Because almost one half of students enrolled in American doctoral programs do not complete their degrees, the factors that lead to doctoral student attrition need to be identified. Research suggests that the nature of the advisor-advisee relationship contributes to the persistence levels of doctoral students. In this study, we conducted a content…

Black males complete college at a lower rate than do all ethnic minority groups in the United States. Many universities have developed programs to improve educational outcomes for Black males, yet graduation rates remain low. The purpose of this study was to explore the engagement experiences of Black male college graduates who participated in the…

This qualitative research study focuses on retention of first-year learners by exploring three variables: academic support, social support, and coping strategies. The research method is grounded theory founded by Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. (1967). The philosophical assumptions of the study are Constructivist and Advocacy/Participatory knowledge…

Mediated priming refers to the activation of a target (e.g., "stripes") by a prime (e.g., "lion") that is related indirectly via a connecting mediator (e.g., tiger). In previous mediated priming studies (e.g., McNamara & Altarriba, 1988), the mediator was associatively related to the prime. In contrast, pure mediated…

Insects are ideal models for demonstrating an array of biological and ecological concepts and the application of biology to solve real-world problems. Integrating service-learning, a pedagogy bridging theory and practice, into the entomology curriculum at the University of Georgia provides students an opportunity to participate in developing and…

This paper examines a burgeoning network of organizations that is inventing new forms of community renewal and citizenship education. Their names vary--some call themselves public policy institutes, others centers for civic life--yet they share a common methodology, one aimed at tackling tough public issues, strengthening communities, and…

For the thirty-seventh year, the Research and Theory Division and the Division of Instructional Design of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) sponsored the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. This year's Proceedings…

A social sciences professor at a northwest Georgia college describes her efforts to institute democratic practices in her classroom of mostly older women students. Faculty is advised to listen carefully to students, read what they write, ask open-ended questions and listen to multiple responses, trust students' world-knowledge, make students' work…

This essay discusses the effects of technological innovation on instructional innovation. It is noted that the impact of technological innovation in instruction is cushioned by inherently conservative forces in academe, including the incentive-and-reward system that rewards research over teaching as well as the reluctance of many faculty to adopt…

Studies were conducted through the University System of Georgia to determine: if there were significant differences in the environmental presses of the eight institutions in the study; if there were significant differences in the personality needs of the special studies students; the degree of compatibility between the institutional environmental…

This document contains 14 research paper presentations and 5 "mini-tips" from the 1998 American Vocational Education Research Association (AVERA) annual meeting. The first section includes three papers on international and distance education: "Determining Success of Vocational Students Enrolled in Distance Education Courses"…