Digital Commons Network^™

Using Improvement Science To Address Early Elementary Teacher Efficacy And Competency When Addressing Trauma-Induced Behavior, Laura Hayes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As more research sheds light on the effects of trauma on school-age children, educators must learn to apply the research and make adaptations in the classroom and school settings. While the body of literature has grown, limitations still exist in research focused on specific strategies and applications for classroom teachers. Many teachers feel ill-equipped and exhibit low self-efficacy when working with students affected by trauma. As a result, many students receive disciplinary action rather than constructive practices that promote healing. Some teachers feel that more targeted and specific training and resources would improve efficacy, confidence, and effectiveness. In this study, …

Concurrent Study Of The Impact Of An Institutionalized Diversity Plan On The Perceived Sense Of Academic Achievement, Sense Of Belonging, And Program Completion Among African American Students In A Midwest Community College, Tyianna Thompson

Dissertations

This dissertation explored how an institutionalized diversity plan impacts perceived academic achievement, sense of belonging, and program completion among African American students. The concurrent mixed-methods methodology followed a single case study design to explore the impact of an institutionalized diversity plan in a Midwest community college. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed. The results of this study revealed that although diversity and inclusion programs are somewhat effective in higher education, more needs to be done to satisfy the needs of minority students in higher education. According to the findings of this study, most students felt a sense …

Leaders' Virtual & In-Person Communication: The Impact Of Employee Preference On Job Satisfaction, Adalin Mcdaniel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Communication between supervisors and subordinates has consistently been viewed as a primary element of leadership, and a factor that is important in the leader-subordinate relationship via Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory. Recently, with the massive shift to virtual working, leadership communication has gained greater prominence in research and practical settings. Therefore, examining the role that virtual leadership communication plays in employee job satisfaction is an important first step in beginning to understand the shift to predominant work settings from home. I examined the influence of employee perceptions and preferences of leadership communication on job satisfaction via a panel design in which …

An Examination Of The Antecedents And Outcomes Of Diversity Initiative Fatigue, Kennedy London Hammonds

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of my study is to examine the relationship between attitudes toward Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), cynicism towards organizational change, diversity initiative fatigue, and unit diversity climate. It was hypothesized that negative attitudes toward BIPOC will be associated with cynicism toward organizational change and diversity initiative fatigue will mediate that relationship. It was also hypothesized that unit diversity climate will moderate the relationship between negative attitudes toward BIPOC and diversity initiative fatigue and moderate the relationship between negative attitudes toward BIPOC and cynicism toward organizational change. To examine these relationships, a survey was distributed to WKU …

Examining The Effects Of A Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Community On Teacher Efficacy Toward Inquiry-Based Science Instruction, Samuel Joel Northern

Dissertations

Improving STEM education is pivotal to our country’s economic future and security. Unfortunately, most young students have limited access to standards-based science education. Science instruction is notoriously difficult to implement in the early grades. This dissertation explored the root causes for the lack of effective science instruction in elementary schools, including accountability testing, instructional time, historically weak standards, family factors, teacher efficacy, and professional development.

This study aimed to understand how elementary school teachers’ attitudes promote or hinder the implementation of science instruction. This study’s primary driver to improve science education in the early grades was a curriculum-based professional learning …

Design Thinking As A Common Language Between Higher Education And Employers, Johnna Denning-Smith

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores student skill preparedness for the work force through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with current college students, faculty members, and employers. Responses from study participants were transcribed, coded, and thematically organized into the following four categories of skills that employers seek in recent college graduates: critical thinking skills, resiliency, workplace skills, and discipline specific skills. The findings include participant perceptions of the importance of these skills and whether higher education effectively prepares recent graduates for the workforce. As part of this discussion, design thinking is presented as a bridge between these groups and as a solution …

Organizational Dissent: The Implications Of Race And Dissent Outcomes, Siera N. Bramschreiber

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Dissent, the public expression of a minority perspective, is valuable to organizations due to its connections with improving decision-making processes within teams. The current study sought to integrate what is known about diversity in thought and diversity in people and how this influences the dissent process. Specifically, I examined if positive perceptions of dissenters (i.e., worthy of respect or courageous) differ based on the race of the dissenter. Second, I examined if stories of successful articulated dissent influence subsequent willingness to dissent. In developing a scenario to manipulate dissent outcomes ranging from negative outcomes (i.e., hostility) to positive outcomes (i.e., …

Training To Develop Academic Advisor Efficacy And Workforce Readiness, Jessica Powers

Dissertations

The competitive workforce views training as an investment in human capital, which is seen as its most valuable asset. In order to meet labor demands of tomorrow, the workforce will depend on higher education to educate workers. This will put academic advisors and the training they receive further in the spotlight, as they play a meaningful role in student success. Training has been shown to increase occupational self-efficacy and impact employee performance, but empirical research is lacking from the advisor perspective to explore their perception of training and occupational self-efficacy. In a study of N = 108 of faculty and …

"Change Is The Essential Process Of All Existence:" Transformation Through Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement's Theory, Molly Kerby

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

During the early years of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities’ (AASCU) American Democracy Project (ADP), a handful of civic-minded leaders in higher education began to grapple with what it meant to teach students to be engaged citizens. The project began with seven initiatives focusing on efforts such as voting, stewardship of land, political engagement, and citizenship to build a foundation for increasing civic literacy, democratic agency, and community engagement among college students (American Association of State Colleges and Universities, 2019). Membership and participation in ADP grew quickly and it seemed an organic revolution of sorts was building …

Book Proposal: Reimagining Higher Education: A Guide To Creating The Competent College Graduate, Molly Kerby

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Given the climate of distrust, colleges and universities are examining strategies to enable them to remain relevant. Efforts to answer the recent outcry for productive, effective, and evidencedbased outcomes include adapting curricula and degree programs to better prepare graduates for employment. Competency-based education (CBE) programs are at the forefront of these approaches. Although not a new concept, CBE has shifted from its vocational training roots to its current attention on student results. The acquisition of competence requires an engaged learner who practices self-reflection (Dreyfus, 2004). Albanese, et al. (2008) suggest competencies should be outcome focused, emphasize applied-learning, and be measurable. …

School Connectedness: Teachers’ Perspectives On The Effects Of A Small Learning Community On Ninth-Grade Student Transition And Dropout, Brittany Richey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore ninth grade teachers’ perspectives’ of a small learning community and its impact on student connectivity, transition and dropout. The following overarching research question framed this study: (Given the 15-year history of this freshman academy, what are the teachers’ perspectives on the impact of a small learning community on ninth grade transition? (a) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of interpersonal connectedness? (b) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of physical and emotional safety? (c)What are teachers’ perceptions of how the …

Retention Of Child Welfare Caseworkers: The Wisdom Of Supervisors, Austin G. Griffiths, Patricia Desrosiers, Jay Gabbard, David Royse, Kristine Piescher

Social Work Faculty Publications

Child welfare supervisors have a unique vantage point, leading local service delivery efforts while representing a larger organizational bureaucracy. They also play a key role in workforce stability, as high caseworker turnover remains a real problem that affects clients, communities, and agency budgets. Using a qualitative thematic content analysis to analyze data collected from a sample of public child welfare supervisors in a southern state (n=117), findings from this study provide suggestions for systematically addressing workforce turnover through the unique perspective of the child welfare supervisor. Supervisors made recommendations to improve agency infrastructure, organizational climate, and organizational culture as areas …

Ua3/8/4 President's Office-Meredith Board Of Regents, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Board of Regents records created by and for the Thomas Meredith administration. Consists of sub-subseries:

1. Committees
2. Correspondence
3. Meetings
4. Subjects

The Role Of Leadership In School Innovation: A Case Study, Savannah Adkins Denning

Dissertations

Expansive research on leadership, particularly school leadership, has suggested leaders have an indirect impact on student outcomes, as leaders build a school’s academic capacity, which elevates teaching and learning (Hallinger, 2010). Though there is significant empirical research regarding school leadership, there is a lack of research investigating the intersection of leadership and innovation. In terms of innovation, “personalized learning,” has become an emerging topic among education researchers, as scholars seek to understand the potential impact personalized learning strategies have on student outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to explore how leadership interacts with innovation. This study specifically explored the …

Evaluating The Kentucky Association Of Extension 4-H Agents Annual Conference Using The Re-Aim Framework, Michael Elijah Wilson

Dissertations

The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (REAIM) evaluation framework, as first introduced by Glasgow, Vogt, and Boles (1999), offers a straightforward method for evaluating Extension related programs. In this study, the RE-AIM framework is used to evaluate the Kentucky Association of 4-H Extension Agents (KAE4-HA) annual conference by examining pre-existing organizational data and records that include the results from KAE4-HA post-conference surveys that had never been reviewed as part of a comprehensive program evaluation.

This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter I provides an overview of the study. Chapter II reviews the history of Extension in Kentucky, program …

Winning On And Off The Court: An Interpretive Case Study Of A Leader’S Effectual Power And Influence, Eugene Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to study the leadership profile of a leader’s effectual power and influence. A qualitative research design is preferred to capture rich, thick personal responses from the interview participants. Semi-structured interviews were utilized with open-ended questions, which enabled the respondents to provide unique insights and reflections of their direct and indirect experiences with the research subject. Additionally, document inquiry and direct observations were used and, as an outcome, triangulation was achieved.

Effective use of power is studied in the context of a leader’s ability to influence others to induce a desired outcome. The subject’s influence …

Impacts Of Leadership On Tqm In Food Industry In India, Abhir Anil Joshi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To improve an organizations competitive edge, leadership has adopted a conventional and organized approach known as TQM to improve the quality of its products and services. Implementation of TQM varies from one organization to another. This study determined the various impacts of leadership on TQM in the food industry in India. The continuous decrement of India's economy has led organizations to hire nonskilled people who lack the basic knowledge of the process and thus do not work efficiently and thus ensuring failure of TQM. Another problem faced was the lack of a healthy management which ensures a positive environment and …

The Prevalence Of Six Sigma Trends In The Construction Industry In Pakistan, Muhammad M. Hassan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Economic development in any country or area depends heavily on the performance of the construction industry. This is because the subsequent development of infrastructure increases economic activity, living standards, direct foreign investments, and business opportunities. The construction industry in Pakistan also plays a significant role in its economic activity, and the government’s focus towards increasing infrastructure development provides the construction industry with growth prospects. It is observed that quality management practices in the Pakistan construction industry are highly inadequate to enhance quality. The construction industry there is highly challenged with inadequate delays in projects and project quality. The need for …

Between Words And Deeds: Diverse Voices And The Communicative Constitution Of Diversity, Scott E. Branton Ii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While diversity is widely discussed throughout management literature, the impact of diversity management on diverse organizational members remains exceedingly sparse. Furthermore, the present case study uses a communication centered approach to address how diverse faculty member’s organizational experiences with diversity align with an academic institution’s publicly stated values of diversity. Through a critical interpretive lens, 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews of diverse faculty members were conducted at a medium sized, Southern university (“Southern U”). Findings suggested that contradictions were heavily embedded into Southern U’s diversity communication resulting in a host of paradoxical tensions for diverse faculty members. This study explored the …

An Analysis Of Technical Leadership In Radiology Technology, Andrew Stephen Kester

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether administrators and supervisors in the field of radiology technology receive leadership training as part of their job and whether there is a significant difference for those who do not receive training. If no training is received, does promotion to a leadership position based on technical proficiency or longevity relate to successful leadership characteristics? Currently, no leadership courses are offered in undergraduate or graduate degrees focused on Radiology Technology. Radiologic technologists are required to choose between advanced degrees in imaging to become more technically proficient or advanced degrees in management or business …

We Don't Hope That Helps: Satirical Facebook Pages As Counter-Institutional Resistance, Gavin Lawrence Kirkwood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Through the examination of a satirical Facebook page called Hope that Helps (HTH) this study filled a gap in communication research on humor and resistance within online communities. The qualitative content analysis of the HTH page showcased satire’s role in acts of resistance. Using jokes, impersonation, and ridicule HTH resisted large corporations, government institutions, messages from public figures, and entitled American consumers. HTH also used humor to resist social constructs including Whiteness, transphobia, and American nationalism. Along with page creators, HTH followers were active participants in the humor and resistance acts on the page. HTH served as a space for …

The Age-Friendly Cities Project In Bowling Green: A Narrative History, Hannah Ruggles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

An age-friendly city is one that “encourages active ageing by optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. In practical terms, an age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities.” Bowling Green was the seventh city in the US to join the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and is currently in year three of a five-year project. The developments over the past two years have been guided by the principle that senior residents of Bowling …

Birth Of A Powerhouse: How One University Reimagined, Restructured, And Revived Outreach, Slone H. Cansler

Dissertations

Today’s modern higher education landscape presents myriad challenges to higher education leaders and administrators. Among those challenges is how universities respond to demands for accountability, growth of alternative models of postsecondary education delivery, the need to serve and increasingly diverse society, and reduced state and federal appropriations. Research suggests that the biggest changes for American higher education are imminent and will necessitate new business models, new forms of collaboration and partnerships, and innovative about the enterprise of higher education. This study sought to gain understanding about the development process and structural framework that allows a university’s outreach unit to be …

Insecurity Threat And Its Implications For Leadership Preference, Allen Lee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

I investigated insecurity threat and its implications for employee leadership preferences. Preferences for three types of leadership style were examined: charismatic, relationship-oriented, and task-oriented leadership. It was anticipated that individuals’ salient work values would predict leadership preference more strongly after insecurity threat than under control conditions. Two different types of threats were investigated in comparison to a neutral control condition.

Results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in leader ratings between threat conditions. My results suggest that threat does not significantly influence preference for charismatic or task-oriented leaders. Work values did not significantly predict a preference for a …

The Impact Of A Head Coaching Change On Intercollegiate Student-Athletes, Stacey A. Forsythe

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to discover the impacts on intercollegiate student-athletes subsequent to a head coaching change. One research question guided this study: What is the impact of a head coaching change on intercollegiate student-athletes? This qualitative study utilized eight case study interviews in order to achieve a rich description of the phenomenon of a head coaching change in one mid-major NCAA Division 1 institution in the Southeast. Using inductive analysis and the constant comparative method, three emergent themes were identified: (1) Student-athletes seem to accept head coaching changes, (2) Head coaches are essential to team success, …

Best Practices Of Organizational Communication In Group Travel Planning, Natalie N. Gilliam

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

To succeed in the travel industry, professionals must continuously seek new ways to improve their service. In group travel, clients expect their tour director to meet and exceed all expectations. As I prepare to lead a tour group of high school students to Walt Disney World, I will put my knowledge of four organizational communication practices to the test. These best practices will be utilized in planning for challenges that may arise as well as handling any obstacles throughout the tour. Success will be measured through the thoughts of the clients during and after the trip and future recommendations will …

Acceptance Of Change: Exploring The Relationship Among Psychometric Constructs And Employee Resistance, Brian Dunican

Dissertations

Change is inevitable and can influence numerous events inside and outside an organization. The contrasting attitudes of acceptance and resistance to change are an increasingly interesting topic in today’s global, ever-changing, and competitive environment. Discovering the behavioral origins of employees’ reactions to change is an integral part of understanding the way in which individual mindset may play a role in coping with organizational change and resistance. This body of knowledge may give organizations insight for creating a competitive advantage over their counterparts. Conceivably, it can be argued that some researchers view change as a process of gradual adaptation that is …

Using Critical Incidents: The Development Of A Behaviorally Based Training Program For Supervisor Citizenship Behavior And Feedback Skills, Jody J. Lecheler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It has been argued (Greer, 2013) that supervisors are a critical component in organizational effectiveness. Supervisors are required to hold many roles within the organization (Evans, 1965). Specifically, employees often see supervisors as representatives of the organization, while the organization depends on supervisors to maintain production (Greer, 2013). Many supervisors also fill a variety of other organizational roles such as mentor, trainer, motivator, disciplinarian, evaluator, and leader (Evans, 1965). For these reasons, effective supervisors are crucial to organizational success. The present study developed a behaviorally based training program for supervisors for a poultry processing organization. The training program content included …

Organizational Change In Volunteer-Based Organizations: Communication Change Strategies In Church Congregations, Daniela Viviana Fuentes Riffo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study fills a gap in the communication and management literature by providing additional insight regarding the effective communication strategies used by church leaders during organizational change. The researcher sought to find out how beliefs held by church members predicted their receptivity to change and their intent to leave their organization. Participants from diverse church denominations (N = 208) completed an online survey questionnaire asking them to think about a particular change they had experienced in their current or former church. The results of statistical analysis showed: (a) Church members´ beliefs regarding discrepancy, efficacy, principal support, and valence, positively …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 90, No. 28, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Archives Records

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• 90 Years of the College Heights Herald – Timeline
• Henderson, Andrew. Women Editors Play Key Role in College Heights Herald History
• Rogers, Shelby. Former Professor Receives Literary Honor – Jim Miller
• Voorhees, Jessica. Fresh Adds More International Options – Dining Services
• Harney, Lashana. New Legal Clinic Opens Friday – WKU Student Legal Services Clinic
• Lawson, Anna. Student Government Association Resumes Meetings for Spring Semester
• Harney, Lashana. New Faster of Fine Arts Pending Approval Later This Year – Curriculum
• Love, Cameron. College Heights Herald Dedicated to Excellence
• Through the Years: …