Digital Commons Network^™

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix Movements In The Lower Cumberland River And Lower Tennessee River, Miranda Belanger

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of exotic fishes in freshwater environments has caused significant ecological and economic changes. Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are an invasive species in the United States but are native to large rivers in eastern Asia. This species is expanding its range throughout the Mississippi River basin, beginning with the Cumberland River and Tennessee River drainages. Although Silver Carp movement patterns have been studied in other portions of the Cumberland River and Tennessee River, the lowermost portion of both rivers below Lake Barkley Dam and Kentucky Lake Dam is a unique environment in which the movement of Silver Carp has …

Exploring The Moderating Role Of Psychological Flexibility On The Relationship Between Structural Barriers, Attitudinal Barriers, And Stigma On Mental Health Treatment-Seeking, Hannah Elyse Hays

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

College students face a multitude of stressors that have been found to significantly impact mental health, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use problems (Hubbard et al., 2018; American College Health Association 2022a; American College Health Association 2022b). Despite a rising concern regarding mental health, over 70% of college students denied seeking mental health treatment in the past year (American College Health Association, 2022b). Psychological flexibility could be an area of intervention because it has been found to be negatively associated with psychological distress and positively associated with mental health service seeking (Christodoulou et al., 2021; Komiya et al., …

Relationship Between Social-Emotional Learning And Post-Secondary Job Satisfaction, Sean Demaree

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to respond to two challenges. The first is a gap in literature and research around the impact of social-emotional learning (SEL) beyond graduation from high school. While many studies have been conducted on the impact of SEL in schools, few examine how the use of SEL schools supports students in their post-secondary success. The second challenge centers on the current job market crisis in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, specifically with job satisfaction and retention of employees. This study invited employees at five large companies in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area to respond to a two-part survey. …

Bayesian Structural Time Series Methods For Modeling Cattle Body Temperature In Heat-Stressed Animals, Lacey Quandt

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Climate change has had devastating effects globally, most commonly talked about during natural disasters and rising temperatures. Notably, the climate concern is turning towards agriculture and livestock. With rising temperatures, the prolonged amount of heat stress put on animals, specifically cattle, is becoming more apparent. Heat stress has been linked to a reduction in cattle growing and fattening, feed intake, productivity, reproduction, and fertility; increased heart rates and respiration; changes in behavior; and mortality in severe cases. There are abatement strategies put in place to lower heat stress in cattle, such as improvements in shading and cooling, nutritional management, and …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Georgia Agricultural Education Elementary Standards Of Excellence: A Qualitative Study, James Judson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines teacher perceptions of the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSEs) in elementary agricultural education. The study involved a qualitative research design with a sample of 10 elementary agriculture education teachers across multiple schools in Georgia. The research aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of the GSEs, their implementation, and the impact of the standards on their teaching practices and student outcomes. The findings indicate that while teachers generally have positive perceptions of the GSEs, there are also concerns related to the standards' flow from year to year, the use of hard-to-understand vocabulary, and the inclusion of FFA-related content. Additionally, …

The Impact Of Classroom Economies On Teacher Job Satisfaction, Amanda Hutchison

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The significance of this study lies in its focus on high school teachers' job satisfaction after implementing a classroom economy strategy, with no previous research available on this specific relationship. The study addresses the critical issue of teacher turnover and its financial and educational implications. It also offers valuable insights for teacher preparation programs, colleges and universities, state departments of education, and classroom economy nonprofit companies.

Can Middle School Students Learn Agriculture From Behind A Computer Screen? A Comparative Analysis Case Study Of Online Vs Traditional Middle School Agricultural Courses In Rural Georgia, Roseanna Volz

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Online education is growing in popularity. Traditional schooling is losing the monopoly of being the only teaching method available to students (Nguyen, 2015). Online learning has evolved throughout the development of online education (Sun & Chen, 2016). Many schools focus on the core content classes for online education like math, science, social studies, and English language arts, but school systems are starting to grow their curricula (Bedard & Knox-Pipes, 2006). This quantitative study was a comparative analysis of an online and traditionally taught agricultural education course. Middle school students completed 12 assignments throughout six weeks. The grades from the assignments …

Locos Años 20’S: Advertising Trends In Cromos, Maya Noonan

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

While the decade of 1920's are often noted for the global prosperity, much of the existing literature follows the Western World. The aim of this project is to demonstrate the global impact of the Western World's economic prosperity on other countries, such as Columbia. Through the analysis of the advertisements featured in the magazine Chromos, the influence of the United States can be tracked through the general increase in economic aid and in increased production.

Occupational Therapy Program Research Seminar, Kelly L. Taylor Otd, Ms, Otr/L, Cbis

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Occupational Therapy Program Research Seminar

December 7, 2022 │ 8:30AM – 12:30PM

Murray State University, Paducah Regional Campus

Diversification Of Suffering: An Analysis Of The Historiography Of The Home Fronts Of First World War Germany And Austria-Hungary Of The Past Quarter-Century, Gage Overton

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The scholarship analyzing the home fronts of Germany and Austria-Hungary during the First World War has grown sharply in the past quarter-century. These studies revealed many details that were scarcely known to many historians and introduced perspectives of the home front that were largely ignored beforehand. The scholars highlighted in this analysis all provide discussions which have deepened our understanding of the war, like the German government's punishment of women for "sexual treason," the extent of Vienna's devastation caused by hunger and disease, and the relationship between theatre and Austrian identity. Overall, the recent scholarship on this subject has demonstrated …

2022-12-02, Board Of Regents, Murray State University

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Fallen Kingdom, Sarah E. Black

Honors College Theses

Fallen Kingdom is a novella situated in the genre of urban fantasy. Fast-paced with beautifully woven descriptions, this project aims to depict the experience of PTSD as readers follow Scarlett in her attempts to navigate lost memories, magic, and a new world. With danger lurking around every corner, her only hope is to realize her own strengths and motivations to save the person she loves most.

Defining Heroinism: Heartthrobs Refining Heroines In 18th And 19th Century Women's Literature, Grace M. Gibson

Honors College Theses

This project will explore the emergence of “heroinism,” a uniquely feminine way in which early female authors approached the heroine’s journey. Barred by male expectations of female conduct both in society and literature, eighteenth and nineteenth century women daring to “attempt the pen” forged stories of heroines with conventions and tropes distinctly, though not entirely, separate from those told of centuries of heroes. I intend to track the ways in which these early tales of heroines told by women strayed from the traditional heroic plot, with unique motivations, mentors, trials, and rewards, but also how they were shaped and confined …

You Can Be Anything You Want: An Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes In Early Childhood Literature, Emily Renee Marshall

Honors College Theses

The theme of gender roles is present in many genres of literature. In early children’s literature, the vast majority of these stories portray the most common gender stereotypes, such as girls who wear pink and play with dolls, while boys wear blue and play with cars and trucks. The families’ roles are also seen in these books. For example, the mother figure is usually seen at home with the children, working in the kitchen or outside in the garden, while the father is often portrayed coming home from a long day of work in a suit and tie. These gender …

The Forgotten Subjects: Implementation Of Science And Social Studies Into Elementary Education, Kayla Wendler, Kayla M. Wendler

Honors College Theses

The content areas of science and social studies are areas that students in today's elementary education classrooms do not interact with daily. In many general education classrooms, literacy and mathematics take up a majority of the instructional time leaving students missing out on important skills that help them grow and flourish in society. The importance of science and social studies within the classrooms goes beyond simple means of expanding their knowledge. For example, these "forgotten subjects" allow students to connect with the world around them and incorporate the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. The content areas are used to deepen …

Fallen Kingdom: A Novella, Sarah Black

Scholars Week

Fallen Kingdom is a work of fiction that falls into the category of fantasy/romance. Exploring themes of PTSD and loss of self, we begin in a world on the brink of ruin. After The Fall, Scarlett finds herself in an unknown land, hunted, injured, and alone. She has few memories of her arrival or the time before--memories that become ever more frequent as a world of magic takes shape around her. Fallen Kingdom is a fast-paced, striking adventure that documents her struggle with responsibility, friendship, and love.

Exploring The Interpersonal Consequences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In College Students, Jessica Criddle, Thomas B. Sease, Esther Malm

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy characterizes intimacy as dyadic interpersonal interactions in which vulnerable behaviors are displayed and reinforced by suitable listeners. We posited that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) would foster avoidance of vulnerable speaker behaviors in dyadic exchanges, as seen in self-concealment, and that lower levels of ACEs would be associated with more self-disclosure. Correspondingly, we examined whether self-concealment and self-disclosure simultaneously mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship closeness in college students. Results revealed that ACEs were significantly associated with more self-concealment only. After removing self-disclosure from the model, self-concealment mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship …

Exploring The Self-Care Practices And Needs Of Entry-Level Nursing Students: A Pilot Project, Nancy Armstrong, Kristin M. Reid, Dana Todd

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Self-care is often lacking in nursing students worldwide. The objectives for this study were to discover the current self-care practices of one group of entry level undergraduate nursing students, the students’ understanding of self-care, and the students’ preferences for self-care interventions aimed at improving self-care. Quantitative and quantitative measures were used to measure the students’ current self-care practices, needs, and recommendations for interventions to be used in future semesters to improve nursing student self-care. The students were found to generally be deficient in areas related to nutrition, obtaining healthcare information or guidance, pacing themselves to avoid exhaustion, and performing relaxation …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of Response To Intervention/Multitiered Systems Of Support, Alexandra J. Taylor, Tommy Wells, Amy E. Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

There has been considerable research that establishes the need to improve teachers’ knowledge of and ability to effectively implement response to intervention (RtI)/multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and there is a scarcity of research examining interventions addressing these concerns. In a mixed methods study, we examined the perceptions and knowledge of the RtI/MTSS frameworks of undergraduate preservice teaching candidates enrolled in a dual certification program at a small, private Catholic university in Kentucky, before and after participating in a semester-long, experiential learning project. The project involved monitoring both the reading and mathematics progress of struggling elementary or middle school-aged students …

2022-06-03, Board Of Regents, Murray State University

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Hipersexualización E Infrarrepresentación: La Representación De Las Latinas En Jane The Virgin Y Modern Family, Laura Zarate

Honors College Theses

The Latinx community is one of the fastest growing groups in the United States and accounted for half of the total population growth from 2010-2019. Despite the increasing numbers, the statistics for Latinx representation in the media continue to be low. Numbers for Latinx writers, producers, and actors are significantly lower than their non-Latinx counterparts and Latinas, in specific, are one of the most underrepresented groups on television and often being portrayed as hypersexual in comparison to other groups of the same gender. While this underrepresentation has been researched in relation to women, there is limited discussion regarding the lack …

Proceed With Caution: Safety, Peace, And Collective Responsibility, Rebecca Potts

Honors College Theses

Throughout my childhood, my parents often took me out into nature to go hiking, camping, and just explore. Now when I am in nature, I am reminded of my childhood and reflect on the memories of safety and comfort that I experienced, but through the lens of the person that I am today. As I have learned about and engaged with people in my community, I realized that their experiences and views of being outdoors and in the environments that I grew up feeling comfortable in are much different than mine. These different experiences are based on factors such as …

The Contradiction Of The Welfare Dictatorship: The Stasi’S Role In Preserving And Undermining East German Human Rights, Mallory Wooldridge

Honors College Theses

Constructed four years after WWII in a kind of pendulum swing response to the Third Reich, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was an experiment in socialism. Under the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (The Socialist Unity Party of Germany, SED) no East German was to go hungry, unemployment would be eradicated, housing guaranteed, women treated as equals, and human rights interwoven into the fabric of this socialist society. However, SED socialism in practice did not conform to this original vision and would eventually represent the disillusionment with the socialist project as a whole.

This project seeks to understand human rights in the …

No Such Thing As A New “Normal”: The Future Of Teaching In A Pandemic World, Victoria Benard

Honors College Theses

Due to the many changes wrought on our society by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers in high schools have had to dramatically alter their methods of teaching in order to comply with new rules and regulations. These guidelines, deemed safe by the CDC, have completely upended traditional high school classrooms and left teachers scrambling to effectively teach their content and assess student learning. The purpose of this research is to determine the successes and/or failures of high school teachers’ teaching strategies that have undergone dramatic adaptations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. One goal of this research is to produce a concise understanding …

Children’S Advertisements In The Youth’S Companion From 1890 To 1910, Maya Noonan

Honors College Theses

This paper shall demonstrate that at the turn of the 19th century, the advertising strategies used in children's advertisements published in The Youth’s Companion reflected the rise of childhood consumerism and formation of the ideology of childhood innocence. The years 1890 to 1910 were characterized as years of reform and the period is most often recognized for its role in the rise of consumerism in part due to the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution worked as a catalyst to force children into a new role in society. The mass availability of disposable income led to a decrease in the need …

Celebrity Memes, Audioshop, And Participatory Fan Culture: A Case Study On Keanu Reeves Memes, Danielle Nielsen, Diane Sabenacio Nititham

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Contemporary meme culture keeps Keanu Reeves’ image at the forefront of our imagination. Numerous Keanu-related memes circulate on the internet, featuring images of him from on and off screen. In this article, we argue that the rise of user-generated content, such as memes and social media, requires us to reconsider how audiences and fans consume, adapt, and circulate Keanu’s stardom. Specifically, we contend that memes and their attending participatory culture make Keanu familiar by placing him in knowable spaces and perpetuating his extraordinary ordinariness. To do so, we examine the 2019 ‘Keanu Reeves Walking in Slow Motion’ video clip from …

Memories From The Great War: An Analysis Of Jackson Purchase Veterans' Changes In Perspective Since 1914, David Wallace

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The First World War affected the lives of millions, creating collective memories of hardships, uncertainty, political tension, and animosity toward foreign enemies. In the United States, World War I was a turning point in the nation’s growth and development, but on a smaller scale it was a critical historical moment in the individual lives of the veterans who served. This research project showcases the experiences of the Jackson Purchase’s WWI veterans with an emphasis on their perceptions during the war, their reasons for enlisting, the countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences they had along the way, the hardships they faced, and the remarkable …

School Violence And Its Impact On Student Academic Achievement, Kewanis Kennedy

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

This study explores the occurrence of school violence and its impact on academic success and attendance. This study will encompass K-12 academic institutions in the state of Kentucky during the 2018-2019 academic school year, with an in-depth analysis of data submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education by the 171 participating school districts. The participating schools shared data in the form of disciplinary actions, attendance, graduation rates, academic achievement, and other relevant demographics. The collected data was analyzed to determine if there was a statistically significant difference among attendance rate, graduation rate, math ACT benchmark scores, and English ACT benchmark …

Effective Classroom Management On Overall Learning Outcomes, Emily Rust, Emily Rust

Integrated Studies

Education is a lifelong learning process and is constantly changing. Therefore, classroom management is a process as well. Due to the constant changes, educators must adapt to achieve successful academic outcomes. This research offers a better understanding of how classroom management impacts overall learning outcomes. Knowing what strategies prevent poor behavior and how to act on it when a situation arises is explored as well as how to keep student’s best interests in mind and meet students on their level through effective classroom management. When that happens, positive learning outcomes are achieved through the implementation of effective classroom management processes.

Developing Cultural Competency As A Counselor, John Arnold

Integrated Studies

For many people counseling is a terrifying experience. Just the thought of sharing your deepest fears or most private problems can be overwhelming. We can all agree that counseling is a necessary option for people in our society. What I have researched is the importance that we focus on the quality of this service. Unfortunately, many people have had bad experiences with counselors that prevent them from getting the help they need. Some of these bad experiences could have been potentially avoided if the counselors were more culturally competent. Cultural competency is essential for counselors who want to be effective …