Education Commons^™

Do Credit-Based Transfer Programs Have An Impact On Intellectual Development From Secondary Education To Post-Secondary Education?, James Uhlenkamp

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This descriptive, retrospective quantitative study identified the influence that credit-based transfer programs have on the intellectual development positions of college matriculates at a private, residential, church-affiliated master’s degree granting university in the Midwest. This determination presents a better success measure for credit-based transfer programs than the measures used in previous studies: academic momentum, persistence rate, college grade point average, and degree attainment. People transitioning through intellectual development positions gain critical thinking skills and adopt more of the habits of mind and of working that characterize a well-educated person.

An evaluation database developed for the target university’s first-year experience program provided …

A Motivated Workforce: A Mixed Methods Study Of Worker Motivation At A Nebraska Manufacturing Company, Kevin Wesley

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The study of worker motivation and human motivation in general, has been the focus of psychologists, sociologists, behavioral scientists, and leadership theorists for more than a century. An understanding of the factors that motivate workers is critical not only to corporate executives who concentrate on the bottom line, but more importantly to the security of our nation as it relates to competing in the global market. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to examine worker motivation in a Nebraska manufacturing company. A pragmatist worldview informs the convergent parallel design of this study, which consists of a qualitative strand using …

Exploring Technology Usage By School Counselors: A Mixed Methods Study, Nathan Grosshandler

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

School counseling is progressing from the tradition of responsive services to a proactive system linked to school mission (Dahir, 2009, p 4.). This paradigm shift within the profession has drastically increased the responsibility required of school counselors.

This study explored data drawn from a population of school counselors at Recognized American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model Programs (RAMP). A multi-phase, sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used for this study. The study focused on nine specific technologies: website, e-mail, Internet, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, student database system, social networking platforms, and EZ Analyze. Mean scores, frequency distribution tables, …

Transition To College: Nonacademic Factors That Influence Persistence For Underprepared Community College Students, Ann M. Paulson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Community colleges provide access to higher education for a broad range of students. The majority require ‘remedial’ coursework in reading, writing and, especially, math. Most students who begin with this remedial coursework do not go on to earn a certificate or degree. Low levels of college graduation have high direct cost, adversely affect the U.S. economy and contribute to socioeconomic inequity.

The literature review shows that both academic and nonacademic factors influence both completion of remedial coursework and completion of first year in college. It introduces research on a variety of strategies for increasing completion and persistence for underprepared students. …

Improving Student Learning: Examining The Teacher Knowing-Doing Gap, Gary S. Nunnally

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research literature is full of research-based instructional strategies that highly effective teachers utilize on a consistent and systematic basis. And, it is well known that in multiple fields there exists a gap between what people know and what they actually do, commonly referred to as the knowing-doing gap. This study sought to examine whether this same gap exists in the field of education. In other words, this study sought to describe what high school mathematics, science, English, and social studies teachers know about effective instructional strategies and what they actually do in their classrooms.

The researcher reviewed studies, books, journal …

General Education In Health Science-Focused Institutions: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Peggy K. Rosario

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to describe the structure of general education curricula at baccalaureate colleges of health science in relationship to Bergquist’s Career-Based Model of curriculum. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, the model was tested by examining whether the curricula were both prescriptive and specific. First, the researcher analyzed how prescriptive the general education curricula at 38 colleges of health science were by evaluating the institutions’ catalogs and websites. In the qualitative phase, the researcher interviewed general education leaders at six of the colleges to confirm the quantitative data and obtain information about how specific the …

Gaining Insight Into Hispanic Students’ Postsecondary Plans, Neel A. Brown

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States is outpacing other ethnicities, college enrollment and graduation rates of Hispanic students continue to lag behind other groups. This longitudinal, qualitative case study explored when, how, and why a sample of Hispanic high school seniors at a large high school in North Central Texas made decisions regarding their postsecondary educational and career choices.

The foundation of this research relied on a series of 39 individual interviews with 13 Hispanic high school students over the course of their 2012 senior year. Analysis of the data uncovered themes regarding family influence, …

The Philosopher's Stone: How Basic Skills Programs Fare In Troubled Financial Times, Thomas P. Ray

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods study examined the relative position of basic skills programs with transfer and career technical programs in a large suburban community college in California during the three-year period of budget reductions from 2009-2010 through 2011-2012. The budget line dedicated to part-time or non-contract instruction was analyzed along with supporting documents such as planning committee minutes and program review data. Knowledge of the budget data and the reduction strategies employed helped to establish a picture of the state of basic skills and the institution’s disposition toward them. The budget data proved to be an inadequate tool to measure investment …

Students And Institutions Protecting Whiteness As Property: A Critical Race Theory Analysis Of Student Affairs Preparation, Stephanie Bondi

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This study is based on interviews with White students graduating from a student affairs preparation program as well as a literature review of whiteness in education. Applying critical race theory, the author examined the ways that students and institutions protected whiteness. Institutions and those within them concerned with equity must have awareness of whiteness and rework curriculum, pedagogy, polices, and practices to fracture educational hegemony of whiteness.

The goal of this study was to examine the ways that White students enrolled in a student affairs master’s program in a predominantly White institution engaged with race and racism and to locate …

Nebraska Public School Administrators’ Perceptions Of Preschool Education, Jacqueline M. Florendo

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this research study was to examine Nebraska public school administrators’ perceptions about Pre-K and its impact on student achievement for at-risk children. The research study provided information on factors that influence school administrators’ decisions to provide Pre-K programs. Demographic data was gathered from each participant so common group data, such as rural and non-rural disaggregated data, could be used to better analyze results and identify restrictions to implementation of Pre-K programs in schools and school districts.

An explanatory, sequential, mixed methods study was conducted during the spring and summer of 2012. The study initially gathered data using …

Investigating Post-Graduate Athletic Training Education Student Perceptions Following A Purposefully-Implemented Peer-Assisted Learning Pedagogy, Dana K. Bates

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate graduates’ perceptions of a purposefully-implemented Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) pedagogy in their undergraduate athletic training education and the impact of that experience in their first job post-graduation. This was the first research in athletic training education that investigated how PAL impacted the students once they were practicing as athletic trainers. Previous research had investigated prevalence, benefits and athletic training student preference for PAL, however, no research had researched its impact on the graduate. Through one-on-one phone interviews with thirteen 2010 and 2011 graduates the researched aimed to investigate through the graduates perceptions …

Journal Of The National Collegiate Honors Council, Volume 13, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2012 (Complete Isue)

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Honors Around the Globe: Countries and Contributors

Australia—Deirdre Barron and Margaret Zeegers

Brazil—Eunice M. L. Soriano de Alencar, Aderson Luiz Costa Jr., and Denise de Souza Fleith

Chile—Frederick J. Conway, Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio, and Juan Carlos Skewes

China—Ikuo Kitagaki and Donglin Li

Mexico—Mohammad Ayub Khan and Ruben Morales-Menendez

Netherlands—Vladimir Bartelds, Johannes Boonstra, Trijntje van Dijk, Lyndsay Drayer, Pierre Van Eijl, Stan van Ginkel, Bouke van Gorp, Nelleke de Jong, G. Johan Offringa, Anton Peeters, Albert Pilot, Karin Scager, Ron Weerheijm, Jeske Weerheijm, Fred Wiegant, Marca V. C. Wolfensberger, and John Zubizarreta

Qatar—Byrad …

Nefdc Exchange, Volume 25, Fall 2012, New England Faculty Development Consortium

NEFDC Exchange

Contents

President's message - Tom Thibodeau,

Colleges of Worcester Consortium Offers Certificate in College Teaching - Susan C. Wyckoff, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Why are you making me do this? Buying into the 20/40 paradigm one step at a time - Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University

Teaching and Learning Collaborative of the Colleges of the Fenway Invites Participation in Programs to Enhance College Teaching and Learning

Defining academic challenge: the first step in keeping students on track - Karen St. Clair and Paul Hackett, Emerson College

Using online virtual worlds to enhance students' engagement and learning in online classes …

Instructional Designers In Higher Education, Tami Marie Moskal

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research about the preparation and competencies of instructional designers in higher education has not been addressed. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore individuals in this context by focusing on their employment and academic backgrounds, as well as their responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations as reported by their supervisors. This study sought to understand who the instructional designers in higher education are, and how they came to their roles in their institutions. An understanding of these instructional designers in higher education could lead to improved teaching and learning experiences for students in higher education.

Five themes emerged from …

Women In Nontraditional Occupations: A Case Study Of Worker Motivation, Katherine Wesley

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupation Act (WANTO Act) of 1992 highlighted an urgent matter facing the American workforce that persists today. The urgent matter in 2012 involves the precarious effect of demographics on the American labor market, placing women at the crux of engaging opportunity or maintaining status quo.

Women must be empowered and encouraged to seek employment opportunities they have never considered, e.g. male-dominated, nontraditional occupations, for the U.S. to keep pace with labor market needs. The need amplifies the myriad of issues for women in male-dominated, nontraditional occupations.

Among the barriers confronting women is the persistence …

The Perceptions Of Elementary Principals About Their Role In The Establishment Of Collaborative Workplaces In Their School Buildings, Bradley Sullivan

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this case study was to develop an understanding of the elementary principal’s perceived role in creating and sustaining a collaborative workplace environment within their school. Collaboration among education professionals, when used effectively, is one strategy that has demonstrated improvement of instruction and student learning. As such, in this context the role of the principal becomes more complex and challenging. This study examined the perception of the elementary principal’s role regarding the establishment and perpetuation of a collaborative workplace environment for teachers that is focused on improving student learning within their buildings.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 …

Technology-Enhanced Multimedia Instruction In Foreign Language Classrooms: A Mixed Methods Study, Olha Ketsman

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Technology-enhanced multimedia instruction in grades 6 through 12 foreign language classrooms was the focus of this study. The study’s findings fill a gap in the literature through the report of how technology-enhanced multimedia instruction was successfully implemented in foreign language classrooms.

Convergent parallel mixed methods study was used to produce well-substantiated conclusions about the topic. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently but separately and were equally weighted.

Foreign language teachers identified as those who extensively used technology-enhanced multimedia instruction participated in the study. Participation in the study involved completion of an online survey and a qualitative interview. Both the …

Financial Indicators In Strategic Decision Making: Recommended Practices For Financial Officers At Small Private Colleges And Universities In The Midwestern United States, Beth Reissenweber

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explored whether financial leaders and institutional governing boards use financial indicators as a tool to inform decision making, solely as a compliance measurement tool, or not at all. The purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold to: (a) identify the use of financial indicators in strategic decision making, and (b) investigate how institutions use financial indicators to support governing boards in making strategic decisions. The data were obtained from a survey of 214 financial officers to identify the use of financial indicators, and in-depth interviews with leaders from six institutions who indicated strategic use of financial indicators to …

A Study Of The Job Satisfaction Of Nebraska School Superintendents, Troy L. Unzicker

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of job satisfaction of superintendents in the state of Nebraska. The study investigated the relationship between levels of job satisfaction with gender, age, compensation, experience, degree attainment, and school size. This study replicated the work of Dr. Kenneth Nelson (1987) to determine the degree of job satisfaction for current superintendents working in the state of Nebraska.

This study answered the degree to that superintendents in Nebraska are satisfied with their jobs. The study also determined the areas which bring the greatest satisfaction to superintendents. These factors of satisfaction will help …

Mentoring Functions Within The American Council On Education (Ace) Fellows Leadership Development Program: A Mixed Methods Study, Sheri Grotrian-Ryan

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine and better comprehend the concept of mentoring within the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program. This study addressed the functions of mentoring and how they applied to those participating in the ACE Fellows Program—from the Fellows’ (or protégés’) perspectives. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used, and it involved collecting quantitative data followed by qualitative data. Due to the fact there is a shortage of campus leaders because of increased retirement, gaining knowledge in how to develop future administrators would be beneficial. Such a mixed methods study proposed what functions …

Variables Associated With Sense Of Community In Online And On-Ground Clinical Doctorate Education, Tracy Chapman

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examined classroom community, as measured by the Classroom Community Scale (Rovai, 2002c), among online and on-ground students (N = 386) enrolled in Doctor of Pharmacy or Doctor of Occupational Therapy courses. Multiple regression analysis identified variables (student and course variables) shown to significantly predict the presence of community among students. Results revealed the set of predictor variables are different for each sub-group of students. Community among on-ground students was predicted by the amount of small group work used in a course, the course’s primary type of learning outcome (affective or cognitive), and the students’ self-reported estimated grade. …

The Impact Of Students' Academic And Social Relationships On College Student Persistence, Lindsay K. Wayt

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this research study was to determine the connection between students’ relationships and their choice to persist at a post-secondary institution. Although other literature has centered around why students chose to leave an institution or the importance of student involvement and engagement, this study focused on who is most influential in encouraging students to work toward their degree attainment. The study includes results of the influence of peers, family, college faculty, and college student affairs staff on student persistence decisions. This research sought to make a contribution to the literature on retention and attrition issues at colleges and …

The Perception Of Adolescents Of The Imperial Courts Housing Project About Gang Membership, School Completion, And Career Opportunities, Dion Gaston

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of adolescents of the Imperial Courts Housing Projects about school completion, gang membership, and career opportunities from the perspective of current youth gang members who reside in the Imperial Courts. Nineteen youths participated in this study. The research population consisted of youths who identified themselves as member of the neighborhood gang. Each youth was interviewed individually by the researcher to gather information about school completion, educational and career resources, gang membership, and role models and mentors.

The researcher developed the survey used in this study specifically for use in this …

The Lived Experiences Of Faculty Who Use Instructional Technology: A Phenomenological Study, Heath V. Tuttle

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of university faculty who adopt technology for teaching and learning purposes and to determine if adoption affected the way a person taught, worked, and lived. A review of the literature found a gap in the understanding of the lived experiences of faculty who teach with technology, and this study was designed to help fill that gap.

Using a purposeful sampling method with a reputational technique, I targeted 20 faculty members who used technology to teach. The phenomenological method provided an understanding of their experiences as …

Developing A Template For Electronic Portfolios In Career And Technical Education, Matthew G. Fowler

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purposes of this multiple case study were to determine if manufacturing and services sector employers found value in the use of an ePortfolio in the hiring process, and to develop a suggested template for an ePortfolio format to be used within career and technical education.

Electronic portfolios “allow students to showcase their abilities in a more dynamic way….through text, graphics, and video….than a GPA or transcript ever could. And because they are digital, it is easier to share, review, and provide feedback” (Murphy, 2003, p. 1). These ePortfolios are an obvious example of an authentic assessment method that provides …

Perceptions Of Nebraska Teachers Regarding The Transition From Stars To Nesa And Its Perceived Influence On The Implementation Of A Balanced Assessment System, Jamie S. Isom

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to explore the perceptions of Nebraska teachers about their experiences in the transition from STARS to NeSA. The study explored their perceptions of the influence of the transition on implementation of a balanced assessment system. As defined by NDE, a balanced system included NeSA testing, local criterion-referenced assessments, and national norm-referenced testing. The timing of this study was concurrent with the transition from the STARS assessment system to the NeSA assessment system in Nebraska.

Parallel studies of teachers and administrators consisted of administrators and teachers in 166 public school districts within …

Generativity In Young Adults: Comparing And Explaining The Impact Of Mentoring, Lindsay J. Hastings

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this embedded explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the impact of mentoring relationships on generativity in college students. Generativity refers to concern for establishing and guiding the next generation The first, quantitative phase compared generatvity levels among general college students, college student leaders who do not mentor, and college student leaders who mentor through a program called Nebraska Human Resources Institute (NHRI) at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Data were collected via surveys (N = 273) using the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS), the Generativity Behavior Checklist (GBC), and the Personal Strivings measure. A multivariate …

Reclaiming Our Voice: Strengths First-Generation African American Males Use To Succeed In College, Kelly A. Irby

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to add to the small body of literature exploring the successes of African American males in college. In this particular study, I sought to explore the strengths that first-generation African American males perceived as important to their success at a primarily White institution in the Midwest. Personal interviews were utilized to learn which self-identified strengths were important to success in college for each participant. The result was a candid portrait of the difficulties African American males face and an in-depth understanding of the strengths they utilized to overcome difficulties and succeed.

This study explored …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Late-­‐Night Programs To Curb Underage Alcohol Consumption, Kathryn E. Reising

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This research study explored the effectiveness of late-night programming as a tool to deter underage alcohol consumption of students. At the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Campus NightLife provided these late-night activities for students as an alternative to drinking. A survey was completed by student attendees of two Campus NightLife events in the Fall 2011 semester to gauge if students attending late-night programming sponsored by Campus NightLife (CNL) at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln were satisfied with the types of programs being put on by CNL and were choosing to attend these events as an alternative to engaging in …

Creating Experiences That Matter: A Qualitative Study Exploring Honors Program Peer Mentoring And Self-Authorship Development, Samantha K. Mosier

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this case study was to explore the role that peer mentoring in a university honors program plays in self-authorship development for the student mentors at Midwestern University. Self-authorship was identified through participant responses identified in the three actions grounded in Baxter Magolda’s (2001) Learning Partnerships Model: (a) validate students as knowers, (b) situate learning in students’ experiences, and (c) define learning as mutually constructed meaning.

Research on student, peer-to-peer mentor relationships is often focused on the mentee rather than the mentor, so the goal of this research was to look further into the role and experiences of …