Personal and Institutional Factors: Relationship to Self-Efficacy of Persistence to the Senior Year in College among Self-Identified Black Undergraduate Students in a Hispanic Serving Institution

While undergraduate enrollment of all racial groups in United States higher education institutions has increased, 6-year graduation rates of Blacks (39%) remain low compared to other races; Asians (69%), Whites (62%), and Hispanics (50%; NCES, 2010). Women’s graduation rate is higher than men’s; 58% compared to men’s at 53% in public institutions (IPEDS, 2011). Retention literature does not address the perceptions of Black ethnic groups’ experiences in college, particularly in Hispanic serving institutions. Informed by Tinto’s (1975, 1987, 1993) student academic and social integration model, Guiffrida’s (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) model of relationships while at college, and ex-post facto research design, the study investigated personal and institutional factors that relate to Black students’ self-efficacy and persistence to the senior year in college. Data about Black ethnic undergraduate seniors’ (N = 236) academic and social experiences in college were collected using the Student Institutional Integration Survey (SIIS), an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to collect background information about the sample, correlation was calculated to indicate the degree of relationship between the variables, and multiple linear regressions were used to identify variables that are predictors of self-efficacy of persistence. Independent samples t-test and analyses of variance were computed to determine whether differences in perceptions of personal and institutional factors that relate to self-efficacy of persistence to the senior year in college could be identified between gender and ethnicity. Frequency was summarized to identify themes of participants’ primary motivation for finishing undergraduate degree programs. These themes were: (a) self-pride/personal goal, (b) professional aspiration/career (c) motivation to support family, (d) desire to have financial independence/better job, (e) to serve community, (f) opportunity to go to college, (g) being first-generation college student, and (h) prove to family the value of higher education. The research findings support the tenets of academic and social integration theories which suggest that students’ interaction with peer and faculty, relationships with family and friends, and involvement in institutional activities and organizations influence their persistence in college. Implications based on the findings affect institutional policy, curriculum, and program improvements that relate to Black undergraduate students’ academic and social support.

Playing the Game: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology of Graduate Education Students’ Perceptions of Instructor Power in a Higher Education Classroom

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore students’ experiences with the power of their instructors in a higher education classroom. This study provides a deeper understanding of instructor power from student perspectives to inform teaching practices in the higher education classroom.

Review of Research on Spiritual and Religious Formation in Higher Education

College students have diverse ways of expressing their spirituality. The purpose of this review is to examine and critique the research used to study college students’ spiritual and religious formation. Implications for faculty, student affairs professionals, and ministers doing research on spiritual formation in higher education are discussed.

Searching for the Holy Grail of International Education: Feedback from Hospitality Management Study Abroad Participants

This article reports on a study done among hospitality management students who participated in study abroad programs between January 2001 and May 2003. The participants in the study were both incoming students to the US and outgoing students from the US. The study investigates, among other things, why they had decided to study abroad, why they had selected a particular institution, how their home institution compared to the partner institution abroad, and what they perceived to be the benefits and relevance of their international experiences. It was found that respondents were generally very positive about the study abroad experience. Some interesting differences of opinion were found when the perceptions of the incoming students were compared to those of the outgoing students. The results of this study may be of particular interest to hospitality management administrators and faculty who create and administer international exchange programs.

Implementation of service -learning in higher education courses: Perceptions of faculty

This study examined the motivation of college and university faculty to implement service-learning into their traditional courses. The benefits derived by faculty, as well as those issues of maintenance, including supports and/or obstacles, were also investigated in relation to their impact on motivation. The focus was on generating theory from the emerging data. ^ Data were collected from interviews with 17 faculty teaching courses that included a component of service-learning. A maximum variation sampling of participants from six South Florida colleges and universities was utilized. Faculty participants represented a wide range of academic disciplines, faculty ranks, years of experience in teaching and using service-learning as well as gender and ethnic diversity. For data triangulation, a focus group with eight additional college faculty was conducted and documents, including course syllabi and institutional service-learning handbooks, collected during the interviews were examined. The interviews were transcribed and coded using traditional methods as well as with the assistance of the computerized assisted qualitative data analysis software, Atlas.ti. The data were organized into five major categories with themes and sub-themes emerging for each. ^ While intrinsic or personal factors along with extrinsic factors all serve to influence faculty motivation, the study's findings revealed that the primary factors influencing faculty motivation to adopt service-learning were those that were intrinsic or personal in nature. These factors included: (a) past experiences, (b) personal characteristics including the value of serving, (c) involvement with community service, (d) interactions and relationships with peers, (e) benefits to students, (f) benefits to teaching, and (g) perceived career benefits. Implications and recommendations from the study encompass suggestions for administrators in higher education institutions for supporting and encouraging faculty adoption of service-learning including a well developed infrastructure as well as incentives, particularly during the initial implementation period, rewards providing recognition for the academic nature of service-learning and support for the development of peer relationships among service-learning faculty. ^

Examining the needs for student services of adult learners in continuing higher education

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the availability and quality of student services offered to adult learners in selected continuing education programs in Dade County, Florida. The two basic research questions addressed in this study were: 1) What are the student services being provided to adult learners by the selected colleges and universities? 2) What is the quality of these services being provided as perceived by administrators and adult learners at their institutions? Two groups comprised the population for this study. One group sample of adult learners enrolled in credit courses being offered by the continuing education unit. The second group sample was comprised of administrators in the areas of Admissions, Financial Aid, Registration, Student Services and Continuing Education at each of the five colleges and universities in Dade County, Florida. Data were collected from 107 students and 25 administrators using the Continuing Education Student Services Questionnaire (CESSQ) developed by the researcher in a pilot study. The questionnaire, one for administrators and a similar one for adult learners, consisted of two parts. One consisted of eight demographic items and the second one of twenty items describing student services. An overview of responses by institutions showed that only the following services received a 100% response as available at one or more institutions: 1) Admissions Information, 2) Convenient Hours for Registration, 3) Assistance in Class Registration, 4) Assistance in Planning a Class Schedule, 5) Access to the Library in Evening and Weekends, 6) Parking and Security, 7) Food Services, 8) Bookstore and 9) Access to Computers.

The Reversal of Gender Inequalities in Enrollment in Higher Education in Cape Verde

Higher education is nowadays the main driver of development of knowledge, science and hence, the wellbeing of various people in different countries. On the other hand, gender inequalities represent a delay toward this status. Gender inequalities have been proven to be a great barrier to the development of the full human being’s potential and if it manifests in education, their effect will be worse. This research paper seeks to determine what drives the reversal of gender inequalities in enrollment in higher education in Cape Verde. The paper outlines the struggles for a more equal society and look for different reasons behind this phenomenon. This study has brought out some barriers that interfere with an equal enrollment in that level of Education. The objective of this study is to raise awareness about the need to change the positive measures related to girls, and use some of them to encourage boys in the education field because they are lagging behind in all levels of education.

Meeting the challenges of globalisation in legal education

The focus of this paper is a critical review of the impact of globalisation on international higher education at my own institution, the University of East London (UEL), where I am Programme Leader for LLB (Hons) Law, an undergraduate qualifying law degree. Globalisation, along with internationalisation, has been one of the forces that have most changed the educational landscape in this country over the last two decades. Although closely related to each other, globalisation and internationalisation are usually regarded as distinct forces – the former being defined as the economic, political, and societal forces pushing twenty-first-century higher education towards greater international involvement, while the latter describes the policies and practices of higher education developed to deal with this. Whilst these phenomena have wide implications for higher education as a whole, they present opportunities and challenges that are very specific both to an institution like UEL, which has a high proportion of students from international backgrounds, and to my own discipline, law, which has an increasingly global profile in terms of both legal education and professional practice.

All the Lab's a Stage: the Use of Drama to Promote Engagement in Higher Education Science

Communicating science can be challenging at any educational level. We used informal and experiential learning to engage groups of potential University applicants in one project that involved staging a play in one of the teaching laboratories at the University of Worcester whilst a second project designed a play in house and took this to schools. In the first project the plot centred on stem cell research. School pupils and students from FE Colleges were offered complementary sessions including a lecture exploring the science behind stem cell research, a discussion on ethical aspects involved and a practical using university facilities. We ascertained attitudes to Higher Education in the students participating before and after the event. We found an enhanced view of the science and a highly significant change in attitude to attending University for students taking vocational subjects at FE level. The second project was aimed at exploring attitudes to ethics and animal welfare among a cohort of 15 – 18 year olds. Students engaged with the issues in the drama to a high degree. Our conclusions are that drama is an excellent way to inform potential students about higher education and HE level science in particular. Additionally we demonstrated the importance of events taking place at HE institutions in order to maximise change in attitudes to HE.

Gaining by Giving? Peer Research into Service User and Carer Perceptions of Inclusivity in Higher Education

Service users and carers (SUAC) have made significant contributions to professional training in social work courses in Higher Education (HE) over the past decade in the UK. Such participation has been championed by government, academics and SUAC groups from a range of theoretical and political perspectives. Most research into the effectiveness of SUAC involvement at HE has come from the perspectives of academics and very little SUAC-led research exists. This qualitative peer research was led by two members of the University of Worcester’s SUAC group. Findings were that SUAC perceived their involvement brought benefits to students, staff, the University and the local community. Significant personal benefits such as finding a new support network, increased self-development and greater confidence to manage their own care were identified in ways that suggested that the benefits that can flow from SUAC involvement at HE are perhaps more far-reaching than previously recognised. Barriers to inclusion were less than previously reported in the literature and the humanising effects of SUAC involvement are presented as a partial antidote to an increasingly marketised HE culture.

Quality audit in the European higher education area. A comparison of approaches

The publication illustrates various approaches to auditing and reflects on their merit, as well as outlines the implementation of audits in different higher education systems across Europe. One focus is to show common aspects and apparent deviations concerning purpose and aim of the audit, national legislation, scope of the audit, external assessments and their effects. In addition it reflects on current and future challenges and developments. Contributions from twelve European quality assurance agencies provide an insight into their audit approaches. The publication is targeted at quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions and other stakeholders and aims to increase knowledge about different quality assurance procedures across borders. With contributions by: Kastelliz, Dietlinde; Müller Strassnig, Annina; Kohler, Alexander; Huertas, Esther; Adot, Esther; Perez de la Calle, Jose Antonio; Balboa, Esther; Danian, Rado Mircea; Sarbu, Oana; Pedersen, Lars; Moitus, Sirpa; Leetz, Friederike; Froestad, Wenche; van Galen, Stephan; Le Fort, Genevieve; McLaughlin, Maureen; Crum, Ailsa.

Evaluation of online higher education: learning, interaction and technology

The work presents a theoretical framework for the evaluation of e-Teaching that aims at positioning the online activities designed and developed by the teacher as to the Learning, Interaction and Technology Dimensions. The theoretical research that underlies the study was developed reflecting current thinking on the promotion of quality of teaching and of the integration of information and communication tools into the curriculum in Higher Education (HE), i.e., bearing in mind some European guidelines and policies on this subject. This way, an answer was sought to be given to one of the aims put forward in this study, namely to contribute towards the development of a conceptual framework to support research on evaluation of e-teaching in the context of HE. Based on the theoretical research carried out, an evaluation tool (SCAI) was designed, which integrates the two questionnaires developed to collect the teachers' and the students' perceptions regarding the development of e-activities. Consequently, an empirical study was structured and carried out, allowing SCAI tool to be tested and validated in real cases. From the comparison of the theoretical framework established and the analysis of the data obtained, we found that the differences in teaching should be valued and seen as assets by HE institutions rather than annihilated in a globalizing perspective.

Entrepreneurial skills of students of polytechnic higher education in Portugal: Business influences

Introduction: Most of entrepreneurial ideas does not appear ready or over. Any business opportunity needs to be developed and improved throughout the enterprise process. Educational institutions may facilitate the ability of the students had undertaken, identifying and building business opportunities, enhancing their knowledge and formative experiences along the learning process. Objectives: Evaluate the business influences the entrepreneurial ability of students of the Polytechnic. Methodology: Correlational quantitative study, conducted with 1604 students from 18 institutions of the Polytechnic of Portugal. Data collection took place between July and November/2015, with a questionnaire to assess the entrepreneurial profile, Carland Entrepreneurship Index (CEI) and sociodemographic variables of students. Results: We found four business factors that influence entrepreneurship, "availability of funds" (4:13, SD = .67); "Have stable customers and incentives" (3.99, SD = .58); "Social and economic instability" (3:08, SD = 1.17) and "opportunities in the sector and area of residence" (3:36, SD = 1.05). On a scale range between (1-5), we obtained an overall score of 3.86 (SD = .55), for the corporate influences on entrepreneurship. Conclusion: For students entrepreneurial influences are important, with a greater sense of fear with regard to economic instability, reinforcing the need for further training and academic investment in the business.

Entrepreneurial skills of students of polytechnic higher education in Portugal: Business influences

Background Most entrepreneurial ideas do not appear ready or finished. Any business opportunity needs to be developed and improved throughout the enterprise process. Educational institutions may facilitate the ability of the students in undertaking, identifying and building business opportunities, enhancing their knowledge and formative experiences along the learning process. Objective: Evaluate business influences on the entrepreneurial ability of students of the Polytechnic. Methods Correlational quantitative study, conducted with 1,604 students from 18 institutions of the Polytechnic of Portugal. Data collection took place between July and November/2015, with a questionnaire to assess the entrepreneurial profile, the Carland Entrepreneurship Index (CEI) and sociodemographic variables of students. Results We found four business factors that influence entrepreneurship: "availability of funds" (4:13, SD = .67); "Having stable customers and incentives" (3.99, SD = .58); "Social and economic instability" (3:08, SD = 1.17) and "Opportunities in the sector and area of residence" (3:36, SD = 1.05). On a scale ranging between 1 and 5, we obtained an overall score of 3.86 (SD = .55), for the corporate influences on entrepreneurship. Conclusions For students, entrepreneurial influences are important, with a greater sense of fear with regard to economic instability, reinforcing the need for further training and academic investment in business.

Tracing the use of Communication Technologies in Higher Education

This chapter presents a comprehensive view of the main activities and findings of a research project entitled TRACER-Portuguese Public Higher Education Use of Communication Technologies, which focused on how the information about the use of Communication Technologies in Higher Education Institutions  can be collected, systematized, processed, and deployed to stakeholders. The project was carried out between 2011 and 2014 and its main results are a consolidated proposal of an analysis model to address the use of Communication Technologies in Higher Education institutions, as well as the U-TRACER® tool. This Web-based tool provides support to the process of collecting, processing, and deployment of data related with the use of Communication Technologies in a specific Higher Education or in a group of institutions, based on institutional or geographical criteria.