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Theses/Dissertations

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Higher Education

2018

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Education

Critical And Creative Thinking In General Education: A Descriptive Case Study, Nicholas Richard Marsella Nov 2018

Critical And Creative Thinking In General Education: A Descriptive Case Study, Nicholas Richard Marsella

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Abstract as part of a strategic planning effort begun in 2008, the College of William & Mary began the process of reviewing and changing its general education program. Approved by the faculty in 2013, the university is implementing an innovative curriculum called the "College Curriculum," designed in part to help students acquire knowledge and develop the skills and habits of critical and creative thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the institution's and faculty's understanding of how the new curriculum addressed student development of critical and creative thinking. This descriptive case study provided a review of the literature …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Lived Experiences Of Female African American Undergraduate Stem Students At An Elite Predominantly White Institution, Reginald O. Johns Aug 2018

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Lived Experiences Of Female African American Undergraduate Stem Students At An Elite Predominantly White Institution, Reginald O. Johns

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of being a female, African American STEM undergraduate who is enrolled at an elite Predominantly White Institution and who has a mentoring relationship. A hermeneutic approach to phenomenology was used to gather data through open-ended interviews. Research questions included: What are the lived experiences of female, African American, STEM undergraduate students of the STEM community at an elite Predominantly White Institution? What are the lived experiences of high achieving female, African American, STEM undergraduate students with their mentors? Four themes emerged from the interviews: (a) Discouraging …


The Transitional Generation: Faculty Sensemaking Of Higher Education Reform In Ecuador, Mary Amanda Johnson May 2018

The Transitional Generation: Faculty Sensemaking Of Higher Education Reform In Ecuador, Mary Amanda Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In response to public sector criticism, higher education reform in Ecuador over the past decade has created a nation-wide transformation of faculty roles. The literature from researchers in Ecuador concerning reform and the role of faculty discusses the desired impact of these new expectations; however, very little is known regarding the substantive reality of faculty navigating new roles and work. This study explored faculty sense making of national reforms relating to their role and work at universities and sought to understand how faculty are navigating both policy and implementation of new work expectations ten years after government top-down reform efforts. …


The Duality Of Dual Enrollment: How The Relationship Between Student Demographics, Academic Metrics, And College Enrollment Adds Up, Tiffany Noel Ferrari Mar 2018

The Duality Of Dual Enrollment: How The Relationship Between Student Demographics, Academic Metrics, And College Enrollment Adds Up, Tiffany Noel Ferrari

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Dual enrollment (DE) programs provide high school students the opportunity to earn credit for college coursework completed while still in high school and help smooth the transition from high school to college by making the unfamiliar familiar—a valuable experience for students from a wide range of economic and academic backgrounds. Yet, the value of DE is largely undermined when students who have completed college credits do not enroll in college after high school graduation. Therefore, this study examined student demographics and academic metrics of Virginia DE students to explore potential patterns between student habitus and college enrollment, providing prototypical profiles …