Education Commons^™

Profiles Of Satisfaction And Frustration Of Undergraduate General Chemistry Students’ Basic Psychological Needs At The Beginning And End Of The Semester, Cara E. Worick

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The early college years represent an adjustment period characterized by motivational destabilization and academic and career-related uncertainty for many STEM majors (Robinson et al., 2019). Although students who begin college less academically prepared than their peers are at greater risk of struggling in introductory STEM courses, many still struggle in these courses despite adequate academic preparation (Perez et al., 2014). Self-determination theory proposes that motivation, optimal functioning, and psychological well-being occur through the satisfaction, as opposed to the frustration, of three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2020). Although many studies in educational settings demonstrate …

Teaching Anxiety And Its Relationship With Mind Habits Among New Teachers In The Sultanate Of Oman, Bahia Abdullah Al Rashdi Ms, Tahya Mohammed Al-Twbi Mrs

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed at investigating the relationship between teaching anxiety and mind habits among new teachers in The Sultanate of Oman. The random sample of the study consisted of 373 teachers, (198) teachers of humanity sciences and (175) teachers of applied sciences. The study used the descriptive correlational method. To achieve the study’s objectives, the researchers designed teaching anxiety scale and mind habits scale which consisted of 3 domains (persistence, thinking flexible, and thinking interdependently). The results revealed that the level of teaching anxiety among new teachers is low while the level of mind habits is high. They also showed …

First-Year Postsecondary Student Persistence Leading To Second-Year Enrollment, Collene G. Webb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a southeastern U.S. university, the low retention of postsecondary, traditional-aged first-year students persisting to second year was a problem, importantly decreasing their ability to graduate and gain a career. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that have motivated postsecondary traditional-aged, first-year students to return to the university as second-year students and to learn from students what they perceived that the institution could do to increase persistence. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Tinto’s institutional departure model. The research questions explored the factors that motivated first-year students to persist into their second year of …

Pathways To Belonging And Engagement: Testing A Tailored Social Belonging Intervention For University Students, Molly L. Taylor, Danielle N. Berry, Kali A. Delay, Viyana Banjade, Jeen Joy, Korinthia D. Nicolai, Erica Ross, Navdeep Sekhon, Tanya Wineland, Sharon K. Zumbrunn Dr.

Graduate Research Posters

Background

Prominent theories of motivation suggest that belonging plays a critical role in student success (Connell & Wellborn, 1991). Social-belonging interventions have been shown to improve student belonging, well-being, engagement, and more—especially those from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds (Walton & Brady, 2017). The current study aimed to explore the effects of a tailored social-belonging intervention delivered in introductory classes at VCU on students’ belonging, engagement, persistence, and achievement.

Methods

A diverse sample of first-year undergraduate students at VCU participated. To create authentic intervention materials, we collaborated with a diverse group of upper-level undergraduate student researchers who wrote narratives to present vivid …

First-Year Effects And Persistence Decisions: A Moderated Mediation Model Of Coping, Self-Efficacy, And Locus Of Control, Christina Gramatikova

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of a theoretical model encompassing psychological theories underlying student retention in postsecondary education. New conceptual operationalizations were applied to elaborate Bean and Eaton’s theoretical model of student retention. The influences of student entry characteristics, environmental interactions, psychological processes, attitudes, and intentions toward persistence were assessed using a repeated measures, longitudinal design. Within the framework, persistence is an endogenous variable based on actual re-enrollment into subsequent semesters.Three student samples were drawn from a large urban research university in California. Survey data collected from a first-year seminar and the National Survey of …

Women Students Learning A Stem Subject: An Analysis Of Note-Taking Practices In A Civil Engineering Course And The Association With Self-Efficacy, Cognitive Engagement, Test Anxiety, And Course Achievement, Monica Palomo, Pauline Muljana

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Women students are underrepresented in STEM education. The completion rate of women students in an engineering program are known to be low. Alongside this, the COVID-19 pandemic still occurs, threatening people’s health, leading to anxiety and depression, and influencing students’ learning. Numerous studies have displayed a negative association between self-efficacy and test anxiety, especially in quantitative subjects. All together may distract students from focusing on their cognitive goals. In turn, students may not be able to concentrate, disrupting their cognitive engagement to grasp knowledge. The present case study is aimed to investigate the note-taking strategies used in a fully-synchronous Civil …

"Minor Setback, Major Comeback": A Multilevel Approach To The Development Of Academic Resilience, Brandi N. Frisby, Jessalyn I. Vallade

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This study examined communicative processes at multiple levels that may influence students’ academic resilience through transitions. Participant interviews (N = 23) revealed that at the individual level, students develop a resilient mindset and effective academic strategies, engage in self-care, and compartmentalize. At the relational level, students rely on teachers to demonstrate positive teaching behaviors, receive academic and emotional support from a variety of sources, and find role models to inspire resilience. Finally, students reported that the campus community gave opportunities to build support networks and access campus resources, but identified threats to effective use of these resilience-building opportunities. Finally, …

Qualitative Perspectives On The Strange Trails Of Persistence In Stem, Erika Johanna Zocher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In 2019, a Midwestern state university was awarded a $1 million NSF S-STEM grant to support scholarships for academically gifted, Pell Grant-eligible undergraduates enrolled in one of six designated STEM majors. Educational research was also funded by this grant, with the goal of identifying and contextualizing supports and challenges that impact persistence in STEM within the setting of a near-peer-mentored social support group during the fall of 2019. The purpose of this group was to provide social support and foster a sense of belonging for the twelve scholars. Such support is important for guiding students towards personal development and degree …

Persistence Among Emerging Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury In Postsecondary Settings, Ardith A. Clayton-Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study sought to investigate the demographic and socio-psychological factors associated with predicting persistence in postsecondary education among emerging adults with traumatic brain injury. The predicting variables in this study were: (a) gender (sex), (b) socioeconomic status (SES), (c) employment, (d) years of education; (e) age at onset of injury, (f) existence of familial capital/parental involvement, and (g) hours spent studying for a class.

Data were obtained from a secondary dataset collected by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center longitudinal database. There were 2436 participants with TBI in the study. Ages ranged from 16 …

Person Factors Affecting Student Persistence In College Reading And Writing Remediation, Loretta J. Morris Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest college attrition rate among industrialized nations. Community college students face a much higher risk, particularly those who lack requisite reading/writing skills. Using the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between persistence in college for students in traditional or corequisite remediation. Person factors under study were frustration discomfort, academic motivation, and self-reported symptoms of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After 7 semesters, 72 adult student volunteers from the 2 remediation programs were recruited from 2 community colleges. They completed an online survey, which included a demographics questionnaire, the Frustration …

Resilience And College Persistence: Characterizing Students Who Have Failed Courses, Mary Merrifield

Dissertations

Students who fail a course early in their college careers are at risk of leaving college before completion of their programs. Little is known about this high-risk group and why some members of this group complete their programs while others do not. This research addressed this gap in the college-level persistence literature by focusing first on differences between completers and non-completers, then on differences between students who fail a course early in their college careers but become completers or non-completers. The goal was to understand the protective value of individual traits beyond the prediction of risk based on membership to …

An Analysis Of African-American Faculty Experiences During The Tenure Process, Katrina M. Hubbard

Dissertations

Abstract

How faculty allocate their time among research, teaching, and service, and the perceived quality of that work determines whether faculty obtain tenure or are released from the university (Bellas & Toutkoushian, 1999; Link, Swann, & Bozeman, 2008; Price & Cotten, 2006). Prior research indicated that African-American faculty comprised 4.5% of the faculty at high-activity research institutions and 3.5% of faculty at very-high-activity research institutions (The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2016-2017, 2016).

The purpose of this study was to 1) document African-American faculty experiences during their tenure probationary period at PWI research institutions; 2) compare faculty experiences during the …

Satisfaction Of Nontraditional Students In Health Sciences: A Causal Comparison Study Investigating Institutional Effectiveness, Erica Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nontraditional students have personal obstacles they must overcome in their journey through college. These barriers differ from traditional students and can include feelings of isolation and a sense that their chosen institutions are insensitive and inflexible to the particular nontraditional student needs. In this quantitative, causal-comparative study, the researcher sought to determine if students’ satisfaction, as measured by the Student Satisfaction Inventory, differed based on student status (traditional or nontraditional) and health science program (nursing, dental hygiene, or radiologic technology) enrolled at technical colleges of Georgia. This study was conducted at technical colleges in Georgia. Participants were students from five …

Shared Advocacy: A Multiple-Case Examination Of Practices Supporting Postsecondary Students With Learning And Attention Differences, Julie Mcnair

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This multiple-case study examined the practices of academic support providers who offered supplemental services for students with learning or attention differences at postsecondary institutions. Students with learning or attention differences transitioning to postsecondary institutions may need assistance developing self-advocacy through practice. The study employed self-determination theory and positive psychology (Deci & Ryan, 2002; Seligman, 2011), asking the central research question, "How do academic support providers at postsecondary institutions offer shared-advocacy, promoting intrinsic motivation through accommodative intervention strategies for students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD?" Previously unheard perspectives of academic support providers at five postsecondary institutions presented these insights. Analysis occurred …

An Exploratory Case Study: Persistence And Retention Of Students In An Alternative High School, Lametrica Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) are at greater risk for dropping out of high school than other students, and are likely to experience fewer employment options and more societal marginalization. Alternative schools have been viewed as a last chance and best option for educating many students with EBD who have not actually been diagnosed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore persistence and retention in the alternative school setting for students who may or may not have been diagnosed with EBD. Students in this study will be referred to as EBD. Although they have not been …

The Effect Of The Sophomore Slump On Students’ Persistence, Vanessa Harris

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

For years, universities have focused on student admissions and getting students through their first-year. According to Schaller (2010), this has resulted in limited literature and research regarding the persistence of sophomore students. From Fall 2010 to Fall 2015, the University of New Mexico (UNM) has experienced a decrease in the persistence of its cohorts from the third to the fifth semester. The existence of this higher attrition rate amongst sophomore students has been associated with a phenomenon known as the “sophomore slump” (Tobolowsky & Cox, 2007). The purpose of this research study was to utilize student retention conceptual models to …

Identifying As Husbands, Fathers, And School Leaders: A Phenomenology Of Doctoral Persistence Among Limited Residency Students, John Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study investigated doctoral persistence for males (N = 13) who completed their limited residency doctoral program (LRDP) while managing their family roles as fathers and husbands, and while performing their work role as a K-12 lead school administrator. Participants were selected via snowball sampling from private universities that offered a LRDP in the United States. The theories guiding this study were Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 2006) student integration theory (SIT) and Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resource model (COR). Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 2006) SIT explained the academic and social interaction between the individual and the institution, while Hobfoll’s (1989) …

Choice And Growth Mindset, Neysa B. Matt

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study sought to determine if lessons in growth mindset would improve engagement and thus positively affect elementary students in finishing work, and if enhanced engagement would enrich work quality. Prior to implementation, a tally of incomplete work cycles and an assessment of students’ overall persistence were gathered. Student interviews regarding their views on unfinished work were conducted. Five students were randomly selected to provide work samples which were assessed by the students and their teacher. Twenty-six, six to nine years-olds in a private, lower elementary Montessori classroom received four lessons to promote a growth mindset and were assessed for …

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …

Student Involvement As A Mediator Of The Relationship Of Peer Leaders In First-Year Seminars To Academic Achievement And Persistence, Liyun Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Peer leaders as a component of First-Year Seminars (FYS) are designed to assist in the adjustment, satisfaction and persistence of first-year college students. Although previous studies have consistently found the positive and direct impact of peer leaders on first-year students’ academic achievement and persistence, there is still a lack of clear understanding on why peer leaders have this positive relationship with students’ academic achievement and persistence. Thus, drawing on Astin’s theory of student involvement for higher education (1984, 1993, 1996), and Tinto’s interactive theory of departure (1993), this short term longitudinal study examined the process through which peer leaders resulted …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Factors That Contribute To Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Undergraduate African American Male Degree-Completers From Bible Colleges In The Southeast, Rodney Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand factors that contribute to college persistence for nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges in the southeastern United States. An ecological and adult resiliency theoretical framework guided the research. Three research questions framed this study: (a) How do nontraditional undergraduate African American male four-year degree completers from select evangelical Bible colleges describe persistence? (b) What type of experiences do participants understand as having contributed to their persistence at Bible colleges? (c) What specific factors do participants identify as having contributed to their persistence at …

The Influence Of Spousal Support On Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers' Pursuit Of A Bachelor's Degree: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Randy Croft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore perceptions of spousal support among active-duty Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers (Senior NCOs) in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Senior NCOs are comprised of enlisted Airmen in the ranks of E-7 through E-9. Fourteen active-duty Air Force Senior NCOs, who have completed, or are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program completed an online survey and a personal interview regarding their perceptions of spousal support in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. In addition, participants completed a written timeline, which helped provide context to college degree enrollment decisions and spousal …

Student Engagement And Persistence Via Co-Curricular Activities, Thomas A. Shaw

ASA Multidisciplinary Research Symposium

Development of a research study to investigate how student engagement, as measured by co-curricular involvement might influence student persistence. Coverage will include a review of current research in the area and map out the anticipated research design. This exploratory study can serve as a foundation for student persistence/retention activities.

The Complex Life Experience Of First-Generation College Students Who Are Working Adults In The Appalachian Region Of The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Deborah Thurman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

he purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe and understand the complexity of life experiences for first-generation college students or recent graduates who are working adults in the Central and South-Central Appalachian region of the United States in light of the construct resilience and how purposefully selected students continued study despite difficulties. In this study, information gathered was synthesized regarding three issues: first-generation students, working adult students, and the influences of Central and South-Central Appalachian regional culture. The theory used to guide this study is resilience as it relates to the educational persistence of working, adult, first-generation college …

Why Do They Stay? A Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Teachers Who Persist In Urban K-12 Christian Education, Marie Teodori

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of teachers who persist in urban K-12 Christian education at five Association of Christian Schools International schools located in the United States. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of teachers who persist in urban K-12 Christian education? Sub-questions explored the source of motivation, role of intrinsic goals, and contextual/environmental supports for teachers who persist in this setting. Methodology utilized a transcendental phenomenological design, purposeful participant sampling, data collection primarily through in-depth interviews and focus groups, and data analysis using Moustakas’ (1994) recommended procedures. …

“Warming Up” In The Developmental Sequence? Upward Transfer Conditional On Dependency Status, Cody Davidson, Kristin B. Wilson

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

The purpose of this study was to determine predictor factors of upward transfer for Kentucky community college students enrolled in a developmental algebra course. For independent students, a mother with a college degree, a declared major, a federal work-study position, greater adjusted gross income, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer. For dependent students, a father with a college degree, a declared major, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Role Dissonance In Female Non-Traditional Students, Jane E. Marsman

College Student Affairs Leadership

This paper reviews literature on non-traditional students, role dissonance, and the unique challenges faced by individuals who must balance the role of postsecondary student with a multiplicity of other roles. From the foundation of Erikson’s (1959/1980) identity development theory; Gilligan’s (1982/1993) theory of moral development; and other research on role identities, the author proposes a theoretical framework for examining role dissonance and its effect on the postsecondary educational experiences and persistence of female non-traditional students. A developmental task central to the academic and personal success of the female non-traditional student is her progression from a belief that she must sacrifice …

An Engineering Journey: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of African-American Engineers' Persistence, Kristy Somerville-Midgette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological research study examined the perspectives and lived experiences of African-American female engineers related to the factors that led to their persistence to enter, persist through, and remain in the field. The study was guided by four research questions: (a) How do K-12 experiences shape African-American female engineers' decisions to enter the STEM field? (b) What persistence factors motivated African-American female engineers to enter the engineering profession? (c) What are the factors that shape African-American female engineers' persistence to progress through postsecondary engineering programs? (d) How do professional experiences shape African-American female engineers' persistence in the field? Cognitive …

An Event History Analysis On The Effects Of Academic Integration Factors On Degree Completion Of Low-Income Underrepresented Minority Students, Lisa Marie Metzger-Mugg

Dissertations

Disparities in educational outcomes still exist for low-income and underrepresented students. Community colleges are an important entry point for student groups that have faced the most significant barriers to success. Community colleges account for almost half of all undergraduate enrollments in the United States and also enroll a higher proportion of low-income and minority students (American Association of Community Colleges, 2012; Aud, Hussar, Johnson, Kena, & Roth, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the timing of academic integration factors that contribute to degree completion of low income, underrepresented minority community college students over the course of seven …

The Use Of Non-Cognitives And Learning Strategies As A Predictor For Completion Of Developmental Mathematics At A Community College, Megan Healy

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With a large global, national, state, and local drive for post-secondary credentials, higher education institutes are exploring new retention and graduation strategies to meet the needs of the employers and employees. Many students who are unprepared for college level work will enter a community college to take developmental courses. Developmental mathematics has been a large barrier to completion and success in community college.

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of non-cognitive traits to predict persistence in completion of a developmental math sequence at a community college. Non-cognitive traits were identified from the three components of strategic …