The purpose of this mixed method case study was to examine the effects of methods of instruction on students' perception of relevance in higher education non-biology majors' courses. Nearly ninety percent of all students in a liberal arts college are required to take a general biology course. It is proposed that for many of those students, this is…

Community college attrition continues to rise. The lowest rate during the period of 1983-2008 for public two year community college retention was 51.3%, and the lowest retention rate for private two year colleges was 55.5% (Act, 2008, pp. 4). The purpose of this study is to examine the perspective of student retention by faculty members through…

The purpose of this exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study was to describe resident assistants' (RAs) perceptions of their behaviors when dealing with situations involving alcohol and underage, undergraduate resident-students. Specifically, Ajzen's (1985) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to analyze RAs' reports of…

The lack of African-American presence in teacher education programs in American's Predominately White Institutions (PWI) has not changed since the initial increase following "Brown v. Board of Education," 1954 (National Council for Educational Statistics, 2011). Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to…

The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods research study was to examine the relationship of modern sexism to a female athlete's preference for a coach based on the sex of the coach. Female athletes (N = 155) from one National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institution in the Northeastern United States participated in the…

Wayfinding is the method by which humans orient and navigate in space, and particularly in built environments such as cities and complex buildings, including public libraries. In order to wayfind successfully in the built environment, humans need information provided by wayfinding systems and tools, for instance architectural cues, signs, and…

The purpose of this research was to seek evidence of awareness of metacognitive processes and intertextuality in the reading comprehension of students in an adult basic education class. Its purpose was to interweave several strands of research investigation and theory to explain the reading and writing capabilities of a representative population…

This study consisted of a longitudinal investigation into the information behavior of people diagnosed with a particular chronic serious health condition, type 2 diabetes. This study sought to identify the factors that motivate or impede the information seeking and use of these individuals and to discover how these factors and their influences…

American research universities frequently obtain and license patents to their faculty members' inventions. While university licensing is carefully tracked and thoroughly studied, little is known about university decisions to assertively litigate their patents through filing patent infringement lawsuits in federal court. Which universities…

The purpose of this dissertation is to present a number of academic perspectives for analysis and understanding in the attempt to progress educational situations. Specifically, the study takes a look at student and learning community transition into the high school environment and, ultimately, by doing so help meet graduation goals. Its intent is…

Graduate nursing programs play a central role in graduate higher education in the 21st century (Walker et al., 2008). The growing nursing shortage in the United States has influenced many colleges and universities to seize the opportunity to educate the rising number of graduate students interested in pursuing a nursing career. As a result, the…

This study utilizes Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural and social capital as a theoretical framework to understand student persistence. The research design is a mixed-methods approach, using data collected through the "Social and Cultural Capital Questionnaire" and interviews with select survey participants. The sample includes…

Hybrid learning combines the personal contact of the face-to-face learning environment with the convenience of online learning in a way that creates an interactive and engaging environment for students and faculty. This innovative instructional design is capturing the attention of faculty in higher education, but particularly in America's…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between learning community participation and job/major congruence. Previous research has demonstrated that learning communities are effective vehicles for promoting student and institutional outcomes. However, few studies have examined the impact of learning communities on alumni or career…

This mixed methods research study investigated stage of ego development and "leadership capacity" in a purposeful, stratified sample of 12 Illinois school district superintendents. The purpose of this study was to determine the following: 1) are postconventional stages of ego development evidenced in school superintendents; 2) do the…