Digital Commons Network^™

Ready Or Not For K5: A Study On Early Childhood Interventions Within Special Education And General Education Setting, Paulette Mizzell

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes how using the Enhanced Alphabet Knowledge model affects preschool students' readiness for Kindergarten. The theoretical framework that supported this study was based on Cindy Jones', Sarah Clark's, and D. Ray Reutzel's Enhanced Alphabet Knowledge Method (2013). This study used quantitative data to further indicate the impact and importance of early intervention classrooms. The participants of this study included eight students from one preschool intervention class. Data collection instruments included pre-and post- phonological awareness literacy screening scores and a teacher questionnaire. Results of this study indicated that the majority of student participants experienced an increase in …

There Fly The Crows, Daniel R. Adler

Theses and Dissertations

Where there is a corpse, there fly the crows. —Netherlandish Proverb

The Impact Of Self-Regulated Learning Interventions On Acting Skills And Self-Regulated Learning, Jessica Perry Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of self-regulated learning interventions on acting skills and self-regulated learning. Research questions sought to investigate the impact of self-regulated learning interventions on students’ acting and self-regulated learning skills and determine the perceptions of students regarding the integration of self-regulated learning interventions in the Acting classroom. Self-regulated learning is an important skill for students to have as self-regulated learners are able to self-direct their own learning processes. In the intervention, students engaged in goal setting, progress monitoring, video annotating, and self-evaluation exercises to determine if the self-regulated learning interventions impact their …

How Do Literacy Coaches Function As Policy Actors?, Angela Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

How do literacy coaches function as policy actors? Using a case study of literacy coaches in a small, rural South Carolina school district, this dissertation explored the ways coaches act as policy actors, the policies coaches create, and how they institutionalize policy.

This study focused on literacy coaches as policy actors. The South Carolina Read to Succeed R2S legislation of 2014 created coaching positions to support teachers in meeting the needs of students and to assist in meeting the requirements of the legislation. These professionals are usually successful master teachers chosen to share their content and instructional expertise. The coaches …

Effects Of Personal Fm System Use During Phonological Awareness Instruction For Children At Risk For Dyslexia, Gabriella Rose Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Students with reading impairments, including dyslexia, account for the largest proportion of students receiving special education services in the United States (NCES, 2016). Developmental dyslexia is characterized by slow and inaccurate word decoding (Lyon et al., 2003). This word decoding difficulty results from deficits in phonological awareness, a sound-based skill (Swan & Goswami, 1997). Classrooms are known to have high levels of background noise and are inconsistent with recommendations for optimal listening (Picard & Bradley, 2001) or accepted standards (ASHA, n.d.). Furthermore, degraded acoustic conditions have been related to poorer performance on speech-recognition tasks even for children with normal hearing …

A Culture Of Control: Progressive Era Eugenics In South Carolina As A Continuation Of Created White Supremacy, Hannah Nicole Patton

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the evolution of eugenic ideology in South Carolina during the Progressive Era by following relevant discussions published in The State newspaper. Between 1891 and 1939, The State newspaper provided a platform for discussions about eugenic ideology to be disseminated to the general public. Through eugenics the white portion of the South Carolina population saw a way to retain white supremacy and create better progeny. An examination of The State reveals a network of discussions that reached across South Carolina, the United States, as well as Western Europe. The existence of newspaper articles illustrates cultural integration in the …

The Music Festival: A Case Study On The Establishment, Development, And Long-Term Success Of An Instrumental Music Education Event From A Logistical Perspective, Dakota Corbliss

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will combine insight collected from interviews of people involved with events related to the arts, particularly in the field of the music. These discussions include a variety of perspectives including executive directors, logistics personnel, operations managers, faculty, guest artists, as well as festival participants. Through a multi-layered and thoroughly filtered lens, I aim to establish an outline for a guide that will allow individuals in the field of music set their extracurricular educational program up for success.

There are many factors that need to be considered when establishing a music festival, but this paper will mainly …

A Case Study Exploring Student Engagement With Technology As Measured By The Arcs And Samr Models, Kyle Ashley Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This action research case study describes how varying the levels and format of technology integration into high school social studies classroom lessons impact students’ motivation to learn and how the teacher’s effort to support student motivation through the integration of technology supports student achievement. This research study was grounded in the conceptual framework that motivating and engaging students in the classroom (with the introduction of technology) can be very difficult. This study seeks to determine the relationship between student engagement and motivation as classroom lessons are moved along the different levels of the SAMR model, which stands for substitution, augmentation, …

Cancion Y Danza, Fetes Lointaines, Paisajes By Federico Mompou: A Stylistic Analysis, Qiaoni Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Spanish composer Frederic Mompou (1893-1987) created his music in an amazingly simple and mysterious way. His works are sometimes referred to as “music that has fallen silent.” Mompou’s piano works are not extremely popular on pianists’ repertoire list, partially due to a lack of familiarity with the composer and his works for piano. This study aims to provide more familiarity to readers about Mompou’s piano works with a goal of helping bring them to the attention of more pianists.

This study provides Mompou’s biography, as well as background information about the Spanish composer and his piano music. Some students may …

The History And Influence Of Tim Zimmerman And The King’S Brass, Eric Tyler Henson

Theses and Dissertations

From the Bible’s first mention of the trumpet in the book of Leviticus, to the prescribed uses of the instrument in the Psalms, to the trumpet blasts described in Revelation, the influence of brass instruments in the Christian faith has been present since ancient times. In the 20th century, Tim Zimmerman and his group the King’s Brass would come to the forefront of this tradition, reviving the use of brass in the church as a tool for worship. The King’s Brass has remained a leader in sacred brass music for the last forty years.

Despite humble beginnings as a trumpet …

A Historical Analysis Of U.S.-Based Study Abroad Program Providers, Chrissie Faupel

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the emergence and development of study abroad program providers as a distinct model of study abroad program through archival research and interviews. This particular focus will allow scholars and international educators to understand how program providers emerged, evolved, and responded to the changing nature of education abroad. The combination lock theory and institutional theory provide a lens through which we can reconstruct the historical underpinnings of study abroad program providers. There is scant research on the historical aspects of the development of program providers. In this way, this research offers scholarly significance. …

Automating And Implementing Complex, Multistep Sample Preparation Processes To Generate Reproducible Proteomic And Phosphoproteomic Data, Brian Todd Mullis

Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorylation is the most common post-translational modification that occurs within the cell and is intricately involved in many biological processes. It is important to understand the roles that protein kinases and phosphatases play by mapping protein phosphorylation as many disease states stem from aberrant signaling events. With the advent of modern mass spectrometry (MS), researchers are now provided with more complex phosphorylation patterns from thousands of proteins in each mass spectrometric analysis. Further developments in quantification techniques, such as stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and label-free quantitation, have allowed researchers to reliably quantify changes to …

Investigating Technology Integration In A Technology Driven School: A Descriptive Research Study On Skill, Self-Efficacy, Barriers, And Integration Practices, Kela L. Sharpton

Theses and Dissertations

Administrative observations show the use of digital technologies to facilitate learning and technology skill development are inadequate among teachers at a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) accredited magnet school with International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) based student technology guarantees. The purpose of this descriptive research study is to describe teachers’ skill and confidence levels of technology use, teachers’ perception of barriers to their technology integration, and levels of in-class technology integration in a STEAM accredited middle school with student Technology Guarantees in order to develop recommendations for future professional development and technology acquisition.

The research study …

Defining The Pathophysiology Of Gut Humoral Immunodeficiency, Ahmed Dawood Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Mucosal antibodies maintain gut homeostasis by promoting spatial segregation between host tissues and luminal microbes. Antibody-deficiency is the most common form of primary immunodeficiency observed in humans. In antibody-deficient humans, abnormal composition of the gut microbiota ('dysbiosis') is associated with chronic inflammatory responses and gastrointestinal complications. However, the mechanisms by which dysbiosis promotes inflammatory disease are poorly defined. In the studies described in this dissertation, we utilize CD19-/- mice as a model of antibody deficiency to test the hypothesis that antibody deficiency negatively impacts gut physiology under steady-state conditions. Chapter #1 is an overview of B cell development and how …

Effect Of Oxidative Stress On Lifespan And Cellular Survival, Benedicth Onyeka Ukhueduan

Theses and Dissertations

When cells experience oxidative stress, the integrated stress response (ISR) signaling pathway is activated. One of the first outcomes of such ISR-activated response is to temporarily halt protein synthesis, which aids in cellular recovery. However, if cells cannot recover from the stress, they activate the cell death pathways which kills the affected cells, usually by apoptosis, which can then lead to either acquisition or prevention of diseases depending on the situation. In physiological aging, a compromised stress response is observed as an organism ages, which leads to disrupted homeostasis and elevated risk of disease. Thus, longevity of an organism is …

Raman Spectroscopy Using A Monolithic Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer For Planetary Exploration, Abigail M. Waldron

Theses and Dissertations

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational technique that provides detailed molecular and structural information for organic and inorganic molecules and minerals, and is uniquely suited for spacecraft applications, in the search for chemical indicators of life. This is why NASA sent two Raman spectrometers to Mars on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, as part of the SuperCam and SHERLOC instruments. The Raman spectrometers on Perseverance are conventional dispersive instruments that have been engineered to survive the harsh conditions of spaceflight. Future missions could benefit from smaller, more robust designs, especially missions to the Jovian planets, Jupiter and Saturn, their moons, asteroids …

Failure And The Amiable Lie, Timothy Giles

Theses and Dissertations

This document details the creation and execution of my solo theatrical piece The Man and the Demon. The first chapter serves as an exploration of how the show was conceived, created, rehearsed, and presented before an audience. In the second chapter, I detail why this piece resists traditional standardization for the purpose of repetition. Through both chapters I investigate the intimacy and immediacy of theatre, the benefits of risk, the essence of storytelling, and the usefulness of theatre’s “amiable lie.”

The Impact Of Interactive Journaling On Seventh-Grade Students’ Writing Self-Efficacy, Writing Performance, And Attitudes Towards Writing, Nicholle Morgan Arman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the impact of interactive journaling on the writing self-efficacy, writing performance, and attitudes towards writing of seventh-grade students. According to the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing Test, only one-fourth of 8th and 12th graders are proficient at writing. This means thousands of people are entering the job market with inadequate writing skills (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Research suggests that if people feel more confident in their writing abilities, writing performance will improve. This study was guided by several research questions. First, the study aimed to reveal …

Politics Of Belonging: Identity, Integration, And Spatial Practices Of Algerian Immigrants And Their Descendants In Paris, France, Elizabeth Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Using a geographic framework, this dissertation explores how Algerian immigrants and their descendants perform identity and negotiate belonging in French society. Bringing together critical theorizations of race, identity, space, and place, this work investigates what it means to be a racialized minority in a postcolonial context and to learn and experience the boundaries of ‘Frenchness.’ It is based on the narratives of Algerian immigrants who have migrated to Paris, France, and their French-born children. The empirical evidence of the case studies highlights the myriad ways in which Algerian immigrants and their descendants encounter and structure their interactions with French society, …

Widely Digitally Stable Numbers And Irreducibility Criteria For Polynomials With Prime Values, Jacob Juillerat

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers three different topics. In the first part of the dissertation, we show for an integer b > 2 that if a polynomial f(x) with non-negative integer coefficients is such that f(b) is prime, then there are explicit bounds M1(b), M2(b), and M3(b) such that if the coefficients of f(x) are each ≤ M1(b), then f(x) is irreducible; if the coefficients of f(x) are each ≤ M2(b) and f(x) is reducible, then it is divisible by the shifted cyclotomic polynomial Φ3(x−b) for 3 ≤ b ≤ 5, and divisible by Φ4(x − b) for b > 5; and if the …

Two Essays Investigating Numerical Information Influence On Consumer Preference And Predictions, Gustavo Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Numerical information is ubiquitous in consumer contexts, consumers rely on numerical information to evaluate product attributes, make judgments and decisions, and make predictions for relevant outcomes. This dissertation investigates how numerical information influence consumer judgment and preferences.

Essay 1 introduces the concept of numerical expressions—numerical quantifiers such as pairs, trios, quartets, dozens—and demonstrates that consumers prefer offers expressed using numerical expressions (e.g., buy a dozen health drinks) relative to their numerical counterpart (e.g., buy 12 health drinks). This occurs because numerical expressions are perceived to be more complete and are easier to justify, and therefore serve as goals in consumption …

When The Learning Environment Becomes E-Learning: A Narrative Inquiry Into High School Honors Students’ Motivation, Tyesha L. Deas

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 forever changed the landscape of the world, especially education. Due to the guidelines the pandemic caused, education abruptly moved the e-learning setting in the Spring of 2020, when students and teachers had to quickly adjust to new methods of teaching and learning. As a result, students were bearing the responsibility for their own motivation for learning as they took on the of learning from home (Rake & Dunn, 2010, p. 79). Therefore, this study seeks to better understand four high school honors students changes in motivation as the school environment changed to e-learning, determine what …

Let’S Talk About It: Bridging The Gap Between Diverse Students And Their White Teachers, Beth Dean Boring Shoff

Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap is a notorious construct of 21st-century schools and refers to the achievement of marginalized groups as compared to their White counterparts. This qualitative action research studied this phenomenon in a small, suburban school district experiencing shifting demographics by analyzing educators’ perceptions and attitudes for multicultural education and culture-centered themes. Survey responses and interview data were coded using Banks’s five dimensions of multicultural education (content integration, knowledge construction, equity pedagogy, prejudice reduction, and empowering school culture) to frame professional learning opportunities for White, middle-class educators. Additionally, emergent themes were identified that impact the achievement gap in this setting: …

Benefits Of Video Feedback On Low Performing Female Cadets In Physical Education: An Action Research Study, John Borman

Theses and Dissertations

Learning novel physical motor skills can be frustrating for some students. A lack of clear feedback further exacerbates the problem for students’ skill development. This study examined the benefits of using video recording as augmented feedback to inform motor skill development in an applied gymnastics course at a service academy. The primary aim was to identify the effects of video feedback on the instructor/student process for skill evaluation and skill improvement. The secondary aim was to examine at what degree does giving video feedback promote female student motivation to learn, use of deliberate practice, autonomy, and competence. This action research …

An Acoustic Emission And Artificial Intelligence Approach To Structural Health Monitoring For Aerospace Application, Joseph Chandler Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

In the area of aerospace and other applications, structural health monitoring (SHM) has been a significant and growing area of research in recent years. Throughout the operational life of aerospace structures, various damage scenarios may manifest, and it is of great concern to the aerospace community to develop methodologies for detecting and assessing these damage scenarios. In this paper, fundamental research on the use of the acoustic emission (AE) approach to SHM for fatigue crack growth is presented. In general, the AE approach to SHM and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) involves the sensing of ultrasonic Lamb waves propagating through a structure. …

The Motivational Impact Of A Digital Student Response Tool During Text-Dependent Writing Instruction In A Concurrent Middle School Classroom, Lisa Marie Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

While the Common Core State Standards initiated the instructional shift that promoted technology to achieve a student-centered, process-oriented blended reading and writing classroom, the COVID 19 pandemic demanded innovative technology applications in K-12 public schools. This qualitative, phenomenological action research study explored the motivational effects of a digital student response system tool used to facilitate reading and writing instruction in a seventh-grade ELA concurrent classroom. Overall, using a student response tool to facilitate the text-dependent writing process positively impacted students’ self-determination.

Incorporating a digital student response tool as a facet of a formative assessment system promoted the efficient use of …

Destabilizing The Ivory Tower: An Autoethnography, Chelsea Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations

The education system of the western world is a tool of hegemony used to command replication of an ontology rooted in oppression. Teachers interested in combating oppression must work toward decolonizing their praxis, a nuanced task accomplished with the help of critical inquiry done through autoethnography. I seek to synthesize literature that validates and confirms autoethnography as a mechanism of critical inquiry. I will explore the following research questions: How does autoethnography function as a tool of decolonization? Are there ways in which it reifies colonizing practices? How might autoethnography be used in the classroom to encourage nontraditional discourse? Themes …

An Orchestral Conductor’S Guide To The James/Daehler Edition Of The Hinrichs And Winkler Compilation Score To The 1925 Silent Film The Phantom Of The Opera, Hayden Richard Denesha

Theses and Dissertations

The performance of silent film scores with live screenings of silent films is an artform that is still enjoyed by 21st century audiences. One of the most frequently performed examples of this is The Phantom of the Opera (1925). In addition to being an iconic film in the history of Hollywood cinema, this film possesses a full orchestral score which allows it to have accessibility for mainstream concert-hall performance. Live film music has become increasingly popular in mainstream concert halls, and there is a consistent need for accessible repertoire in this medium.

Performing a silent film with live orchestral accompaniment …

Fostering Self-Determination Skills Among High Schools Students With Disabilites In An Online Environment, Laura Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the understanding of high school special education teachers in an online setting, in regard to self-determination skills. It also explored current instructional practices utilized in the online setting as well as perceived challenges and barriers for instruction and the acquisition of self - determination skills for students with a variety of disabilities in grades 9-12 enrolled in two specific online schools located in the south east region of the U.S. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted and held virtually with the nine participants in this study. The emerging themes were analyzed and viewed through the lens …

The Current State Of Health Care Facility Preparedness, Health Care Utilization, And Covid-19 Knowledge Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Malaria-Endemic Setting Of Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe, Julia Grace Scott

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been felt worldwide, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With fractured health systems, disrupted supply chains, limited resources, and continued fighting of endemic diseases such as malaria, SSA is at risk for greater impact. Manicaland Province has the highest incidence rate of malaria in Zimbabwe, and a higher malaria mortality rate than the national average. Manicaland also has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Zimbabwe. In this study, health care facilities and households throughout Makoni, Mutare, and Buhera districts in Manicaland Province were administered cross-sectional surveys. We …