Education Commons^™

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Scholarly Publishing Between Librarians And Subject Faculty, Michael Furlong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This is a phenomenological exploration of academic librarians collaboratively publishing with subject faculty. The explorative study investigates academic librarians and subject faculty who conduct research outside of librarianship. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is an exploration of barriers subject faculty members and academic librarians encounter when conducting collaborative research. The study was performed because of an identifiable research gap and a paucity of qualitative studies related to librarian and faculty research partnerships. Much of the existing scholarship focuses on quantitative data exploring librarians' publishing outcomes. Data collection was performed by interviewing five academic librarians and five subject faculty pairs. …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Curiosity, Cultural Humility, And Multicultural Counseling Competence In Master's-Level Counselors-In-Training Enrolled In Cacrep-Accredited Programs, Amber Haley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

For decades, researchers and counselor educators have emphasized the importance of developing counselors prepared to serve a diverse society. However, there is still much debate around which factors contribute to the development of a culturally competent counselor. The influence of curiosity in the development of competence has been researched in the field of education, however, curiosity has not yet been studied in counseling as it relates to counselors' openness and competence in working with clients perceived as different from themselves. The author conducted a quantitative research study to examine the influence of curiosity and cultural humility in master's level counselors-in-training …

Emergency Remote Teaching (Ert) Forced By The Covid-19 Pandemic: Efl Teachers' Practices And Perspectives Two Years Later, Eman Barri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the world in March 2020, all aspects of life were drastically disrupted, and the education sector underwent radical changes. An almost overnight shift from traditional classrooms to delivering instruction online became an enforced necessity rather than an option to continue education during the pandemic, which required teachers around the world to adapt to the new reality on very short notice. Because little research has been undertaken to understand language teaching practices globally during the pandemic from the teachers' perspectives, shedding light on how English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers responded to the emergency …

The Relationship Between Online Learning And Student Motivation And Engagement, Sarah Mieczkowski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The switch to online learning during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic impacted the educational world in many ways. University students were moved from traditional in person classroom settings to an online format. This change may have been accompanied by stress, anxiety, and social isolation. Research suggests that a student’s learning environment can either generate success by contributing to motivational strategies through quality of educational support or a learning environment can generate boredom, stress, and confusion. In addition, research demonstrates that personality plays a factor in many outcomes such as education and mental health. There is a lack of research on connecting …

Dual Language Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Effective Second Language Instruction: A Qualitative Study, Deddy Amrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The present study examined dual language (DL) teachers' beliefs and practices regarding effective second language instruction. DL teachers are expected to integrate language teaching and content instruction. However, balancing the two areas of instruction has been proved challenging. It has also been reported that bilingual educators lack pedagogical skills and hold incorrect beliefs about second language acquisition. Five DL educators participated in the study. Data about the teacher's beliefs were collected using semi-structured interviews, and data about their classroom practices were gathered from their teaching journals. Second semi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal the factors influencing the enactment of stated …

Stance And Engagement In Scientific Research Articles, Caoyuan Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Stance and engagement are important rhetorical resources for writers to construct interaction with readers and ideas by marking epistemic evaluation and bringing readers into the texts. Building on previous research that suggests notable differences in the use of stance and engagement in academic discourse, this comparative study investigates the use of stance and engagement in scientific research articles. By comparing two corpora that contain 144 research articles in total across 16 scientific disciplines, this study examines if the numbers of stance and engagement differ between manuscripts (unpublished research papers) that are produced by nonnative writers and those that are published …

"Do You Hear What I Say?" A Phenomenological Exploration Of International Students' Oral Communication Experiences With Pechakucha Oral Presentations In A Us English For Academic Purposes Program., Van Thi Hong Le

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

With the importance of oral communication skills and digital literacy skills for 21st-century learners (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006), there is an increasing tendency to incorporate technology in language learning and teaching. In this trend, PechaKucha Presentation (PKP), a unique, fast-paced format of giving presentations, has recently been advocated for its benefits in developing learners' oral communication skill in various contexts (Angelina, 2019; Coskun, 2017; Mabuan, 2017). This paper presented a study that explored seven international students' speaking and listening experiences with PKP activities while completing the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program prior to their undergraduate programs in …

Conflicts In Communication And Academic Needs For Virtual Education Gifted Students, Sarah M. Finley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Modern education has to take on various roles and contingencies over the last decade – both for good and worse. Public school systems are competing with private and now charter schools for student enrollment and virtual or online learning schools. A question many parents and educators struggle with – how do we grow and develop children and young adults' academic needs through the use of technology?

The question may be simple; however, the answer is far complicated. Technology provides help in various ways a human being cannot, including instant gratification of Google searches, video education, synchronous education game formats, distant …

Student Perceptions Of Instructor Support In Remote Learning Environments During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher F. Sellas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study explored student perceptions of instructor support in remote learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand inequities in their learning experiences. Participants self-reported perceptions of instructor support, online learning experiences, mental health symptoms, and wellbeing. Bivariate correlation testing and linear regression modeling were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that students' student-instructor rapport is associated with higher perception of instructor support. Further, higher perceptions of instructor support were associated with significantly lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and academic-related stress. Higher degrees of students' self-regulated learning behaviors were associated with lower perceived instructor support. There were …

Examining Motivation In Online Learning Amongst Traditional And Nontraditional College Students, Juan J. Echeverri

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nontraditional students continue to grow as a population in universities across North America. These individuals are characterized as twenty-five years of age or older, have taken time off from school, and usually hold a job outside of their school duties. With our increased immersion in online environments, many individuals earning an educational degree through online participation, and previous studies calling upon further research, we decided to investigate this line of research. Specifically, the present study seeks to understand the motivational factors seen between traditional and nontraditional students, with an emphasis on intrinsic motivation. The results suggest that nontraditional students are …

Couples With Infertility: The Influence Of Quality Of Life, Relationship Satisfaction, Resilience, Depression, And Shame, Nikole Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this study was to investigate the directional relationship between fertility related quality of life, relationship satisfaction, resilience, depression, and shame amongst individuals and couples with infertility. This study tested the hypothesized directional relationship that individuals and couples with infertility (N = 556) with a greater level of fertility related quality of life (FertiQol) would have (a) increased relationship satisfaction (CSI), (b) increased resilience (CD-RISC), (c) decreased depression (PROMIS), and (d) decreased shame (FSCRS), through structural equation modeling (SEM) and the actor partner interdependence model (APIM). Also, the researcher tested the dyadic influence of fertility related quality of …

Corrective Feedback In L2 Pronunciation: The Learner Lens, Elif Saribas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study investigated learner perceptions of correction in L2 (second language) pronunciation. Research indicates that L2 learners have a strong preference toward corrective feedback provided by the teacher and also favor peer feedback (Kaivanpanah et al., 2012). In addition, external feedback is shown to contribute to the development of internal feedback, or self-correction (Huang & Jia, 2016). Learners were also found to carry positive opinions towards explicit error correction, with culture and proficiency level influencing those opinions (Yang, 2016). The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate learner perceptions toward correction in L2 pronunciation and examine real-life correction instances …

An Exploratory Study Of The Use Of Social Infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) For Public University Facilities, Ashley Connors

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Public universities in the United States have experienced continual state budget reductions since 2008. These cuts have forced public universities to defer maintenance on existing facilities and delay new facility construction. Consequently, public university administrators have sought alternative financing approaches to meet their facility needs. Several public universities have turned to social infrastructure public-private partnerships (P3s). Using a multiple case study approach, this exploratory, descriptive research study examines the use of social infrastructure P3 projects by public universities to determine: (1) what public university facility needs are being addressed, (2) what types of P3s are being utilized, and (3) what …

The Predictability Of Children Of Military Families' Levels Of Resilience, Help-Seeking Attitudes, And Caregiver Relationships To Their Suicidality Scores Using Structural Equation Modeling, Jessica Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

This study explores the experiences of suicidality (e.g., suicidal behavior risk and suicide ideation) of adults who were raised in military families in relation to their levels of potential protective factors of resilience, help-seeking attitudes, and perceptions of caregiver relationships. There is limited research exploring suicidality among individuals raised by military caregivers, with most of the literature focused on individuals in childhood and using national or statewide datasets. Prior to this investigation, only one study was identified that examined suicidality of adults of military families, with a focus on international military families rather than those associated with the U.S. military. …

The Relationship Between Creative Hobbies And Visual Spatial Ability, Victoria Alexander

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Recent developments in educational practices have identified the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) areas as important, but this emphasis on STEM fields has sacrificed educational focus on the Arts (Cohen, 2016). This is a significant loss, not only in terms of the loss of humanities education in itself, but through the potential loss of foundational skills through practice in artistic areas. The current paper explores this idea by investigating the correlational relationship between visual spatial abilities and participation in a variety of creative activities. Spatial ability is known to be a cognitive skill that underlies success in …

Exploring The Cultural Identity And School Efficacy Of Students Through The Lens Of Digital Storytelling, Rachael Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Digital storytelling is a modern storytelling method that uses videos, images, and audio to share knowledge, wisdom, values, and personal stories from the point of view of the creator in a 2-8-minute first person narrative. This study explored the cultural identity and school efficacy of students through the lens of digital storytelling. This mixed-methods study consisted of both qualitative and quantitative measures. A survey was conducted using the In-Group Identification Scale, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, and the School Efficacy Scale as the quantitative measures, and qualitative data was generated from the transcription and analysis of the digital storytelling …

Science Occupational Images And Aspirations Of African American/ Black Elementary Students, Saron Lamothe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S&E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and science occupations as many consider the pursuit of a science career as unfavorable. Moreover, minority secondary students, who do choose to pursue science occupations, seem to possess inaccurate (or …

What Explains Legislator Support For Traditional Public School Education In Florida, Tiffaney M. Green

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research was conducted to determine what explains legislative support for traditional public education in Florida based on the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions. Data from the Florida Education Association ratings for each member of the Florida House and Florida Senate for these legislative sessions was used. Information from each legislator and their district was collected and used as independent variables in this research. How does political party, gender, race, ethnicity, age, chamber, family status, leadership, experience, percentage of school age children in the district, region of the district, and population density of the district affect legislator support for traditional …

The Use Of Children's Literature And Reflective Writing As A Means To Help Primary Elementary Students Cope With Natural Disaster, Connie T. Zenz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes frequently happen across the world. Many of these natural disasters bring destruction to homes, loss of loved ones, and emotional or physical trauma. For children who are still developing coping skills, these natural disasters can bring them emotional distress because they are unable to processes their experiences in a healthy way. In a review of literature on the topic of bibliotherapy and reflective writing to help children learn coping skills, I discovered a need for these processes to be introduced in normal settings, such as school and home, to help …

A Trauma-Informed School-Based Mental Health Counseling Intervention To Promote The Social-Emotional And Academic Functionality Of Children Living In Poverty, Mary Perleoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a trauma-informed school-based mental health counseling intervention (TI-SBMHCI) on students enrolled in three Title I elementary schools. This study aimed to examine the impact of a TI-SBMHCI on participants' social-emotional functionality, trauma symptomology, and academic behavior. Counselors-in-training provided a 10-week TI-SBMHCI based off of Bath's (2008) The three Pillars of Trauma-informed Care and data was collected at pretest (first session), mid (fifth session), and posttest (tenth session). In addition, this investigation examined if participants showed greater improvement in academic behavior in comparison to students who did not receive a …

Warrior Women: A Phenomenological Study Of Female Veterans Transitioning Into And Through College, Alma Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research and theory primarily focuses on identifying holistic challenges of the veteran student demographic and does not focus on challenges specific to female veterans when transitioning into and through college. Additionally, current research and theory does not focus on positive and negative experiences of female veterans within four key areas of academia: courseware, faculty, staff/administration, and student services. As a result, current research and theory do not adequately explain why female veterans may or may not successfully transition into and through college, resulting in a lack of resources available for female veterans, and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). This phenomenological …

The Impact Of A Neurofeedback Training Intervention On College Students' Levels Of Anxiety, Stress, Depression, And Cortisol, Caitlyn Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety, depression, and stress are three of the most common experiences that impact college student functioning and academic achievement. At least one in six college students struggle with anxiety, increasing risk for developing depressive symptoms or disorders that further impact wellness. However, as mental health concerns increase across campuses, universities are not equipped to meet the demand of mental health support for college students. Neurofeedback (NF) training presents as an innovative intervention to treat anxiety, depression, and stress as it is designed to regulate brain processes in an effort to increase more effective brain functioning. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group …

Bursting The Filter Bubble: Information Literacy And Questions Of Valuation, Navigation, And Control In A Digital Landscape, Komysha Hassan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The evolution of social media platforms and other public forums in the digital realm has created an explosion of user-generated content and data as a component of the already content-saturated digital landscape. The distributed, horizontal nature of the internet as a platform makes it difficult to ascertain value and differentiate between texts of varying validity, bias, and purpose. In addition, the internet is not an inanimate interface. As Pariser (2011) argues, content aggregators, such as Google, actively filter, personalize, and therefore limit each individual's access to information, in both range and type. This has created a crisis of information valuation …

The Effects Of Emerging Technology On Healthcare And The Difficulties Of Integration, Skyler J. Pavlish-Carpenter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Disruptive technology describes technology that is significantly more advanced than previous iterations, such as: 3D printing, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, innovative surgical procedures, and computer-based charting software. These technologies often require extensive overhauls to implement into older systems and must overcome many difficult financial and societal complications before they can be widely used. In a field like healthcare that makes frequent advancements, these difficulties can mean that the technology will not be utilized to its full potential or implemented at all.

Objective: To determine the inhibiting factors that prevent disruptive technology from being implemented in conventional healthcare.

Methods: …

The Efficacy Of Formal Sexual Education In Lgbtq Adolescents: A Review Of The Literature, Candice P. Dressel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this review of review was to determine if inclusive and comprehensive formal sexual education is effective in promoting safer sex behaviors compared to abstinence only until marriage sexual education, for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents. Peer reviewed articles were retrieved from Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Elton B. Stephens Co. Host (Ebsco Host), Medical Literature On-line (Medline), Psychological Information Database (PsychINFO) and government released statistical information that was published from 2000-2017. Inclusion criteria of synthesized articles were based on formal sexual education aimed at adolescent …

Public School Teacher Support Of Transgender Students, Phoebe Singletary

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Using qualitative interviews, this study explored public school support of transgender students using questions concerning their knowledge, ideas of what inclusion looks like, level of preparation for teaching transgender students, and openness to learning new information concerning best practices. This study aims to fill gaps in the existing research concerning experiences of transgender public school students, examining teacher support for the sake of helping determine policy steps and education that would best help transgender students looking for inclusive education. Emerging themes included generalized acceptance, fear of teaching outside curriculum, emphasis placed on student needs, and teachers' desires to learn more. …

Exploring Relationship Quality As A Dyadic Mediator Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health For Economically Disadvantaged Couples, Naomi Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationships between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE; Felitti et al., 1998), relationship quality (as measured by the Relationship Assessment Scale [Hendrick, 1988] and the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale [Wilson, Charker, Lizzio, Halford, & Kimlin, 2005]), and health (as measured by the OQ 45.2 [Lambert et al., 2004] and a Brief Medical History Questionnaire [Daire, Wheeler, & Liekweg, 2014]) among economically disadvantaged couples. The theorized model included a dyadic structure and mediation of ACE and health by relationship quality using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). The researcher employed …

Predicting Undergraduate Retention In Stem Majors Based On Demographics, Math Ability, And Career Development Factors, Christopher Belser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are currently facing a crisis with respect to filling jobs with qualified workers (NSF, 2013; NAS, 2011). While advancements in these industries have translated into job growth, post-secondary declaration and retention rates within STEM majors lag behind industry needs (Carnevale et al., 2011; Chen, 2013; Koenig et al., 2012). Although researchers previously investigated demographic variables and math-related variables in the context of STEM retention (Beasley & Fischer, 2012; CollegeBoard, 2012; Cundiff et al., 2013; Gayles & Ampaw, 2014; Le et al., 2014; Nosek & Smyth, 2011; Riegle-Crumb & King, 2010), the need exists …

Hispanic Teacher's Experiences With Stressors While Working In Title I Schools: A Phenomenological Investigation Using A Self-Compassion Framework, Coralis Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory phenomenology investigation was to understand what were Hispanic teachers' experiences with their occupational stressors while working in Title I elementary schools. Specifically, this investigation used a self-compassion theoretical framework to explore the emotional stressors of the participants (N = 19) and how they cope to mitigate their feelings of burnout. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit Hispanic teachers from three Title I elementary schools within the same school district in Central Florida. The data were collected through individual interviews with the Hispanic teachers who volunteered to participate in the study. All data were recorded, transcribed, …

The Contribution Of Educators' Levels Of Inspiration And Compassion For Others To Their Degree Of Burnout, Samuel Bierbrauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the directional relationship between educators' levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout. Specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that educators' who report higher levels of inspiration (as measured by the Educator Inspire Scale, EIS; Lambie, Barden, & Bierbrauer, 2016) and compassion for others (as measured by the Compassion for Others Scale; COS; Pommier, 2010) would score at lower levels of burnout (as measured by the three components of burnout [emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment] on the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educator Survey; MBI-ES; Maslach, et al., 1996). In addition, the …