Digital Commons Network^™

Public Health Access And Service For All, Austin Nugent

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Collecting, analyzing, and reporting accurate, reliable data is necessary for achieving health equity. Although data alone will not lead to equitable health outcomes for all people, it helps health professionals, researchers, and policymakers understand health disparities and develop effective interventions, programs, and policies to reduce them. Necessary data includes disaggregated health information on diverse demographics, including people with disabilities. However, despite this need, disability data gaps exist. Fortunately, numerous solutions exist to address this issue, including implementing minimum data standards on disability and engaging all levels of health organizations in data practices.

This capstone project investigated the current data practices …

Estimating Bedrock Shear Wave Velocity At Vsap, Paducah, Kentucky, Using Ambient Noise, Russel Rogers

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Due to the nature of the Mississippi Embayment region and its vicinity to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, earthquake ground-motion site effects are potential hazards and quantifying the associated hazard is a necessary step for public safety. Measuring the V_s contrast between bedrock and overlying soil layers is necessary for site effect evaluation. Various methodologies for investigating shear wave velocity (V_s) profiles have been implemented in the Mississippi Embayment. However, these previous studies provided a wide range of bedrock Vs. In this study, microtremor array measurements, utilizing ambient background noise, were used to provide an additional estimate …

Broken Down: A Mixed Methods Inquiry Examining The Mechanics Of The Segmenting Principle Using Flipped Math Instruction For Automotive Technicians, John David Baumgarten

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

Mayer’s Segmenting Principle requires an instructional designer to both break the instruction into small functional pieces and pause instruction between each of these pieces until a student signals readiness to move on. Over decades of research, investigators have consistently demonstrated that segmented multimedia content achieves better learning assessment outcomes than continuous content across various academic disciplines, ages, and ability levels. While current segmenting research has shown impressive results in tightly controlled experimental scenarios, there is far less research on its application in the real world. To date, the vast majority of segmenting principle studies only assess short-term knowledge using an …

Understanding First-Year Undergraduate Students Safety, Savviness, And Social Etiquette Online, Collis Ray Robinson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Student’s engagement and interaction online continue to grow as technological advancements increase. The ability to engage and connect is endless today compared to two decades ago. This mixed methods action research study examines the digital citizenship knowledge of first-year students at a private liberal arts work college. The study focuses on student’s understanding of digital citizenship through the lens of safety, savviness, and social engagement online. Additionally, the study seeks to explore students, staff, and faculty perceptions around more education about digital citizenship at the undergraduate level. This study discusses the problem of practice, methodological framework, and study plan in …

Addressing A Cohort Discrepancy Among Ninth-Grade Students At A Rural/Suburban High School, Bryley Keaton Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Ninth grade is a critical period where some children experience academic and social growth, while others struggle to navigate their new context, leading to reduced outcomes at school and worsened physical/mental health (Benner & Graham, 2007; Rice, 2001). This mixed-methods action research (MMAR) study addressed how professional practice changes could better support students during this foundational period. Quantitative data was collected from school databases to compare the rate of student success and identify demographic discrepancies, while qualitative data was used to identify possible causes. These data were then integrated to create insightful meta-inferences into the problem of practice. From these …

Investigating The Relationship Between Empowerment And Secondary Science Teachers’ Technology Integration Knowledge, Jane Elizabeth Walsh

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Empowered teachers believe they can improve their work conditions and positively impact student outcomes. Likewise, teachers with technology integration knowledge can effectively use technology to enhance lessons and improve student learning. This quantitative correlational study investigated teachers’ empowerment, teachers’ technology integration knowledge, and associations between empowerment and technology integration knowledge. Two hundred fourteen randomly selected high school science teachers from across the United States responded to a survey intended to measure empowerment and technology integration knowledge. The teachers' average responses indicate that teachers generally agree with statements surrounding empowerment (M = 3.93, SD = 0.54) and technology integration knowledge …

Principals As Instructional Leaders: Building Knowledge Of Applied Learning To Confidently Lead Implementation, Janell Lynn Mcclure

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Principals need to understand best practices and research-based strategies that foster student success and that align to their instructional expectations and professional goals. Some of those practices include applied learning strategies such as integrated learning, student-driven learning, and authentic applications. Unfortunately, little professional learning, specifically for principals, is made available on the topic of instructional leadership, current strategies, or applied learning in general. As a result, school leaders continue to follow a traditional instructional model that includes teacher-directed instruction, student recall of information, and standardized tests as measures of content mastery.

This dissertation was a mixed-methods action research study. The …

Embracing Rural First-Generation College Student Scholar Identity: Wading Waist Deep In Unfamiliar Waters, Robert Hayes

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

First-generation college students do not persist to degree completion at the same rate as their continuing generation peers. There is a wide range of research focusing on the challenges and opportunities that first-generation college students experience, ranging from pre-matriculation factors, the transition period to college, and throughout the undergraduate years. The achievement gap, in terms of persistence to degree, has been a consistent focus of research as first-generation students routinely do not earn college degrees at the same rate as their continuing generation peers. This research takes a holistic approach to understanding the first-generation college student experience that does not …

Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Teacher Self-Efficacy For Meeting The Needs Of Military-Connected Children, Amy M. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The average military child changes schools six to nine times before graduating high school. With those moves come significant educational challenges, but there is currently no known instrument designed to measure whether teachers believe they are capable of meeting the needs of this population. The purpose of this study was to develop, pilot, and provide initial psychometric evidence for a scale, the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for Military Kids (TSES for MilKids), that measures teacher self-efficacy for meeting the needs of military-connected children. A 19-item instrument was created and distributed to regular education teachers in Grades 1-5 in civilian school districts …

The Protection Of Student Data Privacy In Wisconsin School Board Policies, Curtis Clyde Rees

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

American schools have increasingly adopted technology resources to fulfill their educational obligations. These tools are for instruction, communication, and storing and analyzing student information. Student data can be directory information, enrollment records, achievement data, and student-created products. This increased utilization began with the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to more educational technology use of student data. Districts turned to third-party vendors for assistance with data systems and virtual learning resources. Before, during, and after the pandemic, stakeholders were concerned about information security and the students' privacy. School leaders looked to federal regulations …

Doing The Work: Using Questions, Tasks, And Sources To Navigate Teaching Contentious Social Studies In Secondary Classrooms, Bonnie Patrice Lewis

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This explanatory case study examines how two secondary social studies teachers use inquiry-based learning to mitigate the risks of teaching contentious social studies in a charged classroom. Research questions included: 1. How do two in-service secondary teachers use inquiry-based instruction to navigate teaching contentious social studies during charged times? 2. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when designing inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies during charged times? 3. What curricular and pedagogical choices were made by the in-service teachers to navigate risk when delivering inquiry-based instruction that features contentious social studies …

Internationalizing The Teacher Education Curriculum Toward Global Competency: Academic Leaders’ Perceptions, Ellie F. G. Holliday

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

To prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world, P-12 teachers must be trained to infuse intercultural and global perspectives into their teaching practice. However, teacher education programs (TEPs) have been criticized for their lack of global perspectives in the curriculum and have been found to be the least internationalized programs at United States (U.S.) universities. Though university senior international officers (SIOs) play a large role in developing a strategic approach toward curriculum internationalization, there is a paucity of research on their perspectives on this process.

In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, TEP leaders and SIOs at universities in the …

Principal Leadership Practices At Kentucky High Schools Administering The Pisa For Schools: Leading For Global Competitiveness, Marjorie L. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Since launching Sputnik in 1957, the United States education system has been trying to climb to the top of the international education rankings. The Organisation for Economic and Co-operative Development (OECD) began analyzing how well school systems prepared students to compete in the global economy in 2000. The OECD uses the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). U.S. students rank at or near the OECD averages in reading and science but consistently perform below the OECD average in mathematics. In addition to the PISA, the OECD released the PISA for Schools, which provides PISA data at the school level.

In …

The Perceptions And Usage Of The Interactive Video Playposit In A General Chemistry Course, Tracy Gastineau-Stevens

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Technology within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms has been a topic of discussion for decades (Reiser, 2001, 2007). With the inclusion of more technologies or digital tools in the classroom has pushed classes towards a blended learning or flipped classroom approach (Atkins 2015; Tayebinik & Puteh, 2013; Williams et al., 2008). One such digital tool that has started gaining traction in the STEM classroom is the interactive video (M. K. Seery, 2013; Smith, 2013). Interactive videos allow students to watch the general lecture material outside of class and work through problems during normal class time (M. K. Seery, …

Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge As Communal Practice: A Case Study Of Chemistry Graduate Teaching Assistants, Walker Bryan Mask

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Learning does not only happen during dedicated instructional time, which also applies to learning how to teach. Teachers can reflect on their practice while working to continue to improve and develop their teaching skills. In addition to self-reflection, teachers can also learn from their colleagues to experiment with new practices and take others’ teaching knowledge into their repertoire. Understanding how these two processes function can lead to developments in teacher education and professional development, specifically for initiatives that seek to promote collaboration among teachers. Post-secondary educators in particular can benefit from collaborative and reflective practices to improve their teaching, especially …

A Quantcrit Investigation Of The Discriminatory Practices In Texas Education Funding, Stuart Andrew Keogh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The Texas constitution guarantees citizens a "general diffusion of knowledge" and an "efficient system of public free schools." However, the state has often failed to provide sufficient funding to meet this constitutional mandate. Many school districts, especially those serving low-income or minority communities, have been chronically underfunded. This has led to unequal access to quality education. As a result, there have been numerous lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Texas's school funding system. Plaintiffs argue that the state has violated the education clause of the constitution by failing to adequately and equitably fund public schools. Despite several legislative attempts at reform, …

Transformative Learning In Teachers’ Family Collaboration With English Learner Families: The Role Of Beliefs, Cultural Competence, And Communities Of Practice, Sara Saberimoghaddam

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Through a multiple case approach, this qualitative research study examined how teachers' beliefs on family collaboration and cultural competence related to their family collaboration practices within Culturally Responsive Instruction. The learning theories of Communities of Practice (Lave &Wenger, 1991) and Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 1978), and Critical Consciousness (Freire, 1979) were used as the lens to analyze the data. Teacher interviews and classroom observations were used as data sources. The study found that teachers’ perception of cultural competence impacted their classroom practices. Teachers who worked hard to intentionally change their cultural competence awareness into family collaboration actions appeared to be more …

Teachers’ Sustained Culturally Responsive Practices Three Years After Participation In Professional Development, Brittany Manion

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Teacher professional development (PD) on culturally responsive practices (CRP) provides teachers the opportunity to increase their knowledge and change their practices to better support students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This study sampled from a year-long intensive PD on effective instructional practices for English learners (ELs). Grounded in transformative and situated learning theories, this study was designed to understand teachers’ sustained CRP and their experiences four years after participating in a CRP PD. Several questions were investigated in this study: What CRP do teachers sustain? What are factors and supports related to teachers’ sustained implementation? What challenges do teachers …

Development And Validity Inquiry Of A Rubric For Interdisciplinary Competencies In Occupational Safety And Health In Capstone Projects Of Carerc Program Graduates, Olumuyiwa Moses Desmennu

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Emerging demands in the field of interdisciplinary studies reveal a need for competent professionals who can apply their skills and experience to solving complex tasks of the workplace. This has placed inevitable demands on training institutions to adequately equip graduates to deliver on their mandate. Competency appraisal is an effective way to ensure proficiency in graduates. Meanwhile, transparent and valid rubrics provide opportunities for both students and trainers to continuously assess and evaluate the transfer of necessary skills.

This study focused on evaluating interdisciplinary competencies in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the capstone projects of the CARERC program, a …

Score Equating Between Aeps-2 And Aeps-3 For 0-3 Year Olds, Yuyan Xia

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Over the past two decades, the emphasis on educational equity in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) has highlighted the importance of assessment through policies and regulations. Ensuring accurate assessment scores is a fundamental aspect of this trend. The release of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Third Edition (AEPS-3) in December 2021 led to a shift from the Second Edition (AEPS-2) in child development scoring. In order to harmonize the previous and updated assessment versions for children aged 0-3 across six developmental domains, a common item non-equivalent design, featuring fixed parameter …

Survey Development And Validation: Student Self Expectations Of The First-Year College Experience Survey (The Se-Fye Scale), Min Xiao

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

First year at a university is often a transitional stage for students where they have opportunities to grow and develop in various areas and get familiar with a collegiate environment. Understanding what first-year students expect to navigate and succeed in their first year at the university is crucial. Their expectations reflect how well they prepared for university, affecting their behaviors and eventually influencing their intentions to continue higher education. One of the primary purposes of this study was to design a survey to measure student self-expectations of the first-year college experience (the SE-FYE scale) by applying a structured survey development …

Uk College Of Medicine African-American Medical Students' Experience With Faculty Mentoring, Ashlee-Nicole C. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This research study explored the faculty mentoring experiences of African-American medical students at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UK COM). The purpose of the research is to determine benefits and challenges expressed by the African-American students so that UK COM can use the student voices to improve faculty mentoring for this student population. The following broad questions guided the research: 1) What are UK College of Medicine African-American medical students’ experiences with faculty mentoring? 2) What are UK College of Medicine African-American medical students’ experience with faculty mentoring on a satellite regional campus? Specifically, the investigation seeks to …

The Moral Imperative To Include More Women In Leadership Within Institutions Of Higher Education, Kathryn Mattingly Flynn

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

In higher education, women’s trajectory into leadership positions is not equitable to men’s. The concerns with the scarcity of women in leadership positions, specifically deans, provosts, presidents, and board members, involve varying levels of gender biases, norms, and stereotypes, as well as expectations of representation. Gender biases and stereotypes remain ingrained in American societal structures and result in immoral consequences, injustice for colleges and universities, and diminished happiness of the participants within them. I will use philosophical inquiry to argue that greater representation of women in the leadership of higher education would lead to morally better outcomes for institutions and …

A Statewide Network’S Impact On School Leaders’ Self-Efficacy For Transformational School Change, Karen Perry

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

Changing educational practice is widely understood to be a challenging endeavor, even for experienced school leaders. Much of the research on school networks focuses on building teacher capacity for improving student performance, but less evidence exists relating to increasing school leaders’ self-efficacy, specifically for the purpose of transformational school change. Building on the body of research of school networks and leaders’ self-efficacy, this mixed methods participatory action research study investigates how a network, facilitated by university faculty, impacts the leadership self-efficacy of high school principals for the purpose of leading transformational school change. Self- efficacy is both malleable and essential …

The Centrality Of Claim-Making In The Social Studies Classroom: Teaching For Claim-Making With The Persuasive Claim Framework, Ryan Anders Lewis

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

This dissertation includes three articles that focus on the importance of claim-making and argumentative writing in social studies classrooms. Each article highlights various aspects of the claim-making process by introducing ways for teachers to help students write better claims, highlighting the importance of claim-making within the extant social studies literature, and analyzing the results of centering the claim-making process in a preservice teaching methods program.

Article One, “What’s in a Claim: A Framework for Helping Students Write Persuasive Claims?” (2021), is an article written for practicing teachers. As part of a larger discussion on the challenges of implementing the dimensions …

Musical Portraiture In Acht Korte Karakterschetsen Voor Piano Vierhandig By Hans Osieck, Yuri Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Hans Osieck (1910-2000) was a Dutch composer, pianist, and teacher. His musical portraits, Acht Korte Karakterschetsen voor piano vierhandig (Eight Short Character Sketches for Four Hands), are a valuable addition to the piano duo repertoires for intermediate and advanced students. In Eight Sketches, Osieck musically portrays eight of his students using simple compositional techniques, much like the brushstrokes and color palette of an artistic portrait. As a result of their programmatic nature and relatable subjects, Osieck’s Eight Sketches can be particularly useful for students developing their imaginations and learning to perform expressively. As a piano duo, Eight Sketches also serves …

Opportunities For Cantabile Performance In Seung Ki Hong’S Arirang Variations, Hye Jin Yeom

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this project is introducing South Korean composer Seung Ki Hong’s Arirang Variations (2015). Hong’s post-2013 work has focused on incorporating traditional Korean melodies into Western instrumental music; Arirang Variations exemplifies this process. The theme is “Arirang,” a folksong that Koreans have sung to express their joys and sorrows for centuries. Hong transforms this iconic melody through a series of variations in various dance styles such as a tango and a Viennese waltz.

This paper includes two main sections. The first provides background information that, although important for understanding Arirang Variations, is inaccessible to many performers. This section …

From A Humble Cry To A Holy Chaconne: The Background, Analysis, And Performance Guide To Chaconne For Tokkae, Op. 96 By M. W. Johann Kim, Jurang Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The cries of animals have been used as motivic material in classical music literature throughout history. This project considers the Cambodian tocay gecko’s cry as the motif which embodies the harmonic structure in Chaconne for Tokkae for Violin and Piano, Op. 96 by Dr. Myung Whan Johann Kim. It reveals how Dr. Kim adapts unique compositional style and technique such as the bell harmony of Dr. Kurt Anton Hueber, to develop the theme into 39 colorful variations. The essential elements of the chaconne and the composer’s intentions are examined through personal interviews and correspondence with the composer. These elements are …

The Exploration Of Clinical Wisdom Of Music Therapists Working With Adults With Severe And Profound Intellectual Disability: A Multiple Case Study, Courtney Catron

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Research on the severe and profound intellectually disabled adult population is sparse due to several factors including difficulty in acquiring consent for research, lack of funding, and difficulty in interpreting behavioral responses. Music therapists providing services to this population are faced with sparse resources to guide evidence-based practice with severe and profound intellectually disabled (ID) adults. It is vital to document how seasoned professionals work with this population effectively to improve the evidence base for music therapists. This project used a multiple case study approach. Four music therapists provided an in-depth exploration of their clinical wisdom from years of working …

Gesture And The Auditory Impact On The Perception Of Sound: A Performance Guide For Understanding Gestural Function On Percussion Pedagogy And Performance, Emily Lane Durocher

Theses and Dissertations--Music

I will address the concept of physical gestures and discuss how they are applicable to the way percussionists visually and audibly perceive music. Through my research, I will focus on performance and pedagogy, seeking new possibilities for introducing percussionists at all ability levels to different articulations. Percussionists have traditionally been led to believe that they do not have the versatility over the initial musical attack and sustain that wind and string players do. This document has been developed to provide a more in-depth approach to how physical and musical gestures can function to create a more versatile and musical percussionist. …