College of Education and Human Development Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/1173
Browse
Browsing College of Education and Human Development Theses and Dissertations by Author "Banda, Rosa"
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Creating pathways for educational success: Understanding the challenges of Latina doctoral student mothers(2020-12) Vasquez-Angeles, Carla; Vasquez-Angeles, Carla; Banda, Rosa; Edwards, Dessynie; Banda, Rosa; Edwards, Dessynie; Elliff, Scott; Elliff, ScottThe experiences of Latina doctoral student mothers are very complex and multifaceted, influenced by the intersectionality of their cultural Latina motherhood and academic doctoral student roles. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the experiences of Latina doctoral student mothers at a South Texas university. This study further seeks to examine how 5 Latina doctoral student mothers negotiate their Latina mother roles with their academic roles. Using qualitative research methods, the collective of data was conducted through an in-depth, unstructured interview. Analysis of the data presented three super ordinate themes supported by sixteen subthemes. The study, ultimately, concluded that participants experience challenges of balancing their cultural Latina motherhood roles with their academic doctoral roles. The study also found cultural implications for Latina motherhood highly influence how Latina doctoral mother students negotiate their Latina mother and doctoral student identities. Lastly, the study found that for Latina doctoral student mothers, their motherhood remains central to their identity. While the findings of the study added to literature on Latina doctoral student mothers and Women’s Way of Knowing further qualitative studies are warranted. To gain an insight into the multifaceted experiences of Latina doctoral student mothers and Women’s Way of Knowing, the following recommendations for future studies include qualitative methods of inquire to uncover the perspectives of single Latina doctoral student mothers and Latina doctoral student mothers who are not employed fulltime; qualitative research to examine the impact of Latina doctoral student mother role-modeling for educational achievement.Item ¡Échale Ganas!: Student Engagement Experiences of First-Generation Latinx Collegiate Student-Athletes(2019-08) Grafnetterova, Nikola; Banda, Rosa; Edwards, DessynieLatinxs continue to be underrepresented in the ranks of college graduates despite increasing in the proportion of U.S. population and undergraduate student bodies. Approximately 6% of Hispanics participate in intercollegiate athletics, which is one type of extracurricular activity among many others that are available to students. Overall, research links involvement in such campus services and activities to increased rates of student persistence to degree attainment. However, a large gap in literature currently exists concerning studies that explore the experiences of Latinx student-athletes. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of first-generation Hispanic student-athletes who participate in NCAA Division I non-revenue sports at HSIs as well as PWIs in regard to student engagement services and activities as it pertains to their persistence to degree attainment. Grounded in Latinx Critical and Rendón’s validation theories, this qualitative study found athletic participation to be beneficial for first-generation Latinx student-athletes’ persistence to degree attainment. Specifically, Latinx student-athletes who participated in this study built a support network from their teammates, athletic advisors, and coaches. However, given the time demands of their sport, most of the student-athletes did not engage outside of the athletic community on their respective campus. Moreover, first-generation Latinxs relied on their cultural and familial capital to persist to degree attainment. Additionally, while the student- athletes perceived all campuses as welcoming, the setting of the university, HSI or PWI, made a difference in the strategies Latinxs utilized to carve out a sense of belonging and to find their Hispanic niche on campus.Item An exploration of belonging through student union employment(2021-12) Paynter, Katheryn; Banda, Rosa; Bazner, Kevin; Edwards, Dessynie; Dogbey, JamesDespite there being numerous studies on leadership, persistence, and sense of belonging, there are few studies that examine these constructs for student employees who work in student unions. The number of students employed, on or off campus, while working on a degree is increasing (Watanabe, 2005). One of the places on campus where students can work is the student union, also known as the living room of campus (Association of College Unions International [ACUI], n.d.a). With this growing number of working students, it is important to develop a better understanding of how students who work at student unions develop a sense of belonging, leadership development, and persist to degree attainment. This purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the sense of belonging of eight student employees who worked in a student union at a South Texas institution and how the development of leadership skills, if any, aided in their persistence. This study employed a single bounded case study method because of the ability to get rich descriptions and insightful explanations from student union student workers. For this study, the single-bounded case is framed by the student union employment. This study was framed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (1979), which discusses how a person’s sense of belonging is directly related to how they experience their environment. As a result of analyzing the data, three main themes emerged; Cultivating Relationships to Create a Sense of Belonging, Cultivating Development through Student Employment, and Thriving in a Supportive UC Environment. The findings suggest that time spent as a student employee in the student union has an extremely positive impact on student’s sense of belonging, their development of leadership and transferable skills, and a supportive environment has assisted them in their persistence to degree attainment. Overall, the findings of the study suggest that employment in the UC provided participants with opportunities to engage with the larger campus community. This demonstrates that student union employment should be looked at more as student development than merely an employment opportunity.Item Finding a balance: a case study using framing and sensemaking theory to analyze the implementation of campus carry law at four South Texas community colleges(2017-12) Ortega-Feerick, Diana; Ortega-Feerick, Diana; Gonzalez, Elsa; Banda, Rosa; Hernandez, Monica; Banda, Rosa; Hernandez, MonicaBanda, Rosa; Hernandez, MonicaThe issue of guns and gun control is very complex especially since the passage of Campus Carry Law in the state of Texas. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how decision-making administrators at four nonresidential community colleges in South Texas implemented Campus Carry Law. This study further seeks to examine how 10 decision making college administrators at four nonresidential community colleges in South Texas found a balance between following the state law, respecting individual rights, and at the same time maintaining a safe and secure campus community. Using qualitative research methods, the collections of data was conducted through an in-depth, unstructured interview. Analysis of the data presented three super ordinate themes supported by eight subthemes. The study, ultimately, concluded that participants found balance and made meaning of the law by being self-aware of the influential and conflicting inner perspectives. The study also found that one’s positionality can bias one’s epistemology and to remain neutral one must remain open minded. The study also found that participant’s rationale to remain neutral helped make sense of the implications of the law and not have their personal feelings influence their decisions. Lastly, the study found that participant’s knowledge, experiences, beliefs, and values as professionals constructed meaning to the challenges faced by the ambiguity of the law. While the findings of the study added to the literature on Campus Carry, Sensemaking, and Framing further qualitative studies are warranted. To gain an insight into the multifaceted perspectives of Campus Carry, sensemaking, and framing theory, the following recommendations for future studies include qualitative methods to inquire and uncover the perspectives of students, faculty, and staff regarding campus carry law; qualitative methods to inquire how institutional leaders make sense of reform demands and adapt them to their institutional environments, and qualitative research which will look at the mobilization of people into action through frame analysis.Item The relationship between leadership frames of community college personnel and sense of belonging of community college students(2018-05) Faseler Schell, Randa; Bowden, Randall; Banda, Rosa; Elliff, Scott; Seidel, StevenThis study examined the leadership frames of college personnel and sense of belonging of college students at Southwest Texas Junior College (SWTJC). Colleges and universities play a very important role in making life better and different for every student who chooses to enter these institutions. Higher education institutions must commit to creating and maintaining environments in which students are able to obtain a sense of belonging. The investigation of these concepts has implications for higher education in the creation of a campus culture in which college personnel work effortlessly to provide students with a sustained sense of community, acceptance, and affiliation. This study examined the relationship between college personnel leadership frames (political, human resource, structural, & symbolic) and sense of belonging at a community college in rural, southwest Texas. It looked at the relationship between college personnel leadership frames and student sense of belonging as a means for gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that make students successful. Statistical analysis of the research questions showed few statistically significant results. Analysis of the first research question (leadership frames) showed one statistically significant result in the political frame between employees working in continuing education/workforce and employees working in administrative/business services. Analysis of the second research question (sense of belonging) showed differences in the areas of peer support and isolation, but with low effect size. Analysis of research question three showed mixed results. The human resources frame had the highest mean score and was predictive of sense of belonging, however, it showed a low level of explanation of sense of belonging and low predictive values. While the analysis of the four frames provided insight into the characteristics of the personnel and analysis of the sense of belonging provided insight into the needs of the students, the analysis of the relationship between the two failed to help understand what leadership behaviors may be more successful in fostering sense of belonging among students. However, the study did underscore several key areas including differences among student groups and negative relationships between certain leadership behaviors and sense of belonging.Item Retention as predicted by a student profile at a Hispanic serving institution(2017-12) Silvas, Rebeka A.; Bowden, Randall; Banda, Rosa; Smith, Nancy; Quick, CatherineRetention is high on the list of priorities for both college and university administrators, as well as policy makers. It raises the question what high school data are known before a student attends a college that are predictive of student retention? This study examined 3445 first-time-in-college students from three academic years. Predictors included, age, gender, ethnicity, admission status, high school GPA, ranking percentile, and ACT/SAT scores. The outcome variable was college retention. Data analyses involved chi-square of independence and logistic regression. Results indicated ranking percentile, ACT/SAT scores, and admission status were statistically significant for retention. However, the relationships were weak and the model did not increase predictive values for retention. Although some demographic information and pre-college variables can predict retention, the type of predictors needs to expand to provide a stronger predictive model. Admissions processes may need to consider non-traditional information to include for both admissions and retention prediction.Item Student awareness on access and Title IX resources(2022-05) Ruiz, Rosie; Banda, Rosa; Edwards, Dessynie; Lucido, Frank; Sparks, JeanInstitutions of Higher Education (IHE) are required to address reports of sexual violence, which has received increased examination, especially since the Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on April 4, 2011 (Department of Education, 2017). The DCL provides the IHE with guidelines on how to remedy sexual misconduct on campuses, a forum for students to report incidents of sexual misconduct, prevent future occurrences, and provide educational programming that addresses sexual violence (Department of Education, 2017). It is vital for IHE to stop, prevent, and remedy reports of sexual misconduct by ensuring students know how to report since close to 80% of sexual misconduct incidents go unreported to police (Department of Justice, 2014). Under the theoretical framework of Social Constructivist theory, this qualitative single-bounded case study used interviews, demographic profiles, and other related documentation. A total of five freshmen female participants were part of this study. Three themes emerged from the findings. The first theme, Lack of an Understanding of Role and Responsibilities of Title IX Office, with three subthemes: Lack of Awareness and Communication, Reaching Out to Other Campus Offices, and Not Utilizing Campus Title IX Resources. The second theme, Reluctance to Report Instance of Sexual Violence, includes three subthemes: Lack of Awareness of the Identity and Role of the Title IX Coordinator, Dynamics of Mistrust, and Stereotypes Associated with Reporting. The third theme, Vary Mediums in How Students Receive Information Regarding Title IX Resources, also includes three subthemes: Utilize Social Media Platforms, Weekly Distribution of Information, and Immediate Communication Upon Admission. The study found that participants lack an understanding of the role and obligations of the Title IX Office as there was an absence of awareness and perceived communication on Title IX information. The study also found the participants in this study had limited information and knowledge on the types of resources that can be provided by the Title IX office and the various resources that can assist with academic retention and success. Furthermore, the participants in the study did not fully understand the role nor the identity of the Title IX Coordinator for the campus. This outcome is impactful since Fowler (2013) highlights policies need to safeguard that student realize their rights and how to address situations that may impact their educational learning environment. Participants noted that the university needed to utilize various social media platforms to establish a clear line of communications with students. Utilizing social media to convey messages about Title IX arguably is now a component of how college students interact within their college environment (their social setting) to allow learning to occur (Burkholder & Pelaez, 2000).