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Minnesota State University, Mankato

Theses/Dissertations

2016

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Student Perceptions Of Academic Advising At Two-Year Colleges, Wayne T. Whitmore Jan 2016

Student Perceptions Of Academic Advising At Two-Year Colleges, Wayne T. Whitmore

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research project examined students’ perceptions of academic advising through an online survey method at select two-year colleges within the Minnesota State College and University System. The purpose of this research was to build upon scant existing research relating to student satisfaction with academic advising models utilized by individual colleges. The purpose was to also identify the academic advising model preferred by students. The sample for this research consisted of 177 students enrolled at two-year state community and technical colleges. Outcomes indicated a preference for the developmental model of academic advising. Outcomes also indicated that the developmental model of academic …


The Effect Of An Email Intervention Tailored To Highly Ambitious Students On University Retention, Lauren Bahls Jan 2016

The Effect Of An Email Intervention Tailored To Highly Ambitious Students On University Retention, Lauren Bahls

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study sought to increase student retention through the use of email interventions tailored to a specific group of ambitious students as determined by the Hogan Personality Inventory. Previous literature shows the relationship between ambition, the similar constructs of work drive and achievement seeking, and positive academic outcomes such as higher GPA, higher ratio of credits earned to credits attempted and increased likelihood of returning to the same institution. Focusing on students who rated high on ambition according to the Hogan Personality Inventory, the treatment group received emails with activities that may be of interest to help them build their …


A Graduate Student Perspective On How Student Engagements Enrich And Enhance Multicultural Awareness On The Campus Of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Tomoko Matsui Jan 2016

A Graduate Student Perspective On How Student Engagements Enrich And Enhance Multicultural Awareness On The Campus Of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Tomoko Matsui

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The challenges of enhancing and enriching student engagement, in order to promote multicultural awareness, on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato are the impetuses of this study. Multicultural awareness involves a greater understanding, sensitivity, and appreciation of the history, experiences, and lifestyles of different racial and ethnic groups. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to promote multicultural awareness through domestic and international students' engagements on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Four different theoretical perspectives explained the study, for example, Tinto's (1975) social integration theory, which emphasizes that one main function of higher education is to …


Missing Voices: Journeys Of Pre-Service Teacher Candidates And Graduates Of Color In A Predominantly White Teacher Education Program, Robbie R. Burnett Jan 2016

Missing Voices: Journeys Of Pre-Service Teacher Candidates And Graduates Of Color In A Predominantly White Teacher Education Program, Robbie R. Burnett

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This is a study of the journeys of pre-service teacher candidates and graduates of color who participated as minoritized persons in a predominantly White educator preparation program. In particular, this investigation explores the voices, experiences, and perceptions of minoritized individuals engaging in predominantly white teacher education program. Drawing across two focus groups and three in-depth individual interviews with eight participants, this study found that respondent's journeys were influenced by dyconscious racism and centered in pedagogy of whiteness. Findings from the study also suggest the number of minioritized individuals in the predominantly White teacher education program had an impact on respondents …


Spirituality In Higher Education: A Narrative Analysis Of Its Use For Decision-Making, Jeffrey Francis Judge Jan 2016

Spirituality In Higher Education: A Narrative Analysis Of Its Use For Decision-Making, Jeffrey Francis Judge

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative research study examines the role of spirituality as a tool for academic leaders in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU). The role of the academic leader (dean, vice president, president, etc.) encompasses a wide array of responsibilities and continually calls upon a large skill set in order to be effective in the position. Often times a leader’s decisions will be pivotal to the success of programs, departmental stability, and general divisional morale. Recognizing and embracing spirituality as a tool for working with faculty lessens stress, clarifies decisions, and invites dialogue and harmony where adversity and discourse …


Are They Listening?: Revisiting Male Privilege And Defensive Learning In A Feminist Classroom, Cameron A. Tyrrell Jan 2016

Are They Listening?: Revisiting Male Privilege And Defensive Learning In A Feminist Classroom, Cameron A. Tyrrell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Privileged students, particularly male-identified students, in women’s studies classrooms have been a population of study previously. Many feminist educators have encountered resistance from a male-identified student in their classroom. Scholarship has been done that analyzes the discourses around how male privilege is invoked by men in women’s studies classrooms. This study defined defensive learning with specific acts of disengagement that hinder privileged students, particularly male-identified students in Gender and Women’s Studies, from taking classes that are considered “feminist,” and from learning about systems of privilege. A series of semi-structured interviews with six male-identified students who were enrolled in women’s studies …


It Centralization And The Innovation Value Chain In Higher Education: A Study For Promoting Key Innovations Through Innovation Management And Organizational Design, Edmund Udaya Clark Jan 2016

It Centralization And The Innovation Value Chain In Higher Education: A Study For Promoting Key Innovations Through Innovation Management And Organizational Design, Edmund Udaya Clark

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of organizational centralization in higher education technology support units on institutional innovativeness. The centralization tools used for the present study included measures developed by Hage & Aiken (1971), Kaluzny, et al. (1974), and Ferrell & Skinner (1988). The innovativeness measures were established by Hansen & Birkinshaw's (2007) tool for evaluating innovation value chain activities in organizations. Data were gathered from a nation-wide sample (n = 303) of IT workers at 38 research one institutions in the United States. The results indicated that innovation value chain activities (idea generation, conversion, …


The Relationship Between College Students' Use Of Facebook And Their Feelings Of Alienation From Their Institution, Oleksandr Komarenko Jan 2016

The Relationship Between College Students' Use Of Facebook And Their Feelings Of Alienation From Their Institution, Oleksandr Komarenko

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Today's college students are digital natives who have grown up using technology, such as social network systems (SNSs). SNS use, and specific behavior patterns, have been linked to a variety of psychological and social outcomes. The sense of disconnection from a student's institution, known as alienation, is one significant factor that can be detrimental to students' social and academic experience and performance in college (Gordon, 1998; Loo & Rolison, 1986; Suen, 1983). This study explores the association between Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors (FRMB; Ellison, Vitak, Gray, & Lampe, 2014) and alienation from their university, and whether FRMBs and alienation are …


Prudence And Persistence: Personality In Student Retention, Logan J. Michels Jan 2016

Prudence And Persistence: Personality In Student Retention, Logan J. Michels

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Student retention is a concern for many higher education institutions and there are many techniques that can be used to increase student retention. Previous research has used student personality data to customize interventions aimed at increasing student success and retention. In this study, prudence levels of incoming students was assessed, and a customized email intervention was designed and administered to students with students having low prudence levels. A variety of outcome measures were used to assess the usefulness of the intervention, including GPA, academic and behavioral citations, and use of campus resources. Results indicate that prudence levels are positively related …


A Phenomenological Study Of Professional And Practical Changes Experienced By Teachers Involved With Action Research In A Learning Community Master’S Program, Jay Dean Meiners Jan 2016

A Phenomenological Study Of Professional And Practical Changes Experienced By Teachers Involved With Action Research In A Learning Community Master’S Program, Jay Dean Meiners

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the United States, the majority of teachers have a master’s degree or higher. However, there exist concerns in the literature that having an advanced degree does not make teachers better. There thus needs to be a way to improve the outcome of a master’s degree in education so that teachers do advance their practice and bring change to their classrooms as a direct result of their experience in a master’s degree program. By focusing on the use of action research in a learning community, the intent of the present phenomenological study was to discover changes that occurred in teachers …


Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Online Learning Environments, Kayla L. Westra Jan 2016

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Online Learning Environments, Kayla L. Westra

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative and qualitative study was designed to review alignment of student and faculty perceptions of effective online learning environments. The purpose of this study was to review statistical survey data to determine if alignment of perceptions existed. The student research sample included data from three years of archival survey data at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. Over 10,000 survey results were part of this sample. Additionally, Minnesota West Community and Technical College faculty who taught during this timeframe were surveyed. Qualitative data from one year of student responses was analyzed to add depth to the results. The results …


How Multilinguals Perceive Linguistic Interference, Amanda Ruskin Jan 2016

How Multilinguals Perceive Linguistic Interference, Amanda Ruskin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

When someone begins a third (or nth) language they often struggle to inhibit previously learned languages, something that established multilinguals do without much difficulty. In this qualitative survey encompassing 298 multilinguals representing different languages, proficiency levels, and learning histories, an attempt was made to identify what strategies, if any, multilinguals are aware of using which help them to successfully inhibit competing lexemes from non-target languages, with the goal of identifying strategies or commonalities that may assist budding multilinguals. Multilinguals reported noticing their interference most in conversing and mostly as applied to vocabulary; however, for most it did not occur very …


Examining Early Childhood Gender Socialization Through Children’S Picture Books, Kendra Leigh Pospisil Jan 2016

Examining Early Childhood Gender Socialization Through Children’S Picture Books, Kendra Leigh Pospisil

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This analysis examines gender representations found in children’s picture books through a symbolic interactionist perspective, employing conceptual ideas produced by West and Zimmerman (1987) and West and Fenstermaker 1995). Through a qualitative content analysis of 20 picture books from the past 15 years, I examine how gender is portrayed through both human and animal characters. I find that children’s picture books reflect our patriarchal society as they are male-centered, male-dominated, and male-identified (Johnson 2014). Children’s picture books depict patriarchal gender portrayals and provide children with examples of gender performances that satisfy patriarchal gender norms. This research has implications beyond books; …


Intervention E-Mails And Retention: How E-Mails Tailored To Personality Impact An Undergraduate Student's Decision To Return To School Or Not, John Kelly Heffernon Jan 2016

Intervention E-Mails And Retention: How E-Mails Tailored To Personality Impact An Undergraduate Student's Decision To Return To School Or Not, John Kelly Heffernon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Universities and colleges constantly face a costly problem: low student retention rates. One potential solution to low student retention is a personality-tailored e-mail intervention. The researcher tested this idea with a sample of 59 first-year students from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Participants took a personality assessment in order to measure their personality trait of sociability. Then participants were split into an experimental group and a control group based on a matched-sample paradigm that ensured sociability was not significantly different between the two groups. Participants in the experimental group received four different intervention e-mails throughout the course of the 2015 fall …


An Investigation Into Native And Non Native English Speaking Instructors' Assessment Of University Esl Student's Oral Presentation, Rubaiyat Jabeen Jan 2016

An Investigation Into Native And Non Native English Speaking Instructors' Assessment Of University Esl Student's Oral Presentation, Rubaiyat Jabeen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis aims to conduct a mix-methods investigation into native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) assessment of university level English as a second language (ESL) student's oral presentation. To collect data for this study, all faculty members and instructors currently teaching in at the departments of English and Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU) were invited to participate in an online survey using Qualtrics Survey Software (Qualtrics). After receiving email invitations, altogether 31 people provided their consent to participate. Among the 31 teacher-participants, there were 19 NESTs and 12 NNESTs. The participants then took part …


Impression Management Strategies Of College Professors With Disabilities, Chelsie Gaspar Jan 2016

Impression Management Strategies Of College Professors With Disabilities, Chelsie Gaspar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative study examined how college instructors with disabilities utilize impression management strategies in order to enhance their ability to teach more effectively in the classroom. Eight instructors from mid-size universities and community colleges across the United States were interviewed. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify emergent themes pertaining to the ways in which college instructors with disabilities use impression management in the classroom. Results showed that instructors in this study use a wide variety of impression management strategies in order to influence how they are perceived in the classroom and to improve their teaching effectiveness. These strategies …