Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Undergraduate education'

Employers, parents, legislators and researchers have expressed concerns that students are graduating from college at low rates, take too long to graduate, and do not possess the proper knowledge or skills to be successful at work or wherever life may take them. Many claim that the curriculum at colleges and universities no longer meets the needs of the students, employers, graduate programs, and society at large. One of the many potential solutions is reforming the undergraduate curriculum.

This research examines the factors that motivated two institutions to reform their curricula in efforts to improve student success. Both of the institutions are relatively small liberal arts educational organizations, one public and the other private. Each institution has differing missions and goals and is at a different point in its development. The study attempts to describe what was important enough to motivate them to change their curricula and why it mattered.

This research investigates the reforms of the two institutions in a case study manner, drawing upon published information and personal interviews to analyze what took place. The inquiry centered upon six basic questions. 1. What was the impetus for changing the curriculum? 2. What was the process used in changing the curriculum? 3. What changes were made to the curriculum? 4. What student outcomes were achieved? 5. How did the curriculum reform impact the institution? 6. What lessons were learned through the reform process?

Reforming a curriculum is a long, complex process, requiring input and consensus from many stakeholders, especially faculty. The manner in which each organization gained faculty endorsement for the reform is analyzed. Actual changes made to the curricula are documented. The research explores student outcomes and the impact that the reform had on the faculty and institutions. Then the researcher attempts to obtain indications that the improvements made by the institutions are achieving the intended goals. Learning is a complex phenomenon to assess, and every organization is challenged to find a way to assess learning effectively.

The research reports on what took place, what was learned, and what other potential curriculum reformers can expect if they, too, embark upon reform. The study shows that faculty and strong faculty leaders (often cited in the literature as causes of ineffectual curricula) are crucial to the reform process and without adequate assessment, the true results of a reform cannot be known. Much remains to be learned about the extent to which curriculum reform can improve higher education and in fact be a cure of societal maladies. Opportunities for improvement abound. The researcher attempts to identify similarities and differences, seeking fundamental conclusions. In this manner the study proposes to be used as a resource for other educational organizations interested in either improving or completely revamping their curricula.

Prominent Feature Analysis (PFA) is a reliable and valid writing assessment tool, derived from the writing it is used to assess. PFA, used to assess on-demand expository essays in Grades 3–12, uncovers positive and negative characteristics of a sample. To extend PFA to a new academic level and genre, I assessed scientific writing of 208 undergraduates, identifying 35 linguistic and 20 scientific prominent features. An essay could earn up to 28 positive (24 linguistic and four scientific), and up to 27 negative marks (11 linguistic and 16 scientific). The minimum prominent features number in a paper was 3, the maximum was 25 (M = 12.45, SD = 3.88). The highest positive and negative prominent features numbers noted were 17 (M = 4.11, SD = 3.96), and 16 (M = 8.34, SD = 3.25) respectively.

Rasch analysis revealed a good data-model fit, with item separation of 5.81 (.97 reliability). The estimated feature difficulty of items spanned over 10 logits; common errors were easier to avoid than “good writing” characteristics to exhibit. Significant correlations among linguistic, but not between linguistic and scientific features, suggest writing proficiency does not assure excellence in scientific writing in novices. Ten linguistic features significantly strongly and moderately inter-correlated with each other, appearing to represent writing proficiency. Student GPA correlated significantly with the raw prominent features scores (r = .37; p < .01), and negatively with the sum of negative linguistic features (r = –.40, p < .01), providing support for scale’s validity, and suggesting that good students are better at avoiding common writing errors than less able learners. Additionally, PFA scores positively significantly correlated with composite ACT scores.

To investigate PFA’s ability to track change in writing over time, I compared 2 sets of prominent features scores of 25 students. In comparison with earlier essays, later (longer) essays exhibited significantly more positive, and more negative features. Prominent features scores did not correlate significantly between the sets. This suggests, that while PFA is a valid and appropriate tool for analysis of undergraduate scientific writing, it was not suitable for tracking change in writing ability in this small sample.

This thesis explores the question: can an ecocritical approach to environmental virtue ethics (EVE) in undergraduate climate change education inform students' understanding of the ethical issues of climate change and promote environmental responsibility and action? Philosophical theories of virtue ethics will be discussed from an historical perspective as well as to its renewal in the 20^th century, especially within the context of the wicked dimensions of the climate change crisis. Dominant themes in climate change ethics including concerns over the scientific complexity, global dimensions, temporal issues, intergenerational fairness and responsibility, justice, and human rights will be presented and used to devise a compendium of climate change virtues and vices. Environmental and climate change education research will be reviewed as well as the reasons for its failure to produce a substantial shift in attitudes and behavior of people especially in the global North will be deliberated. Ecocriticism, which studies the relationship between literature and visual and audial art will be explored, and a novel curriculum based on theoretical elements from climate change virtue ethics and supported with examples of the ecocritical arts will be proposed. It is my belief that an interdisciplinary framework supported and illustrated by climate change ecocriticism from any and all of the literary, visual, audial, and performance arts will create deeper understandings of climate change complexity.

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodological approach using secondary data that researchers, faculty, and staff can utilize to assess student course performance and to identify the input and course environment factors that best predict student course success in an undergraduate lecture capture quantitative methods course. Using the Astin and Antonio (2012) Input Environment and Outcome (IEO) Model as a framework, this quantitative study examined both input variables that students bring to a course as well as the course environment factors that students experience in the course. Three secondary data sources were utilized and analyzed using descriptive and multi-variate statistics.

The findings revealed that students with higher levels of student course engagement and academic self-concept were more likely to achieve student course success in this lecture capture quantitative methods course. In addition, prior University GPA along with live-class attendance, discussion board posts, and course quiz and exam scores were the strongest predictors of student course success.

The largest implication from this study was the methodological approach developed to identify factors that predicted student course success. This approach can be used to help faculty identify course-embedded measures for assessment as well as develop Keys for Success to help future students succeed in difficult courses. While this study added significantly to the limited research on lecture capture courses, future research should further explore qualitative aspects of the course, such as motivation and student video-viewing behaviors, as well as additional impacts on physical attendance in lecture capture courses.

Anecdotal evidence suggests interdisciplinary ideas receive significant, positive press. The prevailing commentary details the promises and theoretical benefits of interdisciplinarity, yet countervailing viewpoints are noticeably absent from the conversation in major media sources. Moreover, there is a lack of empirical data exploring the values associated with the term, interdisciplinary. The study examined what ideological assertions are supported through interdisciplinarity in undergraduate education discourse published in The Chronicle of Higher Education from 1993-2013. Employing a critical framing, the study utilized document analysis to examine ideological building blocks (i.e. values, assumptions, symbols, and ideographs) in 177 articles over a 20-year period. Exploring the evolution of interdisciplinarity in the discourse provided an opportunity to present a rich, contextualized meaning of an important higher education concept. The findings suggested a positive, solution-orientation are associated with the term, and offered evidence for an emergent micro-ideology in the higher education community.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of theories of intelligence and an intervention of incremental mindset training on students' attitudes toward statistics and their mastery of content in an introductory statistics college course. The sample was 547 undergraduate students at a small, faith-based, liberal arts college in the Midwest.

A pretest-posttest design was used for the three instruments implemented. The Comprehensive Assessment of Outcomes in a first Statistics course (CAOS) assessed students' statistical literacy. The Student Attitudes Towards Statistics - 36^© (SATS^©) assessed six components of students' attitudes toward statistics including affect, cognitive competence, difficulty, effort, interest, and value. The Theories of Math Intelligence Scale - Self Form (TMIS) assessed students' mindsets toward mathematics. Students in the treatment group received four brief incremental mindset training sessions throughout the semester. The initial mindset categorization had no significant effect on the difference in mean SATS^© or CAOS gain ( p < .05); the power to detect a difference was limited due to a low response rate.

Students in the treatment group decreased at a rate greater than students in the control for the component of effort on the posttest SATS^© assessment when the pretest was controlled for, F(1, 138) = 14.778, MSE = 10.954, p < .001. The remaining components produced no significant differences between groups (p < .05). Students in the control group also improved more on their mastery of statistics as assessed by the posttest CAOS when the pretest CAOS was controlled for, F(1, 297) = 6.796, MSE = .100, p = .010.

Analysis revealed that females gained more than males in the treatment group on the SATS^© component of value, µ_Diff = 0.829, t(28)= 3.123, p = .004. The remaining components of the SATS^© assessment did not produce statistically significant results (p < .05).

Recommendations for practice include creating classrooms that support growth mindsets and the design of mindset training. Recommendations for research include replication of the current research in statistics and other mathematics courses. A final recommendation calls for an examination of the differences by gender on the SATS^© assessment.

Peer mentoring is a topic that has been prevalent in the literature for the past several decades and plays a significant role in the learning experiences of many students. This study investigated the experiences of peer mentors in one specific mentoring project, in order to learn how the mentors describe and understand those experiences.

Eighteen mentors participated in this qualitative study, which examined mentoring-influenced-by-relational-learning in pre-service teachers through in-depth, phenomenological interviews. These interviews were supplemented by photo elicitation and reflecting processes. These mentors defined mentoring as a multifaceted endeavor, which exhibits, among others, traits of teaching, friendship, learning, building relationships, and communication. They defined relational learning both in terms of the course they took, and as a construct which revolves around working together, talking through experiences, being open to new possibilities and ideas, and, through these, being in relationship with one another. Four themes were identified: (a) Mentors experienced relational learning; (b) Mentors experienced investment; (c) Mentors experienced challenges; and (d) Mentors identified ways mentoring can be different. An overarching theme was, mentors and the mentoring project experienced a process of becoming. Mentors also described their overall experiences, explained the ways in which they feel they benefitted from the project, and discussed why they believe this project has been successful. Implications of these findings are also discussed, as they relate to both research and practice.

Current literature confirms that self-efficacy, academic self-concept, and participation in undergraduate research influence the academic performance and aspirations of students. However, a gap in the literature remains as research has yet to explore whether students who have participated in research have a higher sense of research self-efficacy and academic self-concept than students who have not participated in these activities. In addition, it is unknown whether undergraduate researchers pursuing STEM degrees differ from students pursuing non-STEM degrees, nor if they vary by gender.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the research self-efficacy and academic self-concept of undergraduate researchers, compare these beliefs to non-researchers, and to examine how these measures differ by gender and field of study (i.e. STEM and non-STEM fields) among undergraduate researchers. Additionally, this research identified various factors that predict research self-efficacy and academic self-concept.

This quantitative study was conducted at a public university located in the Southeast region of the United States. Using survey methods participants’ background information, academic self-concept, and research self-efficacy was collected. Participants were students who had participated in undergraduate research as well as students who had not participated in research activities. Both groups completed the same survey. This study gained insight into the research self-efficacy, academic self-concept, field of study, and gender differences among undergraduate researchers and how they compare to non-researchers. Research findings may assist colleges, universities, and offices that promote undergraduate research in recruiting students to participate in research activities. Findings also contribute to literature supporting undergraduate research as an element that contributes to student success in undergraduate education.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to (a) explore the issues that international undergraduate students face during academic experiences at U.S. colleges and/or universities, (b) study the relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students as measured by the extent of congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' online survey results, and (c) propose appropriate guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in adult classrooms to enhance international undergraduate students' learning satisfaction. The researcher used convenience sampling that included 96 participants at Lindenwood University, Saint Charles. The researcher conducted a focus group discussion with 14 international undergraduate students from 10 countries, an online survey with 70 international undergraduate students and five U.S. professors using the Modified Instructional Perspective Inventory (MIPI), and the in-depth interviews with seven faculty experts selected from the Education Department and the International Students and Scholars Office.

The results showed international undergraduate students are faced with five major issues including language, isolation, discrimination, professors' instruction techniques, and professors' behaviors in the classroom. The emerging themes in the focus group discussion were financial support, positive experiences, and suggestion for improving teacher leadership in the classroom. There was no congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' perceptions on four factors of the MIPI—teacher empathy with learner, teacher trust of learners, planning and delivery of instruction, and accommodating learner uniqueness. However, there was congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' perceptions on three factors of the MIPI—teacher insensitivity toward learners, experience-based learning techniques, and teacher-centered learning processes. This congruency level, however, did not indicate a good relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students, but instead the professors' inability to balance the practice of learner-centered and teacher-centered teaching approaches in the classroom. The proposed Guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in Adult Classrooms suggested processes to enhance International Undergraduate Satisfaction as follows: application of professors' beliefs (teachers' trust of learners and teachers' accommodating learners' uniqueness), professors' feelings (teachers' empathy with learners and teachers' insensitivity toward learners), and professors' behaviors (delivery of various instruction techniques and appropriate use of learner-centered and teacher-centered learning processes in the right context).