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Telephone-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia In Patients With Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Andel Nicasio Jan 2019

Telephone-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia In Patients With Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Andel Nicasio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the efficacy and feasibility of a brief telephone-delivered CBT-I (TeleCBT-I) intervention in cancer patients compared to a control group. The study used a randomized controlled trial design. The TeleCBT-I program consisted of a brief four-week CBT-I program adapted for cancer patients. Patients completed assessment measures at pre-treatment, post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Out of 184 patients screened, 39 were randomly assigned, and 35 (TeleCBT-I, n = 19; Control, n = 16) completed pre- and post-treatment measures and were included in the analyses. Compared to control group, the TeleCBT-I group reported decreased insomnia severity symptoms (p < .014), improved sleep quality (p < .023), and reduced dysfunctional beliefs about sleep (p = .039) at post-treatment with sustained treatment effects at one-month follow-up. Sleep measures yielded large effect sizes (Hedges' g, 0.84-2.7). Although the TeleCBT-I group indicated improvements in fatigue, general functioning, physical well-being, functional well-being, and physical quality of life, effects at follow-up were observed only for fatigue, functional well-being and physical quality of life. No effects were found on depression at any of the time points. In terms of feasibility, TeleCBT-I demonstrated high adherence, high homework completion and high overall satisfaction. These results advance the empirical evidence of CBT-I in cancer patients and support the use of telephone-delivered CBT-I to widely disseminate and implement among patients with cancer.

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An Investigation Of The Appropriateness Of The English Language Learner Accountability Mark Established By The Every Student Succeeds Act Of 2015, Francisco Rivera Jan 2019

An Investigation Of The Appropriateness Of The English Language Learner Accountability Mark Established By The Every Student Succeeds Act Of 2015, Francisco Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study sought to disclose and describe differences in academic performance between English language learners (ELLs) and non-English language learners (non-ELLs) in grades sixth, seventh, and eighth during the two-year period of 2016 – 2018. A two-year period was utilized because of the two-year ELL accountability mark established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The study used i-Ready diagnostic data, in both mathematics and reading, as the performance measures, and used ACCESS for ELLs (WIDA) tier scores (i.e., WIDA Tier A, WIDA Tier B, and WIDA Tier C) to identify the level of English language acquisition …

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The Relationship Of English Language Scores On International Students' Academic Success, Rebekah Shbeeb Jan 2019

The Relationship Of English Language Scores On International Students' Academic Success, Rebekah Shbeeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

International graduate students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are not completing graduate programs at the same rate as domestic graduate students. One of the main differences in the admissions process for international graduate students compared to domestic students is the English language test requirement. The purpose of this study was twofold: to test if the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the (International English Language Testing System) IELTS scores have any statistically significant linear relationships to international graduate students' academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Secondly, this study sought to …

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The Sustained Impact Of Prekindergarten Participation On Third Grade Academic Performance, Marissa Melin Jan 2019

The Sustained Impact Of Prekindergarten Participation On Third Grade Academic Performance, Marissa Melin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher investigated whether the impact of participating in a prekindergarten program on academic achievement persists through third grade. The study compared three groups of students: students who participated in voluntary prekindergarten, private prekindergarten, and students who did not participate in any prekindergarten program. Using a series of two-factor multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs), this investigation found no interaction effects among prekindergarten participation and race, gender, socioeconomic status, presence of a discipline referral, or chronic absenteeism on academic achievement in the third grade. However, there was a main effect for the type of prekindergarten program on academic …

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Teachers' Perceptions Of Safety Regarding School Shootings, Megan Olive Jan 2019

Teachers' Perceptions Of Safety Regarding School Shootings, Megan Olive

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of high media attention surrounding school shootings in recent years, it may appear that American public schools are becoming dangerous places (Schildkraut & Elsass, 2016; Elsass, Schildkraut, & Stafford, 2016; Toppo, 2013). Though schools remain to be one of the safest locations for children, various safety measures are discussed and implemented in schools to combat this perceived problem and ensure the safety of school campuses. Discussions of best safety practices spikes directly following a school shooting event from relevant parties, such as school administration, law enforcement agencies, parents, and students, (Crawford & Burns, 2015; Chrusciel, Wolfe, Hansen, …

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Central Florida School Districts' Responses To Hispanic Growth, 1980-2010, Kendra Hazen Jan 2019

Central Florida School Districts' Responses To Hispanic Growth, 1980-2010, Kendra Hazen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1980s, Hispanics have been the fastest growing minority in the United States and have been moving into rural, Southern areas where there have previously not been populations of Hispanics. Studies of these demographic changes have concentrated on how communities impacted by the influx of Hispanics have created or adjusted socioeconomic and political infrastructures to accommodate the linguistic and cultural needs of the Hispanic population. The public-school system is a sociopolitical structure that has affected and has been affected by the increase in Hispanics. Whereas the modern Civil Rights movement had created legal precedence for students' language rights and …

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The Causes, Dynamics, And Implications Of Child Soldiering, Christopher Faulkner Jan 2019

The Causes, Dynamics, And Implications Of Child Soldiering, Christopher Faulkner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child soldiers continue to be regular participants in modern conflicts in many different parts of the world. This dissertation addresses several interrelated questions about child soldiering employing large-N statistical analyses, process-tracing, and in-depth interviews. First, it asks how foreign state support and the characteristics of these donors influence rebels' recruitment of child soldiers. An important finding is that rebels supported by democratic states are less likely to employ child soldiers. It then investigates the factors and conditions that lead some groups to diversify their demographics in the types of recruits and others to not. Specifically, it considers why a rebel …

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A Comparison Of Sixth-Grade English Language Arts And Mathematics Achievement Between Middle Schools And K-8 Schools, Brennan Asplen Jan 2019

A Comparison Of Sixth-Grade English Language Arts And Mathematics Achievement Between Middle Schools And K-8 Schools, Brennan Asplen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement of sixth grade students enrolled in a traditional middle school model versus those enrolled in a K-8 school model by analyzing English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics scores. Developmental Scale Score (DSS) data from the 2017 Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) were collected from three K-8 schools and three middle schools in one high-performing Florida school district. Results from an independent samples t-test revealed that middle school student scores were slightly higher in overall ELA and mathematics proficiency, but the differences were not substantive. Cross-tabulation was utilized to compute the …

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Analyzing Faculty Attitudes And Actions Surrounding Distance Education Accommodations And Inclusiveness Based On Udl Principles, Catherine Cash Jan 2019

Analyzing Faculty Attitudes And Actions Surrounding Distance Education Accommodations And Inclusiveness Based On Udl Principles, Catherine Cash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As distance education continues to increase, it is vital that postsecondary institutions contribute time and resources towards upholding inclusive teaching practices that decrease barriers and increase opportunities for diverse student populations. This study examined faculty attitudes and actions surrounding online accommodations and inclusive teaching practices that were based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles using the Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory (ITSI), which was adapted into the Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory-Distance Education (ITSI-DE) to focus on faculty teaching fully online courses. The ITSI-DE measured the following seven constructs: (a) Accommodations, (b) Accessible Course Materials, (c) Course Modifications, (d) Inclusive Lecture …

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Making Our Voices Heard: Power And Citizenship In Central Florida's Black Communities, Gramond Mcpherson Jan 2019

Making Our Voices Heard: Power And Citizenship In Central Florida's Black Communities, Gramond Mcpherson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impacts of government policies on community mobilization in Orlando's Parramore neighborhood and the all-black town of Eatonville in Central Florida. The scope of this thesis covers the history of both communities from their formation in the 1880s to the end of the twentieth century. This research reveals the relationships between the predominantly black residents of Parramore and Eatonville and the largely white government officials over the development and maintenance of each community. By understanding the social creation of both communities during the era of Jim Crow, this thesis reveals the differing levels of power each community …

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Reconceptualizing Responsiveness For Network Governance: Insights From Cross-Sector Efforts To Assist The Displaced Population From Puerto Rico In Central Florida, Safiya Prysmakova Jan 2019

Reconceptualizing Responsiveness For Network Governance: Insights From Cross-Sector Efforts To Assist The Displaced Population From Puerto Rico In Central Florida, Safiya Prysmakova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study further expands current knowledge on responsiveness in the public administration field and examines factors that contribute to more responsive public service delivery networks. This research reconceptualized the concept of responsiveness under the lens of New Public Governance as a legitimate democratic public value and answered the following research questions: What constructs constitute to the concept of public service responsiveness? How can public service responsiveness be measured at the network level? Does the complexity of public service provision affect perceived public service network responsiveness? How do collaborative processes across network partners, community support, and resource munificence affect the responsiveness …

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Catalytic Properties Of Defect-Laden 2d Material From First-Principles, Tao Jiang Jan 2019

Catalytic Properties Of Defect-Laden 2d Material From First-Principles, Tao Jiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two dimensional (2D) materials offer excellent opportunities for application as catalysts for energy needs. Their catalytic activity depends on the nature of defects, their geometry and their electronic structure. It thus important that the characteristics of defect-laden 2D materials be understood at the microscopic level. My dissertation focuses on theoretical and computational studies of several novel nanoscale materials using state-of-the-art techniques based on density functional theory (DFT) with the objective of understanding the microscopic factors that control material functionality. My work has helped establish defect-laden hexagonal boron nitride (dh-BN) as a promising metal-free catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation. Firstly, I showed …

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A Methodology For Data-Driven Decision-Making In Last Mile Delivery Operations, Edgar Gutierrez Franco Jan 2019

A Methodology For Data-Driven Decision-Making In Last Mile Delivery Operations, Edgar Gutierrez Franco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Across all industries, from manufacturing to services, decision-makers must deal day to day with the outcomes from past and current decisions that affect their business. Last-mile delivery is the term used in supply chain management to describe the movement of goods from a hub to final destinations. This research proposes a methodology that supports decision making for the execution of last-mile delivery operations in a supply chain. This methodology offers diverse, hybrid, and complementary techniques (e.g., optimization, simulation, machine learning, and geographic information systems) to understand last-mile delivery operations through data-driven decision-making. The hybrid modeling might create better warning systems …

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The Unacceptable Rise: An Investigation Of School Shootings In The United States, Tracy Gulliford Jan 2019

The Unacceptable Rise: An Investigation Of School Shootings In The United States, Tracy Gulliford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined teachers' understanding of risk factors and characteristics of potential perpetrators of school shootings, as well as the steps to take when they are identified in students. Participants completed a survey that contained Likert-type scale items regarding self efficacy and open-ended questions regarding school violence experiences. A mixed methods analysis revealed three primary conclusions. First, teachers have high levels of self-efficacy regarding the importance of and ability to deal effectively with troubled students. This conclusion suggests that teachers do internalize the relevance of this issue to them. Second, this study revealed a gap in terms of the …

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Defining Effective Teacher Practices Among Students With Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Zerek Mayes Jan 2019

Defining Effective Teacher Practices Among Students With Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Zerek Mayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of special education teachers who worked with students with emotional behavioral disabilities (EBD) across various urban settings and educative environments. Given that the overall percentage of students receiving special education services has increased, the overall percentage of students with EBD served among all school-aged children and youth has remained below 1% (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). The current failings of reform efforts to improve the academic achievement of students with EBD brings the roles, responsibilities and practices of teachers and their preparation into view. This study examined the …

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A Phenomenological Study Of High School Assistant Principals Who Supervise Special Education, Erin Vacchio Jan 2019

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Assistant Principals Who Supervise Special Education, Erin Vacchio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of high school assistant principals who lead the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) departments at their respective schools. The role of the school leader is critical and complex. Second to only the classroom teachers, school leaders have the ability to shape the school wide attitude and vision for students with disabilities. Knowing that in the past 30 years, the number of students with disabilities has nearly doubled in size, the expertise of school leaders in special education must also increase. Research on the experiences of high school administrators who serve students with intellectual disabilities …

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Comparative Analysis Of The Relationship Between State Security And Ethnic Minority Oppression, Grayson Lanza Jan 2019

Comparative Analysis Of The Relationship Between State Security And Ethnic Minority Oppression, Grayson Lanza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the relationship between the state economic outlook, state security apparatus and the presence of ethnic minority oppression within the state's borders. Modern states have developed extensive security apparatuses as they have developed their economies and this research intended to identify the possibility of a connection between the development of these aspects of the state in relation to ethnic minority repression. The research is broken up into a research design and introductory section, a case study section, and a final analysis and conclusion section. Each of the four case studies studied a and ethnic minority relationship, and in …

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Exogenous Shocks And Political Unrest, Didara Nurmanova Jan 2019

Exogenous Shocks And Political Unrest, Didara Nurmanova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of exogenous shocks such as economic shocks and natural disasters in producing political unrest in the form of anti-government protests and ethnic riots. It is integrated by three articles, each covering a different topic. The first article argues that economic shocks play a crucial role in protest mobilization in rentier states conditional on weaker repressive capacity or higher taxation. Empirically, it conducts a cross-national study of high resource-dependent states in the period of 1995-2014. The second article contends that there is a variation in the degree to which a country's regions are exposed to economic …

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The Challenges And Barriers To Employment For Female In Riyadh And Tabuk, Sultan Almutairi Jan 2019

The Challenges And Barriers To Employment For Female In Riyadh And Tabuk, Sultan Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women labor force participation plays an important role in economic. The developing in economy in Saudi Arabia depends on men rather than women, more than 50 years the Saudi women participation in the labor force extremely is low, this dissertation seeks to identify the challenges and barriers to employment for women in Riyadh and Tabuk. This study examines three research questions. The first question explored the difference between the rate of women unemployment in Tabuk and the rate of women unemployment in Riyadh. The second question investigated ways in which a logistic regression using demographics data could be used to …

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How Change Started To Come: Examining Rhythm And Blues And Southern Identity, Jennifer Davis Jan 2019

How Change Started To Come: Examining Rhythm And Blues And Southern Identity, Jennifer Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks a better understanding on how blackness has been peripheral to our understanding of the term Southerner. The purpose of this work is to examine an area where the intersection of race and region exists to more fully understand how blacks in the South have presented their sense of Southern identity. The chosen area of examination is the music of rhythm and blues. Rhythm and blues as a genre rose to prominence in the years following World War II. The main reason for analyzing rhythm and blues as an intersecting point of race and region is that the …

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Teacher Candidates' Civic Attitudes And Civic Knowledge: A Comparative Study, Brian Furgione Jan 2019

Teacher Candidates' Civic Attitudes And Civic Knowledge: A Comparative Study, Brian Furgione

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The foundations of a democratic society are the citizens who engage in its political processes and functions. The democratic skills and dispositions needed to be engaged citizens must be embedded within the school system of that society. In the United States, teachers serve as the delivery system of these skills and dispositions, and it is therefore imperative to understand who these teachers are as citizens. Leveraging survey research and various quantitative measures, the civic attitudes and civic knowledge of teacher candidates in various fields were investigated. Using self-reported demographic information, teacher candidates were compared based on their academic program track, …

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The Role Of Resilience On Second-Victim Outcomes: Examining Individual And External Factors Of Medical Professionals, Claudia Hernandez Jan 2019

The Role Of Resilience On Second-Victim Outcomes: Examining Individual And External Factors Of Medical Professionals, Claudia Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present work is intended to bring awareness to medical professionals impacted by the occurrence of errors they have committed or witnessed (i.e., second-victims) and highlight the negative effects that may result from such errors. The purpose of this research is to test whether resilience and negative affect that is experienced after a medical error are related. Additionally, four variables are tested as moderators of this relationship, two of which are considered individual variables (i.e., self-efficacy and work meaningfulness), and two of which are characterized as external variables (i.e., co-worker support and organizational support). Twenty-two healthcare professionals from a hospital's …

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Two Studies Analyzing The Effects Of Business Case And Paradoxical Cognitive Framing On Sustainability Decision Making, Nadra Pencle Jan 2019

Two Studies Analyzing The Effects Of Business Case And Paradoxical Cognitive Framing On Sustainability Decision Making, Nadra Pencle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

These two companion studies theoretically and empirically examine managers' use of different cognitive frames in decision-making related to corporate sustainability. Study I is a theoretical undertaking aimed at highlighting potential zones of investigation arising from the introduction of paradox theory into managerial accounting. First, I examine extant literature on paradoxes to garner an understanding of its evolution and application in the management and psychology domains. Second, I use current constructs and typologies to identify multiple sustainability and managerial accounting tensions as paradoxical. Third, I make recommendations on how to apply paradox theory more effectively to the corporate sustainability tensions I …

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An Analysis Of The Relationships Between Homework Frequency And Homework Grading Procedures Of Algebra 1 Teachers On Student Outcomes As Measured On The Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Examination, Jonathan Taylor Jan 2019

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between Homework Frequency And Homework Grading Procedures Of Algebra 1 Teachers On Student Outcomes As Measured On The Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Examination, Jonathan Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship, if any, between homework practices of Algebra 1 teachers and student outcomes as measured by the state of Florida's Algebra 1 End of Course assessment (EOC). Algebra 1 EOC scores were collected from the study district's central office. Data on teacher homework practices was collected through a researcher-created survey. Cross-tabulation tables were used to identify variations in homework assignment, homework frequency, homework type, and homework grading practice associated with school (middle or high) and teacher (educational attainment and experience teaching Algebra 1) characteristics. A two-way ANOVA was used to analyze …

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Civil War Memory And The Preservation Of The Olustee Battlefield, Steven Trelstad Jan 2019

Civil War Memory And The Preservation Of The Olustee Battlefield, Steven Trelstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the absence of a Union monument at the Olustee Battlefield one hundred and fifty-five years after the battle concluded though this field has a number of Confederate monuments. Moreover, after the Battle of Olustee in February 1864, the largest battle of the Civil War fought on Florida soil, the victorious Confederates killed wounded African American soldiers left behind after the Union retreat. This thesis examines why Olustee battlefield became a place of Confederate memory, enshrining the Lost Cause within its monuments for well over a half of a century that consciously excluded any commemoration of the Union …

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Community Responses To Mass Casualty Events: A Mixed Method Approach, Jeffrey Payne Jan 2019

Community Responses To Mass Casualty Events: A Mixed Method Approach, Jeffrey Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how traits of a mass casualty event and community institutionalization affect how a community demonstrates solidarity after a mass casualty event. A systematic examination of mass casualty events along these lines has not been conducted before. Theoretically, individual helping behaviors like altruism help explain individual involvement in demonstrations of solidarity while solidarity and resilience help in explaining group behaviors. A typology is proposed that breaks up mass casualty events into four different types: terrorism, criminal, weather and accidents. These types of events make up the majority of non-war mass casualty events. Experimentally a sample of students is …

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Towards Constructing A Comprehensive Framework Of Smart Destinations, Ekaterina Sorokina Jan 2019

Towards Constructing A Comprehensive Framework Of Smart Destinations, Ekaterina Sorokina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smart initiatives are gaining popularity from the development of smart homes and smart communities to the emergence of smart cities all around the world. Smart technologies like AI-powered digital assistants are becoming more widespread within the tourism industry, giving rise to the concept of smart destinations. Despite the growing awareness, the theoretical and practical knowledge of smart destinations remains fragmented and mostly speculative. The primary objectives of this research study are: 1) to develop a comprehensive framework of smart destinations through multiple case studies of the emerging smart destinations and interviews with the industry stakeholders, and 2) to construct and …

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An Exploration Of Florida Public School Districts' Language Development Programs For Children Before They Enter Kindergarten, Sharon Ochotorena Jan 2019

An Exploration Of Florida Public School Districts' Language Development Programs For Children Before They Enter Kindergarten, Sharon Ochotorena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which preschool programs and the 10 research-based components that develop language are present in Florida public school districts. Based on qualitative methods of analysis, the study utilized two primary sources of data collection to answer the two research questions that follow: 1. Of the 67 traditional public school districts in Florida, which have language development programs for children under the age of 5, excluding those subsidized by Part B of the IDEA? 2. How do components of the programs in the sample of school districts that have language development …

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The Impact Of Youths' Digital Citizenship Levels On Their Self-Efficacy, Madison Gannon Jan 2019

The Impact Of Youths' Digital Citizenship Levels On Their Self-Efficacy, Madison Gannon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify youths' levels of digital citizenship, to identify youths' levels of self-efficacy, and to determine the relationship between their digital citizenship levels and their self-efficacy levels. Their digital citizenship levels were determined based on five factors: 1) Ethics for Digital Environment, 2) Fluency for Digital Environment, 3) Reasonable/Critical Decisions, 4) Self-Identity in Digital World, and 5) Social/Cultural Engagement to Society. Their self-efficacy levels were determined based on three factors: 1) Academic Self-efficacy, 2) Social Self-efficacy, and 3) Emotional Self-efficacy. The study has four major phases. First, an in-depth literature review was conducted on …

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Teaching Online And Cyberbullying: Examining Higher Education Cyberbullying Policies In The Florida State University System, Joseph Raditch Jan 2019

Teaching Online And Cyberbullying: Examining Higher Education Cyberbullying Policies In The Florida State University System, Joseph Raditch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The cyberbullying phenomena has been recorded as affecting students and faculty alike in the K-12 and higher education systems. Cyberbullying in higher education has negative effects to the institution and its stakeholders, including faculty turn over and student suicide. While these responses are highly publicized, the effects of cyberbullying on the online classroom remain relatively untouched by researchers. There are very few resources available to faculty who teach online courses for creating strategies to combat cyberbullying in that context. Furthermore, many states, including Florida, defer conduct policies and their enforcement to the individual institution. While there are many aspects of …

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