Digital Commons Network^™

Culture Education Program To Improve Work Culture In Healthcare, Ngufor Fube Divine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of a culture educational intervention program in addressing toxic work culture within healthcare settings. The prevalence of toxic work environments in healthcare has been linked to adverse outcomes for both employees and patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a targeted culture educational intervention on shifting organizational culture towards more positive dimensions, specifically focusing on Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy cultures. Utilizing a quantitative quasi-experimental design, this study employed repeated measures to assess participants' perceptions of organizational culture before, immediately after, and preferred following the intervention. The sample consisted …

Social Identity And Self Determination: A Case Study Exploring What American Indian Elders' Perspectives Of Residential Boarding Schools Tell Us About The Lasting Effect Of Historical And Intergenerational Trauma, Jessica Boyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, American Indian youth have faced educational challenges due to the lack of American Indian perspective in history, culture, and knowledge in public education. Distrust in public education due to Eurocentric educational policy, addressed in this study that provides American Indian elders' experiences for finding solutions to self-identity for American Indian youth. Investigating the historical trauma barriers further addressed implications on the high-school retention of American Indian students. This qualitative case study involved a group of 10 elders, both men and women, who self-identify as Little Shell Chippewa American Indian Elders. Through semistructured interviews, the results of this study spoke …

The Knowledge And Utilization Of Trauma-Informed Care By Educational And Mental Health Professionals Who Serve Children In A Texas City, Mashelle Ancell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the knowledge and utilization of trauma-informed care by professionals serving children within schools, social service agencies, or child therapy in a middle-sized Texas city. Previous studies acknowledged the prevalence of trauma and the need for systemic trauma-informed care in communities. The theoretical framework used to guide this study was attachment theory due to the emphasis on securely attached relationships, which is consistent with trauma-informed care. Data collection methods included an online open-ended questionnaire and semistructured personal interviews. Data analysis was completed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes from participant …

Exploring The Importance Of Values, Place, And Perceptions In Conservation Decision-Making In Maine: A Mixed Methods Approach, Alyssa R. Soucy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conservation inherently involves intertwined ecological systems and human societies. In Maine, USA conservation decision-making brings together many viewpoints, values, motivations, and experiences to balance diverse goals. Socio-cultural, experiential, financial, and ecological factors can all influence an individual’s ability to make or support a decision. This dissertation aimed to broadly explore how people perceive their role in conservation decision-making in Maine. In doing so, we articulate a diverse set of perspectives, experiences, and values. We used a mixed methods approach which enabled an in-depth understanding of the complexity of conservation decision-making while providing the opportunity for different voices to be heard. …

Liberation And Inclusion Through The Voices Of Trans Youth: A Phenomenological Approach, Klaudia Neufeld

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this phenomenological study is to elevate trans youth voice to understand the essence of their individual and shared lived experiences within school systems designed for them to be silenced, excluded, and erased. In alignment with Eve Tuck’s desire-based research, this study is designed to counter deficit narratives of trans youth. Participants include six racially and ethnically diverse trans youth, ages 13−17 in the U.S. state of Colorado. Analyses revealed four themes: a gender-identity transition journey; navigating geography; safety and the impact of school culture; creating belonging through a coalition of community and friendship; and youth lessons …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Using Video Modeling On Increasing Positive Social Interaction In Academic Settings In Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Ayman Abdullah Alamri, Ayman Abdullah Alamri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Modeling (VM) is a widely used intervention strategy to promote academic learning and positive social interactions in children with disabilities by watching a video clip modeled by a peer (peers) demonstrating the desired behavior. Limited research has been conducted on this topic to examine VM’s effectiveness on promoting positive social interactions in academic settings involving children with learning disabilities (LD). This study employed a single subject research design, specifically, a multiple baseline across participant design, to fill the void in the literature. The researcher invited three elementary students between 4^th to 6^th grade who met the inclusion …

Peer Perceptions Of Parent-Students Seeking Higher Education, Alexandria Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a growing number of parents pursuing academia, it is imperative that researchers understand the social environment in which parent-students function. Stereotypes of parent-students may be held by peers, faculty, and other educational supervisors. Across two previous independent studies, evidence and rationale were provided to suggest that both positive and negative perceptions of parent-students exist, with noted differences between gender. The purpose of the current 2x2x2 between-subjects study was to analyze the social perceptions of students enrolled in higher education as varied by parenthood status, age, and gender. The social perceptions included measures accounting for perceptions of intelligence and academic …

Enhancing Stem Education For East Tennessee In A Post-Covid World, Jennifer L. Lauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I have identified a need for an analysis of the middle and high school STEM education curricula in the East Tennessee Region which does not effectively integrate technology into their current instruction, which results in low student engagement, motivation, and achievement in the instruction and learning of algebra and geometry. I propose a program to identify specific applications and methods to be integrated into these programs which will improve the abilities of teachers to positively impact their students' understanding and mastery of algebra and geometry. Using emerging and novel STEM subject instruction, teaching, and engagement methods, and focusing on the …

Early College High School: A Study Of Dual Enrollment Students' Academic Success Based On Classroom Environment, Cynthia A. Johnston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ex post facto, causal-comparative, quantitative study examined variations in academic success of Early College High School (ECHS) students who completed a dual credit course in two separate classroom environments, specifically a high school classroom environment and a college classroom environment. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship existed between classroom environment and final grades of students enrolled in an ECHS. Students in the high school classroom environment sample completed a dual credit English 101 course in a high school classroom located in an ECHS, taught by a high school teacher who had been credentialed by the partnering community/technical …

Peer Perceptions Of Parent-Students Seeking Higher Education, Alexandria M. Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a growing number of parents pursuing academia, it is imperative that researchers understand the social environment in which parent-students function. Stereotypes of parent-students may be held by peers, faculty, and other educational supervisors. Across two previous independent studies, evidence and rationale were provided to suggest that both positive and negative perceptions of parent-students exist, with noted differences between gender. The purpose of the current 2x2x2 between-subjects study was to analyze the social perceptions of students enrolled in higher education as varied by parenthood status, age, and gender. The social perceptions included measures accounting for perceptions of intelligence and academic …

Leadership Matters: An Assessment Of The Mpower Leadership Program At The University Of Mississippi, Ryan Upshaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the importance of student leadership development programs on undergraduate students using the framework of the Social Change Leadership Model. This document will specifically examine the MPower Leadership program held at the University of Mississippi. Student engagement and leadership is extremely important to college campuses as universities seek to prepare their students for the world of work and to become engaged citizens. Student leadership and engagement also has ties to academic success and persistence. A concrete plan that is focused on leadership development also benefits student affairs administrators who are responsible for coordinating, …

Implications Of Individuals With Music Learning Experience Using A Segmented Multimedia Lesson In A Non-Music Discipline, Cheryl Farren Tkacs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how prior music learning experience relates to learning with multimedia resources in non-music disciplines. Specifically, whether years of music learning experience, type of music learning experience, or type of multimedia were associated with task scores and task duration in a non-music discipline. The study revealed the transferable benefits of music learning experience to learning outcomes in other disciplines. Encouraging music studies as part of the base curriculum is thus strongly encouraged. However, as years of music learning and the presence or absence of segmenting in multimedia learning resources were not found to …

Understanding Neuroanatomy In A Virtual 3d Environment: Creation And Use Of A New Survey Tool To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of 3d Software In Neuroanatomy Education For Understanding Superficial And Deep Brain Structures., Akash Khare

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studying cross-sections is a critical approach to learning and testing knowledge in neuroanatomy and the role of 3D technologies have been gradually increasing in medical education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. A study was conducted in a quasi-experimental one-group pre-post interventional design in an online setting by creating and evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual lab in neuroanatomy for all neuroscience students enrolled in the Fundamentals of Neuroscience course in our department at the University of Louisville. Study modules were created using the 2D resources used in previous years and 3D web applications of Visible Body and AnatomyLearning.com software. A …

A New Direction For Public Understanding Of Science: Toward A Participant-Centered Model Of Science Engagement., Christopher Rickels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Engaging the public with science is not an easy task. When presented, scientific findings, public health recommendations, and other scientific information filter through the personal values, beliefs, and biases of members of the public. Science communicators must contend with these differences in order to be effective in cultivating a public understanding of science. Given the importance of scientific understanding for living well in a complex world, increasing science understanding through science engagement is imperative. The field of public engagement with science is dichotomized by a public information deficit approach and a contextualist approach. The deficit approach prizes the factual content …

Botanically Inclined: Elementary Students' Knowledge Of Plant Structures And Their Functions Captured In Drawings, Emilie Oesterlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School gardens provide numerous educational opportunities and many elementary schools in Maine are supporting these nature-based learning experiences. However, there is a lack of information about how school gardens are associated with student learning of plants. This research investigated student knowledge of plant growth and reproduction at a school with a garden and explored how this knowledge is associated with how much time students spend in a garden.

An activity was designed, based on the Next Generation Science Standard performance expectation 4-LS1-1, asking students to draw a plant and label the different structures, including explanations of their functions. The activity …

Outdoor Pursuits And Outdoor Learning At Rural Maine Schools: A Positive Outlier Approach, Lauren E. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits (OPs) in some of the most rural isolated K-12 schools in Maine. The purpose was to understand why some of these schools incorporate a lot of OPs and outdoor learning into their curriculum while other schools do not. Outdoor pursuits and outdoor learning in school settings are worthy of study because they provide students with opportunities to increase physical activity, benefit from time in nature, and make important connections to local culture (Lim et al., 2017; Schafft, 2016; Trembley et al., 2015).

This study employed a comparative …

How Early Education And Pet Therapy May Help Nurses With Compassion Fatigue, Katie E. Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Although there is a great deal of research on the causes of compassion fatigue, there is little research on prevention techniques or ways to combat compassion fatigue. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover if nurses are prepared to cope with occupational stress and compassion fatigue. A secondary purpose was to examine the perceived benefit that pet therapy can have as a possible stress reduction technique to decrease the effects of compassion fatigue. This research was conducted by gathering data via semistructured interviews. The researcher interviewed nurses who were currently practicing patient care and scored as …

“This Rigid Curricular Way”: Evaluating Expectations In Collegiate Music Education, Sophie Ailsa Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conversations surrounding curricular reform are abound in music education today. Much of the literature on this topic explores how professors can adapt their teaching practices to the presumed needs of students in the classroom, but student voices are infrequently centered in these discussions.

This thesis examines the study of music in the collegiate setting from the student perspective. Using a survey which I designed and interviews that I conducted, I examine the disconnect between student values and those of the institutions they attend. I then put these student perspectives in conversation with existing literature.

I discovered that student experiences revolve …

The Dual Role Of A Teacher And Teacher Leader: An Auto-Educational Criticism Examination, Joseph Bolz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The world of teaching has long been explored: from works focused on different contents to different grade bands to different techniques and methods to best practices, the literature is dense with materials on the world of teaching. Where this literature has just begun to shed light however is the world teacher leadership. As an educator in a dual role since 2014, that of a teacher and a teacher leader, I have beared witness to what current research has only recently begun to unearth.

It is here that I situate myself, as the researcher of teacher leadership and the subject of …

An Exploration Of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education And Training: Currently Available Information, Perspectives, And Beliefs, David D. Allen Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background and Objectives

Interdisciplinary research has come into the limelight over the last 30 years. Current literature identifies interdisciplinary research as having the potential to assist in solving complex contemporary problems or issues through the inclusion of multiple disciplinary perspectives to account for the systematic intricacies therein. This project served as an exploration of interdisciplinary graduate education, graduate interdisciplinary research training, and the practice of interdisciplinary research, using three primary objectives. We first sought to identify and present current information around interdisciplinary graduate education and research training. Second, study personnel aimed to explore opinions and beliefs on interdisciplinary education and …

Teacher Perceptions Of Practices Which Impact Job Satisfaction And Retention, Chiqueta Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifying teachers’ reasons for leaving the field of education and monitoring retention indicators to address and remedy the problem is critical for school leaders and policymakers in recruiting and retaining high-quality educators. Understanding teachers’ experiences and opinions can facilitate practices and protocols to increase retention. The study aimed to investigate perceptions of successful and departing teachers on school leadership practices, which impact teacher retention in rural public schools in Mississippi. By conducting a research study on teachers’ lived experiences, school leaders can explore options and construct recruitment, mentoring, and collaboration practices to encourage retention, which gives teachers a sense of …

Towards Achieving The Sustainable Development Goal Four (4) In Ghana: The Role Of The Free Senior High School Programme, Bismark Edusei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to explore the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy’s role in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 in a select Senior High School in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. A qualitative case study was adopted to help achieve the objective of the study. The data was obtained from 20 respondents comprising school management members, teachers, students, policymakers, and parents. These groups were selected for their practical experience and knowledge of the policy on FSHS. Semi-structured interview questions were used to collect data, and subsequently, thematic data analysis was used to analyze the data recorded. …

Confronting The Haunted South: A Journey Into The History, Legacy, And Life Of Boggs Academy, Caroline G. Whitcomb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Boggs Academy was a private, Presbyterian boarding school for Blacks that operated from 1906 until 1984 in rural Georgia. The institution, recognized for academic excellence, marked by resilience, and beloved by alumni, existed because of the racism that has plagued this nation since its inception. The stated purpose of this research is four-fold: to record/compile a history of Boggs Academy, to carry on the work Mr. Charles W. Francis began in his Master’s thesis on Boggs Academy, to demonstrate the value of togetherness in qualitative research, and to cast a vision for the future of education built upon the institution’s …

Racial Diversity Of Texas School Teachers, Julie Ann Olguin-Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing gap between the racial demographics of public-school teachers and their students. Teachers with demographic backgrounds similar to a school’s student population are often successful, particularly in Title 1 schools with high proportions of minority students; however, teacher turnover is high. The students in Texas public schools are a growing minority-majority population. Changes in the student body racial composition and other school-related variables could influence teacher workforce demographics. The focus of discussion of this quantitative research study is to determine the factors that predict the racial diversity of teachers in Texas high schools. The research questions addressed …

Exploring The Experiences And Effectiveness Of Student Loan Entrance Counseling, Manoj Thekkadathu Oommen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student loan debt is one of the most pressing issues in the United States today. The rate of student loan debt in the United States continues to rise year after year, and the country is experiencing a crisis of increased student loan debt. A program that started with a budget of $15 million in 1965 to expand access to higher education has increased exponentially to over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt today. Students are ushered into the college experience often without possessing a firm grasp of basic financial literacy skills. Federal legislation mandates borrowers to take a 30-minute counseling …

Immersive Virtual Reality And Education: A Study Into The Effectiveness Of Using This Technology With Preservice Teachers., Shannon R. Putman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is a rapidly advancing technology utilized across varying education fields for learning and educational applications. IVR provides the capabilities of computer simulations and embodied cognition experiences through a hands-on activity, making it a natural step to improve learning. Creating educational applications in IVR for use with students and preservice teachers could be a laborious and costly endeavor and require teacher belief in its effectiveness, so research is essential to investigate whether these applications are useful in advancing prekindergarten through Grade 12 (P-12) student learning. Research in this field is new, limited, and practically void of its …

Empathic Instruction Through Literary Narratives: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of An Occupational Therapy Course, Cavenaugh P. Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines concerns within the field of occupational therapy on the growing disconnect between the profession’s roots and espoused beliefs in empathic-centered care, and the modern realities of health care. In particular, the study examined whether the empathy levels of occupational therapy students would change after a course involving the close reading of literary narratives. Close reading of literary narratives has correlated with improved levels of empathy. Empathy is defined as a four-step dynamic process involving Theory of Mind (ToM), emotional resonance, emotional regulation, and empathy as a willful act. Initial study of the proposed curriculum found improved scores …

A Case Study Into Middle School Students' Conceptualizations Of Motion And Interpretations Of Negative Velocities, Peter A. Colesworthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student difficulties surrounding motion have been well documented for many years. This work was inspired by the work of former MST students into the instruction of Newton‟s Second Law of Motion at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to further investigate how middle school students talk and reason about motion. Particular attention was paid to how students defined the term “motion,” how those definitions fit into a larger framework of what encompasses understanding motion at the middle school level, and how students justified negativity of a calculation of a negative velocity.

A tutorial lesson was developed …

Rural Elementary Teacher Beliefs Regarding The Effectiveness Of Their Homework Practices During The Pandemic, Daniel Clara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through the lenses of C.S. Peirce’s Belief and Genuine Doubt, Albert Bandura’s Self Efficacy and Collective Efficacy, Bernard Weiner’s Attribution Theory, and Critical Race Theory, this dissertation captured and codified rural elementary teacher beliefs regarding homework and its effectiveness related to learning, and in particular, the effects brought on by the 2020 COVID 19 school closure. Rural school systems are under-researched and present notable differences in homework challenges, including access to libraries, technology and distance from home to school. Using qualitative research, this study identified themes regarding teacher perceptions of homework. The author explained that many of the long-held tenants …

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students' Self-Efficacy For The Doctoral Capstone Experience: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Ann B. Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine factors that influence occupational therapy doctoral students’ self-efficacy for the Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE). Six doctoral students enrolled in an entry-level occupational therapy doctoral program at a private university were recruited to participate. Students completed a four-item self-efficacy rating scale prior to and several times throughout their DCE. Participants also participated in semi-structured phone interviews regarding their relationship with their Site Mentor after completing the DCE.

Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. The quantitative analysis determined that there were no significant differences in self-efficacy for students …