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Pedagogical Development For Non-Degreed Career And Technical Education Adjunct Faculty: A Phenomenological Study, Robert M. Huffman Mar 2024

Pedagogical Development For Non-Degreed Career And Technical Education Adjunct Faculty: A Phenomenological Study, Robert M. Huffman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study is to explore how non-degreed career and technical adjunct faculty members nourish their pedagogical skillsets so that they can teach at the community college level. Throughout this research study, nourishment of pedagogical skillsets is generally defined as professional development. The theories guiding this study are Mezirow’s transformational learning theory as it focuses on transitioning into a new role, and Tinto’s theory of dropout, as it focuses on persistence and success. This qualitative study employs Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenology research design. The qualitative research design was chosen due to the nature of the purpose …


Interactive Textbooks: A Study On The Effects On Learning Gains And Course Grades Among Community College Minority Students, Victoria C. Brower Aug 2022

Interactive Textbooks: A Study On The Effects On Learning Gains And Course Grades Among Community College Minority Students, Victoria C. Brower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study is to examine whether the use of interactive e-textbooks by community college minority students makes a difference in academic outcomes (as measured by final course test grades) and if the use of interactive textbooks could lead to course completion and terminal degrees. This study adds to the existing literature insight into alternative methods of increasing learning and developing positive attitudes among minorities in the community college setting. The sample population included minority students enrolled in a government class attending a community college in an urban area in South Florida. There were N = …


Examining The Experiences That Promoted Completion: A Phenomenological Study Of Single-Parent Community College Students In Noncredit Programs, Esther Campbell Nov 2021

Examining The Experiences That Promoted Completion: A Phenomenological Study Of Single-Parent Community College Students In Noncredit Programs, Esther Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences that promoted completion among single-parent students who completed a noncredit program at a community college in East Texas named Pine Tree College (PTC). The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s (1975) theory of student departure as it explains experiences that lead a student to dropout of higher education and not persist to completion. The student departure theory (Tinto, 1975) provided the theoretical framework for the study to answer the central research question and sub-questions: (a) What are the experiences that support noncredit program completion among single-parents in the …


The Effects Of Embedded Orientation On Online Developmental Mathematics Students' Performance In Community College: A Causal-Comparative Study, William Randal Swenson Nov 2021

The Effects Of Embedded Orientation On Online Developmental Mathematics Students' Performance In Community College: A Causal-Comparative Study, William Randal Swenson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students in developmental mathematics courses exhibit poor pass rates. This problem is exaggerated for traditionally aged online community college learners, who frequently demonstrate few self-regulatory skills. Self-regulated learners are intrinsically motivated, plan for success, monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning. These learners are significantly more likely to pass and eventually graduate. Self-regulatory skills can be taught through direct instruction and reflection over a protracted learning experience. This form of instruction was attempted using an embedded orientation in online developmental mathematics courses at a community college. Embedded orientations provide consistent training, opportunities for socialization, and increased instructor-to-learner interaction within …


A Phenomenological Study Of Instructors’ Experiences With Receiving And Utilizing Student Feedback In Online Course, Stanley T. Triplett Apr 2021

A Phenomenological Study Of Instructors’ Experiences With Receiving And Utilizing Student Feedback In Online Course, Stanley T. Triplett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how community college online course instructors at a large community college in the Deep South experience students’ feedback to reevaluate course quality and instruction. The central question of the study regarded how community college online instructors experience receiving and engaging with student evaluations. The theory guiding this study was Knowles’s theory of andragogy as it provides a framework for understanding adult learning, including those of adult learners in community college contexts as well as those instructors receiving and responding to student evaluations of teaching. A total of 11 instructors …


Community College Academic Advising: A Study Of Effects On Gpa, Retention, And Engagement, Christy Lynn Genova Jun 2020

Community College Academic Advising: A Study Of Effects On Gpa, Retention, And Engagement, Christy Lynn Genova

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although research shows the utilization of advising services can impact academic performance and provide students with a point of connection to postsecondary institutions, the effect of advising services in the experiences of traditional-aged college student attending community colleges has only recently been explored. This causal-comparative research study was designed to address the gap in literature concerning the use and effectiveness of academic advising services in community colleges. The study included a convenience sample of 99 community college students, between the ages of 18 and 24 years, from a small community college. Participants completed an online version of the Community College …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Inquiry Of First-Generation Community College Students’ Experiences, Jean Marky Leandre Apr 2020

A Transcendental Phenomenological Inquiry Of First-Generation Community College Students’ Experiences, Jean Marky Leandre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the United States, 36% of community college enrollments are comprised of first-generation students (FGCS); however, little is known about FGCS as a cohort. Various initiatives have been formulated to encourage success among students with constraints related to social capital, bandwidth recovery, and the education system. The purpose of this phenomenological study aimed to understand the experiences of FGCS in community colleges in the Northeast region of the United States. FGCS are defined as students whose parents did not graduate from college with at least a bachelor’s degree. This study addressed student experiences—including social interactions—that impacted academic achievement positively or …


A Phenomenology Examining The Lived Experiences Of Student Mothers At Community College, Christine Renee Simon Apr 2020

A Phenomenology Examining The Lived Experiences Of Student Mothers At Community College, Christine Renee Simon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of student mothers in the community college learning environment. Nationally, there are almost five million college students who are parenting a child under age 18, and in Texas, the number is one in four (Galasso, Harris & Sasser-Bray, 2018; Institute for Women’s Policy Research [IWPR], 2017; Noll, Reichlin, & Gault, 2017). Self-determination theory (SDT) by Deci and Ryan (2000, 2008) guided this inquiry by providing the lens to examine the lived experiences of student mothers. The central research question was: What is the lived experience of student …


Community College Completion: The Predictive Relationship Between Placement Scores And Graduation, Lisa Martin Sep 2018

Community College Completion: The Predictive Relationship Between Placement Scores And Graduation, Lisa Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlative study was designed to investigate the relationship between the entry placement-test scores of community college students as measured by the ACT® COMPASS® placement exams and the students’ successful completion of a degree or certificate program at a technical (community) college in South Carolina. The study was of importance, for it was designed to determine if ACT® COMPASS® placement test scores can predict graduation from a degree or certificate program in the subject college’s programs of study. The study will utilize archival data available in the college’s retention-management system. The selected college is a mid-sized institution that enrolls …


Employee Perceptions Of Succession Planning Within Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Matthew Swanson Jun 2018

Employee Perceptions Of Succession Planning Within Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Matthew Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Higher education institutions provide programs and services in support of personal, professional, and community development. The positive impact of higher education is threatened by the imminent departures of experienced employees responsible for implementing institutional programs and services. Research suggests succession planning assists organizations in responding to the potential departures of experienced employees while successfully serving stakeholders, yet a majority of higher education institutions do not possess adequate succession planning programs. Employee perceptions are essential to developing and evaluating programs, however, there is currently a lack of available insight into employee perceptions pertaining to succession planning within the field of higher …


A Phenomenological Study Of Military Veteran Student Attrition At Western Virginia Community Colleges, Gordon Cavendish Sep 2017

A Phenomenological Study Of Military Veteran Student Attrition At Western Virginia Community Colleges, Gordon Cavendish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of “discontinued enrollment” for military veteran students at western Virginia community colleges. The theory guiding this study was Schlossberg’s (1981) transition theory, as the military veteran students were in transition from the military to the community college. The research questions were, how did military veterans describe their experiences at the community college, and what factors did military veterans identify as influencing their decision to discontinue enrollment? The methodology chosen was transcendental phenomenology which followed a focused structure and data collection methods including interviews, a questionnaire, member checks, and collection …


Correlation Of Local Unemployment Rates And North Carolina Community College Enrollments, Scott Mckinney May 2017

Correlation Of Local Unemployment Rates And North Carolina Community College Enrollments, Scott Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effect of business cycles, as evidenced by local unemployment rates, on individual community colleges needs to be understood so that public resources can be used to strategically align the supply and demand of educational opportunities. A countercyclical relationship indicates the ability to serve citizens may be most restricted during economic downturns when demand is highest. A quantitative Pearson product-moment correlation design was used in this study to determine the magnitude and strength of the relationship of local unemployment rates and enrollments from 1990 through 2016 in North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. Total full-time enrollment in three main categories of …