographic data and textbook usage surveys. The study aims to compare students’ attitudes and beliefs when not using a textbook versus when using an interactive web-native book. Hypotheses suggest that the interactive book will enhance problem-solving beliefs, confidence, and grades. …

Understanding The Role Of Academic Advising And Student Resilience In Male College Students' First-Year Retention: Differences By Race/Ethnicity, Brittany K. Gogates

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Institutions of higher education continue to struggle with retaining and graduating students within 6 years, and gender and racial/ethnic disparities are apparent. Only 60% of male and 67% of female students who entered a 4-year institution in 2014 graduated within 6 years (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). In 2022, only 27.6% of Black and 20.9% of Hispanic/Latino Americans between ages 25 and 29 have completed a baccalaureate degree (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). For those students who entered college in fall 2017, Black students had the lowest first-year retention of 52.1%, and Hispanic/Latino students were not far ahead, with a 59.5% …

Navigating Diversity: A Thorough Review Of The Barriers And Facilitators For Retention Of Minority Clinicians In The Healthcare System, Jadia L. Bullock

Occupational Therapy Capstone Projects

The presence of minority healthcare professionals is crucial in addressing barriers to healthcare access and disparities in health outcomes experienced by underrepresented populations. Despite some progress, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans continue to be underrepresented in healthcare professions. Lacking diversity contributes to challenges in providing equitable healthcare services, as patients are more likely to delay or avoid care when they cannot find providers who understand their beliefs, culture, or life circumstances. About 60% of the largest healthcare professions are dominated by White individuals, concerns persist regarding equitable access to healthcare services and the need to promote diversity and …

Evaluating Company Culture Of Roofing Contracting Companies To Attract And Retain Women In The Industry, Gopika Viswanathan

All Theses

The US construction industry, similar to many other industries, has a low representation of women. This difference is even more pronounced in construction trades, such as the roofing industry. The admission of more women into the industry is important to address workforce shortage issues that the industry is facing. Company culture has been cited as one of the primary reasons why women choose not to enter the industry or face barriers during their careers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the company culture of roofing companies through factors identified by literature and by women and companies in …

Investigating Pre-Health Students’ Science Identity And The Factors That Influence Them To Change Programs Or Tracks., Taylor Humphreys

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Retention is a particularly pressing issue for undergraduate students, specifically those in pre-health programs or tracks. This can be affected by a students’ science identity, which is referred to as viewing oneself as a “science person.” This study focused on investigating science identity and influencing factors that can cause program or track change of pre-health students. Previous studies have investigated these factors regarding pre-health students applying to medical school, but this study opened the investigation to a variety of pre-health students and focused on characterizing students’ experiences prior to their health professional school applications. The analysis of peer-led focus group …

Examining Black Faculty Retention In Predominantly White Institutions, Jacqueline Wykeshia Jonea Brazile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Black faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in southeastern Florida. The aim was to uncover the unique challenges influencing the retention of Black faculty in these settings and to identify supportive mechanisms enhancing their tenure and job satisfaction. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with Black faculty at Florida PWIs, employing snowball sampling for participant recruitment. Thematic analysis interpreted the data. The study contributes to the literature by suggesting strategies for PWIs to improve Black faculty retention and to promote inclusive and supportive environments. The literature review reveals the underrepresentation and disparities of Black …

Programs And Services That Contribute To African-American Males' Academic Success At Predominantly White Institutions, Aaron Posey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation shines a light on the indomitable spirit of African American male students, who exhibit remarkable resilience despite facing persistent challenges such as underrepresentation, academic underachievement, and racial and socioeconomic disparities. It delves into the critical role of programs and services in promoting academic success at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The study explores how targeted institutional support mechanisms can further bolster their retention, engagement, and graduation rates. It conducts a comprehensive review of existing literature and a quantitative analysis of survey data collected from students at Midwestern PWI to understand the key factors influencing their academic journeys. The research …

What Special Education Teachers Need To Remain: A Qualitative Study, Corey Michael Sharp

Theses and Dissertations

The persistent challenge of teacher attrition, particularly in special education positions, is examined within the context of the East Dillon School District in Dillon, IL. Despite efforts to recruit and retain special education teachers, vacancies remain unfilled, leading to a disruption to the educational experiences of students with disabilities and the practice of special education teachers lacking training and support. This phenomenological qualitative research study examined the experiences of six special education teachers at Lion Middle School. Using Job Embeddedness Theory, Ethics of Care, and Aptitude-Treatment Interaction Theory as the conceptual framework, this study sought to provide the training and …

Breaking Point: An Examination Of The Factors And Motivators That Determine Whether A Teacher Will Stay In The Classroom Or Choose To Leave The Profession, Katherine Treloar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are quitting the profession in droves, leaving classrooms empty or overcrowded. As a result, students are receiving a sub-par education from unexperienced or underqualified teachers (Watling et al, 2010). Retaining teachers for more than five years is no small feat. Teachers face unrealistic expectations, chronic high stress, and mental and physical health problems that lead to widespread burnout. However, some teachers are able to overcome these obstacles and stay in the profession for long periods of time (Buric & Penzic, 2019). This study identifies the internal motivations and external factors that influence teacher job satisfaction and describes how those …

How Physicians’ Perceptions Of Satisfaction And Morale Affect Retention, Ernest George Britton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physician turnover affects care delivery and contributes to costs, emphasizing the need for retention to minimize unnecessary costs of hiring, training, and lost productivity among healthcare organizations. Healthcare leaders tend to be concerned about the negative affects that physician turnover has on patient care, profitability, and organizational viability. The U.S. healthcare system may benefit from reduced expenditures associated with retention. Grounded in Ellenbecker’s job retention model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies healthcare organizational leaders use to retain employed primary care and internal medicine physicians. The participants comprised six physician leaders from three healthcare organizations …

Latine Dual Language Bilingual Education Teachers' Work Experiences, Nelly Noemi Patiño Cabrera

Dissertations and Theses

Given the increasing concern about the scarcity of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) teachers, it is crucial to understand the trends in teacher retention and attrition from the perspective of DLBE teachers themselves. DLBE teachers departing from their jobs imposes a significant burden on schools and students and affects the implementation of DLBE programs. To delve into this issue, this critical qualitative study focused on the work experiences of Latine K-5 Spanish/English DLBE teachers. Specifically, this study involved six participants divided into two groups of DLBE teachers in the teaching trajectory: three Latine K-5 Spanish/English DLBE teachers currently teaching in …

Early Identification Of Students At Academic Risk Based On Learning Management System Log Data, Roger Sheng So

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding student engagement with the institution from the first day of classes to the end of the semester would help inform the institution of the potential risk that a student will drop out of a class or of the school. Learning Management Systems (LMS) record student interactions with the system and might be able to be used to identify students who are at academic risk. The scope of this study is to retrospectively analyze first-year student activity for the Spring 2022 semester for early warning signs worthy of intervention. A student risk assessment will be determined by reviewing student LMS …

New Crew Nights: The Impact Of A Nurse Leader Led Mentorship Series On Perceived Competency In The Novice Nurse, Taylor C. Bergman

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Nursing leaders across the United States are seeking to recruit and retain new graduate nurses as a national nursing shortage widens at an alarming pace. Healthcare systems are tasked to strengthen the skill set of novice nurses as they seek to meet the care needs of acutely ill patients and rebuild a skilled workforce for future years. This study evaluated the impact of a four-part mentorship series for novice nurses on perceived strengths in competency, communication, wellbeing, and teamwork.

Methods: In this quality improvement project with pre-intervention/post-intervention assessment, a sample (n=14) of medical surgical nurses with …

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

The Effect Of An Employee Recognition Program For Clinical Registered Nurse Retention At Eastern State Hospital, Kristi Richmond

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Nurse executives want to build and retain teams capable of delivering high quality care. However, registered nurse (RN) turnover continues to jeopardize this goal. RN satisfaction has been associated with reduced turnover in the nursing field. Adequate staffing levels are linked to better patient outcomes, and employee recognition is a key factor in RN retention.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing an existing recognition tool for RNs at an inpatient state psychiatric hospital in the southeastern United States to determine level of job satisfaction, level of job loyalty, level of engagement, …

Hiring Practices And Retention Strategies For Teachers Of Color: A Qualitative Study, Scott M. Leick

WWU Graduate School Collection

This research was set to find the best practices for both the hiring and retaining of teachers of color in the public education preK-12 grade system. This qualitative research included interviews from district leaders as well as teachers of color from around the state of Washington. This two-fold approach allowed for the comparing and contrasting of the experiences of teachers of color with the strategies school districts have implemented to support the recruiting, hiring, and retaining of a diverse teaching force. As a result of the research, it was found that school districts are making efforts to diversify the teaching …

The Effect Of Supportive Relationships And A Sense Of Community On The Success Of First-Year College Students, Stetson K. Akers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and universities across the United States actively seek to bring quality students to their institutions and retain them through their course of study while striving to support the successful completion of their degree. The problem is that students face many sources of adversity within their first year of college and leave the institution they have enrolled in before returning for their second year, including financial issues, mental health struggles, and academic success problems. The reasons students leave vary, but it remains important to help students feel connected to the community of their campus while supporting their mental health during …