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Executive Function And Stressed College Students: A Phenomenological Study To Inform Instructional Design, Donna-Maria Trewhella May 2024

Executive Function And Stressed College Students: A Phenomenological Study To Inform Instructional Design, Donna-Maria Trewhella

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe college student stress experiences that impact executive function (EF) and cognition at one community college in California. The conceptual framework guiding this study was cognition and executive function concepts that are impacted by the stressed learning experience. The central research question asked: What was the lived experience of EF deficits for stressed college students when learning content from instructional design (ID)? The methodology employed a qualitative phenomenological study that sampled 13 college students who self-identified as experiencing stress during the learning cycle. The research was conducted via the Internet and Confer …


A Quantitative Study On Operational And Organizational Stress On Game Wardens, Lori A. Perez May 2024

A Quantitative Study On Operational And Organizational Stress On Game Wardens, Lori A. Perez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been a notable gap in research concerning stress among game wardens within the law enforcement field. Game wardens encounter operational and organizational stressors similar to those faced by traditional law enforcement officers. Previous research on stress in game wardens has predominantly focused on operational stress, the transition of their duties towards more traditional law enforcement roles, and various stress-inducing factors. This quantitative study utilized the Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) survey to analyze both operational and organizational stress in Maine Game Wardens. The research aimed to address two primary research questions: firstly, examining organizational and occupational stress utilizing the …


Mental Health Training For Teachers Since Covid-19, Patricia M. Van Prooyen May 2024

Mental Health Training For Teachers Since Covid-19, Patricia M. Van Prooyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study used a qualitative case study approach to examine teachers’ experiences returning to school following the COVID-19 pandemic and determine if mental health training for teachers to support student mental health would ease the return to school. The researcher recruited 12 Christian school teachers that taught in the classroom pre- and post-COVID-19. Inclusive criteria included teaching two years before the shutdown, teaching during the shutdown, returning to in-person teaching, and being at least 25 years old with no gaps in teaching between 2018-2022. All participants participated in a 30-45-minute audio-recorded, semi-structured, one-on-one interview in a discreet safe venue, such …


Exploring The Relationship Between Perception Of Mindfulness In Email Communication And Employee Stress, Jacqueline Christine Snook May 2024

Exploring The Relationship Between Perception Of Mindfulness In Email Communication And Employee Stress, Jacqueline Christine Snook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the perception of leadership mindfulness with email communication and employee stress. Foundational to this research was the theoretical basis of the Job Demands Resource model, the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness, and the Bible. The framework provided a necessary structure for investigating the application of mindfulness to organizational behavior in terms of email communication practices. The study was conducted using a sample of 69 participants. The participants responded to a 33-item Likert inventory through Survey Monkey. Reliability was assessed to determine the consistency and trustworthiness of each item for …


Addressing The Effects Of Special Education Staff Burnout In Behavioral Placement Schools: A Case Study, Katherine Taylor May 2024

Addressing The Effects Of Special Education Staff Burnout In Behavioral Placement Schools: A Case Study, Katherine Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrumental case study was to understand the decreased self-efficacy that leads to burnout for special education staff in a Transitional Unit school in the suburbs of the Rust Belt. The theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as it relates to the relationship between special education staff in behavioral placement schools and burnout experienced throughout their tenure due to work demands and interactions from professional and personal relationships. The single instrumental case study was chosen to analyze the lives of staff members at Ohio Vale School and their experiences with burnout. The central …


A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson May 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to identify and understand clergy members’ described hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care for overcoming burnout. The theory guiding this study was transcendentalism from Husserl’s ontological approach to phenomenology. The United Pentecostal Church, International (UPCI) organization was chosen as the site for this study because the participants were clergy members licensed by the UPCI religious organization who had experienced burnout and hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care. Participants included twelve UPCI clergy members. Data collection involved one-on-one initial interviews with each clergy member and follow-up interviews for clarification where needed. Data analysis …


Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of High Attrition Rates Of Special Education Teachers Working With Students Who Have Severe Disabilities Or Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Cara Jo Lord May 2024

Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of High Attrition Rates Of Special Education Teachers Working With Students Who Have Severe Disabilities Or Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Cara Jo Lord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand why special education teachers who worked with students with severe disabilities or emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced elevated stress levels and burnout, resulting in high attrition and migration rates. The central research question guiding this study was: What were the leading causes of attrition and migration among teachers who taught students with severe disabilities or EBD in separate settings outside the general education population? This study, guided by Maslow's motivation theory, explored attrition factors among 10 special education teachers in the United States who had taught students with …


Burnout Prevention In Christian Public And Private Middle School Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Rhonda Grider Purchase Apr 2024

Burnout Prevention In Christian Public And Private Middle School Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Rhonda Grider Purchase

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a momentous problem in academic settings today regarding stress and burnout among academic school leaders (Francis et al., 2017). The focus of this study was to examine the prevention of professional stress in the lives of middle school academic leaders. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of what the selected participants believed was the prevention of stress and burnout in middle school leaders in Newton County, Georgia. For this study, school leaders were defined as certified principals who hold a bachelor’s level or above degree and contribute to the academic environment …


Using Mindfulness In Nursing Burnout. An Integrative Review., April Day Branham Dec 2023

Using Mindfulness In Nursing Burnout. An Integrative Review., April Day Branham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this integrative review is to evaluate if mindfulness is effective in decreasing nursing burnout. Nursing burnout has negatively affected the nursing profession for many years, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears to be worse. Mindfulness is a practice that has been used for decades, however, it is gaining more attention in the nursing realm. Mindfulness consists of being present in a moment without judgment. It can consist of individual exercises that are completed using an instructor in person, in an application on a smartphone or computer, or yoga-based mindful activities. A preliminary literature review was completed …


Incorporating Yoga Into Nursing Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Martha "Lynn" Smith Dec 2023

Incorporating Yoga Into Nursing Education: An Integrative Literature Review, Martha "Lynn" Smith

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Abstract The need for nurses is growing with an older population and higher acuity patients. Nursing students are often stressed because they have a rigorous curriculum with their classroom learning and clinical or lab rotations. Nurse educators could enhance wellness in the curriculum by incorporating yoga, which has been proven to decrease stress and anxiety for many people. This systematic review validates the need for incorporating yoga into the nursing curriculum to improve wellness. Using a search of the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Elton B. Stephens Company (EBESCO), Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied …


First-Year Teacher Stress And The Impact On Teacher-Student Relationships, Andrea Michelle Forcum Oct 2023

First-Year Teacher Stress And The Impact On Teacher-Student Relationships, Andrea Michelle Forcum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to understand how stress impacts first-year, 7th-12th grade teachers’ relationships with their students at Green County Schools. The theory guiding this study is the cognitive appraisal theory from Lazarus and Folkman, as it describes the impact of a person’s appraisal of stress and how it influences the perspective of individuals. As first-year teachers are framing their experiences for the first time, this approach helps contextualize how they cope and affect their relationships. This framework will serve as a framework for all the research and data collection. The method used for this case study …


A Phenomenological Study Of Church Leader's Experiences With Vicarious Trauma In Oviedo, Florida, Judy Rivera-Melendez Jul 2023

A Phenomenological Study Of Church Leader's Experiences With Vicarious Trauma In Oviedo, Florida, Judy Rivera-Melendez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand and explore the need to help church leaders who are experiencing stress. Christian clergies are classified as priests, pastors, ministers, chaplains, and deacons who interact with the congregation by identifying the Bible Scriptures. Church leaders follow the teachings of the divine and are pulled from many angles. It is up to the congregation to help themselves and church leaders to relieve this stress to avoid vicarious trauma. This study digs deep to decipher if church leaders in Catholicism and Baptist teaching are aware of the stress they acquire from their …


"My Dog Is In Teletherapy With Me": The Impact Of A Pet Dog On Their Owner's Teletherapy Session, Carlette Anne Layne May 2023

"My Dog Is In Teletherapy With Me": The Impact Of A Pet Dog On Their Owner's Teletherapy Session, Carlette Anne Layne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The connection between humans and animals has led to practices such as animal-assisted therapy, equine therapy, service animals, and pet ownership. Strong bonds and attachments can form between pet owners and their pets. It is no wonder that owning a pet is commonplace in the United States. Many pet owners identify their pet as a member of their family. In addition to companionship, research has indicated that pet ownership can have health benefits, reduce stress, increase empathy, and facilitate openness. In a therapeutic setting, the presence of a pet may comfort its owner simply by being near them. The ease …


An Investigation Of Oconus Military Spouses Coping Responses During Deployment, Clare Maura Bush May 2023

An Investigation Of Oconus Military Spouses Coping Responses During Deployment, Clare Maura Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study was to understand the coping responses of military spouses residing OCONUS during a deployment. Although coping is exhibited, deployments and OCONUS relocations can impact military spouses' physical and emotional well-being. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping related to the central research question: How do OCONUS military spouses describe their coping experiences during deployment? The sub-questions addressed: How do OCONUS military spouses describe the role of self-care practices, social connections, and availability of resources during deployment? Criterion sampling was used to select …


Perceptions Of Student Loan Debt And The Decision To Pursue Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study Of African American High School Students, Adrian J. Wilkins Apr 2023

Perceptions Of Student Loan Debt And The Decision To Pursue Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study Of African American High School Students, Adrian J. Wilkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to examine African American high school students’ perceptions surrounding potential student loan debt burden and its perceived influence on the decisions to enter HEIs. The purpose of this study stems from the current status of student loan debt as a significant factor in the decision-making process for potential higher education students as well as current students and those who have graduated. The central research question of this study was what are African American high school student perceptions of student loan debt, student loan debt burden, financial aid, and how are those perceptions influencing …


The Effects Social Media Has On Depressive And Neuro Developmental Disorders, Daniel James Goble Apr 2023

The Effects Social Media Has On Depressive And Neuro Developmental Disorders, Daniel James Goble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media has played a huge role in society today and is one of the most common activities in everyday life for people of all ages. Due to the long amount of time that most users spend on social media daily, some trends seem to grow and become very visible over time that have a negative impact on mental health but also on neuro developmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders are identified through a list of symptoms and characteristics that show a problem in how the brain is developing. Due to social media still being very new in this generation and with …


A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Workplace Environment, Religion, And The Stigma Of Mental Health On Openness To Mental Health Services, Cooper Ann Hove Apr 2023

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Workplace Environment, Religion, And The Stigma Of Mental Health On Openness To Mental Health Services, Cooper Ann Hove

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals within the workplace experience stressors that can negatively impact their health long term if not effectively managed. The level of stress within the workplace environment, religious beliefs, and mental health stigma may affect employees differently in their openness to receive mental health services. Research lacks data to understand the gap between employees struggling with mental health and unused, available resources in organizations. Most current research focuses on implementing mental health interventions, with the highest number of studies focusing on police officers' and nurses' experiences. This study was a quantitative, correlational study to gather participants with prior work experience of …


Foster Care And The Church, Donald R. Brown Apr 2023

Foster Care And The Church, Donald R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action-based research project was to expose the absence of the church from active/personal involvement in the lives of foster families. The foster care system is overloaded, resulting in burnout of both foster parents and administrators. This results in a negative impact on children who enter the foster care system. Data was researched from the national, state, and local levels to note trends in the foster care system and reference that data with current books and journal articles analyzing trends/needs in the system. The intervention utilized interviews, questionnaires, and observations to gather information on the status of …


Work, Stress, And Christian Spiritual Coping, Guillermo Villasenor Apr 2023

Work, Stress, And Christian Spiritual Coping, Guillermo Villasenor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stress is a common theme in today's work environment. Stress can positively and negatively impact an individual's ability to do work. It has been found that perceived stress at work can impact a person's physical, emotional, and mental state. Studies show a correlation between stress with anxiety, depression, work efficiency, and burnout syndrome. Christian spiritual/ religious coping is one of the significant ways people cope when faced with stress. Spirituality is the belief in a Supreme Being, and Christianity is based on the belief in Jesus Christ as God and the director of humankind. Christian-based spiritual coping with work stress …


The Role Of Military Chaplains And Effective Spiritual Care For Strengthening Military Marriages During Deployments, Carl Michael Johnson Mar 2023

The Role Of Military Chaplains And Effective Spiritual Care For Strengthening Military Marriages During Deployments, Carl Michael Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military chaplains provide spiritual support and counseling to the military populations alongside conducting religious services. As a military process, chaplaincy operates as a liaison between military personnel, mental health professionals, and clinical marriage counselors. In this context, the military population is extensive and consists of military personnel, military chaplains, and their civilian families. It must be acknowledged that various service-motivated challenges confront these individuals. For instance, military marriages are threatened by lengthy deployment and family separations. Therefore, it is significant to contextualize military marriages’ coping, survival, and strengthening as most contemporary researchers have focused on this subject. Most studies have …


The Impact Of Pre-Hire Fitness Scores On Resilience And Burnout Among New Castle County Patrol-Level Police Officers, Eugene Joseph Reid Mar 2023

The Impact Of Pre-Hire Fitness Scores On Resilience And Burnout Among New Castle County Patrol-Level Police Officers, Eugene Joseph Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks participation from patrol-level officers with at least two years’ experience in the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware (n=134) and requests that they respond to two questionnaires measuring resilience and job burnout: the 25-item Resilience Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Additionally, participants are asked to self-report their pre-hire fitness scores. Police officers are repeatedly exposed to trauma, which has negative mental and physical consequences, often leading to extreme stress, fatigue, and emotional imbalance. Repeated trauma also impacts physical fitness, which is critical for not only physical and mental health but also work performance, especially for …


Police Demographics And Stress Relief Program Utilization, Michael Wayne Whittington Feb 2023

Police Demographics And Stress Relief Program Utilization, Michael Wayne Whittington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Police officers face challenges from operational and organizational stressors. Officers often have access to stress relief programs offered by their employers such as Peer Support Programs, Employee Assistance Programs, or Chaplaincy Programs. The implementation of these stress relief programs is based on the perception of need and anecdotal evidence. Police stress and stress relief studies offer mixed results as to the way an officer chooses one program or another. One understudied area to determine stress relief program utilization is demographics. Variables such as experience, education, marital status, race, sexuality, and gender may factor into the decision as to which stress …


Pressures Of African American Christian Women Who Serve As Leaders In A Secular Environment, Tania Yvette Cooper Jan 2023

Pressures Of African American Christian Women Who Serve As Leaders In A Secular Environment, Tania Yvette Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The pressures of African American Christian women (AACW) who function as leaders in a secular environment are unknown. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of AACW who lead in a secular environment in Eastern North Carolina under pressures such as stress and anxiety. Data received from conducting this qualitative study will reveal the perspectives of six AACW who function as leaders in a secular environment. It will reveal the causes for their pressures, their ways of coping with those issues, and their thoughts on ways to lessen stress while serving as an African American Christian (AAC) leader …


Examining Belief In Prayer, Frequency Of Prayer, Prayer Types, And Level Of Stress In A Sample Of African American Adults, Katina C. Pittman Dec 2022

Examining Belief In Prayer, Frequency Of Prayer, Prayer Types, And Level Of Stress In A Sample Of African American Adults, Katina C. Pittman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African Americans face many stressors in their daily lives, including financial difficulties, crime and safety issues, perceived racism or discrimination, and physical health issues. Many African Americans use prayer to cope with stress. This study explored African American adults' belief in the efficacy of prayer, frequency of prayer, prayer types (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and reception), and their association with stress levels. The theoretical frameworks used for this study were Pargament’s theory of religious coping, cognitive stress theory, and Vroom’s expectancy theory. This quantitative study used a cross-sectional survey design intending to provide counselors with information regarding prayer as a …


Worried Sick: Understanding The Implications Of Stress On A Physiological Level, Julia Saia Dec 2022

Worried Sick: Understanding The Implications Of Stress On A Physiological Level, Julia Saia

Senior Honors Theses

Stress is prevalent among many individuals in today’s society. A literature review was conducted to investigate the physiological effects of stress, including the biomarkers of stress and how these interact with various body systems. The stress response is a protective mechanism to prepare the body to adequately respond to a perceived threat. However, when this response is prolonged, it begins to have a maladaptive effect on the body and can cause more harm than good. This literature review sought to compile what is known regarding the general effects of chronic stress and its impact on the nervous, immune, digestive, and …


Childhood Adversities And The Impact On Development, Karey Womack Dulaney Nov 2022

Childhood Adversities And The Impact On Development, Karey Womack Dulaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Experiences in life are crucial in determining how one’s development will progress throughout their lifespan, with many of the factors occurring in early childhood. The factors include but are not limited to adversities experienced at an early age, toxic stress, and childhood trauma. Childhood adversities can impact a child’s cognitive development and biological systems. Children living in adverse situations are at a greater risk of not reaching their full developmental potential in life. Although previous research and literature discuss and demonstrate the cruciality of early childhood interventions to mitigate adverse childhood experiences, gaps in the research exist for individual interventions, …


A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Job-Related Stress And Stress-Coping During Covid-19, Peter Michael Foxwell Sep 2022

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Job-Related Stress And Stress-Coping During Covid-19, Peter Michael Foxwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of stress and stress-coping of five Michigan pastors who led their Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) congregations through the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic. Stress is generally defined as the psychophysiological response to a perceived threat or stressor, and stress-coping is generally defined as intentional behaviors designed to manage stress. The theoretical background of this study is the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC) (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) as it relates to pastors’ lived experience of ministry-related stress and coping in crisis conditions. The rationales for …


Pastoral Pitfalls: Solutions To Navigating The Stresses Of Twenty-First Century Ministry, Chris Moore Sep 2022

Pastoral Pitfalls: Solutions To Navigating The Stresses Of Twenty-First Century Ministry, Chris Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

American church clergy and their families are suffering from the effects of Twenty-First Century ministry and the stresses of the local church, according to research from the Fuller Institute, Barna Group, and Pastoral Care Inc. Much of the research in this area and its effects on the clergy and churches occurred more than a decade ago. Through updated research and surveys of current Southern Baptist ministers in the Baptist General Convention of Texas, this thesis will offer solutions to how these dangers can be lessened or alleviated. Through the presentation of updated statistics, the seriousness of this problem for the …


The Spiritual And Emotional Dynamics Of Pastoral Transitions: A Phenomenological Study, Carl Michael Mclaughlin Aug 2022

The Spiritual And Emotional Dynamics Of Pastoral Transitions: A Phenomenological Study, Carl Michael Mclaughlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the central phenomenon of how the spiritual and emotional dynamics of outgoing and incoming pastoral leadership impacted the pastoral transition and to discover common patterns in successful transitions. The central question addressed in this phenomenological research was, “How do pastoral teams consisting of the outgoing pastor and spouse and the incoming pastor and spouse process the spiritual and emotional dynamics of a pastoral transition?” The church is described as a family (Eph 3:15) with spiritual and emotional needs. The pastor should possess personal competence and social competence to lead the …


Cognitive Abilities Of Criminal Justice Leaders, Dustin Joe Addison Aug 2022

Cognitive Abilities Of Criminal Justice Leaders, Dustin Joe Addison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to help in the understanding of how stress has a significant impact on criminal justice leadership. The research design with the applied study was multimethod. The multimethod design correlated interviews, surveys, and archival data to understand the correlation between stress events and perceived cognitive abilities. The central questions within this study were related to prolonged exposure to high stress and whether criminal justice leaders have a lower cognitive ability than those not exposed to high-stress situations. With the malleability of the human brain allowed by neuroplasticity, do criminal justice leaders have altered abilities …