Education Commons^™

Academic Discourse Socialization Of International Graduate Students: The Negotiation Of Participation In Classroom Speaking Activities, Guoyong Wu

All Dissertations

As the graduate student body in American universities becomes more and more diverse in this globalized era, it has become critical to understand how newcomers from different linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds acquire dominant language and academic practices, and how local academic communities themselves may or may not be transformed as a result of such diversity (Morita, 2004).

This dissertation conducted a qualitative descriptive study to investigate the socialization process primarily through classroom oral activities participation, for a group of international Chinese Ph.D. students to achieve their goals and thrive during their academic programs. As pressure increases on Ph.D. students …

The Effects Of The Avid Program On Rural Student Growth In Middle Grades Mathematics, James Allen

All Dissertations

From this mixed method study, I present my findings on the effects of selected aspects of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program on rural middle school students’ mathematics achievement. Previous research on the AVID program has focused on implementation in urban schools, although rural communities’ student populations continue to grow.

Most research on AVID’s success in urban settings show positive correlations between how long students participate in the AVID program and their college readiness. Other research about predictors of college success shows students who do not enroll in advanced level mathematics courses in middle school are less likely to …

Network Of Folx: Applying The Use Of Community Cultural Wealth To The Experiences Of Black First-Generation Hbcu Students, Maurice Williams Jr

All Dissertations

Despite improvements in the rates of college admission over the past few decades, college persistence and graduation rates continue to be problematic, particularly for marginalized students—students of color and students from low-income and/or first-generation families at all institutional types. When attention is shifted to Black first-generation students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), persistence research neglects to include how Black first-generation college students own their educational experience to gain access to college and persist through graduation nor does the research examine cultural factors that help these students persist through the college-going process. Building from both student persistence and community …

“This Is Anonymous, Right?” A Qualitative Study Of Why Higher Education Students Cheat, Anne Marie Rogers

All Dissertations

Academic dishonesty occurs in higher education. Students who choose to cheat will find a way no matter the assessment type, learning environment modality, and deterrents. Academic integrity in online assessments has been prevalent even before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to the recent increase in online learning modalities, cheating is at the top of faculty concerns, and many instructors believe that online assessments open the door for cheating.

I conducted a root causal analysis using an improvement science framework to identify why students cheat in higher education. This study identified two major themes of reasons students participate in academic dishonesty. …

Genetics And Genomics Education Among Physician Assistants, Wesley Patterson

All Dissertations

This dissertation comprises five chapters to describe genetics and genomics education among physician assistant/associate (PA) students and practicing PAs. Chapter I introduces the gap in supply and demand of genetic services, the need for non-genetics healthcare providers to fill the gap, and the PA profession as a solution.

Chapter II is a rapid literature review that summarizes the available literature regarding genetics and genomics education for PAs. A paucity of literature exists to describe the current state of PA genetics-genomics education. The few studies retrieved describe content being taught in PA programs, the number of genetics-genomics contact hours PA students …

Selected Female High School Athletic Directors Describe Their Career Trajectories, Mary Helen Coleman Martin

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

There is an underrepresentation of women in the formal role of athletic directors in the interscholastic sport setting. Additionally, little is known about the lack of female representation at the interscholastic level. Utilizing phenomenological methodology, this study explored the career paths and lived experiences of interscholastic athletic directors. Using purposeful sampling, 13 female interscholastic athletic directors took part in semi-structured interviews. Emerging ideas from the lens of current female interscholastic athletic directors offer implications about direction and information needed to assist inspiring young females as they ascend the career ladder in becoming interscholastic athletic directors.

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Role Older Siblings Play In The College-Going Experiences Of Younger First-Generation College Students, Gretchen Waugaman

All Dissertations

This study looked at the roles that older siblings who have been through the college process themselves play in the college-going experiences of younger first-generation college students. A qualitative study was conducted with 10 FGC students at a large public four-year university in the Southeast of the United States of America who had older siblings who were either currently attending college or had recently graduated from a four-year college or university themselves. For this study, I answered the following research question:

What role do older FGC student siblings play in the college-going experiences of younger siblings?

Data was collected using …

Examining Language Ideologies And Trilingual Practices In Family, Community, And School Contexts: Three Case Studies, Mihaela Gazioglu

All Dissertations

Despite increasing knowledge on trilingualism, we still have a lot to learn about the intricacies of becoming trilingual and what people do with different languages that they use or are exposed to (Chevalier et al., 2012; Choi, 2019; Cruz-Ferreira, 2006). This three-study dissertation employed qualitative research methods to address three aspects that current research offers little information. Each study focused, respectively, on 1) a child’s and her parents’ daily language practices to construct meaning in three languages, 2) how mothers' language ideologies influence their language practices and the support they offer to their trilingual children, and 3) teachers’ language ideologies …

Using In Vitro, In Silico, And In-Classroom Techniques To Address The Gender Data Gap In Health Care, Kelsey Watts

All Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide in males (XY) and females (XX). Prior to menopause, females have a relative protection against serious cardiac pathologies compared to age-matched males. This phenomenon is widely attributed to the ovarian hormone estrogen. Unfortunately, hormone replacement therapy to maintain estrogen levels in postmenopausal females has overall adverse effects, and it is not recommended for long-term use or as a preventative measure for eCVDs. A major driver of CVDs, specifically heart failure, is cardiac fibrosis: the continued buildup of scar tissue that reduces the heart’s ability to pump. There are currently no …

It’S Just An Idea: How Rural Teachers Implement Personalized Learning Within The Education System, Kedralyn L. Folk

All Dissertations

This exploratory case study revealed how rural educators navigate the shift required to implement personalized learning. I collected qualitative data at HMK8, where a personalized learning framework was implemented. This study used improvement science theory to understand the experience of rural teachers’ implementing personalized learning by exploring the experiences of rural educators applying personalized learning practices in the classroom and reviewing how rural educators explain their support needs. About 40% of schools in South Carolina are rural, so this study focused on rural teachers’ needs. The data analysis is rooted in sensemaking theory, which I use to explain and understand …

Using Blended Learning To Support Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic To Increase Credit Recovery Passage Rates: A Mixed-Methods Study, Anjail Salahudin-Bolden

All Dissertations

During the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forever changed the lives of Americans. Being an educator, I experienced the school shutdowns of March 2020 and felt the impacts on our educational system on a personal level. More students than ever failed courses needed to be promoted and to graduate high school. This led to more students at my school needing to take VirtualSC credit recovery courses. VirtualSC credit recovery courses are fully virtual and have no face-to-face interactions with teachers. Instead, they are self-paced courses that provide students with learning modules that they move through as they master each …

Transitional Experiences Of Physical Therapy Clinicians To Physical Therapy Faculty Members: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica Jacobs

All Dissertations

In physical therapy education, there is a shortage of physical therapy faculty members. Considering this shortage, it is essential to understand new faculty’s experiences in order to recruit and retain qualified individuals. New faculty are often recruited directly from clinical practice for their expertise but lack training in teaching and learning. Using Schlossberg’s transition therapy as a framework, the lived experiences of physical therapy faculty members’ transition from clinical practice to academia was explored. The purpose of this study was to 1) explore the work-role transition of new faculty members in physical therapy education programs, 2) identify potential resources faculty …

Reading Toward Breath: A Poetic Ecology Of Creative Reading, Jessica Schad Manuel

All Dissertations

Reading is an act of perception that begins in wonder and leads to wisdom. It is not a response to writing but a response-ability we have to interact with the world around us and the phenomena before us. Reading with the body leads to wisdom, and when we participate in our existence by being in the world, we are reading. So what is reading? Reading is making. We make connections, and we form relationships. The act of reading is more than a cognitive process and even surpasses the phenomenological encounter.

My research describes the reader’s relationship to the text as …

Spaces For Whom? : Identifying Participatory Strategies To Foster Students' Sense Of Belonging On Community College Campuses, Cynthia Clegg Davies

All Dissertations

In the United States, community colleges have served diverse student populations, including students of color and students with disabilities. While these colleges are celebrated for their access and affordability, student success is not guaranteed. As educators work to continuously improve course and program completion, students’ sense of belonging is critical. However, a review of scholarship from education, architecture, and planning revealed how students have navigated campuses that have not met their needs or reflected their experiences and have even been settings for discriminatory behaviors ranging from microaggressions to oppression. Recognizing the potential to increase sense of belonging through student participation …

Perceptions Of Secondary Principals Regarding The Effectiveness Of The Program Of Alternative Certification For Educators (Pace) In South Carolina, William Whitfield

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, I report the findings of a mixed-methods study I conducted in the state of South Carolina with secondary principals (middle and high school). The purpose of this two-phase, sequential mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of secondary principals regarding the effectiveness of the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE), South Carolina’s state supported alternative certification program. In the first phase, I used quantitative survey research to understand secondary principals’ perceptions of the PACE. In the second phase, I identified eight secondary school principals who had experience hiring PACE certitifed teachers and conducted semi-structured interviews …

Black Families Matter: Exploring The Sociocultural Impacts Of Race And Class On Parental Engagement, Keneisha Harrington

All Dissertations

Across diverse educational spaces, parental engagement is regarded as a critical factor in determining student academic achievement. However, dominant narratives of low-income African American parent (LIAAP) disengagement have been perpetuated in scholarship and practice, adding to the centuries of misuse and maltreatment Black families have experienced historically by way of educational institutions in the United States. Therefore, to counter these narratives and better understand parental engagement from the perspectives of LIAAP, in this three-article dissertation, I explored the impacts of race and social class on LIAAP engagement. Through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) lens and a phenomenological Community-Based Participatory …

An Exploratory Study Using Improvement Science To Better Understand How Modeling The Inverted Pyramid Fosters Servant Leadership Characteristics In A Rural Public School District, Jennifer Anderson

All Dissertations

A rural superintendent is a community figure who is responsible for meeting the needs of students, families, teachers, community stakeholders, and school boards. The superintendent's job is complicated. It has been stated that career superintendency in a single district is extremely rare, and turnover is among the highest in the education field (Chingos et al., 2014). The rural, mid-size public school district in this study was not immune to this problem, with many seasoned leaders on the cusp of retirement. Of the 30 district and school administrators currently employed in the district, including the superintendent, 20 of these leaders are …

The Future Of Higher Education For Land-Grant Institutions: Considerations Beyond Short-Term Strategic Planning, Andrew Edmunds

All Dissertations

This research addresses future challenges for land-grant universities and calls on administrators to look beyond short-term strategic planning. Chapter One frames the research problem and presents a brief history of U.S. higher education defined by disruption and evolution. Statistical models provide a basis to identify future challenges for land-grant universities. I then propose to address those challenges by investigating University Industry Partnerships (UIP), increasing research productivity, and fostering sense of belonging for part-time graduate students. I use a systematic literature review of UIP structuring practices to reveal how UIPs are structured by time, personnel, and flexible horizontal organizational structures. I …

An Exploratory Multiple-Case Study Of Nepal’S Science Teacher Educators’ Knowledge And Practices Of Active Learning And Culturally Responsive Teaching, Sunil Pokhrel

All Dissertations

The benefits of implementing active learning (AL) embedded with culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices are well established: students’ deep learning of science is promoted and the achievement gaps between students of majority and minority backgrounds are reduced. Unfortunately, the acceptance for AL and CRT in Nepal’s science teacher programs is low and implementation is superficial. Using a qualitative multiple-case study, the study examined the understanding of seven Nepali science teacher educators (STE) of AL and CRT practices. The challenges faced by the STEs to implementing these two pedagogies at three of Nepal’s science education-focused Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programs were …

Teacher Training And Mentoring: The Relationship Between Classroom Practices And Student Outcomes, Cledenin Veras

All Dissertations

Dominican students have the lowest performance scores in science, math, and reading comprehension compared to students across the region, according to national (Minerd, 2018) and International evaluations (TERCE, 2014). While many factors are linked to these results, teacher performance is considered an essential element (OECD, 2015) that needs to be addressed.

Project USAID READ is an initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), implemented by the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). The Project's purpose is to improve the reading and writing skills of Primary Level students, by supporting the implementation of the curriculum and promoting appropriate learning environments. Training …

Designing And Evaluating Accessible E-Learning For Students With Visual Impairments In K-12 Computing Education, Earl W. Huff Jr

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores the pathways for making K-12 computing education more accessible for blind or visually impaired (BVI) learners. As computer science (CS) expands into K-12 education, more concerted efforts are required to ensure all students have equitable access to opportunities to pursue a career in computing. To determine their viability with BVI learners, I conducted three studies to assess current accessibility in CS curricula, materials, and learning environments. Study one was interviews with visually impaired developers; study two was interviews with K-12 teachers of visually impaired students; study three was a remote observation within a computer science course. My …

Walking Back The System Trope: Reimagining Incarceration And The State Through A Spatial Theory Approach, Cody Hunter

All Dissertations

This dissertation critiques the systems theory approach to incarceration policy, practice, and research and proposes a rhetorically informed spatial theory approach as an alternative. Offering a non-hierarchical complexity theory as a bridge between systems and space, I then integrate rhetorical listening as a strategy for navigating and operationalizing our proposed spatial theory approach. I then apply our proposed methodology to archival research, focusing on the South Carolina Penitentiary as a case study, and offer two heuretic experiments to explore the range of this methodology for archival research. I also explore potential applications of this rhetorically informed spatial theory approach in …

Using Smart Phone Technology To Improve Daily Living Skills And Independent Living Skills For Individuals With Intellectual Disability, Jordan Stierle

All Dissertations

Independent living is an important facet of adult life. Individuals with ID often experience a combination of both intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits which negatively impact their ability to live independently. Fortunately, research has shown that assistive technology (AT), and particularly video prompting helps support independent living for individuals with ID. This single case multiple probe across participants design study investigated the efficacy of a highly customizable task analysis smartphone application in assisting three young adults with ID learn how to cook three different recipes. Findings indicate that all three participants experienced large effect size gains from using the AT …

How Transformative Leaders Break Down Barriers To Increase Access To Arts Integration For Black And Hispanic Students: A Multiple Case Study, Julia Mcclanahan

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how transformative leaders break down barriers to increase access to arts integration for Black and Hispanic students. To fulfill this purpose, I conducted a multiple case study of two school sites in two different school districts. I collected the data for the cases through interviews with the principal of each school, interviews with two teachers from each site, field notes from site visits, and documents and artifacts from each site. This study is significant because the data provides transformative leaders with an action plan in order to make arts-integrated programs more equitable …

Interventions To Increase Prospective Teacher Candidates' Praxis Ii Content Exam Scores, Takara Hart

All Dissertations

Teacher shortages are a pervasive issue in South Carolina’s public schools. Some prospective teacher candidates have shown obstacles in meeting the minimum required Praxis II Content exam score. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and develop specific Praxis II Content exam interventions to improve scores for six prospective teacher candidates in South Carolina. All participants were trying to meet the licensure exam requirement for various alternative certification programs. Malcolm Knowles’ Andragogy Adult Learning Theory guided the study as a theoretical framework, and Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Constructivism provided the conceptual frame. Descriptive coding and analysis, using Dedoose …

Building Leadership Capacity In An Instructional Coach: A Principal’S Contribution To The Growth Of A Leader Through The Lens Of Complexity Leadership Theory, Lori Corley

All Dissertations

School leaders are accountable for enabling others to produce innovative outcomes within the environment in which the school operates. This complex environment of the school, defined by greater levels of uncertainty, ambiguity, interdependencies, and interrelatedness (Clarke, 2013), is a place where complex problems are best solved with complex responses (Marion and Uhl-Bien, 2011) by the instructional leaders within the system. In light of this understanding, it is important to examine how instructional leaders within the school grow as leaders through the lens of complexity leadership theory. Although existing research examines what instructional leaders need to do to be effective, there …

Lifting As We Climb: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology On How Black Women Administrators Develop Their Leader Identity At Predominantly White Institutions, Jameka Jackson

All Dissertations

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore and understand the sensemaking process of how Black women administrators at PWIs use their intersectional experiences to develop a leader identity. This study used an endarkened feminist epistemology to view leadership development from the individualistic and collective perspectives of Black women leaders. Black feminist thought (BFT) and critical race feminism (CRF) were used as the theoretical frameworks serving as the lens through which their lived experiences were examined and analyzed. Purposive and theoretical sampling procedures were utilized, including volunteer and snowball techniques, to select ideal participants from various four-year, public …

The Impact Of Interlocking Systems Of Oppression On The Leadership And Decision-Making Experiences Of Black Women In Executive-Level Leadership Positions At Predominantly White Public Research Institutions In The United States, Altheia Richardson

All Dissertations

Despite having the necessary credentials to assume executive-level leadership positions at institutions of higher education, Black women continue to be among the least represented in these roles, especially at predominantly White institutions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate and understand how interlocking systems of oppression impact the leadership and decision-making experiences of Black women in executive-level leadership positions at predominantly White public research institutions in the U.S. The research question was: How do Black women in executive-level leadership positions at predominantly White public research institutions in the U.S. make sense of misogynoir in relation to their leadership …

The Problematic Myth Of Student Affairs Attrition: A Regression Analysis, Myles Surrett

All Dissertations

In this study, I investigated a commonly held belief in the field of higher education student affairs. Scholars have claimed 50% of student affairs professionals leave the field within five years (Artale, 2019; Davis & Cooper, 2017; Dinise-Halter, 2017; Frank, 2013; Renn & Hodges, 2007; Silver & Jakeman, 2014). Many scholars situated this issue as a problem for which they have offered possible solutions (Artale, 2020; Berwick, 1992; Buchanan & Schupp; 2016; Dinise-Halter, 2017; Frank, 2013; Jo, 2008; Lawling et al., 1982; Lorden, 1998; Marshall et al., 2016; Mullen et al., 2018; Renn & Jessup-Anger, 2008; Rosser & Javinar, 2003; …

Impact Of Interventions On Student Performance Among Eighth Graders In Algebra 1, Tiffany Osborne

All Dissertations

Educational leaders and practitioners face challenges in South Carolina schools, but through improvement science processes (Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, & LeMahieu, 2015), they can collectively develop solutions which directly address those issues. In this Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, I partnered with participants in ongoing Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles (Bryk, et al., 2015) to improve student outcomes. I triangulated multiple data points and corroborated findings with students’ own perceptions to provide evidence that students can achieve in eighth grade Algebra 1 when given the opportunity to enroll in the course and when afforded appropriate ongoing academic interventions that foster conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, …