Education Commons^™

Support Services And State Standardized Assessments For Homeless And High Mobility Youth: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Veronika Cummings

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For the past decade, the number of homeless youth in the United States has drastically increased, with public schools now consistently serving over one million homeless students each year. Research spanning three decades has linked youth homelessness and poorer academic achievement. In addition to decreased academic achievement, homeless and highly mobile (HHM) youth are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, have a behavioral diagnosis, engage in high-risk behavior, be truant, abuse drugs and alcohol, and even face premature death. Because homelessness is also frequently misidentified as solely an urban problem, it often results in HHM youth being left …

The Effects Of Active Learning Technology On Instructors’ Practices And Students’ Engagement And Grades: A Mixed Methods Study, Jeremy C. Van Hof

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Partly in response to university teachers’ changing pedagogies marked by flipping instruction, lecture capture technologies are evolving into active learning systems. Little published research exists on the effects of active learning technology on either teachers or students. This two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods study details the effects that active learning systems have on instructor practices and on student grades and engagement. Phase one combined quantitative data collection with instructor interviews. Phase one findings show higher student engagement levels correlate with the use of the active learning system only in the presence of very specific, flipped classroom practices. Phase two, a …

Exploring Elementary Students’ Agricultural And Scientific Knowledge Using Evidence Centered Design, Molly R. Brandt

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The public is more disconnected from agriculture than ever. Americans are two to four generations removed from the farm, and a majority of Americans, even in rural agricultural states have no direct link to agriculture. As a result, the public lacks the knowledge and appreciation of the food, fuel, and fiber it demands. The National Center for Agricultural Literacy (NCAL) uses National Agricultural Learning Objectives (NALOs) to measure student’s agricultural knowledge. The purpose of this project is to develop assessments aligned with the NALOs and to use results from the assessments to further understand students’ agricultural literacy. This study focuses …

Influence Of Parents, Peers, Internet Product Search And Visual Social Media On College Students’ Purchase Behavior: A Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer E. Johnson

Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Visually-oriented online social networking websites (VSNS) have become frontrunners in the race for popularity among all other online social networks. Pinterest, Instagram, Wanelo, and Snapchat have allowed for consumers to share their everyday lives, as well as the products that define their personal cultures. Products that require less financial and social risk tend to not only be influenced by online social networking websites, but also by peers (Kim & Sung, 2008). Products that require more financial and social risk tend to be influenced by family members and the amount of Internet product search behavior (Drozdenko, Jensen, & Coelho, 2012). Little …

Impact Of Being A Resident Assistant On Student's Academic Success, Brian P. Donahue

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the experiences and needs of resident assistants at Great Plains University institution to better understand the impact that being a resident assistant has on the resident assistant’s academic success. A quantitative survey was created and sent to 175 resident assistants to their academic success strategies. In addition, six resident assistants were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the multiple roles assumed, the support systems in place, and the studying habits in which they engage regularly.

There were two research questions that guided the exploration of this study. The first research …

Factors That Facilitate Or Inhibit Interest Of Domestic Students In The Engineering Phd: A Mixed Methods Study, Michelle C. Howell Smith

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Given the increasing complexity of technology in our society, the United States has a growing demand for a more highly educated technical workforce. Unfortunately, the proportion of United States citizens earning a PhD in engineering has been declining and there is concern about meeting the economic, national security and quality of life needs of our country.

This mixed methods sequential exploratory instrument design study identified factors that facilitate or inhibit interest in engineering PhD programs among domestic engineering undergraduate students in the United States. This study developed a testable theory for how domestic students become interested in engineering PhD programs …