Education Commons^™

Advocating For The Middle Man: An Explication Of Chair Perceptions On Overcoming Emotion At Work, Brittany Armstrong

Ed.D. Dissertations

The researcher’s study aimed to understand the perceptions of private university department chairs when engaging with emotional intelligence (EQ) at work. The qualitative approach provided the boundaries for the voice and the experience of the participants as the researcher collected interviews, department meeting minutes, and department program reviews from a sample of five department chairs across three, private universities. The following departments served as the study’s population: mathematics, family and consumer science, business, education, and modern languages. Findings revealed participants perceived job satisfaction through the mediator of emotion. Participants identified the emotional challenges of department chair and perceived emotion within …

Persistence In Practice: A Review Of Evidence, Rachel A. Guimond

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Student persistence to graduation is a salient issue in higher education, especially for at-risk groups. Varied approaches to increasing student success and engagement have been tried across campuses throughout North America. The following literature review will highlight evidence-based practices used to increase student persistence at varying levels of organizational structure, including university-level, program-level, and multi-systemic interventions. Recommendations for the specific context of Olivet Nazarene University will be made based on the findings of the included research.

Recent Empirical Evidence On The Perceived Impact Of Covid 19 On Faculty And Students From 391 Faculty From 37 Cccu And Cic Institutions June-September 2021, Don Daake

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The presentation provides very recent data on the impact of COVID 19 from 391 Professors from 37 CCCU or CIC institutions. The data was gathered from June to September 2021- right at the height of COVID impacts. (This add-on set of scales was attached to the dissertation written by Dr. John Langenderfer, DBA, J.D. “The Role of an Academic Institution’s Organizational Culture in Retaining Employees during an Industry Downturn.”) Because of the time of the data gathering from June through September 2021, Dr. Daake saw this as a unique opportunity to study the impact of a BLACK–SWAN event …

The Impact Of Teacher Methodology Training For Higher Education Faculty Members, Nicole R. Baker

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Many college programs are designed to graduate individuals who are experts in their field of study, but not necessarily individuals who are trained in how to teach. This quantitative, quasi-experiment study examined college faculty member’s level of training in the area of teaching practices and methodology. The relation to student satisfaction, current course performance, attendance, the belief in the need for training, and faculty member’s sense of efficacy in teaching was explored. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to organize the data using a one-way ANCOVA to analyze the impact the level of training had on …

Associations Of Preschoolers' Screen Time, Vocabulary, And Fine Motor, Barbara A. Dolan

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Technology use by preschoolers aged three to five is prevalent today. Parents and educators find conflicting benefits and concerns about the use of technology by preschoolers. By looking at three particular preschool skills of pincer grasp, wrist strength, and receptive vocabulary, this researcher hoped to provide some answers for parents and educators. This non-experimental multiple regression research analyzed two fine motor skills of 53 preschoolers and their receptive vocabulary and compared them to minutes of screen time use each day. Preschoolers were from two middle class, Midwestern private preschools. Parents completed a ten-question survey that provided a measure of the …

Cultural Diversity Awareness: Perceptions Of Community Residents And Police Personnel, Vickie Minnifield Greene

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study examined the difference in self-reported perceptions of cultural diversity awareness between two specific groups, community residents and police personnel, within a Midwestern city’s community and police department. This study also measured how their attitudes related to their likelihood to assist in enhancing the goals of community policing, which includes the prevention of crime. Literature cited demonstrates that social injustice toward African Americans and Latinos, cultural diversity ignorance, miscommunication, and lack of trust between community residents and police personnel are indicators that their relationships require positive solutions toward repairing a historically strained relationship. The Miami University Diversity Awareness Scale …

What To Do With All This Data? Using Competency Assessment For Advising, Rachel A. Guimond, Hillary Cole

Scholar Week 2016 - present

While assessment serves a critical role in providing direction for program development, student outcome data can also foster individual growth. This presentation will explore the existing research on different advising models and the ONU Social Work Program’s system for using assessment for accreditation to advise students toward professional growth.

Spirituality: Relationship Between Grit, Equanimity, Spiritual Qualities And First-Generation College Students, Janett Cordoves

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study investigated the relationship between spirituality and first-generation, undergraduate and graduate college students’ grit, equanimity, and spiritual qualities. The researcher, a higher education professional, sought to highlight spirituality, not religion, as an intervention method for first-generation college students’ retention and success at the university. The results indicated a significant relationship between first-generation college students’ level of grit and equanimity as well as a direct relationship between grit and spiritual qualities. These results help inform educators and highlight that first-generation college students are both resilient as well as calm and centered in the midst of adversity and uncertainty. Participants’ narratives …

The Urban Black Male: Early Indicators Of Algebra 1 Failure, Roy Harris

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The meager mathematical performance of the Black male student has been a well-documented event that was well over 30 years in the making. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature on 9^th grade urban Black male algebra performance and to identify the existence of any early predictors of high school algebra 1 failure. Specifically, the study sought to identify any difference in the preferred learning styles, mathematics self-efficacy scores, and standardized test scores, among urban Black males 14-16 years who passed high school algebra 1 1^st semester of the 2016-2017 school year and urban …

A Question Of Online Instructional Priorities Among Administrators, Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, And Students, Chad A. Maxson

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Ethical Leadership Colloquium

Members of the Ed.D. Class of 2016-17, Cohort XII

Author Abstract:

This study explored priorities for online instructional behavior in post-traditional programs at Private Christian University (PCU). No prior study had been identified that compared the online instructional priorities among four groups: administrators (n = 25), full-time faculty (n = 73), adjunct faculty (n = 69), and students (n = 321). This study would benefit those who oversee online instructional standards or who operate online adjunct faculty development programs. Quantitative research was conducted using a survey instrument to answer the three research …

Withstand Or Succumb: Christian Universities And The Implications Of Obergefell V. Hodges, Jonathan Mark Pickering

Scholarship – Academic Affairs Office

Most Christian universities support a traditional view of human sexuality. It is uncertain if they can survive with their religious identity intact, given the rapid increase in societal acceptance of same-sex marriage. The 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex marriage increases pressure to be more affirming. Thirty-four presidents at universities in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) participated in a survey, and twelve were interviewed to explore their perceptions regarding that pressure and potential responses. The study was framed by institutional isomorphism theory, and data were analyzed using basic qualitative research methods. The results show that coercive …

The Relational Effect University Momentum Has On Philanthropic Support, John D. North

Ed.D. Dissertations

Higher Education in the United States is a complex industry with fierce competition. A university’s success and momentum are impacted by numerous internal and external factors. The level of an institution’s philanthropic support often mirrors the level of its overall success. Concerns exist over the continued financial affordability of Christian higher education for students. Prior research has identified a correlation between various institutional characteristics and the generation of philanthropic support. Based on the literature review, the following characteristics were studied to determine their ability to predict alumni giving: enrollment, endowment balance, financial responsibility score, graduation rate, institutional age, presidential tenure, …

Teaching And Non-Teaching Staff Job Satisfaction, Jason Curl

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study focuses on the problem of attrition of teacher in the modern educational system, and the effect job satisfaction has on teacher attrition. Job satisfaction was examined for teaching and non-teaching staff in a high school setting to determine is difference between the employees using the Minnesota Satisfaction Survey Short Form. Analytical methodology was implemented utilizing a MANOVA to examine difference between teaching and non-teaching groups. Results indicated that there was a significant higher level for teaching staff for overall and intrinsic job satisfaction. Extrinsic job satisfaction yielded no significant difference between the groups. Furthermore, Dimensional statistics were employed …

The Utility Of Local Norms In The Identification Of Students With Learning Disabilities In Reading, Brian C. Malliett

Ed.D. Dissertations

Third grade students were administered two universal screening reading measures at the beginning and end of the school year. In an effort to limit the misidentification of reading disabilities (RD) in lower socioeconomic community populations of the school district, local norms were established. The local and national norms were compared using the 10th percentile, or -1.27 Z-score, to identify discrepant scores. A diminished classification of RD was evidenced when local norms were utilized in contrast to the use of national norms. Locally-normed slope scores in conjunction with the benchmark testing scores showed a moderate level of correlation than when …

The Effects Of Laity Ministry Involvement On Transformational Discipleship, Emmanuel Reinbold

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study sought to determine the impacts of The Place Assessment process within four congregations that are a part of The Church of the Nazarene in central and Eastern Iowa. The Place Assessment process included structured teaching, completing a comprehensive assessment online, and structured coaching. The results of this process showed measurable increases in the areas of discipleship engagement and discipleship transformation.

Analysis Of Financial Assistance On Graduation Rates And Grade Point Averages, John L. Perry

Ed.D. Dissertations

This investigation examined the different types of federal, state, institutional, employment, and loan programs available to students at an Illinois community college in order to determine the impact of these programs on student graduation rates and grade point averages. The method selected for this analysis was a quasi-experimental design because it allowed the researcher to determine the relationships between multiple preassigned groups. Data was collected from first-time students from multiple academic years and separated into groups based on the type of financial aid received including grants, loans, grants and loans, institutional scholarship, Federal Work Study, and no financial assistance. The …

Nazarene Universities: Effective Boards And The Church-School Relationship, Daniel D. Rexroth

Ed.D. Dissertations

While the world of higher education is rapidly changing, the trustee selection process and resultant board composition in Nazarene liberal arts schools has remained largely the same for the past 60 years. Trustee selection has been primarily a function of the church, disconnected often times from the needs of the schools. This study examined trustee effectiveness in Nazarene liberal arts higher education, as well as the church-school relationship. Trustees at three schools and top administrators at all eight Nazarene institutions were surveyed to identify gaps in trustee competency and also to assess the church-school relationship. Of the 139 trustees in …

Increasing Enrollment: Evaluating College-Choice Factors At A Midwest Christian University, Jeremy J. Hayes

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study evaluated the college-choice factors of 628 freshman students from a Midwest Christian University to determine which variables had the greatest impact on their decision to attend a particular university. Surveys were distributed to freshman students at the new-student orientation during the fall of 2012. The results indicated that institutional factors have the most influence on freshman students’ college-choice decision. In addition, marketing factors are slightly more influential than non-marketing factors. The campus visit is the most influential factor effecting the college-choice decision. The findings also revealed that marketers can be just as influential, if not more, than parents …

Olivet Presidents: A History Of The Office Of The President, Kratina Simmons

Archives - Olivet History

Sources for the book include minutes from the Board of Trustees meetings, letters, university yearbooks (the Aurora), the school's newspaper (the Glimmerglass), several obituaries in newspapers, and funeral programs. The book shows the struggles the university had in its early years to keep presidents as well as its rapid growth within recent years. The last few pages include collages of photos taken during various stages of several of the presidents' lives.

The Role Of Social Capital And Internal Locus Of Control In The Academic Achievement Of Traditionally Disadvantaged Students, Randy Couwenhoven

Ed.D. Dissertations

The academic achievement gap between minority and low socioeconomic status children and their more advantaged counterparts is a well-documented phenomenon. Many factors have contributed to this gap. The current quantitative, non-experimental, fixed-research design study has examined the potential of three social capital variables and locus of control to predict academic achievement. From a sample of 98 high school seniors, the results indicated that none of the independent variables studied were significant predictors of academic achievement for disadvantaged students. However, feelings of parental rejection were found to be a statistically significant negative predictor of grade point average (GPA) for the No …

Stop The Madness! College Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Classroom Incivility, Christina M. Nutt

Ed.D. Dissertations

Classroom incivility is causing major concern, nation-wide, to college administrators, faculty, and students. The damage caused by student incivility has been associated with a decrease in student learning, the deterioration of the classroom learning environment, lower faculty morale, and reduced student retention rates. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental fixed research design was to explore and compare college faculty and student perceptions of type and frequency of classroom incivilities at a private college in order to provide a foundation for the development of strategies to reduce uncivil behaviors and increase student success. Study results demonstrated that faculty members and students, …

By The Book: Spiritual Formation And Conduct Codes At Selected Christian Universities, Gerald A. Longjohn Jr.

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigated the integration of spiritually formative goals with student conduct codes at selected Christian universities. Utilizing a case study methodology, this study incorporated content analysis of university documents and focus group interviews with campus stakeholders to assess the formulation, revision, communication and enforcement of the campus policies. Qualitative data analysis software, NVivo, was used as a means of coding and tracking themes from a wide range of data sources. Campus results from the Student Satisfaction Inventory were incorporated as a means of triangulating the data. This study concluded that the participating universities were extensively integrating previously researched spiritually …

Perceptions Of Full-Time Faculty Members Within A Community College Regarding Conditions That Impact Levels Of Engagement, Edward Matthew Foley

Ed.D. Dissertations

Community Colleges fulfill a vital role in society and in higher education, while constraints are expanding. Understanding and increasing the engagement of full-time faculty members could be critical to community colleges in meeting their challenges and advancing their mission. This quantitative study, with focus group follow-up, was conducted within the largest and oldest community college in Ohio. First, findings established an existing level of full-time faculty member engagement and perceptions. Next, the study examined variations of perceptions relative to engagement based on tenure status, academic discipline, length of service, and campus location. Lastly, the study examined the relationship between community …

An Investigation Of The Feasability Of A Writing Center At Olivet Nazarene University: The Implementation Of A Pilot Program, Kristy Ingram, Beth Olney, Sue Rattin, Sue Williams

Scholarship – Academic Affairs Office

The implementation of an on-campus Writing Center is an extension of the holistic approach to student success and retention. Previous attempts to provide an online resource at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) failed to meet the need of providing one-on-one tutorials. Research proves that this approach does not teach the student how to identify and correct gaps in writing thought, organization, and voice. An ONU Writing Center must be more than an editing center, serving more students than those with remedial writing skills. It should serve as a consistent presence on campus as a facilitator of quality writing across the disciplines. …

Positivity And Positive Reinforcement In Organizational Culture At Nazarene Higher Education Institutions, Brian W. Parker

Ed.D. Dissertations

Given the importance of employee motivation, satisfaction, productivity, and retention, as well as the support for positivity in the review of the literature, this study examined the effects of positivity and positive reinforcement in organizational culture, through the lens of admissions professionals, at the eight Nazarene Higher Education Institutions (NHEI) within the United States. The study also examined the effects of the perceived positivity of leaders in organizational culture, in the same context. The findings revealed some signs of positivity among NHEI admissions professionals, but no evidence was revealed regarding the consistent use of positive reinforcement in these settings. The …

Investigation Of Comprehension Monitoring Skills Of First-Year Students Of College Reading Courses, Barbara Revor

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study investigates the comprehension monitoring skills of first-year readers at both a two-year institution and a four-year institution in the Midwest. The Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) was used to assess skills. The MARSI, developed by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002), assesses reading strategies in the areas of problem-solving, support reading, and global reading. Simple t-tests were used to compare the items on the survey relating to understanding and comprehension monitoring. Results reveal no statistical difference between the students at the two institutions; however, the MARSI was able to show where instructors need to begin instruction to …

Motivation To Pursue Higher Education, David W. Knutsen

Ed.D. Dissertations

Non-traditional college students now comprise an ever increasing portion of the overall number of college students but little is known about the factors that motivate one to pursue higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivating factors, both extrinsic and intrinsic, that lead U.S. workers to pursue higher education. This research was conducted using 200 students of Robert Morris University and the data were collected using a survey instrument that measures the extent to which various factors influenced one’s motivation to pursue higher education. Analysis of the data revealed that overall the most important extrinsic factor …

An Investigation Of Random Drug Testing As A Preventative Measure To Inhibit Drug Use In College Students, Drew Ludtke

Ed.D. Dissertations

The problem of drug use exists at most life stages. In particular, the problem of drug use exists in school settings. In a collegiate setting, students are independent from guardians for the first time and subjected to random drug testing (RDT). The difficulty in testing in a collegiate setting is finding ways to test the effectiveness of RDT. This study examined the effectiveness of an RDT program at a small Midwest university. Reports of drug use and attitudes were recorded before a RDT program was initiated and two years after. The results showed the RDT program was ineffective at preventing …

An Axiological Analysis Of Shared Purpose And Academic Excellence, Robert Baranoski

Ed.D. Dissertations

In this dissertation, I inquired into the relationship of shared purpose and academic excellence. Beginning with an understanding and investigation into the axiology of shared purpose and academic performance, the research reviewed and synthesized scholarly literature for contextual facts. Following analyses, a quantitative explanatory method was undertaken to measure correlation of the variables. An examination of the findings supports a relationship between shared purpose and academic excellence. More importantly, it yields further investigation into purpose as a linchpin to performance in public education.

Writing Curriculum And The Adolescent: Addressing Skill Variance In The Classroom, Zakieh A. Mohammed

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study addressed a means of responding to the varying writing skill levels found in the standard high school classroom. A structured writing curriculum was examined through a state, national and marketed rubric, focusing upon a high-risk high school population in Chicago, IL. The research centered around cognitive learning theory, specifically, Vygotsky‘s zone of proximal development. Additionally, to account for the variance in skill level, a new measurement tool was created to quantify rigor in relation to increasingly difficult writing assessments. The longitudinal study determined that, with extended exposure, the proposed structured writing curriculum did enable students to meet state, …