Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Borderland Voices: Exploring The Educational Journey Of Transfronterizx Students, Families, And Educators For Enhanced Engagement And Empowerment, Sobeida Velazquez

Dissertations

Transfronterizx students and their families cross the U.S.–Mexico border for academic, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic reasons. Socioeconomic disparities, deportation, and work have propelled some families to live in Mexico and enroll their U.S.-born children in U.S. schools to provide more socioeconomic opportunities in the United States. Educators of transfronterizx students are uniquely tasked to work with these nontraditional students. Moreover, transfronterizx students and their families have distinct needs in U.S. schools; as such, there is a need for further research on the transfronterizx experience in the U.S. K–12 system. This qualitative narrative inquiry study aimed to understand the experiences …

The Effect Of Natural Light On Mental Health, Gianna Arquilla

Honors Projects

All students have experienced low motivation at one point in their academic career, but what are the factors that can affect this? Is it solely based on their personality and work ethic, or can the environment have an effect? This study discusses the effects on mental health through architecture. Can the amount of natural light in a building affect the motivation of students? Natural light is something that is often overlooked, mostly considered as a perk rather than a necessity. How can students truly feel passionate about their work sitting in a dark place? To evaluate this data, this study …

Islamophobia In Public Schools: A Mixed Methods Look At The Effectiveness Of Parental Ethnic-Racial Strategies In Promoting Resilience Among Muslim Children, Lallia Allali

Dissertations

The ongoing Islamophobic ideology in the United States has magnified discriminatory practices, exclusion, and increased violence toward Muslims (Esposito & Kalin, 2011; Trudo, 2021), and Islamophobia has further disadvantaged Muslim American adolescents through various forms of discrimination against them in schools. In fact, Muslim American students report the highest rate of discrimination across all religious groups, and researchers have found that active family ethnic-racial socialization can often mitigate the negative impacts of discrimination (Hughes et al., 2006; Hughly et al., 2019).

To test this hypothesis, this study was designed to focus on Muslim families’ ethnic-racial socialization practices and the implications …

University Students' Wellbeing: A Case Study Of An International Private University In Egypt, Alia Attia

Theses and Dissertations

Wellbeing is a crucial topic that is gaining increasing attention in higher education and should be taken into careful consideration. This is a qualitative case study, using a phenomenological approach, which explores the phenomenon of student wellbeing in an international private university in Egypt. Data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews with a total of fourteen participants: eight purposefully selected students who have taken part in wellbeing programs, initiatives, or events at the American University in Cairo (AUC), as well as six faculty/staff members, leaders, mentors, or coaches in the field were interviewed. In addition to the interviews, conversations were …

Social Problem-Solving, Stress, Social Support As Predictors Of Distress Among First-Generation Students, Marisa Leib

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

First-generation students are steadily increasing in the United States, and currently comprise one third of today’s college undergraduate population (Stebleton & Jehangir, 2020). First-generation students are more likely to face various academic, social, economic, and cultural challenges when transitioning to higher education. The culmination of these stressors put first-generation students at risk for developing mental health conditions. Social problem-solving (SPS) is one variable that has been shown to buffer against the negative effects of stress among the general college student population. The purpose of the current study was to examine how specific variables contribute to psychological distress among the population …

School Refusal, Anxiety, And Executive Functioning In Adolescents, Marissa Kimmel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

School refusal behaviors impact students nationwide, negatively affecting their academic performance and social-emotional well-being. The current study was a two-part study looking at the factors influencing student attitudes toward attendance and then building and reviewing a program based on these findings. During the first part of the two-part study, a secondary data analysis was conducted to analyze the factors influencing student attitudes toward attendance. The secondary data analysis included correlational, regression, and hierarchical regression studies, utilizing responses from 1,056 teenagers attending a suburban high school. Based on the findings, a second study reviewed a program created to address the factors …

Transitioning From The Juvenile Justice System For Students With Disabilities, Michelle Cain

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Youth with disabilities are disproportionately involved in the juvenile justice system. However, there is limited research on how individuals with disabilities interact with support services or how their experiences may differ from youth without disabilities. The present study examined transition supports for youth exiting juvenile justice placements. The study utilized a semi-structured appreciative interview process. The purpose of utilizing an appreciative inquiry lens was to push past problem-focused ideas and highlight transition supports that have been successful. The primary research questions addressed the supports and services that have allowed youth with disabilities to successfully return to the comprehensive educational setting, …

Building Technology Breaks Into Classroom Instruction To Reduce Media Multitasking And Increase Learning, Lisa Decicco

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study was designed to investigate the impact of media multitasking on learning outcomes in the classroom. The goal was to develop an instructional intervention that reduces the negative effects of media multitasking on learning outcomes by incorporating technology breaks into the instructional design. High school students in an all-girls school took part in three learning sessions, each with a different instructional strategy related to media multitasking in the classroom: Condition 1: Instruction as Usual; Condition 2: No access to technology; Condition 3: Technology Breaks. Students completed a pre and post-test knowledge-based assessment to measure their retention of the …

Supporting Teachers In Supporting Students: Facilitating A Successful School Reintegration Post Psychiatric Hospitalization, Alicia J. Gialanella

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Given the increasing mental health needs and high rates of psychiatric hospitalization among children today, school-based supports are needed to mitigate potential areas of difficulty for students upon their return to school. This study provides a review of the school reintegration literature, including current issues, medically-based transition plans, and teacher and student perceptions of the reentry process. The overarching purpose of this study was to facilitate a more successful school reintegration for students post psychiatric hospitalization. For the present pilot study, an online course was developed and assessed through review by 15 education professionals gathered through a convenience sample. The …

The Lived Experiences Of School Counselors And Ell Teachers Who Support Ell Students Who Exhibit A Symptom Of Mental Illness, Trenise Duckens

Dissertations

The current literature regarding the lived experiences of ELL teachers and school counselors who support ELL students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness in high school is very limited. Research is available discussing school counselors and their role when supporting students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness or may have mental health concerns. This study sought to add to the literature by exploring the lived experiences of ELL teachers and school counselors who support ELL students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness. By adding to the literature, the researcher hopes to provide a better …

Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use, Mood, And Quality Of Life Among Graduate Students, Anastasia Skliros

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed in childhood, yet research indicates that symptoms persist into adulthood for approximately two-thirds of clinical cases. Stimulant medications are the primary treatment for all ADHD presentations across developmental ages. This prospective study investigated the relationship between nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NMPSU), mood, anxiety, and quality of life among graduate college students. Quantitative data from 321 participants were obtained using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHO-QOL) measure. Four participant groups were examined: those with ADHD engaging in NMPSU, …

The Effects Of Resilience On Bipoc Graduate Students' Mental And Physical Health, Shelby N. Wilson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Graduate school can be a challenging and demanding experience, with many students facing considerable stress and adversity throughout their academic journey. For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) graduate students, the challenges may be amplified due to systemic and social factors, which can increase stress levels, potentially affecting their mental and physical health. This study explored the role of resilience as a protective factor for BIPOC graduate students, examining the correlation between resilience, mental health, and physical health, and the importance of religion. The sample consisted of 132 BIPOC participants and 242 White participants. Regarding their academic status, 63.6% …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Bipoc Students In Predominantly White Institutions, Lisanda Mojica

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This dissertation explores the experiences of BIPOC students studying at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Through in-depth interviews with a diverse group of participants, the study identifies seven categories that encompass the students' experiences: perception of the school, chosen community and friendships, academics and scholarships, exclusion and difference, relationships with professors, tokenization, and mental health. The findings suggest that BIPOC students at PWIs face numerous challenges, including feelings of isolation and exclusion, and being tokenized. Additionally, the study identifies protective factors such as professors. The study highlights the importance of creating inclusive and supportive environments for BIPOC students in higher education. …

Resilience Small Group: A Small Group For Upper Elementary Students, Devyn Stenzel

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Resilience is important for a child’s ability to persevere, as well as their physical health. Parental influence, connection, cultural identity and coping skills are some factors that can help build resilience within a child. Teaching and surrounding the child with positive connections can help children overcome and persevere when faced with stressful and traumatic events. Children need opportunities to learn skills to reduce the impact of severe stress on their bodies (Sciaraffa, et al, 2018). The resilience small group will help children receive the chance to practice these skills in a group of 4-6 of their peers. Children will be …

Basic Needs Housing Advocate Program, Loyce Jewell Bryant

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students are severely impacted by high priced housing costs. This paper will demonstrate how imperative it is that Basic Needs implements a separate housing infrastructure to help support students with their housing needs during and upon graduation. CSUMB currently houses over 55% of their students and still many students have housing insecurities. To assess the micro-level housing insecurity problem; CSUMB students work with case managers to evaluate their needs. To assess the macro-level housing insecurity problem, a survey was distributed to random students throughout the campus. Of the 6,577 currently enrolled students; 60 students …

Understanding The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Borderline Features And Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Roles Of Emotion Regulation And Interpersonal Functioning, Sydney Mari Levine

Theses and Dissertations

Research has established ACEs as significant predictors of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in both clinical and community populations. Further, adults meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) are nearly 14 times more likely to report childhood adversity. No previous studies have examined the critical roles of emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning as mediating mechanisms in these relations. Thus, the current study explored the mechanism by which ACEs affect borderline personality features (BPF) or deliberate self-harm through emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning in a sample of emerging adult college students. Participants (N = 2,255, M age = 19.25) included college students from …

The Association Between Symptoms Of Adhd And Alcohol Use And Related Consequences In College Students: Social And Environmental Protective And Risk Factors As Moderators Of This Relation, Cameron Shepard Massey

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use, while common in college student populations, can bring about significant mental health and educational problems that have negative consequences (Harris et al., 2017; White & Hingson, 2013). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also result in significant impairment in academic settings (Kuriyan et al., 2012; Blase et al., 2009, Barbaresi et al., 2007), and those with ADHD often show increased rates of alcohol consumption and related problems, which can greatly increase the risk for students to struggle in college (Barbaresi et al., 2013; Baker et al., 2012). Examining the impact that specific risk and protective factors play in this relation …

Exploring The Needs Of Military Children In Public Schools: What School Psychologists Need To Know, Hannah A. Delmonte

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Although research has been published documenting the increased risk for negative social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes of military-connected students, no research prior to this study has given voice to these students and explored their experiences and needs. Five military-connected high school students participated in a focus group exploring what their lived experiences are in the context of living in a military-connected home and what they wish their schools knew to better support them. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data and six themes emerged from the discussion: the emotional burden these students carry, distance they feel …

'I'M Rooting For Everybody Black': The Intersection Of Black Joy, Politics, And Linked Fate, Rabria Moore

Honors Theses

Linked fate is a concept that says what happens to one individual in a group affects the group as a whole. Research has shown that Black people tend to subscribe to that concept of linked fate, especially in relation to politics. Further studies, although not exclusively labeled as such, have shown that Black people feel a sense of linked fate when it comes to pain too. This thesis explores the intersection of Black joy, politics, and linked fate. Black joy is understood to be a shared experience amongst individuals of African descent. Black joy emphasizes the choice that Black people …

Increasing Teacher Awareness Of Mental Health In Children, Sarah Alexis Cortes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health issues in school-aged children have become a larger issue especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Because children spend a large amount of time in a school setting, it is important to utilize teachers to assist in preventing, recognizing, and supporting mental health issues in their students. This can be difficult however, when many states throughout the United States of America, have little to no requirements for mental health training in both their credential programs and their school districts. This can leave teachers feeling less comfortable and lack an understanding of how to prevent, recognize, and support, student mental health …

Increasing Anxiety Awareness In High School Students, Kiley Arellano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many high school students may experience excessive anxiety. According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Persistent anxiety can lead to future health problems such as heart disease, respiratory disorders, and substance use disorders. If adolescents learn how to identify symptoms of anxiety and utilize effective coping mechanisms, they are likely to have positive academic outcomes, success in the workplace, and better quality of life. To address this, I have developed a one-day interactive lesson for junior and senior students at San Luis Obispo High …

Social Work Student's Perception, Knowledge, And Preparedness In Serving Unaccompanied Migrant Children, Miriam Flores Portillo, Estela Flores-Portillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The following is a quantitative study, conducted at Southern California University with a convenience sample of 56 Bachelor Social Work (BSW) and Master Social Work (MSW) participants. A Qualtrics questionnaire was administered during the fall 2022 semester and utilized to assess the social work’ students’ general perception, knowledge, and preparedness in serving unaccompanied migrant children. This population was chosen to assess because social work students are most likely to work with unaccompanied migrant children at a micro/macro level through their field placements or future employment. This study seeks to shed light on the different levels of knowledge, experiences, and competency …

Where Will I Sleep Tonight? A Qualitative Case Study Of Homeless And Displaced College Students, Andria Lynn Coleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of undergraduate students who are homeless or displaced, as well as examine the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University, a public four-year university, that may support or hinder students’ retention and progression. This study will be driven by the following research question: How do students who are homeless or displaced, but earned a scholarship, grant, or both navigate the policies, procedures, and systems of Mountain University during their first two years? Using Resiliency Theory and Hope Theory as the theoretical frameworks, this qualitative multiple case study seeks to identify …

The Perceived Role Of School Counselors In Ramp And Non-Ramp Schools, Rob Rhodes

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceived roles of elementary and secondary school counselors within schools with comprehensive school counseling programs and those without such programs. Central to this study are questions of how school counselors’ roles are perceived differently within Recognized ASCA Models Program (RAMP) schools and non-RAMP schools. I this study, I examined the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Professional Mindsets and Behaviors (see Appendix 1), as outlined in the ASCA National Model (ASCA, 2012), as well as school counselors’ professional practices and perceived roles in RAMP and non-RAMP schools.

Through interviews and comparative analysis, …

Analysis Of Fire Safety Preparedness And Risk In University Housing, Sophia House

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the growing field of fire safety and preparedness, university dormitories are a prime location to observe unique residential circumstances that contribute to fire risk. This study will utilize survey responses from student housing residents from four universities to analyze if and how certain factors affect fire safety preparedness. Additionally, the results will be compared to existing literature to examine any gaps in research or contributions to current data. This study seeks to confirm that university housing is a higher risk category of residential fires because of student contributions and a lack of direct intervention to improve fire safety preparedness.

Maladaptive Social Cognitions And Peer Victimization In Elementary-Aged Students, Katelyn Szarko

Honors Theses

Among elementary-aged students, peer victimization is common and is associated with psychological maladjustment and poor academic achievement. Students with maladaptive social cognitions, like low social competence and low perceived control, are more likely to be victimized, but having a supportive teacher and/or a positive classroom climate might help to mitigate this association. This study aimed to answer the question of whether teacher support and classroom climate protect against peer victimization for students with maladaptive social cognitions. It was hypothesized that teacher support and classroom climate will separately moderate the link between social competence/perceived control and subsequent peer victimization such that …

The Effect Of The Degree Of Authoritative Parenting On Adolescents' Adjustment To College, Elizabeth Smith

Senior Theses

This research aimed to explore how parenting style relates to college students’ adjustment in the first month of college. Authoritative parenting is marked by a standard of maintaining some control, while also promoting children’s autonomy. Previous research has found that authoritative parenting is positively associated with adolescent behavior that is more socially responsible, self-reliant, cheerful, and cooperative. Furthermore, the more support and independence that parents encourage, will in turn breed confidence and academic persistence in adolescent years. I will expand on this research by evaluating whether parenting style also relates to adjustment and mental health outcomes among first year college …

The Maldivian Language Predicament: Language Loss Through The Lens Of Students, Azka Hassan

Senior Theses and Projects

This study dives into Maldivian students’ experiences of learning languages in classrooms, as well as how they perceive their proficiency in English relative to their first language, Dhivehi. I investigated the issue of language loss and its contributors via a qualitative study which consisted of 9 semi-structured 45-60 minute interviews with lower secondary Maldivian students who are in public schools in Male’ city. (Key stage 4, ages 13-17) Through this study, I argue that the Maldives is suffering from language loss among youth because students often have negative experiences in Dhivehi classrooms and feel pressure rooted in higher social and …

College Administrator Experiences: A Phenomenological Study Of Higher Education Leadership In American Prisons, Donavan Bailey

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Higher education for the incarcerated (HEP) is a re-energized phenomenon in the age of criminal justice reform and social change. Following the 2015 Second Chance Pell Grant Experimental Initiative (SCP), which granted select colleges tuition funding for prisoners, HEP grew exponentially. The successes of the SCP laid the groundwork for the 2020 FASFA Simplification Act. In July 2023 the 2020 FSA begins, and all those imprisoned within America may access Pell Grant Funds for higher education. Despite momentous efforts to bring higher education to the incarcerated, HEP grapples with continued challenges and lacks unified, evidence-based competency equal to normative higher …

Adopting A Growth Mindset Approach To Interventions For Self-Regulation, Kelly A. Larson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research continues to demonstrate self-regulation’s significance in almost all aspects of life, including but not limited to academic success and school adjustment. Incorporating a growth mindset into self-regulation may be a potential missing motivational component in school-based interventions. This pilot study assessed trends in survey results of whether a group of high school students who receive special education with noted difficulties in emotional regulation, organization, and consistent/timely work completion. The survey assessed whether they held a more fixed or growth mindset of self-regulation prior to intervention and whether those students' mindset of self-regulation moved towards a growth mindset of self-regulation …