Education Commons^™

Factors That Influence Students' Persistence And Degree Attainment While Matriculating Through A Doctor Of Education Program, Michele L. Braun

Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration

The purpose of this research study was to examine factors that influence doctoral students’ persistence and retention during various phases of professional development in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program. This study used a quantitative approach and a quasi-experimental methodology to explore doctoral students’ needs and experiences from the students’ viewpoint as they were matriculating through their Ed.D. program. The factors explored included competencies, cultural adjustment, student transition to/through doctoral education, professional role identification and commitment, doctoral program environment, academic integration, social integration, SCSU campus environment, advising, research experiences, financial resources, and orientation.

Four assessment surveys (Admissions, Membership, Candidacy, and …

Laying The Foundation: The Importance Of Implementing Student Mentoring Programs To Promote Minority Student Satisfaction & Persistence On Hbcu & Pwi Campuses (With Bernice Alston, Phd), Charmaine E. Troy

Dr. Charmaine E. Troy

No abstract provided.

Higher Education Lockout: Examining The Low Income Student Experience, Charmaine E. Troy

Dr. Charmaine E. Troy

No abstract provided.

Retention Improvement: Reflecting On Current And Future Actions To Improve Retention - A Brief Written By Jason Pieratt On Behalf Of The Division Of Undergraduate Education, Randolph Hollingsworth

Undergraduate Education Faculty Presentations

Jason Pieratt, an enrollment and retention analyst hired by the Division of Undergraduate Education for the purpose of developing this brief, interviewed in early August 2012 selected individuals from across the diverse communities of the University of Kentucky staff, students and faculty. The following strategies were identified and developed.

University-wide:

• “Student Success is My Main Job” Mindset for All Employees (particularly Main Campus)
• Weave Post-UK Success into Everything from Recruiting to Graduation
• Capitalize on “Small” Settings that Already Exist at UK
• Student Services Building One-Stop Shop
• Retention-Focused Office under the Provost
• Academic and Social Gathering Places throughout Campus
• Faculty Involvement …

Influence Of Family On Native American Students, Lisa Jeannette Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Native American* postsecondary education students encounter several barriers to academic persistence including cultural assimilation issues, limited access to career information services, and an individual sense of duty and responsibility to remain tied to traditional spiritual values and beliefs systems, joined with family pressure to stay home. While the presence of Native American students in postsecondary education has increased, the number of students persisting through to graduation remains alarmingly low. Much of the research on Native American academic persistence has focused on acculturation and assimilation issues, leaving the influence of family largely unexplored. To help enrich this aspect of Native …

Concurrent And Dual Credit: The Bridge To Postsecondary Education For First-Generation College Students, Todd Arron Loftin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significance Social challenges facing the United States is increasing the number of students entering postsecondary education and having them persist to degree completion. To accomplish this undertaking, more first-generation college students must matriculate and find academic success. Considerable research exists concerning the barriers first-generation students must overcome; however, little research exists regarding the benefits of participating in dual and concurrent credit coursework as a way to increase confidence and prepare for the rigors of higher education.

The purpose of this correlational, quantitative, exploratory study was to consider the impact of dual and concurrent credit on the …

The Effects Of First-Year Students' Self-Perceptions Of Behaviors, Attitudes, And Aptitudes On Their First-To-Second-Year Persistence, Rebecca Jean Lambert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence continues to be a topic of much research and discussion in higher education. Based on Bean and Eaton's (2000) psychological theory of persistence for its theoretical framework, this study examined the effect of students' demographic and background characteristics and students' self-perceptions on their first-to-second-year persistence at a small, private, faith-based institution. Demographic and background characteristics examined were gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college student status, high school GPA, and type of high school attended. Four constructs from the CIRP Freshman Survey were used to examine student self-perceptions: (a) Habits of the Mind, (b) Academic Self-concept, (c) Social Self-concept, and (d) …

The Impact Of Students' Academic And Social Relationships On College Student Persistence, Lindsay K. Wayt

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this research study was to determine the connection between students’ relationships and their choice to persist at a post-secondary institution. Although other literature has centered around why students chose to leave an institution or the importance of student involvement and engagement, this study focused on who is most influential in encouraging students to work toward their degree attainment. The study includes results of the influence of peers, family, college faculty, and college student affairs staff on student persistence decisions. This research sought to make a contribution to the literature on retention and attrition issues at colleges and …

Spirituality As A Viable Resource In Responding To Racial Microaggressions: An Exploratory Study Of Black Males Who Attended A Community College, Lloyd Sheldon Johnson

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Upon entering college, Black males must negotiate a system that assumes they are in need of academic remediation and are lacking in higher-order critical thinking skills (Washington, 1996; Brown II, 2002; Harper, 2012). The low enrollment levels of Black males in college and their disenchantment with their college experiences has increased the likelihood that they will not be in classrooms with a diverse student population and a climate where they could feel comfortable (NSSE, 2008; Harper, 2006A; Harper, 2012). Black males who have enrolled in college must shoulder the stresses that accompany perceptions and stereotypes on campus about who they …

Developmental Education Repeaters: Stories About Repetition, Jade J. O'Dell

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Developmental education students make up almost half of the community college population in the United States (Bettinger & Long, 2005). Approximately 42% of first-time freshmen at community colleges must enroll in at least one developmental education course in English, reading and/or math (NCES, 2010). Many developmental education students are unsuccessful in passing a developmental education course in their first and second attempts and retake the course sometimes five times before passing. There is substantial research on persistence among college students, but the research fails to link persistence to developmental education repeaters. My study sought to explore community college developmental education …

Persistence To Doctoral Completion Of African American Men At Predominately White Universities In One Mid-Atlantic State, Kimberly Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 20 African American men who graduated from predominately White institutions in one mid-Atlantic state between the years of 2001 and 2011 with doctoral degrees in Education or in a Humanities and Sciences field. Interviews were conducted to gather the lived experiences of the African American men in their own voices. The study addressed the following research questions: 1. Why do African American men persist to doctoral degree completion? 2. How do African American men perceive their doctoral student experience? A descriptive model that presents the internal and external factors revealed in the study …

An Exploration Of Undeclared Students' Expectations Of Experiences For Faculty Interactions And Co-Curricular Involvement, Lorie Anne Kittendorf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence and achievement are areas of significant concern for institutions of higher education. With national college graduation rates hovering in the 50% range, it is important for colleges and universities to understand which student characteristics and campus environments lead to greater success, as well as the expectations students have of the college experience.

Research on undeclared students is vast and dates back more than 70 years, and many of the seminal studies and respected research data have led to the perception that they are at higher risk of attrition and have lower levels of academic achievement than their declared …

Motivational And Persistence Factors For Military Spouses Earning A College Degree, Lisa A. Keenan

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Projections estimated that nontraditional student enrollment in post-secondary education would increase by 19% as compared to traditional student enrollments of 10% from 2006 through 2017. Adult students were less likely to complete a college degree compared to traditional students, and drop-outs cost taxpayers billions of dollars in lost taxes. Military spouses were a sub-group of nontraditional students with unique challenges and stressors due to their military lifestyle. Limited research-based literature existed on military spouses enrolled in post-secondary education. Financial incentives such as My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) and the transferability of the Post-9/11 GI Bill enabled military spouses to participate …

The Influence Of Enrollment Management Transition Strategies On College Student Success, Lisa Duncan Raines

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Enrollment management practices clearly influence college student success. Retention and graduation rates are critical measures for institutions of higher education, particularly measures involving increased first-year retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and six-year graduation rates. Improving student success is paramount concern for college and university leaders. This concern has yielded a body of literature addressing the role of enrollment management in higher education as well as the development of various college student success programs. Specifically within the overarching concept of enrollment management are transition strategies which influence college student success.

The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of …

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 …

Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Native Americans entering college is higher now than it has been over the past 40 years; however, the degree completion rate has been less than half that of White students. This research study was a bounded case study of Native American students enrolled in the teacher education program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceived factors influencing the retention rate of Native American college students. Some of the theoretical models that explain why students stay or leave an institution before earning a college degree look more toward explaining this phenomenon in a …

Strategies For Fostering Doctoral Student Persistence, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Lucinda S. Spaulding

Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw

The purpose of this session is to present research-based strategies for improving doctoral candidate retention and completion rates. We will first discuss findings from a qualitative phenomenological study examining factors associated with doctoral persistence. Derived from these findings and a synthesis of the literature on doctoral attrition, we present 5 practical strategies for improving doctoral persistence. Throughout this discussion, we will model specific practices that are found to be effective on an individual, course, program, and institutional level for increasing social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. Session attendees will learn about technologies and practices they can implement to increase …

Factors Influencing College Decision-Making For First-Generation Appalachian Students, Kristy Lynn Wood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This investigation determined the degree of importance for selected personal-psychological, academic, peer, financial, and family factors influencing the decision to attend college by first-generation, Appalachian (FGA) sophomore students. Outcomes were further related to the degree of academic and social integration in college and the likelihood of participants returning (persisting) to the next term or year. Participants were a purposeful group of 3,264 sophomores enrolled at three universities. Data were collected using the Transition to College Survey (TCS), which participants completed via an email invitation. Two-hundred, seventy-three responded (273) as follows: 110 (41%) first-generation status, 214 (78%); Appalachian status and 90 …

What Are The Characteristics Of A Scholar?, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Perceptions And Motivations Of African American High School Students Regarding Performance Character Qualities For Future Success, Robin W. Stewart

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand student perceptions and motivations regarding performance character qualities (i.e., assertiveness, perseverance, resilience, and self-control) at an urban high school. In examining these relationships, students' perceptions and motivations towards performance character qualities were identified. The study is important because students' poor academic performance, low test scores, low high school graduation rates, and employers reporting that high school graduates do not possess the necessary performance qualities needed to excel on the job indicate that urban high school students may lack the proper orientation toward performance qualities. Research is needed to understand types of skills …

Factors That Female Higher Education Faculty In Select Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Fields Perceive As Being Influential To Their Success And Persistence In Their Chosen Professions, Phyllis Bernice Opare

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine factors female higher education faculty in select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields perceived as influential to their success and persistence in their chosen professions. Females are underrepresented in STEM professions including academia, despite the fact that female educational attainment in all fields have increased significantly.

Four research questions were used to guide this study and they are: 1) What personal factors affect females' ability to successfully persist in STEM faculty positions? 2) What social factors affect females' ability to successfully persist in STEM faculty positions? 3) What academic/institutional factors affect …

Background Or Experience? Using Logistic Regression To Predict College Retention, Tracee M. Synco

All ETDs from UAB

Tinto, Astin and countless others have researched the retention and attrition of students from college for more than thirty years. However, the six year graduation rate for all first-time full-time freshmen for the 2002 cohort was 57%. This study sought to determine the retention variables that predicted continued enrollment of entering freshmen at a large urban, four-year, public institution. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the data collected over a four-year period. The population studied was 1,346 first-time full-time freshmen entering fall 2007. The variables chosen for analysis were ACT composite, cumulative GPA and high school GPA, ethnicity, gender, Pell …