Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Self-Regulated Learning On Community College Students Metacognition, Motivation And Achievement In Geoscience Courses, Melani A. Loney

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of training in self-regulated learning on community college, geoscience students’ achievement, metacognition, time management, and science motivation scales. The study also investigated the impact of SRL training on these outcomes as a function of gender and ethnicity. During the Fall of 2022, 70 community college geoscience students from 9 different classes participated in the study. The classes were bifurcated with one half of the students in each class randomly assigned to the SRL treatment and the other half to the control condition. Each week, for 10 weeks during the semester, students in the treatment group …

Emotional Intelligence In Difficult Decision-Making: A Multiple-Case Study Of Community College Academic Deans, Ekaterina Kalinina Brooks

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The decisions made by leaders noticeably impact employee morale and influence the fulfillment of the organizational mission. However, making decisions can be challenging when options are complex and involve multiple risks and benefits. Navigating such decisions in an era of technology when decisions are more transparent than ever before can be particularly difficult for academic deans in community colleges. These mid-level administrators often face internal conflicts stemming from the nature of their positions, campus politics, and the challenge of working between the competing interests of faculty and senior leaders.

Over the last three decades, research has pointed out that strong …

Relationship Between Learning Communities And Campus Residency On Sense Of Belonging Among First Year Undergraduates, Lanah Kathryn Stafford

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

In higher education, sense of belonging has been linked to improved outcomes such as retention and academic achievement (e,g., Pittman & Richmond, 2007). Previous research has also identified participation in learning communities and campus residency as interventions which improve sense of belonging for students in this context (e.g., Solanki et al., 2019; Soria & Roberts, 2021). However, little research has been conducted to empirically study sense of belonging as a multidimensional construct, and no research has investigated interactions between on-campus residency and learning community participation on its development.

Data were collected from 1,072 first-year students on the Sense of Belonging …

Chinese International Graduate Student Agency In A Neo-Racism Context: A Narrative Analysis, Minghui Hou

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The United States is the top destination for Chinese international students, receiving around 372,532 students from China from the academic year 2019 to 2020. The host institutions and countries have benefited from economic gains, diverse cultures, global competence, and human capital. The motivation of recruiting international students is framed in a global imaginary that is embedded in colonialism and neoliberalism. International students are often framed as cash cows and objects. Meanwhile, international students, particularly Chinese international students have been experiencing discrimination, prejudice, and exclusion due to their nationality and culture. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to examine …

The Currency Of Teacher Trust In Working Conditions For Teacher Retention, Jeanette White

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Virginia Public schools continue to face teacher shortages, and policymakers and school leaders are desperately seeking ways to influence teachers' decisions to stay at school. This multi-site case study of seven elementary schools offers a conceptual framework to examine how teachers' trusting relationships with students and parents relate to working conditions and retention. Teacher interview excerpts, an overall measure of teacher working conditions using the Virginia Climate and Working Conditions Survey (Virginia Department of Education, 2021), and school-level descriptive statistics were analyzed to examine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of trust and other working conditions within their schools. In this …

Combining Cognitive And Noncognitive Assessments To Predict First Year Gpa And Persistence In Community College Students, David Harris Larman

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Standard assessments of cognitive ability have been the preferred method of assessing the probability of student achievement at community colleges, but there is a growing trend in the use of noncognitive factors to assess student potential. Factors related to a student’s race/ethnicity and family income have been shown to be correlated with placement tests scores and high school grades. There is a gap in the literature about the use of noncognitive measures in conjunction with standardized placement tests to predict the achievement and persistence of community college students. The purpose of this study was to examine the strength of cognitive …

Investigating The Process Of Consequential Validity With The Ambassador Questionnaire, Melissa Gayle Kuhn

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Validity in psychometrics refers to the degree to which evidence and theory supports the interpretations drawn from a test, and Messick’s Contemporary Validity Theory (1994) includes several facets with well-established evidence collection methods. However, there is a lack of consensus on appropriate methods of evaluating the facet of consequential validity, which is the degree to which interpretation of scores could have consequences for test-takers. The primary objective of this study was to illustrate a method of identifying potential consequences of survey in the stage of manual development. This method was placed in the context of the Ambassador Questionnaire (AQ) used …

Enrollment Management Strategies As A Result Of Covid-19 At Rural Community Colleges, Robin Christine Daniel

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Higher education institutions world-wide were impacted by the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning in early 2020. COVID-19 caused a disruption in services to students and resulted in pivots of teaching, learning, and student support. Community colleges differ from four-year counterparts through varying student demographics, funding sources, mission and foci, and student intentions. Community college enrollment is affected by economic, employment, and social trends. Enrollment management practices changes as campus operations for student support changed to remote support. COVID-19 forced administrators at colleges to make quick decisions. This study examined the perceptions of academic administrators at rural community colleges regarding how …

Human Resource Officer's Perspectives On Recruitment And Hiring Practices Of Diverse Candidates, Tara Kelton Mcdaniel

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

A wealth of research supports the positive impact minority teachers have on all students, but especially minority students. Benefits include an increase in academic achievement, an increase in educational engagement, and an overall sense of self-efficacy and autonomy. Unfortunately minority teachers and teachers of color are significantly underrepresented in the United States teaching workforce compared to their White counterparts. Challenges for diversifying the teaching workforce include historical factors of racism and suppression, the Whiteness of educator preparation programs as the prevailing ideology, and the presence of toxic work environment conditions during field placements and employment. While many historical and contemporary …

Undergraduate Classroom Incivility From The Faculty Perspective, Erin M. Bunton

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Classroom disruption, more recently referred to as civility, changes the in-person classroom experience. This study investigated the impact of gender, race, age, and teaching experience on faculty perceptions of classroom incivility.

Faculty at a large, public institution in the Southeastern United States participated in the research for this study. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to understand the relationship between the demographic variables of the participants and their perception of classroom incivility.

Study findings yielded significant results, with positive relationships between the demographic variables and perception of classroom incivility. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Faculty Member Experiences When Identifying And Addressing Prohibited Speech In The Classroom, Scott Jeffrey Bye

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe faculty member experiences related to identifying and addressing prohibited speech in the classroom. The researcher studied faculty members at University of North Carolina (UNC) system institutions using a multiple case study research approach based on the constructivist paradigm. For the purposes of this study, prohibited speech was defined as behaviors that fall into any category deemed not protected or prohibited in case law by the Supreme Court of the United States. These prohibited behaviors included Harassment, Obscenity, Defamation/Libel, Incitement, and True Threats.

Researchers found that faculty members are unable to determine if …

Exploring The Incongruence Between Traditional Neo-Managerial Norms, The Science Of Learning, And The Goals Of Social Justice: A Phenomenological Study Of Educators Lived Experiences Inside This Paradox, Donica Ouckama Hadley

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

While some scholars have critiqued the continued dominance of scientific management on how we conceptualize and run schools (Cuban, 1990; Myran & Sutherland, 2019; Tyack & Cuban, 1995), it remains the dominant paradigm, and even with some surface level structural changes, these have had little impact on the undergirding theories that shape the field (Clandinin & Connelly, 1998; Cuban 2012, Tyack & Cuban, 1995). However, what is particularly troubling, is that scientific management as the dominant theory of action is more grounded in principles of efficiency and uniformity than principles of human agency, learning, equity, and social justice, and therefore …

Examining Motivation As A Mechanism For The Effects Of Stereotype Threat On Stem Outcomes: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis, Delaram A. Totonchi

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Although African-American students start STEM majors with higher levels of interest compared to their racial majority peers, they drop out of these majors at higher rates. One often tested explanation for this racial disparity is stereotype threat–the anxiety related to being judged stereotypically or the fear of confirming such stereotypes. Stereotype threat negatively impacts academic outcomes through a variety of psychological mechanisms including declined motivation. Accordingly, in this study, I examined expectancy-value beliefs as motivational mechanisms for the effects of stereotype threat on STEM outcomes. Participants were 362 African-American students in introductory chemistry and biology courses who completed surveys at …

Creating A Culture Of Informal Mentoring At Community Colleges: Conditions That Strengthen And Weaken Relationships And Students' Structural Resiliency, Sharon Mcmahon

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Informal mentoring relationships that develop out of frequent and meaningful interaction with faculty and staff are powerful tools that can help community college students persist and succeed in achieving not only their educational goals but their future economic mobility as well (Komosa-Hawkins, 2012; Phillippo, 2010; Zimmerman et al., 2002). Students are more likely to be successful when they can identify and interact with someone on campus who they relate to, can count on for support, and who affirms their sense of belonging (Rendón, 1994).

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to identify conditions conducive to the development of …

The Effects Of Self-Regulated Learning Training On Teachers’ Self-Regulated Learning, Self-Efficacy For Teaching, And Perceived Instructional Effectiveness In Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments, Melissa Quackenbush

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The effects of training on teachers’ self-regulated learning (SRL), self-efficacy for teaching, and perceived instructional effectiveness in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments were investigated. Participants were 80 K-12 teachers who had recently transitioned to teaching in a CSCL environment when schools closed in response to the COVID- 19 pandemic. The researcher also explored how teachers use SRL skills in their learning and instruction. Training consisted of weekly collaborative meetings addressing pedagogy and technology connections. Participants in the treatment group received explicit training in SRL and practice applying concepts to their learning and instruction. Participants in both group conditions engaged in …

Supplemental Instruction, Calibration, And Self-Efficacy: A Path Model Analysis, Jennifer Leigh Grimm

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Many students preparing for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are unable to persist past entry-level courses to complete their college degrees. As a result, many higher education institutions have implemented intervention programs, like Supplemental Instruction (SI), to help students master course content and gain the self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors necessary for success in challenging STEM courses. Numerous studies have demonstrated that SI attendance is correlated with improved course grades; however, few studies have examined the effect of SI attendance on students’ SRL behaviors, like self-efficacy and calibration, which may explain students’ academic achievement throughout …

Punctuations In Life: Exploring The Developmental Journeys Of Campus Tradition Builders, Preston Scott Reilly

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Campus traditions are powerful vehicles that can shape college life (Cowley & Waller, 1979). Students foster smaller identities through their involvement in traditions on campus, and these traditions often ritualize coming-of-age or the start of American adulthood (Bronner, 2012). However, the climate of higher education today may be putting campus traditions and the purposes they achieve at risk. Often mistaken as frivolous and unnecessary parts of campus life (Manning 1994), these critical meaning-shaping events could fall prey to cost-cutting and downsizing as college campuses continue to evolve.

Guided by narrative analysis methods described by Patton (2002) and the Standard Life …

Community College Students' Deep Learning Approaches In Oer Courses, Kim Ellen Grewe

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to bridge the gap for community college students not only because they are more affordable or provide access but also because they have the potential to make learning more meaningful for these same students. Although issues related to access and affordability have been extensively researched, less is known about the ways in which OER use may impact community college students’ deep approaches to learning. More qualitative research around OER efficacy from the student perspective is needed. The purpose of this study was to describe the ways students use OER and how students’ OER …

The Use Of Non-Cognitives And Learning Strategies As A Predictor For Completion Of Developmental Mathematics At A Community College, Megan Healy

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With a large global, national, state, and local drive for post-secondary credentials, higher education institutes are exploring new retention and graduation strategies to meet the needs of the employers and employees. Many students who are unprepared for college level work will enter a community college to take developmental courses. Developmental mathematics has been a large barrier to completion and success in community college.

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of non-cognitive traits to predict persistence in completion of a developmental math sequence at a community college. Non-cognitive traits were identified from the three components of strategic …

Academic Engagement: The Impact Of Personal, Cultural, And School Factors On African American Student Academic Effort, Ruth Alisha Jenkins Hill

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Using the cultural-ecological and the personal perspective theory, this study examined the relationship of sociological and psychological factors on academic effort. This research used multiple linear regression analyses and data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 to examine the extent to which personal, cultural, and school structural variables predict academic effort among a sample of 10th grade African American students.

African American students' personal perceptions characterizing their belief in the importance of education, their value of schooling, and their desire for higher learning were strongly correlated with academic effort. The results also indicated parental involvement and parental aspirations played …

College Student Adjustment And Health Behaviors, Lisa Anne Hall

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between student adjustment theory and college student health behaviors. Specifically, this research examined first-year freshmen college student physical activity and nutrition behaviors and impact on adjustment to college (N = 37,564). The design for this study was a non-experimental ex post facto examination of archival data provided by the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II survey, spanning academic years 2008 through 2009. The main variables in this study included student physical activity and nutrition behaviors. Baker and Siryk's student adjustment theory was used as a theoretical framework to identify survey questions related …