The purpose of this study was to describe the reclassification process of Western Kentucky University's football program from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest and most visible level of NCAA competition. Three research questions guided the study: (a) Why did Western Kentucky University…

Strategic planning decisions and determinations in higher education present significant challenges even during relatively uneventful economic periods. In times of economic turbulence, the only predictable factor is a constantly diminishing funding base. Community colleges in particular are affected most directly and immediately by downturns in the…

This qualitative action research study investigates the common barriers encountered by successful undergraduate ethnic minority students enrolled in majors that serve as a pipeline for professional health sciences. Through specialized focus group interviews and individual interviews, this study explores the perceived barriers to student success…

Cooperative learning allows individuals with varying abilities to work alongside their peers. Students are placed into achievement levels based on placement test scores. The Regular College Preparatory (RCP) level is a score of 59% or lower and Academic College Preparatory (ACP) level is a score of 60-92% on the placement test. The purpose of this…

This quantitative study investigated the effectiveness of a teacher-implemented intervention of eight sessions integrated into an existing curriculum to reduce test anxiety and improve academic performance in fourth grade students. The experimental group, n=23 was drawn from a sample of 64 students in a southwestern Rhode Island public school…

The study examined whether sociocontextual and sociocognitive variables explained the choice goals of 339 Racial Ethnic Minority and White engineering undergraduate students using a modified version of Lent et al.'s (1994) social cognitive career theory. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that the hypothesized model did not…

This qualitative case study explored the workplace relationships of adjunct and full-time faculty teaching at a for-profit university. The study was conducted at one campus of Segway University. Faculty in this study included men and women and represented different academic departments. All full-time faculty participants had experience teaching as…

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the representation of scientific methodology in secondary science textbooks. More specifically, this study looked at how textbooks introduced scientific methodology and to what degree the examples from the rest of the textbook, the investigations, and the images were consistent with the text's…

Research findings demonstrate that effective drug treatment often involves AA's 12 Step program. However, AA's religiosity can be seen as an important, perhaps significant emotional stimulus that either hinders or complicates attendance compliance. This study examined the individual's level of religiosity as a predictor of emotional responses,…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to investigate, describe, and measure factors influencing retention of nontraditional first and second year students at a university located in the Midwestern United States. Retention of adult students has become a major issue for many institutions of higher education and many…

This research investigated the factors predicting nonprofit employees' likelihood of attending online training sessions using a simulated training announcement and the Technology Acceptance Model. The research sampled nonprofit employees from a human services organization (n = 101). Analyses were used to determine the relationship between…

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the attitudes of computer science faculty members towards undergraduate teaching. The questions addressed in this study are: (1) How important is effective teaching to computer science faculty members at the undergraduate level and how important do they perceive effective teaching to be to their…

Research (Henderson & Mapp, 2002) suggests the participation of teachers and families as partners in the education of students builds stronger foundations for the future development of children. This dissertation examined the participation of foster care families in schools and factors that contribute to their participation in the school setting…

Prescription drug direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has been a subject of controversy in recent years. Though government regulations require equivalent prominence of risks and benefits, there is concern about the ability of consumers with limited health literacy to fully comprehend the risks and benefits associated with drug use. Evaluating…

I investigate the spoken dialogue of four Indian novels in English: Mulk Raj Anand's "Untouchable" (1935), Khushwant Singh's "Train to Pakistan" (1956), Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan's "The World of Nagaraj" (1990), and Rohinton Mistry's "Family Matters" (2002). Roger Fowler has said that literature, as a form of discourse, articulates ideology;…