Education Commons^™

Students With Learning Disabilities In A Postsecondary Education Setting: Identifying The Most Significant Supports, Daniella F. Giordano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenology was to understand the perceptions that postsecondary students with learning disabilities have in receiving academic supports and accommodations from their institutions in alignment with their educational goals. A significant disparity has occurred between the number of students with disabilities in higher education and the support services available to them. The central question of this study is: What are the experiences of students with learning disabilities in receiving academic support services from their institution? The theory that supports this central question and guided this study is Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. The design of this study …

Program Evaluation Of Online And Face-To-Face College And Career Readiness And Its Effect On Degree Utilization In Community College Graduates, Tyson M. Riskas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Salt Lake Community College has adopted the Pathway initiative as a part of its long-term strategic plan. Pathway is a student-centered approach to redesigning the college experience by assessing student experience to reorganize and re-present degree programs. Currently, SLCC focuses on adjusting class pedagogy and curriculum to equip students with core college and career readiness (CCR) skills and determine if graduates are utilizing their degree. The Gail Miller School of Business offers students the option of completing their degree online or face-to-face and choosing between degrees aimed at transferring to other institutions or entering a career. However, they are currently …

Goal Attainment And Quality Of Life Through Inclusive College, Kate Strater, Mia Kurkechian, Kassandra Weber

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

With growing opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disability to access a variety of inclusive higher education programs comes an increased need for program implementers to evaluate practices and outcomes alongside participants. This mixed method, exploratory study examines self-determined goal setting, goal attainment, and quality of life within an inclusive college program as a measure of participant outcome and program evaluation. Furthermore, it provides implications for the importance of self-determined learning and participant voice within program planning, revision, and implementation.1

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Middle Managers: Self-Determined Lifelong Learning In The Banking Industry, Daniel K. Ray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of middle managers in the banking industry practicing heutagogy to develop lifelong learning skills. The theory guiding this study is Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and its relationship with lifelong learning. This study aimed to answer the central research question: What are the lived experiences of middle managers in the banking industry practicing heutagogy to develop lifelong learning skills? Data collected from individual interviews, focus groups, and journal prompts were synthesized using open and axial coding to identify patterns and connections in the resulting data. Data analysis followed …

Motivation Within The Inclusive Art Classroom: A Phenomenology On Engaging Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Christina Marie Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of K-12 art teachers motivating students with emotional and behavioral disorders within the Central and Eastern Regions of the United States. The theory guiding this study is Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory which guides the understanding that students with emotional and behavioral disorders whose psychological well-being is supported by their art educators may develop higher motivation and reach their full creative potential. As this study was designed to describe the lived experiences of K-12 art educators who have enhanced motivation in students with emotional and behavioral disorders, the …

A Case Study On Persistence Among Financially Stressed College Students From Low-Income Families, Steven E. Mcdaniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of low-income undergraduate students concerning the effects of financial stressors and the persistence to academically succeed at Anytown University. Anytown University is a large institution of higher education with over 100,000 total student enrolments, 46,438 undergraduate students and 154 programs of study. The theory supporting this study is Deci and Ryan’s theory of self-determination which is concerned with the motivation behind one’s choices and their goal to fill a psychological need. As applied to this study, the psychological need is the motivation to pursue the attainment of a …

The Know Better, Do Better Plan For Self And System Transformation, Deena Kotak Buckley

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Educational leadership has roots in neocolonial epistemologies and a functionalist paradigm. While Atman Jnana School Board (a pseudonym) has made a commitment to equity by recognizing the need for communities of belonging, leaders unconsciously lean toward the individual over the collective as imparted by these epistemologies and paradigm. Therefore, the problem of practice under investigation is the development of educational leaders’ capacity to create communities of belonging and purpose. As principals and vice-principals are pivotal to transforming school culture, this organizational improvement plan proposes addressing the problem of practice by creating a community of belonging with school leaders who want …

Differences Among Family And Professional Guardians: A Statewide Survey Of Characteristics, Training, And Practices Related To Decision-Making, Kristin Hamre, Derek Nord

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This cross-sectional study sought to examine the differences between family and professional guardians across personal and role characteristics, training received, and their inclusion of people they serve in decision making. A total of 237 subjects serving as guardian to adults in the state of Indiana completed an online survey. Results showed group differences across race, education, as well as diagnosis and age of those served. Overall, training was limited across both groups, and family guardians received significantly less training across several topics. Finally, family and professional guardians were found to significantly differ in their willingness to allow people they serve …

Self-Determination And Student Persistence: A Case Study Of A Higher Education Institution Exclusive To Students With Disabilities, Nachole Marie Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative embedded single case study was to understand how the unique experience of attending a post-secondary school exclusive to students diagnosed with LD and ADHD affects student success in developing and using self-determination skills to increase persistence to graduation. Guiding this study is the theory of self-determination while seeking to explain the reasoning for student persistence to degree completion and the execution of self-determination skills autonomously. This study uses a qualitative embedded single case study design to examine a post-secondary educational institution that exclusively services students with learning disabilities from different perspectives. The research setting is …

High School Teachers' Experiences Of Work-Related Stress And Resilience: A Phenomenological Study, Deana A. Diluggo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe public high school teachers’ experiences of work-related stress and resilience in the state of Connecticut. The theory guiding this study is Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory (SDT), as it looks at the impact of motivation on human behavior and the fulfillment of the three basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy. This study was designed to answer the central research question, uncovering public high school teachers’ experiences with work-related stress and resilience. The researcher obtained informed consent from 12 participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. Eleven of the interviewed participants …

Perspectives Of Students’ Personal Disability Awareness Impacting Transitions: A Phenomenological Study, Joshua S. Crandell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students with disabilities (SWD) struggle with achieving positive postsecondary outcomes in training or schooling, employment, and independence. SWD’s transition plans should prepare them for these subsequent phases, but SWD are not finding that success. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of students with a personal disability awareness as they transition from high school. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of postsecondary students with a personal disability awareness as they transition from high school? The study used a transcendental phenomenological approach through interviews, focus groups, and journal …

Exploring Teachers' Strategies That Motivate Achievement Among African American Students: A Single-Case Study, Charlie Howell Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the United States, the academic achievement gap between African American and White students has been a growing concern. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore upper-elementary African American students’ perceptions of effective motivational and instructional strategies in an eastern North Carolina private school. The self-determination theory of Ryan and Deci guided this study in exploring the central question: What instructional strategies have teachers used at the Center of Excellence to improve the motivation of African American students within the classroom? In addition, three sub-questions were considered: What instructional strategies have teachers used to foster autonomy among African …

Those Who Came Before: Learning From Native American College Alumni About Walking The Path Of Persistence, Jacqueline Schram

Dissertations (1934 -)

The very low college success rate of American Indians and Alaska Natives has inspired a scholarly literature that seeks to explain this outcome and, more recently, to account for why some Native students persist in college. Few studies, however, look at Native students who actually have graduated from college, and these rarely reflect Native voices or examine the life histories of Indigenous students. To achieve a broader understanding of successful educational trajectories, this qualitative exploration moves beyond the category of students currently attending college and examines the lives of five Indigenous Marquette University alumni. Employing an archival oral history method …

Navigating Age Of Majority-Related Issues In Special Education: The Current Needs And A Potential Means For Aligning Professional Values With Policy And Practice, Charles Blayne Walters

Theses and Dissertations

The paper that follows serves to collect three articles that investigate policy and practice regarding adult decision-making support for students with disabilities receiving special education services. Each has been led by the author of this multiple-manuscript dissertation, Charles Walters. Following a short introduction to these works as Chapter One, Chapter Two provides a reformatted version of an interview-based study with special education directors at the school district level. It was originally published in Volume 35, Issue One of the Journal of Special Education Leadership and titled “An Exploratory Study of Special Education Director Experiences with Issues Related to Age of …

Coaching To Success: Moving From A Fixed Mindset To A Growth Mindset Through Positive Motivation, Shannon Dianna Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore my students’ belief perseverance and fixed mindset and help them shift toward self-determination and a growth mindset. Incorporating goal setting, positive intentions, and coachable techniques in my sixth-grade math class, I collected data through an observation journal, student artifacts, and pre and post assessments. I found that goal setting, positive intentions, and coaching techniques enabled students to shift from belief perseverance toward self-determination that will transfer into life outside of the classroom. My findings showed helping students move from a fixed mindset to one of growth is possible but takes time. Creating …

Kīpuka Leo: A Phenomenology Of Leadership In Hawaiian-Focused Charter Schools, Megan Lee Kawatachi

Educational Studies Dissertations

In Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian-focused charter school emerged as a call to action in communities that desired places of learning grounded in Native Hawaiian epistemologies, pedagogy, culture, language, and self-determination. Driven by the intention to decolonize schooling, Hawaiian-focused charter schools are still obligated to abide by the United States federal and Hawai‘i state mandates of publicly funded institutions. This phenomenological study sought to explore the experiences of eight po‘o kumu (leaders) from seven Hawaiian-focused charter schools as they develop kula (schools) from within the community, culturally rooted and responsive, while operating in a modern, Western context. Through face-to-face interviews, po‘o were …

From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of former high school dropouts in the Continental United States who self-determined to persist to doctoral degree attainment. The theory that guided this study was the self-determination theory with support from the self-efficacy theory and adult learning theory. These three theories framed this study, which sought to discover the motivating factors, life influences, and perseverance required of former high school dropouts who determined to re-enter academia and pursue an education to the doctoral level. The problem this study sought to address was the need to discover the …

Perceptions Of Teachers In A Private Residential Juvenile Treatment Facility, Douglas E. Stevenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem for this study was the lack of research about what teachers consider to be the successes, the risks, and the potential dangers of working in a school prison setting. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teacher perceptions about successes, risks, and potential dangers of teaching in a prison school setting. This research study was guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which presents a framework for the study of human motivation and personality. The research question examined teachers’ perspectives about the successes, the risks, and dangers of working in a private residential juvenile treatment facility. …

Perceptions Of Teachers In A Private Residential Juvenile Treatment Facility, Douglas E. Stevenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem for this study was the lack of research about what teachers consider to be the successes, the risks, and the potential dangers of working in a school prison setting. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teacher perceptions about successes, risks, and potential dangers of teaching in a prison school setting. This research study was guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which presents a framework for the study of human motivation and personality. The research question examined teachers’ perspectives about the successes, the risks, and dangers of working in a private residential juvenile treatment facility. …

The Impact Of Effective Motivation Strategies On Student Engagement In Secondary Physical Education Classrooms, Devin Wortman

Education Theses

Properly motivating students is not only the backbone of academic success but positive in-class experiences. When students are having more positive classroom experiences, they will ultimately be more motivated to engage and succeed. More and more students today are choosing not to take physical education in school. A lack of self-confidence and a general interest in the subject are two of the many factors associated with this problem. With the help of intrinsic motivation and self-determination theory, this thesis will seek to answer the question: What impact does effective motivation have on secondary students’ willingness to participate in physical education …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Determination Supports In Inclusion Classrooms, Suzanne Tiffany-Salogub

Theses and Dissertations

The outcomes presented in this dissertation were motivated by a scarcity of research that explores self-determination practices explicitly within inclusive classrooms. Three overarching goals motivated my research. The first was to understand what inclusion teachers know and do in relation to self-determination (Chapter 2). The second was to understand how their practices align with existing knowledge about self-determination in the field (Chapter 3). Finally, I sought to create an accessible, research-based tool tailored to inclusion teachers who seek to support their students in developing self-determination skills (Chapter 4). To achieve these goals, I designed an investigation using a case-study design …

Consideration Of Why Some Chiropractic Students With Disabilities Choose Not To Utilize Academic Accommodations: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Karen G. Canup

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of students with disabilities (SWD) at a chiropractic college in the United States that led to their decision not to utilize the academic accommodations available to them. The theory that guided this study is Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. This qualitative study was conducted using the transcendental phenomenological approach. The research participants were students enrolled in a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program who had received a diagnosis that made them eligible for academic accommodations at any point in their academic career. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with participants, followed …

Learning The Host Nation Language While Living Abroad As A Military Adolescent, A Transcendental Phenomenology, Simone Sweatman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High mobility in students has been shown to have a negative effect on academic achievement. Military children relocate six to nine times before graduating high school, with at least one of these moves being overseas. This transcendental phenomenology described the lived experience of military-affiliated students who learned the language of their host culture while living overseas. The theory guiding this study was Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory. This study focused on the importance of self-determination for academic attainment, which is thought to be achieved through a feeling of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Through criterion sampling, 11 participants, ages18 to 23, …

A Survey Of School Psychologists To Promote Support For Developing Self-Advocacy Skills In Students With Disabilities, Kiarra K. Steer

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Self-advocacy is a critical skill for effective communication and for individual assertion of interests, needs, and rights (Hengen & Weaver, 2018). It is especially important for people with disabilities to be able to self-advocate, which includes understanding their own abilities and rights and being able to voice when they need assistance or when their rights are being violated (Hengen & Weaver, 2018).

Even though self-advocacy has been determined to be a necessary skill for students with disabilities to develop, research indicates that self-advocacy instruction is often not provided to students with disabilities. Furthermore, while researchers have shown that teaching students …

Promoting Self-Determination In Iep Meetings, Hyunjoo Lee, Hsiang-Yi Wu

LC Journal of Special Education

Promoting self-determination has been linked to the IEP process, given the focus on decision making and goal setting within such meetings. A student with a disability can take an active role in his/her meeting by leading the meeting, describing his or her information to others, self- advocating about hopes and accommodation, making choices as it pertains to future goals and transition services, and solving possible problems. The IEP meeting can be a powerful place for students with disabilities to learn and practice decision-making and other skills leading to enhanced self-determination. The purpose of this literature review is to identify the …

Promoting The Self-Determination Of Students With Severe Cognitive Disabilities, Sookyung Shin, Vera Lynne Stroup-Rentier

LC Journal of Special Education

This literature review explores five published articles focused on the promotion of self- determination of students with severe cognitive disabilities. The purpose of this literature review is to better understand the details of the interventions designed to support students with the most severe cognitive disabilities. Within this framework, data was collected to examine participants, settings, implementers, and results. All five studies reported positive outcomes for all students in the promotion of self-determination.

Communicative Competence And Self-Determination, Sonya Spolsky, Gina Debarthe

LC Journal of Special Education

Self-determination describes people acting as the primary causal agents in their lives through their own volition (Wehmeyer, 1998; Wehmeyer, 2005). Volition means making choices with intention and consciousness. Self-determination consists of four essential characteristics related to volition: Autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self realization (Wehmeyer et al., 2007). Acting autonomously, in a manner to achieve specified goals, problem solving to meet those goals and being aware of the possible outcomes describe some of the activities related to volition and the characteristic of self determination (Light & Gullens, 2000; Wehmeyer et al., 2007). Self-determined people influence their own lives. People with …

Introduction To Special Topic Issue On Self-Determination, Michael L. Wehmeyer

LC Journal of Special Education

Over the past two decades, promoting the self-determination of students with disabilities has become a best practice in secondary education and transition services (Wehmeyer, Abery, Mithaug, & Stancliffe, 2003; Wehmeyer, Agran, Hughes, Martin, Mithaug, & Palmer, 2007). Self-determination refers to self- (vs. other-) caused action—to people acting volitionally, based on their own will. Volition is the capability of conscious choice, decision, and intention. Self- determined behavior is volitional, self-caused or self-initiated action.

Self-Determination And Culture: An Intervening Variable, Jenevie Wendy Bailey

LC Journal of Special Education

According to Wehmeyer at al. (2011), moderating variables exist that influence the outcome of successful self-determined individuals, which include age and life stages, gender, culture, religious beliefs and spirituality and experiences of oppression, segregation and discrimination (Zhang & Benz, 2006; Wehmeyer at al., 2011). This paper, however, will emphasize only the effects of culture in the quest for self-determined individuals. The purpose of this paper is to explore the special education literature to determine how self-determination is perceived in minority cultures and the possible cultural issues which affect self-determination. This paper may serve to fill in small gaps in the …

Occupational Therapy In Secondary Transition: A Case Report, Latoya Harvey, Susan Zapf, Sandra E. Groger

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Introduction: This case report aims to inform the occupational therapy profession of best practice by providing an example of the profession’s role in secondary transition for students with disabilities.

Method: This qualitative case report examines the value of occupational therapy during transition in the life of one student with a disability. Six weeks of coaching and collaboration were provided to facilitate student engagement to enhance independent living skills, work-related skills, and self-determination. Pre-test and post-test results of the Roll Evaluation of Life Activities (REAL), the Goal-Oriented Assessment of Lifeskills (GOAL), the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), interviews, informal discussions, …