Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Original electronic document formatted into pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-106) and abstract.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1990. / Title from title page screen, viewed November 18,2 005. Dissertation Committee: G. Alan Hickrod (chair), Robert L. Arnold, Ramesh B. Chaudhari, William Humm, Rodney Riegle. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-99) and abstract. Also available in print.

<p> The community college mission has always centered on providing higher education opportunities for all people (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], 2015a; Bailey, Jaggars, &amp; Jenkins, 2015; Dassance, 2011; Dotzler, 2003; Greenburg, 2008; Schuh, Jones, Harper, &amp; Associates, 2011). However, many students who enrolled at the community college level were not college ready and often required developmental coursework to help bridge the knowledge gap prior to taking college level courses. Unfortunately, those students were unlikely to obtain higher education credentials (Bailey et al., 2015; Carnegie Foundation, 2014). On the other hand, the researcher observed a relatively small number of students who began their community college education at the developmental level, successfully completed the developmental course sequence, completed college level courses, and graduated with a degree while maintaining a high GPA. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of those students, identified as Emerging Scholars, at a large Midwestern community college. Through interviews the researcher analyzed the perceptions of Emerging Scholars, specifically, factors perceived as beneficial to success and factors perceived as barriers to success while the student completed a minimum of two required developmental courses, completed a minimum of 24 credit hours of college level coursework, and maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA (on a 4.0 scale). </p><p> As expected, the researcher found the concept of success to be complex and multifaceted. However, two key factors emerged as contributing to success: the establishment of a personal goal and positive faculty-student interactions; participants mentioned both as being a contributor to success. There were six additional factors identified as valuable to success: academic support services offered by the college, specific classes, support from others, motivation to persist, having an internal drive to be successful, and having the necessary skills to be successful. The only barrier to success identified was termed &ldquo;uncontrollable events&rdquo; in the lives of study participants. </p><p> The data analysis from this study could assist community college leaders as they search for ways to increase the success of students who begin their college at the developmental level and could shed light on the type of support to be offered to students who may be struggling and potentially helpful to all students.</p>

<p> Community colleges nationwide struggle with retention and completion of students. The role of two-year institutions is further complicated by the multigenerational diversity of learners. Community college instructors should be prepared to educate students ranging from the traditional-age digital native to a life-long learner 80 or more years in age. Creating a learning environment inclusive of generational learners is central to the mission of the community college. This quantitative study was grounded in two theoretical frameworks. First, Bandura&rsquo;s (1986) social cognitive learning theory provided an understanding for student learning in the social environment. Second, Sch&ouml;n&rsquo;s (1973) organizational learning theory provided an understanding of how educators and administrators use prior experiences to change and improve the learning environment. Five research questions guided this study. The data for these questions were collected from an immediate content recognition task and student engagement survey following a weeklong teaching demonstration. During the demonstration, two groups were taught identical material, one group in a tradition lecture format and the other received in an active learning format. Weeks later, both groups completed a delayed content recognition task to determine retention of information. The results indicated no statistically significance difference when comparing scores of the passive lecture group. However, the results indicated a statistically significance difference for active learners when analyzing overall retention. Scores for active learners decreased on the delayed content task when compared to the immediate task. The findings of this study may be used to assist two-year colleges in determining effective uses of active learning for the multigenerational classroom.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if retention of first-year college students was influenced by specific variables and programs at one Midwest community college. The study was focused on responses from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2013) and peer mentoring program data. Data and retention were measured using Wald chi-square tests and t-tests, respectively. The CCSSE benchmarks were Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Student-Faculty Interactions, and Support for Learners. Benchmarks were analyzed using student variables age, gender, working for pay, student loans, and race/ethnicity. Benchmarks titled Student Effort and Support for Learners had a significant impact on retention. The relevance of this finding became clear through analyzing specific student variables to determine their impact on each specific benchmark. Also investigated were the retention rates of first-time students who participated in the college&rsquo;s peer mentoring program and first-time students who did not participate in the college&rsquo;s peer mentoring program. Following analysis of the data, there was a statistical difference in the retention rates of first-year, peer-mentored students and non-peer mentored, first-year students. The peer mentoring program was also studied by analyzing the effects peer mentoring had on students who were on academic probation. No statistically significant difference was found in retention rates of students who remained on academic probation and their peers who had moved off probation. Data for all aspects of peer mentoring suggested program consistency positively affects retention rates of first-year students.</p><p>

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [94]-98). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [94]-98). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1990. / Title from title page screen, viewed November 3, 2005. Dissertation Committee: John R. McCarthy, G. Alan Hickrod (co-chairs), Robert L. Arnold, Ramesh B. Chaudhari, David L. Franklin. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-121) and abstract. Also available in print.

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the presence (or absence) of barriers that hindered the ability of veteran student populations in completing degrees in the applied sciences field. Furthermore, in this study, the researcher sought to identify and to understand any detected barriers. The researcher examined the academic performances of veterans and non-veterans in the environmental science program at a Missouri community college. This study focused on collecting supplemental sources and gathering additional research on veterans pursuing applied science degrees. The researcher analyzed quantitative metrics and qualitative data, as well as compared personal responses from students to determine the leading perceived barriers and, conversely, the strategies most commonly employed to assist veterans in completion of the degree program. Additionally, the researcher compared academic performances of veteran and non-veteran students across multiple categories. The data indicated veteran students performed as well as non-veteran students, overall. However, some factors, such as educational background and military occupational specialties, had a favorable effect on veteran student retention and achievement rates. Based on the data presented, the researcher recommended a future longitudinal study investigating veteran resource center services and the academic performances of the veteran students who utilized them. Findings from such a study would provide valuable information regarding the effectiveness of the veteran resource centers and their ability to help veteran students transition to higher education. </p><p>

<p> Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, or STEM, is an area that is currently growing in popularity with educators (Becker &amp; Park, 2011). A qualitative study consisting of interviews was conducted and data were gathered from three leaders in professional STEM organizations, four principals from elementary STEM schools, and six teachers from elementary STEM schools to gain their perceptions of elementary STEM schools in Missouri. The perceptions of leaders in professional STEM organizations regarding STEM education were consistently all positive, and each leader was a proponent of STEM education at the elementary level. The perceptions of principals and teachers were also similar in response to interview questions. Both principals and teachers reported STEM education has the ability to increase student engagement and student achievement. The principals provided information that showed a shift in teacher attitude toward STEM from hesitant to giving full support. The teachers offered answers to the interview questions that showed favor and support for continuing professional development in regards to STEM education. Results and conclusions from this study may assist schools in deciding if STEM education should be integrated within their curriculum.</p>