Date of Award
12-1-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Floralba Arbelo-Marrero, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Aaron Cooley, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Toni Carr, Ed.D.
Abstract
Newly hired college graduates who have earned their degree in business are underprepared in demonstrable foundational and functional professional competencies required for success in the workplace. The basic business skills necessary to be learned through studies at institutions of higher education are forcing schools to consider if changing the way learning is assessed would create a more valuable post-graduation employee. This phenomenological case study was designed to discover if business school educators at institutions of higher learning recognize the value of using authentic assessment practices as preparation for graduates seeking future employment in a business setting. The study was conducted at a single institution located in the Northeast region of the United States. A combination of 16 members of the administrative team, subject matter experts, and faculty were invited to participate in the study. Data included one-on-one interviews and an open-ended question questionnaire. The four main themes identified include current assessment practices, the understanding of authentic assessment, curriculum creation at the institution, and how student skill validation is currently conducted in the classroom. The outcomes resulting from this research study help to identify further research opportunities including expanding to a larger, more diverse population of participants. Additionally, implementing the same study procedures but across different disciplines would uncover if the phenomenon was global to an institution or specific only to the business school.