Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / Sarah Jane Fishback / This study explored the effects of personal epistemological beliefs about mathematics and beliefs about the ability to do well in mathematics on achievement in a college-level, developmental mathematics class. The influences of gender, age, and ethnicity on these beliefs as they relate to mathematics achievement were also explored. The Mathematics Belief Scales (MBS) was adapted from the Indiana Mathematics Belief Scales and Self-Description Questionnaire III to measure beliefs about the time it takes to solve mathematics problems, the importance of conceptual understanding in mathematics, the procedural emphasis in mathematics, the usefulness of mathematics, and self-concept about mathematics. MBS was administered to 159 participants enrolled in Intermediate Algebra over two semesters at an urban, state-supported mid-western university and two small private mid-western universities. Responses to the surveys and scores on the final exams for the Intermediate Algebra courses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson product-moment correlations, analysis of variance techniques, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results indicated that students generally held nonavailing beliefs about mathematics and mathematics self-concept. Students typically believed that mathematical problems should be solved within ten minutes. Students generally did not believe that math problems can be solved with logic and reason instead of learned math rules. Over 40% of the students did not believe that mathematics beyond basic mathematics was useful to everyday life. Students were also generally not confident in their ability to solve mathematics problems. Additionally, men’s self-concept was significantly higher than women’s self-concept. Adult learners’ self-concept was also significantly higher than traditional age students’ self-concept. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the importance of understanding mathematical concepts positively influenced final exam scores for men more so than women and self-concept positively influenced final exam scores for women more so than men. These results indicate a need for academic experiences at the college-level that will challenge students’ current belief system and provide an environment that is supportive and conducive to building individual self-confidence.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / This study sought to understand reasons for participation and non-participation in national incident management system (NIMS) and incident command system (ICS) training by elected officials in the state of Kansas as well as motivations and perceived barriers to participation in this training. County commissioners and mayors from first class and second class cities in the state were the population for this study (n = 202). One instrument comprised of three parts was utilized; a slightly modified version of the Deterrents to Participation Scale (DPS-G) developed by Darkenwald and Valentine in 1984, a slightly modified version of the Education Participation Scale (EPS-A) used by Morstain and Smart (1974) and based on the original work of Boshier (1971), and the third part of the instrument which gathered demographic information. Findings for the study noted that while there was a self-reported percentage of over 51% completion of NIMS training, the target population may be unaware of the Homeland Security and Kansas Emergency Management parameter for participation and are not in compliance with the emergency management institute (EMI) testing and reporting standards. The question of motivations to participation noted that although the EPS-A showed strong reliability to the target population, upon closer scrutiny the questions did not align for this population as they had for previously surveyed populations. A new version of the EPS for elected officials has been suggested for subsequent studies. The DPS-G was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for the target population. Additional demographic variables of age, rural/urban and time in position were explored. None of these variables were found to be significant to the participation decision. The possibility of a prediction model for participation was explored through a stepwise logistic regression. The model should be explored further utilizing several factors from the DPS – G (personal problems, lack of personal priority, and lack of confidence) as possible significant barriers. The qualitative responses on the survey noted the high percentage of respondents that had a lack of knowledge or understanding of the requirements or had questions on availability of the training. Implications and recommendations for the target populations and to the field of study are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / The purpose of this study was to identify the informational resources used by small manufacturing owners who were in the NAICS 336 sector of manufacturers in Sedgwick County, Kansas, and determine which are most helpful to the owner in managing their business. Prior studies have utilized all small businesses and have not examined industry specific information gathering. A qualitative method was used in the study using a semi-structured interview process to provide in-depth information from the perspective of the small manufacturing owner. The semi-structured interview identified the information resources used by small manufacturing owners in managing their business and the level of helpfulness those resources had for them. Ten small manufacturers whose owner was on site and employed from 20-100 employees were used in the study. Informal resources were most often used by this group of manufacturers. The Internet was identified by the manufacturers as the most important and useful resource to managing their businesses. The small manufacturers used multiple resources to manage their business and rarely relied on only one resource of information whether it was for financial, management, marketing/sales or benchmarking information. Formal sources of information such as colleges, trade schools and seminars were less frequently used. Nonformal resources which were mostly governmental and included the Small Business Association, Small Business Development Center, Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, SCORE, local and federal government resources were rarely used by this group of manufacturers.

Foster care alumni are a unique subset of college students who enter post-secondary education having faced significant socio-economic challenges and emotional trauma. These students often understand how attending post-secondary education can help create a more stable life. However, the graduation of this population is extremely low. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand formerly fostered youths' perspectives of the needs and stressors students face while attending post-secondary education. Specifically, the researcher wanted to understand what characteristics influence former foster care youth to enroll in college and what characteristics help former foster care youth persist in higher education until graduation. The study utilized both student departure theory and resilience theory to frame each research question conceptually. The results illuminated the resilience of former fostered youth attending post-secondary education and their characteristics for continued enrollment.

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The number of students entering the community college in need of developmental math has not changed, remaining at a steady 60% over the past seven years. This study compared the success rate of Mandatory Supplemental Instruction (MSI) sessions within four sections of a developmental math course compared with the success rates of students enrolled in both the Traditional Classroom setting and the Individualized format at Suburban Community College (SCC) during the Fall 2009 semester. These MSI format courses were compared with both the Individualized format of MAT 060 and the Traditional Classroom format of the same course. The students included in these sections were a combination of students who were: 1) suggested by advisors to enroll in this developmental math course after receiving a low score on the college's Accuplacer placement test for algebra or continuing the progression of developmental math from the lower level arithmetic class; 2) mandated to attend MSI after successful completion of the Jump Start Math Program, or 3) self-selected into the MSI group anticipating the need for additional help in the course. The two primary data sets available for this study are student math final grades and student participation/attendance records. Secondary sets of data include informal focus group notes, final exam scores, student attendance records for both class lectures and MSI sessions, and Supplemental Instruction Leader anecdotal records. The findings of this study conclude that success rates of students enrolled in the MSI sections of developmental math do not differ significantly from those enrolled in the Traditional Classroom format of developmental math; however, both groups did differ significantly from the Individualized format of developmental math, in that the students enrolled in the Individualized format succeeded at a lesser rate and withdrew at a greater rate than their MSI or Traditional Classroom counterparts. This study also concluded that female, full-time students succeeded at a greater rate across the board, which is consistent with the literature. These findings were significant for a number of reasons. Although the difference between the treatment group and the Traditional Classroom group was not significant, there are a variety of reasons at the program level as to why this may have been so and there are many future constructs that SCC can put in place to strengthen and reassess the MSI program. Although this study was focused on the MSI treatment, the data revealed a greater issue existing in the Individualized format of developmental math at SCC. Future considerations can be made in this particular delivery method to improve success rates of students involved in this program. Future research on MSI in the form of persistence and retention rates, graduation rates, transfer rates, subsequent math course grades and success in other college-level classes can be explored to provide the MSI program with more data to determine if particular groups of students are benefiting from this format. / Educational Administration

This study is an analysis of the role educational programming has played in reforming inmates in American correctional institutions between the Jacksonian era and the 1970s. A case study, "Seminary of Virtue" focuses on the educational curriculum at Philadelphia's famed Eastern State Penitentiary, a cutting-edge institution that originated the Pennsylvania System of penal discipline. "Seminary of Virtue" argues that Eastern State Penitentiary's extensive and aggressive educational program reflected a general American belief that correctional institutions should educate inmates as a way of reducing recidivism and thereby "reforming" them. While Americans remained committed to educating inmates, Eastern State's curriculum evolved during its century and a half institutional life. As its emphasis shifted from the religiously oriented "reform" of prisoners in the early nineteenth-century to a medical model of "rehabilitation" a half century later, Eastern State's educational program evolved, shifting from a curriculum of rudimentary literacy skills, religious instruction and an apprenticeship of sorts to industrial education in the mid-nineteenth century and then finally to a traditional academic curriculum in the first third of the twentieth century. / History

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the impact of the rapid shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic on a community college. This study focused on examining the attitudes of the faculty towards online teaching and their teaching practices. Additionally, the study aimed to understand the impact of the rapid shift to online teaching on faculty preferences regarding instructional delivery modes. This study provides insights into the challenges faced by faculty during the shift to online teaching and their experiences in adapting to a new teaching format. This study also sheds light on the effectiveness of online teaching in a community college setting and identifies areas where further improvement is needed. The findings of this study can be used to inform future decisions regarding the delivery of instruction in community colleges and provide a basis for further research in this area.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavior and perceptions of a group of adults in culturally and structurally diverse families concerning their role in their children's learning. Five women of color, four African American, and one East Indian immigrant, participated in the study. Ethnographic interviews and story-telling were the keynote methodologies used in this participatory study. / The women's narratives provide a rich perspective on education in the intimate context of a family as well as the wider community. Parents' stories reveal the impact of historical, political, economic and cultural factors on their roles, what they feel is important for their children to learn as well as ways in which they promote this learning. Their stories offer lessons to adult educators about learning processes, strategies, and networks in the minority community. / The results of the study broaden our notion of "family" and "parent". They suggest that adult educators need to reexamine their theoretical and methodological frameworks in order to give more effective support to parents like those portrayed in participants' stories. The results of the study should thus help to inform educational reform efforts aimed at improving family-school relations. The methodology used should also be helpful in future studies of other aspects of parenting and adult development, especially among minority groups. In addition, the study should help to inform the stance of public agencies toward culturally and structurally diverse families. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0690. / Major Professor: Peter Easton. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Tweed R. Ross / John R. Staver / The purpose of this study was to research, develop and validate a one-semester course for the general education of university undergraduates in forensic chemical education. The course outline was developed using the research and development (R&D) methodology recommended by Gall, Borg, and Gall, (2003) and Dick and Carey, (2001) through a three step developmental cycle. Information was gathered and analyzed through review of literature and proof of concept interviews, laying the foundation for the framework of the course outline. A preliminary course outline was developed after a needs assessment showed need for such a course. Professors expert in the area of forensic science participated in the first field test of the course. Their feedback was recorded, and the course was revised for a main field test. Potential users of the guide served as readers for the main field test and offered more feedback to improve the course.