Education Commons^™

Betwixt And Between: Qualitative Examinations Of Leaders’ Internal Processes Of Transition, Margaret M. Ritchie

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines alternative forms of school governance from the personal perspectives of leaders, reflecting upon their transition through the organizational governance change. The effects of moving from a local governance authority to a five school multi-academy trust was both thrust upon the leaders who participated in this study as they, in turn, thrust the change upon others. This new vision of schooling rippled throughout the schools involved, the community in which the schools are located, and the greater local authority that did not embrace this change. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine alternative forms of school …

Job Satisfaction For Individuals With Disabilities: Youth One Year Out., Katherine Michelle Cooper Phd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even though there have been decades of research, practice, and legislative efforts in the field of secondary transition, it is believed that students with disabilities are still less likely to enroll in postsecondary education or training, secure competitive employment, and live independently than their nondisabled peers. One of the reasons for this might be the lack of understanding students’ perceptions of employment opportunities. Much of the early vocational legislation focused on the needs of adult workers injured during a war or in civil employment. The last iteration of the Rehabilitation Act in the 1990s described disabilities, even the most significant …

Acknowledge Us: An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Female Army Veterans In Undergraduate Programs, Jennifer O'Neil

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the lived experiences of female United States Army veterans who have enrolled in an academic undergraduate program post discharge. As higher education continues to be an important transition point for female veterans, understanding the lived experiences of this population provides higher education administrators and faculty the opportunity to create and implement services and programs that will appropriately assist this population in their educational journey. Using a phenomenological methodology (Moustakas, 1994; Patton, 2015; van Manen,1990) thirteen female veterans across five different eras (Vietnam, 1980’s peacetime, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan) took part in …

A Narrative Case Study Of Transfer Students In Instrumental Music Education, Ashley Glenn

Dissertations

Transfer students in music fields face challenges that are different from other fields of study. Research has shown that transfer students in music are expected to acclimate and operate as upperclassmen with minimal onboarding while also potentially having to retake courses they received credit for at the community college level. This study examines the experiences of five transfer students in music education through the lens of Schlossberg’s transition theory and Dewey’s model of transaction. Building on existing transfer student research, it asks: what do transfer students experience in terms of acceptance and self-integration, and how do these experiences affect transfer …

National Survey Of Professional Development On Writing Compliant Transition Individualized Education Programs, M. Faith Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A national survey of special education administrators was conducted on current special education teacher trainings, the internal monitoring processes on transition IEPs, and the effect training has on compliance with federal law. In addition, this student researcher examined training and internal monitoring systems to determine if there were any similarities or differences between rural, suburban, and metropolitan school districts. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design gathered survey data from 147 special education administrators from across the U.S. and conducted interviews with 14 participants representing rural, suburban, and metropolitan school districts. When combining survey and interviews data, the results showed that …

Preparing Students With Disabilities For Adulthood, Catherine Moos

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Post-secondary education for students with a learning disability is a gateway to having a successful life providing security and independence, with the ability to earn more money and have higher job satisfaction. The special education teacher should write detailed transition IEP that involve the student, including post-secondary education. Their transitional IEP can help guide them with class in high school, by taking career and technical training and is an introduction to a career path. In addition to more rigorous general education classes that will prepare them for college. Students must demonstrate knowledge of their disability and disability laws to know …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Immersive Virtual Reality For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parents Perceptions, Fahad Abdeen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that affect the adoption of a spherical video virtual reality (SVVR) mobile application among parents of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study used the diffusion of innovation theory by Rogers (2003) as a framework to explore parents’ perceptions of an SVVR transportation model designed to improve the quality of life of adults with ASD. In addition, the study sought to learn what might increase adoption of VR technology among other parents of individuals with ASD and what life skills that might be addressed using VR technology in the …

Interagency Collaboration In Local Partnership Agreements: A Qualitative Case Study Identifying And Describing The Perception Of Preparedness Of Transition Specialists Working In Workability I Projects, Barbara Boyd

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the preparedness of transition specialists working in WorkAbility I (WAI) projects as perceived by transition specialists using Kohler’s Taxonomy for Collaborative Transition Programming. In addition, its purpose is to explore the perceptions of transition specialists regarding interagency collaboration in local partnership agreements (LPAs).

Methodology: This qualitative case study identified and described WAI transition specialists’ perception of transition programming and interagency collaboration. It employed the use of semi-structured interview questions consisting of open-ended questions. Using this methodology promoted the extraction of high quality information from the transition specialists. …

The Comparison Of Video Modeling And Task Analysis To Teach Daily Living Skills To Non-Verbal Students With Developmental Disabilities In A Transition Program, Kasey Anderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the comparison of using video modeling and task analysis to teach independent living skills to students in a transition program. Two non-verbal students with developmental cognitive disabilities participated in this study. The students were taught daily living skills that are part of a functional curriculum (e.g., loading and unloading the dishwasher, brushing their teeth, washing their face, sweeping, and cleaning a table). The first student (Student A), was shown a pre-recorded video of the task being performed and asked to perform the task. The second student (Student B) was presented with a …

An Investigation Of The Experiences Of New Teachers And Their Reasons To Stay In The Classroom, Jessa N. Mcentire

Honors Theses

New teacher attrition rates have increased over the years. Twenty percent of new teachers will leave the profession after three years. That number increases to forty-four percent after five years of teaching. For those just entering the profession, these numbers can be daunting. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for this departure and what actions schools employ to help lessen this attrition rate. After screening four teachers to gain a general insight into their experiences, eight teachers with a similar educational background were selected for additional interviews. This study was intended to determine how much of …

The Effects Of Community Building Music On Transition Time In An Early Childhood Montessori Classroom, Rachel Branum, Brady Howard

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research study was to determine how community building music would affect the transition time in a primary Montessori classroom. The researchers were two female preschool teachers in public Montessori schools. The participants, aged three to six years old, were involved in a daily clean-up time, which took place before the study began. The teachers added a music intervention for four weeks to see if the dynamics of clean-up time would change. The teachers documented the research study using qualitative and quantitative data tools. The data tools included student surveys, teacher journals, a timer log, and …

Summertime: A Mixed-Methodolody Study Exploring The Effects Of A University Career And Professional Development Course As First-Year Student-Athletes Transition Into The University, Lori Simone' Robinson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand what, if any effect, an intervention such as a summer bridge program or course designed for incoming student-athletes had on the participants. Specifically, this study used Gaston-Gales (2004) Student-Athlete Motivation towards Sport and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ) as a pre and post-intervention measure that examined the effect of the Student-Athlete Development Course 101 (SADC 101), which was designed and implemented mainly by athletics department personnel. The three constructs that the SAMSAQ instrument examined were: 1) Academic Motivation (AM), 2.) Student-Athlete Motivation (SAM), and 3.) Career-Athletic Motivation (CAM). The sample population (N=60) included only …

Superintendent Transitions: Planning For The Expected, Jennifer Wildman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative and illustrative multiple case study was to identify and describe succession planning strategies utilized by six K-12 California public school districts of 1,000 to 10,000 enrollment that have experienced superintendent transitions within the previous 3 years during three stages—Prepare, Pivot, Thrive—of executive succession and transition management (Adams, 2006).

Methodology: The population consisted of 1,022 districts with a target population of 213 districts. Participants (superintendents, cabinet members, board members) were chosen through purposive and convenience sampling.

Findings: Five common themes emerged: (a) communication, (b) seeking input, (c) relationship-building, (d) strategic planning, and (e) stabilizing the …

Small-Town Living: Do Illinois Universities Understand The Rural College Student?, Erik Andrew Dalmasso

Theses and Dissertations

Rural students are confronted with unique challenges when considering postsecondary choices. According to McShane and Smarick (2018), scholarship on this overarching issue is limited, as it is “often shunted to specialized journals that have not been able to integrate findings into the broader education policy conversation” (p. 1). Rural students, and to a broader extent, rural education have little voice in the postsecondary pathways that have been created within higher education (Goldman, 2019). Recruitment of rural students, financial aid policy, remediation/developmental programming, state and federal postsecondary legislation have largely treated rural students in tandem with their urban and suburban peers, …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Predictors For Improving Post School Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Ann Marie Wilkinson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Students with disabilities are faced with overwhelming challenges as they transition from high school to postsecondary education, careers, and independent living. Legislation has mandated that schools provide services for students with disabilities to prepare them for these transitions into adult life (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). To assist schools in providing more meaningful services, the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) identified and defined 20 predictors for post-school success (Test, Mazzotti et al., 2009, Test & Cook, 2012, Rowe et al., 2015, & Mazzotti et al., 2016). This study examined the perceptions of high school special education teachers …

Living The Dream: Building Self-Determination To Improve Postsecondary Outcomes, Pete Gladstone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite recent federal legislation outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization of 2004 that mandates effective postsecondary transition planning for all students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), students with intellectual disability (ID) continue to experience inequitable postsecondary outcomes, particularly in the areas of postsecondary education (PSE), employment, and independent living (Lipscomb et al., 2017). It has been established that one effective method for improving those outcomes is to develop students’ self-determination abilities, and there is near unanimous agreement within the education community that doing so should be a primary objective during the transition process (Izzo & Lamb, …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Transition To Retirement Of P-20 Educators In The State Of Kentucky, Chanel M. Schwenck

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored the physical, mental, social, emotional, and financial experiences of P-20 educators in their transition from teaching into retirement. A grand tour question and three research questions guided this study. Data collected from interviews with retired educators provided a thorough understanding of the issues experienced during the transition into retirement from the Kentucky public school system. The experiences of recently retired P-20 educators showed that stress was a motivating factor for retirement but not chronic illness, disease, or other serious physical health concerns. Public educators in Kentucky may retire after 27 years of service, and many …

More Than A Scholarship: College And Career Outcomes Of Mitchell Institute Promise Scholars, Loren Bowley Dow

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The transition into and out of higher education is challenging for first-generation college students from limited income backgrounds. Though educational attainment gaps between low- and high-income students exist, students from low-income households can and do earn college degrees with access to appropriate resources. Increasing socioeconomic diversity in higher education is necessary to address societal needs and to reduce educational and income inequality. The purpose of this study is to examine how economic, social, and cultural capital influences the transition of low-income, first-generation students into college and into the workforce. Through the stories of nine “at-promise” students who received a Mitchell …

Exploring Community College Stigma: A Phenomenology Of The Lived Experience For Community College Transfer Students Attending The University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Eric M. Michael

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite impressive statistics related to community college transfer student achievement, negative perceptions and stigma attached to attending community college persist. The problem addressed by this phenomenological study is the community college stigma experience for transfer students attending the most highly-ranked public university in Massachusetts: UMass Amherst. This dissertation pioneers use of a conceptual framework built from the elements of stereotype threat to illustrate experienced community college stigma; Specifically, it begins to address the forty-year-old unsubstantiated contention of William Neumann and David Riesman, that there is less stigma attached to attending community college in California than in Massachusetts. Broken down to …

Clinical Nurse Experts' Experience Of Transitioning To The Novice Nurse Educator Role, Crystal Toll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical nurse experts are often recruited into educator roles based solely on clinical expertise. Without support and mentorship, clinical nurse experts struggled with transitioning into the educator role. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of new nurse educators’ transition from a clinical nurse expert to novice nurse educator and to examine the perceptions of supports and barriers. Transitional theory provided the conceptual framework and informed the development of the interview protocol. The research questions focused on the experience of transitioning from expert to novice and on identifying supports and barriers that influenced transition. Using a case …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Nurses Transitioning To The Workforce, Stephanie Carra Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newly licensed registered nurses face many challenges as they transition from school to the nursing workforce. The challenges may lead to their desire to leave the workforce which negatively affects nursing retention and contributes to the nursing shortage. African American registered nurses are underrepresented when compared to the percentage of the African American population in the Unites States. Retaining African American nurses can make a significant contribution to the increasing diversity of the nursing workforce. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of African American registered nurses as they transition to the nursing workforce using …

Effects Of An Anchored Career-Focused Curriculum On The Knowledge And Attitudes Of At-Risk High School Students, Megan E. Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Students with disabilities (SWD) face an unfavorable employment future because many drop out of school at a disproportionate rate. The employment outlook for SWD who graduate from high school is also a concern because current studies show that only about half of them find jobs. In addition, most jobs they do find are entry level and low paying. One predictor of post-secondary success is career awareness. The purpose of this study was first to develop a curriculum especially designed for teaching career awareness of SWD and then to test its effects with a pretest-posttest randomized trial. Results indicated that the …

The Transitional Experiences Of International Students Studying In The United States, Philip Fennell

Masters Theses

This study sought to explore the real-life experiences of two international students and the impact on their transition to a United States college. A narrative qualitative approach was used to incorporate the stories of international students as shared by their own words. Their stories were used to identify similarities and differences including resources they utilized and their interactions with others. International students all share different cultural backgrounds and characteristics. Nonetheless, they will each have their own unique experiences, as well as have different ways of reacting and responding to those experiences. We must put in the effort of listening to …

A Phenomenological Study On The Influence Of A Leadership Living-Learning Community On First-Generation College Student Social Integration, Jeremy Todd Sheffield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students are a growing and unique population in the United States. First-generation college students face far more barriers to success when compared to their continuing-generation peers. Student retention and success is a primary concern for institutions of higher education in the United States as economic challenges and pressures grow. Therefore, retention and success for the growing number of first-generation college students is a priority for higher education leaders. A vital component of student retention and success is effective social integration. A proven high-impact practice for increasing student social integration is participation in a living-learning community. A descriptive phenomenological …

Understanding Effective Orientation Practices From Orientation Professionals At Public Hbcus, Ronnie Mack Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on understanding the perceptions of orientation professionals of the impact of orientation programming at public historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This study illustrates the effective practices of orientation programming and their impact on the retention of first – year African American students.

The theoretical framework that supported this study focused on challenge & support, retention, involvement, transition, belonging, and Black identity theory. The research study looked to understand orientation professionals’ perceptions of the impact of orientation programming at a public HBCU on the successful transition and retention of first-year students.

The qualitative multiple case study …

Female Student Veteran's Transition To College, Doug Michaels

Masters Theses

This study was focused on learning more about the experiences female student veterans have while transitioning from the military to college as well as what types of resources they utilized during this time. Research on this population is very limited, but the number of relevant studies completed is increasing. A narrative qualitative approach was utilized for this study in order to give this population the platform to tell their stories and for their voices to be heard. There were four participants who have all served at least one year in the military and have completed at least one year of …

Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training With In Situ Training On Workplace Conversational Skills Of Transition-Aged High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Holly N. Whittenburg

Theses and Dissertations

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of unemployment in the years immediately following high school (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009; Roux et al., 2015), yet very few studies to date have investigated approaches to teaching transition-aged high school students work-related social skills within competitive, integrated workplace settings. Furthermore, difficulties in developing relationships with coworkers within the workplace may negatively affect employment (Baldwin et al., 2014; Sperry & Mesibov, 2005). Research is needed that examines methods for improving interactions with coworkers.

This study investigated the effects of a behavioral skills training (BST) with in situ training intervention package …

New State Of Mind: A Living Learning Community For Out-Of-State Students, Molly Rorick

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The term out-of-state resonates with any person who does not permanently live in a particular state but has visited from across state lines multiple times. In this case it is in relation to students who have decided to pursue their education at an institution that is located in a different state. This thesis examines the lack of resources for OOS students living within the university's walls using the lens of transition theory. With the lack of resources, this creates a barrier between the student and their potential for their success. New State of Mind is a proposed intervention, which opens …