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2022-2023 Graduate Program Survey, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

Faculty & Professional Staff --- 3
Survey Methodology --- 4
Degree Counts --- 5
Primary Plans Following Graduation --- 8
Participation at UNI --- 9
Reasons for Attending Graduate School --- 10
Confidence in Skills Following Graduate Education --- 11
Academic Experiences --- 12
Academic Experiences [5 Year Comparison] --- 14
Financing a Graduate Education --- 15
Graduate Assistantships at UNI --- 18
Survey Tool --- 17

Growth: 22 (2023)

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the twenty-second edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

The Lived Religious Experience Of Black Students At A Southeastern Cccu Institution, Harold Goss

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the religious experiences of Black students at a Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) institution. The researcher interviewed 22 participants at a private Christian university and analyzed the data using in vivo coding, constant comparison, and thematic analysis. Findings suggest formal religious activities that are required and presumed by the institution to be nurturing can have the opposite effect for some Black students at the institution. The researcher identified three major themes regarding how Black students perceive and experience religious activity. The themes provide helpful insight regarding participants’ …

Under God: Political Views And Experiences Among Young Adults Attending An Evangelical College, Olga Dietlin, Amy Sparks, Hannah Bayne

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

While polarization has increased the saliency of political values, political meaning-making has been scarcely addressed in higher education literature and training. Additionally, even though the political orientation of evangelicals has been back in the spotlight since the 2016 presidential campaign, little research has been done to explore the interplay of faith commitments and political values among students at an evangelical college. This study examined religiosity, ideology, political attitudes, the salience of political identity, and experience with political differences among students at an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution (n = 223). Descriptive data confirmed the salience of religious belief and practice …

Relationship As Pedagogy: Empowering Faculty To Support Student Mental Health, Katie Breitigan

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This study sought to explore the impact of college student mental health on faculty pedagogy. Using a grounded theory qualitative research methodology, the researcher interviewed 13 faculty participants about their experience of college student mental health in the classroom. A review of the literature on theological anthropology, trauma, and Christian higher education provided a framework for the findings of this study to be discussed. Findings revealed four main themes influencing faculty pedagogy which included: the value of relationships for promoting student well-being; lowered engagement by students experiencing mental health challenges; the increased need for mental health-related accommodations; and the impact …

Principals’ Knowledge Of Trauma-Informed School Practices, Elsa Leyhe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Trauma has become a larger issue in schools, and it is necessary for school administrators, specifically principals, to be fully aware of and equipped to deal with trauma in the student body. There is limited quantitative research on what principals currently know about trauma and trauma-informed practices. To help fill this need for more quantitative data, this research study surveyed principals in two Midwest states to address the following questions: To what extent do principals know about traumainformed care in schools? Did the principals receive any training on trauma-informed care in their graduate/certification programs? Did they seek training on their …

Moving Forward Together: Reflections Of A National Survey Of Ot/Ota Students’ Perceptions Of Culturally Aware Educational Content Delivery, Adair M. Sanchez, Iris W. Burns, Tina M. Deangelis, Maclain Capron, Abigail Mills, Taylor Kligerman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In June of 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd and the additional atrocities against historically marginalized people and communities across the United States, the Commission on Education (COE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) sought to act within its scope. A retrospective survey (N= 1,692) was developed, deployed, and analyzed in accordance with the COE’s standard operating procedures relating specifically to monitoring trends that impact the education of occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. This survey aimed to capture perspectives from OT/OTA students regarding the delivery of culturally aware educational content in curricula …

How Subordinates Describe Their Leader’S Political Skill And Their Organizational Citizenship Behavior (Ocb) During A Merger In The Airline Industry In Arizona: A Descriptive Perspective, Conrado Dela Cruz Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how subordinates describe their leader’s political skill and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) during a merger in the airline industry in Arizona. This study aimed to provide further exploration on leader political skill relating to mergers in the airline industry and if leader political skill can positively influence merger outcomes by increasing subordinate OCB levels during a merger through the breadth of information provided by the participants of this study.

The study used a qualitative methodology with a descriptive design to capture the rich descriptions of how subordinates from a …

Understanding The Circumstances That Contribute To Teacher Retention And Attrition In An Urban School District And The Impacts Of Financial Incentives On Teacher Retention, Meshelley Sams

Theses and Dissertations

This study is aimed at understanding the circumstances that contribute to teacher retention and attrition in urban schools in the Southwestern United States. Harris et al. (2019) reported that at the national level, 16% of all teachers attrit yearly. Attrition contributes to the increasing teacher shortage problem that many districts face. The purpose of the study, guided by Chris Argyris’ organizational theory, examined the circumstances that contribute to the attrition of highly qualified teachers and the extent financial incentives are linked to the retention of highly qualified teachers. This qualitative phenomenological study involved 9 teachers, interviewed with a researcher designed …

Telling Your Story: Stewardship And The Honors College, Andrew Martino

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

Honors administrators, particularly honors college deans, find themselves in positions not necessarily equivalent to academic deans in other disciplines. Often, honors college deans function more like provosts in that they need to attend to multiple disciplines simultaneously, while also often carrying obligations in teaching and advising. In addition, the initiation, cultivation, and stewardship of donors to the college are essential components to the honors college dean’s portfolio. This task may be particularly challenging for a dean in honors in that many potential donors are intellectually and emotionally tied to their specific major and/or school or college. And yet, fundraising, especially …

University Interdisciplinary Linked Block Schedules And Developmental Student Success, Linda S. Reeves-Wymer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developmental education is the starting point for many 1st-year college students, especially from underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation populations. One such 1st-year program linked block-scheduled academic skill-development courses with a required interdisciplinary general education science course where instruction was provided simultaneously in a lecture format to college-ready nondevelopmental students and developmental students in three skill-development courses: reading, writing, and combined reading/writing. Although this program had existed for over 20 years, the effectiveness of the program, meaning whether the linked skill-development courses were associated with academic success, had not been assessed. Guided by Tinto’s integration theory, a causal comparative design with the …

Preparing For The Future: A Collaborative Design For High-Quality Career And Technical Education Programming, Shannon Rodriguez

Education Theses and Dissertations

Educators in public education as faced with preparing students for college and career after high school graduation. The collaborative efforts of Career and Technical Education programming allows for the development of a high-quality program through exploring non-traditional teacher use goal setting and pedagogy provide a foundation of success for students.

Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming College Students’ Challenges, Supports, And Successes: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Jennifer R. Curry, Imre Csaszar, Tiffany Shierling

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

We report findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) participants’ perceptions of their on-campus experiences. Participants reported their lived experiences of campus culture in the Deep South. The data was viewed through a minority stress framework. Four major themes emerged: a) supports for students; b) barriers for students; c) undergoing personal change; and d) influencing systemic change.

On The Impossibilities Of Advancing Racial Justice In Higher Education Research Through Reliance On The Campus Climate Heuristic, Elvira Abrica, Deryl K. Hatch-Tocaimaza, Cecilia Rios-Aguilar

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Campus climates are often described as “hostile” for racially minoritized populations. However, growing recognition of complexities associated with intersecting and interwoven systems of social oppression compel the field of higher education to move away from overly simplistic portrayals of postsecondary environments as “welcoming/chilly” or “positive/negative.” More than this, there is a need to engage in a broader discussion of the field’s reliance on the metaphor of meteorological climate itself as a heuristic for characterizing the nature of college learning environments. The central argument presented in this theoretical article is that racial justice is impossible when operationalized through a lens of …

Insider Tips For Applying To Graduate Programs, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

As I approach my 20th year as a school psychology faculty member (12 as a program coordinator), I have reviewed thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of prospective students. It is truly a joy to meet people at interviews who will go on to excel as school psychologists. I also have met my fair share of applicants who were clearly unprepared. This piece provides some insider information on how prospective students can strengthen their applications and interviews.

Perspectives On Care Coordination For Youth With Tbi: Moving Forward To Provide Better Care, Jennifer P. Lundine, Erika Hagen, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Care coordination aligns services and optimizes outcomes for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet numerous obstacles can impede effective care coordination following a TBI.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to identify barriers and facilitators to care coordination from the perspective of individuals who care for young people impacted by TBI.

METHODS: Twenty-one care providers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather their perspectives on systems of care coordination for youth with TBI and potential areas for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified key themes across interviews.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) gaps in knowledge; 2) …

"We Collect Tons Of Data... We Report What We Think Our Community Cares The Most About... We Learn So Much From It:" School Librarians' Evidence Collection And Sharing Practices, Jennifer Moore, Maria Cahill, Jeffrey Discala, Wanyi Wang

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Evidence-based practice (EBP) offers school librarians a systematic process for developing, assessing, and revising their school library programs. Two of the seven steps in this process involve collecting and sharing meaningful evidence with appropriate stakeholders, often for advocacy purposes, strategically selecting communication channels and methods aligned with target audiences. Through a survey collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, 161 school librarians in Kentucky, Virginia, and Texas shared their experiences with evidence-based practice. The study reported here focuses on school librarians’ evidence collection and sharing practices. Findings indicate school librarians collect easily obtainable data and share evidence of practice widely; however, …

Departmental Culture And Climate: Navigating The Academic Department, Nina Brown

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] This second essay in the series of six on “Navigating the Academic Department” will focus on the culture and climate in an academic department. Many if not most faculty enter a department that has already established a culture and climate most of which is not openly acknowledged. Agazarian (1997) termed this as social convention for therapy groups that include social defenses, communication patterns and ingrained social norms that also seem to apply to an academic department.

The Critical Role Of Happiness In Education: Resilience, Retention, And What Happy Teachers Do Differently, Jill Marie Hayes White

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Teachers are unhappy, stressed, and leaving the field at an alarming rate. This paper analyzes how teacher happiness is related to resilience and retention. It also looks for patterns that identify what happy teachers do differently at work. To complete this investigation, current K-12 public school teachers throughout Iowa completed electronic surveys that assessed their happiness, resilience, and work life. These surveys included the Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999), the Brief Resilience Scale (Smith, et al., 2008), and 14 additional survey questions created by the researcher. Correlational, comparative, and descriptive analyses were completed to examine potential relationships and …

No Need To Set The Alarm, I’Ve Been Up Since 2:30am! Why My Teaching Job Keeps Me Up At Night: A Phenomenological Research Study On Empathic Strain Of Iowa Educators, Lindsey Cornwell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Empathic strain describes a stressor on individuals in professions in which one cares for others who have endured their own trauma or stress (Mathieu, 2021). While previous studies have looked mainly at medical, social work and law enforcement fields as being some of the most impacted by empathic strain, more recently educators have been identified as those challenged with this phenomenon.

Through a phenomenological qualitative study, which included a Facebook marketed Qualtrics survey on empathic strain, four individual interviews and a metaphorical data analysis focus group experience, the lived experiences of educators with empathic strain were collected. Each of the …

Bibliography, Aaron W. Hughey

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Aaron W. Hughey.

Bibliography, Lacretia Dye

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Lacretia Dye.

The Protection Of Student Data Privacy In Wisconsin School Board Policies, Curtis Clyde Rees

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

American schools have increasingly adopted technology resources to fulfill their educational obligations. These tools are for instruction, communication, and storing and analyzing student information. Student data can be directory information, enrollment records, achievement data, and student-created products. This increased utilization began with the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to more educational technology use of student data. Districts turned to third-party vendors for assistance with data systems and virtual learning resources. Before, during, and after the pandemic, stakeholders were concerned about information security and the students' privacy. School leaders looked to federal regulations …

กลยุทธ์การบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโตของนักเรียน, พงษ์พิณิตย์ อุทธิยา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษากรอบแนวคิดเกี่ยวกับการบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาและกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโต 2) วิเคราะห์จุดแข็ง จุดอ่อน โอกาส และภาวะคุกคามของการบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโต 3) พัฒนากลยุทธ์การบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโตของนักเรียน ดำเนินการวิจัยใช้ระเบียบการวิจัยแบบผสมวิธีพหุระยะ ใช้วิธีเก็บข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพและข้อมูลเชิงปริมาณ กลุ่มตัวอย่างที่ใช้ในการวิจัยครั้งนี้ คือ โรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา สังกัดสำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน จำนวน 274 โรงเรียนทั่วประเทศ ผู้ให้ข้อมูล คือ ผู้อำนวยการโรงเรียน รองผู้อำนวยการโรงเรียน และครูผู้สอนระดับมัธยม รวมจำนวน 1,095 คน เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการวิจัย คือ แบบประเมินความเหมาะของกรอบแนวคิด แบบสอบถามสภาพปัจจุบันและสภาพที่พึงประสงค์ของการบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโตของนักเรียน และแบบประเมินความเหมาะและความเป็นไปได้ของร่างกลยุทธ์การบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโตของนักเรียน วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงปริมาณด้วยสถิติเชิงบรรยาย คือ ร้อยละ ความถี่ ค่าเฉลี่ย ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน และค่าดัชนีความต้องการจำเป็น วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลเชิงคุณภาพด้วยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา ผลการวิจัย พบว่า 1. กรอบแนวคิดเชิงทฤษฎีของคุณลักษณะตามกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโต ประกอบด้วย 9 คุณลักษณะ ได้แก่ 1) เชื่อว่าความสามารถและสติปัญญาสามารถพัฒนาได้ 2) มองหาโอกาสที่จะพัฒนาความสามารถของตนเอง 3) กำหนดเป้าหมายในการเรียนรู้และปฏิบัติด้วยตนเอง 4) มีวินัยในการฝึกฝนอย่างมุ่งมั่น 5) ชอบความท้าทาย 6) เผชิญหน้ากับปัญหาด้วยความอดทนและไม่ยอมแพ้ต่อความล้มเหลว 7) มองความพยายามเป็นหนทางสู่ความสำเร็จ 8) เรียนรู้จากคำวิพากษ์วิจารณ์ 9) ค้นพบบทเรียนและแรงบันดาลใจในความสำเร็จของผู้อื่น กรอบแนวคิดเชิงทฤษฎีการบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษา ประกอบด้วย 2 งานหลัก คือ 1) การบริหารงานวิชาการ ได้แก่ การพัฒนาหลักสูตร การจัดการเรียนการสอน การพัฒนา/สร้างสื่อ นวัตกรรม เทคโนโลยีและแหล่งเรียนรู้ การวัดผลและประเมินผล และ 2) การบริหารงานบุคคลในด้านการพัฒนาครู ได้แก่ การฝึกอบรมขณะปฏิบัติงาน และการฝึกอบรมนอกงาน 2. จุดแข็ง จุดอ่อน โอกาส และภาวะคุกคามของการบริหารโรงเรียนมัธยมศึกษาสู่การเสริมสร้างกรอบความคิดแบบเติบโตของนักเรียน พบว่า การบริหารวิชาการ จุดแข็ง คือ การจัดการเรียนการสอน และการการวัดและประเมินผล จุดอ่อน คือ การพัฒนาหลักสูตรสถานศึกษา …

Faculty-Student And Student-Student Connections Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fatma Ouled Salem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic expedited the shift toward distance education by forcing institutions to adapt to the limitations of social distancing mandates. This resulted in a general sense of disconnection and isolation, compounding the other adverse effects of the pandemic. Since faculty-student and student-student connections are consistently identified as best practices in distance counselor education, the aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counselor educators during the COVID-19 pandemic relating to faculty-student and student-student connections. A phenomenological framework was used to suspend presuppositions of the phenomenon and to describe the lived experiences of participants. In-depth …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Student Performance On The Advanced Placement English Language And Composition Exam In Department Of Defense Schools, Tracee Nichole Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that guided this study was the low proportion of students scoring 3 or more on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (APELC) exam at one Department of Defense (DoD) school. Moreover, the qualifying ratios were lower than students attending all DoD and U.S. schools. The need for teachers to examine the performance of military-connected students has become a critical element of high-stakes accountability in all schools, most importantly at military-connected schools. The aim of this research was to explore DoD teachers’ insights into the factors influencing military-connected students’ low scores on the APELC exam and the instructional …

Public-School Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed School Assumptions And Principles, Denise Gay Presnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that trauma-informed practices in schools can increase student performance and well-being. School social workers are well-suited to bring these practices to their system but are most successful when partnering with public-school superintendents. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand public-school superintendents’ perceptions of trauma-informed school assumptions and principles. The study was guided by four assumptions for trauma-informed care, six principles for trauma-informed schools, ecological systems theory, and empowerment theory. Research questions were designed to ask participants about their experiences of trauma in their schools, their perceptions of the assumptions and principles, the benefits and challenges …

Retention And Persistence Of Low-Income, First-Generation Rural College Students From West Virginia, Rachel D. Nieman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A considerable body of research demonstrates that first-generation college students face greater obstacles to college retention, persistence and completion compared to their non-first-generation counterparts. However, the extant literature rarely explores rurality as a salient factor to understand these challenges. Even less visible in the literature are the experiences and voices of West Virginians. West Virginia is a predominantly rural state and ranks 49^th in the nation in terms of educational attainment, with only 19.6% of residents over the age of 25 having earned at least a bachelor’s degree. While rural areas may experience multifaceted struggles, the educational attainment of …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Teacher Perspectives Regarding Low Teacher Retention In Rural Primary Schools In Tanzania, Tumaini Urio Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tanzania, similar to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been experiencing a severe teacher shortage. The problem that was addressed is that factors influencing rural primary school teachers’ decision to continue teaching in Northeast Tanzania are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions on teaching in rural primary schools in Northeast Tanzania and the reasons why they remain. This study was guided by self-efficacy theory, a subset of Bandura's social cognitive theory. This descriptive qualitative study explored how rural primary school teachers in northeast Tanzania describe the challenges that cause them to consider abandoning …