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The Effect of Participation in a Community College Peer

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The Effect of Participation in a Community College Peer THE EXAMINATION OF PARTICIPATION IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE PEER MENTORING PROGRAM ON SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF FIRST-TIME STUDENTS A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education BY KAREN GOOS Dr. Barbara Martin, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2013 © Copyright by Karen Goos 2013 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled THE EXAMINATION OF PARTICIPATION IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE PEER MENTORING PROGRAM ON SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF FIRST-TIME STUDENTS presented by Karen Goos, a candidate for the degree of doctor of education, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Dr. Barbara N. Martin, Dissertation Advisor Dr. Sandy Hutchinson Dr. Carolyn McKnight Dr. Doug Thomas ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I began this long journey, I had no idea how much support and encouragement I would need to complete such a task. I now know you are only as strong as your team. I am grateful to those who have continued to support, encourage, and motivate me to persist on this journey. To my family, Mom, Dad, Neil, Nancy, Tricia, Jon, my sisters, and their families for being supportive during this process, often they did not understand what I was going through but continued to ask, encourage, and support me through this journey. I would like to specifically thank my in-laws who always go out of their way to assist. They all would watch my children for long periods of time when I had papers due and have provided positive words me for the past several years. Without your assistance, I could have easily given up on numerous occasions. Thank you to my colleagues at MCC particularly Rosemary Asta for talking me into not only this doctorate degree but to advance my career to make a difference in students’ lives. I know I would not be where I am today if it were not for our discussions about the importance education and how remarkable our students are. To Dawn Hatterman, Shelli Allen, Jon Burke, Tuesday Stanley, and Joe Seabrooks for your encouragement and support, thank you for inquiring about the process and allowing me to be flexible with work commitments while I completed this journey. I would like to especially thank my Doctoral Chair, Dr. Barbara Martin. Your patience and encouragement throughout this process have been critical to my success. You have been extremely patient as I had children and changed jobs throughout this journey. You gave me the kind of support that inspires confidence and the willingness to ii persist. Additionally, I wish to thank my dissertation committee: Dr. Doug Thomas, Dr. Sandy Hutchinson, Dr. Linda Bigby, and Dr. Carolyn McKnight for their time, insight, and input throughout this process. Most importantly, I would like to thank my family; Nick, Kierra, Jackson, and Maya. Nick, you are an amazing person who put me first because you knew how much this meant to me. Thank you for all of the time and work you sacrificed. You are an amazing man and husband. This doctorate would have not been possible without your support, encouragement, and love. To my children, I love you all very much. It has been difficult to take time away over the last several years. I look forward to spending quality time with you as this journey comes to an end and yours begins. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Background ................................................................................................................1 Conceptual Framework ..............................................................................................3 Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................6 Research Questions ....................................................................................................6 Design of the Study ....................................................................................................7 Limitations and Assumptions of the Study ................................................................8 Design Controls .........................................................................................................9 Definition of Key Terms ............................................................................................10 Summary ....................................................................................................................11 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction ................................................................................................................12 Importance of Retention and Persistence ...................................................................13 Importance of the First Year Experience ...................................................................14 Organizational Learning ............................................................................................15 Learning Communities...............................................................................................19 Peer Mentoring...........................................................................................................21 iv Tinto’s Student Departure Model ..............................................................................23 Social Learning Theory and Student Involvement Theory ........................................26 Summary ....................................................................................................................31 3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY Introduction ................................................................................................................33 Research Questions ....................................................................................................34 Rationale for Use of a Dual Case Study ....................................................................35 Limitations of a Dual Case Study Design ..................................................................37 Participants .................................................................................................................39 Data Collection and Instrumentation .........................................................................40 Focus Group Protocol ................................................................................................41 Interview Protocol ......................................................................................................42 Data Analysis Procedures ..........................................................................................42 Summary ....................................................................................................................43 4. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction ................................................................................................................45 Study Design ..............................................................................................................46 Data Collection Methods ...........................................................................................46 Conceptual Underpinnings.........................................................................................47 Research Questions ....................................................................................................47 Process of Data Analysis ...........................................................................................48 Settings .......................................................................................................................49 Participants .................................................................................................................51 v Themes .......................................................................................................................52 Summary ....................................................................................................................67 5. SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSIONS Introduction ................................................................................................................68 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................69 Conclusions ................................................................................................................80 Limitations .................................................................................................................83 Implications for Practice ............................................................................................85 Recommendations for Future Study ..........................................................................86 Concluding Overview ...............................................................................................88 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................90
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