Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Examination Of Student Threat Assessment In Nassau County, New York, Christopher J. Cleary

Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement agencies and school systems face the critically important task of preventing attacks of targeted school violence and providing safe environments for students, faculty, and staff. The tragic results of past school shooting incidents have caused law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively with educators to develop strategies to reduce violent attacks.

Numerous examples from previous school shooting incidents show that shooters exhibited certain warning signs before the attack, and those signs went unaddressed. The student threat assessment process was developed to help educators and law enforcement members recognize the warning signs and take preemptive action before violence occurs. Threat …

Retaining Employees In Public Sector Organizations, Marlon Javier Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

This research study focused on the attrition rate among employees at a large public sector organization within a large state in the southeastern United States. The study identified factors contributing to the problem and identify possible solutions to minimize or alleviate the problem. The literature identified motivation as one of the factors largely contributing to increasing attrition rates.

Motivation has become a rather slow-paced factor in this large public sector organization and was reflected in work performance and productivity (Director, 2019). Cooperation between departments and individuals of higher positions tended to be deficient and communication was minimal (Director, personal communication, …

Community Attitudes Towards Juvenile Sex Offenders And Registration In Virginia, Paige Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The collateral consequences and harmful effects of juvenile sex offender registration and restrictions has been the forefront of conversation surrounding sex offender legislation in the United States. The literature available has consistently shown that juveniles profoundly differ from adults in significant areas such as decision making, cognitive capability, judgment, and overall development. The literature has also consistently shown that juvenile sex offenders are amenable to treatment, have considerably low recidivism rates, and are unlikely to offend into their adulthood. Despite this, and even though the juvenile justice system prioritizes rehabilitation over punitive measures, juvenile sex offenders are commonly subjected to …

American Epidemic: The Societal And Multi-Generational Impacts Caused By The Mass Incarceration Of Women In The United States, Jessica Younts

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the social impacts of incarcerating women, specifically mothers, as well as the far-reaching collateral consequences that the mass incarceration of women in the United States has on formerly incarcerated women’s successful reintegration back into society and analyzed how the harsh policies that exist detrimentally impact family members and society as a whole. This study revealed several themes that show the far reaching damage incarceration itself has on women and their families and provides a more comprehensive analysis of the incalculable costs of mass incarceration. By raising awareness to the long-term impact on society, this research can provide …

Serving Culturally And Linguistic Students Identified With A Communication Disability In The K-12 Educational Environments, Lashell Dauterman

Theses and Dissertations

As more and more students enter public schools with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that require services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, facilitators must be more sensitive to the needs, especially in the area of communication. Augmentative and alternative communication devices and other assistive technology are required by law to be utilized with individuals identified as disabled. However, due to the challenges that exist in properly identifying and implementing intervention plans for children who require services as English language learners and special education, communication needs are often misidentified or not provided. Another issue that exists is the lack …

A Training Intervention For Middle School Teachers On Culturally Relevant Instruction And Culturally Relevant Classroom Management Strategies, Vivian Yakpo Newton

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the effectiveness of the Middle School Teacher Training Intervention on the application of culturally relevant instruction and classroom management instructions by teachers in a Title I middle school in the southeastern United States. This school lacked culturally relevant instruction and behavior management, despite its teachers having undergone the training program. It also had significant identifiable gaps in the academic achievement of its students, which raised questions about the efficacy and inclusivity in its educational environment. The lack of cultural competence of middle school teachers and administrators contributes to the suboptimal performance of students …

The Relationship Of Authentic Leadership And Growth, Retention, And Productivity, Michael B. Horwitz

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership has been heralded a critical component for the achievement of successful organizational outcomes. Recent financial, social, psychological, and environmental challenges that are being faced on a global scale have raised the call for new and effective leadership. Researchers and practitioners have expressed the need for the development of good leaders. Authentic leadership (AL) has been described as the root theory of all other forms of positive leadership and offers a way to describe and develop more effective leadership and drive veritable sustained superior performance.

Authentic leaders are proposed to have greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors, seeking to develop …

Therapists' Perspectives On Aiding Individuals To Maintain Social Connection While Struggling With Health Concerns, Shari Howington-Carlin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore therapists’ perspectives on aiding individuals to maintain social connection while struggling with health concerns. Social relationships support physical and psychological well-being, yet individuals struggling with physical or mental health issues often have difficulty maintaining their relationships. Therapists, as health professionals, often discuss physical as well as emotional health concerns with their patients, including components of physiological and psychological heath care. Emerging neuroscience is aiding in understanding how research in this field supports early intervention for health outcomes around healthy social and family relationships during chronic disease or illness onset.The researcher conducted a phenomenological …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Women In Undergraduate Stem Degree Programs, Vernon H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the lived experiences of African American women in STEM undergraduate degree programs at a 4-year degree granting institution in the southernmost part of central Virginia. The central problem is that there is disparity between the number of African American women with STEM degrees and that of other races in the STEM job market. The existing literature has gaps in the research of African American women’s perception of undergraduate STEM programs. Further, the researcher posits there is a lack of consideration for diversity that is detrimental to the United States; …

Exploring The Aftermath Of Cyber And Traditional Bullying Victimization Of Adolescent’S Mental Health And Academic Success, Latasha L. Young

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in the research study was that cyber bullying and traditional bullying continued to increase at the research site during the past 4 years. The purpose of the study was to determine the influences of mental health services that were designed to decrease the negative effects of both cyber and traditional bullying on adolescent clients’ health and academic performance. This applied dissertation was designed to examine the experiences of cyber and traditional bullying victimization of adolescents’ mental health and academic success, within a large southern state in the United States, to provide practical solutions to address the concerns …

Blended Learning Transitioning To Virtual Learning: Middle School Teacher Perspectives, Jennifer Louise Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed specific factors that influenced the success of blending learning as it transitioned to virtual learning from the perspectives of middle school teachers. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to determine the challenges of blended and virtual learning from a teacher’s perspective and the positive outcomes of the integration of blended and virtual learning.

The researcher focused on the transition to virtual teaching during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic of 2020 and how blended learning impacted this transition to virtual teaching. The study included middle school teachers from various disciplines who taught at the middle school level. …

Perceptions, Attitudes, And Experiences Of A High-Performing High School Successful In Increasing Graduation Rates, Nikita Michelle Mccaskill

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation study was designed to assess a high-performing high school’s dropout prevention program that increased graduation rates and decreased dropout rates among high school students. The high-performing high school was chosen because the target site achieved a 90% or higher graduation rate over 5 school years. Four of 19 high schools within the target school district achieved less than a 90% graduation rate. The purpose of this case study was to describe the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of teachers, guidance counselors, and school-based administrators at a high-performing high school within the target school district—inclusive of a time frame …

An Examination Of The Sociocultural, Religious, And Racial Adjustment Experiences Of Jamaican Professionals In South Florida, Sharon R. Ritchie-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

An Examination of the Sociocultural, Religious, and Racial Adjustment Experiences of Jamaican Professionals in South Florida. Sharon Ritchie-Brown, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: immigrants, professional occupations, ethnic groups, culture, social adjustment

This transcendental phenomenological research was designed to advance an understanding of the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals in South Florida, United States. While the majority of present literature examines acculturation and adjustment experiences of other immigrant groups, there is not enough literature regarding the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals who have made significant contributions …

Drawing Normal Curves: A Visual Analysis Of Feedback In Writing-To-Learn Assignments In An Introductory Statistics Course For Community College Students, Samantha Estrada Aguilera

The Qualitative Report

Writing-to-learn benefits students in polishing their communication skills and understanding of statistical concepts cultivating a deeper understanding of statistics. A series of writing-to-learn activities were given to introductory statistics students at a community college in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Historically, research on the teaching and learning of statistics has been performed on undergraduates while overlooking the experiences of community college students in learning statistics. A total of 79 students completed the feedback instrument over the course of three semesters (Summer 2017, Fall 2017, and Spring 2018). The feedback instrument included three Likert scale questions, two open-ended …

Negative Emotions In Fieldwork: A Narrative Inquiry Of Three Efl Researchers’ Lived Experiences, Adilur Rahaman, Shuvo Saha

The Qualitative Report

Through narrative inquiry this research depicts and interprets the negative emotions that three English as Foreign Language (EFL) researchers experienced in different research sites during their fieldwork. Narrative inquiry informs the design of this investigation as the approach is particularly useful for understanding lived experiences. The study draws on autobiographical as well as narrative data to report the negative emotions that evolve during English language education fieldwork, an aspect absent in the existing literature. Findings suggest that the researchers experienced a wide range of negative emotions namely ethical dilemma, anger, anxiety, guilt, and shame. These results carry implications for language …

Whiteness In Sports Media: Analyzing Mediated Epl Content For Racialized Narratives, Bradley A. Fountain

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and critical rhetoric of race, this study identifies messages of whiteness present in the narratives produced by sports media in order to highlight the presence of racial discrimination in the English Premier League (EPL). Since sports is a field with increased social impact, the EPL is an important place to center CRT’s agenda and contest dominant narratives. Focusing specifically on Sky Sports, the EPL’s official broadcasting partner, this study examines both verbal and nonverbal racialized messages across their matchday content. The findings suggest that Sky Sports supports the racial hierarchy in the EPL by communicating …

Stem Education In College: An Analysis Of Stakeholders’ Recent Challenges And Potential Solutions, Santanu De, Georgina Arguello

FDLA Journal

A vast majority of academic disciplines and curricula in the college center around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), which are critical to developing the skills necessary for a global workforce. Rapid changes in pedagogical setups, educational modes, and advances in instructional technology entail diverse challenges for key stakeholders (i.e. students, faculty, and the organizations). This paper highlights the most relevant challenges and potential solutions in STEM higher education at the college level, reported in the last decade. The holistic analysis combining the three stakeholders’ perspectives would help elucidate significant contemporary aspects impacting the fields. The goal is to further …

Best Practices Of Virtual Advising: The Application Of An Online Advising Portal, María G. Méndez, Georgina Arguello

FDLA Journal

Online education has taken precedence worldwide, not only temporarily due to the COVID-19 new reality, but also because higher education institutions have realized the importance of meeting the needs of all types of students. As higher education institutions increase their online offerings, we need to take into consideration the importance of quality in online student support services, such as academic advising. Virtual advising is a way to provide vital, sensitive, flexible, and innovative services, which may support distance education students in achieving their educational goals. Implementing best practices of virtual advising will help break down the existing barriers of time …

Solving Logic Problems With A Twist, Angie Su, Bhagi Phuel, Chloe Johnson, Dylan Mandolini, Shawlyn Fleming

Transformations

The crossroads of logic and mathematics breeds critically thinking students that have the confidence and independent working skills to tackle any problem they come across. In this artifact, several applications of logic to common problems have been applied in a way that would allow teachers to use the examples in their classrooms in a wide range of grade levels. More specifically Boolean Algebra and Truth Tables have been making their way into middle and high school mathematics classrooms with the nation's shift from just being able to compute to an understanding on a cognitive level why you solved the problem …

The Current - Volume 31 Issue 14, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Words And Power In Conflict: Rwanda Under Mrnd Rule, Allan T. Moore Ph.D.

Peace and Conflict Studies

Rwanda under the rule of President Juvenal Habyarimana and the MRND government was a de facto totalitarian governed society, and throughout Habyarimana’s twenty-one year rule, it has been established that there was clear propaganda and hatred directed toward those citizens identified as Tutsi through their national identification records. This article examines the effects of centralized power harbored by Habyarimana and the MRND during this time utilizing a theoretical framework based on the intersection of complementary theory from Foucault, Dahl and Weber. The methodology includes a novel critical discourse analysis (CDA) of transcribed speeches delivered by Habyarimana and Leon Mugesera, as …

The Paradox Of Power In Conflict Dynamics, Daniel Rothbart

Peace and Conflict Studies

In recent decades the political state has been implicated in genocide, mass violence, political oppression, and targeted deprivations. Yet, in the field of conflict analysis, the meaning of state “power over” in conflict settings is under-theorized. In this article I probe the conceptual depths of state power to show that such power is neither singular nor simple. It’s neither ahistorical nor asocial. Beneath the surface of the state’s wide-ranging practices of governing its political subjects is a fundamental paradox that juxtaposes the state’s authority as the rightful authority over its subjects against the state’s vulnerability to potentially de-stabilizing threats to …

Exploring The Final Years Of The Life Of John F. Kennedy Jr.: A Mixed Methods Psychobiographical Case Study, Caitlin R. Ferrer, Joseph G. Ponterotto

The Qualitative Report

This present study utilized a mixed methods design to explore the inner emotional experiencing of John F. Kennedy Jr. during the last five years of his life. A large first-person data set culled from JFK Jr.’s letters and interviews was subjected to a qualitative theme analysis and the quantitative Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) program (Pennebaker, Boyd, Jordan, & Blackburn, 2015). Among the major themes emerging from the qualitative analysis were JFK Jr.’s efforts to balance and integrate his public and private selves; navigating the Kennedy legacy and understanding his family’s place in political history; and establishing George magazine with …

2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony For Nova Southeastern University, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Ilsa Journal Of International And Comparative Law

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Dollars And Sense Newsletter - Fall 2020, Nova Southeastern University

Dollars & Sense Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Elementary Teachers Towards The Effectiveness Of Community Resources For Reducing Achievement Gap, Carl L. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Studies indicate that school-community partnerships have positive impacts on the learners and reducing the educational achievement gap is one of the identified benefits. This study sought to examine the development of educational partnerships from the perspective of the teachers. The researcher assumed that teachers play a significant role in the formation and continuation of the partnerships, thereby influencing their success. Consequently, this study sought to explore teachers’ experiences with educational partnerships regarding improving academic performance and reducing achievement gaps.

The study used purposive sampling to select 7 teachers from Title I Elementary school in Central Florida. The school was targeted …

Getting At The Root Instead Of The Branch: Extinguishing The Stereotype Of Black Intellectual Inferiority In American Education, A Long-Ignored Transitional Justice Project, Camille Lamar Campbell

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nsu Abraham S. Fischler College Of Education And School Of Criminal Justice (Fce&Scj) Graduate Catalog And Student Handbook 2020–2021, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Family Resilience: Preventive Solution Of Javanese Youth Klithih Behavior, Casmini Casmini, Supardi Supardi

The Qualitative Report

In the past seven years, the people of Yogyakarta have been confronted with the rampant of brutal behavior of adolescent social behavior, and have led to criminal acts, known as klithih. It is necessary to research about how the resilience of Yogyakarta families in conducting preventive solutions to klithih behavior. Most family resilience study is related to the behavior solution of klithih focusing on the role of parents in parent’s perspective. This study aims to explore family resilience in klithih behavioral preventive efforts in the perspective of adolescents with the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method on three male middle …