Education Commons^™

Retention Issues In Nonprofit University Foundations, Sarah Kay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Turnover of major gift officers (MGOs) within university foundations has been a problem for foundations and their affiliated universities. Turnover of MGOs results in less fundraised dollars, fewer donor-fundraiser relationships, and higher incomings costs. Retention of MGOs is vital for foundations’ success and directly correlates to the overall prosperity of the respective university. The purpose of this descriptive, non-experimental study that utilized a cross-sectional survey design was to examine perceptions of currently employed MGOs, in the interest of determining what was important to them to remain employed at their nonprofit university foundation. Using a web-based survey, data showed MGOs need …

Training The Federal Acquisition Workforce: A Correlational Study Of Perceived Learner-Centric Interaction Effectiveness And Distance Learning Environmental Preferences, Daniel Dwayne Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Public procurement, the purchase of goods and services by governments from external sources, is a strategic tool commonly used by governments to fulfill their mandates. To manage public procurement inside the United States federal government, the Acquisition Workforce (AWF) was established. Training to support the development and maintenance of necessary competencies in the AWF occurs in both face-to-face and distance learning environments. The trend, in general, has been towards a greater dependency on the use of distance learning. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine AWF perceptions of learner-centric interaction effectiveness and learning environment preferences, along with the …

Leadership In Physical Therapist Education: Instructional Strategies And Assessment Methods Used Among U.S. Capte Accredited Programs, Gretchen R. Prather

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The physical therapy profession has recently placed greater significance on leadership education and research at all levels of professional development. Excellence and innovation in physical therapy practice must address leadership development beginning in professional education. This call for reform has been adopted broadly, including from an accreditation standpoint. The challenge now becomes to determine the most effective ways for preparing student physical therapists to lead in today’s fluid healthcare environment. This study examined leadership content among U.S. CAPTE accredited physical therapist education programs and, specifically, the instructional strategies and assessment methods frequently used to develop emerging leaders. An online survey …

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

A Qualitative Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy For Teaching Writing, Abby Rose Waldorf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to determine self-efficacy levels of Secondary English Education pre-service teachers attending two public universities concerning writing and the teaching of writing. The study found that pre-service teachers were confident and identified as writers, but they felt uncertain as teachers of writing. Past teachers’ praise was found to positively increase writing self-efficacy. Even though pre-service teachers enjoyed and looked forward to teaching writing, they felt they needed more time in the classroom and preparation from college courses. College courses were found to be lacking in the preparation needed for teaching writing. Pre-service teachers did not …

An Examination Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Online, On-Demand Professional Development For West Virginia Educators, Anna Shreve

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research investigated West Virginia teachers’ perceptions of online, on-demand professional development. The researcher used a mixed-methods, nonexperimental study that utilized a 16-item survey and a six-item follow-up survey to examine teacher perceptions. A convenience sample was used and was comprised of participants of the West Virginia Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center at Marshall University’s 2021 online, on-demand professional development, Keynotes for Key People. The purpose of the study was to determine if effectiveness characteristics of in-person professional development could be embodied by online, on-demand professional development. The premise of the study was that if the effectiveness characteristics of in-person …

The Effects Of Stem And Non-Stem Mathematics Corequisite Courses On Student Success At Public Institutions In West Virginia, Vanessa S. Keadle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the differences in student success outcomes between students enrolled in non-STEM and STEM corequisite mathematics courses at 18 postsecondary institutions across five academic years in West Virginia, using de-identified student data. The researcher analyzed this extant data to determine if student characteristics were predictors of success, as defined as passing the mathematics corequisite course, retention to the next semester, and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The researcher also conducted analyses to understand if the differences in those outcomes between STEM and non-STEM courses were significant. This study identified statistically significant gaps in success for students …

Student Perspectives On The Presence And Usefulness Of Navigational Course Elements In Distance Education Courses, Christopher Joseph Sochor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Quality Matters Standards for Course Design (2018) rubric is a course development rubric for online courses in higher education. General Standard 1 provides a list of specific review standards that are integral in the development of courses, including course expectations, course structure, learning guidance, communication expectations, technology skill requirements, criteria for student assessment, and overall course organization. Student feedback is necessary in order to determine whether students view elements of the course overview and introduction as present in their courses, and whether those elements are useful for the successful completion of their online course. This research utilized a mixed-methods …

Stigmatized Discretion: A Survey Of The Impact Of Stigma Associated With Substance Use Disorder On The Hiring Of Teachers In Recovery, Nick Hoskins Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of stigma associated with substance use disorder (SUD) on the hiring of teacher-applicants in recovery. The ongoing opioid epidemic has dealt many disastrous blows to the United States, particularly in the Appalachian region of the country. As the coal industry was declining in the 1990s and 2000s, prescription opioids flooded the state of West Virginia, bringing with them a dwindling economy and a rise in crime rates, unemployment, and overdoses. Recent legislation has helped in pharmaceutical accountability/regulation and recovery options for individuals suffering from SUD. As more people in recovery …

Librarians In An Austerity Environment, Thomas L. Walker Ii

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate methods used by library administrators to maintain collections to support programs at Carnegie institutions classified R1, R2, D/PU: Doctoral/Professional Universities (formerly R3) with varying degrees of research activity and selected M1 (i.e., Masters Large) institutions, and compare those data.

Public institutions of higher education have seen mandatory state budget cuts for more than 20 years, with each year’s cut being larger than the previous. These statewide education cuts have affected academic libraries in a major way, resulting in purchasing cutbacks, decreased subscription renewals and cancellations.

Purchasing cutbacks have meant fewer physical book …

Perceptions On Charter Schools In West Virginia, Donna R. Dixon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In 2018 and 2019, the public school teachers in West Virginia walked out of their classrooms to protest charter schools opening in the Mountain State. During a special legislative session in the summer of 2019, the state's first charter school law was passed, paving the way to open West Virginia's first charter school. This research provides data on whether the COVID-19 global pandemic changed how individuals in West Virginia view charter schools. A concurrent nested mixed-method approach was used for this research. A twenty-one-question survey, Perceptions on Charter Schools in West Virginia, was developed using both Likert scale and …

Black And White Student Adaptability To College At A Predominately White Historically Black University: A Single Institution Examination Of West Virginia State University, Christopher D. Jackson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With respect to studies examining Black students at predominately White historically Black colleges or universities (HBCU), very little data exists; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the specific benefits to Black and White students attending an HBCU (i.e., academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal-emotional adjustment, and attachment to the institution) also accrue to those students whose HBCU is predominantly White. When comparing Black and White students, no research has been conducted on whether the benefits of attending an HBCU, for Black or White students, also accrue if the HBCU’s student population is majority White. …

Advisor Perceptions Of Technology In Academic Advising Practices In West Virginia Educator Preparation Programs, Kandice Kaye Rowe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to gain, from the academic advisor’s perspective, an understanding of what technologies are being used in advising practices, the effectiveness of these technologies, and advisors’ perceptions of quality advising set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. A qualitative phenomenological approach was utilized to connect academic advisors’ perceptions of the usage of technology while participating in the advising experiences. Through a combination of purposeful and snowballing sampling techniques, academic advisors from fourteen educator preparation programs in West Virginia were chosen to participate in this study. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews were …

Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students’ Perspectives On Leadership Development In The Context Of The Proposed Leadership Competencies Framework For Physical Therapists, Laura Stephens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Leadership is an emerging field in physical therapy professional research. Research efforts have concentrated on identifying the most desirable leadership skills and behaviors for practicing physical therapists, or on curricular interventions implemented in specific educational programs. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design to investigate the perspectives of 21 current and former student leaders from Marshall University School of Physical Therapy, specifically investigating the scope and effectiveness of available opportunities in developing leadership skills and behaviors. Participants were also probed regarding their motivation for pursuing pre-professional leadership development opportunities. Findings from this study suggest the available opportunities are effective to …