Digital Commons Network^™

The Mediating Role Of Anger In The Forgiveness-Mental Health Link, Jichan Kim

All-Faculty Conference (2020)

Participants will learn about findings from a research study the presenter conducted. Findings demonstrate a link between forgiveness and psychological health through the mediating role of reduced anger.

The Creative Exposure Intervention As Part Of Clinical Treatment For Adolescents Exposed To Bullying And Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Lisa S. Sosin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation introduces an eclectic intervention, incorporating these three techniques, designed for work with adolescents experiencing bully-related PTSD symptoms. The presentation includes a case example to illustrate Creative Exposure, which can be used in one session or across multiple sessions.

This technique is intended for use by counselors with the credentials and training to provide trauma treatment

Stress Perception And Measurement In Missionary Populations, Laurie A. Tone, Fernando Garzon, John C. Thomas, Brigitte Ritchey, Mike Malek-Ahmadi

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Christian missionaries experience numerous stressors across multiple domains. To understand their unique experiences, a targeted assessment is required. There is no known psychometrically tested measure that captures the nuances of stress for this population. To that end, as part of a larger study, the quantitative CHOPS Stress Inventory, a new tool for measuring missionary stress was developed and showed good initial psychometric qualities when compared to an established stress measure. Furthermore, the Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of survey findings on 267 cross-cultural evangelical missionaries noted that both age and sex demonstrated significant effects on perceived stress scores. Implications for missionary …

Creative Arts Personal Growth Group (Capg), Lisa S. Sosin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

(1) CAPG Rationale
(2) CAPG Theoretical Framework
(3) CAPG Screening and Sessions
(4). Participate in and Process a CAPG Intervention
(5). CAPG Research Findings

Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to further understand the problem of poor literacy achievement among high school students and to design interventions for school leaders to impact and improve high school students’ literacy. Fifteen Florida secondary principals’ self-perceived instructional leadership behaviors were scored using the three dimensions of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). The independent variables were the principal’s instructional behaviors, and the dependent variable was sophomore students’ Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts school level scores for the 2016–2017 school year. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted using four open-ended questions to gather further information …

Equipping With Excellence: Evaluating Effectiveness Of Staff Training On Counselors' Experience At Summer Camp, Avery Lee Hand

Senior Honors Theses

This research study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of staff training on the competency of counselors at summer camp. The study addresses the question, "How does the counselor training program provided by a camp affect the experience and effectiveness of the counselor throughout the summer?" The participant population includes 8 college age (18-22) camp counselors employed by Cru Kids Camp for summer 2019 as part of its elementary (K-5th) program. Through qualitative interview research, analyzed by thematic network coding, the researcher identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the particular training program. The goal of this study is to provide professional …

Help-Seeking Stigma And Attitudes In College Students And Parents, Samantha Sperling

Senior Honors Theses

Help-seeking stigma is a hindrance to obtaining treatment for mental illness and is related to people’s attitudes toward seeking help. Therefore, learning about the various types of stigma and gaining predictive knowledge of the constructs has value. Self-stigma and perceived stigma of others, as well as the attitudes people hold towards seeking help, were compared in college students and their parents. A sample of college students at a private Christian university and their parents were surveyed using the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale, the Perception of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) scale, and a short form of …

Substance Use Education For Concussion Patients, Nicole Whitmoyer

Senior Honors Theses

Substance use and traumatic brain injury are independently dangerous to an individual. These factors can compound and produce even worse effects if they cooccur during adolescence. Despite the scientific literature demonstrating the cumulative problems associated with these all cooccurring, many students and teachers know very little about traumatic brain injury recovery and the impact substance use can have on that process. Professionals who interact with at-risk individuals for traumatic brain injuries, such as adolescents and athletes, have little knowledge regarding substance use and traumatic brain injury, however a seminar model was effective for developing content knowledge and changes in attitude …

God And The Machine: A Correlational Study On Mobile Phone Dependence, Religious Coping, And Mental Health, Rachel Bolme

Senior Honors Theses

Research on the various effects of mobile phones did not begin to be published until after they had already been integrated into society. To date, the results of various studies looking into the relationship between mobile phone use and mental health demonstrate that phones, if used in problematic ways, have negative effects on mental health. Even so, there are no studies looking into problematic mobile phone use and how it correlates with spirituality and positive religious coping as well as mental health. Due to this gap in the research, this anonymous online study was designed to look into correlations between …

Fostering Self-Efficacy For Biblical Learning And Doctrinal Awareness With Micro-Teaching In A Brief Course On Bible Study, Robin K. Henson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-efficacy for biblical learning was explored in the context of a small group experience focused on how to study the Bible. After first developing a new instrument to measure self-efficacy for biblical learning in a pilot study, ten church attendees participated in a seven-week course designed around the hermeneutical principles of understanding a Scripture passage in textual and historical context, placing the passage in the grand story of God, and relating it to relevant doctrine. The small group process employed micro-teaching as a mechanism to facilitate challenge and mastery experience in learning. Micro-teaching places the student in the role of …

Using Preschool To Close The Socioeconomic Math Achievement Gap, Sydney King

Senior Honors Theses

Socioeconomic status (SES) heavily influences students’ academic performance, creating an achievement gap in core subjects like reading and mathematics. This thesis will describe the socioeconomic achievement gap as it relates to mathematics specifically, discuss the problem’s causes, and propose how preschool programs should be implemented more prevalently as a solution to close the gap. Children with low socioeconomic statuses enter school with lower math proficiency due to their limited math exposure in their early years and the quality of their home learning environments. This thesis will propose an expansion of preschool programs as a solution to this problem to help …

A Relentless War: America, Israel, And The Fight Against Terrorism, Elyse Keener

Senior Honors Theses

For Israel, terrorism has plagued the nation since its beginning. Terrorism rears its ugly head in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons; however, in both the United States and Israel, Islamic extremism has presented itself as the largest threat. Since its birth as a nation, the United States has been involved in numerous conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to World War II and beyond. These wars were fought between nation-states and traditional powers, but since the attacks on 9/11, the United States finds itself in a new kind of conflict against a different kind of enemy. …

Authentic Leadership's Ethical Influence On Retail Telecom Performance Management Systems, Arin S. Crandall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study of retail telecommunication salespeople and their employers supported the existing literature about authentic leadership’s positive influence on organizational citizenship behavior, affective commitment, ethical climate, and employee motivation in balancing performance management systems. Through salesperson self-regulation, this study also supported goal setting and other task-based motivation theories. The study added to the paucity of research on the relationship of pressure to unethical behavior and found the time dimension of goals was less important than threatening pressure. Both ethical codes and personal values were found to motivate ethical behavior more than either one by itself. Also, the study found …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Student Nurses With Learning Disabilities In The Clinical Learning Environment, Lorna Jean Woodhall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to record the lived experiences of nursing students with learning disabilities while in the clinical learning environment. Dewey’s theory of education and Knowles’ theory of adult learning were used to ground this study. Their theories provided a foundation to understand how the learning process is affected in nursing students with learning disabilities in the clinical learning environment. The study answered the following research questions: (a) What are the lived experiences of student nurses with learning disabilities in the clinical learning setting? (b) How are nursing students impacted by their learning disability during …

And They Shall Be Men: An Original Anthology & Analysis Of The Modern Male Bildungsroman, Margaret Cox

Senior Honors Theses

The stories that boys have been told about what it means to be a man change throughout history. This study considers the postmodern effect of masculinities, female empowerment, as well as the canon of Western bildungsroman in an attempt to understand how the narratives have changed over the past 50 years. Additionally, an anthology of original fiction illustrates how universal stories persist within the changing social narratives.

Job Satisfaction Of Automotive Technicians: A Comparison Of Graduates From General Programs To Manufacturer-Sponsored Programs, Bobby Gene Rowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to compare the job satisfaction levels of graduates from postsecondary two-year automotive programs that included specialized manufacturer-sponsored training to those graduates of postsecondary two-year general automotive programs. The study used the results of surveys answered by graduates working in dealerships within a 50-mile radius of postsecondary schools that have four of more Mopar CAP, Honda PACT, GM ASEP, Ford Asset, or Toyota T-TEN programs. Job satisfaction was measured using Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey and consisted of pay, fringe benefits, assigned job tasks, and total job satisfaction. An independent t-test measured the differences in …

Autism Spectrum Disorders And Positive Familial Effects, Genevieve Weaver

Senior Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been found to significantly impact familial structures and outcomes in various studies. The majority of the impact, however, has been primarily negative; effects like increased stress, marital discontentment, and stigmatization are commonly expressed by families. In this study data from a questionnaire, interview, and picture presentations were analyzed and triangulated to identify the positive familial effects of having a child or sibling with ASD. Parents and siblings shared that having a child or sibling with ASD has bettered their life through learning to enjoy the identity of the individual with ASD, through personal growth, and …

A Qualitative Study On Urban Middle School Teachers' Perspective Of Social And Emotional Learning As Formed Through Personal And Occupational Experience, Joseph George Gerics

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experience of social-emotional learning both personal and professional for twelve urban middle school teachers in northeast Ohio. Urban middle school teachers have typically been under-represented in the research around social-emotional learning and this study looks to give voice to this under-represented group. Through the research, this study gained information regarding urban middle school teachers’ personal and professional experiences with social and emotional learning and how this experience promotes or inhibits successful implementation of social-emotional learning within the classroom. The theories guiding this study are Emotional Intelligence which root …

Special Education Teachers’ Experiences Of Providing Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders Access To The General Education Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study, Hanna Leigh Kiser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Given the need for research that emphasizes age and grade-appropriate content in authentic settings, the purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe special education teachers’ lived-experience of providing students with emotional and behavioral disorders access to the general education curriculum in a separate school setting. The research addressed the essential research question: What are teachers’ experiences of providing students with emotional and behavioral disorders access to the general education curriculum? Bandura’s social cognitive theory, concept of self-efficacy, and the associated achievement goal theory and guided the study and provided context for findings. All participants were teachers of students …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Surrender, And God Attachment And Its Impact On Depression And Anxiety, Shalana Marlene Palermo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore how God attachment may impact surrender to God and how mindfulness relates to the relationship between surrender and God attachment. Additionally, this study explores how surrender, God attachment and mindfulness might work together to impact symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study comprised 82 participants from a large Christian university that was enrolled in the university’s online doctoral counseling program. Using a quantitative survey research design, participants completed the following self-report measures online: Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Surrender Scale, Attachment to God Inventory, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. Bivariate and multiple …

A Phenomenological Study: The Role Of The Middle School Counselor As Perceived By The Middle School Teacher, Lanekia S. Pruitt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the role of the middle school counselor as perceived by ten middle school teachers in the Henry County School District. The theories guiding this study are the trait & factor theory and directive approach theory. Both theories were both created by the counseling philosopher, E.G. Williams. The trait & factory theory proposes a formal assessment of an individual and their job performance. This is synonymous to the study’s focus of the perception of the middle school counselors’ job performance. The direct approach theory identifies the process of identifying a problem, determining …

Virtual Classes: A Comparative Study On The Overall Effect Of Virtual Science Classes On High School Students' Course Grade, Melinda Lee Maier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to the rapid growth of technology and implementation of virtual learning into the lives of students, there is a push for the evaluation of virtual educational programs. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to compare the impact of traditional, face-to-face instruction and virtual instruction on students’ course grades. The sample included 272 high school students in Florida; 125 students were enrolled in a virtual honors-level course and 147 students were enrolled in a traditional, face-to-face honors-level course. The students were enrolled in honors biology, chemistry, or physics. The theories guiding this study were social learning theory, self-determination …

How A School Leader Creates A Successful Dropout Prevention Program: A Case Study, Alan J. Sorensen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrumental case study was to understand how a school leader develops policies and programs that create a successful dropout prevention program. The three theories used in this study included constructivism (how people learn), social-cognitive learning theory (how people think, feel, and behave influences their ability to learn), and attribution theory (how people interpret and explain behavior). The central question and subquestions of this study revolved around how administrators and teachers perceive a school leader develops policies and programs that create a successful dropout prevention program. Data collection included documents, testimonies written by graduates, individual interviews, …

Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, And Teacher Personalities, Kathryn Nabors Metherell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The teaching profession is currently suffering from the number of teachers who leave the classroom before retirement. Many corporations use personality testing to determine if an individual is suitable for a position and if they are likely to remain in that position for the duration of their career. A causal-comparative research design was used to determine if there was a difference in teachers who left the classroom before retirement, teachers who officially retired under normal circumstances, biological sex, and personality type. The Big Five Inventory-2 was used to determine the personality types of the participants. The participants were categorized into …

The Effect Of A Social-Emotional-Behavioral Framework On Middle School Student Achievement: A Causal-Comparative Study, Meredith Nicole Ford Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With heightened accountability requirements, schools are under pressure to produce academic results while addressing behavioral challenges. The implementation of social-emotional-behavioral frameworks has improved behavioral outcomes in students, but the impact on academic outcomes has yet to be answered. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the full implementation of a social-emotional-behavioral framework produces the desired academic outcome results and growth on state-standards achievement tests in students with disabilities at the middle school level. Ninety-two Virginia middle schools formed the sample population. Three settings implemented a three-tier framework for one-two (MSA) years, three-four years (MSB), and five years plus …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Professional, Working Mothers Who Persisted To Doctoral Degree Completion, Brianne Kay Bruscino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of professional, full-time working mothers who successfully persisted to complete a doctorate degree in an education field through any program type: online, blended, or traditional. Clark’s work/family border theory and Tinto’s student retention theory guided this study, as they connect to the full-time working mothers’ persistence to complete their doctoral degree while holding multiple roles in their lives. Data collection comprised questionnaires, a life map, a Division of Household Roles Survey, and a semi-structured interview to provide rich individual and composite descriptions. The researcher used Moustakas’ modification of …

The Relationships Between School Burnout And Perceived Teacher Support In High School Male Students, Travis S. Moots

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study is to determine if perceived teacher support predicts school burnout in male high school students. High school males from four private high schools in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia participated in the study. The predictor variables were overall perceived teacher support, as well as four subcategories (i.e., invested, positive regard, expectations, and accessible) of perceived teacher support. Data was collected by utilizing student surveys to measure each of the variables. The Teacher Support Scale measured perceived teacher support, and the School Burnout Inventory measured school burnout among the high school males. …

Academic Self-Concept Of Dual Credit Secondary Career Technical Education Students, Scott D. Griggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dual credit continues to expand in approach, including a single course, multiple courses, up to associate degree offerings embedded in high schools, career technical education (CTE) programs, and located in a range of secondary and postsecondary locations. As of the 2010–2011 school year, 82% of all public secondary schools had students enrolled in dual credit courses (U. S. Department of Education, 2013). In the 2016–2017 school year, 73% of CTE courses of study included both high school and postsecondary credit (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). Existing dual credit research focuses heavily on academic impact, college credit, and continuation, along with …

The Effectiveness Of Christian Accommodative Mindfulness In The Treatment Of Shame, Tracy Lynn Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shame is a destructive moral emotion experienced by a vast majority of the population and is found at the core of numerous mental illnesses and spiritual crises. Unfortunately, Christians seeking help for these conditions are often left with unmet cultural needs in the process of treatment, potentially hindering full healing or even entrance into needed treatment. The current small N time series case study research addresses this dilemma utilizing a culturally accommodated form of mindfulness, which is an existing treatment known to promote healing in the physical and mental health realms. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to be useful in the …

Developing An At Risk Youth Prevention Model In Local Church, Norman Dwight Vick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Congregations must be spiritually positioned to receive and pass on the Gospel baton to all believers. This work will concentrate on those that are at risk for emotional disorders, particularly at the stage of adolescence. This effort will point to the young with emotive challenges that will assist them in being able to pass on the faith constructively and wholesomely. This dissertation will utilize an analytic approach that consists of multi-components related to mental health classifications and disorder, therefore, Christian leaders should be looking beyond secularism to provide support for adolescents who are at risk. Given the presence of millions …