Education Commons^™

Friendships And Retention At A Historically Black University: A Quantitative Case Study, Mondrail Myrick, John A. Gipson Jr, Donald Mitchell Jr.

Journal of Research Initiatives

The retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority, first-generation and low-income college students persist as problems in U.S. higher education. While researchers have documented the ways in which minority-serving institutions have been successful in serving these students, little is known about how friendships influence retention at these institutions. This study examines retention factors of first-year students who began college with close friends at a historically Black university. The researchers used exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regressions to determine the factors and significance. In addition, the researchers used linear structural relations to estimate hypothesized causal models. Results of the study …

Realizing The Dream: African American Males’ Narratives That Encouraged The Pursuit Of Doctoral Education, Ted N. Ingram

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article used personal narratives to discover factors affecting the decision of African American males to consider doctoral education. This study was based on qualitative interviews with 18 African American male doctoral students enrolled at predominantly white institutions as they reflected on their reasons for pursuing an advanced degree. The following were found to influence their decision: (a) need for faculty encouragement, (b) motivation to pursue a doctorate, and (c) their personal motivations. Recommendations are offered for increasing the numbers of African American male doctoral students.

The Journey To The Top: Stories On The Intersection Of Race And Gender For African American Women In Academia And Business, Deanna R. Davis

Journal of Research Initiatives

This research study was designed to determine how the intersection of race and gender identities contributed to the elements of leadership development as perceived by eight African American female executives in academia and business. The researcher sought to explore strategies future leaders might utilize to address leadership development and career ascendency for African American females who aspire to leadership roles. A phenomenological research method was most appropriate for this research study to capture the lived experiences of individuals from their perspectives and to develop themes that challenged structural or normative assumptions.

This research study examined leadership development of eight African …

Delayed Gratification Behavior Among Elementary School Children: An Intervention Model, Nadine A. Joseph

Journal of Research Initiatives

In the 1960s, Walter Mischel conducted the first study on delayed gratification behavior (Goleman, 1995; Mischel, Shoda & Rodriquez, 1989). Since then, many other follow-up studies have been done to prove what sociologists call ‘the delayed gratification pattern’ (see Funder, Block & Block; Logue & Chavarro 1992). These studies propose that participants who are able to delay gratification around of the age of four were better adjusted and more dependable during their adult lives. Studies conducted to assist participants who were unable to delay gratification could not be uncovered. In this study, researchers invited parents and teachers to use intervention …

A Comparative Study On The Stress Levels Of Black, White, Asian, And Latino Undergraduate Students, Franklin Dickerson Turner, Jeffrey K. Smith

Journal of Research Initiatives

Research found that undergraduates who had poor academic performance and experienced depression and anxiety were reported to have encountered higher levels of stress than those students who persisted (Andrews & Wilding, 2004; Bennett, 2003). It also was found that minority students had a higher tendency to experience stress than their counterparts. Although, universities allocate resources to recruit minority undergraduates and provide various types of support, many universities tend to be limited in the resources for handling and detecting stressors among college students. The purpose of this research was to investigate the different levels of stress faced by minority college students …

African American Doctoral Scholars’ And Fellows’ Professional Development Mentoring Experiences Toward Higher Education Professorship, Crystal J. Bryant, Adriel A. Hilton, Patricia A. Green-Powell

Journal of Research Initiatives

This research examined the professional development mentoring experiences of African American doctoral recipients who participated in the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program or the McKnight Doctoral Fellows (MDF) Program, and are currently employed as faculty at an American college or university. The purpose of this research was to identify the types of professional development mentoring opportunities that assisted SREB and MDF program graduates in their transition into the professoriate, and to determine if race or gender of the faculty mentor played a significant role in their preparedness for the teaching, research, and service tasks required of faculty. …

Journals In The Field Of Higher Education: A Racial Analysis, Donald Mitchell Jr., Jamillya Hardley, Darius Jordan, Michael Couch

Journal of Research Initiatives

Too often, scholarship regarding the concept of race in the United States is absent from top-tier journals across fields. Yet, at some institutions, faculty, including scholars who explore race, are required to publish in top-tier journals to secure tenure. This article highlights the extent to which journals—of all tiers—within the field of higher education publish articles explicitly highlighting race in the study. The authors used Bray and Major’s article, “Status of Journals in the Field of Higher Education” as the data source for the sample. Using a systematic approach, the authors surveyed journals in the field of higher education to …

Each One, Teach One: A Blackprint For Mentoring Postsecondary “Twice Exceptional” Student Scholars In “Search Of Education, Elevation And Knowledge”, Selena T. Rodgers, Tiffany Cudjoe

Journal of Research Initiatives

Through the prism of a faculty-student mentoring relationship, this article highlights best practices to gain insight into resources for “twice exceptional” student scholars. Practical application stands at a position of intersecting domains—changing the tapestry of scholarly service and undergraduate research mentoring, and as an Each One, Teach One black-print model for mentoring. The article concludes with recommendations for best practices for post secondary mentors, educators, and counselors invested in developing student scholars in Search of Education, Elevation, and Knowledge.

Ferpa: To Release Or Not To Release – That Is The Question, Sonja G. Cantrell

Journal of Research Initiatives

No abstract provided.