Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Latina/O College Students With Psychiatric Disabilities: Experiences Encountered On The Postsecondary Educational Trajectory, Adaly Reyes Martinez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This research study explored the experiences of Latina/o college students with mental health disabilities. The purpose of this study is to explore the academic and social experiences, as well as the barriers and support services that impact the retention of Latina/o students with psychiatric disabilities in the postsecondary setting. This study also explored how ethnicity shaped the unique experiences of these students. Qualitative interviews with 14 student participants were conducted in a large public institution in the United States. The theoretical frameworks used were intersectionality and DisCrit to incorporate a dual analysis of race and ability. The current findings revealed …

Emergency Preparedness And Response Protocol In South Dakota Public Schools, George A. Seiler

Dissertations and Theses

Providing a safe and secure learning environment is one of the most important components of being a superintendent. This quantitative study examined school superintendent perceptions of safety and the importance of four emergency crisis components, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery in the state of South Dakota. The study was included 147 school public school districts in South Dakota and two school districts were excluded because they were only K-8 school districts. The study also investigated the relationship of school size and its affect on school safety based on superintendent perceptions of the four components of emergency crisis plans. The results …

Digital Humanities & Community College Libraries: Opportunities And Challenges, Mia Tignor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Digital humanities study applies technological tools to the study of humanities topics and allows for the exploration of new questions in ways that were not possible using traditional research models. Librarians have been active participants of the field since its inception, as they explore new ways to critically engage with information organization and information literacy instruction, and most research that focuses on the intersection between these fields takes place within research universities . In contrast, there is very little research examining digital humanities work at the community college, which primarily offers associate degrees, vocational certificates, and other workforce based training. …

Report On 2021-2022 Compliance With Continuous Quality Improvement Legislation, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

A report provided to the Iowa Board of Regents regarding continuous improvement processes in courses at the University of Northern Iowa.

A Path Forward: Critically Examining Practitioners' Role In Addressing Campus Racial Climate, Kaleb L. Briscoe, Crystal Eufemia Garcia, Ashley L. Swift

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Student affairs professionals (SAPs) have long grappled with the pervasiveness of whiteness within predominantly white institutions (PWIs). In this paper, we bring together our perspectives to offer insight into how whiteness informs SAPs’ response to racialized incidents and advocacy for Students of Color.

Teachers' Perceptions Of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports And Student Safety Perceptions, Renee Elizabeth Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between how thoroughly School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) is implemented in elementary classrooms, junior kindergarten through fifth grade, and students’ and teachers’ perceptions of safety. An additional purpose was to investigate whether child knowledge of conflict resolution has a relationship with the perceptions of feeling safe. The following questions were explored: (1) To what extent does the fidelity of implementation of PBIS predict teachers’ perceptions of safety? (2) To what extent does the fidelity of implementation of PBIS predict elementary students’ school safety perceptions, junior kindergarten through fifth …

Initial Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Social-Emotional Systems Of Support For Anishinaabe Kindergarteners: Student Outcomes And Teacher Perceptions, Dustin Everett Hinckley

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the academic and social-emotional outcomes and teacher perceptions of the initial implementation of a culturally responsive social-emotional learning Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) within a culturally homogenous rural Kindergarten Center. For this study, academic and behavioral student outcomes and teacher perceptions of both the implementation process and the outcomes of the implementation were explored. A quantitative ex post facto study based on students’ academic achievement scores and behavioral data, along with survey research to determine teacher perceptions, compared a cohort of students who participated in the culturally responsive social-emotional learning MTSS with a cohort that didn’t. Overall, …

Student Experiences With University Accessibility Services: A Quantitative Inquiry, Charles Hilston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of an accessibility services office on student achievement and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). This research was a quantitative exploratory study designed to investigate student experiences with using accessibility services and transitioning into a Major Southeastern University (MSU) in the United States. Participants in the study were actively enrolled undergraduate students with a learning exceptionality. The students that completed the questionnaire answered questions regarding their experiences with using the services provided by the office, along with their experiences with transitioning into the university. The results of this research are intended …

Engagement In Online Math Courses: An Exploration Into Success Rates Of Professors Who Use Engagement Tools In Online Learning, Shauna Rogan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

As more college courses transition to hybrid and fully online models due to Covid-19, the classroom environment for higher education has changed and will continue to do so (Bonk, 2020). As online learning continues to grow, a challenge of not connecting with the instructor can be a concern. Success in the online classroom is possible for students who may feel they are alone in online learning (Holbeck & Hartman, 2018). With the right combination of engagement tools, student interaction with the curriculum, class, and professor result in a meaningful learning experience (Holbeck & Hartman, 2018). The history of online education, …

The Lived Experiences Of Faculty In The Covid-19 Pandemic Shift In Instruction, Alison Hammack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study sought to understand the lived experiences of mathematics faculty teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic's rapid shift from on-campus instruction to online education. Faculty are the primary influencers at a college. Their perspectives on the challenges and changes to teaching practices may determine a college's response to improving teaching and learning during a crisis. At the time of the COVID-19 transition, many faculty had no experience creating and teaching an online course, and some had previously been resistant to teaching online. Using a phenomenological approach, nine participants at a large state college were interviewed using the Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform …

The Impact Of Bias And Historical Racial Trauma On Black Girls’ Education: Using Theory To Better Understand Benefits, Angela Fisher-Williams

DSW Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT OF CAPSTONE

Implicit biases are among the most unfair discriminating microaggressive habits; Black students face within the compulsory educational system. However, college institutions are not sufficiently preparing social work students to work with this marginalized group to help manage these needs through diversity training courses. The researcher wrote a synthesis paper that synthesized two theories, the Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS). This research will determine if social work students who take part in diversity training embedded in their coursework could better prepare social workers for the field. This research employed a descriptive design while …

Leading Early Childhood Education In Iowa Schools, Alaina T. Daters

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Over the last 15 years, Iowa’s Statewide Voluntary Preschool Programs (SWVPP) have undergone significant growth. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, 323 out of 327 (99%) of Iowa public school districts offered preschool (Iowa Department of Education, 2022c). As a result, well over 450 Iowa administrators are potentially responsible for leading their district’s preschool program.

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to gain an understanding of the experiences, knowledge, and pedagogical needs of licensed Iowa administrators that are responsible for their district’s SWVPP. Data was collected through a survey and analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis …

Love And Learn: Creating Space For Authentic Caring In Family Child Care, Katherine Kelly Hart Meehan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Children benefit from engagement in early education and care (ECE) programs that support their learning and development while also providing a point of connection to critical resources for their families. For children from economically disadvantaged families, the lack of access to high-quality ECE results in a persistent achievement and opportunity gap (García & Weiss, 2015). A significant portion of ECE occurs in home-based early learning environments, also known as family child care (FCC) programs, which play a critical role in supporting children from low-income and immigrant families (Layzer et al., 2007; Porter et al., 2010). Unfortunately, this sector of ECE …

More Than Just Lip Service: A Phenomenological Study Of Urban Public Charter School Leaders Of Color In Los Angeles, Korey S. Hlaudy

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how school leaders of color implement social justice leadership praxis within the urban public charter school context, especially amid a global pandemic and heightened racial injustice. This study aimed to better understand the phenomenon of being a social justice leader of color, specifically examining how these leaders implemented practices and policies aimed to minimize the marginalizing conditions within their school communities. The dissertation study was qualitative in nature and utilized a phenomenological framework to provide an in depth understanding of the policies, practices, and mindsets of nine school leaders of color (eight principals and one assistant …

Meeting Transfer Students Where They Are: A New Organizational Approach To Transfer Student Communication, Support, And Recruitment, Daniel Wright

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Transfer students have long played a significant role in the growth and diversity of colleges and universities. Recent research points to a continuous decline in enrollment over the coming decade (Kelderman, Gardner, & Conley, 2019), and as tuition costs continue to increase and enrollment numbers decrease, institutions of higher education have begun turning to transfer students to fill their lecture halls and football stadiums. A key variable in higher education’s transfer recruitment blind spot is a fundamental lack of understanding of the structural and organizational changes needed to both attract and retain these non-traditional students (Tobolowsky & Cox, 2012). For …

Housewives To Heroines: Continuing Education For Women At The University Of Kentucky, 1964-1988, Allison L. Elliott

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Beginning in the early 1960s, the movement for the continuing education for women (CEW) brought together a seemingly unlikely alliance of American activists, educators, philanthropists, and government agencies. Fueled by philanthropic funds, accelerated by the quest for “womanpower” to bolster national defense, and aligned with regional workforce needs as well as the personal goals of individual women, CEW programs pioneered new models of academic advising and student support that continue to influence higher education practitioners today. By studying the experiences of both administrators and students involved with CEW at the University of Kentucky, this study sheds light on how one …

The Language Of Power: An Investigation Of How The Macropolitics Of Education Policy Affects The Micropolitics Of Schooling English Learners, Catherine E. Vannatter

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The population of English Learners (ELs) continues to increase across the United States, and these students persistently perform below their native English-speaking peers in measures of academic achievement. Federal government leaders passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, which modified how state and local educational agencies identify, instruct, assess, and reclassify ELs and revised what funding EL programming could receive. In this multiphase study, I investigated how the macropolitics of federal and state policy became enacted in the micropolitics of a mid-sized school district in Kentucky. Through an initial phase of document review followed by a mixed methods …

The Appalachian Commitment Of Berea College: A Review Of Historical Figures, Narratives, And An Analysis Of Programmatic Outcomes, Rebecca E. Tucker

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Since its founding in 1855 Berea College has continuously defined and redefined itself based on eight Great Commitments that collectively shape Berea’s mission. All Bereans, from students to alums to Presidents, have a responsibility to review and evaluate the ways in which Berea College is acting on each of its eight Commitments. This study offers a review of Berea’s Appalachian Commitment, “To engage Appalachian communities, families, and students in partnership for mutual learning, growth, and service” (Berea College, 2017). The following three articles seek to understand some of the ways in which Berea College leaders have interpreted and acted on …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Teacher Grit, Technology Self-Efficacy, And Technology Integration, Joshua Jeremiah Shiloh Marsh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The use of educational technology applications has grown tremendously in the last decade. Instructors are now equipped with hardware and software applications previously unavailable, such as mobile and interactive technologies. These tools can have tremendous impact on students’ learning and teacher practices. Teachers can improve their assessment capabilities through technology integration, provide better learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities, and promote deeper learning practices. Due to these benefits, budgets at the federal, state, and local levels of the United States now have specific allocations regarding technology-related purchases. Nevertheless, barriers remain regarding the effective integration of technologies in public schools. …

แนวทางการพัฒนาการบริหารวิชาการโรงเรียนโพธิสารพิทยากร ตามแนวคิดความฉลาดรู้ทางการใช้สื่อ, ญดาพร เลิศกำจรวัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Living Learning Communities On Underserved Minority Students At A Regional Comprehensive University, Brandon Leonard Thompson

Online Theses and Dissertations

As access to higher education for underserved minority (USM) students has consistently increased over the past 20 years, college and university campuses across the United States have observed an achievement gap between USM students and their white counterparts (Brown, 2019; Doan, 2015; Flores, Park & Baker, 2017; Pope, 2002; Ramos; 2019). This achievement gap is acute and carries significant consequences if not addressed. As campuses seek to find solutions to close this achievement gap, it is essential to identify strategies that meet the needs of USM students instead of waiting for students to adapt to higher education and campus culture …

Retaining Los Maestros: Exploring The Working Relationship And Role Of Principal In Support Of Latinx Teachers, Arturo Senteno

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of relational trust and supportive measures through self-determination theory in the relationship between principal and teacher. It also highlights the nuances from the Latinx teacher perspective and how their needs may differ from other teachers in providing a more satisfying job experience. The role of the school principal in influencing teacher retention through teacher motivation and trust is especially true for Latinx teachers. When the working relationship between principal and teacher shows a high relational trust in combination with effective supportive measures, teacher satisfaction is increased, resulting in higher teacher retention. Strategies that foster such …

Building A School Culture Of Success For Multilingual Learners: A Multiple Case Study Of Perspectives From Secondary School Leaders, John P. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to address achievement and opportunity gaps for Multilingual Learners (MLs) by studying secondary schools who have established a school culture that prioritizes ML support and success. It draws on existing literature in the fields of ML best practices, educational leadership, and school culture research to study case schools in order to distill from their lived experiences recommendation for practitioners. The author used a multiple case study methodology to delve into four case schools identified as exemplars of cultures for ML success. The author used in-depth qualitative interviews to find out if leaders in any secondary schools …

Leading Through Crisis: The Covid-19 Pandemic’S Impact On The School Principalship, A Delphi Study, Matthew J. Togna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the K-12 School Principalship and attempted to forecast the future of the principalship post-Pandemic. Using a forecasting method known as the Delphi Technique, I solicited public K-12 principals working in the Commonwealth of Virginia with at least 3 years of administrative experience to serve as participants. In total, 26 practicing principals completed three questionnaires offering their expert opinions on pre-Pandemic roles and responsibilities of the school principal and how those roles were impacted throughout the Pandemic. Additionally, the participants made predictions about the future of the school principalship. Findings …

Pandemic Repercussions: The Future Of International Education At Us Community Colleges, Heidi Fischer, Melissa Whatley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have both short- and long-term repercussions on higher education. To crystallize these impacts in a sector that was particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of the pandemic, this mixed methods study explores the intersection of international education and community college responses to the pandemic. Findings indicated that due to the pandemic, community college international education programs faced a reallocation of institutional resources, both financial and otherwise, which shapes the educational opportunities available to students and informs the institutional habitus of the US community college. This study’s findings have implications in the areas of international …

School Improvement Tool Elaborations: Student Engagement And Wellbeing, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer), Queensland Department Of Education

School and system improvement

What happens in schools can have a great and lasting impact on the future wellbeing and outcomes for young people. Schools therefore play an important role in supporting students’ engagement and wellbeing. These elaborations are intended to support the work of schools by providing further specificity about the practices in each of the nine domains of the School Improvement Tool (previously National School Improvement Tool) that optimise student engagement and wellbeing and, in turn, impact on achievement. Commissioned by the Queensland Department of Education, the elaborations provide an evidence-based framework to guide practice by teachers, school leaders and education systems …

Parent Engagement In A Rural School System In Eastern North Carolina: Investigating Strategies That Will Increase The Engagement Of High-Poverty Families In Rural Districts, Lutashia Dove

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Parent engagement continues to be problematic in schools. Although many schools have attempted to implement parent engagement programs, there are still significant challenges recruiting parents to engage with the school. Numerous studies have proven a strong relationship between parent involvement and student academic outcomes. Despite the vast research on parent engagement, schools continue to struggle with developing a parent engagement program inclusive of all stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies to increase parent engagement in small, rural elementary schools and a 6-12 high school in eastern North Carolina. The participants in this study were parents/guardians, teachers, …

Examining School Administrator Perceptions Of Preparational Experiences Of Effective Educational Leadership, Jared S. Jones

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine what preparational experiences are necessary for assistant principals to effectively transition to the principalship. Fifteen principals completed a 21-item survey and answered seven interview questions to better understand how the North Carolina Standards for School Executives aligned with the daily tasks and responsibilities of school principals. The data also gathered principals’ leadership perceptions, the impact of preparational experiences, and assistant principal preparation. Results from the study concluded that all seven primary North Carolina Standards for School Executives accurately reflected and aligned with the tasks and responsibilities that school principals encountered …

Hispanic School Leaders And Their Impact On Education, Linda Guzmán

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to investigate the impact Hispanic school leaders have in schools that are primarily Hispanic. The Hispanic community is one of the fastest-growing in the United States. Hispanics are the largest student group represented in elementary and high schools yet are disproportionately underrepresented in school leadership. Hispanic school leaders experience challenges in gaining the education, opportunities, and work experience to achieve leadership roles in schools. Once Hispanic leaders gain leadership roles and grow in experience, they face challenges implementing policies that positively impact their school community. A review of the literature identified challenges …