Developing Creative Problem Solvers Using Inquiry–based Instructional Strategies in an Aviation Curriculum

The aviation industry has a need for innovators and problem solvers. An educator’s role is to develop students with the proper knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet those needs. However, the students must be intrinsically motivated toward these pursuits in order to be effective, and educators should not introduce factors that discourage creativity and inquisitiveness. This theory–oriented paper identifies the specific skills that students should master and offers a model of instruction that encourages creativity through research, along with recommendations for improvements to the curriculum. Finally, the author provides a select bibliography of strategies for implementing inquiry, creativity, and research activities

Helping Underprepared Students A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a College Retention Program

The goal to discover the effective elements of a retention program is part of the pragmatic epistemology of mixed-methods research. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a first-year retention program at an open-access university in the northwestern United States. The grade point averages and retention rates of students who participated in the program were compared against two groups of students: those who were eligible for the program but did not participate and other freshman students in the same academic year. Overall, most of the students who participated in the program earned higher GPAs than students who opted out of the program, but none of the differences were statistically significant. Additionally, the program improved student retention when compared with students who opted out of the program, but the differences in retention rates were not statistically significant. Qualitative data gathered from the students and staff who participated in the program provided some insight into the benefits and hinderances of the program as they pertain to social integration, institutional commitment, locus of control, self-efficacy, and achievement. The evaluation concludes with recommendations for improvement and future research