Education Commons^™

Socioeconomic Status And Study Abroad: Participation, Academic Performance, And Graduation, Steven Douglas Bell

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Research into retention, academic performance, and degree completion of study abroad program participants positively correlates with the assertion of Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, and Associates (2005) that study abroad is a high-impact educational activity. Literature on study abroad participation, academic performance, and graduation status is limited. This quantitative study adds to the literature on study abroad, and specifically examines to what extent participation, academic performance, and graduation at four and six years for study abroad students differ by socioeconomic status.

Resiliency Of Community College Students With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Laura Elizabeth Brogden

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as defined by Drs. Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda are prevalent in the general population of the United States. These childhood traumas are strongly related to risky behaviors and poor health outcomes. The results of childhood stress may influence students at community colleges. This study of community college students with identified adverse childhood experiences will describe their perceived experiences in community colleges as they relate to their success and completion. This study is done in a framework of resilience in order to identify factors which may be influential in students’ progress and completion. Keywords: community college, …

Two-Year And Four-Year Tertiary Education: Measuring Human Capital Effects On Economic Growth In Developing And Developed Countries With The Uzawa-Lucas Model, Darryl M. Tyndorf

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Tertiary education is believed to be a driver of economic development through the relationship between human capital development and economic output. Global massification efforts of tertiary education have led to increased global demand. Countries with limited tertiary education systems, like developing countries, have employed policies to increase domestic tertiary education opportunities instead of sending students abroad. Many tertiary education policies have focused on importing tertiary education from countries with established tertiary education systems. Import efforts first emphasized university models, but limited success prompted the import of more flexible short-cycle education modeled after the United States’ community college system. Limited empirical …

A Preliminary Study Investigating Motivational Factors Influencing Part-Time Faculty To Seek Employment At Community Colleges, Philip Eugene Pons Jr.

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the motivational factors influencing part-time faculty employment within the community college through the perspective of the part-time faculty. The study was guided by the question “What are the motivational factors given by part-time faculty for seeking employment at the community college?” Further, the study examined these motivational factors for differences influenced by ages, gender, and employment status. A survey was distributed to a random sample of part-time faculty members at a community college in the Southeastern United States. Participants were asked to respond to some categorical demographic questions and scaler questions …

Relationships Among Student Identity Development, Sense Of Community, And Academic Adjustment In Community College Distance Learners, Lorrie Coe-Meade

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Student identity development is an important aspect of college life for traditional age college students and may influence learning. Sense of community in online courses may also promote learning. A non-experimental, correlational research design was used to determine how student identity development and sense of community independently and together predict academic adjustment. Traditional-age students, 18-25, from ten rural-serving, suburban-serving, or urban-serving community colleges in a Southeastern state in the United States who had taken distance learning courses and a minimum of twelve credits were administered three survey instruments during spring or fall semester. The Student Developmental Task & Lifestyle Assessment …

Experiences Affecting Associate Degree In Nursing Program Graduates’ Decisions To Pursue A Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Degree, David P. Bartos

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research study explored those experiences that influenced associate degree in nursing (ADN) graduates’ decisions to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) after they had graduated from a two year nursing program at a state community college in a Southeast region state. The research design used was phenomenological research tradition, using semi-structured interviews to identify participants’ experiences, and Moustakas’ phenomenal data analysis to analyze the collected narrative data to determine themes from the acquired experiences. ADN registered nurses (RN) who had graduated from a specific state community college nursing program participated in this study. Life experiences …

Institutions Of Higher Education And Cultural Heritage Tourism: A Case Study Of The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, Terence Michael Gilley

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The southwest region of Virginia has an unstable economy, which cycles through periods of growth and decline. The strategic plans for southwest Virginia propose cultural heritage tourism as a sustainable industry for economic development of this rural region. Institutions of higher education provide education and training for a qualified workforce and community service. This qualitative, single case study on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail examines the roles of institutions of higher education with regard to cultural heritage tourism for sustainable community and economic development in rural areas. The data sources for this study are the administrators of …

Enhancing Apprentice Training Through Supervision Of Work Experience, J. Scott Christman

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

To remain globally competitive, U.S. companies need to consider new strategies for developing a workforce. The apprenticeship model has been identified as a viable solution for companies to invest. The problem of this study was to determine if an apprenticeship experience was enhanced by the type of supervision given during the work-related component of a program. To aid current and potential companies offering apprenticeship programs, this study identified a population of apprentices (N = 877), tracked them from entry into the program until five years after graduating, and analyzed their outcomes relative to program completion, academic GPA, work-related GPA, …

Program Standards For Establishing High Quality Postsecondary Trade And Industrial Education Programs, Beno Rubin

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The problem of this study was to develop standards that can be used as a basis for establishing high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs. There were two research objectives. These included: developing a set of program standards to be used to establish high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs and developing descriptors that can be used to assess achievement of high quality postsecondary trade and industrial education programs.

The Delphi technique was chosen for this study to generate consensus regarding the program standards. The panel of experts, comprised of postsecondary administrators of trade and industrial programs, was …

The Development Of Self-Efficacy For Trade And Industrial Career And Technical Education Teachers, Corey Mccray

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to review the development of self-efficacy for trade and industrial (T&I) teachers. Specifically, this study investigated how T&I teachers develop self-efficacy in classroom management, pedagogical practices, and content knowledge. Finally, the study reviewed key performance measures that indicate T&I teacher development of efficacious practices. Each performance measure was considered as it related to the aforementioned focus areas.

This qualitative study was informed by phenomenology. Twelve T&I teachers were interviewed in an effort to capture the essence of their experience as T&I teachers. The study was conducted at two career technical schools in Southeastern Virginia. …

The Relationship Of Three Financial Aid Appeal Interventions With Academic Progress And Student Persistence, Jeannetta Lynn Hollins

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Poor academic performance can result in financial aid suspension and can decrease the opportunity or likelihood of students continuing their college education. The objective of this preliminary quantitative study was to investigate an under-researched area of financial aid, and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal interventions, to determine whether any of the three approaches studied influenced student academic outcomes. This study was confined to one large, multi-campus community college institution. The study was conducted ex post facto, using binary logistic regression to analyze data collected over a period of four consecutive semesters.

The interventions were designed to provide an academically struggling …

Nato Educational Readiness For The Millennials, John Patrick Kelley

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed in 1949 and described as the most successful alliance in history, is facing change. By 2020, the majority of students in the NATO educational institutions will be Millennium Generation students. To best meet this student group's educational needs, changes to the delivery of educational content may be needed. This study determined how Millennial Generation characteristics may change as Millennials mature, how military service may change Millennials, confirmed the international nature of Millennial characteristics across the 28 nations of NATO and predicted the state of educational technology in 2020.

This qualitative study investigated these …

Examining Disordered Eating Amongst Sorority Women, Andrea Joy Kirk

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Eating disorders have the capability of causing significant effects on a person's psychological and physical health. The average onset of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is 19 and 20 years, respectively, making college students a vulnerable population (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). Female college students choosing to participate in Greek life are at an even greater risk for disordered eating (Basow, Foran, & Bookwala, 2007). Using semi-structured interviews and photography, this phenomenological study examined the overall experiences of 10 sorority members' lived experiences with various disordered eating behaviors as well as how these women perceived their sorority sisters' eating …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Intersection Of Sexual Orientation And Spiritual Development In The College Experience, Kevin C. Snow

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This two-phase, exploratory sequential mixed methods study explored the intersection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBQQ) sexual orientation and spiritual development for college students. The first phase entailed a phenomenological study exploring the lived experiences of LGBQQ former college students (N= 10) concerning how their sexual orientation influenced, if at all, their spiritual development during college. Findings from this qualitative phase were used to develop a quantitative instrument to explore the spiritual-sexual orientation development of college students further (N= 171). This study provides suggestions for working with LGBQQ college students for college counselors and …

Assessing A College Readiness Model For An Independent Residential School, Natalia Dorovskaya Collins

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Interest in the topic of college readiness is growing as more and more high school graduates are not prepared for college-level work (Bok, 2006, 2013; González, 2012; Pascarella, Wolniak, Pierson, & Terenzini, 2003; Professor X, 2011). Most models offering assessment of the college readiness of students concentrate strictly upon the academic part of the issue – high school GPAs, high school course titles, standardized test scores – while disregarding non-academic elements, such as time management, the ability to demonstrate college-level academic behaviors and a general awareness of the environments present in different institutions of higher education. The purpose of this …

Exploring The Relationship Between Receipt Of Counseling Services And College Students' Academic Success, Catherine Moss

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between receipt of counseling services and college student academic performance as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA) and degree completion within six-years. Archival data was obtained from the university counseling center records of clients and institutional student records, representing those whose first session of counseling occurred between the academic years 2000-01 through 2007-08. This study was a nonexperimental ex post facto examination of the data and used regression analyses to test the hypotheses. Gender and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) rating at the intake session were used as …