Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Study Of The Perceptions Of Public School Teachers And Administrators On The Teachers' Association And The Collective Bargaining Process In An Iowa Urban School Setting, Eric J. Gjerde

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Previous studies have looked at collective bargaining and teachers’ associations and their impact on student achievement, but the results are mixed. Absent from the literature are studies that analyze data gathered after the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The focus of this study was to explore urban Iowa public school administrators’ and teachers’ current perceptions of the relationship between teacher associations and collective bargaining. It is the intent of this research to understand what the administrators and teachers in this study perceive about teacher associations and collective bargaining and why they maintain these perceptions. …

A Master's Recital In Clarinet, Stacia Kay Fortune

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stacia Kay Fortune performed a graduate clarinet recital at 6 o’clock in the evening on Friday, February 26, 2016 in Davis Hall at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The recital was presented in partial fulfillment of a Master of Music in clarinet performance. The program opened with Mozart’s Parto! Ma tu ben Mio, an aria for soprano and clarinet obbligato from La Clemenza di Tito. The second piece on the first half was Claude Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano. Following intermission, the later part of the twentieth century was explored beginning with Shulamit Ran’s For an Actor: …

Examining Aided Input Intervention In A Classroom Setting For Children Labeled With Significant Disabilities, Jennifer L. Flores

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to examine aided input as an intervention strategy for teaching children language and communication skills through Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This study examined whether a coaching package is effective for enabling teachers to use aided input strategies and also examine the impact of the aided input strategies on children’s communication skills. Data was collected for six weeks using the AB alternating reversal design with the last two weeks being maintenance phases without coaching and support. There were three pieces of data collected; student pre and posttests of target words, daily observations of teacher instruction …

Labeling Of Religious Non-Believers: The Effect Of The "Atheist" Title On Moral Judgments About Non-Theists, Brock C. Rozich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prior research indicates that how concepts are described impacts our beliefs about the subject itself. For example, when the term “welfare” (instead of “help for the poor”) is used to ask people whether assistance should be increased in times of economic hardship, support is lower (Smith, 1987). My research question centers on whether or not this effect would carry over to the area of religion and the use of the terms “atheist” or “those with no religious beliefs.” Participants in the current studies were presented with a vignette about a student who was labeled as an atheist, as having no …

The Effects Of Blended Learning On Critical Thinking In A High School Earth Science Class, Renee Nicole Borglum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study analyzed the effects of differing levels of technology use in a high school Earth Science class on student performance on the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR). Blended learning manipulates the combination of hands-on activities, classroom discussions, online discussions, interactive simulations and a variety of assessments that engage, instruct and assess student learning. Critical thinking is the set of skills and dispositions that foster problem solving, reasoning ability and selfregulation. The increasing use of technology in the classroom and fluctuation of content standards prompted this research. The results have implications for the classroom teacher of a wide range …

Analysis Of The Stebi-B Instrument As It Is Used To Predict The Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, Martha Alice Stone

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Using the STEBI-B tool in a pre/post-test setting is common in educational research when measuring the influence of course work on the science teaching self-efficacy of preservice elementary teachers. This study was the first to use the STEBI-B in conjunction with a self-reflective tool to evaluate the influence of a required science content course on the science teaching self-efficacy of 54 preservice elementary teachers.

Concurrent collection of three sets of data happened at the beginning and at the end of an Inquiry into Earth & Space Science course designed for preservice elementary teachers. The self-reflective instrument measured science-teaching self-efficacy from …

Three Men In The Wilderness: Ideas And Concepts Of Nature During The Progressive Era With Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot And John Muir, Jeffrey A. Duke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When I began this research in the summer of 2014, I endeavored to find out how Americans comprehended nature in the Progressive Era. By the Progressive Era the historian Frederick Jackson Turner declared the frontier to be closed. This notion that no wide open spaces remained to be conquered altered the American people’s attitude towards nature. The perspectives of three men who were at the forefront of environmental policy illustrate how America’s understanding of nature had changed. These three men were twenty-sixth President Theodore Roosevelt, professional forester Gifford Pinchot and naturalist John Muir. Describing the similarities and differences in these …

Jordan Boehm In Recital, Jordan Boehm

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This recital was presented in accordance with the University of Northern Iowa’s requirements for the Masters of Music degree in performance. It was held in Davis Hall on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa on February 25, 2016. Jordan Boehm, trumpet, performed with collaborators Daniel Meier, Dr. Polina Khatsko, Dr. Anthony Williams, Dr. Tina Su, and Dr. Jesse Orth. The requirements stipulate that a full-length recital (approximately sixty minutes in total duration) must be presented by the student to demonstrate ability on his instrument as well as knowledge and understanding of repertoire. To meet with expectations, the pieces …

Using One-To-One Computing For Differentiated Instruction In Iowa: An Investigation Of The Impact Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Teaching And Learning, Jodi A. Bermel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The 1983 seminal work entitled A Nation at Risk recommended that all high school graduates be proficient in the Five New Basics: English, mathematics, science, social studies, and computer science. To address the No Child Left Behind mandates, educators and administrators are evaluating the theory and practice of Differentiated Instruction (DI). One-to-one computer initiatives became an element of DI strategy due to the well-documented advantages in the use of technology to address individual learning needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions of using one-to-one computing to differentiate instruction and to identify potential …

Exploring How First-Year Experiences In Higher Education Influence Student Acceptance Of Biological Evolutionary Theory, Lauren A. Winter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the current study, I investigated whether changes occurred in the acceptance of evolution for students majoring in elementary education during their first semester of college and if so, what factors influenced the change. Thirty participants in their first semester of college completed pre-and post-tests that included the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance to measure changes in student acceptance of evolution over the course of one academic semester. Ten of those participants completed interviews to elaborate on those factors that may have affected their acceptance in evolution. Mixed methods analysis utilizing a cognitive constructivist framework revealed that religious beliefs, explicit …

Using Contents And Containers To Investigate Problem Solving Strategies Among Toddlers, Zaid Alkouri

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focused on the use of problem-solving strategies among toddlers using a qualitative research approach, and more specifically the case-study research design. The following three research questions were investigated: (1) What behaviors do toddlers exhibit as they begin their exploration with Contents and Containers?; (2a) What intrapersonal differences, if any, do toddlers display in their problem-solving approaches with Contents and Containers materials over the ten-session period?; and (2b) What interpersonal differences, if any, do the three toddlers display in their problem-solving approaches with Contents and Containers materials over the ten-session period?

The participants of this study consisted of three …

Effects Of Predator Satiation On Seed Predation In New Roadside Prairie Plantings, Jessica Riebkes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Restoration efforts in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem are inhibited by high seed cost and as little as 10% emergence of planted, pure live seed. This study examined the portion of loss due to seed predation and sought to reduce this predation in new roadside prairie plantings. Studies document the occurrence of predation in several plant communities and across all plant families, but little is known about how to reduce the impact of seed predators, especially in a restoration setting. On three sites where native prairie seed was recently drilled, we attempted to satiate seed predators by broadcasting a supplemental food …

Belief And Practice: A Self-Study, Jamie Marie Nelson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this self-study was to critically examine whether or not my beliefs about literacy are reflected in my teaching practice. In addition, it was to determine if my teaching practice aligned with six instructional elements for literacy suggested by Allington and Gabriel (2012) in their article “Every Child, Every Day.”

There were three data sources in this study. I kept a time-log for one week with an instructional calendar about my schedule for literacy instruction. At the end of each day, I wrote a post-teaching reflection. The third data source was my personal, written responses to each of …

Differences In Landing Impulses Between The Traditional And Swing Blocking Style In Volleyball, Jana Geertruida Braakhuis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Blocking is an important part in the game of volleyball. Previous research has shown that the swing blocking style leads to a greater jump height, penetration over the net and effective blocking area compared to the traditional blocking method. No available research has been found investigating the differences in landing. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in landing impulses, landing time and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) between the traditional and swing blocking style in volleyball. Therefore, eight female collegiate volleyball players were filmed in high definition at 60Hz performing successful trials of both blocking styles. …

Sex And Political Participation On Facebook, Rachel Gregory

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Active political participation from the citizenry is essential for a healthy democracy. However, research finds a significant sex gap in political participation, limiting the influence of a substantial group from the political system and democratic representation. This division by sex is further marked by the types of political activities in which males and females engage. Candidates, elected officials, political organizations and voters alike now utilize Facebook as a means to spread political messages and engage the citizenry. Facebook is also a platform dominated by women. Due to women’s position on social media, it is hypothesized that women and men participate …

"Rock Against Reagan": The Punk Movement, Cultural Hegemony, And Reaganism In The Eighties, Johnathan Kyle Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite scholars’ growing interest in the cultural movement known as punk, there has been a lack of focus on the movement’s relationship to its historical context. Punk meant rebellion, and this research looks at how the rebellion of the American punk movement during the eighties [1978 to 1992], was aimed at the president Ronald Reagan. Their dissent, however, was not only directed towards Reagan, but the culture that he encompassed. Under this influence, American culture gave way to Reaganism: a culture of individualism, greed, power, and symbols. Adding to the work by historian Dewar MacLeod and others who have focused …

The Cultural And Rhetorical Elements Of American Picaresque, Cory James Dahlstrom

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The picaresque is a literary genre with a long and rich history. Although protean in nature, it is essentially the fictional autobiography of a likeable delinquent or rogue, who survives a series of adventures and a life of hardships by his or her wits and affinity for trickery. Stemming from a long line of tropes dating back to Greek mythology, the picaresque comes into its own fruition towards the end of the Spanish Golden Age with the anonymous publication of Lazarillo de Tormes (1554). Since then, the antihero of the picaresque, the picaro, has become a literary figure across a …

Corn Stover Biochar In Gypsum Board: Empirical Analysis Of Thermal Conductivity And Flexural Strength, Albena Yordanova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Gypsum board, an economical and durable finish material for wall and ceiling construction in the United States and worldwide, is the component with the lowest thermal performance in a typical exterior wall assembly. It also constitutes a substantial portion of construction waste in landfills, potentially creating harmful environmental effects and dangerous gases. To minimize the negative effects of fast growing construction waste of gypsum in landfills and meet higher standards for energy efficiency in construction, there is a need to explore sustainable ways of improving thermal properties of gypsum board and recycling the material. Gypsum can be recycled and used …

A Follow-Up Of Patient Reported Outcomes In Chronic Plantar Heel Pain Participants Treated With Graston Technique: A Mixed Methods Approach, Troy Richard Garrett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Chronic Plantar Heel Pain (CPHP), commonly known as “plantar fasciitis,” is a condition that is estimated to affect 10% of the American population. A treatment for CPHP and other soft tissue overuse conditions that is increasing in popularity is the use of metal instruments for deep tissue massage for 10 minutes, twice a week for six weeks, called the Graston Technique.

The purpose of this study is to longitudinally examine the foot pain and function of participants who received Graston Technique treatment approximately two years before this study. A mixed methods design where quantitatively, three self-reported survey instruments were utilized, …

Preservice And Practicing Teacher Science Inquiry Projects: An Analysis Of Their Understanding Of The Inquiry Process, Benjamin D. Olsen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Student conducted inquiry is an essential component of the Next Generation Science Standards and considered to be a core goal of teaching science methods. Teachers need to understand what student inquiry entails, to be able to successfully conduct their own inquiry investigations, and to understand this process well so as to guide original student inquiry investigations. Some suggest that, as a result of No Child Left Behind legislation, an entire generation of students have missed out on inquiry-based elementary science instruction. Research indicates that many preservice teachers find it difficult to bridge knowledge of subject matter with pedagogy – making …

An Investigation Of Prosocial And Health Risk Behaviors As Predictors Of Academic Motivation, Tess Garceau

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Motivation is described as being one of the most valuable foundational constructs essential for student success (Steinmayr & Spinath, 2009). However, not all students are motivated by school-wide practices and/or the general curriculum. In order to promote and nurture students’ motivation effectively, we must understand what motivates students, and also begin to analyze other coexisting risk factors that may hinder students’ success.

Participants for this study included 119 high school students between the ages of 14-18 from schools in Northeast Iowa. All students at participating schools were invited to take part in the study; however, data was collected from only …

Promoting Bullying Prevention And Intervention Through Forgiveness Education, Amy Gregory

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There is growing recognition of the severe, adverse long-term effects that bullying behaviors have, on the victims or on bullies. Although there are many existing anti-bullying programs that are designed to counteract both the behaviors and their potential long-term negative effects, forgiveness education programs may also be used to help create a positive school climate in which bullies can take responsibility for their behaviors and begin to reintegrate into the social fabric of the school. The purpose of this research proposal is to examine the effects of the International Forgiveness Institute's (IFI) forgiveness education curriculum in comparison to an anti-bullying …

Some Convergence Properties Of Minkowski Functionals Given By Polytopes, Jesse Moeller

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this work we investigate the behavior of the Minkowski Functionals admitted by a sequence of sets which converge to the unit ball ‘from the inside’. We begin in R 2 and use this example to build intuition as we extend to the more general R n case. We prove, in the penultimate chapter, that convergence ‘from the inside’ in this setting is equivalent to two other characterizations of the convergence: a geometric characterization which has to do with the sizes of the faces of each polytope in the sequence converging to zero, and the convergence of the Minkowski functionals …

Female Athletes' Perceptions Towards Alcohol And Performance: A Psychological Approach, Stephanie Dalmacio

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Alcohol consumption amongst athletes has been a frequently debated topic with common beliefs being mostly negative. This study aimed to investigate former and active female athletes’ perceptions toward alcohol consumption prior to competition. The design used for this study was exploratory-descriptive in nature. A questionnaire was administered to 111 female athletes from 17 different countries. Since the majority of the respondents were tennis players (n = 85), results were presented for this more homogenous group. The questionnaire was comprised of 10 questions that examined demographics, perceptions regarding whether alcohol was more likely to help or hurt performance, and alcohol consumption. …

The Immediate Effects Of Thearapeutic Taping On Musculoskeletal Pain, Aaron Michael Krejci

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: Therapeutic taping is commonly used as a preventative intervention; however, its utilization as an immediate pain management intervention is still unknown. This study assesses the immediate effectiveness of therapeutic taping on musculoskeletal pain. Objective: Evaluate the immediate effects of three therapeutic taping interventions on musculoskeletal pain. Design: Experimental, single-group repeated measures design. Participants: 29 physically active volunteers (14 male, 15 female) with a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.98. Methods: Participants were induced with delayed onset muscle soreness to their elbow flexors of the non-dominant arm. Forty-eight hours after induction, participants’ baseline pain was measured using the Numeric Pain …

Density And Diversity Of Bees In The Midwestern Agricultural Landscape: Influence Of Surrounding Agricultural Land Use And Local Plant Community Characteristics, Andrew J. Ridgway

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

After over a century of large-scale agricultural development in the Midwestern corn-belt of the United States, many wild bee pollinator populations are in rapid decline or extirpated from their historic range. Large-bodied species, such as Bombus spp. are especially threatened, but are also valuable as efficient natural pollinators that are capable of effectively pollinating many economically important crops. Bees, therefore, have high conservation value, and pollination research has shifted focus from community inventory to population recovery efforts. These efforts include reducing the effects of habitat fragmentation and destruction using ecological restoration as well as integrating conservation strategies into agricultural land …

The Effect Of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression On The Management Of Pain Associated With Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Ashley Kay Lindahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Intermittent pneumatic compression is used for the recovery of active individuals following intense exercise with little research to support its use. This study evaluates the effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression on musculoskeletal pain associated with DOMS among healthy college age population. Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of intermittent pneumatic compression, compared to a placebo, in the prevention of pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. Design: Experimental, Repeated Measure Design. Participants: Thirty healthy college-age volunteers (15 male: 21.5 ± 2.3 yrs, 179.3 ± 9.9 cm, 91.4 ± 26.4 kg; 15; female: 20.4 ± 1.5 yrs, 168.9 ± 6.9 cm, 69.1 ± …

Analyzing Winter Migration Fidelity And Movement Of The Wild Taimyr Reindeer Herd, Rangifer T. Tarandus, Emily T. Francis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Taimyr Reindeer Herd (TRH) is the largest wild reindeer population in the world, and is located in the northern central region of Arctic Russia. Previous detailed research on the spatiotemporal dynamics of this herd have been conducted involving aerial population censuses for two of the three seasons for reindeer: calving (Meerdink, 2012) and summer (Cooney, 2014). The first part of this study continues with the methods of the previous studies, analyzing the spatiotemporal fidelity of the TRH in the winter season. This was completed using geospatial analysis of digitized historical aerial census data of reindeer locations, and analyzing areas …

Biomechanical Differences In The Weightlifting Snatch Between Successful And Unsuccessful Lifts, Jack Rummells

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine what differences exist between several kinematic variables between failed and successful attempts in the snatch lift. Six female Weightlifters at the 2015 American open were measured for kinematic variables via videotape during competition. The results show that differences existed in the angle of the shoulder at peak barbell height and the catch height, along with the amount of separation between the lifter and barbell at peak height. Significant differences were also found at the angle between the barbell and lifter center of mass. This study was a first step toward understanding the …

From Soprano To Barking Dog : John Cage, The Avant Garde, And The Counterculture, 1940-1975, Heather M. Mcalpine

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

John Cage’s compositions, representative of second generation avant-garde music, are an integral part of any discussion of the sixties, and his work complicates parts of the counterculture historiography. While the political ideology that drives Cage’s compositions fit many of the counterculture’s aims, it has not been included in the historiography in its own right. The evidence suggests instead that his ideas, and those of the new avant-garde of which he was a part, were actually a piece of a consistent tradition that extended into the counterculture. Historians and musicologists have not done justice to Cage’s long background of political ideas …