Digital Commons Network^™

A Narrative Inquiry On Lived Experiences That Support Recruitment And Retention Of Black Male Mathematics Teachers, Shane Wiggan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

There is a shortage of Black male teachers in the United States and an even smaller proportion of Black male mathematics teachers. With the population of students in the United States becoming increasingly more diverse, we would greatly benefit from a teaching workforce that aligns with the rich diversity of the student population they serve. This narrative inquiry explored the lived experiences that attracted Black men to the mathematics teaching career and what may have inspired them to continue teaching. The goal was for the data collected through the narratives of four Black male teachers, two former teachers, and two …

Development And Content Validation Of The Student Perception Of School Safety (Spss) Scale: An Expert Evaluation Of Item Relevance Ratings By Law Enforcement And School Guardians, Diana D. Scott

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

There is "no one-size-fits-all solution" to school safety (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, 2022. p. 7). The growing number of school shootings and health problems at schools raise serious questions about the dimensions of school safety that should be measured. Prior extensive surveys measuring elementary student's views of safety in relation to relevant safety issues have not been conducted. There were four objectives for this study: 1) to investigate relevant dimensions of school safety and understand safety procedures that are currently in use; 2) to formulate and organize questions that would be approved to gauge elementary students' perceptions about school …

Exploring Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding And Implementation Of Effective Questioning As A Pedagogical Tool, Joslyn M. Vilabrera

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This dissertation explores elementary mathematics teachers' understanding and implementation of effective questioning techniques within the instructional context. A qualitative, multiple case study design was employed for this dissertation in practice. This study was conducted in a K-5 school in Florida, focusing on four elementary school teachers in grades 3-5. Data collected included semi-structured interviews and live observations. Analysis of transcripts from interviews and observational notes provided an insider look into teachers’ planning and implementation of questioning.

The research was driven by two research questions: How do teachers implement questioning in mathematics instruction? and What factors influence teachers' planning and implementation …

A Content Analysis Of The Mathematics Curriculum Progression For Students Taking Algebra I And Geometry Honors Before High School, Yeidi Diaz Reyes

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

ABSTRACT

This qualitative content analysis study examined different middle school mathematics pathways from a large urban district in Florida to determine possible gaps in the accelerated pathways and differences between the district’s learning targets and Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards. Additionally, the accelerated pathways were compared to the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) 12 Indicators to identify possible missing content necessary to succeed in Algebra I Honors and Geometry Honors. The study aimed to answer three research questions: (1) In what ways do Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards included in the non-accelerated and accelerated pathways for middle school mathematics …

An Ethnographic Study On How Mandated Curriculum Influences Mathematics Instruction At A State-Supervised School, Laura T. Pimentel

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This ethnographic study focused on understanding the culture and describing the experiences of elementary mathematics teachers as they used a mandated curriculum and scope and sequence at a state-supervised school. The scope and sequence was created and provided by the school district with the expectation of implementation with high fidelity by the Bureau of School Improvement within the state of Florida. This study used key informant interviews, Professional Learning Community observations, and classroom observations of mathematics teachers in grades three through five to analyze and describe how the school culture of planning and instruction influenced mathematics teaching. Findings suggest that …

A Case Study On The Impact Of Intermediate Elementary Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Expectancy Beliefs Of Students On Scaffolding Practices In Mathematics Intervention, Deborah Blakeslee

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigated the impact expectancy beliefs had on third through fifth-grade teachers’ instructional teaching practices. These instructional teaching practices included how teachers used their pedagogical content knowledge, specifically their content knowledge for teaching mathematics and formative assessment, to make scaffolding decisions while supporting students in mathematics intervention. The investigation included the analysis of stratified sampling procedures, expectancy beliefs, observations, and self-reported scaffolding ratings. A multiple case study was conducted to understand how four participants, the teachers in the study, expected students to perform in mathematics intervention along with the participants’ pedagogical content knowledge and the impact those beliefs and …

Comprehensive Analysis Of The Intersection Between Cryptocurrency And Infrastructure Security, Ayodeji Adeniran

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Cryptocurrencies are experiencing a significant surge, with the total valuation surpassing two trillion US dollars at specific points. This remarkable growth is underscored by the existence of over 23,000 different cryptocurrencies as of 2024, according to CoinMarketCap. These digital assets aim to break down borders and enhance access to financial services, fostering a more inclusive global economy.

However, the swift ascent and widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies come with considerable risks. The growing popularity and promise of these digital assets have opened up new avenues for malicious actors. Cybercriminals are exploiting public infrastructures, the cloud, the metaverse, and various websites to …

A Scaffolded Corequisite Curriculum For College Algebra Students: Effects On Achievement And Motivation, Patrick R. Sandefur

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study chronicles the implementation of a scaffolded corequisite College Algebra curriculum at a Southeast community college and the corresponding effects on student motivation and achievement. The scaffolded curriculum incorporates academic-related skills, academic support, and student motivation to promote success in the gateway college math course. The corequisite model allows students to bypass a prerequisite course and enroll directly in the college-level coursework, with remedial content from the prerequisite course delivered concurrently through supplemental learning sessions or labs. In fall 2023, data were collected from five College Algebra courses, including student demographic data, from two evaluative instruments administered at the …

Exploring The Impact Of Virtual Simulation Experience On Teacher Candidates In Communication With Real-Life English Learners (Els): A Case Study, Laila Noor

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

As the number of English Learners (ELs) in US schools continues to rise, the need for effective instructional strategies to bridge the achievement gap between these learners and their English-proficient peers become more crucial to reduce the inequality among language minority groups. This study investigates the impact of virtual simulation experiences in developing communication strategies among teacher candidates for teaching ELs. Focused on the real and simulated teaching encounters of teacher candidates via the TeachLivE platform, this case study seeks to understand how these virtual experiences contribute to the practical application and transformation of teaching skills for effective EL communication. …

Design And Perception Of Diverse Virtual Avatars In Immersive Environments, Tiffany D. Do

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Virtual humans and avatars have become integral components of immersive technologies, shaping various aspects of virtual worlds. This dissertation investigates the nuanced interactions between user demographics and virtual avatars, exploring their impact on perception, embodiment, and persuasive communication. The first study investigates the effectiveness of different speech fidelity levels in virtual humans, revealing gender-dependent perceptions of trustworthiness. Building on this, this dissertation introduces the \textit{Virtual Avatar Library for Inclusion and Diversity} (\textit{VALID}), offering a comprehensive resource for advancing racial diversity and inclusion in virtual environments. Through rigorous validation studies, we shed light on the perception of avatar characteristics worldwide, emphasizing …

The Effect Of Input Enhancement And L1 Glosses On The Acquisition Of English Phrasal Verbs, Abdulmajeed Alotaibi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of input enhancement (IE) and native language (L1) glossing on second language (L2) learners’ receptive knowledge of English phrasal verbs (PVs) and explore whether learners’ L1 facilitates the effect of input enhancement on learning English PVs.

A within-subject design was employed to examine the effect of IE with the aid of L1 glossing on learning PVs. Three short restaurant reviews were tested: one with the target items written in red (IE treatment), one with the target items written in red and glossed in the margin (IE + L1 glossing treatment), and a control …

Design Automation For Next-Generation In-Memory Computing Systems, Sven Thijssen

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Since the dawn of computing, all practical computing systems, from small laptops and cellphones to large mainframes and supercomputers, have been based on the Von Neumann architecture. In this architectural model, computing units and storage units are physically separated, requiring the computing system to spend most of its time and energy on moving data around. As many recently developed applications are driven by large volumes of digital data, the Von Neumann architecture does not scale well with today’s computational demands. In-memory computing using emerging non-volatile device technologies is a promising orthogonal approach as it mitigates the adverse effects of the …

An Analysis Of Factor Affecting Graduation Rates In A Large Suburban Florida School District During The Pandemic, Brittany Campbell

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting graduation rates during the pandemic for a large suburban Florida school district. The study analyzed if there were statistically significant effects of certain factors, such as Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) in mathematics, out-of-school suspensions, and attendance in the summer transition program on graduation during the pandemic for the school years of 2019-2021. The results of the study showed different means across all analyses, resulting in impacts for some factors, including MTSS Tiering, PBIS Tiering, Summer Transition Program for on-time graduation, and Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) for …

The Impact School Discipline Policies Have On Disabled, Minoritized Students’ Drop Out Rates, Christopher B. Langley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Despite progress in recent years, the K–12 education system still grapples with pervasive discriminatory and inequitable practices that hinder students’ learning experiences and future success. Such practices can have far-reaching consequences, threatening students’ long-term outcomes and putting their well-being at risk. This study delved into the effects of exclusionary practices on academic performance and student withdrawal, with a particular focus on minority students with disabilities. By examining archived data, this research analyzed various exclusionary practices, including in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, Baker Acts, and law enforcement referrals. To uncover correlations and determine hypothesis acceptance, the study employedsophisticated statistical techniques such as …

What's In A Frame? Exploring State Policymakers' Conceptualization Of Human Trafficking., Alexis P. Tsoukalas

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Human trafficking within and across nations is a pervasive, insidious global criminal enterprise that endangers human rights and impedes social justice. Sex and labor are two fundamental types of human trafficking, but media and policies prioritize the former. Social work calls for empowering marginalized groups, and labor trafficking survivors—who are more likely women and immigrants of color—certainly fall into this category. Since 2003, every U.S. state has criminalized human trafficking, yet the issue persists. Most human trafficking analyses focus on federal or international, not state, policies.

Thus, this critical analysis aimed to explore how human trafficking is conceptualized at the …

The Perceived Impact Of Restorative Practice Implementation On Exclusionary Discipline Practicce And The Role Of School Administrators On The Effectiveness Of Implementation, Courtney E. Tomasi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Restorative Practices is a behavior management system that focuses on root cause analysis and repairing harms caused by those infractions. This study focused on the correlation between the knowledge that stakeholders possessed regarding Restorative Practices and their perceived impact on the school disciplinary program. In addition, the study sought to determine which aspects of Restorative Practices were most effective as well as examine the viewpoints of disciplinary stakeholders regarding Restorative Practices as a large, urban school district in central Florida.

Recent literature shows that punitive and exclusionary discipline practices have an adverse impact on minoritized populations as the students are …

Using Advocacy Coaches To Examine Trauma-Informed Classroom Practices Used To Support Students With Disabilities: A Qualitative Study, Fanica Young

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Childhood trauma, often referred to as America’s hidden crisis, significantly impacts the learning and behavior of students with disabilities (SWD), in particular. SWD who experience or witness trauma face challenges related to discipline, academic achievement, absenteeism, and social and emotional well-being. According to the National Survey on Children’s Health (2021), 16.3% of children served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have encountered two or more adverse childhood experiences by age 18, with over half of the states surpassing the national average. Addressing this urgent concern is difficult due to a shortage of qualified service providers, such as nurses, psychologists, …

Resilient Cooperative Control Of Cyber-Physical Systems: Enhancing Robustness Against Significant Time Delays And Denial-Of-Service Attacks, Deepalakshmi Babu Venkateswaran

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

A cyber-physical control system (CPS) typically consists of a set of physical subsystems, their remote terminal units, a central control center (if applicable), and local communication networks that interconnect all the components to achieve a common goal. Applications include energy systems, autonomous vehicles, and collaborative robots. Ensuring stability, performance, and resilience in CPS requires thorough analysis and control design, utilizing robust algorithms to handle delays, communication failures, and potential cyber-attacks.

Time delays are a challenge in CPS, particularly in teleoperation systems, where human operators remotely control robotic systems. These delays cause chattering, oscillations, and instability, making it difficult to achieve …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of The Relationship Between School Shooter Typologies, Warning Signs, And Targeted School Violence, German R. Taveras

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This research explores the relationship between school shooter typologies, warning signs, and targeted school violence. The study's independent variables are school shooter typologies and warning signs, while the dependent variable is targeted school violence. The research wants to investigate whether a relationship exists between these variables. The null hypothesis states no relationship exists, while the alternative hypothesis suggests that a relationship exists. The research framework is based on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory, which helps understand how the environment and social interaction influence a child's development. The theory was influenced by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory—which focuses on the roles of human interactions …

Connecting In Crisis: Exploring Online Informal Communications In Florida’S Unemployment Struggle, Anna V. Eskamani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread unemployment, significantly impacting Floridians who faced delays and systemic issues with the state's unemployment system. This study examines crisis communication within a Reddit community, focusing on how individuals used informal communications to navigate the unemployment benefits crisis. Guided by Rhetorical Arena Theory (RAT) and Uses and Gratification Theory (U&G), the research addresses: (1) How did individuals in the active audience discuss challenges faced when trying to access Florida’s unemployment system? (2) What lessons can be drawn from the analysis of informal communications on social media for improving crisis communication strategies during future crises? A …

High-Performance Integrated Photonic On Thin-Film Lithium Niobate, Farzaneh Arab Juneghani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Integrated photonics is in high demand for various applications, such as optical communication, microwave photonics, optical sensing, and quantum information processing. Different material platforms have been explored for implementing photonic integrated circuits (PICs), such as silicon, indium phosphide, lithium niobate (LN), and more recently thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). Choosing a platform depends on the specific requirements of the application. TFLN offers numerous advantages, including very strong electro-optical and nonlinear optical effects, and a broad spectral range without significant material loss. Particularly, TFLN is suitable for high-speed and low-power electro-optical modulation. LN is a widely used electro-optic material in telecommunication and …

Examining How Pejorative Stereotypes About Black Women Shape Their Experiences In Physics Ph.D. Programs, Camille A. Coffie

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This research study is part of a larger study that examines the experiences of Black women in physics graduate programs to identify priorities for departmental change initiatives to remove structures that keep out and/or push out Black women. This research also reinforces the ongoing necessity to raise awareness about the impact of stereotypes on how Black women are perceived and how stereotypes affect the matriculation of Black women in physics graduate programs. Black women represent the lowest percentage of students in physics graduate programs and often contend with stressors like microaggressions, bias, and stereotype threats that impede their success and …

Scalable Transactions In Decentralized Networks, Zachary M. Painter

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The study of shared memory concurrency is extensive. There exist many state-of-the-art strategies for dealing with fundamental concurrency problems, such as race conditions or deadlocks, to leverage massive performance boosts out of modern multiprocessors. With the introduction of blockchain technology as a popular financial tool, we observe many decades-old concurrency problems re-emerge within the context of decentralized networks. These challenges introduce additional constraints, such as the lack of hardware atomic instructions like Compare-And-Swap, or the potential for malicious clients to join the network. In this dissertation, we propose key algorithms which adapt knowledge from the domain of shared memory concurrency …

The Role Of Adiponectin In Gustatory Perception Of Fat, Fangjun Lin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Taste is a major driving force that influences food choice and dietary intake. Animals' taste abilities vary due to genetics, sex, age, and hormonal status. There is evidence that several appetite-regulating hormones can modulate gustatory detection of fat, and this hormonal modulation of fat taste likely influences food palatability and selection, thereby altering fat intake. Adiponectin is a key metabolic hormone predominantly released from adipose tissue, which enhances insulin sensitivity and stimulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Adiponectin receptors are highly expressed in the taste system, indicating that adiponectin signaling may play an important role in the modulation of gustatory …

Sexual Assault Victimization In Virtual Worlds, Narim Lee

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The current dissertation investigated sexual assault victimization in virtual worlds – environments, where individuals engage through avatars, offering a deep level of immersion and interactivity. As the usage of these virtual spaces grows, so does the concern for negative experiences that mirror the sexual assault encountered in the physical world. Despite this, there is a notable gap in the quantitative analysis of virtual sexual assault (VSA) victimization. This research aimed to fill this void by exploring the prevalence of VSA victimization over the previous year and identifying potential predictors of VSA victimization through the lens of cyberlifestyle-routine activity theory. To …

Globalizing Tele-Support Coaching: Exploring The Impact Of Online Adaptations Of Practice-Based Coaching For Special Education Teachers And Related Personnel, Danica Tania Moise

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where there is a lack of trained professionals, limited access to evidence-based practices, and insufficient government support. This dissertation explores the potential of technology-based interventions to bridge the knowledge gap and improve the quality of services for children with ASD in LMIC.

The first chapter provides an overview of the current landscape of educator preparatory programs and highlights the limitations of traditional clinical experiences in preparing special education teachers and related personnel. It introduces the Tele-Support Coaching Framework (TCF) as a promising …

Evidence Of Positive Associations Between Intertidal Shoreline And Subtidal Seagrass Communities In A Subtropical Ecotone, Gabriel Benson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Fringing seagrass beds are important components of coastal ecotones. Their association with shoreline morphology and shoreline restoration, however, is poorly understood. We combined GIS analyses with field-based monitoring to better understand intra-ecotone associations between shorelines and fringing seagrass beds. Using GIS analyses of aerial imagery, shoreline characterization models, and seagrass coverage models, the relationship between shoreline morphology, erosion, and fringing seagrass persistence was examined in Mosquito Lagoon, FL between 2011 and 2021. For the field-based portion of the study, fringing seagrass beds growing adjacent to restored, living shoreline segments were monitored throughout the 2023 growing season (March – November). All …

Climate Change And Coastal Development Impacts On Oyster Abundances In Mosquito Lagoon, Fl, Emily Suchonic

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Live eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs have declined by 62.6% in Mosquito Lagoon (ML) along the eastern Florida coast since 1943. While this species creates reefs by successive generations of oysters recruiting to conspecific shells, C. virginica can also attach to non-reef substrates including mangrove roots and armoring (e.g., seawalls), which may help counteract reef habitat loss. In recent decades, warmer winters have enabled red (Rhizophora mangle) and black (Avicennia germinans) mangrove expansion in subtropical salt marshes and temperate estuaries where oyster reefs occur. Additionally, 11.8% of ML's shorelines have been armored as of …

Dress To Impress: New Composition Instructors' Interpretations And Embodiment Of Professionalism As Displayed Through Dress, Jacqueline C. Cano Diaz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

While previous research in rhetoric and composition investigates how novice composition instructors negotiate the boundaries of professionalism and identity (Dall'Alba; Grouling; Restaino), the role of dress, or "performative strategic attire" (Mckoy), in crafting these teaching personas has not yet been explored. Viewing everyday dress choices through the lens of embodied rhetoric allows for a deeper understanding of the complex decision-making process of choosing what to wear (Woodward). Further, analyzing dress choice through embodied rhetoric showcases how clothing becomes a tool to craft a persona and inhabit an identity or role. Through positioning instructor's self-identity and naming their experiences and influences …

Three Good Things To Improve Dementia Caregiver Outcomes: Feasibility, Nicole V. Mcclure

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The current study investigated the feasibility of utilizing a positive psychology strategy, Three Good Things, for dementia caregivers who at times may be limited in their ability to access resources due to caregiving role demands. The experimental task asked participants to list three things that went well for the day and their role in these events. Participants were randomized into a control or experimental group. The study was conducted on a sample of self-identified dementia caregivers (N = 45) to help reduce negative outcomes such as depression, burden, burnout, and negative affect. Further, variables thought to be influenced by increases …