Education Commons^™

Using Focus Groups To Understand Sorority And Fraternity Life And Inform Survey Design, Pietro Antonio Sasso, Kimberly R. Davis, Cindy Cogswell

New York Journal of Student Affairs

Fraternity and sorority experiences can support or challenge the undergraduate student experience related to student learning and development (Sasso et al., 2020a, 2020b). There are concerns that researchers, advisors, and practitioners can pay attention to in order to enhance healthy chapter cultures or intervene when concerns arise. The article explores the process of revising the Fraternity and Sorority Experience Survey (FSES) using focus group findings to inform survey revision and practice. The FSES is organized around five themes–Learning, Values, Alcohol/Social Issues, Operations, and Community–and measures student perceptions and experiences. Implications for practice are included about instrument revision and how it …

High School Student Perceptions Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Candice Conley

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This case study examines student voice and their interpretations of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework used in one Kentucky high school. Qualitative interview data from high school student focus groups was analyzed using grounded theory to develop themes related to PBIS implementation.

Using open and axial coding, themes were developed from common student interpretations of PBIS within focus groups. Participants discussed a variety of positive techniques teachers use inside the classroom and responses to student behavior. Reward systems were discussed, but more importantly students offered suggestions of interventions and supports to offer at school. When asked to …

A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study Of Middle School Administrators’, Counselors’, And School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports Team Leaders’ Perceptions Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Ginette E. Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

Students' disruptive behavior has become more customary over the last several years. Many school systems have implemented a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) approach to deal with these behaviors proactively. This particular study is focused on behaviorism and operant conditioning. A qualitative exploratory case study design was chosen as the most effective method to understand perceptions of the implementation of the SWPBIS framework in a middle school setting. The three data sources include structured focus groups with school administration, counselors, and SWPBIS team members. Additionally, school climate surveys from 2016-2021 and school discipline referrals from 2016-2021 were evaluated. During …

Latinx Diversity Officers In Higher Education: Capacitating Cultural Values As Champions Of Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion, Maria Teresa Chavez-Haroldson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research study is to share scholarly data that may assist in the recognition and cultural understanding of LatinX Chief DOs in higher education institutions. This multi-phase, qualitative study critically considers the participants’ sociopolitical, psychological, and, cultural situated-ness as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) leaders in higher education institutions (HEIs). Despite the psychological stressors, the participants described how and why they are energized by their commitment to creating change as social justice campeonas (champions). This study explains why LatinX DOs leading EDI institutional change in the 21st century, places them in precarious sociopolitical circumstances. Cultural values are …

Beneficial Mourning By Inmates Who Have Lost A Significant Person, James Bradley Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Incarceration is already replete with loss before someone of significance to an inmate dies. The prison environment challenges every aspect of grieving, and failing to effectively mourn pathologizes grief, reduces quality of living, and results in behaviours that cause recidivism. It is a poignant interaction between this researcher in his role as a chaplain and a particular inmate that provides the impetus for this study. This study begins with a qualitative meta-synthesis that examined 10 qualitative articles and dissertations published over the last 30 years to explore how some inmates manage to effectively grieve the loss of a significant person. …

Additions And Revisions To The Presidential Scholars Award Program: A Proposal, Emily Swanson

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project, I set out to help improve the Presidential Scholars Award program. The PSA program offers its recipients the opportunity to engage in a four-year, co-curricular experience during their time at Bowling Green State University and during their time in the BGSU Honors College. For this project, I sought to recommend a new four-year model for the PSA program founded on formal, published research and my own qualitative research. This new model includes common experiences for each class level such as regular meetings and yearly events to establish a cohort culture. In completing this project, I advance …

Investigation Of Preschool Teachers Perceptions, Understandings, And Practices Related To Resilience Pedagogy: A Qualitative Single Case Study, Nancy Fern Ziobro

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative single case study were to (a) understand the meaning of resilience through the lens of preschool teachers working in an elementary school in a small urban district and (b) to explore the impact of engaging preschool teachers in professional discourse with their colleagues regarding pedagogical practices that foster resilient behaviors in their students. Using focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and graphic elicitations this study discovered the meaning of resilience through descriptions of preschool teachers' understandings, perceptions, and teaching practices. Key findings indicate teachers viewed resilience in terms of the ability to persevere and recover in times …

Building Teacher Efficacy: Challenges Of Creating Communities Of Practice Among New Teachers And Veteran Teachers In A Toxic Work Environment, J Lail

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Recently, changes in graduation requirements in some states have made it more important than ever for students to be literate in all content areas. State assessments not only measure student academic ability, but they are a necessary component of graduation from high school. After completing required courses, students are expected to take assessments covering the content of those courses. In order to safely meet the graduation requirement, students must score at least 3 points per assessment on a 5-point scale. This has proven difficult for over 50% of students expecting to graduate.

Students at Midwestern-American High School (MAHS) have been …

The Voices Of Silence In Online Charitable Fundraising: A Focus Group Study In China, Xun Lin, Hua Huang

The Qualitative Report

Charitable fundraising, which often goes viral, has been flourishing on Wechat, the most popular social media site in China. It has given rise to a variety of forms of resistance. Silence among them is particularly evident. This study was conducted on three focus groups to unveil the hidden voices in the silent college students in an online charitable fundraising. Findings show that these voices demonstrate participants’ reclaiming of authorship of private space on Moments, their endeavour to avoid creating stress in vulnerable others, and their questioning of the configuration of responsibility. These voices show negotiation with or resistance against the …

Exploiting Metacognitive Networks Embedded In Narrative Focus Group Interviews Using Nodexl, Divan Jagals, Marthie Sophia Van Der Walt

The Qualitative Report

Development of metacognitive theory for changing pedagogy remains an essential research activity. A lack of sufficient clear-cut qualitative analysis procedures extracting embedded metacognitive constructs from qualitative data (e.g., narrative focus group interviews) can hinder development of theory. An approach is therefore needed to analyse qualitative metacognitive data exploiting embedded metacognitive constructs for theory development. In an undergraduate fourth-year mathematics education module, two groups of students (Group A: n = 6; Group B: n = 5) participated in a series of focus group interviews. Participants designed and refined mathematics lessons about the concept of place value. We identified metacognitive networks as …

Librarians And Student Affairs Professionals As Collaborators For Student Learning And Success, Dallas Long

Theses and Dissertations

Increased accountability in higher education is increasingly compelling librarians to demonstrate their impact on student learning and student success. To do so, they are encouraged to collaborate with student affairs professionals to improve students' experiences. However, the literature suggests librarians lack formal, structured partnerships with student affairs professionals, and that librarians and student affairs professionals are largely unfamiliar with each other's roles in student learning. They may have narrow or inaccurate perceptions of each other, and lack meaningful ways to collaborate. This study explored librarians' and student affairs professionals' perceptions of each other's roles in student learning and success. Additionally, …

Final Report Of The Learning Commons Assessment Task Force, Sarah C. Hutton, Jessica Adamick

Sarah C Hutton

Redesigning A Principal Preparation Program: A Continuous Improvement Model, Rosalinda Hernandez, Maria Roberts, Velma D. Menchaca

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The paper describes a mixed methods approach to the process of redesigning a principal preparation program. A qualitative approach was used to gather data from superintendents within the geographic area using a focused group approach, whereas, quantitative data, were gathered through a survey of program graduates with questions aligned to the three domains of the TExES examination for principal certification. Texas universities that offered principal preparation programs were studied and analyzed as a backdrop to the study. The superintendent responses identified various strengths and weaknesses in the delivery of the program. The graduate survey results indicated low satisfaction ratings in …

Food Handling Perceptions, Practices, Knowledge And Barriers In Native American Primary Food Handlers Of Young Children In New Mexico, Lindsay O'Connell

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Food borne illness among Native American populations exceeds that of majority populations. Due to the unique cultural diversity in New Mexico, these inequities are even greater. Attitudes and behaviors towards food are influenced by social and cultural contexts, yet, there has been limited research relating to the knowledge and perceptions of minority populations. A qualitative research design using focus group methodology was used in this study. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the food safety practices and beliefs of primary food handlers within Native …

The Role Of Student Support Services In Encouraging Student Involvement And Its Impact On Student Perceptions And Academic Experiences, Caren Kelley-Hall

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of Student Support Services (SSS) in encouraging student involvement and its impact on student perceptions and academic experiences in three technical colleges in upstate South Carolina. By
examining Alexander Astin's theory of student involvement in the services provided by the program, a better understanding of the existing functions of SSS may be obtained. The study may offer information to increase knowledge and awareness about the college experience for a diverse group of college students. It is hoped that the study will help to better understand unique experiences of SSS participants …

Principals As Partners With Literacy Coaches: Striking A Balance Between Neglect And Interference, Jacy Ippolito

Jacy Ippolito

It's All Happening At The Zoo: Children's Environmental Learning After School, Jason A. Douglas, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

Pairing dynamic out-of-school-time (OST) programs with zoos can encourage young people's relationships with and sense of responsibility for animals and the environment. The project presented in this article, Animal Rescuers, gave the authors the opportunity to examine how such a pairing can work. OST programs enable learning in settings that are generally unavailable during school time (Honig & McDonald, 2005). They provide space for collaboration among students, teachers, and others such as program visitors or outside educators. Taking advantage of the flexibility, location, and educational playfulness of an OST setting, the authors worked intensively with a small number of 10-12-year-old …

Exploring Students' Perceptions Of Academically Based Living-Learning Communities, Matthew R. Wawrzynski, Jody Jessup-Anger, Katherine Stolz, Cynthia Helman, Jacqueline Beaulieu

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This qualitative study employed focus group interviews to explore students' perceptions of three well established academically based living-learning communities at a large, land-grant university in the Midwest. Three themes emerged that illustrated students' perceptions of a culture that promoted seamless learning, a scholarly environment, and an ethos of relatedness among faculty, staff, and peers. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Coaching Teachers Of English Language Learners, Alma D. Rodríguez, Michelle H. Abrego, Renee Rubin

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The following qualitative study examined how Reading First Literacy Coaches refined their literacy coaching to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in 30 elementary schools located along the US Mexico Border. Data were gathered from the coaches through written surveys and a focus group. Findings from the coaches' practices identified three themes: 1) Coaches understood bilingual programs and the theory underlying such instruction; 2) Coaches supported teachers of ELLs by sharing their knowledge and experiences about ELLs; and 3) Coaches faced challenges in meeting the needs of teachers of Hispanic ELLs. This study is …