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Browsing by Author "Kaminski, Karen, advisor"

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    A multiple case study of instructors utilizing classroom response systems (CRS) to achieve pedagogical goals
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Milholland, Eric Stanley, author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Timpson, William, committee member; Most, David, committee member; Miller, Jeffrey, committee member
    This study examined five instructors who have employed Classroom Response Systems (CRS) for a minimum of five years. Instructors were asked their initial pedagogical goals when adopting CRS, and also to describe any changes in those goals or use of the technology since that time. Emerging themes were identified using a multiple case study methodology. All instructors said their use of CRS evolved and changed from initial adoption to their current use of the technology today. Student engagement was the single ubiquitous reason provided for choosing to employ CRS. Other potential reason for using CRS include: peer instruction via group and cooperative learning, increasing student responsibility, reducing lecture while increasing interaction, employing deep learning pedagogy, redistributing classroom power back to students, increasing student achievement, and making classroom learning more enjoyable. No single technique appeared to be required to benefit from the use of CRS. Instructors described an assortment of practices they found personally successful in a variety of classroom sizes. Some even chose to utilize the same pedagogical techniques as if they were using CRS, but purposefully eschewed the devices because they found them too constraining for the desired learning outcome. This indicates that the teaching methodology was more important that the technology. CRS seems to be suitable for performing a variety of pedagogical tasks, even if it is not the ideal way to achieve any single one. Based on this research, it appears the greatest strength of CRS is that it can proficiently accomplish a multitude of learning goals in a relatively easy manner.
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    Job satisfaction of new teachers in Malaysia: understanding challenges and experiences of leaving the profession
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Jusoh, Ruzina binti, author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Banning, James, committee member; Wallner, Barbara, committee member; Doe, Sue, committee member
    This study focuses on new teachers' job satisfaction and their challenges and experiences during their probationary period. This research concentrated on how their challenges and experiences affected their choice to leave the profession. Basic Interpretive Qualitative method was utilized to explore and understand new teachers' challenges and experiences during their probationary period. The sample for this study consisted of ten new teachers, eight females and two males who teach in the state of Selangor. The primary themes from the data were organizational, personal, and system. The organizational category was associated with school administrators' leadership style, expectation, support, workload and professional development courses, which was the main reason for leaving the profession. Personal related to financial problems was one of the reasons new teachers were leaving the profession. Finally, system, related to teacher placement, was also mentioned as one of the reasons for leaving the profession. The results of this study have application for the school organization seeking to retain new teachers in the profession. The major contributions of this study are related to new teachers' job satisfaction associated with leaving the profession and greater insight into practical applications and consideration necessary for the retention in the profession. It is important for individual new teachers to have an understanding of how to overcome challenges to enhance their job satisfaction.
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    Measuring student learning outcomes on Outward Bound courses and associated independent variables
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Foley, Jeffrey M., author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor
    Outward Bound in the United States takes over 20,000 students a year into unique environments and challenges them to develop their character, leadership, and service ethic. Past research has shown an increase in students' self-confidence, leadership, self-esteem, self-efficacy, interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, and other skill types. This study conducted a pre-exposure, post-exposure, and follow-up quasi-experimental design that demonstrates that most of Outward Bound's learning outcomes currently stated in the organization's educational framework were met. The experimental group showed statistically significant increases to character development (p < .001, Ī·2 = .146), leadership development (p < .001, Ī·2 = .837), and service development (p < .001, Ī·2 = .175) from pre-exposure to post-exposure surveys. These gains were not maintained over time. Twelve sub-variables (self-confidence, self-actualization, compassion towards others, healthy/balanced life, goal setting, group collaboration, effective communication, conflict resolution, problem solving, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, and service to others) were also analyzed with all but one showing statistically significant positive change from pre-exposure survey to post-exposure survey. Few of these changes were maintained to the follow-up survey. The independent variables of course characteristics (course length and type), instructor demographics (age, education, tenure, training), and student demographics (age, gender, ethnicity) were analyzed. The independent variables of course characteristics, instructor demographics, and student demographics did not have an effect on students achieving stated learning outcomes. Overall, students on an Outward Bound course (p < .001, Ī·2 = .191) experience a significant positive change in character, leadership, and service, but these changes were not maintained over time.
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    Native American students: blood quantum, identity, and educational success
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Wall, Goldlin H., author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Quick, Don, committee member; Gloeckner, Gene, committee member; Voss, Jacque, committee member
    Native American ancestors were fighting a war to maintain their relevance; today Natives are fighting another war, a war of self-existence. Studies of Native American identity and education are plentiful but studies of blood quantum and educational success are very scarce. This study explored whether Native American students fit in (if at all) the higher education system. In all 67 self-identified Native Americans from a U.S. university participated in the study. The analysis generated differences and correlations between blood quantum, student-identity, acculturation and place of residence and Grade Point Average (GPA) as the measure of their effects on college success. The findings suggest academic success supports Native American students who are acculturated, who do not strongly self-identify with their respective culture and were raised off the reservation. Those students who grew up on the reservation, who practice their culture and are not fully acculturated, do these students have to make a choice to maintain or put aside their identity in order to be successful in obtaining a higher education?
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    The phenomena driving youth professional development initiatives in northeastern Colorado
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Cindrich, Cindy, author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Lopes, Tobin, advisor; Timpson, William, committee member; Scott, Malcolm, committee member
    The purpose of the study was to describe the phenomena driving youth professional development initiatives across 10 counties in northeastern Colorado by interpreting open-ended surveys from community residents and researcher observations. The design of the study used thematic analysis framed with Social Exchange Theory (Sabatelli & Shehan, 1993; Schilke, Reimann, & Cook, 2015; Smith et al., 2014) to describe the stakeholders involved in youth professional development programing and explore how power and trust support or impede region wide initiatives. The findings from nine open-ended surveys combined with communications and researcher's observations suggest that trust is built between individuals across the region but slowly dissolves at the organizational level creating what was described by a participant as the, "we tried and failed syndrome out here" across the region. Based on the findings, a methodology of appreciative inquiry is recommended to strengthen region wide initiatives by developing trust and balancing power across the communities in northeastern Colorado.
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    The presidents' perspective of the rural community colleges' role in economic development: a grounded theory approach
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Bigelow, Susan L., author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Davies, Timothy, advisor; Venneberg, Donald, committee member; Shields, Martin, committee member
    Some colleges have embraced an economic development role in order to benefit the economy in the community and the region both directly and indirectly. In order for rural communities to benefit from the community college in a significant way, the college leadership must adopt an economic development agenda. The dual processes of developing a commitment to rural communities and learning economic development skills as a college president or in preparation to serve as a college president are not well studied and represent a gap in the literature. The purpose of this qualitative study was to construct a substantive theory with a core category and related categories that provides an explanation for how presidents of tribal colleges and community colleges in rural areas come to understand economic development and how they act on that understanding. The general research question was "what is going on here" with presidents at the intersection of tribal and community colleges and their rural communities in the area of economic development. The single situation grounded theory was constructed from interviews with eight presidents and referrals from two experts. The presidents led tribal and community colleges that have been members of the Rural Community College Alliance, were "associates" or "tribal" colleges, and were located in communities of less than 50,000. RCCA member colleges considered for this study were small and medium enrollment community colleges in rural serving areas and tribal colleges located in rural areas. The theory's core category was embracing the economic development role which means adopting as a guiding principle doing what was required to make a lasting and measurable impact on the community and its economy. Critical to the contextual framework categories was the pronounced rural bias, affinity for tribal or community colleges, and personal humility of the presidents. The causal categories of motivated by personal values, understanding the economic development role, and motivated by the environment worked together in a process and led to embracing the economic development role. After embracing this role, the presidents acknowledged taking economic development actions or taking them on more robustly. Six high level groups of economic development actions led by these presidents were: developing leaders and leadership capacity; thinking and acting regionally; coordinating closely with industry in workforce development; being present throughout the service area; welcoming the community to the college facilities; and promoting healthy communities. It is possible this study will add to the field of leadership training for community college leaders and a better understanding of leadership in a rural setting. This theory may be useful to presidents who are asked to take on an economic development role, those who wish to hire a president who embraces this role, and professional associations that hope to mentor current and future presidents for tribal and community colleges in rural areas.
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    Understanding the decision to enroll in graduate business programs: influence of sociological and economic factors and gender
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Douglas, Stephanie, author; Kaminski, Karen, advisor; Cannon, Joseph, committee member; Kuk, Linda, committee member; Most, David, committee member
    This ex post facto study describes the associations of economic factors as well as social and cultural capital variables on enrollment in business master's degree programs and differences of associations by gender and race/ethnicity. Data from the 2008/2012 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B: 08/12) of those who completed a bachelor's degree in 2007-2008 and enrolled in post-baccalaureate programs were accessed and analyzed through PowerStats, a web-based data analysis tool available from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Results from the logistic regression indicated relationships between undergraduate majors with the lowest average starting salary and likelihood of enrollment in master's degrees in business. It was also found first generation female students were more likely to enroll in master's degrees in business than a first generation male student who was less likely to enroll. Findings suggested differences in influence of variables by gender and race/ethnicity. Differences in enrollment influences was also found to vary by the type of institution (public, private non-profit, and private for-profit) enrolled at. However, since a major limitation of the study was omitted variable bias and use of secondary data, caution is warranted in terms of the extent to which the findings can be generalized to the population of students in business master's degree programs. This study expands on what we know about graduate college choice models and specifically focuses on enrollment in graduate business programs. It also contributes to the body of research on gender differences in higher education enrollment and policies and practices in graduate student recruitment, admission and enrollment.