Digital Commons Network^™

Student Perspectives On The Adequacy Of Mental Health Curriculum Within The College Of Health And Human Services At Unh, Brianna Lee Meyer

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study aims to understand the confidence students in future healthcare oriented majors feel in regards to treating or interacting with individuals with mental health conditions. It also aims to understand the effect of students' in-major education, outside-major education, and lived experience on this confidence level. Students within the College of Health and Human Services at UNH were the participants who completed a short Qualtrics survey online. The survey collected data from Likert scales and short-answer questions. The Likert scales were then analyzed with a regression and descriptive statistics, while the short-answer questions were analyzed with thematic analysis. The study …

Investigating The Relationship Between Politics And Education, Alaina M. Winrow

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper looks into how politics plays a role in the public K-12 education system in the United States, specifically looking at the state of New Hampshire. Federal, state, and local governments provide important resources through funding to schools and create the laws that govern them. However, educational politics can be controversial at times. Within the past several years, there have been more tense school board meetings and divisive laws being passed or considered around the nation. Overall, the divisive political climate has influenced much of the discussion surrounding education and has created more stress for educators, administrators, school staff, …

Evidence-Based Suicide Assessment And Managment Training For Mental Health Professionals, Clara Abit

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Suicide is a significant public health concern both nationally and globally. While the suicide rate has been decreasing in recent years, evidence shows that the rate of suicide among teenagers and adolescents has been on the rise. Teenage suicide accounts for 14% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, calling for effective interventions in various settings. However, inadequate knowledge of the potential signs and risk factors of suicide hinders mental healthcare professionals' ability to recognize at-risk patients.

Purpose: The project's objective was to evaluate the effects of the intervention on mental health workers' knowledge, skills, and screening …

Transgender Health: Exploring Medicalization And The Interactions Of Race/Ethnicity, Disability, And Education, Evan Thomas England

Master's Theses and Capstones

There is a wide range of experiences among and between transgender, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) and disabled groups, but they all share histories of medicalization that result in marginalized health experiences and access to health care. To what extent do these health experiences and outcomes vary for U.S. adults with multiply marginalized intersectional identities? How, if at all, does the established moderating capability of education impact health outcomes for people who are transgender? Using data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study utilizes regression modelling to explore the interactions of race/ethnicity, disability, and education with …

College Of Health And Human Service Faculty’S Confidence And Inclusion Of Lgbtq+ Health Content In Curriculum, Carley S. Kanter

Honors Theses and Capstones

In the health care system, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, (LGBTQ+) face discrimination and health disparities. Students who are better prepared in higher education to provide care for this population have higher levels of confidence in LGBTQ+ health content than those who have less exposure. Therefore, faculty who teach curriculum related to health and wellness have an opportunity to prepare students to provide high quality, patient centered care by teaching culturally competent care that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ populations. The aim of the study is to determine whether the degree of confidence in teaching LGBTQ+ health …

“We Feminine Foresters”: Women, Conservation, And The Usda Forest Service, 1850-1970, Rachel D. Kline

Doctoral Dissertations

The traditional narrative of the Forest Service places the mythic “two-fisted” male ranger as the focus of its history. The reality is that without women he would not have gotten the job done. Women’s work as advocates, foresters, rangers’ wives, clerks, information and education specialists, scientific researchers, and lookouts reveals that although women were excluded from the male domain of forestry, they created a distinct female tradition within the Forest Service—what one called a “feminine forestry” that proved without women, the Forest Service would not have achieved its accomplishments or growth throughout the twentieth century. Throughout their work, women spread …

Exploring Student Motivation In Quantitative Biology, Alexander Richard Kulacki

Master's Theses and Capstones

The field of biology is becoming increasingly reliant on quantitative tools, methods, and techniques, driving a need for incoming biologists to have robust quantitative skills. However, efforts to incorporate more quantitative skills at the undergraduate level are hampered by low student engagement with math in biology. Students’ motivation towards quantitative biology can provide insight into how best to increase their engagement and thus performance with these topics. This thesis examines students’ motivation towards math in biology through two key constructs: 1) students’ self-efficacy, through the theoretical lens of Social Cognitive Theory; and 2) students’ task-values, through the theoretical lens of …

Creating Buy-In From Nurse Leaders To Implement Inpatient Education And Screening For Human Trafficking: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Andrea Macdonald

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Human trafficking is an under-recognized healthcare issue affecting an

estimated 20 to 40 million individuals globally. Professional nursing organizations, healthcare

regulatory bodies and legislators have declared the need for education and screening practices. A

quality improvement initiative designed to create buy-in from nurse leaders to create and

implement education, screening and a protocol to guide care of human trafficking victims who

may present to inpatient and clinic settings at the organization was developed to bridge gaps in

knowledge and inform evidence-based practice.

METHODS: Literature review informed the development of an education intervention presented

to nurse leaders using multi-modal learning …

Working Alliances: The Implications Of Person-Centered Theory For Student-Teacher Relationships And Learning, Adam Parker Cogbill

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation project, I interview four therapists and four writing teachers to learn if there were any significant similarities in differences in their approaches to dyadic relationships with students and clients. By dyadic, I mean what happens between individuals in a 1-on-1 setting when subjectivities collide. I was guided in my investigation by the core concepts of person-centered theory, which have heavily influenced the work of clinical therapists for the past half-century or more. These concepts are congruence, or whether one’s behaviors and speech match what one is feeling; empathy, the process of entering and becoming familiar with another’s …

Burned Out Or Trapped In Conscientiousness: A Case Study Of Three Nh Middle School Teachers, Shaleen Cassily

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of teachers’ experiences of burnout and teacher self-efficacy, and the relationship between these two constructs. Although the research has demonstrated a well-established relationship between burnout and teacher self-efficacy, the exact dynamic between these two constructs is open to debate (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2010). Additionally, most of the existing research around burnout and teacher self-efficacy is quantitative. Therefore, this study investigated these two constructs qualitatively in order to gain a deeper understanding of the way teachers construct meaning about their experiences of burnout and how they feel, think, and explain their …

An Exploratory Study Of Followership In New Hampshire High Schools, Matthew S. Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores followership theory and practical application in schools, extending Robert Kelley’s previous research from business to education. The study investigates three questions: 1) What is the distribution of Kelley’s five followership types in schools? 2) What is the relationship between teachers’ followership types and their demographic characteristics? 3) What leadership functions support teacher followership? These questions were explored using a modified 20-item version of Kelley’s The Followership Questionnaire and open-ended responses from teachers. A total of 559 New Hampshire public high school teachers completed the survey. Results were analyzed for associations between teacher demographic characteristics and followership types. …

Affect In The Classroom: A Psychoanalytic And Cultural Exploration Of Social And Emotional Learning, Clio Stearns

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the contemporary educational construct known as Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL. It investigates how the child, the teacher and the relationship between children and teachers are figured in the SEL-managed classroom. The dissertation also examines the extent to which SEL is produced by, and productive of, culture, as well as what becomes of negative and unruly affect in the context of SEL. The dissertation triangulates data from Critical Discourse Analysis of selected SEL materials, classroom observations in two different public school elementary school classrooms, and interviews with participating teachers. A combination of Kleinian psychoanalysis and affect …

The Effect Of High School Accounting On The Selection Of College Major, Performance, Satisfaction, And Retention, Gregory T. Marinaccio

Honors Theses and Capstones

The objective of this study is to examine the impact completion of a high school accounting course has on the selection of college major, academic performance in introductory accounting courses, satisfaction with one’s major, and retention. These relations are examined using data from a survey given to 208 students of various majors enrolled in the Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The results provide evidence of a significant positive relation between high school accounting and two variables: selection of college major, and performance in …

Players, Consumers And Creators: Literacy Orientations Among Adolescents Attending A Small, Rural School, Christina Marie Robison

Doctoral Dissertations

This phenomenological study identifies three distinct literacy orientations among ten eighth and ninth grade students who attend a small, rural school in Northern New England: Game Players, Critical Consumers, and Aspirational Creators. In order to understand ongoing challenges for rural students in post-secondary life, students’ literacy practices, values and beliefs are examined within the context of students’ lived experiences and analyzed through the lens of literacy sponsorship. Their literacy practices, which are superficially uniform, are shown to have varying significance depending upon their literacy orientations. These underlying philosophies represent the purpose students perceive their literacy practices serve: to further their …

Contributing Factors To Attitudes And Beliefs About Diversity, Rachael M. Duda Ms.

Honors Theses and Capstones

Diversity is a major issue in the world today. This project studied the attitudes and beliefs about diversity in order to understand where they originate. It focused on family beliefs and educational experiences and whether they each play a role in one’s perspective of other races/ethnicities. The sample consisted of 100 University of New Hampshire undergraduate students recruited through Facebook as well as in-class presentations on campus. Students were asked to complete a survey online. Quantitative results revealed that neither family nor education, as measured with forced-choice questions, were predictive of acceptance of other races. Overall, students reported themselves and …

Assessing Creativity Via Divergent Thinking In Residential Camp Settings, Myles Liam Lynch

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study assessed divergent thinking among children who attended residential summer camp over a 2 week time period. A sample of campers (n= 189) between the ages of 8-15 participated (mean age = 11.9 years old). A modified version of Guilford’s Alternate Uses Task (1967) was used for both pre and post-tests. Examples of questions asked were: “Name all the uses for a plate” and “Name all the uses for a brick”. Campers took the divergent thinking pre test the first full day of camp and the post test was administered on the last full day of camp. Paired t-tests …

Competencies For The 21st Century: Teaching An Understanding Of Others, Critical Thinking, Leadership And A Sense Of Obligation. Perceptions Of Educational Leaders., Michael F. Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations

In the 18th century, utilitarian writers highlighted the importance of a sense of obligation, an understanding of others, and the ability to think critically (Daniels, Bizar, & Zemelman, 2001; Kant, 1785/2008). Additionally, scholars stressed the importance of leadership (Burns, 1978). Teacher instruction in the 19th century incorporated many of these values (Kliebard, 2004). However as the common school developed in the early 19th century there was a shift from these values toward a common curriculum meeting industrial needs (Tyack, 1974). As the 20th century ended, significant federal and state legislation further funneled school curriculum to focus on very specific instruction …

What Do Students Do In Self-Formed Mathematics Study Groups?, Gillian E. Galle

Doctoral Dissertations

An implicit assumption of many university classes is that students will spend a large amount of time outside the classroom refining their understanding of the material to develop mastery of the concepts. This is especially true in first year mathematics courses at the undergraduate level. However, little is known about what students do to fulfill this didactical contract with their instructors. The currently available research relies primarily on self-reported data from the students collected through questionnaires or interviews. This study sought to start describing what students do while studying mathematics in a self-created group outside of the classroom setting through …

Peer Mediation In Massachusetts Public Middle & High Schools: Perceptions Of Educators, Eve I. Noss

Doctoral Dissertations

While many studies related to school violence and its prevention have focused on the perceptions of elementary students and counselors, there is a dearth of research studies that focus on the perceptions of administrators and teachers. This study examines Massachusetts public middle and high school principals, assistant principals, and teachers (n=135), from 30 schools, perceptions of their peer mediation program's impact on student conflicts. Comparisons between administrators and between levels of schools were conducted to provide a finer grain for the analysis.

Methodology: The method of data collection is a mixed, hybrid methodology of 41 quantitative (closed-end) and quasi-quantitative (open-ended) …

"I Am A Scientist": How Setting Conditions That Enhance Focused Concentration Positively Relate To Student Motivation And Achievement Outcomes In Inquiry-Based Science, Robin B. Ellwood

Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigated how student social interactions within two approaches to an inquiry-based science curriculum could be related to student motivation and achievement outcomes. This qualitative case study consisted of two cases, Off-Campus and On-Campus, and used ethnographic techniques of participant observation. Research participants included eight eighth grade girls, aged thirteen to fourteen years old. Data sources included formal and informal participant interviews, participant journal reflections, curriculum artifacts including quizzes, worksheets, and student-generated research posters, digital video and audio recordings, photographs, and researcher field notes. Data were transcribed verbatim and coded, then collapsed into emergent themes using NVIVO 9. The …

Examining Social Climate And Youth Social Goals On Extended Wilderness Courses: A Path Toward Improving Participant Experiences, Benjamin J. Mirkin

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined participants' expectations of the social climate on extended wilderness courses, how students' actually experienced the social climate during their course, and how these expectations, perceptions and the influence of environmental characteristics, impacted their goals for peer interactions. Pre and posttest surveys were used to assess students' expectations and perceptions of their experience and multi level modeling was used to better understand the relationship of social climate to peer interaction. The research was undertaken to improve the practical and theoretical understanding of organizations' and leaders' ability to facilitate a social climate that promotes adaptive forms of social motivation. …

The Dilemma Of Response Among Early Childhood Educators To Rough-And Tumble Play In Educational Settings: Moving Beyond Expectations And Rediscovering Play, Carrie L. Smart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Early childhood educators often may struggle to find appropriate responses to rough-and-tumble play due to its unpredictable and risky nature. This case study examines the challenge of how two early childhood special educators in two inclusive public preschool classrooms make decisions about rough-and-tumble play for 4-year-old children. The stories presented are descriptive and based in an ecological context. Through the triangulation of interview, anecdotal observations, and frequency counts, three major themes of Teacher Beliefs, Context, and Teacher Reflection and Awareness emerged, illustrating the complex phenomenon of teacher response to rough-and-tumble play in inclusive settings. Analysis of the data revealed that …

The Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy: The Voices Of Mothers With Low-Income Navigating Supports, Services, And Obstacles, Sarah M. Bond

Master's Theses and Capstones

Through semi-structured interviews, the current study examined the role of parental self-efficacy as mothers with low-income navigated challenging contexts and experiences while receiving formal and informal supports. Mothers shared their unique experiences, which provided insight into their lives and how contextual variables influenced parental self-efficacy. As a result of this study, four themes emerged: 1) the function of mental health, 2) sense of community, 3) stability, and 4) the perceptions of child development and growth. Findings indicated that a sense of stability mediated contextual challenges and increased parental self-efficacy, identified that informal and formal supports contribute to both high and …

Higher Education Marketing To The Hispanic Student Population, Kimberly Greenwood

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Hispanic population in the United States is growing at an unprecedented rate. The U.S. Census Bureau projects the Hispanic population to make up nearly 25% of the entire United States population by the year 2050. This population growth points at a large market for products and services in the U.S., including higher education. This thesis discussion will address characteristics of the Hispanic population in the United States of America, explore the importance of a diverse student population including Hispanic students on a college or university campus, evaluate the competitiveness University of New Hampshire’s current situation with regard to Hispanic …

Student Science Achievement And The Integration Of Indigenous Knowledge In The Classroom And On Standardized Tests, Juliann Benson

Doctoral Dissertations

In science education, there has been little research focused on indigenous students' achievement on science standardized tests when indigenous knowledge is integrated into the test questions. However, there has been an increased amount of research investigating the impact of culturally relevant curriculum adaptations on indigenous students' achievement in standardized assessments (Aikenhead, 1997, 2001b; Barnhardt, 2005b).

This dissertation examines the achievement gap that is present between American Indian and White students in Montana. I use data from Montana eighth-grade standardized state science tests to determine whether incorporating indigenous material into classrooms and on state standardized science tests supported these initiatives and …

Writing For Numbers: The Cultural Production Of Good Writers In The Time Of High Stakes Writing Assessments, Barbara W. Tindall

Doctoral Dissertations

Few studies have looked at the consequences of standardized writing tests to students' understanding of what it means to be a competent writer. Using research techniques drawn from performance studies and art therapy, this qualitative study of middle class, honors students invited them to explore their understanding of what it means to be a high scoring writer on the SAT.

The theoretical framework of the study is situated at the intersection of three fields: cultural production theory, New Literacy Studies and object relations theory. The study has two related strands. In the first, I perform a socio-historical analysis of the …

Undergraduate Latinas' Self-Definition Of Academic Success, Carla Machado Rodrigues

Master's Theses and Capstones

This master's level thesis's objective was to gain a better understanding of how a sample of 13 undergraduate Latinas who graduated high school and immediately enrolled into college define academic success. Through interviews, these undergraduate Latinas explain where these self-definitions came from, mentors that may have influenced these definitions, and if their ethnicity and gender has played any role in the way they perceive academic success. The study also considers findings from previous research regarding academic resilience factors associated with Latinas, such as: being involved in college ready initiatives, obtaining academic support from significant others, having mentors, receiving various messages …

Exploring The Parent-Coach And Child-Athlete Relationship In The Recreational Sport Context, Nicholas Pitas

Master's Theses and Capstones

Parent-coaches are individuals who coach their own children (child-athletes) in sports. Although their presence is widespread in the realm of recreational sports, little research has been conducted on the relationship between parent-coach and child-athlete. This is an exploratory study with the goal of better understanding the parent-coach phenomenon in the recreational sports context, from the perspective of both parent-coaches and child-athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine parent-child dyads, focusing on positives, negatives, and the unique nature of the parent-coach and child-athlete relationship. Inductive analysis revealed a number of positive and negative themes, many of which were identified by both …

Symptom Presentation Of Pediatric Bipolar And Related Disorders In Children A Descriptive Study To Improve Educational Understanding And Supports, Leslie Fanning

Master's Theses and Capstones

Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and other mental health disorders has grown in recent years. As early childhood professionals meet children with these diagnoses, they face challenges in supporting a new population of children with special needs. This paper discusses current research on prevalence in early childhood classrooms, comorbid disorders, and current supports. Educators and professionals currently working in PreK-3rd grade were surveyed about the prevalence and supports for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD) and related disorders. Results of this study reflect the research that suggest children with PBD may present slightly different behaviors than those with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. In order …

Stories Worth Telling: How One School Navigates Tensions Between Innovation And Standards, Alison Ann Rheingold

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the cultural practice of assessment at King Middle School, a grades 6--8 school in Portland, Maine. I trace this school's reform efforts over 23 years, within the current development of school-wide practices over time, in relation to making work public.

I used a sociocultural framework, which allowed for an examination of the situation-as-a-whole, to see learning as distributed among people, time and objects, and to view artifacts of student work as boundary objects ---sites of negotiation among people from different, but related, social worlds. A sociocultural perspective also allowed for an expansive notion of assessment that included …