Education Commons^™

Exceptionally Employable: A Study Of The Value Of Contrasting Educational Modalities Within Christian Liberal Arts Universities In Preparing Students For Employment Suitability, Sam Heinrich

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in suitability of employment of unique student groups (academic clusters) at four geographically dispersed Christian higher education universities (CHEU) as represented broadly by membership in and association with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The four academic clusters identified for this study were Residential Traditional Students (RTS), Deferred Professional Students (DPS), Accelerated Traditional Students (ATS) and Other Students. This research used a quantitative quasi-experimental method with an emailed, survey instruments designed to measure the impact of a student’s educational experience on employability through self-efficacy and employment experience. Yorke and …

Exploring Quest And Cultural Humility In Relation To The Spiritual Identities Of Doctoral Clinical Psychology Students At A Christian University, Andrew L. Summerer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Graduate students receiving doctoral training in clinical psychology from Christian universities often undergo unique changes in their faith identity. Previous research has demonstrated a decline in faith commitment, religious attributions, religious coping, and religious activities during doctoral training (Edwards, 2006; Fisk et al., 2013). While periods of religious disengagement among clinical psychology graduate students seem to be consistent across research studies, some research suggests positive religious transformation as students progress through clinical training and into their professional careers (Hofer, 2004; Pearce, 1996). Cultural humility is an other-oriented stance that is characterized by lifelong learning, cultural self-awareness and reflection, and interpersonal …

Exploring Factors That Help Students Feel More Connected To Their Online Instructors, Debra Austin

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

This research explores business students’ perceptions of connectedness with their online instructors in higher education. The results were analyzed to discover the basic constructs of these perceptions. The findings will help faculty understand how they can improve their connection with students in an online environment in an effort to form stronger relationships with students and better their teaching practice. Students across multiple sections of introductory level business courses at Portland Community College were asked to participate in this qualitative study. Narrative research methods were used to best understand the complexities of the students’ lived experiences. Journey maps and interviews were …

How Teachers Who Use Restorative Approaches Come To Adopt A Restorative Justice Mindset: A Phenomenological Study Of Process, Timothy L. Loomer

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Zero tolerance policies and exclusionary practices that involve punitive responses to student misbehavior often result in undesirable outcomes for students and schools. In response, some schools and districts have adopted and implemented a behavior management program based on restorative justice called Restorative Approaches. The educational literature contains initial findings that show restorative approaches have promise for reducing exclusions, creating community, improving the teacher-student relationship, and more. Teachers whose schools use restorative approaches may go through a process to adopt and implement aligned approaches in their classrooms. The goal of this phenomenological study was to identify the process through which a …

Mindset Theory: Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs About Intelligence And Corresponding Pedagogical Decisions, Rachel Curtiss

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This replication study explored the relationships between pre-service teachers’ intelligence beliefs and their expectations for students’ future success, inferences about student ability, and election of pedagogical practices in mathematics. After learning of one failing test score, participants self-reported how they might respond to a struggling male student. The quantitative study used a series of four individual surveys obtained during the participants’ (N = 45) final semester of student teaching. Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between theory of intelligence and teacher expectations, perceptions, and instructional elections. Results from this study indicate that pre-service teachers’ entity beliefs are …

A Phenomenological Study Of Youth Experiences In Residential Foster Care And Their Recommendations For Change, Mary Elizabeth Ann Mccullough

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This dissertation explored the perspectives of young adults who experienced residential foster care and sought their recommendations for improving the care youth receive in residential settings. It consists of personal interviews with three young adults who spent time during their adolescence in residential foster care. Many of the recommendations are in line with existing research. Specific recommendations include: family-like environment, limited number of youth, individual and group support, and family activities.

Beliefs Of Recent Second Language Teacher Education (Slte) Program Graduates Regarding Linguistic Diversity As A Professional Responsibility, Darren C. Gordon

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This research seeks to understand the beliefs of recent second language teacher education (SLTE) program graduates concerning the relationship between the English language teaching (ELT) profession and linguistic diversity. This relationship is explored within the context of professional responsibilities, and, more specifically, whether research participants consider ELT to have a professional responsibility to sustain linguistic diversity. Recent SLTE graduates comprise one sector of ELT from which to gauge the degree to which a professional responsibility is embraced within ELT endeavors to sustain linguistic diversity, in addition to the central aim of increasing the language proficiency of English learners. Any development …

Split Labor Markets In International Schools: Perceptions Of Fairness Among Local-Hire Teachers, Rose Tyvand

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This quantitative study investigated perceptions of compensation fairness among local-hire teachers at international schools who worked in a split labor market. Under this model, localhire teachers perform the same basic job duties as their foreign-hire colleagues, yet receive far less compensation. The study employed survey research to examine potential relationships between such variables as: perceived compensation differentials, perception of foreign-hire contributions, teachers’ dependents attending the school on scholarship, perception of systems of communication and promotion, perception of compensation fairness, and willingness to support and collaborate with foreign hire teachers. 86 local-hire teachers from 7 international schools responded to online questions …

Intimate Partner Violence, Perception Of Safety, And Faith Among Female College Students Attending Faith-Based Institutions, Liliya Anatolyevna Rudneva

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Many women experience intimate partner violence (IPV), and research shows this violence significantly impacts their mental health, physical health, and substance abuse. The experience of IPV may also impact other areas of life. This study aims to explore the relationship between the experiences of IPV, perception of safety, and perception of faith, among female college students attending Christian universities. Archival data from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) was used to explore this relationship among female students who experienced physical, sexual, or psychological IPV in the past twelve months. Results indicate students who experienced IPV endorsed lower perceptions of safety …

Educational Entrepreneurs: The Professional Experiences Of Five Edupreneurs, Audrey Nieswandt

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This dissertation aims to understand and elucidate the journeys of educational entrepreneurs in the K-12 education space. This qualitative investigation was motivated by three research questions: (1) What are some of the instigating, contributing, and continuing factors that motivate a business or an educational professional toward educational entrepreneurship? (2) How do the studied individuals describe and analyze their journeys from professionals to edupreneurs, and what were key turning points along the way? (3) How can individual stories of educational entrepreneurs help illuminate the topics surrounding educational reform, student and community needs, and teacher professionalism? To date, the literature examining educational …

An Examination Of Latina Mothers' Experience With Parental Engagement In Schools, Christie M. Dudley

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This narrative-based qualitative study endeavored to learn from Latina mothers’ stories about their experiences with parental involvement in their children’s school. Through semistructured interviews, the research explores the barriers and successes experienced by these mothers as they sought to be involved. Participants were recruited from a culturally-specific parent group, which was formed several years prior to the study as a focused strategy for parental involvement within the school-wide Title I school’s improvement process. The mothers were predominately first-generation immigrants from Mexico, working and living in low-income situations. Their stories indicated significant cultural differences in conceptualizations of parental involvement, respect, and …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Identity Development Indicators In Gap Year Alumni Survey Responses, Elisabeth Moreau

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Emerging adolescence is a stage of development between adolescence and adulthood when young people are most concerned with personal identity development. During this time of life, young people have several postsecondary education choices; such as attending college, entering the work force immediately, or embracing an alternative educational experience such as a Gap Year. The Gap Year originated in Great Britain and is gaining momentum in the United States. A Gap Year has potential to be a transformative educational experience for emerging adolescents, particularly related to identity development. The purpose of this research was to explore indicators of identity development in …

School-Based Transition Strategies: Student-Identified Factors That Lead To Their Success, Michael Roberts

Doctor of Education (EdD)

With the current educational focus on preparing all students to be college- and career-ready when they graduate from high school, supporting students with a smooth transition to high school and a successful high school experience has never been more important. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of seven tenth-grade students as they described their transition from junior high school to high school. Data were collected through personal interviews with high school students from a small rural community in California.

Five themes emerged from the data. They were related to informational meetings implemented at the junior …

Tillamook School District / George Fox University Collaborative Partnership: An Immersion Practicum In A Rural School District, Saurra Heide

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This dissertation describes the Tillamook Model that developed from the collaboration between the Tillamook School District and George Fox University, and explains why this model of a rural teaching practicum can be useful in other rural districts. I explore the benefits and challenges through a case study – using personal interviews that draw on the experiences of the teacher candidates, host families, and district and university personnel. Additionally, I make recommendations for improvements in the program. Each of these components are important in ensuring that as the collaborators share this model with those interested, they are able to learn from …

Teacher Characteristics And Student Achievement In Mathematics In International Schools, Michael Arcidiacono

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study explored the relationship between traditional measures of teacher status (experience, level of education and certification) and student achievement growth in mathematics in international schools in Brazil. These measures have been explored extensively in educational research in the United States. However, similar studies have not been conducted in international school settings. The literature review investigated the existing body of literature on teacher status as well as the nature of mathematics achievement in international schools and the rise in use of value-added models as a means of measuring growth. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the impact of teacher …

Social, Cognitive, And Teaching Presence: Impact On Hybrid And Online Graduate-Level Educational Experience And Retention, Kristi Wheaton

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study sought to explore the relationship between the elements of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and graduate-level students’ perceived educational experience. Further, it sought to determine if these elements, which include social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence, could be used to determine the likelihood of program retention. The quantitative study surveyed 384 graduate-level students from 10 programs at a small, Christian university. Using the CoI framework as a theoretical basis, this study used factor analysis to validate the CoI survey designed by Arbaugh et al. (2008), multiple regression to determine the relationship between social presence, cognitive presence, …

The Effects Of Trauma On Adjustment To College For Children Of Missionaries, Melissa J. Winfield

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Missionary Kids (MKs) encounter challenges in adjusting to college due to cross-cultural transitions and unique experiences related to missionary life. Though trauma is more common among missionaries than for the general American population, little is known regarding the impact of past trauma on missionary kids as they adjust to college. This study compared adjustment to college and psychological well-being of missionary kids and students who are not children of missionaries. The extent to which students have experienced trauma was used as a covariate in the study. MK students were recruited through college organizations and missions’ agencies. They were asked to …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Pre-K Programming And Third-Grade Math And Reading Achievement Outcomes In Oregon, Maria K. Drennen

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study examined the relationship between preschool program type, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and measures of third-grade academic achievement outcomes, as measured by the standardized mathematics and English Language Arts assessments administered to third-grade students in Oregon. The study participants were fourth-grade students from a single participating school district in the Southern region of Oregon. Parents/guardians voluntarily consented to participation and provided a completed questionnaire specifying their child’s preschool program type as attended the majority of the time (nine months or more) in the year prior to Kindergarten. Required statewide assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts occur in third-grade. Therefore, …

In The Way They Should Go: Nurturing The Relational And Spiritual Nature Of Children, Jamee Free

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the innate relational and spiritual nature of children. This dissertation assumes that children are deeply relational and spiritual as part of the image of God within them. Chapter one takes a comprehensive look at how children are struggling within this country on every measure of health, as well as how relational nurture and soul care are significantly lacking. Chapter two explores Biblical materials, especially the incarnation, Jesus’ interactions with children, passages from Deuteronomy, verses from Proverbs, and examples of children in Biblical narratives. The third chapter focuses on historical and theological materials, as well as theories from …