Education Commons^™

The Statistical Impact Of Faculty Mentoring Programs On Ninth Grade Student Achievement, Kevin Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Students’ transition from middle to high school is challenging on many levels. Research has shown that students who perform poorly academically during their freshman year are more likely to graduate later or drop out of school altogether. By studying the literature surrounding the transition to high school, I will identify elements of effective transition programs (the totality of transition activities a district employs). This will be a convergent mixed method study, where I will use Social Support theory as a framework to examine the statistical significance of faculty mentoring programs impact on grade student achievement during the 2018-2019 school year. …

Faculty Perspectives On Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Integration: A Descriptive Study From The American University In Cairo, Sondos Mohamed Moshtohry

Theses and Dissertations

The interdisciplinary approach and the science of the brain are successfully wedded. Globally, neuroscience is expanding and offering substantial advances and versatile applications within various domains affirming the worthiness of its investments; however, nationally, a similar engagement with the field is not evident. This study proposes the integrative research cloud model as a framework for interdisciplinary engagement. The American University in Cairo (AUC) is known for its forward-looking strategy and belief in interdisciplinarity that is why it was chosen as the setting for this study. Accordingly, the opinions and perspectives of its faculty from the different schools and departments on …

Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain variables, such as faculty’s years with the university, budget, size, and location of the institution impact the level of support provided and what specific accommodations SWDs receive.The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the current level of knowledge that faculty obtain for accommodating SWDs. …

An Analysis Of Campus Services For International Students At Institutions In The Midwest, Sylvia Miriyam Findlay

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education campuses are becoming ethnoculturally diverse with the influx of international students from various parts of the world and must modify their international student recruitment and enrollment strategies in response to this trend. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of student affairs personnel to campus services for international students by comparing what should be provided to what is being offered. The study also attempts to identify the gap in their perceptions. Services identified in the literature were examined using the Briggs and Ammigan (2017) collaborative programming and outreach model, which combined concepts of student engagement …

Exploring Experiences Of Diverse Faculty With Diverse Students In Distance Education, Theresa West

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore faculty’s experiences regarding teaching methods and student-teacher interaction. The interaction between the majority groups and diverse (minority) groups on the college and university campuses needs to be addressed in order for colleges to achieve the universal goal of education for all (Akombo, 2013). Such interactions can be achieved through a curriculum that fosters cultural perspectives within the college communities (Akombo, 2013). Due to the diversity and pluralism of educational environments, academic faculty must be able to discuss multiple cultural perspectives in the classroom (Akombo, 2013). For this reason, the Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory will …

Promoting Meaningful Learning Through The Use Of Concept Maps, Duaa Amr Hafez

Theses and Dissertations

Background and significance: There have been dramatic changes in the healthcare system with the high use of technology. The healthcare needs of patients have increased due to the chronic diseases, and an increase in the number of the older population. These changes require nurses with high levels of thinking, knowledge and skills. It is vital to reconsider the teaching and learning methods used in nursing schools to ensure graduating nurses are capable of working in these challenging environments. The purpose of this naturalistic inquiry descriptive study is to explore the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate and graduate nursing students and …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of Faculty Teaching A Mix Of Traditional And Nontraditional Students In Online Classes, Christina Marie Trombley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how faculty perceived and experienced teaching multigenerational (having traditional and nontraditional students) online classes. The online classes researched served only undergraduate students and had at least thirty percent of traditional students in the class. Ten tenured faculty were drawn from a four-year institution of higher education in the Midwest of the United States. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings revealed that research participants relied on their own personal experiences as students to inform their teaching and morph the definition of teaching as it relates to online education …

Faculty And Staff Perceptions About Concealed Carry Initiatives And Their Effect On Campus Safety: A Multi-State Examination, Heidi Marie Ahl-Quanbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Concealed carry on campus is a polarizing debate affecting higher education today. Concealed carry refers to the carrying of a weapon in public while concealed from view. Prompted by isolated instances of gun violence as well as the changing gun culture within our society, ten states now permit weapons on campus as a result of legislation or institutional policy. Yet, little is known about faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry on campus initiatives or how weapons could affect perceptions about campus safety. The purpose of this study is to better understand faculty and staff perspectives on concealed carry, to …

Faculty Role In Curriculum Delivery At An International Branch Campus, Edith Pfeifer List

Theses and Dissertations

Focusing on faculty and curriculum at international branch campuses (IBCs), this study uses a qualitative case study method to examine faculty role in and perception of curriculum delivery. Interviews and observations were conducted at a midwestern institution and it’s European IBC. The areas of investigation include faculty involvement in curricular decision making, modifications for curricular delivery at the course and program level, communication between campuses, perceived differences and similarities between campuses, and professional development opportunities through the institution. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the program-level curriculum and course decision-making and delivery at international branch campuses …

Faculty Perceptions And Experiences Of “Presence” In The Online Learning Environment, Anita Samuel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological research study was to gain an understanding of how faculty who teach fully online courses perceive and experience presence. The 25 faculty participants in this study were drawn from a four-year institution of higher education in the Midwest. The faculty designed and taught their own courses. Data were collected through: (1) semi-structured in-depth interviews with each participant, (2) documentary analysis of two course syllabi from two different course offerings for each participant, and (3) observations of five participants’ online course sites over the duration of an academic semester (16 week course). Findings revealed that …

Exploring The Relationship Between Faculty Perceptions Of Chairperson-Faculty Member Communication Exchanges And Department Climate, Jodi Lynn Hallsten Lyczak

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership communication has many consequences: those that affect an organization and its outcomes, and those that affect the followers. In academia, one of the most important leadership roles is that of the departmental chairperson. Through her or his communication, the academic chairperson influences nearly every aspect of departmental life for faculty, including organizational climate. In fact, it can be argued that the chairperson helps both create and sustain the department climate for faculty.

One perspective of leadership and communication posits that leadership is enacted in the dyadic communication that occurs between the leader and the follower. According to Leader Member …

An Analysis Of The Current Use And Future Intentions To Use Mobile Learning Strategies Among Full-Time Community College Faculty, Stephanie Denise Frazier

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined how full-time community college faculty members in southern states use mobile learning (m-Learning) strategies as tools for student engagement. Specifically, research questions were designed to measure the current use of six key m-Learning strategies: augmented reality, file/resource sharing, gaming/simulation, reference/research applications, social media, and text messaging. This study also probed into faculty attitudes and beliefs in four areas: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine existing relationships between these four determinants and the intentions of faculty members to use m-Learning strategies in the forthcoming academic year. Additionally, research …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of The Effects Of Mid-Course Evaluations On Learning And Teaching, Whitney Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of mid-course evaluations on teaching and student learning. A mixed methods approach was used, combining faculty and student surveys, faculty interviews, debriefing sessions, and a comparison of mid-course evaluations scores with end-of-semester scores. Out of 510 section mean scores (128 sections) from faculty members who participated in the study, 352 section mean scores (88 sections, 69%) showed students' perceptions of their own learning improved between the time they completed the mid-course evaluation and the time they completed the end-of-course student rating survey. Results showed when faculty administered a mid-course evaluation, …

Cultural Responsiveness In The Special Education/Esl Department: Faculty Perceptions At Brigham Young University, Temma Jo Devereaux

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty members from Brigham Young University's special education/ESL program participated in professional development centered on increasing multicultural competence. The primary investigator interviewed faculty members regarding their perceptions of professional development. After conducting the interviews, faculty members' feedback was coded to determine whether or not the professional development aided them in infusing more culturally sensitive practices into the curriculum and created a more sensitive learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds. Researchers also coded the faculty members' feedback to determine if faculty members felt they have changed at an individual/personal level in terms of how they view their own cultural background …

The Scholarship Of Teaching: Contributing Factors To Improved Teaching Performance Among University Faculty Members, Whitney Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis brings a much-needed focus on the quality and scholarship of teaching as it pertains to educational and faculty development. The main purpose of this paper is to outline what more than 200 faculty members across a wide variety of disciplines have focused on over a three-year period to make significant (a 1.5 standard deviation increase or higher in online student ratings) and sustained improvements in their teaching. The top three factors of improvement include active/practical learning, teacher/student interactions, and clear expectations/learning outcomes. The researcher also discusses how institutions and faculty communities of practice, research, and faculty personality contribute …

Structured Faculty Mentoring In Higher Education: A Descriptive Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Junior And Senior Faculty, Jennifer J. Smith-Slabaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that mentoring is a viable form of professional development.Faced with large numbers of retirements and a projected increase in student enrollment, the issues of recruitment, retention and revitalization of current faculty are at the core of this study. There is little empirical research on the phenomenon of structured or formal mentoring in higher education from the perspective of both the mentee and the mentor.The purpose of this study was to identify, describe, and analyze the perceived benefits that both senior or more experienced faculty mentors and junior or new-to-the institution faculty mentees at a large urban research …