Education Commons^™

College, At What Cost? African American/Black Women Undergraduate Students’ Perception Of Institutional Policy Levers, Tamara D. White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is exploring how institutional policy levers impact retention for African American/Black women undergraduate students at a private four-year predominantly white institution in a mid-western state of the United States. Retention of African American/Black women undergraduate students is not a widely researched area. In this exploratory case study, eight African American/Black undergraduate junior and senior women, ten administrators and one focus group of six African American/Black women were interviewed. Artifacts were collected from the administrators. The data collected was analyzed using the culturally engaging campus environment model. The experiences of the African American/Black undergraduate women were examined in academic …

Factors Influencing The Retention And Graduation Of Latino Male Students: Four-Year Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Freddie Sánchez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores factors that contribute to first-generation Latino male retention and graduation at California State Universities (CSU) that are also designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI). This study is informed by the main research question: How do Latino males use their own Community Cultural Wealth for their retention while enrolled at southern California CSUs designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions? Utilizing Yosso (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model as the Theoretical framework guiding the research study, the study explores how participants used the various forms of capital: Aspirational, Familial, Linguistic, Navigational, Resistant and Social to successfully graduate. A phenomenological design was used …

Widening The Pipeline: Identifying Practices And Structures That Effectively Recruit And Retain African-American Females In Undergraduate Computer Science Programs At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Martha Haigler

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The underrepresentation of women and women of color in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is of little surprise to those of us who have kept abreast of the statistical data supporting this phenomenon. In order for the United States (U.S.) to remain “economically and globally competitive” (Ong, 2011, p. 32), it needs to increase its “advanced domestic science and technology workforce” (Ong, 2011, p.32). Perhaps, it is not a coincidence that the majority of students attending U.S. colleges are female, and the number of minority students entering college is on the rise. However, when one looks …

Partnering Undergraduate Engineering Students With Preservice Teachers To Design And Teach An Elementary Engineering Lesson Through Ed+Gineering, Kristie Gutierrez, Stacie I. Ringleb, Jennifer Jill Kidd, Orlando M. Ayala, Pilar Pazos, Krishnanand Kaipa

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Major challenges in engineering education include retention of undergraduate engineering students (UESs) and continued engagement after the first year when concepts increase in difficulty. Additionally, employers, as well as ABET, look for students to demonstrate non-technical skills, including the ability to work successfully in groups, the ability to communicate both within and outside their discipline, and the ability to find information that will help them solve problems and contribute to lifelong learning. Teacher education is also facing challenges given the recent incorporation of engineering practices and core ideas into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state level standards of …

Perceptions Of Urban School Principals On Urban Teacher Retention, Latonya Stredic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that principals can play a crucial role in motivating teachers to stay or leave. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of principals who work in urban schools as related to overcoming the high attrition of teachers in their schools. Using transformational leadership theory as a framework to address research questions, data were collected from semistructured interviews with 12 principals. Using a 7-question interview protocol, this study sought perspectives on the causality of urban teachers’ attrition, including leadership practices that help with hiring, sustaining, and retaining teachers on urban school campuses. Interviews were …

Influence Of Summer Bridge Programs On First-Generation Latino Students' Academic Success, Amber Dawn Gutzwiler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities have used programs like the summer bridge program (SBP) to improve academic abilities and retention. The research on the effectiveness of SBPs is inconclusive. With a focus those on who required remediation in writing, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the influence of a SBP on first-generation Latino students' weighted grade point average (GPA) and retention. Tinto's theory of student retention was used as the framework. To determine the effectiveness of the SBP on first-generation Latino students, this study focused on comparing the variables between those who took the SBP versus a remedial …

African American College Students’ Perspectives Of Academic Challenges To Graduation, Bobby Calvin Luckett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though the enrollment numbers of African American students are comparable to other racial/ethnic groups at a university in the midwestern United States, the problem investigated through this study was that African American students were graduating at a slower rate compared to other groups. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American university students about the academic challenges they faced as they worked towards graduation as well as their experiences with and suggestions to improve institutional support to meet these challenges. The study was based on Tinto’s retention theory. For this basic qualitative study, data …

Newly Hired Teachers' Perspectives On Factors That Influence Their Attrition Or Retention, Deaneth A. Brown Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newly hired teacher attrition has increased across the nation and is one of the main contributors to the current teacher shortage. This study specifically addressed a suburban school district located in the Mid-Atlantic region that had experienced a high rate of attrition of newly hired teachers (NHTs). This issue is important because NHT attrition affects school budgets and student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the professional experiences of NHTs, and how those experiences contributed to their decisions to leave or remain employed. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Ingersoll’s concept of teacher …

Social Influences, Decision-Making, And Career Retention Of Novice Teachers, Kerstin Anna Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers bring hope, optimism, and excitement for teaching and learning from their individual preparatory programs to their classrooms at the start of every new school year. However, research indicates a large number of those teachers leave the field of teaching within a 5-year timeframe. The consequence of this loss of professionals has a deep-rooted impact on student achievement and learning. This loss also has considerable career and financial implications for the field of education. The reasons for this exodus are varied and somewhat broad in nature and scope. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived …

Alumni Perceptions Of Trio Student Support Services' Contribution To Their Success, Shatoya S. Black

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This case study research focuses on community college TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program initiatives and approaches to first-generation students’ success. The study interviewed students who attended a Midwest community college and participated in TRIO SSS programs to aid them in navigating the college going process to degree completion. The study also looks at how these first-generation students transitioned after college from the student perception and how they make meaning of being in TRIO SSS. While traditional advising has focused on aiding students with academic course requirements, TRIO SSS programs take a holistic advising approach to supporting the student both …

Increasing Doctoral Student Completion Rates Within The College Of Humanities And Sciences At Virginia Commonwealth University, Victoria A. Keel, Michaela R. Bearden

Doctor of Education Capstones

Research on doctoral education primarily focuses on broad fields of study and general attrition. Often overlooked, is an examination of the student at each stage of their program and the challenges they face that can potentially lead to stopping out. This capstone project explored the doctoral student experience within the Department of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. A mixed method study via an online survey was utilized to gather data about the student experience on their path towards candidacy. Quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed through Chi-square tests and thematic coding to identify answers to each research question. …

A Study Of Sense Of Belonging And Its Relationship With Engagement, Persistence, And Intersectionality In Higher Education, Christine Lancaster

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A majority of institutions of Higher Education are seeking ways to provide environments that support student persistence in light of the overwhelming evidence of the impact of postsecondary degree attainment and life opportunities for individuals and communities. This study examines the relationships between student engagement, sense of belonging, identity, intersectionality, and student success indicators. For purposes of this study, 561 undergraduate students at a public regional institution provided demographic information, access to student success indicators, and completed a 47- question survey on student engagement and sense of belonging. Factor analysis determined five distinct dimensions of sense of belonging. Structure equation …

Community College Students' Perceptions Of Developmental Mathematics And Influences On Persistence, Sumithra S. Iyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in the dropout rates associated with developmental mathematics classes in 1 Texas community college provoked the need for this study. The purpose of this case study was to explore students' reasons for dropping out of developmental mathematics and what might have helped them be successful. Tinto's model of student attrition, which is characterized by students' social and academic integration affecting their retention in the college, provided the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions addressed the students' perceptions of both why they dropped out of developmental mathematics courses and what might have helped them to successfully complete …

Alternate Route - An Examination Of Alternatively Certified Teachers' Job Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy, Adrienne W. Mcelroy

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the job satisfaction and self-efficacy of alternatively certified teachers in a rural, midsize, public school district in Florida. The examination will include the relationship between job satisfaction and self-efficacy. The results of this study aim to provide school officials with a better understanding of the role alternatively certified teachers fill during the teacher shortage facing our nation.

The researcher utilized two existing surveys. The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was developed by Paul Spector. The JSS further delineates job satisfaction into two subscales: intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale …

The Perceived Impact Of Curricular Maps On Student Retention At A Community College, Amy Ertwine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at a community college in a state in the Eastern region of the United States is the lack of evaluation of the effect of Guided Pathways implementation on student retention in the local setting. Retention efforts are a concern of administrators of community colleges across the United States. To help students succeed, faculty often give students a specified set of core courses and a specific or even prescribed pathway to complete general education requirements. The community college incorporated Guided Pathways into retention efforts in Fall 2015. Over the past 4 years, the college has undertaken more activities focusing …

Special Education Teacher Retention In The Early Years, Caroll Brant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intent of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of intrinsic motivators and extrinsic workplace experiences on the retention of beginning special education teachers of students with low incidence disabilities (LIDs). This study was designed in response to district leaders’ shared concerns of the continuous turnover experienced annually in several districts in a region of a southern state. Two research questions were developed to gain a deeper insight into the influence intrinsic and extrinsic factors have on beginning special education teachers’ decisions to stay in the self-contained, LID classroom. Ten beginning special education LID teachers participated in interviews …

Developing A Sustainable Model For Impactful Academic Advising, Ronda M. Bond, Stephen C. Byrd, Sandra J. Mazzoli, Reginald L. Stroble

Doctor of Education Capstones

The primary focus of this research is advising delivery models for community colleges. This capstone focused on the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), namely John Tyler Community College (JTCC). The research focused on delivering the most consistently supportive advising framework for faculty, staff, and students. A mixed-methods study was used by way of an online survey and in-person focus groups. Secondary data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) was used to compare JTCC to other colleges in the VCCS. This study also focused on best practices regarding academic advising and advisor development, evaluated the needs of current advising …

Exploring The Effects Of An Afrocentric Learning Community On The Retention Of African American Students In Community Colleges: A Quantitative Study, Andre Crenshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of African American students who begin postsecondary educational pursuits do not graduate within 6 years, resulting in one of the lowest postsecondary completion rates in America. As of Fall 2019, the degree applicable retention rate for African American students in California community colleges was 62%, compared to all students 87.65%. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine whether a learning community positively affected retention and success rates of African American students in community colleges, comparing outcomes with cohort Fall 2016 with cohort Fall 2019. This analysis applied Tinto’s Student Integration Model Theoretical Framework with supporting …

Predicting Black Male Undergraduate Degree Completion At A Pwi Examining Single Indicators Of Religiosity, Anxiety, And Depression., Nickolas Spears Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Religiosity is a well-known protective factor for mental health as a coping and resilience source, which positively affects Black male college students' academic success. However, less is known about whether religiosity predicts degree completion and buffers Black males' mental health from a quantitative research approach. Black males have one of the lowest degree completion rates at four-year institutions. Students who experience poor mental health outcomes have lower degree completion. This study utilized logistic regression to investigate whether religiosity: (1) predicted degree completion among Black male undergraduate students and (2) moderated anxiety and depression. The results suggest Black males identify high …

Understanding Effective Orientation Practices From Orientation Professionals At Public Hbcus, Ronnie Mack Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on understanding the perceptions of orientation professionals of the impact of orientation programming at public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This study illustrates the effective practices of orientation programming and their impact on the retention of first – year African American students.

The theoretical framework that supported this study focused on challenge & support, retention, involvement, transition, belonging, and Black identity theory. The research study looked to understand orientation professionals’ perceptions of the impact of orientation programming at a public HBCU on the successful transition and retention of first-year students.

The qualitative multiple case study …

Examining The Influence Of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of Academic Advising On Student-Institution Relationship Quality, Student Loyalty, And Enrollment Intentions: An Application Of Relationship Marketing In Higher Education, Linda Marie Hockaday

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As higher education institutions continue to compete for a declining population of students (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019), an increased focus on retaining existing students is required to maintain current levels of undergraduate enrollment (Elliott & Shin, 2002; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; Judson & Taylor, 2014; Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004, Vianden & Barlow, 2014). Predominant student retention models (Astin, 1965; Bean, 1985; Tinto, 1987, 1993) emphasize the interaction between students and institutional representatives as a primary factor influencing the student experience and student decisions to continue enrollment in future academic terms. Although academic advisors are the institutional representative …

Investigating Student Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of A First-Year Experience Online Program On Student Retention, Jennifer P. Bowman-Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is a mixed-methods study designed to collect student perspectives of an online First-Year Experience (FE) course and to determine the overall value of the FE course. The researcher sought to identify what is the value of the FE course to the students enrolled in this online course. In the study’s survey, students will be asked a series of questions designed to determine the overall value of the FE course. For this study, the online FE course survey addressed the following theme areas: Course Content, Overall Satisfaction, Transfer Perceptions, and the participants are the new incoming students (first-year …

Diversity In School Leadership: Re-Conceptualizing The Narrative Of Black Male School Principals And Assistant Principals For Recruitment And Retention, James Avery

Theses and Dissertations

Educational leadership is one of the most vastly explored topics in education. School principals and assistant principals make up a substantial portion of those in leadership positions. Experiences in educational leadership have been chronicled for a number of years; however, the diversity in the recorded lived experiences is lacking. To that end, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature by developing an understanding of and recording the essence of Black males’ experiences working in K-12 school leadership positions.

The intersection of race and gender has been proven to create dynamics which impact the enactment of leadership …

A Phenomenological Study On The Influence Of A Leadership Living-Learning Community On First-Generation College Student Social Integration, Jeremy Todd Sheffield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students are a growing and unique population in the United States. First-generation college students face far more barriers to success when compared to their continuing-generation peers. Student retention and success is a primary concern for institutions of higher education in the United States as economic challenges and pressures grow. Therefore, retention and success for the growing number of first-generation college students is a priority for higher education leaders. A vital component of student retention and success is effective social integration. A proven high-impact practice for increasing student social integration is participation in a living-learning community. A descriptive phenomenological …

First-Generation Black Males’ Challenges In Attending A Pwi: Understanding What Makes Them Persist, Shakeitra Simmons

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the researcher studied the challenges and persistence factors for undergraduate First-generation Black males to persist at a Predominantly White Institution. Through conducting six one-on-one semi-structured interviews, the researcher identified the challenges faced by this group of students as mental health, lack of support, and racism/microaggressions. The researcher also identified the factors for persistence at the PWI to be upward mobility, family and school personnel support, and campus involvement.

Persistence Of African American Students At Predominately White Institutions, Candace Thompson

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the persistence of African American students at predominately White institutions was analyzed. This was conducted through semi-structured interviews by six participants which evaluated African American students’ overall persistence. Participants expressed what determined their selections of institutions as well as what institutional and personal factors negatively and positively affected their matriculation throughout the institution. In addition, the study provided recommendations to student affairs professionals to better serve this population.

Leadership In Higher Education And The Impact On Faculty Satisfaction And Retention, Theresa A. Petersen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing First-Generation College Students' Ability To Graduate College: A Delphi Study, Ashley C. Gray Benson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation serves as a counter-narrative to the standard deficiency model in published research that characterizes most first-generation college students as feeble and unequipped when it comes to thriving in, persisting in, and graduating from college. This is one of the few studies that examines the success of first-generation college students from the students’ perspective. First-generation college students who graduated from college participated in a Delphi study that addressed this question: What factors influence first-generation college students' ability to graduate college? Three rounds of data collection resulted in ten themes, roughly in order of importance based on feedback from study …