PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Arts and Sciences : Sociology

Two trends in the religious makeup of the U.S. that have received little attention from sociologists of religion are the increasing number of people who leave the religion in which they were raised and the increasing number of people who are leaving all religion (religious nones or independents). This project develops a theoretical model based on role theory and role conflict that explains individual level religious change with the goal of ultimately helping sociologists understand these two trends. I use religious dropouts – those who at one point claimed a religious affiliation but no longer do so – to test the theory, finding that a number of factors are important correlates of this specific type of religious change, including: having a non-affiliated spouse, higher levels of educational attainment, and lower levels of religious commitment in other dimensions of one's religious role (i.e., religious service attendance, belief in immortality, and frequency of prayer). I conclude that many changes in religious roles are the result of intra- and/or inter-role conflict.

Committee: Dr. Rhys Williams (Advisor) Subjects: Sociology, General

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Educational Policy and Leadership

The purpose of this study was to identify the key factors student-athletes perceived to be important in their decision-making to stay in school. To accomplish this purpose, it was necessary to: 1) construct a conceptual model of student-athlete retention based upon the literature associated with traditional student retention and the college student-athlete experience, 2) utilize the conceptual model of student-athlete retention to guide the creation of an instrument that captures student-athlete perceptions of factors important to the retention process, and 3) use exploratory factor analysis to extract meaningful factors underlying the items of the instrument. Participants in this study consisted of 330 NCAA Division I student-athletes attending a large west coast university. Using the Understanding College Student-Athlete Retention Questionnaire developed for this study, data were collected in person during a team meeting for each participating sport. A total of 42 items, one question regarding intent to leave, and 17 demographic questions were included in the questionnaire. The Likert-scaled items were measured on a six-point scale ranging from Not Important (1) to Very Important (6) with the Importance scale referring to how important each statement is to the participant's decision to stay in school. Principal components analysis with VARIMAX rotation extracted a four-factor model. Cronbach's alpha and split-half (Spearman-Brown) reliability coefficients were calculated for the instrument and for each extracted factor. The questionnaire had a reliability coefficient of .930, whereas each factor had a reliability coefficient greater than or equal to .784. Forty-one of the 42 items included in the questionnaire loaded onto one of four factors: Quality of Academic Experience, Quality of Athletic Experience, In-Network Support, and Out-Of-Network Support. These four factors reflect what student-athletes perceived to be important to the student-athlete retention proce (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ada Demb (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2007, Cultural Studies in Education (Education)

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the experiences and perceptions of female dropouts in Botswana and the role of education in their lives. All over the world, educators have struggled with the problem of students dropping out of school before they complete their program of study. Prior literature suggests that there are many factors involved in causing students to drop out including weak academic study skills which prevent students from proceeding to the next level. Making little headway, these students often become discouraged about the prospects of graduating and drop out of school. Some face social challenges such as becoming pregnant, encountering impersonal schools, or living under non-conducive conditions at home. It seems that this misfortune befalls the female child more often than her male counterpart. Though young drop outs are a problem throughout the world, this study focuses on a section of a city in Botswana where there are very few opportunities or institutions concerned with preventing young dropouts. Moreover, there is little available to assist female dropouts with continuing their studies. For my research I used the case study and portraiture methods along with interviews, observations, and analyzing documents for a deeper understanding of the experiences of those young women I encountered. Once my research was complete I interpreted the data to search for recurring and emerging themes. I also used the case study method to better understand the school as an organization. I observed daily activities focusing on those that contributed to retaining or pushing the female students out of the education system. My study established the challenges that female students face in school and at home. The study revealed limited communication between the young women who dropped out and their parents; the transference of responsibility of child rearing practices to the teachers; cultural factors such as early marriages, intergenerational relationship (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Arlie Woodrum (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2011, Educational Leadership

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the counterstories of African-American males who have dropped out of school and record their experiences in their own voice of how their schooling impacted their current life circumstances. The emergent themes from their stories support the literature that four factors contribute to Black males' dropping out of school: 1) negative teacher and administration perception of Black males; 2) labeling and sorting through the use of special education and academic tracking; 3) resistance to schooling due to the insidious practices taking place in schools; and 4) alienation from schooling because of racist, oppressive practices. This study found that the overall story of African-American males in their schooling experiences is one of absence of caring from teachers, administration, and the school system.

Committee: Denise Taliaferro-Baszile Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Raymond Terrell Ed.D. (Committee Member); Sally Lloyd Ph.D. (Committee Member); Paula Saine Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; School Administration; Secondary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching