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Attachment Style Moderates Polygenic Risk For Ptsd In U.S. Military Veterans: Results From The National Health And Resilience In Veterans Study, Amanda Jf Tamman Jan 2022

Attachment Style Moderates Polygenic Risk For Ptsd In U.S. Military Veterans: Results From The National Health And Resilience In Veterans Study, Amanda Jf Tamman

Theses and Dissertations

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may inform risk models of PTSD. To date, however, no known study has examined moderators such as attachment style that may impact the relation between PRS and PTSD. Main and interactive effects of PRS and attachment style on PTSD symptoms were evaluated in a nationally representative sample of trauma-exposed, European-American U.S. military veterans (N=2,030). PRS were derived from a GWAS of PTSD re-experiencing symptoms (N=146,660) in the Million Veteran Program. Higher re-experiencing PRS and secure attachment style were independently associated with more severe PTSD symptoms. …


Perceived Parenting, Personality Traits, And Personality Pathology In An Adult Sample, Elizabeth Concetta Vento Jan 2022

Perceived Parenting, Personality Traits, And Personality Pathology In An Adult Sample, Elizabeth Concetta Vento

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting practices influence offspring’s emotional and developmental behavior. The present study explored the relationships between retrospective ratings of perceived parental care in childhood and general and pathological personality traits in adulthood. Participants were comprised of three adult samples college undergraduate students (N = 105; 69% female), ages 18 to 33 (M = 19.70, SD = 2.28), general population (N = 99; 63% female), ages 18 to 83 (M = 44.71, SD = 16.27), and comedians (N = 111; 33% female), ages 18 to 67 (M = 37.24, SD = 11.20). Data from participants were aggregated from a larger study done …


How Caregivers Experience Reading Aloud To Children In Kindergarten Through Second Grade: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Heidi B. Grimshaw Jan 2022

How Caregivers Experience Reading Aloud To Children In Kindergarten Through Second Grade: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Heidi B. Grimshaw

Theses and Dissertations

According to Hudson, Koh, Moore, and Binks-Cantrell, (2020), The National Assessment of Educational Progress’s (NAEP) 2019 testing data revealed that 32% of U.S. fourth-grade students are reading below basic levels. This issue calls for interventions to increase reading achievement levels for elementary students. One way to accomplish this is to increase studies regarding what motivates caregivers to read to children. This present study examines how caregivers perceived the at-home read-aloud experience for children in primary grades: kindergarten through second grade. This study employed Bandura’s observational theory. The study consisted of a qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis of 20 caregivers of students …


Kindergarten Teachers’ Views On Their Ability To Teach Foundational Literacy Skills In The Era Of Standardized Testing, Elizabeth Beck Jan 2022

Kindergarten Teachers’ Views On Their Ability To Teach Foundational Literacy Skills In The Era Of Standardized Testing, Elizabeth Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is an essential human right that serves as the basis for advancing one’s education. Literacy education focuses on two key areas: foundational reading and reading comprehension skills. The five foundational literacy skills are phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension. Providing students with direct literacy instruction and opportunities to utilize learned skills in meaningful ways helps to establish a strong foundation necessary for lifelong success. One potential barrier to delivering strong literacy education may be the premature implementation of standardized assessments. Standardized assessments have been implemented in the classroom for hundreds of years; however, the idea of utilizing …


Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach To Understanding Teaching Kindergarteners How To Read During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mary Carney Hagan Jan 2022

Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach To Understanding Teaching Kindergarteners How To Read During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mary Carney Hagan

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a variety of problems around the world, including isolation, school closure, contact restriction, and economic shutdown; these problems have completely changed the psychosocial environment and physical well-being of children everywhere (Fegert et al., 2020). Education underwent tremendous changes almost overnight: As a result of the pandemic, students were forced to embrace virtual learning to finish the 2019–2020 academic year and begin the 2020–2021 academic year. This change caused anxiety and trauma to adults and young children. DC Public Schools (2020) described the experience of virtual learning as a “shared traumatic experience” (p. 1). Virtual learning …


Social Emotional Learning: Narrative Growth, Christine Alexandra Biskup Jan 2022

Social Emotional Learning: Narrative Growth, Christine Alexandra Biskup

Theses and Dissertations

From an early age, we engage in building our narrative language through social interactions. These narrative language skills influence academic success. Many educational establishments focus solely on academic achievement. A focus on supporting emotional intelligence that can support narrative language development is imperative. In this ethnography study, students were taught feeling words lessons from RULER, a social-emotional learning curriculum. Using observations and interviews, I sought to understand how early childhood students apply emotional feeling words into their narrative language. By using inductive analysis and conducting interviews with the students, I coded data to narrate my research question to assist with …


The Impact Of Physical Education On Students’ Performance Outcomes In Mathematics, Ryan Thomas Cox Jan 2022

The Impact Of Physical Education On Students’ Performance Outcomes In Mathematics, Ryan Thomas Cox

Theses and Dissertations

Research studies have suggested that students who participate in daily physical activity and who are more physically fit may have improved academic achievement scores. However, pressures on school districts to improve students’ academic achievement in core course areas such as math, science, and English have put less emphasis on courses such as physical education. School districts around the country have eliminated and/or have lessened the amount of physical activity students receive during the school day. This study examined the impact of time of physical education and difference in 9th-grade students’ math achievement scores in their Algebra course and outcomes on …


Leveraging Project Based Learning To Promote Student Engagement In A Multi-Modal Learning Environment, Elizabeth Cole Jan 2022

Leveraging Project Based Learning To Promote Student Engagement In A Multi-Modal Learning Environment, Elizabeth Cole

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how teachers leveraged the components of Project Based Learning (PBL) in a hybrid, remote, or in-person classroom environment to promote cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. A narrative inquiry was conducted examining three teachers’ implementation of PBL with students in Grades 4, 5, and 8 in the Spring of 2021. Findings revealed students’ needs prompted teachers to emphasize certain components, which positively influenced student engagement. Teacher 1 leveraged critique and revision and scaffolding resulting in behavioral engagement. Teacher 2 leveraged sustained inquiry and building the culture resulting in cognitive engagement. Teacher 3 leveraged …


School Counselors’ Perceived Self-Efficacy For Providing Bullying Intervention And Prevention Services, Ama-Dede Darkeh Jan 2022

School Counselors’ Perceived Self-Efficacy For Providing Bullying Intervention And Prevention Services, Ama-Dede Darkeh

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a major challenge faced by students and stakeholders in the education system. Governments and educators have implemented various initiatives and strategies to address bullying. Rising cases of bullying have raised scrutiny over the role of school counselors. This research investigated school counselors' perceived self-efficacy in bullying intervention and prevention services from the context of Social Learning Theory, Self-efficacy Theory and Ecological Systems Theory. Theoretically, self-efficacy emerges from the experience and skills of school counselors, and it is affected by factors associated with the environment where it is experienced. The adopted a qualitative case study of New York middle …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Teaming Practices In Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support And Overall Implementation Fidelity Of Elementary School-Wide Reading Models, Stephney Anderson Gonzalez Jan 2022

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Teaming Practices In Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support And Overall Implementation Fidelity Of Elementary School-Wide Reading Models, Stephney Anderson Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) have been increasingly implemented in schools since the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Despite researchers’ efforts to identify elements of MTSS— including evidence-based practices, leadership and communication systems and structures to address learning needs— it has been challenging to identify what makes MTSS work in schools. In fact, researchers have found that schools who implement MTSS on their own tend to stray from the intended practices when the external support of coaches or research teams fades from the school (Balu, Zhu, Doolittle, …


Students' Perceptions And Experiences With Podcasts As A Supplementary Text In A Critical Media Literacy Framework, Anne Gill Jan 2022

Students' Perceptions And Experiences With Podcasts As A Supplementary Text In A Critical Media Literacy Framework, Anne Gill

Theses and Dissertations

As the need for critical media literacy practices in classrooms increases, it is important to investigate students’ experiences with a variety of media texts, specifically when analyzed from a critical media literacy stance. Critical media literacy creates spaces for students to question, challenge, and analyze the role of media texts in promoting or rejecting dominant ideologies and narratives. This qualitative action research study, framed in both critical literacy and critical media literacy practices, studied the experiences of students who engaged with podcasts as a supplementary course text. The study took place over the course of ten weeks with secondary level …


Maternal Literacy Practices And Beliefs Impact Infant Development, Deirdre Cruz Jan 2022

Maternal Literacy Practices And Beliefs Impact Infant Development, Deirdre Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

Infancy is a pivotal time in the development of a human’s cognitive ability. There is a lack of research in this area, specifically on mothers and their beliefs about literacy practices and the home learning environment. By utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this study explores the beliefs of mothers and how they impact the infants’ preliteracy skills and knowledge, which are paramount to success in kindergarten and beyond. Using a phenomenological study, the researcher interviewed mothers on their views of literacy, their infant’s home learning environment, and how they perceive their culture and mothering style impact their infants.


Secondary And Postsecondary Educators’ Writing Expectations After The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards, Lauren Gibbons Jan 2022

Secondary And Postsecondary Educators’ Writing Expectations After The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards, Lauren Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

Despite low levels of writing proficiency, noted gaps between secondary and postsecondary writing practices, and calls for a vertical curriculum, there is little research directly comparing the writing expectations of high school and college-level English educators after the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. In this convergent mixed methods research study, I explored the writing expectations of members of these two distinct communities to better understand how differences in expectations may contribute to the perceived writing gap between secondary and postsecondary contexts. Grounded in sociocultural theory, I conducted survey and interview research to study this topic, drawing on both …


Strengthening Phonological Processing And Working Memory To Support Early Reading Acquisition, Antoinette Halliday Jan 2022

Strengthening Phonological Processing And Working Memory To Support Early Reading Acquisition, Antoinette Halliday

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between participating in an online software application focused on phonological processing and working memory and outcomes on foundational reading assessment measures. The online software application utilized was the Sound Reading Program. Students began the intervention working in Sound Reading’s Hop, Skip, and Jump program, with a few progressing to the Boost program over the course of the nine-week intervention. A control group at each grade level read or listened to online leveled texts. There were 175 kindergarten and first-grade students included in the study. These students were enrolled in a …


Cultural Wealth: A Legacy To Actualize College Goals And Aspirations For Black First-Generation College Students From African Or Caribbean Immigrant Homes, Amina Gordon Jan 2022

Cultural Wealth: A Legacy To Actualize College Goals And Aspirations For Black First-Generation College Students From African Or Caribbean Immigrant Homes, Amina Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

National data reveals that college access is most challenging for traditionally underrepresented students, including minoritized, first-generation college attendees and students from low-income families (Gibbons & Borders, 2010). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Black first-generation college students (FGCS) from African or Caribbean immigrant families capitalized on Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth (CCW) to create and pursue college goals and aspirations. Participants were recent graduates from a suburban school district outside of the metropolitan area on the east coast and who were enrolled in their first or second year in college. The researcher answered the main research …


Faculty’S Perspective On Student Engagement For Synchronized Online Graduate Level Courses, Ambeeka Jewnandan Jan 2022

Faculty’S Perspective On Student Engagement For Synchronized Online Graduate Level Courses, Ambeeka Jewnandan

Theses and Dissertations

Many colleges and universities are moving towards online learning as it increases access to education and aid in managing the growing enrollment. Students’ engagement in schools has been a growing concern for academic institutes especially in today’s time where online learning is prominent. This study explores instructor’s perspective on the different methods and techniques used in synchronized online courses to increase student engagement at a graduate level. The theoretical lens of Connectivism Theory (Downes, 2006; Siemens, 2004) and Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1999) will be explored to understand the relationship found between the methods used in teaching and student …


Invisible Doesn't Mean Inactive: Perspectives And Recommendations Of An Arabic Speaking Community On Parental Involvement And Cultural Responsiveness, Aziz Elabida Jan 2022

Invisible Doesn't Mean Inactive: Perspectives And Recommendations Of An Arabic Speaking Community On Parental Involvement And Cultural Responsiveness, Aziz Elabida

Theses and Dissertations

An extensive body of research has established the positive impact that parental involvement has on student academic, social, and emotional performance and well-being. These benefits are, however, not enjoyed by all students due to a string of logistical, communicative, perceptual, and cultural obstacles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of parental involvement as perceived and practiced by Arabic speaking parents in American public schools. This research is guided by the six typologies of Epstein’s parental involvement model (1995, 2007, and 2012) and Khalifa’s four strands of culturally responsive school leadership (2016). Through a descriptive single case …


From A Distance: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Sixth To Twelfth Grade Stem Teachers’ Perceptions Toward Teaching English Learners Remotely During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michelle Angela Figueiredo Jan 2022

From A Distance: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Sixth To Twelfth Grade Stem Teachers’ Perceptions Toward Teaching English Learners Remotely During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michelle Angela Figueiredo

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in China and spread globally in early 2020 caused schools to shut down and forced educators to adapt their curricula to an online format. For many students, especially English language learners (ELs), this disruption exposed vast disparities to access and equitable instruction. For science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators, this presented several challenges and barriers in adapting science content that required hands on experiential learning to a virtual, two-dimensional format. For English learners (ELs) in STEM classes, it has been particularly challenging learning in this new remote modality. The study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis …


Hip-Hop Is Literacy: Enhancing English Skills Using Hip-Hop As A Culturally Responsive Multiliteracy, Kai C. Jones Jan 2022

Hip-Hop Is Literacy: Enhancing English Skills Using Hip-Hop As A Culturally Responsive Multiliteracy, Kai C. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the effectiveness of multiliteracies and replacing canonical texts with hip-hop lyrics, teachers can actively engage students in English classrooms at the same time allowing for cultural diversity and appreciation in the classroom. Although, several studies have been conducted to show the effectiveness of the use of non-traditional text in the classroom and the effectiveness of utilizing a culturally diverse curriculum to help with reading engagement and comprehension; this study examined how recognizing the cultural differences between student’s home and school life, acknowledging the importance of students’ culture, and utilizing a wide range of instructional materials, can promote the development …


The Self-Efficacy Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Among Secondary Teachers During Emergency Online Learning, Jo R. Hawke Jan 2022

The Self-Efficacy Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Among Secondary Teachers During Emergency Online Learning, Jo R. Hawke

Theses and Dissertations

The present study used an explanatory-sequential mixed-methods research design to investigate the culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy of secondary teachers during the emergency online learning of 2020. Participants were all teachers in a small urban mid-Atlantic school district. Phase 1 involved the collection of primarily quantitative data, including a measure adapted from Siwatu’s (2007) Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy (CRTSE) scale. Quantitative findings informed the selection of six teachers to participate in interviews during the qualitative Phase 2. Interview questions further probed participants’ culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and how the teachers demonstrated these beliefs in general and specifically during the emergency online …


School District Leadership, Resources And Literacy Development: A Phenomenological Study On School District Leaders’ Experiences On Budget Allocation For Literacy, Jared E. Littman Jan 2022

School District Leadership, Resources And Literacy Development: A Phenomenological Study On School District Leaders’ Experiences On Budget Allocation For Literacy, Jared E. Littman

Theses and Dissertations

School district leaders can have a vast influence on school improvement and student achievement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of school district leaders with budget allocation and decision-making responsibility for literacy and the factors that determined their budget allocation decisions. This study also addressed school district leaders perceived benefits of funding allocated to literacy development. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews. A thematic analysis, interpretive phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Themes and patterns that emerged from the data were: 1)literacy sets the foundation for the budget although doesn’t represent …


Politics And Its Role On Ethical Decision-Making Processes For Elementary School Principals, Jessica Kemler Jan 2022

Politics And Its Role On Ethical Decision-Making Processes For Elementary School Principals, Jessica Kemler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how politics affects the ethical decision-making processes of elementary principals. Participants were comprised of five elementary school principals, with varied years of experience, across neighboring suburban public school districts in eastern New York. Data was collected through two semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were restoried and retold from each participant’s perspective (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Nasheeda et al., 2019; Ollerenshaw & Creswell, 2002). The stories were analyzed and compared using the constant comparison method (Glaser, 1965), to develop common themes about political influences and decision-making processes. A principal’s own decision-making processes …


Predictive Relationship Between School Budgeting And Community Type And Students’ Academic Performance, Jack R. Mitchell Jan 2022

Predictive Relationship Between School Budgeting And Community Type And Students’ Academic Performance, Jack R. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the school budgeting process factors into the financial stability of a district, that ultimately impacts academic achievement. Best practices as defined by methods that allow for greater transparency, cost effectiveness, and overall success in the passing of school budgets. School funding is an important facet regarding how resources are ultimately provided within the classroom and indirectly may have a major impact on student learning. Review of the literature has provided a background on the successful implementation of school-based budgeting and factors that lead into budget development. The data techniques implemented were …


Trust Between Leaders And Followers In Religious Communities: A Comparison Of The United States And Vietnam, Tram (Sr. Agnes) Nguyen Jan 2022

Trust Between Leaders And Followers In Religious Communities: A Comparison Of The United States And Vietnam, Tram (Sr. Agnes) Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the mediating impact of trust on the relationship between leaders and followers in religious communities across two cultures, the United States and Vietnam. The study sample consisted of 800 followers and 40 leaders in 40 religious communities from the cities of Nha Trang, Ha Noi, Thanh Hoa and Saigon in Vietnam. In the United States, 800 followers and 40 leaders were selected from 40 religious communities in Chicago, New York City, Buffalo, and Iowa. The Behavior Trust Inventory (BTI), created by Nicole Gillespie (2005), was used to conduct the study. This …


The Impact Of Teaching Experience, Autonomy, And Competence On 7th-12th Grade English Language Arts Text Selection, Julianna V. Lux Jan 2022

The Impact Of Teaching Experience, Autonomy, And Competence On 7th-12th Grade English Language Arts Text Selection, Julianna V. Lux

Theses and Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study sought to understand the influences of teaching experience on perceptions of autonomy and competence on 7th through 12th grade English language arts teachers’ text selection decisions through a survey and interviews. The findings of this explanatory sequential design survey study could affirm practices of those teachers utilizing diverse texts in the classroom, encourage those lacking confidence in aligning nontraditional texts with their state’s standards, and remind administrators of teachers’ need for autonomy in the classroom. While no statistically significant difference was found on the autonomy and competence subscale scores based on teaching experience, the …


The Prevalence Of Writing In Elementary Teacher Preparation Courses In The Pacific Northwest, Chelsea Mabie Jan 2022

The Prevalence Of Writing In Elementary Teacher Preparation Courses In The Pacific Northwest, Chelsea Mabie

Theses and Dissertations

Writing continues to be an underserved content area within English Language Arts instruction in elementary school classrooms. This sequential mixed-methods study was designed to develop a current state of practice for writing pedagogical training within the Pacific Northwest. Course descriptions were analyzed for specific references to writing, or terms inclusive of writing, from five teacher preparation programs in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Grounded in expertise theory, the implications for this work are aimed at schools of education as well as teacher licensing bodies reflecting on if their training practices are supportive in developing a solid foundation for preservice educators …


Caregiver Engagement In Treatment For Adolescent Behavior Problems: Construct And Predictive Validity, Nicole Piazza Porter Jan 2022

Caregiver Engagement In Treatment For Adolescent Behavior Problems: Construct And Predictive Validity, Nicole Piazza Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying core elements of family therapy is a relatively new line of research that has the potential to increase the availability of family therapy in usual care by proving a flexible and accessible alternative to manualized treatment. The current study extends this line of research by exploring the psychometric properties of a Caregiver Engagement factor comprised of four caregiver engagement interventions grounded in family therapy theory and clinical expertise: Enhances Love and Commitment, Caregiver Collaboration, Caregiver Ecosystem, and Joins with Caregivers. The study sampled a total of 320 audio or video recorded sessions and outcome data from 152 cases treated …


An Examination Of School Characteristics Related To Racial Disparities In Special Education Identification In New York State, Teresa Ann Mcgrath Jan 2022

An Examination Of School Characteristics Related To Racial Disparities In Special Education Identification In New York State, Teresa Ann Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined special education numbers for public school populations of White, Black, and Hispanic students in New York State and factors hypothesized to contribute to identification and subsequent disproportionality of minority students in special education. Data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CDRC), combined with data from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) for New York state public schools in the academic school year of 2015-2016 are evaluated. Histograms of the percent difference in IDEA status of White and Black/Hispanic students are considered to identify if there is disproportionality in the schools in New York. The implication of …


Graduate Students’ Perceptions Of Psychotherapists’ Engagement In Common Factors, Manuel Jose Orellana Jan 2022

Graduate Students’ Perceptions Of Psychotherapists’ Engagement In Common Factors, Manuel Jose Orellana

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated the extent to which common factors (CF) interventions are found within the training recording of cognitive behavior therapies. Some scholars have proposed that effective psychotherapy can be accounted for by Common Factors that exist across all psychotherapies that work. This study aims to see if CF interventions are found within cognitive behavior therapies. To discover the extent to which CF interventions are found within cognitive behavior therapies, we asked graduate students in a psychotherapy course who were assigned to watch training sessions of CBT sessions and instructed to rate the therapists’ behaviors using the Multi-Theoretical List Psychotherapeutic …


Placement Instability, Perceived Social Support, And Internalizing Symptoms In Youth In The Child Welfare System, Michelle Cusumano Jan 2022

Placement Instability, Perceived Social Support, And Internalizing Symptoms In Youth In The Child Welfare System, Michelle Cusumano

Theses and Dissertations

High rates of youth in the child welfare system (CWS) experience placement instability, or frequent moves between household, institution, or placement (Fisher et al., 2013). Placement instability has been shown to predict subsequent internalizing symptoms regardless of the maltreatment type, severity, or frequency experienced by the child in foster care (McGuire et al., 2018). Frequent moves between biological parents, foster or kinship caregivers, or group homes may detrimentally affect youth’s social support networks, which are known to serve as a protective factor for maltreated children and adolescents (Folger & Wright, 2013). The current study aims to examine longitudinally whether perceived …