Education Commons^™

Higher Education Information And Communication Technology Implementation Project Success: The Effect Of Organizational Culture, Reginald W. Brinson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employed a non-experimental quantitative research method to examine the relationship between organizational culture and perceptions of Information and Communication Technology implementation project success in higher education institutions. The study used Sociotechnical Systems Theory to frame the higher education institution’s work system and the Competing Values Framework (CVF) in distinguishing the cultures of the institution, its colleges/divisions, and its departments to determine if differences in culture tendencies impacted faculty, staff, and administrators’ perception of project success. A survey consisting of the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI, © Kim Cameron) and a Project Success scale was used to gather data. …

Factors Associated With Overall Experience In Advanced-Practice Doctoral Programs, Kristi Chipman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advanced-Practice Doctoral (APD) students are working professionals who are often returning to school after several years of practice. Multiple areas and concerns may affect overall experience as well as retention rates in doctoral programs.

This mixed-methods research study utilized both qualitative (interview) and quantitative (survey) methods. Students from three different APD programs (Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Nursing) were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. The interview was used to help guide the development of a survey. Students from the three groups (n=65) were asked to participate in a one-time, non-incentivized, survey. The survey …

Postsecondary Writing Program Collegiality, Job Satisfaction, And Self-Efficacy Teaching Writing: A Quantitative Analysis Using Self-Determination Theory, David A. Mackinnon Ii

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Calling on Ryan & Deci’s (2000) Self-Determination Theory framework, the author sought to explore the relations among writing program faculty collegiality in their work (i.e., teaching, research/scholarship, and service), their job satisfaction in teaching writing courses in postsecondary settings, and their sense of self-efficacy for that teaching. The author surveyed writing program faculty across the State University System of Florida and analyzed collect evidence towards addressing if faculty collegiality behaviors and beliefs relate to faculty job satisfaction in teaching writing or faculty self-efficacy around the teaching of writing. Using exploratory factor analysis and linear regression modeling, the author analyzed the …

Policy Considerations Regarding Student Loan Debt And Higher Education, Todd R. Niemczyk Esq.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the last 30 years, the policy considerations regarding student loan debt and higher education have become a series of strong opinions, heated debate, and partisan politics. Key stakeholders including the United States Government, both for-profit and traditional higher- educations institutions, financial organizations, special interest groups, and students all have interests. More so, all branches of Government, the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive, are areas where policy is both born and challenged. Some are aligned, and some are competing such that crafting sound policy regarding the lending and management of student loan debt has created a difficult situation that may well …

Student Retention In Higher Education: Effect Of The Campus Fitness Center On Women, Leslie Marie Gordon

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of the 3.5 million first-time in college, full time students who began college in fall 2017, 74% returned for fall 2018, with 61.7% retained at their starting institution. Covid-19 has negatively impacted retention; in addition to normal attrition, one of every five students did not return to campus in fall 2020. Researchers have gauged both academic and social factors that positively influence retention and note the use of the campus fitness center (CFC) as one social factor; however, women are less likely to use the CFC, are one third as likely to exercise, and experience more numerous fitness obstacles and …

College Choice And College Match Among High-Achieving Pell-Eligible Students: An Instrumental Case Study Exploring Social Actor Influence, Jennifer A. Perkins

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College undermatch, the pattern of well-qualified students applying to and attending less selective colleges than their academic qualifications would permit, disproportionally affects low-SES students, a particular concern since attending a match college increases the likelihood that a student will graduate and reduces the amount of time to degree. The number of college-going individuals in one’s social network (including parents, peers, teachers, mentors, etc.) has a strong influence on whether a student attends a good academic match college, but little is known about the nature of the interactions between students and these college-going influencers. This instrumental case study sought to fill …

Women Cios In Higher Education Pursuing Work-Life Balance/Integration, Self-Care, And The Influence Of Covid-19, Candice Jo Veilleux-Mesa

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a gender gap within higher education (HE) administration, and specifically the Chief Information Officer (CIO) position. This is a problem because men and women administrators provide diverse perceptions and advantages to HE institutions. The CIO perspective is important because they perform a critical role in the IT management and organization of HE institutions. Additionally, women in leadership positions often face additional pressures and barriers as compared to their men counterparts when seeking to integrate their work, family, and personal self-care. Thus, to further understand and take action to improve representation of women HE CIOs, the purpose of this …

Pre-College Expectations Of First-Generation College Students: A National Study Based On Institutional Characteristics, Justin Michael Sipes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much of the research on first-generation college students (FGS) tends to focus on comparing this population of students to its continuing-generation peers and focuses on in-college experiences. This research looks to answer: (1) are there demographic and pre-college characteristic differences between full-time, FGS at different institutional types; (2) are there differences between institutional types across five cognitive and non-cognitive expectations for FGS; and, (3) do these differences remain after introducing moderating variables. The data are a random sample of participating institutions from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement, implemented by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, …

Measuring Employee Engagement And Adaptive Leadership During Higher Education’S Accountability And Performance Era, Karine Sandra Stukes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Back in 2015, the Board of Governors for the state of Florida implemented new funding policy within its public state university system, as a mechanism to hold institutions accountable to their performance. According to the performance-funding policy, lower performing institutions were at risk of losing state funding if university metrics were not met. This challenging accountability and performance environment can cause much strife within lower-performing institutions, where it is relevant to explore positive workforce strategies that keep university employees engaged in the work that is needed to get the job done while keeping employees adaptive to challenges presented to them. …

Examination Of Athletic Academic Support Services Of Ncaa D-I Hbcus, Clifford Eugene Harrell Ii

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since 1991, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has mandated academic support services for student-athletes at all Division I institutions. Today, there is a vast difference of athletic academic support units at Power 5 Conferences compared to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The resources at Power 5 Conference institutions are also immensely different at HBCUs although the main services provided are similar. Advising, tutoring, orientation, assessment of study skills, compliance checks, personal counseling, career counseling, student-athlete scheduling/advising, testing of academically at-risk student-athletes are all services that are provided at both Power 5 institutions and HBCUs but there is still …

Synergistic Supervision: Impacts On Student Affairs Employee Job Satisfaction, Michelle R. Adams-Manning

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supervision is a critical component of any employee’s professional life, but it can be especially impactful to a student affairs professional. The foundation of the student affairs field is to help a student grow and develop as a whole person. This concept carries on to student affairs professionals as well, as supervisors should strive to develop the whole professional creating a positive work environment. This study analyzed the use of synergistic supervision techniques on student affairs employees’ job satisfaction. An anonymous, electronic survey was emailed to student affairs professionals at public, private and community colleges across the nation. One hundred …

Graduate Students’ Perspectives Of The Benefits And Barriers To Mentoring Preservice Teachers, Melissa Omeechevarria

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is an effective tool for the professional development of novice teachers (Eby & Lockwood 2005; Kram, 1985; Stanulis & Ames, 2009). Mentors to preservice teachers have conveyed that they receive benefits and face barriers when mentoring (Ambrosetti, 2014; Burk & Eby, 2010; Hobson, Ashby, Malderez, & Tomlinson, 2009; Iancu-Haddad & Oplatka, 2009). Graduate students who serve as mentors to undergraduates have also reported advantages and drawbacks to being a mentor (Conway, Eros, Pellegrino, Kras, Gale, & Campbell, 2009; Reddick, Griffin, & Cherwitz, 2011). This study examined the perceived benefits and barriers for graduate students serving as mentors to undergraduate, …

Educating For Engagement: The Influence Of Physical Therapist Education On Lifelong Learning And Professional Engagement, Raine Osborne

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare professions educational programs have a responsibility to develop professionally engaged lifelong learners. Knowledge of the factors important to the development of these desirable characteristics may inform educational leaders’ decisions about program and curriculum design. This study aimed to investigate the relation between level of education and an orientation towards lifelong learning and future professional engagement. In addition, the influence of learners’ type of motivation for continued learning, and learning goal orientation on this relation was also assessed.

A cross-sectional survey of learners from a single healthcare profession, physical therapy was conducted to investigate these relations. Physical therapist learners from …

The Impact Of Undergraduate Research Experiences On The Development Of Biology Students’ Domain Knowledge, Domain Interest, And Career Aspirations, Amy Haddock Keagy

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Federal and state agencies in the United States have pressured institutions in higher education to increase the number of graduates in STEM disciplines and supply an educated workforce for the increasing shortages in the STEM economy. Undergraduate research experience is one potential mechanism for supporting retention and student success within STEM disciplines. Most evaluations of the impact of undergraduate research to this point have been qualitative research studies. The purpose of this study was to use a quantitative model to examine domain knowledge, domain interest, and career aspirations in undergraduate biology majors and how participation in research experiences may impact …

The Perception Of Female Leadership: Impact Of Gender And Leader's Qualification On Leader's Effectiveness, Ala'a Fahad Al-Shakha

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how gender and years of working with a female leader influence the gendered perception of female leadership effectiveness in Saudi Arabian higher education institutions. This study compared male and female leaders’ perception of female leadership effectiveness as well as highlighted the relationship between leader’s gender, experience working with a female leader and perceived female leadership effectiveness. To answer the research questions, four hypothesized models were proposed (simple direct model, mediation model, moderation model, and mediation moderation model). Data was collected from administrated leaders, who hold a position in five public universes located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with …

College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Their Knowledge Of Self-Determination: A Study To Inform Educational Practices And Policies, Tara Rowe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attending postsecondary education has steadily increased in recent years. A need has been identified for campus administrators to better understand the needs of students with ASD (Becker & Palladino, 2016; Oswald, Winder-Patel, Ruder, Xing, Stahmer, & Solomon, 2017). In order to gain insight about students with ASD, research providing a foundation of understanding the unique characteristics and needs of this growing population must take place. By recognizing the need for further education and training, campus administrators may have opportunities to develop professional development trainings that could provide insight into understanding a …

A Study Of State College Faculty Trust In Immediate Supervisors, Anna Byrd

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated faculty trust in their immediate supervisors (academic deans and faculty chairs) in a state college setting. A survey instrument created for this study was based on existing research on trust in schools by Bryk and Schneider (2002) and Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (1998), as well as research on trust in corporate setting. The study’s purpose was to determine the types and frequencies of interactions between community college faculty and deans/faculty chairs – i.e., faculty immediate supervisors – that are related to higher levels of faculty trust. Also investigated were the relationships between faculty trust and demographic characteristics …

Living-Learning Communities Effect On Students’ Self-Efficacy Of Their Successful Social And Academic Transition To College, Sarah Friswold-Atwood

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of the integrated learning environment fostered by Living-Learning Communities on students’ self-efficacy towards their social and academic transition to college at a large regional institution in the Southeast. Grounded in a theoretical framework guided by Schlossberg's Model for Analyzing Human Adaptation to Transition and Bandura's Triadic Reciprocal Determinism, a two-part structural equation model analysis was conducted with SkyFactor survey data from 427 first-year students. The first analysis, which compared outcomes for LLC participants with non-participants, demonstrated a small statistically significant positive effect for LLC-participants perception of their housing environment. Regardless of LLC participation, the general …

Appreciating Neurodiversity: Asd Perceptions Of Experiences In A Higher Education Transition Program And The Implications For Higher Ed Leaders, Joanna L. Ale

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the number of individuals being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder has risen substantially. One byproduct of increased diagnosis is that more and more students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are applying and being accepted to colleges and universities (Graetz & Spampinato, 2008; Jones, 2012; Smith, 2007; Taylor, 2005; Zager, Alpern, McKeon, Maxam, & Mulvey, 2013; Longtin, 2013; Adreon & Durocher, 2007; Zager & Alpern, 2010). Research in the field of Autism and Higher Education is in its infancy, with a dearth of the research focusing on the challenges and struggles that degree-seeking students with ASD face within …

Student-Athlete Perception Of Coaching Leadership Behaviors’ Influence On Mental Health Symptoms Associated With Anxiety, Depression, Suicidality, And Substance Abuse, Joan E. Thurston

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Student-athletes are viewed as the epitome of health due to their physical appearance and talent set; however, it is their psychological health that needs significant attention (Etzel, 2006). Psychosocial stressors such as the pressures and demands of being a student and athlete as well as the demands and expectations of the coach have significant impact on the student-athlete’s mental health and well-being (Beauchemin, 2014; Cleary et al., 2011; Lafrenière et al., 2011; Mageau & Vallerand, 2003; Watson, 2005). The purpose of this research is to investigate any correlation between student-athletes’ perceptions of coaching leadership behaviors and the symptoms associated …

Examining Leadership Approaches Of Community College Administrators: Understanding Leadership And Change Processes, Jametoria Lynette Houston Burton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of the study was to explore the personal perspectives of three select state college administrators regarding their purpose, values, and beliefs they inherently espouse about leadership, developmental education and academic success. The researcher examined the ways in which community college administrators used communication strategies to lead change processes within their organizations. The researcher identified the administrators’ leadership approaches in leading a major redesign of a developmental education program at a large community college in Florida. The following primary research question was explored: What are the strategies adopted by the select state college administrators leading a major developmental education …

Campus Planners' Preferences For Residence Hall Project Delivery Methods, Paul E. Riel

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research determined the preferred project delivery method utilized by campus planners when building student housing on a university campus. Four key performance indicators were also evaluated to determine if they influenced the campus planner to select a particular project delivery method. The four key performance indicators were: owner input, cost, safety, and on-time completion. Campus planners identified though the Society for Campus and University Planners (SCUP), were invited to participate in this survey research method. Five research questions were explored in this study. They were:

1. What is the preferred project delivery method (PDM) when building a residence hall …

The Jacksonville Commitment Scholars Program: Graduates’ Perceptions Of Supports And Challenges, Ouida Y. Powe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The success of The Jacksonville Commitment Scholars Program is well documented. These scholars are retained at a much higher rate and the six year graduation rate of the first two cohorts was higher than the general body. They are all students whose families have minimal financial resources and were eligible for the free or reduced lunch program during their high school years. They were subsequently eligible for the Pell Grant upon college entry demonstrating significant financial need. Many of these students were first-generation students. They have been successful but the specifics of how they collectively found such success was unknown. …

Role Tension In The Academy: A Philosophical Inquiry Into Faculty Teaching And Research, Nicholas Michaud

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to understand the conjunction of faculty roles as teachers and as researchers. This understanding is pursued through philosophical analysis. Discourse ethics, in particular, is used as a framework by which to best understand the roles played by faculty and if the roles of teacher and researcher are, in fact, commensurable. The purpose of the work is two-fold: 1) to develop a construct that may be used by future researchers to better understand the roles played by faculty, and 2) to suggest a best-construct that enables future researchers to propose how actual lived roles should be instantiated in …

Facility Matters: The Perception Of Academic Deans Regarding The Role Of Facilities In Higher Education, Wallace Harris

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how academic deans perceived the characteristics of facility built environment and its impact on learning in higher education. Q methodology was used as the means to explore the subjective opinions of academic deans within the State of Florida regarding the facility built environment’s impact on learning in higher education. For this Q study, the concourse statements were the result of communications taken from the subject literature and participant responses to this study’s online concourse questionnaire. The resulting 32 item Q sample was sorted online by 43 academic deans, associate and assistant deans. …

Accountability And Quality In Higher Education: A Case Study, Trudy Abadie-Mendia

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to gain a deep and rich understanding of the accountability process at a regional comprehensive university in the Southeast United States. Specifically, the present study sought to answer the following question: How is a regional comprehensive university in the Southeast United States substantiating the quality of undergraduate professional programs and the success of graduates. The study utilized a qualitative research methodology, specifically a descriptive embedded case study design. A total of 16 interviews were conducted with participants representing the program level, college level, and administrative level. Three subunits of investigation provided the program …

Postsecondary Mathematics Placement Processes: A Case Study At A Regional University, Debora Jean Simonson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to explore the effectiveness of the mathematics placement process for incoming freshman at a public university. Effectiveness is defined as the percentage of students who successfully complete the mathematics course they were placed into, Precalculus, College Algebra, or Intensive College Algebra. The specific university in this research study was the University of North Florida (UNF). The placement process at UNF included students’ ACT, SAT, or FCPT scores, their mathematics placement exam scores (MPE), and whether or not students followed the placement recommendation (FPR). Students’ ACT, SAT, or FCPT scores were grouped into a …

Classroom Intercultural Competence In Teacher Education Students, Interns, And Alumni, Christine K. Holland

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of a student teaching internship upon the classroom intercultural competence (CIC) of teacher education students and alumni. Phase I employed quantitative methodology to compare the intercultural competence as measured by Ross, Thornson, McDonald, and Arrastia’s (2009) Cross Cultural Competence Inventory (3CI) for three groups. The 3CI is a 63-item survey that uses corresponding questions to assess intercultural competence. Survey items are scored with a 6-point, strongly agree-to-strongly disagree Likert scale (Thornson, 2010). The three groups included teacher education students enrolled in a field observation course, students enrolled in …

The Impact Of Online Professional Development On Online Teaching In Higher Education, William John Ganza

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the impact a professional development program (Online Professor Certificate Program, OPCP) had on teaching online in higher education— specifically, the impact on faculty members’ teaching presence. The conceptual and theoretical model utilized the community of inquiry framework and both critical theory and transformational learning theory. This case study used data from various sources, including questionnaires, content analysis, and interviews. The overall results indicate that the OPCP had some impact on teaching presence, but not as much as anticipated. The study found that faculty who completed the OPCP were more engaged in their online classes than those who …

Enterprise Resource Planning In Higher Education: A Comparative Case Study, Aaron Charles Marterer

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Case study research on enterprise systems in higher education organizations has shown that the challenges associated with implementing enterprise systems in higher education occur when unique organizational characteristics found in universities do not align with the standard characteristics built into the software programs. Based on such findings, the purpose of this study was to further explore the interaction between higher education organizations and enterprise systems during Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations in order to gain insight into the effects of ERP implementations in higher education. Through the theoretical lens of actor-network theory, the purposes of this comparative case study at …