Education Commons^™

Where Will I Sleep Tonight? A Qualitative Case Study Of Homeless And Displaced College Students, Andria Lynn Coleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of undergraduate students who are homeless or displaced, as well as examine the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University, a public four-year university, that may support or hinder students’ retention and progression. This study will be driven by the following research question: How do students who are homeless or displaced, but earned a scholarship, grant, or both navigate the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University during their first two years? Using Resiliency Theory and Hope Theory as the theoretical frameworks, this qualitative multiple case study seeks to identify …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Parent Involvement Programs In Higher Education, Heather Rappaport

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Universities involve parents of college students in the undergraduate experience, but there is limited research on the specific pathways for parent engagement. This study examined how universities involve parents of undergraduate students at large public universities with graduation rates higher than the national average. Through the lenses of emerging adulthood and Bioecological theories, this study explored the perspectives of parent program directors. Findings of this qualitative case study include a unique tie between parent programs and collegiate athletics, communication pathways within FERPA guidelines, as well as expanded opportunities for involvement like affinity groups and career services.

Predicting Student Success In A K-12 Online School, Andrea Connolly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the rapid growth of K-12 online learning, research is needed in the effective identification of at-risk students so that administrators and teachers can develop appropriate supports and interventions. The purpose of this research was to determine if student success in an online course could be predicted for English Learners (EL) using identifiable student characteristics and traits. This study looked at the student traits of behavior, structure, and demographics to determine if they could be used as predictive variables for successful course completion in a K-12 online course. The behavior characteristics were measured by a survey tool and were identified …

Easing The Middle To High School Transition: An Evaluation Of The Gold Program, Leilani Shive

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Some effective components of effective transition programs include using a freshman academy or school-within-a-school model, teacher and peer mentoring and summer bridge programs. This study analyzed the effectiveness of the Gold Program, a middle to high school transition program for at-risk youth in a large urban high school in the southwestern United States. This program incorporated those components in addition to several others, such as: parent involvement, career and technical education, blended learning, behavior interventions, and Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC). Individual components of the Gold Program were chosen to meet the four S’s of Schlossberg’s transition …

Impact Of Mentoring On Epistemic Cognition Of Higher Education Administrators: A Modified Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Robert Levrant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In today’s complex workplace, organizations have implemented mentoring programs to serve the needs of employees by providing career development and personal support. Mentoring relationships provide a variety of vocational, psychosocial and role modeling functions to protégés. Previous educational psychology research has examined the role of mentoring as it relates to self-regulation, self-efficacy, career promotions, motivation and other constructs. Epistemic cognition relates to the understanding of the nature of knowledge and knowing. Epistemic cognition relates to the development, in which one’s understanding of knowledge evolves from a belief that knowledge is finite, must be passed down by expert authorities toward an …

The Experiences Of Pell Grant Students Who Lose Aid: A Mixed Methods Study, Jaime Carbajal, Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding the link between financial aid and college attainment is particularly important for the Federal Pell Grant program, the nation’s largest financial aid program. Many studies have shown that the Pell Grant program increases retention, persistence, and graduation rates for undergraduate students (Castleman & Long, 2016; Evans & Nguyen, 2019). Nonetheless, 80% of Pell recipients do not go on to complete a college degree within four years (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2016). One possible reason for this outcome is the way the Pell Grant program is constructed and implemented. While the Pell grant starts out as a need-based aid, it becomes …

The Use Of Post-Course Feedback On Mastery Learning In A Professional Development Context, Thomas M. Kramer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of feedback to measure post-mastery learning in a professional development course designed for child welfare worker. In addition, the study explored the subjects’ perceptions of benefits gained by taking an online professional development course for child welfare worker. Specifically, the effect of email summaries sent out after the completion of the course on the participant’s retention of material covered in the course was assessed. The summary emails were designed to enhance the benefits of reviewing the study material after the completion of the course with a particular focus on the quantity and frequency of reminders …

We Gon' Be Alright: A Narrative Inquiry With Black Male Doctoral Students, Lashaun D. Limbrick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation study aspired to examine the stories of what internal and external supports lead Black men to pursue, and persist through, doctoral degree programs at predominately white institutions (PWIs). Arguably, advancing one’s education towards a doctoral degree, involves several years of rigorous coursework, a comprehensive examination, degree benchmarks, and a formal dissertation study, which could provide guaranteed economic and social stability. There is a disproportionately that exists among the number of Black men being awarded doctoral degrees yearly as compared to white men. This study will examine Black males’ stories of support along the doctoral trajectory.

The study utilizes …

Using The Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework To Teach Adult Basic Education Learners: A Transformative Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study, Matthew D. Gromlich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this study was to design and implement curricula in the Adult Basic Education classroom that aligned to the Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework. Specifically, this study assessed if ABE students’ mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy ware affected by curricula that aligns to the Critical Mathematics Pedagogical Framework. Using a transformative convergent parallel mixed methods study, this study showed that students taught using CMPF-based lessons specifically reflected on their own attitudes towards mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, number positioning, and the need for societal change around mathematical concepts. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to highlight student reflections and …

Addressing Disproportionality In School Discipline Through Alternatives To Exclusionary Discipline Practices, Kevin Matthew Higley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tasked with ensuring that school environments are safe and orderly, school administrators spend an increasingly inordinate amount of time and energy on managing student discipline. Often, when students commit egregious behaviors or violate school policy, schools resort to out-of-school disciplinary consequences, i.e. suspension, expulsion, or alternative educational placements, in attempts to reduce problem behaviors from recurring. Historically though, these exclusionary discipline practices have led to the unfair treatment of some students, (e.g., Black/African American students, male students, and/or students with disabilities). This disproportionate practice is often cited as the genesis for the school-to prison pipeline phenomenon. From a behaviorist perspective, …

Training Design Enhancement Through Training Evaluation: Effects On Training Transfer, Elham Arabi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With recurring changes in the society, in terms of economy and technology, companies need to ensure that their human capital is aligned with these transformations in order to sustain in a competitive industry. To date, organizations view training as a requirement to increase their employees’ efficiencies and productivity, and reduce their attrition rates. Despite investment in employee training, research shows a lack of transfer of learning to job and as a result minimal return on investment. This issue is due to many barriers, but can be addressed by learning professionals. Poor learning design and training evaluation practices have been identified …

Supporting The Visible Minority: Factors That Impact Part-Time Faculty Intent To Leave, Michelle Marie Dominguez Chavez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Hiring part-time faculty in higher education is beneficial for both institutions and the part-time faculty member. Particularly during times of budget cuts, institutions turn to part-time faculty. However, it is important for institutions to create a positive working environment for part-time faculty in order to ensure that the use of part-time faculty does not create adverse effects on student learning and institutions can retain their faculty as either part-time or assist in their transition into full-time teaching positions. Using the conceptual frameworks of role conflict and ambiguity, working conditions, morale, job satisfaction, and intent to leave, this study aimed to …

Exploration Of The Intersection Of Social Identities Of Female Leaders In Postsecondary Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Sara Shaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of female leaders currently in leadership roles in postsecondary education. This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted to explore intersecting identities and how the identities affected female leaders’ leadership experiences and decision-making processes. Through the theoretical framework of intersectionality, I explored the relationships among females, leadership, career decision-making, and other categorical social identities. Data gathered from semi-structured one-on-one interviews and demographic surveys with 11 female postsecondary leaders sought to understand how gender and selected social identities affect career decision-making of women in postsecondary leadership positions. The researcher identified seven themes: …

Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Outcomes: Evaluating The Link Between Infection Prevention Practices In Healthcare Facilities And Their Health Care-Associated Infection Rates, Chidinma Veronica Njoku

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a pressing problem affecting vulnerable individuals who come to the hospital to receive care for one condition only to find that they have contracted another during their stay. Studies point to the importance of training and educating staff in order to implement and comply with recommended infection control and prevention control and prevention practices as lack of training and knowledge about infection control and prevention has been perceived to bring about a limited ability for direct care staff to adhere to recommended processes and activities. Although there are prior studies on the effects of assessments, infection …

Factors That Influence Nontraditional Adult Learners' Online Course Persistence: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Millicent D. Braxton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Historically, the typical first-year college student was an 18-year-old high school graduate still living at home. However, today’s college students are frequently older adults pursuing higher education in record numbers and for a myriad of reasons. In fact, these older students are nontraditional adult learners (NALs), and they are the new majority student population (NCES, 2012). Nontraditional adult learners are identified as a student 25-years and older, entering college for the first time or re-entering college after a gap in their education. Additionally, NALs prefer to enroll in online courses because of the convenience and flexibility of online learning. However, …

Examining The Training Transfer Practice Of A Financial Institution: An Action Research Study, Maria Lourdes Lourdes Gutierrez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many organizations rely on training to improve the skills and knowledge of its human resources. The underlying assumption is that employees will use what they learned when they return to the workplace. Although there is evidence that learning occurred it does not always result in transfer (Mosel, 1957). Transfer is an issue of concern for training practitioners. If despite the significant investment no return is realized, then the training is not effective and the investment is wasted. This action research study was conducted in a financial institution in the Southwestern United States. The purpose of this study was to (1) …

A Phenomenological Study On The Professional Development Of African American Male Administrators At Predominately White Post-~Secondary Institutions, Arnold Shmorn Bell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As of today, African Americans continue to face a daunting endeavor when seeking to become executive administrative leaders at predominately White post-secondary institutions, even though, according to Tillman (2001), “Mentoring was identified as a technique to assist the professional advancement of African American faculty. In doing so, their numbers will increase at predominantly White institutions” (p. 295). Literature steadily indicates that mentorship contributes to one’s career development in the post-secondary environment. The influential aspects of mentorship on one’s professional development is supported by numerous studies that examines mentoring relationships across various academic disciplines and businesses in corporate America (Brown, 2005). …

Community College Students’ Perceptions Of Their Academic Workload, William Neff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One major barrier to success, for first-time, full-time college students, is course workload (Bowyer, 2012). How students respond to their situation and the barriers they face may influence decisions they make about classes in which they should enroll or those they should avoid, completing or dropping a class during the semester, and persisting from term-to-term and year-to-year. In an effort to help students succeed, colleges often give them a specified set of core courses and a specific or even prescribed pathway to complete the “general education” requirements. These core courses such as mathematics, communication, and English, among others, taken separately …

Measuring Implementation Success Of Pay Structures And The Role Of Human Resources In Higher Education, Derek Spencer Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if a new salary structure initiative for university staff employees would reduce variance in pay. The initiative was purposed to identify and describe the appropriate components of a pay plan that could be established by an HR unit in higher education. The treatment was tested with a quasi-experimental design using a before/after approach with classified personnel at a Midwestern university. The treatment was the implementation of the new pay plan. The final tool created was named the Pay Structure

Initiative (PSI). The analysis showed that variance in pay was reduced after the …

Having Or Serving: Perceptions Of Hsis, Rebecca Gates

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite substantial growth within the Latinx population and its access to higher education, there are still significant gaps with regard to degree attainment. In 2015, 36% of U.S. adults aged 25 and older had at least a bachelor’s degree. However, only 15% of those adults were Latinx, the lowest percentage amongst any racial/ethnic minority (NCES, 2016). While 67% of non-Hispanic White students entering four-year colleges complete their degree in six years, only 47% of Latinxs do so (Carey, 2009). These gaps represent an attainment disparity within higher education based upon population demographics. The purpose of this study was to address …

Discovering The Self That Teaches: Multimedia Reflective Journaling And The Education Stories Of Beginning Preservice Teachers, Meredith Paula Allard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Who is the self that teaches (Palmer, 1998)? One way of uncovering a teacher’s self may be to allow beginning preservice teachers the opportunity to share their education stories, which may then allow them to explore their initial self-concepts of their roles as future teachers. This study used narrative inquiry and the arts-based activities of a multimedia reflective journal and a memoir reflective assignment as tools to help beginning preservice teachers discover and learn from their education stories. The frameworks of arts-based education research, transformative learning, and transformative teaching provided a unique lens through which to explore the education stories …

Do I Enact What I Learn?: Examining Novice Science Teachers Approximations Of Practice, Helene Pollins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine novice secondary science teachers’ enactment of their teaching philosophies in their lesson planning and teaching. The framework was based on three theories: approximations of practice, teachers’ knowledge of content and students (KCS), and experiential learning. The design for this research used a qualitative case study design. The participants were three novice science teachers in a large school district in the Southwestern United States. Data sources included teaching philosophies, three semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, and observations. Three research questions were: what are novice science teachers’ major philosophies at the entry level of teaching; …

Vertical Transfer And Baccalaureate Completion For Adult Community College Students: Milestones And Momentum Points That Matter, Laura Yavitz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adult community college students, age 25 and older, have been understudied in the extensive college transfer literature, which otherwise focuses on traditional-age college students age 18 through 24, or on students of unspecified age. According to the theoretical framework of academic momentum articulated by Clifford Adelman (2006), enrollment patterns during college can speed up or slow down students’ progress. The limited transfer research on adult students suggests that adults respond differently than traditional-age students to certain academic momentum variables that can impact vertical transfer and baccalaureate outcomes.

This quantitative longitudinal study examined 1,712 student records using sequential logistic regression to …

Understanding College Preparedness Of First-Semester College Students, Kimberly Marie Florence

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The college preparedness of first-year, first-semester, undergraduate students was researched and analyzed in this study. The research entailed a purposeful selection of 10 first-year, first-semester, undergraduate student participants that transitioned into a four-year public university, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), from a Nevada public high school. Participants who graduated from a Nevada public high school were chosen because Nevada exhibits low-performing K-12 public education trends. Using qualitative methods (i.e., a phenomenological approach), students were interviewed using semi-structured and open-ended interview questions. The interviews were used to ascertain student participants’ perceptions of their academic lived experiences transitioning from high school …

Succession Planning For Nursing Leaders In A College Of Nursing, Cheryl Ann Tucker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Institute of Medicine (2011) challenged nursing to ensure the nursing workforce includes a sufficient number of academic nurse leaders, nurse educators, and doctorally prepared nurses for the future healthcare needs of the people of the United States. National data reveals a fragile supply of academic nurse educators and leaders. This tenuous resource is shaped by multifaceted factors including: (1) an aging nursing workforce; (2) impending faculty retirements; (3) lack of qualified faculty; and (4) wage disparity between the academic and clinical settings. As these factors collide, it is imperative that academic nursing plan for the future by retaining, developing, …

Leadership Competencies At Concordia University System Institutions, Samuel Joseph Seefeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership competencies within the Concordia University System based on McDaniel’s (2002) leadership schema using the quantitative instrument developed by Smith and Wolverton (2010). This study extended the Smith and Wolverton (2010) instrument by exploring whether or not variables such as gender or employment classification (i.e., an individual’s role within the institution) show significant differences in perception of leadership competencies. This study utilized principal component analysis to determine factors based on the individual competencies and multivariate analysis of variance to determine if differences arose between reported scores in gender and employment classification. Data …

The Impact Of Successful Ncaa Division I Athletics Programs On The Social Capital Of Urban Communities, Paul Woody

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined how urban communities might grow social capital from the passion and support offered by a college athletics program. Given the increasing emphasis on fiscal responsibility from local governments and public universities, recognizing how college athletics programs influence local community social capital, such as anchor attachments formed by alumni and fans, is an important perspective. Historically, the exhausted conversation has focused on economics, such as the economic impact of athletic venues and franchises. (Coates, 2007; Crompton, 2004). Through decades of research, social capital has been measured at various depths and viewed through social, economic, psychological, and even historical …

A Narrative Study Of Latinas' Experiences With The Leadership Pipeline In Higher Education, Ana Cecilia Marrero-Lopez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to report the stories of Latina’s experiences with the leadership pipeline in higher education, and determine what venues within that pipeline facilitate or impede access to executive level administrative positions. The practical significance of this study would include expanding the quantity of academic research on Latinas’ interest and inclusion in obtaining executive leadership positions in higher education, where little has been recorded of their presence or successes (Lopez-Mulnix, Wolverton & Zaki, 2011). In addition, though many studies have been conducted on racial and ethnic minority faculty (Eddy, 2009; Moses, 2009; Green & …

Examining Factors Influencing Ncaa Division-I Conference Realignment, Ginikachi O. Nwosu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve and become

more dynamic. One of the most visible aspects of these changes is athletic conference realignment. During the period from 2010 to 2014 alone, over 30 institutions across the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) changed or announced imminent plans to change athletic conference affiliation (Mandel, 2012). Conference realignment is described as institutional changes in athletic conference affiliation (Covell & Barr, 2010; Groza, 2010; Sweitzer, 2009). Various literature has identified variables which influence NCAA Division-I institutions’ decisions in regard to conference realignment, yet no comprehensive study has examined …

A Competency Model For Catering And Event Professionals Using A Modified Delphi Technique, Donnell G. Bayot

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As the market for face-to-face meetings and events has grown to one of the largest private sector industries, so has the market for catering, which is the largest budget line item for a meeting or event. Clients have become more demanding and at the same time more price-conscious. This has caused catering professionals and meeting and event planners' job responsibilities to change. Caterers and planners now have more crossover responsibilities and over more varied functional areas than ever before. In response, the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), as the oldest and largest catering association in the world, formally …