This study explored the perspectives on teacher dispositions within a regional area using semi-structured interviews with teacher evaluators. Previous literature shows how the impact of accrediting bodies has accelerated the use and assessment of dispositions as they relate to student performance. However, significant gaps exist in understanding a…

The dissertation investigates the structural reliability and cross-cultural invariance of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990). Principal components analysis (PCA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFAs), single and multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFAs) were conducted with 609…

Response style, one common aberrancy in non-cognitive assessments in psychological fields, is problematic in terms of inaccurate estimation of item and person parameters, which leads to serious reliability, validity, and fairness issues (Baumgartner & Steenkamp, 2001; Bolt & Johnson, 2009; Bolt & Newton, 2011). Response style refers to…

Projected qualified nursing deficits and high student attrition levels highlighted need to investigate cultivation of grit, a malleable trait involving perseverance and passion despite challenges and difficulties. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate how second-year nursing students with high levels of…

For many Latinx community college students, grades are a key indicator of academic success and therefore research in non-cognitive factors such as grit and growth mindset is needed. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, and to what extent, there is a relationship between grit and growth mindset of Latinx…

First-generation college students experience more negative emotional states and higher stress levels than their continuing generation peers, take approximately two years longer to complete undergraduate degree programs, and are less than one percent likely to re-enroll in college. Mindfulness skills have been reported to alleviate anxiety and…

The purpose of this study is to identify common traits shared by first-generation college graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who grew up in the inner-city. This research was inspired by Duckworth's grit research at Westpoint Academy which sought to predict which cadets would graduate (Duckworth, 2007). Sixty-three first-generation college…

Metacognition, the ability to self-regulate one's learning and performance, is well-known to provide numerous academic and professional benefits for students, educators, and clinicians. However, few studies have studied metacognition specifically in the context of anatomical sciences education. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this…

Conventional folk wisdom insists study abroad is an inherently valuable educational experience for young people. While traditional study abroad programs were typically a semester or a full year in duration, short-term study abroad programs of only a couple weeks are now the most common type of sojourn abroad. Problematically, evidence is mounting…

This study conducted a development and validation of a vignette-based grit scale (Grit-V). The purpose was to determine if the use of vignettes provided more validity evidence than short simple-sentence item endorsements. The data were gathered from a sample population of undergraduate students from The University of Alabama. Focus group data were…

This qualitative study used 97 participants to explore differences in the expression of state, trait, social interest, and taking charge between students with military experience and students without such experience. The results indicated a significant correlation of the scores on the Belonging/Social Interest Subscale (BSI) with trait anxiety, as…

College Success, Freshman Seminar, College 101, or University 101--all of these courses have the common theme of providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be successful in navigating higher education. This might mean attaining a certificate or degree, or in some cases, transferring to a four-year institution. While…

The purpose of this case study was to explore a self-organized learning environments (SOLE) experience for adult learners to describe their response in relation to self-directed learning and curiosity in a self-organized learning environment. The participants in this study were students enrolled in two sections of an undergraduate educational…

The researcher observed, as an educator, administrator, and graduate student, college student's withdrawal from school due to personal reasons or lack of determination. The study of Emotional and Social Intelligence (ESI) and grit enabled the researcher to learn about the traits or characteristics one must possess to achieve a goal, more…

The pathway for community college students to transfer vertically into four-year institutions to complete a bachelor's degree was designed nearly a century ago, yet it remains plagued by the same structural problems, such as confusing admissions processes, lack of transparent advising resources, and unrealistic time-to-degree demands without…