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Conceptualization And Operationalization Of College Readiness For Students With Learning Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Study With Transition Stakeholders, Jordan A. Abbott

Doctoral Dissertations

The poor success rates of students with learning disabilities transitioning to postsecondary education signal that special education transition services, as currently delivered, are failing to prepare students adequately for the demands and expectations they face in college. To date, transition research has provided limited guidance for IEP team members and other stakeholders charged with preparing students with learning disabilities for success in higher education. Furthermore, existing literature is nearly silent on the process of postsecondary education transition service decision-making, and team member understanding of college readiness. I use constructivist grounded theory and semi-structured interviews to explore the question, “How do …

The Experiences And Needs Of Individuals With A Variant Of Uncertain Significance (Vus) On Genetic Tests For Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: A Grounded Theory Study, Danielle Gould

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: The use of multigene panel testing for identifying individuals with hereditary cancer susceptibility has expanded in recent years. The number of individuals who have a variant of unknown significance (VUS) result is increasing. However, little is known about the experiences and needs of this group. This study’s purpose was to describe the experiences and needs of individuals with a VUS result by focusing on their experiences in communicating with healthcare providers and family members. Methods: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used. Recruitment took place from January–July 2021 through social media: the Prospective Registry of Multiplex Testing (PROMPT), and …

The Use Of Intergroup Dialogue To Address Sexism In Stem Fields: A Qualitative Investigation, Brittany White

Doctoral Dissertations

The study examined the experiences of eight participants who partook in an intergroup dialogue (IGD) on gender and sexism in STEM, and the learning that resulted from this experience. Participants consisted of upper-level undergraduate students (junior and senior class rankings) as well as graduate students who were currently obtaining degrees in STEM fields. The study sought to understand how IGD members construct meaning of their experiences as those experiences relate to their understanding of interpersonal and systemic sexism in STEM. Grounded theory was used to code the data and generate categories that were organized into a conceptual framework which centered …

A Grounded Theory Inquiry Into Crying In Women Dealing With The Emotional Stress Of Personal Crisis, Mary Bess Griffith

Doctoral Dissertations

The belief that crying leads to healing is so widely held and of such longstanding that many healthcare professionals—including nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists—accept it as fact even though there is little substantiating scientific evidence. Crying is commonly believed to be an essential factor in restoring mind-body equilibrium after physical and/or emotional trauma has been experienced. If, as has been hypothesized by many scientists and healthcare practitioners, emotional crying is a biopsychosocial healing modality, then specifics of its therapeutic praxis, including limitations and ambiguities, should be incorporated into nursing education and practice. In this grounded theory study, the meaning and …

A Grounded Theoretical Analysis Of Team Resilience In The Us Army, Megan L. Dove-Steinkamp

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to develop a scientific understanding of team resilience, the three primary goals of the current research effort were to (1) summarize the research literature on resilience in and of small groups and systems, (2) articulate a framework to direct the synthesis of existing and future resilience-related research, and (3) construct a substantive theory of team resilience. This exploratory research used a grounded theory approach to explore resilience phenomena experienced by small unit members in the US Army. Participants were sampled from military occupational specialties within Combat Arms, as classified by the US Army Regimental System, and included members …

Social Exchange Between Destination Marketing Organizations And Stakeholders In Tennessee’S Rural Counties, Angela Gray Sebby

Doctoral Dissertations

Promoting local culture and heritage, natural resources, farm-to-table opportunities, and outdoor recreation, more visitors are now travelling to rural communities for these experiences.

The goal for rural areas interested in tourism is to create viable and sustainable tourism through destination-marketing strategies. These strategies require extensive research, appropriate planning, and allocated funding, often managed by a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). With the creation of the Tennessee Rural Development Task Force, Tennessee’s strategy is to increase economic growth in rural communities.

While there is a need for the DMO to form an alliance with industry stakeholders, lack of incentives and strained relationships …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Social Process That Influence A Child Being Overweight In Thailand, Jumpee Prasitchai

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is to develop a model of social processes that influence a child being overweight. This qualitative research study utilized Grounded Theory as a methodology to collect and analyze data. Postpositivism and Symbolic interactionism were used as a philosophical basis in this study. Research samples were parents/caretakers who have overweight children seven months to three years of age, and visited the Out Patient Department at Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Data collection was from interviews, observations, document reviews, and journal writings. Data analysis followed the Glaser’s GT approach, which included two steps, substantive and theoretical coding. …

Promoting Academic Talent Development In Adolescents: Protective Factors And Linkages To Summer Program Participation, Kelly L. Kearney

Doctoral Dissertations

Special summer programs are considered a popular service-delivery approach to bolster the talent development of all students. This study seeks to explore protective factors that influence high-ability students’ talent development. Factors influencing the talent development of high-ability students are understudied, often in favor of researching underachievement and resilience.

Because very little research seeks the perceptions of these students in their own words, this study used a grounded theory approach to explore 54 students’ perceptions of their own talent development within the context of a residential, inquiry-based summer program for high-ability adolescents. Responses across all parts of the study revealed three …

A Preliminary Model Of Dignity Management In Hospice, Qiaohong Guo

Doctoral Dissertations

This study aims to develop a preliminary model of dignity management (MDM) in hospice describing the social process used by the interdisciplinary team to support the dignity of the patient-family unit in hospice. A qualitative, grounded theory methodology was used to achieve this goal. Research samples, including dying patients, their families and hospice staff, were recruited from a residential hospice in North Amherst, Massachusetts. Data collection methods included interview, observation, and document review. Symbolic interactionism and pragmatism provided the philosophical basis for this study. Thematic analysis was used to explore the definitions of dignity; and grounded theory analytic techniques for …

Living With The Choice: A Grounded Theory Of Iraqi Refugee Resettlement To The U.S., Lisa Ann Davenport

Doctoral Dissertations

Though the United States has become a place of increasing resettlement for refugees, particularly Iraqi refugees who have been forced to flee their homeland due to violence, persecution and civil unrest, little is known about Iraqi refugee resettlement in the United States, or the way in which resettlement impacts health and adjustment. A grounded theory study was conducted to develop a substantive theory of Iraqi refugee resettlement. Participants in the qualitative study included 29 Iraqi refugees and 2 community partners who participated in face-to face interviews. Data analysis and interpretation revealed fundamental concepts related to Iraqi refugee resettlement. Results of …

Having An Elective Cesarean Section: Doing What's Best, Cynthia R Acuff Michaluk

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover a theory on how women decide to deliver their babies by cesarean section instead of experiencing a trial of labor and expected vaginal delivery when it is appropriate. The specific goals are to answer the research questions: What is the decision-making process by which healthy, low-risk women choose to deliver their babies by cesarean delivery in the absence of medical indications? What antecedents occur to influence a pregant woman's decision to undergo a maternal request cesaren section? Seven women from the surrounding Knoxville area underwent in-depth interviews. To qualify for the study, …