Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
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Item TRANSFER EFFICACY: EXPLORING A SUCCESS ORIENTED NARRATIVE OF THE TRANSFER STUDENT EXPERIENCE(2019) Hayes, Shannon; Cabrera, Alberto; Park, Julie; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this dissertation study is to understand the extent to which self-efficacy is present in the transfer process for community college students from different racial and sociocultural backgrounds. Specifically, this research borrows from Bandura’s (1994) construct of self-efficacy in order to introduce Transfer Efficacy, which is a framework developed to describe the way in which students’ develop self-efficacy beliefs around their ability to transfer and navigate the transfer process. This study employed a nested qualitative case study methodology, which took an in-depth look at 15 community college students who had transferred from a two-year to a four-year institution. The student participants in this study, who served as the nested cases, were interviewed individually in order to understand their transfer experiences. In addition to the individual interviews with student participants, the other data collected included the analysis of various documents and interviews with four administrators who worked on the two-year and four-year campus. Findings from this study provide a number of implications for future consideration. In particular, this dissertation suggests that Transfer Efficacy may be a useful framework for understanding transfer student narratives. Further, the findings point to the importance of internship experiences for students while enrolled in community college, the significance of pre-transfer advising, and the need for stronger transfer articulation agreements. Also worth noting is the possible connection between institutional commitment, the development of self-efficacy for transfer, and transfer student identity. This study is significant in three main ways. First, this study contributes to the transfer student narrative by providing a new perspective regarding the positive outcomes of transfer. In particular, this study contributes to current transfer student research by unpacking the role of self-efficacy. Second, this research provides practical implications for higher education practitioners so that the transfer student pipeline may become a more solid path for students seeking to graduate with a baccalaureate degree. Finally, this research will shed light on the contextual nature of the transfer process.Item Learning Experiences in Career Exploration and Decision-Making: A Test of the Career Self-Management Model(2017) Ireland, Glenn Walter; Lent, Robert W; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The proposed study had two objectives. First, it refined a recently developed measure of five types of learning experiences that, according to social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent & Brown, 2013), inform self-efficacy and outcome expectations in the domain of career exploration and decision-making. Second, it used the new measure to test hypotheses that (a) career exploration and decision-making learning experiences predicted both career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations, and (b) these learning experiences related to career exploration goals indirectly via self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Data were collected via an online survey from 215 college students in introductory psychology courses. Hypothesized relationships among the learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals were tested using hierarchical linear regression. Non-parametric bootstrapping was used to test mediation (indirect effects) hypotheses.Item THE COLLEGE-GOING SELF EFFICACY SCALE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A MEASURE(2013) Jones, Russell Alan; Kivlighan Jr., Dennis M; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the College-Going Self Efficacy Scale for High School Students (CSHS). The CSHS is a measure of self-efficacy in completing college-going tasks (i.e. acquiring knowledge of oneself, acquiring knowledge about colleges, exploring colleges, completing college application tasks, acquiring information about financial aid/scholarship monies, receiving support from adults, and understanding potential college barriers) experienced by African American urban high school students. Participants (N = 272) included a local sample of high school students from a Washington, D.C. charter school. All participants resided in the DC metropolitan area within the continental United States at the time of data collection. Data were collected through the use of a paper-based survey containing the CSHS and measures used to assess convergent and discriminant validity. Internal consistency estimates of subscales ranged from .81 to .87. Convergent validity was supported through positive relations of the CSHS subscales with vocational identity and achievement goals. Discriminant validity was not supported, as there was a positive relation between the CSHS subscales and life satisfaction. Directions for future research and the limitations of this study are discussed.Item SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS OF PRINCIPALS IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HIGH SCHOOLS WITH HIGH AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE GRADUATION RATES(2013) Dillard, Rhonda Cherie; Parham, Carole S; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This qualitative case study examined the self-efficacy beliefs of three high school principals in economically disadvantaged high schools with consistently high graduation rates for African American males. With the demand on school systems to perform in a politically driven, assessment-based paradigm, there is a need to describe and analyze the specific strategies that principals utilize to ensure academic success for African American males and explain how the belief about their abilities contribute to African American male graduation. To conduct this examination, the researcher analyzed transcripts from semi-structured interviews. The study's findings affirmed that self-efficacy beliefs were considerably influenced by mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and affective states; each respective of a particular dynamic experience. The findings from this case study added to current knowledge about principal self-efficacy and the need for leadership development programs to include the review of efficacy-developing practices. Studying the self-efficacy beliefs of principals in economically disadvantaged high schools with high African American male graduation rates proved a significant way to learn about how today's schools address the barrier to graduation for African American male students. This study also added to the current knowledge about the influence of leadership on African American male achievement and graduation success. This study has policy and practice implications for districts interested in building the capacity for principal leadership through a strong sense of self-efficacy.Item An Analysis of the Relationship Between Elementary Princpal Self-Efficacy and 5th Grade Reading Achievement(2013) Lockard, Steven Andrew; Parham, Carol; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL SELF-EFFICACY AND 5TH GRADE READING ACHIEVEMENT Steven A. Lockard, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013 Dissertation directed by: Professor Carol Parham Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education Preparing students to be college or career ready in the 21st Century starts with the foundational skills they acquire in elementary school. Elementary school principals must work to ensure that, not only do they have a belief in their own abilities to provide this foundation, but that their school improvement efforts are reflected in the results of their students' achievement. This mixed-method study examines the relationship between elementary principals' perceptions of self-efficacy and student achievement scores in reading in a large suburban school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In addition, the study explored leadership behaviors exhibited by principals in schools with high principal self-efficacy and high reading achievement. Data was gathered through the use of a survey (Principal's Sense of Efficacy Scale), principal interviews and teacher focus groups to answer the research questions. The researcher analyzed survey and interview data, utilizing the framework for the study -the triadic reciprocal causation model (Bandura, 1997). This framework provided a lens through which the construct of principal efficacy could be examined. The findings from this study revealed that there was limited evidence to suggest that principal self-efficacy and reading achievement were correlated. However, there was some evidence to support general common leadership behaviors of principals who report high levels of self-efficacy, in schools where high reading achievement exists. The teacher focus group responses validated the same behaviors selected principals identified. The common behaviors as described by teachers included the four larger themes of trust, empowerment, expectations, and collaboration.Item Relationship Between School Counselor Multicultural Counseling Competence and Self-Efficacy in Working with Recent Immigrant Students(2012) Na, GoEun; Lee, Courtland C; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study is to examine how school counselors' multicultural counseling competence is related to their self-efficacy in working with recent immigrant students. This study investigated the demographic variables of school counselors, as well as three multicultural counseling competencies (multicultural terminology, multicultural knowledge, and multicultural awareness). A random sample of American School Counselor Association (ASCA) members received an online questionnaire via email, and a total of 381 professional school counselors participated in the study. The questionnaire combined the Multicultural Counseling and Training Survey-Revised (MCCTS-R), the School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSE) and demographic questionnaires. To assess the relationships between demographic variables, three multicultural counseling competencies, and five dimensions of self-efficacy the researcher conducted a series of descriptive analyses and a two-step hierarchical multiple regression. The results of the study suggested that training experiences in a graduate program, school urbanicity, and age were related to the counselors' perceived level of self-efficacy. Years of experience as a school counselor and race/ethnicity also were related to school counselors' self-efficacy, after controlling multicultural counseling competency variables. The study suggests that multicultural knowledge and multicultural awareness were related significantly to school counselors' self-efficacy when working with recent immigrant students.Item Factors Related to College Going Self-efficacy among Urban African American High School Students(2012) McKechnie, Jessica Diaz; Lee, Courtland C; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined the relationship between college-going self-efficacy and high school students' perceived levels of achievement goal orientations (mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance), vocational identity, need for occupational information, and barriers to occupational goals for a sample of African American urban high school students (N = 200). Furthermore, this study examined the extent to which those factors helped predict scores on the College-Going Self-Efficacy Scale. Findings revealed positive relationships between mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goal orientation, as well as vocational identity across all subscales of the College-Going Self-Efficacy Scale. Results showed little to no relationship between occupational information, the barriers scale and college-going self-efficacy scores. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore the predictability of the achievement goal orientation and career related factors on college-going self-efficacy. Results indicated that goal orientation would be consistently statistically significant across all phases of the college going process reflected in their self-efficacy scores and vocational identity was a significant predictor during the first phase and the final phase of the college going process.Item Self-Efficacy and Stigma in Seeking Mental Health Services in the U.S. Army(2012) Koeppl, Patrick Thomas; Gold, Robert S.; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Among the highest personal costs, and perhaps the most pervasive and potentially disabling consequences of engaging the U.S. military in combat operations, is the threat to the psychological health of the servicemen and women and the associated impacts on their families. Negative stigma associated with seeking mental health services undermines servicemen and women's access to such services and to seeking the care they require, either for themselves or their families. While negative stigma is well documented in servicemen and women and their families, little has been done to understand the role self-efficacy plays in relation to servicemen and women seeking such services. This study assessed and evaluated aspects of stigma associated with seeking mental health services among members of the U.S. Army, and explored the role self-efficacy plays in predicting the seeking of those services. It also sought to explore and understand the factors which predict servicemen and women's willingness to seek mental health services for themselves and their children in an environment where stigmatization of those who seek such services is high. This study included an analysis of data from a 53-item email survey administered to active-duty Army servicemen and women in 2007. Stigma was found to be the primary barrier to servicemen and women's willingness to seek care for themselves or for a child, and self-efficacy was found to moderate the relationship between stigma and willingness to seek mental health services. The results of this study will provide information pertinent to developing strategies and interventions for the U.S. Army to assist their servicemen and women (and their families) in overcoming negative stigma associated with seeking mental health services and for improving the access to and use of mental health services offered by the Army.Item Secondary Transition Experiences: Analyzing Perceptions, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Adjustment, and Overall Impact on College Students' with LD Success in Postsecondary Education(2011) Butler, Allison Lynette; Fabian, Ellen; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences under the United States Department of Education funded the National Longitudinal Transition Study - 2 to provide the first national overview of the characteristics and experiences of youth with disabilities which includes self-representations of themselves, their schooling, their personal relationships, and their future aspirations. The study was initiated in 2001 and data collection ended in 2010. The NLTS2 provided insight to youth's perceptions of secondary experiences and expectations for the future which was an area with limited research. The current study draws from college students with learning disabilities in an attempt to analyze their perceptions through experience. Exploratory and descriptive, this investigation examines the relationship between students' perceptions of their secondary transition experiences, academic self-efficacy, academic adjustment, and cumulative semester grade point average (GPA). The purpose of this study was to analyze participants' experiences to generate information regarding how students perceive the effectiveness of their secondary transition programs in pursuit of postsecondary success. In addition, this study examined self-efficacy issues and academic adjustment. Through online survey administration the following instruments were used: a demographic questionnaire, National Longitudinal Transition Study - 2 (NLTS2) Youth Continuation Interview (YCI) containing questions asking participants to rate their perceptions, the Academic Self-Efficacy scale (CASES; Owen and Froman, 1988), and the academic adjustment subscale of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker & Siryk, 1989). Data was analyzed using a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson's product moment correlations. In addition a step-wise multiple regression was performed in order to identify the most influential factors associated with postsecondary academic success (GPA). Academic self-efficacy was the primary determinant of student success. Variables found to have significant relationships with academic self-efficacy were perceptions of secondary transition experiences, academic adjustment, self-reported cumulative grade point average, and number of semesters completed. An inverse relationship was discovered to exist between academic self-efficacy and type of institution as well as being African American and Latino students.Item INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN DOMAIN-SPECIFIC BELIEFS ABOUT WRITING, WRITING SELF-EFFICACY, WRITING APPREHENSION, AND WRITING PERFORMANCE IN UNDERGRADUATES(2010) Sanders-Reio, Joanne; Alexander, Patricia A.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Writing has been called the "neglected `R'" in the traditional trilogy of reading, `riting, and `rithmetic (National Commission on Writing, 2003). Writing performance continues to languish, despite societal expectations that students should be able to write clearly and precisely. Sociocognitive theory predicts that writing beliefs are related to writing performance. Much research has focused on writing self-efficacy beliefs and their link to writing apprehension and writing performance, while research exploring another type of belief, domain-specific beliefs about writing itself, is sparse. This study examined the relations between these beliefs about writing, writing self-efficacy, and writing apprehension, and their links to writing performance. This research was a three-phase study. Phases I and II involved instrument construction and validation, while Phase III examined the relations among the research variables. Two hundred eighty-seven Hispanic women students completed a test battery in class measuring demographics, beliefs about writing, writing self-efficacy, and writing apprehension. Writing performance was measured separately on an authentic writing task, a take-home paper, by both an overall grade and six component grades. Inter-rater agreements on these grades ranged from r = .83 to .91. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that beliefs about writing independently predicted writing performance and that some beliefs about writing (e.g., Good writers adapt their message to their readers) are adaptive and associated with strong writing performance, while other beliefs about writing (e.g., Readers are impressed by big words) are maladaptive and relate to weak writing performance. In addition, apprehension about making grammatical and other mechanical errors had a stronger negative effect on writing performance than the more traditional concept of writing apprehension, which concerns sharing one's writing with others and having it critiqued. After controlling for domain-specific beliefs, writing self-efficacy weakly predicted writing performance as well. These results support the need for future research examining the relations among the research variables and writing performance in samples that are more balanced with respect to gender and ethnicity, and with other writing tasks. Because beliefs about writing demonstrated the largest beta weights in the regression equations, these beliefs may have the most promise for promoting both writing research and practice.