Education Commons^™

Minoritized Medical Students' Integration Of Professional Identities: A Phenomenological Study, Travis Erickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study fills a gap in the extant literature by exploring how medical students with minoritized identities make meaning about sense of self-definition and emerging professional identities while enrolled in medical school. More specifically, the focus of this study explored how minoritized medical students perceived their sense of self and dimensions of identity were shaped during their medical education, and what perceptions these medical students had about how they manage their professional identity development. Emergent themes included: (a) making connections between self-definition and professional identities, (b) past experience of difference shaping identities, (c) self-definition with complexity, (d) fluidity as …

College Preparedness. Narratives Of Transitions From High School To College., Chelsey Luann Vincent

Theses and Dissertations

Despite many theories on student success as well as many resources to help students make the transition from high school to college, many students do not persist in or graduate from college. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide insight into what takes place when students leave P-12 institutions and enter institutions of higher education by using focused narrative inquiry. This study took place at a large research university in the south. The study included 4 participants at various parts of their transition journey. Participants in the study responded to written prompts. Follow up interviews were conducted, and a …

How Students Learn: Examining The Differences In Learning Strategies Between Flight And Nonflight Students, Jennifer A. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in learning strategies between undergraduate flight and nonflight students attending a 4-year university that offered a Part 141 flight training program. Learning strategies were measured using Panadero et al.’s (2021) 30-item Deep Learning Strategies Questionnaire and its four subscales—Basic Learning Self-Regulation Strategies, Visual Elaboration and Summarizing Strategies, Deep Information Processing Strategies, and Social Learning Self-Regulation Strategies—all of which were the dependent variables. The primary independent variable was group membership, but the study also incorporated two covariates—self-efficacy and intrinsic value—which were measured using the respective subscales of Pintrich …

Exploring The Operationalization Of Market Sensing In A Higher Education Organization, Ashish Bhardwaj

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Market sensing is a dynamic capability of an organization that enables management to understand the market environment and develop strategic plans that best position the organization to continue to be relevant to the marketplace and sustain an advantaged competitive position. Extant research has explored the difference between ordinary and dynamic capabilities and proposed the role of dynamic capabilities as enabling the configuration and reconfiguration of the organization’s assets in response to or in anticipation of a rapidly evolving market environment, to maintain competitive advantage.

Market sensing dynamic capability has been hypothesized to consist of three key organizational processes – sensing, …

Global Mindedness And Its Development Across Space And Time: Illumination Of Lived Experiences From Study Abroad Students And Global Educational Scholars, Haoming Tang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explores the phenomenon of ‘global mindednesses’ and its development as the idealized pedagogical outcome of global/international education. I consider how individuals become globally minded across their life journeys and through study abroad experience under larger conditions and forces. There are three discrete studies in this integrated dissertation format. In the first study, I examined the biographical and autobiographical accounts of thirteen US-based global scholars presented in the edited collection The global education movement: Narratives of distinguished global scholars (Kirkwood-Tucker, 2018). Through a thematic analysis, I identified five major themes in their development of global mindedness: (1) Experiencing war …

Higher Education Students And Digital Literacies: A Systematic Literature Review, Filipe Malafaia Cerqueira

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study is a systematic literature review of digital literacies and students in higher education. It sought to identify the state of knowledge on digital literacies in higher education including what studies have been conducted in this nexus and what remains to be known. The deductive themes drew on two prominent concepts of digital literacies: the Seven Elements of Digital Literacies (Jisc, 2014), and the Charter for 21st Century Literacies (Burnett & Merchant, 2018). The review’s methodology identified 23 studies published in the last five years across 21 countries. The findings suggest that researchers demonstrated interest in discussing how students …

Relationship Between Learning Communities And Campus Residency On Sense Of Belonging Among First Year Undergraduates, Lanah Kathryn Stafford

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

In higher education, sense of belonging has been linked to improved outcomes such as retention and academic achievement (e,g., Pittman & Richmond, 2007). Previous research has also identified participation in learning communities and campus residency as interventions which improve sense of belonging for students in this context (e.g., Solanki et al., 2019; Soria & Roberts, 2021). However, little research has been conducted to empirically study sense of belonging as a multidimensional construct, and no research has investigated interactions between on-campus residency and learning community participation on its development.

Data were collected from 1,072 first-year students on the Sense of Belonging …

English Language Learners And Their Access To Postsecondary Education: Examining Their Achievements And College Readiness Through Educators’ Experiences And Perspectives, Anna Kalinowska

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to bring awareness to the issue of English learners (ELs) being unprepared for college and to study the beliefs and perceptions of educators regarding the factors that contribute to the creation of an achievement gap between EL students and traditional students. The study involved an analysis of trends in the perceptions of school counselors, teachers, and administrators regarding EL students being ready to attend college. Data were collected from nine participants from three public high schools in Pinellas County using Zoom and email interviews and then analyzed. Four main themes emerged from the …

Latina Immigrant Women’S Experiences Of Higher Education And Leadership: An Intersectional Perspective, Isabella Alencar Maroja Chaves

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigates the career progression of Latina immigrant women to achieve leadership positions in higher education. The purpose of this research is to examine, from an intersectional perspective, the career progression of Latina immigrant women in educational leadership roles in higher education in Southwestern Ontario. The central point of this research is the study of the lived experiences of Latina women navigating the obstacles of being immigrants and women attaining educational leadership positions. The intersectional perspective, via the lens of Latina feminist theory, serves as both a conceptual framework and a theoretical approach. Considering the methodological approach, this study …

Addressing The Lack Of Digital Literacy Learning At A Kuwaiti Higher Education Institution, Mariam Sarhan Alshammari

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan is an effort to address the lack of digital literacy learning at a Kuwaiti higher education institution. Digital literacy, and by extension, digital citizenship are critical skills to have in today’s world. Global College of Kuwait (GCK, anonymized) is a relatively new college in the region that is struggling to retain students, particularly after COVID highlighted the college’s lack of experience/preparedness with digital literacy. To tackle the problem, a reform committee was formed and tasked with finding a feasible solution to improve digital literacy learning in the college’s Foundation Program. A Foundation Program is a preparatory …

From Epistemic Bubbles To Generative Possibilities: Knowledge Leadership And Knowledge Mobilization For Child And Youth Care Practicum Education, Carys Cragg

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Child and Youth Care (CYC) Practicum Education (CYCPE) operates in more than 40 public postsecondary institutions (PSI) across Canada. CYC educators instruct and assess, while supervisors mentor thousands of students at child, youth, and family-serving organizations. As an emerging profession, CYC does not yet experience well-established governance, widespread postsecondary research infrastructure, nor public recognition, leaving CYCPE with threats to its credibility and existence. Despite individual CYC educators’ and programs’ extensive professional knowledge, we lack CYC-specific CYCPE organizational knowledge. This problem of practice (PoP) limits CYC educators’ ability to inform, improve, and innovate upon CYCPE’s design and delivery. This organizational improvement …

The Dynamics Of A Full-Time Academician: Teaching, Scholarship & Service, Jalissa Nicole Black

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

Academia by definition is “an environment or community concerned with pursuing research, education, and scholarship” (Oxford Languages, n.d.). In higher education, such as graduate-level studies, academia is a system fostering the growth in knowledge and practicality of students aiming to be of professional standing, however, academia from a full-time faculty member standpoint is to also be a life-long learner and pursuer of knowledge as well. My doctoral capstone experience (DCE) took place under the guidance of Christina Kane, EdD, MS, OTR/L, a full-time faculty member at Nova Southeastern University where she acts as Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, Academic Professor, and Advisor …

Mental Health Education In Higher Education, Chelsea J. Farley

Culminating Experience Projects

This project dives into the current mental health status of college students and what institutions are doing to address students steady and continuous decline of mental health. Mental Health 101: A Comprehensive Guide for Faculty incorporates suggestions from literature and theory to provide resources to faculty members when educating students. Mental Health 101 was created with the social-ecological model in mind (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) by connecting the individual student to their environment, or in this case, the college classroom. The guide consists of information about mental health such as risk factors and warning signs, coping strategies, activities, and assignments faculty members …

The Social-Psychological Development Of Dual-Enrollment Students, Paulie Robinson-Stevens

Culminating Experience Projects

Dual enrollment is a college acceleration program that allows high school students to take college classes while still in high school. This program as it exists today prepares students for the academic rigors of college, but it does not adequately develop the social or psychological skills they need to succeed in a college environment. Dual enrollment programs also do not include information about transfer credits, financial aid, or support services, all of which are necessary for students to transition from high school to a higher education institution. This project proposes a nine-week seminar to complement the academic preparation dual enrollment …

Qualities Of Effective Saudi University Presidents, Ziyad Sultan

Theses & Dissertations

The transformation of educational resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was presented as a crucial part of vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2016 as an important part of an overall strategy to diversify the KSA from its over-dependence on oil revenues. Vision 2030 imagined the transformational development of knowledge resources in the KSA including the development of leadership and knowledge applications to support the social and economic needs of the nation. High on the list of priorities was transformation of the 33 public universities in the KSA to be able to operate autonomously. Clearly, …

Do-It-Together: Informal Transformative Sustainability Education, Derek Brannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Climate Crisis is an urgent and inescapable reality students are thrust into. Learners must be prepared adequately for their futures, not only for their sakes but also because collective and transformative change is required. Transformative sustainability education provides one pathway to this transformation and focuses on radically altering students’ perceptions about the world and their agency in effecting change on ecological issues. The field of transformative sustainability education is emergent and thus is still fragmented, leaving gaps in the literature. Little research has been conducted on how informal and nonformal university spaces can be used to create transformative experiences …

Investing In Your Employees: Understanding The Impact Organizational Commitment Has On Staff Retention, Vanessa Lynne Mcwhirt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High employee turnover in higher education has been an issue for decades, and successfully integrating newly hired staff (NHS) into their new job and the organization can be challenging for human resources and leadership. New employee orientation and onboarding programs can assist NHS. The author of this paper conducted a Utilization-Focused evaluation of the Thriving at DU program at the University of Denver (DU) to improve the program. The study examined the perceptions of how 12 student and academic affairs professionals made meaning of organizational commitment in the workplace throughout their onboarding experience.

The major findings of this evaluation aligned …

Fostering An Inclusive Learning Environment Through Course Development: A Program Evaluation, Rachel K. Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evaluation was chosen to address the desire of students to see themselves and their lived experiences in their coursework at University College, the location of this study. The purpose was to complete a utilization-focused evaluation that assessed first, the formal and informal practices involved in the course development process within an academic department at University College, University of Denver, and second to determine the extent to which the course development process contributes to an inclusive learning environment. Data were collected using qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders in the course development process, observations of weekly course development …

Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion In New Student Enrolment: Transforming Undergraduate University Admissions, Kathryn M. Verkerk

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores the process of aligning a university’s internal admission policies, practices, and processes with its public commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Current admission practices reinforce the myth of meritocracy and existing alternative admission pathways are framed in discourses of deficiency. Using an EDI lens will align the university with provincial and federal strategic priorities that see an increase of new Canadians and students educated in social justice focused curricula. Critical whiteness theory and the cultural perspective underpin the change plan in order to understand the systemic barriers and legacies that contribute to the …

How To Drink From A Firehose: Systemic Supports For Polytechnic Chairs, Jocelyn R. Crocker

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is centred on the Problem of Practice of the inadequate institutional supports for academic Chairs at Prairie Polytechnic (a pseudonym), a large public higher education institution in Western Canada. Chairs are pivotal for higher education institutions because they impact student, departmental, and institutional outcomes; however, the leadership development needs of Chairs are overlooked, and the limited training available for Chairs is primarily ad hoc, episodic, short-term, and self-guided. The objective of this OIP is to determine how Prairie Polytechnic can provide more effective systemic supports for Chairs. Postmodernism is used to explore the relationships between …

Integrating Behavioral Research Findings With A Liberal Arts Paradigm, Jonathan Peterson

LSU Master's Theses

This paper explores the role of behavioral research in understanding the complexity and relevance of creativity. A brief history of the liberal arts and its current application is followed by a discussion of the importance of variability in generating novel and diverse responses, challenging the notion that creativity is solely a product of innate talent. The effects of reinforcement on variability, and how it relates to a complex relationship between reinforcement and the probability of variable responding leads to a discussion of how the combination of previously trained behaviors can lead to creative problem-solving, emphasizing the role of combinatory behavior …

Accessibility Of Blended Learning For Special Needs Students In Higher Education, Reem Yaseen Al-Sulaimani

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the experiences of visually impaired students and their faculty members with blended learning at University X. Qualitative research methods were employed to gather data through interviews with six visually impaired students and six professors. The study analyzed the data using two frameworks, Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Community of Inquiry (CoI). The findings indicate that the course design, personalization of accessibility, social inclusion and classroom dynamics, university support and resources, and technology accessibility and digital literacy have an impact on the experiences of visually impaired students and their professors. The study provides recommendations for improving the …

Service Learning In The Digital Age: Understanding Nontraditional Students And Their Experiential Journey Through Electronic-Service Learning, Qianhui Hub

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Service learning (SL) is an experiential learning pedagogy that merges real-life community service activities with structured reflection. Electronic-Service Learning (e-SL) is a blended pedagogy that combines online education and SL. The pandemic has significantly prompted the evolution of SL toward e-SL. In planning pedagogy initiatives, educators must not overlook the changing demographics of their student bodies. Within higher education in the U.S., 75% of students have at least one nontraditional student characteristic. Yet, the perceptions and experiences of nontraditional students on e-SL are critically underexplored. Thus, this dissertation examined the potential and value of developing e-SL with particular attention to …

Leadership Identity Development Among Aspiring Women Leaders In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study Of Formal Mentoring, Malia E. Roberts

Dissertations

Men have held the majority of presidencies, vice-presidencies, deanships, and other top administrative positions on college campuses since 1950 (Parker, 2015). The disproportionately low representation of women holding leadership roles in higher education is even more urgent considering few women ever reach the senior most leadership levels (Hannum et al., 2015). As such, the American Council on Education not only identified the need to increase the presence of women in leadership positions and to cultivate a pipeline of future leaders, but also the need to provide formal leadership training opportunities for women (Howard & Gagliardi, 2018). While various higher education …

Recruitment Barriers For Minoritized Females That Limit Access To Higher Education, Tya Miles

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Minoritized Black students who are average academic performers have often been overlooked as a targeted group in empirical studies that look at barriers and other limitations for minority students (Rodriguez, 2015; Stewart, 2013). This study seeks to identify the practices that higher education institutions are currently utilizing to recruit underprivileged minoritized girls who are not high performers or athletes, the effectiveness of those practices, and what changes could potentially be made to improve overall access to college for these students. The qualitative ethnographical study was comprised of semi structured interviews of seven high school personnel, which included high school counselors, …

Women With Student Loans: Relational Impacts On Self, Family, And Work, Annie Pocklington

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the relational impact that student loans have on the lives of women across Washington state, with specific attention to their parents, partners, children, and workplaces. This research utilizes Feminist Relational Work as a theoretical framework, which combines feminist theory and Zelizer’s notion of relational work to attend to the gendered dynamic that Zelizer’s relational work does not specifically name. Participants in this study named sexism as a constant in their lives, whether within family dynamics growing up, throughout the college going process, or in professional post-college spaces that a degree granted them access to. The …

Balancing Act: A Study Of Graduate Student-Parents And Their Experiences Navigating Family And Academic Demands At The University Of San Diego., Jessica Rammell

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of graduate students who are raising children while enrolled in master’s and PhD programs at the University of San Diego. The question that guided this research was: What do the stories of graduate student parents inform us about the need to improve policies and practices at USD? Three cycles of action research were conducted at the University of San Diego between November 2022 and March 2023, with a total of seven participants. The methods of research included focus groups, interviews, and a creative group session. It was found that …

The Role Of Partisan Politics On Support For Public Institutions Of Higher Education, Jason G. Ramage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over several decades, a greater share of the expense of earning a college degree has shifted to students and their families as appropriations to public institutions of higher education have declined as a percentage of the overall cost to educate a student. Tuition has greatly outpaced inflation during this period, while inflation-adjusted household income has remained relatively flat. Despite all the benefits that accrue to both the college graduate and society as a whole, for the less affluent, a college education is becoming increasingly difficult to attain. Many decide the financial barriers are simply too great and elect not to …

Faculty’S Experiences Teaching English Language Learners In Higher Education, Chedia A. Ayari

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Conducted in a large size four-year state university, the purpose of this qualitative study was to learn how faculty of multiple disciplines examined and made meaning of their instructional practices and decisions when teaching ELL students, how they modified their instruction to meet the needs of ELLs, and what they saw as areas of struggle when working with this student population. Critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970) was used as a theoretical framework to further investigate the complex nature of how higher education faculty make meaning of their instructional experiences when teaching ELLs within the hierarchical structures inherent in higher education and …

Navigating Challenges: Experiences Of African American Women As Presidents In U.S. Institutions Of Higher Education, Sylvester Lamin

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

This research study explored the experiences of African American women as they navigated challenges along their pathways to the position of president of colleges and universities. While there has been an increase in the percentage of women of color serving as presidents, the number of African American women holding these positions still needs to be higher. Therefore, this study focused on African American women as presidents in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). I conducted a narrative inquiry designed to encourage participants to share their stories. I explored two research questions: 1) How have African American women navigated the administrative labyrinth to …