Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Impacting Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Outcomes: An Analysis Of State-Federal Service Provision, Valerie Jeannette Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

State-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs are widely recognized for providing various services to individuals with disabilities to help them reach their goals of independence and employment. Because rehabilitation programs are required to meet federal and state goals, standards, and indicators, thorough and ongoing program evaluation is necessary to identify predictors of successful and unsuccessful employment outcomes in order to determine best practices in vocational rehabilitation service delivery.

In the large southwestern state examined in this research study, there is an estimated return on investment of $9 for each dollar spent on successful VR cases. Cases closed successfully by state-federal VR …

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Bullying In The Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vanessa Cristina Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this paper was to describe the study concerning special education students in middle school who were bullied. Many students in the special education program are being bullied, whether it is due to their disabilities or other factors (Mishna, 2003; Rose, Espelage, & Monda-Amaya, 2009; Coloroso, 2008; Christensen, Fraynt, Neece, & Baker, 2012). While several quantitative studies have been conducted addressing this worldwide phenomenon, few qualitative studies have been performed. A phenomenological approach allowed the participants to share their own experiences with bullying. Twenty-five students from several middle schools (6th, 7th, 8th grades) in a city in the …

Ecosystem Services Of Urban Trees And The Impacts Of Urbanization, Jorge E. Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The University of Texas- Pan American has conducted a complete survey of campus trees in partial fulfillment of the requirements for membership in the International Society of Arboriculture Designation of Tree Campus USA. This tree inventory was accomplished with the help of students whom were trained by faculty and foresters. Other than the completion of the tree inventory, this thesis had two main goals; 1) valuate the ecosystem services provided by campus trees 2) create a unique service learning project that other institutions can model. According to our calculations, the trees on campus have sequestered 568,652 kg of CO2, avoided …

Adolescent Street Literacy: The Art Of The Hustle, Regina L. Welch

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis is an ethnographic analysis of street youths, runaways and foster children. It focuses on the rhetorical and literacy practices that serve as a foundation for an underground community. Very little research, within the English field or from a literacy perspective, has been done on this demographic. This study includes data from interviews conducted with eight individuals who were “homeless” between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Homeless is being defined as any duration spent absent of a stable living situation, including, but not limited to, foster homes, sleeping on the streets or in temporary settings, with …

A Study On Hispanic College Students' Mathematics Anxiety, Study Habits, And Academic Performances On Mathematics, Luis M. Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Mathematics anxiety has been described as a feeling of apprehension, fear, tension, and discomfort when confronted with mathematics. Mathematics anxiety has also been shown to interfere with mathematics performance; therefore, for our research we investigated what portions of individuals seem to suffer higher levels of mathematics anxiety and to what extent they are affected by it. We also investigated the study habits of the students and how these affect their mathematics anxiety levels and overall mathematics performance. Our data was obtained from Hispanic undergraduate students (n=405) who took Elementary Algebra (Math 1300), Intermediate Algebra (Math 1334), College Algebra (Math 1340) …

Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among Bilingual Mexican American Young Children, Sarah E. Stegall

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bilingual children have been found to demonstrate advantages on tasks dependent in part or in whole on inhibitory processing compared to their language dominant and/or monolingual peers. This study examines relations among performance on theory of mind (ToM), inhibitory processing (FF), and performance on an ambiguous-figures (AF) tasks among monolingual and bilingual children. Participants included 135 Hispanic children ages 4.5 to 8 from predominately low-income families. Results revealed a relationship between FF and AF performance with ToM performance and found no differences in performance between monolingual, language-dominant, and balanced-bilingual children.

Eavesdropping On The Past: An Oral History Exploration Of English And Spanish In Contact In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, 1904-1945, Aaron B. Cummings

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis investigates the interaction of English and Spanish L1 communities in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas from 1904 to 1945 (an era of mass English L1 migration from the Northern United States and Canada to this historically Spanish-speaking region) via analysis of oral interviews that record both language communities’ memories of the era’s social structures. Collectively, the interviews tell the story of the region’s sociocultural and sociolinguistic environment with a view to exploring how members of each community reacted to the presence of the other language during the first years of significant English/Spanish language contact in previously …

Seeds Of Solutions™: An Economical & Efficient Approach Towards Power Engineering Education, Eli Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Power demands are set to increase over the next twenty years; however, research shows that there may be a shortage of power engineers due to an appreciable percentage of the current power engineer workforce retiring, insufficient enrollment in power engineering programs and a lack of emphasis in power engineering at the university level. This thesis provides supporting research for future power demands, workforce and faculty shortages. Using temporary research in modern learning / teaching styles, student / teacher perceptions, educational trends and regional course offerings, this thesis describes a learning approach towards power engineering education. Designed specifically for universities with …

Sign Me Up! Determining Motivation For High School Chemistry Students Enrolling In A Second Year Chemistry Course, Nilda N. Camarena

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A sample of 108 Pre-AP Chemistry students in Texas participated in a study to determine motivational factors for enrolling in AP Chemistry and University Chemistry. The factors measured were academic attitude, perceptions of chemistry, confidence level in chemistry, and expectations/experiences in the chemistry class. Students completed two questionnaires, one at the beginning of the year and one at the end. Four high school campuses from two school districts in Texas participated. Two campuses were traditional high schools and two were smaller magnet schools. The results from this study are able to confirm that there are definite correlations between academic attitudes, …

Educational Practices, Funding, And The Implementation Of A Reading First Program, Maria Maricela Rodriguez-Salaiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000) found that too many children struggle with learning to read. Through a Congressional mandate, the panel identified key skills and methods that were central to reading achievement in the grades kindergarten through third grade. According to the United States Department of Education (USDE) Summary of Discretionary Funds (2008b), over $6 billion were allocated to the schools to implement the research based strategies from 2002 to 2008. States throughout the country showed gains from the states’ first year of implementation to 2008 in grades 1-3 in comprehension assessments. The Reading First: Student Achievement, Teacher Empowerment, …

Factors That Contribute To Hispanic English Language Learners' High Academic Performance In High School Science In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas: A Multicase Study, Antonio Elizondo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to identify, discover, uncover, examine, and document factors that contribute to Hispanic English Language Learners’ (ELL) high academic performance in high school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Participants were high school seniors enrolled in college-level classes who had scored commended on the science exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and ranked toward the top of their class. One science teacher and school administrator from the respective schools also participated in this study. One student from each of four different high schools in south Texas was selected to participate. School officials …

Strategy, Politics And Latino Graduate Education: A Descriptive Policy Analysis Of The South Texas/Border Initiative, Emily Calderon Galdeano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Prior to 1987, appropriations to universities along the Texas-Mexico border were much less than in other areas of the state. As a result the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) v. Richards lawsuit was filed, claiming inequities for higher education funding. Between 1989 and 1995, the Texas Legislature approved a group of bills known as the South Texas/Border Initiative (STBI). The goals of this initiative were to: 1) provide equitable funding to nine universities along the South Texas border; 2) merge these regional institutions with the larger university systems in the state; and 3) create additional graduate programs at …

A Study Comparing The Pedagogical Effectiveness Of Virtual Worlds And Of Traditional Training Methods, Benjamin Peters

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This experiment tests whether a virtual world is a more suitable alternative to classical paper and pen case studies for teaching people how to disarm improvised explosive devices (IED). Following preliminary training, the subjects are separated into a group of 32 and one of 33. The odd-numbered subjects receive case studies while the even-numbered subjects receive training in the virtual world, Second Life. After their training, each subject is put into a simulated test where they attempt to properly disarm a mock IED attached to a victim played by an actor/actress. The results of the experiment show no significant difference …

Personality And Socio-Institutional Predictors Of Self-Employment Intentions Among People With Disabilities: An Empirical Investigation, Yuleinys A. Castillo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

As a minority group, people with disabilities (PWD) face many challenges when making a career choice and establishing vocational goals. Self-employment or entrepreneurship represents a viable, prevalent vocational option for people with disabilities (PWD). Owning a business, which offers flexibility, independence, earnings, and satisfaction, is a common vocational practice among PWD. This dissertation investigates the dynamic factors that influence entrepreneurial business formation among minority groups. Specifically, it evaluates the effect of personal, socio-cultural, and institutional factors on the entrepreneurial intentions of PWD. After controlling for age, minority status, educational level, type of disability and gender, the results highlight significant empirical …

Premenstrual Experiences: The Simultaneous Examination Of The Association Of Self-Perceived Stress, College-Related Stress, And Sleep Quality, Sara Julia Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Research suggests that stress may contribute to the severity of premenstrual experiences, but the contribution of different types of stress has not been carefully examined. Using self-report measures, the current study examined the relation between self-perceived stress, college-related stress, sleep quality, and premenstrual experience in a predominantly Hispanic female college sample. Results indicated that self-perceived stress accounts for a statistically significant proportion of the variance in premenstrual experience ratings, with higher stress associated with greater premenstrual distress. Based on a hierarchical regression analysis, adding college-related stress to the predictive model allows for a significantly larger amount of the variance in …

Benefits Of Using Reading Strategies In Elementary Bilingual Classrooms, Diana Arely Garcia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This quantitative study focused on the benefits of reading strategies used by second grade students. What strategies they can use to comprehend tasks, what textual cues they attend, how to make sense of what they read, and what they do when they do not understand a word. In this study, a questionnaire was given to the students. The questionnaire had a list of reading strategies in which students chose the strategy they felt more comfortable to use whenever they needed in order to comprehend a text. The data collected was analyzed and served its purpose of helping one reach the …

Bicultural Self-Efficacy, Student Achievement, And Persistence Of Mexican American College Students, Richard Kirk

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This mixed methods study will explore the relationship of bi-cultural self-efficacy with student achievement and persistence for first generation Mexican American students enrolled at a two year college. The Bicultural Self Efficacy Scale for Minority Adults (BISES-MA ) will be used to collect quantitative data from a study group and control group. The study group will participate in a student success course using high engagement strategies developed by Advancement Via Individual Determination for Higher Education (AHE). Analysis of variance will be conducted to determine the degree of difference between the study and control groups on bicultural self-efficacy and student achievement …

Conocimiento De Los Padres Acerca Del Programa De Educación Bilingue [Parental Knowledge About Bilingual Education Programs], Eliaber Jimenez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Para la realización de ésta tesis se utilizaron diversas fuentes bibliográficas que apoyan la implementación del programa bilingüe en las escuelas, y la necesidad de informar correctamente y con precisión a los padres de familia acerca del programa bilingüe. Para llevar a cabo este estudio cualitativo se revisaron varias fuentes informativas que investigan y dan amplios resultados en la aplicación del programa bilingüe en Estados Unidos de Norteamérica. Dichas fuentes, son consideradas fidedignas ya que están realizadas en investigaciones reales realizadas anteriormente. Durante el periodo de investigación de las fuentes de información, también se tomaron opiniones a padres de familia, …

An Evaluation Of Alternative Methods For Online Survey Recruitment: The Equivalency Of Data Collected Through Amazon Mechanical Turk And Second Life To Traditional Undergraduate Student Samples, Elizabeth M. Briones

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A major proportion of psychological research uses subjects from undergraduate populations. Increasingly, researchers are exploiting the Internet to reach beyond the traditional undergraduate sample. The current study sought to compare data obtained from a conventional undergraduate student sample to data collected via two online survey recruitment platforms: Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) crowdsourcing site and the virtual environment of Second Life (SL). Data obtained via these online recruitment platforms was statistically equivalent to the data obtained from the college sample, based on standardized measures of psychological stress and sleep quality. Additionally, correlations between the sleep and stress measures were not statistically …

School Principals' Perceptions Of Bilingual Education And Their Relation To English Language Learners' 8th Grade Reading Performance On Staar, Imelda Mares

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research examined school principals’ perceptions of bilingual education to determine whether perceptions were a function of gender, age, years of experience, level of academic knowledge of bilingual education, and language discourse or bilingualism. Moreover, this study explored whether principals’ perceptions of bilingual education were related to English language learners’ 8th grade reading performance as measured by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Thirty-one middle and high school principals in five school districts from south Texas and one district from southeast Texas responded to an electronic survey that solicited demographic information, perceptions of bilingual education, and academic …

Factors Affecting Attitudes Towards Individuals With Schizophrenia: Perceptions Of Mexican American College Students, Valerie Paredes

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study is designed to examine the effects of acculturation and level of familiarity on stigma of Mexican American college students towards individuals with schizophrenia along the border of Texas and Mexico (N = 223). The area has a history of high levels of disparity in regards to the utilization of mental health services. Data was collected by surveying Mexican American college students through a convenience sample at two separate post-secondary southwestern Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) along a border community. The instrumentation for the study was composed of a demographic questionnaire, The Acculturation Scale for Mexican-Americans-II (Cuéllar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995), …

Is Texas Measuring Up To Federal Expectations? An Examination Of The No Child Left Behind Legislation On Texas Region One Education Service Center District Schools, Maricela De Leon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research paper presented information on student performance results for school children in Texas Region One – Title I district schools. By using recent data on student performance from a seven year period, 2003 to 2010, between district schools in Region One, the findings of the results is reflected to answer the question on whether district schools in Texas Region One –Title I schools reflect the intended No Child Left Behind act performance indicators as identified in the 2002 legislation.

Graduation As A Function Of Attendance And Discipline Of Students In The Student Success Initiative Of Texas In One South Texas Urban School District, Maria Luisa Trevino-Guerra

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examined the trends and patterns across time of grade placement committee students on the dependent variable, graduation. Longitudinal data for independent variables, attendance and discipline was collected for 173 students from 2005 to 2013. The independent variables of attendance and discipline were examined to determine whether or not high school completion is dependent on these two measures.

The Grade 5 students of 2005-2006 in one south Texas large urban school district who were retained in the fifth grade or advanced to the next higher grade by the grade placement committee in accordance with the Student Success Initiative (SSI) …

Sex As A Moderator Of The Association Between Childhood Trauma, Impulsivity, And Primary Psychopathy In A Hispanic Undergraduate Sample, Judy D. Sifonte

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study investigates the effect that sex as a moderator has on the association between childhood trauma and impulsivity on primary psychopathy in a Hispanic college sample. The online survey obtained 443 responses from undergraduates; however after incomplete responses were removed and the data was cleaned, a sample size of 367 remained for use in primary analysis. The study utilized a hierarchical moderation regression analysis to determine the effect of sex on the association of predictor variables—childhood trauma and impulsivity, to the dependent variable, primary psychopathy. Researchers hypothesized that sex will enhance the association between childhood trauma and psychopathy, …

Shifting Policies Of Educational Desegregation And Its Effects On The Resegregation Of The Aldine Independent School District, Tonya Elisette Juarez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the desegregation process for the Aldine Independent School District located in Houston, Texas. Beginning with an analysis of the development of public education in Texas, this study observes the educational conditions for blacks and Mexican Americans prior to the end of de jure segregation. Thereafter, it assesses the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision that required desegregation of American public schools. I argue that the shifting policies that occurred after Brown requiring mandatory integration resulted in white flight in the school district. With the end of mandatory integration, Aldine I.S.D. reverted back to …

Analysis Of Brownsville Public Utilities Board Hybrid Wind And Solar Energy Systems: Case Study And Analysis In Brownsville, Texas, Lina L. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Engineers are tasked and responsible for studying and designing environmentally safer forms of electrical generation including wind and solar sources. A national effort to reduce dependency on foreign oil due to economic and environmental impacts is underway and race to full scale implementation of alternate energy sources is eminent. The question looms: Is renewable energy generation for residences feasible from an engineering and economic perspective? Although wind and solar generators are gaining ground on conventional generation methods in different sectors, lack of information with regards to design, implementation, and payback still remain a major roadblock. The objective of this case …

Miguel A. Nevárez: A Life History Of Educational Leadership, Rolando Avila

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze Miguel A. Nevárez’s educational leadership style by focusing on his notable contributions to The University of Texas-Pan American. The researcher defined leadership style as actions by the leader. After examining Nevárez’s background to place his motivations and actions in proper context, this study analyzed what Nevárez did, how he perceived his actions, and how others perceived his actions. The life history written by the researcher was primarily based on data collected through 25 interviews; however, the researcher also utilized other available published and unpublished sources to supplement the interview data. The …

Factors Contributing To Successful Employment Outcomes For Hispanic Women Who Are Deaf: Utilization Of Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector And Logistic Regression Analysis, Amber M. Feist

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Hispanic women who are deaf constitute a heterogeneous group of individuals with varying vocational needs. To understand the unique needs of this population, it is important to analyze how consumer characteristics, presence of public supports, and type of services provided influence employment outcomes for Hispanic women who are deaf. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive factors of consumer characteristics, public supports, and patterns of service delivery related to employment among Hispanic women who are deaf utilizing the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) case service report (RSA-911) for fiscal year 2009 (FY 2009). Exhaustive chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) …

A Historical Snapshot On The Progression Of Educational And Social Opportunities For Mexican American Students In The San Benito Public School System, 1909-2009, Marco Antonio Lara, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigates the barriers Mexican American students encountered in educational and social opportunities within the San Benito Public School System from 1909 to 2009. This qualitative research study was organized chronologically by collecting information on the city, school district, and students who attended the San Benito Public School System. Personal and telephone interviews, as well as emailed questionnaires/surveys were used to gather firsthand information from former students, and current/former teachers, administrators, and board member of the district. A review of school board minutes, high school yearbooks, newspaper articles, books, and other related materials were also included for use in …

An Analysis Of An Exemplary South Texas Charter School, Mario H. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Charter schools have emerged as a powerful force in American school reform. When first introduced in 1991, charter schools came with two distinct promises: to serve as an escape hatch for students in failing schools, and to create and incubate new educational practices. Through qualitative inquiry, this study examines a charter school’s best practices and how some of these practices can be applied or emulated in a traditional public school setting. The goal is not to replace traditional public school practices with charter school practices, but to emulate charter school practices that have shown to be successful. The Chief Executive …