Description: This quantitative study utilized secondary self-reported data from the 2008 administration of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey from two Texas public universities to investigate the pre-college demographic, academic, attitude, behavioral, and familial factors that may relate to students' self-reported political identities. The study design was correlational regarding the relationship of the demographic, academic, attitude, behavioral, and familial independent variables to the dependent variable of the students' political identities. ANOVA main effects for the independent variables were calculated, and statistical significance required the p < .05 level. The statistically significant demographic factors were native English-speaking status; enrollment status; citizenship status; religious preference; and race. The statistically significant academic factor was intended major. The statistically significant attitude factors were opinions regarding social issues such as criminal rights; abortion rights; the death penalty; the legalization of marijuana; homosexual relationships and same-sex marriage; racial discrimination; income taxes; affirmative action; military spending and voluntary military service; gun control; the environment; national health care; immigration; personal success; political dissent; and free speech. Other statistically significant attitude factors related to personal goals of making artistic and scientific contributions; being politically influential and politically knowledgeable; raising a family; participating in environmental programs and community action ...

Description: Higher education in Taiwan has been influenced by U.S. and Western practices, and syllabi represent one means to verify this. However, limited research exists in Taiwan on course syllabi and on similarities of syllabi with practices in other countries. In the U.S. as the paradigm shifted from teaching to learning and to the learning-centered context, scholars argued that syllabi should be learning-centered. Given the assumption that higher education in Taiwan is similar to U.S. higher education and the call for a learning-centered context, this qualitative research examined 180 undergraduate syllabi at a public university in Taiwan with a (traditional) syllabus component template and a learning-centered syllabus component template derived from the literature in the U.S. to describe (1) the contents of syllabi, and (2) the extent that syllabi in Taiwan were congruent to U. S. syllabus component templates. Syllabi at this university were highly congruent with the (traditional) syllabus component template and were congruent at the medium level with the learning-centered component template. About 90% of syllabi included 8 of 10 major components. Additional findings included: 70% of faculty were male, and 30% were female; more than 75% of the faculty earned their doctoral degrees from the United States or ...

Description: While the relationship between academic variables and admission into medical school has been well documented, the relationship between socioeconomic background and admission has not been extensively examined. In 2001, the Texas Legislature passed HB 1641, which allowed for the use of socioeconomic variables in the admission of graduate and professional school students. Additionally, the Grutter v. Bollinger decision in 2003 removed a prohibition on the use of race or ethnicity in the admission of students in the state of Texas. The study examined the role medical school admissions selectivity as it relates to the socioeconomic background during a race neutral admissions cycle in 2005 and a race sensitive admissions cycle in 2006. The results of data analysis found that in a race neutral admissions cycle socioeconomic background was a significant factor in the admission of applicants to medical school. However, it was not a significant factor for applicants from underrepresented minority groups. The analysis also found that socioeconomic background was a significant factor in the admission of applicants to medical school in a race sensitive admissions cycle as well. Finally, the study found that variances in selectivity led to differences in the socioeconomic makeup of entering students across different medical ...

Description: The purpose of this study was to examine differences and relationships in student definition and background characteristics, help seeking behaviors, academic and environmental variables between and among community college students at a single institution who successfully completed and those who did not complete online courses during a single term. An adapted version of Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition provided the theoretical framework for the study. The results of data analysis revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of definition, gender, ethnicity, experience and prior GPA. Statistically significant relationships were found between definition, ethnicity, gender, experience, prior GPA, orientation and completion and noncompletion. No statistically significant interactions were found between definition and experience and help seeking behaviors. No statistically significant differences, relationships or predictor variables were found by degree seeking, preassessment, or technical help seeking. Additional analyses by defining characteristics revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of residency, age and enrollment status. Predictor variables found to be significant were definition, gender, experience, prior GPA and orientation. The odds of completion increased with nontraditional definition, female gender, higher prior GPA, and orientation participation. The odds of completion decreased with ...

Description: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between online readiness scores and online faculty job satisfaction. Online readiness was assessed using the Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator (READI) assessment. The READI assessment tool incorporated the independent variables of learning preference, technical competency, technical knowledge, personal attributes, on-screen reading speed and comprehension, and typing speed and accuracy. Online faculty job satisfaction was assessed using the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) job satisfaction questions. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether there was a difference in satisfaction based on individual instructor learning preferences. Correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationships between the remaining independent variables and online instructor satisfaction. The sample population (N=110) consisted of online faculty members at Tarrant County College. Most of the statistical analyses revealed non-significant results at the .05 alpha level. However, a significant difference in satisfaction with equipment and facilities was found based on instructor learning preference. Additionally, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between online instructor technical competency and satisfaction with benefits.