Education Commons^™

Supporting International Students' Emotional And Social Wellbeing: Addressing Pressing Issues Related To Tuition And Visa Status Anxiety, Jinyi Chen

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

The purpose of my research was to engage and build community with international students and to find ways to support them emotionally and socially leading to better mental health outcomes. My research question was: how can I support international college students to alleviate common mental health issues many continue to experience as a result of their international status? This occurs particularly when they must deal with tuition and visa status anxiety. I did three cycles in the research process using online surveys, interviews, and a large debriefing group meeting. Findings indicated that visa status anxiety is one of the most …

Promoting Professional Development Through Appreciative Inquiry: Aiding The Transition Of College Student Employees As Emerging Professionals, Juleane Johnson

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

The purpose of this action research study aimed to identify how to better promote and support the transition as emerging professionals and elevate the professional development capacity of Sixth College Residence Life at the University of California, San Diego. The primary research question guiding these endeavors is: What role do I/our office play in the transition of student employees to emerging professionals? The secondary question is: How can I/our office collaborate to elevate professional development practices and capacity? Research participants took part through virtual interviews, virtual focus groups, and the completion of an online survey. The significance of my efforts …

Using College Student Learning Experiences And Outcomes To Guide Teaching Modifications In A General Education Choreography Course: An Action Research Study, Kristy Kuhn Donnelly

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to gain an understanding of the learning experiences and outcomes of 12 undergraduates enrolled in Creative Dance, a general education choreography course, in Fall 2019 and the teaching strategies and practices that guided their learning. Research questions that guided this study were: what does student work reveal about their learning and the teaching strategies that guide their learning? and what curricula and teaching changes will more effectively facilitate student learning processes and stronger outcomes? Qualitative data included standard instructional materials created for and utilized in the course and students’ choreographic and written …

The Effects Of A Strengths Based Faculty Coaching Intervention On First-Year Undergraduate Student Academic Confidence: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Conrad Alfred Davies Sr.

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Deficiency remediation models of education imply that students may enter the university with deficiencies, problems, or needs that imply the student needs to be “fixed” before they can proceed in their academic studies. In contrast, strengths-based education models infer that students come to the university with inherent talents, natural propensities, and behaviors that can be leveraged to overcome their challenges. These differing perspectives can influence the effectiveness of university policies designed to improve student retention. This mixed methods action research study, undergirded by student development theories, examined the effects of a strengths-based, faculty-led coaching intervention on first-year undergraduate students’ academic …

Writing Through The Senses In The Basic Writing Classroom, Danielle M. Schull

MSU Graduate Theses

This study attempts to determine the impact and effectiveness of sensory writing strategies in the initial drafting stages of narrative writing when used in the Basic Writing classroom. Inspired originally by my work with English As a Second Language (ESL) students at a middle eastern international school and the works of feminist theorists, such as Hélène Cixous and Gloria Anzaldua, students use sensory experiences as the foundation for the generation of narrative content. This early draft is then quantitatively and qualitatively compared to previous work completed by the student. I found that certain populations of students, based on gender, classroom …

Empowering Filipino American Young Adults Through Culturally Relevant Leadership Experiences, Donnaly Y. Atajar

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

The purpose of this study was to explore the leadership development of Filipino American young adults. As an advisor for Lakas Mentorship Program in the Inland Empire, I explored the following question among program staff and mentors: How could I use culturally relevant curriculum to foster personal and professional development for young Filipino American leaders? I evaluated the impact of four cycles centered on leadership training and improving program practices to understand how to deepen engagement and facilitate positive transformation. I found that the following contributed to meaningful engagement: intentional leadership opportunities, institutionalized program structure, and peer mentorship and community …

Adopting Active Learning Classroom (Alc) Technology And Overcoming Barriers: A Faculty Development Intervention Model For Technology-Enhanced Learning Spaces, Bradford D. Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study was to understand how instructors use technology, and what challenges they face, but also to increase the participants’ understanding of Active Learning Classroom (ALCs) technologies as it applies to their teaching by applying action research methodologies. This study also seeks to lay a foundation for additional research on ALCs, education technology, and the needs of instructors in terms of faculty development in technology. This study investigates a group of 13 faculty members in multiple disciplines teaching in ALCs. Thus far, research on the impact of technology-enriched learning environments like Active Learning Classrooms has typically centered …

Gaining Understanding Of Capital Disparity In The Community College Classroom From A Faculty Perspective Through Action Research, David J. Heflin

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Positioned between the engagement rich secondary school and the highly social four-year institution, the community college has limited opportunities to connect with students. If community colleges are to meet challenges of providing access to education for students who have traditionally been underserved by higher education, and hold up to new measures of accountability in graduating students, two-year institutions must recognize that faculty-student engagements occurring in the classroom are crucial. Perception and appreciation of student’s capital by faculty through purposeful engagements grounded in theory provide opportunity for understanding capital disparity that exists in the community college classroom.

Active participation of experienced …

Breaking Ground On The University Garden: Service-Learning And Action Research, Bryce Collin Davis

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to document, analyze, understand, and describe how the environmental virtue ethics of undergraduate students were impacted after participating in a service-learning project designed to establish a new university garden. This service-learning project occurred during the fall semester of 2011, on the campus of Lighthouse University, a mid-size Catholic college campus that is located in an urban area of Southern California. The service-learning component was embedded within one environmental ethics course. Over the course of one sixteen-week academic semester, thirty undergraduates, between the ages of 18-23, each volunteered ten hours in this new on-campus garden. …