Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Mary Clisbee

Committee Member

Rande Matteson

Keywords

academic subject selection, community college, ROI for education of human capital, major choice, passion for subject(s), self-efficacy, student preferences

Abstract

Postsecondary students are expected to demonstrate self-efficacy, including career decision-making, which is predicated on astute selection of academic majors. At a small community college, where most students depend on local government to fund postsecondary education, students’ passion for specific subjects may be marginalized by factors like local workforce needs, projected by local government. So how does selfefficacy impact students’ passion or preference for academic-subjects, and ultimately their decisions regarding what subject(s) to study at college? Additionally, what are some implications for government’s ROI in the education of human capital?

This applied dissertation is a study designed to determine whether students’ passion for learning specific subject-matter is subverted by heightened self-efficacy and/or the desire to satisfy local workforce needs.

A representative sample of students from one department at a college was obtained by utilizing purposive, stratified random sampling. Data were collected from three sources: Quantitative data from institutional records, via Caribbean Examinations Council’s Online Registration System (ORS), for general trends in subject-major choices; Selfefficacy scores, collected by administering the Short-Form General Self-Efficacy test to the sample population; Qualitative data, collected by interviewing those participants with top, middle, and bottom self-efficacy scores--for a total of 11 students.

The quantitative and qualitative data sets were analyzed separately, followed by an integrated interpretation of the entire analysis, and narrative of the findings presented. Conclusions were drawn, based upon the findings, and future follow-up research studies were recommended by the researcher.

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