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Is Testing A Laughing Matter? Achievement Effects Via Working Memory And Humor Relevance, Ivan Jay Wayne
Is Testing A Laughing Matter? Achievement Effects Via Working Memory And Humor Relevance, Ivan Jay Wayne
Dissertations
The relevant literature concerning the relationship between humorous intervention and academic performance features conflicting evidence. Authors present evidence that humor is able to directly benefit student academic performance (Ford et al., 2012), while other authors suggest humorous distraction may actually worsen performance (Bieg et al., 2015). Among the issues contributing to these contradictory findings are two particularly important considerations: the mechanism by which humor may impact performance and the content of humor used in interventions. One mechanism by which humor could impact subsequent academic performance is working memory (Strick et al., 2009). The first study (n = 31) investigated if …
The Relationship Between Trauma, Attachment, Self-Compassion, And Emotion Regulation: A Structural Equation Model, Susanna Jane Turner
The Relationship Between Trauma, Attachment, Self-Compassion, And Emotion Regulation: A Structural Equation Model, Susanna Jane Turner
Dissertations
Previous research has examined the relationship between trauma, attachment, selfcompassion, and emotion regulation, but never with an incarcerated population. Given the link between emotion regulation and illegal behaviors, it may be helpful to more fully understand this relationship in order to lay the groundwork for future intervention research. I gathered data from 378 participants. I then examined the relationships between these constructs on data from 204 participants, the number that remained after cleaning the data, by way of a structural equation model. Findings suggest that greater experiences of trauma may lead to insecure attachment styles, impacting individuals’ ability to trust …
Upper Elementary Teacher Pedagogical Decision-Making In Title I English Language Arts Classrooms, Genevieve Skinner Prater
Upper Elementary Teacher Pedagogical Decision-Making In Title I English Language Arts Classrooms, Genevieve Skinner Prater
Dissertations
This study explored the pedagogical decision-making process for four English Language Arts teachers in upper elementary grades three through five in Title I schools in a state in the Rocky Mountain Mid-west. Characteristics of Title I schools vary, which might influence how teachers perceive pedagogy for English Language Arts content. This multiple case study sought to (a) determine the factors that influenced teachers’ pedagogical decisions when planning ELA instruction, (b) describe the implications of pedagogical decisions for the Title I upper elementary students, and (c) identify the challenges and opportunities of Title I upper elementary teachers’ pedagogical choices using interviews, …
Teachers “Write” Video--A Case Study On The Processes And Participants Of A Video Composition Professional Development Program: A Utah Context, Nathan Smith Jones
Teachers “Write” Video--A Case Study On The Processes And Participants Of A Video Composition Professional Development Program: A Utah Context, Nathan Smith Jones
Dissertations
In a media dominated world, where video composition (an integral media literacy pedagogy) has remained extremely limited in university teacher prep programs in states like Utah, this qualitative descriptive case study investigated the whys and hows of the processes, purposes, and marketing of an in-service Pedagogical Video Composition (PVC) teacher professional development program and the media literacy practices of the teachers it impacted. Participants were four staff members of Utah’s SHIFT Professional Development program, and four of its teacher participants The study’s data collection included artifacts, an observation, and (primarily) interviews during the first full school year of COVID-19 (Fall, …
Influences On Student Choice And Voice: Agency, Engagement, And Equity, Theresa L. Reali
Influences On Student Choice And Voice: Agency, Engagement, And Equity, Theresa L. Reali
Dissertations
Students at a suburban high school in the American Mountain West have been separated by race, linguistic ability, and socio-economic status for decades, and the research posits that the ways in which students have moved in cohorts throughout past decades has largely determined their academic pathways in high school. The researcher studied eight student perceptions of variable, heterogeneous grouping and democratic pedagogical practices on academic achievement, feelings of self-agency, and engagement in sophomore English Language Arts; two regular placement (non-advanced) sub-groups of Anglo and Latino/a students were included as student participants. Students were interviewed and observed during group work with …
On The Development Of The Self Starting Double Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average And Covariance Control Chart, Robert Eugene Resch
On The Development Of The Self Starting Double Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average And Covariance Control Chart, Robert Eugene Resch
Dissertations
Control charts are an important element for monitoring production processes in a wide array of industries. A strong performing control chart is one that responds quickly to undesirable changes in a production process. This work demonstrates the expansion of Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average and Covariance (MEWMAC) control chart to be doubly weighted in efforts to improve performance by reducing out of control run lengths (ARL1) when changes occur in either the process mean vector or covariance matrix. Metric derivation and justification are provided. Simulations under different scenarios provide comparison of the new control chart mechanism to those already established …
Assigning Assessment Accommodations To English Learners: A Phenomenological Study, Heather May Villalobos Pavia
Assigning Assessment Accommodations To English Learners: A Phenomenological Study, Heather May Villalobos Pavia
Dissertations
The English learner (EL) student population has grown steadily for the past 20 years. During this time, the use of standardized assessments has increased as well. Teacher understanding of assessment accommodations that best support ELs is low, despite the research that shows the unreliability of standardized achievement tests that measure the academic achievement of ELs. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine how 10 teachers engage in the assessment accommodation selection process. Teachers were intentionally selected from intermediate elementary grades where the most native (primary/home) language accommodations are available on state assessments. Data were collected through surveys, …
Pedagogy Is Research: Investigating The Teacher-Researcher Identity And Pedagogy Of Teachers Who Completed An Action Research Project, Meagan Chelsea Brown Varona
Pedagogy Is Research: Investigating The Teacher-Researcher Identity And Pedagogy Of Teachers Who Completed An Action Research Project, Meagan Chelsea Brown Varona
Dissertations
This research study explored the development of a teacher-researcher identity and investigated the pedagogy of two teachers who completed an action research course. I sought to investigate the development of a teacher-researcher identity in connection to the utilization of critical responsiveness in order to address the stifling of teacher agency that has resulted from standardization and deprofessionalization of the teaching profession. Through braiding the theoretical frameworks of cultural-historical activity theory, pragmatism, and critical theory, I examined the development of a teacher-researcher identity and how it impacted the pedagogical judgments and decisions of teachers. This multiple case study required data collection …
Exploring Teacher And Student Experiences In A Nature-Based Mathematical Environment, Brian Holt Tucker
Exploring Teacher And Student Experiences In A Nature-Based Mathematical Environment, Brian Holt Tucker
Dissertations
This research study explored the experiences of this teacher-researcher and eight student-participants in a Montessori-inspired, nature-based mathematical environment. I utilized an action research study framework with a critical event narrative analysis to describe mine and my student-participants’ experiences throughout this study, using Uhrmacher et al.’s (2017) instructional arc as a guide. I restoried each participants’ lived and told stories as the curriculum seamlessly moved through the arc: intended to operational to received curriculum. The restoried narratives revolved around the identified critical events each participant experienced throughout the mathematical learning experience. The multiple restoried narratives required data collection that included observations, …
Becoming Ourselves: A Photo-Narrative Inquiry Into Mindfulness In The Teaching Lives Of Urban Educators, John Brian Miller
Becoming Ourselves: A Photo-Narrative Inquiry Into Mindfulness In The Teaching Lives Of Urban Educators, John Brian Miller
Dissertations
This dissertation explored how mindfulness shapes the way educators find meaning and coherence to their narrative selves amid the complex interlocking contexts in urban schools. Drawing on the theoretical lens of a narrative concept of self found in MacIntyre and others, I used a photo-narrative inquiry, observations, and interviews to collect data from the five participants in this study. I then constructed narrative vignettes that highlighted themes internal to each participant’s way of storying their teaching lives in urban schools through the lens of mindfulness. Analysis of participant stories leads to the conclusion that mindfulness is a grounding for self …
Understanding Mother’S Perceptions On Assessment And Educational Programming For Their Children With Cerebral Visual Impairment, Melody Zagami Furze
Understanding Mother’S Perceptions On Assessment And Educational Programming For Their Children With Cerebral Visual Impairment, Melody Zagami Furze
Dissertations
Brain-based visual impairment is the leading cause of visual impairment in early childhood populations in the developed world and its contribution to childhood visual impairment is increasing (Bosch et al., 2014; Dutton & Bax, 2010; Hoyt, 2007; Kong et al., 2012; Kran et al., 2019). In order to meet the needs of this population, comprehensive assessment that includes information from families and caregivers, pediatric ophthalmologists, neurodevelopmental specialists, vision professionals, and education teams is crucial for academic and functional success (Lueck & Dutton, 2015). Family input during the special education process and the transfer of knowledge from the clinical to the …
From Babysitting To Teaching—Latina Childcare Providers Acquiring Effective Teaching Strategies: A Grounded Theory Of Transformative Professional Development, Deborah Becker
Dissertations
Using theoretical sampling, focused on those who could best inform the theory, the participants in this study, all Latina women, consisted of two program Tías (Aunties), currently teaching and mentoring in the Abuelas Preparando a los Niños Para La Escuela [Grandmothers Preparing the Children for School], or APPLE program, and 14 past graduates. The only education the program graduates had before APPLE was in their home countries prior to immigrating to the United States. Beginning with a description of the type of care they provided to children before they participated in the APPLE program, the participants explained how the structure …
An Instrumental Case Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Mandatory Professional Development During Educational Reform Efforts, Jennifer Elaine Wakeman
An Instrumental Case Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Mandatory Professional Development During Educational Reform Efforts, Jennifer Elaine Wakeman
Dissertations
This instrumental case study explored 12 public-school teachers’ perceptions of mandatory professional development (PD) during times of educational reform efforts in the state of Colorado. The participants in this study represented five unique school districts in suburban and semi-rural settings who had experienced 14 hours or more of mandated PD on a single topic in the past 24 months and had at least five years of classroom experience. Two research questions guided this case study: What are teachers’ perceptions of professional development that is mandated as part of a district-wide instructional improvement initiative? What do teachers say they need in …
Identifying Early Warning Indicators For Improved High School Outcomes For Students, Dina Perfetti-Deany
Identifying Early Warning Indicators For Improved High School Outcomes For Students, Dina Perfetti-Deany
Dissertations
Over the last 100 years, the overwhelming majority of Americans have attended this nation’s public schools. There are clearly documented deleterious effects for students who do not successfully graduate from high school. Further, scholars and practitioners have recognized the adverse impacts on communities and the economy. Unfortunately, Colorado youth persistently have graduated at lower rates than the national average. The information yielded from this study can assist school leaders who wish to identify middle school students at risk of not graduating on time in order to provide an intervention that will set them on a path to graduation. This study …
The Impact Of Perceived Parenting Styles During Childhood Experiences Of Bullying On Emerging Adult Attachment, Callie Kathryn King
The Impact Of Perceived Parenting Styles During Childhood Experiences Of Bullying On Emerging Adult Attachment, Callie Kathryn King
Dissertations
Given the prevalence of bullying during youth and the substantial negative outcomes of these experiences during adulthood, this study evaluated youth bullying experiences, perceived parenting style, and emerging adult attachment styles. The purpose was to determine the extent to which perceived parenting style moderates the relationship between youth bullying experience and emerging adult attachment to primary caregivers, romantic partners, and best friends above and beyond what youth bullying experience already predicts. The interaction between youth bullying experience and perceived parenting style were hypothesized to account for a significant amount of the variance in the outcome of emerging adult attachment style. …
All Means All: Exploring Co-Teaching Dyads Working With Students With Significant Support Needs, Katrine Sophie Meyers Breien Gosselin
All Means All: Exploring Co-Teaching Dyads Working With Students With Significant Support Needs, Katrine Sophie Meyers Breien Gosselin
Dissertations
Co-teaching is a framework that teachers utilize to support one another and actively include students with diverse learning needs. However, it is not frequent that special education and general education teachers use co-teaching to provide meaningful inclusion for students with significant support needs (SSN). This qualitative study explored effective general and special education co-teaching dyads who worked with students with SSN within the general education classroom. Participants included six teachers (three general education and three special education) who participated in semi-structure and dialogical interviews, virtual and verbal classroom walks, and provided artifacts and reflections. Interviews with participants were conducted separately …
The Experiences Of Mental Health Service Providers Adapting Counseling Treatments For Refugee Clients, Gurusewak Singh Khalsa
The Experiences Of Mental Health Service Providers Adapting Counseling Treatments For Refugee Clients, Gurusewak Singh Khalsa
Dissertations
This study examined the perceptions of mental health professionals through their experiences of adapting counseling treatments to meet the cultural needs of their refugee clients. For this interpretative phenomenological study, 11 licensed clinicians participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized multicultural counseling and vicarious trauma theories. Results were presented in superordinate and subordinate themes. This study added to the literature and exploration of the unique experiences of mental health providers culturally adapting their counseling approaches in order to provide more effective services to refugee communities. Participants discussed the influences of their cultural backgrounds, the challenges, supports, and areas of growth …
Social-Emotional Experiences For Young Male Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing In The Eastern Province Of Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Khalid Alsayed
Social-Emotional Experiences For Young Male Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing In The Eastern Province Of Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Khalid Alsayed
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the social-emotional experiences in connection with language and communication development for Saudi individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) who use spoken language as their main method of communication. The following research questions guided this study: Q1 What are the perceptions of Saudi individuals who are DHH and use spoken language regarding their social-emotional experiences currently and during their (K-12) education? Q2 What educational practices did teachers deliver and how did those educational practices promote social-emotional experiences for Saudi individuals who are DHH and who use …
Transdiagnostic Classification Of Behavior In Childhood: Profile Analysis And Interrater Stability, Gary Rempe
Transdiagnostic Classification Of Behavior In Childhood: Profile Analysis And Interrater Stability, Gary Rempe
Dissertations
There is growing concern among both researchers and practitioners that mainstream psychopathological classification schemes inadequately meet the needs of individuals seeking treatment for mental illness. Recent efforts in childhood psychopathology have sought to derive new diagnostic subgroups that are less susceptible to the heterogeneity and comorbidity issues that have been reported with categories specified in more recent versions of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illness. These transdiagnostic subgroups are generated by using unsupervised machine-learning algorithms that separate cases into homogenous groups with information from multiple continuous indicators. This dissertation seeks to expand on this work by exploring natural …
Anxiety, Depression, And Perceived Barriers To Adherence Among Parents Of Pediatric Transplant Patients, Alice Marie Wille
Anxiety, Depression, And Perceived Barriers To Adherence Among Parents Of Pediatric Transplant Patients, Alice Marie Wille
Dissertations
Before being listed for an organ transplant, pediatric patients and families undergo a psychosocial pre-transplant evaluation to determine familial strengths and risk factors that may impact the success of transplant. Adherence is considered to be one of the primary factors in the survival of the transplanted organ and existing research has suggested a link between parental functioning and post-transplant adherence. To better understand the relationship between parental mental health and perceived barriers to adherence, this study examined whether parental symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly predicted parent and patient perceived barriers to adherence in the pre-transplant phase (n=65 parents and …
A Photo For Change: A Mixed Methods Study Of Using Photovoice Pedagogy To Foster Transformative Learning Among College Students, Maaly Younis
Dissertations
Learning in adulthood should be a meaningful experience through which adult learners are able to re-examine their values and beliefs acquired over the years. Mezirow (1978a, 1978b) stated that learners’ engagement with this process of reflection and making meaning leads to a change in one’s perspective. To facilitate such a transformational learning experience, adult education scholars explored various pedagogical approaches that cultivates environments conducive to transformative learning, among which are art-based pedagogies. Photovoice is an art-based pedagogy that utilizes photography and storytelling to foster critical reflection and increase learners’ critical awareness. To date, investigating the transformative affordances of photovoice pedagogy …
Deeper Learning And District-Level Curriculum Leadership: A Case Study Of One Large Public School District, Jonathan Warren Cooney
Deeper Learning And District-Level Curriculum Leadership: A Case Study Of One Large Public School District, Jonathan Warren Cooney
Dissertations
A key element within school accountability frameworks across the United States is student performance as measured by standardized assessments. Scholars have argued that these types of assessments and accountability systems have narrowed the curriculum to emphasize students' development of discrete, specialized skills. Researchers have recently suggested that deeper learning approaches will better support students in building the skills and understanding needed for life and work. Unfortunately, deeper learning has not commonly been observed at the school-wide level. Recent research suggested that a prevailing culture of district-level curriculum leadership serves as a potential barrier to the enactment of deep learning in …
Small Sample Performance Of Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis In The Presence Of Missing Data, Kevin Benedict Gittner
Small Sample Performance Of Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis In The Presence Of Missing Data, Kevin Benedict Gittner
Dissertations
Recent advancements in Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis (BCFA) explored small sample complete case analysis, yet limited research has investigated BCFA in the presence of missing data. Evidence has been provided in support of the use of Bayesian estimation when strong informative prior information is available in complete case small sample analysis. This study explored how BCFA estimation performed in the presence of missing data with various Bayesian prior information criteria and population models. A simulation study design was utilized with five variables controlled in the study; sample size, percent cell missing, simulated population standardized factor loading, number of items per …
Effectiveness Of A Brief Parent Training In Pivotal Response Treatment For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hesham F. Hassan Abda
Effectiveness Of A Brief Parent Training In Pivotal Response Treatment For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hesham F. Hassan Abda
Dissertations
This study used a single-case research design across subjects. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief 6-hour training program in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) for parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on the increased use of social functional utterances (SFU) by their children during play sessions. Baseline data were collected before the parent training. Training commenced once baseline trends showed stability, at which point the parents – all of whom were three fathers – received instruction in PRT motivational techniques for use in the home setting during play sessions. During the …
Role Identity And Engagement Behaviors Of Student-Athlete Alumnae, Matthew Charles Brinton
Role Identity And Engagement Behaviors Of Student-Athlete Alumnae, Matthew Charles Brinton
Dissertations
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the meanings volleyball student-athlete alumnae (SAA) from a doctoral granting research institution in the Rocky Mountain region (Rocky Mountain Regional University or RMRU) associate with their lived experiences and how those interpretations shape their engagement behaviors as alumnae. Using Stryker’s (1980) interpretation of Symbolic Interactionism as a theoretical framework, I interviewed seven participants and found that the meaning they associated with their experiences varied by their placement in different types of closed positions, those that require permission, invitation, or special status for membership. My findings suggest that there is …
Estimating School-Level Effects Of Mandatory Student Grade Retention Policies Using Latent Growth Curve Modeling, Matthew Koziol
Estimating School-Level Effects Of Mandatory Student Grade Retention Policies Using Latent Growth Curve Modeling, Matthew Koziol
Dissertations
Mandatory grade retention for poor-performing readers has been a disputed practice for decades. Since the early-2000s, state-level mandatory grade retention policies have proliferated. In 18 states and Washington, D.C. mandatory grade retention exists for students in the third grade who fail an end-of-year standardized reading exam. These policies are based on research that suggests students who do not read by the third-grade are at much greater risk of dropping out of school prior to receiving a high-school degree. Mandatory grade retention policies use a gatekeeper mechanism at the end of the third grade to ensure that students who are not …
Interpersonal Trauma, Adult Attachment, And Self-Compassion: A Relational Model Of Shame, Abigail J. Kimm
Interpersonal Trauma, Adult Attachment, And Self-Compassion: A Relational Model Of Shame, Abigail J. Kimm
Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to examine the interrelationships among cumulative interpersonal trauma (IPT), the dimensions of adult attachment anxiety and avoidance, self-compassion, and shame based on an integrative theoretical framework in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 310). The results of this structural equation modeling analysis with bootstrapping supported the primary model which showed that higher degrees of exposure to IPT in childhood, adolescence, and the first two years of emerging adulthood directly related to increased levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance as well as decreased levels of self-compassion. The findings further demonstrated that higher levels …
Saudi Arabian General Education Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Giftedness And Gifted Education, Yaser Khaled Alharbi
Saudi Arabian General Education Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Giftedness And Gifted Education, Yaser Khaled Alharbi
Dissertations
The importance of developing the cognitive and affective needs of gifted students to help meet their academic needs as well as support them in achieving to their full potential has been well-established by past research. It is also confirmed by the literature that gifted and talented students have unique social-emotional needs and that the school environment plays an essential role in meeting gifted students’ needs. To better serve gifted students, schools must ensure that general education teachers are knowledgeable and supportive of the distinct cognitive and affective development of these students in conjunction with their academic needs. Different factors influence …
I Don’T Have To Stay Here! The Experiences Of Black Women, Higher Education Administrators Who Experienced A Professional Transition And/Or Promotion To A Historically White Institution During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Margaret Littona Sebastian
I Don’T Have To Stay Here! The Experiences Of Black Women, Higher Education Administrators Who Experienced A Professional Transition And/Or Promotion To A Historically White Institution During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Margaret Littona Sebastian
Dissertations
Through the transformative research paradigm, the critical race feminism theoretical framework and based on Bridges’ (1980) transition theory, the author explored the experiences of 20 Black women in entry-, mid-, and senior-level higher education administrative positions with a professional transition and/ or promotion to a predominately and historically White institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlighted the experiences of 20 Black women higher education administrators who shared their experiences through two virtual interviews and created visual maps to explore their journey working in higher education in the United States. The study used portraiture to focus on four aspects of …
Bayesian Approach To The Mixture Of Gaussian Random Fields And Its Application To An Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study, Mozhdeh Forghaniarani
Bayesian Approach To The Mixture Of Gaussian Random Fields And Its Application To An Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study, Mozhdeh Forghaniarani
Dissertations
Due to the functional nature of fMRI data, random field theory is used as a remedy to the multiple comparisons problem in brain signal detection. Traditionally, a Gaussian random field model is fitted to the functional data using this approach. However, fMRI data are not homogeneous, and there exist multiple underlying classes in functional data, so traditional inferential methods may fail. Here, we proposed a new model for signal detection in fMRI data in which we addressed the heterogeneity in such data. The proposed model is a mixture of two Gaussian random fields. We developed a Bayesian approach for hypothesis …