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Using the SET questions as the dependent variable(s), this study answers the following research questions: (1) Are the Instructor variables of gender and race biasing factors?; (2) Are the Course variables of class size and content (qualitative to quantitative ratio) biasing factors?; (3) Is the Student variable of section-level GPA related to SET ratings?; (4) Is the administrative mode of data collection, the change from pencil and paper to online data collection, a biasing factor? Questions were answered through bivariate correlations and two-way repeated measures ANOVAs. This study found there was a significant effect on SET outcomes as a function of race, but not for gender. While class size had no significant effect on SET outcomes, the section-level GPA and the amount of qualitative vs quantitative course content did. The administrative mode of data collection had a significant effect, mostly due to the large sample size. / Educational Psychology

The utilization of new media/technology is essential to many college students. Utilizing technology has many benefits and drawbacks. This study examines the use of new media, for educational and social purposes, among two-year and four-year college students. There are many speculations regarding whether or not technology can enhance, or impair, students' educational experiences. Various forms of new media are summarized within the literature review. Personality and motivation are considered and research regarding the educational and social use of new media is explored. Three conceptualizations (The Big Five Personality, The Type T Personality and Academic Motivation) are examined in relation to college students' use of new media for educational and social reasons. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between two-year and four-year students. There is limited research in examining both two-year and four-year college students simultaneously. The present study examined the educational and social use of technology among 278 college students (128 community college students and 150 four-year students) in the Northeastern United States. The participants completed a questionnaire that was comprised of items relating to their use of new media, general demographic questions and questions from standardized instruments. Through correlations and multiple regression analyses, the results from this study indicate that personality factors and academic motivation are predictors for both the educational and social use of new media. Students who take part in extracurricular activities, prefer mental challenges and are motivated through identifying the value of a task, are more likely to use technology for an educational purpose. In contrast, younger students and those motivated by external forces are more likely to frequently use technology for a social purpose. Although the type of institution attended was not a predictor for any of the criterion variables, considerable differences were found between the two-year and four-year students. Studies examining only four-year college students should be interpreted with caution before they are generalized to all college students. It is imperative that researchers and educators understand the differences between two-year and four-year students. Educators should also take into account the various types of personality and motivation styles before utilizing, or failing to utilize, various forms of new media in the classroom. / Educational Psychology

This qualitative case study is an examination of factors that contributed to identity changes among new immigrants to the United States by examining the stories of participants who initiated the search for a solution, engaged stakeholders including a federal agency, and achieved a uniquely successful outcome through an environmental sustainability pilot program. Through a revelatory case approach, this study expands upon the limited victimization paradigm of environmental justice. The scope of this examination includes research into the history of environmental justice; the concept of environmental identity, and the ways in which people tell and retell stories to make sense of their changing worlds. Using thematic analysis to evaluate the data, three distinct themes emerged: (a) greater salience of the environment in one’s identity; (b) ownership and empowerment regarding the environment, and (c) problem-solving and innovation. Factors that shaped participants’ experiences included the opportunity to give back to a country that has been a safe haven for many of these community members: engaging and demanding that a government agency as a partner execute its legal responsibilities with and for them, and seeing the opportunity that living in America presents to make a positive impact. Recommendations in the final chapter expand upon the discourse related to environmental justice by exploring how themes that emerged from one immigrant community’s success in addressing an environmental problem can enhance environmental justice scholarship. / Educational Psychology