Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the phenomenon of strategies college instructors enact that support the academic success of historically underrepresented students [HUS] (i.e., first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color) experiencing academic struggle. A critical-constructivist epistemology was employed (Jaekel, 2021; Levitt, 2021). The theoretical framework combined elements of critical pedagogy (e.g. Darder et al., 2017; Kincheloe, 2008), pedagogy of care (Noddings, 2003, 2005), radical love (e.g. Freire, 1970; hooks, 2018; Lane, 2018), critical care pedagogy (e.g. Chinn & Falk‐Rafael, 2018; Delpit, 2006; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1997), and a student-ready institutional framework (McNair et al., 2016). The research was guided by four questions: (1) How do HUS understand academic success and struggle? (2) How do HUS identify instructors who they believe support their academic success? (3) How do instructors understand academic success and struggle for HUS? (4) How do instructors enact academic support for HUS? Data were collected in three phases. In phase one, a qualitative questionnaire was sent to 143 undergraduate students who identified as first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color and who had experienced academic struggle while enrolled at The Ohio State University. The questionnaire asked students to nominate instructors who they believed supported their academic success. This study was unique in that students could nominate any instructor regardless of teaching role (i.e., tenure-track faculty, lecturers, graduate teaching assistants, or staff). In phase two, 14 students who completed the questionnaire accepted an invitation to participate in semi-structured interviews. In phase three, six instructors who were nominated by students agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews and to permit observation of their teaching. Several rounds of qualitative coding strategies were used to a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jera Niewoehner-Green (Advisor); Kristen J. Mills (Committee Member); Scott Scheer (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Educational Sociology; Higher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2017, Higher Education

The majority of Hispanics select community colleges as their higher institution of choice, but studies on what contributes to their success, especially Hispanic males, has been limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence, if any, of environmental variables on the cumulative GPA of Hispanic males attending community college. Employing Astin's Theory of Student Involvement, data from the CCSSE's 2012 – 2014 survey were used to conduct a multiple regression analysis. The study's sample included 5,615 Hispanic males attending community college. The final model identified 15 variables that were significantly related to the cumulative GPA of Hispanic males attending community college, and explained 15.6% of the variance. Student effort and active and collaborative learning variables emerged as the strongest predictors of Hispanic male GPA. This study provides educators with additional resources to improve Hispanic male academic success in the community college, and informs future research, theory, policy, and practice.

Committee: Ron Opp (Committee Chair); Snejana Slantcheva-Durst (Committee Member); Sunday Griffith (Committee Member); J. Michael Thomson (Committee Member) Subjects: Community College Education; Community Colleges; Hispanic Americans; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2015, Higher Education

Many colleges and universities struggle with retention, completion, and graduation rates despite knowing to improving any of these three they need to have a clear understanding of the students they serve and a strong commitment to the success of these students. Unfortunately, without a clear understanding of the type of students an institution serves, it is difficult to determine which areas to strengthen in order to improve student success. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent self-efficacy and involvement variables influence student success thereby offering potential strategies that could be implemented to improve student success at The University of Toledo (UT). The theories driving this study were Alfred Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Alexander Astin's student involvement theory. A combination of data collected at UT through the MAP-Works survey and NSSE survey was used to conduct a blocked stepwise regression to determine which self-efficacy and student involvement variables influence student success. The significant predictors of student satisfaction were then used to suggest possible strategies for improving the academic success of students attending UT which in turn will help improve retention, completion and graduation rates at the institution.

Committee: Ron Opp Ph.D (Committee Chair); Dennis Lettman Ph.D (Committee Member); Sunday Griffith Ph.D (Committee Member); Sammy Spann Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2013, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was three-fold. The first purpose was to examine if there was a difference in the academic success of 239 first-year student-athletes between the type of institution they attended, public or private. These student-athletes represented 12 intercollegiate varsity sports at two NCAA Division I institutions in the Midwest during the 2007-2009 academic years, and the study used the five pre-college predictor variables of NCAA GPA, standardized test scores, gender, race, and institution type. The second purpose was to determine which of these predictor variables were statistically significant in predicting academic success of student-athletes by sport. The third purpose was to predict how well these predictor variables could distinguish between student-athletes attending the public institution and student-athletes attending the private institution. The study found that student-athletes at the private institution entered the institution with a better overall academic profile than did the student-athletes at the public institution as related to the predictor variables of high school GPA, NCAA GPA, ACT scores, SAT scores, and first-year college cumulative GPA. The statistically significant relationships between the predictors variables correlated between r = .94 and r = .17. Several stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict first-year academic success. The study concluded that, when ACT and SAT scores are included, separately, in the model with the predictor variables, then NCAA GPA, ACT scores, gender, and race are statistically significant predictors for student-athletes attending the public institution, while NCAA GPA and ACT scores are statistically significant predictors for student-athletes attending the private institution. NCAA GPA, SAT scores, and gender are statistically significant predictors for student-athletes attending the public institution, and NCAA GPA and SAT scores are statistically significant predict (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Barbara De Luca (Committee Chair); Paul Vanderburgh (Committee Member); Corrine Daprano (Committee Member); A. William Place (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration; Sports Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Educational Policy and Leadership

The accountability and standards movements in education have intensified pressure on school administrators to raise the achievement levels of their students. The purpose of this inquiry was to develop a path model to explain the connections among key organizational variables and student achievement. One of the difficulties in predicting student achievement is that the socioeconomic status generally overwhelms all other organizational variables in explaining the variance. Thus, it is important to find school properties that can explain student achievement controlling for socioeconomic status. Two characteristics of elementary schools were proposed as key candidates—the instructional leadership of the principal and academic press of the school defined in terms to the extent to which school climate emphasizes high student expectations and intellectual accomplishments. After reviewing and synthesizing the literature on instructional leadership, a framework and measure of instructional leadership was developed and tested. Three aspects of principal behavior—promoting school-wide professional development, monitoring and providing feedback on the teaching and learning process, and developing and communicating shared goals—defined a general measure of instructional leadership. Then a theoretical path model to explain achievement was developed with instructional leadership, academic press, and socioeconomic status as the key variables. Using structural equation modeling the hypothesized relationships were tested with data collected from 146 elementary schools in Ohio, as well as student achievement and socioeconomic data obtained from the Ohio Department of Education. The findings provided substantial support for the model. Although the instructional leadership of the principal was not directly related to student achievement, it did have an indirect positive effect on achievement through the academic press of the school, which had a direct effect on student achievement in bo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Wayne Hoy (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Administration

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Cultural Studies (Education)

This research study explored how White working class Appalachian males who have completed, or who were within one term of completing a program of study at one of ten community and technical colleges in West Virginia perceived academic success. It examined their definitions of academic success, the perceptions they held regarding their own past and present academic successes, as well as their views regarding factors from their lived experience that they felt contributed to their program of study completion. Using qualitative methodology, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with eight participants. It was designed to reflect the tenets of Appreciative Inquiry. While reflecting the changes within White working class identity formation in response to the deindustrialization of the economy, the findings of this study present two contradictions with the research literature. The first is that these men were found to define academic success from a working class perspective. This demonstrated their adherence to working class cultural capital while successfully completing a postsecondary program of study. This implies they did not need to abandon their working class cultural capital in lieu of new cultural capital in order to be successful at the college level. Furthermore, the factors from their lived experience that participants named as contributing to their program of study completion were factors that have previously been identified in research literature as factors that commonly present as barriers to postsecondary success for working class students. However, the participants in this study indicated these factors presented as positive influences that assisted in facilitating their academic success. Additionally, the perceptions of past and present academic success held by participants were noted as those that 1) reflect the development of/presence of positive psychological capital within these individuals and 2) demonstrate the educational experien (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jaylynne Hutchinson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Hess Ph.D (Committee Member); Jerry Johnson Ed.D (Committee Member); Yegan Pillay Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Community College Education; Community Colleges; Education Philosophy; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; Higher Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2024, Education

This mixed-methods study explored the relationship between teacher academic optimism and personalized professional learning in a rural Appalachian elementary school in southeastern Ohio. Twenty K-5 educators participated, with pre/post-surveys utilizing the Teacher Academic Optimism Scale-Elementary (TAOS-E) yielding quantitative data. Six teachers engaged in personalized professional learning (treatment group), while fourteen formed the control group. One-on-one interviews with the treatment group added a qualitative dimension, enhancing overall validity and reliability through data triangulation. Results indicated positive changes in self-efficacy, trust, academic emphasis, and overall academic optimism for both groups. Unexpectedly, the control group experienced statistically significant gains in self-efficacy, trust, and overall academic optimism, prompting further investigation into external variables. As a practitioner in the elementary school, the researcher explores these influences in the discussion section. Qualitative analysis highlighted themes of personalized learning's value, appreciation for meaningful experiences, and varied learning format preferences. The study underscores the positive impact of a four-week personalized professional learning experience. Emphasis on job- embedded learning and collaboration enabled teachers to apply new skills in real-world situations. Interviews with the treatment group revealed positive changes in mindset and practices, emphasizing themes of positivity, reflection, engagement, relationship building, trust, effective communication, and a language shift. Overall, the teachers in the treatment group perceived the personalized professional learning approach as meaningful and positive even though the quantitative results were not significant and did not indicate a relationship between their overall levels of academic optimism.

Committee: Mary Heather Munger Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

Current longitudinal research in developmental science has shown that during college, students generally experience a progressive decline in psychosocial adjustment. First-generation college students (FGCS) encounter unique adjustment difficulties that impact their academic success. Yet, no current research tracks these students' progress based on key factors (i.e., socioemotional competence, psychosocial adjustment, and perceived academic control) that are critical to academic success. To fill this research gap, this short-term longitudinal study is the first to examine how these variables affect academic outcomes among emerging adult college freshmen at two timepoints, as they take one of their first college courses during their first semester of college. Findings show that the associations between most of these study variables are statistically significant and indicative of unique differences between FGCS and continuing-generation college students (CGCS) as academic learners. Perceived academic control was the only key predictor of academic performance. Despite reporting higher levels of psychological distress than CGCS across both timepoints, FGCS only showed significant differences in depression levels by the end of their first semester of college. Academic enrichment program participation did not impact academic performance. These study findings are used to expand FGCS research and offer practitioners relevant insights to support these students' positive adjustment to college upon entry.

Committee: Stephen Petrill (Committee Chair); Kelly Purtell (Committee Member); Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Education; Educational Psychology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Leadership and Change

On the heels of America grappling with various racial and ethnic inequities, this dissertation explored the experiences of Black and Latinx males who graduated with bachelor's degrees from 4-year institutions. Participants navigated through different environments, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], Hispanic Serving Institutions [HSI], and Predominately White Institutions [PWIs]. The study inquired about topics concerning their unique experiences and how they informed their collegiate academic success. Narrative Inquiry was the basis for 20 qualitative interviews (10 Black and 10 Latinx; interviewed for 60–90 minutes). Participants identified as U.S. citizens and graduated with a cumulative grade point average [GPA] of 3.0 and above. Reflexive Thematic Analysis [RTA] was performed to analyze the data. RTA is a distinguishing element of this study as it integrates the researcher's positionality, qualitative findings, and feedback from code reviewers (Braun & Clarke, 2021). This study constructed five main themes for Black and Latinx male collegians', ranging from Salient Identities to identifying Catalysts for Academic Success. Key findings of the study unearthed factors contributing to academic success that included factors such as: parental involvement, academic rigor, mentorship, and creating and engaging in spaces of fellowship and belonging. Findings also revealed cultural distinctions between groups are vital to understanding the appropriate academic resources. These distinctions between groups were factors such as: parental citizenship, cultural group sub-cultures (e.g., traditions, food, dance), and language and vernacular. Participants' salient identities (identities that they are closely associated with—for example, being a scholar or community leader) were at the center of their high achievement. The dissertation concludes with guiding principles meant to assist educators in producing and implementing cultur (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jon Wergin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lemuel Watson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joshua Aronson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Hispanic Americans

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2022, Educational Leadership

A successful completion of first-year science courses is critical for an on-time entry into the undergraduate health care programs of nursing, radiology, respiratory care, and sonography at a small, private health care institution. The inability of undergraduate students to pass science courses leads to drop-out or a delay of entry into their health care profession further presenting a health care staffing shortage during a time of an increased demand for health care providers. Knight College's main goal is to determine why undergraduate students underperformed academically in science courses. The primary purpose of this narrative inquiry design study that used a qualitative data source was to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of the students. This study used a purposeful sampling due to the selection process for students wanting to participate in re-telling their stories through semi-structured interviews of their experience(s) in undergraduate science course(s). The type of data analysis that occurred in this study was a narrative thematic analysis used to find common themes, comparison of the themes to one another, and among the different interviews. The eight, narrative, inquiry interviews provided key insights into the innermost workings of Knight College and the student's experiences. In synthesizing the findings, the three main themes that emerged were science course(s) experiences, academic advising experience, and student support services along with several subthemes. Furthermore, all eight students interviewed shared their stories about their struggles in science course(s) and discussed the barriers to their success included those while enrolled in the course(s) and those outside the college. The results of the narrative inquiry interviews were important because they led to the areas of focus for the action plan to develop a gateway (student success) course and to implement training of academic advisors.

Committee: Meredith Wronowski (Committee Chair) Subjects: Health Care; Higher Education

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

This mixed-methods study examined what factors drive student success among undergraduate business students and using that knowledge to promote positive academic outcomes for all students. The literature posits that academic engagement is associated with high performance levels (Fredin, Fuchsteiner, & Portz, 2015; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2006; Pace, 1980). However, engagement does not work alone in predicting success. Many other significant factors predict higher engagement levels. According to Karki, Chaudhury, and Patangia (2020), the interplay of external variables alongside individual or psychological aspects of students leading to academic engagement is still not fully understood. This study begins to address this knowledge gap. Using a sequential explanatory design, data were collected in two phases: a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. Phase I consisted of qualitative interviews of twenty-eight participants from a private liberal arts college. The questions explored what factors they felt contributed most to their college success during a first-year accounting sequence. The most significant finding was that all participants reported some form of social support as essential for their success level and necessary for their belief that they could succeed in accounting. A quantitative study was then conducted using a hypothesized model to explore the causal relationships of cohort support and family support on engagement as mediated by self-esteem. The quantitative results were positively correlated between both forms of support and engagement and between competence and engagement. A mediating role for self-esteem was also proven between social support and engagement. The quantitative and qualitative data illustrate variables such as social support and self-esteem predict higher levels of engagement and ultimately positive academic outcomes.

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen Ph.D. (Advisor); Yunmei Wang Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Accounting; Education; Educational Psychology; Educational Theory; Management; Organizational Behavior; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Educational Studies

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to understand what it is like to be placed on academic probation and faced with the decision to participate in an academic intervention program. Retention is a continued issue in higher education with only 60% of four-year college students attaining a degree within six years (McFarland et al., 2018). Students leave institutions for multiple considerations including academic and social challenges. Students are often placed on academic probation before departing because of academic difficulties, the most ubiquitous form of academic intervention in higher education (Fletcher & Tokmouline, 2010; Moss & Yeaton, 2015). Paired interventions to help students academically recover from probation are most often voluntary. Academic difficulty and probation are potentially confusing, emotional, and complex situations in which students may find themselves deciding to participate in a paired intervention. However, the research on the lived experiences of students on academic probation is limited and even less is known about the experiences of students deciding to participate in intervention programs while on probation. Through a critical-interpretivist perspective and with consideration to expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983), this study sought to fill a gap in the current research by answering the research questions of (1) What is it like experiencing academic difficulty and being placed on academic probation?; (2) What is it like deciding to participate in an academic intervention program while on academic probation? Hermeneutic phenomenology (Moules et al., 2015; Vagle, 2018; van Manen, 1990, 2014) served as the primary methodology used in this study. Data consisted of 20 semi-structured interviews and were analyzed with suggested hermeneutic phenomenology methods (Moules, McCaffrey, Field, & Laing 2015; van Manen, 1990, 2014) Descriptive narratives and stacked quotes (Van Manen, 2003) provided examples and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Marc Johnston-Guerrero (Committee Chair); Susan R. Jones (Committee Member); Matthew J. Mayhew (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2016, College of Education and Human Services

Bullying has become a worldwide problem of pandemic proportion and degree. (Thomas, Bolen, Heister & Hyde, 2010). In the United States over thirty-five percent of school-aged students were directly involved in bullying incidents. Tragic news stories about suicides and school violence raised awareness about the importance of addressing this global issue (Van Der Zande, 2010). To date reports further indicate that more females are involved in indirect relational bullying than males. Unfortunately, as technology becomes more and more accessible, relational bullying has become one of the fastest growing epidemics (Brinson, 2005; Rigby & Smith, 2011). Current research explanations were limited as to how female seniors who are victims of bullying showed resilience to academically succeed despite incidences of bullying throughout their high school experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed method study was to explore the coping strategies utilized by12th grade female urban high school seniors who have experienced school success despite their involvement as victims of bullying. In this study, 32 high school female seniors completed the online Olweus' Bullying Questionnaire which included self-reported attendance, discipline referrals, grade point average, and participation in extracurricular activities as it related to their bullying experiences. Additionally, the researcher randomly selected eight focus group participants were involved in two focus group sessions to provide rich descriptions of their experiences as victims of bullying. These victims expressed the coping strategies used to successfully defeat the negative connotations associated with bullying, and specifically acknowledged their personal triumphs. When students understood the intricacies of bullying, and were empowered to use effective coping strategies, their experience of school success should increase as the prevalence of bullying decreases. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to decrease (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frederick Hampton Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Brian Harper Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ralph Mawdsley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paul Williams Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mittie Davis Jones Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Elementary Education; Families and Family Life; Gender; Gender Studies; Health Education; Individual and Family Studies; Law; Legal Studies; Multicultural Education; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Public Policy; School Administration; School Counseling; Secondary Education; Social Psychology; Social Structure; Social Work; Sociology; Teacher Education; Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2016, Higher Education (Education)

First-generation college students account for a significant portion of college students in the United States. While the growing attendance of this population attests to higher education's commitment to access and social mobility, first-generation college students are not as successful as their later- generation peers by many measures. The growing number of first-generation students and the social, economic, and civil ramifications of their inequitable struggles in higher education require research to move beyond measuring outcomes and to explore influences on student success in new ways. Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of development and Kuh's work on student engagement are combined to create a theoretical perspective through which relationships among academic and social support and academic performance of first-generation college students are explored. Quantitative methods were used to analyze survey data from sophomore students who are enrolled in the Spring 2015-2016 semester at Ohio University. The findings are presented in a manner that informs advocates, researchers, and policymakers who hope to support first-generation college students at universities in the United States.

Committee: Peter Mather (Committee Chair); Michael Williford (Committee Member); David Horton (Committee Member); Machtmes Krisanna (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Educational Tests and Measurements; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2013, Nursing

Academic progression through the midprogram period in baccalaureate nursing education programs must meet the future demands of healthcare without wasting academic resources. Using an ex post facto, non-experimental design, a study of 302 students enrolled in one nine-semester baccalaureate nursing program located on eight campuses across the U.S. was conducted to identify predictors of midprogram academic success, as measured by (a) passing grades in the Adult Health II course, and (b) the Adult Health Evolve Specialty Exam HESI scores > 850 as the final exam. Preprogram cognitive attributes included seven individual Evolve Admission Assessment (A2) exam scores, age, and gender. Only the Anatomy and Physiology exam was statistically significant (p < .001), but weakly correlated (r =.282) with the Adult Health II ESE; no relationships found with midprogram grades questioning the usefulness of A2 examinations in admission criteria at this program. Based on Constructivist theory, knowledge building and mastery of domain-specific prior content, logistic regression found that course grades in Health Assessment II and Adult Health I (p < .05) predicted success in Adult Health II grades. The Fundamentals II ESE (p = .001) and the Adult Health I ESE (p = .006) significantly predicted success on the Adult Health II ESE. Significant relationships were identified between the grades between Fundamentals II, Adult Health I and Adult Health II grades (p < .05). Customized ESE had higher mean scores and percentages of passing than standardized ESE. Although significant (p < .001), no perfect correlation was found between HESI scores and conversion scores (n = 35; p = .998). Independent t-tests found the Adult Health II ESE (p =.001) and 4th semester GPA (p = .005) were significant in differentiating success and failure with Adult Health II grades. Suggested future research would: a) expand data collection to include qualitative measurements of socio-cultural (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elaine Fisher Dr. (Advisor); Diana Biordi Dr. (Committee Member); Stephanie Dykes Dr. (Committee Member); Marlene Huff Dr. (Committee Member); Linda Shanks Dr. (Committee Member); Richard Steiner Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Nursing

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2008, Education

The goal of this study is to understand and develop information for retention and social promotion which will provide insight for administrators, teachers, and parents in determining how and when students can achieve academic success, and if they are to be retained or socially promoted. Information was collected on achievement in academic areas while looking at other areas such as: discipline, attendance, intervention, age, and transient moves. The study examines these areas to determine whether they factors success or failure of a retained or placed student. Examining school records, it was determined that a student retained in early elementary school was the main predictor of significant academic success.

Committee: Stefan Broidy PhD (Committee Chair); Josephine Wilson PhD (Committee Member); Barbara S. Arnold (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Elementary Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, EDU Policy and Leadership

A quasi-experiment was carried out in a college success strategies course to evaluate the impact of structured interpersonal interaction on undergraduate students' Academic Engagement and Academic Achievement. The course, EPL 259: Individual Learning and Motivation, employs a blended learning instructional model – Active Discovery and Participation through Technology (ADAPT; Tuckman, 2002) – that requires students to spend the majority of class time working independently on online activities. In the quasi-experiment, students in six treatment sections were exposed to some combination of two types of interpersonal interaction: Student-Student Interaction and Student-Instructor Interaction. Student-Student Interaction was facilitated in two different formats: (1) through in-class, cooperative learning activities, and (2) through online, asynchronous discussion board activities. Two sections of EPL 259 received the first Student-Student Interaction format, two sections received the second format, and two sections received neither format. In addition, in each of these three pairs of sections, one section also received Student-Instructor Interaction, facilitated through weekly, one-on-one meetings between each student and his or her instructor. The desired outcomes, Academic Engagement and Academic Achievement, were each measured in two ways. Academic Engagement was measured: (1) through analysis of data on students' course-related behaviors, including rates of attendance, tardiness, submission of assignments, and late submission of papers, and (2) through students' scores on a multifactor survey of course engagement. Academic Achievement was measured: (1) through total points earned on written assignments and online activities, and (2) through grades on the comprehensive final examination. A series of Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVAs), utilizing participants' Prior Cumulative GPA and measures of Conscientiousness and Extraversion as covariates, was carried out to assess (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Leonard Baird Ed.D. (Advisor); Wayne Hoy Ed.D. (Committee Member); Bruce Tuckman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Psychology; Experiments; Higher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

This study examines the personal characteristics, experiences, and adaptive strategies of twelve low-income first-generation students (FGS) at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, highlighting the necessity to understand academic success beyond the traditional metrics. Being part of this institution, students had a sense of privilege and opportunity, and this cultivated thriving. This study draws from Dr. Laurie Schreiner's thriving model to highlight the specific activities and experiences that contribute to FGS holistic success, validating the concept of thriving beyond the American context and supporting cross-cultural use of the Thriving Quotient for research. Through phenomenology, the study revealed themes that highlight the importance of practical learning, peer and faculty connection, academic engagement and effective use of campus resources, touching on valuable insights into how higher education institutions can better support the thriving and long-term development of FGS. According to the findings, social connections, spirituality, mental health support, and personal traits such as purposefulness, extraversion, self-control, adaptability, and leadership help students thrive. Additionally, the use of university resources was identified to contribute to student thriving. The study recommends proactive measures, including awareness campaigns for campus programs and services, the institutionalization of experiential learning, and expansion of wellness initiatives to address the unique challenges faced by low-income FGS to facilitate a thriving academic environment for this student group.

Committee: Peter Mather (Advisor); Greg Kessler (Committee Member); Christine Bhat (Committee Member); Laura Harrison (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2024, Business Administration

This dissertation is a quantitative research study designed to investigate the influence of articulation agreements on completion of a baccalaureate degree by community college transfer students holding an associate degree. The research study examined the relationship between four variables (age, gender, associate degree completion, and transfer student type) based on an articulation agreement with the originating school. The use of quantitative research methods, particularly logistic regression, chi-squared analyses, and Fisher's Exact Test examined the relationships between variables seeking effect of articulation agreements based on the Theory of planned behavior, expectancy-value theory, social cognitive theory, and achievement goal theory regarding student expectations for bachelor's degree completion. The research study did not find a statistically significant correlation between articulated status of transfer students, age, or gender and bachelor's degree completion. A positive correlation between associate degree completion and bachelor's degree completion was found for these students at the target institution. Students with an associate degree had 1.94 times higher odds of completing the bachelors' degree.

Committee: Jeffrey Ferezan (Committee Chair); John Nadalin (Committee Member); Joel Gardner (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

K-12 schools in Ohio are partially evaluated on their ability to successfully graduate students with their four-year cohort. Educators have been tasked with improving graduation rates. This study examined one urban high school to understand and provide insights to increase its graduation rate. This school recently received a poor score from the State's Department of Education in relation to graduation success. The study sought to examine the following research question: How do recent graduates from the past two years describe what supported their motivation to reach high school graduation? As a dissertation in practice, a qualitative research design was implemented using basic interviewing techniques to examine the experiences reported by recent alumni from the graduating classes of 2022 and 2023. Through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examined what participants deemed influential to their high school experience and, ultimately, their graduation. SDT provides a framework for understanding an individual's motivation through the basic needs of autonomy, competency, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Data supported the importance of these SDT concepts on participants' motivation during high school, leading to their timely graduation. Seven significant themes with an additional seventeen subthemes were established during data analysis. Major themes followed the SDT concepts of autonomy, competency, and relatedness. Themes included participants' sense of lack of control regarding high school career, internal ownership of academic success/outcomes, disruptive behavior effect on the learning environment, welcoming behavior from peers and staff (school climate), the role of the family in academics, the role of staff in academics, and lesson presentation. Findings from this study will be provided to the participants' alma mater to support educators as they implement academic planning and develop school programming.

Committee: Eric Parker (Committee Chair); Blake Renner (Committee Member); Crissie Jameson (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory