Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Self-Regulation In Secondary And Higher Education Online Contexts, Karen T. Arnesen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses a three-article dissertation, including a literature review and two research articles, related to the understanding and development of self-regulation (SR). Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), the literature review examined 22 articles researching a self-regulation intervention used in an online, higher education context. The articles included interventions specific to a unique context, interventions used in a specific context but could be easily adapted to other contexts, and generic interventions that could be applied in any context. Important themes revealed in the analysis include the importance of feedback in developing SR, the interaction …

Determining The More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention For Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors, Jennifer J. Lanham

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Determining the More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention for Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors. Jennifer J. Lanham, 2024: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: autism, pica, eating disorders, intervention, applied behavior analysis

This dissertation was designed to determine which behavior analytic intervention was more effective in the treatment and reduction of mouthing non-nutritive substances in children diagnosed with autism. This study included four participants in an A-B-A reversal design with a component analysis across four intervention phases. The study participants were enrolled in a center-based treatment environment …

A Meta-Analysis Of Grief-Focused Interventions For Bereaved Children And Adolescents: Examining The State Of The Literature And Moderators Of Treatment Effect, Emily C. Hockenberry

Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents face a greater need than ever for effective mental healthcare to address distressing and disabling emotional and behavioral reactions that can occur following the death of a significant person in their lives. However, current evaluations of grief-focused interventions for bereaved youth are limited by a lack of consensus regarding how to define and measure grief symptoms in children and adolescents, a lack of clarity regarding grief-specific effects compared with effects on other forms of psychopathology, and limited power to detect moderators of intervention effect. The present meta-analysis evaluated the pooled …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Smartphone-Based Mindfulness Training On Emotional Experience, Polina Beloborodova

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional well-being is an important component of mental and physical health that includes both positive emotions and an absence of emotional symptoms (e.g., depressive- and anxiety-related). In this study, we examine psychological mechanisms that help to explain the effects of an digital mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on emotional states. We conducted a randomized controlled trial wherein undergraduate student participants vulnerable to decreased positive and increased negative affect received a 2-week smartphone-based MBI or a structurally equivalent coping control intervention. Emotional experience, including depressive feelings, anxiety, and happiness, as well as subjective social well-being, including loneliness and felt connection to others, was …

Polybenzimidazole Membranes For Electrochemical Applications With Harsh Operating Conditions, Kris Likit-Anurak

Theses and Dissertations

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes are high temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) which have advantages such as being able to operate in high temperatures, strong acid environments, and have no need for external humidity during operation. PBI membranes have been demonstrated to work effectively in multiple electrochemical devices, including fuel cells, hydrogen separation pumps, redox flow batteries, and a hybrid sulfur electrolyzer. In this work, para-PBI and densified para-PBI membrane have been used to improve electrochemical performance in harsh operating conditions that are both high temperature (≥120 ̊C) and high acid concentration (≥ 5M). First, we demonstrated the use of para-PBI membranes …

Critical Literacy And Self Efficacy Among Secondary Students Repeatedly Engaged In Literacy Intervention, Haley Rowles

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study investigated how critical literacy questioning impacted the self-efficacy of secondary students who had been repeatedly engaged in literacy intervention because of failed standardized assessments as well as the teacher experience in using critical literacy questioning. The study was conducted over four and a half weeks in a secondary literacy intervention classroom. Data was collected using surveys, observations, and interviews, which were analyzed through inductive coding. The results of the study indicate that critical literacy questioning, on average, increased student self-efficacy under certain conditions. It also illustrated that the use of critical literacy questioning, which sometimes leads to …

The Effect Of Instructionally Embedded Cognitive Reframing On Students’ Self-Beliefs Of Their Mathematical Competence, Kelly Eyre Frazee

Theses and Dissertations

Many students lack the ability to maintain positive perceptions of their mathematical self-belief, resulting in undesirable social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a cognitive reframing strategy on third and fourth grade math intervention students’ perceptions of their mathematical competence. This study sought to understand the impact of this emotional regulation strategy on students’ ability to autonomously regulate their negative or irrational thoughts related to their mathematics abilities, as well as the impact on their self-beliefs. Data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with students, student reflections, and researcher …

Feasibility Of A Parent-Focused, Stress Management Intervention To Decrease Adolescent Bmi, Reduce Stress, And Increase Well-Being Among African American Families, Colby J. Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents in the United States experience a higher prevalence of obesity as compared to their White counterparts. This health inequity presents a public health concern as consequences of weight-related chronic diseases often persist into adulthood and are increasingly problematic. As chronic stress has been found to be higher among African American youth compared to White adolescents, it presents as a potential barrier to participation for African American families in health promotion interventions. Additionally, it may be beneficial to target stress in health promotion programs as a modifiable factor in conjunction with health behaviors that may improve outcomes related …

Comparing 1:1 And Small-Group Instruction With Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Danyel Hen

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate alternative and effective forms of instruction for young students with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher examined and compared the difference in the instructional formats of 1:1 discrete trial teaching and small-group discrete trial teaching. Targets were chosen in receptive language and preacademic concepts, and differences were compared based on skill acquisition, speed of acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of skills. The participants engaged in the 8-week intervention phase of the study by following an alternating treatments design schedule during their designated center time rotations in the classroom. All participants engaged in 1:1 discrete trial …

Moderators Of Response To Intervention For College Students With Adhd: Integrating Personal And Contextual Factors, Cathrin D. Green

Theses and Dissertations

College students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for educational, interpersonal, and comorbid mental health difficulties. Although growing evidence suggests that psychosocial interventions can effectively improve ADHD symptoms and functioning in college students with ADHD, there is almost no research investigating individual differences in intervention response. Numerous factors ranging from participant characteristics, as well as social and contextual factors could lead some people to respond more positively than others. Understanding individual differences in intervention response may help to better target intervention efforts and to determine where intervention refinement is needed. This study evaluates whether personal and contextual …

A Systematic Review Of Canine Assisted Psychotherapy For Youth At Risk Or With Mental Health Disorders, Hedieh Hakakian

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders among youth are often underrepresented in research, resulting in a delay and under-treatment of their needs (Catania et al., 2011). While their needs are frequently under-treated, research suggests that youth often experience mental health problems that subsequently lead to difficulties in adulthood (Carballo et al., 2011) necessitating a need to identify efficacious treatments to these problems. This systematic review used a mixed-methods design to analyze current literature on the use of Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP) with youth ages 0-20. The aims of the study were to (a) understand the impact of CAP on mental health (i.e., clinical diagnosis …

There’S Action In Silence: An Action Research Study On The Impacts Of Diverse Narratives In An Advanced Placement United States Government Class, Ashley Kristen Wright

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research study, I facilitated and evaluated student exposure to politically, socially, and economically diverse source material within my Advanced Placement United States Government classroom, seeking to resolve students’ apparent disconnect from experiences that differ from their own, which had made connections to topics like civil rights challenging to grasp. Because the supplemental material I had chosen for my government classes failed to provide opposing narratives for my students to make these connections, this study arose as a way to research and ultimately correct this problem from within my government classroom.

Over the course of a semester, I …

I Just Work Here, Carrie Rudd

Theses and Dissertations

Via an in-depth analysis of the artist’s works and the material, social, and historical possibilities of Painting, the following paper investigates the myriad approaches for Painting to communicate complex ideas both physically and psychologically.

Strengthening Phonological Processing And Working Memory To Support Early Reading Acquisition, Antoinette Halliday

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between participating in an online software application focused on phonological processing and working memory and outcomes on foundational reading assessment measures. The online software application utilized was the Sound Reading Program. Students began the intervention working in Sound Reading’s Hop, Skip, and Jump program, with a few progressing to the Boost program over the course of the nine-week intervention. A control group at each grade level read or listened to online leveled texts. There were 175 kindergarten and first-grade students included in the study. These students were enrolled in a …

Associations Between Years Of Teaching Experience And Classroom Management Practices, Responsivenss, And Acceptability To A Coaching Intervention, Nicole M. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to bridge the research-to-practice gap related to in-service supports and professional development by identifying factors associated with teacher use of evidence-based classroom management practices and responsiveness to a coaching intervention. Years of teaching experience was identified as a teacher-level intervention determinant with a strong research base in the classroom management literature; however few studies used direct observation of behavior to report difference among teacher behavior. This study used quantitative statistical methods to analyze data from a multi-year parent study investigating the effects of a coaching intervention (BEST in CLASS-Elementary) aimed at increasing the use of evidence-based practices …

Development, Feasibility, And Acceptability Of A Healthy Relationship Intervention Among College Student-Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study, Nicole Cantor

Theses and Dissertations

College student-athletes are one subgroup of college students at risk for unhealthy relationship behaviors. Despite this, research on student-athletes dating behaviors is limited, and what research does exist pertains exclusively to Division I athletes, focusing on male student-athletes as perpetrators. While attempts have been made to mitigate instances of dating violence and promote healthy relationships, these interventions are education-based and not tailored to the specific strengths and challenges of student-athletes. In addition, the efficacy of these preexisting interventions has not yet been evaluated. The current study represents stage 1 of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development and evaluates …

The Relationship Between I-Ready Intervention And Grade 8 Mathematical Achievement, Kenyatta Shanta Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

A problem exists in using educational software as an intervention for middle grades mathematics. The rural middle school used an educational program to improve mathematical achievement; however, the effectiveness of this program was not evaluated. The e-learning theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed methods design was to examine the relationship between the i-Ready intervention program and students’ mathematical achievement and to explore teachers’ perceptions of implementing the i-Ready intervention program. The participants included 48 Grade 8 students from one middle school. A series of bivariate correlations was conducted using the …

Frequency Of Illicit Use Of Prescription Stimulants Is Associated With Perceived Adhd Symptoms, Justin Mendonca

Theses and Dissertations

The frequency of illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) was examined in relation to known risk factors. A hierarchical linear regression (N = 903) was used to evaluate self-reported past-year IUPS and demographic variables. Gender (p < .05), race (p < .05), and GPA (p < .01) were significantly associated with the frequency of past-year illicit use. However, Greek organization membership status, perceived ADHD symptoms and access to prescription stimulant medication were not significant individual correlates of past-year IUPS. Additional analyses were conducted on the user subgroup (n = 101) to determine whether these relationships were similar compared to the general sample. Among users, ASRS Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity Subscale scores were significantly associated with the frequency of past-year IUPS (p < .05), even after accounting for gender, race, and GPA. Interpretations of these findings and implications for future research are discussed.

Connecting Belongingness With Institutional Practices And Academic Outcomes: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Xi Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions are facing a major challenge in retaining 1st-year college students and engaging them in meaningful activities and programs to promote their sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2012; Astin, 1993). Though a few belonging intervention practices have been studied (Perrell, 2018; Peck, 2011), there is a lack of understanding on the dynamic mechanisms of developing belongingness through a combination of belonging enhancement practices (Yob, 2014). Moreover, there is an urgent need to examine which belonging enhancement practice has the most impact on students' academic performance (Slaten, Elison, Hughes, Youg, & Shemwell, 2015). This study used convergent, parallel mixed-methods design …

Effects Of Personal Fm System Use During Phonological Awareness Instruction For Children At Risk For Dyslexia, Gabriella Rose Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Students with reading impairments, including dyslexia, account for the largest proportion of students receiving special education services in the United States (NCES, 2016). Developmental dyslexia is characterized by slow and inaccurate word decoding (Lyon et al., 2003). This word decoding difficulty results from deficits in phonological awareness, a sound-based skill (Swan & Goswami, 1997). Classrooms are known to have high levels of background noise and are inconsistent with recommendations for optimal listening (Picard & Bradley, 2001) or accepted standards (ASHA, n.d.). Furthermore, degraded acoustic conditions have been related to poorer performance on speech-recognition tasks even for children with normal hearing …

Targeted Intervention For Distance Learning Students: A Critical Participatory Action Research Approach, Kathleen Mohr

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this critical participatory action research was to explore the learning experiences of distance learning students with academic penalties and to work collaboratively with students and institutional stakeholders to co-develop an intervention tailored to this unique population. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

The Effectiveness Of The I-Ready And Word Generation Interventions On Middle School Students, Christina M. Vagenas-Bischoff

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing number of children who struggle with reading and writing has become a significant challenge for the nation’s public schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between which intervention a student gets and ELA scores of the online reading program i-Ready compared to the Word Generation program in regards to the reading and writing levels of New York City middle school students. The researcher compared New York City state test scores to determine how student reading levels measured with the i-Ready program vs the Word Generation program. This showed which program had a greater …

A Strategic Plan To Increase Equitable Practices In A Pacific Northwest School District, Nancy Lee Reisner

Theses and Dissertations

This strategic research project was designed to provide a plan to support global implementation of equitable practices in a school district in the Pacific Northwest. Using results of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, internal and external factors were analyzed to score each item to identify areas that could be addressed to improve the overall function of the organization. Grounded in cultural relevancy theory and social justice theory, the problem of implementation of equitable practice with fidelity throughout the district was identified and addressed.

Key factors impacting the implementation of equitable practices identified were teacher training, leadership structure, …

Expand Your Horizon: Investigating An Online Intervention For Weight Bias Internalization, Alexandria Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Weight bias internalization (WBI; i.e., self-directed weight stigma or the degree to which individuals apply negative weight-based stereotypes to themselves), is problematic because it is associated with increased stress, emotional eating, healthcare avoidance, and exercise avoidance. Thus, WBI exacerbates health disparities and there is an urgent need to create treatments that address this concern. The current study examined the preliminary effectiveness of a previously developed online body gratitude journaling intervention (i.e., Expand Your Horizon) compared to an active control writing condition in emerging adult women with WBI. Racially/ethnically diverse women (N=100; n=49) or Expand Your Horizon ( …

Genetics And Alcohol Interventions In Youth, Zoe E. Neale

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among youth, and risky alcohol use is associated with harmful consequences such as accidents, academic consequences, and physical and emotional health problems. Alcohol use disorders are approximately 50% heritable, yet most efforts to prevent and intervene upon youth alcohol use focus only on environmental factors. Furthermore, current prevention and intervention programs tend to have modest effects and are not uniformly effective for all individuals. Gene-by-intervention (GxI) studies offer an opportunity to expand current understanding of interventions by examining whether underlying genetic risk may contribute to differential program effects. Much of the current GxI …

Using Literacy-Based Behavioral Intervention As A Strategy To Prevent Expulsion And Suspension In Preschool Classrooms, Karina Soto

Theses and Dissertations

Using Literacy-Based Behavioral Intervention as a Strategy to Prevent Expulsion and Suspension in Preschool Classrooms. Karina Soto, 2021: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: expulsion, suspension, behavior problems, interventionExpulsion and suspension are exclusionary practices that were previously reserved for students in kindergarten to 12th grade. They have now become commonplace in preschool. Though researchers have been unable to identify the reasons why this is occurring, many have studied the classroom climate and other elements surrounding the child; however, to this date, no research exists that supports effective strategies implemented …

School Psychologists' Beliefs, Perceived Competence, Knowledge, Social/Norms Expectations, And Implementation Of School-Based Trauma-Focused Interventions, Amanda Rian Hanrahan

Theses and Dissertations

Two out of every three children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16 (APA, 2008). Due to a variety of barriers, many of these children will not receive the mental health treatment and support they need (GAO, 2009). Researchers have identified School Psychologists as the primary school-based mental health professionals to provide services in schools (Jaycox et al., 2007). The present study aimed to better understand the prevalence of childhood trauma, analyze the factors that lead to increased intervention implementation for School Psychologists, and identify factors that decrease the negative association between barriers and implementation frequency of …

Multi-Objective Intent-Based Path Planning For Robots For Static And Dynamic Environments, Meher Talat Shaikh

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation models human intent for a robot navigation task, managed by a human and undertaken by a robot in a dynamic, multi-objective environment. Intent is expressed by a human through a user interface and then translated into a robot trajectory that satisfies a set of human-specified objectives and constraints. For a goal-based robot navigation task in a dynamic environment, intent includes expectations about a path in terms of objectives and constraints to be met. If the planned path drifts from the human's intent as the environment changes, a new path needs to be planned. The intent framework has four …

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children: Parents’ Knowledge, Beliefs, And Protective Actions, Grace Elisabeth Layton Langford

Theses and Dissertations

While commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is widespread, little research has been conducted regarding parents’ knowledge of, beliefs about, and protective actions against CSEC. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model as a lens and a quantitative survey, this study explored four questions: how knowledgeable of CSEC are parents in Mississippi and the surrounding states; what beliefs do parents have toward CSEC; how are parents taking protective actions against CSEC; and how are parents’ knowledge, beliefs, and protective actions correlated? Results from 13 participants were examined for frequencies and correlations. Findings indicated that parents have a basic knowledge of CSEC, beliefs …

Always Something There To Remind Me: The Role Of Nudging In Assignment Submission, Carolyn Anne Bancroft Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Online learning continues to widen in popularity by providing greater access and flexibility in time and location the learning occurs. There is a shift in the profile of a traditional college student. Almost half of the students who are enrolled in online classes are 24 or older and tend to carry increased time constraints due to external factors such as employment and family responsibilities. Student retention remains a concern for institutions. Many students lack the skills necessary to be successful in the online platform. Research reports self-regulation learning skills are essential. Providing reminders for an upcoming assignment may give needed …