Digital Commons Network^™

Retention And The Sophomore Slump: Understanding Whether Campus Residency Predicts Retention Of Sophomore College Students, Raglena Salmans

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Retention in higher education is an ongoing challenge in America. Traditional research claims a multitude of reasons for freshman college students to stop out, drop out, or transfer colleges. The term sophomore slump was created many years ago as an all-encompassing phrase for the large amount of students who do not return to campus for their sophomore year or end up leaving during the sophomore year. Institutions of higher education are on a continuous journey to retain students and to understand what the cause of students leaving their university is. Campus housing has morphed through the years to provide programming …

Service Learning, Sustainable Development, And The Tourism Sector In Conflict-Affected Bamyan, Afghanistan, Kelly Elizabeth Franklin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Widespread consensus among the tourism and development studies literature suggests that higher education plays a key role in the achievement of sustainable tourism development. However, discussions on approaches to teaching sustainability in tourism at the higher education level are underdeveloped, especially in conflict-affected contexts. To address this gap, this study combines an examination of tourism stakeholders’ perceptions of inclusive and sustainable tourism development for a small tourism sector in Bamyan, Afghanistan, with an innovative approach to teaching sustainability in a tourism higher education program. Using mixed qualitative methods, this dissertation first examines tourism stakeholders’ perceptions of inclusive and sustainable tourism …

Institutional Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic: Faculty And Administrator Experiences, Narketta Sparkman-Key, Tammi F. Dice, Alexandra C. Gantt

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required shifts in operations for institutions of higher education everywhere. Faculty and administrators were asked to adapt to meet the needs of students. We conducted a qualitative content analysis to understand institutional responses and examine the experiences of faculty and administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of chaos theory. Institutional responses to the pandemic varied. Participants identified supports and resources deemed helpful, as well as those found to be inadequate or unwanted. We also found that the pandemic resulted in some positive outcomes for faculty and administrators, which led to growth in …

Inside The Master's Gates: Resources And Tools To Dismantle Racism And Sexism In Higher Education, Susan Ayres

Faculty Scholarship

The spring of 2020 saw waves of protest as police killed people of color. After George Floyd’s death, protests erupted in over 140 cities. The systemic racism exhibited by these killings has been uncontrollable, hopeless, and endless. Our country is facing a national crisis. In response to the police killings, businesses, schools, and communities held diversity workshops across the nation, and businesses and organizations posted antiracism statements. Legislators and City Councils introduced bills and orders to defund police and to limit qualified immunity. As schools prepared for the fall semester, teachers considered ways to incorporate antiracism materials into the curriculum. …

Reducing Energy Demand In China And The United Kingdom: The Importance Of Energy Literacy, D. R.E. Cotton, J. Zhai, W. Miller, L. Dalla Valle, J. Winter

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible across the globe, awareness of the need for cleaner energy and demand reduction is growing. Energy literacy offers a strong potential for explaining and predicting energy-related behaviours, yet research and policies focused on this topic remain limited. In this study, energy literacy was measured in a sample of 2806 university students in the United Kingdom and China, in addition to their wider environmental attitudes using the New Ecological Paradigm scale. Findings indicate that energy literacy was relatively high overall, but there were significant differences between the knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions …

Mismatch And Burnout: An Exploration Of Burnout And Work Passion Amongst Academic Affairs Professionals Through An Organizational Lens, Alexa Elizabeth Cecil

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Though the concept of burnout is well developed, there is less research on burnout in higher education, especially on specific staff populations, and loss of work passion. The current study aimed to understand burnout and work passion for academic affairs professionals who work with undergraduate students on academic probation and students conditionally admitted to the institution, including impacts, how these experiences have been navigated, and organizational supports that help alleviate these outcomes. Utilizing a sequential mixed methods research design, the study collected survey responses from identified professionals working with these student populations at a specific institution type. Demographic and t-test …

Students' Perceptions Of Persistence In Two-Year Radiologic Technology Programs, Billie Jo Huffstetler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obtaining a health care degree benefits individuals and society; however, 2-year radiologic technology programs in a metropolitan area of the southern United States continue to struggle with student persistence from enrollment to graduation. Exploring student persistence is important to college administrators, faculty, and students because of the predicted growth in the profession of radiologic technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore students' perceptions of their experiences at the local college that encouraged them to persist to graduation or quit attending. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory and Bean and Metzner's nontraditional undergraduate attrition model served as the …

Financial Stress In Undergraduate Students, Samantha Pearl Hicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate students are a vulnerable population faced with college costs and a lack of financial management knowledge, issues that have led to high student debt, failure to repay this debt, and sometimes dropping out of college. Facing these financial matters often serves as a leading source of stress, which, according to Selye’s stress theory, can negatively affect the lives of these college students, but may also be experienced differently by various demographic groups. This quantitative study compared financial stress reported on an anonymous online National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) financial stress survey by respondents from a stratified random sample …

Decision-Making Of Unionized Men Toward Work And Post-Secondary Education: A Qualitative Study, Angela Pesce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High school graduates who opt for labor-based unionized positions, versus matriculating, are typically viewed as unable to matriculate, less intelligent and a myriad of other less desirable qualities. Current literature fails to showcase the decision-making experiences of unionized men who did not matriculate. There is also a gap regarding unionized mens’ perceptions on matriculation, including their reasons for not. This general qualitative study explored the career decision-making experiences of unionized men and their perceptions on postsecondary education through semi-structured interviews with 10 unionized men in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used for recruitment through posted flyers within …

I Already Belong: Immigrant-Origin College Students’ Persistence, Kerrie Devries, Wayne Harrison, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Children of immigrant and refugee populations are increasing in the U.S. but are underrepresented at U.S. universities. Collectivistic, immigrant-origin students may be less responsive to current best practice integration approaches, which focus on institutional Academic and Social Integration as necessary for college persistence. Homoginizing U.S.-origin and immigrant-origin students in persistence strategies, particularly institutional Social Integration, may not take into consideration culture-of-origin differences, such as the degree of ongoing family connectedness, that motivate students toward college persistence. Antecedents of college intentions to persist were compared for immigrant-origin students (N=87) and U.S.- origin students (N=122) at a midwestern university. Model comparisons revealed …

“In The University But Not Of The University”: Examining Institutionalized Counterspaces Through A Staff Perspective, Omar A. Ramirez

Master's Theses

Using a qualitative case study, this thesis examines a university counterspace that serves Students of Color through the perspective of the staff who work in that space. The case study aimed to explore four areas of investigation: the interviewees’ knowledge and perceptions of 1) the history of their counterspace; 2) the purpose of their counterspace; 3) the benefits of their counterspace; and 4) challenges of their counterspace. The counterspace was a program within a large, 4-year, public, R-1 research university. Five staff from the counterspace were interviewed. A thematic analysis of the data suggests that students were an essential part …

Important Forms And Technologies For The Development Of Information Competence Of Leadership Of Higher Education Institutions

Central Asian Journal of Education

This article is about theoretical analysis and practical study of the activities of higher education institutions showed that in the consistent study, analysis and evaluation of innovative management of higher education institutions, it is reasonable to take the criteria. Also the concept of "electronic monitoring" in the development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions can be clarified electronic monitoring of the process of development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions - the functional capacity of ICT by introducing leadership to methods of developing information competence monitoring and evaluating the dynamic growth of the innovation …

Important Forms And Technologies For The Development Of Information Competence Of Leadership Of Higher Education Institutions

Central Asian Journal of Education

This article is about theoretical analysis and practical study of the activities of higher education institutions showed that in the consistent study, analysis and evaluation of innovative management of higher education institutions, it is reasonable to take the criteria. Also the concept of "electronic monitoring" in the development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions can be clarified electronic monitoring of the process of development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions - the functional capacity of ICT by introducing leadership to methods of developing information competence monitoring and evaluating the dynamic growth of the innovation …

Disability Discrimination In Higher Education: The Enabling Spirit Of American Disability Legislation In Conflict With Judicial Interpretation, Travis Murray

Student Scholarship

Disabled individuals have historically been treated as second-class citizens in the United States. While improvements have certainly been made over time, disabled individuals still face significant barriers to enjoying full and equal participation in society. Higher education is one aspect of American society still lacking proportional representation of the disabled community. To try and understand why disabled Americans fail to thrive in higher education at rates approaching those of non-disabled individuals, this paper will examine the following: how the history of disability discrimination in America influenced passage of powerful anti-discrimination legislation; how American courts have generally interpreted that legislation to …

The Relationship Between Department Chairs’ Leadership Style And Faculty Members’ Job Satisfaction In The College Of Education At King Saud University In Saudi Arabia, Reem Alsunaydi

Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative, correlation study explored the leadership styles of the department chairs in the College of Education at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as perceived by the full-time faculty members. This exploration was used to examine the relationship between leadership styles and faculty’s overall job satisfaction, and to determine to what extent these leadership styles predicted the faculty’s overall job satisfaction. The theoretical framework for this study was the Full Range Leadership theory, which consists of three leadership styles and considered the independent variables for the study: transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership. The dependent variable for the study …

The Effectiveness And Priorities Of The American College President:Perceptions From The Faculty Lounge, G. David Gearhart, Daniel P. Nadler, Michael T. Miller

Journal of Research on the College President

The American college presidency has become increasingly complex, particularly due to the wide variety of demands placed on the position. Indeed, the effectiveness of a president is often seen through the lens of different constituents. Historically, the faculty have played a key role in determining the success of a president, and the current study sought to identify the perceptions of faculty members regarding the effectiveness of presidents. Additionally, the study sought to compare faculty perception of desired versus actual effectiveness of presidential responsibilities.

Higher Education Responses To Crisis: A Case Study Of Clark University And The Pandemic Of 2020, Lisa Gillingham

School of Professional Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an existential challenge to universities and other academic institutions at a time when they are already grappling with other weighty issues that may alter the fabric of higher education. COVID-19 has forced these institutions to consider and employ new ways of conducting its work with a sense urgency that is unprecedented in the recent history of the academy. The rate of learning around these models is rapid, and Higher Education is ripe for change.

Clark University has addressed the pandemic with a plan to protect and pivot using strategies that support the continuation of its …

Office Of Equity And Inclusion Newsletter - December 2020, Office Of Equity And Inclusion, East Tennessee State University

Office of Equity and Inclusion Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Computer-Based And Paper-And-Pencil Tests: A Study In Calculus For Stem Majors, Lawrence Smolinsky, Brian D. Marx, Gestur Olafsson, Yanxia A. Ma

Faculty Publications

Computer-based testing is an expanding use of technology offering advantages to teachers and students. We studied Calculus II classes for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors using different testing modes. Three sections with 324 students employed: paper-and-pencil testing, computer-based testing, and both. Computer tests gave immediate feedback and allowed multiple submissions and pooling. Paper-and-pencil tests (PPTs) required work and explanation allowing inspection of high cognitive demand tasks. Each test mode used the strength of its method. Students were given the same lecture by the same instructor on the same day and the same homework assignments and due dates. The design …

The Journalistic Approach: Evaluating Web Sources In An Age Of Mass Disinformation, Victoria Elmwood

Communications in Information Literacy

A new approach to teaching web source evaluation is necessary for an internet that is increasingly littered with sources of questionable merit and motivation. Initially pioneered by K–12 educational specialists, the journalistic model avoids the cognitive duality of the checklist and a reliance on opaque terms and concepts. Instead, it recommends students apply the six journalistic questions of what, who, where, when, why, and how when evaluating freely available web sources. This approach outlines an evaluative procedure that is open-ended, discursive, and analytic in nature as opposed to formulaic and binaristic. It also requires students to consider both the context …

Full Issue Winter Special Issue 12(4) 2020

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Student Engagement In A Post-Secondary Developmental Mathematics Class And Exploring The Reflexivity Between Social And Sociomathematical Norms, David Fifty

Doctoral Dissertations

Traditionally, post-secondary developmental mathematics courses aspire to equip students with mathematical content knowledge needed to succeed in calculus and subsequent STEM courses. The literature shows that this goal alone is insufficient, as the emphasis on content acquisition often comes at the expense of developing higher-order skills such as argumentation, reasoning, and flexibility in mathematics problem solving (Chiaravalloti, 2009; Partanen & Kaasila, 2014; Star et al., 2015). Redesigning curricula with these additional objectives in mind requires providing students with opportunities to engage with mathematics in ways that may contrast with their past experiences or expectations. It requires changing patterns of classroom …

Insufficient Post Secondary Information For Students In Alternative Schools, Iradzeni Salazar

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Access to resources and information is important as it can help individuals plan for future goals and enable them to become successful in life. Youth Alliance is a non-profit organization that serves children, youth, and families through culturally relevant services and programs. A program offered is Restorative Justice, which serves at-risk youth at a continuation school. Few students continue with their education after graduating from alternative schools. Insufficient knowledge about post-secondary education as well as discouragement from peers and academic history contribute to students not acquiring a post-secondary education. Consequently, these individuals are more likely to fall into the school …

Promoting Higher Education, Sandra Estrada

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Learning For Life Charter School is an alternative school that serves at-risk students. Due to challenges these students face, it is difficult for them to graduate and pursue higher education. Higher education can provide students with many opportunities. Financial issues, low motivation, and even lack of awareness of the multiple college opportunities available contribute to students failing to attempt or complete higher education. This leads to consequences including less opportunities in the future, lower lifetime earnings, and long-term health effects. In order to support and encourage the Learning For Life Charter School students to pursue higher education, educational workshops were …

Predictors Of Student Success In An Upper Division Agriculture Chemistry Class, Maddison V. May

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

To attempt to find what made students successful within a higher division class at Missouri State University’s (MSU) Darr College of Agriculture, de-identified academic records of 172 students enrolled in AGR 300 - Food and Agriculture Chemistry were studied over four semesters. Deidentified data were collected and compared to final letter grade received at the end of the class using correlation coefficients, analysis of variance, and stepwise regression. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the influence of semester on letter grade. Correlation coefficients were used to determine and evaluate relationships between the variables and final grade. Stepwise regression was …

Participatory Approach To Program Evaluation: Learning From Students And Faculty To Improve Training In Biomedical Informatics, Batsheva R. Guy

i.e.: inquiry in education

Participatory evaluation tools have shown to be effective for program development in various settings, including in higher education. Taking student perspectives into consideration is key for graduate program development, particularly in interdisciplinary programs.The current study utilizes Group Level Assessment (GLA),a participatory program evaluation tool, to evaluate the Biomedical Informatics (BMI) PhD Program at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). The study was conducted two years after the program was established, an appropriate timing to gauge the opinions of current doctoral students as the program grows and develops. The findings show the strengths and identify …

Exploring Efl Student Teachers’ Perceptions Of Student-Led Seminars, Majid Al-Amri

i.e.: inquiry in education

Abstract

Student-led seminars have not been widely researched from the student perspective despite their prevalence in different streams of education literature. Based on four focus group interviews involving 24 students from a university in Saudi Arabia, this study evaluated student-led seminar sessions from the perspective of EFL student teachers, to generate relevant themes and categories. The themes identified comprised: preparing for seminar sessions, implementing seminar sessions, and receiving feedback after seminar sessions. Results found that students acknowledged the advantages of student-led seminars, but were worried about engaging in student-led seminars. Others preferred to receive guidance from the instructor, and some …

Gc Minutes Nov 19, 2020, Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Important Forms And Technologies For The Development Of Information Competence Of Leadership Of Higher Education Institutions

Central Asian Journal of Education

This article is about theoretical analysis and practical study of the activities of higher education institutions showed that in the consistent study, analysis and evaluation of innovative management of higher education institutions, it is reasonable to take the criteria. Also the concept of "electronic monitoring" in the development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions can be clarified electronic monitoring of the process of development of information competence of leadership of higher educational institutions - the functional capacity of ICT by introducing leadership to methods of developing information competence monitoring and evaluating the dynamic growth of the innovation …

Implementing The Flipped Classroom In An Undergraduate Corporate Finance Course, Jayendra S. Gokhale

Publications

This study analyzes flipped mode of instruction in Corporate Finance. In the current environment, with many students in quarantine and greater emphasis on self-study, it is even more relevant to understand how students understand and retain concepts derived from online environment. In this study, performance of students in flipped mode is compared with the performance in traditional lecture-style. In flipped class, students watched a brief video-lecture, took an online assessment quiz prior to attending an interactive discussion-based class session, unlike the traditional lecture style. The results of this study suggest that with flipped mode, most students take greater responsibility of …