Education Commons^™

Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Education Program And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Deborah A. O'Connor

Dissertations

This study examined an undergraduate elementary teacher education program that had been redesigned based on outcomes of a Teacher Quality Education grant and research on culturally responsive pedagogy. This research study was a program evaluation based on data gathered from the alumni of the program using classroom observations, surveys, and focus groups as data collection methods. Focusing on the concepts of equity, inquiry, and culturally responsive pedagogy, this study indicates program graduates did practice these concepts in their classrooms well, but with superficial understanding of the theory. The study suggests that in order for teachers to be agents of change …

Two Paths, One Goal: Student Success Examining Student Affairs In Community Colleges And For-Profit Post-Secondary Institutions, De'reese L. Reid-Hart

Dissertations

In the 21^st century, the potential for opportunities to obtain an education has become a reality and as a result, many students are embarking on a journey of social mobility and are assimilating into the milieu of higher learning. Affordability, accessibility, and program types are factors that have historically made public community colleges the primary option for students as they aspired to obtain higher education. However, with the rapid growth of for-profit post-secondary institutions offering similar programs, flexible hours, and accelerated degree options, students who would have traditionally enrolled at a public community college are now choosing to attend …

Cao Perspectives: The Role Of General Education Objectives In Career And Technical Programs In The United States And Europe, Jennifer Ballard Schanker

Dissertations

Globalization is changing the way students prepare for careers in the United States and Europe as competition for highly skilled workers is increasing among companies, regions, and nations. Success in this environment requires skills beyond the ability to perform job-related tasks. Skills of this nature are described as “liberal arts,” “basic” or “soft” skills or more broadly, “general education.” This international comparative study examines the processes used to identify, embed, and assess outcomes related to general education within career and technical programs in selected institutions in Europe and the Midwestern United States through the perceptions of their Chief Academic Officers …

From The Border To The Boardroom: The Journey To The Community College Presidency For Mexican-American Women, Yesenia Noreeka Avalos

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative cross-case analysis study is to examine the professional pathways of female Mexican-American community college presidents. The Hispanic/Latino population has grown immensely in the United States since 2000. The demographic profile for community colleges has evolved to reflect the population changes within the country. Community colleges grew tremendously during the 1960s and 1970s and now thirty to forty years later these institutions are searching for new executive level leaders. Looking to the future, there is an opportunity for the face of community college leadership to change.

Similarly to other women, Latinas are moving into education leadership …

Giving My Heart A Voice: Reflection On Self And Others Through The Looking Glass Of Pedagogy: An Autoethnography, Vera L. Neyman

Dissertations

To improve students academic outcomes this auto-ethnographic dissertation examines my teaching practice in the Ukraine and in the United States, and the similarities and differences between the two educational systems. This study, designed in the form of auto-ethnographic vignettes, explores the effect of my personal and professional metamorphosis on the academic advancement of my students, and investigates the conditions that molded me into a teacher I am today. Through the reflections on the process of self-development as an individual and a teacher, I discovered that building the relationship of trust between school and family is an underlying condition for improving …

Community College Presidential Transitions: Enhancing The Process By Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions, Jeffery Clay Bradford

Dissertations

A leadership crisis is pending at America’s community colleges. Presidents are serving shorter terms (Stanley & Betts, 2004) and retiring rapidly (Duree, Ebbers, Santos-Laanan, Curtis, & Ferlazzo, 2008). Weisman and Vaughan (2006) project that 84% of current community college leaders will retire by 2016. New chief executives need to be effective at implementing the goals set by the board of trustees in a timely manner. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify stakeholder perceptions during a community college presidential transition and strategies for assisting in a smooth transition.

In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted at three medium-sized Midwestern …

Data Gathering And Decision Making Among Community College Faculty Union Leaders, Mary K. O'Sullivan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify how faculty union leaders gather data and incorporate past experience to prioritize decisions for new contract negotiations in Illinois community colleges. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 legalized collective bargaining in the United States, but state laws further regulate collective bargaining and make such agreements enforceable under state law. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA) requires educational employers to bargain in good faith with the employees’ exclusive representative.

Specifically, this qualitative case-study research sought to identify the strategies undertaken by community college faculty union leaders to prepare for, and prioritize …

Examining The Motivating Factors That Influence Students With An Associate’S Degree To Complete A Bachelor’S Degree At A Private University, Rudolph D, Smith

Dissertations

The intent of this study was to shed light on the reasons and factors that influence the decision for community college graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at a private, not-for-profit university. In addition, this study sought to identify and describe why students persist during degree completion programs, as well as the inhibitors and facilitators found throughout such programs.

This research was built on the qualitative research paradigm employing semi-structured interviews and focus groups to investigate how the elements of motivation theory influenced students to complete a bachelor’s degree program. The findings from the study validate that students are motivated …

An Exploration Of How Disability Support Services Are Evaluated In Select Community Colleges, Donna Anita Walker

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multi-site study was to explore how disability support service programs are evaluated in select Illinois community colleges through the use of the CIPP (context, input, process, and product) program evaluation framework. Stufflebeam’s (1969) CIPP model of program evaluation was adapted for this study. The study was undertaken to determine the following: (a) the fundamental elements of these programs; (b) why and in what ways the programs are implemented; (c) the evaluation process and impact on services; and (d) the influence of the knowledge base and skills of the director.

Based on the study findings, while …

Exploring Successful Strategies For Integrating Academic Assessment And Strategic Planning In The Community College, Roberetta Young

Dissertations

This study is an exploration of the strategies employed by community colleges to facilitate the integration of their assessment and strategic plans. Because the strategic and assessment plans are major documents that guide the success of the institution, they are submitted frequently as evidence of meeting the accreditation requirement for institutional effectiveness. If the colleges’ success is based on the effectiveness and efficiency of their plans, then the assessment plan needs to be linked and integrated with the institutions strategic plan. The intent of this research study is to identify how community colleges integrate assessment and strategic plans to improve …

The Leadership Practice Of Museum Educators, Tina R. Nolan

Dissertations

This grounded theory study is an examination of the culture, context, conditions and competencies of a set of six museum educators from a large city in the United States. Participants were education department leaders from a variety of museum types, including: A science museum, an ethnic arts museum, a settlement house museum, a children‘s museum, an aquarium, and a zoo. An analysis of data points to an emerging framework that codifies particular leadership settings and domains of practice for leaders of museum educators. An array of data collections were employed in the study, including: Semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations, written reflections …

Institutional Effectiveness And A Culture Of Evidence: Accountability Cornerstones For The Community College In The 21st Century, Teresa Renee Mckinney

Dissertations

This study explores the complexity of accountability demands that have emerged in the 21^st century from a variety of community college stakeholders. As community college leaders attempt to foster a new accountability culture within their institutions to quell these demands, questions regarding how to go about creating effective systems for continuous quality improvement emerge. This research focused on discovery, insights and understanding from the perspectives of community college leaders engaged in this process, reveals proven strategies to address these and other concerns while improving institutional effectiveness. This qualitative inquiry used a case study methodology to disentangle these issues through …

Board Of Trustees: The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of The Individual Parts, William M. Griffin

Dissertations

All eyes are on community and technical colleges as they lead the way through challenging economic times and provide educational opportunities to those in the communities they serve. Regulatory pressures, dwindling resources, calls for improved student outcomes and academic quality, and competition from for-profit institutions speak to the need for high-performing community college boards. Boards must wield their power and goodwill to do everything possible to enhance their ability to shape the institution‘s strategic directions as a collective whole that performs harmoniously. Trustees are obligated to represent both the community‘s interest and the welfare of the institution. Being well prepared …