Education Commons^™

The Impact Of Institutional Merit Aid On Student Enrollment And Persistence, Richard Scott Verzyl

Theses and Dissertations

Institutional merit-based financial aid awards are widely utilized by enrollment management practitioners to attract and retain students desired by the institution and to increase net tuition revenue. While much research has been conducted on federal need-based aid and statewide merit aid, relatively few studies have been conducted on merit aid awarded at the institutional level. This study sought to contribute to the literature by examining the effect of institutional merit aid on initial enrollment as well as student persistence at a large public research university located in the Southeastern United States. A quasi-experimental design was used to study two nearly …

The Salvation Of The Africana Child: Via The Role Of The Black Woman In Educational Leadership, Tamara S. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Black Women principals have unique experiences that they have lived that influence the way they lead schools. Strong and committed leadership creates school environments where children can thrive.

This study illuminated the connectivity of race, class, and gender to the lived experiences of Black Women principals according to the Africana Womanism paradigm set forth by Dr. Clenora Hudson-Weems (2020). The question my research sought to answer was: How do the lived experiences, as they relate to race, class, and gender, of Black Women principals impact the way they lead? The sub-question for the study was: How do the lived experiences …

Uniquely Persistent: Examining The Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Who Attend Multiple Institutions, Susannah Waldrop

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s college student has a wide variety of enrollment choices and is increasingly choosing different routes to degree completion. The purpose of this research is to understand the experiences of students who attend multiple universities (more than two) during their undergraduate enrollment to better understand the reasons behind their decisions. Nine students participated and shared their college journey. Using narrative inquiry to analyze their interviews, their unique stories through higher education unfold and provide insight into how these students could be better helped on campus. Schlossberg’s (1981, 1984, 2011) transition theory and the 4 S System provided a theoretical framework …

Perceptions Of Gifted Male Underperformance, Laura Bryant Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The underperformance of gifted students is a concern facing all educators. Having students who do not work up to their potential, who make grades lower than test scores show they could, and who choose to focus on other interests instead of academics are issues that occur in many schools. This study sought to learn the perceptions of educational leader in regard to this underperformance. The Palmer Model, a proposed intervention plan, was developed based on a Response to Intervention (RtI) model using a 3-tier intervention approach. Using online questionnaires and focus groups, perceptions were examined and critiques of the proposed …

Examining The Relationship Between School Policing Behaviors And The Depressive Symptoms Experienced By Black Students, Collin Perryman

Theses and Dissertations

The school policing literature has two major themes: (a) the negative safety outcomes of school safety (Gottfredson et al., 2020) and (b) the central role that school police play in placing Black students into the school-to-prison-nexus (Morris, 2016; Turner & Beneke, 2020). The study of school police roles, how school police interact with educators, and the safety effects of school police presence is important. Just as important is knowing the mental health effects of physical and nonphysical school policing behaviors on Black students. This dissertation sought to fill this gap in part by studying the relationship between school police behaviors …

Examining The Effects Of A Well-Being Therapy Protocol On Sexual Minority Individuals’ Psychological Well-Being, Thomas M. Toomey

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals are at higher risk of mental health concerns than heterosexual individuals due to the impacts of minority stress. Previous counseling interventions for sexual minority individuals have focused on pathology and reducing negative symptoms. However, there is a need for more empirical counseling interventions that address these disparities from a positive psychology perspective. Utilizing a multiple baseline single case research design, the current study examined the impact of a wellbeing therapy protocol for improving the psychological well-being and decreasing depressive symptoms for three sexual minority individuals. There was no functional relationship observed for the Well-Being Therapy protocol on …

Inlet: Counter-Storytelling, Arts-Based Research, And The Disruption Of Popular Culture’S Portrayals Of Two-Year Colleges, Erin H. York

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employed arts-based research design and critical race theory’s method of counter-storytelling to 1) challenge the deficit-based discourse about two-year colleges, most commonly known as junior, community, and technical colleges, that is present in popular culture, and to 2) embrace community cultural wealth at two-year colleges. The study takes the form of arts-based research through the design of the novel, Inlet, where each chapter explores thematically aspects of two-year colleges’ community cultural wealth. Previous studies on the effect of popular culture’s portrayals of two-year colleges confirmed students, faculty, staff, and various other stakeholders held harmful stereotypes and biases against …

Influencing The School Leadership Pipeline: The Attributes And Readiness Of Principals To Mentor Their Assistant Principals, Megan C. Carrero

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the complexities and challenges faced by principals on a daily basis, the literature posits that mentoring can be impactful to the individual mentee, as well as the potential benefits to the system in which they serve (Gross, 2009). While the benefits of mentoring are reviewed from the perspective of psychosocial development (Mertz, 2004), professional development (Gray et al., 2007), career development (Williams et al., 2009), the topic of readiness for principal mentoring is lacking in the literature. This study is a qualitative interview study conducted with five middle school principals and five middle school assistant principals in South Carolina. …

A Case Study Of Rural Southern Desegregation: How Black Students In A South Carolina Community Experienced Segregated Schooling And The Integration Process, Margo Mcdowell Gore

Theses and Dissertations

My purpose for this study is to shed light on how the African-American community in a small Southern rural community experienced segregated schools and the long school desegregation process. Conflicts over school integration in urban centers like Little Rock drew the media's attention, but how small communities beyond the glare of the media fared is less well understood and documented. Archival data and contemporary media coverage provide a timeline and context for the experiences of this Black community, and oral history interviews were collected and analyzed to document the range of desegregation experiences.

Although the Brown v. Board of Education …

“Forward—Upward—On!”: Black Student And Educator Experiences In The Early Years Of School District Five Of Lexington And Richland Counties, Charles A. Holden

Theses and Dissertations

This research utilized historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and oral history to document and analyze Black educational experiences in the Chapin, Dutch Fork, and Irmo communities during segregation and desegregation. Archival materials from the local school district offered insight into district leaders’ attitudes towards Richlex, the only public school available to the area’s Black students between 1953 and 1966, as well as the conditions that district leaders created for Black students and educators. Former students’ stories were centered in both the examination of what the local Black communities accomplished in spite of the unequal conditions of the segregated era and in …

For Colored Girls Who Have Experienced Institutional Racism Because The Discipline Code Is Not Enuf: Principals And Assistant Principals, School Discipline Policies, And Discipline Disparities Faced By Black Girls, Lecinda R. Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

For many years, school discipline has been a research focus, particularly the disparities in discipline between Black and White males. Black girls are suspended at a rate that is 5.3 times that of White girls and approximately the same rate as Black boys. Black girls represent the fastest growing group of students who receive discipline disparities. The goal of this case study was to explore if and how principals and assistant principals contribute to discipline disparities faced by Black girls. I discussed the lived experiences of high school administrators to capture their encounters with race, gender, and the implementation of …

Secret To Success: A Survey Of The University Of South Carolina Student Success Center, Lilian Mitchell

Senior Theses

This paper seeks to survey the practices of the Student Success Center (SSC) at the University of South Carolina (USC) and show the effectiveness of those practices. Through the analysis of the history of student success in higher education, current literature on student success, and the 2020- 2021 Blueprint for the SSC at USC, it is clear that the SSC has developed a successful and effective method of guaranteeing student success on USC’s campus. At USC, the main focus is on Supplemental Instruction, Peer Tutoring, and Academic Coaching (a.k.a. Success Consultations). By setting goals and measuring the outcome of those …

Conditional Cash Transfer Program Design: A Case Study Of Parent Educational Attitudes And Experiences In One Honduran Village, Karsen Ward

Senior Theses

In Honduras and other countries globally, there is a large gap to fill in school enrolment and attendance before the Sustainable Development Goal of universal quality education can be achieved. One method that has grown in popularity over the past couple of decades is the use of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs, which serve to incentivize families in the relevant educational area of need. In Honduras, students still need to be encouraged to enroll in and regularly attend school, so this is what is primarily incentivized. The literature review of this paper compiles the takeaways of a variety of existing …

Applying The Comprehensive Evaluation Of Return-On-Talent-Investment Model (Certi) In Higher Education, Mazen Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

Economic turmoil has forced higher education institutions (HEI) to reduce expenditures in many areas, including human resource operations such as talent development. Before considering these cuts, HEI should conduct robust assessments of their efficacy, including whether they generate more revenue than they cost to administer. These assessments were critical contextually as state divestment in higher education and mounting public pressure against tuition hikes forced HEI to heavily rely on external funding sources, which became essential in these economically uncertain times. This three-article dissertation critically examined existing evaluation methodologies of a type of talent development initiative, faculty research development (FRD) programs, …

Experiences Of Five Women Presidents In Higher Education: A Narrative Study, Mary Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has demonstrated that leaders aspiring to become women college presidents encounter many barriers, including gender-based leadership barriers. In higher education, women hold more degrees than men; however, women account for only 30 percent of all college and university presidencies. As the total number of women earning doctoral degrees and hired into faculty positions within the academy increases, the overall gap of the genders begins to narrow (Flaherty, 2016), and women are hired into lower status instructor positions compared to their male counterparts who are in tenured or tenure track position.

Even in presidential positions, women leaders face challenges …

A Study Of Prosocial Behavior, Workplace Civility, And Work Engagement Among Employees In Higher Education, Shelley Haddock Dempsey

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative research study examined the relationship between prosocial behavior, work engagement, and workplace civility among higher education professionals. The specific university employees it studied were student affairs staff, academic affairs administrators, and faculty. Responses to a survey by a national random sample allowed the researcher to determine the relationship between a respondent’s prosocial nature and both their workplace civility and their work engagement. In the end, all three hypotheses were supported by the data: (a) prosocial behavior scores of student affairs staff and academic affairs administrators are higher than those of faculty, (b) the prosocial behavior scores were positively …

The Relationship Between Enabling District Structure And Principal Self-Efficacy In South Carolina, Justin Lee Nutter

Theses and Dissertations

The role of the school principal is ever expanding in both scope and complexity. School districts must consider how to recruit, develop and retain principals to lead their schools. Principal self-efficacy (PSE) is primal to the leader’s overall positive effect on teaching and learning, yet the antecedents of PSE are not fully defined. This quantitative study used social cognitive theory to investigate the potential influence of enabling district structure (EDS) on the development of PSE within South Carolina public-school principals. Due to increased focus on consolidation of the state’s schools, the study also explored the potential relationship between EDS and …

The Corridor Of Shame: An Immersed Analysis Of South Carolina Schools, Darren R. Burton

Senior Theses

This research project discusses school funding instruments of rural and urban schools in South Carolina and uncovers its effect on student academic achievement. Educational achievement is assessed based on report card datasets between 2018 and 2019, containing South Carolina Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) score data and South Carolina College and Career Ready Assessment (SCREADY) score data. This research project uses a comparative analysis to evaluate each group’s performance in the subjects of English Language Arts and science. The statistical analysis tools that this research project uses include analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression analysis, and Microsoft Power BI. The …

A Historical Analysis Of U.S.-Based Study Abroad Program Providers, Chrissie Faupel

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the emergence and development of study abroad program providers as a distinct model of study abroad program through archival research and interviews. This particular focus will allow scholars and international educators to understand how program providers emerged, evolved, and responded to the changing nature of education abroad. The combination lock theory and institutional theory provide a lens through which we can reconstruct the historical underpinnings of study abroad program providers. There is scant research on the historical aspects of the development of program providers. In this way, this research offers scholarly significance. …

Collegiate And Post-Undergraduate Experiences Among African American Stem Alumni At The University Of South Carolina, Baindu Nallo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to explore the undergraduate and post-undergraduate experiences of African American STEM alumni from the University of South Carolina from a strengths-perspective. The method utilized for this qualitative study was phenomenological analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 African American alumni who graduated between 2010 and 2020 and majored in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). Critical Race Theory and community cultural wealth served as theoretical frameworks for this research. The findings indicate that African American students: 1) want to smoothly transition from high school to college curriculum being equally exposed to collegiate materials at the high …

Program Evaluation Of A Middle School Stem/Steam Program, Warren Richard Wintrode

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with the Obama administration’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign in 2009, integrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs have flourished in our nation’s schools. Designed to increase the number of STEM professionals in the workforce and contribute to the United States’ continued viability in the global economy, these programs promote inquiry-based, technology-driven learning in collaborative, cross-curricular projects. Some schools have added art, and liberal arts, to the curriculum, making them STEAM programs. Middle schools are a popular home for STEM and STEAM programs, serving as the connective tissue in the K-12 STEM/STEAM “pipeline.” To date, there have been relatively …

Silent Sam And Saunders Hall: Protests And Reactions At The University Of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Brienne Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Universities across the country have been forced to confront how they remember and memorialize the past on their campuses as students and community members protest building names and statues. This qualitative case study used Bolman and Deal’s four-frame theory as a framework to understand the response to protests at one school, the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. The fourframes provided insight into the complexities surrounding the changing of the name of Saunders Hall to Carolina Hall and the controversy surrounding the Confederate Monument known as Silent Sam. The symbolic frame was most evident in the conflicting meaning of symbols. …

Pathways To Degree Completion Of Female Nontraditional Students: The Role Of Institutional Intervention At A Public Four-Year Research Institution, Mary Hutto Hahn

Theses and Dissertations

Female nontraditional students are returning to undergraduate studies in increasing numbers. Limited research has been conducted about how female nontraditional undergraduate students enrolled in public four-year research institutions perceive their educational experience. This qualitative interview study describes the lived experiences of female nontraditional students enrolled in undergraduate studies at one four-year public research institution located in the southeastern United States. The phenomenological design captures the distinct personal experiences of the study’s participants within the study site and helps to answer to the study’s overarching research focus: How do female nontraditional undergraduate students perceive their experiences at a public four-year research …

Experiences Of College Students In Addiction Recovery: A Critical Case Study, Dory E. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the lived experiences of college students in addiction recovery. Critical ethnographic case study was used to challenge existing paradigms and educational practices regarding students in recovery. The lived experiences of this population are described to share their stories and work towards better policy solutions to the U.S. college drug epidemic.

Bridging The Transition To School: An Action Research Study, Susan Bates Hill

Theses and Dissertations

For over 50 years, school readiness has been a concern of educators and policymakers. In 1965, the Head Start program was “conceived as part of the ‘war on poverty’ to provide children from less affluent backgrounds with the kinds of experiences that other children were more likely to receive in the home” (Coley, 2002, p.8). Federal and state legislation continues to be enacted with the hope the inequities will be addressed. Ladson-Billings (2007) asserts the rigor of the standards is intended to appease the middle class. Exploring unique ways to transition a child from home to school should be of …

Examining The Experiences Of Retained Non-Rural Teachers Serving In High-Turnover Rural School Districts, Whitney Leigh Prowell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe factors and conditions necessary to retain non-rural public school teachers in high-turnover rural districts in South Carolina. Research on retaining non-rural teachers in rural districts is scarce. This phenomenological interview study describes rural teaching experiences from the perspective of non-rural teachers and provides insight into factors that influence the decision-making of non-rural teachers regarding continued employment in their district.

Data was gathered from interviews with 11 participants. South Carolina was selected because it is a highly rural state with a severe teacher shortage. A phenomenological design helped to answer the study‘s overarching …

Effects Of Federal And State Bullying Laws On Religiously Affiliated Schools, Dawn W. Hiller

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative multiple case study of two religious-affiliated, independent schools in Trippler, South Carolina. The topic of this study is Effects of Federal and State Bullying Laws on Religiously Affiliated Schools. The research was comprised of open-ended questions posed to individuals involved in the disciplinary actions of the students at the two schools.

This study shows that the religious-affiliated, independent schools consult many different entities to develop and formulate their policies. As both schools stated, their handbook of policies is a living document that can and will change as society changes, necessitating the evolution of their policies. They …

Getting To Graduation: The Journey Of Low-Income Black Females In The Community College, Rosline M. Sumpter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the journey to college completion for low-income Black females enrolled at the community college. Specifically, this phenomenological interview study sought to understand how low-income Black females define academic success and how the intersectionality of their racial/ethnic, gender, and social class identities promote or hinder their journey to college completion.

Data were gathered from interviews with 13 participants from three community colleges in South Carolina. A phenomenological design helped to answer three research questions: 1) How do low-income Black females in the community college describe and make sense of their journey to college …

Secondary School Administrators' Preparation As An Lea Representative In South Carolina, Chastity B. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has suggested that many principals are underprepared and that some lack any background from coursework and field experience which may be required to exert strong leadership in special education (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003; DiPaola, Tschannen-Moran, & Walther-Thomas, 2004), but the number of students receiving special services is on the rise. The purpose of this research study is to determine how secondary school administrators are prepared to make legally and ethically defensible decisions as the authorized LEA representative.

If school administrators are expected to be effective in their role as the authorized LEA representative, it is vital that they …

Soldier To Student: Understanding The Transition Experiences Of Veterans From The Military To Community College, Alexander T. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between the U.S. military and higher education is one that is unlike any other. As the United States’ economy continues to transition more towards a knowledge-based economy every year, students, especially veterans, are continually faced with the realization that a degree of higher education of some sort is arguably a necessity in order to survive. Data shows that community colleges attract the largest number of veterans compared to other types of institutions including four-year and for-profit colleges and universities (Wheeler, 2012). At 43%, community colleges are the preferred option for veterans across the United States (Wheeler, 2012).

As …