The findings from this multiple case study research project on the use of cooperative learning (specifically affinity groups) among developmental college students demonstrate that students benefited from from building community and becoming interdependent. Four themes that emerged from this study, (a) accountability, (b) building…

This dissertation examines the pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices of community college faculty members. The dissertation uses a qualitative interpretive inquiry approach to explore the contextual understanding of pedagogy and teaching of community college. Drawing from the theoretical framework of pedagogy, teaching and beliefs, this…

Retention and student graduation rates are a major concern for community colleges nationwide. As student dropout rates continue to climb and graduation figures languish, many studies have been conducted to investigate the causes of student attrition. Numerous reports have found faculty advising to be a contributing factor in student retention,…

The poor work environment for part-time faculty in higher education is a topic that has been receiving more attention as the professoriate moves away from full-time tenure-track positions. In community colleges, the use of part-time faculty is even more prevalent. However, there are institutions that have been trying to create better work…

As an individual socialization initiative, informal mentoring has often been lauded as an effective tool to provide spontaneous and immediate social-emotional and career-related assistance to new teachers. Little is known about how informal mentoring is perpetuated in workplace. Through the conceptual lens of dynamic process theory of mentoring,…

The researchers have often been surprised to see the e-mail addresses used by our students and colleagues. Many students and faculty choose their own user names and choose their providers. E-mail addresses may provide an insight into the background and employment situation of the user. This study quantifies the impact that e-mail address choices…

This study was designed to explore faculty perceptions about institutional and instructional efforts to achieve equitable learning outcomes among low-income students in rural community colleges. A review of the literature suggests that efforts to achieve equitable learning outcomes have primarily focused on urban institutions and have been viewed…

Community colleges are facing increased pressure to accelerate students through their developmental mathematics sequence. However, many individuals feel that some state legislatures and college leaders are frequently bypassing developmental math faculty expertise when implementing acceleration and compression initiatives. This qualitative study…

Evolution is a core concept of biology, and yet many college biology students do not accept evolution because of their religious beliefs. However, we do not currently know how instructors perceive their role in helping students accept evolution or how they address the perceived conflict between religion and evolution when they teach evolution.…

Attrition for entry-level, non-traditional college students taking developmental reading courses is a concern for higher education institutions. Students need to complete basic developmental reading courses in order to progress in their vocational or collegiate studies. This phenomenological study followed a social constructivist approach to…

Underprepared college students take zero credit courses, extending their stay, and increase college debt which may lead to attrition (SUNY, 2015). President Obama's Affordability Proposal reported on a college "cost crisis" created "by failing to use technology to its fullest effect" (Kelly and Carey, 2013). The non-profit…

CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypotheses, Analyze and interpret the data, and Think of the next Experiment) is an innovative pedagogy for teaching science through the intensive analysis of scientific literature. Initiated at the City College of New York, a minority-serving institution, and regionally expanded in the New York/New…

California community colleges have been inconsistent in their efforts to meet the program review and planning accreditation standards established by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). To assist colleges in their effort to meet the accreditation standards and to improve educational quality, the ACCJC developed the…

Research has shown that dialogic instruction is a desirable method of curriculum delivery. Dialogic instruction encourages students to integrate cognitive and behavioral processes, thus leading to a broader transferable skill set. This study presented an overview of dialogic instruction related to various accepted learning theories, an examination…

This study focused on exploring Illinois community college faculty development coordinators' perceptions about how they are implementing faculty technology professional development programs and providing technical support for part-time faculty in the Illinois community college systems. Also examined were part-time faculty perceptions of the degree…