Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Exercise On Mental Health: A Research Review, Kaylani Benson

Honors College Theses

This research review looks at the effects exercise and physical activity have on mental health. The results of this review are based upon the results of the formal studies that have been included. These studies are Benefits of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, Exercise Effects on Mental Health of Preschool Children, The Effect of Morning Exercise on Mental Health of Female Police Employees, Exercise and Mental Health of People Living with HIV: A Systemic Review, Exercise Improves Physical Function and Mental Health of Brain Cancer Survivors: Two Exploratory Case Studies, Effect of Yogic and Physical …

Relationship Between Health Risk And School Attendance Among Adolescents, Erin E. Centeio, Jessica Duncan Cance, Jeanne M. Barcelon, Darla M. Castelli

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Background/Purpose: The prevalence of childhood obesity and school truancy are contemporary health issues, as millions of children do not attend school, when required. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between intent to be physically active, aerobic fitness, and school absences. Methods: Data from 1907 adolescents from the United States were collected during physical education. Participants completed a valid Theory of Planned Behavior survey and the FitnessGram, with the demographic data obtained from school records. Linear regressions controlling for gender, grade, free/reduced lunch, body mass index, and intent to be physically active were calculated. Results …

The Have And Have Nots: An Ever-Present Digital Divide, Erin E. Centeio

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

This article brings attention to the digital divide that still exists between those who have access to the most recent technologies and those who do not. It describes how teachers can be more aware of this challenge before incorporating the use of technology into physical education and health classrooms.

“But Mom, I Want To Make A Cartoon”: Approximation And Letting Go In Teaching Composition, Adrienne Jankens

English Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Youth Program Adult Leader's Directive Assistance And Autonomy Support And Development Of Adolescents’ Agency Capacity, David Hansen, E. Whitney Moore, Nadia Jessop

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Developing a capacity for exercising agency is an important developmental task of adolescence. Many organized youth programs provide adolescents opportunities to build their capacity to exercise agency. The researchers tested hypotheses that adult youth program leader's directive assistance and autonomy support would promote adolescents’ capacity for agency. They surveyed 441 high school adolescents and 11 adult advisors from 10 Future Farmers of America chapters twice over 2 years. Adolescents self‐reported on their capacity for agency and advisors reported on each adolescent's capacity. Directive assistance and autonomy support correlated with the capacity for agency within both time points. Only autonomy support …

Repositioning The I-Search: An Assignment For Negotiating Prior Writing Knowledge In Fyc, Adrienne Jankens

English Faculty Research Publications

This article describes the outcomes of a teacher-research study on inquiry-based assignments and near transfer of writing-related knowledge that led to the revision of the I-Search assignment (which Macrorie [1988, The I-Search Paper] describes as a paper that “tell[s] the story of what you did in your search, in the order in which everything happened”) for integration into an argument and research-centered First Year Composition curriculum.

Using Yoga To Reduce Stress And Bullying Behaviors Among Urban Youth, Erin E. Centeio, Laurel Whalen, Erica Thomas, Noel Kulik, Nate Mccaughtry

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Background/Purpose: Obesity and secondary conditions continue to disproportionally affect the health of children living in urban areas. Studies show that a lack of resources and physical activity-unfriendly communities discourage 60 minutes of daily activity, including strengthening exercises, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using Social Ecological theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the multi-level influences of a yoga-based intervention on urban, inner city youth. Method: Using a mixed-methods design, ninety-three 3 - 5^th grade students at five urban elementary schools participated in a ten-week yoga intervention. Analysis/Results: RM-ANOVA results …

Multi-Year School-Based Implementation And Student Outcomes Of An Evidence-Based Risk Reduction Intervention, Bo Wang, Bonita Stanton, Lynette Deveaux, Sonja Lunn, Glenda Rolle, Richard Adderley, Maxwell Poitier, Veronica Koci, Sharon Marshall, Perry Gomez

FMPHS Faculty Publications

Background

Intervention effects observed in efficacy trials are rarely replicated when the interventions are broadly disseminated, underscoring the need for more information about factors influencing real-life implementation and program impact. Using data from the ongoing national implementation of an evidence-based HIV prevention program [Focus on Youth in The Caribbean (FOYC)] in The Bahamas, this study examines factors influencing teachers’ patterns of implementation, the impact of teachers’ initial implementation of FOYC, and subsequent delivery of the booster sessions on students’ outcomes.

Methods

Data were collected from the 80 government elementary and 34 middle schools between 2011 and 2014, involving 208 grade …

Implementing Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Wayne State University Case Study, Erin E. Centeio, Nate Mccaughtry

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) have been highlighted by numerous public health and education agencies for their potential to improve the health and academic achievement of American youth. A CSPAP integrates physical activity throughout the school environment before, during and after school by engaging educators, children, families and community organizations. As the design, implementation and evaluation of effective CSPAP programs has inched forward, so has the call for physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to prepare the next generation of physical educators with the skills and knowledge needed to one day lead CSPAP efforts in K-12 schools. The purpose …

Computer Assisted Language Learning For Spanish Oral Proficiency, May Ritta Bluestein

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR SPANISH ORAL PROFICIENCY

by

MAY RITTA BLUESTEIN

December 2017

Advisor: Dr. Jazlin Ebenezer

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

This three-article five-chapter dissertation is focused on improving high school students’ Spanish oral proficiency through computer assisted language learning (CALL) voice-recordings, and examining the effect of the intervention on foreign language anxiety and integrative motivation. The main goals of the study as a whole were to (1) investigate students’ CALL voice-recordings to determine students’ Spanish oral proficiency development, (2) identify significant differences between the experimental and control group in terms of Spanish oral …

Mobile Learning Technology Acceptance Among Saudi Higher Education Students, Talal Mohammed Alasmari

Wayne State University Dissertations

The rapid development of technology has encouraged Saudi universities to establish initiatives to improve learning. Mobile learning technology is one of the technologies targeted by eLearning and distance education deanships among Saudi universities. However, few studies have been done in investigating mobile learning technology acceptance in the Saudi context. This study aims to provide policy and decision makers in the Saudi higher education with reliable data in order to employ mobile learning technology in learning process. Therefore, this study modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to investigate students’ acceptance of mobile learning technology. To this end, …

An Analysis Of Gateway Programs On African American Student Retention: A Case Study In An Urban Higher Education Setting, Janice Cook Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN ANALYSIS OF GATEWAY PROGRAMS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT RETENTION: A CASE STUDY IN AN URBAN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING

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JANICE COOK JOHNSON

MAY 2017

Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Muriel Shields

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Existing policies and processes have not gone far enough to eradicate the persistent academic achievement gap at Wayne State University. Nor has identifying poor student academic preparation prior to enrollment. By accepting this reality and responsibility, officials and members within the university community can affect change, bringing parity to retention through graduation, by becoming proficient at serving the students …

Convergence Of Indigenous Science And Western Science Impacts Student's Interest In Stem And Identity As A Scientist, Sarah Omar Alkholy, Fidji Gendron, Betty Mckenna, Tanya Dahms, Maria Pontes Ferreira

Nutrition and Food Science Faculty Research Publications

Within the context of North American Indigenous culture, certain Elders are respected gatekeepers to Indigenous science, also known as traditional knowledge. Yet, while North American born minorities such as Black Americans, Amerindians, and Latin Americans may hail from cultures with a similar appreciation of their own Indigenous science Elders, these minority groups are especially underrepresented in Western science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)—both in academia and in the workforce. North American underrepresented minorities experience high attrition rates in academia generally, and in STEM specifically. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission makes a call to action to Indigenize education to benefit all …

Reliability And Validity Of An Arabic Version Of The Self-Determination Assessment – Internet (Sda-I), Mona Alamri Alamri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Self-determination is related to the desirable transition outcomes of an individual. It has gained an increasing amount of attention in numerous fields, including education, sociology, psychology, and other fields related to human behavior. However, there are no measures originally written in Arabic that accurately measure an individual’s self-determination. Thus, during this study, an Arabic version of the Self-Determination Assessment – Internet (SDAi) was developed from the regular English version of the assessment. The SDAi measures the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors related to self-determination. The purpose of this study was to develop and then test the reliability and validity of …

Middle School And High School Students Who Stutter: A Qualitative Investigation Of School Experiences, Tiffany Cobb

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO STUTTER: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCES

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TIFFANY COBB

MAY 2017

Advisor: Dr. Derek Daniels

Major: Speech-Language Pathology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and further understand the ways in which middle school and high school students perceive their school experiences within the school environment.

School has an important impact on the social development of children (Milsom, 2006). Learning is not done individually as classrooms are inherently social places. This suggests that students do not learn alone, but rather in the presence of many …

Adolescent Achievement: Relative Contributions Of Social Emotional Learning, Self-Efficacy And Microsystem Supports, Meghan Elizabeth Fairless

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the roles of select intrapersonal and microsystem factors in high school adolescents’ academic achievement. The selected combination of factors was hypothesized to be unique in their ability to explain greater proportions of variance in academic achievement in adolescents. A specific model through an ecological framework was proposed. Participants included 379 high school students (176 males, 193 females) from a midwestern, suburban high school that enrolls approximately 1,500 students. A variety of variables emerged as significant predictors of academic achievement, with social emotional learning, selfefficacy, socio-economic status, parental involvement, peer support, and …

Reliability And Validity Of Michigan School Libraries For The 21st Century Measurement Benchmarks, Natosha Nicole Floyd

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century Measurement Benchmarks (SL21). The instrument consists of 19 items with three subscales: Building the 21st Century Learning Environment Subscale, Teaching for 21st Century Learning Subscale, and Leading the Way to 21st Century Learning Subscale. The sample consisted of 54 respondents who were administered the instrument in 2014 and 2015. Cronbach’s alpha for the total instrument was 0.807 (n = 19 items). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to measure construct validity. The findings derived from the EFA did not tend …

The Effects Of Various High School Scheduling Models On Student Achievement In Michigan, Russell Edward Pickell

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study reviews research and data to determine whether student achievement is affected by the high school scheduling model, and whether changes in scheduling models result in statistically significant changes in student achievement, as measured by the ACT Composite, ACT English Language Arts, and ACT Math scores. The high school scheduling models included in this study are: six period semester (SPS), five period trimester (FPT), seven period semester (VPS), standard 4x4 block (SB), and alternate day block (ADB). Supportive and non-supportive research are discussed in regard to the impact of the student scheduling model on student achievement.

Examination Of Microsystem And Intrapersonal Variables Associated With Academic Achievement In Middle School, Jennifer Porcaro

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the unique and combined contributions of a variety of contextual variables and intrapersonal variables that influence academic achievement in middle school within a contextual framework. The contextual variables included parent support for learning, teacher support for learning and peer support for learning. Intrapersonal variables included metacognition and behavioral engagement, and student organizational behaviors. Participants were 200 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades from a suburban school district in Michigan. The intrapersonal variables were found to explain a significant portion of variance in academic achievement. The main contributor in explaining the variance …

High School Adolescents' Academic Engagement, Behaviors, And Achievement: Associations With Intrapersonal Factors And Academic Support Systems, Elizabeth Suzanne Robtoy

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study investigated the roles of select intrapersonal and environmental factors in high school adolescents’ academic engagement, behavior, and achievement. This aforementioned combination of factors has not been considered for their combined ability to explain greater proportions of variance in academic engagement, behavior, and achievement, despite the fact that ecologically, there are multiple life contexts that interact to explain academic achievement development and this selection may provide important information. Participants were 415 high school students (171 males, 244 females) from a mid-western, suburban high school that enrolls about 1,285 students. Future educational goals, as well as executive functioning, emerged …

Digital Literacies And “Glee”: The Role Of Fan Fiction Virtual Writing And Social Commentary In Response To Bullying Themes With Adolescent Writers, Mandy Rita Stewart

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DIGITAL LITERACIES AND “GLEE”: THE ROLE OF FAN FICTION VIRTUAL WRITING AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN RESPONSE TO BULLYING THEMES WITH ADOLESCENT WRITERS

by

MANDY STEWART

May 2017

Advisor: Dr. Gina DeBlase

Major: Curriculum and Instruction

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

As the education system turns its attention to climate, bullying, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) issues in the classroom, there is a focus on developing our student population abilities to be more accepting and tolerant of diversity. This study explored how ten students, aged 16-17, interacted with virtual literacy events on www.fanfiction.net, and how that contributed to their refinements …

Robustness And Comparative Power Of Welch-Aspin, Alexander-Govern And Yuen Tests Under Non-Normality And Variance Heteroscedasticity, Ayed A. Almoied

Wayne State University Dissertations

Classical statistical tests are used in many disciplines such as education and psychology. Such tests are based on certain assumptions (e.g., normality and homoscedasticity) that are must to be met in order to produce accurate results. Violation of such assumptions is a common problem researchers encounter, particularly when analyzing real data. When such assumptions are violated, the effectiveness and efficiency of tests to control over the probability of a Type I error and maintain a relatively level of statistical power will be substantially affected.

Alternative modern and robust statistical tests such as Yuen test for trimmed means and the Alexander-Govern …

The Prevalence And Needs Of Homeless Undergraduates At A Large, Urban University, Corissa Carlson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Empirical research has been limited with respect to homelessness among college undergraduates. Research on educational outcomes has been limited to K-12th grade, but what is known points to worse outcomes for people who are homeless. The National Coalition for the Homeless (2014) reported that 75% of homeless or runaway teenagers drop out of school. Furthermore, while federal funding though the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act has been able to help younger students, funding for homeless youth considering or attending college is minimal. Recently, some more attention has been given to this issue through the College Cost Reduction Access Act (CCRAA) which …

What Keeps Bringing The Kids Back? An Exploration Of High School Video Game Clubs., Nicolas Lenk

Wayne State University Dissertations

With the current trend of K-12 student interest in video games increasing, schools have a responsibility to take measures to meet their students’ passions that fall outside of state curricula. Extracurricular activities have historically filled this need; therefore, an after-school approach with video games is an appropriate way to address this student interest. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify the qualities that students and teachers participating in high school after-school video gaming clubs report as being important to their experience. Using a theoretical framework of student engagement, this study explored the experience of the participating students …

Teachers’ Pedagogical Resistance To Prescribed Curriculum, Darya Owens

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research indicates that teachers feel intimidated into fully implementing prescribed literacy curriculum at the expense of their own praxis which may indeed be effective in boosting student literacy achievement. This perceived intimidation may serve to compromise students’ literacy outcomes. The objective of the study was to recognize the different forms of resistance teachers demonstrate in order to take responsibility of their own pedagogical practices as it helps develop students’ literacy skills. This paper analyzes teachers’ praxis and use of integrated methods of prescribed literacy curriculum in relation to teacher resistance. It answers four key questions: 1) What forms of resistance …

An Urban Mid-Western Adult Education Program: Perspectives Of All Stakeholders, Dedria Lynette Willis

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study is two-fold: (1) to narrate the realities and perspectives of adult students’ learning experiences in a General Education Development (GED) preparation program in a Mid-western urban city; and (2) to document the thinking of the former director of adult education at the state level to understand the reforms of adult education program he envisioned. Data sources to achieve the first objective comprised of classroom observations, researcher’s journal entries, and transcripts of individual interviews of three adult education students, one teacher, and one counselor. The data source to realize the second objective was the …

Learning Through Rock Band In The Elementary General Music Classroom, Nick Denis

Wayne State University Theses

Some students find connecting to music classes in school to be difficult, as the music and learning styles used in the traditional school music program can seem separated from music in the “real world.” The dichotomous relationship between school music and “real” music can lead students away from developing a positive musical identity, which negatively affects their chances of choosing to make music later in life. In order to support the development of positive musical identities, I began teaching rock band to all of my fifth grade students. This phenomenological case study explores the experience of six students who participated …

The Relationship Of Assimilation On The Health Behaviors, Health Beliefs, And Use Of Health Care Services Of The Samoan Immigrants In The United States, Miliama Bracken

Wayne State University Theses

This study accepts the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between assimilation and the health behaviors, health beliefs, and use of health care services of the Samoan immigrants in the United States. The target population included Samoans who immigrated from Samoa or American Samoa and were 18 or more years of age. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed and 126 respondents were included in the study. The respondents were asked how often they visited the doctor during the year. Would they seek the help of a medical doctor if they were sick, or a Samoan healer? They were …

Teaching Race In Cyberspace: Reflections On The “Virtual Privilege Walk” Exercise, Kafi D. Kumasi

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

Teaching for Justice describes the efforts of LIS faculty and instructors who feature social justice theory and strategies in their courses and classroom practices

Their Eyes Are Watching Us: Serving Racialized Youth In An Era Of Protest., Kafi D. Kumasi, Sandra Hughes-Hassell

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This article comes at a critical juncture in US's history as racialized people continue to fight for protection of their human and civil rights, many of which were legally gained only with passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voter Rights Act. Despite decades of legislative promises to end discrimination in educational opportunities, employment, housing, and the judicial system, racialized youth are more likely to attend schools that lack quality resources, including credentialed teachers, rigorous courses, qualified guidance counselors, and extracurricular activities; to face harsher disciplinary actions; and to drop out of school. The unemployment rate for …