Education Theses and Dissertations
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This is a collection of theses from the School of Education at the University of Bridgeport. Not all items in this collection are available to the public as these items are a mixture of theses submitted to us for open access distribution and legacy theses being archived as Digitized Shelf Copies for campus access to current students and staff only.
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Item Exploring the Communication Practices of University Faculty and the Parental Expectations Regarding First-Year Students: a Mixed Methods Study(2023-06-13) Heffron, SeanThe specific problem is that parents of first-year college students expect to be involved, want to be involved, and their involvement can help to connect an at-risk or struggling student to necessary resources, yet colleges limit communication with parents, often claiming FERPA as the reason (Bonilla, 2011; Ezarik, 2021; Fuller, 2017; Kingkade, 2017; Majeed, 2009; McGlamery, 2002; Palbusa & Gauvain, 2017; Sax, 2018; Truschel & Hoffman, 2021; US Legal, 2011; Weintraub, 2016). Whether universities are knowingly misusing FERPA to intentionally keep parents away, or to keep damaging information out of the hands of journalists and other inquirers, or if university faculty and staff are themselves misinformed about the true scope of FERPA because they’ve acted on information passed down from administrators without checking, this misrepresentation of FERPA law results in a barrier between the current state of communication between parents and the universities where their students are enrolled and the desired state of communication necessary in today’s educational landscape (Bonilla, 2011; Fuller, 2017; Hustoles, 2012; Kingkade, 2017; Truschel & Hoffman, 2021). The significance of this research study is that it can open the door to intentional and impactful student support programs for struggling first-year students that includes open communication with their parents. Not only would such programs meet the needs of parents, but they could help with student connections, academic success, and retention. This research study may also fill a research gap connecting tenets of Student Development Theory to parent involvement.Item Race, Class and Hurricane Maria: A Case Study Examining Perceived Racial Discrimination Experienced by Puerto Ricans(2021-06) Carretero Claussell, Stefan MarkHurricane Maria, one of the worst natural disasters, struck Puerto Rico and over 4,600 people died (Joplin, 2018) with additional deaths due to outbreaks of infectious disease, limited access to clean water, and malnutrition (Rodriguez-Díaz, 2017). Many Puerto Rican’s lost their jobs, homes, and access to educational resulting in a great migration to mainland USA. This qualitative case study is framed in Critical Race Theory and investigated the perceptions of Puerto Rican’s displaced by Hurricane Maria. Participants of this study voiced their perceptions and lived experiences in the context of race, class and the effect on their educational outcomes. Participants in this study defined the existence of racism based on colorism between Puerto Ricans and noted contempt by U.S. born Americans towards Puerto Ricans holistically. They also indicated that The United States government response was negligent and Puerto Rico’s government’s emergency response was both negligent and corrupted. The findings of this research show that both the United States and the Puerto Rican Government responses led to school closures, slow rebuilding of infrastructure efforts, job losses and defunding of pensions that resulted in a mass exodus from Puerto Rico in search for a better future in the U.S. mainland. This study provided the opportunity to give a voice to the disenfranchised participants as a way to promote equality and bring about social justice and change.Item An Evaluation of a Math Specialist Teacher Pilot Program: A Mixed Methods Study(2021-08) Clarke, Judith DaleyThis mixed methods case study utilized the conceptions of a program evaluation to investigate the Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher Professional Development pilot project, to provide clarity on the implementation, and to inform the program manager, the Ministry of Education, and school leaders of the effectiveness of the professional development. The researcher utilized five different instruments to collect data including test scores, observation protocols, interviews, field notes and document review. Participants in this study represented a multi-level sampling approach. The findings indicated that administrators, coaches and teachers perceived the implementation of the professional development as positive and appeared to improve students’ skills to learn mathematics in all four schools. Furthermore, teachers valued and appreciated the support from coaches as they expressed how they fostered a professional relationship where collaboration was heightened through coteaching, modelling, dialogue, feedback, and common planning. The overall benefit of the professional development was significant as teachers changed their beliefs about mathematics practices which further enhanced students’ interest, confidence, and participation and holds promise for the future of the schools and effect on student learning. However, if teachers were more involved in professional development decisions and their needs and interest were considered, the results would have been more positive. The findings from this study support previous research that utilized the transformative learning theory to investigate adult learning. Given the pilot status of this implementation, these findings offer in sight to initiate discussion between the Ministry of Education and the program manager to expand the program to other schools.Item ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD: A CASE STUDY OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAM(2021-08) Hanks, Shantè T.Researchers are finding the traditional vision of college readiness is not working for today’s disconnected youth. Hess (2010) and Hehir (2012) affirm that the one-size fits all approach for advising students about postsecondary education does not work for all students. This retrospective case study sought the perspectives of participants in a college readiness program located in the ‘gold coast’ of Connecticut. For over thirty years, the program’s goal has been to introduce Black, first-generation students from New England to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Black students are generally as likely as their peers from other racial and ethnic groups to aspire to earn a college degree, yet in spite of their aspirations, remain under-represented in college enrollment and graduation (Holland, 2007). This study is relevant because a workforce shortage of three million college graduates is expected (Carnevale et al., 2010). Blumenstyk (2020) predicts by 2027, 70% of all jobs will require some education beyond high school and fewer jobs will be available for people with some or no college degree. This prediction indicates a need for high school graduates to continue their education into college where they can learn the necessary skills to obtain a quality job in the future. However, certain underrepresented groups are accessing and persisting in college at lower rates than expected by many educators and policymakers. Literature indicates that the first year of college can be more challenging for first-generation college students than their peers who have college-educated parents. The study also revealed that Black, first-generation students have a different experience than White students when on a college campus even when engaging with the same faculty and the same campus activities (Museus et al., 2017). College campus communities that provide an environment of belonging and focuses on a culturally conscious framework, cultivates a connection for students to their campus community (Hurtado & Carter, 1997) and as a result have better retention rates that leads to more students graduating with bachelor degrees.Item String Teachers’ Professional Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic(2021-12-15) Jara, AngelicaAction research study of string teachers' innovation, adaptation, and professional learning gleaned from teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic.