Education Commons^™

Unfit For Slavery: A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Male Perceptions Of Persistence And Academic Achievement At A Midwest Public Community College, Lavada Rebecca Rice

Dissertations

While African American males enrolled in community colleges, persistence and graduation rates remained low compared to all other demographics. Educational literature and research examining the performance of African American male students in community colleges was scarce (Bush & Bush, 2010). The most recent research focused on African American male students in the community college systems was 2010 (Harris & Wood, 2013) and focused on ways to keep African American male students enrolled. Ignoring the socio-ecological factors can affect decisions to stay enrolled. The researcher believed examining institutional and socio-ecological influences might be necessary to improve the persistence and academic achievement …

A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of How Student Goal-Setting For Improved Learner Behaviors Affects Intermediate Elementary Academic Achievement, Meghan Mcnulty

Dissertations

Education in the United States has changed significantly since its onset. Due to these changes, there is an increased need for social-emotional skills for success in school and in life. The study centered on how focusing intermediate elementary school students on improving their behavior could influence their academic achievement. Though there is much literature on social-emotional skills, self-efficacy, student agency, goal-setting, and academic achievement, few researchers have conducted studies to connect these concepts. In this study, students assessed their current behavioral skills using the mySAEBRS (Illuminate Education, n.d.). Using the results, students set improvement goals in one of three behavioral …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Third Grade Academic Achievement Data: Pre- And Post-Google Chromebook Usage In A Midwest Elementary School, Brittany Powell

Dissertations

Technology in the educational setting has evolved drastically over the last few decades and continues to currently evolve. As technology advances, best practices for teaching and learning, standardized testing, and curriculum also must evolve. The purpose of this study aimed to fill the gap of the lack of research regarding the possible differences in academic achievement data, pre- and post-Google Chromebooks usage. The researcher investigated educators’ and administrators’ perceptions of technology by conducting inperson interviews at the conclusion of the two-year study. The analysis of qualitative data, gathered from all interviews and researcher journal entries, fell into various thematic categories, …

The Impact Of Music Education On Middle School Students’ Attendance Rates And Academic Achievement On Math And English Language Arts, Irene Wang Shi

Dissertations

In recent years, students’ standardized test scores have become one of the major measurements for students’ learning. However, music as a non-tested subject is often viewed as a lesser valued subject compared to core subjects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact music programs have on student academic achievement and attendance rate. The data was collected from one middle school of a large school district located in the northeast of Missouri. The study population includes sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students who enrolled in the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2020-2021 school years. The population was divided into students who …

Parental Involvement And The Academic Achievement Of Third And Fourth Grade Students During The 2014-2015 And 2015-2016 School Years, Rise’ D. Black

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to find out if parental involvement in the study school helped to increase student academic achievement. Previous studies have shown that when parents are involved in the educational process of children, parents can expect a gain in academic achievement. This mixed method study examined the relationship between parental involvement and academic gains in reading at one suburban public school. The researcher examined how often parents met with teachers at their child’s school, conversations parents had with teachers about what they were learning in school, how often parents were involved with a parent group, how …

An Exploration Of Black Church Leaders' Intentions To Develop Critical Consciousness Among African-American Students, Taheesha Quarells

Dissertations

African-American students experience human capital opportunity and achievement gaps. Researchers have called for culturally relevant strategies to help close the gaps. The historic Black Church, a part of many African-American students’ culture and community, is a historic and current source of social capital for positive human capital development outcomes. Critical consciousness develops positive human capital outcomes, such as academic achievement, in African-American and other minority students. Much of the literature on critical consciousness is quantitative in nature and therefore does not include the intentions or the willingness of organizations to develop critical consciousness. Therefore, there is a need to understand …

The Perception Of First-Generation Community College Students With Regards To The Academic Impact Of Student Support Services: A Phenomenological Study, Rubinder Garcha

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the perceptions first-generation students (FGS) have of the academic impact of student support services (SSS) received while attending community college (CC) in the areas of student academic achievement, student engagement, student persistence, student satisfaction, and development of academic skills.

Methodology: The methodology used for this study was a phenomenological approach in which FGS’ perceptions about the academic impact of SSS while attending CC in the northern region of California were explored. The FGS who were interviewed for this study were consistently participating in the SSS. The study’s findings revealed the …

Moderating Effect Of Homeschooling On Retention And Academic Achievement Of Stem Majors At A Private, Faith-Based, Liberal Arts College, Aresia Watson

Dissertations

Previous research has indicated that homeschooling is a growing trend within the U.S. Previous research has also indicated that less than one half of students who begin a STEM major at postsecondary institutions will complete their degree. This study sought to look at the possible moderating effect homeschooling has on the academic achievement and retention of STEM majors at a private, faith-based liberal arts college using a modified version of Tinto’s Model of Student Departure.

Independent sample t-tests were used to compare means and intercorrelations of homeschooled students and traditionally schooled students in unmatched and matched samples for several academic …

The Influence Of Racial Socialization On The Academic Achievement Of Black College Students, Vanessa R. Laurent

Dissertations

Black college students continue to have difficulties reaching academic success in various domains; however, understanding the nature of how academic success is cultivated by Black college students is vital for counselors, educators, and university administrators. The objective of the study was to understand how racial socialization influenced academic success. Research suggests that racial socialization contributes to positive long-term outcomes among African Americans and may be connected to academic achievement (Bowman & Howard, 1985; Boykin & Tom, 1985; Davis & Stevenson, 2006; Neblett, Terzian, & Harriott, 2010; Stevenson, 1994, 1995). Participants were 349 Black college students from a predominately White institution …

Teachers' Awareness Of Cultural Diversity And Academic Achievement In Ninth Grade Academies And Senior High Schools, Jamellah Whipps-Johnson

Dissertations

High school graduation rates are higher than they have ever been in 40 years, but disparities continue to exist for students of color and students from poverty when compared to their counterparts. High school reform efforts like creating small learning communities are promising, but small schools alone do not improve student outcomes. Personalization and responsive learning environments are essential to improving academic achievement in high schools, and particularly for ninth graders.

A monocultural teaching force paired with a racially and culturally diverse student population necessitates an examination of teachers’ awareness of cultural diversity particularly in the high school setting where …

Student-Teacher Connection, Race, And Relationships To Academic Achievement, Timothy Brian Mabin Jr.

Dissertations

Urban, primarily minority and low-SES students continue to lag behind their suburban white non-low SES counterparts in terms of academic achievement. Some previous research suggests that strong bonds between teachers and students help such students succeed. This study therefore sought to investigate any relationships between student-teacher connection, race, and academic achievement.

Student perceptional data on student-teacher connections (i.e., a teacher caring about them) and student achievement data in the areas of math and reading from 3,359 high school students within a large urban Midwestern school district was examined. In addition, the race/ethnicity of both the students and teachers were examined …

Determining The Academic Achievement Of English Language Learners (Ells) By Using Additional Measures Of Growth, Adriana Maria Marin

Dissertations

Accountability measures employed in the country to determine the academic achievement of all the student population rely solely on the results obtained on the standardized tests. Such measures have often placed English language learners’ (ELLs) at risk of academic failure despite the fact that research on second language acquisition (SLA) has stated the complexity involved in the learning/acquisition process of a target language. Scholars have also discussed the influence accountability measures and the issues with the validity of the tests implemented to assess ELLs may have on such results. Therefore, in an effort to obtain a more comprehensive idea of …

The Relationship Between Academic Optimism And Academic Achievement In Middle Schools In Mississippi, Laquanta Murray Nelson

Dissertations

As we constantly seek to increase educational attainment and increase student achievement in the United States, it is critical that we not only look at the effect of research based instructional practices or socioeconomic status on academic achievement, but also at any other factors that may potentially have a positive impact. The current state of education in Mississippi is still behind that of its counterparts, which suggests that providing schools with extra funds and an aligned curriculum alone will not raise student achievement.

According to Beard, Hoy, and Hoy (2009) academic optimism is a factor that influences academic achievement, even …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Motivation Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Upward Bound Participants, Brenda Leigh Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and motivation characteristics on the achievement of at-risk students. Seventy-nine Upward Bound program participants completed self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic questionnaires. The relationship between GPA and self-efficacy was significant, negative, and low in strength. High GPA was associated with high self-efficacy (as shown by lower numbers on the survey). Gender, length of time in the Upward Bound (UB) program, length of participation in the UB summer program, college sponsor (community or four-year college), self-efficacy characteristics, and motivation characteristics significantly predicted academic achievement as measured by GPA. The relationship between …

The Use Of Multiple Intelligence Concepts With Middle School Students And Future Academic Achievement, Christa Fountain Glenn

Dissertations

This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the variables of student’s grade point averages when Multiple Intelligences were introduced and implemented in a study in 2007. To examine this information, in 2007 a study was conducted of 115 eighth grade students from a single grade school in the southern United States. At the conclusion of the study in 2007, it was the researchers’ belief that students may possibly utilize the Multiple Intelligences in their upcoming years as high school students, therefore, the study continued and the academic achievement by way of grade point averages of 94 of the original students now ending …

A Formal Mentoring Program And Its Relationship To Academic Success And Retention Rates Of First-Time Freshman College Students At Walla Walla University, Sallieann Brown Hoffer

Dissertations

Problem. For almost 160 years, researchers have studied freshman college students because attrition is heaviest during the first year. At Walla Walla University, statistics have shown that approximately 30% of each incoming freshman class will not return their sophomore year. The attrition rates represent an astounding loss of resources for the institution and in many cases a devastating loss of time, money, and self-worth for the students. Across the United States a concerted effort is being made to develop mentoring programs for undergraduate students, creating an environment where they could thrive socially and academically.

Method. In this study, an ex-post-facto …

The Perceptions Of The Impact Of Interscholastic Sports On Selected Elements Of A Public-School Experience, Denise M. Drabick

Dissertations

Purpose: For more than 100 years, participation in interscholastic athletics has been a major part of American high schools’ extracurricular offerings. As public-school districts struggle to meet the needs of the No Child Left Behind legislation, many changes require additional expenditures. Funding presents a constant challenge. Extracurricular activities, including interscholastic sports, are often sacrificed in funding decisions. This single-case-study design was crafted to examine perceptions of the professional staff, the non-professional staff, the graduates, and the community members in one north-central Pennsylvania community with regard to the perceptions of interscholastic sports on selected elements of a public-school experience. Using social …