The bi-directional relationships within the personal and contextual environments of adolescents are critical to the development of adolescents and their transition into adulthood. Opportunities for youth to participate in and provide leadership in meaningful programs, gain life skills, and interact with adults in sustained relationships are key features leading to...
This study examines the U.S. educational experiences of Saudi Arabian students. Using qualitative case study and photo-elicitation research methods, this study conducted multiple interviews with 25 Saudi students and explored their perceptions of their American learning environment, how it differed from Saudi Arabia, and the strategies they developed to successfully...
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the development of social norms in a fifth-grade reform-based mathematics classroom through a close examination of one teacher's actions during the first three weeks of school. This study offers insights into the following research questions: 1) How does an elementary...
The research‘s purpose was to examine how exemplary community college study abroad programs assisted student participants in acquiring global competence. Three research questions were explored: 1.What issues need to be anticipated when planning a study abroad program for community college students in order to effectively incorporate opportunities for students to...
The purpose of this research study was to describe and improve understanding of the meaning of institutionalized sustainability and the role that a college president plays in institutionalizing sustainability on a community college campus. The following questions guided the research: (a) What does it mean to have sustainability “institutionalized” at...
The purposes of this study were to examine the experiences of African American female students attending urban community colleges, to gain further understanding of how they interpret the meaning of persistence, and to identify the factors that affect their persistence. African American women attending community college in Los Angeles were...
The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of Collins’ (2001) Good-to-Great theory, as originally introduced for the business sector and as adapted for the social sector, to the ways a community college moved from being “good” to being
“great.” The following questions guided the research: (1) Which...
The purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions of employers and graduates regarding the applied baccalaureate degree when conferred by community colleges. By better understanding the perceptions of employers and graduates, community colleges considering offering applied baccalaureate degrees will have some context within which to begin communicating...
Women leaders in early childhood health, human services, and education face tremendous challenges in their efforts to cultivate resilience amidst a myriad of risk factors including incessant stress, low wages, and limited professional support. Women who foster mental health in young children and high-risk families are vulnerable to secondary traumatic...
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the underlying mechanisms within community colleges that influence cross-functional collaboration. The study also explored the role of community college leadership in fostering internal collaboration. The following questions guided the research: (1) What does cross-functional collaboration look like at a community...
Although perceived-risk curriculum, that is, where the learner experiences effects of eustress (positive stress), has been used in Arts or outdoor activities, it has not been used in school classrooms. Milkman’s 1996 studies of after-school Project Self Discovery demonstrated that at-risk students lessened their adverse risky behaviors, such as substance...
The primary purpose of this study was to determine which factors related to adult 4-H volunteer empowerment in 4-H youth development settings. This study examined the relationship of adult 4-H volunteers’ perceived leadership styles of Oregon 4-H Youth Development Educators (YDE) to the adult 4-H volunteer sense of empowerment. In...
The purpose of the study was to determine if online courses that were faculty peer reviewed based on five factors of quality instruction resulted in increased levels of student satisfaction and higher rates of student retention when compared with nonreviewed courses in a post-secondary context. The five factors of quality...
The emerging use of portable digital devices by students, parents and teachers, is forcing schools to develop real-time communication systems that integrate technology into the general operations of schools, and contemplate governing policies and procedures to sustain and guide the challenges of these new technologies. This study contributes to this...
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of a Filipino American college student organization at a Predominantly White Institution, and uncover elements of the organization that influence or limit the development of critical consciousness of its members. This study focuses on the aspect of critical consciousness that...
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that led to the move to include non-need aid in community college institutional financial aid policies. The following questions guided the research: (1) What meaning do those involved in the
formulation of institutional financial aid policy at community colleges give...
Two-year chemistry-based technology training (CBTT) programs in the U.S. are important in the preparation of the professional technical workforce. The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and analyze factors related to the economic sustainability of CBTT programs. A review of literature identified four clustered categories of 31 sub-factors...
The original research detailed in this document recognizes that the majority of students with disabilities between 18-69 years of age will attend a community college. The literature also indicates an exponential increase for better job opportunity and earnings relative to individuals with disabilities who attain higher levels of education. This...
The purpose of this case study was to examine a third-grade teacher’s effective use of mathematical discourse in the classroom setting. The study offers insights into the following research questions: 1) How does a teacher’s engagement in mathematical discourse communities influence her practice and self-efficacy as a mathematics educator? 2)...
The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effect of teacher training on the nature and context of movement instruction in Oregon elementary schools. While there are numerous instructional guides and many anecdotal descriptions of classroom movement highlighting the work of movement arts specialists, to the best of our...
The focus of this study was to examine the administrative legacy of two African American women administrators, Maxine Buie Mimms and Wintonnette Joye Hardiman, who administrated The Evergreen State College-Tacoma, Washington (TESC-T) campus for more than three decades. TESC-T is nationally known for its community-based curriculum and pedagogy, high retention...
This study examines educator perceptions related to what has been termed New-Union labor reforms. The study provides a review of literature related to teacher Unionization and details a mixed methods analysis of educator beliefs related to three specific labor reforms: (a) alternative salary structures, (b) collaborative, or interest based bargaining...
The purpose of this study is to name and give voice to the spiritual expression of leadership by women community college presidents. The following questions guided the research: (1) How do women community college presidents describe spirituality? (2) How does spirituality convey itself in the reflections, self-expression, and practice of...
The purpose of this study was to discern the nature of legislators' perceptions about community colleges' abilities to generate revenues through alternative funding sources and the resultant effects on state allocations to these colleges. Selected community college-related staff members and legislative staff members in Idaho and Oregon were asked to...
This research examines two questions: 1) What stories do Christian teacher educators tell about their own White racial identity development? and 2) Is there an impact of studying White racial identity development on the praxis of Christian teacher educators? If so, in what ways? The researcher began the project with...
The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore White, female teachers’ attitudes and perspectives towards their African American students, the Black/White Achievement Gap, and their teaching practice in regards to their students’ achievement, through the use of focus group discussions. The target group for this study was White, female...
This research study focused on the ways that reading poetry in print differs from viewing poetry in performance and the effect this had on comprehension and appreciation. Videotaped poetry readings provided students with opportunities to experience poetry in performance. Because very little had been researched in this area, a grounded...
With the rapid development of technology, online learning is increasing
significantly and becoming a popular method of education for many universities and
colleges around the world. Because of computers and the internet, most online
learning today is interactive, and sometimes more interactive than the traditional
classroom. Students can interact on...
This study examines the relationship between organizational absorptive
capacity and organizational responsiveness to changes in their environment exhibited
by growth-oriented SMEs in Russia. Adopting the theoretical framework and
methodology used by Liao, Welsch and Stoica in their 2003 study of the absorptive
capacity and organizational responsiveness of U.S. growth-oriented SMEs,...
The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of Generation 1.5 Hispanics in developmental English in community college. A qualitative comparative case study design was used for this social critical study. The key findings fell into three categories: road blocks, motivators, and actions. The road blocks included:...
This study examined the relationships between business, education, and the economy, and specifically addressed the significant impact that business has had on education and educational policy. A large amount of research exists on the history of school reform and the development of educational policy, but none of the research examined...
The purpose of this study is to explore through their own stories and journeys (storjourns), how lesbian leaders influence and transform dominant community college culture. Five lesbian leaders participated who held the position of Director, Associate Dean, Dean, Executive Vice President, and President/Executive Dean. This microethnographical inquiry divulges and makes...
The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how Oregon governors
Barbara Roberts and John Kitzhaber, whose tenures both coincided with the passage
and implementation of property tax limitation measures, determined the community
college budgets within their recommended state budgets. The stories of Robert’s 1993
and Kitzhaber’s 2001 decisions...
The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between selected academic factors and the persistence of GED recipients in community colleges in the state of Oregon. With this purpose in mind, the study addressed the following research question: Is there a relationship between selected academic variables and...
The purpose of the study was to provide a method for evaluating the effect, impact or role that (as perceived by automotive, diesel, automotive collision faculty and administrators) the nationally recognized industry training standards developed by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) have on the...
This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored the experiences and perspectives of five Asian American females who have sought presidencies and/or vice presidencies in community colleges. All five of the participants are currently either a president or vice president in community colleges. This study found nine themes that capture the barriers...
Community colleges in the United States have become an important educational destination for international students. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE, 2006), international students who enrolled for the first time at a U.S. campus increased by 8 per cent, from 131,946 students in 2004/2005 to 142,923 in 2005/2006....
This research addressed the role of educational technology associations as change agents within education with particular emphasis on issues of advocacy and leadership. Using a poststructural feminist lens and the metaphor of interview and analysis as storytelling, it explored the perspectives of nineteen individuals belonging to a national level educational...
The purpose of this study is to explore, through their own voices, the higher
education experiences of selected urban American Indian females in California
community colleges. This study is an attempt to identify pathways to academic
success by teasing out college practices and support systems that help Native
women navigate...
The focus of this research was to examine the relationship between the Oregon secondary agricultural education teachers’ level of computer-based technology integration, perceptions of barriers to computer-based technology integration, and learning style preferences. Additionally the correlational analysis of the level of computer-based technology integration and the following demographic variables was...
Millions of children are exposed to various types of violence throughout their school years. American children, by the time they are 18 years old, have seen more than 100,000 acts of violence on television alone. The effect of exposure to violence becomes a part of a child's life experience and...
Bullying prevents its targets from enjoying a safe, stress-free living, learning, and working environment. For most children, bullying experiences will be merely unpleasant childhood memories. This remains the same in adult's working environment. During the past decade, the concept of workplace abuse has had an increasing resonance within western countries....
The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of courage among community college leaders across the United States. The following questions guided the research: (1) What is the courageous experience like for a community college leader? (2) What is the process of courage development? (3) What are...
There are more than 6,900 known living languages in the world, half of which could be extinct within one hundred years. Approximately 150 indigenous American languages are still spoken in the United States; however, it is estimated that by the year 2050 only twenty of them will remain.
Language preservation...
Servers in a small college town were asked to take part in an interview to assess perceptions of their use of nonverbal communication, how they believe nonverbal communication affects tipping behavior, and whether or not they received formal training in nonverbal communication tactics. The study also links nonverbal communication with...
This research addresses the complexities of White racial identity development in the lives of five elementary and middle school preservice teachers during their graduate teacher education program at a private Christian Pacific Northwestern university. Using a poststructural framework, this research investigated three questions: 1) How do the aspects of subjectivation...
The two-fold purpose of this study was to identify critically important factors that affect the
meaningful assessment of student learning outcomes and study why they were critically
important. A three-round Delphi process was used in both a pilot project and in a full study to
solicit the opinions of individuals...
Recent scientific studies show strong correlations between oral and systemic disease, creating a crucial need for increased collaboration between the medical and dental professions. Interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and dental providers is emerging as a critical component to effective patient care. The role of the dental hygienist in interdisciplinary collaboration...
Prior research has noted the changing demographics of higher education since the Civil Rights Movement and the expanded need for multicultural education. Armando Hernandez Morales (2003) wrote that, “A multiculturally competent person is aware of and knowledgeable about cultural differences, their own cultural identity, and the history and contemporary struggles...
There is a wealth of research on issues surrounding teacher burnout and school reform. The literature on burnout, however, does not provide information on system-based burnout prevention models. Comprehensive reform, although intended to improve schools as a whole, does not look at reform models developed as sources of teacher support....
This phenomenological inquiry explored the experiences of library leaders and discipline faculty members engaging in a collaborative instructional change initiative focused on a process-based learning pedagogy and led by an academic library. The investigation’s purpose was providing insight and understanding concerning the: (a) library’s role in instructional leadership; (b) experience...
The purpose of this research project was to gain a deeper understanding of the
lived experience of faculty of color. More specifically, this project explores how
diversity-related workload expectations impact faculty of color who work in
predominantly white community colleges. Known by various descriptors, the term
used in this research...
Many White social scientists and educators are unaware of and/or
detached from the realities of racism and conduct social research that 1.)
perpetuates stereotypes, falsely setting People of Color as inferior and
White people as superior and/or 2.) explains the differences of White
people and People of Color in terms...
This phenomenological inquiry explored dimensions of reflection for older adults in a developmental oriented adventure education experience. Data were gathered from emergent interviews with four individuals while participating in a multi-day, self-contained experiential education program conducted in a rugged environment, and led by a Navajo leader. Two principle research questions...
Community college and university degree partnership programs allow students to tailor their educational experiences to fit personal goals and preferences while transitioning back and forth seamlessly between a community college and four-year university. This qualitative research study, telling the stories and lived experiences of six students participating in a community...
This paper covers the impact of Franklin D Roosevelt's, "Indian New Deal"
and the effect it had on federally recognized Indian tribes. I have taken an
in-depth look at specific areas of New Deal legislation including the Indian
Reorganization Act, the Johnson O'Malley Act, and the Indian Arts and
Crafts...
The purpose of this study was to understand how refrigeration, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (RHVAC) service technicians (techs) learned from troubleshooting. This understanding resulted in instructional and curricular strategies designed to help community colleges prepare vocational students to learn more effectively from informal workplace learning. RHVAC techs were studied...
College governance is a function of structure and of how people act within that
structure. Organizational strategies no longer identify administrations as monopolies
that possess all of the good ideas. Recent organizational management approaches to
governance promote inclusiveness in decision-making and are at odds with the
community college's historical structures,...
This autoethnography explores issues that impact educational leadership by examining individual reflections, perceptions, and responses developed through the lens of a principal of two elementary schools. The main data source involves journal entries collected over a period of one year. Theories of educational leadership styles and effective school practices form...
Title: African-American Women Faculty Teaching at Institutions of Higher Learning in the Pacific Northwest: Challenges, Dilemas, and Sustainability
Institutions of higher learning in the Pacific Northwest have successfully recruited African-American faculty, yet these institutions have difficulty retaining African-American faculty for at least five years. African-American women faculty experience problems obtaining...
The community college, now over 100 years old, began with the singular mission of preparing students for transfer to the university. Throughout the 20th century, the community college has expanded its missions to serve increasingly complex and comprehensive community needs. Through a textual analysis of community engagement within seven seminal...
This research addressed the complexities of identity development in the lives of seven elementary and middle school preservice literacy teachers during their graduate teacher education program at a private western university using a poststructural feminism theoretical lens. This research investigated two questions: 1) How do preservice teachers develop their identity...
The primary responsibility of electric utilities is to supply consistent, dependable, and affordable energy to private customers, businesses, and industries. As with many businesses, electric utilities are experiencing the effects of an aging workforce and expending considerable resources to train their current and replacement workers. Community colleges can partner with...
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences, events, and circumstances that provided Latino educators the opportunity for ascendancy to the presidency of a California community college. This study aimed to recapture the individual experiences of current Latino community college presidents from working class, immigrant family backgrounds as...
The purpose of this study was to examine one case of embezzlement at one community college in order to assess the sociological effects of the embezzlement on that college. The research design for this study was qualitative using a case study approach. Although there was no attempt to generalize the...
The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of community colleges creating pathways to degree completion in professional-technical programs by breaking degree programs into smaller portions, referred to as "chunks." The purpose or possible advantage of chunking was that it would improve the rate of degree completion among...
Community colleges are experiencing a decline in state allocated funding. Traditionally, college administrators look for ways to cut expenditures and raise tuition and fees to make up for the shortfall. Using available land resources to generate a revenue stream may provide revenue for community colleges.
The purpose of this study...
This is a phenomenological research study of the lived experience of women student mentors at one community college located in an urban setting on the West Coast. The study participants were women students who served as mentors to other women at the community college who are participants in a returning...
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that community college and
university faculty have about similarities and differences in their professional roles.
The research design included a qualitative ethnographic case study methodology
with faculty participants purposively selected from two public colleges in the Pacific
Northwest: a community...
More than any other single factor, access to community college education depends on proximity. The advent of the community college branch campus has opened higher education to broader segments of the population.
The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to discover services that students who attend a branch campus...
Task prioritization performance was evaluated for pilots who participated in a concurrent task management (CTM) training course and pilots who did not. CTM is the process by which pilots selectively attend to high priority tasks and shed non-priority tasks. Twenty seven pilots enrolled in a university flight technology program were...
The purpose of this research was to hear the stories of Northern Cheyenne women's educational experiences using the method of testimonio, a method culturally aligned and academically appropriate for use among indigenous people. The researcher, also a Northern Cheyenne tribal member used testimonio based on its roots in resistance literature...
This purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of the community
college chief academic officer and to describe how CAOs define successful
performance. It examined (a) experience candidates brought to the position; (b) job
duties and responsibilities; (c) knowledge, skills, and abilities required; (d) challenges
and barriers;...
This study was designed to investigate a phenomenon, retention of Hispanic adult second language learners in Washington State's community colleges, from a qualitative paradigm and phenomenological approach. The focus of this study was to capture eight foreign-born Hispanic ESL non-continuators' voices and experiences, in their native language of Spanish, who...
The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of single fathers attending a community college. Single fathers comprise one-fifth of all single parent families, yet little research has been done on this growing segment of the population. A phenomenological approach was utilized to examine the attributes, needs, and...
The purpose of this phenomenological research is to deepen understanding of the interrelationship between being lesbian and community college leadership experiences, values, priorities, practices, and identity negotiation. The following outlines thematic research findings.
1. Lesbian community college administrators' have experiences in:
-- Anti-lesbian work environments that exposed them to homophobic...
The purpose of this cross-cultural study is to improve the understanding of the educational experiences of immigrant students who leave postsecondary education prior to completion of a program in two traditionally immigrant-magnet countries. This research focuses on Bangladeshi immigrants in the United Kingdom and Mexican immigrants in the United States,...
As community colleges have responded to shifts in funding structures,
demands from an aging population, the emergence of for-profit competitors, the
development of globalization, and the increasing use of technology, the role of
faculty has evolved and new leadership opportunities have emerged. This study
examines informal faculty leadership at a...
The existence of the ethnic "barrios" (ghettos) across American society is proof of the legacy of racism, injustice and inequality in society today. In this thesis, the human experiences of Native, African, Mexican, and Asian people, are presented to contradict the notion that the "American Dream" is for all. In...
The focus of this study is a search for the voice of African American community college trustees as they work to impact the changes community colleges must make over the next quarter century. It examined the lived experiences and perceptions that selected African American community college trustees have of their...
This study was purposed to extract, collate, and statistically format data contained in the national Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study: 1996-2001database that pertained to persistence and attainment rates of GED recipients who began their postsecondary education at a community college during the 1995-96 academic year. The
primary objective was...
The founders of Cascadia Community College changed faculty role and duties as they designed a new college. The college founders chose which themes of learning reform would be enacted by faculty in this new setting. They determined what elements of traditional roles continued to be important and what new expectations...
The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of the first year experience of teaching secondary agriculture and to explore the relationships between these perceptions, the characteristics of beginning agriculture teachers, and the types of support provided to beginning teachers. An additional focus of the study was to...
This research explored the self-concept of Chicanas in terms of their lived experiences and how those experiences influenced the shaping of their identity. It examined the multiple labels Chicanas use to self-identify and the context or situations in which they use specific labels. Moreover, it took into account the influence...
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published their vision of active, problem-centered instruction with a goal of conceptual understanding in 1989. Fifteen years after these reforms were proposed the changes are reflected in school policy and elementary mathematics curriculum, but only limited change has actually occurred in classroom instruction....
This autoethnographic research explores learning, teaching, and leading from the perspective of an adult woman who is both a nontraditional student and a non-traditional worker in the academy. Because she returned to school at the age of forty to earn a bachelor's degree, and is currently an associate professor of...
The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn about the perceptions and
experiences of students who graduated with the Associates of Arts/Oregon Transfer
(AA/OT) degree. This study answered the following questions:
1) How did the AA/OT degree attainment assist in the overall achievement
of goals?
2) How did AA/OT...
Many youth are able to be successful in the traditional school setting. Large numbers are not successful. Dropout rates are alarming. There is little research that examines the drop out problem from the perspective of the youth. Traditionally programs that are designed to help have been designed by adults. This...
The purpose of this study was to describe and record the experiences of people of color in a community leadership development program. Selected people of color were asked to describe their experiences as participants in the American Leadership program in Tacoma-Pierce County in the State of Washington. The American Leadership...
This study is a critical ethnography of my professional career as an educator born and raised in the Shona culture in Zimbabwe. In this metaphysical study I reconstruct a worldview that I consider to be representative of Shona customs and beliefs. Doing this project has challenged my own ethnic identity...
Different racial/ethnic groups often perceive the realities of the campus environment differently: This difference in perspective and the attendant reactions can be a factor in student satisfaction or dissatisfaction. A quantitative survey administered in 1996 and 1999 revealed that African-American students on the campus of a diverse two-year community college...
Research into community college governance has in the past centered on the formal aspects of decision-making of these institutions. These past studies often ignore the informal governance practices and policies that operate within all organizations. Staff perceptions of community
college governance have not been studied and possible disjunction between formal...
The purpose of this research study is to investigate and gain understanding of the factors contributing to development of the Center for Advanced Learning (CAL), a regional collaborative educational reform project and the partnerships that emerged from that process. The development process and partnerships are examined from a systems thinking...
The purpose of this study was to identify if differences existed in perceived barrier factors and perceived attitude factors toward distance education between faculty and administrators in the decision stage and those in the implementation stage of distance education technology adoption. Information was gathered from teaching faculty and program leaders...
Online courses and even degree programs are becoming a widespread phenomenon at universities across the United States. Research into the effectiveness of these courses is in the early stages. This qualitative study explored student perceptions of their online class experience using expectancy-value theory as a framework in an attempt to...
The purpose of this qualitative study was to research the experience of six Hispanic students who were interviewed in depth regarding their persistence in school and success at a community college. The students reported on their educational experiences prior to college and how that related to attendance at the college;...
No research to date has involved ESL students as researchers in investigations of community language practices. This study examined the research processes of 23 international college students in an advanced ESL course. The students worked on an original curriculum, the Language Research Project, through which they performed ethnographic and discourse...
The study was designed to gain an understanding of the implementation of Performance Measures Funding at one Washington State community college. The research participants included the nine
individuals who were charged with the design and implementation of the college's Improvement Plan, which addressed the four legislatively, prescribed goals outlined in...
This is a qualitative research project that seeks to understand the meanings that Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC's) have ascribed to their life experiences in relation to their choices about higher education. The participants are four Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors in Oregon who have less than bachelor degrees....
The purpose of this study was to better understand the historical development of the British Columbia (B.C.) community college, university college, and institute system with the focus on the changing nature of voluntary inter-institutional collaboration in relation to provincial coordination. The study also examined the related themes of centralization and...