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Mindfulness Intervention To Support School Engagement With At-Risk Students At An Urban Charter High School, Sarah Groark
Mindfulness Intervention To Support School Engagement With At-Risk Students At An Urban Charter High School, Sarah Groark
Dissertations
Every year, more than 500,000 students drop out of school, often after years of growing disinterest and disengagement. As a result, models of school engagement are commonly used as a framework to guide interventions. Unfortunately, some students may experience high levels of dysregulation and poor executive functioning which interfere with their ability to engage in school. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a school-based mindfulness intervention would support school engagement behaviors with adolescents at an urban charter school. It was hypothesized that mindfulness would support students’ executive functioning in the areas of attention, cognitive flexibility, and emotion …
Elementary Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Using The Best Practices Of Video Modeling, Social Stories, And Peer Mediated Interventions To Teach Social Skills For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Naif Ahmed Aldawood
Dissertations
Statistical data from the Centers for Disease Control (2018) indicated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 out of 59 children in American schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of special education teachers regarding teaching social skills for K-5 students with ASD; specifically, to see how teachers viewed the effective use of two promising practices (i.e., peer-mediated interventions and social stories) and one evidence-based intervention (i.e., video modeling). The experiences of special education teachers regarding teaching social skills to K-5 students with ASD were explored. Seven special education teachers from school districts in Colorado were interviewed …
The Wounded Healer: A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Counselors-In-Training With Complex Trauma Histories, Jessica Leigh Manson
The Wounded Healer: A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Counselors-In-Training With Complex Trauma Histories, Jessica Leigh Manson
Dissertations
Thirty percent of the general population report one or more traumatic experiences (National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, 2019), and samples of mental health professionals report rates of traumatic experience as high as eighty percent (Pearlman & Mac Ian, 1995). Research on the neurobiological effects of trauma highlights the possibility of a trauma history uniquely impacting counselors-in-training (CITs) in their professional development and counseling work. This study focused on understanding the experiences of counselors-in-training (CITs) with complex trauma histories. Complex trauma is defined as a form of trauma that is chronic in nature and/or timing- specifically, an event perceived as …
Phenomenological Curiosity, Ryan Russell Katz
Phenomenological Curiosity, Ryan Russell Katz
Dissertations
This transcendental phenomenological study focused on the phenomenon of curiosity. The aim of this research was to explore the following research question with seven research participants: What does curiosity mean? Supported by semi-structured, one-on-one, in-depth phenomenological interviews as the research method, the findings revealed (a) curiosity as an energy for learning and (b) six Curiosity Archetypes defined by the way each gathers, connects, and/or utilizes data to expand consciousness and sense of meaning via creativity. Grappling with curiosity as an energy for learning presents at least three significant educational implications: (a) if curiosity is an energy for learning, then learning …
Childhood Maltreatment And Working Memory: Considering The Influence Of Anxiety And Emotion Dysregulation, Mackenzie Ann Peake Pohja
Childhood Maltreatment And Working Memory: Considering The Influence Of Anxiety And Emotion Dysregulation, Mackenzie Ann Peake Pohja
Dissertations
This study investigated female college students with and without a history of childhood maltreatment and working memory ability on a traditional and an emotional working memory task. Individual difference variables of current anxiety and emotion dysregulation were also assessed. Some research reports a working memory deficit among individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment. However, some research has not found a relationship between maltreatment history and working memory. Both anxiety and emotion dysregulation are known to be associated with childhood maltreatment. Also, anxiety and emotion dysregulation are associated with poor working memory performance. Previous research has not considered the influence …
Model Selection For Longitudinal Data With Time-Dependent Covariates Using Generalized Method Of Moments, Maryann Nishimura Shane
Model Selection For Longitudinal Data With Time-Dependent Covariates Using Generalized Method Of Moments, Maryann Nishimura Shane
Dissertations
The purpose of this dissertation was to establish measures that could be used to assess the relative fit of nested models with parameters estimated using the Generalized Method of Moments for longitudinal data with time-dependent covariates. A secondary data set collected from Filipino children was used as an example of model fitting to evaluate the quality of the assessment of fit of the Kullback-Leibler Information Criterion (KLIC) and a chi-squared statistic derived from the difference in the minimums of the quadratic forms of two candidate nested models. A simulation involving randomly-generated data sets was also used to evaluate the performance …
University President Discourse After An On-Campus Crisis, Andrea Decosmo
University President Discourse After An On-Campus Crisis, Andrea Decosmo
Dissertations
The presidents of higher education institutions (HEIs) may, at some point during their tenure, be faced with managing a crisis such as a natural disaster, an individual or group intending to harm the campus community, or a large-scale accident or student protest. While leadership can take on many forms in daily life, leadership after crisis requires communication with stakeholders and the media, and may help or hinder crisis recovery (Hincker, 2014). Understanding the elements included in HEI president post-crisis discourse may help presidents and crisis managers formulate a comprehensive crisis communication strategy, moreover, it provides the higher education community the …
Increasing Undergraduate Student Engagement In Academics: An Ecological Momentary Intervention, Kerry Douglas Duck
Increasing Undergraduate Student Engagement In Academics: An Ecological Momentary Intervention, Kerry Douglas Duck
Dissertations
As students enter the university environment, they are presented with various commitments that may or may not impede academic performance. With the issues of student attrition and retention, there is a need to provide further tools for students to use to monitor their performance. As students’ progress to higher level coursework, expectations and time commitments increase, and self-regulation of learning becomes even more important. Researchers may be able to deliver information to help students with self-regulation of learning by leveraging new affordances in technology in students’ daily lives. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the feasibility and associated …
A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences And Perceptions Of Counselor Education Students Who Have Completed An Intensive Social Justice Retreat, Aaron James Henderson
A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences And Perceptions Of Counselor Education Students Who Have Completed An Intensive Social Justice Retreat, Aaron James Henderson
Dissertations
The intention of this phenomenology research study was to better understand the experiences and perceptions of counseling students who attend a weekend intensive social justice retreat. This examination may shed light on whether an intensive social justice experience is a valuable and worthy training modality to compliment the traditional classroom learning environment often found in counselor preparation programs. The data from two semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and research participant journals were utilized from 10 counseling students from CACREP accredited counseling programs in a mid-Western mountain state. Seven themes emerged from the data including: Increased Awareness, Desired for Prolonged Training, …
A Tale Of Two Schools And Their One Journey To Improvement, Catherine M. Jarnot
A Tale Of Two Schools And Their One Journey To Improvement, Catherine M. Jarnot
Dissertations
In accordance with the accountability measures required for public education by the United States Federal Government, the State of Colorado has developed a system for ranking school performance based on academic achievement, academic growth, and postsecondary and workforce readiness (Colorado Department of Education, 2016b). Schools are rated as Turnaround, Priority Improvement, Improvement, or Performance status (Colorado Department of Education, 2016b). Schools in Turnaround or Priority Improvement status must move to Improvement or Performance status in less than five years (Colorado Department of Education, 2016e). The focus of the study was on the leadership skills and behaviors of principals in schools …
Using Online Communities To Prepare Teachers To Operate As Transformative Intellectuals, Zachary Morgan Clancy
Using Online Communities To Prepare Teachers To Operate As Transformative Intellectuals, Zachary Morgan Clancy
Dissertations
Online communities have the potential to help teacher education programs inform and prepare future teachers to teach children equitably and confront social injustices. Online communities of scholars, activists, and artists can be used as a resource for teacher educators to prepare teacher-candidates and in-service teachers to participate in teacher inquiry and practitioner research. In turn, the research that they generate can be used by preservice and in-service teachers in the future. Online communities can also be used by classroom teachers as a form of professional development. My study included six participants – undergraduate college students, classroom teachers, and teacher-educators – …
The Relationship Between State College Readiness Policy And Student Outcomes: A Multilevel Growth Model, Rachel Christeson
The Relationship Between State College Readiness Policy And Student Outcomes: A Multilevel Growth Model, Rachel Christeson
Dissertations
This study examined whether policies related to college readiness have a relationship with student outcomes of college-going, student retention rates, and graduation rates for the overall state population as well as the rates specifically for European American and non-European American students. Specifically, a multilevel modeling approach was employed to determine whether significant relationships exist between the presence of state college readiness policies and change in student outcomes over time when controlling for state- and institutional-level factors. Several policies were considered, including: (a) the existence of a college-readiness definition, (b) a requirement for students to take college-prepatory courses in order to …
Liminal Space In Higher Education: Lived Experiences In The Space Between At-Risk Academics And Big-Time Athletics In Division I Power Five, Lainey J. Brottem
Liminal Space In Higher Education: Lived Experiences In The Space Between At-Risk Academics And Big-Time Athletics In Division I Power Five, Lainey J. Brottem
Dissertations
The purpose of this qualitative, interpretivist phenomenological study was to understand and provide a transferable, informed, and learned perspective of the daily experience of working in the liminal space between two powerful, ostensibly cooperative but often competing interests: major university undergraduate academics and big-time Division I athletics. Nine learning specialists from Division I Power Five institutions participated in phenomenological interviews. Findings indicated that the phenomenon constituted a liminal space between the opposing forces of academics and athletics, with student-athletes, faculty, colleagues, and coaches having influence on the liminality. Unit directors diminished the sense of liminality while faculty contributed very little …
Lived Experiences Of Counselors Providing Counseling To Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Jenna Annette Mack
Lived Experiences Of Counselors Providing Counseling To Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Jenna Annette Mack
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of counselors providing counseling to adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eleven professional counselors participated in the study from various regions of the United States. Four themes and 10 subthemes were found. The resulting themes discuss the counselor reactions, previous experiences with ASD, approaches used in counseling, and counselor self-care. The findings exhibit new evidence in the literature such as counselors’ emotional reactions to working with adults with ASD, challenges in balancing adult clients with ASD and their family members, and professional emotional boundaries used as a self-care tool. …
We Were Asked To Deny A Part Of Ourselves —And We Did: How Black Women Doctoral Students Experience Their Intersectional Identities In Race-Based Activism, Cherjanet Diane Lenzy
We Were Asked To Deny A Part Of Ourselves —And We Did: How Black Women Doctoral Students Experience Their Intersectional Identities In Race-Based Activism, Cherjanet Diane Lenzy
Dissertations
This study explored the experiences of 10 Black women doctoral students’ experiences with their intersectional identities in race-based activist work. Grounded in Black feminist thought and critical race feminism, participants engaged in a multi-method inquiry that employed in-depth interviews. “Artistic Story” was additionally used as a method to provoke intentional reflection. Counterstory methodology with the influences of testimonio and testifying techniques, coupled with an endarkend feminist epistemology, situated the study to commit to a reflective process that engaged the researcher and the participants simultaneously. The data analysis first revealed the theme unconscious back-seating, where participants were regulated to the back-seat …
Methodological Considerations For Researching Hidden-Populations With An Emphasis On Homeless Research Sampling Methods, Tyler William Kincaid
Methodological Considerations For Researching Hidden-Populations With An Emphasis On Homeless Research Sampling Methods, Tyler William Kincaid
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to: (a) gain a methodological understanding of hidden population sampling techniques and to offer insight into which approach is best suited for a given researcher’s sample; and (b) to provide increased methodological understanding of how to best research hidden populations like the homeless by providing researchers, social care providers, and governing bodies with detailed guidelines for their work with the homeless. Regardless of the method, hidden and homeless populations are hard to find, understand, and approach with cultural responsiveness (Roche, et al. in Lahman, 2017). Using a critical theoretical approach to the research, this …
Dual Language Elementary Teacher Supports In Rocky Mountain Resort Communities, Miguel Donald Salinas
Dual Language Elementary Teacher Supports In Rocky Mountain Resort Communities, Miguel Donald Salinas
Dissertations
Dual language (DL) programs have been proven to increase student achievement (Thomas & Collier, 2002; Thomas, Collier, & Collier, 2010) but a gap remains in how to support teachers in their instruction of Spanish to both English home language and Spanish home language students. This mixed methods, explanatory, sequential design study was conducted in two Rocky Mountain resort communities in two school districts. Participants were chosen based on the research criterion of being DL elementary teachers in rural amenity-based destinations. The Guiding Principles for Dual-language Education (Howard et al., 2018) was used as the conceptual framework. Data were obtained from …
Persuasive Narrative: Examining Policy Actor Influences On Accreditation Reform Legislation, Rebecca Lynn Woulfe
Persuasive Narrative: Examining Policy Actor Influences On Accreditation Reform Legislation, Rebecca Lynn Woulfe
Dissertations
Accreditation is an integral component of the higher education landscape. Regional accreditors accredit approximately 7,000 institutions of higher education in the United States. In the decade from 2008 to 2018, these accrediting agencies have been the recipients of significant criticism and demands for change. This study explored federal public policy narrative related to accreditation reform through the lens of Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) theory. The research was bounded by an embedded case study of legislation from the 115th U.S. Congress. The subcomponents identified within the case were two pieces of legislation written to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). The …
A Comparison Between A Modified And A Traditional Expressive Writing Intervention And Their Effect On Alexithymia And Emotional Expressivity, John Tzanos
Dissertations
The current study examined the effect of a modified expressive writing intervention compared to a traditional intervention and their effect on alexithymia and emotional expressivity while controlling for attachment style and social desirability among 150 undergraduate and graduate college students. The survey was administered online using a Qualtrics online survey tool. Participants were randomly divided into six groups: (a) low alexithymia/traditional intervention, (b) moderate alexithymia/traditional invention, (c) high alexithymia/traditional intervention, (d) low alexithymia/modified intervention, (e) moderate alexithymia/ modified intervention, and (f) high alexithymia/ modified intervention. The three groupings of levels of alexithymia—low (61) alexithymia—were based on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 …
Understanding Counselor Educators’ Experiences Of Professional Identity And Leadership In A Group Private Practice, Jessica L. Hopkins
Understanding Counselor Educators’ Experiences Of Professional Identity And Leadership In A Group Private Practice, Jessica L. Hopkins
Dissertations
Similar to other mental health professionals, Counselor Educators work in a variety academic, clinical and business settings. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) (2016) describes CES doctoral programs as preparing “graduates to work as Counselor Educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners in academic and clinical settings” (p. 38). However, research has only minimally focused on Counselor Educators who work in private practice settings, especially group counseling practices. Swickert’s (1997) research on the professional identity of Counselor Educators in private practice settings signifies the most recent study of counselor education that references Counselor Educators’ professional identities and …
Comparative Effects Of An Electronic Visual Activity Schedule On Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Increasing Independence In Activity Transitioning, Leisha Leann Tompkins
Comparative Effects Of An Electronic Visual Activity Schedule On Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Increasing Independence In Activity Transitioning, Leisha Leann Tompkins
Dissertations
Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have difficulty transitioning from one activity to the next without verbal prompts from caregivers, but caregivers may not always be readily available. Binder-based visual schedules can be used to increase independence in transitioning but can be stigmatizing and cumbersome for the student. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of an iPadbased electronic visual to a traditional binder based visual activity schedule for elementary-aged children with ASD to increase independence activity completion and transition. Data were collected using a single-subject, alternating treatment design (A-B-CA- B-C) with three participants. …
A Phenomenological Exploration Of Moral Injury Among Female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans, Tricia Mercaldi Steeves
A Phenomenological Exploration Of Moral Injury Among Female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans, Tricia Mercaldi Steeves
Dissertations
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate the construct of moral injury among a female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veteran sample. Moral injury has been defined as the “lasting psychological, biological, spiritual, behavioral, and social impact of perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply-held moral beliefs and expectations” (Litz et al., 2009, p. 697). Moral injury also includes experiences of feeling betrayed by others (e.g., leaders and/or peers) while serving in high-stakes situations such as theater (Drescher et al., 2011; Litz, Leslie, Gray, & Nash, 2015; Shay, 1994). A …
Dispositions Of Junior Elementary Teacher Candidates, Amy Lynn Bartlow
Dispositions Of Junior Elementary Teacher Candidates, Amy Lynn Bartlow
Dissertations
Schools of teacher education strive to prepare teacher candidates with the most effective dispositions. Qualitative case study was used to gather data from university coursework, teacher candidate fieldwork, fieldwork observations, coursework observations and teacher candidate interviews. The varied data collection and yearlong data collection period allowed the researcher to gain a holistic and longitudinal view of teacher candidate dispositions. The researcher is a teacher educator who serves as an advisor, fieldwork supervisor, and instructor in the initial semester of professional coursework for participants. Particular attention was given to rigor and quality, participant protection, and credibility through specific procedures and processes. …
A Cumulative Summation Nonparametric Multiple Stream Process Control Chart Based On The Extended Median Test, Austin R. Brown
A Cumulative Summation Nonparametric Multiple Stream Process Control Chart Based On The Extended Median Test, Austin R. Brown
Dissertations
In statistical process control applications, situations may arise in which several presumably identical processes or “streams” are desired to be simultaneously monitored. Such a monitoring scenario is commonly referred to as a “Multiple Stream Process (MSP).” Charts which have been designed to monitor an MSP typically monitor the means of the streams through collecting samples from each stream and calculating some function of the sample means. The resulting statistic is then iteratively compared to control limits to determine if a single stream or subset of streams may have shifted away from a specified target value. Traditional MSP charting techniques rely …
It’S All Fun And Games Until Someone Learns To Read, Then It’S Educational: Children’S Librarians As Literacy Educators, Louise F. Benke
It’S All Fun And Games Until Someone Learns To Read, Then It’S Educational: Children’S Librarians As Literacy Educators, Louise F. Benke
Dissertations
Children’s librarians who emphasize making reading and libraries fun may not think of themselves as literacy educators. But, a look into the profession’s past and three studies reveal both a history of overlap with literacy education in formal schools and informal learning and an overlap in the children’s librarians’ profession today. This dissertation presents two articles: (1) a literature review and comparative historical analysis on children’s librarians’ role in literacy instruction from 1876 to the end of the 20th century, and (2) a set of studies examining children’s librarians’ self-perceptions as literacy educators. In the first article, events in literacy …
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents And Young Adults Of Color: How Racial Identity Impacts Self-Harm Use, Chloe Ayesha-Marie Hinton
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents And Young Adults Of Color: How Racial Identity Impacts Self-Harm Use, Chloe Ayesha-Marie Hinton
Dissertations
This dissertation study was written and conducted to explore the connections between racial identity and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) that people of color experienced during adolescence. This was explored through the use of a phenomenological, qualitative methodology. The researcher accessed individuals of color through online websites, forums, and blogs, and additionally through contacting diversity related cultural centers on university campuses. Individuals completed a prescreening questionnaire, and were then contacted to take part in semi-structured, individual interviews. Eight individuals described at length their experiences with their racial identity development and their experiences with NSSI. The following six themes regarding their experiences with …
Division Of Student Affairs Student Employees Make Meaning Of Their Intersecting Identities And Work, Jason Ward Foster
Division Of Student Affairs Student Employees Make Meaning Of Their Intersecting Identities And Work, Jason Ward Foster
Dissertations
A constructivist paradigm guided research to explore how student affairs student employees at two institutions made meaning of their multiple and intersecting identities in the context of their student affairs employment experience. Four current students at one institution provided data via interviews, a focus group, and participant journals while 12 former students at another participated, one via a phone interview whereas the rest submitted written email responses. Document analysis and a researcher journal also served as data sources as meaning and understanding emerged during this study. Through intentional and unintentional development opportunities, students shared stories and painted a picture of …
Group Differences In Motivation And Achievement Outcomes Within A First-Year Seminar, Selani D. Flores
Group Differences In Motivation And Achievement Outcomes Within A First-Year Seminar, Selani D. Flores
Dissertations
This intervention study explored potential motivation, achievement, and gender differences among students within an existing first-year program (n = 388). This intervention program (FYE 101) was chosen because it has a diverse population and a large number of underserved students, it fosters content that is grounded in motivational research, and it has had a positive impact on increased student GPA and fall-to-fall persistence. Prior research showed that FYE 101 was effective in mitigating academic outcomes for students within the course when compared to students who did not participate, however, we do not know if it would be equally effective for …
Afterlife Beliefs, Attachment, And Continuing Bonds In Predicting Complicated Grief, Kiersten Michele Eberle Medina
Afterlife Beliefs, Attachment, And Continuing Bonds In Predicting Complicated Grief, Kiersten Michele Eberle Medina
Dissertations
This study examined the possible moderating effect afterlife beliefs and attachment have on the impact of continuing bonds on complicated grief. Although research has examined the relationship between attachment and complicated grief, and between afterlife beliefs and complicated grief, little is known about how these constructs interact with continuing bonds to affect complicated grief symptomatology. Research questions asked: (a) Does complicated grief symptomology (CGS) severity differ between individuals who hold afterlife beliefs versus those who do not? (b) Does the presence of internalized continuing bonds (ICB) expressions differ between individuals who hold afterlife beliefs versus those who do not? (c) …
Seductive Details In Educational Materials: Exploring Attention Distraction Using Eye-Tracking, Matthew A. Swaffer
Seductive Details In Educational Materials: Exploring Attention Distraction Using Eye-Tracking, Matthew A. Swaffer
Dissertations
Current advances in technology allow for a great deal of learning intervention materials to be designed by teachers. An active body of research is being conducted on how information is processed from these materials which are often created using electronic media. The design of these materials often includes interesting but irrelevant details which may detract from learning. These are termed “seductive details” and the impact of these inclusions in learning materials is not yet fully understood. Developing a better understanding of what factors play a role in the damaging effects of seductive details can help in the design of learning …