Education Commons^™

The West Point Talent Based Branching Program As A Predictor Of Performance At The Army’S Field Artillery Basic Officer Leadership Course: Implications For Officer Retention, Ryan Oldroyd Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Junior officer attrition has increased over the last two decades. The early departure of army officers leaves a dearth of middle- and senior-level leadership, creating risk for future military readiness. West Point leaders theorized that new officers’ poor person–job fit within their specific career fields contributed to attrition. West Point implemented a talent-based system to place new officers into branches that should offer a stronger person–job fit, hoping it would reduce officer attrition. To begin the investigation on how this talent-based system affects attrition, this study examined graduates who joined the field artillery career field to ascertain if the various …

Persistence And Retention Of Adult Learners: Results Of A Program Evaluation Of Tuition Funding Provided By Employers, Andrea J. Gross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the looming enrollment cliff approaches and more adult learners return to higher education, understanding the factors that affect their persistence and retention is vital for higher education institutions. Previous studies have shown that external factors influence post-traditional learners’ pursuit of higher education. This program evaluation aimed to acquire knowledge of up-front employer tuition funding and its effects on adult learners' persistence, retention, and time to degree completion. Through a quantitative approach, this program evaluation examines the differences between students receiving up-front employer tuition funding and those who do not. The results indicated that students who received employer funding retained …

Investing In Your Employees: Understanding The Impact Organizational Commitment Has On Staff Retention, Vanessa Lynne Mcwhirt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High employee turnover in higher education has been an issue for decades, and successfully integrating newly hired staff (NHS) into their new job and the organization can be challenging for human resources and leadership. New employee orientation and onboarding programs can assist NHS. The author of this paper conducted a Utilization-Focused evaluation of the Thriving at DU program at the University of Denver (DU) to improve the program. The study examined the perceptions of how 12 student and academic affairs professionals made meaning of organizational commitment in the workplace throughout their onboarding experience.

The major findings of this evaluation aligned …

Fostering An Inclusive Learning Environment Through Course Development: A Program Evaluation, Rachel K. Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evaluation was chosen to address the desire of students to see themselves and their lived experiences in their coursework at University College, the location of this study. The purpose was to complete a utilization-focused evaluation that assessed first, the formal and informal practices involved in the course development process within an academic department at University College, University of Denver, and second to determine the extent to which the course development process contributes to an inclusive learning environment. Data were collected using qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders in the course development process, observations of weekly course development …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Research Administrator Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction In A Central Research Administration Unit At The University Of Denver, Noelle L. Strom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at the University of Denver. As research funding continues to rise at the University of Denver, retention of research administrators is critically important. Job satisfaction is key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. The need to retain experienced research administration professionals is highlighted by the fact that few formal educational routes exist that prepare employees for a career in research administration; rather, developing expertise takes a …

Navigating Digital Identity As Graduate Students: Perceptions And Experiences Influencing Performativity In Higher Education, Samantha Ryan Szcyrek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores and makes visible how graduate students perceive, experience, and perform their digital identity. It will explore how graduate students' perceptions and experiences influence the navigation of their digital identity, using Goffman's (1959) performative theory and Tajfel & Turner's (1979) social identity theory to address the phenomenon of performativity on Social Networking Sites (SNSs). This research study will deepen scholarly understanding of the phenomenon of performativity in higher education. There is a need to understand this as the phenomenon of performativity is ever-present for graduate students as they navigate context collapse (Marwick & boyd, 2011; boyd, 2013) between …

The Vigor Of Creative Materialism: Making The Hidden Stories Of Underrepresented Engineering Students Visible, Katherine A. Robert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of initiatives, engineering education continues to lack diversity. The proportion of women, BIPOC, LGBTQA+, low-income, first-generation, and disabled students in engineering education remains below national population levels. The culture of engineering is a barrier to increasing participation in engineering for students from these communities. The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the experiences of underrepresented engineering students as they are socialized into the culture of engineering. I theorized a novel conceptual framework called creative materialism that combines culturally responsive methodologies, new materialist theory, and arts-based research methods. Two research questions were used to guide the study. …

The Rural Post-Graduation Plan Development Model: Advancing Student College Choice By Centering Rural Communities, Steve Jenks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College choice models have been used since the 1980s to try and explain the processes and influences high school students use to decide if and which college to attend after graduation. These models focused solely on college attendance and lacked attention to the nuanced needs and resources found in rural communities. In this three-paper dissertation, a new, rural-centric model is proposed, tested, critiqued, and revised. The first paper proposes a new conceptual model of Rural Post-Graduation Plan Development using a critique and synthesis of prior college choice models, Critical Rural Theory, Funds of Knowledge, and socio-ecological models. The second paper …

Reducing Barriers To Reporting Campus Sexual Victimization: Exploration Of Gender Microaggressions, Campus Climate, Institutional Betrayal And Institutional Courage, Rebecca Ellsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine college cis-women’s experiences with gender microaggressions and perceptions of campus climate, institutional betrayal, and institutional courage, how those experiences and perceptions are related, and how each predicts college students’ likelihood of reporting sexual assault to the University. College cis-women (n = 483; 84.3% White) at a private predominantly-White Catholic university in the northeastern United States completed a 153-item survey, the data from which was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, Pearson correlations, and linear regressions.

Gender microaggressions were found to be prevalent at the University, with perpetration by peers more common …

Community College Chief Academic Officers' Perceptions Of The Pipeline For The Presidency, Jane Ellingwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to research pointing to a growing executive leadership crisis in community colleges (CCs), with too few strong candidates entering the leadership pipeline for the presidency, I focused this study on individuals already in that pipeline. My goal was to develop an understanding of their perceptions of their own roles in the pipeline and the potential of faculty to enter the pipeline and ultimately achieve a presidency. Utilizing a qualitative research design, I explored the perceptions of eight individuals who occupy the pivotal position of chief academic officer (CAO) within the leadership pipeline at a CC, all recruited from …

The Relationship Between Academic Self-Efficacy And Academic Achievement Of First-Time First-Year Students Enrolled At A Technical College, Heather Marie Hoppe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence, retention, and completion are continued concerns in higher education. While external influences contribute to persistence and retention, the focus of this research study was to determine the academic self-efficacy and self-regulated factors that influence the academic achievement of first-time first-year students who persist from the fall to spring semester at a Southeastern technical college. One hundred four first-time first-year students who persisted from fall 2021 to spring 2022 completed an Academic Self-Efficacy Survey. There were five significant predictors identified in the analysis. The three self-regulated learning tasks: “I can finish homework assignments by deadlines,” “I can organize my …

Student-Athlete Retention: An Analysis Of Student-Athlete Retention At A Small, Private, Highly Residential Ncaa Division Ii Institution In The Southeast, Malcolm Kendrick Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retaining students in higher education is ever-changing, requiring continual evaluation and institutional commitment to ensure measures are implemented to meet the varying demands of today’s college students. Student-athletes make up a large percentage of the overall student population on many college campuses, thus, warranting further research to understand trends and factors that impact the retention of this key group of students. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contributed to the retention of student-athletes at a small, private, highly residential NCAA Division II institution in the Southeast.

The study focused on the experiences of student-athletes at …

Immersive Learning Environments For Computer Science Education, Dillon Buchanan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis explores the effectiveness of an educational intervention using an interactive notebook to support and supplement instruction in a foundational-level programming course. A quantitative, quasi-experimental group comparison method was employed, where students were placed into either a control or a treatment group. Data was collected from assignment and final grades, as well as self-reported time spent using the notebook. Independent t-tests and correlation were used for data analysis. Results were inconclusive but did indicate that the intervention had a possible effect. Further studies may explore better efficacy, implementation, and satisfaction of interactive notebooks across a larger population and …

Perceptions Of Student Loan Debt: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Black Undergraduate Students' Experiences., Pilar Prather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rising cost of higher education concerns many families in the United States, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of Black students' perception of their student loan debt and how their financial knowledge influences their decisions at a public institution. This qualitative research provides space to empower individuals to share their stories through semi-structured interviews to get an account of their experiences. Grounded in Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Theory, the study seeks to capture the unique ways Black students make financial decisions. The dissertation is divided into five chapters: …

Meta-Analysis Of Therapeutic Interventions For The Treatment Of Test Anxiety., Thomas Reece

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to be a practitioner-focused review of the current research into interventions for the treatment of test anxiety. As testing continues to be a large part of students’ academic experiences and the stakes of that testing grow for students, teachers, and schools, there is a need for a synthesis of the literature to provide teachers and schools with some guidance on how best to help their students succeed. In this review, I describe the phenomenon of test anxiety and the current theoretical questions concerning the relationship between test anxiety and test performance. I also …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Underrepresentation Of Division I Minority Women Athletic Directors, Jacquelyn K. Timmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the factors women of color in athletic administration perceive to be contributors to the underrepresentation of minority women in Division I athletic director leadership positions. The study sought to identify and understand barriers that ostensibly impact women of color. Moreover, it serves current and future minority women to overcome similar trials to advance their collegiate athletic careers. Furthermore, the study sought to provide a lexicon of strategies that minority women regard as bridges to the racial and gender leadership gaps within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) organization. Previous studies are …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Athletic Directors At Ncaa Institutions, Niya N. Blair Hackworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, college athletics have advanced men over women in top leadership roles, sustaining gender hierarchy. Senior leadership positions within intercollegiate athletics, such as the athletic director or associate athletic director, are mainly held by White men. Women and racial minorities are considerably unrepresented in athletic director roles. In 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association reported that Black men held 13% of athletic director positions, whereas the role was held by 3% of Black women. Research indicated there are unique barriers that women of color experience as they strive to obtain the athletic director title. The barriers women of color experience …

Authentic Narratives Of Successful Pathways To Undergraduate Completion For Black Men, Tara M. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study examined the authentic lived experiences of eight Black male participants who successfully completed their college undergraduate degree at a private college in the southeast United States. The participants were recruited via LinkedIn, a professional social media, networking site. It explored family, K-12, co-curricular, and community factors that contributed to the academic success of the participants throughout their educational journey. This study drew upon Harper’s (2012) antideficit theory framing the study from the lens of the positive aspects of their academic experiences rather than focusing on the negative aspects of Black men that graduate college at the …

Exploring The Upward Transfer Advising Experience Of First-Generation Latinx Community College Students, Lizette Avalos-Morales

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the student experience of Latinx first-generation community college students who graduated from a community college and transferred to a 4-year university. The research examined if intrusive advising served as a mechanism to aid academic persistence despite the challenges of first-generation Latinx students. Eleven first-generation community college students who graduated from a Hispanic Serving Institution in southwest Kansas were interviewed. The thematic analysis conducted led to five themes emerging. The themes included family, meaningful relationships, belonging, independence, and embracing uncertainty. The theme of family was separated into two subthemes: family support and …

Perceived Social Isolation And Turnover Intention Among Black Faculty At Midwestern And Southeastern Public U.S. Universities, Trenee T. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite organizational recruitment and retention initiatives, Black faculty remain underrepresented in U.S. higher education. Existing research substantiates that Black faculty continue to encounter the isolating effects of racial discrimination. The purpose of this quantitative survey research was to examine the association between perceived social isolation and turnover intention among Black faculty at predominately White institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This study also sought to identify systemic or social practices that counteract Black faculty retention initiatives. Two research questions guided the study: (a) Does perceived social isolation increase turnover intention among Black faculty? and (b) To what …

Does Publicness Matter? A Mixed Method Analysis Identifying And Measuring Institutional Contributions To State Goals For Public Higher Education, Sophia Laderman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

States founded, control, and fund public postsecondary institutions because higher education helps meet state goals. Public institutions of higher education provide considerable public benefits to states, but these benefits have not been systematically measured. As a result, public conversations about the broad value proposition of higher education do not center the public benefits produced by institutions. Using a framework of empirical and realized publicness, this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study used content analysis of state agency mission and vision statements to identify state goals for public higher education. Quantitative measurements of institutional contributions to common state goals for higher education were …

Examining Leadership Experiences And Practices Of African American Women In Higher Education Settings To Overcome Barriers, Tanya Stubbs White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: This qualitative case study described the steps 11 African American women have practiced in growing and continuing their path to notable success in higher education leadership. No one size will fit all, but the methods used by African American women may guide other African American or culturally diverse women on how to transcend into and ascertain the well-deserved leadership roles in higher education administration or faculty careers. This study provided narratives of the women leaders to explain their journey to a leadership role. The purpose of the study was to describe the path, barriers, and supports that African American …

Examination Of Formal Instructional Design Processes At Traditional Institutions Of Higher Education In The United States Post-Pandemic Onset, Heather L. D. Tobin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the motivational elements of formal online instructional design processes that are being implemented at traditional institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States (U.S.). For this study, I conducted a comprehensive literature review identifying emerging issues of practice for instructional design partnerships between the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2022 and the spring of 2023. This study was developed through the lens of Keller’s (2010) attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction, and volition (ARCS-V) model of motivation. An understanding of the elements of current processes that present as benefits …

Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions, Amy D. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging …

Student Perceptions Of Social Media In The Admissions Process, Skiler Ashley Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how prospective first-time-in-college minority students from a university in the southwestern part of the United States use social media to make decisions about matriculating at a 4-year public university. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with five students and two staff members. Social media accounts of the Office of Admissions and the general university social media accounts were reviewed for content. Existing research pointed to the top factors influencing students’ decision-making process when deciding where to attend college. The top reasons included cost of tuition and how connected students feel to …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience Through The Eyes Of Transition, Andrew J. Dies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the role that Adverse Childhood Experiences play in the lives of today’s college students and how Protective Factors can be integrated and enhanced to increase a student’s level of Resilience. This descriptive, causal-comparative quantitative study looked at participants’ levels of Resilience, what Adverse Childhood Experiences they entered college with, and what role Protective Factors played in mitigating the impacts of those Adverse Childhood Experiences on the levels of Resilience. Results indicated older students scored a higher Resilience score than their younger counterparts. Goal efficacy had the strongest effect on Resilience levels, while planning and goal efficacy …

The Relationship Between Academic Advising And Students' Completion Of Corequisite Gateway Courses, Michael P. Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This bivariate correlational quantitative study sought to determine how variables predicted students’ course outcomes in first-year English and mathematics courses within a corequisite learning support model. Course outcomes were defined dichotomously on a successful completion or unsuccessful completion basis. The participants of this study included those who initially attempted first-year English (n = 2,055) and mathematics (n = 2,843) course(s) in a corequisite learning support model for the first time between Fall 2018 and Spring 2022 and were assigned as advisees to the professional academic advisors in the centralized advising model. The examined predictors were students’ frequency of sessions, length …

Predicting Online Course Success From Usage Of An Online Tutoring System, Brett Miles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As online learning continues to grow in higher education, quality online support services must also be offered in order to meet the needs of online students. This study sought to investigate the relationship between the use of an outsourced online tutoring system and course success in select University System of Georgia eCore introductory online gateway courses to determine the extent of the relationship between tutoring usage and course success. The researcher employed logistic regression analysis to determine if using online tutoring increased the students’ probability for course success. Further, the researcher also studied the amount of usage to understand if …

Latino And/Or Hispanic Male Leaders In Community Colleges In Texas: A Narrative Study, Estrella Barrera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the leadership development of Latino and/or Hispanic male leaders serving in Texas community colleges. As the Latino and/or Hispanic population continues to grow, understanding the experiences from middle school to college is critical to gleaning insights into the factors that influence the development of Latino and/or Hispanic male leaders. Using a narrative life span approach to leadership development, the study provided themes regarding the critical factors impacting leadership development across the life span of the participants. Through life stories, the study’s findings described and illustrated key factors that influenced leadership development for …

“We All Fly Together, We All Fall Together”: A Fourth Generation Evaluation Of The Experiences Of Students Of Color In A Strengths-Based Postsecondary Access Program, Allyson Gunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most persistent barriers within the education system preventing students of color from accessing and persisting in higher education is the deficit lens that the education system uses to judge college-worthy students. To combat this deficit lens, strengths-based programming has shown promise in validating the strengths and students bring to their postsecondary journey. This fourth-generation program evaluation amplifies the experiences of students of color within a strength-based postsecondary access program in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. Through interviews and focus groups, students, and alums of color in the Cornerstone program shared the experience that was most meaningful to them, and …