Education Commons^™

Core Self-Evaluation Theory In Qualitative Research: Extending A Quantitative Theory Into A Qualitative Framework To Study Community College Faculty., Patria Lawton

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The use of qualitative research in higher education has long been underutilized, specifically when examining community colleges. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the need for more qualitative research focusing on the lives and work of community college faculty and to introduce the reader to Judge et al. (1997) Core Self-Evaluation Theory (CSE). The article describes the rationale and process of utilizing CSE as a viable theoretical framework in qualitative research. The author discusses the way in which CSE was extended from a traditional quantitative measure to a qualitative framework by walking the reader through a study which …

Post-Application Factors Affecting Community College Enrollment, Kyle L. Mccarrell

Dissertations, 2020-current

For many open-enrolled higher education institutions, including community colleges, enrollment is dropping each semester creating significant financial challenges. While much research literature focuses on four-year colleges, little is known about the students who seek to enroll at community colleges. What is known is often evaluated using college choice theoretical models, e.g., Hossler & Gallagher (1987), that focus on a limited, and often linear, student experience. Contemporary evaluation models, including Perna (2006) and Iloh (2018), seek to expand college choice understanding by incorporating contextual matters that include the diverse experiences of potential students as they consider college. These contextual theories, with …

A Survey Of Faculty Perceptions Of Community College Career And Technical Education, Thomas Gauthier Dr.

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Community colleges are the leaders in facilitating career and technical education (CTE), and faculty help develop program offerings on campus. This study explored faculty perceptions of community college CTE programs using the survey research method. Participants included 36 faculty members from various disciplines from 15 state colleges in Florida. Participants were sent a digital survey and asked to use a scale from 0 (do not agree) to 8 (agree) to score their agreement level with 43 statements of opinion. Data revealed that community college faculty perceive CTE as beneficial, but CTE programs must include the habits of mind and support …

Student Impressions Of Community College Presidents, Megan Corder, Dianne M. Timm

Journal of Research on the College President

This qualitative study explores student impressions of community college presidents. Through conducting interviews with six involved leaders in parallel roles at two community colleges, the study investigated what shapes student impressions of college presidents. Nearly half of all undergraduate students in the United States attend a community college. These students all hold their own unique perspective, but each impression is shaped by different factors. The study explored what shaped and influenced student understanding of the presidency, what influenced student impressions of the president, how the president impacted individual experience at the institution, and how students evaluated the presidency. It was …

A Decade In Review: A Systematic Literature Review Of Presidential Engagement In Community College Fundraising, Everrett A. Smith

Journal of Research on the College President

Community college fundraising has grown into a visible area of institutional operations. The college president is perhaps the single most important person in directing and sustaining the use of fundraising activities on campus and, in many cases, the face of the institution. To what extent community college presidents have engaged in fundraising has been explored, but a comprehensive, especially over the past decade, is missing from higher education and community college research. Refereed articles were systematically reviewed to present an overarching lens into empirical research focused on community presidents and institutional fundraising. The study includes a review of more than …

Faculty Perception Of Inclusive Instruction At Three South-Central Community Colleges, Karen R. O'Donohoe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enrollment rates for student with disabilities in higher education continue to rise, particularly in 2-year colleges, but graduation rates have not kept pace due to barriers not addressed by traditional disability supports (Black et al., 2014; NCES, 2019; Smedema et al., 2015). Inclusive instruction is a low-cost, high-impact solution that can be implemented on any campus (Black et al., 2014; Lombardi et al., 2013; Roberts et al., 2011). This quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive non-experimental research design that explored faculty self-reported attitudes and actions associated with inclusive instruction at three of the largest degree-granting, two-year institutions in a single …

Preparing To Fill The Leadership Gap: The Challenges Facing Women Leaders In Mid-Level Positions At Urban Community Colleges, Kia L. Hardy, Mitchell R. Williams, Kim Bullington, Felecia Commodore

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

Community college presidents are currently retiring at rapid rates, and this turnover in leadership is expected to continue. As these important post-secondary institutions face the loss of senior-level leaders, women in mid-career positions are preparing to fill the gap in the leadership pipeline. Although previous studies have examined the leadership challenges faced by women leaders, the focus has been on presidents and vice presidents. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining the leadership experiences of women in mid-level positions - specifically deans and directors - and to identify their unique employment mobility challenges.

The purpose of this …

Elevating The Voices Of Community College Faculty: A Phenomenological Study Of Community College Work, Patria Lawton

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore how community college faculty described their lived experiences concerning their work. Specifically, the study examined faculty work in terms of teaching, service, and other scholarly work. A phenomenological approach was taken to understand the individuals’ shared experience of being faculty at a community college. Data was gathered through eight individual virtual, semi-structured interviews with unlimited-full time faculty who were recruited via email from a faculty union representative on their campus. All the participants within the study were from community colleges in the Minnesota State system. Participants were assigned numbers to ensure anonymity …

The Student Voice: Experiences Of First-Generation, Adult, Latino Male Tutees Learning Within A Peer Tutoring Environment, Shawn M. Carney

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative, single-site case study was to identify and describe the lived experiences of first-generation, adult, Latino male tutees utilizing peer tutoring services within the Solano Community College (SCC) learning assistance center (LAC), concerning readiness, challenge, support, and balance as they applied to motivation to learn and personal academic growth.

Methodology: Fifteen participants were selected through a purposeful sampling process, and data were collected and analyzed through semi-structured, open-ended interviews to develop common themes with tabulated results presented via frequency tables.

Findings: First-generation, Latino, male tutees (1) sought tutors who were confident in the subject matter, …

Communication Technology Within Community Colleges, Nicole Dunne

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and describe the communication technologies that community college students perceive are effective ways to receive information from their college. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe communication technology channels students perceive would be effective ways to receive information from their college that are not being used.

Methodology: This mixed methods research design used quantitative and qualitative data to inform the research questions in relation to community college students’ perception of communication technology effectiveness. The study was a sequential mixed methods study; the quantitative survey results helped to inform …

Understanding The Experience Of Mid-Level Community College Change Leaders, Kelley L. Conrad

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigates the phenomenon of leading major change as a midlevel administrator or faculty member at a Michigan community college. Specifically, this study explores how three leaders experienced their roles in implementing the guided pathways strategic change initiative, how they describe the emotional aspects of leading change, and how they made sense of their experiences. One overarching research question guided this study: How do guided pathways leaders at Michigan community colleges experience their roles in the strategic change process?

The results of multiple, in-depth interviews are presented as three profiles, one per participant, using their own words to …

A Narrative Study Of The Experiences That Disrupt Or Terminate Entry In The Community College Presidential Pipeline For African American Women, Dana G. Stilley

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Organizational structures, beliefs, and values in higher education are influenced by the deep-seated characteristics of patriarchy, dominance and racial and gender bias, upon which higher education was founded. These factors continue to impact the ascension of African American women to college presidencies. Current challenges facing community colleges include a gap in executive leadership and the underrepresentation of African American women in the presidential pipeline.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to better understand the experiences that disrupt or terminate the journey to a presidency for African American women in senior level positions at community colleges. The goal was to …

Patient-Perspective Task Performance: Creating Contextually Relevant Student Clinical Training Through The Use Of Patient Experience, Candice L. Freeman

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Patient-centered and patient-focused care purports that patients are at the center of all clinical decisions made for optimal medical outcomes. Optimal medical outcomes originate from accurately and reliably executed task performance by healthcare professionals trained to administer highly specific care for each patient condition. Many of these executed tasks are performed in the presence of the patient; this is defined as direct patient care. However, there are equally important tasks executed that are not performed in the presence of the patient; the performance of diagnostic laboratory testing is an example of such tasks.

Clinical training of healthcare laboratory professionals begins …

Experiences That Support Persistence And Retention Of Latinx First-Generation College Students (Fgcs) At Community Colleges, Veronica Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe experiences of successful Latinx first-generation college students that support persistence and retention toward graduation for Latinx first-generation college students at California community colleges. The study was framed using Tinto’s retention theory. Successful Latinx first-generation college students were defined as those who have attained graduation from a California community college. This study focused on Latinx first-generation college students not persisting toward graduation at California community colleges, a situation that extends to the national level. This case study included nine Latinx first-generation college students, and the researcher collected data through virtual semistructured …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Perceptions Of Single Mother College Students, Jamaica Delmar

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

As parenting students are an underserved subset of the growing nontraditional college student population in the United States, this study aims to understand and illuminate the experiences of single mother students while in pursuit of a post-secondary credential. This research is motivated by the following research questions, viewed within the context of a participant's identities: How do single mother college students perceive institutional support services? How do single mother college students experience their interactions with faculty? What institutional systems are in place that pose the biggest barriers to persistence and degree completion for single mother college students? A phenomenological qualitative …

Coping And Suicide Among At-Risk Community College Students, Laura E. Martin, Lynn Bohecker

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The authors investigated the complex relationships of coping associated with suicide risk among community college students. Survey responses were obtained from 733 participants. A multiple linear regression demonstrated that maladaptive coping such as self-distraction, substance use, and denial were predictive factors of suicide among students in the 18–29 age group. Self-distraction and denial were significant coping protective factors of suicide risk for students aged 29–67. Implications for increasing suicide awareness and prevention in education are discussed.

Keywords: suicide, coping, community college, mental health

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 …

Factors That Influence Hispanic Female Pursuit Of An Associate Of Arts Degree At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Maria Victoria Guadarrama

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the possible influencing factors involved with the Hispanic female population that lives on the Texas and Mexico border and how those factors influence the completion of an Associate of Arts degree at a community college. “Presence in higher education is increasing by all minority groups, except for one; while other ethnic groups—including African Americans—have gradually increased their college graduation rates, Hispanics have seen almost no such progress in three decades” (Montalban, 2015). The border area in southernmost Texas is severely limited by lack of education, parental communication, language background, financial problems, and other influential …

Faculty Views Of Online Competency-Based Education, Self-Efficacy, And Institutional Support: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study, Christopher Russell Prokes

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Competency-based education (CBE) is essentially an online approach to teaching and learning featuring flexible pacing, robust competencies, and an emphasis on student completion. CBE’s differs from traditional education that focuses on seat time, credit hours, and academic objectives. Though CBE has existed on college campuses in many forms, faculty are often inexperienced in teaching CBE. Facing growing demands for CBE (notably from non-traditional students), institutions must find ways to prepare faculty to take part in CBE. This mixed methods study explored faculty views of CBE, their self-efficacy, and beliefs about support mechanisms needed for those teaching and delivering CBE. Findings …

Leading Hispanic Serving Community Colleges: Latinx Faculty Perceptions About The Aacc Competencies, Sanjuanita Chavira Scott

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Latinx students are likely to enter postsecondary education at a community college. This phenomenon has led to the increase in community colleges being designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions. The designation of Hispanic Serving is not driven by mission, but rather by number of enrolled students who identify as Latinx. This preliminary descriptive study examined the perceptions of faculty at four Hispanic Serving community colleges in Texas regarding their proficiency on leadership competencies for faculty, whether there were differences in the perceptions of Latinx and non-Latinx faculty members, and whether certain leadership competencies influence faculty members’ decisions to pursue leadership opportunities. …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Long-Term Learning Outcomes Of Community College Education Abroad, Heidi Fischer

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Since 2007-08, the number of community colleges who reported sending students abroad has tripled. Community college students represent diverse demographic backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, and life experiences that are often underrepresented in higher education and education abroad (EA). The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the long-term learning outcomes gained by 27 community college alumni who studied abroad between Fall 2015 and Fall 2019. Data collection consisted of two rounds of in-depth, individual semi-structured interviews as well as a pre-interview survey. Participants had graduated within the past five years and participated in both short-term, faculty-led and mid-length, faculty-in-residence programs …

Narratives From Appalachia: The Current Stories Of Lgbtq Community College Students, Todd A. Cimino-Johnson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

LGBTQ students are ubiquitous on community college campuses across the United States. The exact number of LGBTQ students is unknown and often their needs are ignored. LGBTQ students face harassment and discrimination at higher rates than other minority groups. This study was conducted to gather the current narratives of LGBTQ students attending community colleges in the Appalachian Region. This study aimed to determine what LGBTQ students are experiencing on community college campuses across Appalachia. Fifteen students took part in a one-on-one semi-structured interview for this qualitative study. All students were currently enrolled in a program of study when the interviews …

Calculating The Cost Of New Student Matriculation In A Midwestern Community College, Daniel Joseph Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the cost of new student matriculation at a midwestern community college. Employing activity-based costing, the study allocates costs from the college’s operating budget to determine the cost of new student matriculation, the matriculation cost per student, and the point at which, in credit-hours, the college recovers the matriculation cost. Efficiency is used as a conceptual framework to discuss the college’s ability to move as many new students as possible through the matriculation activities at the lowest possible cost. A key finding was the college is spending a considerable amount of time and money to matriculate new students …

Non-Academic Support Math Faculty Members Provide In Developmental Accelerated And Corequisite Support Courses In California Community Colleges, David Vakil '92

Doctoral Dissertations

To guide practitioners of rapidly evolving developmental math reform in community colleges, this study surveyed California community college math faculty who taught accelerated developmental courses or corequisite support courses. The survey was conducted during the early implementation phase of both course types, during spring and fall 2018 terms. This study measured faculty’s self-reported provision of forms of non-academic support, frequency of implementation, and reasons faculty believed the support would help students succeed. The literature review guided grouping non-academic support into five forms: nurturing, helping students’ motivation, providing a growth mindset theory of intelligence, helping provide social integration, and helping to …

Exploring First Year Students’ Interest In Reading Academic Texts In An Urban Community College Composition Classroom, Adele J. Doyle

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how the construct of interest may influence first-year community college students’ willingness to engage with academic text assignments. Research on interest theory as presented by Renninger (2009) suggests that students, even those with low self-efficacy or regulation, are more likely to make gains in engagement and/or academic progress, dependent upon how interested those students are in the texts assigned by their teacher. Students from two 2020 spring semester first-year composition courses at a Northeast metropolitan community college were provided with 6 potential academic reading assignments on diverse topics. Students were asked to select one assignment, read it, …

That Push Helps: A Qualitative Case Study Exploring Students' Responses To Receiving An Early Alert, Eric Tammes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the decision-making experience of students receiving an early alert notification at a community college and what influenced students’ responses to the alert. Early alert programs are identified as a high impact persistence practice and may involve significant financial, technology, and personnel investments. Examining how students engage or disconnect from an early alert program may help maximize the institution’s investment and fulfill the program’s intent. Utilizing a qualitative case study, informed by Pascarella’s (1980) Student-Faculty Informal Contact model, this study sought to fill a gap within the persistence and early alert literature. The study also provided participant-driven guidance …

Undocumented Community College Students: The Impact Of Strategic Enrollment Management Frontline Staff In Level Of Undocufriendliness, Melisa Erica Jimenez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Thousands of undocumented students are enrolled in post-secondary education institutions across the nation and continue to encounter challenges in accessing the resources and support for an equitable transition into these institutions. The goal of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences and knowledge gaps of Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) staff by examining their perceptions of their role and responsibility in supporting undocumented students and their assessment of the campus climate and culture for undocumented students. While scholarship exists about undocumented students in colleges and universities, this research explores this in the context of the community college, where there …

Community College Full-Time Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Course Grading, April C. Zawlocki

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined community college full-time faculty members’ perceptions of grading and reporting student learning via course grades using a mixed methods approach. The research questions that guided this study asked about the differences that exist in community college full-time faculty members’ perceptions of grading by different academic subdivision, by having or not having a degree in education, and by gender. Additionally, the study examined how perceptions of the purpose of grades differ among faculty members. The study also sought to find out which criteria were used to determine course grades and what experiences faculty members attribute to learning how …

Student-Parenting During A Global Pandemic: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Experience Of Community College Student-Parents, Malinde Althaus

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Approximately one-quarter of undergraduate students are parents or guardians of dependent children. While having similar or higher GPAs, student-parents have lower rates of graduation than peers without children and often struggle with finances, childcare, and scheduling. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many new stressors to our lives. In addition to the mental and physical health risks during the pandemic, college students experienced a change in delivery of classes to largely online and for parents of school age children, it has added challenges of supporting children at home in distance learning. This study used a feminist phenomenological approach to discover the lived …

Cultivating A Stem Investigation: Reading And Task Expectations For Introductory Biology Courses, Tina M. Ballard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

College completion is an important discussion in today’s world with only about 30% of community college students completing their degrees within three years of starting their programs. Especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, students are changing their majors or not completing their degrees for a variety of reasons. Previous research has established that there are high attrition and failure rates for introductory biology courses which may be causing some students to change their majors or not complete their degrees. This multicase study investigated the reading and task demands for introductory biology courses designed for STEM majors …