Digital Commons Network^™

Does Integrating Parental Involvement In Therapy Improve Behavior In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?, Pamela Lassiter

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem was the lower success rate of interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of the exclusion of parents in the counseling process. The purpose of the research was to explore if integrating parent involvement in therapy improved the behaviors in children with ADHD. The study occurred at a private mental health facility that used cognitive behavior therapy and behavior interventions with the children.

The study was guided by the phenomenological qualitative research design. Ten single parents of male children, ages 4 to 10 with ADHD, participated in this study. Parents were selected using a …

Using Sports Performance Assessment Technologies To Help Narrow Achievement Gaps Of Black Male Adolescent With Other Racial Groups, Patavious R. Sorrell

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory qualitative collective case study explored how sports performance assessment technologies (SPATs) may support the development of self‑regulatory and motivational processes associated with self‑efficacy among Black male adolescent student‑athletes. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model, the study examined the perceptions of eight coach‑teachers in the Southeastern United States who integrated video analysis, data analytics, goal‑setting and tracking applications, wearable devices and gaming platforms, and reflective communication tools into their coaching practices.

Data were analyzed thematically, revealing three major themes: self‑regulation, self‑mastery assessment, and academic transfer. Findings indicated that SPATs were most effective when used as …

Cultural Heritage Curriculum And Student Identity Development: A Mixed-Methods Study, Alexus Corley

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the influence of a cultural heritage curriculum on first-grade students’ cultural knowledge, awareness, and understandings of culture. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which participation in a 4-week cultural heritage curriculum influenced students’ knowledge of cultural history and contemporary contributors, their understandings and perspectives about culture, and the convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings.

Using a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods research design, the study was conducted with 19 first-grade students enrolled in a Title I elementary school in Central Florida. Quantitative data were collected using the researcher-developed cultural knowledge preintervention and postintervention assessment and …

Reading Achievement And Response To Intervention Participation Among Socially Promoted Elementary Students In Grades 3 To 5: A Comparative And Predictive Analysis, Paige Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined reading achievement among socially promoted elementary students in Grades 3 to 5 by investigating the relationship between Response to Intervention (RTI) participation and Spring I-Ready Reading Diagnostic scaled scores. Although RTI is widely implemented as a multi-tiered framework to provide targeted instructional support for struggling readers, limited research has examined reading outcomes among socially promoted students in rural elementary schools using standardized reading assessment measures.

This quantitative, non-experimental, causal-comparative study analyzed secure, de-identified archival student data obtained following approval from the Nova Southeastern University Institutional Review Board and authorization from school district personnel. The study included …

Estudio Sobre La Influencia Del Estrés Tóxico En La Salud Física Y Emocional De Estudiantes Universitarios Puertorriqueños Entre Las Edades De 18 A 25 Años, Coral M. Flores Correa

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito examinar la influencia del estrés tóxico en la salud física y emocional de jóvenes universitarios puertorriqueños entre 18 y 25 años. El desconocimiento sobre la influencia de estos elementos en la salud representa un área de oportunidad en el campo de la educación en salud para mejorar los procesos de atención. La realización de la presente investigación, por lo tanto, establece un punto de partida para la comprensión de la complejidad y los efectos a corto y largo plazo de este tipo de estrés.

La investigación utilizó un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no …

Uso De La Modalidad E-Learning En El Tema Del Aprendizaje Psicomotor En Tiempos De Covid-19, José A. Ghigliotti Acevedo

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue analizar si la modalidad e-learning influyó en la satisfacción de los docentes de educación física del Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico (DEPR) que habían recibido formación a distancia. Asimismo, se examinó el impacto del e-learning en el aprendizaje de habilidades psicomotoras pasada la crisis de la pandemia de COVID-19.

El marco conceptual se fundamentó en la Teoría del Conectivismo de Siemens (2004) y la Teoría de Satisfacción e Insatisfacción de Herzberg (1959). El estudio siguió un diseño cuantitativo, descriptivo y transeccional. La muestra estuvo conformada por 54 docentes de educación física del nivel …

Integración De La Inteligencia Artificial Generativa En La Enseñanza Secundaria En Prácticas Docentes En Escuelas Públicas Chárter Del Estado De La Florida, Axel R. Casillas

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación cualitativa de estudio de casos múltiples analizó cómo docentes de educación secundaria en escuelas públicas chárter de Florida interpretan los desafíos, beneficios y dilemas éticos asociados al uso de la inteligencia artificial generativa (IAG) en su práctica pedagógica. El fundamento teórico integró la Alfabetización Digital Crítica de Hinrichsen y Coombs, la Teoría de Agencia Docente, el Modelo de Aceptación Tecnológica y el marco TPACK, abordando de manera coetánea la integración instrumental, ética y pedagógica de la tecnología.

 Los hallazgos revelaron que los educadores adoptaron la IAG, primordialmente, para optimizar la eficiencia operativa, mitigar la carga burocrática y facilitar …

The Influence Of Haitian Immigrants’ Culture On Academic Outcomes At Elementary Level, Tonnette Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored how teachers, parents, and administrators perceived the influence of Haitian cultural values and practices on the organizational culture and academic outcomes of elementary students in a southern United States county. Guided by the resource-based view theory, which frames culture as an intangible organizational asset, the study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine the lived experiences of five participants, including three teachers, one parent, and one school administrator. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed to develop personal experiential themes for each participant and group experiential themes across cases.

The study’s findings generated four group …

Estilos De Liderazgo Docente Y Perfil Académico En Educación Superior, María Del Rosario Orta De González

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito analizar las implicaciones formativas y profesionales atribuibles a la relación entre los estilos de liderazgo docente y el perfil académico de profesores universitarios. El estudio se desarrolló bajo un diseño cuantitativo, no experimental, transversal y correlacional predictivo. La muestra estuvo conformada por 40 docentes de educación superior, quienes respondieron un instrumento de autopercepción que evaluó nueve factores de liderazgo y cinco componentes del perfil académico.

Los resultados descriptivos mostraron una predominancia de prácticas asociadas al liderazgo transformacional, caracterizadas por la influencia idealizada, la motivación inspiradora, la estimulación intelectual y la consideración individualizada. Los estilos …

Perceptions Of Black And African American Nurses On Leadership And Access To Professional Opportunities In Healthcare Within A Multicultural Workplace And How This May Impact Their Decision Making: A Phenomenological Study, Saeeka S. Richards

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation is designed to provide a more compelling understanding of the perceptions of leadership and access to professional opportunities in healthcare within a multicultural workplace among Black and African American nurses. It is designed to explore their feelings and actions in dealing within a multicultural workplace as these relate to how they view leadership and how they perceive professional opportunities in their field. It will highlight how they manage themselves and cope with feelings of cultural dissonance when aspects of their own culture may collide with characteristics of other cultures. This research aims to bring awareness to the …

The Impact Of Ufli Phonics Instruction On Second-Grade Reading Outcomes As Measured By The Drc Beacon Reading Assessment, Leari Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

There is mixed empirical evidence that infusion of phonics instruction yields consistent gains on standardized reading assessments, particularly beyond Grade 1. This inconsistency in evidence is problematic for instructional leaders who do not have clear guidance on how much phonics is needed to improve the persistent problem of many students not achieving at grade level on standardized reading assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in academic achievement by comparing two cohorts end-of-year Beacon Early Years assessment results at the target school. Specifically, this study compares one cohort of second-grade students who received explicit phonics instruction …

Preferred Practices For A Student Support Services Program To Improve Retention Of African-Caribbean Students Enrolled In U.S. Universities, Jean F. Edouard

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research was the high attrition rate of African-Caribbean students enrolled in U.S. universities. This study aimed to ascertain preferred practices in student support services programs to improve the retention of African-Caribbean students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions. African-Caribbean students come to the United States with premigration experiences (e.g., language, cultural differences, and financial constraints). This generic qualitative study used semistructured Zoom interviews lasting 45–60 minutes with 12 African-Caribbean students who left their country of origin after age 12; interviews offered insight into their lived experiences and perceptions of U.S. higher education institutions. This study …

Crisis In Care: A Qualitative Study To Understand The Factors That Influence High Turnover Among Florida’S Child Welfare Case Managers, Latasha R. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explores the factors influencing child welfare case manager turnover in Florida and how child welfare case managers are addressing those factors. National data has underscored the severity of this issue highlighting high turnover and low staff retention are attributed to work demand instability, chronic stressors and undermine the effectiveness of child welfare services.

This qualitative study investigates child welfare case managers’ perspectives on key influencing factors that determine child welfare case manager retention or influence their decision to leave. Guided by Motivation and Resiliency Theories, this qualitative descriptive study investigates child welfare case manager perspectives of why …

Analyzing Challenges Women Face In Leadership Roles In Higher Education, Ashley Saingilus

Theses and Dissertations

The applied dissertation was designed to provide an analysis of the challenges women face obtaining leadership positions in higher education. History has shown an evolution of women in the workplace. Reviewing the identified challenges provided insight while giving the opportunity for recommendations to institutions to make appropriate changes. The theoretical concept for this study centered around social congruity theory, also known as role congruity theory, providing insight as to how social views have defined roles, especially those related to gender and women. The study looked at how real life experiences align with such challenges. It also looked at how higher …

Beyond Gun Control: How March For Our Lives Frames Gun Violence Prevention As Positive Peace, Ashley E. Nickels, Amanda D. Clark

Peace and Conflict Studies

March for Our Lives (MFOL) is a youth-led social movement that has redefined the framing of gun violence prevention, expanding it beyond policy-focused gun control efforts to a broader vision of positive peace. Rather than positioning gun violence solely as a matter of firearm regulation, MFOL constructs it as a structural justice issue, linking it to systemic inequities such as racial oppression, economic inequality, and political disenfranchisement. This study examines how MFOL’s movement framing reshapes understandings of gun violence prevention by emphasizing community transformation, intersectional justice, and collective safety. Drawing on framing theory, we analyze how MFOL presents gun violence …

Beyond Precedent: Sexual Violence As An Act Of Genocide In The International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda, Ciara Kilroy

Peace and Conflict Studies

Wartime sexual violence (WSV) has been a characteristic of violent conflict throughout recorded history, yet has failed to illicit the same international attention and condemnation as other war crimes. WSV has also been a particularly pervasive method of destruction during genocide, in which women make up the majority of victims and are targeted for both their gender and group membership. However, sexual violence is not enumerated as a crime of genocide in the 1948 Genocide Convention. Despite its absence from the formal genocide convention, legal institutions have still attempted to hold perpetrators responsible for sexual violence during genocide. This paper …

What Lies Beneath The Mask Of Sanity: A Comparison Of Ted Bundy And Charles Manson’S Rorschachs, Carl B. Gacono, Jason M. Smith, Tod A. Roy

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Once psychopathy level (PCL-R ≥ 30 = psychopathy) is determined, data beyond what is offered by the PCL-R is needed to fully understand the dynamics which underlie an individual’s overt criminal behavior. As we have empirically demonstrated (Gacono, 2016; Gacono & Evans, 2008; Gacono & Meloy, 1994; Smith et al., 2021), the Rorschach is ideally suited for this task. In this article we demonstrate the utility of the Rorschach Comprehensive System method (Exner, 2003; CS-R, Exner et al. 2022) in ferreting out the dynamics that underlie Ted Bundy and Charles Manson’s masks of sanity (Cleckley, 1941). Ted Bundy’s Rorschach reveals …

Blending Tradition And Innovation: Evaluating Graduate Student Learning With Traditional Oral Exams And Generative Ai Assignments, Gabriela Mendez

Learning and Educational Center Virtual Teaching and Learning Conference

How can we ensure that assessment practices remain human-centered, innovative, and pedagogically sound in an era where the use of generative AI is ubiquitous and not always ethical? This session explores an approach to evaluating knowledge and skills in an online graduate-level Educational Leadership course for practicing teachers. By combining traditional assignments—such as oral final exams—with generative AI-enhanced tasks like AI-assisted projects, the course aims to foster both critical thinking and digital fluency.

Rooted in adult learning theory, this approach views assessment as opportunities to promote learning. Through these opportunities, human insight and technological tools are combined and balanced. Participants …

Exploring Mental Health Stigma Among Law Enforcement Officers, Nicholas D. Chestnut

FDLA Journal

This applied dissertation investigates the prevalence and impact of mental health stigma among law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the United States. Despite growing awareness of the importance of mental health in the law enforcement community, stigma surrounding mental illness remains a significant barrier to help-seeking behaviors among officers. The study employed a research design that examined attitudes, perceptions, and experiences related to mental health stigma among LEOs.

Through online self-assessment surveys administered via a secure portal, participants provided insights into their attitudes toward mental illness, perceptions of stigma, and willingness to seek help for mental health concerns.

Data analysis revealed …

Impact Of An Educational Workshop On Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions Of People With Experiences Of Addiction, Averie E. Robertson, Bianca A. Chapa, Samantha J. Dooley, Jillian K. Paguiligan, Emily K. Simpson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: As a result of stigma, people with experiences of addiction are subjected to discrimination by health professionals and students, including within occupational therapy (OT). Education and exposure can improve care and empathy. The purpose of this study was to determine if a workshop for OT students impacted their attitudes towards people with experiences of addiction. Methods: Electronic surveys were conducted with OT students before (n=58) and after (n=22) the workshop and included questions on knowledge and attitudes. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests. Two focus groups (n=5) were also conducted. Results: There were significant changes in …

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 2, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Open Science Is Coming To Theory Construction: The Case Of Document Analysis, Sarah R. Bostrom, Gina L. Levalley, Katrina Cooley, Richard E. Niemeyer

The Qualitative Report

Growing concerns about the reproducibility of scientific findings have led to efforts to enhance the transparency and rigor of social science research. Improving the accuracy and precision of theory development and adopting Open Science practices, such as open data, are widely considered effective means to achieve these ends. However, current Open Science practices primarily target quantitative methodologies and tend to ignore qualitative methods, like document analysis, due to perceived insurmountable obstacles. Since document analysis is often crucial for constructing accurate and precise theories, the inability to integrate Open Science practices with qualitative research methods undermines the effectiveness of these solutions …

Preparation, Development, And Refinement Of The Interview Protocol In Qualitative Research, David C. Coker, Adebowale Akande

The Qualitative Report

Interview protocols are by far the most common method utilized in qualitative research data collection. Novice and experienced researchers, from working on dissertations to grant proposals or other publications, often lack detailed interview design methods, as many educational programs do not require specific coursework on interview protocols and question development. To improve qualitative research, we make a proposal to incorporate an interdisciplinary approach that operationalizes three stages: preparation, development, and refinement. Preparation involves mapping the extant literature to define broad, narrow, and focused topics to write actionable standards, goals, and objectives. Development uses instructional design and educational psychology to construct …

Career Counseling With Foster Adolescents Transitioning To Adulthood: A Phenomenological Study Using A Psychoeducation Group Counseling Approach, Carly Paro-Tompkins, Elda Veloso Ph.D., Galaxina G. Wright, Jennifer Reeves, Samantha Both

The Qualitative Report

Young adults who age out of the foster care system face a unique set of challenges including increased risk of homelessness, substance use, mental health problems, and difficulty with employment. The current phenomenological study aims to understand participants’ experiences of Project P.A.T.H., a group psychoeducational group intervention aimed at improving self-efficacy, employment hope, and job search knowledge in individuals who were unemployed or underemployed and actively seeking employment. Participants were recruited through the FLITE Center, a nonprofit organization providing services supporting individuals transitioning out of the foster system. A total of 23 participants aged 18-26 participated in this study. The …

Shadows And Doubt, Marieann C. Raguso

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Discover Rain Clouds, Marieann C. Raguso

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

2025 Nsu Graduate Commencement Program, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

• College of Psychology
• H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship
• Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
• College of Computing and Engineering
• Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center

Women's Learning For Community Peacebuilding, Robin Neustater

Peace and Conflict Studies

Around the world, every day, women work on building peace in their communities. Through various roles, paid and unpaid, women’s community care work is significant to the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the women themselves. Understandings of peace are varied, and often nuanced to the context and experience of who is defining peace. How women define peace will inform how they think about peacebuilding. Women engage in learning about peace and for their peacebuilding work, through nonformal and formal programs, and through experience and role models. Their learning to do peace is vital to getting things done. This article …

A Study Of The Management Of The Herders-Farmers Conflict-Induced Internal Displacement In Nigeria, Rita Iorbo, Dick Taverishima Andzenge

Peace and Conflict Studies

The management of the herdsmen-farmers conflict-induced internal displacement in Nigeria was characterised by remote factors that affected the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons (IDPs). This qualitative study was conducted on 12 participants comprising humanitarian workers, IDPs, and lawmakers who were conversant with the persistent herdsmen-farmers conflict-induced internal displacement. The study explored the inter-connected relationship among stakeholders within the humanitarian ecosystem. It found that though the herdsmen-farmers conflict led to mass displacement, remote factors such as unwillingness of government, data challenges, the undiplomatic approach of government in the management of the displacement failed to win support of other stakeholders …

El Podcast Como Herramienta Pedagógica Entre Docentes Del Nivel Superior En Una Escuela Privada Del Este De Puerto Rico, Lorell Marie Varela Morales

Theses and Dissertations

El objeto del estudio se centró en comprender la disposición de los docentes de nivel

superior hacia el uso de podcasts como recurso pedagógico en una escuela del este de Puerto Rico. Este análisis abordó las percepciones, actitudes y factores que influyen en la

aceptación de esta innovadora herramienta educativa. Se identificaron los beneficios

percibidos de los podcasts como herramienta pedagógica, así como los desafíos y

preocupaciones asociados con su integración en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje.

Los modelos teóricos que sustentan este estudio se basaron en la revisión de especialistas

en innovación y aceptación tecnológica por parte de los docentes …