Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the demographic trends from 2002 to 2010 of students who completed marketable skills programs at Texas community colleges. In addition, the extent to which statistically significant changes occurred in the ethnic and gender diversity of MSAA completers from 2002 to 2010 was reviewed.…

This study gathered information on student engagement with Facebook, and described non-native English speakers' (NNS) expectations and experience. This also assessed the relationship this technology has with writing efficacy and compared NNS and native English speakers (NS) groups. Demographic data were collected and means were compared to…

The community colleges in the state of New Jersey went through a process of establishing statewide cut-off scores for English and mathematics placement tests. The colleges wanted to communicate to secondary schools a consistent preparation that would be necessary for enrolling in Freshman Composition and College Algebra at the community college…

In a large community college in the Midwest, an online medical terminology course was experiencing success rates below that of college- and state-wide levels. This study evaluated the outcomes of intentional, increased numbers of e-mail communications between under-performing students and faculty for the purpose of improving student academic…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quantitative study was to investigate the effectiveness of supplemental instruction (SI) as a means to address the existing high attrition and low graduation rates evidenced at a rural southern community college. The research problem addressed the high attrition rates in barrier courses and low graduation…

This study investigated the perceptions of faculty regarding why they choose to attend basic skills faculty development; what they choose to implement in their classrooms; and how they determine the effectiveness of the strategies selected. A survey was completed by 173 full and part-time faculty from a large, suburban single-campus community…

This study was an effort to fill a gap in the research about why there are higher drop-out rates for students in online classrooms than students in traditional classrooms. Educators and administrators at online higher education institutions need information with which to address drop-out rates because the decreased number of completed online…

As education has changed to meet the needs of society and has been shaped by the enactment of new laws, various aspects included under the massive umbrella of education have also changed to maintain momentum One such educational program is career and technical education (CTE). Changes to CTE have been made to continually meet the needs of all…

While there does seem to be widespread consensus that teachers' beliefs and concepts influence the way they teach, even the most recent international studies suggest that research-based evidence for this consensus is limited. In an effort to enlarge and enhance the pool of evidence that shows specific relationships between teacher beliefs and…

The science laboratory is an integral component of science education. However, the academic value of student participation in the laboratory is not clearly understood. One way to discern student perceptions of the science laboratory is by exploring their views of the classroom environment. The classroom environment is one determinant that can…

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the effectiveness of two online college success courses: CPD 150 (College Success, 3 credits) and CPD 115 (Success Strategies, 1 credit), at Rio Salado College, a Maricopa Community College in Arizona. The goal of these courses is to prepare students to be college-ready by examining…

Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory…

Online learning is rapidly becoming one of the most prevalent delivery methods of learning in institutions of higher education. It provides college students, especially adult students, an alternative, convenient, and cost-efficient method to earn their credentials, upgrade their skills and knowledge, and keep or upgrade their employment. But at…

This dissertation investigated community college students' perceptions about educational counseling, its value, and its relationship with academic and social integration into the college environment. In an attempt to explore students' perceptions, a quantitative study was conducted at four California community colleges. The survey was distributed…

Both students and instructors alike will generally agree that intermediate accounting courses are among the most difficult and demanding in an accounting or finance curriculum, and perhaps even on the college campus. Intermediate accounting contains subject matter which requires a higher level of thinking and a greater ability to process prior…