Education Commons^™

A Mixed-Method Triangular Approach To Best Practices In Combating Plagiarism And Impersonation In Online Bachelor’S Degree Programs, Alice Elizabeth Johnson Stephens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines the phenomenon of plagiarism and impersonation in online course assignments. Technological advancements, coupled with lower costs and accessibility, have made online courses and programs a practical option for higher education students. Unfortunately, the increasing online enrollment and advancing technology have allowed an increase in the opportunity for students to commit the act of plagiarism and impersonation in online course assignments, thus potentially compromising the academic integrity of online degree programs. This study examines the various practices and approaches of plagiarism and impersonation made available to students. Utilizing the systemic review of literature, the researcher compiles a list …

The Voice Of Community: Nurturing Personal And Professional Communities On Voxer Among Ap Literature Teachers During The Pandemic, Tia D. Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted education around the world. During that time, teachers often turned to online communities to compensate for an inability to connect with in-person professional communities. This study aims to highlight a single, successful online community of AP Literature teachers who use the app Voxer to communicate. The purpose of this project was to provide insight into how this group creates personal and professional community, and how they specifically did so during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for this ethnography was collected from the group’s posts on the Voxer app from March 11, 2020 to …

Elementary Classroom Ethics: The Emergence Of Ethical Literacy Within The Morning Meeting, Leo A. Zumpetta

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rituals have proven effective in the elementary classroom. One ritualistic practice, the morning meeting, is rooted in social and emotional learning (SEL), an approach that integrates traditional academic pursuits with an understanding of emotional regulation, self-actualization and interpersonal relationships. Ethical literacy, a facility with ethical concepts empowering individuals to act as autonomous ethical beings, may be cultivated through SEL. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the morning meeting for evidence of foundational experiences leading to ethical literacy in student participants, along with an analysis of the effectiveness of these experiences. Data were collected through nonparticipant observation …

Academic Library Leadership And Mental Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Sabrina Nicole Thomas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Prior to the pandemic academic library leadership faced a host of challenges, such as budget shortfalls, serials crisis, shifting and evolving technologies and patron expectations. These long-term obstacles were compounded by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which required library deans and directors to implement ever evolving safety measures while balancing the needs of library employees, students, faculty, and staff. The mental health of academic librarians and staff has long been the subject of research; however, few studies focused on the mental health experiences of academic library deans and directors. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis is to describe …

Leading Toward Solutions To America’S Overcrowding And Underfunding Environmental Preservation Issues, James Seth Caudill

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research aims to better comprehend how the environmental preservation issues of underfunding and overcrowding of America’s parks, recreation areas, and environmental surroundings are solved through quality leadership. These environmental issues are national, state, and community problems. Currently, there exists a wealth of literature on the environmental problems caused by overcrowding and underfunding. Unfortunately, the successful problem-solving ideas identified throughout these works often do not connect with an element of leadership. This research helps fill this identified gap in the currently available environmental preservation resources. This mixed methods study explored the perceptions, ideas, and successful solutions exhibited by environmental preservation …

An Analysis Of Undergraduate Student Satisfaction, Retention, And Graduation By Instructional Modality And Racial/Ethnic Groups, Kevin Daniel Struble

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigated whether instructional modality in an undergraduate degree program, either traditional on-campus or asynchronous online, and racial/ethnic group could predict students’ reports of satisfaction with the institution, retention year-over-year, and graduation within an eight-year award rate. Data from surveys and enrollment status were collected on undergraduate students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program by instructional modality over a timespan of eight academic years at a single institution. The researcher analyzed categorical predictor variables of instructional modality and racial/ethnic groups with the dichotomous outcome variables of low or high satisfaction, did not or did retain, and did not or …

Evaluating Behavioral Intention To Increase Classroom Geotechnology Usage Following Geoinquiry Implementation, Erika S. Klose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As educational practices include foundational and cutting-edge preparation, the value of problem-based instruction employing industry-standard technologies increases. Geospatial technologies (GST), are a group of professional technologies, including GIS (Geographic Information Systems), used by industries to make informed decisions with spatial data. This study investigated educator behavioral intention to use GIS/GST in classroom practice, and the moderating effect, if any, of the GeoInquiry, a curricular resource. The UTAUT framework was employed to evaluate and quantify the factors impacting behavioral intention (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions). These data were examined to identify moderation by GeoInquiry usage. One hundred …

Training Future Hybrid Nonprofit Social Enterprise Leaders: A Research-Based Instructional Needs Analysis, Robert Woodrow Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Nonprofit social enterprises (NSEs) seek to address societal problems through for-profit ventures. Because they pursue social and commercial goals, these organizations have great potential to solve social and environmental issues more efficiently and effectively. Given their unique purpose and challenges, NSEs require a different type of leadership than traditional nonprofit organizations, a distinctive competency model with specialized social work and business management training. Research has shown, however, that finding leaders with this necessary mix for effective management poses a challenge for such organizations. This exploratory study aimed to examine the extent to which MPA (i.e., master’s degree in public administration) …

Causes Of Burnout And Job Dissatisfaction Among Marketing And Communications Intercollegiate Athletics Employees, Ricky L. Ray

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role burnout plays in turnover intention and job dissatisfaction among marketing and communications employees in intercollegiate athletics. A secondary aim was to identify to what extent were job requirements, compensation, and expectations of administrators and coaches driving burnout in these employees. Study participants came from those currently working in marketing and/or communications at various levels of intercollegiate competition. The study used the Oldenberg Burnout Inventory, as well as specific questions related to the profession to uncover major causes of burnout in this particular occupation. Findings from this study supported the …

Hospitality And Seminary Culture: A Phenomenological Study On The Presence And Practice Of Hospitality Between Seminary Leaders And Students, Jesse Matthew Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While hospitality is a major biblical doctrine and a requirement of Christian living and outreach, few ministers begin their ministries recognizing the essence and essentiality of hospitality in ministry or intentionally highlight and model it to those they lead. One root cause for this may stem from the seminaries in which our ministers train, that our seminaries have no apparent agreement on a formal framework for teaching hospitality and too few seminaries are marked by a culture of hospitality. This study seeks to establish a formal framework for hospitality in seminary education. Such a framework could be used to instigate …

The Impact Of Leveled Literacy Kits On Family Engagement And School-To-Home Connections: Stakeholders’ Perceptions, Donna Atwood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many caregivers do not have materials at home to read with their student that is on the student’s reading level. Educators do not always have the appropriate materials to send home to each student on their reading level. The goal for caregivers is to feel confident in having resources at home to help their students, educators, and caregivers to engage in literacy-focused family engagement and to have a school-home connection. However, based on multiple studies, many students read below grade level, and schools struggle with literacy-focused family engagement and making school-home connections. This study aimed to determine the impact of …

Take Their Feet Off Our Necks: A Descriptive Study Of Sexual Harassment In Higher Education, Megan Michelle Bolter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines survivors’ perceptions of sexual harassment experienced as members of higher education (e.g., faculty, staff, students, and administrators). Individually, an examination of the survivors’ perceptions of perpetrator consequences and how institutional responses occurred. This study aims to provide insight into the survivors’ experiences and understandings of sexual harassment experiences, further than the well-established health and career consequences. I utilized the Sexual Harassment in the Academy data set created by Dr. Karen Kelsky. In this study, there is a sample of 1,230 members of higher education who experienced sexual harassment. The sample of self-identified sexual harassment survivors allows the …

Graduate-Level Leadership Training For Speech-Language Pathologists: Perceptions, Attitudes, And Potential Effect On Career, Sandra Kemper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study is to determine how a perceived lack of leadership training at the graduate level contributes to inadequate preparedness for the clinical, professional, and supervisory leadership roles professionals hold within the field of speech-language pathology (Kummer, 2017). More specifically, this study will seek to identify current leadership concerns of practicing SLPs, exploring whether and/or how lack of leadership training has affected their professional growth or career. The information can serve to guide the development of leadership training opportunities in speech-language pathology graduate programs. This descriptive, non-experimental study utilized purposive sampling of speech-language pathologists licensed in the …

Law Enforcement Leadership And Organizational Culture In A Post-2020 Society, Carlos A. Perkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of selected law enforcement leaders regarding the impending transition in law enforcement agencies in a post-2020 society. Specific elements of this transition investigated included recruitment, training, socialization, leadership roles/qualifications, change strategies/process, stakeholder involvement, and measures of success. Purposeful, convenience, and snowball sampling were used to select study participants. Study participants (N=21) were active sworn law enforcement leaders in a law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Participants possessed a broad range of law enforcement years of experience and/or leadership/supervisory experience at a minimum rank of lieutenant. Semi-structured interviews were …

The Association Of Demographic Factors With The Integration And Commitment Of West Virginia’S International University Students, Amine Oudghiri

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the association of four independent variables (i.e., sex, class standing, GPA, and living status) with the academic integration, social integration, and institutional commitment (the dependent variables) of international students attending seven public regional universities in West Virginia. A researcher-developed, Likert-type questionnaire was used to examine the potential relationships among the variables. Results from point-biserial correlations indicated the relationships among the four demographic variables and each of the three dependent variables were not statistically significant, although a few statistically significant correlations were noted among the dependent variables’ sub-scale items. Results from independent samples t-tests also indicated a …

Covid-19-Mandated School Closures: An Exploration Of Student Learning Loss And The Effects Of A Rapid Shift In Instructional Modality, Ryan Sherwood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the effect of mandated school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic on student learning loss and the effects of a rapid shift in instructional modality. The research study focused on comparing the academic year results of 2021-2022 to the year of 2018-2019 in English language arts and mathematics assessments, specifically using the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) statewide assessment, within Modesto City Schools in California. The study sought to determine if there were disproportionate academic achievement deficits among various student attribute groups, including socioeconomic status (SES), sex, students with disabilities (SWD), and ethnicity.

By conducting …

Retention Issues In Nonprofit University Foundations, Sarah Kay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Turnover of major gift officers (MGOs) within university foundations has been a problem for foundations and their affiliated universities. Turnover of MGOs results in less fundraised dollars, fewer donor-fundraiser relationships, and higher incomings costs. Retention of MGOs is vital for foundations’ success and directly correlates to the overall prosperity of the respective university. The purpose of this descriptive, non-experimental study that utilized a cross-sectional survey design was to examine perceptions of currently employed MGOs, in the interest of determining what was important to them to remain employed at their nonprofit university foundation. Using a web-based survey, data showed MGOs need …

Pedagogical Decisions And Sociopolitical Contexts: A Collaborative Ethnography Of Social Studies Educators Who Teach About Race And Racism, Allyson Perry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This dissertation examines the pedagogical decision making processes of eight social studies teachers in West Virginia who taught about race and racism during the 2021-2022 school year. Teaching about racism and issues of race has become highly politicized, but social studies educators remain uniquely poised to have meaningful discussions about racial discrimination and how race and various other social identities form a matrix of power and privilege. To examine the complex decisions social studies educators in West Virginia make when adopting racial justice pedagogy and the sociopolitical contexts informing their decisions, this qualitative study uses the three complementary theoretical frameworks …

Training The Federal Acquisition Workforce: A Correlational Study Of Perceived Learner-Centric Interaction Effectiveness And Distance Learning Environmental Preferences, Daniel Dwayne Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Public procurement, the purchase of goods and services by governments from external sources, is a strategic tool commonly used by governments to fulfill their mandates. To manage public procurement inside the United States federal government, the Acquisition Workforce (AWF) was established. Training to support the development and maintenance of necessary competencies in the AWF occurs in both face-to-face and distance learning environments. The trend, in general, has been towards a greater dependency on the use of distance learning. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine AWF perceptions of learner-centric interaction effectiveness and learning environment preferences, along with the …

Leadership In Physical Therapist Education: Instructional Strategies And Assessment Methods Used Among U.S. Capte Accredited Programs, Gretchen R. Prather

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The physical therapy profession has recently placed greater significance on leadership education and research at all levels of professional development. Excellence and innovation in physical therapy practice must address leadership development beginning in professional education. This call for reform has been adopted broadly, including from an accreditation standpoint. The challenge now becomes to determine the most effective ways for preparing student physical therapists to lead in today’s fluid healthcare environment. This study examined leadership content among U.S. CAPTE accredited physical therapist education programs and, specifically, the instructional strategies and assessment methods frequently used to develop emerging leaders. An online survey …

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students’ Perspectives On Leadership Development In The Context Of The Proposed Leadership Competencies Framework For Physical Therapists, Laura Stephens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Leadership is an emerging field in physical therapy professional research. Research efforts have concentrated on identifying the most desirable leadership skills and behaviors for practicing physical therapists, or on curricular interventions implemented in specific educational programs. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design to investigate the perspectives of 21 current and former student leaders from Marshall University School of Physical Therapy, specifically investigating the scope and effectiveness of available opportunities in developing leadership skills and behaviors. Participants were also probed regarding their motivation for pursuing pre-professional leadership development opportunities. Findings from this study suggest the available opportunities are effective to …

A Qualitative Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy For Teaching Writing, Abby Rose Waldorf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to determine self-efficacy levels of Secondary English Education pre-service teachers attending two public universities concerning writing and the teaching of writing. The study found that pre-service teachers were confident and identified as writers, but they felt uncertain as teachers of writing. Past teachers’ praise was found to positively increase writing self-efficacy. Even though pre-service teachers enjoyed and looked forward to teaching writing, they felt they needed more time in the classroom and preparation from college courses. College courses were found to be lacking in the preparation needed for teaching writing. Pre-service teachers did not …

An Examination Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Online, On-Demand Professional Development For West Virginia Educators, Anna Shreve

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research investigated West Virginia teachers’ perceptions of online, on-demand professional development. The researcher used a mixed-methods, nonexperimental study that utilized a 16-item survey and a six-item follow-up survey to examine teacher perceptions. A convenience sample was used and was comprised of participants of the West Virginia Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center at Marshall University’s 2021 online, on-demand professional development, Keynotes for Key People. The purpose of the study was to determine if effectiveness characteristics of in-person professional development could be embodied by online, on-demand professional development. The premise of the study was that if the effectiveness characteristics of in-person …

The Effects Of Stem And Non-Stem Mathematics Corequisite Courses On Student Success At Public Institutions In West Virginia, Vanessa S. Keadle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the differences in student success outcomes between students enrolled in non-STEM and STEM corequisite mathematics courses at 18 postsecondary institutions across five academic years in West Virginia, using de-identified student data. The researcher analyzed this extant data to determine if student characteristics were predictors of success, as defined as passing the mathematics corequisite course, retention to the next semester, and earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The researcher also conducted analyses to understand if the differences in those outcomes between STEM and non-STEM courses were significant. This study identified statistically significant gaps in success for students …

“Even A Little Bit Of Independence Can Go A Long Way”: The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Transitioning From High School To College, Joshua M. Cooper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2020), the national percentage of first-time, full-time college students who returned to the same campus the following year was 81%. For students with disabilities, retention and graduation statistics were disproportionate to their non-disabled peers. Students with disabilities graduated high school at a rate of 73% in 2018 (NCES, 2020) but completed college programs at a rate of just 38% while their non-disabled peers graduated at a rate of 51% (Sanford et al., 2011). Additionally, students were less likely to be full time students and were less likely to graduate on time (Lee, …

Predicting Shutdown: Exploring Commonalities In Higher Education Institutional Failure At Faith-Based Institutions, Edward James Barton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The findings of this study suggest that while the FRR score provides a reasonable indication of financial fragility over a subsequent five-year period, the FRR score is little better than a coin flip in predicting whether a religiously affiliated higher education institution will be financially troubled enough to close within the subsequent five years. The study found that using a multi-factor model to predict closure results in higher predictive accuracy during the observed period.

A Study On Formerly Incarcerated Women From Appalachia Pursuing Higher Education, Marcie Simms

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The pursuit of higher education is a goal that is embedded in secondary education and often correlated with the American dream. This study concentrated on the barriers that women with a felony conviction face when pursuing higher education after incarceration. Based on the identified barriers, current best practices for admission to higher education institutions and individual resources available for the ex-offender population were assessed. Using a questionnaire and interviews, a qualitative research approach helped identify the barriers that women with a felony conviction face when pursuing education and best practice solutions for institutions of higher education when working with the …

Embracing The Reggio Emilia Approach To Early Childhood Education, Tarabeth Brumfield Heineman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Each year, hundreds of early childhood educators from the many parts of the world travel to a small town in the northern part of Italy to study the arts-based, project focused, a child-initiated method known as the Reggio Emilia approach. This unique approach focuses on infant-toddler through preschool and primary education. While teachers are engaged in professional learning and growth, it is hard to determine how many early childhood programs and classrooms are truly influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach. The purpose of this study was to explore and examine the experiences of five teachers from West Virginia who have …

Transitioning From Faculty To Administration: A Qualitative Study Of Administrators In 4-Year Institutions, Matthew H. Bradley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to better understand the faculty to administration transition process and elements which affect this process in West Virginia’s 4-year colleges and institutions. A secondary aim of this study was to provide a formal model for faculty who transition to administrative roles in higher education. Study participants came from 4-year degree-granting higher education institutions in West Virginia. The study used a qualitative phenomenological design to investigate elements of the process used when faculty members transition to administrative roles. Findings from this study supported the majority of literature reviewed for this research and aided in developing …