The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of first-generation persons of color attending and persisting at a community technical college. Students of color continue to be an increasing population in our higher education system. Many of these persons of color are choosing to attend two-year institutions. A...
Kenyan women exhibit a pattern of unequal access and participation to education, particularly Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) subjects and careers. This is the result of documented challenges that include cultural attitudes that overburden girls with chores to the detriment of their school work, and a preference by parents to...
Literature on classroom management asserts that the best discipline is preventive, with studies on teacher variables such as empathy or enforcement of consequences, as well as student variables such as peers reporting positive behaviors with group contingencies, among others. However, there is little in the research that specifically targets regular...
Existing literature on first generation students focuses on the challenges these students encounter in arriving at and persisting within higher education. The area of first generation student involvement, particularly within clubs and organizations on campus, is relatively unknown. In this study, I conducted nine qualitative interviews with first generation students...
This study addresses perceptions, expectations, and values of women who espoused interest in joining National Panhellenic Conference sorority organizations, and the congruence of their beliefs with their first term membership experiences. The sources that informed women's expectations were also explored. Eight participants were selected from the potential new member pool...
For more than a decade research on student involvement has informed practitioners in their understanding of the development that results from students' involvement inside and outside the classroom. Since 2006, researchers have explored the socially responsible leadership practices as well as the rise in the popularity of community grassroots organizations;...
The contemporary student veteran population is growing rapidly as service members who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts take advantage of the Post 9/11 Veteran Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to receive educational benefits to attend college (Cook & Kim, 2009). However, student veterans entering college today have a...
The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate Oregon public high school history teacher perspectives concerning standards-based reform initiatives springing from the No Child Left Behind legislation. The central question addressed in this study is: At what level has Standards-Based Education reform initiatives impacted Oregon high school history instruction and...
This dissertation presents research that investigated the experiences and
perceptions of Christian therapists who work with conservative Christian women who
experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the widespread occurrence of IPV,
therapists continue to face challenges in areas of training and supervision in working with
this type of trauma. In...
The purpose of this study was to describe the leadership development process
of former student leaders at Snow College. More specifically, the study focused on
understanding how, when, and where leadership development took place in their
"lived experience" within the student government at Snow College (Van Manen,
1998). Examining the...
The purpose of this study is to examine the learning that occurs in Latina students
who enroll in learning communities designed for underprepared community college
students. The research question guiding this study is: What are the experiences of Latina
students enrolled in developmental learning community courses which have the greatest...
The purpose of this study was to understand, through nontraditional student perspectives, how institutional practices of postsecondary proprietary schools may influence the success of moderately to highly nontraditional students. The study was undertaken for these reasons: (a) A large and growing number of higher education students are nontraditional, putting them...
Research suggests that a key factor in student persistence and success is the relationships students form with faculty (Chickering & Gamson, 1991; Kuh et al., 2005; Tinto, 1987). While it appears to be intuitive that small classes would promote these instructor/student relationships, research on class size provides conflicting results, with...
This dissertation demonstrates how Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986,
1997) can be successfully applied to Counselor academic advising interventions, in
order to increase students' self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (Zimmerman,
2000) in academic planning as learned outcomes. This was accomplished by (a)
reviewing the academic advising literature and showing the current...
The purpose of this study is to identify promising practices for the transferability of professional/technical coursework taken at a community college to related programs at universities. The main research question sought to identify the salient elements in existing models of transfer. Supporting the main question, sub-questions sought to identify obstacles...
This thesis examined the identity transitions that occurred prior to enrollment at a predominantly, White, large, public research university and after completing at least one year of college for students who identify as multiracial. As a secondary purpose, this thesis also examined whether these students sought support through groups that...
There is little current research in reading instruction for gifted learners. Children who are identified as gifted in reading are often left to their own devices or provided inadequate reading/literacy instruction (Ries et al., 2004). The purpose of this project was to determine how parents of gifted children and gifted...
The purpose of this study is to identify factors that support the likelihood of persistence of academically underprepared community college students to 45 college level credits. Factors considered in this research include: (a) race/ethnicity, (b) age, (c) enrollment status, (d) socio-economic status (SES), (e) first quarter GPA, (f) developmental need,...
This qualitative study explores the "coming out" experience of gay males raised in conservative Christian environments. Seven men with varying ethnic and racial backgrounds, between the ages of 20 and 40 years old, participated. Each was raised in a conservative, Christian environment during his formative years and each was now...
School counselors are challenged with creating a wide range of programs to
address three developmental domains: personal/social, career, and academic, with an
increasing requirement to provide accurate and sufficient data substantiating their
professional contributions to students’ academic achievement. At the same time, the
professional literature reports that during adolescence there...
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the factors that contributed to the engagement of middle and high school teachers in professional learning with instructional coaches, relative to disciplinary literacy. The study addressed the following question: What factors appear to influence secondary content-area teachers' engagement with instructional coaches,...
This study aimed to explore the relatively undocumented experiences and perceptions of mattering and marginality among Middle Eastern students attending a large American university, it also sought to inform higher education administration about the unique characteristics of this rapidly noticeable student population and it attempted to narrow the knowledge gap...
Biracial and Multiracial people are one of the fastest growing racial groups in the United States. Individuals with a mixed identity have the ability to choose endless racial/ethnic designations that best exemplify their racial/ethnic social identity. However, people who are racially/ethnically mixed may receive criticism if their proclaimed identity does...
This qualitative study seeks to gain knowledge about the motives and barriers of rural adult women students and how these factors impact their decision to pursue postsecondary education. As more adult women choose to enter or return to higher education, it is important to examine the factors that influence their...
The purpose of this study was to determine the congruency between the teaching beliefs and the teaching behaviors of adult educators as well as the factors that may affect this congruency. A qualitative study was conducted using seven adult educators. The participants were interviewed, observed, and then interviewed again. The...
This study explored the motivations, expectations, and experiences of tenure-track faculty members at a public research institution. Through semi-structured interviews with twelve participants, the study utilized a constructivist paradigm to qualitative research to address the individual experiences of faculty members entering the professoriate and pursuing tenure. With this methodology and...
The purpose of this study was to investigate three research questions: (1) What are the attitudes and beliefs of the pre-service teachers and teacher educators regarding multicultural education, and how do the teacher educators prepare the pre-service teachers to meet the needs of diverse K-12 students in Taiwan? (2) To...
This study explores No Child Left Behind's required timetable for English language learners (ELLs) to reach English language proficiency within five years, as outlined in the Annual Measurable Achievement Outcomes (AMAOs), despite the lack of research evidence to support this as a reasonable expectation. Analysis was conducted on the archived...
The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of faculty-to-faculty mentoring programs on the experiences of both mentors and first-year instructor protégés in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs with an emphasis on practitioner-educators in nursing and in welding-fabrication. The study was undertaken for four reasons: (a) increases...
Little research has been done in the area of adult Hispanics' transition to college, a complex and challenging process which marks a critical period in their lives. Research suggests adaptation difficulty may cause them to drop out of school usually before completion of the first terms. There is a lack...
This study examined relationships between pre-tested early literacy skills and post-tested reading achievement in 52 kindergarten and 39 first-grade children. An archival data set was available for statistical analysis. Data analysis was completed in three stages: Participants' entry-level literacy and language scores were compared on two Assessment of Literacy and...
The prevalence of childhood illness requiring hospitalization establishes the need for implementation of an applied intervention to decrease levels of hospitalization-induced anxiety in pediatric patients. In addition to anxiety, levels of perceived trauma have also been linked to pre-operative pediatric patients. Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) within the medical setting has...
The purpose of this study was to compare how elected and appointed board
trustees provide oversight for the community colleges they serve. The rationale for
this study was that little examination of board governance processes at community
colleges had occurred and, as a result, board members may lack the understanding...
The purpose of this dissertation was to increase our understanding of novice counselors as they initially treat adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (ASCSA).
The researcher used the grounded theory approach, a qualitative method, in order to describe richly and sensitively the first interactions between counselors-in-training and ASCSA. Seven novice...
The 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are two federal mandates which impact general education teachers working with special needs students and diverse learners (second language learners, students from severe poverty, students from different cultures, students who experience occasional emotional needs, and students...
Literature on the evolution of the American higher education system includes a historical and consistent debate over the definition of the higher education mission in the country. Recent debate focuses on mission differentiation between the university and the community college. Acknowledging systemic changes in higher education historically occurred within regions...
The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of foster alumni in community and technical colleges, with a focus on Washington State, using a qualitative research approach. Foster alumni may be considered a sub-set of first generation students, yet they have needs that extend beyond those of other...
The purpose of this multi-case study was to describe how library deans and directors at large comprehensive community colleges strategically advocate for and support instructional and technological innovation despite the reality of limited resources and the stress caused by recurring funding crises in higher education. It further sought to examine...
An interpretative philosophical framework was applied to a case study to document the particular experiences and perspectives of ten women engineering transfer students
who once attended a community college and are currently enrolled in one of two university
professional engineering programs. This study is important because women still do not...
In 2004, the Transition Mathematics Project (TMP), funded by the state of Washington and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to create projects to help high school students gain the necessary skills to become college and work-ready. Aligned to TMP's College Readiness Mathematics Standards, a fourth-year capstone mathematics...
Latinos are the largest and most rapidly growing ethnic minority in the United States, and they have the highest dropout rates of any major ethnic group in the country (U.S. Department of Labor, 2003). Latinos' educational attainment is consistently lower than that of other students (Gandara, 2008). The majority of...
Concern about college and career readiness has been expressed in both the
business and education arenas. Employers are calling for entry-level employees with
basic academic skills and educators are being held accountable for student
achievement in academic areas similar to those required by employers. In this
environment, WorkKeys has emerged...
This qualitative study examined the influence of the 2011 Oregon Writing Project (OWP) Summer Institute (SI) on the professional development of six teachers in the following ways:
1. The development of case descriptions of teachers' personal and professional backgrounds relevant to their teaching of writing.
2. An examination of the...
This research looks at the use of PowerPoint as an instructional tool for teaching English language learners (ELL) who studied in a language program at a state university in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the research was to discover and to explore the perceptions of PowerPoint supported teaching and...
Major psychotic disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, having severe impacts on the people who suffer from the conditions, their families and society. There is evidence that if these conditions are identified and treated early, the prognosis is improved. The purpose of this dissertation study is...
Hobby activities can be viewed through the lens of informal, free-choice learning. A wide range of hobbies combine fun and learning-intensive practices, and can contribute to scientific literacy. Hobby learning involves clear goal orientation, persistence and effort, and often results in more richly and strongly connected knowledge; traits highly valued...
College campuses are becoming more diverse now than ever before. Campuses, however, are not as prepared as they should be for the new students that are arriving. Changes need to be made to status quo processes and procedures, event planning, and classroom education in order to best serve current students....
Instructional time for social studies in elementary classrooms has decreased
since the passage of Goals 2000 and No Child Left Behind, with content contracted to align with reading goals. Consequently, opportunities for preservice teachers to observe and teach social studies lessons have diminished. This qualitative multiple case study examines the...
The purpose of this study is to critically explore low-income women's experience as they negotiate post secondary education in community colleges. Three research questions explore the context through which low-income women have entered the college experience, what that experience is like for them, and how the community college experience has...
This research examines the discourses that impact the teachers of ELL teachers within their instructional practices, their school environment, and a wider educational system. Interviews, observations, and focus groups of twelve teachers at two elementary schools in the Pacific Northwest provide the data for this grounded theory approach that uncovers...