The Influence Of Faculty Mentorship On Graduate Student Development Through The Lens Of Self-Efficacy, Connor Lynn Ferguson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study explores the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and faculty mentorship with biomedical sciences graduate students. The intent of the study was to understand the extent at which faculty mentorship contributes to self-efficacy development in the population of biomedical sciences doctoral students enrolled at a mid-Atlantic R1 institution. Data collected consisted of a survey assessing perceived self-efficacy and mentoring, interviews and documents. Data analysis explored themes related to the perceived academic and professional development of the students through their responses. The research highlights the significance of the mentor-mentee relationship and influence of the mentor on the …

Planned Happenstance: Career Decision Making And Executive Leaders In The California Community College System, Rita Soultanian

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how community college leaders responded to unpredictable events and opportunities that affected their career decisions using the five elements of planned happenstance theory (Mitchell et al., 1999). A second purpose was to understand how California community college leaders perceived that career planning enhanced or hindered their career decision-making. A further purpose was to identify recommendations community college leaders believed will advance the career trajectories of future leaders.

Methodology: This study used a qualitative approach to understand the lived experiences of vice presidents of student services to provide insights to inform …

The Influence Of In-School Time (Ist) And Out-Of-School Time (Ost) Learning Experiences On Aviation Career Entry, Andrew Koch

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Increased demand for aviation has created a skill and workforce gap. An understanding of how to increase this potential workforce is vital to ensure the ongoing success and sustainability of the commercial aviation industry. This research explores science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs as a potential avenue for increasing the available aviation workforce. Specifically, it explores how STEM programs and their associated learning experiences influence career entry.

Utilizing a mixed methodology approach, this research retrospectively explored the self-reported effect of out-of-school time (OST) and in-school time (IST) STEM experiences on aviation career development. Through interviews, a survey instrument was …

The Role Of Time Perspective In The College Major Selection Process, Anders C. Voss

Masters Theses

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of formerly undeclared college sophomores as they navigated major selection and how their time perspective influenced their decision-making process. This study applied time perspective theory to the issue of major selection for college students, an undertaking that offers a new perspective on the professional practices of academic advising and career services on college campuses. This study utilized semi-structured interviews of four female-identifying formerly undeclared students. Participant responses revealed that negative future time attitudes and a lack of future orientation can both contribute to behaviors that defer career decision-making. In contrast, professional staff and faculty …

An Examination Of Career Orientation Courses And College Students' Career Decision Self-Efficacy, Logan R. Mayhew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Career development is an ongoing concern for college administrators as the modern knowledge era generates new and fluctuating jobs. College students are more anxious than in previous decades about starting their careers and making vocational decisions. Building career decision self-efficacy in students results in greater feelings of confidence and increases demonstration of career-related behaviors. Students in three online career courses at West Virginia University were assessed for gains in career decision self-efficacy in comparison with a control group after participation in the courses and compared on the basis of gender. Results of a mixed ANOVA indicated a significant increase in …

An Exploratory Study Of Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Experiences, Bethany Ann Potts

Dissertations and Theses

Part-time non-tenure track faculty, also referred to as adjunct faculty, are the fastest growing instructional group in higher education, but they are provided minimal professional support from their employing institution(s). This lack of support is a problem because working conditions shape instructors' investment and efficacy of performance in their professional practice. Well established in the literature are inquiries into adjunct faculty working conditions that prioritize analysis of the organization over the lived experiences of the faculty. However, the lived experiences of adjunct faculty offer a unique and important lens from which to interrogate the impact of institutional policies and practices …

Faculty Role In Student Career Development: A Qualitative Study, Marianne Jacullo Brosnan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As chief architects of curriculum, faculty are largely responsible for student learning outcomes. Given the cost of higher education and the amount of debt students incur, higher education stakeholders want to know if higher education is worth the investment.

Student career preparedness is an important goal of higher education. While research has been dedicated to college student development, career decision-making, and student-faculty interaction from a student perspective, little is known about the faculty perspective and their role in student career preparedness in a specific articulated way.

In this study, the phenomenological perspective provided a framework for data collection and analysis. …

Evaluating First-Generation Students’ Career Readiness, Mariana N. Robledo De La Torre

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Research shows that first-generation students have historically had less guidance and resources to support their educational attainment and career development (Tate et al., 2015). This has resulted in considerable growth in the amount of support systems, programs, and services implemented by educational institutions across the United States to help first-generation college students thrive in higher education and their future careers. This study sought to improve my understanding of the career readiness of first-generation students at USD. By engaging with and gathering data from first-generation students, I have greater insight about ways of supporting first-generation students’ career readiness and vocational confidence …

Skills And Student Affairs: A Discourse Analysis, Shannon Mckechnie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Media, industry, and other public actors have claimed that a ‘skills gap’ exists in students exiting post-secondary education and entering the workforce. The Ontario provincial government has developed policy, the Highly Skilled Workforce Strategy, to provide directives to universities in the province to provide skills development to students to aid in closing the gap and providing a workplace relevant education. In this study, I explore the experiences of student affairs and services (SAS) staff responsible for enacting provincial policy related to skills development at the university level by investigating the discourses that shape policy and practices of these staff …

Does College Experience Matter? A National Study Understanding Graduates’ Job Satisfaction, Kevin R. Majewski

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), a nationally representative and longitudinal survey, this dissertation investigated the impact of the college experience on the post-graduation outcome of job satisfaction as graduates enter the workforce. Through the lens of the Social Cognitive Model of Career Self-Management and Utility Theory, this study identified demographic, college, and workplace factors that relate to job satisfaction. The synthesis of these factors was the basis for a comprehensive model of job satisfaction for college graduates. Controlling for the background and workplace environment of graduates, the proposed model with …

The Impact Of Race, Gender, And Class On Career Development: Perceptions Of African American Women, Nicole Milan-Tyner

Theses and Dissertations

Socio-political issues of race, gender, and class have had a lasting impact on African American women. This impact has historically shaped the reality and lived experiences of African American women including their employment and economic opportunities. At the heart of this impact are the career goals and aspirations of African American women, which are also influenced by race, gender, and class. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the perceptions of five African American undergraduate women regarding their career aspirations, and the impact that race, gender, and class have on those aspirations. The study was conducted at a predominantly …

Putting Experience To Work: Leveraging Student Attributes And Abilities In The Development Of An Adult Learner Professional Readiness Experience Program, Erin E. Cook

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the project was to provide an opportunity for adult learners at Gardner-Webb University to collectively engage in professional development within their program of study. Specifically, the program was designed to harness an adult learner’s prior knowledge, skills, and life experiences as an enhancement to his or her future professional work.

At the beginning of the project, no established professional development program was available for adult learners. The development of the Adult Learner Professional Readiness Experience Program (AL-PREP) allowed the aforementioned purpose to align with Gardner-Webb curriculum.

Goals, objectives, and data collection methods were established in order to …

The Role Of Learning Experiences, Supports And Barriers In Career Development For The Doctoral Student, Madeline B. Goldman

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

THE ROLE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES, SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS FOR THE DOCTORAL STUDENT

By Madeline B. Goldman, DDS, MEd

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018

Major Director: Robin Hurst, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

This study seeks to understand the role of career development classes offered by the graduate school at a large public research university as part of its Leadership and Entrepreneurs for Professional Development (LEAPD) program and the LEAPD program effects on doctoral students’ career development and …

Developing A Career Development Assessment For Predicting Young Stem Graduates’ Employability And Career Barriers, Yi-Ching Lin

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The increased concern of declining STEM candidates could negatively impact the U.S. economy (Kelic & Zagnoel, 2009; Maltese & Tai, 2010). Previous studies suggest that the gap between the supply of STEM students in higher education and workface demand is not reflected merely in the number of STEM graduates but instead in the number of qualified STEM graduates who could satisfy STEM workforce demands (Kelic & Zagnoel, 2009; Lowell & Salzman, 2007). The current study used Rae’s employability theory (Rae, 2007) to develop an assessment for evaluating student’s career development in STEM during their higher education. Unlike other instruments focusing …

An Exploration Of The Identity And Career Development Of African American Women In Higher Education Leadership: Does Hair Style Make A Difference?, Yasmine Osir Farley

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

African American women, a group that endures the intersectionality of being both a woman and an African American, have many obstacles in their path as they advance in their career. Despite the strides that have been made in America to improve things for women and people of color, the interwoven societal standards of beauty do not include African American women. This standard of beauty affects women in that no matter how intelligent they are, looks play an important part in their professional life. For African American women, hair is a large part of who they are and how others perceive …

21st Century College To Career Transition: A Case Study Exploration Of A Former United States Intercollegiate Division I Student-Athlete Who Participated In A Revenue Generating Sport, Kadar Lewis

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the career development experiences of one African American man, a former student-athlete in a Division I revenue generating football team. This study focused on his experiences as a student-athlete who participated in football as he transitioned out of elite athletics. Division I collegiate athletics represents a highly sought opportunity (NCAA, 2015h). However, this opportunity may reduce college completion and disrupt maximal career development (Hartman, 2014; Van Rheenen, 2013). This qualitative case study of one participant explored the nuanced influences and pathways the participant used to enter his current career after completing college. Mark Savickas’s (2002) Career Construction …

The Externship Experience: Developing A Short-Term Experiential Learning Opportunity To Enhance Career Development, Alexandra Finney

Higher Education Student Work

Research supports experiential learning models, focusing on career exploration, as one of the best ways college students can clarify their interests and determine future goals (Orndorff & Herr, 1996). This capstone explored the existing literature on: fundamental career development theories, experiential learning’s connection to career preparation, student populations needing additional career preparation, and ways to address these needs. Typically, sophomore students need but rarely receive this special attention, since they statistically have the highest withdrawal rates (Tobolowsky, 2008). This capstone project was conducted through a mixed methods pragmatic methodological assessment of the development and implementation of Merrimack College’s Externship Experience. …

Utilizing A Web-Based Career Development Workshop To Address Career Decision-Making Difficulty Among Community College Distance Learners, Johanna Michele Brown

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Career decision making difficulty, as it relates to undecided college students and career indecision, has been a concern for counselors and academic advisors for decades (Gordon, 2006; Mau, 2004). Individuals struggling with career indecision often seek assistance via career counseling, self-help tools, and/or computer-assisted career guidance systems (Gati, Gadassi, & Shemesh, 2005). The past decade has brought a large increase in the development of a number of web-based career guidance systems (CGS) (Bobek, Robbins, Gore, Harris-Bowlsbey, Lapan, Dahir, & Jepsen, 2005). Despite the rapid growth in the type and use of computer-assisted CGS, little empirical research has been conducted on …

Testing The Influence Of Counselors' Self-Disclosure In Career Counseling : Does The Content Of The Disclosure Matter?, Kerrin A. Sendrowitz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which counselor self-disclosure influenced the process and outcome of career counseling. The investigation was a one-session field intervention that used an experimental between-groups design, in which clients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) coping-mastery self-disclosure: the career counselor disclosed having personally experienced a similar career-related challenge and described how he or she overcame that challenge, (2) similarity self-disclosure: the career counselor disclosed having personally experienced a similar career-related challenge, without describing how he or she overcame the challenge, and (3) no self-disclosure. The dependent variables were …

A Conceptual Model Of Career Development To Enhance Academic Motivation, Nancy Creighton Collins

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, refine, and validate a conceptual model of career development to enhance the academic motivation of community college students. To achieve this end, a straw model was built from the theoretical and empirical research literature. The model was then refined and validated through three rounds of a Delphi study. The Delphi study solicited the opinions of students who had successfully completed community college programs.

Three research goals guided this study: (1) identify the components of modern motivation theory that apply to the academic motivation of community college students, (2) identify key components of …

A Follow-Up Study Investigating The Relationships Between Holland's Personality Types And Selected Career Choice Variables, Kennard S. Brackney Sr.

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This follow-up study utilized John L. Holland's theory of vocational personalities and work environments to examine the relationship between students personality types and their career choices. The study sought to determine whether data collected using Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) was a valid predictor of (1) career goal, (2) eventual choice of college major, (3) persistence to graduation, (4) occupation (type of job held at the time the data was collected), and (5) level of satisfaction with occupation (job) at the time data was gathered.

The stratified random sample for the study was composed of 180 subjects drawn from a population …