Education Commons^™

Understanding Generosity At Military Colleges And Universities: Characteristics And Motivations Of Major Donors At The Federal Service Academies And Senior Military Colleges, John Paul Dowd Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and motivations of major donors at three federal service academies and the six senior military colleges. Although much literature has been published on donor motivation, as well as studies determining what donor characteristics are linked to the decision of alumni to financially contribute back to their alma maters, research specific to the federal service academies and the senior military colleges could not be found. Therefore, this study addressed the void in the literature. The methods used to gather this data were survey instrument and personal interviews. The researcher sent letters …

The Relationship Between The Faculty's Perception Of The Principal's Instructional Leadership Behavior And Principal Personality Characteristic, W. Burke Royster Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Significant research has been conducted into the relationship of the school principal to the success of the school program. This success is often measured by metrics that assess the academic accomplishments of the school’s students. The value of quality leadership is effectively summarized by an observation made more than 30 years ago from High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America. The author of that report, Ernest Boyer, concluded that in schools where achievement is high and there exists a feeling of community, it is found without exception that the principal made the difference (Boyer, 1983).

There is a …

Rethinking The Achievement Gap: A Wholistic Humanistic View Of Student Academic Performance And Lack Of Performance, Immaculata Anayo Chukwunyere

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic case study that explored minority and low SES inner city high school students’ perception and sense-making of school, learning, academic behaviors, and academic achievement through an integrated theory of human development, learning, and achievement. I sought an understanding of the reason behind the persistent academic failure of inner city minority and low SES high school students, as well as the academic achievement gap within and between this subgroup of students. The aim of this study was threefold. First, I explored the factors operating in high school students’ thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions to school and …

Principals’ Preparedness For, And Experiences Of, Crisis Events At School, Patricia Daughtry

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, principals in the low country region of South Carolina were surveyed to assess their perceived preparedness for, and experiences of, crisis events in their schools. This study replicated a study, conducted by Adamson and Peacock (2007), which was presented in an article entitled Crisis Response in the Public Schools: A Survey of School Psychologists’ Experiences and Perceptions. Although their research was important, the population was limited to school psychologists. A literature review revealed no research on lessons learned from school principals. Since principals are responsible for managing the school from the moments following a crisis through the …

The Influence Of Academic And Social Self-Concept On College Student Withdrawal, Elizabeth Orehovec

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explored students’ self-reported, pre-college academic self-concept and students’ self-reported, pre-college social self-concept and the likelihood of student withdrawal prior to their second year. Additionally, the interaction between academic self-concept and social self-concept and first-year academic performance were examined. Using data from the University of South Carolina, three binary logistic regression models were run to determine whether academic self-concept and social self-concept were significant predictors of student withdrawal and/or whether or not the self-concept variables moderated the relationship between students’ first-year academic performance and student withdrawal. Additional academic, financial, and demographic pre-college attributes were selected as control variables …

Academic/Success Coaching: A Description Of An Emerging Field In Higher Education, Claire E. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Designed as exploratory and descriptive research, this study aims to understand the purpose, content, and the perceived effectiveness of academic/success coaching programs in higher education. The research provides a quantitative analysis of 160 coaching programs from 39 states designed to assist undergraduate students in their academic and collegiate success. Because “academic coaching” or “success coaching” is a relatively new concept on college campuses, little empirical evidence exists to support this role and differentiate it from other campus services such as academic advising, counseling, mentoring, and tutoring. In order to capture the current roles and responsibilities of coaches, a survey was …

Reflective Judgment: Can Problem-Based Learning Approach Make A Difference?, Nicole Marie Cavanagh

Theses and Dissertations

For counselors to be successful in current and future practice, they must be proficient reflective thinkers and be able to use reflective judgment skills to manage the daily complex problems presented by complex clients. Reflective thinking and reflective judgment are not elements of counseling curricula unless faculty explicitly design learning activities to develop these skills.

This study examined the relationship between reflective judgment and problembased learning (PBL) by comparing pretest and posttest scores on the Reasoning about Current Issues test. Data was collected from a convenience sample of graduate level Counselor Education Ed.S students at the University of South Carolina …

The Essence Of Alternative Education: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of At-Risk Secondary Alternative School Students, Latunya Glenn Means

Theses and Dissertations

What do the lived experiences of at-risk high school students reveal about the essence of alternative education? This phenomenological study sought to reflectively examine the experiences of at-risk students who are being educated in a large, Type II, alternative school in South Carolina. The research participants are high school students-- grades 9-12--who have spent at least one year in a traditional high school setting and at least one year in the County Alternative Program (CAP). The literature review highlighted the historical role of high schools in the United States, the role of high schools, high school redesign and the evolving …