Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis Of Effective Instruction Delivery, Halley Blanchard

Dissertations

Effective instruction delivery (EID) is a combination of antecedent and consequent strategies used to increase child compliance with adult instructions. The current meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effects of EID as an independent and combined treatment component across studies, as well as evaluate the reported treatment acceptability across studies. Additionally, moderator analyses were conducted to determine the impact of interventionist type (i.e., parent or teacher), implementation setting, child age, and child diagnosis on the effects of EID on child compliance. The analysis generated large effect sizes for EID across studies and high levels of treatment acceptability. The effects of EID …

Growth Mindset: Exploration Of Career Development, Employee Engagement, And Disparity Among Working Professionals, Dillon Harper

Dissertations

A large body of literature has explored the beneficial impact of adopting a growth mindset and its relationship with academic performance. While the literature has provided many valuable findings as it pertains to academic settings, there is a gap in understanding growth mindset’s influence in the workplace as well as understanding if growth mindset’s effect is different for individuals who come from marginalized communities. This study aimed to close the gap by investigating if growth mindset is a predictor of higher work engagement in working professionals. Findings indicated that growth mindset is not a predictor of work engagement among working …

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Self Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Commitment Of Science And Math Teachers In Alabama, Andrew N. Wood

Dissertations

This study investigated the correlations between occupational citizenship behaviors, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of math and science teachers. The purpose was to discern how these variables interacted to determine how best to support these teachers so they may be more likely to stay teaching in their organizations until retirement. The researcher surveyed math and science teachers within the State of Alabama. There were 314 math and science teachers who completed the survey instrument. Six hypotheses were evaluated to determine if all the variables had positive relationships with each other. From the correlation analysis, used for hypothesis testing, total …

Using Imagery Practice To Improve Airline Pilot Situational Awareness, Brian Christopher Sajdak

Dissertations

Pilot error remains the primary cause of airline airplane accidents (Federal Aviation Administration, n.d.). Airline pilots have relied on Crew Resource Management and Threat Error Management to reduce or eliminate errors (Helmreich & Foushee, 2019). Unfortunately, the worldwide accident rate continues to increase (International Air Transport Association, 2021), demonstrating the need for further research into improving aviation safety. Current regulations do not require imagery training for airline pilots to improve situational awareness (Federal Aviation Administration, 2017a). Athletes and other professionals, such as musicians and medical professionals, use imagery to improve performance (Munzert et al., 2009). Imagery practice may improve the …

Connecting Social And Ecological Systems In Small-Scale Fisheries In The Philippines, Sara Eisler Marriott

Dissertations

Nearly 50% of all marine fish capture in the Philippines is from artisanal fisheries, most of which is un- or under-reported. As in many emerging nations around the world, the Philippines cannot fully address overfishing by managing only half of the catch that comes from commercial fisheries. Marine reserves are a popular governance strategy for conservation and of growing interest for fisheries management. Many marine reserves in the Philippines, however, are not considered effective. In 2014, Rare, an international NGO, implemented a community-based management program to increase the effectiveness of the marine reserves, and while it found biomass increased, there …

Affective Commitment, Mentoring, And Anticipated Turnover Among Millennials, Keiasha Hypolite

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Millennials comprise the largest group of individuals in the workforce, yet organizations struggle to keep millennials engaged in the workplace. Millennials move from job to job, with an average stay at one employer between 12 and 18 months (Hechl, 2017). Researchers have reported that millennials cause the majority of turnover in the workplace. Globally, human resources practitioners experience difficulties retaining millennials (Sahraee et al., 2021). Previous studies have researched millennials, affective commitment, mentoring, and turnover. However, no known research has used all four factors to solve a global problem. In their discussion of the highly competitive labor market, Ramírez …

Friedrich Warnecke: Toward A New Edition Of Ad Infinitum, Elton Machado

Dissertations

The dissertation collects and organizes information on German double bassist, pedagogue, and author Friedrich Warnecke and investigates the significance of his life and work to the double bass history. The ever-changing European musical environment throughout Warnecke’s life, the challenges double bassists faced during that time, and the rapid developments of the double bass at the turn of the twentieth century provide a rich historical background. The study addresses Warnecke’s life, pioneering writings on the history of double bass, pedagogical contribution and influence as a teacher and author, and work as a performing double bassist. Finally, it discusses Warnecke’s substantial pedagogical-technical …

The Speech-Language Pathologist & Emotional Labor, Stress, And Compassion Fatigue, Patricia Martin

Dissertations

Employees in service professions often utilize emotional labor strategies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) experiences regarding emotional labor and the extent to which emotional labor is possibly related to job stress, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue. This study also considered the SLPs’ occupational settings in relationship to emotional labor.

A pilot study was conducted and minor revisions were made to the instrument prior to the final study. The researcher collected and analyzed data using an online survey comprised of three validated instruments, ELS, SLPSI, and ProQOL-5. The participants were 270 certified speech-language pathologists …

Empowerment Agents: How Student Affairs Professionals Facilitate The Persistence Of Undocumented Students, Tiffany Paige

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated how student affairs professionals (SAPs) assist undocumented students in their designated institutional roles, and how their support empowers undocumented students to persist. This research sought to document and assess how student affairs professionals—who interact with undocumented students— identify and respond to the issues they face in their work. Built on the theoretical frame of social capital, and using a thematic analysis design set forth by Braun and Clarke (2012), the researcher interviewed seven SAPs and used a phenomenological approach to design the study and to collect and analyze the data.

Two findings and five corresponding themes …

An Examination Of Organizational Influences On Coach Decision Making, Arien Elizabeth Faucett

Dissertations

Sport coaching occurs in an ambiguous, complex, and dynamic environment bounded by rules, structures, and traditions unique to the context in which it occurs (ICCE et al., 2013; Jones & Wallace, 2005; Nash & Collins, 2006). Coaching is therefore not only pedagogical in nature but also features social and political elements (Abraham & Collins, 2011) focused on athlete development within a specific social and organizational context (ICCE et al., 2013). At the heart of this coaching practice is a constant process of decision-making (Abraham et al., 2006; Lyle & Vergeer, 2013; Vergeer & Lyle, 2009). However, research on the decision-making …

Social Media Usage And Self-Esteem: The Moderating Role Of Media Literacy, Comparison Tendency, And User Motivation, Feng Li

Dissertations

Studies on Facebook and Twitter have shown that social media usage negatively influences individuals’ self-esteem. Many scholars believe media literacy could help reduce this negative impact. Social comparison tendencies and user motivations may also influence this dynamic. The current study is designed to test the moderation effects of media literacy, comparison tendency, and user motivation influencing WeChat Moments usage on individuals’ self-esteem. A group of Chinese college students (N= 299) participated in an online survey. Results show no negative association between WeChat Moments usage and self-esteem. Media literacy only negatively moderates this effect among those who reported having 20-50 friends. …

Origin And Structure Of The First Sharp Diffraction Peak Of Amorphous Solids, Devilal Dahal

Dissertations

Several explanations have been reported in the literature about the origin of extended-range oscillations (EROs) in the atomic pair-correlation function of amorphous materials. Although the radial ordering beyond the short-range order of about 5 Å has been extensively studied in amorphous materials, the exact nature of the radial ordering beyond a nanometer is still not resolved. This dissertation address this problem and explains the nature of the EROs by using high-quality models of amorphous silicon (a-Si) obtained from Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulations. The extended-range ordering in a-Si is examined through radial oscillations on the length …

"If These Walls Could Speak": Judson College And The Formation Of The New Baptist Woman, 1838-1930, E.Gabrielle Walker

Dissertations

Southern Baptist women’s collegiate education and experiences led to their questioning traditional Baptist gender roles and interpreting religion to fit a modern, progressive worldview. Judson College established in 1838 in Marion, Alabama, created a space for its Baptist students to consider socially appropriate ways, outside of doctrinal boundaries, to serve God, themselves, their families, and humanity. Judson remained theologically and culturally conservative, perpetuating inherited religious and social notions of female subordination to men, while increasingly offering students more progressive curricula to meet changing economic and cultural realities. In compliance with white Southern and Baptist conservative values, Judson’s students generally accepted …

Note-Taking In College Mathematics: An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of Guided Notes And Interactive Notebooks On Student Achievement In College Algebra, Verlonda Neal

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the use of interactive guided notes influences the mathematical performance of college algebra students when solving univariate linear equations. The research involved 68 students enrolled in College Algebra at a community college. The participants were divided into two groups: those who took notes using an interactive guided notes method and those who did not use the interactive guided notes note-taking method to cite instructional information. The participants were administered a test on solving univariate linear equations before and after receiving instruction to answer the research questions posed by the study. An …

Haramed And Dangerous: A Thematic Examination Of Muslim Women’S Representation In We Are Lady Parts, Reham Bohamad

Dissertations

Since the early days of Western media, Muslim women have been portrayed in a negative way. From belly dancers to oil-rich horny sheikhs to voiceless passive wives of terrorists. This image has led the Western spectator to associate Islam and the Muslim women’s headscarf (Hijab) with backwardness, extremism, and oppression. In recent years, there has been a positive shift towards a more inclusive and authentic representation of Muslim women. This shift is the result of the post-network era which provides on-demand media outlets that challenge the dominant hegemonic production system and provide diverse and inclusive images that cater to niche …

A Critical Analysis Of Political And Media Discourse On Immigration During The Trump Era, Daleana Phillips

Dissertations

This research examines political and media discourse on Immigration through four studies: Trump’s immigration reform speech, newspaper coverage of DACA, a Saturday Night Live episode, and social media via #ColoradoBorderWall memes. Various critical cultural theoretical frameworks are used within critical discourse and textual analysis is to examine media and political rhetoric about immigrants and immigration policy during a period of drastic institutional political change evidenced by Trump’s administration. As a collective, these narratives examine how Trump’s rhetoric and populist style of communication demonstrate a return to restrictive immigration rhetoric not witnessed in a presidential administration since the 1920s. This research …

An Examination Of Teachers’, Instructional Support Staff, And Administrators’ Attitudes And Beliefs Concerning Data, Data-Driven Decision-Making And Its Relationship To Student Achievement., Lashandra Antionette Hodge-Mcclure

Dissertations

The Every Student Succeeds Act has an accountability model that holds the educational system in the United States accountable. It was decided that students throughout the United States should be held to the same standards, independent of where they lived. Furthermore, the Every Student Succeeds Act seeks to provide considerable opportunity for all students to obtain a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and reduce academic performance disparities. The study aims to identify the role teachers, instructional support staff, and administrators’ attitudes and beliefs regarding data-driven decision-making plays in student achievement.

Data-driven decision-making is the systematic process of gathering, evaluating, and …

A Study On Vivian Fine’S Chamber Concerto For Cello And Six Instruments, Andrea Beltran Landers

Dissertations

The music of American composer Vivian Fine (1913-2000) has fallen into obscurity despite its high quality. Her musical career has led her from being a child-prodigy at the piano to being a part of the elite inner circle of avant-garde composers in New York in the early 1930s, and ultimately to a faculty position at Bennington College in the 1960s. Due to the stability and job security that the academic world brought to Fine, she was able to dedicate most of her time to composition. The Chamber Concerto for Cello and Six Instruments belongs to this fruitful period in her …

The Effects Of Lecture Capture Design On Student Performance In An Online, Asynchronous Nonmajors Biology Course, Melissa Ann Gutierrez

Dissertations

Lecture capture technology, the ability to provide multimedia recordings of instructional content, has become an essential technology for online learning. One of the ways online courses have tried to appeal to the digital lifestyle of today’s students is providing different lecture capture styles, such as audio (podcasts), video, or interactive videos, due to the popularity of mobile media players providing anytime and anywhere learning. Although lecture capture technology provides educators with a diverse set of tools on how content is delivered, studies have shown mixed results on the impact of lecture capture styles on learning.

For this study, the main …

Predicting Attrition Among Human Anatomy And Physiology I Students In Community Colleges, Benjimen Sessums

Dissertations

Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) courses are offered at almost every postsecondary educational institution in the United States enrolling over 450,000 students each year across the United States with an overall attrition rate between 30-40%. Approximately 150,000 of these students will not be successful the first time they attempt A&P. This constitutes one of the highest attrition rates of all undergraduate degree courses with this size of yearly enrollment.

A&P courses often serve as gateway course required for the continuation and completion of several biological degree fields. Many health-related professional programs such as nursing, paramedicine, and other allied health vocations require …

Where Have All The Surgical Nurses Gone? Staffing Shortages In Surgical Departments Post Covid-19 Shutdowns, Phoenix Neal

Dissertations

March 2020 changed the healthcare field entirely. When the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the United States in early 2020, it was recommended that surgical departments nationwide shutdown altogether or at least decrease their workloads to exclusively emergent procedures. This step was taken both to save surgical equipment for more critical patients and to offload those staff members from surgical departments to more critical areas in the hospital systems.

This exploratory study was completed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 surgical department shutdowns on current surgical staffing. This research explored different factors such as health insurance availability, childcare availability, shift change, …

The Lived Experiences Of Icu, Med-Surg, And Er Nurses In The United States Attempting To Breastfeed During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amy Seay

Dissertations

Breastfeeding is important to promote the health of both mothers and babies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Many mothers experience workplace barriers and stress which negatively impact breastfeeding duration (McCardel & Padilla, 2020; Nagel et al., 2022). However, a gap in the literature exists surrounding specific barriers and the impact of stress on U.S. nurses who breastfeed. Specifically, workplace challenges and stress among nurses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic lack exploration.

This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of ICU, Med-Surg, and ER nurses who attempted to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roy’s adaptation model was …

Nursing Faculty Perceptions Of Stress, Coping, And Intent To Leave The Profession In The Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Study, Lynlee Morgan

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all of society to varying degrees; this impact was especially true in higher education due to an overnight transition to distance learning and incessant pivots to meet new guidelines and overcome obstacles. Nursing faculty were significantly impacted due to the responsibility of producing safe, qualified, competent practitioners to provide care in the clinical setting. The limitations in or exclusions from clinical experiences combined with the fact that faculty were managing personal concerns and had never encountered these unprecedented conditions exacerbated the challenge of preparing new nurses. This study was critical due to the faculty role and …

Exploring Employees’ Perceived Fairness And Effectiveness Of The Performance Appraisal Process And The Influence On Employee Retention, Cherica Buckner

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore employees’ perceived fairness and effectiveness of the performance appraisal process and the influence on employee retention. This study is based on a review of existing literature on performance management strategies. Drawing upon equity theory (Adams, 1963), human capital theory (Becker 1962, 1993), organizational justice theory (Greenberg, 1987), and expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), the researcher explores talent management concepts to reveal the influence of employees’ perceptions of performance appraisals on employee retention. Collectively the theories form a theoretical framework highlighting the importance of Human Capital Development, including the effectiveness of performance appraisals, effective …

Flourishing In A Non-Traditional Workplace Using Technology-Assisted Imagery, Wendi Lord

Dissertations

There is a new, non-traditional workplace where employees collaborate digitally from various remote locations (Scully-Russ & Torraco, 2020). Despite the transition from office to remote workspaces, professionals still value happiness and dream of flourishing (VanderWeele, 2021). Researchers identified six distinct but correlated dimensions of flourishing including emotional health, physical health, meaning and purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security (Weziak-Bialowolska et al., 2021). The new workplace is forcing organizations to revamp traditional methods that facilitate well-being as in-person methods become less viable (Scully-Russ & Torraco, 2020). Fortunately, mobile applications effectively deliver training and interventions (Collins et al., 2020). Whether …

An Examination Of Well-Being Across Theories Of Career Development Using Latent Profile Analysis, Jessica Schultz

Dissertations

Multiple theories have been designed to better understand how elements of working can affect personal well-being (Dawis, 2005; Duffy et al., 2016a; Duffy et al., 2018). The Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis, 2005), a classic trait-and-factor theory, proposes that job satisfaction is the result of how well the needs and values of the worker fit within the needs and expectations of the workplace. The Psychology of Working Theory (Duffy et al., 2016a) posits that acquiring decent work (i.e., jobs that provide safety, access to healthcare, adequate compensation, hours for rest, and congruent values) will lead to well-being. Additionally, this theory …

The Mediating Influence Of Organizational Trust On The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Job Satisfaction In The Virtual Workplace, Angela Daniels

Dissertations

Research has shown how leadership influences job satisfaction and organizational trust in the virtual workplace. With an increasing number of organizations shifting to these work environments, it is essential to study the effect of leadership on virtual workers. Prior studies suggest that leadership behaviors significantly impact job satisfaction (Hacker et al., 2019), and leadership plays a crucial role in inspiring employees to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization in a virtual workplace (Miller, 2020). Specifically, transformational leadership behaviors that shape the mindset and actions of employees are significant (Abelha et al., 2018). This study proposed a mediation model …

Toughest Men In The South, Greatest Athletes In The World: Gender, Race, And Modernity In Southern Wrestling, Sean Buckelew

Dissertations

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, professional wrestling in the South, buoyed by the South’s economic boom, reached its pinnacle during this period. Traditionally, Southern wrestling, affected by a struggling economy and small population, often struggled compared to other regions. However, as the population of the urban South expanded and became more diverse, a new wave of Southern wrestling promoters, found success by courting both their traditional white Southern working-class audience and attracting new African American fans. To do so, Southern wrestling promotions, Mid-South Wrestling and Continental Wrestling, created masculine heroes, like Junk Yard Dog and Jerry Lawler, who …

Transportation Managers’ Perceptions Of The Diffusion Of Innovation Within Logistics Clusters, Stephen Mcdonald Puryear

Dissertations

The human capital capacity for innovation is crucial for business success. Cluster theory posits that this capacity for innovation is enhanced by industrial clustering geographic proximity. The innovative capacity is expected to be facilitated by institutions for collaboration, informal knowledge flow, short feedback loops, and collective action regimes. Research on logistics clustering has supported this supposition. Still, no research has explicitly examined whether being physically located in a logistics cluster enhances a company’s human capital capacity for innovation.

This study uses the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to determine the innovative operational processes involved in the diffusion of innovation within …

Reactive Additive Manufacturing Of Polyurethanes: Simultaneous Polymerization And 3d Printing, Aynslie Fritz

Dissertations

Relationships between polyurethane (PU) design and chemorheological properties were correlated with ambient reactive extrusion (ARE) additive manufacturing (AM) processing conditions. PUs synthesized from varying monomeric and polymeric isocyanates, hard segment concentrations, crosslinkers, and additives were systematically designed to elicit differences in chemorheological properties and efficacy. Variations in PU composition and experimental procedures were evaluated to establish a baseline of PUs for ARE. PUs were synthesized and monitored throughout polymerization by rheological and real-time infrared spectroscopy techniques to observe moduli development and functional group conversion, respectively. Observed experimental properties were correlated with critical ARE parameters, such as dimensional stability at deposition …