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The Psychosocial Determinants Of Middle- And High-School Violence: An Investigation Of The Perceptions Of Parents Of Children Suspended For Committing Violent Acts At School, Beverly Cameron

Dissertations

Problem. This study investigated parents' perceptions of the psychosocial determinants of middle- and high-school violence.

Method. Phase Four of the Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation (PRECEDE) model, developed by Lawrence Green, was utilized to examine the perceptions of parents regarding the psychosocial determinants of middle- and high-school violence. Respondents were 191 parents whose children were suspended for school violence. One-way ANOVAs were used to analyze the influence ofgender, age, education, family structure, and income on school violence.

Results. Parents believed their children would solve problems using nonviolent means but they responded in a violent manner …

Academic Persistence And Attrition Among Freshman Traditional And Non-Traditional Students At A Public Midwestern Commuter University, Arnold W. Illanz

Dissertations

Problem. This research examined student background characteristics, student social and institutional integrations, and their relation to attrition rates of freshman students at a public Midwestern commuter university.

Method. A quantitative research methodology based on empirical data collection was used utilizing a 101-question research instrument consisting of two sections: student demographic, and five factorially derived scales developed by Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) which operationalized Tinto's (1975) conceptual model of college student withdrawal. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and Pearson product-moment correlation were used to identify factors related to student academic persistence and attrition.

Results. The study found that, in general, factors external …

A Case Analysis Of Three Middle-School Boys Who Have Down Syndrome And Have Been In Regular Education Classes Since Preschool, Eileen Frances Luddy

Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of three middle-school boys who have Down syndrome and have always attended regular education classes.

Despite the existence of policies and initiatives in support of inclusive education, research on the implementation of inclusive practices in middle schools is sparse.

This study is organized in nine chapters. A review of literature revealed that significant research conducted during the past decade supports the practice of including students with disabilities in regular education and the benefits of inclusion outweigh the benefits of separate instruction.

A case study approach investigated the phenomenon covering contextual conditions surrounding the experiences of …

Predominant Nursing Students' Learning Profile And Nursing Faculty Teaching Styles As Related To Final Course Grade In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program In Puerto Rico, Lourdes Méndez Cruz

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico.

Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics …

Variables Related To The Successful Completion Of The First Course In Business Calculus At Three Jamaican Universities, Martin Nkhrama Richards

Dissertations

Problem. Many students at all levels of the education system in Jamaica perform poorly at mathematics. In particular, the results of both the Caribbean Examinations Council and Business Calculus 1 at the university level have reflected a declining trend in mathematics performance in recent years. Consequently, this study sought to investigate the variables related to the successful completion of the first course in business calculus at Jamaican universities. To this end, the study looked at perceptions of students and their professors regarding students' cognitive, affective, and professor effectiveness variables impacting success.

Method. The sample for this study consisted of 389 …

The Relationships Between Attitude, Motivation, Anxiety, And Proficiency In English As A Second Language Of First-Year University Students In Puerto Rico, Carmen Mercedes Cortés

Dissertations

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes, motivation, and anxiety levels of first-year university students toward the learning and use of English as a second language. The study also examined the nature of the relationships between attitudes, motivation and anxiety, and English proficiency asmeasured by the College Entrance Examination Board.

Method. A Spanish version of The Attitudes/Motivation Test Battery (Gardner, 1985a), "Espejo de Actitudes: Aprendizaje del Inglés como Segundo Idioma en Puerto Rico," was administered to first-year college students at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. These students came from various …

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

A Study Of Perceptions Held Toward Teacher Evaluation Policies And Practices By Teachers And Their Supervisors In Adventist Schools In Canada, Dave Densil Higgins

Dissertations

Problem. Most school administrators and teachers deem teacher evaluation systems to be extremely stressful, of little or no value, and a barrier to high staff morale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current teacher evaluation policies and practices and the perceptions held toward these policies and practices by selected elementary and secondary' teachers and their supervisors in the Adventist schools in Canada.

Method. The population of this study consisted of selected elementary and secondary teachers and their supervisors in the Adventist schools in Canada. Two hundred and twenty-five teachers and 48 supervisors were surveyed. The survey …

An Inquiry Of Governance Training, Perceptions Of Board Members' Qualifications, And Board Assessments Of Day Academies In The Southern Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Nathaniel George Higgs

Dissertations

Purpose of Study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the school boards of non-boarding secondary schools in the Southern Union regarding their governance training programs, the perceptions of the board members regarding their qualifications, and the assessments of the school boards for their effectiveness.

Methodology. This study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data. Five board members and school officials were interviewed. Quantitative data were collected by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaires were completed by 109 board members. The population consisted of all willing board members present at a scheduled board meeting. Participants …

Paul's Apparent Reversal Of Concern For The Weak Brother In L Corinthians 10:29b-30: An Examination Of The Text In Light Of Greco-Roman Rhetoric, Moses Oladele Taiwo

Dissertations

Problem . In 1 Cor 8:1-10:29a, Paul has been consistently on the side of the brother in 8:11 whose conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols. But, in 10:29b-30, he seems to reverse himself, here suggesting that one should be able to eat anything, regardless of its provenance or the effect such eating may have on others. Or, what should be made of the two questions asked in the text that appear neither fitted to the context nor directly answered by what precedes and follows in the discussion of εἰδωλόθυτα in 8:1-11:17?

Approach . Scholars have employed various …

An Integration Of Quality Assurance And Existing Worship Components: A Model To Improve Worship In The Small Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Nelson Fernando De Oliveira

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Corporate worship is an experience that needs to be relevant to all. Small-church leaders face the challenge of transforming existing worship components into a more dynamic service, and increasing member involvement. Leaders at small churches have been known to express frustration trying to improve lives, and to worship in spirit and truth. Currently, there is little or no interface between the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) components of the worship service (e.g., music, offering, preaching, and Scripture reading) and current discussions of quality assurance in relationship to a more vibrant corporate worship experience. There is a need to develop a model …

Un Programa De Instrucción Y Capacitación Para Misioneros Voluntarios De La Unión Mexicana Del Norte, Jose M. Espinosa

Professional Dissertations DMin

The term “lay person” is usually applied to church members to distinguish them from the “clergy.” The New Testament uses the tenn laos, from which “lay” is derived, to refer to all of God’s people and not only to those who are not clergy. Therefore, lay people are the church and not only a part of the church. The function that the New Testament assigns to the laos or people of God is to preach the gospel in order to make disciples, as Christ commanded. According to the New Testament, “disciple” is one who preaches and practices the teachings of …

Strategies For Evangelizing The Upper-Class People In Ghana, Ampofo Benjamin Akyiano

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, which began its ministry in Ghana in 1888, is experiencing difficulty evangelizing upper-class people. The traditional method of soul-winning, public evangelism, has been successful to evangelize middle and lower social classes but not the wealthy and well-educated class. Currently, the church and the upper-class minority are far apart. The church must update its evangelistic methods to reach all classes to finish the gospel commission in Ghana.

Method

This study presents Ghana's upper-class, their social characteristics, lifestyles, world-views, population, and social and religious groups. Interviews and questionnaires were used to discover the factors that hinder the …

A Strategy For Evangelism Among The Bengali Folk Hindus Of Calcutta, Eric Kujur

Professional Dissertations DMin

The purpose of this study was to develop a strategy to reach the unreached Bengali Folk Hindus of Calcutta. First, general information on the target group was presented. This included information on their lifestyle and traditional religious beliefs and practices. This is a large group of people who do not belong to the castes and do not enjoy the benefits of financial, educational, and political status. A brief review of what Roman Catholic and Protestant churches have done for the Folk Hindus of Calcutta, with their medical, educational, spiritual, and social services, helped us to understand the strengths and weaknesses …

Un Programa De Retención De Miembros En La Iglesia Adventista De Pueblo Nuevo, Solistahuacán, Chiapas, Moises Espinoza

Professional Dissertations DMin

The goal of the Gospel Commission is to make disciples, not only to baptize them. Making a disciple out of a new convert requires the participation of the pastor and of mature church members. This results in the design and implementation of a program to retain members. The Bible emphasizes the retention of church members, using different Greek terms. The most common is mend. The Bible also presents examples of church leaders who affirmed the believers. Ellen G. White asks members and pastors to retain those who are new in the church. She suggests different methods. She speaks of the …

El Modelo Foto Eco-Narrativo: Elaboración, Implementación, Y Evaluación De Sermones Narrativos En La Iglesia Hispana Adventista Del Séptimo Día Vista, California, Haroldo Guizar-Whittemore

Professional Dissertations DMin

The task of this project is narrative preaching in the context of the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Vista California. It is a present reality that different voices compete for its attention, and in such an environment God’s Word frequently goes unheard, and is not necessarily understood by the different generations of Hispanics in a given church. Thus it is of critical importance that the gospel be heard in a language this culture readily understands. Because it is specifically attuned to the contemporary sensibility of human beings, narrative and narrative forms of preaching have particular power to assist individuals in …

La Iglesia Adventista Frente A La Disidencia En Colombia, Jose Evelio Garcia

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Colombia at this time is facing dissidence from the group Koinonia. This research was carried out in order to produce material to help pastors, ministerial students, and laypeople to understand and face this dissident movement. The Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White provide the principles on which the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been established. These principles have been applied in order to face the problem caused by the group Koinonia in Colombia.

In order to understand what Koinonia teaches and how it operates, a number of interviews were conducted with former Koinonia supporters, …

Establecimiento De Una Escuela De Capacitación Laica En La Iglesia De La Universidad De Montemorelos, Jose Omar Velasquez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has accepted the command to take the gospel to every nation, tribe, race, and tongue. As part of its strategy to accomplish this mission, the church supports colleges and universities where Christian professionals are prepared so that when they graduate they may join the evangelistic work commanded by God. Montemorelos University is a part of the Adventist educational system. The purpose of this thesis is to provide the design and describe the process of establishing at the university church a lay training school where students may receive a preparation that will enable them to work …

The Rwandan Ethnic Crisis Of The 1990s: An Historical Analysis Of The Causes And A Strategy For Forgiveness And Reconciliation From A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective, Hesron R. Byilingiro

Professional Dissertations DMin

Statement of the Task

In 1994, the central Africa nation of Rwanda experienced a large-scale genocide in which thousands of people were killed. Many Christians including Adventists participated in these mass killings. It is the task of this study to investigate (1) the historical causes of the genocide, (2) why Seventh-day Adventist Christians participated in the genocide, and (3) propose strategies for forgiveness and reconciliation from an Adventist perspective.

Methodology

The study is an historical and analytical investigation of the country and people of Rwanda from precolonial to post-independence time. It draws on the personal experience and direct interviews of …

La Retención De Miembros En La Iglesia Adventista De La República Dominicana, Feliberto Paez Martinez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Fulfilling the gospel commission brings as a result the incorporation of new members into the church. Yet a large number of them do not remain in the faith. The purpose of this dissertation was to discover the reasons why some members leave the church in the Dominican Republic, and to elaborate a plan to retain these members.

The Bible shows God's interest in establishing a close and permanent relationship with His children. The creation of man after God's image, the tree of life in the garden of Eden, the covenants made afterwards, the teaching of Jesus, and the emphasis the …

Concepto Rebautismal Del Adventismo En Venezuela, Edgar La Rosa Brito

Professional Dissertations DMin

The frequency of rebaptism has been increasing within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Venezuela. Some have considered rebaptism as a desirable alternative to reconsecration of active church members. This practice has generated concern among a number of pastors and lay people. Hence, this dissertation.

This dissertation includes a study of the New Testament theology of baptism and a sketch of the history of baptism and rebaptism throughout Christian history. Also studied were the writings of Ellen G. White and Adventist writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The research was completed with personal interviews and surveys of pastors and lay …

El Ungimiento De Los Enfermos, Juan Jose Andrade Gonzalez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Bible presents several types of anointing, each with a different meaning. Kings were anointed when they were enthroned. Prophets and priests were anointed to indicate consecration and sanctification. Other kinds of anointing were for cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Finally, the anointing of the sick is mentioned. This dissertation deals with the practice of anointing, as recommended by the apostle James (Jas. 5:14), believers who were going through physical or spiritual affliction. Generations following the disciples of Jesus gave a very special meaning to anointing, associating it with prayer and miraculous cures (Mark 6:13).

One chapter is taken up by …

A Historically And Culturally Contextualized Proposal For Health Evangelism In Latvia, Anna Galeniece

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist church leaders in Latvia have used several approaches and methods for reaching people with the gospel, but proclamation evangelism has served as the main program. However, this method has lost its effectiveness since the middle-1990s. Therefore, today the necessity of discovering and developing new ways and strategies has become crucial. One approach to reach the Latvian population could be health evangelism, which has achieved immense success in many parts of the world since the beginning of the Adventist health message in the 1860s.

Method

The research utilized pertinent materials from books, periodicals, and the Internet. The purpose …

Factores De Iglecrecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Sur De México, David Javier Perez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Three questions guided the research: How has the Seventh-day Adventist Church grown in southern Mexico during the last sixteen years? What have been the factors that supported this growth? What elements could strengthen church growth in the Southern Union of Mexico? The average annual growth in the Southern Union, from 1985 to 1990, was 9.49 percent. From 1991 to 2000, the average growth was 4.05 percent. The average growth from 1985 to 2000 was 6.09 percent. Before attempting to identify factors that contributed to growth in the Southern Union, church growth was studied in the Bible, in the writings of …

Creación De Grupos Pequen̋Os Para Las Clases Media Y Alta De Santo Domingo, Carlos Reyes Javier

Professional Dissertations DMin

Conventional small groups have not achieved the expected results in middle and high classes in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The research showed that there is a great difference between the number of people baptized among the lower class and those of middle and high classes. The Holy Scriptures command Christians to evangelize all people without any discrimination. Because of the potential impact of small groups, it is important to use them in evangelizing both social classes.

The foundation for small groups is in the Scriptures. Besides, there are instructions in the writings of Ellen G. White about using small groups …

Seminario Para Preparar Líderes Laicos Para El Evangelismo Urbano En El Noreste De México, Isidro Lopez Yanez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Scriptures are clear about the order to evangelize every nation, tribe, language, and people. However, although the cities are part of these nations, the gospel has not been preached there as it has been in rural areas. This reality led to the study of urban evangelism and the preparation of a workshop for lay leaders in urban churches. The Bible presents several cases of urban evangelism, in both Testaments. In the Old Testament God showed his interest in the inhabitants of Niniveh, a pagan nation. In the New Testament, Paul evangelizes the important cities of the first century. Ellen …

Programa De Reclutamiento, Capacitación Y Motivación De Líderes De Grupos Pequeños, Jose Javier Sol Martinez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The success or failure of small groups in a church is determined by the leadership of the groups. A good group begins with a good leader. The quality of a group depends on the qualifications of its leader. Because this fact has not been kept in mind in Mexico City, the small group program has been weak. The purpose of this dissertation was to remedy this situation by developing a program for recruitment, training, and motivation of small group leaders. Moses used the small group to minister to the people of Israel. To do so he carefully chose thousands of …

A Plan To Start A Self-Suporting Evangelistic Magazine In Zimbabwe, Jonathan Musvosvi

Professional Dissertations DMin

There is a need for an indigenous, contextualized evangelistic magazine designed specifically for the people of Zimbabwe. This dissertation looks at previous and current magazine enterprises in order to outline the implementation of a successful, self-supporting SDA magazine in Zimbabwe. The responsibilities of the editor-publisher, writers, and marketers are examined in relation to the target audience. Information on writer training is outlined in detail. Books and magazine articles on the topic of magazine publishing provided the primary source of information. Current and former magazine editors were also interviewed to provide a first-person look at the magazine industry. In order to …

El Evangelismo De La Amistad Como Factor De Crecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día, Tomas Torres De Dios

Professional Dissertations DMin

The faithful fulfillment of the gospel commission demands the use of correct and appropriate methods to bring new members into the church. For this reason, the Seventh- day Adventist Church has used various evangelistic methods. The purpose of this dissertation was to make a theoretical study of friendship evangelism and prepare a workshop to train church members and local leaders. The Bible shows kindness as one of God’s attributes in dealing with human beings. Ever since Creation God has provided what human beings need to live in an environment of good relationships. One of the ways in which God showed …

Estrategia Para Plantar Una Iglesia En Puebla, México, Moises Reyna Sanchez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Church planting is one of the basic tasks to which God has called his disciples. The gospel commission of Matt 28:19, 20 implicitly calls for church planting. This dissertation presents biblical and theological foundations for church planting. In addition, it explores the writings of current authors, looking for appropriate church planting strategies. Success in church planting is achieved by applying certain strategies. These include having a clear vision of what God expects, completing a demographic study of the chosen location, pinpointing the place where the new congregation will begin, form the founding group and training them, having the first meetings, …