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The Relationship Between Entrance Age And Academic Achievement In Literacy Skills For Kindergarten Students In A Rural School, Rebecca Ann Brower Mar 2020

The Relationship Between Entrance Age And Academic Achievement In Literacy Skills For Kindergarten Students In A Rural School, Rebecca Ann Brower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parents and teachers are faced with the difficult question of when to enroll their children in kindergarten to be the most academically successful in a rural area. Some parents have started enrolling children in kindergarten at the age of four, despite not being cognitively ready based on the information-processing theory. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between entrance age and the academic achievement of literacy skills for kindergarten students in a rural area. A correlational design was utilized to test the strength and direction of the relationship between two quantitative variables: age and reading achievement in …


Congregational Hymn-Singing At The Weimar Seventh-Day Adventist Church: A Case Study, Erwin Gabriel Nanasi Mar 2020

Congregational Hymn-Singing At The Weimar Seventh-Day Adventist Church: A Case Study, Erwin Gabriel Nanasi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the New Testament and the history of the church, congregational hymn-singing has been utilized to edify Christians in worship. Although congregational hymn-singing has been an integral part of Christian worship, many 21st century Christian denominations have departed from this practice. Utilizing contemporary worship music instead of hymns has become the norm. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics and benefits of congregational hymn-singing. Using a qualitative case study, this research attempted to determine the efficacy of congregational hymn-singing on perceived theological insight, emotional wellness and group unity at the Weimar Seventh-day Adventist church. The subject church …


Growing Grit To Produce Doctoral Persistence: A Grounded Theory Study, Melanie Denise Moran Hudson Mar 2020

Growing Grit To Produce Doctoral Persistence: A Grounded Theory Study, Melanie Denise Moran Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to generate a model explaining how grit and a growth mindset develop and influence doctoral persistence in doctoral completers. The theories guiding this study were Tinto’s (1975) student integration theory of college persistence, Duckworth’s (2016) theory of grit, and Dweck’s (2016) theory of mindset. Interview and reflective journaling data, as well as scores on the Short Grit Scale (Duckworth, 2016) and the Dweck Mindset Instrument (Dweck, 2016), from 12 doctoral completers were analyzed using systematic coding consistent with a grounded theory research design. The central research question of the study was, …


A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel Mar 2020

A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent research has shown that teacher burnout is a contributing factor to many teachers leaving the field of education early on in their careers. Many teachers of all levels and subjects leave before ever reaching their full potential due to decreased job-satisfaction and the overwhelming symptoms of burnout crippling other areas of their life. Emotional exhaustion is a major component of burnout. Thus, emotional empathy may be related to teacher burnout. In this quantitative, correlational and causal-comparative study, the researcher examined the relationship between emotional empathy and teacher burnout among K-12 teachers. Further, the researcher investigated whether the relationship between …


Mental Health Chaplaincy: A Guide For Geriatric Psychiatric Chaplains, Deena Anne Martinelli Mar 2020

Mental Health Chaplaincy: A Guide For Geriatric Psychiatric Chaplains, Deena Anne Martinelli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) evaluated the expanding roles of chaplains in mental health and identified the prevalent need for additional training among chaplains when integrating chaplaincy and mental health services. Literature revealed that chaplains were lacking in the skillsets and pastoral care practices needed to effectively care for elderly patients with mental health disorders. A gap remains in literature regarding the reported level of training and preparedness of chaplains who ministered to geriatric mental health patients within clinical settings, which this project sought to examine. Harter’s competence motivation theory and the Holy Bible served as …


The Experiences Of Xavier Grace’S District Leaders’ Engagement In Large-Scale School Redesign: An Intrinsic Case Study, Almecia Monique Watkins Mar 2020

The Experiences Of Xavier Grace’S District Leaders’ Engagement In Large-Scale School Redesign: An Intrinsic Case Study, Almecia Monique Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to understand the experiences of district leaders and what they perceived as best practices for engaging in large-scale school redesign. The theory guiding this study was the 21st century learning theory developed by the extensive research of multiple educational theorists (Brown, 2005, 2006; United States Department of Education, 2018; P21, 2018). This study was designed to answer the following central question and three research questions: CQ) What are the unique experiences of Xavier Grace district leaders as the district implemented a 21st century school redesign? RQ1) How do professional development activities impact …


Engaging The Poor: Leveraging Local Poverty Assistance Programs To Prepare For Global Engagement, Darren Hercyk Mar 2020

Engaging The Poor: Leveraging Local Poverty Assistance Programs To Prepare For Global Engagement, Darren Hercyk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With globalization, there has been an explosion in travel by academic institutions and the church. For the church, this growth has been in short-term mission trips. Unlike traditional missionaries, most short-term travelers are untrained or lightly trained laypersons. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to understand how local poverty assistance programs could be leveraged to prepare the church today for global engagement. This study provided ten church volunteers with training that included a Scripture overview of the poor, the multidimensional factors of poverty, reducing harm in poverty programs, and the skills for affirming dignity during an interview. Following …


A Qualitative Study On The Detrimental Impacts Of Attrition In Mid-Level Managers In The Marine Corps, Richard Lee Diddams Jr Mar 2020

A Qualitative Study On The Detrimental Impacts Of Attrition In Mid-Level Managers In The Marine Corps, Richard Lee Diddams Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative, case study research was to explore leadership and retention factors associated with Marine Corps officers the Marine Corps desired to retain until retirement eligible. The objective was to explore the views of Command and Staff students who were at the mid-point of their career and faced with retention decisions. The study incorporated a comprehensive document review focused on leadership and retention, Marine Corps precepts involving promotion and retention policies, Marine Corps leadership and retention archival documents, and participant interviews using semi-structured questions to obtain insight into the research questions. The study involved the dynamic relationship …


The Impact Of Departmentalized And Traditional Instructional Settings On Economically Disadvantaged Fourth Grade Students' Mathematical Proficiency, Elizabeth Courtney Medlock Mar 2020

The Impact Of Departmentalized And Traditional Instructional Settings On Economically Disadvantaged Fourth Grade Students' Mathematical Proficiency, Elizabeth Courtney Medlock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

All students must have opportunities to achieve high levels of mathematics learning, thus, organizational settings in the field of education should be carefully examined to determine the extent to which the instructional environment affects student achievement, growth, and application of grade level standards for students identified as economically disadvantaged. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to investigate differences in mathematical proficiency of economically disadvantaged fourth-grade students in departmentalized versus traditional instructional settings as measured by the 2019 Maryland PARCC mathematics assessment. A cluster sample of low-income fourth-grade students from 80 public elementary schools in a large, suburban school …


A Description Of The Lived Experiences Of Administrators Supervising Special Education Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Kristen Marie Richtberg Wilkins Mar 2020

A Description Of The Lived Experiences Of Administrators Supervising Special Education Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Kristen Marie Richtberg Wilkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe how novice, public school administrators experience and learn to supervise special education programs. This study was founded in epistemological assumptions that specific knowledge is required to provide supervision for special education programs. This study was additionally framed using Knowles’ adult learning theory, which theorizes that adults bring their personal experiences to bear and are intrinsically motivated to learn information that they need (Knowles, 1970, 1973). For the purposes of this study, adult learning theory related to the lived experiences of administrators as they learn to supervise special education programs. The …


Student Disengagement In A Low Socioeconomic Elementary School: Applied Research, Dawn Michele Cobb-Fossnes Mar 2020

Student Disengagement In A Low Socioeconomic Elementary School: Applied Research, Dawn Michele Cobb-Fossnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of student disengagement in an elementary school located in a low socioeconomic school district in central New Jersey and to formulate a solution to address the problem. Student engagement is an issue of concern for school administrators and teachers. Disengagement often results in lower student academic performance. The problem of student disengagement may have a long-term impact on a student’s academic success as well as his or her career. The central research question guiding this research was: How can the problem of disengagement be solved at Beacon Charter Elementary …


The Relationship Between On-Going Factors Of Parent Satisfaction In Private Christian Schools In A Southwestern State, Christopher Don Gann Mar 2020

The Relationship Between On-Going Factors Of Parent Satisfaction In Private Christian Schools In A Southwestern State, Christopher Don Gann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

School choice has become more prominent in national discourse as competition for students increases. Parent satisfaction is a complex, yet critical, component for school administrators and board members to understand in order to determine the degree to which parent demographics contribute to overall satisfaction among private Christian school parents. This predictive, correlational study investigated perceptions of school choice in the context of consumerism and customer satisfaction to determine the degree to which predictors, namely parent demographics, contribute to overall parental satisfaction among private Christian school parents. The parents in the study represent those who chose a Christian school environment for …


Exploring The Essence Of Participation Of The Female Puerto Rican Basketball Athlete, Roberto Medina Mar 2020

Exploring The Essence Of Participation Of The Female Puerto Rican Basketball Athlete, Roberto Medina

Masters Theses

In Puerto Rico, little is known regarding how female collegiate and professional basketball players perceive and experience their playing participation. The population of girls playing basketball has experienced recent increases. However, the culture in Puerto Rico has yet to embrace the participation of female basketball athletes. Attempting to address the void in scholarly literature, this study explored female athlete participation perceptions in competitive basketball within the Puerto Rican sport culture. The investigation implemented a qualitative approach using a phenomenological methodology to form descriptive themes. Data was obtained from 14 female basketball athletes, of which 10 were student-athletes, and four were …


The Impact Prayer Has On Reducing Anxiety, Casey D. Groover Mar 2020

The Impact Prayer Has On Reducing Anxiety, Casey D. Groover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Anxiety predates the modern world as its history is biblical. Christians have traditionally battled the conditions of anxiety, and it currently adversely impacts people in various ways today. A process used to reduce the effect of anxiety is prayer, and Christians among the Church of God denomination practice its rituals so that God will provide for their requests. This Christian prayer is experienced through different prayer rituals as God recognizes and responds to Christians using them. The results of prayers when experiencing reactions to anxiety are reported in the testimonies of ten research participants who provided three significant themes in …


Christian Education: Eight Essential Elements To Foster Spiritual Formation And Christlikeness, Alice Tillman O'Neal Mar 2020

Christian Education: Eight Essential Elements To Foster Spiritual Formation And Christlikeness, Alice Tillman O'Neal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective Christian education in the church setting should be a process that stimulates growth. The problem is that without the provision and engagement in the essential elements of Christian education, believers can attend church for an entire life span and never grow into Christlike maturity. This research project provides a paradigm to foster the demonstration of Christlikeness by the individual maturation toward spiritual formation and the operationalizing of the community of believers as a life-giving organism. The research approach includes the examination of recognized models of Christian education, spiritual formation, and Christian community development. Additionally, pastors of fifteen churches in …


The Impact Of A Middle School Boarding Program: A Phenomenological Study Of Low-Income Minority Male Students Persisting To Post-Graduation Success, Lavinia Elise Hawkins Mar 2020

The Impact Of A Middle School Boarding Program: A Phenomenological Study Of Low-Income Minority Male Students Persisting To Post-Graduation Success, Lavinia Elise Hawkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of high school graduates who persisted to post-graduation success (PGS) after attending an all-male middle school boarding program (MSBP) for low-income students (LISs) in an urban community in the southeastern United States. The theory that guided this study was invitational theory by Purkey as it explains the relationship between the entire culture within the school. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a song selection response activity were utilized to collect data from 12 participants. Moustakas’ steps for transcendental phenomenological research were conducted to analyze the data, including the Epoche …


The Correlation Between Pastors’ Leadership Style, Their Organizational Change Commitment, And Their Organization’S Readiness For Change, Jerusha Smith Drummond Mar 2020

The Correlation Between Pastors’ Leadership Style, Their Organizational Change Commitment, And Their Organization’S Readiness For Change, Jerusha Smith Drummond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental correlational study was to determine whether a relationship exists between pastors’ perceptions of transformational leadership, pastors’ organizational change commitment, and their organization’s readiness for change, controlling for gender, age, education, tenure, and geographical location of lead pastors in the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) churches. Leadership and change are intertwined; thus, pastors’ commitment to organizational change and their organization’s readiness for change highlights dynamic leadership in the management of church life. The pastor must possess a leadership style that moves the church toward organizational change while keeping parishioners in attendance. The study answers the following …


Attachment Theory And Its Relationship With Anxiety, Julianne R. Urban Feb 2020

Attachment Theory And Its Relationship With Anxiety, Julianne R. Urban

The Kabod

Attachment theory studies the emotional bonds between infants and their caregivers. The four types of attachment styles are secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. Each affects the ways that children develop emotionally and can influence them into adulthood. Research has shown that secure attachment can help children to learn to regulate their emotions and cope with anxiety, which helps them to become well-adjusted adults who are capable of forming healthy relationships. In contrast, there is a positive correlation between individuals with anxious or avoidant attachment styles in infancy and the development of anxiety disorders when they are older. People with those …


Where Do We Go From Here? An Analysis And Critique Of The Current Physicalist Theories Of Mind, Noah Perrault Feb 2020

Where Do We Go From Here? An Analysis And Critique Of The Current Physicalist Theories Of Mind, Noah Perrault

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

As naturalism continues to dominate academia it naturally flows into philosophy of mind. Physicalist theories of mind reduce the mind to only what is material. Philosophers like Jaegwon Kim and Daniel Dennett present forceful arguments against mental states of mind holding causal power at all. This paper will critique arguments from Kim and Dennett regarding physicalist theories of mind and show that the philosopher who does not hold to a naturalist worldview need not be frightened by arguments like Kim or Dennett's.


An Aggressive, Arrogant, And Argumentative Society: A Biblical Perspective From African American Pastors Of Carolina Low Country, James Mack Jr Feb 2020

An Aggressive, Arrogant, And Argumentative Society: A Biblical Perspective From African American Pastors Of Carolina Low Country, James Mack Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In a nation mired in racial violence, how can African American churches reach the divided communities with the love of Jesus Christ? What methods can African American pastors use to enlighten their communities and seek racial unity within the greater community? How can African American pastors share this single truth with their communities: As long as America is divided by racial bigotry, economic disparity, and cultural indifference, every citizen is injured, and our nation is bound to fail. Although similar questions are asked nationwide, this thesis focuses on the perspectives of African American pastors and their churches from the Gullah …


Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland Feb 2020

Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Harvest House of Hope (HHH) located in the inner-city of San Bernardino, Ca offers a mission services ministry to their community, they had become inactive in their community outreach missions. The ministry concerns of HHH surround the subject of spiritual transformation and the role of the church in community outreach. The purpose of this project is to educate the men, women, and children of Harvest House of Hope on the value of mission services, in hopes to drive them towards the spirit of community outreach. The proposed educational component included a theological structure built upon the Holy Scripture, as …


Problem-Based Learning In Physician Assistant Education At A University In Eastern South Carolina: Improving An Active Learning Pedagogy, Marvin S. Wade Feb 2020

Problem-Based Learning In Physician Assistant Education At A University In Eastern South Carolina: Improving An Active Learning Pedagogy, Marvin S. Wade

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of designing and delivering a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum which enhances students’ critical thinking and prepares physician assistant (PA) students to pass a national certifying examination at a small university in eastern South Carolina. A multi-methods approach utilizing concepts from qualitative and quantitative research was used. The study was guided through a central research question: How can the problems of problem-based learning be improved in PA education at a university in eastern South Carolina? Deeper understanding is discovered through the sub-questions: (a) how would PA education faculty in an …


Differences Between Gifted And Non-Gifted Students’ Perceptions Of Advanced International Certificate Of Education Course Quality, Kristin Hudson Feb 2020

Differences Between Gifted And Non-Gifted Students’ Perceptions Of Advanced International Certificate Of Education Course Quality, Kristin Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A nonexperimental, causal-comparative research study examined if potential differences exist between secondary-level gifted and non-gifted students’ perceptions of course quality in Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) courses. While research in gifted education has examined students’ perceptions of advanced coursework and the impact of acceleration on academic growth and motivation, no research to date has examined secondary gifted students’ perceptions of AICE course quality. Current research on the AICE program has focused on the program’s influence as a predictive model for university matriculation and achievement, most often using grade point average. Student participants attend a local public-school high school located …


Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones Feb 2020

Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millions of children will die this year due to chronic and terminal illnesses. The medical and psychological communities have attempted for decades to find a methodology that will help parents and the child find hope for the future. The psychological and medical communities’ meta-analysis studies have shown that the goal of hope has been elusive for children and families in all current modalities. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true assurance for parents and children experiencing chronic and terminal childhood illness. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans that believing in the gospel brings life all joy, …


The Right Mix: A Single Case Study Into A Blended Learning Program At Tobrikay Corporation, Angela Marie Andrews Feb 2020

The Right Mix: A Single Case Study Into A Blended Learning Program At Tobrikay Corporation, Angela Marie Andrews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of learners and subject matter experts (SMEs) at Tobrikay Corporation (pseudonym) regarding software systems training in a blended learning environment. The following question was the focus of this case study: What are the learners and SMEs’ experiences with the adoption of blended learning at Tobrikay Corporation? The theory guiding this study was Knowles’ (1989) theory on andragogy. In order to connect with adults, a link must be established between the key concepts being taught and their relevance to the intended recipient. The study was further grounded …


Attitude Towards One-To-One Technology Among Student Academic Achievement In Ninth Grade Stem Classes, Brenda Patterson Ishmael Feb 2020

Attitude Towards One-To-One Technology Among Student Academic Achievement In Ninth Grade Stem Classes, Brenda Patterson Ishmael

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The use of technology is an essential element in the world in which we live. This study is important because schools around the world spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on one-to-one technology integration in the classroom. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a predictive relationship exists between the attitudinal level towards one-to-one technology and student academic achievement of ninth-grade students. A bivariate regression analysis was used to determine if there was a predictive relationship between student academic achievement as measure by EOC scores Algebra 1 and Biology 1 and the attitudinal test scores measured …


The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr Feb 2020

The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teacher attrition is a continuing issue facing schools in the United States. A lack of administrative support and working conditions are often cited as causes of job dissatisfaction and lack of career commitment, which in turn lead to burnout and intent to leave. Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been extensively studied and found to have a positive correlation to the outcomes of job satisfaction and commitment and a negative correlation to stress and burnout. Some leadership models have been found to be an antecedent to PsyCap. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of teachers’ PsyCap with the …


The Impact Of High Stakes Assessments On Self-Competence, Autonomy, And Perseverance For Educators In Rural Middle Tennessee: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lucas Charles Bowling Feb 2020

The Impact Of High Stakes Assessments On Self-Competence, Autonomy, And Perseverance For Educators In Rural Middle Tennessee: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lucas Charles Bowling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand, as a lived experience, the impact of high-stakes assessments on self-competence, autonomy, and perseverance for teachers in rural middle Tennessee. High-stakes assessments were generally defined as a summative assessment that provides data which could be used for employment, promotion, or pay-related decisions. The theory guiding this study was Deci and Ryan’s (2008) self-determination theory (SDT), which framed understanding a teacher’s determination to perform or avoid certain acts in relation to their innate psychological needs. The central research question for this study was designed to understand the lived experiences of teachers …


Empowering Learners Through Developing Intercultural Communication Capability, Yan Xie Jan 2020

Empowering Learners Through Developing Intercultural Communication Capability, Yan Xie

All-Faculty Conference (2020)

This session will introduce some cross-language and - cultural communication activities in foreign language classes. The session will show how learner-centered pedagogy can be practiced from the perspective of improving learners’ global competence. Given that they highlight motivating and empowering learners, the teaching methods presented in this session will be transferrable to other academic areas.


What's New In The Latest Apa Publication Manual?, Randy L. Miller Jan 2020

What's New In The Latest Apa Publication Manual?, Randy L. Miller

All-Faculty Conference (2020)

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association released the 7th edition of their Publication Manual. This session will review the significant changes and updates made in APA formatting and added guidelines for student usage. Liberty University plans to implement these changes in May 2020. APA’s Academic Writer will also be presented which includes APA research tools, templates and sample papers.