Digital Commons Network^™

The Career Satisfaction, Future Plans, And Personal Characteristics Of Tennessee Public School Science And Mathematics Teachers In 2001, Delisa K. Dismukes

Doctoral Dissertations

The effect of state mandates on the supply and demand of science and mathematics teachers in Tennessee is dependent upon the composition of the population of science and mathematics teachers. The purpose of this study was to replicate a study conducted in 1985 by Smith which determined the demographic profile of the general population of secondary school science and mathematics teachers in Tennessee; their general level of job satisfaction; their future plans; and their perceptions of the extent to which they possess job-related skills and abilities, the extent to which they value job-related variables, and the extent to which they …

Collaborative Learning Among Farmers As An Approach To Alternative Agriculture Education, Robin Antony Fazio

Doctoral Dissertations

I undertook this action research to study my facilitation of a new approach to helping farmers learn about alternative agricultural practices. This approach involved farmers engaging in three types of teaching and learning (Peters and Armstrong, 1998) with an emphasis on collaborative learning. I served as facilitator and participant in workshops held once per month over a period of eleven months. I used individual interviews, field notes and reflective journaling to obtain descriptions of farmers' learning experiences and of my role as facilitator/participant. I then analyzed the data using domain analysis and coding methods. The results were expressed in terms …

Micro And Macro-Level Communication Competence In Relation To Ethics : Does It Really Matter What Leaders And Organizations Say, As Long As They Say It Well?, David M. Gesler

Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Fire And Forest In The Highlands Of The Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic : Modern Dynamics And Long-Term History, Lisa Marie Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates past and present environments of the highlands of the Dominican Republic using paleoecological and modem ecological techniques. The relatively unstudied highlands (>2000 m) of the Cordillera Central are blanketed by a mosaic of pine forests, open pine woodlands, and grasslands, with broadleaf trees joining the canopy in sheltered locations. My research on modem vegetation and fire ecology, and on long-t� fire and vegetation history, helps fill gaps in the knowledge of Caribbean environments, and may assist land managers in conservation efforts in the Dominican highlands. A study of the relationship between modem pollen rain and vegetation …

The Meaning Of Sport-Related Events In The Process Of Becoming And Being A Fan : A Grounded Theory Study Of Highly Committed Sport Fans, Melinda Jo Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

Newspapers across the country and around the world are filled with reports of events that have occurred within the sporting world. These events range from summaries of wins/losses and statistics of the players in the game to reports of more significant even�s ( e.g., a player's retirement, a team relocation, a league folding, or a player's legal battles). The initial purpose of this dissertation was to explore and describe sports fans' perceptions of and reactions to sport-related critical incidents. However, the research focus was modified to examine (1) what it means to be a sport fan, (2) the factors and …

Determinant Attributes Used By The Elderly For Making Grocery Store Choices, Angela Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinant attributes used by the rapidly increasing elderly (aged 65 and older) consumer segment when choosing among the various retailers for grocery purchases. This study also sought to examine the importance of these determinant attributes and how these determinant attributes affect grocery store patronage decisions. Finally, this study explored the impact that primary store choice, age, self-reported healthiness, activity and mobility have on the importance placed on grocery store attributes. Data were gathered via a mail questionnaire. A determinant attribute . model based on the basic multi-attribute model formed the theoretical …

Leadership Behavior Of East Tennessee Directors Of Public Schools And The Job Satisfaction Of Principals, Gerald Garrison Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the school district directors' leadership behavior and the principals' job satisfaction. In particular, the problem addressed by this study was which, if any, of the five leadership practices of school directors that were measured by the "Leadership Practices Inventory" (LPI) by Kouzesand Posner ( 1997), had a relationship to the job satisfaction of principals, as measured by the "Job Satisfaction Survey" (JSS) by Spector (I 985). The population included 526 eligible, K-12, East Tennessee public schools principals. The entire population was surveyed with 329 (63%) principals responding period. The questionnaire consisted of …

A Critique Of The Disease Model Of Addiction, Annette Mary Mendola

Doctoral Dissertations

While there is widespread disagreement as to just what addiction is, the two most popular models are the moral model (i.e., addiction is a moral failing) and the disease model (i.e., addiction is a kind of disease). Both of these models have serious problems, for theory and for practice. Furthermore, since competing models for addiction have different implications for treatment, law, social norms, and so on, it is important to find a single model for addiction that works in every arena. We need an account of addiction that avoids the problems of the disease models and the moral models. That …

Integration Of Course Management System Communication Tools In Instruction, Jamie T. Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations

A major thrust of education is integration of technology in to teaching. In the face-to-face classroom, computer mediated communication tools such as electronic mail, discussion forums and chat are currently being integrated into instruction at a rapid pace. This is especially true in courses that use course management systems to deliver content. Are the current integration practices leading students to higher levels of cognitive engagement? Faculty members that choose to use technology in their teaching practice need to use a sound pedagogical framework to structure course tasks that use the technologies. The purpose of the study was to identify which …

A Qualitative Study Of Classroom Teacher Practices With English As A Second Language Students, Rachel Patten

Doctoral Dissertations

While there are multiple studies relating to the ESL specialist, the area of classroom teachers' practices in teaching ESL students is largely unexplored. It was the intention of this research to examine the adaptations, and accommodations made by classroom teachers when they have an ESL student in their classroom. The intent of the researcher was to uncover, through interview and observation, what actually occurs in these mainstream classes to facilitate learning for ESL students. The analysis of the interviews revealed rich information about the classroom teacher's uses of those methods, which are effective with first language students, with the ESL …

Reading The Colonial Christian Mission : Postcolonialism And Liberation Theology In Novels By Mongo Beti And RenʹE Philombe, Tracy Parkinson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines three Cameroonian novels written in French in the midtwentieth century, Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba and Le Roi miracule by Mongo Beti and Un Sorcier Blanc a Zangali by Rene Philombe. Each of the three novels deals with the presence of European Christian missions in Cameroon during the colonial era and each one portrays a missionary priest as a principal character. Making use of insight from both Postcolonial literary and cultural theory and Liberation Theology, this work explores the representation of these priests, their relation to the colonial endeavor, and their relations with those whom they encounter. …

Nontraditional Female Students Enrolled In Developmental English Courses At Roane State Community College, Belita Diane Raines

Doctoral Dissertations

The first purpose of this study was to understand the experiences and needs of nontraditional female students enrolled in Developmental English courses at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The second purpose of this study was to learn from current students how to help future students overcome the barriers they will face and thus enable them to be more successful in their college coursework. In order to collect data regarding nontraditional female students enrolled in Developmental English courses at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, two different types of data collection were used. First, surveys were …

Stem-Loops Iii And Iv In The 5' Untranslated Region Are Cis-Acting Elements In Bovine Coronavirus Di Rna Replication, Sharmila Raman

Doctoral Dissertations

Higher-order structures in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of plus-strand RNA viruses are known in many cases to function as cis-acting elements in RNA translation, replication, and transcription. The bovine coronavirus (BCo V) 210 nucleotide (nt) 5' UTR is predicted to contain four higher-order structures identified as stem-loops I to IV. In this study, evidence supporting the structure and a cis-acting function in BCoV defective interfering (DI) RNA replication of two of these structures, stem-loops III and IV is presented. Both stem-loops show phylogenetic conservation among group 2 coronaviruses and appear to have homologs or analogs in coronavirus groups 1 …

Design And Development Of A Process For Acid Hydrolysis Of Excess Sludge, Larry Willis Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates a process called nitrolysis for treatment of excess sludge produced during wastewater treatment. Nitrolysis involves the treatment of excess sludge with nitric acid at elevated temperatures ( 180°C) and pressures (200 psi). This research has shown up to nearly 100% conversion of the biomass ( corrected to be free of inert materials) to products. The products include acetic acid, formic acid, and carbon dioxide. The advantage of the process is the reduction in excess sludge for disposal (reduction in cost and liability) and the production of reclaimable products. This research shows a large reduction in mass and …

Reading Rate And Comprehension As A Function Of Presentation Mode (Computerized Vs. Traditional) And Processing Speed, Christy Ann Sorrell

Doctoral Dissertations

In a counterbalanced treatment design, 12 elementary school aged children read under two conditions: a) independent, silent, and with mentor help as necessary; and b) computer assisted, with visual and auditory delivery of text (via Kurzweil 3000). A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed no significant difference in the composite mean for their comprehension and reading rate scores based on presentation strategy (F (2,9) = 1. 10, p = .3 7). Results from this MANOV A also revealed no significant difference in the composite mean of comprehension and reading rate scores based on students' processing speed (F (2,9) …

Self-Consciousness And The Body In Sartrean Phenomenology, David Michael Reisman

Doctoral Dissertations

Commentators interested in applying Sartre's work to topics currently discussed in analytic philosophy of mind have missed some crucial distinctions and relations. Most notably, they have paid no attention to the relationship between the apprehension of a kind of Cartesian ego in "impure reflection" and the apprehension of oneself as a physical object. My dissertation examines Sartre's analyses in Being and Nothingness in relation to more familiar approaches to the mind-body problem, the problem of other minds, and the problem of personal identity over time. Crucial to Sartre's analyses are distinctions between several types and levels of reflection or selfawareness. …

The Structuration Of Brain Dominance On Organizational Communication : A Correlational Study, Astrid Sheil

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if the influence of brain dominance as defined by Herrmann (1982, 1995), which includes left-brain/right-brain dominance and cerebral/ limbic dominance, offers predictive capabilities in determining preferences for communication channel selection, feedback frequency, and job satisfaction in organizations. The study also examined whether sex has a determining role in predicting preferences for communication channels, feedback, and job satisfaction. Raw scores from the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) were correlated with responses to a validated survey instrument, which combined items from the International Communication Association (ICA) Audit (Downs, 1988), and the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire …

Exploring Differences In Clinical Judgments Of Dangerousness Of North Carolina Psychiatric Inpatients : Utility Of The Hcr-20 Risk Assessment Scheme, Adeirdre Lacheryl Stribling

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of clinician ratings of dangerousness among psychiatric inpatients by utilizing the structured HCR-20 Risk Assessment Scheme. The study is based on archival records of patients committed to a North Carolina psychiatric hospital due to being found incompetent to proceed to trial, not guilty by reason of insanity, or detained due to exhibiting exceptional dangerous behavior in the community or while hospitalized. The individuals were chosen for the study because they had at least two completed HCR-20 risk assessments of historical, clinical, and risk management factors of dangerousness. Patients (N=52) were …

Alternative Trading Systems' Impacts On Depth And Informed Trading, Timothy Shawn Strother

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of Alternative Trading Systems (ATS) on depth and the probability of informed trading (PIN). The probability of informed trading and VNET, a metric of depth that determines the net directional volume necessary to induce a price change or return, are estimated for volume-matched samples of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq listed firms. Trade and quote data are obtained for two time periods before, and two time periods following, the introduction of trading in decimals on January 29,2001 and April 19, 2001 for the NYSE and Nasdaq, respectively. The data are used to estimate …

The Ability Of Earnings Management Models To Detect And Predict Public Discovery Of Accounting-Fraud, Samuel Lockhart Tibbs

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare: 1) the ability of competing aggregate accrual and frequency distribution models to detect extreme earnings management, i.e. accounting-fraud, and 2) the ability of a composite model to predict accounting-fraud using only prior period information. Studies have used various models to detect earnings management in circumstances in which, a priori, some management is likely to exist. Events with incentives to manage earnings analyzed include issuing securities, maintaining positive earnings or an upward earnings trend, increasing an earnings-based bonus, increasing subsidies during import relief investigations, or decreasing penalties during antitrust investigations. However, …

Ethnic Differences Using Behavior Rating Scales To Assess The Mental Health Of Children : A Measurement Equivalence Study, Edgar H. Tyson

Doctoral Dissertations

Cultural competence in measurement has become increasingly important in child welfare and juvenile justice systems where disproportionate numbers of children and families from diverse ethnic groups are served. However, there is a present gap in the literature regarding the assessment of children from different ethnic groups using behavior-rating scales. This study examined the cross-ethnic measurement equivalence of the SAC (Glisson et al, 2001) using a sample that included 562 African American (AA) and 692 Caucasian-American (CA) children. These data were part of a three panel longitudinal survey of families referred to juvenile court in one state. Specifically, baseline and first …

An Examination Of Eighth And Twelfth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement In Relation To School Locale, County Location, Looping Status, Ses, Grade And Class Size, And Access To Upper-Level Mathematics Courses In Tennessee, Joseph Jeremy Winters

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, this study was conducted to examine the status of mathematics achievement in rural schools in Tennessee. The second purpose of this study was to understand the presence and effects of the educational practice of looping in terms of secondary level mathematics. In order to thoroughly investigate these topics, other potentially confounding variables were examined for their effects on students' mathematics achievement. Five instruments were used to examine the mathematics achievement of eighth and twelfth grade students from Tennessee during the 2001-2002 school year. The Algebra 1 Gateway Test and the Mathematics Section …

Composts, Biofumigation, Dazomet, And Integrated Treatments Influence Southern Blight, Yield, And Microbial Community Composition In Plasticulture Tomato Production, Martin T. Lyons

Doctoral Dissertations

Plasticulture vegetable production is an important agricultural industry in the United States. Advantages of utilizing plastic mulch in combination with trickle irrigation and fertigation include weed control, water conservation, erosion prevention, and avoidance of disease by restricting contact of vegetables with contaminated soil.

Southern Blight, caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., represents one of the major disease threats to tomato crops in the southeast United States. Integrated pre-plant soil treatments that can reduce pathogen propagule numbers and reestablish a balanced soil microecology have potential as effective, sustainable disease control strategies.

The soil treatments investigated in this study were …

Assessment Center Construct Validity : Establishing Expectations Based On The Dimension Activation Theory, Michelle A. Bush

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity of assessment center dimension ratings within the confines of an extended trait activation theory. Specifically, previous findings of high within exercise rating correlations have led researchers to conclude that ratings are affected by halo. Conversely, the extended trait activation theory suggests that high correlations are a function of the different levels of activation potential for various dimensions rated in a given exercise. For dimensions having stronger activation potential, it is expected that high levels of between subject rating variance will evidence discriminant validity. However, it is expected that dimensions …

Photoproduction Of The K⁺K⁻(1750), Ryan Edward Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations

While photoproduction has often been advertised as an important environment in which to study light meson spectroscopy, solid experimental results are sparse. In fact, beyond the relatively straightforward photoproduction of the p, w, and ¢ mesons, the few results of exclusive photoproduction that do exist are poorly understood, and several, perhaps, have even been misinterpreted. After extensively reviewing the sometimes tenuous history of the exclusive photoproduction of the "p'(1600)," the "w1r0(1 2 50)," the "w(1650)," and the "K+ K-(1750)," new results from the E 8 31/FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab are presented which address the interpretation of the K+ K-(1750). …

The Relationship Between Self-Directed Learning Readiness And Resilience Among Graduate Students, Mary Glenette Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and resilience among graduate students. A convenience sample of 148 graduate students was selected from three departments in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Participants were administered the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) developed by Guglielmino (1977), the Resilience Scale (RS) developed by Wagnild and Young (1987), and a demographic questionnaire to describe the sample. A significant positive correlation was found between SDLRS and RS mean scores (r = .61; p < .001). Other findings inc1ude positive correlation's with self-directed learning readiness and the resilience factors: personal competence and acceptance of self and life. Another positive correlation was found between self-directed learning readiness and age, that is, as age increases, SDLRS scores tend to increase. Significant regressions were found using the total RS scores and age. Tota] RS scores and age tend to explain 39.2% of the variability in the SDLRS. However, the personal competence factor of the RS explained 43.4% of the variability in the SDLRS. Recommendations for future research inc1ude replicating this study with diverse populations of graduate students in terms of racial identity. Research is also needed in self-directed learning readiness and resilience with other adult populations from community groups. Research is needed with different instruments that measure selfdirected learning readiness and resilience because most research on resilience has focused on children and there is a need to develop more research on resilience among adults. Finally, qualitative research is needed to provide a different perspective from the population through interviews.

An Investigation Of Personality Correlates Of Small Business Success, Kimberly Sue Owens

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to empirically examine the relationship between personality characteristics and small business success. A cluster of 14 personality variables were examined using a work-based measure of personality, the Personal Style Inventory (PSI), adapted for small business owners. Small business success was operationally defined in terms of financial and personal dimensions of success. The two criterion variables assessed were business performance and work satisfaction. It was hypothesized that business performance and work satisfaction are positively related.

One hundred forty-seven small business owners completed the web survey. Correlational analyses revealed personality characteristics were significantly related to …

Elucidation Of The Players And Events Regulating The First Meiotic Division In Mouse Spermatocytes, Amy Lynn Inselman

Doctoral Dissertations

Meiosis is the process that ensures the continued propagation of new organisms and is a source of genetic variability within a population. During meiotic prophase many dynamic rearrangements occur in the nucleus of the cell. These rearrangements include homologous chromosome pairing, recombination, synaptonemal complex breakdown, chromosome condensation and spindle assembly. The regulatory mechanisms behind these complex processes at the G2/MI transition have not been completely elucidated, preventing our complete understanding of the processes. The purpose of this work is to provide new insight to the events and players involved in the regulation of the G2/MI transition in mouse spermatocytes.

Part …

Factors Directing The Rna-Dependent Rna Polymerase Jump During Discontinuous Transcription In Coronaviruses, Hung-Yi Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

It has been 23 years since it was learned that coronavirus subgenomic messenger RNAs are unusual among virus messenger RNAs in that they are 5' and 3' co-terminal with the plus-strand RNA viral genome. Although it is generally agreed that the co-terminal structure is the result of a discontinuous transcription process whereby the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) jumps in a high-frequency (sequence) similarity-assisted manner (resembling copy-choice recombination) from a donor to an acceptor RNA strand, it is not known what mechanisms direct the Rd.Rp to jump. Here, with the use of a bovine coronavirus minireplicon (a defective interfering RNA), it …

The Effects Of The Facts Workshop On Faculty Attitudes Toward Community College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rob Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the FACTS workshop on faculty attitudes toward community college students with learning disabilities. The Attitudes Toward Students with Leaming Disabilities Survey was used to measure faculty attitudes toward LD students before and after the FACTS workshop, a researcherdesigned training intervention. The study examined responses from 264 faculty members from 7 different community colleges in western North Carolina using an experimental group (n = 214) and a control group (n = 50). The study was guided by two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 (HO1) was that there would be no significant differences …