Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 133 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-113).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-95).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-77). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-77). Also available on the Internet.

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the barriers to persistence underprepared students at the community college experience after the initial successful completion of one semester. A qualitative interview study, grounded in phenomenology, was implemented. Participants were identified through a process of purposeful selection, which included the following criteria: (a) beginning the development reading sequence at the most basic level (DEV 65) and passing that course; (b) immediately enrolling in a subsequent semester at the institution; and (c) exiting the institution before acquiring any credit-bearing English coursework. The examination of institutional archival data resulted in 42 potential participants. Participants were recruited via telephone and mail, and of the 42 attempted telephone and 39 mailed contacts, five individuals volunteered to participate in the study. Each participant was interviewed individually, with sessions varying in length between 51 and 119 minutes. Immediately after each interview was complete, the audio recording was listened to in its entirety and transcribed verbatim. The resulting transcripts were analyzed through a modified version of Devinish's (2002) applied method for phenomenological explication of interview transcripts. This involved a multi-layered process of recursive analysis beginning with line-by-line open coding, extracting 333 natural meaning units (NMU). In a second stage of analysis, the NMU were further sorted, analyzed, and grouped to arrive at 46 central themes. The third stage of analysis involved collating and grouping central themes into related fields employing a concept map to form at 13 interpretive themes. The final stage of analysis included a further examination of the 13 interpretive themes, where each was rank ordered by importance (frequency x intensity = priority) and then synthesized with data from lesser themes, which resulted in the following six explicative themes: (a) significant environmental stressors; (b) a sense of self-sufficiency and independency; (c) reading problems; (d) a belief in the power of perseverance; (e) instructor characteristics; and (f) financial aid restrictions. These six explicative themes captured the essence of what it meant for the participants to be an underprepared student at the college and identified the perceived barriers to persistence.

No description available.

Published Articles / The four year extended degree (ED) with a foundation provision is one of the academic intervention tools available to underprepared students in higher education institutions (HEIs). University of Venda (Univen) introduced this form of assistance in 2007 to students enrolled in the Schools of Human Sciences, Management and Law (HML). The 15% completion rate for this first cohort is a cause for concern. This paper examines the implications of this result in terms of Univen's implementation of EDs. EDs can be variously applied dependent on the peculiar situation in an institution and it can be assumed that Univen chose the current format after due consideration of all factors. The poor throughput rate of these students, however indicate otherwise, motivating this investigation. An examination of the curricula for the various degrees indicates that Univen is implementing a blend of the various academic interventions without the necessary reconfiguration of teaching and learning and this might be the cause for the poor performance. The final sections of the paper contribute to the debates on topical issues related to academic literacy and support such as an extended high school period and a four year generic bachelor's degree.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Kenneth Hughey / Students are entering institutions across the country unprepared to meet the demands of higher education. While Kansas is above the national average for students prepared for higher education, only twenty-nine percent of Kansas seniors are considered "prepared” for college in the four determined benchmark areas, compared to the twenty-five percent national average (ACT, 2012). With this statistic, ACT indicates that only one fourth of students complete high school requirements in such a way that leads to success post-graduation. Students are not ready for the expectations of higher education, and as a result this population is less likely to succeed. Further, development opportunities targeted at underprepared students are largely unsuccessful at reaching the population. This report looks at the unprepared student population, the role of higher education, and the projected future for underprepared students in higher education. In an effort to encourage holistic development and successful support initiatives, recommendations for higher education practices and research are discussed.

This study examined a problem at a large community college in the Midwest United States, where African American students experienced poor developmental education outcomes and low degree completion. Those outcomes had negative effects on the institution and the surrounding community. This qualitative case study was framed in Astin's theory of involvement, which attributes students' behaviors, whether productive or unproductive, to their levels of motivation. Purposeful sampling was used to select 20 African American students who successfully completed the developmental education sequence. The participants were interviewed to determine how psychosocial factors impacted their decisions to persist through their courses. The data from the interviews were organized using coding software and then analyzed using a manual coding process. The data revealed that students' attitudes were the most influential in explaining their persistence. Having a positive, no-quit attitude was deeply salient among participants, and it helped them persist, despite obstacles and setbacks. Faculty influence was another factor that was deeply salient in the data, as most participants attributed their persistence to having positive relationships with faculty. In an effort to leverage this powerful dynamic to benefit more students, it was determined that a faculty training program would be the most effective way to address the problem at the case study site. The faculty training program is the culminating project for this study and is intended to equip faculty with strategies to promote more positive attitudes in students. This study and the resulting project may create positive social change by increasing degree attainment for underprepared African American students.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Beverly Bower, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 19, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 88 pages. Includes bibliographical references.