<p> High-stakes testing in undergraduate nursing education are those assessments used to make critical decisions for student progression and graduation. The purpose of this study was to explore the different ways students experience multiple high-stakes tests for progression in one undergraduate BSN program. Research participants were prelicensure senior baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in their final semester of the nursing program. A descriptive qualitative design, using the framework of phenomenography, captured the various ways a group of prelicensure BSN students described their experiences with multiple high-stakes to progress throughout the nursing program towards graduation. Phenomenography is designed to examine the various ways in which a group individuals experience or perceive the same phenomenon. Analysis revealed five major categories of descriptions, including values, stress, inconsistency, high demand/expectations, and transfer of learning. Each category included various sub-categories. The findings provided a rich understanding of the student's point of view of high-stakes tests that is lacking in the nursing education literature. In addition, the results were used to develop a structure of learning model as a useful tool to guide nursing faculty in developing program-specific strategies that promote student success with high-stakes testing throughout nursing curricula. </p>

<p>Given the frequently observed disconnect between people's learning experiences and their subsequent behavior or practice, this research inquired into the factors that contribute to coherence or congruence between learning and practice as perceived by graduates of ISTEL (Instituto Superior de Teologia Evang&eacute;lica no Lubango), an interdenominational theological college in Angola, Africa. </p><p> Characteristics of African indigenous knowledge systems and general cultural characteristics were taken into consideration when analyzing these findings. Twenty seven graduates of ISTEL who completed their bachelor's degree in theology between 1997 and 2012 were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Research questions for this study inquired into graduates' perceptions regarding their learning experiences prior to ISTEL. They were also asked to recount how their learning at ISTEL differed from previous schooling. Finally graduates were asked to recount how their learning experiences were influencing their present ministry practice. It was found that the most frequently mentioned factors that contributed to coherence were: 1. The modeling of qualities of Christian life by faculty; 2. Experience in small group fellowships for spiritual formation; 3. Apprenticeships and "hands on" practical ministry experience; 4. Critical thinking skills. </p>

<p> Transitioning youth in the foster care system to successful young adult living is essential. They must be able to achieve a high school diploma, which is challenging for many. Too often, foster youth and those in kinship care are at higher risk of homelessness, unemployment and incarceration. The purpose of this <i>Commitment Initiative</i> was to create a grant proposal to enhance the <i>Empowering Children to Achieve Academic Success: A Curriculum for Kinship Caregivers and Foster Parents,</i> by adding additional materials and making this updated resource available for use nationwide. This <i> Commitment Initiative</i> aims to provide foster parents, kinship caregivers, and child welfare workers who have 11^th and 12^th grade students in their care with resources to achieve postsecondary education, financial aid and employment. Included in the grant proposal is a budget, timeline, and staffing. Submission of this grant proposal was not required for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> A Case Study Market Analysis of Acceleration Mechanisms in Florida: Dual Enrollment Positioning. Laura Melissa Perry, 2013: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Acceleration (Education), Competition, Dual Enrollment, Marketing, Recruitment </p><p> This applied dissertation explored dual enrollment viability when compared to other acceleration mechanisms: (a) advanced placement, (b) advanced international certificate of education, (c) international baccalaureate, and (d) college-level examination program. This multicase, qualitative study explored the competitiveness of dual enrollment versus other acceleration mechanism using Porter's model and the strengths-weaknessesopportunities-threats analysis as the theoretical frameworks. The study used one-on-one interviews to gather primary comparative information. Five groups were interviewed: (a) the vendors of the acceleration mechanisms, (b) state education officials, (c) district personnel, (d) high school representatives, and (e) higher education representatives. The acceleration mechanisms' educational objectives, their positioning, and any acceleration mechanisms' benefits to the various stakeholders were examined. Dual enrollment was compared to the other acceleration mechanisms to develop recommendations for improving the competitive positioning and viability of dual enrollment in Florida. </p><p> The study found that acceleration-mechanism options were complex and dynamic programs that were highly influenced by government policies and funding. Educational entities viewed the value of acceleration mechanisms differently, especially dual enrollment. All groups agreed that acceleration mechanisms provided rigorous curriculum for high school students to prepare for college. However, educational entities first wanted to protect their own interests and funding. In terms of dual enrollment, financial considerations remained a substantial motivation for the program. The study showed that all acceleration mechanisms offered benefits to participating students. However, the multifaceted and ever-changing nature of acceleration mechanisms provided no clear advantages or benefits for dual enrollment versus other acceleration mechanisms. Several recommendations are made that addressed concerns about the long-term value of dual enrollment for Florida institutions and students.</p>

<p> Maier Acosta, Ana Margarita, Ph.D., Purdue University, May 2016. A Multiculturalist and Sociotransformative Approach to Entrepreneurship Education in Honduras. Major Professor: JoAnn Phillion. This research seeks to take advantage of the converging points among multicultural education, sociotransformative constructivism and entrepreneurship education to propose new ways of teaching entrepreneurship through a multicultural approach in Honduras, based on the potential that entrepreneurship education has to impact society. Action research, because of its potential to connect theory and practice was used as the methodology for this project. This study had the purpose of exploring the efficacy and effects of incorporating multicultural education into entrepreneurship education through a sociotransformative constructivist theoretical framework at the graduate school in the leading private university at Honduras, UNITEC. Entrepreneurship&acute;s contextual nature, its desire to foster individualism and its potential to impact society provided the perfect platform for multicultural education through the incorporation of sociotransformative constructivism in the curriculum to act as an awareness raising device for both students and the teacher. A review of multicultural literature and business education literature, specifically entrepreneurship education literature, reveals adisconnect between the two fields. Even though in some literature the integration of multicultural education is implicit; it is not explicitly stated. The field of Entrepreneurship in Honduras had never been studied before through the lens of such a theory and this as a starting point from which future research should be done.</p>

<p> A primary goal of universities is to maximize student enrollment by improving course curriculum and enhancing specific programs. This is especially a challenge for smaller universities who want to offer specialized and highly diverse electives. This study aims to increase the quality and relevance of electives offered by understanding specifically what attributes students prefer more or less when choosing among alternatives. The results are used to explore how to use limited marketing and student-outreach financial resources to target students that are most likely to enter and complete courses and programs, based in part on their socioeconomic or demographic characteristics. The application is aimed at the economics unit at Michigan Technological University, which offers two programs: an undergraduate economics major and a master&rsquo;s program in applied natural resource economics. Using an efficiently-designed discrete-choice experiment, this study elicits over 700 students&rsquo; stated preferences over a variety of attributes of economics courses related to the natural environment. Students were surveyed, and each student was presented with six different pairwise choice options that were developed based on 36 different alternative courses consisting of 8 attributes, such as class topics, professor rank, time of day, and research requirement. There were three significant covariates (political preference, economic interest, and domestic/foreign status). A latent-class discrete-choice random-utility model is estimated to probabilistically group students into different preference classes. Four preference classes emerge from the results that are highly heterogeneous in terms of the marginal utilities and the probabilities of being in a given class. For example, the largest class (40%) is made up of mostly conservative students, and the smallest class (12%) is made almost entirely of liberal students. While this study and the applicability of the specific results is unique to Michigan Technological University, the use of stated preference surveys and latent-class models is highly flexible and can be applied to any program at any university</p>

<p> This ethnographic study addressed two effective programs designed to assist first-time underrepresented college students navigate and successfully graduate from a private four-year university. This study also addressed how small universities can often reach out to first-generation college students even when these students apply too late for special programs. It focuses on incoming-freshmen on their first semester of their freshmen year and on Alumnae. I explore how students&rsquo; transitions from high school to a four-year university are bounded by a variety of factors within the school's structural organization. By taking an anthropological framework, my qualitative research explores behavior and perspectives about the transition of First Generation College students (FGCs) and how support systems can enable these students to stay enrolled in college.</p><p> Findings indicate four major themes that enabled students to successfully graduate or enroll into the subsequent semester: 1) social support; 2) social capital; 3) importance of mentor, 4) importance of FGCs programs. The research process utilizes participant observation and interviews in uncovering the role that these support programs play in the transition of these students. Questions were posed for further research and recommendations were made for implementation by the university programs evaluated in this thesis.</p>

This thesis takes the critical incident of the suicide of a part-time lecturer in South Korea in 2010 and the subsequent policy response as paradigmatic of the problems of governing higher education. In terms of theoretical resources, it draws on state theories, especially a cultural approach to the state, in order to understand the multiple relations and the interplay of different layers of governing practices in the governing of higher education in South Korea. This thesis argues that mainstream theories of the state are often culturally 'blind' and that the specificities of the Korean state need to be understood with reference to its particular culture, history and context. The thesis also draws on literature on higher education governance, from which three governing principles are identified as topics for investigation, along with a process-oriented approach to professionalism. The research question emerging from this is 'how does the centrality of the Korean state play out in the governing of higher education in South Korea?' Methodologically, the enquiry is shaped by critical discourse analysis (CDA). This approach explores the ways in which higher education governing discourses are related to other social elements. By analysing policy texts and institutional characteristics, the first phase of the enquiry explores how the governing discourses have been indigenised, constructing particular state-academy relations in South Korea. The second phase scrutinises the case of part-time lecturer policy in order to illuminate the distinctive governing dynamics, by which the centrality of the Korean state is assumed to be practised.

<p> Current trends in healthcare have impacted every level of nursing education. Challenges to nurse educators to increase the level of education for all nurses have resulted in an increase in the number of students applying to baccalaureate nursing programs. With this increase in the number of applicants, schools of nursing continue to search for admission criteria that allow admission of the students who are most likely to successfully complete the program. The purpose of this study was to determine if the TEAS V, given as part of the admission process to the school of nursing, is predictive of completion of the BSN nursing program. The sample consisted of 93 nursing students (19 &ndash; 59 years old) at a private university in the southeastern United States. A correlational, retrospective review of the records was used to collect data for the study. Program completion was investigated to determine if there was a relationship to age, gender, TEAS V composite score, TEAS V subject content scores or pre-nursing GPA. The results of data analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between age and program completion. The older the student, the more likely the student is to complete the BSN program. The TEAS V composite score, TEAS V reading score and the TEAS V science score were also identified to have statistically significant relationships with program completion. The results of the study are limited to the student population at the study school. </p><p> Recommendations include replication of the study with a different student population and a study of the relationship between the TEAS V composite score, reading score and science score with a larger sample size. As nurse educators continue to search for appropriate admission criteria for the BSN program, the TEAS V composite score may be a valid tool to identify students who are most likely to successfully complete the BSN program.</p>

<p> A review of research regarding acceptance of online degrees by employers returns contradictory results. The current research focused on human resources recruiters&rsquo; perceptions and biases toward traditional versus online education. Human capital theory, signaling theory, and stakeholder theory formed the conceptual support for understanding the potential impact of bias toward online education. The researcher used semi-structured phone interviews with 18 recruiters as the data collection method. A purposive sample ensured that the participants were selected appropriately. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and manually analyzed for themes related to the acceptance of online education. Eighty-three percent of respondents believed online and traditional educations are equal among accredited institutions. This finding marks a change from previous studies that have found mixed attitudes among employers about online education. The perceived lack of social interaction inherent in online education and reputation of specific institutions were concerns. The results suggest that attitudes toward online education are changing to a more favorable view. The majority (83%) of participants indicated online education was equal to traditional education when reviewing resumes. The researcher recommends that online students participate in outside the classroom social activities to compensate for perceived lack of social interaction. Institutions offering online programs should obtain or maintain accreditation and strengthen their reputation for their graduates to be acceptable to business recruiters.</p>