Ph.D. - Educational Administration

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/63445

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Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Dual enrollment participation and immediate college enrollment: Investigating socioeconomic and ethnic disparities among Hawai‘i public high school students through a multilevel model
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2025) Kawano, Warren; Lucas, Chris; Educational Administration
As the percentage of jobs that require postsecondary education is predicted to grow from 68 percent in 2021 to 72 percent in 2031, ensuring more students enroll in college is increasingly important. Yet, the national immediate college enrollment rate has remained relatively flat since 2012 and has not recovered from the decline experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college courses that count for both high school and college credits, are a proven strategy for improving college enrollment and outcomes; however, previous research yielded mixed findings on their impact across student groups. This study examines the relationship between dual enrollment participation and immediate college enrollment for Hawai‘i public high school students with a focus on students from low-income households and underrepresented ethnic groups. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to analyze student demographic, academic, and school-level characteristics associated with dual enrollment and college enrollment. This study focuses on a statewide program with a uniform design, addressing limitations in previous research. Findings indicate that participation in dual enrollment is associated with a 90.4 percent increase in the odds of college enrollment; though impacts vary across groups with Pacific Islander students benefiting the most, while Native Hawaiian and Filipino experienced smaller gains. Overall, results highlight dual enrollment’s positive impact on college enrollment, particularly for underrepresented groups. Expanding access to dual enrollment, particularly for underrepresented groups, can help increase college enrollment and reduce equity gaps. Key Words: College Enrollment, Dual Enrollment, Early College, Underrepresented Students
Grade Replacement Policy and Its Impact on Undergraduate Students Admitted to a Selective College Program: A Case Study of an Introductory Accounting Course
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2024) Terawaki, Megan; Lucas, Chris; Educational Administration
The purposes of previous studies involving repeat coursework ranged from identifying traits of students likely to repeat to impact on time-to-degree. This quantitative study examined the impact of a course repeat policy on enrollment and student success in a required gateway course. Prior to the Grade Replacement Policy (GRP), all non-passing grades were factored into grade point averages (GPAs), which made it difficult for repeating students to raise their GPAs to meet the minimum requirements for admission to selective and competitive majors; after GRP’s implementation, GPAs only included the most recent attempt’s grade, thereby excluding the earlier non-passing attempts from calculation. This study used chi-square one-way and two-way tests to measure GRP’s impact in the 10 fall and spring admission terms pre- and post-policy implementation for students enrolled in Accounting 201, a required course for admission to the institution’s Business School, which has selective admission and requires a minimum 2.50 GPA. The findings indicate that the availability of GRP had an impact on the number of students who repeated the course and were subsequently admitted to the Business School. The findings also suggest that the availability of GRP did not significantly affect residency status, gender, and class standing status among repeat students. The results of this study contribute to the literature of higher education policy analysis, course enrollment, and student success in selective admission majors.
INTERNATIONALIZATION AT THE CROSSROADS: A CASE STUDY OF POLICY AND PRACTICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI AT MĀNOA
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2024) Mu, Xiaoxin Ivy; Lucas, Christopher M.; Educational Administration
This dissertation presented a thorough investigation into the dynamics of international education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), utilizing a multi-source data approach that includes MIEC meeting notes, historical documents, institutional statistical data, and interviews with key stakeholders. The analysis, grounded in Institutional Theory and Resource Dependency Theory, offered insights into UHM’s organizational culture and strategic responses to external and internal influences within the context of international education. The study underscored the importance of balancing compliance with regulatory demands, fostering innovation, and cultivating collaborative networks to enhance UHM’s global education initiatives. The dissertation identified areas for future research, such as exploring innovative strategies for international student recruitment, assessing the impact of digital transformation on international education, and examining the role of international partnerships in the development of global education initiatives. This dissertation contributed insights to the field of international education, offering a nuanced understanding of the strategic behaviors and challenges faced by higher education institutions like UHM in the global education landscape. The findings and recommendations provide a foundation for further research and strategic planning in the evolving domain of international education.
Socialization Of University Of Hawai‘i At Mānoa Instructional Faculty New To Hawai‘i
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Furoyama, Lori Y.; Lucas, Christopher M.; Educational Administration
This exploratory qualitative case study highlighted the experiences of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) instructional faculty who relocated to Hawai‘i between 2011-2018 with no prior connection to the community. The research questions were designed to gain an overall understanding of the socialization experiences of faculty in and out of the instructional environment. The primary research question was, “How are new faculty, who are also new to Hawai‘i, socialized into their roles in Hawai‘i and at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa?” One-on-one interviews with 14 new-to-Hawai‘i instructional faculty, two focus groups with 12 campus constituents, along with human resource records, and institutional data were incorporated and analyzed using Johnson’s Model for Positive Faculty Socialization (1999) as a guide. Schein’s three Categories of Culture (2010): macroculture (off-campus community), organizational culture (within the campus), and microculture (their students) were used to structure the concepts of this study. The study determined support services are needed prior to faculty members’ arrival on campus and must extend beyond the physical campus to the off-campus community. Mentoring and orientation programs should be offered frequently and regularly at the campus and unit levels. In the classroom, formal workshops on techniques such as “talk story” and informal socialization opportunities for students and faculty would be beneficial in strengthening relationships between the two groups. Overall, this study revealed the need for campus leadership to be more purposeful and deliberate in providing opportunities and spaces for faculty members to get to know the outside community, their colleagues, and students. Keywords: community, faculty socialization, in-migrants, Johnson’s Model for Positive Faculty Socialization, Schein’s Categories of Culture, talk story, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Making Sense Of Gendered Communication Experiences Of Female Senior Student Affairs Officers
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2020) Mitchell, Leslie; Lucas, Christopher M.; Educational Administration
This research utilizes an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis design to investigate female senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) as they experience and implement gendered communication practices in the higher education workplace. Research regarding female SSAO interactions are absent from discourse on gendered communication and no comprehensive studies on the effect or use of gendered communication environments have been completed. This research addresses the following questions: How do female SSAOs make sense of their gendered communication practices and experiences? How do the perceptions of the female SSAO’s communication practices impact their experiences? Through completing a pre-interview reflection, personal and professional demographics survey, and open-ended interview, 18 female SSAO participants shared their experiences and implementation of gendered communication. Findings show that female SSAOs fluidly use both masculine and feminine communication attributes, are recipients of negative gendered communication and gender-based microaggressions, establish connections with their female identity through communication, and are highly reflective professionals regarding their personal and professional communication.
The Persistence of Southeast Asian Malay Students Studying in Higher Education Institutions Abroad: A Grounded Theory Study
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2020) Marali, Saiful Rizal; Lucas, Christopher M.; Educational Administration
This study bridges the gap in the literature by exploring the process of student persistence from the viewpoint of international students, and those from the Southeast Asian (SEA) Malay ethnic group. As one of the largest ethno-religious groups in the world, the SEA Malay culture is quite unique from other Asian cultures. By employing Corbin and Strauss’ (2015) principles of an evolved grounded theory approach to qualitative inquiry, this study discovered emerging concepts and categories that were grounded in data and ultimately created a substantive theory that explained the phenomenon. The following research question was answered: How do Malay students from Southeast Asia persist to degree completion when enrolling in higher education in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand? A purposeful theoretical sample of 28 Malay participants from Brunei were engaged to explore the prevalent problems and challenges they encountered and the strategies they utilized while studying abroad. This study demonstrated that SEA Malay students experienced inherently intertwined challenges and stressors as well as complex emotional processes that affected their persistence levels. The Model of the Persistence of Southeast Asian Malay Students Studying Abroad was constructed as a result of this study. Clear links were established between students’ persistence processes and institutional practices of cultural relevance and cultural responsiveness in explaining the success of SEA Malay students in higher education institutions abroad. Important implications include the creation of innovative and transformative strategies that are culturally relevant and culturally responsive to diverse student populations particularly, the international Malay student group from Southeast Asia. Keywords: Malay students, student persistence, student success
Exploring Whether and When: A Longitudinal Study of College Time-to-Completion
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2020) Caparoso, Jenna Tamiko; Heck, Ronald H.; Educational Administration
For many students in the United States it takes longer than the intended number of years to obtain a college degree. Delayed time-to-completion results in higher costs for students and their families, institutions, and societies, and increases the likelihood of student drop out. This study reframed the dominant deficit-based view on drop out in the literature to a strengths-based and ecological perspective of completion. Using discrete-time hazard models (a form of survival analysis), this study investigated the influence of individual and institutional factors on the timing of student degree completion within two-year and four-year institutions in a single public higher education state system. Findings demonstrated (1) factors reflecting the ways in which students engage academically with their institutions (e.g., attempting credits, attending one or more campuses) and (2) specific institutional factors have the greatest influence on the timing of degree completion, holding preexisting student characteristics constant. Thus, this study highlighted the critical role institutions can—and should—play in becoming active agents in the complex process of degree completion. Moreover, it suggested the need to reconceptualize what “timely” completion means and whether current expectations of time-to-completion align with—or clash against—the reality of today’s students and learning environments.
From Curricular Autonomy To Curricular Alignment: Documenting A Process Of Change At A Large Independent School
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2019) Wagner, Rebecca Siegel; Roberts, Stacey; Educational Administration
This qualitative study was designed to explore and understand the perceptions of 27 faculty members at a large independent school that were involved with a curricular alignment initiative during the 2017-2018 academic year. The sources of data for this study were curricular documents, observations of curriculum meetings, and face-to-face in-depth interviews. The researcher sought to gain an understanding for how a large independent school manages the tension between teacher autonomy and curricular alignment. The curricular initiative signaled a shift in faculty culture and work at a school where teacher autonomy was greatly valued. Key findings of this study were that tensions existed in areas such as philosophy, leadership, accountability, and collaboration that contributed to the challenge of developing an aligned curriculum. Principal recommendations include: development of a shared philosophy of education and instructional vision coupled with a well-defined organizational structure are perceived by faculty members as essential components for organizational change. Focused initiatives, ample time, and adequate professional development were also determined to be critical components for administrators to consider when embarking on change efforts within their school communities.

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