The increase of non-traditional students in higher education has been a topic of discussion and examination for over a decade. This study compared the non-traditional student with the traditional student in radiography programs in Virginia's community colleges. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist between traditional and non-traditional student performance in a structured radiography program. The study hypothesized that there were no differences in academic performance, national board examination scores, and program completion. Focus-group interviews examined themes related to success factors. t-Test analysis indicated significant differences in academic success between traditional and non-traditional learners. Non-traditional learners experienced greater success. Chi-square analysis did not show a significant difference between the traditional and non-traditional students in graduation rate and scores on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) national examination. Findings in this study could serve as a baseline for further study regarding non-traditional and traditional student success in radiography programs.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to indicate the experiences of collegiate student-athletes in meeting academic demands when experiencing prolonged recovery from concussion and if they perceive a need for academic accommodations. There is a gap in present concussion and an absence of studies that examine if academic accommodations are helpful during concussion recovery. The study was guided by 3 research questions focused on the return to learn during the recovery process. The study was limited to 9 student-athletes currently enrolled at three postsecondary institutions: Christian Brothers University, Rhodes College, and the University of Memphis. The study participants met pre-established criteria for the study, were recruited by their athletic trainer at their respective institution, and voluntarily participated in individual interviews with the researcher or co-interviewer. Through a phenomenological approach, individual interviews were conducted with the participants. Four themes were identified in the data: negative impact on academic performance, academic pressures, inequity of student-athlete treatment, and impact on concentration ability. Each study participant’s story was shared through the data analysis process, and significant statements from the interviews as related to the research questions were included in the data analysis section. Ultimately, the data suggested that future research continue to focus on how student-athletes' recovery from concussion impacts their return to learn process.

The purpose of the present study is to conduct a secondary qualitative analysis to examine parent, teacher, and high school adolescents’ perceptions of social support for physical activity (PA) for high schoolers in Southern Appalachia. Social support for PA is linked to higher rates of PA participation in adolescents. Parents, siblings, and peers provide key sources of support. Social support for PA may be even more important in under-resourced communities such as Appalachia, where geographic, economic, and environmental barriers negatively impact PA engagement. During 2013-2014, focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of adolescents (n=39), high school teachers (n=38), and high school students (n=21) in six counties across rural Southern Appalachia as part of a grant-funded qualitative study to assess parental involvement strategies in school-based adolescent obesity prevention programs. We conducted a secondary analysis of the dataset from this study, focusing specifically on participants’ responses about family and peer supports for PA for adolescents. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data and develop overall themes. Four categories of social supports for PA emerged: instrumental, conditional, motivational, and informational supports. Instrumental supports included providing transportation, paying fees, enrollment in sports, and access to PA equipment at home. Performing PA with adolescents, modeling, watching/supervising, and prioritizing PA emerged as conditional supports. Several motivational supports were also identified: encouragement over life course, force, and admiration of people who are active. Participants also identified key informational supports including discussion by parents/teachers about how to be physically active, its importance and benefits and general advice/information. While some supports were widely available (e.g., equipment and encouragement), others such as transportation were limited in availability. Moreover, students highlighted being made fun of by peers when engaging in PA together as a constraint. Differences emerged in how the three groups conceptualized and attached meaning to the types of supports. While a range of social supports for PA exist for high schoolers in Southern Appalachia, supports emphasized by students, parents, and school personnel vary. These findings can be used to inform program and practice in PA research in rural Appalachia.

Objective: To determine if the frequency of self-testing of course material prior to actual examination improves examination scores, regardless of the actual scores on the self-testing. Methods: Practice quizzes were randomly generated from a total of 1342 multiple-choice questions in pathophysiology and made available online for student self-testing. Intercorrelations, 2-way repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc tests, and 2-group comparisons following rank ordering, were conducted. Results: During each of 4 testing blocks, more than 85% of students took advantage of the self-testing process for a total of 7042 attempts. A consistent significant correlation (p≤0.05) existed between the number of practice quiz attempts and the subsequent examination scores. No difference in the number of quiz attempts was demonstrated compared to the first testing block. Exam scores for the first and second testing blocks were both higher than those for third and fourth blocks. Conclusion: Although self-testing strategies increase retrieval and retention, they are uncommon in pharmacy education. The results suggested that the number of self-testing attempts alone improved subsequent examination scores, regardless of the score for self-tests.

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the independent study method of instruction in promoting health knowledge and health attitude change. The experimental method was compared to the traditional classroom model of instruction. A random sample of ten subjects was taken for the experimental group and matched control subjects were then selected. Control subjects were chosen based on the demographic variables of age, race, sex, academic classification and grade point average. A pretest-posttest design using two standardized instruments was employed to measure the health knowledge gain and health attitude change. Data was statistically analyzed by use of a two-tailed T-test. Findings revealed no significant difference between the independent study model of instruction and the traditional instructional model regarding health knowledge gain or attitude change. Conclusions were made regarding the findings and recommendations were offered for future research in this area.

The problem statement for this study was: "Will there be a significant difference between the mean verbal format and mean visual format CEWAS scores of fifth and sixth grade students'" There would seem a need for this study due to the increasing number of participants in outdoor recreational activities. This increase introduces many environmental concerns which must be addressed in order to maintain present conditions at wilderness areas. Data related to wilderness anxiety among fifth and sixth grade male and female students attending McNeill Elementary School in Bowling Green, Kentucky, were collected analyzed for significant difference. Randomly selected pretest (verbal format) and posttest (visual format) groups completed the Crume/Ellis Wilderness Anxiety Scale, which measures wilderness anxiety in seven specific areas and total score. Each of the seven factor scores and the total scores were tested for pre- and posttest significant difference among males and again among females. Analysis of data related to the verbal format CEWAS pretest for males and females indicated that there was a significant difference between mean male and mean female CEWAS pretest scores. In light of the above, it was determined that the study populations should be separated into samples of males and females for pre- and posttest analysis. Male paired t test results indicated that total mean group score and two factor mean scores produced significant difference at .05 or greater. Five factor mean scores failed to produce significant difference. Female paired t test results indicated that total mean group score failed to produce a significant difference (.05 or greater). This was also the case with five of the factor scores. A significant difference (.05 or greater) was found on two factors: (a) Sudden Attack and (b) Inclement Weather, the same factors that produced significant differences among males.

This study was undertaken to determine the attitude of the college students toward required physical education program at Western Kentucky University. More specifically, the study was conducted: to find the total students' attitudes toward required physical education, to find if the attitudes of the out-of-state students are different from the in-state students, to find if there is a significant difference between the attitudes of men and women, to compare the attitudes of students with a good physical education background with those students of a poor physical education background, to find if the attitudes of freshman students is different from the upper-classmen, to examine difference in attitudes of students who play often and those who do not, and to find the attitude of students toward the activities offered in the required physical education program at Western Kentucky University.

Universities are an ideal environment to assist students in the development of their leadership skills in a safe and supportive environment. The development of emotional intelligence (EI) has become an important aspect of student leadership development. The purpose of the study was to examine the emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) scores of students working in a collegiate recreation setting and to examine their perceptions of their own EI and EIL. An exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods approach was used to explore the EIL scores of students employed in collegiate recreation departments at seven university sites. EIL was the theoretical framework used in this study (Shankman et al., 2015). The findings of this study showed no statistically significant difference in mean scores of EIL between students working in formal and informal leadership positions or between genders. Themes that emerged from the participant’s perceptions of their own EI and EIL were communication, confidence, perceived leadership ability, and teamwork. Understanding how students perceive their own EI and EIL can assist practitioners in the creation and development of intentional training and development programs.

The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions physical educators had of a phenomenon: professional development (PD). Specifically, the study sought to understand the following question: how do physical educators perceive PD? Said in the spirit of phenomenological research, this study aimed to explore the lived experience of PD from the perspective of elementary physical education teachers. Subsequent research questions included: (a) How do physical educators perceive PD in relation to their physical education program’s role in public health?; (b) What perceptions, including potential barriers and facilitators, do physical educators have of PD?; and (c) In what ways do physical educators use PD to improve upon both teaching practices and student learning? Participants included ten elementary physical education teachers employed in the same county in the Southeast United States. A lengthy, open-ended interview between the researcher and all ten participants was the only source of data. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach, more specifically Hycner’s phenomenological five-step data explication process. The data explication process revealed four common themes as well as a variety of sub-themes across all participants. The four themes were analyzed to gain a true understanding of the lived experiences of physical educators’ PD. Those themes were: (a) PD for Professional Growth – A search for meaning; (b) Accessibility, (c) I Matter!, and (d) Relationships. Overall the study highlights the integral and often-personal role PD has in the lives of the study’s participants. The insights from this study may inform education policy makers, school districts, school administrators, and designers of educator PD to improve the overall PD experience of practicing educators.

Social networks play a significant role in adolescent decision making, specifically when it comes to dietary outcomes. This study, granted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), assessed the connectivity of these social networks and the impact they have on fruit and vegetable, added sugar and sugar sweetened beverage consumption. Additionally, the relationship between shopping companionship and dietary choices was studied. Positive and negative associations were found among adolescents who shop with parents or friends. It was also found that those adolescents with greater social network cohesion were found to have more negative dietary outcomes. Divulging further into the relationships within adolescent social networks may improve fruit and vegetable and decrease added sugar consumption within rural communities.