For decades, scholars have studied how individuals are shaped by experiential learning. Dozens of learning models have been developed to better understand how experiential learners acquire new knowledge and skills. In a higher education setting, many students "learn by doing" through internships. As one of Kuh's high-impact practices,…

Higher education and beer have long been associated. However, those associations have not always been positive or productive. With the Creation of Innovation Brew Works, the site for this qualitative case study, California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) has established the first fully operational on-campus brewery and…

This dissertation explored the experiences of 16 undergraduate students across four cohorts who chose to begin college by participating in a first-year experience program abroad in London, England. Through the use of individual interviews and participant observation, this study sought to understand what influenced students' decision making to…

The United States has invested millions of dollars in STEM program initiatives; however, African Americans in STEM career fields are underrepresented. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of African-American first-year college students from rural communities in a STEM program and…

First-generation college students are concentrated at community colleges, and nearly half of those students who identify as being first-generation come from a low-income background. This qualitative study utilized a conceptual framework to explore understand how LI-FG (low-income, first-generation) community college students, particularly students…

Study abroad, for any length of time and in any location, is widely recognized in higher education as a positive educational activity. While individual benefits of study abroad have been explored for decades, recent research has pushed the field to consider benefits for the local and global community. This program evaluation contributes to this…

Purpose: The purpose of this causal-comparative research study was to examine the impact of an Integrated Business Curriculum Program (IBCP) and its effects on career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE). It also provides a framework and common vocabulary for which type of business curriculum provides the best career readiness CDMSE advantage.…

"Service-learning" (SL) is an experiential pedagogy that engages students in working for, with, and in communities in need. While prior research has explored the effects of SL on second language (L2) users' (perceived) language development (e.g., Gaugler & Matheus, 2019), intercultural awareness (e.g., Sa´nchez-Naranjo, 2021), and…

This paper presents a case study analysing a rural health career ladder program's (HCL) influence on students' career aspirations toward health care fields. Rural students enrolled in a career ladder program were interviewed to assess the effectiveness of early experience on career choice. Although limited to one institution, the findings shed…

In today's self-directed marketplace, individuals are responsible for making their own complex decisions regarding retirement. Seeking counsel, many turn to professionals for advice or education or both. The evidence however, suggests that these interactions often fail to deliver on the goals of improved knowledge, satisfaction, or behavior.…

The purpose of this study is to understand the leadership growth and development of principals in the state of Massachusetts who have experienced a major school crisis. Recent research has shown that principals are responsible for much more than curriculum and instruction and that the expectations placed on educational leaders have evolved (Hess,…

The purpose of the study was to explore how social studies teachers conceptualized democracy, developed ideas about democratic citizenship, and implemented their perspectives and experiences into teaching. The study used phenomenological approach of qualitative research design. Six participants were selected using a convenient sampling method with…

Due to the increased access of Pods, Internet, games and communication devices, teachers are finding that students are less receptive to traditional teaching methods. One rural Northeast Georgia high school purchased a wireless student response system, "clickers," for teachers to use to engage students. The purpose of this study was to…

Nursing education is experiencing a transition in how students are exposed to clinical situations. Technology, specifically human patient computer simulation, is replacing human exposure in clinical education (Nehring, 2010b). Kaakinen and Arwood (2009) discuss the need to apply learning theories to instructional designs involving simulation for…

The kindergarten program at the study site transitioned from half day to full day, yet the curriculum was not updated to accommodate the full day schedule, or to include best practices. In order to prepare learners for their future in education, activities were implemented to determine how problem based learning can promote acquisition of the 21st…