Despite the increasing number of motivated students enrolling into teacher education programs, teacher attrition continues to be high. Although teachers tend to perform best after five years of experience, nearly 50% of teachers entering the profession leave within the first five years. Consequently, it is important for researchers and…

The purpose of this dissertation is to test a model of relationships among factors characterizing aspects of a student-centered constructivist learning environment and student outcomes of satisfaction and academic achievement in introductory undergraduate chemistry courses. Constructivism was chosen as the theoretical foundation for this research…

Collaboration is often cited as a long-term benefit of participation in leadership development programs. Successful collaboration requires unique leadership skills, which rely on trust and influence rather than authority and position. Collaboration takes place over the passage of time. Evaluation of leadership development programs that focus on…

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…

To create a more competitive and creative engineering workforce, breakthroughs in how we attract and educate more diverse engineers are mandated. Despite a programmatic focus on increasing the representation of women and minorities in engineering during the last few decades, no single solution has been identified and is probably not realistic. But…

Twenty-first-century healthcare is a complex and demanding arena. Today's hospital environment is more complex than in previous years while patients move through the system at a much faster pace. Newly graduated nurses are challenged in their first year with the healthcare needs of complex patients. Nurse educators and nurse leaders differ in…

Teacher training institutions in Jamaica have been introducing, developing, and revamping undergraduate degree programs. There is, however, little evaluation of these efforts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine The Mico University College's early childhood education undergraduate degree program by exploring the lived…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of interactive learning technology in the classroom can impact knowledge retention among students as compared to classrooms where interactive learning technology was not utilized. Through a quasi-experimental design, the study explored non-cognitive factor relationships to knowledge…

Presently, the highest degree a person interested in teaching at the early childhood level in Belize is the Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. The purpose of this project was to design a program of undergraduate coursework in the area of teacher preparation that will meet university qualifications for a Bachelor's Degree in Early…

Faculty members are often evaluated primarily on the results of student end-of-course surveys (SEOCSs) for promotion, teaching contract renewals, and offers of teaching assignments. Consequently, SEOCSs have become a primary focus in faculty evaluations. Rigor in a course and the assignment of grades associated with assessments can be a source of…

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that support the adoption of active learning teaching strategies in undergraduate courses by faculty members, specifically in the STEM disciplines related to geoscience. The focus of the study centered on the context of the department which was identified as a gap in evaluation and…

The UTeach program, a national model for undergraduate teacher preparation, includes "Perspectives on Science and Mathematics," a class designed to share content about the History of Science (HOS) with preservice teachers. UTeach provides a model curriculum as a sample for instructors teaching "Perspectives." The purpose of…

Background and Objectives: Graduates from undergraduate nursing programs report inadequate death education. Most death education is focused on end-of-life care and taught by lecture. Students are not provided opportunities to reflect on their own feelings about death. Due to lack of clinical nursing faculty and shortage of clinical sites, students…

As the number of individuals surviving cancer continues to rise, short and long term effects of cancer and its treatment that result in physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs unique to the care of the cancer survivor has not been addressed in nursing curricula. The Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2005) recommends that all health care providers…

The purpose of this study was to build a forecasting model for medical students at risk using the survival analysis technique. Authors of previous studies have investigated dropouts from medical programs or success of medical students on national board exams. However, little research has been done to identify students at risk, mainly the timing of…