Developing And Maintaining Resilience In Charter School Executive Directors, Erika Vanderspek

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by charter school executive directors to develop and maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study identified and described the lived experiences of exemplary charter school executive directors in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties. Based on recommendations from expert entities who worked with the target population, the researcher used purposeful sampling to select eight exemplary charter school executive directors. The …

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

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 …

Exploring The Association Of Academic Psychological Capital And Experiential Learning With Academic Performance, Diane Kutz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study expands upon the body of research seeking to define the effect of Academic Psychological Capital (Academic PsyCap) and student Participation in Experiential Learning on one success measure of students, Academic Performance, as measured by grade point average (GPA). It also seeks to investigate the moderating effect of Experiential Learning on the relationship between Academic PsyCap and Academic Performance. The study argues that Social Cognitive Theory and Broaden and Build Theory supported a reciprocal relationship between Academic PsyCap and Participation in Experiential Learning Activities and the positive relationship between both constructs and Academic Performance.

The study was conducted …

Resilience And The Mental Health Of Bullying Victims: The Role Of Peer Relationships On The Relation Between Bullying Victimization And Social Anxiety, Michelle Catherine Zochowski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bullying is a pervasive issue in today’s schools that has a significant impact on the mental health of students. Resilience has a positive impact on the outcomes related to facing adversity including bullying. The following dissertation study asks whether the relation between bullying victimization and social anxiety differs as a function of resilience and gender. It was hypothesized that bullying victims with increased resilience would show lower levels of social anxiety, as would students that report their gender as female. Chapter one discusses the significance of the problem, defines relevant constructs, and introduces the problem statement. Chapter two outlines the …

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 …

Vietnamese Resilience Assessment: Exploratory And Confirmatory Factor Analysis For Scale Validation, Loan Le

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This study examines the validity of the Vietnamese Resilience Assessment (VRA), the Vietnamese-translated version of the Resilience Youth Development Module (RYDM), which is considered to be a reliable and reasonable instrument to survey the levels of external and internal assets for American students; its appropriateness to be used with Vietnamese students has yet been determined. To assist in validating the VRA, this study carried out both an exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis using the dataset that was obtained from the results of the Healthy Student Survey-Vietnam study (HSSV; Hass et al., 2014). Specifically, the study sought out to …

Authentic Perspectives On Autistic Resilience: Implications For Schools And Society, Andrew Nelson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored resilience factors as identified by autistic adults with authentic lived experience. Historically, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been diagnosed using deficit models and criteria designed by outsiders with little input from the autism community. While risk of adversity is often high for those with ASD, scant research exists looking at the strengths, adaptive skills, and environmental factors contributing to the resilience of people with ASD. Autistic adults were interviewed (N = 10) to assess which internal and external risks and protections participants deemed important to their resilience. Responses were coded, analyzed, and compared to existing resilience data …

An Integrated Exploration Of The Contextual, Relational, And Individual Factors That Impact High School Completion Among African Americans, Lesley B. Winchester

Theses and Dissertations

African American students are consistently reported as having among the lowest high school graduation rates when compared to other races (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). While many studies have sought to explore the potential risks of high school dropout, the intention of this study is to examine the factors that support the exemplary resilience of those students who do complete high school. The present study adopts the framework of García Coll et al.’s, (1996) integrative model of developmental competencies in minority children, as it seeks to identity whether and how contextual (spiritual, educational, cultural); relational (caregiver psychological and physical …

Cultural Wealth Of First-Generation College Students And Its Effects On Well-Being, Persistence, And Major Satisfaction, Eve M. F. Sussman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although understanding of FGCS’s success in higher education has been enhanced over the last decade, less is known about their career and educational development, and how their strengths and assets promote college success. The purpose of this study was to explore the relations between first-generation college student (FGCS, [N= 130]) cultural wealth variables, work volition, and outcomes (i.e., academic major satisfaction, persistence, and well-being) using the Critical Cultural Wealth Model (CCWM; Garriott, 2020). Results of regression analyses partially supported CCWM propositions. Significant, positive correlations were observed between resilience and work volition, academic major satisfaction, and well-being. Significant, positive …

Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

An Initial Development Of A Hardiness Scale For Elementary School Students, Stephen Ferrara

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

There are limited studies that have investigated levels of hardiness in children. There is even less information on finding hardiness scales that have been normed on children in elementary school. The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the Hardiness Scale for Children (HSC), which assesses the three subscales of hardiness: Challenge, Control, and Commitment. 121 elementary school students (2^nd-5^th grade) were selected to complete the HSC. Their parents were also asked to complete a three-item scale to measure their child’s hardiness. The results indicated that older children tended to give themselves …

The Effect Of Early Childhood Abuse On Educational Attainment, Onzie Luke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature regarding survivors of child abuse and their capacity to continue their educational pursuits beyond high school. Thus, this study explored the lived experience of self-identified abuse survivors who were enrolled in higher education. The theoretical bases for this study included Bandura'€™s social cognitive theory, Rotter'€™s theory of locus of control and Heider'€™s and Weiner'€™s theory of attribution. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 survivors of child abuse enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an online or brick and mortar university. The interviews were then …

Beyond The Bench And The Bedside: Examining Women’S Success In Stem Via Active Learning Projects, Sarah E. Thoman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gender inequality is a persistent challenge in fields related to science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) in the U.S. The current study aims to advance the literature in a burgeoning area of inquiry by identifying factors that may help to account for women’s success in STEM. To evaluate STEM success, I used a mixed methods design to investigate STEM identity, career identity status, career commitment, and both individual and situational resilience among women undergraduates. Students were engaged in two project-based STEM programs organized at a large, diverse, research intensive university in the Southwest U.S. Associations between resilience and career commitment, …

Discriminant Profile Of Dimensions Of Acquired Disability On Domains Of Posttraumatic Growth, Linda Denise Portis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transformative process of personal growth following suffering and challenges, or posttraumatic growth (PTG), is limited in persons with acquired disability. The dimensions of acquired disability, as outlined by the World Health Organization, include impairments in body functions, body structures, and growth restrictions in activities and participation. The 5 domains of PTG include personal strength, new possibilities, relating to other people, appreciation of life, and spiritual change. Using discriminant function analysis, the purpose of this quantitative study was to identify a discriminant analysis of the dimensions of acquired disability on the domains of posttraumatic growth. The first research question focused …

Examining The Perceived Influence Of A Comprehensive Youth Development Program For Promoting Black Male High School Persistence, Richard Gray Walker

Dissertations

Black male youth in the United States drop out of high school at a rate consistently higher than their White counterparts. A lack of academic persistence contributes to lower workforce participation rates among Black Americans, which leads to lower national productivity and unrealized personal prosperity. Youth development research has developed an extensive body of knowledge regarding possible causes and contributing factors of minority high school dropout. Literature shows youth experience higher dropout rates when they grow up in adversity. Adversity risks such as dysfunctional families, cultural discontinuity between home and school, dysfunctional neighborhoods, or low-expectations from teachers contribute to graduation …

Contemplative Practices And Post-Secondary Well-Being: Potential Methods For Reducing Test Anxiety, Shannon S. Hayden

MSU Graduate Theses

Students encounter numerous sources of stress in college from school work to examinations. A proposed method for reducing test related anxiety is contemplative practice (namely, mindfulness meditation and expressive writing). These interventions were used immediately prior to an exam to determine effectiveness on students’ mood and test grade. Although the study produced few statistically significant results, a promising trend in utilizing these interventions for increasing exam grades, increasing positive mood, and decreasing negative mood was uncovered. Each intervention appears to have dissimilar effects on different types of students (i.e., varying degrees of dispositional mindfulness and cognitive test anxiety; for example, …

The Effects Of Trauma On Adjustment To College For Children Of Missionaries, Melissa J. Winfield

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Missionary Kids (MKs) encounter challenges in adjusting to college due to cross-cultural transitions and unique experiences related to missionary life. Though trauma is more common among missionaries than for the general American population, little is known regarding the impact of past trauma on missionary kids as they adjust to college. This study compared adjustment to college and psychological well-being of missionary kids and students who are not children of missionaries. The extent to which students have experienced trauma was used as a covariate in the study. MK students were recruited through college organizations and missions’ agencies. They were asked to …

Uncovering The Processes And Consequences Of Egyptian Immigrant Parental Involvement In Their Children’S Education: Bridging Cultural Differences, Hend Shalan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

For more than a decade, researchers have concluded that immigrant parents face several barriers to becoming involved in their children’s education. All studies agree that language and cultural differences are the most significant barriers to immigrants’ involvement in their children’s education, yet we know little about what these cultural differences are and how these cultural differences influence the school involvement of immigrant parents. This study integrates theories of cultural differences, acculturation, and culture shock and the corresponding literature to investigate the lesser involvement of immigrant parents in school-related activities.

A focused ethnographic design was employed and a thematic analysis …

The Influence Of Racial Socialization On The Academic Achievement Of Black College Students, Vanessa R. Laurent

Dissertations

Black college students continue to have difficulties reaching academic success in various domains; however, understanding the nature of how academic success is cultivated by Black college students is vital for counselors, educators, and university administrators. The objective of the study was to understand how racial socialization influenced academic success. Research suggests that racial socialization contributes to positive long-term outcomes among African Americans and may be connected to academic achievement (Bowman & Howard, 1985; Boykin & Tom, 1985; Davis & Stevenson, 2006; Neblett, Terzian, & Harriott, 2010; Stevenson, 1994, 1995). Participants were 349 Black college students from a predominately White institution …

The Association Of Internalized Stigmas, Culture-Specific Coping, And Depression In Gay And Bisexual Black Men, Duane Glen Khan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gay and bisexual Black men experience higher lifetime depression rates than both White and Black heterosexual men. Some social stress researchers argued that this rate may be due to having two stigmatized minority identities and therefore being at greater risk. However, gay and bisexual Black men also experience lifetime depression rates significantly below White LGB people, suggesting resilience to depression for those with these intersecting identities, race and sexuality. This study attempted to address the debate between greater risk versus resilience in gay and bisexual Black men.

Resilience Among Immigrant Adult Learners: Experiences In Postsecondary Education--A Mixed-Methods Study, Sandra Lee Samuels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A human being's resilience refers to his or her abilities to combine internal and/or external resources effectively in response to significant contextual challenges in order to best succeed in a given environment. As such, this concept is vital across the lifespan and has been widely researched. However, few researchers to date have studied resilience as it relates to adult learners, and, significantly, those with immigrant status. Immigrant adult learners are facing compounded risks, which create challenges in various societies to identify this group's unique needs and/or to fully understand their experiences in diverse contexts, such as the Cayman Islands. Informed …

Adult Attachment, Emotional Intelligence, And Resilience As Correlates Of Social Engagement, Academic Engagement, And Confidence Of Persistence In College Students, Yacob Tewolde Tekie

Masters Theses

The current study investigated freshmen university students (N = 210) to examine the role of attachment style (anxiety, avoidance), emotional intelligence (repair, attention, clarity) and resilience in predicting student adaptation to college (academic, social, personal and academic engagement). Four multiple regression analyses were conducted for each subscale of adaptation to college. The results indicated that; a) emotional intelligence (attention, clarity) and resilience significantly predicted student academic adjustment; b) emotional inelligence (repair) predicted student social adjustment; c) emotional inteligence (clarity), resilience, and adult attachment (anxiety) significantly predicted student personal adjustment; and d) emotional intelligence (repair, clarity) and resilience, significantly predicted …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Just Love: A Collaborative Evaluation Of A Faith-Based School-Family-Community Partnership Through The Voices Of The Children, Lynette M. Henry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Faith-based school-family-community partnerships have been a federal mandate over the past decade, yet little has been written about the outcomes of these faith-based partnerships. A need exists to understand if the potential in these faith-based partnerships is indeed realized in positive outcomes for students and schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a faith-based school-family-community partnership, Just Love. Just Love is a faith-based school-family-community partnership between a large suburban church and a Title 1, urban elementary school, Charisma Elementary School (Charisma ES; pseudonym). It was implemented in what is considered a "failing school". Just Love's purpose was …

The Resilient Turn: College Students' Perspectives - A Phenomenological Inquiry, Perah Kessman

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenology was designed to explore with a sample of undergraduate students in psychology-related majors their perceptions of psychological resilience and the factors they believe contributed to it. While previous studies have examined the construct of resilience in childhood and adolescence, relatively little is known about the phenomenon later in the lifespan. Thus, the rationale for the study stems from the researcher’s wish to fill this gap in knowledge by studying resilience among emerging adults. It was the researcher’s assumption that the knowledge generated from this study would both provide new insights into emerging adult resilience and inform higher …

Developing Resilience In The Elementary School Classroom, Ellen Ferrin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores the ways in which elementary school teachers can help their students develop the skills associated with resilience. For this study, an extensive literature review was conducted and surveys were completed by twelve elementary school teachers in Washington, Oregon, California, and New York.