Digital Commons Network^™

Fostering High Achievement For Students Within And Beyond The Classroom – Building In Students Academic Language And Literacy Skills To Improve Standardized Test Scores In United States History And The Constitution. An Action Research Study, Amber Nicole Gant

Theses and Dissertations

The scores received on high-stakes tests throughout a student’s educational journey are an indication of the level of mastery of advanced content. Subsequently, these scores highlight their ability to access skills that reflect their likelihood to achieve success and become 21st century college and career-ready individuals. As an educator teaching in an underserved area, students’ inability to comprehend academic language and literacy skills negatively impacts standardized test scores and evidence of complete competency of learned materials. This research examines the effects and outcomes of building on students’ academic language and literacy skills to foster higher academic achievement on standardized tests …

Instructional Design To Support Math Identity Growth In Middle School, Sarah A. Foster

Theses and Dissertations

Middle school mathematics classrooms often emphasize performance and correctness in ways that contribute to negative student beliefs, disengagement, and persistent underachievement, particularly among students enrolled in on-grade-level courses. In this action research study, a targeted math identity development intervention was implemented to examine how instructional practices designed to affirm student thinking influenced eighth-grade students’ math self-efficacy, growth mindset, academic performance, and self-perception as mathematics learners. The study also explored teachers’ perceptions of student identity shifts and the instructional strategies they viewed as most effective in fostering positive math identity.

Guided by Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, Dweck’s growth mindset theory, and …

Quality Of Life As A Guiding Construct For Service Delivery In Applied Behavior Analysis, Aaron Randall Check

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is considerable research highlighting less than ideal outcomes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across many facets of daily living. The field of behavior analysis has the potential to meaningfully impact outcomes for these individuals if the focus of service provision is improving quality of life. The purpose of this multiple manuscript dissertation is to describe three cohesive research projects intended to contribute to advancing the field of applied behavior analysis towards centering quality of life in service provision. The first project was a systematic literature review which explored the presence of both quality of life and …

Exploring The Impact Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy On Student Cultural Capital, Jessica Asten Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the intersection of cultural capital and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within the context of eighth-grade social studies education. Grounded in a theoretical framework of Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, and principles of critical curriculum theory, this research study investigated how elements of objectified and embodied cultural capital manifested in student participants and how those elements may have been influenced using culturally relevant instructional strategies. Within the context of a mixed methods design, a qualitative survey instrument was administered to students enrolled in South Carolina and United States history courses and sought to …

Meeting The Needs Of Students With Disabilities In School Crisis Plans, Christine L. Montesi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine crisis preparedness among educators in public schools across York County, SC. More specifically, the study explored how prepared educators believe they are to meet the needs of students with disabilities during and after a school-based crisis. While a majority of public schools report having written crisis plans in place, less is known about crisis preparedness for students with disabilities. Respondents were asked to provide input on ways to address the needs of students with disabilities during a crisis and report their own perceptions of preparedness.

Data were collected through a survey and …

Soft Skills As The New Hard Skills In The Industry 5.0 Era, Miria Zangirolami Munoz

Theses and Dissertations

As technological advancement reshapes educational and professional landscapes, the human dimensions of teaching have become increasingly critical. This action research study examines the gap between the strong academic preparation of Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) pre-service teachers and their readiness to meet professional workplace expectations. Situated within the context of Industry 5.0, where human-centered skills are emphasized alongside digital competence, the study explores how soft skills, punctuality, digital etiquette, presentation skills, and professional attire, can be intentionally developed within teacher education. Guided by the strength model of self-control and achievement goal theory, a targeted workshop intervention was …

From Survival To Social: The Evolution Of Strategic Competence In B2 English Learners During Collaborative Board Gameplay, Hazza Bin Hazza

Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the communicative strategies of B2-level English language learners was conducted to investigate the evolutionary trajectory of strategic deployment in informal, collaborative, and non-instructional settings. While traditional research has predominantly focused on digital or explicitly educational games within controlled, single-session tasks, a notable gap remains in understanding how learners navigate the linguistic and social demands of non-pedagogical, commercially available board games over repeated encounters. This qualitative case study addressed this gap by observing four learners as they engaged in four sessions of Forbidden Desert, a collaborative survival board game.

The theoretical framework integrated Sociocultural Theory, Communicative Competence, and …

Increasing Equity In Technology Integration, Whitney Anne Colley

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice focuses on unequal integration of technology across the district. This action research study aimed to understand teachers’ experiences and promote equitable use of technology in classrooms by implementing a coaching cycle centered on co-teaching and collaboration, which supports teachers beyond simply substituting traditional tools with technology, toward more meaningful integration that improves learning. Teachers often use technology as a direct substitute due to limited time and rushed professional development, which can affect their confidence and effectiveness. The study took place in a public elementary school serving 700 students, in which all students from second to fifth …

Examining Shifts In Attitudes Toward Mathematics: A Mixed Methods Study In Undergraduate Business Calculus, Kathryn Pedings-Behling

Theses and Dissertations

Students in my non-theoretical Business Calculus course at the College of Eastshore almost never begin the class with a positive attitude towards mathematics. They are taking the course to fulfill their general education requirements in mathematics, and for most of them, this will be their last experience in a formal classroom setting with a mathematics educator. This profile of a math-reluctant student is not unique to my Business Calculus course; I have spoken with many fellow educators in similar situations who experience the same persistence of negative attitudes toward mathematics from their own students. Their attitude not only has implications …

Generalized Planning Using Language Models And Its Applications, Vishal Pallagani

Theses and Dissertations

Planning is a fundamental capability for intelligent systems, yet classical planners remain difcult to scale and generalize across domains due to their reliance on hand- engineered models, brittle search procedures, and limited adaptability. These limita- tions constrain real-world applications that require fexible reasoning, robust decision- making, and the ability to operate across diverse environments.

Large language models have emerged as powerful learners supported by their ar- chitectures and large-scale training data, demonstrating strong capabilities in tasks such as question answering, code generation, summarization, and reasoning. Moti- vated by their broad generalization abilities, I investigate whether language models can be systematically …

A Compilation Of Works For Soprano By Moravian Composers From North Carolina, Laura Kay Hutchins

Theses and Dissertations

Moravians are among the first people to compose art music for both instrumental ensembles and works for solo voice in the American colonies. However, if you examine the repertoire taught and available to students of singing, you’ll find the songs of the Moravians are notably missing. To increase awareness, narrow the gap in research, and point teachers toward solo vocal repertoire, this document provides biographical information on several Moravian composers who lived and worked in North Carolina, as well as a compilation of selected works for solo soprano. As a secondary goal, the paper also highlights the contributions of several …

Strain-Induced Oxygen Vacancy Effect On Thermoelectric Properties In Oxide Thin Films, Ebenezer Seesi

Theses and Dissertations

The development of highly efficient and cost-effective thermoelectric (TE) materials is critical for converting waste heat into electricity in advanced power generators. For high-temperature TE applications, transition metal oxides (TMOs) have attracted significant interest because they are comparatively safe, earth-abundant, and stable under oxidizing conditions where many conventional heavy-metal and chalcogenide TE materials degrade. However, the TE performance of TMOs is limited by the intrinsic trade-off between the Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity (σ), both of which depend inversely on charge carrier concentration. This constraint limits the achievable power factor (PF = S²∙σ) and remains a central obstacle for …

A Conductor’S Guide To Charles Villiers Stanford’S Songs Of The Sea & Songs Of The Fleet, Brian Niu

Theses and Dissertations

Charles Villiers Stanford is best known for his contributions as a composer to the sacred choral genre and his role as Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music in London during the Second English Musical Renaissance. Beyond his church music, which is still regularly performed today, Stanford’s secular compositions are largely underperformed, especially for a composer and teacher of his stature. This document provides a conductor’s guide to Charles V. Stanford’s two works: Songs of the Sea and Songs of the Fleet. These two choral-orchestral works are less than 25 minutes in duration each and are scored for …

The Czech Double Bass School: The History And Development Of Bass Education Through The Prague Conservatory, Geordan Raisler

Theses and Dissertations

As a member of the violin family, the double bass has existed for the majority of the instrument's history in an ephemeral state. Across Europe the instrument varied regionally, and differing performance practices hampered the development of pedagogical materials for the instrument, of which wouldn't be developed until the turn of the 19th century when the instrument’s construction began to stabilize.1

The focus of this document emerged from noticing a pattern between the increasing quality of bassists in Central Europe, particularly in the genre of solo music, and the development of pedagogical materials for the double bass during this time. …

Acoustics Of The Kettle Drum: A Scientific Approach To Timpani Performance, Yuesen Yang

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation bridges the gap between scientific and performance approaches in timpani pedagogy. While the timpani have long been a member of various ensembles, its pedagogy often relies on experiential knowledge of the performers. This study synthesizes findings from acoustical research with traditional teaching sources to establish a coherent framework for timpani pedagogy.

Chapter one introduces the study’s purpose, states the problem, and presents the methodology. It also clarifies the scope of this dissertation. It identifies the lack of consistency between acoustic research and current pedagogical approach, proposing a comparative analysis of scientific literature and established pedagogical texts.

Chapter two …

A Compositional Analysis For Selected Works Featuring Saxophone By Braxton Blake, Matthew Allen Floeter

Theses and Dissertations

During the 2025-2026 school year, I have had the pleasure of working with Braxton “Brad” Blake to analyze and present on his theoretical approach to composition. As part of this project, I have learned and performed all of the music in this document. I firmly believe that one’s understanding of compositional technique is more fully realized through the preparation and performance of it. This document will provide insight into the compositional method in Seven Places (1998), Partita (2018), Three Dances (2022), and a Four Pieces for Baritone Saxophone and Piano (2026), presented in chronological order. Additionally, I have conducted several …

The Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration On Countermovement Jump Kinetics And Performance, Garrett Reese Evans

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is reported to be an effective training modality for increasing vertical jump height. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear because limited studies have examined the effects of WBV on kinetic variables underling jump height. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of WBV on jump height (JH), modified reactive strength index (RSImod), and eccentric rate of force development (eRFD) during the countermovement jumps (CMJ) in recreationally-active young adults.

METHODS: Fifteen participants (13 male, 2 female, 21.5±1.89yr, 1.78±0.10m, 80.2±15.0kg) completed three randomly-ordered WBV exposures (0s, 30s, or 60s: 35Hz, 2mm amplitude). Three CMJ were …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Genetic Cancer Prevention Clinic As A Tool For Managing Patients At Elevated Risk For Cancer, Sydney Marlene Price

Theses and Dissertations

People with an inherited cancer predisposition but have not been affected with cancer or tumors themselves are known as previvors. A previous study suggested the need for the establishment of a specialized management clinic for previvors in the Midlands of South Carolina. In 2022, the Genetic Cancer Prevention Clinic (GCPC) was established to serve this patient population. This study examined effectiveness of the GCPC in helping previvors manage their psychological and medical needs. A mixed methods design consisting of a chart review of patients enrolled in the GCPC (N=34) and a semi-structured phone interview (n=3) was …

Bias Effects Of Priming Towards Huntington’S Disease Among Second- Year Medical, Physician Assistant, And Genetic Counseling Students, Cameron Lynn Galley

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Huntington’s Disease (HD) have experienced bias in their interactions with the public and with health professionals. This study explored perceptions of HD and potential bias among students in interdisciplinary health professions. We hypothesized that the presence of symptoms in vignettes would reflect increased implicit bias, participants with exposure to HD would show less bias than those without, and genetic counseling students would exhibit lower bias towards HD than medical and physician assistant students.

Attitudes towards those with HD were assessed through one of four vignettes about a fictional character in which a presymptomatic diagnosis was present or absent, …

Comparative Study Of Modern Chinese And Claude Debussy’S Piano “Water” Theme Works, Jingxia Kuang

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the music depiction of "water" and explores the similarities and differences between the piano works of modern Chinese compositions and French composer Claude Debussy, with particular attention to musical texture and performance techniques. It begins by examining the aesthetic parallels and cultural differences between French Symbolist literature and classical Chinese poetry, both of which are grounded in symbolic expression, indirect suggestion, and sensory resonance. Influenced deeply by Symbolist poets such as Mallarmé and Verlaine, Debussy often approached music composition through the lens of poetic thinking, constructing soundscapes rich in implication and ambiguity. Similarly, symbolic imagery plays …

Parent & Provider Perspectives On Rehabilitative Therapies For Children With Mucopolysaccharidosis Type Iii, Laura Denise Ciccarelli

Theses and Dissertations

Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III) is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder characterized by autistic behaviors and skill regression. Although there is currently no cure for MPS III, various therapeutic approaches are recommended to manage the associated clinical manifestations. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the perspectives of parents and providers on rehabilitative therapy for their children or patients with MPS III. Furthermore, it evaluated the potential benefit of an MPS III therapy resource developed by genetic counselors. Interview and survey responses were collected between September 2025 and January 2026. Eligible providers included certified speech, physical, occupational, and …

Musculoskeletal Physiology In Piano Pedagogy: Mechanistic Insight, Movement Exploration, And Technique-Building Exercises, Ziyue Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Piano technique requires the coordinated movements of multiple body parts; therefore, a clear understanding of the physiological principles underlying these movements is essential for effective technical instruction. Although existing literature— such as Thomas Marks’s What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body—provides detailed anatomical descriptions, it is often unclear how such knowledge can be systematically translated into pedagogical practice. To address this gap, this dissertation draws on musculoskeletal physiology to examine the movement mechanisms underlying major piano techniques. These mechanisms encompass thumb function, the fourth and fifth fingers, finger independence, wrist function, forearm rotation, the integration of natural arm …

Evaluating Genetic Counseling Perspectives Around The Use Of Chat-Ai As A Standardized Patient, Mary Claire Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

Roleplays and standardized patients (SPs) are widely utilized and valued training tools in medical education. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a novel component of medical education, though its applications in genetic counseling remain underexplored. This study examined perceptions of genetic counseling students, recent graduates, and educators on chatbot artificial intelligence (chat-AI) as a SP in roleplay exercises. Eligible participants completed a survey requiring a roleplay interaction with ChatGPT. Standardized prompts included roleplay instructions and a framework based on the American Board of Genetic Counseling Practice-Based Competencies (PBCs) and the Reciprocal Engagement Model (REM) for chat-AI to provide feedback on …

Patient-Centered Insights Into The Triage And Diagnostic Experience Of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome In Clinical Genetics Services., Rylan Makenzie Sweitzer

Theses and Dissertations

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is the only form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) without a known genetic etiology. One of the criteria for diagnosing hEDS is the exclusion of other possible causes. This often leads to referrals for a clinical diagnosis with a medical geneticist or genetic testing for other forms of EDS. This study aimed to investigate the education that individuals diagnosed with or suspected to have hEDS are receiving and what genetic providers include in their appointments with these patients. This study included two original online surveys. The first was sent to patients through providers at Indiana University and …

Developing And Validating Asian American General Strain Theory, Hyeseon Noh

Theses and Dissertations

General Strain Theory (GST) has been extensively tested across diverse populations, yet Asian Americans, the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, remain largely absent from this body of research. This study addresses this critical gap by developing and validating an Asian American GST that incorporates both traditional and culturally specific strains while examining how collectivist cultural values moderate strain-emotion-coping pathways. Using primary data from 904 Asian American adults across five generational cohorts, this research employed a moderated mediation framework across three interconnected studies. Study 1 tested foundational GST mechanisms, examining direct and mediated effects of strain on three coping …

Wildfires, Smoke Pollution, And Household Purchasing Behaviors, Tamara Sheldon, Crystal Zhan

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we investigate households’ behavioral responses to wildfires in California to understand their mitigation and adaptation strategies. We combine daily household-level consumer purchase data from the NielsenIQ Consumer Panel with detailed wildfire incident and smoke exposure data from various sources. Our analysis reveals that wildfires reduce retail trips and overall spending, both in-store and online, likely due to evacuations. However, wildfire-driven smoke increases purchases of essential goods, indicating adaptive behavior. More experienced households tend to respond more cautiously, and we observe heterogeneity in responses based on income, age, and pre-existing health conditions. These findings highlight the complexity and …

College Football Free Agency: The Transactional Nature Of Big-Time College Football Recruiting, Chris Corr, Branden Johnson, Amanda L. Paule-Koba

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This study explored how the transfer portal has transformed college football recruiting by disrupting traditional relationship-based practices and accelerating the shift toward a transactional performance-driven model. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, and capital, the research examines how recruiting coordinators navigate evolving pressures around talent acquisition, NIL compensation, and compressed recruiting timelines. Findings from comprehensive interviews with five Power-4 recruiting personnel reveal that relationships are increasingly leveraged for short-term gain. The findings of this study indicate the transfer portal has created an opaque high-stakes marketplace where trust is limited, valuation is speculative, and institutional pedigree/resources heavily influence opportunities. The …

An Exploration Of College Athletes' Action To Change The Eyes Of Texas. A Chronological Case Study, Charles Macaulay, Jessica K. Brougham, Christopher M. Mcleod, Ajhanai C. Keaton

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This study presents a chronological case study exploring the University of Texas Austin wherein a broad coalition of students, college athletes, marching band members and others from the UT community engaged in several forms of activism challenging the university to address racial inequities. Unlike other sport organizations that swiftly supported activist efforts, the University of Texas serves as a case where leadership attempted to uphold the status quo and stifle dissent. Thus, this manuscript explores the oscillating dynamic between sport activism and organizational responses when a broad coalition of actors, lacking status, influence, and power, engage in continued efforts to …

Marketing Collegiate Women’S Sports In A Shifting Landscape: Opportunities And Obstacles, Liz Sattler Dr., Eric Kramer, Micaela Bradley

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

This research explores the promotion of women’s sports programs across Division I athletic departments by specifically looking at the strategies, barriers, and opportunities identified by practitioners. Interest in women’s sports is growing, in large part thanks to popular women athletes such as Caitlin Clark, Juju Watkins, and Olivia Dunne. Despite that growing interest and investment in women’s sports globally, women collegiate athletes still face significant disparities in funding, media coverage, and overall promotion compared to their counterparts who are men. The industry faces a unique pivot point with the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the pending implications …

Regulation Of Zygotic Genome Activation By The Nucleocytoplasmic Ratio, Lily Acker, Hui Chen

Faculty Publications

During early development, embryos undergo the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), when control of development shifts from maternal factors to the newly activated zygotic genome. Decades of studies in various model organisms suggest that the nucleocytoplasmic (N/C) ratio is a key regulator of zygotic genome activation (ZGA), though this relationship is more nuanced in some organisms than others. Changing the nuclear content, nucleus size or cell size has been shown to shift the timing of ZGA. Mechanistically, the N/C ratio is linked to fundamental cellular processes that regulate genome activities, including nuclear import, repressor titration, activator accumulation, cell cycle lengthening, and chromatin …