APA Dissertation Style Manual

Lauren and Randy’s

APA Dissertation Style Manual

5th Edition*

SDSU Ed.D. Program

1st Edition, December 2009

*Initial draft working title. Title will change as our classmates contribute additional information, and who knows, this might even become something “official”!

This draft, unofficial guide is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), Fifth Edition, which specifies the formatting required for the 2007 cohort of the San Diego State University (SDSU) Doctorate in Education. The guide is not comprehensive and is not an official university document. It is designed to provide guidance for Ed.D. students based on the experiences of those in the program who have completed dissertations, and much of the information contained herein came from the helpful feedback provided by SDSU Thesis Reviewer Amanda Carpenter.

This guide is intended to be modified by users, and shared freely with all cohorts in the program. Updates that are disseminated should include the date of modification, and should be made available to all doctoral program students who could benefit from this information. Please feel free to make changes and corrections as necessary.

APA Dissertation Specific Information

Chapter Six of the APA manual covers the differences between manuscript preparation (for journal publication) and dissertation preparation. Compared to the APA formatting that we used for papers in our courses, there are a few important differences for dissertations:

• Left margins must be 1 ½ inches, others 1 inch.
• Spacing must be double for the document text, but single-spacing can be used in cases where it would improve readability (6.03). This can be useful for long tables. The choice of spacing must be consistent throughout the document, however (if one table is single-spaced, all similar tables should be single-spaced).
• Note that this program does not follow the SDSU Thesis and Dissertation Manual in terms of formatting. The template found on the SDSU thesis website should not be used for Ed.D. dissertations.

Amanda reviewed the APA manual, and provided the following guidance:

1. Is it a requirement to include the IRB in the Appendix: It is not a requirement to include the IRB in the Appendix, but if you would like to then you may.
   2. What should the List of Tables/Figures look like? I have been unable to find any reference to the formatting of an APA List of Tables or Figures. Therefore, I will only check that the formatting of those pages is uniform and matches the formatting of the table of contents (spacing, font size etc)(See sample).
   3. Is there a requirement that there must be text between two headings? I wondered if this was a requirement in APA (it is for the SDSU DTM) but I was unable to find any evidence that it is.
   4. How many levels of headings should be used: While you were in the office, we briefly discussed how many levels of headings you should use in each chapter. I took a moment to check again in the manual and the most definitive answer is in section 3.30 on page 112 which confirms that you should find the chapter that divides into the greatest numberof levels and apply that number of headings to the entire document. (Note: Randy’s chapter 4 had four levels of headings, so the dissertation followed the APA manual four-level guidelines [3.32, pg. 115] even for the other chapters, which only had three levels of headings)
   4. How should definitions be formatted? Again, I was unable to find any definitive rules regarding the inclusion of definitions. Therefore, I will just be checking for uniformity.
   5. Is it allowable to insert a table into the middle of a paragraph? Again, I was unable to find a rule regarding where and when to insert a table into the text.

Sample Pages and General Comments/Corrections

These are presented in the order they appear in the dissertation, whenever possible. The sample pages contained in the first edition are from Randy Barnes’s dissertation; feel free to replace as better examples are found. A few important differences between manuscript and dissertation formats should be noted:

• No running heads. Page numbers should be in the upper right-hand corner.
• As mentioned previously, 1 1/2” left margin.
• Chapter 1 begins with page 1 (does not continue with numbering from introductory pages).
• See the following sample pages for cover, signature pages, tables of contents, etc. Consistency is important. DELETE THE INTRO LINE (ITALICS) WHEN MEASURING MARGINS!
• Helpful hint: a long dash — can be made by pressing the ctrl-alt-dash (minus sign) keys simultaneously. Useful in the Table of Contents.
• References: follow the APA manual (chapter 4), and check to make sure your web links are still active. The guidance we have received in our classes has been helpful, and Amanda had no changes to my (Randy’s) reference list.
• Feel free to replace Randy’s examples as better examples become available!

Sample cover page.

Community College Learning Communities: Impact on

Student Success in Developmental English

by

Randall A. Barnes

A dissertation submitted to the faculty of

San Diego State University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

Doctor of Educational Leadership

October 29, 2009

Sample signature page. Spell out Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education.

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

The Undersigned Faculty Committee Approves the

Dissertation of

Dr. Randall A. Barnes

Community College Learning Communities: Impact on Student

Success in Developmental English

______

William E. Piland, Chair

Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education

______

Ron Jacobs

Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education

______

Kenneth Fawson

National University

______

Approval Date

Sample copyright page.

Copyright © 2009

by

Randall A. Barnes

Sample abstract (incomplete).

ABSTRACT

This investigation was a case study to measure the effectiveness of the linked course learning community model in developmental English courses at an urban community college. This study used student demographic and course outcome data to quantify the extent to which learning community participation could contribute toward remedying the historically low success, retention, and persistence rates among diverse student populations in community colleges. The learning communities in this study consisted of developmental reading and writing courses linked in pairs at the same level, considered to be one and two levels below college level English. A primary goal of this study was to determine whether students who took developmental English courses in the learning community format were more successful and had higher retention and persistence rates than students who took the same courses outside of learning communities.

The researcher found a limited number of references in the literature that included concrete examples of quantitative outcomes for learning communities in community colleges. Although learning communities have been considered an effective practice for improving community college student success, evidence of this was mostly anecdotal or based solely on qualitative studies or on studies of learning communities at universities. Compared to universities, community colleges have historically served a student <snip>

Sample Table of Contents. Note Amanda’s correction, which was made in the final document. Also note subheadings in Chapter 4.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

ABSTRACT...... iv

LIST OF TABLES...... viii

LISTS OF FIGURES...... x

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...... xi

CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION...... 12[AC1]

Background to the Problem...... 14

Local Setting...... 18

Problem Statement...... 24

Research Questions...... 25

Hypotheses...... 26

Purpose of the Study...... 26

Definition of Terms...... 27

Conceptual Framework...... 29

Significance of the Study...... 37

Delimitations/Limitations...... 40

Organization of the Study...... 42

CHAPTER 2—LITERATURE REVIEW...... 44

The Relationship Between Developmental English and College Success.... 45

The Role of Student Involvement in Student Success...... 54

Factors Affecting Community College Student Success...... 59

Learning Communities and Student Success...... 68 <snip>

Continued

CHAPTER 4—RESULTS...... 105

Findings…...... 106

Descriptive Statistics for the Sample...... 107

Learning Community Retention and Persistence...... 108

Success Rates in Developmental English Courses...... 118

Summary...... 132

Sample list of tables.

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Descriptive Statistics for Students...... 92

Table 2. Recoded Ethnicity, Gender, and Learning Community Status

For English 042 and 043...... 107

Table 3. Recoded Ethnicity, Gender, and Learning Community Status

For English 051 and 056...... 108

Table 4. Retention for Developmental English Courses by

Learning Community Status...... 110

Table 5. Retention Rates for English 042 and 043 Courses, by Learning

Community Status and Grouped Ethnicity...... 111

Table 6. Retention Rates for English 042 and 043 Courses, by Learning

Community Status and Gender...... 111

Table 7. Retention Rates for English 051 and 056 Courses, by Learning

Community Status and Grouped Ethnicity...... 112

Table 8. Retention Rates for English 051 and 056 Courses, by Learning

Community Status and Gender...... 112

Table 9. Persistence Rates for English 051 and 056 Courses, by Learning

Community Status, Fall 2007 to Spring 2008...... 114

Table 10. Persistence Rates for Developmental English Courses, by Learning

Community Status, Fall 2008 to Spring 2009...... 114

<snip>

Sample list of figures.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Prerequisites for Developmental English Courses...... 93

Figure 2. English Placement and Course Sequence...... 97

Figure 3. Summary of Impacts of Learning Communities on Student Outcomes.... 135

Figure 4. Summary of Significant Differences among Means

for Learning Communities...... 136

Sample Acknowledgements page.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to acknowledge those who worked tirelessly for many years to establish the Doctorof Educational Leadership program at San Diego State University. Their hard work and dedication to the development of community college leaders will benefit countless learners, directly and indirectly. The dedicated faculty and staff in the program have also greatly contributed to making this not only possible, but very worthwhile.

I would particularly like to thank my Dissertation Chair, Dr. William Piland. His guidance, patience, and expertise not only helped me to complete this program, but also made me a better educator. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Ron Jacobs and Dr. Kenneth Fawson, for their advice and guidance. I truly appreciate your commitment to student success.

My faculty, staff, and administrative colleagues in the learning community within this program are responsible for the success of countless community college students. Your commitment to improving educational opportunities for the “top 100%” of students we serve is remarkable. I look forward to working with you on many more student success initiatives in the future.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank my family for their patience and support during my time spent in this program, and my cohort colleagues for their support, guidance, and collaborative spirit. Without your support this dissertation would not have been possible.

Sample Chapter 1 intro, with Amanda’s page number correction. Note that I began with a long quote.

CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION

Sinc[AC2]e their inception, community colleges have been at the forefront in educating and training many of the nation’s most underserved citizens. For large numbers of Americans, therefore, they have provided a stepping-stone to a better life. However, the persistent achievement gaps involving those traditionally underserved by higher education—particularly students of color and those from low-income families—clearly demonstrate that too many students are being left behind. As some have said, the open door too often becomes a revolving door. Community colleges are increasingly recognizing the need to revise or, in some cases, to wholly redesign students’ educational experiences so that more students will have a success story to tell [italics added]. (McClenney & Greene, 2005, p. 2)

Community colleges have attracted a student body of incredible diversity, and have served a population of students who, for myriad reasons, chose community colleges over other institutions by virtue of desire, necessity, or lack of other options. Community colleges, according to Cohen and Brawer (2003), are institutions that “help individuals <snip>

Sample of definition headings. Be consistent!

Student attrition: From 1995 to 2004, approximately 40% of first-time freshman students who enrolled in the fall term did not enroll in the subsequent spring term (San Diego Community College District, 2004).

Course completion: In Fall 2006, over 35% of students never attended, dropped or withdrew from all classes before the end of the semester.

Academic and progress probation[AC3]: In spring 2008, 6.2% of students were on academic or progress probation.

Transfer: In 2006-07, 411 students from the college transferred to a California State University (CSU) campus, and 95 students transferred to a University of California (UC) campus (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2008). In 2005-2006, 209 students transferred to private four-year institutions (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2008). However, nearly half of all students indicated an educational goal of transfer to a four-year institution.

Oops… another example of consistency! We tend to miss these when we’ve looked at our studies for so long.

students to “present ideas before others” and “take responsibility for their own learning” (p. 57). Teachers have managed these collaborative exercises by emphasizing higher-order thinking, development of team skills, and working in diverse groups (Millis and [AC4]Cottell, 1998, as cited in Laufgraben & Tompkins, 2004).

Learning Community Structures

Learning communities have not been rigidly defined. Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews and Smith (1990), noted that there were many different types of learning <snip>

I knew this rule, but apparently overlooked this one (and a few others)! An example of the need to really proofread your final submission.

Peer group associations and high school relationships were absent or unfamiliar in the college setting. Commuter students or those who were able to retain their high school contacts may have experienced more difficulty in becoming socially integrated with the college (Christie & Dinham[AC5] 1991). Peer and family contacts may have enhanced or hindered persistence depending on whether those contacts were supportive of college participation and success. Those who maintained contacts among groups having traditionally low rates of college participation may have been forced to choose between college and the external community (Tinto, 1993).

Capitalism consistency example. Also, a sample of a table. Make sure that all tables are in the same format and have headings in same format. Contact Randy Barnes for advice on SPSS table formats.

056 individually, as shown in t[AC6]ables 7 and 8. For African American students, this difference was not significant, but for Latino students (χ2 = 6.330, df = 1, p = 0.012) and students from the other ethnicity category (χ2 = 12.74, df = 1, p < 0.001), learning community retention was significantly higher than retention for students who did

Table 7

Retention Rates for English 051 and 056 Courses, by Learning Community

Status and Grouped Ethnicity

Recoded ethnicity Learning community / Course retention
Not retained / Retained / Total
African American / No / 15 / 74 / 89
Yes / 14 / 72 / 86
Total / 29 / 146 / 175
Latino / No / 44 / 215 / 259
Yes / 29 / 268 / 297
Total / 73 / 483 / 556
All other ethnicities / No / 34 / 145 / 179
Yes / 8 / 136 / 144
Total / 42 / 281 / 323

not take English 051 and 056 in a learning community. Course retention rates for females and males were also higher when English 051 and 056 classes were taken in learning communities. The chi-square test for females showed a significant difference in retention (χ2 = 6.119, df = 1, p = 0.013), as did the test for males (χ2 = 10.33, df = 1, p = 0.001).

[AC1]Chapter one should begin on page 1 (the pages prior use Roman numerals and so are considered seperate from the rest of the document in regards to pagination).

[AC2]The positioning of the page numbers should be upper right according to the APA manual (sec. 5.06).

[AC3]Is this a definition like the others? If so, it should be italicized.

[AC4]In a later citation (page 67: Chacon, Cohen, & Strover 1983, cited in Tinto, 1993) you use an ampersand for the first set of authors, but here you use the word 'and'. For consistency, an ampersand would be best.

[AC5]Pls add a comma after the name and before the year.

[AC6]When refering to previous tables you use a capital T (e.g. "as shown in Table 6" on the previous page) but here you use a lowercase. Therefore, for consistency, it would be better to use a capital T when referring to tables. I will add a comment to other instances with this same situation for your reference.