Department of Leadership and Administration
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Browsing Department of Leadership and Administration by Subject "Adult students"
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Item Effect of Cultural Influences in Intercultural Competence: Phenomenological Study on Additional-Language Learners(2021) Herrera, VeronicaThe problem addressed in this qualitative phenomenological study was the unknown effect of cultural influences in the development of intercultural competence for adult learners of an additional language in a region with foreign direct investment in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of the research was to explore participants’ lived experiences through cultural influences. The theoretical framework included constructivism and social learning theory as a conceptual background and transformational leadership theory as the antecedent to cultural value leadership. Under an ontological approach, the data analysis yielded answers to the three research questions addressing how cultural influences affect the development of intercultural competence, how additional-language learners value culture, and the distancelearning methods respondents assessed as effective. From a purposely selected student population at a private language institute, 21 volunteers took the online questionnaire, and five respondents from the total sample completed a focus group. Triangulation strengthened reliability and validity, and data analysis served to generate themes for interpreting the results. Findings yielded six key definitions of measurable factors affecting the development of intercultural competence. Key results confirmed cultural influences—face-to-face and online— have a motivating effect on learners’ intercultural self-efficacy and the desire to project culture philanthropy. The conclusion framed intercultural competence as a nonlinear, non-ethnocentric, and reciprocal process. Recommendations included for educational, business, and public service leaders to provide opportunities in cultural value leadership, sponsor face-to-face and online intercultural experiences, and document intentional cultural influences to credit efforts. A key recommendation was to conduct further research in culture philanthropyItem Nontraditional Student Success in Entry-Level Mathematics Courses: An Explanatory Case Study(2020) Spaulding, LaurettaThe percentage of nontraditional students, or students age 25 and older, is increasing on college campuses in the United States (Caruth, 2014). Knowledge of mathematics is necessary for success in the technology-driven U.S. society (Kus, 2018). Research has been conducted on best practices for teaching mathematics to nontraditional students, but a gap in the literature remains on the motivational profiles of nontraditional students in entry-level postsecondary mathematics courses (Rothes, Lemos, & Gonçalves, 2017). Self-determination theory provided the conceptual framework for the qualitative case study. The purpose of the qualitative explanatory case study was to describe factors which may impact the success of nontraditional students in entry-level postsecondary mathematics courses at a community college in South Carolina. The population was nontraditional students age 25 and older enrolled in entry-level mathematics courses, and the sample size was 21 participants enrolled in entry-level mathematics courses at a community college in South Carolina. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Results showed nontraditional students in entry-level mathematics courses were autonomously motivated to succeed, and teachers and outside academic assistance were experiences impacting nontraditional student success. Community colleges should provide nontraditional students with teacher-led academic assistance in entry-level mathematics courses to support nontraditional student success. This study can benefit community college educators and leaders by providing insight into practices leading to successful completion of entry-level mathematics for nontraditional students.Item Resilience of Community College Students in Rural Appalachia: A Quantitative Correlational Study(2021-11) Waide, Michael PaulCollege students’ persistence to academic success has been a concern for higher education institutions (HEIs). The educational attainment and academic achievement of community college students have created employment and economic opportunities for individuals. Despite the benefits of higher education, some community college students failed to continue toward academic success while others persisted. Continued research beyond a focus on barriers was needed to address a gap and determine protective factors’ role on academic success. Further investigation was needed to determine if protective resources, such as resilience, and college persistence factors were useful in helping nontraditional community college students in rural Appalachia persist toward academic success. The purpose of the nonexperimental, quantitative correlational study was to explore the relationship between the resilience and college persistence of nontraditional community college students in rural Appalachia and success. The study’s scope included 136 nontraditional aged college students, enrolled in community colleges in rural Appalachia. Grounded in an adaptation and resilience model and resilience theory, the study incorporated a correlational design. Two Pearson product-moment correlations were analyzed and determined statistically significant correlations between Appalachian nontraditional community college students’ resilience, persistence, and academic success. The study’s significant findings offer practical implications for higher education leaders, who seek to promote college students’ academic success through resilience or capacity-building programs and student-centric persistence initiatives. Policy changes and recommendations for future studies are discussed.