Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
Hearts and minds in the operating room: co-constructing a shared mental model with surgery teams for more predictable and more highly reliable collaborative voice and response
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Grieser, Skip, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Lynham, Susan, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Martelli, Peter, committee member
Overview: This qualitative case study explored nontechnical human factors—values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors—that make it easier or more difficult for surgeons, as team leaders, to encourage team members to voice safety concerns, clinical opinions, and learning questions; for team members to actually speak up; and for surgeons to respond collaboratively. Research site and participants: The research site was a major academic hospital in the western United States. Five surgeons and five anesthesiologists volunteered to participate. Perioperative nurses and surgical technologists were recruited but did not participate. Purpose, methodology, and methods: The purpose of the study was to co-construct, with participants, a shared mental model for collaborative voice and response. The study followed the constructivist inquiry paradigm and methodology, which posits that individuals and groups construct, co-construct, and can reconstruct their social realities. Using adaptive work theory and methods, semi-structured interviews were used to gather data on what values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors participants perceived to be essential versus expendable for more collaborative, predictable, and highly reliable voice and response. Thematic content analysis identified six themes, from which a proposed shared mental model was constructed by the researcher. Member checking with participants confirmed that the themes were accurate and comprehensive; that the proposed shared mental model comprehensively reflected the themes; and that, used in practice, the shared mental model could help collaborative voice and response be more predictable and more highly reliable. Results: Themes were let's be best-in-class; respect and be kind to all; value patient safety and well-being of all team members; explicitly encourage and appreciate voice; do speak up; and am I really that approachable? The proposed shared mental model constructed from the themes was represented by the mnemonic REVAT, the first letters of each component: Respect and be kind to all, Encourage voice, Voice (do speak up), Appreciate voice, and Thrive (all of us). The study also identified two subthemes, hierarchical abuses of power and production pressures or time pressures that hinder collaborative voice and response; and should also be understood and well-managed, so that patient safety and clinician well-being are less at risk. Conclusion: Well-being is essential for clinicians' own sakes, for patient safety, and for clinical performance and outcomes. REVAT, the proposed shared mental model for collaborative voice and response, is simply stated as "respect, encourage, voice, appreciate, and thrive." As such, it is a "simple rule" much like "first do no harm," that could help caregivers better succeed in their goals and thrive.
Open Access
Does gender matter? A hermeneutic phenomenological study of the shared experience of women physicians in academic pediatrics
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Wukitsch, Michael V., author; Lynham, Susan A., advisor; Bubar, Roe W., committee member; Chermack, Thomas, committee member; Doe, Sue, committee member
Academic medicine, historically dominated by men, has perpetuated a hierarchical culture that marginalizes women (Boulis & Jacobs, 2008; Morantz-Sanchez, 1985; More et al., 2009; Pololi, 2010). Despite this, the presence of women physicians in academic settings has surged, challenging traditional norms. In pediatric academic medicine, women physicians encounter the need to navigate through this entrenched male-dominated culture. Understanding their experiences is crucial for hospital administrators and medical school leaders. This study investigates the experiences of women physicians in academic pediatrics at a nationally ranked institution. This research sheds light on how women physicians navigate the challenges of a traditionally male-dominated work environment and how their professional lives intersect with personal aspects. This exploration of the layered complexities women physicians face in academic pediatrics provides insight into their lived experiences. Employing hermeneutic phenomenology, this study delves into the lived experiences of women physicians, providing a platform to amplify their voices. Anchored in constructivism, the study's paradigmatic position is elucidated through five governing axioms: defining reality, the knower's relationship with the known, transferability, association linkages, and the role of values in inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 2013, pp. 37-38). Eight essential themes, distilled from participant interviews, capture the essence of their experiences. These themes, categorized into personal and institutional perspectives, are viewed through the lenses of agency and structure, mirroring the yin-yang duality. This approach acknowledges both harmony and potential overlap among themes, presenting the phenomenon as a synthesized whole. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. Further research avenues are proposed, along with insights for refining existing theory. Additionally, considerations for various stakeholders' practices are examined, encompassing recommendations for action. The study concludes with an epilogue, reconsidering the findings based on recent social events.
Open Access
Developing and testing of a theory of the business model concept
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Dwyer, David, author; Gloeckner, Gene, advisor; Birmingham, Daniel, committee member; Hanson, Lea, committee member; Lynham, Susan, committee member; Mumford, Troy, committee member
Business models are a popular term for describing how businesses create, deliver, and monetize the value of their products and services. However, research on the underlying business model concept appears to be primarily based on conceptual frameworks and design tools, rather than a published theoretical framework. The purpose of this study was to address the inadequacy of theoretical research on the business model concept by developing and testing of theoretical framework that makes explicit a theory of the business model concept. The study used Dubin's eight-step theory-building methodology, a theory-then-research strategy, and a quantitative hypothetico-deductive approach to applied theory building. The findings included a theoretical framework for the business model concept, a scientific model with empirical indicators of the units of the theory, and quantitative testing of the independence of indicators of the units. This research study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on business models and the scientific investigation of the business model concept.
Open Access
The role of managerial motivating language in turnover intention of public sector employees
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Brito, Marina M., author; Chermack, Thomas J., advisor; Chai, Dae Seok, committee member; Thomas, Cliff, committee member; Conroy, Samantha A., committee member
This study examined the relationships between three types of managerial motivating language, including a) direction-giving language, b) meaning-making language, and c) empathetic language, and employee turnover intention in the public sector environment. The mediating effect of public service motivation was also examined. Motivating language theory guided this study, variable selection, and hypothesis development. An online questionnaire was distributed to public sector employees of four local government organizations in Utah, US. Descriptive statistics, reliability, correlation, common method variance, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping were used in this study. The results of the analysis confirmed that the hypothesized conceptual model was supported by data. The path analysis showed that motivating language was significantly and negatively associated with public employee turnover intention. Public service motivation did not have a mediating effect on this relationship. The findings supported the application of motivating language theory to the public sector environment with some nuances. The significance of the study includes a deeper understanding of motivating language theory, managerial motivating communication in public sector organizations, and practical applicability of results to leadership development training programs that may influence organizational outcomes including employee turnover intention.
Embargo
I love the work, but the work doesn't love me: a constructivist study on the stories and lived experiences of transgender staff of color who report discrimination in higher education
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Sérráno, Bri Carmen, author; Dockendorff, Kari, advisor; Muñoz, Susana, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Demirjyn, Maricela, committee member
Transgender people in the United States are experiencing an unprecedented amount of anti-trans laws and rhetoric (Yurcaba, 2024). Simultaneously, there is limited research on the experiences of transgender staff of color in higher education and their experiences of reporting discrimination (Pitcher, 2017; Siegel, 2019). Therefore, a study focusing on the lived experiences of trans staff of color who report discrimination is timely and necessary to inform how colonial institutions confront discrimination reporting and processes. The centering of marginalized people is essential to understanding the experiences trans staff of color have with the processes and practices of institutions receiving discrimination reports, which not only reflect their experiences but also the experiences of other transgender people in higher education. The study uses a constructivist qualitative (Merriam, 2014) research methodology and implements the decoloniality for a trans* of color critique (Salas-SantaCruz, 2021) framework to analyze findings. The findings reveal five themes of the lived experiences of transgender staff of color and coloniality: white cissexist capitalism and normative violence, white cissexist imperialism in higher education, psychological demotion and policing of transgender bodies, inconsistency and dismissiveness of reports of discrimination, and institutional negligence and reconciling emotions after reporting discrimination. Continued research on the experiences of transgender staff of color in higher education is needed, as critiques and understandings of non-discrimination policies and practices and addressing the incompetence of administrative leaders and supervisors in higher education, inadequately meeting the needs of transgender staff of color to meet their basic position duties. Higher education institutions, administrators, and policymakers need to take immediate action to humanize, empathize, and identify the next steps in ensuring transgender staff of color are not violently dehumanized in the workplace.
Open Access
Organizational adaptability in higher education: an exploration of how senior leaders of online learning units influence adaptability to a changing environment
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Kilworth, Silvie, author; Anderson, Sharon K., advisor; Kuk, Linda, committee member; Lange, Alex C., committee member; Tungate, Susan, committee member
Due to advancements in information and communication technology and the increasing student demand for online education, online learning units and their leaders are becoming central to the future of the larger institutions in which they reside. The current study was motivated by the imperative to understand how senior leaders influence the ability of their online learning units situated within residential public universities to adapt to the changing environment. This qualitative interpretive study provides empirical evidence for, and expands the understanding of, the ways senior leaders of online learning units influence organizational adaptability. It identifies a combination of interacting leadership practices senior leaders employ for creating conditions for adaptability, which include shaping networks, regulating tension, and navigating organizational context. The study also provides insights into the application of the Complexity Leadership Framework of Leadership for Organizational Adaptability (Uhl-Bien & Arena, 2018) in the specific context of online units situated within residential public universities. The findings suggest modifications to the original framework to include navigating context as a fundamental element for creating conditions for organizational adaptability. Additionally, the study highlights a need for further applied research. The study also provides current insights into practical implications of the findings, underscoring the importance of strategic leadership in enabling organizational adaptability.
Open Access
An entrepreneurial lead(her)ship journey: an autoethnography
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Robinson, Lesley Jacobs, author; Donovan, Jody, advisor; Albert, Lumina, committee member; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member
This autoethnographic dissertation explores the researcher's evolution into becoming an entrepreneurial leader, emphasizing the development of an entrepreneurial mindset within the cultural context of higher education. The study's research question explores how the researcher has come to understand herself as an entrepreneurial leader through her identities. The study defines an entrepreneurial leader as someone who empowers others to act, solve problems, navigate uncertainties, embrace ambiguities, and take risks with greater confidence while understanding underlying motivations through identities, strengths, and values. The research advocates for a founder-centric approach to bridge the gap in the literature between methodologies that concentrate on founders and those that focus on start-ups to deepen our understanding of the developmental processes involved in incorporating entrepreneurial leadership traits. This approach sets the entrepreneurial mindset apart from conventional managerial approaches by highlighting purpose-driven ventures that incorporate impact. The study examines the researcher's experiences as a woman in higher education, incorporating gender theory and feminist perspectives to promote inclusivity. Employing an autoethnographic framework, the researcher blends personal narratives with broader cultural contexts, emphasizing the importance of leaders adopting an entrepreneurial mindset to make impactful contributions to the world by actively pursuing personal growth through self-reflection, cultivating self-awareness, and fostering self-acceptance.
Open Access
Relationship of transformational leadership and organizational readiness for change as mediated by leader-member exchange and work engagement
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Hutt, Mark Joseph, author; Chermack, Thomas J., advisor; Chai, Dae Seok, committee member; Makela, Carole, committee member; Conroy, Samantha Ann, committee member
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational readiness for change as mediated by the quality of the leader-member relationship and employee work engagement. Organizations face unprecedented cycles of change, which are ever-present during company merger and acquisition events. Research has shown that between 70% and 90% of mergers fail to deliver a realized benefit to companies and shareholders. This research proposed merger and acquisition events fail partly due to a lack of organizational readiness for change due to leadership practices and poor employee engagement. There is a gap in the scholarly research on what practical actions practitioners can take to improve the likelihood of success in merger and acquisition events. Research has shown a connection between organizational readiness for change and organizational performance. Previous research has also shown there are relationships with transformational leadership, leader-member exchange, employee work engagement, and organizational performance. While this research has shown the individual relations of these theoretical constructs on organizational performance, more research needs to be done to understand the relation of these constructs with each other and their ability to improve organizational readiness for change and, therefore, organizational performance. This research hypothesizes a positive relationship between transformational leadership and organizational readiness for change and sought to answer the question of what the relation of transformational leadership and organizational readiness for change is as mediated by leader-member exchange (LMX) and work engagement. The context used to study this question was a biotechnology firm in the Pacific Northwest that had experienced the announcement of two separate significant acquisitions within 12 months. A non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design was used to investigate this research question and hypotheses. The population for this study was 1,145 employees of a bio-pharmaceutical company in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Well established in the scholarly research, the following surveys were used to study transformational leadership, leader-member exchange, work engagement, and organizational readiness for change. Transformational leadership was measured using the 7-item Global Transformational Leadership (GTL) scale. The quality of leader-member exchange relationships was measured by administering the 12-question LMX-MDM survey. Work engagement was measured through the administration of the 9-question UWES-9. Organizational readiness for change was measured using the 14-question OCQ-R. The hypotheses were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses and the hypothetical model. The model's fit was evaluated using root mean square error of approximation, standardized root mean square residual, comparative fit index, normed fit index, and the goodness of fit index. The mediation hypotheses of this research were analyzed using bootstrapping in combination with Baron and Kenny's established regression test for mediating factors using macros for SPSS & R. The outcome of this research found a relationship between the transformational leadership styles and actions managers and leaders take and the readiness of employees for organizational change in support of organizational performance and the success of change events. Specifically, this study provided insights to scholars and practitioners on the actions organizations can take when faced with large-scale organizational change events, such as merger and acquisition events.
Open Access
The perils of parenting: a phenomenological study of the unpartnered mother scholar experience
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Kopp, Claire, author; Barone, Ryan, advisor; Jennings, Louise, committee member; Kent, Suzanne, committee member; Reynolds, Cerisa, committee member
As recent attacks on the rights of women and gender minorities exemplify, sexism and gender privilege are structural forces ingrained in the fabric of U.S. society. Unfortunately, higher education is not immune to such structural forces and can reinforce the power associated with gender privilege. This phenomenological research study, in concert with my own recollections and anecdotes, critically examines how structures within higher education support the empowerment of privilege through the stigma of unpartnered motherhood and the femininization of caregiving. The study explores the experiences of nine unpartnered student parents who directly encounter significant structural barriers related to sexism and gender privilege. Through narrative-storytelling and poetic analysis, this study documents the lived experiences of nine diverse unpartnered mothers living with extreme precarity, facing incredible uphill struggles to make a new and better life for themselves and their children. The research findings uncover a high level of mental health challenge for unpartnered mothers and their children but also a high level of motivation and desire to succeed within their selected programs. The study also uncovers how capitalist influenced ideals of motherhood conflict with standards of ideal scholarship to create an identity crisis whereby one is forced to choose between being a good scholar or a good mother. Practical recommendations are provided for service providers including administrators, faculty, and student service units.
Open Access
African-American women college and university presidents: their role, experiences, challenges and barriers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Woodard, Sophia J., author; Davies, Timothy G., advisor
The purpose of this study was to examine four phenomena: role, experiences, challenges, and barriers of African-American women college and university presidents with a particular focus on the role based on the social conscious concept of "race upliftment" as espoused by Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and other African American scholars of the early 20th century. The review of literature suggests that there is a tendency to advocate for race upliftment primarily when leading an African-American institution or an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). As a qualitative phenomenological study, in-depth personal and telephone one to two hour interviews were conducted with eight African-American women college and university presidents of two and four-year institutions. Each interview was tape-recorded with the full permission of the president. A demographic questionnaire was completed by each president prior to conducting the interview. All eight recorded tapes were transcribed and the data analysis process involved six major steps based on Creswell (1994). The qualitative software HyperRESEARCH was used to assist in analyzing and coding the data, and in compiling the qualitative report. Reading and memoing were used for code and theme development, and a reflexive journal, member checking, clarifying research bias and peer review were used for validity and trustworthiness. The findings of this study revealed that role plays a significant component for these women and is categorized into several areas that include: (1) nurturer and protector of students; (2) fiscal manager; (3) values and skills practitioner; (4) spiritual practitioner and servant; and (5) communications expert. Their work in role directly impacts and influences how they view and serve in their role as leaders. In fact, these African-American women college and university presidents developed many of their concepts of role based on the multi-faceted experiences they encountered both on their journey to the presidency and in this journey. Many of their experiences encompassed their formative years of education and training/rearing in their homes and communities, the educational journeys they traveled through college and graduate school, as well as the varied professional encounters in academia prior to becoming presidents. The collective energy of these experiences were an exciting and foundational part of their leadership development and journeys to the presidency which were also consumed with challenges and barriers. These challenges and barriers were centered around five specific areas that comprised the challenges of leadership: (1) addressing and resolving fiscal insolvency; (2) personal challenges such as parenting roles and living apart from family members(children and husbands); (3) managing health and wellness; (4) gender, race and age disparity; and (5) professional challenges such as status quo issues, college-wide communication issues, dealing with alumni concerns and problems with overbearing board-of-trustee members. In essence, the role, experiences, challenges and barriers that emerged from the data (voices) of these African-American women college and university presidents comprise the journey they traveled in becoming and being president.
Open Access
Art-based narrative inquiry with Native American breast cancer survivors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Warson, Elizabeth, author; Kees, Natalie, advisor; Carlson, Laurie, advisor
Background and aims. Breast cancer rates for American Indian and Alaska Native women are lower than any ethnic or racial group. This fact alone has contributed to the perception that breast cancer is not an "Indian" problem among health officials. Cancer statistics in general for American Indian and Alaska Natives are unreliable because of the frequency of racial misclassification, underreporting, and clustering data under the "other" category. Inclusive data from The Intercultural Cancer Council suggests that rates of breast cancer for American Indians and Alaska Natives, who experience the poorest 5-year survivorship, have been increasing over the past 20 years. The majority of the cancer research among Native people has concentrated on eliminating social, cultural, and structure barriers to healthcare. What has not been included in the literature are culturally-relevant psychosocial interventions incorporating the expressive arts. Behavioral research in cancer care for Native American women is needed to address quality of life factors. The purpose of this post modern narrative inquiry is to explore, through artmaking and storytelling, the belief systems surrounding wellness and physical illness from the perspective of Native women diagnosed with breast cancer. This narrative inquiry would provide the ground work for culturally-competent psychosocial interventions utilizing the expressive arts. Method. The participants were 2 American Indian women diagnosed with breast cancer from the Coharie tribe in Clinton, North Carolina, ages 74 and 66. These women were co-collaborators in an emergent narrative inquiry, incorporating a demographic interview, 3 main art task, and 8 open-ended interview questions. Their stories were analyzed discursively using the zoom model. To supplement the emergent themes from the analysis, 3 additional data sources, comprising interviews from a traditional healer and two tribal representatives, were included in the situational analysis. Results. Two positional "maps" were created from the layers of narrative and visual discourse analysis. The maps charted different positions along a four different continuums: cancer related medical treatment, traditional American Indian healing practices, wellness, and breast cancer and breast cancer treatment. The maps showed that wellness and spirituality were inseparable and a core belief to undergoing breast cancer treatment and survivorship. Traditional healing practices were viewed as a complementary approach to Western medicine; however, this approach was not a shared position with providers. The positional maps suggested that a more culturally-relevant, holistic, approach to cancer care was needed in this community.
Open Access
The process of designing and constructing an accessible residence hall for people with disabilities on a public university campus
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Wernsman, M. Gayle, author; Lehmann, Jean P., advisor
One of the great challenges to older universities and colleges is that of fashioning campuses that once disregarded and discouraged people with disabilities into welcoming and inclusive environments. Handicap accessibility can impact a university's recruitment of students, faculty and staff, building costs and budgets, the raising of public and private funding, and the marketability of the campus for events beyond academic uses, such as conventions, conferences, meetings and entertainment. This qualitative case study examined the process by which physical barrier removal and compliance with accessibility codes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, is accomplished on a public university campus and to identify the individuals who most influence these projects. The study was bounded by and limited to a newly constructed residence hall on the campus of Colorado State University. Methodology included three types of data gathering: interviews, site visit, and archival and documents search. The list of interview participants evolved in a chain or snowball sampling method. Data reduction was done by inductive analysis. What emerged is a story revealing the chronology of the funding, design and construction process of a residence hall. The apportionment and sequence of the responsibilities of each participant and their degree of influence on accessibility are discussed. Information gained from site visits and document findings was worked into this descriptive narrative. Themes that emerged were related to construction funding, bid proposals, accessibility issues and the experience and training of those interviewed. Also identified as themes were the construction of a full-scale model of a typical student room and the issue of why students with disabilities choose to live in an older dormitory. Findings are generalized into suggestions that administrators, architects, designers and facility planners can use to improve future university construction.
Open Access
A biographical study of namesake John F. Tinker on the landmark legal case Tinker et al. v. The Des Moines Independent Community School District et al.
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Wolfe-Dawson, Leigh, author; Harbour, Clifford P., advisor
The purpose of this biographical study was to understand the effect of the case Tinker et al. v. The Des Moines Independent Community School District et al. circa 1965-1969, on namesake John F. Tinker, circa 2008. John Tinker was involved in a landmark 1969 United States Supreme Court decision nearly 40 years ago. He was 15 years old when he wore a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War; he is 57 now. In legal and educational environments, Tinker is known as a name on a school-related legal decision, but there is a person behind that name. While there is abundant information about his legal case, not much is known about the namesake. This study attempted to understand how Tinker experienced his legal case and how he understands its effect on his life. This study centered on John Tinker's own voice. Through in-depth, open-ended, one-on-one, face-to-face, voice-to-voice, and computer-to-computer conversations, an account of his life using his own words emerged. What was discovered was that Tinker is a multi-faceted person and the Tinker legal case is only one aspect of his full and unique life. This study is important because Tinker is a living being who as a teenager was involved in an activity that culminated in a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court. That legal decision holds today-40 years later-and affects every public school student in the United States.
Open Access
Using office referrals to examine discipline patterns: positive behavior support in a high school
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Wiley, Cynthia Loe, author; Cooner, Donna, advisor; Carlson, Laurie, advisor
The utility of systemic positive disciplinary frameworks such as school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) in high schools has not been determined. Most research to date has focused on elementary and middle schools that have instituted positive school-wide disciplinary frameworks with varying degrees of success. Similar research is necessary to determine if this type of disciplinary framework can be efficaciously applied at the high school level. The purpose of this three-year study was to describe discipline patterns in a comprehensive public high school pre- and post-implementation of a school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) system. Participants in the study were students from grades nine through twelve. The mean annual population of the school was 1,187. The research objective was to utilize longitudinal systematic observation data to provide a comprehensive description (Johnson, 2001) of a SWPBS system as it was applied in one high school and to increase understanding of universal level implementation of SWPBS in this particular context. Disciplinary incidences as measured by archival office discipline referrals (ODRs) were analyzed and described for each of the three years (one year of baseline data and two years of intervention data) under study. Overall ODR patterns were examined as well as the incidence of disciplinary referrals related to student grade level, gender, and selected disruptive and antisocial discipline categories. The descriptive analysis provided data in both aggregate and disaggregate form to render insights into educational reform, both process and outcome, in one high school. Information on implementation fidelity was provided. The study highlighted areas for improvement within this specific school and indicated that SWPBS may be beneficial at the high school level.
Open Access
In their words: life stories of native born, African American women enrolled in an urban community college
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Vasconcellos, Tina, author; Harbour, Clifford P., advisor
This narrative inquiry revealed the life stories of six native born, African American women enrolled in an urban community college. The researcher incorporates her story when describing how she selected her topic of inquiry and why it is important for practitioners and policy makers to hear the voices of African American women learners enrolled in community colleges. The ways of knowing literature (Belenky, et al. 1986; Goldberger, 1996) and literature about African American women learners served as a theoretical backdrop for this inquiry. The researcher employed a culturally sensitive research approach recommended by Tillman (2002) for studies involving African American participants. This method combines critical theory and feminist theory and places the participants' individual and shared cultural knowledge at the center of the inquiry from conception to final write up. An interpretive framework of persistence, transformation, and connection emerged inductively during analysis. The researcher used this framework to offer recommendations for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers. The researcher recommends establishing a professional development program for new faculty promoting connected learning as defined by her participants, developing a re-entry keystone program to support students in working through their issues about learning, implementing a peer mentor program between first and second year students to support continued personal growth in both groups, and increasing funding for research, programs, and services for students with disabilities. The researcher is aware that while her study highlighted life stories, struggles, and successes of African American women learners enrolled in a community college, further research in this area is warranted. The researcher recommends conducting additional qualitative studies to learn more about the experiences and life stories of African American women learners in the community college system. Also recommended are qualitative or mixed methods studies with first semester and last semester students to assess self esteem and personal growth of African American women learners. The researcher believes that this inquiry offers practitioners and policy makers an opportunity to listen to African American women's voices and their recommendations for a connecting learning environment.
Open Access
Learning styles of radiography students during clinical practice
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Ward, L. Patrice, author; Feller, Rich, advisor
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the common learning styles of radiography students during clinical practice. Quantitative, descriptive research methodology identified the learning styles of radiography students. A single self-report questionnaire, developed to assess learning styles in clinical practice, was administered electronically via a Web page. The sample included 350 radiography students from Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) associate degree programs in the United States. There were six subscales of learning styles identified: structure, integration, experimentation, authority, orientation, and approach. Findings found three groups of radiography students with similar learning styles: task oriented (n = 101), purposeful (n = 134), and tentative (n = 114). Students identified with the task oriented learning style were characterized by preferences to test ideas and draw on intuition and feelings during clinical learning situations. Purposeful learning style students were distinguished by preferences to plan, actively integrate theory and practice, focus on results, and trust in theoretical concepts. The tentative learning style students were characterized by preferences for more prescriptive and results oriented clinical learning experiences and moderation in other learning style elements. Radiography students as a group tended to plan more than improvise and actively rather than passively integrate theory and practice. During clinical learning experiences, they were inclined to focus on results more than process and were apt to rely on i themselves rather than depend on experts for guidance. There were statistically significant differences in distribution for gender, level in program, and age among the three groups of common learning styles. Findings found males were more likely to identify with the purposeful learning style and females with the tentative learning style. First year students were more likely to identify with the purposeful learning style and second year students with the task oriented learning style. Traditional students were more likely to identify with the tentative learning style and nontraditional students with the purposeful learning style. There were no significant differences in distribution associated with learning styles and level of education. Implications for practice include suggestions for students and clinical faculty to apply knowledge of learning styles to understand differences among students, to enhance discussion about learning, and to inspire creative techniques to facilitate learning during clinical practice. Findings offer possibilities for refining the questionnaire and directions for future research to improve teaching effectiveness and student achievement.
Open Access
Visualizing work flow for process improvement: a case study of class scheduling at a university
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Waite, Alina Michelle, author; Gilley, Jerry W., advisor
The purpose of this case study was to analyze and map class scheduling by a school in a higher education setting so that the process could be understood, documented, and ultimately improved. Class scheduling is a process by which faculty and staff generate a class schedule. A class schedule is a common source of information from which faculty, staff, and students plan and organize their personal and professional lives. A class schedule has several components including course descriptions, days, times, locations, enrollment capacities, and names of instructors. The school, part of a university, initiated an analysis of class scheduling to address inefficiencies in the process and occasional errors that appeared in the final class schedule. The school offers numerous options for students interested in educator licensing, graduate degree programs, and professional development through its three main functions and respective academic programs of study. Opportunities for performance improvement often exist at functional interfaces, as described by Rummler and Brache. This qualitative research study took place in two phases from Fall 2006 to Spring 2008. Data were collected using multiple methods from a variety of sources including document reviews, interviews, and focus groups. A total of 34 individuals participated in Phases I and II combined. Three primary research questions were asked to address the present performance problem involving class scheduling at the school: (1) How does class scheduling operate within the school? (2) What are the problems associated with class scheduling? (3) How can class scheduling be improved? Answers to these research questions satisfied the aims of the study: the work activities or process steps and their sequence were defined and documented, performance issues were identified along with performance indicators, and finally recommendations were made for future performance improvement. Findings indicated written procedures describing class scheduling were not available and therefore the performance gap could not be properly assessed. Process maps and timelines were created to visualize work flow for further consideration in developing appropriate procedures and improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of class scheduling.
Open Access
Welfare and child welfare collaboration
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Tungate, Susan L., author; Morgan, George A., advisor; Buchan, Victoria, advisor
Within departments of social services, child welfare and income assistance programs are typically separate administrative units. Coordinating services for dual-system families across these program areas has been encouraged in the wake of welfare reform and its more stringent time frames in combination with child welfare legislation that places time limits on permanency decisions for children placed out of the home. Many of the barriers to self-sufficiency faced by clients involved with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are also implicated in difficulties with parenting. Cross-system collaboration between these two programs is challenging, and attributing client outcomes to collaboration is difficult due to the huge number of variables involved and the considerable variety in collaborative structures. What works for whom, how and in what contexts is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the extent and nature of collaboration between child welfare and TANF programs within Colorado county departments of human/social services. Data were collected from county departments of human/social services directors for all 64 Colorado counties and a purposive sample of 38 administrators responsible for child welfare and Colorado Works programs within the county departments. Protocols for identifying clients with open cases or needs in both programs were described, as well as the extent of services coordination. Collaboration between these services also occurred via specialized programs or teams that blended resources and targeted specific client groups. TANF funding was an important resource for these programs and teams that were often described as oriented toward early intervention and prevention. Supports and barriers to cross-system collaboration included federal and state level influences, agency leadership and culture, staff workload, training and resources. The perceived overlap in needs of clients accessing both programs was sizable; the estimate of clients with cases open in both programs was higher in the smaller, poorer counties. Addressing the cross-system information needs of staff did not often happen in a deliberate, systematic way. State level leadership is likely important to successful collaborative efforts via explication of effective models and policies that support it.
Open Access
Influence of beginning college type on post secondary educational achievement: a matched pairs study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Vance, Joanna, author; Davies, Timothy G., advisor
The purpose of this study was to gather more information about the influence of beginning higher education at a two-year college versus beginning at a four-year college on a student's educational achievement. The three outcomes of interest were: (1) whether a student remains continuously enrolled throughout college; (2) total number of college credits a student completes; and (3) highest degree, if any, a student obtains. In order to compare students who began at two-year colleges with their peers who began at four-year colleges, students were matched on the following six variables: (1) gender, (2) ethnicity, (3) mother's highest level of education, (4) father's highest level of education, (5) total family income during the student's eighth grade year, and (6) the student's own predictions of how far they will go in post secondary education, made while seniors in high school. The study used data collected by the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The study supported previous literature, finding that students who begin at two-year schools are 48% more likely to complete less than one year of full-time enrollment than are their four-year peers and are 42% less likely to stay continuously enrolled over their college experience than are their four-year peers. The study also found that students who begin at four-year schools are 46% more likely to obtain a bachelor's degree than their two-year peers. For all three outcome variables of interest those students who began at four-year colleges achieved more academically than their matched peers who began at two-year colleges. When two students who are very similar in terms of gender, ethnicity, parents' level of education, socioeconomic status and self perceived future achievement begin their education at different colleges-one a four-year school and the other a two-year school-the four-year attendee consistently will achieve more academically. This information is important and relevant to students, parents, researchers, and policymakers alike.
Open Access
A critical ethnography: the process of change at a core knowledge junior high school
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Urban, Elizabeth A., author; Banning, James, advisor; Dickmann, Ellyn, advisor
The challenge of educational change and the culture of organizational change have been the focus of research and literature for many decades. A look at the history of American education reveals that change designed in the direction of social fairness traditionally falls short of the objectives or fails completely within its first five years (Benham-Tye, 2000). The need for change and for continual renewal to improve schools is evident. The journey of change and the obstacles of that journey are more complex. The process of change and the puzzling dynamics of that process were the subject of this study. The purpose of the study was to further the understanding of the change process, the conditions which surround success and the obstacles which accompany failure. The focus of the study was a junior high school, which opened in the fall of 2004. An ethnographic study was conducted at the site over the period of the school's first sixteen months, from May 2004 to August 2005. The purpose of the first study was to record the journey of the school from its inception. In that first year, four key themes emerged: collaboration; visionary leadership; teachers and parents as agents of change; and trusting the process. That original study provided the archival data that were the starting point for the present study. The present study began in August, 2007 and continued through February, 2008. Research questions were designed to investigate the process of change over time. The qualitative research method was a modified version of Phil Carspecken's Model for Critical Ethnography (1996). The findings revealed additional cultural themes and dimensions as well as obstacles and barriers to the change process. New themes in year four. (1) The Journey of Change - From "Speed Boat to House Boat to Barge"; (2) Change Experienced by the Members - The Teacher's Stories; (3) From Trust the Process to Process the Trust - A Dose of Self-Scrutiny Four cultural dimensions. (1) Inquiry - Continual Study and Learning to Improve the Practice; (2) Responsibility - Speaking with Integrity and Doing What is Said; (3) Care - Practicing a Nurturing Pedagogy; (4) Celebration - Working Joyfully and Acknowledging Human Effort Obstacle to change. (1) Growth of School; (2) Fiscal Limitations; (3) Nature of the Profession; (4) Conventional Thinking Recommendations were made in the concluding chapter.