First Advisor
Merchant, William
First Committee Member
Tsai, Chai-Lin
Second Committee Member
Larkins, Randy
Third Committee Member
Paek, Sue Hyeon
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type
Dissertation
Date Created
5-2024
Department
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Applied Statistics and Research Methods, ASRM Student Work
Abstract
Institutional researchers use skills from their diverse backgrounds to collect, analyze and report data about their institutions to stakeholders representing various interests and levels of data literacy. However, there is little research into how these professionals process data and none into what aspects are important to institutional researchers when planning and executing these analyses. Given the importance of student persistence in higher education, this study used mixed methods to examine the factors institutional researchers consider when selecting a quantitative approach to exploring persistence and how they apply to selecting a quantitative approach. Three approaches (proportions, logistic regression, and discrete time survival analysis) were used to analyze student persistence at a bachelor’s degree granting college and the findings from each approach were compared. The differences among these findings were shared in four focus groups of institutional researchers and administrators where participants discussed their experiences in collecting and analyzing persistence data and communicating the findings. Participants shared that the operational limitations of the approaches, the need for methodological rigor, their institutional data culture, and the way persistence was operationalized in the request are driving factors in which approaches they use. These findings present a different perspective on how to select a quantitative analysis approach than the purely methodological process taught in academia suggesting that practical learning would improve future institutional researchers’ preparation for the profession.
Abstract Format
html
Extent
148 pages
Local Identifiers
Rockwell_unco_0161D_11235.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Recommended Citation
Rockwell, Angela J., "A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Three Quantitative Approaches for Examining Persistence" (2024). Dissertations. 1058.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/1058