Education Commons^™

Teaching Science In Light Of World View: The Effect Of Contextualized Instruction On The Scientific Compatibility Of Religious College Students' World Views, Paula Rae Gossard

Dissertations

Authors of recent science reform documents promote the goal of scientific literacy for all Americans (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989, 1993). Some students, however, feel apprehensive about learning science due to perceptions that science is antagonistic to their world views (Alters, 2005; Esbenshade, 1993). This study investigated the effect of an introductory science course taught in the context of a Christian, theistic world view on the scientific compatibility of religious college students' world views. For the purposes of this study, students' understanding of the nature of science, affective attitudes toward science, and beliefs regarding creation were used …

A Pilot Study Of Organizational Performance, Performance Barriers And Faculty Engagement In The Nursing Education Unit, Yolanda Chapman Turner

Dissertations

This pilot study was driven by the problem of market disequilibrium and the subsequent overarching desire to identify and describe principles and processes taken by nursing education units to optimize market equilibrium for nursing service in response to cyclical market demands. Given the complexities of market responsiveness in conjunction with changes in healthcare delivery, health economics, population demographics, higher education and other contextual factors, it is essential for nursing education as a whole to be in a position to respond to demand. The purpose of this study was to investigate organizational performance, performance barriers and faculty engagement in the nursing …

Determinants Of Resident Assistant Job Satisfaction In Privatized University Housing, Jennifer Lynn Casey

Dissertations

The general purpose of a residence life program is the improvement of the oncampus student experience in hopes of promoting personal growth, development, and education as well as bolstering retention rates and cultivating future alumni relationships. A residence life program can be found on most four year college and university campuses. Many colleges and universities facilitate their own residence life programs in whole or in part. Other colleges and universities outsource their residence life programs, in whole or in part, to what is called a privatized university housing company. The goals of a residence life program, be it facilitated by …

The Advanced Placement And International Baccalaureate Programs: The Graduates' Perspective, Shannon Saxby Smith

Dissertations

This study was designed to solicit the perspectives of AP and IB graduates who have completed at least one semester of postsecondary education about their experiences while in their respective programs. This study was also conducted to determine whether these IB graduates report that they were better prepared for postsecondary studies than students who participated in the AP program. The researcher was also able to determine whether AP and IB graduates believed they experienced any long-term benefits or detriments by having been in their programs and whether they believed their experiences were worthwhile. Lastly, the researcher was able to determine …

Source-Message-Receiver In Integrated Marketing Communication: A Study Of U.S. Institutional Advancement, Sharee Leblanc Broussard

Dissertations

Because integrated marketing communication (IMC) research has traditionally been problematic, this study used an existing scale to determine that higher educational institutional advancement (alumni, marketing-communications, development) is an appropriate venue to study the process model. Responses from practitioners representing every department within advancement, every regional accrediting body and each of the baccalaureate to doctoral Carnegie Classification levels indicated the IMC process model is both understood and its tenets practiced by practitioners at all sizes and levels of institution. The study was of interest to the practitioners as more than half of the respondents requested a copy of the results. Additionally, …

Child Care Centers On Higher Education Campuses: Director Perceptions Of Internal And External Roles And Director Leadership, Kerisa A. Myers

Dissertations

An increasing focus on early childhood education and brain research offers a prime opportunity for higher education institutions to research and formulate thought concerning quality child care. Currently, there is limited research examining the impact and roles of child care centers on university campuses. To add to the base of knowledge, this nationally-focused study examined the following broad question: "what value do campus child care centers offer to a given higher education institution and its surrounding community, especially from a center director's perspective?"

An on-line survey was sent to over 400 campus child care directors at two- and four-year public …

Persistence And Success: A Study Of Cognitive, Social, And Institutional Factors Related To Retention Of Kalamazoo Promise Recipients At Western Michigan University, Michelle Ann Bakerson

Dissertations

The Kalamazoo Promise, a universal scholarship program announced in November 2005 provides four years of tuition and fees at any of Michigan's two- or fouryear public colleges or universities for students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools. This investment in the community is being replicated elsewhere across the nation, including Denver and Pittsburgh. The scholarship program lowers the cost of postsecondary education, thereby increasing incentives for high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion. Of the 307 Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship recipients who have attended Western Michigan University since its inception, 16% have been academically dismissed.

The main objectives of this …

Longitudinal Study Of Factors Impacting The Implementation Of Notebook Computer Based Cad Instruction, Richard F. Goosen

Dissertations

This study provides information for higher education leaders that have or are considering conducting Computer Aided Design (CAD) instruction using student owned notebook computers. Survey data were collected during the first 8 years of a pilot program requiring engineering technology students at a four year public university to acquire a notebook computer for a class formerly conducted in a conventional computer laboratory. Data from 148 students was used to develop five metrics which are described and quantitatively evaluated: (a) student preference for notebook computer instruction, (b) student perception of learning, (c) out of class hands-on operating time, (d) economic impact …

Role Of Residence Hall Staff In Offering Early Warning Academic Intervention, Jon L. Shaffer

Dissertations

Despite anecdotal evidence that residence hall staff are involved in the intrusive delivery of early warning academic intervention programs, little literature exists that defines these programs or the role of residence life staff in their delivery. Understanding the existence of such programs and the involvement of residence life staff is important in developing collaborative efforts between student and academic affairs aimed at promoting student success.

A national on-line survey of senior housing officers was utilized in this research. Results identified that early warning programs existed at 187 (67.3%) of the 278 responding institutions. Of those, 119 institutions (63.6%) utilized residence …

Can We Get Nurses To Stay? A Qualitative Study To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of A Formal Mentoring Program In An Acute Care Health System, Eileen M. Willits

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological case study was designed to investigate the affect that a formal mentoring program had on job satisfaction including a nurse's intent to stay with their current employer and their intent to stay in the nursing profession. The research was intended to determine whether mentoring programs could be used to help avoid the affect of the upcoming predicted nursing shortage in the acute care hospital.

The findings were based on the results of a sample of twelve nurses who had voluntarily signed up to take part in a formal mentoring program sponsored by the staff development department of …

Motivations Of Adults Enrolling In An Evening Graduate Degree Program, Bradford R. Frazier

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

According to the American Council on Education (2006), it is estimated that more than 41% of students enrolled in degree granting programs in higher education are nontraditional, adult students age 22 or older. Many of these 6 million students are entering graduate school as working adults. According to previous research on non-traditional students, participants may be motivated by a variety of reasons both intrinsic and extrinsic. Understanding adult students' motivations to enroll in a graduate school degree program is critical for graduate schools to remain viable and sustainable as they seek to attract tuition paying students.

The purpose of this …

Becoming A 21st Century University: How Usm Can Use Online Education To Meet The Needs Of Its Adult Student Population, Amy Gieseke

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The 21st century has been, and will continue to be, a time of great change within the world of higher education. One key demographic change lies in the growing number of adult students seeking educational opportunities. Higher education institutions, such as the University of Southern Maine, have not historically been structured to serve the needs of this important and growing student population. In the coming years, significant changes in structure and organizational mission will be critical to address the needs of these students and to capitalize on the influx of revenue they could bring to a financially struggling institution. This …

The Philanthropic Motivations Of Community College Donors: A Study Of The Educational Foundation Of A Mid-Sized, Multi-Campus Community College In Virginia, Linnie Smith Carter

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the philanthropic motivations of the donors of a mid-sized, multi-campus community college in Virginia as part of a plan to enhance relationships with donors and increase the amount of private funds raised. Dependence on dwindling, traditional and limited funding sources leaves community colleges vulnerable and constantly struggling to fund the ever-increasing needs of their internal and external stakeholders (Sheldon, 2003). Community colleges are attempting to address the problem by enhancing their fundraising efforts and strengthening relationships with donors.

A mixed-method, multi-step approach was used for this research study. The approach in this study involved five steps. The …

Social Learning Online: A Study Examining The Use Of Threaded Discussions, Marlena Bravender

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Colleges and universities are providing access to a broad range of students through online courses. With the increase of enrollment and demand, it is necessary to better comprehend the role and relationship of the tools available within those courses. The primary purpose of this research effort was to explore the factors that affect the overall perceived student sense of community in a threaded discussion aspect of a fully online course delivered at the university level. The researcher investigated compiled through structural equation modeling path analysis with 10 independent variables and perceived sense of community as the single dependent variable. Both …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Hall Director Leadership Style On The Satisfaction Of Resident Assistants In Mississippi, Rheo Joelyn Avorice Morris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain which leadership style correlates most with RA satisfaction in residence halls at three public universities in Mississippi. When satisfied, RAs will be more efficient in their roles and this will transfer to students residing in the halls. As a result more students in the residence halls will become more satisfied with their living environment and residence hall experience. Schroeder and Mable (1994) have stated that residence halls lack strong internal direction and a solution to this problem is to encourage the development of effective leadership skills! Instead of addressing the lack of …

Adult Student Satisfaction In An Accelerated Lpn-Rn Nursing Program, Kathy French Batton

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the importance and degree of satisfaction placed by adult, nontraditional, accelerated LPN-RN students on student service item scales as measured by the results of the Noel-Levitz® Adult Student Priorities Survey™. In addition, the study examined the correlation between satisfaction with each of the scales and student success as measured by current nursing course grade point average (GPA). The student service scales of importance were: academic advising effectiveness, academic services, admissions and financial aid effectiveness, campus climate, instructional effectiveness, registration effectiveness, safety and security, and service excellence. The conceptual framework for the study was derived …

The Effects Of Reading Apprenticeship On Junior College Students' Metacognitive Awareness And Comprehension Of Academic Texts, Patti Rasberry Smith

Dissertations

This descriptive quantitative research study explored if a focus on Reading Apprenticeship strategies and routines in a college level composition class would affect students' metacognitive awareness and comprehension of academic text. Participants included 141 students from one junior college in a southeastern state. The 141 participants were enrolled by choice in six sections of composition taught by three instructors who had all received extensive training in implementing the Reading Apprenticeship framework in their classes. The participants were administered the Revised-Curriculum Embedded Reading Assessment (CERA) twice (pre and post intervention) during the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year. Participants read …

A Sense Of Trust Through The Eyes Of African American Doctoral Students: An Examination Of How A Predominantly White Institution Of Higher Education Can Create An Environment Of Inclusiveness, Zelda M. Deboyes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explores whether trust influences the experiences of African American students, particularly those in doctoral programs at predominantly White institutions. Recent studies suggest that colleges and universities can benefit in several ways by building and maintaining student trust. However, the body of research typically provides a general understanding of the role and benefits of student trust in the academic arena through the eyes of White students only. Very few studies examine the benefits of student trust for a diverse population, and even fewer address African American students enrolled in predominantly White doctoral programs.

This research provides an …

African American Student Retention: A Study Of The Effects Of An Intrusive Advising Intervention At A Career College, Deanna R. Burt

Dissertations

This casestudy integrates mixed methodologies to examine the retention effects of an "intrusive advising" intervention using two groups of at-risk, first-time, first-year, African American students enrolled in a predominantly-White, career ("proprietary") college. By design, the study uses data from mixed sources to respond to the overarching research question, "How does intrusive advising influence the retention of African American students who are at risk of attrition?"

Quantitative data was collected and analyzed using a quasi-experimental research design methodology. Qualitative data was collected and analyzed from focus groups, personal interviews, and field notes as a means to provide deeper understanding of the …

Exploring The Relationships Between White Racial Consciousness, Feminist Identity Development And Family Environment For White Undergraduate Women, Kara E. Wolff

Dissertations

Although the literature has emphasized the importance of understanding between White racial consciousness, feminist identity development and family environment. Based on the relationships described by the canonical functions considered noteworthy in the analyses three main findings appeared to emerge. First, family environments that were perceived by White undergraduate women to promote engagement with a variety of outside perspectives were related to more actively antiracist worldviews and well-developed feminist identities; while family environments perceived to reflect a more insular focus (i.e. less exposure to divergent opinions) were related to more prejudicial racial attitudes and less feminist identity development. Second, the more …

The Reliability And Validity Of An Admissions Tool In Predicting Academic And Fieldwork Achievement In Occupational Therapy Students, Jeanine Biese

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In an uncertain economy, many students of higher education are drawn to the security of careers in health care, such as Occupational Therapy (OT). It is important that as admissions committees evaluate an increasing applicant pool they select students who will be successful in the programs and therefore maximize the number of graduates into the professions. Some health care admissions programs look only at the applicant’s grade point average (GPA) and/or results of standardized tests such as the Graduate Records Exam (GRE). There is a gap in the literature in regard to how to select students who have traits linked …

A Descriptive Study Of The Remote Operation And Automation Of The Vhf/Uhf System For Tracking And Controlling Kysay-1 At Morehead State University, Marc B. Beck

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Marc B. Beck on July 27, 2009.

A Manual For Improving The Working Relationship Of Teachers Through The Implementation Of A Peer Coaching Model, Mitchell Bennett Richards

All Graduate Projects

The challenges that teachers face today with educational standards are daunting. Many teaching practices have evolved over the last several years due to the constraints of standardized testing. These constraints require students and teachers to be held accountable for their performance. Teachers are now required to do more than simply educate students based on their beliefs of best practices. Teacher professional development is paramount to provide teachers with the tools needed to face the challenges in education today. This project presents a peer coaching model to foster teacher development, reviews the related research in the field of peer coaching, and …

Examination Of The Clinical Benefit Of Adding Reversal Theory Concepts To The Expressive Writing Paradigm, Stephanie Ellis

Doctoral Dissertations

Expressive writing as a form of emotional disclosure produces many physical and psychological benefits (Pennebaker, 2004). Central to the present study are findings that expressive writing decreases symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Koopman, Ismailji, Holmes, Classen, Palesh, & Wales, 2005; Opre, Coman, Kallay, Rotaru, & Manier, 2005; Russ, 1992). Reversal Theory (RT) suggests that individuals experience the world from eight different psychological states including serious, playful, conforming, rebellious, mastery, sympathy, self, and other (Apter, 2007). Teaching individuals to be aware of and elicit these states also decreases depression and anxiety (Charat, 2006). The present study sought to determine if …

The Impact Of Participation Or Non-Participation In The Academic Excellence Commitment Area Of The Ncaa Champs/Life Skills Program On The Academic Progress And Graduation Success Rates Of Division I Football Teams, Melanie Miller

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the difference that participation or nonparticipation in the academic excellence commitment area of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program had on the academic progress and graduation success of Division I-FBS football teams.

A quantitative non-experimental study was conducted on a primary population of 116 Division I-FBS football teams and a secondary population of all athletes at these institutions. The football teams were examined by conference participation and nonparticipation subgroups from 11 of the 12 Division I-FBS conferences, by football teams, and by African-American and Caucasian football player ethnic groups. GSR data for the football teams and all athletes …

A Comparison Of Traditional And Nontraditional Students Attending Historically Black Or Predominantly White Institutions, Courtney H. Podesta

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated that there are benefits for some African American students in attending an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) over a Predominantly White Institution (PWI); however, studies have not considered how results might be impacted by student status, traditional vs. nontraditional, or the degree to which a student is considered to be nontraditional (minimally, moderately, or highly nontraditional). The current study addressed this gap in research by examining differences between the HBCU and PWI environments for 336 African American traditional and nontraditional students for the following variables: social support, academic self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, role strain, ethnic identity, …

Adopting A Web-Centric Communications Model, Anne B. Sroka

CCLA Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

How Do Kentucky Educators' Opinions Of Single Sex Classrooms Differ Between Those With Experience In Sex Classes And Those With No Experience In Single Sex Classes?, Dewey R. Ward

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Dewey Ray Ward on May 7, 2009.

The Impact Of Student Employment On Student Involvement, Stefanie Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of student employment on student involvement. The study also assessed the difference in levels of involvement between those students who worked on-campus verse off-campus and assessed the impact of demographic factors on levels of student engagement. The subjects in this study were 223 students at Rowan University during the 2008-2009 academic year. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic information and information from the 2008 fall semester, such as GPA and number of credits taken. The survey also provided information on participation in activities at Rowan University and data concerning …

The Anti-Federalists: Forgotten Founders Of Our Freedom, Sarah Elizabeth Wilson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Regional Analysis and Public Policy at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Administration by Sarah Elizabeth Wilson on May 6, 2009.