Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Teaching Non-Cognitive Skills For College: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Low-Income, High-Minority, Urban School District In Southeastern United States, Elizabeth Byron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This instrumental, multisite case study examines the role of secondary teachers in preparing high school students for the non-cognitive skills needed to persist in and graduate from college, using Bourdieu’s (1984) and Lin’s (1999) social capital theory as a guiding framework. Non-cognitive skills are defined as the “behaviors, thoughts, and feelings” of students (Borghans, 2008). Data collection for this study is based on semi-structured interviews via telecommunications with secondary educators and postsecondary student success practitioners and electronic archived documentation of non-cognitive skills found to be important for college success by the interviewees. In this study, college success is defined as …

University Course Evaluations: A Study Of The Influence Of Faculty, Student, And Course Variables, Tyesha De’Shuan Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Course evaluations impact faculty’ annual evaluations and have become somewhat controversial, yet course evaluations in faculty evaluations persist as a common practice across universities. While many scholars find this success-based tool effective in assessing teaching effectiveness, others question the validity and reliability of this measurement and are opposed to using this tool as a mean of determining faculty members’ success. The purpose of this study is to provide a more in-depth examination of course evaluations by analyzing faculty, student, and course variables. Analyses were performed to address the following research question: “To what degree do faculty gender, faculty race, faculty …

Newsroom Convergence In A College Journalism School: Are Students Prepared For A Job?, Travis Feltner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to examine the current state of broadcast journalism education at the college level. It will also ask if college broadcast journalism students are receiving sufficient education and experience in their university newsrooms to get a job after graduation. The study surveyed professional television news directors from the 210 Designated Market Areas (DMA) in the United States. Most respondents agreed to some extent that converged college newsrooms better prepare students for a job as prior research suggested. However, it does not appear that those same applicants would be preferred over ones with traditional broadcast journalism education. The survey …

Effects Of Gatekeeper Course Modality, Age, Gender And High School Gpa On Kaplan Subject Area Exam Scores, Vernon Hoffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question of equivalency regarding course modality has plagued and intrigued educators for as long as multiple modalities have existed. In the modern world of academia, the two prevailing modalities are face-to-face or traditional courses and online courses. A multitude of factors have contributed to the increase in online course offerings, including increasingly dependable technology and fiscal pressures on institutions of higher learning.

A great deal of scholarly research has compared modalities using within-course measures such as course grades and comprehensive final exams. Most of these studies have found the two modalities equivalent. However, a dearth of research exists which …

A Snapshot Semester: Students’ Reflections Of Performance And Mental State Throughout A Graduate Course, Bradley D. Borges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students are anecdotally reputed to be among the most stressed groups of young adults. Common sources of stress for graduate students have included coursework, assistantships, finances, career preparation, and family (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013; Mazzola, Walker, Shockley & Spector, 2011; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Guided reflection can be used by educators to assist students in both learning (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 2013; Kolb, 1984) and managing stress (Shoulders, Whitehead, & Morrison, 2018). By understanding how students’ progress through a semester in terms of both their learning and their management of stress, instructors and academic advisors can better anticipate times …

Lowering Language Learner Anxiety: The Impact Of Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment In The Intermediate University Spanish Classroom, Lynda Mcclellan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a new framework for the application of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (SCT) in the second language (L2) classroom called Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment (C-DA). C-DA is a melding of Collaborative Learning (CL), Dynamic Assessment (DA), and Group Evaluation (GE) in all aspects of L2 instruction and assessment. A study was conducted with 64 university students in an intermediate Spanish classroom to determine if the application of C-DA would lower Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA). Horwitz’ (1986) Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to the participants at the beginning of the course and then again at the end of …

Transformative Learning And The Power Of Experience Contextualized In Tertiary-Level Study Abroad, Colleen M. Kolb

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Master’s Level Projects/Papers

The study abroad experience for many students is ineffable by nature. Teasing this apart and understanding how to maximize student learning abroad can lead to more enriched and potentially transformative experiences. There is little training offered to faculty and administrators at most American institutions about how to integrate study abroad learning into the wider higher education curriculum before, during, and after a global experience. By utilizing transformative learning theory (TLT) and experiential learning theory (ELT), this thesis provides a space for thought to conceptualize study abroad as a fully integrated part of the college curriculum that enhances the learner experience …

Weaving The Braid Of Culturally Responsive Leadership Within Policy And Governance To Improve Indigenous Student Success, Shelly L. Niemi

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores a Problem of Practice (PoP) that highlights the need for why the Board of Education and the Senior Administration team within the Raven Bay School Division (RBSD, pseudonym) would benefit from using a culturally responsive leadership approach when making decisions and how this may be achieved through policy and governance to guide their practice. The goal of this OIP is to examine why this leadership approach would be relevant for the Board of Education and the Senior Leadership team when they are making any policy and governance decisions, as it relates to Indigenous …

Immersive Leadership: Creating An Experiential Curriculum To Build Our Students' Leadership, Kimberly Guzman

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

As a higher education professional, I seek to use creative programming to encourage the exploration of alternative learning opportunities and to enhance student success. My action research project explores the process of creating and implementing an immersive leadership experience for students from start to finish. Through a curriculum based on experiential learning and critical reflection, students explored, learned, and developed a social justice lens and leadership skills. Students also reflected on their engagement with leadership in various spaces such as on the University of San Diego’s campus, their home environments, and the Duncan community in Jamaica, where this immersive leadership …

"Meet Me At The 50": A Critical Discourse Analysis Of How Higher Education Curriculum Is Meeting The Needs Of Black, Male Student-Athletes, Julia Diane Morris

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The overarching goal of this research is to make proverbial payments towards Ladson-Billings’ (2006) “education debt” owed to historically resilient populations by promoting equitable and democratic practices in all facets of education. Black men, specifically those who participate in athletics, are advocated for in this research because these men identify as part of a community of voices who are not only historically oppressed but are being failed by current educational practices. Further, student-athletes provide a predetermined and specific sociocultural context, and thus social location, by which to compare how various types of critical literacy assignments are addressing said contexts. Using …

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 …

Community College Faculty And Administrators' Perceptions Of Civic Engagement In General Education, Eric Thomas Vanover

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The President’s Commission on Higher Education (1947) firmly established civic engagement as a principle function of higher education. The report emphasized college-level learning as a democratic function by producing informed, active citizens essential to the future of American democracy. Chickering (2008) argued the United States faced a critical lack of engaged citizenship and in A Crucible Moment (2012), this concern was declared an outright emergency. In recent years many colleges and universities have re-embraced civic engagement as an important component of general education. Although the establishment of community colleges was a direct result of the Truman Commission’s report, the literature …

The Impact Of Graduate Assistantships On The Preparation Of Early Career Student Affairs Professionals, Mary L. Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the graduate assistantship experiences of early career master’s prepared student affairs professionals and examined the role these assistantships played in the preparation for their current position. The study included 10 participants who had all graduated with a master’s in higher education within the past 5 years, had participated in a graduate assistantship within student affairs, and worked full-time within a student affairs department at the time of the study. Each participant took part in a one-on-one interview that was recorded, transcribed, and reviewed for themes. I followed Braun and Clarke’s (2012) six-phase approach to thematic …

Visualizing Interdisciplinary Collaborations Within Exercise Science: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth Bjornsen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exercise science is a growing field with sub-disciplines exploring various aspects of physical activity. Diverse perspectives allow the field to answer complex research questions, but little is known about the collaborative nature of exercise science today. Research practices have implications on undergraduate curriculum, likely incorporating experiential knowledge into course subject matter and providing diverse experiences for students entering the workforce. Therefore, the purpose of the pilot study is to visualize and quantify interdisciplinary collaborations within exercise science. Journal citation analysis and an adaptation of social networking theory were utilized to examine collaborative practices of exercise science faculty at the University …

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. …

Perceptions Of Students Of Color About Their Experience In An Alternative High School: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Massene Mboup

Dissertations and Theses

Public schools in Oregon have been struggling to include students of color and teachers of color for so long. Students of color represent more than one third of the school population, yet remain underserved, underrepresented, and over disciplined. Most of their teachers and support staff are White; the teachers of color represent less than 8% of the teaching staff. The students of color attend comprehensive high schools that generally ignore them--or push them out. Some students of color end up in alternative schools.

My problem of practice was the oppression of students of color in urban schools. Specifically, my research …

Quality In All Levels: A Model Defining And Measuring Quality In Bioethics Education, Ercan Avci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the lack of academic studies in the quality assessment of bioethics education, this dissertation aimed to propose a normative model, Quality in All Levels (QAL), to define and measure quality in bioethics education. The QAL model described quality in bioethics education as conformance to the goals and determined these goals as (1) increasing ethical knowledge, (2) improving ethical skills to strengthen ethical sensitivity, awareness, and judgment, (3) developing ethicalbehavior, and (4) promoting cultural competence. The dissertation utilized Avedis Donabedian’s three approaches: structure, process, and outcome to formulate quality standards and indicators in bioethics education. In respect of …

Experiences Of Implementing Developmental Education Redesign In Mississippi Community Colleges: An Administrators’ And Faculty’S Perspective, James Rush

Dissertations

Each year, after graduating from high school or after a number of years in the workforce, millions of students in America make the choice to further their education. Students who enter higher education are faced with the decision of choosing from a diverse pool of institutions that provide an array of services to meet the needs of a changing society. Many students entering institutions of higher learning are in need of some developmental instruction or course in order to complete their degree and/or training. Because of the integral part that developmental education plays in higher education, the cost versus effectiveness …

Faculty Perceptions Of Open Educational Resources In Cyber Curriculum: A Pilot Study, Alan Stines

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

The cyber landscape is growing and evolving at a fast pace. Public and private industries need qualified applicants to protect and defend information systems that drive the digital economy. Currently, there are not enough candidates in the pipeline to fill this need in the workforce. The digital economy is still growing, thus presenting an even greater need for skilled workers in the future. The lack of a strong workforce in cybersecurity presents many challenges to safeguarding U.S. national security and citizens across the world. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation defines Open Educational Resources (OER) as teaching, learning, and research …

Teachers Collaboration With Gear Up Extra College Readiness Resource For Students, Brenda Monroy

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project was implemented for the Gear Up and college preparedness program located at the local Seaside High School. Gear Up serves 10th grade students at seaside high school. Most of the students served come from low-income families, from minority groups and are considered first generation college students. The problem addressed by the capstone is that too many Seaside High students are not applying for Community College, CSUs and UC’s. The project consisted of collaborating with Seaside High staff including teachers, administration and counselors to include college preparedness instruction as part of the existing curriculum to increase the number …

How Student Perceptions Of The Online Learning Environment And Student Motivation Predict Persistence, Completion, And Retention In Developmental Mathematics Courses, Samuel K. Gedeborg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online developmental mathematics courses have high dropout rates. The focus of this study is to improve understanding of how students’ perceptions of the online learning environment and student motivation from course design predict student drop out. This understanding will benefit faculty and institutions on student support for online developmental mathematics students.

The study included 330 undergraduate students enrolled in online developmental mathematics courses during the Fall 2018 semester at eight public universities and colleges in the Utah State Higher Education (USHE) system. Participants completed a survey with questions measuring their perceptions of the learning environment. They also completed a survey …

Motivations, Impact And Outcomes Affiliated With Short-Term Study Abroad Programs For Business Students, Laura Katherine Skipper

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Underrepresentation Of African American Doctoral Students In College Of Education Disciplines At Hispanic Serving Institutions And Emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions In The Southwest United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada And Colorado), Matthew Lloyd Atterberry

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are underrepresented in higher education, especially in the graduate and doctoral level. Furthermore, research has identified numerous factors influencing African Americans to pursue doctoral studies in College of Education disciplines at postsecondary institutions of higher learning. However, there is a gap in the literature pertaining to factors influencing African Americans to pursue graduate and/or doctoral studies in College of Education disciplines at Hispanic Serving Institutions and Emerging Hispanic Institutions of higher learning in the Southwest United States. The purpose of this study is to bridge the gap pertaining to demographic factors in relationship to motivation and self-efficacy (Confidence) …

How Do Student And Secondary School Characteristics Explain College English I Completion In A Rural Arkansas Community College?, Jessica Rohlman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges serve diverse populations that may not be as academically prepared as at four-year institutions. Accountability of higher education institutions is ever-increasing in importance, so understanding the contributing factors to student success is critical. Students bring a unique set of characteristics to the community college, including individual traits and secondary school experiences. Many studies have examined these characteristics at large urban or mid-western institutions, but few in rural settings. Rural areas of the United States have lower rates of educational attainment than other areas, which often translates to lower incomes. It is the mission of community colleges to train …

College Student Changing Attitudes And Beliefs About The Nature Of And Teaching Of Mathematics And Science, Stephen R. Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 17.3 million STEM jobs in the US, there exists a need for a STEMready workforce that is science literate with positive attitudes and beliefs toward the learning and teaching of mathematics and science (Graf, Fry, & Funk, 2018). However, the US has seen a steady decline in the number of high school students interested in STEM-related fields with only 16% of interested students with proven proficiency in mathematics and science and are ready to enroll in college STEM programs (ACT, 2017; Osborne & Dillon, 2008; Stake & Mares, 2001). With the decline in student interest, the US …

Understanding One’S Own Teaching Experiences: New Family And Consumer Sciences Teachers Reflect On Their First-Year Of Teaching Through Video-Recorded Classroom Observations And Interviews, Sheila K. Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of new Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teachers and to describe their perceptions of classroom teaching readiness. The researcher completed a series of three classroom observations and three interviews of five first-year FCS teachers. The Danielson’s Framework for Teaching instrument was used for all observations and two sections of interviews used Interview Questions for Family and Consumer Sciences Educators instrument, which was taken in part, with permission, by Horizon Research, incorporated. All observations and interviews were completed over a time span of two to three weeks and examined essential teaching …

Employing Empathy: Using Video Simulations As An Intervention To Educate Social Work Students, Charles Adam Laffiteau

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A video simulation featuring a Master of Social Work (MSW) student assessing a fictional client, portrayed by a professionally trained student actor, dealing with suicidal ideations was developed to model empathetic and reflective techniques. The video simulation was filmed in collaboration with University of Arkansas Global Campus and is part of an interdisciplinary educational pilot program. This pilot program builds upon traditional role-play scenarios by incorporating experiential learning within the creation of cost-effective simulated interactions that employ student actors as standardized clients. Combining social learning theory and constructivism allows Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students to observe and analyze the …

Student Teaching Internship Experiences And Perceived Success Of First-Year School Based Agricultural Education (Sbae) Teachers, Mary Samoei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived influence of student teaching internship experiences on the perceived success of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in their first year of teaching. An explanatory mixed-methods design was utilized to gather the both qualitative and quantitative data. Census sampling was used to select 30 SBAE teachers teaching within high schools in Arkansas. The researcher collected quantitative data using an adapted questionnaire and online interviews to collect qualitative data. Males (n = 12, 54.6 %) dominate as first-year agriculture teachers. Most teachers (n = 15, 68.2 %) graduated with a major in …

Doctoral-Level Students Experience Adopting Gatekeeping Roles And Responsibilities Within Counselor Education, Evan Smarinsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In counselor education and supervision, the term gatekeeping is used to describe the ongoing process of monitoring, evaluating, and remediating a student through their professional identity as a counselor. Gatekeeping is an ethical responsibility of counselor educators and supervisors, both faculty and doctoral-level students who supervise master’s-level students and is often identified as being one of their most difficult responsibilities. Doctoral-level supervisors play an important role in gatekeeping, although they are not involved in formal gatekeeping decisions and have not typically been the focus of research. Researchers have suggested there is a need to develop a better understanding of how …

The Importance Of Creating Curriculum And Practices For The 21st Century Master Of Arts In Communication: A Program Evaluation, Michelle Grace

Dissertations

In 2018, a Master of Arts in Communication program was reviewed for relevance, academic rigor, and satisfaction of program stakeholders. Qualitative and quantitative research was conducted with current and former program participants and community business leaders to answer these questions. While program satisfaction was high, the results suggested the need for revised curriculum to align with the 21^st century workplace and to better meet the needs of adult learners. The results of this research will be implemented by introducing new courses or modifying existing ones, maintaining relationships with industry partners, and changing the format of classes to provide adult …