Education Commons^™

Kentucky Middle School General Education Teachers: Perceptions On Sensory Integration Of Students On The Autism Spectrum, Lynda C. Harrison

Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of general education teachers in Kentucky middle schools regarding their knowledge concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and their abilities to implement strategies designed to accommodate students on the spectrum. Participants included both general and special education teachers though the original targeted sampling included general education teachers only. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a Likert scale survey created by the researcher and distributed through a web based program. Demographic characteristics collected included number of graduate credit hours, age, years of teaching experience, credited hours of training on ASD at …

Overcoming The Loss Of Nonverbal Cues Encountered By The Adventitiously Blind: Reconstructing Relationships And Identity, Vernon Floyd Humphrey

Dissertations

In this study, couples shared their experiences adjusting to one of the members loss of sight. Through interviews, their narratives expressed their values, actions, inactions, successes, failures, needs, obstacles, and feelings. Participants explained their standpoint/perspective about vision loss, when it happened, how it affected them, how they reacted and responded, through hindsight how they thought they should have responded, and how they reconstructed a shared interpersonal relationship. Narratives about situations and events after the loss of sight revealed descriptions of their relationships and interactions with each other and other people in their circle. Through constant comparative analysis the individual narratives …

A Measure Of Soft Skill Gains Acquisition With Engagement In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Wendy J. Williams-Buenzli

Dissertations

This dissertation examined soft skill acquisition from engagement in baccalaureate nursing programs. Baccalaureate nursing programs prepare nurses to be the future leaders of nursing practice. Soft skills include critical thinking, interpersonal communications, and ethical decision-making. To explore the acquisition of soft skills, this research study analyzed data from the National Survey of Student Engagement to explore for gains in critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and critical thinking. After gains scores were identified, then correlations were run to identify key engagement indicators. The findings of the study found gains in soft skill behaviors from freshman year to senior year of baccalaureate education. …

Perceptions Of Incivility In Nursing Education: A Survey Of Associate And Baccalaureate Program Nursing Students, Kim Elaine Young Vickous

Dissertations

This study explored differences of nursing students’ perceptions of student and faculty incivility, measured using the Incivility in Nursing Education survey, across semesters and between Associate and Baccalaureate of Science nursing students. A sample of 262 Associate and Baccalaureate of Science nursing program students enrolled in second, third, and fourth semesters from a state university located in the mid-south participated in the study. Descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance, and Independent t-tests were conducted to examine the research questions. These questions explored what student and faculty behaviors were perceived as uncivil and most frequently occurring (disruptive and threatening) uncivil behavior in …

An Evaluation Of The Attitudes, Beliefs, And Mental Health Literacy Of Young African American College Graduates, Marshae Antoinette Mcneal

Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the attitudes, beliefs, and mental health literacy of young college-educated African Americans as compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Previous research indicates these two populations differ when receiving services for mental illness. The goal of this study was to see if this difference is due to their mental health literacy level, attitudes toward seeking help, as well as their attitudes and beliefs toward mental illness. A quantitative analysis was conducted using elements of the MacArthur Mental Health Module and the Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPHS-SF) to …

Leadership Practices Among Undergraduate Nursing Instructors, Melissa Martin Bryant

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify leadership practices of nursing instructors in the southern U.S.; and to determine if instructor leadership practices differ from the ‘norm’ leadership practices reported by the LPI instrument (Posner 2008), or from the practices observed by their matched students (observer version). Further, the purpose is to determine the relationship between instructors self-reported leadership practices (self-version) and student observed practices based on institution type, and instructor education level. The consisted of a group of instructors and students that were primarily Caucasian and female. The demographics for the instructors and students were similar to the …

Attitude, Subjective Norm, And Perceived Behavioral Control As Indicators For Nurse Educators’ Intention To Use Critical Thinking Teaching Strategies: A Structural Equation Model Analysis, Angerlita Yolanda Smith

Dissertations

Problem

Deficiencies in new nursing graduates’ ability to use critical thinking skills have been documented. Researchers have found that the continued use of traditional teaching methods and less student-centered approaches for critical thinking development has contributed to this problem. This particular issue has evoked much concern for institutions and organizations involved with the safe delivery of patient care. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the relationship between the factors educator characteristics, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control in a hypothesized model that may influence nurse educators’ intention to use instructional methods that promote critical thinking in …

Educator's Implementation Of The Connecticut Guidelines For The Identification And Education Of Children And Youth With Autism, Linda K. Grimm

Dissertations

The Problem

As the number of children with autism needing educational support continues to increase, combined with the limited availability of resources, this study aims to examine how educators responsible for teaching children with autism have experienced implementation of the Connecticut Guidelines for the Identification and Education of Children and Youth with Autism (2005), (Guidelines). At this time there have been no studies done in the State of Connecticut to assess the implementation of the components for effective education of children with autism, as set forth in the Connecticut Guidelines.

Method

The Connecticut Autism Needs Survey, an on-line self-report survey …