Education Commons^™

Hormone Replacement Therapy In Postmenopausal Women, Do The Benefits Outweigh The Risks?, Rachel Scott

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Hormone therapy has been a hotly debated topic for decades. There have been countless studies celebrating and vilifying the use of hormone replacement in postmenopausal women. Initially, the research focused on the prevention of hot flashes, and mood dysphoria. As time has passed, there are new indications, such as the prevention of cognitive decline, improving bone density, and preserving a more youthful appearance. However, the risks must not be underestimated. These include a higher incidence of blood clots and breast cancer. The results suggest a more balanced view. One that focuses on the individual woman seeking care, and her very …

History Doesn’T Repeat Itself, But Often Rhymes: An Analysis And Extension Of Models Influencing Special Education, Rebecca Owens

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The American special education system is largely hailed as a beacon for inclusion and support of students with disabilities, but was developed on the back of a deep, complicated history of isolation, fear, and ignorance. This historical analysis examines special education in the context of parallel-developing models of how those with disabilities are perceived and treated in the United States. Rather than juxtaposing the widely-discussed models of disability (moral, medical, and social) with the development of special education, I argue that they are consistent with a wave pattern, initially proposed by disability scholar and advocate Wolfensberger (1969), that traces the …

An Intersectional Community Resilience Approach To Understanding Climate Vulnerabilities In Lynchburg, Virginia, Tracy Mallard

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This study uses an intersectional and justice lens to analyze how economic, institutional, social, cultural, and natural factors influence resilience in historically marginalized communities. It builds on the work of previous studies that have employed a five-dimension conceptual framework of resilience at the community level by focusing the model on the factors that enable or prevent resilience to extreme heat in communities. The focus community is the City of Lynchburg, Virginia. The researcher observed groups of community organizers in the process of setting an environmental justice and sustainability agenda, who prioritized determining how to engage residents in the decision-making process …

A Phenomenological Study Of Leadership, Motivation, And Communication In The Construction Industry, Olayinka Basorun

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The construction industry in the United States of America pays a high litigation cost due to late project delivery or substandard projects. Despite the training construction organizations expose their project teams to, research has shown greater emphasis on skill training than leadership training. This phenomenological study sought to understand the dynamics of the relationship between project leaders and construction site workers in Central Virginia. Understanding the perceptions of project managers, superintendents, and construction site workers about leadership, leadership development and training, motivation, and communication gave insights into these dynamics. The research study allowed the researcher to understand the work experiences …

Distress, Burnout, And Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Working In Self-Contained Classrooms With Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: Illuminating Their Perspectives And Experiences., Jennifer L. Wooldridge-Mccormick

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This study was conducted to give voice to local special education teachers working with students with emotional disabilities, and to allow them to co-create meanings from their lived experiences in the classroom. It utilized a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach through a series of three individual interviews over the course of a six-month period. Five special education teachers from three local school divisions and private day schools participated in the study between July 2021 and December 2021. Over the course of the three interviews, the five special education teachers in the study were situated as co-researchers. In addition to the three …

The Use Of Dining Data To Increase Retention And Academic Success In Residential First-Year Students, Hailey A. Manicone

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Higher education leaders have been conducting research over the last 50 years to pinpoint why students enroll in college and then end up leaving. Research shows that there is not a single factor that influences a student’s decision, but it is a variety of factors. Influential factors include class attendance, a sense of belonging, motivation, academic rigor and performance, finances, and more. A student’s physical wellness and mental state can also impact their academic success and life while in college. First-year students often experience depression, anxiety, and loneliness as they try to successfully transition to college. Most of these influential …

Attributes And Characteristics Of The Physician-Physician Assistant Organizational Leader Relationship, Victoria S. Louwagie

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate and better understand the attributes and characteristics of the influential physician, the dual-roled physician assistant (PA)leader and how this relationship impacts the PA leader and the PA leader-physician relationship. These dual-role PA leaders may possess additional formal job titles and duties while also having direct reports.

Method: We surveyed PA leaders at a large academic medical center and its associated health system. The survey instrument evaluates perceptions, attitudes and characteristics of the PA leader, influential physician, and their relationship.

Results: There were 34/56 PA organizational leaders that responded to the survey …

Feeling Smarter: The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence And Situational Academic Stressors On Resilience, Coping, And Well-Being, Jenna Bohrer

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Since its inception, Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) construct of emotional intelligence has been associated with positive outcomes from heightened academic performance to resilience (Connor & Slear, 2009; Costa & Faria, 2020). The present study focused on the impact of emotional intelligence and academic stress on coping, resilience, and psychological well-being within a college population. It was hypothesized that those high in emotional intelligence would employ more approach coping strategies and fewer avoidance coping strategies compared to those low in emotional intelligence, and that the higher stress scenario would result in more avoidance and less approach coping compared to the moderate …

Peeling Back The Layers - Perceptions Of Parents Of Urban Elementary Students, Kellie Scruggs Baldwin

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the educational experiences of an identified urban elementary school in Central Virginia parents (similar to the researcher’s school’s parents) as lived through their own experience and how these educational experiences determine their academic parent involvement for their child. By examining parents’ educational experiences, educational professionals may be able to bridge the home and school communities and determine support needed to aid families in educating children.

Information Behaviors And Pedagogies Of Teaching Faculty, L. Katherine Glaeser

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Rapid development in the information landscape (IL) has placed increased pressure on educational institutions to ensure that students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed. In order to overcome these challenges and transfer the necessary IL skills to students, faculty instructors must model the required skills in their own information dissemination practices, and adopt instructional methods that reinforce those skills and increase students’ opportunities to practice them. To achieve this goal, we must first understand the perspectives of the faculty, and the contexts in which information seeking and teaching occurs.

This study aims to learn what approaches teaching faculty …

Principal Preparation And Mentorship In Professional Standards For Educational Leaders, Caroline Whitney Rinella

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The role of a principal looks very different from years ago and responsibilities principals are charged with have evolved significantly over time. In nearly all states, principals receive training and certification under the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELs) with focus in the following areas: 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values, 2. Ethics and Professional Norms, 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness, 4. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, 5. Community of Care and Support for Students, 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel, 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff, 8. Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community, 9. Operations and Management, and 10. …

The Impact Of Religiosity And Personality On Resilience And Coping Strategies, Leah Eldred

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of religiosity and personality on resilience and coping strategies amongst undergraduate college students. Participants completed four different questionnaires measuring religiosity, personality, resilience, and coping skills, as well as a demographic questionnaire. A two-way factorial ANOVA statistical analysis and correlation analyses were conducted. The findings indicated that participants who were pessimistic reported more use of maladaptive coping strategies than optimistic participants. The main implication of this study was that people who are more pessimistic can be taught how to utilize adaptive coping strategies rather than the maladaptive ones that they …

How Health And Physical Education Teachers Feel About The Virginia Communications And Literacy Assessment, Tc Thacker

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, in order to become a teacher, certain state-selected assessments must be completed. These assessments are required for every candidate who is pursuing a teaching career. One of these required assessments is the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and it was created to measure communication and literacy skills. The requirement of this test brought forth the question: how do Health and Physical Education teachers feel that the VCLA has helped prepare them for their current work? This question was explored using a qualitative approach which led to the examination of teachers beliefs in regards to …

The Effect Of Information Interventions On Retention Among University Of Lynchburg Students, Sara Mills

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

College retention rates are a frequently discussed topic amid declining retention and increasing time to degree completion. My research will evaluate whether a targeted nudging program has any impact on second-year students retaining to their third year at University of Lynchburg. Nudging defined as, “…any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people's behaviour in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives…” as discussed by Thaler and Sunstein (2008). I will analyze the outcome of nudging student behavior via weekly text alerts centered around Academic, Social, Career, and/or Financial information students have self-selected to …

A Wrap Around Poverty Intervention Model: Leveraging Social Capital Reduces Poverty, Robert James Cook

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

In 1964, the United States began to wage a war to end generational poverty using antipoverty policies and programs, with controversial results. The theory exists that wraparound (WA) poverty intervention programs are effective in helping participants develop relational assets (RA) and social capital (SC) to overcome the effects of poverty, yet few organizations are seeking solutions to chronic poverty using these methods. One such program is The Open Table (TOT). Their concept uses 6-9 mentors who meet weekly with a brother/sister for one year to help them identify and achieve their financial, educational, occupational, health and family goals. The Open …

Predicting Academic Dishonesty Using Personality, Impulsiveness, Morality, And Somatic Faking, Lauren Barbee

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Violations of academic honor are relative to many of the same factors that lead to dishonesty by individuals subject to the criminal justice system. Malingering is defined as the feigning of psychological or physical ailment for gain, which is a technique regularly used to exploit both academic institutions and the U.S. court system. While malingering in legal environments is generally to receive less harsh sentencing, access to drugs, or other benefits, the aim of faking illness in students is to avoid consequences for missing required classes or examinations. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between “faking-bad” …

Self-Determination And Academic Success Of College Students With Disabilities, Lindsay F. Farrar

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Within education, there have been many legislative changes in the last several decades to promote equitable access for students with disabilities. However, many barriers still exist that prevent these students from being academically successful once they have gained appropriate access. Research in the last 10 to 15 years has consistently identified these barriers as well as pinpointed some predictors of success for students with disabilities. Much of this research acknowledges the importance of self-management, goal-setting, and self-determination, yet there is a gap in the body of literature that specifically links self-determination to academic performance within the postsecondary setting. This study …

Improving Student Success In Community Colleges: A Case Study Of One Virginia Community College, Kristin M. Ogden

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The Gates Foundation’s Completion by Design Loss Momentum Framework (LMF) has been the catalyst for twenty-first century community college reform. This framework indicates the points in a student’s college journey as: 1) Connection – from interest to application; 2) Entry – from enrolling to passing program gatekeeper courses; 3) Progress – from program entry to completion of program requirements; and 4) Completion – completion of credential of value for further market value or labor market advancement. The Completion by Design Loss Momentum Framework focuses on student success by using a Guided Pathways approach through which incoming students are given support …

Belonging: A Grounded Theory Approach To Retaining First-Year Students In Women's Colleges, Marcia J. Thom-Kaley Edd

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Existing theory regarding first-year retention is explored. The Holistic Systems Approach to retaining first-year students in women's colleges is developed and examined.

Instructor Assessment Of Adult Cpr Skills: A Comparison Between Subjective And Objective Measures, Emily Evans

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Providing accurate feedback is an important component of teaching CPR skills. An important part of providing accurate feedback is being able to accurately assess specific skills. In a cross- sectional experimental design, 33 CPR instructors were recruited to assess six 2-minute pre- recorded videos of 2-person CPR skills. The subjective assessment measures were compared to the objective manikin measures from a Laerdal Resusci-Anne® QCPR manikin. Results indicated statistically significant differences between the subjective and objective measures in all skills assessed (chest compression rate, chest compression depth, chest recoil, hand placement, ventilation volume, and total cycles). Instructor teaching experience (in years …

This Is How We Did It: A Grounded Theory Approach Of Black Male Success, Aaron Smith

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

For decades, literature has described success for Black males as a hard-to-obtain phenomenon due to the nearly insurmountable hardships they face. Although this previous negative narrative has positively shifted within the last 15 years, there are still insignificant amounts of research on how to obtain Black male life success. This study sought to discover how 14 Black males in Central Virginia achieved life success. In this study, life success for Black males was defined and explored utilizing the psychological construct of well-being. This grounded theory study identified a framework for Black male life success which included a definition for life …

A Freshman Bridge Program: Transition To Success, Amy Hale

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a Freshman Bridge Program on student attitude, student achievement in Algebra I, and overall student academic achievement beginning in the spring of the eighth grade year through the first semester of the ninth grade year. The Freshman Bridge Program began with a three-week summer program in July focused on hands-on math activities, career counseling, and study skills. Throughout the first semester of their ninth grade year, participants were a part of a continuum of interventions that included bi-quarterly case management meetings with the researcher and school counselor, data monitoring, …

Why First-Generation College Graduates Choose To Become Licensed Virginia Teachers: A Qualitative Study, Amber Spencer

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

There has been adequate research devoted to understanding why individuals choose to become teachers. From the research on why individuals choose to become teachers, there is evidence that certain motivators and influences impact an individual’s decision to become a teacher. The purpose of this study was to determine why some first-generation college graduates in an identified city school division is Southside Virginia chose to become licensed Virginia teachers.

This study used a phenomenological method to investigate the question of why some first-generation college graduates choose to become licensed Virginia teachers. Data collection focused on using six open-ended interviews with …

Central Virginia Ews: Identifying Middle And High School Indicators Of On-Time Graduation With An Early Warning System, Ryan D. Yarzebinski

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between different variables and whether a student attained an on-time graduation outcome. A retrospective cohort study was conducted within a single school division in central Virginia serving a population of 8,338 students. The organizational structure of the school division was unique as it is comprised of two combined schools and two high schools fed by a separate middle school.

The study utilized logistic regression and ROC analysis to identify the variables most predictive of graduation for use in an EWS. The model was designed to be predictive in nature and …

Training The Whole Counselor: Qualitative Analyses Of Professional School Counselor Training In Central Virginia, Jason W. Fleshman

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The profession of school counseling is a dynamic one that has endured the evolving American educational landscape for over 100 years. This changing landscape has contributed to a sense of role confusion for professional school counselors in the United States. With much variation among states, school divisions, and even schools within the same division regarding the appropriate role of the professional school counselor, the research attempted to determine professional school counselor perceptions of their division-level and building-level training for their ASCA-defined inappropriate responsibilities in four school divisions in central Virginia. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the research studied the lived …

Factors Influencing Math And Science Teacher Intentions To Leave Or Stay In The Teaching Profession, Scott Douglass

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that have the greatest influence on math and science teacher intentions to stay in or leave the teaching profession. The independent variables included in this study were: perceived administrative support, influence over classroom and school policies and procedures, salary satisfaction, and stress associated with teaching. A survey was sent to math and science teachers in central Virginia containing questions largely derived from the School and Staffing Survey. Stress associated with teaching and job satisfaction were significant predictors of intent to stay in teaching for teachers. Based on the results of this …

Public Librarian Perceptions : Use Of And Preparedness To Perform Cilf Competencies, Nan Carmack

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This study surveyed public librarians from American Library Association accredited library and information science programs to ascertain their perceptions regarding their usage of the Online Computer Library Center’s 2015 Competency Index for the Library Field in identifying discrete activities in which librarians engage. The study sought to determine if competency use and feelings of preparedness were affected by the independent variables of type of school attended (traditional or iSchool) and type of library job (youth services, reference, collection management, and administrative). While the interaction of school and job is not significant in reporting perceptions of preparedness, those attending iSchools reported …

Political Culture And School Choice: The Influence Of Constitutions, Case Law And Public Officials In Louisiana And Virginia, Karen M. Hiltz

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation focused on the State of Louisiana and the Commonwealth of Virginia, which provides a limited perspective on what directly and indirectly influences school choice programs. Louisiana is a state and has a legal system predicated on French or Napoleonic Law, and Virginia is a Commonwealth and has a legal system predicated on English or Common Law. In order to remedy or minimize constitutional conflicts related to an education system, U.S. political parties have relied on the judicial system and the developing of case law to provide direction that in turn provides fodder for future legislation and education policy. …

Principals' Leadership And Teachers' Motivation : A Study Of The Relationship In The School Reform Era, Charlotte Rognmoe Gilbar

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the relationship between principal leadership behaviors and the level of teacher motivation in a specific region of Virginia, within school divisions that have at least one elementary school designated as a focus school. This study will examine whether the relationship between leadership and motivation differs in elementary schools classified as focus, in-improvement and those with no designation as defined by the flexibility waiver received by Virginia Department of Education. Of particular interest are the specific principal behaviors within each leadership style that support increased levels of motivation in elementary teachers. This study was relevant because there were …

Assessment Of Student Learning In A Business Department With An Entrepreneurial Focus, Suzanne C. Calvert

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This multi-faceted, action-research project utilized researched assessment practices and current practices acquired through case study research. The research question of this study was: How could a department in a small liberal arts college best measure and evaluate the student-learning outcomes to inform the business department with an entrepreneurial focus? The researcher answered this question by comparing assessment best practices to the home-institution department assessment plan and conducting case study analyses of assessment practices utilized by similar departments of other selected institutions. An action plan was developed and focused on home departmental collaboration and use of data.