Tailoring Retention Theories to Meet the Needs of Rural Appalachian Community College Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen R. Hlinka
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
College Level ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Rural Community College ◽  
Point Of Entry ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Transfer Method ◽  
Major Factors

Objective: Traditional-age students attending a rural community college in Kentucky’s Appalachian region were interviewed, along with faculty members and administrators, to identify phenomena serving as sources of encouragement or as barriers to retention from the point of entry to the point of transfer. Method: Students’ perspectives were collected in a qualitative study and were analyzed using a theoretical foundation of Tinto’s integration theory, enhanced with Kegan’s cognitive development theory and Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, habitus, and field. Results: Findings revealed three major factors affecting decision-making processes about persistence: (a) community’s and family’s values of education provide the essential push to attend and complete college, (b) students are challenged with overcoming the pull of family obligations, and (c) students struggle to make the cognitive leap necessary to master college-level coursework. Contributions: The results emphasize the importance of each college investing resources to understand the specific needs of that institution’s students, students shaped by their region’s culture and other defining traits, and customizing retention practices and programs to meet those unique needs. This study also adds to the limited research on persistence in Appalachian community colleges.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Learning Gains among Students in Microbiology Class: A Preliminary Study Between a U.S. Community College and a Canadian Comprehensive University

Fine Focus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-33
Author(s):  
Naowarat Cheeptham ◽  
Archana Lal
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Learning Gains ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Student Demographics ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Science Classes

Though in the past, serious concerns have been raised about students’ interest and learning gains in STEM courses, not much research has been done to examine the differences in learning science at community colleges and universities. The purpose of this paper is to close this gap. This paper analyzes the influence of students’ demographics, preparedness, major, and attitudes on their learning gains in an introductory microbiology class at a community college vs. a university. Student demographics, information about their preparedness level, major, and attitudes were collected in a questionnaire and students’ learning gains were assessed by comparing student performance on a pre- and post-test on four different topics in microbiology. Our results indicate that students’ majors and attitudes such as their willingness to actively participate in the classroom discussions and spend time outside the classroom to learn are major factors that enhance their learning. Age and marital status positively impact learning gains while gender, employment status, and citizenship status show no impact on learning gains in students. Our results also indicate that students at the community college who had less exposure to science classes in high school or biology classes in college achieved statistically higher learning gains despite having overall lower scores on two of the four post-tests.

scholarly journals Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4113
Author(s):  
Valeria Superti ◽  
Cynthia Houmani ◽  
Ralph Hansmann ◽  
Ivo Baur ◽  
Claudia R. Binder
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Recycled Concrete ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Adoption Of Innovation ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
High Level

With increasing urbanisation, new approaches such as the Circular Economy (CE) are needed to reduce resource consumption. In Switzerland, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste accounts for the largest portion of waste (84%). Beyond limiting the depletion of primary resources, implementing recycling strategies for C&D waste (such as using recycled aggregates to produce recycled concrete (RC)), can also decrease the amount of landfilled C&D waste. The use of RC still faces adoption barriers. In this research, we examined the factors driving the adoption of recycled products for a CE in the C&D sector by focusing on RC for structural applications. We developed a behavioural framework to understand the determinants of architects’ decisions to recommend RC. We collected and analysed survey data from 727 respondents. The analyses focused on architects’ a priori beliefs about RC, behavioural factors affecting their recommendations of RC, and project-specific contextual factors that might play a role in the recommendation of RC. Our results show that the factors that mainly facilitate the recommendation of RC by architects are: a senior position, a high level of RC knowledge and of the Minergie label, beliefs about the reduced environmental impact of RC, as well as favourable prescriptive social norms expressed by clients and other architects. We emphasise the importance of a holistic theoretical framework in approaching decision-making processes related to the adoption of innovation, and the importance of the agency of each involved actor for a transition towards a circular construction sector.

scholarly journals Relationship between Land Use Mix and Walking Choice in High-Density Cities: A Review of Walking in Seoul, South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 810
Author(s):  
Eun Yeong Seong ◽  
Nam Hwi Lee ◽  
Chang Gyu Choi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Land Use Mix ◽  
Family Housing ◽  
Mixed Land Use ◽  
Major Factors

This study confirmed the general belief of urban planners that mixed land use promotes walking in Seoul, a metropolis in East Asia, by analyzing the effect of mixed land use on the travel mode choice of housewives and unemployed people who make non-commuting trips on weekdays. Using binomial logistic regression of commuting data, it was found that the more mixed a neighborhood environment’s uses are, the more the pedestrians prefer to walk rather than drive. The nonlinear relationship between the land use mix index and the choice to walk was also confirmed. Although mixed land use in neighborhoods increased the probability of residents choosing walking over using cars, when the degree of complexity increased above a certain level, the opposite effect was observed. As the density of commercial areas increased, the probability of selecting walking increased. In addition to locational characteristics, income and housing type were also major factors affecting the choice to walk; i.e., when the residents’ neighborhood environment was controlled for higher income and living in an apartment rather than multi-family or single-family housing, they were more likely to choose driving over walking.

scholarly journals Analyzing Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Land Management Practices in Mecha Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7007
Author(s):  
Habtamu Nebere ◽  
Degefa Tolossa ◽  
Amare Bantider
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
The Impact

In Ethiopia, the practice of land management started three decades ago in order to address the problem of land degradation and to further boost agricultural production. However, the impact of land management practices in curbing land degradation problems and improving the productivity of the agricultural sector is insignificant. Various empirical works have previously identified the determinants of the adoption rate of land management practices. However, the sustainability of land management practices after adoption, and the various factors that control the sustainability of implemented land management practices, are not well addressed. This study analyzed the factors affecting the sustainability of land management practices after implementation in Mecha Woreda, northwestern Ethiopia. The study used 378 sample respondents, selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were qualitatively and concurrently analyzed with the quantitative data. The sustained supply of fodder from the implemented land management practices, as well as improved cattle breed, increases the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. While lack of agreement in the community, lack of enforcing community bylaws, open cattle grazing, lack of benefits of implemented land management practices, acting as barrier for farming practices, poor participation of household heads during planning and decision-making processes, as well as the lack of short-term benefits, reduce the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. Thus, it is better to allow for the full participation of household heads in planning and decision-making processes to bring practical and visible results in land management practices. In addition, recognizing short-term benefits to compensate the land lost in constructing land management structures must be the strategy in land management practices. Finally, reducing the number of cattle and practicing stall feeding is helpful both for the sustainability of land management practices and the productivity of cattle. In line with this, fast-growing fodder grass species have to be introduced for household heads to grow on land management structures and communal grazing fields for stall feeding.

scholarly journals Is it possible to estimate the need for surgical management in patients with a tubo-ovarian abscess at admission? A retrospective long-term analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Gözüküçük ◽  
Esra Gülen Yıldız
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Treatment ◽  
Antibiotic Therapy ◽  
Treatment Failure ◽  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Laboratory Infection ◽  
Major Factors

Abstract Background This study aimed to determine the possible prognostic factors correlated with the treatment modalities of tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOAs) and thus to assess whether the need for surgery was predictable at the time of initial admission. Materials and methods Between January 2012 and December 2019, patients who were hospitalized with a TOA in our clinic were retrospectively recruited. The age of the patients, clinical and sonographic presentation, pelvic inflammatory risk factors, antibiotic therapy, applied surgical treatment, laboratory infection parameters, and length of hospital stay were recorded. Results The records of 115 patients hospitalized with a prediagnosis of TOA were reviewed for the current study. After hospitalization, TOA was ruled out in 19 patients, and data regarding 96 patients was included for analysis. Twenty-eight (29.2%) patients underwent surgical treatment due to failed antibiotic therapy. Sixty-eight (70.8%) were successfully treated with parenteral antibiotics. Medical treatment failure and need for surgery were more common in patients with a large abscess (volume, > 40 cm3, or diameter, > 5 cm). The group treated by surgical intervention was statistically older than the patients receiving medical treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although the treatment in TOA may vary according to clinical, sonographic, and laboratory findings; age of patients, the abscess size, and volume were seen as the major factors affecting medical treatment failure. Moreover, TOA treatment should be planned on a more individual basis.

scholarly journals Progress in Research on Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Cementitious Composites

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghua Li ◽  
Jintao Liu ◽  
Shilang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Cementitious Composites ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Multiwalled Carbon ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Major Factors

As one-dimensional (1D) nanofiber, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used to improve the performance of nanocomposites due to their high strength, small dimensions, and remarkable physical properties. Progress in the field of CNTs presents a potential opportunity to enhance cementitious composites at the nanoscale. In this review, current research activities and key advances on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reinforced cementitious composites are summarized, including the effect of MWCNTs on modulus of elasticity, porosity, fracture, and mechanical and microstructure properties of cement-based composites. The issues about the improvement mechanisms, MWCNTs dispersion methods, and the major factors affecting the mechanical properties of composites are discussed. In addition, large-scale production methods of MWCNTs and the effects of CNTs on environment and health are also summarized.

Evaluation of Si Coating on Ferritic Steels by CVD-FBR Technology in Steam Oxidation

2009 ◽  
Vol 289-292 ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. Bolívar ◽  
L. Sánchez ◽  
M.P. Hierro ◽  
F.J. Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Protective Coatings ◽  
Steam Oxidation ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Steam Power ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Steam Power Plants ◽  
Temperature And Pressure ◽  
Major Factors

The development of new power generation plants firing fossil fuel is aiming at achieving higher thermal efficiencies of the energy conversion process. The major factors affecting the efficiency of the conventional steam power plants are the temperature and, to a lesser extent, the pressure of the steam entering the turbine. The increased operating temperature and pressure require new materials that have major oxidation resistance. Due to this problem, in the last years numerous studies have been conducted in order to develop new coatings to enhance the resistance of steels with chromium contents between 9 and 12% wt against steam oxidation in order to allow operation of steam turbines at 650 0C. In this study, Si protective coatings were deposited by CVD-FBR on ferritic steel P-91. These type of coatings have shown to be protective at 650 0C under steam for at least 3000 hours of laboratory steam exposure under atmospheric pressure. Morphology and composition of coatings were characterized by different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show a substantial increase of steam oxidation protection afforded by Si coating by CVD-FBR process.

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