The 1st-year retention rate of the Structured Education Program (SEP) is 90%, yet the 6-year graduation rate of SEP students is 29%. The gap between SEP 1st-year retention and graduation rates is the problem that this study addressed. The low graduation rate of SEP students is an important issue because graduation rates are used to measure the quality of higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to understand the low graduation rates of SEP students. Tinto's retention theory, which seeks to explain dropouts from higher education institutions, was the main framework of the study. The study's research questions focused on former SEP students' experiences with required and optional support services that were first introduced to students while enrolled in the SEP. This study used a qualitative, intrinsic case study research design. Data were collected through 12 semistructured interviews with participants who met the criteria of former SEP students who have completed the program within the last 5 years. Interviews were transcribed, member checked by interviewees, and then coded to identify 6 themes that focus on participants' commitment to support services. The findings revealed that required exposure to support services in SEP students' 1st year had a meaningful influence on each student's journey toward graduation. An outcome of this study was a policy recommendation paper designed to increase the study site's graduation rates through increased support service requirements for 1st-year students. This study may provide positive local social change through more student commitments to support services and increased retention and graduation rates.

Higher education has not been successfully producing students with positive self-identities and an integrated sense of self with the world. Little research shows how the relationships among socialization, integration, and spirituality can address the problem of cognitive dissonance. The research question for this study examined interrelationships among socialization, integration, and spirituality at a small, historically black, Christian college located in the mid-South? This quantitative, exploratory study utilized Durkheim's integration theory and Blau's theory of structuralism as the theoretical base. Survey data were gathered through a survey developed from Astin's, Reeley's, and Ross & Straus's survey instruments to help create a conceptual model of the relationship among the 3 main variables. Survey data (n = 306) were analyzed through Spearman rho coefficients and chi-squared tests. Categorical analyses revealed relationships among levels of the 3 main variables. Findings include 2 main types of spirituality, that integration is correlated with higher levels of spirituality, that socialization is correlated with lower levels of spirituality, and that oversocialized students, without high levels of integration, had lower spirituality levels, indicating that socialization is a primary facilitator in with the process of integration. The findings may be used to promote positive social change through more clearly seeing the pivotal roles of integration and spirituality in the lives of college students. For students who do not experience spiritual integration in their lives, educators are better able to equip students to live lives that are more spiritual and enjoy a better quality of life.

In an urban, low-achieving district in the northeastern United States, a small school has adopted the Expeditionary Learning (EL) philosophy and pedagogical approaches to instruction. Between the academic years of 2012-2016 state-assessed student achievement scores were less than proficient and implementation reviews revealed that the school made little to no improvement in the core practice category of instruction over 4 years of EL implementation. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to answer guiding questions by examining 12 teachers' perceptions regarding EL instruction as a core practice and element of the annual implementation review, and the impact of EL instruction on student achievement. The study was guided by the EL instructional subcomponents. Using purposeful sampling, data were collected from questionnaires administered to 12 full-time EL teachers. Semistructured interviews and classroom observations were conducted with 3 of the 12 EL teachers. Thematic data analysis followed an open coding process to identify emergent themes. The findings revealed: (a) a relationship between confidence levels of teaching EL instruction and experience, (b) existing gaps in knowledge of instructional subcomponents, (c) variability in implementation of subcomponents, (d) full instructional implementation influenced by time constraints/professional development, (e) existing gaps in teachers' knowledge of implementation review driven goals, (f) professional development related to the implementation review, and (g) student academic achievement impacted by EL instruction. The study and project have implications for positive social change through guidance into improved instructional practice and higher student achievement.

Due to recent regulation, Chiropractic Colleges admit students with less than standard science courses and less than standard GPA. These students require tracking and support. How these students learn compared to standard admissions students is not understood. Researchers have demonstrated that students' learning approaches, strategies, and preferences vary based on educational background and culture and are related to performance. The purpose of this study was to better understand chiropractic students learning styles based on admissions status informing supportive efforts. The theoretical framework was based on Curry's work describing elements of learning on a spectrum from stable to flexible. In this cross-sectional quantative study, data were collected using 3 validated instruments (Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), and the Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic (VARK) questionaire). The sample included all incoming students over 4 consecutive terms;195 entrants with 165 participants. Consistent with prior studies, analysis utilizing Pearson chi-square test of independence, revealed students with less science tend toward some surface learning approaches including: a significant difference in ASSIST subscale unrelated memorizing (p =.023) and a difference approaching significance for subscale syllabus boundness (p = .058). For students with a lower GPA, report frequencies of significance or approaching significance as a relative strength include: LASSI scale self-regulation (p =.029), and subscales concentration (p =.023) and use of study aids (p =.051). Admitting students from varying educational backgrounds, enables chiropractic colleges to include more underrepresented students. This study provided needed information to support these students.

Nationally and locally, developmental education students attending community colleges are not persisting at a high rate. This growing attrition problem affects many aspects of a local community college including enrollment, completion rates, and tuition revenue. The purpose of this study was to analyze community college administrators' perceptions of developmental education and how developmental education affects student attrition. The conceptual framework of this study, social constructivism, provided a foundation to better understand the role each administrator plays in this social group. A qualitative study through structured interviews was conducted, targeting 10 college administrators from 1 local community college, from each of the following college units: student affairs, academic affairs, and finance. Once data were collected through the interview process and transcribed, major themes and categories were developed by examining majority common responses to the interview questions. The findings found administrator perceptions of developmental education and how it impacts student attrition heavily focused on students' personal problems, need for improved student engagement, teaching methods, and curriculum delivery modalities that would promote student success. Success of these students is significant to the financial and enrollment sustainability of the local community college. This sustainability in terms of increased enrollment, tuition revenue, and completion rates contributes to social change within the local community college and the community by developing community members through education.

The prevalence of diabetes and other pathophysiological conditions has been correlated with the incidence of obesity. A large portion of an adult community in the northwestern United States suffers from excessive weight that has been linked to premature mortality rates and certain forms of diabetes. Excess calories from carbohydrate have been shown to increase weight. Therefore, diets that are modified in carbohydrate and calories may help mitigate weight and obesity comorbidities. This qualitative, single case study's purpose was to explore the methods health care professionals use for teaching adults about controlling weight. Altheide and Johnson's analytic realism theory, in which they describe how the experiences of educators and learners affect the way information is perceived, formed the conceptual framework for this study. An illustrative case study paradigm was used to identify the perceptions of licensed health care practitioners regarding the current adult teaching methods for modifying dietary carbohydrate and excess weight. Using a purposeful sample, data were collected in 2 phases with 5 licensed health care practitioners: Phase 1 entailed an open-ended electronic questionnaire and semistructured telephone interviews with open-ended questions during phase 2. Data were analyzed through coding and aggregation by NVivo and Tosmana software, respectively. The findings indicated that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) plate method was the most effective teaching model for controlling weight and carbohydrate intake. Consequently, the ADA plate method was used to create a professional development program to teach health care educators about nutrition instruction methods for adults. The study contributes to positive social change by enhancing preventive health measures for the local adult population through diet therapy education.

Academic entitlement is a concern in higher education because of the potential societal and market driven influences on credible scholarship. Most of the research has focused on negative attitudes and behaviors attributed to students. The considerations of tenured professors who interact with academically entitled students and strategies for effective classroom management has not been fully explored. Constructivism provided the theoretical framework for the qualitative case study. Data were collected from open-ended, semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of 10 tenured professors from a state college in the Southeastern United States to explore (a) the meanings participants attributed to academic entitlement, (b) how those meanings affected their decision-making, and (c) the ramifications of those decisions for classroom management. Data were analyzed through descriptive, InVivo, and patterns coding. Findings indicated that although academic entitlement is a consequence of cultural practices, professors can alter the perception of academically entitled students with an adherence to robust classroom policies and self-reflection to mitigate enablement of the behavior. Findings were used to create a professional development mentorship program for new full-time professors designed to promote self-reflective practices and individualized management considerations to cultivate classroom management skills and improve student learning and retention. New faculty without exposure to academic entitlement might face unanticipated challenges when managing classrooms. An awareness from the experiences of colleagues who instructed academically entitled students will benefit new educators by providing insights to promote stronger classroom management and result in culturally positive social changes.

The persistence rates of Native American students in higher education are lower than other underrepresented groups. Research suggests that the discrepancy could result from factors outside of students' academic knowledge. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how Cherokee students perceive their tribal culture affects their ability to persist at institutions of higher education with a primarily Whitestreamed campus culture. Tharp's cultural compatibility theory and Astin's student involvement theory guided the development of the research questions. The research questions explored potential differences between Cherokee students' tribal culture and the culture these students percieve exists on their college campus, how those differences could influence their ability to persist, and the educational changes Cherokee students suggest are made to increase persistence rates. Interviews with 8 Cherokee students from 2 institutions in the Midwest region of the United States were analyzed using open coding. The resulting themes suggested that participants perceived cultural incongruence with the campus culture, which often led to feelings of isolation and a lower sense of belonging. Involvement in campus activities and groups and encouragement from family and community helped participants persist. Suggested changes to the learning environment included incorporating indigenous instructional methods, creating dedicated spaces for Cherokee students, and increasing mentor relationships. A positive social change implication of this study is the increased knowledge and understanding of the factors that may contribute to low persistence rates of Native American students.

This study was an examination of the minority student retention rate in a year-long bridge program. The retention rate of these students is 25%. University administration was concerned about the retention rate and its impact on future enrollment. Using Jack Mezirow's transformative learning as a framework of understanding, the purpose of this study was to identify successes and challenges that minority students experienced in the bridge program and how those experiences affected future decisions on retention. A qualitative case-study design was implemented and 9 of the 140 bridge students were purposefully selected for individual interviews. Data analysis was conducted using open coding procedures with iterative recategorization to identify the themes. Key findings indicated that students found peer mentoring, flexibility in lab schedules, and speakers to be successes. Challenges that students faced included efforts associated with self-regulation and self-efficacy. Based on these findings, a policy recommendation was developed for the local site that suggested developing a mentoring program and continued use of Student Support Services beyond the first year. The results of this study will help university administration make informed and strategic decisions to revise and enhance the bridge program towards a focus upon the improvement of minority student retention. Further, this study promotes social change by serving as a model for other institutions in similar situations and continues the conversation in the literature regarding minority student retention rate.

As the enrollment of Chinese international students (CIS) increased at a private institution in the Midwest, so did suspected cases of plagiarism. This study addressed the problem of how faculty members grappled with CIS' interpretation and application of Western-based views of plagiarism. The purpose of the study was to identify similarities and differences in the views of these 2 groups. Social cognitive theory, intercultural adaptation theory, and neutralization theory framed this qualitative case study. The research questions focused on how these particular CIS interpreted and applied the Western concept of plagiarism to assignments and exams, the impact of classroom practices and instructional processes on their view and experience, how the faculty members experienced CIS' interpretation and use of Western concepts of plagiarism, and respectively the differences in perceptions of U.S. faculty and of CIS. Eight full-time CIS and 8 faculty members who taught or currently teach CIS were purposefully selected. Data were collected using individual interviews, course syllabi, and plagiarism-related institutional policies. The interview data were analyzed using an ecological perspective to reveal themes; these data were triangulated with the data from course syllabi and institutional policies to ensure research credibility. The results of the study indicated a disconnect between student and faculty perceptions of Western-based contextualized plagiarism, the plagiarism ethos, and academic cultural differences between faculty and CIS that led to the creation of a faculty professional development plan using blended learning focused on cultural differences and teaching methods to deter plagiarism. The results may advance positive social change by improving faculty understanding of CIS and educational practices about plagiarism to better service these students.