Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-174). Also available via the Internet.

<p> To ensure optimal patient care an especially high level of accountability is required when entering the workforce. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, describe, and define perceptions of accountability as described by sophomore and senior nursing students in two baccalaureate nursing programs. The research questions aimed to (a) define what it means to be accountable as a student in general and a nursing student in particular (b) describe the importance of accountability to the profession of nursing (c) describe the circumstances and conditions that demand accountability, and (d) engage in actions that promote self-accountability. After obtaining IRB approval, the researcher explained the study to the sophomore and senior nursing students who agreed to participate in the research. Eighteen participants were interviewed. </p><p> Six questions were asked during interviews conducted to investigate perceptions of accountability. Content analysis was used to discern the essence of the narratives, from which nine themes emerged. The nine themes identified are: Difficulty defining accountability and the interchangeable use of the terms; accountability and responsibility; emerging knowledge; focus on work of nursing; student attention to tasks and outcomes; motivation/self-discipline; student stress and sources of stress; conditions for accountability and responsibility, and faculty actions; and promoting self-accountability and accountability to others. </p><p> Study findings suggested that this group of students understood the importance of accountability but were unable to verbalize a definition, often confusing accountability with responsibility. Students perceived that faculty played a role in their academic success; students also promoted accountability in faculty and in peers who were less successful academically.</p><p>

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong. / Type-written copy. Includes bibliographical references (1.265-277).

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.) - University of Hong Kong. / Includes bibliographical references (1eaves 265-277). Also available in print.

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-166).

<p> The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship of student anxiety, student engagement, and student performance to the retention of students at a proprietary institution. Student anxiety, engagement, performance, and retention have been discussed in previous education literature; however, no such relationship has been investigated when linked to the proprietary institution. The study used the Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory ^TM online survey containing 74 closed-ended questions to measure a planned sample off 100 enrolled students' academic motivation, general coping, receptivity to intuitional services, and educational plans at the proprietary institution. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 22.0) was used to code and tabulate scores collected from the survey. Inferential statistics were used to draw conclusions from the sample tested. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the four research hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that students' engagement and anxiety was not significantly related to students' retention; however, students' performance was significantly and positively related to retention. Further study is recommended for the research by using a larger sample, qualitative and mixed method formats to ensure true record of opinion from the sample, and results from the study should be compared with surveys to find correlation in students' satisfaction. </p>

<p> The insurance industry is onboarding large numbers of new employees as the baby boomers retire. At the same time, the industry is shifting to more analytical and agile processes requiring significant upskilling. Many companies are too small to build their own training programs. Existing national associations can help but students currently prefer classroom training, requiring expensive travel and accommodations. We need to significantly improve student satisfaction with online courses to improve the affordability of and demand for training. The Community of Inquiry framework is commonly used to design and evaluate online courses that increase student satisfaction. The framework shows teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence as essential elements that combine to build productive educational experiences. The Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale (MAAS) is a well-researched scale that quantifies an individual's awareness of and attention to the present. Combining questions from the Community of Inquiry framework and the MAAS Scale with questions on satisfaction, this study used a quantitative approach with a descriptive research design. Employees in the insurance industry that have taken online courses from national carriers were surveyed, to identify how a student&rsquo;s mindfulness tendencies moderate the relationship between the Community of Inquiry scores and their satisfaction with online courses. The study concludes that industry courses would benefit by increasing cognitive presence through improved teacher and social presence. The study concludes that mindfulness may affect student&rsquo;s future use of online learning but could not be determined to impact student&rsquo;s satisfaction with online courses. The study provides findings and recommendations for online course changes and for future research.</p><p>

<p> While recent research has focused on the relationship between educational attainment and recidivism for formerly incarcerated persons, less research has focused on the relationship between educational attainment/level and employment. This study employed mixed methods to examine data on post-release employment outcomes for ex-offenders from, and explore the forces that govern educational programming offered in, the Connecticut Department of Correction. For the quantitative analytics, the primary independent variable of employment was operationalized as employment status (employed/unemployed) and weekly wage. The two dependent variables were education level and race/ethnicity. Data indicate that, for the ex-offenders studied, education level varied by race, post-release employment status varied by race, the relationship between education and employment was impacted by race, yet there was no mean wage difference either by education level or race. Forces that influenced educational offerings were state budget, local job markets, inmate programs, and partnerships initiated by facility school leaders. Forces that influenced educational program participation were student mobility, custody mandates/restrictions, external partnership selection criteria, and agency practice of providing inmates with a small financial incentive for enrollment and matriculation. Forces that influenced student outcomes included extensive differentiated instruction, custody mandates/restrictions, the lack of quiet time and study space, GED exam changes in content and administration, and access to school supplies. The findings indicate an agency need for better systems of data collection and maintenance, attention to the impact of budget cuts, and attention to faculty and administrative tenure within the agency. Ultimately, the research paradigm around recidivism needs to shift to a more detailed examination of the myriad components that comprise recidivism, as opposed to simply using recidivism as the sole predictor of successful ex-offender rehabilitation. </p><p>

<p> Without education, many South Sudanese will continue living in poverty. There are numerous factors that limit their educational opportunities including tribal warfare, colonialism, missionary malpractice, civil wars, a high illiteracy rate, low government funding, and threats of war. These factors have left a substantial deficiency in available training for teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the pedagogical needs of the teachers of South Sudan. Within a conceptual framework of participatory action research, this qualitative study examined educators&rsquo; view of the effectiveness of the teacher education that they had received, the pedagogical needs of teachers, and the ideal training models for teachers given the country&rsquo;s current situation. The research design was a case study focusing on 5 primary and secondary schools. The mode of data collection was interviews and observations among 15 K-16 educators and educator leaders selected by snowball sampling. Observations and interviews took place in school classrooms and campuses, best suited for data collection as South Sudanese are, for the most part, a preliterate people who value listening and storytelling. Themes found related to classroom management, lesson planning, differentiated instruction, and motivation to teach. Key results indicated that the teachers had little to no preparation, varied in their motivation to teach, and perceived challenges and needs differently based on their level of education. A 5-day teacher-training project was developed. Social change will be achieved by improving teachers&rsquo; ability to successfully educate the next generation of leaders for South Sudan.</p>