Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in education are common as the design allows for an unbiased estimate of the overall impact of a program. As more RCTs are completed, researchers are also noting that an overall average impact may mask substantial variation across sites or groups of individuals. Mixed methods can provide insight and help in…

This study explored how participating in a faculty development course based on improvisational theatre affects college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and social interaction, the art of improvisational theater, and the practice of applied…

The present study was designed to test a group-based format of dynamic assessment (G-DA) in the context of writing over a time span of twelve weeks of instruction. A cohort of 60 students took a homogeneity test and based on the results, 44 students were selected to participate forming the two groups of experimental (N = 22) and control (N = 22).…

This qualitative dominant, mixed methods research study examined student and instructor perceptions of technology used to mediate learning in a community college environment. Methods of data collection for this study included a questionnaire with Likert scale and open response items, student and instructor interviews, and an analysis of a random…

The foci of this doctoral research were whether community college students in homogenous, rural community colleges are being educated in intercultural acceptance, diversity, and alternative perspectives and, if so, how the community colleges are assessing these items. These two statements are conceptually different but are intertwined from an…

Using a mixed methods, multilevel research design, this pilot inquiry explored the relationship between college faculty professional development and the academic achievement of diverse students by coupling two separate links: (a) the effects that professional development activities have on improving teaching strategies, and (b) the effects these…

This descriptive study explored how community colleges are teaching leadership in technical programs. Leadership education curricular offerings were identified via a survey and selected programs reviewed. 68 Deans, Directors, or Chairpersons of a Business, Management, or Technology program completed the survey, representing 61 community colleges.…

Despite having a well-documented history about community colleges across the United States, relatively few discussions have covered state-level governance structures. To understand the typology of state community college governance structures, it must first be recognized that community college governance is characterized as a complex web of…

The purpose of this action research study was to explore the relationship between growth mindset instruction in a community college success class with student academic effort and achievement, among students enrolled in a developmental reading class. Community college students, especially those testing into developmental classes, face numerous…

This dissertation evaluated campus violence threat assessment policy and procedure implementation at the community college level of higher education. The importance of this topic was to provide a manageable and collaborative initiative for leadership at institutions of higher learning to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate a policy that can…

College students are failing to graduate at unacceptable rates (Camera, 2016; DeVore, 2016; Scherer & Anson, 2014; Schneider, 2008). If graduation is the goal, then retention is the means. The research study sought to understand a potential solution to the pervasive retention problem, by researching a new strategy, compassionate enrollment.…

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was two-fold. First, I compared the findings of the success rates of online mathematics students with the perceived effects of classroom capture software in hopes to find convergence. Second, I used multiple methods in different phases of the study to expand the breadth and range of the effects of…

LGBTQ+ students are increasingly visible on community college campuses, and a safe and welcoming campus climate is critical to LGBTQ+ students' academic success and well-being. Campus climate is difficult to assess for prospective LGBTQ+ community college students, and institutional websites may be a source of information about campus climate.…

This concurrent mixed methods study revealed the impacts of the Title IV, Federal Regulation, State Authorization (SA), on a statewide community college system, with regard to staffing, establishment of local processes, obtainment of authorizations, fiscal resources, and student enrollment. The study takes place within the California community…

This research set out to enhance instruction for early education and child development majors in a community college setting in a manner that allows them to gain content knowledge while becoming more prepared to practice effective pedagogy in early learning classrooms. This study examined how metacognitive awareness changes throughout a semester…