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Spirituality After Divorcing In Older Age: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Exploring The Impact Of Divorce On The Spirituality Of Older Adults Who Divorce In The Later Life-Span, Glenn Edward Evans May 2023

Spirituality After Divorcing In Older Age: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Exploring The Impact Of Divorce On The Spirituality Of Older Adults Who Divorce In The Later Life-Span, Glenn Edward Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to describe the impact of divorce on the spirituality of people 50 and older whose marriages end after three or more years. Divorce is painful at any age, but this study focused on how people 50 and older who have lived by their spiritual beliefs for most of their lives were impacted. The study applied life-span theory, life course theory, and developmental psychology, as they offered integrated empirical guidance in studying human behavioral changes throughout a person's life. These theories provided a framework for exploring the central research question: How do participants …


The Impact Of A Stem Education Program On Female And Racial Minorities' Knowledge And Attitude, Amira S. Flores May 2023

The Impact Of A Stem Education Program On Female And Racial Minorities' Knowledge And Attitude, Amira S. Flores

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a STEM education program, specifically STARBASE, on the STEM knowledge and attitudes of fifth grade students, as well as its effect on their pursuit of STEM careers, with a focus on female and racial minority students. Based on a sample of 197 fifth graders from a school district in Southern California, the intervention took place at STARBASE, while the control group remained at their respective schools. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study, with four experimental and four control groups. A STEM knowledge assessment and S-STEM attitude survey …


Rethinking Connection: Spirituality, Social Media, And Crisis Of Faith In Young Adult, Connie L. Beckham May 2023

Rethinking Connection: Spirituality, Social Media, And Crisis Of Faith In Young Adult, Connie L. Beckham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

​This phenomenological study aims to understand the impact of social media and spiritual formation or faith development in young adults in the United States. The theory guiding this study is provided by theorists of identity and development, including Erik Erikson, James Marcia, and James Fowler (Verschueren, 2017). Specifically, Fowler identified a direct correlation between identity and faith development to more modern identity considerations and historical data relating to existentialism and other crises (Lamont, 2020). The data was collected from interviews with young adults to explore the impact of social media and faith among young adults. The interviews included thirteen questions …


A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Low Teacher Retention And Morale In A Rural Poverty-Stricken School, Susan Michele Campbell May 2023

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Low Teacher Retention And Morale In A Rural Poverty-Stricken School, Susan Michele Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the factors that are related to low morale and retention as described by teachers who work in a rural, poverty-stricken school in Middle Georgia. The problem addressed in this study was high teacher attrition in rural, poverty-stricken schools. The theories guiding this study were Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene, two-factor theory, and Maslow’s theory of motivation. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit 10 teachers who are employed at a rural, low-income school for three or more years. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted individually. The data were analyzed using open …


What's Your Currency And How Do You Use It? Exploring The Ways Staff On Campus Use Non-Monetary Forms Of Payment: A Grounded Theory Study Of Nonmaterial Culture, Olivia Rosalind Dodson May 2023

What's Your Currency And How Do You Use It? Exploring The Ways Staff On Campus Use Non-Monetary Forms Of Payment: A Grounded Theory Study Of Nonmaterial Culture, Olivia Rosalind Dodson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to create a model that illustrates different types of personal currency among staff at Freedom One University (a pseudonym) and how that currency is being used, by exploring motives for this behavior and gathering information on awareness of this behavior. A constructivist grounded theory approach was utilized as it allows for the analysis of data to construct what is needed from the next set of gathered data (Cooney, 2011). Through grounded theory, a reason for an event, or possibly the cause for an event will become clear, which a theory will explain …


Twice-Exceptional Autism And Home Education: A Phenomenological Analysis, Tiffany Brook Hartman May 2023

Twice-Exceptional Autism And Home Education: A Phenomenological Analysis, Tiffany Brook Hartman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is common for autistic and particularly twice-exceptional (2e) children to be schooled from home at a higher rate than their neurotypical peers. Much of the current research investigating this phenomenon is conducted from the perspective of the public school system. This point of view is generally critical of the curriculum taught in the home, has largely limited parental voices in the literature, and overlooks possible circumstances in the public school system that might have led families to choose to homeschool. This qualitative analysis conducted open-ended interviews of parents with twice-exceptional autistic children who have home-educated or currently educate their …


Non-Music Major Participation In Collegiate Marching Bands: A Necessary Demographic Required For The Survival Of The Collegiate Marching Band, Alexander Scott Kirby May 2023

Non-Music Major Participation In Collegiate Marching Bands: A Necessary Demographic Required For The Survival Of The Collegiate Marching Band, Alexander Scott Kirby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The collegiate marching band can be the face of a university and the heartbeat of campus. Marching bands attract students from all majors across the campus, where those who major in music have the opportunity to be the smallest demographic in the ensemble if the ensemble is open to the entire college or university. Without non-music majors’ participation in collegiate marching bands, programs would not thrive as they do today. Numerous researchers have discovered that many students who had joined an ensemble did not participate in a collegiate performing ensemble after high school graduation. In particular, Mantie and Dorfman described …


An Investigation Of Oconus Military Spouses Coping Responses During Deployment, Clare Maura Bush May 2023

An Investigation Of Oconus Military Spouses Coping Responses During Deployment, Clare Maura Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study was to understand the coping responses of military spouses residing OCONUS during a deployment. Although coping is exhibited, deployments and OCONUS relocations can impact military spouses' physical and emotional well-being. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping related to the central research question: How do OCONUS military spouses describe their coping experiences during deployment? The sub-questions addressed: How do OCONUS military spouses describe the role of self-care practices, social connections, and availability of resources during deployment? Criterion sampling was used to select …


Influence Of Applications And Usage Of Technology On Student Engagement In The Classroom A Qualitative Study, Nimrah Rae Marquez May 2023

Influence Of Applications And Usage Of Technology On Student Engagement In The Classroom A Qualitative Study, Nimrah Rae Marquez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study focuses on the influence of technology applications and usage on student engagement in the classroom setting for high school (9th-12th grade) students and their teachers at a high school in New Mexico. The literature reviewed includes findings that technology applications and usage influence student engagement. However, there were gaps in literature in sharing teacher's lived experience. The theory guiding this study is Bandura's social cognitive theory. A qualitative phenomenological framework was followed to collect data from ten 9th through 12th-grade teachers. Individual interviews, focus groups, and non-participant observations were used as data collection approaches to address …


The Semiotics Of Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Publicly Accessible Information, Laura Elizabeth Zhao May 2023

The Semiotics Of Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Publicly Accessible Information, Laura Elizabeth Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to explore the content and semiotic structure of publicly accessible type 1 diabetes information and assess what content is tailored to the adolescent and young adult population. As an effort to enhance adolescent and young adult self-management practices and outcomes, this research aimed to better understand what information is accessible to the type 1 diabetes community and the ways in which it is categorized. Framed by Greimasian semiotics, ten peer-reviewed sources were selected and coded using frequency and thematic analysis. This comparative process identified five themes including Management, Staying Alive, Type 1 …


A Quantitative Study Exploring The Perceptions Of Body-Worn Camera Use In The Texas Department Of Juvenile Justice, David Dean Stender May 2023

A Quantitative Study Exploring The Perceptions Of Body-Worn Camera Use In The Texas Department Of Juvenile Justice, David Dean Stender

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social justice issues led to the implementation of body-worn cameras (BWC) in police departments throughout the United States. This widespread implementation provided research results to assist other police agencies in considering implementation; however, no similar criminal justice solution for adult and juvenile corrections has been implemented with the same level of practicality. BWCs have the potential to protect inmates according to the Prison Rape Elimination Act’s (PREA) requirements and represent the most critical social justice issue in corrections: advocating civil rights. The former Texas Youth Commission (TYC) was re-branded as the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) due to a history …


Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementing The Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence: A Multiple-Case Study, Terra Elizabeth Brown Jordan May 2023

Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementing The Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence: A Multiple-Case Study, Terra Elizabeth Brown Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe educators’ perceptions concerning the implementation of the Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence (SPIRE) as an intervention to help students meet state proficiency standards at a large suburban school district in Utah. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the theoretical framework to guide an inquiry into educators’ beliefs and how well they executed the SPIRE intervention to answer the central research question, “How do educators explain their perceptions of the use of SPIRE in the classroom?” This study utilized a multiple-case study design that captured the perception of 12 educators who …


Becoming Who You Already Are In Christ: An Eight-Week Discipleship Plan To Equip Members Of Crossline Church To Live Out Their Identity In Christ, John Paul Jones May 2023

Becoming Who You Already Are In Christ: An Eight-Week Discipleship Plan To Equip Members Of Crossline Church To Live Out Their Identity In Christ, John Paul Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action-research project focused on equipping members of Crossline Community Church to live out their identity in Christ. The intervention was an eight-week discipleship plan, “Becoming who you already are in Christ.” The action-research project aimed to evaluate the impact of equipping believers with their identity in Christ upon their transformation into Christ-likeness. The project incorporated biblical, theological, and devotional content with a comprehensive pedagogy designed for maximum influence toward progressive sanctification. The twelve participants in the intervention engaged in sermons, training classes, small groups, and personal Bible studies as a part of the action research. Triangulated evaluation tools were …


Iñupiaq Culture And Wind Band: An Analysis Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy And Access To Music Education On Alaska's North Slope, Christian Eugene Roseboro May 2023

Iñupiaq Culture And Wind Band: An Analysis Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy And Access To Music Education On Alaska's North Slope, Christian Eugene Roseboro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Iñupiaq Culture and Wind Band: An Analysis of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Access to Music Education on Alaska’s North Slope is an observational ethnography examining implications for incorporating the Iñupiaq culture into the instrumental music education curriculum for the North Slope Borough School District. The North Slope Borough School District is the geographically largest and northernmost school district in the United States. The majority of the student population it serves are Iñupiaq Native Alaskans. The research interprets the Iñupiaq Iłitqusiat (cultural values), the North Slope Borough School District pedagogical frameworks, and the Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools to answer …


Exploring The Semblant Effects Of Covid-19 On Minnesota High School Band Programs, Matthew Glen Marsolek May 2023

Exploring The Semblant Effects Of Covid-19 On Minnesota High School Band Programs, Matthew Glen Marsolek

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

At the time of this writing, the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on music education at the secondary level is yet unknown. This study aims to collect and review available data to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic may have had an effect on participation in high school band in Minnesota. This convergent parallel mixed methods research study examines statistical data available through the Freedom of Information Act from a sampling of 167 out of a possible 476 public high schools in Minnesota to determine a potential impact between the COVID-19 pandemic and enrollment in high school band. This is …


The Influence Of Personality On The Experiences Of Child Molesters: A Phenomenological Study, Julianna Emma Davis May 2023

The Influence Of Personality On The Experiences Of Child Molesters: A Phenomenological Study, Julianna Emma Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe different personality traits and pathologies that are common to each of the two identified types of child molester, report how personality played a part in the offense committed, and describe the results from the offender’s point of view. The history of personality traits and disorders is discussed; this information can be useful in the identification of sexual preferences involving those who abuse children. The study involved eight convicted child molesters in the state of Alabama. The participants were grouped into subtype based on self-report measures and public records. Costa and McCrae’s …


Church Attendance, Social Isolation And Loneliness In Older African American Adults During Covid-19, Kinea Savedge May 2023

Church Attendance, Social Isolation And Loneliness In Older African American Adults During Covid-19, Kinea Savedge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the number of older and aging adults continues to grow in the United States, it is important to understand the process of aging and the obstacles associated with growing in age. Two social factors linked with aging are social isolation and loneliness, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Since COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness have been of greater focus due to regulations. This qualitative research study analyzed the impacts of social isolation and loneliness on older African American adults’ overall health by using semi-structured interviews to explore their lived experiences. This study focused on the associations between social isolation, …


Promoting Mental Treatment In The Arab World, Aya Emam Hassanein May 2023

Promoting Mental Treatment In The Arab World, Aya Emam Hassanein

Masters Theses

This study investigates why mental health has been neglected in the Arab world and what strategies could be used to promote it and break the stigma associated with mental disorders. The literature review reveals that the most prominent barriers preventing mental treatment in the Arab world are cultural stigma, poverty, illiteracy, false beliefs regarding the causation of the illness, conflicts in countries, and a scarcity of mental health services and research. The review also discusses the most common mental illnesses in the Arab world and how the culture affects the process of treatment. Additionally, it discusses the possible solutions proposed …


A Future For Foster Youth - Opening The Doors For The Next Generation, Marcus Alexander Grant May 2023

A Future For Foster Youth - Opening The Doors For The Next Generation, Marcus Alexander Grant

Masters Theses

The issue of foster children aging out of care and services has been an issue for quite some time. There are many concerns related to their care and needs. While in the foster care system, services and programs are typically tailored to help support these children and get them to 18 years old. College is often available and paid for to help those aging out of foster care, but what happens to those who do not take that path? College can be stressful and challenging for students with a strong support system. Those aging out of foster care often have …


The Intellectual And Diplomatic Discourse Of American Progressives And The Late Ottomans, 1830–1930, Brigitte Maricich Powell May 2023

The Intellectual And Diplomatic Discourse Of American Progressives And The Late Ottomans, 1830–1930, Brigitte Maricich Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American intellectual and diplomatic discourse with the late Ottoman Empire is an understudied field of history. Major works to date are primarily focused on the US relations with the Turkish Republic starting in 1924, which at best may highlight the Barbary Wars and the Treaties of 1830 and 1862 as a precursor. Few works offer, if any, a comprehensive insight into the diplomatic relationship that evolved between the US and the Near East from 1830 to 1930. This research is meant to fill the absence by probing into the service of key American diplomats and intellectuals who visited and …


Vested Interest And Preparedness Policy: Increasing Preparedness Behaviors Among American Individuals And Families, Nicholas Evan Winters May 2023

Vested Interest And Preparedness Policy: Increasing Preparedness Behaviors Among American Individuals And Families, Nicholas Evan Winters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Natural disasters take place throughout the United States many times annually, from localized storms to hurricanes or earthquakes affecting many states. The federal government develops and implements preparedness policies, which are then translated into state, county, and municipality preparedness policies. Individual and family preparedness is a component of these preparedness policies; however, existing federal preparedness policies fail to prompt American individuals and families to prepare for natural disasters. The purpose of this study is to understand how the failures of the current preparedness policies contribute to the lack of individual and family preparedness and the political, social, and psychological factors …


A Multiple Case Study Examining Collaborative Nature Of Bahamian Pastoral Teams Considering Contextual And Biblical Transformational Leadership, Kevin Andrew Hall May 2023

A Multiple Case Study Examining Collaborative Nature Of Bahamian Pastoral Teams Considering Contextual And Biblical Transformational Leadership, Kevin Andrew Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the nature of pastoral leadership teams in Bahamian churches. Three Bahamian pastoral leadership teams served as the sample frame for this research, with four research questions narrowing its scope to identifying collaborative and transformational behaviors and attributes. The study collected qualitative data regarding leaders’ character formation and the role of the Christian doctrine in shaping (pastoral) team dynamics, along with data regarding pastoral (team) leadership development and the usage of spiritual gifts. The data was then analyzed to determine if the leaders’ behaviors aligned with Cooper’s (2005) contextual and …


Examining The Research To Practice Gap In Targeted Violence Threat Assessment In School Psychology Practice: A Phenomenological Study, Zachary Zilinski May 2023

Examining The Research To Practice Gap In Targeted Violence Threat Assessment In School Psychology Practice: A Phenomenological Study, Zachary Zilinski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preventing acts of targeted violence in schools is a necessary good because of institutional and social harms. Acts of targeted violence in school are low probability, though high-impact events have often garnered a high degree of media attention and thus attention from society at large. In lieu of attempts at perpetrator profiling, current best practice approaches emphasize prevention and intervention measures that consider the environmental factors such as school climate that can serve to incubate school violence. School psychology as a field straddles education and applied psychology. For this reason, school psychologists are often called upon to participate in threat …


Sel And Community Engagement Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Suburban Middle School Band Students, Gina Marie Vingara May 2023

Sel And Community Engagement Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Suburban Middle School Band Students, Gina Marie Vingara

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has not yet found a correlation between community engagement and social-emotional learning (SEL) in a manner that benefits the recruitment and retention of suburban middle school band students. Teachers who create community engagement initiatives can boost the number of student recruits as the program becomes more widely recognized as a valuable asset of the school. This explanatory sequential mixed methods design study examined strategies regarding community engagement and SEL for recruiting and retaining middle school instrumental music education students. Perspectives on community engagement and SEL benefiting recruitment and retention of middle school band students emerged. Research revealed a connection …


Football Connections Impact On High School Graduation: A Qualitative Study, Devin Rakin Allison Sr May 2023

Football Connections Impact On High School Graduation: A Qualitative Study, Devin Rakin Allison Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the influences that playing high school football has on graduation. The theories guiding this study were the theory of connectedness and the theory of attachment and how students' connections to football helped them achieve the goal of graduation. Ainsworth and Bowlby and their theories of attachment were used to tie football as an extracurricular activity to graduation and why educators push for students to be involved. I attempted to show the benefits that involvement in football helps a student succeed in high school. Themes like connections, support, and academics were revealed …


Understanding The Experiences Of Compassion Fatigue Among Counselors In Private Practice: A Phenomenological Approach, Brie-Anna Michelle Willey May 2023

Understanding The Experiences Of Compassion Fatigue Among Counselors In Private Practice: A Phenomenological Approach, Brie-Anna Michelle Willey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to understand the experiences of compassion fatigue and help-seeking and coping strategies among counselors in private practice. The theories guiding this study are the transition model and the transactional theory of stress and coping. The research questions included an OARQ What are counselors in private practice’s experiences of compassion fatigue? Two SQs were also used (SQ1) What are counselors in private practice’s experiences of help-seeking behaviors? (SQ2) How do counselors in private practice make sense of coping with compassion fatigue? Participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data collection included …


Research In Onondaga Music: Challenges And Opportunities, Kristi Eve Adams May 2023

Research In Onondaga Music: Challenges And Opportunities, Kristi Eve Adams

Masters Theses

The main topic of focus is the resistance by indigenous people to communicate their cultural practices to researchers and those who are not part of their immediate community, especially in a post-COVID-19 world. The topic will be explored through the music and ceremonies of the Haudenosaunee people, also known as the Iroquois, consisting of members of Native American heritage that are still in existence today and recognized by the United States federal government as an official tribe. Onondaga Nation is one of the few remaining self-governing sovereign Native American nations in the United States. The music of the Onondaga people …


A Study Of The English Language And Its Effects On Vocal Technique, Christie Massey May 2023

A Study Of The English Language And Its Effects On Vocal Technique, Christie Massey

Masters Theses

There is a widely accepted view by voice teachers at all levels that the English language poses significant challenges for the classical singer in both diction and technique. For the native speaker, this notion may be puzzling and frustrating. This study aims to research and provide pedagogical strategies to assist the teacher and aid the student in singing English successfully and with effective classical technique. The primary research question is: What are the main challenges of singing English diction with classical technique? Other sub-questions include 1) How do period and style affect how the language is sung? 2) To what …


The Grade Is The Message: An Analysis Of The Grading Structure’S Effects On Student Grade/Learning Orientations, Grant Lynn Rye May 2023

The Grade Is The Message: An Analysis Of The Grading Structure’S Effects On Student Grade/Learning Orientations, Grant Lynn Rye

Masters Theses

This qualitative study was undertaken to study the medium of the grade in education contexts under the assumptions made within the field of media ecology. The goal of this study was to build on previous research that has identified that learning-oriented students are better set up for success in the classroom than grade-oriented students. With this in mind, this study aims to identify, from the student perspective, what different aspects of the grading system communicate to students that they should value in the classroom, especially in regard to grade-oriented or learning-oriented mindsets. After conducting interviews with current students from a …


Saving The Superheroes, Jeffrey Lawrence Nickles May 2023

Saving The Superheroes, Jeffrey Lawrence Nickles

Masters Theses

Normal Man is a screenplay about Freddy, a below-average underdog who changes the world with the power of his positive thinking. The thesis briefly explores the psychology of how a person’s perceived self-image could stop a highly qualified individual from achieving their dreams, while an underqualified person with a positive self-image can go on to greatness. Other underdogs are compared against Freddy in order to provide a relatable yet successful protagonist. The Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are also analyzed to show how the supposed “backward” attitudes of Christianity can save the day.