Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
Permanent URI for this collection
The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Measuring entrepreneurial potential : a comprehensive scale development for emerging student entrepreneurs(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Matcharashvili, Irakli; Easter, MatthewThere is a tradition of self‐report measures in entrepreneurship research, such as the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (Liñán et al., 2011) and the Entrepreneurial Self‑Efficacy Scale (McGee et al., 2009) yet none are tailored to capture the unique motivational profiles of today’s undergraduate student entrepreneurs. To fill this gap, the present study developed and validated the Entrepreneurial Motivation Assessment (EMA) Scale through a three‐phase process. First, a comprehensive literature review and expert consultations informed the generation of items reflecting four core constructs: internal locus of control, achievement need, risk‐taking proclivity, and innovation orientation. Second, qualitative pilot testing with undergraduates refined item clarity and content relevance. Finally, a large‐scale survey employed confirmatory factor analysis to compare higher‐order and four‐factor correlated models, yielding a 19‐item structure with excellent fit (CFI = .979; RMSEA = .036) and strong reliability (ω = .82). The EMA Scale offers a theoretically grounded tool for assessing and fostering entrepreneurial potential among emerging student entrepreneurs.Item Interpretive phenomenological analysis of interviews with adolescents to inform understanding of school-based anti-fat bias(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Fountain, Raisa;Anti-fat discrimination (fatphobia, weight stigma) is a significant and pervasive issue in the United States for children and adults. Weight or perceived fatness is the single most predictive trait associated with bullying in schools in the United States. Qualitative analyses of the experiences of youth are limited. The purpose of this study is to explore current students' experiences of anti-fat bias to operationalize the behaviors that communicate this bias in school settings and to uncover details that may be more difficult to determine through quantitative studies. This study used interpretive phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews on the topic of personal experiences of anti-fat bias to contribute to further understanding of how the bias manifests and is experienced in school settings. Participants discussed topics such as school disengagement, feelings of non-belonging at school, critical locations, and social hierarchy. Implications for future research, potential solutions, and the importance of this issue are discussed.Item Exploring the role of family engagement in high school dropout prevention in Paraguay : parental persepectives and experiences(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2025) Benietez-Gomez, Mariam Lujan; Neier, LeighThis qualitative study explores how families in rural Paraguay perceive their role in preventing high school dropouts focusing on their beliefs, daily practices, and the barriers they face. Using a phenomenological approach, six caregivers of at-risk high school students participated in semi-structured interviews and shared their lived experiences which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that families see themselves as central actors in their children's educational persistence, supporting them through emotional encouragement, daily routines, and constant communication with schools. Challenges included economic hardship, lack of transportation, and caregiving responsibilities, which often limited caregivers' ability to stay engaged. Participants emphasized the importance of stable family environments and advocated for practical support such as financial aid and more flexible institutional policies. The findings align with Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, illustrating how factors at the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystem levels influence dropout prevention. This study offers new perspectives for policymakers and educators aiming to foster stronger family-school partnerships through holistic interventions that place families at the center of school retention strategies.Item Measurement invariance among Latinx and White engineering college students on the planning for career and family scale(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Hu, Xiaotian; Flores, Lisa Y.This study examined the measurement invariance of the Planning for Career and Family scale (PLAN; Ganginis Del Pino et al., 2013), originally developed to assess career and family planning decisions for women college students, across a diverse sample of women and men engineering students. The PLAN scale, initially comprising 24 items, was revised to a 21-item scale following confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) that eliminated three cross-loading items. Subsequent testing of one-factor, two-factor, and bifactor structural models suggested that the bifactor model was the best fit to the data, aligning with existing literature, and thus was used as the baseline model for subsequent measurement invariance testing. We tested the measurement invariance of the 21-item bifactor PLAN model across gender (men, women), ethnicity (Latinx, White), academic years (from first year to senior year), and intersections of gender and ethnicity (Latinx men, Latinx women, White men, White women) using two methods. Results of the two methods revealed mixed results on the levels of invariance, with scalar invariance across academic years supported by one method. Latent mean comparisons indicated significant differences in career and family planning intentions between sophomores and seniors. The findings confirm the PLAN scale's effectiveness across diverse student groups and underscore the importance of further validating its applicability in diverse populations. This study offers insights into shaping educational policies and programs that effectively support diverse career and family planning perspectives among engineering students in higher education.Item Social-cognitive predictors of psychological well-being among college students with Autism Spectrum Disorder : application of the social cognitive well-being model(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Hu, Xiaotian; Flores, Lisa Y.The current study tested and extended Lent's (2004) unifying social cognitive career theory of well-being among a sample of 219 college students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Structural Equational Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the interplay among contextual support (i.e., environmental supports), cognitive variables (i.e., self-efficacy, outcome expectations), personality traits (i.e., positive affect), and behavioral variables (i.e., goal-directed activity) as hypothesized in unifying SCCT wellbeing model. Results indicated that the SCCT well-being model provide a good fit to the data. Additionally, we proposed and tested a modified SCCT well-being model that incorporates internalizing symptoms (anxiety and depression), which are highly prevalent in the autistic population. This modified model not only fits the data well but also explains a greater variance in life satisfaction for autistic college students compared to the original model. The comparison of academic and life satisfaction between our sample and neurotypical populations, as reported in existing literature, reveals that while academic satisfaction levels are similar, autistic students experience lower life satisfaction. Implications for research and practice were discussed in relation to enhancing academic and life satisfaction among college students with ASD.