Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2024

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Elementary, Middle & Secondary Teacher Education

Degree Program

Curriculum and Instruction, PhD

Committee Chair

Tretter, Thomas

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Alagaraja, Meera

Committee Member

Alagaraja, Meera

Committee Member

Immekus, Jason

Committee Member

Larson, Ann

Committee Member

Mark, Sheron

Author's Keywords

postsecondary education; online pedagogy; marginalized/underrepresented identities; community of inquiry; QuantCrit; critical theories

Abstract

This dissertation study examined cybersecurity education praxis and broadening participation in cybersecurity in response to calls of action made by the government-funded National Science Foundation. The cybersecurity education domain has a literature base investigating pedagogical practices that foster cybersecurity learning. However, a gap in the literature is reports of cybersecurity learner perceptions regarding implemented pedagogical practices. Authentic research centering on the experiences of the marginalized and underrepresented identity holders targeted in broadening participation calls is also limited in the cybersecurity education research domain. As such, this study is positioned as a response to the traditionally compartmentalized approaches of praxis and broadening participation research by the cybersecurity education community. This dissertation starts by focusing on why cybersecurity education praxis and broadening participation in cybersecurity are pieces of the same cybersecurity education puzzle. Synthesized pertinent literature from the areas of pedagogy and social identities are discussed to situate this study’s exploration of pedagogically informed strategies a diverse array of cybersecurity students found beneficial to their cybersecurity learning. This study’s conceptual framework of QuantCrit and the Online Pedagogy framework is the result of reviewing relevant literature and guided this study’s approach to addressing the dichotomous view of praxis and broadening participation held by the cybersecurity education research community. As an exploratory cross-sectional survey design, the third chapter discusses analytic procedures. Reported in detail are the systematic processes and decisions toward creating the Cybersecurity Pedagogical Experience (CPE) survey, as a data collection instrument to capture course perceptions of cybersecurity students quantitatively and qualitatively. This study’s sample frame, guided by QuantCrit, consisted of two distinct groups to increase representativeness and foster authentic interpretations. The Internal Group were cybersecurity students experienced with a known set of Instructional Supports informed by the Community of Inquiry and Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive frameworks, and Quality Matters online course model as part of this study’s Online Pedagogy framework conceptual framework component. The External Group of students experienced an unknown set of pedagogical strategies and were recruited from two cybersecurity affinity student organizations, Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) and the National Cybersecurity Student Association. Methodological decisions such as non-probability sampling, survey design best practices, and conducting non-parametric statistical tests were informed by this study’s conceptual framework and incorporated to account for the different types of data collected. The fourth chapter presents the quantitative results and qualitative findings. A concurrent mixed-method approach was used to analyze this study’s data. Overall, the perceptions of Instructional Supports experienced by the sample groups were positive. However, there were differences regarding an Instructional Supports contribution to a beneficial learning experience. Cybersecurity learners from the Internal and External groups shared positive perceptions toward non-curricular supports such as practice assignments and multiple attempts on assignments. The qualitative data from the CPE survey provided valuable context for understanding why students perceived their cybersecurity learning experiences. Specifically, by offering context to how an Instructional Support was helpful in their learning or other practices they found beneficial. From this data a better picture of what Instructional Supports should be implemented in a cybersecurity learning environment and how the efficacy of the experienced Instructional Supports can be strengthened. The last chapter of this dissertation provides implications from this study and suggestions for future research to the cybersecurity education research community. It connects the need for reframing pedagogical strategies to a cybersecurity learning context and presents approaches for incorporating critical theories to address broadening participation in cybersecurity authentically.

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