Experiences Of Women Trustees: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Women Trustees At Private Religious Colleges In The South, Amanda Main

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

In the United States, women are underrepresented on college governing boards and trusteeships, occupying only about one-third of those positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). In the Southern United States, female representation is dramatically lower, with women holding somewhere between 11-15% of those board positions (Madsen & Longman, 2020). Feminist research identifies persistent sexism as the reason for the continued gender inequities. Sexism in social and organizational structures may present as microaggressions, a lack of agency, lack of female role models and mentors, explicit and inherent gender-based biases, lack of flexibility in work arrangements, and women being assigned work that does …

Cornrowed Literacy & Lives: A Qualitative Case Study On Teachers Lived Experiences Through Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction, Ashley N. White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative case study explores the lived experiences of thirteen certified elementary educators who teach literacy to students of color. The theoretical framework that guides this study is Abolitionist Teaching (Love, 2019). This study’s data collection is based on teacher surveys, conversational interviews and an artifact analysis. This study was centered on the following questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of certified elementary educators who teach literacy to students of color? (2) What are the lived experiences of certified elementary educators in planning and implementing culturally responsive literacy instructional practices? The themes that emerged from this study were teachers' …

Shifting Girls' Coding Attitudes Through A Coding Camp Experience, Kari Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study examined whether exposure to coding through a 12-week coding camp would change females’ attitudes as coders and ultimately create more interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The participants for my study included fourth- and fifth-grade girls in a public school in a lower Midwest metropolitan area. The study was conducted in a classroom within their school during the fall of the 2023–2024 school year. The participants attended a 12-week (September through November) coding camp that took one hour each week. During the coding camp, the participants learned computer coding using a course from code.org. There were …

Interprofessional Simulation And The Development Of Professional Identity Using Asynchronous Teaching Methods, Benjamin Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study aimed to explore whether virtual, asynchronous interprofessional education (IPE) improve interprofessional attitudes as defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies and develop student professional identity. Healthcare professionals are highly specialized providers that often interact and overlap with other providers to help treat patients. Literature shows that stressful environments and a lack of understanding of roles can lead to conflict, but successful interprofessional collaboration leads to improved patient care. This study used a mixed method approach, creating a virtual, asynchronous viewing of a simulation within the school’s education platform Moodle as the intervention. The video was of …

School Culture And Implementation Of Future Teacher Recruitment Programs, Erin Ashcraft

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The recruitment of new teachers to staff school vacancies has had a long history of difficulty in public schools across the United States. Strategies offered to improve teacher recruitment have often included intentionally and explicitly encouraging youth to consider pursuing a career in teaching through future teacher clubs. Educators Rising is a future teacher program, recognized by Kentucky as a Career and Technical Student Organization and supported by the Kentucky Department of Education. Despite its long history of promotion as a teacher recruitment strategy and the successes of other Career and Technical Education programs, Educators Rising remains highly underutilized across …

Cultivating Teachers For High-Poverty Schools, Kit Z Mcguire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This quantitative study examines the connections between teacher preparation programs (TPPs) and later retention. According to the Theory of Transformative Multicultural Education (Vavrus, 2002), to prepare future teachers for the needs of urban, high-poverty schools, candidates need to be in a culturally responsive environment and receive dedicated instruction in multicultural education. These characteristics were measured three ways: inclusion of diversity in the TPP mission/vision statement, required multicultural coursework course levels, required multicultural coursework credit hours. These variables were included in a path analysis model along with teacher characteristics and school characteristics known to affect teacher retention rates. The intervention variables …

The Essence Of K-12 Teaching In A Catholic Archdiocese In Kentucky During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Atzinger Wiegandt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic research showed that teacher attrition among new teachers (less than five years) was a problem for schools throughout the country and Catholic Schools were facing an even higher rate (Ingersoll, 2003). Research also shows that there are often cultural and structural components of Catholic schools that influence teachers to stay (Youngs, 2013; Convey, 2012, 2014). The COVID-19 pandemic forced the education system to pivot and teachers are expected to continue to have high standards for education while making these shifts.

In the early period of COVID-19 pandemic research was already suggesting attrition rates were rising …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of The Embodiments Of Catholic Social Teaching By Doctoral Alumni From A School Of Education Of An Independent Catholic University: A Phenomenological Study, George Munjanattu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This study set out to understand how the doctoral alumni from the School of Education of an independent Catholic university experience embodiments of Catholic Social Teaching in their everyday lived experiences. The conceptual framework of seven Catholic teaching embodiments allowed the researcher to explore the perspectives of the doctoral alumni about their experiences with their values and beliefs about family, community, solidarity, human dignity, different responsibilities in their lives, care for creation, and their current engagement with various social justice activities. This research was a phenomenological qualitative study using interviews and artifacts review. Twelve participants were interviewed to explore their …

The Impact Of Supplemental Phonemic Awareness Lessons On Phonological Awareness And Spelling Development Among Kindergarten And First Graders, Crystal Olinger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Reading is a developmental process that builds on complex cognitive processes and starts long before children enter school. This present study investigated the impact of supplemental phonemic awareness lessons on phonological awareness and spelling development among kindergarten and first graders. The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2) measured phonological awareness. The Kindergarten Inventory of Developmental Spelling (KIDS) measured spelling development in kindergarten students. The Developmental Spelling Analysis (DSA) measured spelling development in first grade. Participants in the treatment group received 16 weeks of weekly word study instruction and 10-15 minute daily phonemic awareness instruction. A mixed design full factorial ANOVA …

Understanding The Relationships Between Social-Emotional Competency, Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension, And Reading Achievement In Adolescent Students, David Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The improvement of social-emotional factors is thought to help increase students’ achievement by 11% (Durlak et al., 2011). This current study is a descriptive study set in a rural setting, and it included 101 seventh and eighth-grade students. The study explored the relationship between social-emotional competency, reading ability, and reading achievement in adolescent students. Correlation results showed statistically positive relationships between reading measures and social-emotional measures except for social awareness and grit. Regression results revealed that social-emotional competencies explained from 7% to 36% of the variance in adolescent reading. Social-emotional competencies and reading ability measures together explained 51% to 53% …

Cultivating Connectedness To Nature In The College Classroom: A Consideration Of Nature-Based Pedagogy In Undergraduate Education, Cody H. Nygard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Nature-based environmental education, and research around the cultivation of connectedness to nature, has focused primarily on younger learners without paying close attention to the development of nature-based college curriculum (Leiflander et al., 2013; Ernst & Theimer, 2011; Cheng & Monroe, 2010). Additionally, spirituality as a mechanism for engaging students in the development of connectedness to nature has largely been neglected in higher education pedagogical research (Crowe, 2013). The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a nature-based, spiritually engaging undergraduate environmental course on students’ connectedness to nature. This quasi-experimental, mixed methods case study compared changes to connectedness …

The Pain Of Helping: Crisis Response Teams Experiences With College Student Suicide, Audra E. Dowling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative multicase study explores the lived experiences of seven higher education professionals who serve or have served on a crisis response team at the time of a college student suicide. It asks the following research question: How has a college student suicide impacted the individual psychological needs (safety, trust, esteem, intimacy, control) of those serving on a crisis response team? Using constructivist self-development theory (McCann & Pearlman, 1990) as a lens, psychological needs have been analyzed as fulfilled needs or distorted needs across two interviews and three journaling prompts to assess the impact on seven participants in this qualitative …

"Because I'M Black": A Qualitative Case Study Of Black Male Middle School Students Raised By Single Mothers, Whitney Hodge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Despite there being increased dialogue and attention focused upon the experience of Black males in K-12 education, there is a still a disparity between the academic and behavioral performance of Black males compared to that of their White counterparts, and it is clear that more can be done to support their success in the educational system (Cholewa et al., 2018; Morris & Perry, 2016). The purpose of this study is to examine the Black male middle school experience and take a closer look at how Black males view themselves, how they believe their teachers perceive them, what they have specifically …

The Effect Of A Specifically Designed First-Year Experience Course On Student Veteran Retention And Graduation Rates At A Public University, Anthony Dotson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

According to the United States Congressional Budget Office (2019) nearly $100 billion tax-payer dollars have been spent on education since the passing of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. That is more than the gross domestic product of at least 130 different countries per the latest World Bank’s (2022) rankings. Given the sheer enormity of the figure, one would likely assume that the educational needs of our veterans and their families have been well met if not surpassed. Unfortunately, like many assumptions related to veterans, that would be an inaccurate one. The reality is far more disturbingly …

How Does Exposure To Pelvic Health Content In Entry Level Physical Therapy Curricula Impact Students’ Comfort Level Discussing Sexual Health With Future Patients?, Elizabeth Levay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to pelvic health content in physical therapy school curricula and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students’ comfort levels discussing sexual health issues with future patients. As holistic, autonomous health care providers, physical therapists must be confident in addressing all aspects of health with patients, including sexual health. Lack of attention to patients’ sexual issues may result in aspects of health going unaddressed, leading to poor patient care. The research hypothesis was that increased exposure to pelvic health topics within entry level physical therapy education will improve students’ …

A Pedagogy Of Play: How Pre- And In-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions Of Play Are Influenced As A Result Of Practicum Experience In A Play-Based Environment, E. B. Nygard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

There is a growing body of research behind the play-based movement in education today – a topic that is somewhat controversial (Nicolopoulou et al., 2010; Overstreet, 2018). While some are steeped in a more classical approach to early education, advocating learning should be painful (Adler & Van Doren, 1988), others are paving the way for a more progressive approach, suggesting play to be the premier window into a child’s development (Paley, 1979-2014; Wohlwend & Peppler, 2015). The purpose of this study was to look at how the perceptions of pre- and in-service teachers changed regarding play and storytelling after participating …

Emotional Intelligence In Second Year Nursing Students: Measuring The Impact Of A Single Intervention, Tonya Anthony

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Traditional second-year nursing students are often unprepared to manage their emotions, during clinical experiences, in volatile acute care settings. EI is emerging in the literature as an essential ability to foster effective interpersonal and interprofessional communication within the stressful confines of patient care settings. Furthermore, research shows that universities need to invest in the emotional development of students during the first few years of college to facilitate healthy psychosocial identities.

This study aimed to determine the impact of a single EI intervention on second-year students in a baccalaureate nursing program. Quantitative methods were utilized to measure statistical significance in …

Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Phenomenon For Students Who Commute To Campus At Private, Not-For-Profit, Four-Year Institutions, Bryan P. Hamann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

There has been substantial research conducted around facilitating student success at

institutions of higher education and exploring the student experience of undergraduate students,

specifically, those students who take part in the residential communities which have become

synonymous with the college experience. Through these studies, higher education administrators

have learned the significant role residential communities play in a student’s success and

persistence and have used these findings to inform master plans for institution’s

capital improvements, programmatic initiatives for residential communities and more. Although

this research is helpful for informing the decisions of higher education administrators as they

create plans for student …

Application Of Adult Learning Theory To Continuing Medical Education (Cme) Development: A Quantitative Study To Determine If Cme Developed With Adult Learning Theory Can Improve Test Utilization In The Pediatric Emergency Department, Brenda Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Healthcare professions education is a multifaceted topic with a broad scope spanning from the undergraduate to professional level. The application of adult learning theory and interprofessional education are aspects of this topic where there is a deviation between what is happening at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level. The intent of this quantitative experimental research study was to examine if the application of adult learning theory to the current continuing medical education/continuing education (CME/CE) model could improve the utilization of the respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) test in an urban pediatric acute care children’s hospital emergency department (ED) to a greater …

Do You See What I See? Experiences And Socialization Of African American Male Doctoral Students At A Pwi, Victor Vinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

This qualitative study will use an anti-deficit approach aimed to examine the classroom experiences and socialization experiences of African American male doctoral students in a higher education doctoral program at a Predominately White Institution (PWI). The understanding of these classroom and socialization experiences is critical to the ways and means that African American males employ to persist through doctoral programs, striving to reach the mountaintop: attainment of a Philosophy of Doctorate degree. The guiding research questions are 1) How do African American male doctoral students’ classroom experiences influence their persistence in doctoral programs? and 2) What socialization experience(s) influence …

Using Mindfulness To Decrease Anxiety Among Nursing Students, Lisa Peak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need for implementation of evidence-based anxiety-reducing interventions at a College of Nursing in the southeastern United States. Stress and anxiety have been shown to negatively impact an individual’s health and academic performance. Research studies have demonstrated that individuals who have high levels of anxiety are more likely to experience illness and drop out of school. In order to improve population health, academic outcomes, and clinical practice, it is important that institutions of higher learning incorporate anxiety-reducing programs into their curriculums. Evidence suggests that use of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) interventions …

Starting The Conversation: Race, Ethnicity, And Land At A Predominantly White Environmental Education Organization, Carolyn A. Waters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Environmental Educators use land as the locus and content of their work. However, dominant environmental narratives often exclude Indigenous and Black perspectives on land (Bang et al., 2014; Calderon et al., 2014; Engel-Di Mauro & Carroll, 2014). To address this and other issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), environmental organizations nationally have called for JEDI initiatives (NAAEE, 2020), such as professional development for their employees- the majority of whom are white (Green 2.0, 2021; Taylor, 2014). Research questions for this study were: 1) How do white environmental educators perceive race and ethnicity in their work as it …

Observers Have Similar Improvements In Student Learning Outcomes As Participants In Athletic Training Simulation Education, Alma Mattocks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The use of standardized patient (SP) encounters in athletic training education programs have become more common; however, due to time and space constraints, it is possible that not all athletic training students will be able to directly participate in engaging with the SPs and instead some must be observers. The objective of this study was to determine if student participants who observe a simulation encounter, experience similar improvements in student learning outcomes as students who directly interact with SPs during the simulation encounter.

A pretest/posttest, randomized controlled trial was utilized. Nine athletic training students volunteered to participate in the research …

Athletic Training Student Learning Outcomes Are Similar In Telehealth And In-Person Standardized Patient Encounters, Alma Mattocks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Context: Telehealth in athletic training education has limited research to support use and integration into practice. To determine if telehealth is an effective educational technique for athletic training students, it is necessary to compare the use of telehealth encounters with current educational techniques, such as standardized patient (SP) encounters. Objective: To determine if telehealth encounters using a SP are as effective at improving athletic training student knowledge and confidence as in-person encounters. Design: Pretest/Posttest, Non-randomized controlled trial. Setting: One undergraduate and one graduate athletic training program. Participants: Nine athletic training students (n=4 in treatment group, n=5 in control group). Interventions: …

Exam Review Versus Categorical Feedback, Which Is Better For Improved Scores In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students?, Bethany Huebner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Introduction: Computer-based assessments are commonly used in the physical therapy education curriculum. Feedback is an essential part of the learning process, but what effective feedback entails in the computer-based assessment environment is unclear. Educators may choose from knowledge of results, knowledge of correct results, and elaborated feedback.

Subjects: Students enrolled in a DPT program; N=49.

Methods: This study was a mixed-methods single-subject quasi-experimental design aimed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between feedback and computer-based assessment scores. Two forms of feedback were assessed during a semester with repeated testing and alternating feedback forms. Students completed an assessment and were given one …

Evaluating Feedback Post-Computer-Based Assessment In Health Professions Education: A Systematic Review, Bethany Huebner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: Computer-based assessments are common in health professions education and offer robust feedback options. The style of feedback that is best for student learning is unclear.

Aim: To systematically review feedback post-computer-based assessment literature to identify key feedback strategies to optimize student learning and retention.

Methods: A search of electronic library databases, a supplemental Internet source, and reference lists were completed. Inclusion criteria were any English-language sources that used feedback post-computer-based assessment. Data were analyzed qualitatively and summarized descriptively.

Results: There were 134 records identified for initial relevancy through screening by title and abstract. The full texts of 41 records …

The Effect Of Volunteering On Philanthropic Giving To American Higher Education, Jess Metzmeier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

To explore the effect of volunteering on philanthropic giving to U.S. higher education, the study considered the giving rates of first-time alumni participants in an alumni-student career mentor program as measured over three periods: the year prior to their first year as a mentor, their first year as a mentor, and the year following their first year as a mentor. Using a repeated measure ANOVA statistical method, the study sought to determine if there is a statistically significant variance in the giving rates of these volunteers across the three measures. The study also explored the influence of a participant’s prior …

The Time To Talk Is Now: Race-Based Dialogue Among White Student Affairs Professionals, Imari Hazelwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Enrollment of students of color (SOC) in higher education has called on student affairs professionals to design and implement programs and policies focused on diversity and inclusion (Mueller & Pope, 2000, 2003; Ellertson, Moore, & Marsh, 2007; Pope, Mueller, & Reynolds, 2009). White student affairs professionals need to develop cultural competencies about race to aid the development of students of color at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) (Mueller & Pope, 2001). Book clubs are one way to gather and converse about race and identity (Polleck & Epstein, 2015). The White Racial Identity Development theory (WRID) is a way to bring awareness …

Views From The Margins: A Multiple-Case Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Senior-Level Student Affairs Administrators, Tamekka L. Cornelius

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of senior-level Black women student affairs administrators at four-year degree granting institutions. Moreover, this study documents Black women in nonfaculty administrative roles in student affairs at both predominately White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A multiple case study research design was used to investigate this phenomenon. Two frameworks were used to ground the study: Black feminist thought and representational bureaucracy. The following questions guided it: (1) What are the work experiences of Black women in senior leadership positions in student affairs? (2) What barriers/issues to obtaining senior leadership …

Language Learning Effectiveness (Outcome) Of An Online Synchronous Efl Program Compared To An Esl Face-To-Face Program, Eduardo L. Trindade Ph.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

To provide English learning opportunities to International students while in their home countries, I designed an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) synchronous online program delivered via videoconferences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an Online EFL program when compared to a regular in-person Intensive English Program (IEP) where students are immersed in the American culture. The control group was composed of 88 students from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in South America that took the IEP offered by a private university in Kentucky in the past five years. Students in the control group had …