Digital Commons Network^™

How Mathematics Teachers Can Help Curb Childhood Obesity, Elana Joram, Anthony J. Gabriele

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reflective Perspectives: Educating Our Community, Holly Hanna

Open Educational Resources

Using primary and secondary sources, students will use research to develop “empathy maps” to find patterns in thinking that highlight integral pieces of information sure to change stereotypes and prior frustrations. Those facts will be shared with the community in some fashion (student choice) to help educate the public and fuel empathy.

Siege Mentality: Current And Past Conflicts, Dave Denhartog

Open Educational Resources

Students will research all about sieges. Students will reiterate creatively what they learned.

The Virgins Of Chile, Erin Nennig

Open Educational Resources

Students will investigate the immigration stories and feast day celebrations of the Virgins of Latin America. Students will map where the ideas of each Virgin originated. Students will create and present a PowerPoint describing their assigned Virgin.

Tracing The Evolution Of Chiropractic Students’ Confidence In Clinical And Patient Communication Skills During A Clinical Internship: A Multi-Methods Study, Mark Hecimovich, Simone Volet

Faculty Publications

Background: Anecdotal evidence points to variations in individual students’ evolving confidence in clinical and patient communication skills during a clinical internship. A better understanding of the specific aspects of internships that contribute to increasing or decreasing confidence is needed to best support students during the clinical component of their study.

Methods: A multi-method approach, combining two large-scale surveys with 269 students and three in-depth individual interviews with a sub-sample of 29 students, was used to investigate the evolution of change in student confidence during a 10-month long internship. Change in levels of confidence in patient communication and clinical skills was …

Key Elements Of Poverty Influencing Language Development And Academic Achievement, Joanna L. Eggert

Honors Program Theses

This paper investigates central issues surrounding poverty and how it influences a child's language development and academic achievement. It examines the differences in amounts of language input in the home environments of children from varying socioeconomic statuses and how this shapes their language acquisition. The research also explores the exposure to prenatal teratogens in addition to environmental toxins associated with poverty that may play a role in disparities in development, such as lead exposure. Furthermore, the issue of unequal healthcare and educational access between individuals of differing income levels is addressed. Ultimately, the purpose of this research is to call …

"The Effect Of Basic Financial Literacy On Choice Of College Major": A Study Of Accounting And Education Majors At A Four-Year University In The Midwest, Austin Prescott Foster

Honors Program Theses

Previous studies have been done to gauge the level of financial literacy possessed by various cultural sub-groups, what students in different majors see as the driving forces behind what they want their career to be, and income inequalities between jobs. There is currently a gap in the literature with respect to whether knowing the yearly income of one's parent(s) plays a significant role in major choice. This research was conducted to determine whether disclosure of yearly income by parents influences their child's choice of college major.

Spinning Wheels, Weaving Words, And Cupbearing: The Wife's Lament And Female Power, Agency And Resistance In Anglo-Saxon England, Alison Leytem

Honors Program Theses

Looking through the lens of Anglo-Saxon womens' roles as peaceweavers, cupbearers, inciters or "whetting women" in their ability to practice and assert power, resistance and agency within conjugal bonds with husbands or lovers, we can better understand the ambiguous Old English poem The Wife's Lament. By exploring the poem, documents that history has left us, and previous foundational research, I will investigate whether the role women played in Anglo Saxon society mattered, and if either way, they had significant opportunity for agency.

The Sexual Socialization Of Sexual Offenders: How They Learn About Sexuality And How It Influences Their Future Behaviors, Erin Nicole Ditscheit

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Every day, stories of individuals who have been sexually victimized dominate headline news. Despite the large amount of research conducted on sexual offenders, there is no known single etiology for their offense. This study investigates how sexual socialization plays a role in an offender's sexual attitudes and beliefs. Using data from a sample of 71 convicted sexual offenders from a single district in the Midwest, it was found that there is a relationship between certain media sources and negative attitudes towards women and sexuality. Additionally, by comparing the convicting offense of each of the participants and their attitudes, it was …

Programs And Courses Catalog 2012-2014, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Programs and Courses Catalogs

This catalog is published for students and other persons who want to know more about the University of Northern Iowa. Its purpose is to communicate as objectively and completely as possible what the university is and what it does. The catalog is presented in sections to give a general view of the university as well as the detailed information required for informed decision making.

Literacy, Autism, And Inclusion, Bridgett L. Hodges

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Young children with significant developmental disabilities can be taught sophisticated literacy skills and many interventions have been shown effective in the research. However, there is a lack of research that looks at the effect of inclusion on literacy with respect to a single student. This study will investigate the influence of an inclusive, general education classroom on the literacy learning of a student with autism. A participant observer approach will be employed in order to collect the following data: in depth interviews and observations of a single individual over a fifteen hour period, and a qualitative case study design will …

Teachers’ Efficacy And Perceived Role In Dropout Prevention, Brent O'Rourke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Researchers have studied potential reasons behind high school dropout for many years. This research has primarily focused on characteristics inherent to the student and has typically labeled them as being the main determinants for why students decide to drop out. Certainly student characteristics are important when looking at dropout, however there are other factors external to the student that may contribute to their leaving school. One such factor would be other individuals that students deal with on a daily basis while at school. Teachers may play a very important role in preventing school dropout. By interacting positively with students, especially …

The Effects Of Goal-Setting On Performance In An Industrial Painter Training Program, Bradley Gerber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This field study investigated performance in an industrial painter training program for goal-setting, "do your best," and no goal conditions using three measures of performance. Participants were 64 professional, industrial painters. Contrary to expectations, the goal-setting condition did not perform significantly better than the "do your best" condition and no goal condition. Consistency of thickness goals may not have been effective because the tasks associated with the measure were overly complex and the goals may have been too difficult. The proximity to target thickness measure had a ceiling effect, so no support could be found for the measure. Transfer efficiency …

Predicting Reflective Reactions To Rejection Using The Multimodal Model Of Rejection, Abigail Leigh Harris

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Following rejection, people experience both reflexive and reflective reactions. According to the multimodal model of rejection (Smart Richman & Leary, 2009), relational construals surrounding the rejection impact the subsequent reflective behavior. The purpose of this study is to predict the behavior following rejection based on the theoretical model. It is hypothesized that when partner "relationship value" is high, rejection will result in more pro-social behaviors, compared to when partner "relationship value" is low, in which rejection will result in more anti-social behaviors. Though belonging is a fundamental motivation, not all humans exhibit the same level of sensitivity as others. Therefore …

Psychopathy And Victim-Type Related To Treatment Outcome For Civilly Committed Sexual Offenders, Ashley Helle

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Previous research on sexual offender treatment has produced mixed results regarding effectiveness and recidivism rates of sexual offenders. The literature shows differences among categories of sexual offenders which suggest extrafamilial adult offenders (rapists) and offenders with both adult and child victims ten to be a bigger threat to society in comparison to familial offenders (incest) and extrafamilial child offenders ( child molesters). Extrafamilial adult offenders and mixed offenders have demonstrated higher levels of psychopathy. Seventy-four civilly committed sexual offenders participated in the current study by completing a psychopathy measure and retrieval of archival data. Fifty-five participants produced valid PPI-R profiles …

The Effects Of Interpersonal Violent Imagery Upon Short Term Memory Recall, Stacilyn Chananie-Hill

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In today's world media are omnipresent. Over the last decade an individual's exposure to media has increased at an exponential rate. Additionally, the levels of violence in media available for public consumption have also increased. A good deal of research has been conducted on media violence, television violence, televised sexual content and amount of television watched by those in their respective studies. Researchers are beginning to understand that exposure to violent media is associated with problematic memory recall. Given that most individuals that live in homes in first world countries are consistently exposed to multiple media sources it is of …

Family Planning And Contraceptives: Benefits, Risks And Recommendations, Noha Noor Fadlalddin

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to assess the risks and benefits of hormonal and nonhormonal contraception. When individuals are aware of the benefits associated with contraceptives use, they are able to choose the method that best works to ensure their health is maintained and pregnancy is prevented. In this document, vital facts concerning contraceptive use are advanced. Additionally, this document has brought to the front the need for women to be extensively involved in analyzing the pros and cons of the available contraceptives and therefore settle on the method that best serves them and does not compromise their health. …

The Aftermath Of Deployment On Military Soldiers, Families And Children, Keri Lee Kulish

Graduate Research Papers

Learning ways that "we" as citizens of the United States of America can provide and support our military troops while they are diligently fighting for our country is the #1 priority. Soldiers are not the only ones that are enduring the hardships of the military, the soldier's families, but most importantly are their children, who are tomorrow's future.

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the hardships, affects of deployment on individuals, the development of an individual through the behavioral, emotional, physical and psychological aspects that effect military members, children and their families within the military lifestyle.

This …

Relationships Between Exercise Self-Efficacy, Social Support, Transtheoritical Model And Self-Regulation On Perceived Wellness Among College Students, Zachary Sherman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between social support, exercise self-efficacy, and self-regulation on perceived wellness (physical, emotional, social, intellectual, psychological, and spiritual) among college students. It is hypothesized that those with higher exercise self-efficacy and self-regulation will also have high perceived wellness. Relationships among social support with the social, physical, and emotional sub-dimensions of perceived wellness will also be researched. Specifically, the type of social support given as a reflection on individuals' perceived wellness will be researched.

An Evaluation Of The Lifeguard Rescue Trends At The University Of Northern Iowa Wellness And Recreation Services, Kristi O'Brien

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research is to track trends in lifeguard rescues at the WRC pool during times WRS is managing the facility. Compiling this data will help shape WRS policy and education for the lifeguard staff and WRC patrons on safer recreation at the pools. As well as provide valuable information for staff on facility upgrades and safety equipment purchasing.

Back Pain And Injury Prevalence And Prevention Strategies In The Workplace, Erin Randi Nielsen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors and common prevention techniques associated with back pain and injury and provide suggestions for prevention, particularly in the workplace setting.

Career Cruising Impact On The Self Efficacy Of Deciding Majors, Anthony William Smothers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of Career Cruising© on self-efficacy of deciding majors in a university setting. The use of the self-assessment instrument, Career Cruising©, was used with measuring the career-decision making self-efficacy in a pre and post-test with deciding majors. The independent variables are the Career Cruising ©, self-assessment instrument, gender, age, ethnic background, year in college, GPA, generation of education, and involvement. The dependent variables are the levels of self-efficacy in the five subscales of pre and post-test results. Those subscales include Accurate Self-appraisal, Gathering Occupational Information, Goal Selection, Planning for …

Self-Defeating Behaviors In Sexual Offenders: Exploring Factors Of Social Support And Motivation To Change, Cassie Rose Nieman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sexual offenders often engage in self-defeating behaviors that affect their treatment progress. Self-defeating behaviors are those that are dynamic in nature and change over time throughout the course of treatment. Certain aspects of an offender's life may play a role in whether and how often these behaviors occur, such as the level of social support on which the offender can rely. A second factor is the degree of motivation an offender has to change his behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how the factors of social support systems and motivation to change impact self-defeating behaviors. …

Development Of An Ankle Function Model, Kelli R. Snyder

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) represent the most common orthopedic injury treated by athletic trainers, yet there is no consensus regarding the measurement of the effectiveness of care (e.g. outcomes). Further compounding this problem is the repetitive nature of LAS, often referred to as "functional" or "chronic" ankle instability (FAI, CAI, respectively). Although a common entity in practice and research, FAI is inconsistently defined and assessed. Essentially, athletic trainers are neglecting to address one of the most important issues identified in their profession (outcomes) for the most common injury for which they provide care (LAS). Therefore, the purpose of this research …

Asking School Psychologists How Job Satisfaction Can Be Increased, Justin S. Janssen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

School psychology faces retention issues due to a current and projected shortage of school psychologists and the large number of baby boomers getting ready to retire. Meeting this need becomes vital in order to prevent negative effects of the shortage from continuing. Research has supported a link between job satisfaction and retention in the school psychology research as well as in job satisfaction research in general. Much of the current literature on the job satisfaction of school psychologists, however, focuses only on the identification of correlates with job satisfaction and largely avoids asking practitioners how their job satisfaction can be …

Being In The World : An Existential Inquiry Of Knowing One's Self Through A Personal Project : In The Context Of Dissertation Survival, Tomoe Kitajima

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study--a philosophical exploration, partly in an autoethnographical account--provides an empirical demonstration that one's personal project has a strong and positive impact on the dissertation process both for endurance to complete the process and for quality of the product. The concept of project is often explained as one's pursuit of his or her most important philosophical issues. This dissertation originated in the very beginning of my doctoral education in summer 2000 when I first encountered the man behind the coffee shop counter. In his life story he expressed a strong question about the problem of knowledge and authentic living. How …

Special Issues In Engaging And Collaborating With Families Of English Language Learners, Stephanie Allison Strouse

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research demonstrates positive outcomes associated with family involvement (Fl), but little exists specific to English Language Learners' (ELLs) FI. Factors impacting FI are identified, but it is unclear which educators view as most significant and what practices are implemented to address them. This study utilized survey data to examine educators' attitudes within an Iowa Area Education Agency regarding FI of ELLs, current practices, perceptions of practices' effectiveness, and professional development (PD) related to ELLs. Participants reported positive relationships with families of ELLs and that ELL families value education, yet only moderate satisfaction with ELL FI. Results indicate incongruity between common …

Leadership Distinctions : The Impact Of Leadership On Teachers Of Second Chance Reading, Rebecca Sue Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Second Chance Reading (SCR), an instructional framework that targets and supports struggling adolescent readers and determined to be a sound and viably researched framework, can assist teachers in building and supporting proficient and lifelong learners when implemented as intended. This study examined educators from five unique communities who recently implemented the program. Four key questions guided the research and became the focus during semi-structured purposive interviews. (1) What was the relationship between Second Chance Reading teachers and principal leadership? (2) What leadership qualities were necessary to support Second Chance Reading teachers? (3) What barriers were preventing teachers from accomplishing their …

Student-Centered Literacy Instruction: An Examination Of An Elementary Teacher's Experience, Carolyn Marie Wiezorek

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this qualitative study, I examined and interpreted the literacy instruction of a fourth grade instructor who identified herself as a student-centered teacher. I sought to understand and interpret the beliefs and attitudes of my participant, Julie. Through seven unstructured interviews and five observations, I collected, and simultaneously interpreted, data. Julie freely shared her beliefs, successes, challenges, and frustrations regarding her literacy instruction.

Because of the contextual nature of the study I sought emerging themes through analysis and reflection. Four themes surfaced: attitude and philosophy, environment, instructional practices, and impact on students. Julie possessed an attitude that all students could …

Role Strain In Probation And Parole Work And Strategies Used To Reduce Strain, Samantha A. Shoger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Probation and parole officers play a vital role in the operation of the correctional system. As a part of their role work in community-based corrections, probation and parole officers must act as both a client monitor and treatment counselor to not only assist in client reentry, but also to protect the public. Due to the nature of probation and parole work and the historical changes that have affected their work (i.e. the punitive turn, the New Penology, and the current correctional budgetary constraints), probation and parole officers must cope with a variety of factors in their work that can cause …