Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / In the United States, foster care is provided to children to avert maltreatment and abuse of children in distressed families by providing a temporary home or a foster home. Courts with jurisdiction over families have been charged by Congress to find appropriate homes when necessary circumstances occur. In fiscal year 2009, there were 423,773 children in foster care (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). When the term “foster child or foster care” is used, most individuals view the term as negative. Most statistical data reaffirms this belief and casts a negative light on the foster care system in the United States. Foster children exit the foster care system and face higher rates of substance abuse, unemployment, and incarceration, and lower educational attainment. Though foster children do suffer from uncertainty of shattered relationships, there are success stories that arise from foster care. This study examines the discovery of strengths and emerging possibilities in the State of Kansas foster care system and the conditions that make them possible. This study identifies and examines success stories of 15 former foster children in the State of Kansas and analyzes how to build on those success stories. This case study uses qualitative methods such as audio-taped interviews and an interview protocol with a pre-determined set of open-ended questions. This study identifies stories of effectiveness in the State of Kansas foster care system.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Doris Wright Carroll / The college environment is often made up of a variety of people, fulfilling various roles throughout the campus climate. There are students, staff members, faculty, and administration. In examining the roles, students of Asian ancestry make up a part of a sub-category of students. In a campus population where students of different ethnic backgrounds come together to receive an education, Asian students have remained one of the minorities on a college campus. Even with a growing presence on campus, Asian American students have often been faced with additional struggles that their non-minority student counterparts face. The report will include a wide range of literature review looking at the different theoretical models, foundations, and outlines of ethnic identity development in higher education. The purpose of the report is to provide an outline of the different experiences of Asian Americans during their time at a university. The report will also acknowledge the differences, while drawing on similarities, to discuss potential outcomes for minority students. The final section of the report will include a review of recommendations and best practices for student affairs to implement in their work with Asian American students.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs / Christy Craft / This master’s report is a study of current textbook trends within higher education. The report looks at multiple methods of textbook delivery for faculty members within the higher education community. The report further investigates a new textbook paradigm created by faculty members at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The author of this report has spent several years researching textbook trends and has presented on this topic on several occasions. By analyzing some qualitative data collected at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the author will provide a partial evaluation of the CoreTxtPlus® paradigm and offer suggestions to future faculty members looking for an innovative way to provide course content to their students.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / Perceptions of family influence as a source of motivation to attend college were explored. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to investigate how, and in what ways, families shaped the pathway to higher education among 12 African American male collegians. Comparisons of these perceptions across family compositions and an extant model of family influence and college choice were also explored. The students in this study attended both public and private 4-year historically Black and predominantly White colleges situated throughout seven states in the Midwest and the South. A phenomenological qualitative research approach was employed to forward this study. Also, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) techniques were applied to data gleaned from face-to-face interviews. Results of the study revealed two overarching themes of family influence and college choice for African American males: (1) deliberate family involvement and (2) contextual family influences. Eight subthemes illuminate the overarching theme deliberate family involvement: (1) emphasizing hard work, (2) aiding with pre-college paperwork, (3) offering messages about value of college, (4) supporting extra-curricular activities, (5) encouraging positive decision-making, (6) cultural indoctrination, (7) providing affirming words and praise, and (8) regular accessibility. Four subthemes buttress the overarching theme contextual family influence: (1) family educational choices, (2) family participation, (3) family representation and reactions, and (4) family stress. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are also presented.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Jacqueline D. Spears / This study explored the impact of requiring a video term-paper project and media literacy instruction to address the desired educational goals of increasing student ownership of learning, learning course-related concepts, providing evidence of communication skills, and increasing knowledge of key media literacy concepts. Study participants came from convenience samples drawn from a technology course taught by the researcher and from a writing course taught by a colleague. The sixty participants were male (41) and female (19) college students in different years of their courses of study. Participants comprised traditional-age (18-24) and non-traditional-age (25+) students possessing varying levels of familiarity with the skills examined. A quasi-experimental, two-group control/intervention design was used, augmented by additional data collected from the intervention group. The quasi-experiment consisted of pre-and post-test measurements of media literacy, with both groups receiving media literacy instruction an intervention in the form of a video term-paper research project completed by the intervention group. Additional data were gathered from student surveys and interviews conducted with the intervention group. The quasi-experiment did not provide evidence that either the media literacy instruction or the video term-paper project increased knowledge of media-literacy concepts. However, the data collected indicated that the video project was a relevant challenge that engaged students in active participation in their learning. Despite the inherent difficulties in the use of writing and communications skills in technology classes, science and technology educators should investigate the benefits of using media projects in their courses.

Doctor Of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / There has been a steady rise in the number of adult degree completion programs in the last twenty years, and predictions indicate the trend will continue. Simultaneously there is a growing concern for quality in higher education. One of the ways that any organization can assess quality is to gain consensus from a variety of stakeholders as to what institutional goals should be pursued and then measure the level to which those goals are met. The Institutional Goals Inventory consists of 90 goal statements that measure 20 outcome and process goal areas and asks a variety of stakeholders to assess perceptions of both real and ideal goals within an institution. This exploratory, descriptive study polled faculty, students and administrators (n=224) in three Kansas area adult degree completion programs. Questions guiding this study included finding out what goal areas the various stakeholders deemed most and least important, whether or not there was a significant difference in those perceptions between stakeholder groups and/or institutions, and how well each of the institutions is meeting the goals their stakeholders deem most important. Results indicate that all stakeholder groups agree that the Principles of Good Practice for Alternative and External Degree Programs both is and should be important in these programs. Other highly ranked real and ideal goal areas were Academic Development, Community, and Intellectual Orientation. The results also show that while there is a fair amount of consensus among and between stakeholders and institutions on real and ideal goal in these programs, in virtually all instances the stakeholders rated all ideal goal areas as significantly higher than the real goal areas. Several recommendations for adult degree completion programs are offered as well as a lengthy list of suggestions for future research.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs / Kenneth Hughey / The characteristics and needs of college students across the United States are ever-changing. As Millennial generation students, born between 1982 and 2003 (Howe & Strauss, 2000), attend college, unique characteristics are present. Commonalities within the Millennial generation have been identified; however, socioeconomic status can impact a student’s ability to demonstrate these characteristics of the Millennial generation (Ramsey, 2008). Socioeconomic status still remains the greatest predictor of college aspirations but can prohibit some Millennial students from the opportunity to attend college (Greene, Huerta, & Richards, 2007). This qualitative study investigated the lived experiences of low socioeconomic Millennial generation college students. Bourdieu’s (1977; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977, 1990) Cultural Capital Theory was used as the framework to address four research questions regarding knowledge of college, academic experiences, types of support, and collegiate involvement. Research questions were developed utilizing a phenomenological methodology consisting of two semi-structured interviews with open-ended interview questions as the primary data source. Through the analysis of the participant interviews, themes of their lived experiences as a low socioeconomic status Millennial generation college student emerged. Participants shared that their families lacked knowledge and information about college although they encouraged and supported them and understood the importance of a college degree. Although the educational experiences of the participants varied, most encountered challenges transitioning from high school to college. The most important educational experience for the participants is obtaining a college degree, greatly impacting their future. Although self-supportive for most of their lives, attending college is possible through the financial support of the 21st Century Scholars Program. This financial support and the support of their collegiate friends going through similar experiences have been important. Involvement in collegiate activities was important for the participants’ future careers, relationships, and learning; however, they sought these opportunities on their own. This research supports and encourages student affairs practitioners to enhance and improve the services and support provided to low socioeconomic status students in the college community. In addition, this study supports the need for more research related to socioeconomic status within higher education as well as reexamining student development theories to take into consideration socioeconomic status.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / M. Gail Shroyer / This study was designed to examine one component of impact within a High School Professional Development School (PDS) partnership. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived impact of pre-service teachers on the students they teach and the cooperating teachers who mentor them. More specifically, this study was designed to explore the impact on the learning environment of high school students who were taught by pre-service teachers and the cooperating teachers who mentored them from the perspective of 8 pre-service teachers, 130 high school students, and 8 cooperating teachers. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the concept of an Optimal Learning Environment (National Research Council, 1999). The overarching question for this study was: In what ways do pre-service teachers impact the learning environment of the PDS in which they complete their final clinical experience? Survey and interview data were gathered from participants to explore the perceived impact of the pre-service teachers on the (a) learner centered learning environment, (b) assessment centered learning environment, and (c) knowledge centered learning environment of the high school students and cooperating mentor teachers. The data collected were focused on what the high school students, pre-service teachers and cooperating mentor teachers perceived based on their personal experiences and understanding. The results of this study indicated a perceived positive impact on the learner centered, assessment centered, and knowledge centered learning environments of the high school students and the cooperating mentor teachers from the perspectives of the high school students, pre-service teachers and cooperating mentor teachers. The researcher thus concluded that the pre-service teachers positively impacted the perceived Optimal Learning Environment of the PDS in which they completed their final clinical experience.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Joy M. Kozar / Today, home economics in Saudi Arabia, in particular, apparel and textiles programs (AT) typically emphasize two major areas: apparel design and textile science. However, AT programs in Saudi Arabia need to evolve to help students take advantage of new job opportunities in the apparel retail sector. Establishing an apparel merchandising track in AT programs in Saudi Arabia will provide women with better preparation to succeed in the industry. Until recently, most female graduates of home economics programs in Saudi Arabia were prepared for teaching positions. The purpose of this study was to develop an apparel merchandising program for the AT discipline in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative data were collected in three phases to examine the focal points of choosing the new curricula: (a) the nature of the subject matter, (b) the nature of society, and (c) the nature of individuals. In Phase 1, the content of the top apparel merchandising programs in the US was examined to explore the nature of the subject matter. In Phase 2, the perceptions of industry professionals in Saudi Arabia were explored by interviewing 21 human resource managers and apparel store managers. Finally, the AT students’ needs to succeed in the apparel industry were examined by interviewing 17 female students. The data were analyzed by utilizing the word-based technique as well as comparing and contrasting responses to each question. The findings for all three phases were combined and compared to identify the knowledge and skills that need to be added to the new apparel merchandising track for AT discipline in Saudi Arabia. Results of the study indicated that all three phases reported the importance of considering hard skills, or content and process knowledge, and soft skills, or professional attitude and skills, in preparing AT student for the apparel retail industry. AT major knowledge, business knowledge, mathematics, as well as professional skills (e.g., communication, commitment, teamwork, English language, lifelong learning, and experience) are found to be essential for the success of Saudi women in the apparel retail industry. For AT educators in Saudi Arabia, this knowledge and skills have to be addressed in the apparel merchandising program.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Trudy Salsberry / Institutional advancement is a constant challenge for leaders at institutions of higher education. The continued threat to historically black college and universities (HBCU) survival, due to the lack of resources they need to operate and compete, is at the forefront of concerns for many HBCU presidents and supporters. Research suggests that to have success in acquiring more resources, universities will need to work with their alumni associations and foundations. The purpose of this qualitative, multi-case study was to contribute to the limited research on the relationships among HBCU leaders responsible for growing resources. Numerous aspects contribute to increasing alumni giving and this study will contribute to that knowledge. The discussion of inter-organizational relationships and how the processes of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration transpire should be a part of the dialogue. Exploration of these relationships and processes can highlight possible solutions and deficiencies in the success of institutional advancement. Sites for this study were purposefully selected to examine these inter-organizational relationships. Data included in-depth interviews and related documents and artifacts. Thirty patterns and three themes emerged from the data analysis. The three themes include an understanding that (a) “working together” enacts cooperation, coordination, and collaboration; (b) human capital and organizational structures affect coordination and the ability to reach goals; and (c) the goal for increased resource capacity focuses the efforts of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. This study extends the discussion to looking at inter-organizational relationships as another perspective to enhance resources. This investigation also introduces dialogue about alumni association and foundation volunteerism as an important component in developing effective solutions. The understandings portrayed in the identified themes will help university officials, practitioners, advancement volunteers, and supporters of higher education enhance their institutional advancement strategies and help set forth norms for productive behaviors.