The Identification of Variables and Factors Related to Preservice Teacher Candidates’ Passing a State Teacher Certification Examination at an HBCU

This study sought to examine the outcome of teacher education candidates’ performance on a state content exam. Seventeen participants from the class of 2012 were identified for the study of which 12 participants fully participated in the study. This study utilized data collected from the participants through the Teacher Quality Enhancement Subcontract Grant Summer/Fall/Spring 2011-2012 Workshop Series held at the private HBCU. The research design used a QUAN- QUAL-QUAN to triangulate the data through three methods of data collection: GACE early childhood education (ECE) data, GACE ECE survey questionnaire and class of 2012 member interviews. The findings from the survey items related to program quality for the participants’ mean was 3.05 (n = 12) on a 1 to 5 Likert scale. The findings from the survey items related to motivation for the participants’ mean was 4.35 (n = 12) on a 1 to 5 Likert scale. A limitation was the total participants that were available for the case study of majors for the degree in the class of 2012 (n = 17). Recommendations for future studies include a concentrated study from public and private HBCUs and/or minority serving institutions with teacher preparation programs enrolling more than 30 candidates of color in their graduating classes

Persistence to Graduation: Does Financial Aid Matter?

This mixed methods research study used a QUAN-QUAL Model to examine the impact that various factors have on student persistence to graduation in postsecondary education. A documentary research approach was used to collect existing data for first-time full-time freshmen in the Fall 2008 Cohort who graduated within six years at a private Historically Black College or University. A correlational research design was employed to determine if a significant relationship existed between the dependent variables—Persistence to Graduation within Six Years and Final GPA at Time of Degree Completion and independent variables. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to describe, summarize, and interpret the data collected. A case study research approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding into the real-life experiences of a small group of students who did not graduate within six years and who were still persisting toward degree attainment. Selected findings revealed that persistence to graduation within six years was significantly and positively related to the number of occurrences of financial aid awarded. As the number of financial aid occurrences decreased, the number of years to graduate decreased. Alternatively, an increase in the number of financial aid occurrences resulted in an increase in years to graduate

Persistence to Graduation: Is It the Money, High School Preparation, or First Semester College Matriculation?

This research study examined the relationship between persistence to graduation within six years and selected variables including financial aid awarded, high school GPA, ACT composite scores, SAT combined scores, and first-year first-semester GPA. It is well documented in research literature that high school preparation, college entrance examinations, and freshman year academic performance play a significant role in degree completion; however, studies on the impact of financial aid have not been as abundant. The researchers developed the College Persistence – Financial Aid Coding Technique System (CP-FACTS) to explore the influences of finances on degree attainment. In this study, a documentary research approach was used to collect existing data for first-time full-time freshmen who graduated within six years at a private Historically Black University. A correlational research design was employed to determine the level of significance and descriptive statistical analyses were used to describe, summarize, and interpret the data collected. The results revealed that persistence to graduation within six years was significantly related to the frequency of financial aid awards, high school GPA, SAT combined scores, and first-year first-semester GPA. Persistence to graduation within six years was not found to be significantly related to ACT composite scores for the population in this study

What is the Impact of Stress-Coping Skills on Levels of Motivation in Adolescents?

Stress-coping strategies are identified by researchers as conditions used suitable to a situation when adolescents have a change in their environment or a stressor that they cannot control. The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the impact of stress-coping strategies on perceived levels of intrinsic motivation. According to the research, stress results from an imbalance between the requirements of the environment and one’s ability to cope with it (Aldwin, 2007). The inquiry was conducted in a high school of convenience where the researcher had access to the students available to participate in quantitative research design. Research has shown that adolescents often benefit when they can combine one or more coping strategies to address the stressor. Since strategies have benefits and costs associated with them, it is necessary to identify the long lasting stressors adolescents face in order to find a response related to or based on the context of the stressor. The descriptive analysis of the pre-survey and post-survey, implementation of strategies was analyzed to determine the impact stress-coping strategies have on perceived stress levels of intrinsic motivation. A Chi-Square Goodness of Fit was used to indicate the distribution of responses along with the percentage of agreement between respondents on the whole item. The pre-survey and post-survey design was performed to determine a correlation between perceived levels of and motivation. The data from the quantitative design was reviewed to determine a relationship using a Pearson correlation and t-test. Results, strengths of the study and limitations are discussed

Technology Competency Within The Non-Traditional Preservice Teacher Candidate Population: Survey Results

This study utilized action research with quantitative data analysis to investigate the personal technological skills and use of web-based applications of nontraditional teacher candidates enrolled in elementary education courses at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the southeastern section of the USA. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the technological challenges encountered by non-traditional candidates and to determine how technology can inform instructional delivery of curriculum to improve this population’s representation, expression, and engagement of learning outcomes. Data were collected through an anonymous electronic survey distributed to each student enrolled in the elementary education courses. A total of 320 students were enrolled, 148 respondents participated in the survey to equal 46% (N = 148) of the elementary education teacher candidate population. Of the 148 participants, 109 classified themselves age 24 and older; for the purposes of this study, this group is defined as nontraditional teacher candidates. The results revealed that (a) the H0 was rejected for seven of the eight tested categories, therefore strengthening the HA; (b) 50% of teacher candidates, whether traditional or nontraditional, self-reported in the Learner to Basic levels category; (c) 47% of traditional and non-traditional candidates reported Proficient to Advanced level, thereby strengthening the alternative hypothesis. These findings are compelling and led to the development of a new conceptual framework, the Teacher Education Technology and Web-Based Application Survey (TETWAS), which proposes that faculty in an elementary preparatory program could promote and enhance the learning experiences of candidates

Educators: We must not be Afraid to Teach the Civil War History!

With the recent tragic shootings of nine human beings at a church in Charleston, SC, it is time for educators, especially in the field of teacher education and P-12 Education to demonstrate a renewed commitment to teach the history of the War Between the States. This presentation will draw upon key factors and reflections from a former social studies and history teacher and a recent graduate in Anthropology and History related to the way they taught and were taught the period of American History in middle school and high school. Also, the presentation will draw upon recent action research conducted by the university education professor\u27s voluntary presentations to a southern high school classroom located on a college campus. The presentation reflects action research in progress with relevancy to contemporary issues in teacher education and P-12 social studies and U.S. History classrooms

Tenure Professors as Effective Leaders and Voluntary Mentors of Minority Tenure-Track Professors: A Dialogical Account

The purpose of this proposal is to problematize the role and impact of Tenure-Professors (TPs) on success or failure of minority Tenure-Track professors (TTPs) in higher education institutions. By employing an inductive dialogical collaborative autoethnographic approach this proposal examines the dialogues of a TP and TTP and their accomplishments within the academy. The preliminary findings suggest approaching the role of TP as a leadership practice, and the following indicators emerge as key components for the development of voluntary mentorship of TTP: (a) trust, (b) vision, (c) action and (d) empathy. The professors’ accounts provide insights as to strategies TPs can use to stimulate TTPs intellectually and how TPs and TTPS can benefit from these exchanges of knowledge. It further theorizes the organizational dynamics conflicting and problematizing motivational behaviors of TPs and TTPs. Thereafter, it includes the scope of the impact of these exchanges. Prior discussions of TP and TTP collaboration approaches have remained absent in the educational leadership theory. Through this dialogical account, this study offers a practical example and conceptual framework that can assist other higher education institutions to consider voluntary mentorship practices in their institutions. The researchers anticipate a limitation is having only two perspectives (TP and TTP)

Higher Education Community Engagement Professionals’ Subjective Views of a Selected Competency Framework

This research study explored self-identified community engagement professionals’ subjective views of a subset of competency statements as defined in the selected framework in relation to the requirements of their position at their higher education institutions within the United States. The current status of the field of community engagement trends towards recognition as an emerging profession. This trend suggests the need for additional research focused on community engagement professionals’ perspectives of the frameworks put forth on the path towards professionalization. The use of Q methodology provided a scientific method to study subjectivity. Interpretation of the factors used both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques to provide a holistic approach focused on pattern recognition and generalizations of divergent viewpoints. The research suggests that a single competency framework may not fit all community engagement professionals

A Brief Overview of a Q Methodological Exploration

Community engagement in higher education has seemingly contributed to the growth in the number of staff employed as community engagement professionals focused on coordinating community-campus engagement. The increasing number of community engagement professionals in higher education has led to the development of competency frameworks to outline the skills and knowledge needed by community engagement professionals to coordinate community-campus engagement activities. This preliminary research focuses on a selected community engagement professionals’ competency framework as viewed through the lenses of select higher education community engagement professionals in the United States. This preliminary research study implements Q methodology, a research method for analyzing subjectivity. This presentation will provide an overview of the use of Q methodology for the preliminary research as a basis to outline the process of data collection

Exploring Barriers to Sophomore Student Success

Higher education administrators have a long history of conducting research on students in transition. This research has included, but is not limited to, the transition from high school to college, the first-year experience of college students, and the transition from college into the workforce. There has been growing interest in the experience of college sophomore students and the creation of sophomore experience programs (Kawaczynski, 2009). This preliminary research will use a phenomenological qualitative approach to gain first hand accounts about the sophomore experience, specifically perceived barriers to their success. The presentation is rooted in a researched study in progress; therefore the findings are available for this presentation. However the implications for the sophomore year can be perceived as a time where students are faced with numerous intrinsic and extrinsic variables that can influence their decision to return to the institution during their third year (Graunke and Woosley, 2005; Gahagan and Hunter, 2006; Tobolowsky, 2008)