Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative And Quantitative Inquiry Into The Learner Engagement Construct, Charles Dye

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study seeks to develop a situated construct of learner engagement within an instructional experience. Despite compelling potential benefits to instructional practice, extant learner engagement research has been limited to either within-the learner constructs or adding a simplistic behavioral component to a model and largely discounting the effects of diverse learning environments, instructional techniques and educational technology, and their collective effects on the learner’s attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, and performance while learning. The present study seeks to develop a construct of learner engagement applying a situated cognition theoretical framework to evaluate the effects of diverse learning environments on the …

The Political Representation Of Latinos In The U.S. House Of Representatives, Giovanny Daniel Pleites-Hernandez

Doctoral Dissertations

The Latino population has experienced significant growth in the last few decades, and as a result of that growth, the Latino population is now the largest minority group in the U.S. Despite this, our understanding of the attitudes, behavior, and representation of this group still lags relative to others in American society. As a result of that growth, the Latino population is now the largest minority group in the U.S. Amongst other things, which is why there is a need to explore how this group is represented in government. Prior work – be it due to data limitations, the low …

Embodying Mycenaean Cultural Identity In Late Bronze Age Central Greece: A Bioarchaeological Analysis, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Stiles

Doctoral Dissertations

This research is a bioarchaeological examination of the biocultural manifestation of Mycenaean cultural identity in the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1600-1100 BCE) rock cut chamber tomb cemetery of Golemi Agios Georgios (“Golemi”) in central Greece. Biological correlates for Mycenaean cultural identity were identified from current archaeological narratives of Mycenean cultural identity. A biological profile including the minimum number of individuals, age, sex, cranial and dental non-metric traits, non-specific indicators of disease, activity markers, and evidence for cranial trauma was developed for each tomb. The results of these analyses were used to explore the extent to which the mortuary community of …

Students’ Of Color Experiences In A Service-Learning Program At A Community College: A Critical Study, Shanna Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

While community colleges serve the majority of Students of Color in higher education, a large percentage of these students drop out of college and do not graduate or transfer to four-year institutions. This problem is well-documented and has been the focus of multiple initiatives (i.e., first-year experience courses, cohort learning, professional advisers, student success coordinators) within higher education (Bailey & Alfonso, 2005; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010; Hatch, Mardock-Uman, & Garcia, 2018; Hyman, 2018; Tinto, 1999; Topper, 2019). This transformative-emancipatory mixed-methods study was conducted at a large community college in the southeastern United States, and offered a critical examination of …

Exploring Novel Anti-Obesity Strategies: Nutritional And Pharmacological Interventions To Induce Browning And Brown Adipogenesis, Haley Beth Overby

Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity is a global pandemic and its comorbidities are the top causes of preventable death in America. Brown and inducible beige fat can significantly contribute to energy expenditure, possibly leading to weight loss, and is considered a novel approach to combat obesity. Browning of white adipocytes can be achieved using cold exposure, β [beta]-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR [gamma]) agonists, and some nutritional and pharmaceutical agents. Trans-resveratrol (Res) and indomethacin (Indo) have shown promising abilities to promote browning. Res has been shown to induce browning in vitro and in vivo; however, its rapid metabolism and poor …

Growing Up The Military Way (1981-1992): An Autoethnography, Jennifer Thacker

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic dissertation is to examine the experiences of one child growing up in a military family. The research depicts the experience of power and gender as communicated through my own narrative as the daughter of a United States Marine. My father served in the United States Marine Corps for 27 years, although my experiences depicted in this study are specific to his years of active duty service during my childhood (1981-1992). I maintained a reflexive journal through the data collection process to ensure optimal personal data collection. Examples of the personal data collected includes family photographs, …

Harnessing Crash And Disengagement Data To Analyze The Safety Performances Of Automated Vehicles, Alexandra Marie Boggs

Doctoral Dissertations

Highly automated vehicles or autonomous vehicles are projected to reform the transportation system and improve transportation safety by eliminating drivers’ errors, as safety studies reveal humans contribute to more than 90% of the crashes. This dissertation examines the full spectrum of automated vehicle topics, including related literature, enacted state policies, and manufacturer-reported crash and disengagements reports to understand more about this emerging and transformative technology. First, an extensive review of safety-related literature was conducted, followed by a text analysis to identify areas of research needed to advance the knowledge of automated vehicles. California is the only transparent state as the …

Graduation Rates Of Division I Student-Athlete Special Admits: Fact Vs. Fiction, Alexandra Ingram

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) manual, a student-athlete may be admitted to a university under special exception to the normal entrance requirements. Currently, the NCAA does not require data to track the outcomes of specially admitted student-athletes. Social Cognitive Theory, within the context of education, examines the bi-directional relationship between person, behavior, and environment. The purpose of this mixed-methods study, which utilized an exploratory approach, was to develop a better understanding of previously obscure graduation rates of Division I student-athlete special admits within a single FCS Conference. This study examined progress towards graduation, or lack thereof based …

Origins Of Jacksonian Political Economy In Tennessee, 1768-1830, Matthew Joseph Menarchek

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the nature of Jacksonian class politics through a study of Tennessee from 1768 to 1830. White Tennesseans, including Andrew Jackson himself, embraced commercial development, material improvement, and market transactions, despite political rhetoric that praised agricultural independence and denounced monied corruption. Opposition to banks and internal improvements usually emerged from political rivalries, not ideology. Economic downturns, such as the Panic of 1819, produced temporary reactions against the market economy. When Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828, no popular discontent existed against money and commerce generally, or against the Bank of the United States …

Assessment Of Professional Development Needs And Satisfaction Of Technical College Instructors At Tennessee College Of Applied Technology: A Descriptive Research Study, Sarah Nadel

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation project sought to identify the level of satisfaction with instructor training and development, instructor training strengths and weaknesses, and instructors’ suggestions for improvement at each Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). The preliminary study (exploratory case study) consisted of one-on-one interviews and classroom observations with TCAT instructors at one specific TCAT location. The main dissertation study collected data using an online survey, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative statements/questions based off of responses during the preliminary study. The survey utilized a 6-point Likert scale with rating from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. Lastly, participant demographics were collected within …

Examining The Experiences Of Chinese Multilingual Therapists In Training, Stephanie Li-Wei Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the 2015 Census, 44% of people ages five and older in California speak a language other than English in their household, indicating the growth of multilingual persons in California. Among the top three languages spoken at home in California, Chinese takes third following English and Spanish. The demand for multilingual mental health services may continue to grow with the increase of multilingual individuals. Although there is an increase in need for multilingual mental health services, there remains a lack of formal training and clinical supervision for multilingual trainees. This study adopted a qualitative approach and utilized semi-structured interviews …

Topological Data Analysis For Clustering And Classifying Time Series, Renjie Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Topological Data Analysis (TDA), which refers to methods of utilizing topological

features in data (such as connected components, tunnels, voids, etc.) has gained considerable

momentum. More recently, TDA has been increasingly used for analyzing time

series. The recent researches of using TDA in time series are mainly focused on unsupervised

and supervised learning. In this thesis, a review of TDA will be provided,

following by using TDA in time series for doing unsupervised and supervised learning

for different applications.

Sense Of Belonging And Racial Diversity At The U.S. Service Academies, Leah Pound

Doctoral Dissertations

On college campuses, access does not equal inclusion as students of color have to navigate through a predominately White space as they struggle to feel like they belong (Jack, 2019). This dissertation focuses on racial experiences and belonging within a total institution (Goffman, 1961): the U.S. service academies, colleges that are part university and part military. Across three separate papers, I explore the institutional factors that impact the disparity between Black and White students’ belonging. In Chapter 1, I apply Allport’s contact theory (1954) alongside the concept of relative deprivation (Stouffer, 1949) to systematically compare the experiences of Black and …

Informal Learning Opportunities And Stem Teacher Identity Development, Karen Cheng

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore STEM teachers’ professional identity development based on the narratives of their lived experiences of participating in informal STEM learning opportunities. This study examined the following: aspects of such informal learning opportunities that are most meaningful for identity development, learning and professional growth that occurs during such informal learning opportunities, and resources necessary to provide effective experiences from such opportunities that benefit identity development. Five STEM educators teaching science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and general STEM in grades K-12 participated in this study. Data were collected through a screening survey and narrative interviews. The …

Crímenes Exquisitos: Towards The Creation Of A Female Cartography In Spanish Crime Fiction, Jessica Blanco-Marcos

Doctoral Dissertations

My research examines the depiction of female characters in the Spanish crime fiction series Crímenes Exquisitos written by Vicente Garrido and Nieves Abarca. While the genre has been heavily male dominated since its origin by writers and characters alike, the inclusion of female led narratives and gender concerns by women writers has expanded women’s roles beyond the traditional triangular schema –victim-culprit-sleuth– and its stereotypical characterization. The textual analysis of Garrido and Abarca’s series demonstrates how the conception and configuration of female characters has evolved in order to fight against the traditional patriarchal system in place, includes urgently relevant topical issues …

Providing Refuge: Faith-Based Resettlement Actors And Refugee Integration In The United States, Emily Frazier

Doctoral Dissertations

As of 2019, the total number of forcibly displaced persons is recorded at 70.8 million, breaking global records for the seventh consecutive year. Only 25.9 million of these are formally recognized as refugees, a legal designation signifying an individual has fled their country and claimed international protection based on a fear of persecution due to membership in one or more of the five protected classes: race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Today, the majority of displacement occurs in the Global South; however, the United Nation’s global resettlement program enables other countries to demonstrate their …

Herstory: A Qualitative Examination Of The Experiences Of African American Women Senior Student Affairs Officers At Land-Grant Institutions, Tanisha Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite decades of efforts on the part of the nation’s postsecondary institutions, racial equity remains a major hurdle facing higher education institutions in the United States (Hylton, 2012; Jackson, 2000, 2001). Although Black women have participated in U.S. higher education for more than a century and have certainly made great strides toward occupying their rightful place within academia, they continue to face a myriad of personal and professional challenges (Burke & Carter, 2015; Gregory, 2001). Some scholars have resolved that existing literature has shifted from sharing the narratives of underrepresented women in senior student affairs officer (SSAO) positions to reporting …

Examining The Mindset, Attitude Towards Writing, And Writing Achievement Of Elementary-Aged Students At An Educational Disadvantage, Beau Whitsett

Doctoral Dissertations

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards with greater emphasis on writing and increases in wide-scale state writing assessment accentuate efforts to improve writing achievement (Behizadeh & Pang, 2016; Calkins, Ehrenworth, & Lehman, 2012). Despite efforts to improve outcomes, writing achievement falls short of expectations in schools across the country (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Writing achievement is even lower for students at an educational disadvantage, as measured National School Lunch Program participation (Domina, et al., 2018). Researchers have known of the potential for motivational factors to promote writing achievement for many years, while few educators and …

Explicit Timing Variations In Curriculum-Based Measurement Of Written Expression Administration, Peter Lawrence Ignacio

Doctoral Dissertations

The majority of elementary and secondary school students across the United States fail to meet grade-level standards for written expression. Curriculum Based Measures in Written Expression are designed to identify and track the progress of struggling writers. Researchers have identified a number of modifications to Curriculum Based Measures in Written Expression administration that increase validity and reliability including the length of writing time, type of prompt, and method of scoring. One area that has not been explored is the timing procedure used during administration. Explicit timing procedures (i.e., telling students the time limit, displaying the time remaining, breaking up the …

Consumer Behavior And Household Complexity: Households And Consumption In Three Localities Of The 18th-Century Atlantic World, Eric Schweickart

Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines the intersection of household formation practices and consumer behavior in the 18th-century British Atlantic world. Scholars have argued that more complex households, comprised of extended family and/or non-kin residents, limit the consumer choices available to constituent members more than simple, nuclear households do. I test this assertion by comparing patterns of variation in the material attributes of copper alloy buttons from several households in three separate localities, Williamsburg, Virginia; Brunswick, North Carolina; and Chota, Tennessee. The degree of similarity between each household's assemblage of these globally- traded artifacts, when placed in the context of the distribution of …

A Narrative Inquiry On The Experiences Of Refugee Adult Learners In Community Colleges In The Southeastern Region Of The United States, Patricia Higgins

Doctoral Dissertations

Each year, refugees come to the U.S. in search of a safe place to rebuild their lives after surviving life-threatening violence, persecution, or environmental dangers. As refugees seek to establish a safe and stable life for their families, education becomes a central focus. However, we do not know what the experience is like for adult refugees who seek education in the U.S. Since education can open pathways to a stable and self-sufficient life for adult refugees, it appears incumbent that the U.S. education system facilitate access and success for this vital student population. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was …

A Public Health Approach To Sexual Violence In Military Communities, Brandy Elaine Fuesting

Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual violence in U.S. military communities is a serious public health problem. The Department of Defense with significant recommendations and enforcement by Congress has taken step to address the problem. However, the effort has not captured the true magnitude of the problem. Current reports of sexual violence in military communities focus on sexual assault of military members and fail to account for military family members, DoD employees, and their family members who form military communities. In order to combat sexual violence in military communities, a comprehensive approach to sexual violence must be used that includes all community members and all …

Proximal Associations Of Alcohol Use With Suicidal Ideation And Behaviors In College Students, Caitlin Wolford-Clevenger

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the high levels of alcohol use among college students, the proximal role it plays in the development of suicide risk is not well understood. A theory-guided understanding of the connection between alcohol use and suicide risk, such as that afforded by the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide and alcohol myopia model, will advance efforts to prevent this leading cause of death in college students. The present dissertation is the first to test an integration of these theories. Using a repeated measures design, daily data on alcohol use and suicidal ideation and behaviors (aborted, interrupted, and actual attempts) were collected from …

Splinters From The Bamboo Ceiling: Understanding The Experiences Of Asian American Men In Higher Education Leadership, Jerald Adamos

Doctoral Dissertations

Asian Americans continue to confront perceptions connected to the perpetual foreigner and model minority concepts which challenges their acceptance as leaders in mainstream American culture. Asian men have recently been able to attain higher levels of education that opens doors to higher level positions and organizations yet still face barriers to career advancement opportunities. In consideration of the American higher education system, Whites continue to exceed their proportional representation in areas of the institution while Asian Americans do not. The purpose of this study is to understand how the intersection of racial and gender identity has influenced leadership through the …

We Have To Feel Like We Belong" : A Narrative Inquiry On The Recruitment Experiences Of African American Men Within Master's-Level Counseling Programs, Marlon Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

Counselor educators who work at predominantly White institutions recognize the need to develop recruitment and retention strategies for African American men. Yet, there is a lack of research regarding the experiences and processes through which African American men choose a counselor training program. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the narratives of recruitment from African American men who enter CACREP-accredited, master’s-level counselor training programs. This study addressed two research questions: What are the recruitment experiences of African American men enrolled in predominantly White, master’s-level, CACREP-accredited counseling programs? and What influences an African American man’s decisions to enroll …

A Descriptive Study Of Religious Engagement And The Internalization Of Religious Beliefs Of 12th-Grade High-School Students Who Attended Kairos Retreats And Fourth-Day Follow-Up Activities As Juniors In Five U.S. Jesuit All-Male High Schools, Chris Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

The Kairos retreat is popular among upperclassmen at Jesuit high schools across the nation. Kairos, or “God’s Time,” is a religious retreat grounded in Christian incarnational theology and the overall theology of the retreat is love in action, and its participants are challenged to “live the fourth” day, which becomes the never-ending day. Even though there has been a trend across the nation in the first decade of the 21st century within Jesuit high schools to move the retreat to the junior level, there is no empirical research examining the spiritual effects on the individual student of moving the Kairos …

African American Female Law Enforcement Officers' Lived Experiences And Mentoring: A Thematic Narrative, Harold Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations

Black female officers are an underrepresented sub-group of the law-enforcement profession. The bulk of research on women’s policing has focused on the growth of women in law enforcement, barriers, sexual harassment, gender differences, why women are deterred from law enforcement, physical limitations, and instruments used during the recruitment process, and the stress endured after entry into the profession. When looking at Black female officers’ lived experience and perceptions around mentoring; research is lacking. Eight Black female officers from the San Francisco Bay Area participated in this study. Findings revealed that all of the women have faced a recurring sense of …

The Role Of Environment On Second Language Pragmatic Comprehension: A Case Study Of Intensive English Program Students In Homestays, Sarah Mcgregor

Doctoral Dissertations

There is insufficient research on the role of homestay accommodations on the development of pragmatic comprehension of students in intensive English programs (IEPs). This case study conducted in San Jose, California explored the experiences and perceptions of four IEP students in response to these questions: (1) In what ways do IEP students and their host families understand the role of homestays as part of their English language development? (2) What are IEP students’ in homestays awareness and comprehension of conversational implicatures? Research data included separate pre- and post-interviews with four students and a member of their host families, five student …

Harry Potter And Queering The College Classroom, Hannah Yanow

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reimagines the college classroom through a queer pedagogical practice that, I argue, results in a queer space. Through a mixed method study that utilized duoethnography and student survey, I find that queer pedagogy, or the resistance of heteronormativity, challenging binaries, welcoming the student’s lived experience as fodder for learning academic concepts, paired with a beloved fantasy text such as Harry Potter, can be a medium with which to deconstruct the traditional college classroom and reconstruct a queer space that encourages student self-authorship and questioning of the traditional hierarchy in higher education. The data suggests that queering the college …

An Analysis Of The Local Control Funding Formula (Lcff) As An Instrument Of Recognition And Distribution Justice, Maeve Mulholland

Doctoral Dissertations

The 2013 Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is the first substantive finance reform measure in California specifically designed to provide additional funding to targeted student groups. The present study adopts Nancy Fraser’s (1995) theory of distribution and recognition justice to examine the allocation of resources under the new formula. Critical quantitative methodology is employed to investigate if students identified as being in poverty, English Learners (ELs), and African-American students, benefit under the LCFF. Pre- and post-LCFF comparisons of district level per pupil dollar allocations from LCFF, Other State, Federal, and Local resources are conducted. The findings show that post-2013, funding …