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From Worldviews To Classrooms: Framing Evolution Acceptance In Pre-Service Science Teachers In The Southeastern United States, Amanda Glaze

Georgia Educational Researcher

Research demonstrates that teachers' acceptance or rejection of evolution impacts whether they teach evolution in their classrooms. Furthermore, factors such as religiosity and nature of science understanding impact acceptance or rejection. What is absent from the literature is an exploration of experiences that inform choices made regarding acceptance or rejection, experiences that illuminate the counter-intuitive relationships demonstrated in quantitative studies. For this reason, we explore the lived experiences that inform the worldviews of Pre-Service Secondary Science Teachers (PSSTs) and how those worldviews might inform their acceptance or rejection of evolution. Coding and pattern analysis informed themes within the data explaining …

Risk Factors For The Ill-Defined Causes Of Death In The Brazilian States: A Multilevel Analysis, Nadia Cristina Pinheiro Rodrigues, Regina Paiva Daumas, Andrea Sobral De Almeida, Gisele O'Dwyer, Monica Kramer De Noronha Andrade, Matthew B. Flynn, Valeria Teresa Saraiva Lino

Political Science & International Studies: Faculty Publications

This study describes the spatial-temporal changes of the proportion of ill-defined causes of death in Brazil (1998-2012) and investigates which demographic and socioeconomic factors affect this proportion. We collected information of the proportion of ill-defined causes of death by age (15-59 years), sex, period, locality, and socioeconomic data. We used a multilevel Poisson model to investigate which factors affect the risk of ill-defined causes of death. Unlike states located in the South and Midwest, we detected clusters with high proportional levels of these deaths in states in the North and Northeast regions. A greater proportion occurred in 1998-2002 (0.09), in …

Examining The Collegiate Experiences Of African American Males With Same Race Mentors, Crystal L. Locke

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

African American males have a more meaningful college experience when they are mentored with people with whom they can culturally relate (Brown, 2013; Moore & Tolliver, 2010). Although studies indicate African American males who had same race mentors display higher self-efficacy (Stefon, 2011), improved graduation rates (U.S. Department of Education, 2017), and a more positive college experience (Chen, Ingram & Davis, 2014), additional research in this area is needed.

Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study sought to determine the impact having a same race mentor had on the collegiate experiences of five African American males who successfully graduated from …

Principles Of Wind Energy Production, Willie Haynes, Dianne Lhotte, Johnetta Moore

ENgaging Educators in Renewable enerGY (ENERGY): Lesson Plans & Slideshows (2017-2019)

Three public school teachers designed basic wind turbine energy production tests to help them teach wind energy principles to middle and high school students. Variables affecting wind turbine energy production were identified (distance from wind tunnel, blade design, angle of attack, and wind speed), and experiments were conducted to test each variable. This research aligns with Georgia DOE curriculum standard STEM-FET-3.7: Apply STEM knowledge and skills through hands-on research and lab experiments that are focused upon recreating the inventions and social solutions that were realized in the past, present, and possible future. These experiments will be a part of an …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

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A Preliminary Model Reflecting The Potential Contributions Shared By The Four Parties Within The Realm Of Sports Sponsorship, Carol L. Bruneau, Sam Fullerton

AMTP Proceedings 2018

Sports sponsorships have become an increasingly large investment for many organizations. IEG (citation) has forecast that in 2017, total global sponsorship spending will be approximately $62.8 billion, up 4.2% from 2016 expenditures. Close to 70%, or almost $44 billion, of total sponsorship spending will be directed towards the sponsoring of sports events, leagues, teams and individual sports personalities. And the bulk of these investments will be implemented by marketers such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola in efforts to create a sports overlay so as to increase demand for nonsports products. Who benefits from this outpouring of money by companies? Of course, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers' Emotional Responses To Tkes, A High-Stakes Evaluation System, Kristina J. Hirsch

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Teachers experience a plethora of emotions relating to being evaluated and we are losing a lot of good teachers due to some of these emotions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate how teachers at one rural high school describe their emotional responses to evaluation and the implementation of TKES as well as if there were gender differences in their responses. This research is important because teachers need to understand that their emotions are not taboo and they are not alone in the evaluation process. Additionally, evaluators benefit from knowing how teachers respond to evaluation so that they …

Application Of Evolutionary Network Concept In Structuring Mathematics Curriculum, Aditi Mitra

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Phylogenetic tree and in general, evolutionary network, has found its application well beyond the biological fields and has even percolated into recent high demanding areas, such as data mining and social media chain reactions. An extensive survey of its current applications are presented here. An attempt has been made to apply the very concept in the mathematics course curriculum inside a degree program. Various features of the tree structure are identified within the curriculum network. To highlight various key components and to enhance the visual effect, several diagrams are presented. The combined effect of these diagram provides a sense of …

How Anxiety In Adolescent Athletes May Affect Baseline Neuropsychological Test Scores, Christopher P. Tomczyk

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Anxiety is highly prevalent in the adolescent population and can affect performance on cognitive tasks. As part of a concussion protocol, measuring cognitive ability through the use of baseline neuropsychological testing is recommended in the high school setting. Because of the cognitive nature of baseline testing, there is potential for anxiety to influence scores. Purpose: To examine the effects of varying levels of state and trait anxiety on a baseline computerized neurocognitive assessment in the adolescent population. Methods: 75 adolescent athletes (age:15.91±1.33, height (cm): 168.72±9.07, weight (kg): 62.97±12.04) participated in the study. Cognitive ability was measured …

Reduced Exhaust Emissions Through Blending N-Butanol With Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel And Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene In Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition Combustion, Remi Gaubert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Increasing restrictions on the emitted exhaust emissions in diesel engines are becoming a more challenging task than in previous years. An electronic common rail fuel injection system and a port fuel injection (PFI) system were developed for an experimental engine to research dual fuel combustion. The experimental research was conducted at 1500 rpm and 4, 5, and 6 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). n-Butanol was port fuel injected at a 60% by mass fraction coupled with direct injection (DI) of three fuels, including ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD RCCI), a 50-50 wt-% blend of ULSD and butanol (ULSD-Bu RCCI), and …

Self-Efficacy, Implicit Theories Of Ability, And 2 X 2 Achievement Goal Orientation: A Mediation Analysis In Collegiate Athletics, Cory Cottrell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Achievement goal theory encompasses the adaptive and maladaptive responses to achievement situations and has a strong background in sport research. (Dweck, 1986; Nicholls, 1984; Senko, Hulleman, & Harackiewicz, 2011). A 2007 meta-analysis established self-efficacy and implicit theories of ability as antecedents of achievement goal orientation (Payne, Youngcourt, Beaubien, 2007). Using the 2 x 2 achievement goal paradigm the purpose of the study looks to evaluate antecedents of self-efficacy and implicit theories of ability on achievement goal endorsement in collegiate student athletes. The current study examined implicit theories of ability as a mediator between self-efficacy and each of the 2 x …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

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Expressions Of Optimism Bias And "Self" Versus "Other" Perceived Controllability In The Context Of Military-Related Risks, Lauren Lachica-Muschett

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study aimed to examine expressions of optimism bias and perceived controllability specifically regarding risks often associated with military service. Optimism bias refers to people’s tendency to believe they are less susceptible to experiencing negative life events compared to others. Previous studies show high levels of optimism bias are associated with strong perceptions of personal controllability. Optimism bias is a significant aspect of health promotion research particularly in the field of general occupational health and safety (OHS). However, optimism bias has never been investigated in the military OHS domain. Given the number of risks associated with military occupations, examination of …

Anti-Muslim Prejudice When Exposed To News About Terrorism: The Roles Of Negative Affect And Psychological Inflexibility, Arthur T. Hatton Sr.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, some proposed law enforcement policies intended to prevent terrorism may violate the civil rights of American minorities. These policies include random searches by law enforcement, banning Muslims from entering the country, and refusing to grant asylum to Syrian refugees. Additionally, the rise of ISIS has heightened the salience of terrorism across the world and in the United States. The goal of the high-production videos produced by ISIS may be partially intended to create inter-religious conflict in the West. My study examines the effect of news about ISIS propaganda videos on Americans’ opinions about policies that limit …

Capitalizing On Positive Emotional Experiences: A Gratitude Intervention As An Emotional Uplift Strategy, Amanda L. Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Positive psychological interventions are well suited to build upon positive experiences to enhance positive affect and coping resources; however, experimental research is limited, especially regarding if and how gratitude practices can bolster positive affect and coping resources. As a result, the purpose of the current research was to determine (a) if self-reports of gratitude traits vary by important demographic categories (i.e., gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, rural status), (b) if gratitude interventions elevate reports of positive affect after accounting for the effects of positive memory recall, and (c) if gratitude interventions contribute to greater elevations on coping resources (i.e., resilience, coping …

Intrinsic, Future-Oriented Goal Awareness And Two-Year College Graduation, Brent A. Stubbs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The two-year college graduation rate is at an all-time low. Curricular and program designs are not making the sweeping changes needed for the outcomes desired. While higher education continues to be sold as an economic good, research is pointing to the predictive nature of intrinsic, future-oriented goal (IFOG) awareness on sub-goal adoption and its relation to course success and intention to persist. This cross-sectional, correlational study desired to uncover the relation between IFOG and graduation. A modified version of the Aspirations index was provided to a group of new students and those on-target to graduate (last semester) in an effort …

The Relationship Between Middle School Lexile Growth And School Nutrition, Lori A. Joiner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Children in poverty tend to have malnutrition and iron deficiency, and often receive their only meals for the day from a school nutrition program. Students of poverty are underperforming their academic peers. The average reading score of a student can be predicted by the accumulated levels of childhood poverty. Research has found that iron can have a positive impact on brain health. Nutrition deficiencies during the adolescent years may increase the risk of decreased cognitive function. School breakfast and lunch programs follow USDA guideline that limit portions, fats, salts, and sugars, but do not fortify vitamin and minerals necessary …

Resilience, Glenda Militano

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

My objective for creating this body of work is to explore the complexity and beauty of the human brain. What inspired these works is my research on cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes, while neuroscience deals with nerves and nervous tissue that relate to behavior and learning. Neuroscience is where psychology meets biology. The series of paintings in Resilience, were created with the intent to connect these two fields of study, while charting my exploration and discoveries found linked with science and psychology. The brain and its components are portrayed in …

Novice Teachers' Perception Of Mentoring And Teacher Retention, Alissa Sasser

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Acclimating to the field of education, particularly during the first five years, is significantly challenging for novice teachers. In order to ease the transition into the field with the hopes of supporting retention, novice teachers are usually assigned a mentor. Typically, mentors are veteran teachers who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency as an educator and are assigned to the novice teacher in order to provide technical support in areas such as classroom management and lesson planning, as well to provide social and emotional support to novice teachers. An abundance of research exists to support the effectiveness of mentoring …

Deciding On Classroom Composition: Factors Related To Principals' Grouping Practices, Brigid M. Nesmith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the factors that may influence elementary and middle school principals’ choice of heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability grouping in Southeast Georgia. This study employed a quantitative, methodological research design along with descriptive analyses of four research questions using a convenience sample. Data from 64 elementary and middle school principals were received during the spring of 2018 and analyzed to determine the factors that influence their grouping practices.

This study focused on one overarching research question: What factors may be related to principals’ grouping practices in utilizing heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability …

The Relationships Among Trauma History, Disordered Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, And Social Anxiety, Rebekah Mitchell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Eating disorders are highly prevalent and cause significant psychological impairment, up to and including death (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielson, 2011). This research examined how trauma history in the general population explains variation in eating disorder risk. The purpose of the current study was to provide further evidence for the relationship between abuse history and eating disorder risk. Disordered eating behaviors, body dissatisfaction, and social anxiety are all known risk factors for the development of eating disorders (Brewerton, 2007). Trauma history is related to all three of these known risk factors (Brewerton, 2007) with sexual trauma being more linked to …

The "A" Word: Women's Abortion Experiences In Georgia, Kendra J. Cooper

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Abortion is a common medical procedure, with twenty-one percent of all American pregnancies ending in induced abortion in 2011. Literature shows that abortion is highly stigmatized in the United States and even more so in the American South. The contentious discourse surrounding the moral and ethical viewpoints, “right” versus “wrong,” often overpowers women’s lived experiences. Although abortion has been studied extensively across multiple disciplines, literature on women’s lived experiences is limited. Previous research has focused on women in the Midwest, West, and Northeastern regions of the United States but the South has not been a significant focus of study. The …

Using Anthropometrics To Predict Performance In Division I Female Volleyball Athletes, Peter Chrysosferidis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine the ability of anthropometrics (AP) to predict both performance testing (P) (n = 14) and game performance (GP) (n = 10) in female collegiate volleyball players; the relationship between AP and both P and GP. AP consisted of segment lengths and ratios, body height, weight, and fat mass. For P, sport-specific performance tests were conducted assessing power and agility. Attacking and defensive GP statistics were transcribed from Volleymetrics for analysis purposes. AP, P, and GP were normalized through the use of Z-scores by team (T), front row (FR), and back row players …

Happy, Dontay Farley

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of graphic design and how it can be used as tool to create awareness about mental illness and positive solutions to decrease its affect on individuals. Using the “simple things” in life as metaphors, this thesis attempts to use graphic design as a way to help decrease depression. Drawing on the emergent strands of enquiry associated with mental illness, this thesis will investigate how design and its basic principles can be used create positive experiences for the complex issue of mental illness.

This thesis will also review the body of critical and historical design thinking, …

Psychological Readiness Of Athletes To Return To Play Following Injury, Alyssa C. Monahan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Returning an injured athlete to sport before they are both physically and psychologically ready can lead to increased psychological concerns. Traditionally, return to play decisions are based on physical outcomes and it is rare if an athlete is held back from returning to sport if he or she is not psychologically ready to return. Therefore, athletes may be returning to play before they are psychologically ready. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the psychological readiness of the athlete to return to play following injury, and the degree to which psychological readiness was considered by the …

An Investigation Into The Physiological Impacts Of Ocean Acidification On Recruits Of The Temperate Coral, Oculina Arbuscula, Brianne Varnerin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ocean acidification is well-researched with respect to adult scleractinian corals, however information on whether adults and recruits of the same species respond similarly to this environmental stress is lacking. I investigated the responses to increased pCO₂ of recruits of the temperate coral, Oculina arbuscula, whose adults are known to withstand high levels of pCO₂ with no depression in calcification (up to 1000 ppm CO₂). I addressed the hypothesis that O. arbuscula recruit health is not affected by increased pCO₂ by exposing small colonies (5-12mm diameter) to 475, 711, and 1270 ppm CO₂ for …

Baseline Postural Control Measures: An Indicator For Increased Injury Frequency Following Sports Related Concussion, Emily Belson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: An increase in acute lower extremity (LE) injuries have been observed in athletes following sports-related concussion.^{1, 2, 3} It has been suggested that lingering postural control deficits as a result of concussive injury, may play a role in the increased prevalence of injury.¹ PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between baseline postural control metrics (Root Mean Square; Peak Excursion Velocity; Sample Entropy) and acute LE injury frequency in NCAA Division I student athletes (SA) with a previous history of concussion. METHODS: Eighty-four NCAA Division I SA were selected from a single university, 42 SA with a previous history …

Establishing A Need For A Protocol For The Interoperability Of Heterogeneous Iot Home Devices, Jenna Bayto

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the field of connecting devices consumers use every day to the internet. As the world relies on more and more internet-driven technological devices to control functions within the home, issues with compatibility of those devices are surfacing. This research was created to establish the need for standardization of IoT devices within the home.

An Objective Measure Of Sleep In Division I College Soccer Players Compared To The General College Population, Natalie Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Sleep is necessary for proper recovery from daily life for both college athletes and students.

Purpose: To objectively evaluate the sleep quality of college athletes across gender, comparing them to a normal college student population.

Methods: A convenience sample of 104 subjects (19.39 ± 1.28 years), 42 Division college athletes and 62 comparison college students completed one week of data collection using the ActiGraph GT3X device. Wear time, sleep time, and wake time were recorded by each participant. Independent variables were athlete status and gender. Dependent variables were Total Sleep Time (TST), Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO), Latency, and …

Factors Associated With Iron-Folic Acid Supplement Use Among Pregnant Women In Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria - A Cross Sectional Study Using Theory Of Planned Behavior, Toyin O. Akomolafe

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Iron-folic acid supplementation is one of the key interventions provided during antenatal care (ANC) services to reduce iron deficiency, maternal anemia, low birthweight and other pregnancy-related complications responsible for maternal and neonatal mortality. However, use of iron-folic acid supplements and adherence with recommended dosage in Nigeria is low. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine factors associated with iron-folic acid supplements use among pregnant women in Karu local government area (LGA), Nasarawa, Nigeria. Methods: Questionnaires were administered in face-to-face interviews with 64 pregnant women (18 – 49 years old) and 19 healthcare providers in selected …