Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 30

Full-Text Articles in Education

Understanding Persistence Factors For Non-Traditional Black Female Doctoral Graduates: A Qualitative Approach, Aree E. Robinson Apr 2024

Understanding Persistence Factors For Non-Traditional Black Female Doctoral Graduates: A Qualitative Approach, Aree E. Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of non-traditional Black female graduates of doctoral programs in central Tennessee. For the purposes of this research, non-traditional Black female graduates was generally defined as Black females who pursued and completed a doctoral degree at forty-plus years of age and identified with any of the following statuses: 1) parenting dependent children, 2) primary caretaker for elderly parent(s), and/or 3) full-time employee. The Central Research Question was: What are the experiences of non-traditional Black female graduates of doctoral programs in Tennessee? Schlossberg’s transition theory and Erickson’s psychosocial development theory …


Understanding Their Journeys: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Noncredit Homeless Students, Maureen C. Rubalcaba Apr 2024

Understanding Their Journeys: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Noncredit Homeless Students, Maureen C. Rubalcaba

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of noncredit homeless students enrolled in a retention model program at a noncredit community college institution. The lived experiences of noncredit homeless students were generally defined as homeless adult learners enrolled in a noncredit community college institution participating in a retention model program. Retention was generally defined as keeping students enrolled each term or term to term. The research examined noncredit homeless students’ basic needs, barriers to retention, and motivation to stay enrolled. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which provided a holistic …


Great Leader, Great Learner: Shepherd-Teachers, Self-Directed Learning, And The Preaching Moment In Small Southern Baptist Churches, Matthew Thomas Gowin Apr 2024

Great Leader, Great Learner: Shepherd-Teachers, Self-Directed Learning, And The Preaching Moment In Small Southern Baptist Churches, Matthew Thomas Gowin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the influence of the shepherd–teacher’s learning attributes, informed by adult learning theory, on the preaching moment within a conservative Southern Baptist congregation. Malcolm S. Knowles offered the theory guiding this study in his concepts of andragogy and self-directed learning. Knowles introduced an educational model that emphasizes adult learning and primarily self-directed learning. The study observed whether being a self-directed learner impacts the shepherd–teacher’s instructional activities, including preparation and delivery. The study addressed an identified gap between adult learning theory and homiletics. The multiple-case study started by surveying pastors with the …


Discerning Impact Of Secular Humanism On Pastoral Counseling, Stephen Ganschow Mar 2024

Discerning Impact Of Secular Humanism On Pastoral Counseling, Stephen Ganschow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral care has existed in some form for generations, dating most precisely back to the New Testament writings of Paul, the Apostle. Religious people-helping approaches thus endured in some form until a dramatic shift occurred in the late 1700s, with the onset of the Enlightenment. This historic phenomenon resulted in an aggressive cultural adjustment to understand the self and its distresses apart from religious orientation, instead favoring a humanistic orientation. Yet, pastoral counseling has endured and adapted in an effort to remain a viable means of serving people in distress. In modernity, pastoral care and counseling now exists within a …


A Phenomenological Study: The Academic Experiences Of Low-Socioeconomic-Status Esl Learners Enrolled In A Mid-Sized Urban Community College, Anna Buck Feb 2024

A Phenomenological Study: The Academic Experiences Of Low-Socioeconomic-Status Esl Learners Enrolled In A Mid-Sized Urban Community College, Anna Buck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the academic experiences of low socioeconomic status ESL learners enrolled in a mid-sized urban community college located in Pennsylvania. The theory that guided this study is Walberg’s theory on educational productivity, as it looks at how learners’ psychological characteristics and the psychological environments in which they live influence academic outcomes and their ability to succeed academically. Walberg’s theory of educational productivity provided a framework to answer the central research question and three sub-questions: (A) What are the academic experiences of low socioeconomic status ESL learners? (B) What are the socioeconomic …


How High School Dropouts Perceive And Describe The Influence Of Lived Experiences On Their Feelings Of Self-Efficacy As They Enroll In An Alternative Educational Environment: A Phenomenological Study, Cathy Walker Ellison Dec 2023

How High School Dropouts Perceive And Describe The Influence Of Lived Experiences On Their Feelings Of Self-Efficacy As They Enroll In An Alternative Educational Environment: A Phenomenological Study, Cathy Walker Ellison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the influence of lived experiences on high school dropouts’ feelings of self-efficacy as they enrolled in an alternative education program in a rural county in a southeastern state. Purposive sampling was used to select the research participants from the program. Document review of enrollment forms ensured participants were high school dropouts. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, which explains the influence of learning experience on feelings of self-efficacy, guided this study. The focus of the proposed study was the following central research question: How do high school dropouts perceive and describe the …


Measuring Motivation To Predict Perceived Success In E-Learning Courses For Pre-Service Teachers: A Predictive-Correlational Study, Erin G. Fleming Nov 2023

Measuring Motivation To Predict Perceived Success In E-Learning Courses For Pre-Service Teachers: A Predictive-Correlational Study, Erin G. Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined whether a predictive relationship exists between perceived success in e-learning courses for pre-service teachers and their motivation toward learning at the college level. In this post-pandemic, technology-driven world, e-learning is more prevalent than ever. Understanding who will be successful in these courses is imperative. This study aimed to determine whether perceived success in e-learning courses for pre-service teachers could be predicted by their intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation scores. This predictive-correlational study utilized logistic regression to test the predictor variables: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, amotivation, motivation subsets, gender, age, sex, and program type against the criterion …


Remediation As Perceived By Community College Students: A Case Study, Amy Katherine Justice Taylor Aug 2023

Remediation As Perceived By Community College Students: A Case Study, Amy Katherine Justice Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrumental case was to understand how community college students in rural Tennessee perceive the impacts of mandatory remediation with regard to finances, time, and effectiveness. The theory that was used to guide this study was Malcom Knowles’ adult learning theory. This case study was conducted with qualitative measures by utilizing a survey, journaling, and interviews with a sample of students from a community college in rural Tennessee who were assigned to remedial placement in the areas of math, reading, and/or writing. This method of data collection provided students with the opportunity to share their individual …


The Lived Professional Military Education Experience Of Air National Guard Officers At Air University: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Clayton Edward Thompson Jul 2023

The Lived Professional Military Education Experience Of Air National Guard Officers At Air University: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Clayton Edward Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Air National Guard officers attending professional military education at Air University. The theory guiding this research study is David Kolb’s experiential learning theory because of the emphasis placed on experiences, observations, and reflections during the education programs at Air University. The central research question was, what are the lived experiences of Air National Guard officers in the resident professional military education program at Air War College? This research study utilized a phenomenological approach as the research design and focused on Air National Guard officers attending a resident …


Instructors’ Experiences With Employing Kinesthetic Instructional Strategies In Gatekeeper Community College Courses: A Single Holistic Case Study, Jodie S. Hogan Jul 2023

Instructors’ Experiences With Employing Kinesthetic Instructional Strategies In Gatekeeper Community College Courses: A Single Holistic Case Study, Jodie S. Hogan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, single holistic case study was to understand how community college instructors use kinesthetic instructional strategies to engage students enrolled in gatekeeper college courses at a community college in the Northeastern United States. The theory guiding this study was domains of learning theory, as it explains how faculty approach instruction according to how students experience the six levels of the cognitive taxonomy and provides a foundation for the consideration of how the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains are intertwined. A qualitative methodology with a single case study design was used to address the central research question, …


A Phenomenological Study: Black Female Resilient Dropouts And How They Perceive Parental Influence In Their Pursuit Of Completing A High School Diploma At A Midwestern Credit Recovery Institution, Tennille A. Love May 2023

A Phenomenological Study: Black Female Resilient Dropouts And How They Perceive Parental Influence In Their Pursuit Of Completing A High School Diploma At A Midwestern Credit Recovery Institution, Tennille A. Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black female resilient high school dropouts, and whether parental involvement impacted their enrollment and completion of a diploma from a midwestern credit recovery school. The guiding theories of this study were ecological systems and critical race feminism as it relates to the participants of a specific race and gender, and how the microsystemic relationship between them and their parents may have influenced their decision. The research questions of the study were: (a) what are the lived experiences of Black females who dropped out of their traditional …


The Experiences Of Information Communication Technology (Ict) Graduates' Transition Into A Low-And Middle-Income Economy's Job Market: A Phenomenological Study, David Twum-Barimah Apr 2023

The Experiences Of Information Communication Technology (Ict) Graduates' Transition Into A Low-And Middle-Income Economy's Job Market: A Phenomenological Study, David Twum-Barimah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to understand the information communication technology graduates’ perceptions and lived experiences as they transitioned into the workforce in Grenada (a low- and middle-income economy island state). The theories guiding this study are Goleman’s theory on emotional intelligence, Knowles’ self-directed learning theory, and Becker’s human capital theory. These theories represent the skill sets that help individuals adapt to new environments, acquire new skills, and become efficient in the workplace. The study used twelve Grenadians with degrees in information communication technology and sought employment in Grenada. The data collection was conducted through individual interviews, focus group interviews …


Best Practices Of Exceptional College Professors Who Program Relevance Into Online Distance Learning Courses: A Phenomenological Study, Keri Ann Palasz Oct 2022

Best Practices Of Exceptional College Professors Who Program Relevance Into Online Distance Learning Courses: A Phenomenological Study, Keri Ann Palasz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this proposed transcendental phenomenological study was to describe specifically the experience of exceptional professors who convey relevance to students in online distance learning higher education courses. The theory that guided this study is Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory (ALT), as it clarifies the relationship between course design and delivery and the characteristics of adult learners. This study addressed four research questions posed to a sample of award-winning college professors who teach online distance learning courses in the American field of higher education to understand better what these professors do to convey relevance in a way that appeals to …


Managing Risk: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology On The Experiences Of Corporate Instructors When Planning And Developing Disaster Driven Training Content, Seeke Diana Hughes Sep 2022

Managing Risk: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology On The Experiences Of Corporate Instructors When Planning And Developing Disaster Driven Training Content, Seeke Diana Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand and interpret corporate trainers' perspectives when developing disaster or pandemic-driven training content for remote situations and suggest a baseline response to identified deficits. Using the disaster risk management theory by Kim and Sohn (2018), with specific emphasis on Petak's (1985) and McLoughlin's (1985) framework, data from the participants was collected using semi-structured individual interviews, document analysis, and observations. While corporate trainers have used years of experience and seasoned pedagogy to enhance learning for their participants to achieve corporate objectives, almost no content exists regarding the process. Due to increased remote learning resulting from the …


Discovering Perceptions Of Adequacy For Domestic Violence Ministry Among Seminary Educated Evangelical Pastors In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Paula King Millsaps Apr 2022

Discovering Perceptions Of Adequacy For Domestic Violence Ministry Among Seminary Educated Evangelical Pastors In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Paula King Millsaps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of adequacy experienced when ministering to domestic violence impacted congregants for evangelical pastors in southwestern Pennsylvania. Perceptions of adequacy when ministering to congregants experiencing domestic violence have been generally defined as a perception of adequate preparedness through education for ministering to the intricate needs of the family crisis of domestic violence. The theory that guided this study was van Manen’s (1997, 2014) interpretive phenomenological method of qualitative study as it was the method used by Zuet et al (2017) in a study of the feelings of adequacy for …


Exploring Academic Resiliency In A Corrections Education High School Equivalency Program, Richard Jason Westover Apr 2022

Exploring Academic Resiliency In A Corrections Education High School Equivalency Program, Richard Jason Westover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examined ways in which academic resilience may play a role in corrections education students. Corrections education administrators require information to guide future corrections education curricula. Academic resilience information specific to corrections education is currently not available, therefore this study is important for the required knowledge. The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of academic resiliency in corrections education students who successfully completed a high school equivalency program. The sample was drawn from a Pennsylvania prison population, the goal was to recruit 110 students who were enrolled, or successfully completed a high school equivalency program while …


Air Force Intelligence Professionals And Higher Education: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nicholai Ivaschenko Oct 2021

Air Force Intelligence Professionals And Higher Education: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nicholai Ivaschenko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Air Force intelligence professionals who decide to pursue a college degree. The study focused on the experiences of 10 current Air Force intelligence professionals who have completed an intelligence studies (or related) program and are currently serving in an intelligence operations group. The philosophical foundation used in this study was Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology, and the secondary theoretical framework that was applied was the expectancy-value theory, which provides the underlying constructs and propositions for how Air Force intelligence professionals make sense of their careers. Lived experiences of …


Mission To Persist: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic And Social Experiences Of Active Duty Military Students At A Virginia Community College, La Toya Nicole Sivells Mar 2021

Mission To Persist: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic And Social Experiences Of Active Duty Military Students At A Virginia Community College, La Toya Nicole Sivells

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to examine the academic and social experiences of active duty military students at a Virginia community college. The theory that guided this study was Tinto’s student integration theory because it examines the academic and social experiences of active duty military students and how they are key to successful integration into college community and persistence. The central research question that guided this study was: What are the academic and social experiences of active duty military students at Virginia community colleges. Additionally, to answer the central question, four sub-questions were developed using Tinto’s Integration …


Limited Educational Opportunities And Financial Help For Military Spouses Stationed Overseas, Adriana Torres De Pérez May 2020

Limited Educational Opportunities And Financial Help For Military Spouses Stationed Overseas, Adriana Torres De Pérez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of limited educational opportunities and financial help for military spouses stationed overseas and design measures to address the issue. This multimethod study used a qualitative approach to understand better the problems spouses encounter in overseas posts while taking into consideration their personal experiences. A group of six spouses was interviewed individually to understand their needs, goals, and opinions. Also, data from two quantitative methods were collected and analyzed. A survey that addresses the importance of post-secondary education was available to one group of 30 spouses. Archival data were used …


Attorneys' Experiences With Continuing Legal Education Delivered Online: A Holistic Single Case Study, Kimberly Ann Thomas Nov 2019

Attorneys' Experiences With Continuing Legal Education Delivered Online: A Holistic Single Case Study, Kimberly Ann Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative holistic single case study was to describe how practicing attorneys in North Carolina experience continuing legal education (CLE) courses delivered online. The theories guiding the study are Knowles’ adult learning theory and Siemens’ connectivist theory, as they address how adults learn and how the use of technology connects learning. The central research question is as follows: How do practicing attorneys in North Carolina experience online CLE courses? This question leads to three sub-questions: What meaning do practicing attorneys ascribe to CLE? What benefits and concerns do attorneys identify with CLE delivered online? How do attorneys …


An Investigation Of Veterinary Sales Professionals' Perceptions Of Self-Directed Learning: A Multiple Case Study, Agostino Salvatore Scicchitano Oct 2019

An Investigation Of Veterinary Sales Professionals' Perceptions Of Self-Directed Learning: A Multiple Case Study, Agostino Salvatore Scicchitano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate sales professionals’ perceptions of self-directed learning within their current positions. The veterinary industry is a highly knowledge-intensive entity that values professional identity, sense of self, compassion, competence, and the human-animal bond; the veterinary sales professional plays an important role in this industry. However, with sales training waning after the first three years of a sales professional’s employment, self-directed learning becomes an important tool for the veterinary sales professional. Yet, there are no studies that provide an in-depth understanding of the role of self-directed learning in veterinary sales. The following central …


Readiness For Blended Retirement: A Descriptive Analysis Of Financial Literacy Among Young American Military Members, Michael Eldon Pontiff Dec 2018

Readiness For Blended Retirement: A Descriptive Analysis Of Financial Literacy Among Young American Military Members, Michael Eldon Pontiff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In January 2018, the Department of Defense began the new blended retirement system for military members which includes an investment matching program in addition to a reduced pension at 20 years of service. This new system requires a forward thinking financial decision from a young population of Americans who may not possess substantial financial knowledge and experience to make an educated long term decision. The study examines the financial literacy of two groups of young enlisted Air Force members separated by two years experience in the service to determine if any significant changes in financial literacy occur through time and …


Investigating The Impact Of Differentiated Instruction On Soldier Training, Sara Rebecca Baumgarten Dec 2018

Investigating The Impact Of Differentiated Instruction On Soldier Training, Sara Rebecca Baumgarten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the individuals identified as the Millennial Generation transition into adulthood, postsecondary instructional institutions must adjust training methods for increased learning. This postsecondary institutional transformation is not exclusionary, thus military training must also evolve to increase knowledge acquisition. For soldiers in the unit supply specialist program, training utilized differentiated instruction methods and strategies with an end state of improved learning for soldiers at their first duty station and lasting through the course of their career. This revised learning methodology has increased property accountability as directed by the Command Supply Discipline Program, Department of the Army. Conducting an ANCOVA on Control …


Perceptions Of Community College Of The Air Force Graduates Regarding The Degree's Influence On Employability: A Case Study, Kimberly Castillo Sep 2018

Perceptions Of Community College Of The Air Force Graduates Regarding The Degree's Influence On Employability: A Case Study, Kimberly Castillo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single embedded case study was to answer the central question: How do CCAF graduates perceive the impact of their degree in enhancing their employability for the civilian workforce? Because veterans have historically suffered from high unemployment (Kleykamp, 2013), veteran employment is a highly politicized problem considering the large number who will soon be discharged (Burnett-Zeigler, Valenstein, Ilgen, Blow, Gorman, & Zivin, 2011; Humensky, Jordan, Stroupe, & Hynes, 2013; Kleykamp, 2013; Loughran, 2014). This study used a theoretical framework of the transition theory to better understand the issues airmen faced when leaving the Air Force as well …


Predicting Enrollment Yield At A Faith-Based Institution: A Correlational Study, Timothy Rees Aug 2018

Predicting Enrollment Yield At A Faith-Based Institution: A Correlational Study, Timothy Rees

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Lifetime earnings of Americans increase when they hold the credential of a bachelor’s degree. Understanding what factors likely lead to successful candidacy for said degree has been the subject of study in higher education for more than three quarters of a century. With the advent of affirmative action in the late 1960s, issues of access to higher education were somewhat mitigated and the field began to focus on issues of persistence to graduation. From Tinto’s (1975) interactionalist theory of student departure through the present day, a plethora of studies have explored and uncovered many factors that are relevant to persistence. …


Satisfaction Of Nontraditional Students In Health Sciences: A Causal Comparison Study Investigating Institutional Effectiveness, Erica Harrison Jul 2018

Satisfaction Of Nontraditional Students In Health Sciences: A Causal Comparison Study Investigating Institutional Effectiveness, Erica Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nontraditional students have personal obstacles they must overcome in their journey through college. These barriers differ from traditional students and can include feelings of isolation and a sense that their chosen institutions are insensitive and inflexible to the particular nontraditional student needs. In this quantitative, causal-comparative study, the researcher sought to determine if students’ satisfaction, as measured by the Student Satisfaction Inventory, differed based on student status (traditional or nontraditional) and health science program (nursing, dental hygiene, or radiologic technology) enrolled at technical colleges of Georgia. This study was conducted at technical colleges in Georgia. Participants were students from five …


The Relationship Between Well-Being And Technology Among Senior Citizens In Indiana, Treg Hopkins Apr 2018

The Relationship Between Well-Being And Technology Among Senior Citizens In Indiana, Treg Hopkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Across America technology has become an ever present requirement for day-to-day living. Senior citizens for this study were those who were 50 years of age and older and were often hindered in understanding and using technology. The purpose of this research study was to determine if there is a statistical significant correlation between the number of technology classes a senior citizen takes and general well-being. Senior citizens were surveyed to determine if understanding of technology changed level of well-being. A paper survey was used with a convenience sample of seniors who take technology based courses through an organization designed to …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Pharmacists' Experiences, Motivation, And Preferences In The Context Of Continuing Pharmacy Education, Laura Beth Ladymon Dec 2017

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Pharmacists' Experiences, Motivation, And Preferences In The Context Of Continuing Pharmacy Education, Laura Beth Ladymon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe select Tennessee pharmacists’ experiences, motivation, and preferences in the context of continuing pharmacy education (CPE). The pharmacists’ experiences, motivation, and preferences related to CPE were generally defined as participating in CPE programming in a manner that meets the needs of the pharmacist. Also, select pharmacists were defined as pharmacists with at least six hours of continuing pharmacy education credit within the last year. This study explored how 12 pharmacist participants in Tennessee experienced CPE as well as what motivated them to attend CPE activities. Additionally, the study investigated pharmacists’ preferences in …


Correlation Of Local Unemployment Rates And North Carolina Community College Enrollments, Scott Mckinney May 2017

Correlation Of Local Unemployment Rates And North Carolina Community College Enrollments, Scott Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effect of business cycles, as evidenced by local unemployment rates, on individual community colleges needs to be understood so that public resources can be used to strategically align the supply and demand of educational opportunities. A countercyclical relationship indicates the ability to serve citizens may be most restricted during economic downturns when demand is highest. A quantitative Pearson product-moment correlation design was used in this study to determine the magnitude and strength of the relationship of local unemployment rates and enrollments from 1990 through 2016 in North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. Total full-time enrollment in three main categories of …


Understanding College Students With A Learning Disability - A Phenomenological Study, Will Licht Apr 2015

Understanding College Students With A Learning Disability - A Phenomenological Study, Will Licht

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the essence of what it means to be a college student at Midwest Christian University who is identified with a learning disability (LD) after beginning a collegiate learning experience. The theory that guided this study was three-fold. Combining Bandura's study of self-efficacy, the concept of resiliency, and a biblical worldview of learners, the study investigated the effects of a delayed LD identification on the academic and emotional lives of the participants. Additionally, the study analyzes steps that can be followed to alleviate the effects of the phenomenon. Data was collected …