Digital Commons Network^™

Drawing About Writing: Exploring Egyptian Middle School Students’ Writing Motivation And Perceptions, Maryam Elbayady

Theses and Dissertations

The principal aim of this study is to explore Egyptian middle school students’ perceptions of their writing experiences using artistic expression, specifically drawings. It also aims to understand their levels of writing motivation using the Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, and Attitude Survey (SWAS) (Wright et al., 2019). Finally, it examines the relationships among participants’ perceptions, motivation, and their narrative writing performance. The view that students’ voices are valuable to research geared towards school improvement has largely propelled this study (Bland, 2018; Zumbrunn et al., 2017). In addition, due to the limited literature about middle school students enrolled at private Egyptian schools, this …

Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: Predictors Of Academic Performance/Gpa, Uzoamaka Barbara Okori

Theses and Dissertations

The determination of people with disabilities to enroll in postsecondary education did not remove the struggles and challenges of adjusting to the college environment despite the provisions of the legislation. Students with disabilities still had problems with degree completion, graduation rates, barriers caused primarily by their unwillingness to disclose their disabilities, and the support networks of these students. This study explores the relationship between the acceptance of disability, self-efficacy, support, and the academic performance/grade point average of postsecondary students with disabilities who receive disability accommodations through their institution’s disability service offices.

Although there has been an increase …

An Empowerment Evaluation Of Colorado Mountain College’S Mountain Scholars Program Via Latino Alumni Aspirational Goals And Outcomes, Laura Anne Bruch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative inquiry evaluated Colorado Mountain College’s (CMC) in-house Mountain Scholars Program (MSP) via semi-structured interviews with five of its Latino alumni. This study’s assets-based social justice/transformative philosophical framework included David Fetterman’s methodological empowerment evaluation and Tara Yosso’s conceptual community cultural wealth (CCW) theory. This dissertation in practice examined the gap in literature with regards to an in-house student support services program evaluation that partners with the community and focuses on Latinos’ aspirations and aspirational outcomes. I wanted to be a worthy witness to the student demographic group at CMC, as well as at most American postsecondary institutions, considered the …

Personality Profile Analysis Of Elite Powerlifting And Strongman/Woman Athletes, Anthony Ankley, Erin Kasmarik-Mallett

Master of Science in Kinesiology

PURPOSE: Personality profiling with athletes has been used to identify ideal candidates for high-level performance, program more effectively, and develop personality traits that might prove beneficial. A significant amount of research has been targeted using the Big Five Personality traits which are neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion. Self-efficacy has also been studied heavily within elite athletes. However, the personality profiles of elite Powerlifters and Strongman/woman have not been developed or studied. The purpose of this investigation is to identify a general personality profile of elite Powerlifting and Strongman/woman athletes. The secondary aim is to compare the personality profile of …

Primed For Sport Coaching: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study Of A Six-Week Intervention, Pete S. Paciorek

Dissertations

This six-week pilot study was conducted using grounded theory from “What Works in Character Education” (Berkowitz & Bier, 2014) and specifically the “PRIMED for Character Education” framework (Berkowitz, 2021) applied to 11 high school sport coaches. The three key ideas of focus were on whether the PRIMED framework could increase the coach-participants’ commitment to character education, self-efficacy as character educators, and self-identification as Servant Leaders in an effort to “nurture the flourishing of human goodness” (Berkowitz, 2021) of our youth and, in this case, specifically, high school student-athletes.

With millions of youth involved in sport in North America and across …

Stereotype Threat: A Proposed Process Model On The Impact Of Stereotype Threat On Self-Efficacy And Minority Performance, Sherese Stewart

Dissertations

Kingdon and Cassen (2010) indicated that historically there has been concern about the educational achievement of minority individuals. There is a need for research about the psychological mechanisms that play a part in the minority achievement gap. This document explored how stereotype threat impacts self-efficacy and minority academic performance and implications for cultural mistrust, imposter phenomenon, and self-fulfilling prophecies. All these factors have the propensity to place minority individuals at risk for low performance, leading to gaps in education. The population of focus for this review consisted of African Americans, Latinx individuals, and women. There has been limited research about …

Self-Efficacy Of Professional Athletes, Peter Voelker

Master of Arts in Sport Management

The purpose of this study was designed to use the definition of self-efficacy by Bandura (2002) as well as previous research on the topic of self-efficacy to investigate self-reported performance evaluations of professional athletes. The initial literature review included studies that investigated athletes participating in a wide range of sports at different age and experience levels. The parameters and methods of each study differed, but all took a qualitative or mixed methods approach. Based on these previous studies, this study suggested a qualitative approach using a questionnaire based on the Strength Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Tsai et al. (2013). The …

First-Generation Latina Testimonios: Navigating A Predominantly White Institution And Achieving Academic Success, Nancy Correa

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to understand the experiences of Latina first-generation college students at the University of San Diego, a predominantly White institution. Six Latinas participated in a series of group platicas to share testimonios with one another and build community. One research question that guided this study was: “How can the self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and academic achievement of first-generation Latina students be enhanced in a predominantly White institution?” Findings suggested participants’ negative experiences with faculty and White classmates impacted their sense of belonging and academic self-efficacy. Most participants worried how they will continue to finance college …

Examining Financial Knowledge Levels Of Students Of Color Versus White Students, Anecia Flewellen

Honors Theses

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) focuses on the way that cognitive factors such as self-efficacy interact with contextual factors, like race, to predict goal setting behaviors (Lent, 2013). The SCCT framework has shown to predict academic goal setting like intention to graduate, with higher academic self-efficacy resulting in higher graduation intention (White & Parrone-McGovern, 2017; Wu, 2018). One contextual factor that has an ability to affect academic self-efficacy is financial stress, which includes student debt (White & Parrone-McGovern, 2017). Students who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have more debt on average and a harder time paying off …

Mental Confidence In Alzheimer's Disease, Harrison Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simple symptom like forgetfulness can lead to a gradual, subtle decline in the individual’s sense of identity. In dementia, self-efficacy is the foundation that allow individual to prolong their capacity of independence and identity. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia with tens of millions in the world currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. AD is most often associated with impaired memory, confusion, language impairment, and unpredictable, agitated, aggressive, and paranoid behavior. While there are many studies examining the quality of life in individuals with AD, there are fewer investigating the psychological effects of AD on the …

Posttraumatic Stress, Depression, And Subjective Social Status: Potential Moderating Effects Of Optimism, Resilience, And Self-Efficacy, Caterina Obenauf

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the potential moderating effects of optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy on the relationships between subjective social status and both posttraumatic stress and depression symptom severity in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 382, M = 19.4, SD = 1.6, 81.5% White, 60.9% cisgender women) who reported experiencing one or more traumatic events. Many participants reported the highest education level attained by at least one parent being beyond a college degree (69%). Participants completed measures assessing trauma history, subjective social status, PTSD and depression symptoms, and potential psychological resources of optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy. In the …

Investigating Correlations Among A Growth-Mindset Intervention, Students’ Math Anxiety, And Students’ Math Self-Efficacy, Anna Grace Chamberlain

Honors Projects

This paper details the methodology, data, and conclusions of a research study investigating the correlations among a growth-mindset intervention, math anxiety, and math self-efficacy. The study found that teaching students about mindset through an intervention approach did not make a significant difference in students’ math anxiety or math self-efficacy. Teacher-centered factors are discussed as having a greater impact on students’ math anxiety and math self-efficacy.

Exploring Support Seeking Behaviours Of First-Year Students To Predict Academic Performance, Easha Faisal

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Academic performance during first year is critical in determining student retention rates, later undergraduate performance, and career related prospects. Previous literature has assessed importance of predictors individually. This study combined predictors to develop a model to predict academic performance of first-year students (n = 90) based on motivated learning strategies and on-campus resource use. An online survey was created to evaluate students’ help-seeking (HS), peer learning (PL), self-efficacy (SE), perceived social support (PSS) and access to social support (SSA) and academic support (ASA) resources. Consistent with previous research, SE was the strongest predictor of academic performance. Additionally, HS, SE, ASA, …

Generational Status And Acculturation As Determinants Of Bulgarian Americans' Life Satisfaction And Perceptions Of Self, Cristina Dimova

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Among Personality, Psychological Athletic Factors, And Sports Performance, Aida Josefa Gonzalez

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

This study aimed to explore the relationship among personality traits, psychological factors, such as self-efficacy, mental energy, and perfectionism, and the ability of college athletes to perform successfully as measured by their level of competition. Fifty-six NCAA Division I college athletes between 18 and 23 years old participated in the study. The questionnaire for this study included four different scales that measured personality traits, energy, individual and social self-efficacy, self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, and perfectionism levels of participants. The study examined the extent to which these psychological variables are important in determining the performance of college athletes. Results from the study …

Women Pursuing An Agricultural Systems Technology Degree, Tanya Milam

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This phenomenological research study examined the factors influencing women to pursue an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) degree and their self-efficacy in that field of study. Two research questions guided this study and data was analyzed from interviewing women enrolled in an Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) program at a mid-western university. The resulting four categories of Agricultural Experiences, Aptitude, Support, and Motivation were broken down into themes. The results were also applied to the theoretical framework of self-efficacy associated with career choice theories. Limitations of scope and generalizability indicate that further investigation of this topic is highly recommended.

Keywords: …

The Self-Efficacy Of Counselors Providing Telemental Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chelsea Threadgill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors have had to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of clients and the growing need for mental health services. In addition to a lack of experience providing telemental health (TMH) services, many counselors had received little or no TMH training or continuing education prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Counselor self-efficacy (CSE) may be an important factor in determining how counselors have been impacted by the increase in provision of TMH services, and the areas where they are needing more support. The purpose of this quantitative study was to …

The Self-Efficacy Of Counselors Providing Telemental Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chelsea Threadgill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors have had to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of clients and the growing need for mental health services. In addition to a lack of experience providing telemental health (TMH) services, many counselors had received little or no TMH training or continuing education prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Counselor self-efficacy (CSE) may be an important factor in determining how counselors have been impacted by the increase in provision of TMH services, and the areas where they are needing more support. The purpose of this quantitative study was to …

The Implications Of Religion And Internal Motivations On Health Behaviors, Sarah Jamaleddine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It is considered that religion and internal motivations may act as guiding forces behind the thoughts and actions of individuals. The purpose of this thesis is to explore if religiousness and internal motivations may influence individual health behaviors. To explore these relationships, a convenience sample using a 5-minute Qualtrics survey with questions regarding religiousness, internal motivations, and health behaviors was developed. This survey was offered to UCF students over the course of a few semesters. It is hypothesized that individuals that indicate more religiousness and stronger internal motivations (greater internal locus of control and self-efficacy) will demonstrate more positive health …

Postsecondary Education, Self-Efficacy, And Organizational Commitment Impact On Previously Incarcerated Employee Job Satisfaction, Elizabeth Sadler Roney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A study was conducted to determine if previously incarcerated employee age, postsecondary education (PSE) attainment, prior incarceration status, and assessed self-efficacy predict job satisfaction. It also considered if organizational commitment had a moderating effect on the predictors ability to forecast the criterion. Two underlying theories considered in this study are Bandura’s social learning theory and Vroom’s expectancy theory. The obtained sample of 22 participants included seven previously incarcerated individuals. Demographic data used as predictors were employee age, PSE attainment, and prior incarceration status. Three instruments used included the New General Self-Efficacy Survey to assess self-efficacy as a predictor, the Job …

Postsecondary Education, Self-Efficacy, And Organizational Commitment Impact On Previously Incarcerated Employee Job Satisfaction, Elizabeth Sadler Roney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A study was conducted to determine if previously incarcerated employee age, postsecondary education (PSE) attainment, prior incarceration status, and assessed self-efficacy predict job satisfaction. It also considered if organizational commitment had a moderating effect on the predictors ability to forecast the criterion. Two underlying theories considered in this study are Bandura’s social learning theory and Vroom’s expectancy theory. The obtained sample of 22 participants included seven previously incarcerated individuals. Demographic data used as predictors were employee age, PSE attainment, and prior incarceration status. Three instruments used included the New General Self-Efficacy Survey to assess self-efficacy as a predictor, the Job …

Grit, Efficacy, Commitment And Career Planning, Mary Clare Newsham

MSU Graduate Theses

This current study advanced understanding of the career goal-setting and relevant goal-related attitudes to the career planning process. Specifically, this study evaluated how career goal commitment, career goal self-efficacy and grit affect career goal structures and effort. A multidimensional career goal commitment scale was developed to differentiate intrinsic (affective) from rational types of commitments. Findings supported affective career goal commitment as consequential to the completeness of career goal structures and in career-relevant effort. Also, career goal self-efficacy was found to predict career planners’ self-efficacy for shorter term performance.

Creativity In The Workplace: A Matter Of Chaos Or Cohesion?, Cody T. Gibson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prior research has rarely investigated external factors which can improve creative performance, though theory has sometimes suggested environmental factors to be impactful. Much of this hesitancy can be attributed to a misinterpretation of decades-old research which continues to be cited despite recent clarification. The present research investigates the relationships between such external factors (i.e., support for creativity, psychological safety, creative self-efficacy) and creativity. Specifically, psychological safety was expected to mediate the relationship between creative support and creativity, while creative self-efficacy was expected to predict creativity. Ninety-four undergraduate psychology students underwent workplace support for creativity and creative self-efficacy manipulations before responding …

A Preliminary Investigation Of A Brief, Virtual, Behavioral Parent Training Program On Parents’ Self-Efficacy And Young Children’S Behavior, Taylor Daniels

Masters Theses

A single-case, multiple-baseline research design was used to evaluate the effects of a two-session, virtual behavioral parent training program on parents’ self-efficacy and their children’s compliance and appropriate behavior. Participants included five parent-child dyads recruited from a grant-funded preschool program in Northern Illinois. When the parent training program was implemented, parent self-efficacy increased across four of the five parent participants (using daily behavior ratings). Effect size comparisons for self-efficacy reflected large effects for three parents. Further, child compliance increased across four of the five child participants and child appropriate behavior increased across three of the five child participants (using daily …