Education Commons^™

The Importance Of Earnings In Career Technical Education Field Of Study Choice, Karen S. Childers

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to examine factors influencing community college Career Technical Education (CTE) students in their field of study choice. The problem was twofold: (1) Community college CTE performance metrics include earnings goals, but there is little research to inform the performance metric (Harrington, Mbomeda, & Casillas, 2018; Roberts, Leufgen, & Booth, 2018); and (2) CTE students, who are disproportionately economically disadvantaged, pursue fields of study that do not lead to a living wage (Bahr, 2010; Booth & Bahr, 2012; Zhang & Oymak, 2018).

For this within-stage mixed model design (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004), …

Writing Interventions For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Phillip Rose

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Only 27% of U.S. eighth graders are at or above grade level proficiency in writing (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Students with specific learning disabilities frequently exhibit skill deficits in planning, organizing, and writing conventions, and show inadequate awareness to write strategically (Troia, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine evidence-based writing interventions aimed at enhancing the writing skills of students with specific learning disabilities and then to indicate which interventions were proven to be effective. The results of a variety of studies of writing intervention strategies have been reviewed. Specific instructional strategies that were successful in …

Examining The Educational Experiences Of Community Day School Graduates: A Narrative Inquiry, Willie J. Jones Iii

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Community day school graduates enter society with decisions about college, career, and work. Community day schools operate as a non-traditional education system that provides a separate and often unique education to many disenfranchised students, with lessened accountability protocols to assess whether these systems prepare graduates for life after high school. The number of community day schools and enrollment is declining, due in part to excessive changes within the law and stricter guidelines required to be met.

Toward Critical Counseling: A Content Analysis Of Critical Race Theory And Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Community College Counselor Education, Lyman A. Insley

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Prior to the early 1990s, most counselor preparation programs did not have multicultural competencies. Therefore, a call was made for the use of multicultural competencies in counselor preparation programs. Yet, the popularization of multicultural competencies of this time in education had a Eurocentric bent, a kind of colorblindness

More recently, scholars confirmed that these Eurocentric multicultural competencies had become the primary template from which counselor preparation programs taught culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy. Therefore, a call was made for the use of critical race theory (CRT) in counselor preparation programs to challenge and change Eurocentric cultural competence.

Purpose: This …

The Effectiveness Of Dynamic Mathematical Software In The Instruction Of The Unit Circle, Edward Simons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study is attempting to test the effectiveness of dynamic computer models such as GeoGebra and Desmos on high school students’ ability to understand key concepts with regards to the introduction of unit circle and the graphing of the sine and cosine functions.

Algebra two high school students of varying ages were chosen and randomly placed into two groups. Both groups were given the same pre-assessment and an identical lesson. The two groups’ only difference occurred with the individual student practice portion of the lesson where one group did ‘traditional’ paper and pencil practice for graphing and solving while the …

Millennial Generation College Students: Observations And Experiences Of Counseling Faculty At Selected California Community College Districts, Antoine Thomas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Higher education, specifically the California community colleges, is being inundated with a large new generation of students called millennials. They are the majority student group enrolled in record numbers at California Community Colleges. California community colleges continue to evolve in order to accommodate millennial generation college students. A phenomenological design was utilized, using face-to-face interviews. This research explores the phenomenon of “millennial college students (millennials)” through the lived experiences of California community college counseling faculty who interact with them. Their observations and experiences could prove to be informative and help advance the purpose of this research.

The following are the …

Revolución De Identidad: An Autoethnography On Spanish Heritage Language & Identity, Cristina Velazquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This autoethnography narrative examines my journey as a first-generation Mexican immigrant woman from birth, through completion of the doctorate degree at California State University, San Bernardino. The purpose in writing this autoethnography is to present a personalized account of my experiences growing up, in communicating between two languages, the structural and personal motivators behind maintaining a heritage language (Spanish), and to reflect, in my experience, how I have negotiated with multiple social identities, including ethnic, academic, and bilingual identities. In this self-study, I bring the reader closer to Mexican-American identity, language, and culture. Specifically, this qualitative analysis of Spanish Heritage …

Effective Evidence-Based Strategies To Minimize Self-Injurious Behaviors In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practical Manual For Educators, Ngoc Lan Nguyen

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) are relatively common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and many teachers have difficulties dealing with these challenging behaviors. Besides the possibility of causing serious injuries to children with ASD, the frequent occurrences of SIBs can limit their access to academic instruction and peer interactions. The abundance of possible strategies is confusing for teachers to figure out which strategies to use and how to implement them. The purpose of this project was to develop a guiding manual for educators working with children with ASD. The manual presents proactive, evidence-based strategies to help prevent or decrease students’ …

Master Of Social Work Student Perspectives On Mindfulness Meditation In Curricula, Deyssi Partida

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mindfulness meditation (MM) has been used as an intervention tool for mental health diagnosis in the field of social work for some time and there are numerous empirical literature and research about the benefits of MM in practice. Despite the evidence and the use of MM in the field, there is very limited incorporation or MM programs and courses in the Master of Social Work (MSW) education and curricula. This study aimed to explore MSW students’ perspectives on mindfulness meditation and whether they would find it beneficial in their curricula. The study collected qualitative data through interviews MSW graduates at …

Creating A College-Going Partnership With Latina/O Parents And Families Of Elementary School Students, Mary Mcallister-Parsons

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The pursuit of higher education has become a highly desirable aspiration for many children in the United States, yet majority of these children are not provided the opportunity to make this a reality. Research reveal Students of Color and lower socio-economic status are largely under-represented in institutions of postsecondary education (Camacho Liu, 2011; Choy, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Latina/o students, in particular, continue to experience some of the lowest levels of educational attainment in this country. Education scholars contend that a college-going culture can help counteract the educational limitations experienced by working-class, Students of Color, and especially first-generation …

Perception Influenced By Phenomena: Identify Core-Subject Teacher Perceptions Of Career Technical Education, Sheri Lynn Tucker

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the perception influenced by phenomena impacting core-subject teacher perceptions of career technical education (CTE). Studies show that CTE is highly successful at preparing California’s students for college and career (Friedman, 2006). However, some educators see “CTE maintain less value in helping to encourage student success” (Shanklin, 2014, p. 3). The phenomenological study examined the perception influencing lived experiences with focus groups and one-on-one interviews. Core-subject teachers participated in these face-to-face interviews. Findings show that core-subject teachers are biased against CTE. Analysis of the survey results determined perception influenced by phenomena experienced by …

Spending Where It Matters: Exploring The Relationship Between Institutional Expenditures And Student Retention Rates At The California State University, Matias Farre

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

It is anticipated that there will be a shortage of 1.1 million college-educated workers in California by 2030 (Johnson, Bohn, & Cuellar Mejia, 2016). Within this context, the California State University (CSU) is the principal source of skilled workers in the state, producing more career-ready candidates than any other single institution (“California State University 2018 Fact Book“, n.d.).

This study examined the relationship between student retention rates and institutional expenditures across the different functional categories of instruction, student services, academic support, and instructional support at the CSU. With the exception of student grants and scholarships, these selected expenditures represent the …

Let Them Speak!: Voices Of Urban Black High School Graduates In San Bernardino California, Luquanda Neekey Hawkins

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined Urban Black high school students’ pathways to academic success, with particular attention to their perspectives about achieving academic success despite stereotype threats and impeding social factors, the support systems they rely upon, and the coping mechanisms they employ when encountering challenges. Study data suggested that the way urban Black high school students achieved academic success despite stereotype threats and impeding social factors is to identify and focus on their goals, circumventing what obstacles they could and cognitively and emotionally coping with what they could not. Students primarily relied upon family members, community members, school staff, and …

Breaking The Cycle For A Better Life: Understanding The Decision-Making Process That First-Generation, Community College Students Experienced When Making College Major And Career Choices, Francisco Ramirez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Choosing a college major and career are the most critical decisions that college students make and students are expected to make these impactful decisions early in their academic careers. First-generation, community college students are a group that are especially affected by this early decision process as they require the knowledge and experience to make informed decisions. Their parents often lack the experience to guide them through this process since they are unfamiliar with being a college student and providing the necessary support in this area. These barriers cause stress among these students and inefficiencies in the decisions that they make. …

Figured Worlds: A Phenomenological Study Of Community College Faculty Leaders, Quinton Bemiller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite the importance of community colleges in higher education, community college faculty are understudied. Although the community college has been defined as a teaching institution, its faculty also serve in non-teaching leadership roles. The purpose of this research study is to know (1) what the experiences of community college faculty in leadership roles are, (2) how their roles have changed over time, (3) what factors motivated faculty to accept non-teaching roles, and (4) how faculty have navigated the transition. Data were obtained from open-ended, semi-structured interviews using an Interpretive Phenomenological approach. Qualitative data were transcribed, coded, categorized, and then organized …

Vehicle Information System Using Blockchain, Amey Zulkanthiwar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The main purpose of a vehicle information system using blockchain is to create a transparent and reliable information system which will help consumers buy a vehicle; it is a vehicle information system. The blockchain system will create a time sequence chain of events database for each vehicle from the original sale. It will include insurance, vehicle repair, and vehicle resale. This project is mainly divided into three parts. Part one is used by the administration who will create the blockchain and will give authentication to a different organization to create the blockchain. Part two will be used by the Organization …

Latino Parent School Involvement: Do Parents Read And Respond To Teacher Invitations?, Celia Marquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Latinos are the second largest ethnic group after Whites in the education system, yet there is still a large gap between Whites’ and Latino’s graduation rates. Research indicates that parental involvement in children’s education plays a significant role in children’s academic success. For this reason, this study aims to understand Latino parents’ perspectives on their participation in their child’s school. More specifically, how often Latino parents receive invitations from the school and whether or not they respond to these invitations. The research design for this study is exploratory and qualitative and uses one-on-one interviews with Latino parents. The central themes …

“Now Let Us Shift”: A Case Study Of Developmental Education Reform In A Hispanic Serving Community College, Audrey Marie Baca

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Latina/o/x students who persist to college are likely to enter through community college (Contreras & Contreras, 2018) and until the enactment of California Assembly Bill 705, would have been susceptible to placement in developmental education courses (Rodriguez, Cuellar Mejia, & Johnson, 2018). The implementation of AB 705 shifted the requirements for new student placement in all 115 California Community Colleges. With compliance mandated by Fall 2019, the law required colleges to "maximize the probability" that entering students enroll and complete transfer-level English or mathematics within a one-year timeframe and within a three-year timeframe for students enrolled in English …

Child Welfare: Trauma Informed Practice At Time Of Child Removal, Ester Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As of 2018, approximately 442,995 children are in the foster care system in the United States according to the federal statistics from the Children’s Bureau. Entry into the foster system involves the removal of children from their home, making it a traumatic experience. The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ perceptions of what trauma informed practice means and what it looks like in child welfare removals. The study also clarifies what trauma informed practice (TIP) is and how it can be applied in child welfare’s organizational structure. This was a qualitative study in which child welfare social …

Protective Factors Of Academic Resiliency, Guadalupe Valdivia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Numerous studies had explored wide-ranging effects of childhood adversity. Yet, there is no known study that explores the impact of non-parental relationships (NPR) formed during the participation in out-of-school youth activities (OSYA), and future orientation (FO) on academic resiliency (AR) among people with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This study moved away from the deficit perspective and focused on the strengths of individuals rather than weaknesses. The study examined the impact of protective factors of OSYA, NPR, and FO using the Michael Ungar’s (2011) Socio-Ecological Model of Resiliency to better understand their role on AR among university students with ACEs. A …

“The Skills You’Re Developing, They Don’T Go Away”: An Intrinsic Case Study Exploring On-Campus Student Employment As A High Impact Practice, Amanda Salazar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Many low-income, first-generation college students have no other choice but to work to help offset the costs associated with earning a college degree (Savoca, 2016). Meanwhile, colleges and universities have the opportunity to leverage on-campus employment as a high-impact practice (McClellan, Creager, & Savoca, 2018). High-impact practices (HIPs) are known to increase retention, persistence, and completion (Kuh, 2008). If structured with intentionality and purpose, on-campus jobs can offer low-income, first-generation college students the opportunity to participate in a HIP, while simultaneously earning an income (McClellan et al., 2018).

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore on-campus employment …

English Language Learners In K-12 Classrooms: Problems, Recommendations And Possibilities, Trisha Henderson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Since California is the state with the highest number of English Language Learner (ELL) students in the nation (Abedi and Levine, 2013; Estrada, 2014), there is clearly a need for what Abedi and Levine (2013) call "accommodation" in educating ELLs in K-12 classrooms. This paper is an attempt to synthesize the current scholarship surrounding K-12 educational practices of ELLs nationally, but with special emphasis on key states: California and Arizona. It begins by describing the achievement gap between the growing number of ELLs and their native English speaking peers (NSP). The paper will first discuss possible reasons for this achievement …

Dancing Our Way To College: A Case Study Of Community Based Folklórico Fostering Community Cultural Wealth To Influence The Post Secondary Aspirations, Pathways And Transferable Skills Of Latinas, Jenna Aguirre

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Within the broader context of the representation of Latinas in higher education, the purpose of this study is to investigate the post-secondary aspirations of Latinas who were involved in a community-based folklórico program. In addition, this study seeks to understand how participating in folklórico programs can influence the college and career aspirations of Latinas, if at all. Finally, this study examines the skills developed by participating in folklórico programs that are transferable to education and career goals or life in general.

The theoretical framework of this study was Yosso’s (2005) concept of community cultural wealth and included the expansion of …

Characteristics Of Seventh-Grade Middle School Students Who Attended A Continuation High School, Rae Lynn Kit

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored pre-existing quantitative data for 55 students when they were in the seventh grade who eventually attended a continuation high school years later. There were 101 students at a particular continuation high school, and this research explored pre-existing data looking solely at the students who were in the same district while they were in seventh grade. Attendance and grades from the pre-existing data in the district’s software system were analyzed using a descriptive methodology followed by a cluster analysis through SPSS. Attendance findings for the 55 students revealed that nine students (16%) were absent with a frequency of …

Easy Exam, Sarthak Dabhi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Easy Exam is web-based educational software which allows professors to take and students to give exams. This project focuses on making an effortless process for professors to make an exam, to grade exams for all students, and to create class statistical analysis reports about all exam-taking students. At the end of the exam, students can see their report with analytics based on topics in the exam. This web-based software will help students to identify their weaknesses and strengths. So, students can focus on their weaknesses and improve their knowledge. Furthermore, this software will help the professors to identify which students …

Multicompetence, Multiple Intelligences And First-Year Composition Students, Patricia Rice'-Daniels

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine, gain, and ultimately share an understanding of certain cognitive differences, similarities, intelligence patterns, and preferences between competent monolingual (English) and multicompetent bilingual/multilingual first-year composition (FYC) college students. Within this project is an attempt to address the following questions: Do monolingual and bilingual/multilingual FYC students show different strengths and weaknesses in their cognitive abilities? Are there learning preferences and literacy differences or similarities between monolingual and bilingual/multilingual FYC students?

Primarily, two cognitive concepts were used in this examination to provide perspectives and quantitative data in response to the above questions. First, is Vivian …

Playing Nice In The Sandbox: Exploring The Behaviors Of Executive And Operational Leaders In Cross-Sector Collaboration, Debra Mustain

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Educational attainment in the United States is at the highest levels since recording started, yet large numbers of students are not completing education at the secondary and postsecondary levels. This lack of education impacts their long-term prospects for living wage careers, stable housing and the ability to support both themselves and their families. A growing response to this crisis is the development of cross-sector collaborative partnerships to address educational attainment resulting in an educated and skilled workforce that will ultimately improve prosperity in a community or region. This collaborative work has expanded as a result of growing recognition that all …

Higher Education Financial Health - A Case Study Of The California State University (Csu), Amber Blakeslee

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Higher education is in a challenging financial time. Overall, states are investing considerably less in higher education than they did a decade ago and students are paying significantly more in tuition and fees. Simultaneously, the higher education landscape is changing – changing in terms of demographics, modes of delivery, workforce needs, funding and cost structures, and perceptions of value. Almost every day there is a new media story about a college or university experiencing financial difficulties. With decreasing confidence from campus financial officers in the long-term sustainability of their institutions and campus closures expected to escalate in the coming years, …