Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2023, Higher Education

An Abstract of Perceptions of Dually Enrolled, Eighth-Grade College Students' College Readiness: A Qualitative Study by Kenneth D. Hale Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education The University of Toledo December 2023 Throughout the United States, dual enrollment programs enable high school students to earn college credit by completing college classes while in high school. In 2015, the State of Ohio expanded grade-level eligibility to participate in the state's dual enrollment program, College Credit Plus, to seventh- and eighth-grade students. The purpose of this study was to explore the college readiness perceptions of a newer and expanded audience of dual-enrollment participants: students who completed college classes at a community college as eighth graders. Using a semistructured interview guide, data were collected from nine students who participated in in-depth interviews responding to questions related to their eighth-grade college experiences and their self-perceptions of their college readiness. Using a systematic qualitative data analysis process, eight themes emerged from the study and were interpreted using Conley's college readiness theoretical framework. The study's key findings revealed study participants, as dually enrolled, eighth-grade college students, possessed aspiration and motivation; found the cognitively stimulating college environment appealing; demonstrated content mastery; and felt college ready. Findings also revealed participants felt positive instructor rapport was meaningful, and most participants were socially comfortable in their college classes. Though the study revealed students demonstrated ownership of learning and adapted, matured, and persevered in their college classes, challenges were nonetheless experienced. Extending empirical research primarily examining high school students, this study contributes to the body of knowledge (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Edward Janak (Committee Chair); Penny Poplin Gosetti (Committee Co-Chair); Alex Johnson (Committee Member); Dennis Lettman (Committee Member); David Meabon (Committee Member) Subjects: Community College Education; Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2020, Higher Education

This basic interpretive qualitative study examines the ways in which experienced community college faculty from different disciplines view their pedagogical perspectives after having worked with an increasing number of nontraditional students in their mixed-age college classrooms. Using a semi-structured question technique guided by Robertson's (1999) professor-as-teacher developmental model, the researcher interviewed 20 faculty from a single, associate's-degree-granting institution in Michigan. The participants in this study represented 18 different disciplines and all had at least 8 years of teaching experience at the community-college level. During this 8-year period, community college enrollment in Michigan shifted drastically from adult, nontraditional students looking for new career options in the wake of The Great Recession to an enrollment that actively pursues adolescent, dual-enrollment students looking to decrease future higher education costs. After analyzing the codes and themes in the data, this study concluded community college faculty in aliocentric (learner-centered) or systemocentric (teacher/learner-centered) teaching positions, as defined by Robertson (1999), are well suited for teaching dual-enrollment students. This suitability was found to be the case, regardless of discipline or employment status. However, despite this disposition, faculty were worried about the amount of dual enrollment expansion happening in their classrooms. The practical implications of this study are relevant to any teaching and learning initiative focused on strengthening community college faculty's abilities to work with adolescent, dual-enrollment learners.

Committee: Ronald Opp Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Penny Poplin Gosetti Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ellen Fischer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Steve Robinson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing​, University of Findlay, 2017, English

This study explores the similarities and differences between concurrent enrollment (CE) courses and on-campus courses. It specifically looks at the construction of place as location, locale, and sense of place (SOP) within first year composition (FYC) and how the understanding of place affects students' and instructors' roles within the places of instruction. Within this framework, identity, interpersonal relationships, responsibility, and work are examined as indicators of "college student" identity within the high school setting. Ultimately, the study questions the validity of CE as a college course if it exists in the high school setting.

Committee: Christine Denecker PhD (Committee Chair); Nicole Diederich PhD (Committee Member); Judith Wahrman PhD (Committee Member); Christine Tulley PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Geography; Higher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Higher Education Administration

Dual enrollment programs, once created for the most advanced students, are now seen as a way to provide an accessible and affordable bridge to postsecondary education for a broader range of students. Research on the outcomes of such programs has been limited in scope and exists for only a few states. This quantitative study analyzed 10 years of postsecondary data from the Ohio Board of Regents to assess outcomes of traditional-aged college students enrolled in the state university system who previously participated in Ohio's Postsecondary Options Program (PSEOP) as a high school student compared with students of similar academic ability who did not participate in PSEOP. Astin's I-E-O Model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Several quantitative statistical methods including chi-squared, t-tests, hierarchical logistic regression, and analysis of covariance were used to assess student outcomes. Ten research questions guided this study, eight of which were successfully answered. The first question descriptively compared demographic and environmental characteristics of students who participated in PSEOP with students who did not participate. The remaining questions investigated significant differences in students' major field of study choice, first-year retention rates, first-year cumulative grade point average, graduation cumulative grade point average, graduation rates, time-to-degree, and the pursuit of graduate or professional studies within one year of baccalaureate degree attainment. Questions relating to the choice of undergraduate institution and the pursuit of a second major were not answered due to insufficient data to adequately research the outcomes of the two student groups. Key findings centered on attributes which were significantly related to PSEOP participation and outcomes to which PSEOP participation was a significant contributor. Gender, ethnicity, academic performance, and family characteristics were all related to the decision of wh (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William E. Knight PhD (Committee Chair); Kenneth J. Ryan PhD (Committee Member); Michael D. Coomes EdD (Committee Member); Robert DeBard EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2011, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to produce findings and conclusions that could inform future policy decisions on concurrent enrollment at Cedarville University specifically and at other institutions generally. The study population consisted of Cedarville University students who met the following 2 criteria in the fall semester of the 2009-2010 academic year: (a) they were seniors; (b) they had completed transfer credit through concurrent enrollment at another institution after initial enrollment at Cedarville University. The entire study population was invited to participate in the study; 137 of 258 completed the Transfer Credit Questionnaire. Findings of the study were: (1) the percentage (53%) of study participants that transferred 10 or more credits through concurrent enrollment appears to be typical; (2) study participants reported considerable variation in the range of individual transfer credits earned through concurrent enrollment; (3) approximately $1.3 million in lost tuition revenue resulted from the 2,056 semester hours that study participants completed at institutions other than Cedarville University; (4) community/technical colleges were a popular choice for concurrent enrollment; (5) the most common reason for concurrent enrollment was lower tuition costs at other institutions; (6) respondents indicated that a highly restrictive transfer credit policy would have discouraged them from enrolling at Cedarville University. Implications of these findings for policy and further research were discussed.

Committee: Theodore J. Kowalski Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Daniel C. Raisch Ph.D. (Committee Member); A. W. Place Ph.D. (Committee Member); Edward D. Garten Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kevin R. Kelly Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership