Digital Commons Network^™

Math Workshop And Its Impact On Higher-Level Thinking Skills, Elizabeth Ross

Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses the problem of students not using problem solving and critical thinking skills in high school mathematics classes. It describes an action research project that looked at the impact of Math Workshop on higher-level thinking skills, number of attempts to demonstrate proficiency, and students’ feelings/attitudes about mathematics in a high school Algebra II setting. In a small high school, 20 students enrolled in an Algebra II course were selected to complete a pre-test, post-test and tasks framed by Math Workshop. A triangulated mixed-methods design was used to compare quantitative and qualitative data to answer the research questions. Descriptive …

Investigating Accuracy Of Model Fit Indices In Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Mihaela C. Ene

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the performance of various model fit indices in the context of multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) to determine their robustness in this framework. As the interest in using MCFA techniques recently increased, applied researchers continue to face the challenge of evaluating model fit in this framework as no specific guidelines currently exist.

Using a simulation study with a two-level CFA model, characteristics of the model were varied to reflect a broad range of conditions commonly found in applied studies. Five factors were manipulated, including item-level ICC, level-1 sample size, level-2 sample size, model size, and model misspecification. …

Testing For Differential Attention To Features In Evaluative Conditioning, Christine E. Weber

Theses and Dissertations

One eye tracking and one behavioral experiment examined the possible roles of contingency awareness and attention to stimulus features in evaluative conditioning. These experiments tested whether evaluative conditioning altered the saliency of positive and negative features in consumer products (Study 1) and attitudinal responses to ambivalent pictures (Study 2). Based on the conceptual categorization model, pairing of ambivalent conditioned stimuli with liked or disliked unconditioned stimuli was predicted to result in enhanced attention to affectively congruent features. Study 1 tested this prediction by recording eye movements to determine how attention to features and responses to ambivalent stimuli were altered as …

Teacher Beliefs In Sex-Specific Neuromyths And Gender-Specific Instructional Strategies: Prevalence, Predictors, And Implications, Marriah Schwallier

Theses and Dissertations

Neuromyths are misconceptions or overgeneralizations about brain research and its relevance to education. A number of recent studies have demonstrated that teachers endorse neuromyths at high rates, but none have examined neuromyths related to sex-specific learning differences. This study is the first to create and utilize a neuromyth inventory designed to measure misconceptions about sex learning differences. The overarching goal of the study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of both sex-specific neuromyths and gender-specific instructional strategies. The study was conducted in three large South Carolina school districts that offered single-gender classes at some point between 2007–2016. An electronic …

Clarifying And Measuring The Value Of Human Capital Resources, Donald Hale, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of value is central to the strategic human resources (SHRM) and strategic human capital resource literatures (SHCR) because of their grounding in Resource Based Theory (RBT). In order to facilitate a firm’s competitive advantage, both the SHRM and SHCR literatures argue that the practices and people in a firm must work together to generate resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable. Value is the first and primary consideration in this logic. Despite the centrality of value in both literatures, prior attempts to identify and measure human capital resource (HCR) value (e.g. utility analysis) have produced mixed results …

Spatio-Temporal Modeling Of Earthquake Recovery, Sahar Derakhshan

Theses and Dissertations

The recovery process after a major disaster or disruption, is impacted by the inequality of risk prior to and post event. In the past decades there has been few efforts to model the recovery process and the focus is mainly on staged models (i.e. emergency, restoration, and reconstruction). The overarching research question asks how a non-stage-like model could apply to the recovery process. This study poses three broad questions: 1) what are the indicators suitable for monitoring the recovery process; 2) what are the driving factors of differential recovery trends; and 3) what are the predicted development trajectories for communities …

Culture In The Classroom: A Study For Strategies For Bridging Classroom Divides, William Rolison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers perceive the impact of socioeconomic class and culture on student/teacher interactions and to identify specific strategies that may be implemented to bridge cultural divides between students and teachers. To do this I employed a qualitative action research design incorporating semi-structured interviews, recorded dialogue, and researcher generated questionnaires. Together with two collaborating teachers, I examined teacher views of sociocultural influences on student/teacher interactions and identified cross-cultural strategies to implement in bridging sociocultural divides between students and teachers.

Study participants reported that participation in interviews and group dialogue made them more aware …

Leveling Up Instruction: Action Research Evaluating The Impact Of Gamification On The Intrinsic Motivation And Academic Performance Of Students Disaffected From High School English Language Arts, Michael Brian Jett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of gamification on the intrinsic motivation and academic performance of students disaffected from high school English language arts (ELA). Three questions guided this study: (a) how does gamification affect the intrinsic motivation of students disaffected from high school ELA, (b) does gamification affect the academic performance of students disaffected from high school ELA, and (c) what recommendations can students offer after reflecting on their experiences with gamification?

The game elements of challenge, narrative, role-play, and teamwork were incorporated into the design of a five-week instructional unit focused on research …

Advising For High School Mathematics Course-Taking: Action Research Identifying And Describing Students’ Experiences, Selection Factors, Needs, And Preferences, Andrea Lynn Goodson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to identify and to describe the needs of students in the advisement process of mathematics course selections at a suburban high school in South Carolina, in order to make recommendations for effective advisement for mathematics course selections. This study addressed three research questions. The first research question explored students’ experiences in the advisement process of math course selections at a suburban high school. The second research question identified the factors affecting students’ math course selections. The third question investigated students’ needs and preferences in the mathematics course selection process. This action research …

Can The Curse Be Reversed?: An Action Research Study Of The Effect Of Constructivist-Aligned Instructional Strategies And Practices On The Mathematical Identity Development Of Fifth- Grade Students, Jennifer J. Ledbetter

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this mixed-methods action research study was to determine how my fifth-grade students were impacted by negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety and to uncover the impact of constructivist-aligned instructional strategies on students’ mathematical identity. Grounded in a theoretical framework based on constructivist learning theory, identity theory, and communities of practice, the study used a convergent mixed-methods action research approach to investigate the following research questions:

How does negative mathematical identity and/or math anxiety impact my students? 2) What classroom practices contribute to the development of negative mathematical identity and how can those practices be replaced? 3) How …

Mindfulness, Culture, And Clinical Practice: Clinician Experiences Utilizing Mindfulness And Acceptance With Hispanics/Latinos, Rebeca Castellanos

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that culturally adapted interventions are superior to unadapted interventions when used with diverse ethnic groups (Hall et al., 2016). There also exists a growing interest psychological interventions that utilize in mindfulness and psychological acceptance (Masuda, 2014). Moreover, there is a significant need to address health inequities among Hispanics/Latinos given that they comprise the fastest growing ethnically diverse population in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). A recent comprehensive review of the literature on cultural adaptations of MBIs for Hispanics/Latinos indicated several critical gaps in the study of culturally adapted MBIs which included a need to systematically assess …

21st Century Physics Homework: A Mixed-Methods Approach Evaluating How An Individualized Online Homework Platform Can Provide Quality Feedback And Help Physics Students Engage In Self-Regulated Learning, Scott Philip Buhr

Theses and Dissertations

American secondary students spend many hours each week working on homework. To get the most out of this homework, students need to receive quality feedback and engage in self-regulated learning when completing homework tasks. For teachers, traditional paper-and-pencil homework means extra time spent grading rather than giving good feedback. This study aims to answer the following questions: 1) How and to what extent does the implementation of individualized online homework and feedback impact self-regulated learning among Honors Physics high school students? and 2) How does the implementation of individualized online homework impact students’ perception of the feedback quality provided by …

Foster Care And Youth Homelessness: The Impact Of Race And Victimization History, Nakisa Asefnia

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that there are 31,062 unaccompanied homeless youth living in the U.S.. Simultaneously, approximately 250,000 youth exit the foster care system each year, many of whom have little support for a successful transition. Research has shown that emerging adults, who exit foster care by aging out, have an increased chance of homelessness. These youths’ victimization experiences, particularly those leading to child welfare involvement and subsequently foster care, may increase their chances of difficulties with regard to homelessness. In addition to their increased vulnerability and risk of homelessness, race is a compounding …

The Singing Voice Specialist: An Essential Bridge Between Two Worlds, Rebecca Holbrook Loar

Theses and Dissertations

For more than 35 years, voice teachers have been seeking an educational platform to adequately prepare a Singing Voice Specialist. Several degree ideas have been proposed, none of which have been fully implemented, leaving the field of Singing Voice Specialty without a certifying body or way to achieve licensure or certification. This document seeks to uncover the current progress in the field of Singing Voice Specialty, the progression of educational programs geared toward Singing Voice Specialization, possible accrediting associations, and future education needed to propel this profession forward.

In seeking these answers, experts within various aspects of voice care are …

Lifting The Veil: A Critical Post-Intentional Phenomenological Action Research Study Of How African American Students Experience Science, Gina Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Research asserts the assimilationist nature of traditional science classroom practices undermines African American students’ intersectional race and science identity. Driven by a problem of practice embedded in the racialized system of science education, this study integrated action research with an innovative critical paradigm to explore how phenomenological data can transform practice. This post-intentional approach relies on experiential, phenomenological data of how African American students experience science to provide a critical analysis of instruction that leads to a change in science pedagogy. Qualitative interviews documented African American students’ experiences with science and an observation journal documented the resulting intervention. A post-reflexive …

Choline Supplementation And Dna Methylation In The Hippocampus And Prefrontal Cortex Of Rats Exposed To Alcohol During Development, Nicha K. H. Otero

Theses and Dissertations

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) refers to the effects of alcohol exposure during development on individuals. Some of the most frequent deficits seen in children with FASD and in animal models of FASD are spatial memory impairments and impaired executive functioning, which are likely related to alcohol-induced alterations of the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), respectively. Choline, a nutrient supplement, has been shown in a rat model to ameliorate some of alcohol‟s teratogenic effects and this effect may be mediated through choline‟ effects on DNA methylation. This study used a rat model of FASD to investigate the underlying mechanisms …

Bifurcated Elementary Sister-Schools: Do They Affect Student Growth During Transition Years?, Victoria Gelbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students who attend a sister-school modeled elementary school experience a negatively disproportionate amount of academic growth the year students transition from the primary school to the elementary school in third grade. This study looked at two different elementary grade span configurations, the traditional PreK–5 model and the 3–5 sister-school model, to determine if there is a difference between third grade student academic growth in different grade configurations. Four sample schools agreed to participate in the study and were paired based on their grade span configuration and demographics. The sample schools provided …

Antisaccade Performance As A Measure Of Executive Dysfunction In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation, Lyndsay Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Women with the FMR1 premutation appear to be at increased risk for executive dysfunction. Findings in this regard have been mixed, leading to controversy surrounding the executive phenotype. Inhibitory deficits have been a more consistently documented component of this cognitive profile (Klusek et al., 2020; Shelton et al., 2014). This study aimed to clarify the executive phenotype through use of the antisaccade task, a well referenced eye-tracking paradigm that targets oculomotor inhibition and motor control and imposes time constraints that may increase sensitivity to executive deficits in women with the FMR1 premutation. The effects of aging were examined in both …

Bollen-Stine Bootstrapping Of The Chi-Square Statistic In Structural Equation Models: The Effect Of Model Size, Raul Corrêa Ferraz

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research on the accuracy of p-values for the chi-square test of model fit has been limited to small models (around 10 variables), revealing that they are accurate provided sample size is not too small. At small sample sizes (N < 100), the usual p-values, obtained using asymptotic methods, are more accurate. However, asymptotic p-values incorrectly suggest that models fit poorly when the number of variables is large. We investigate whether Bollen-Stine (1992) bootstrap p-values are accurate in large models (up to 30 variables) for continuous outcomes using both normal and non-normal data. We found that as model size increases …

The Impact Of Guided Practice In Argument Analysis And Composition Via Computer-Assisted Argument Mapping Software On Students’ Ability To Analyze And Compose Evidence-Based Arguments, Donna Lorain Grant

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to document the impact of the use of computer-assisted argument mapping (CAAM) upon high school students’ ability to analyze and compose evidence-based arguments. The study used a one-group pretest posttest design with a convenience sample of the participant researcher’s seventy-one high school sophomores. During the six-week study, each participant generated four sets of artifacts, each consisting of two argument analysis maps from provided source arguments and one argument composition map representing the participant’s position on the given topic. Artifacts were generated at four separate benchmarks, the pretest, week four, week five, …

The Role Of Third-Person Perceptions In Predicting The Public’S Support For Electronic Cigarette Advertising Regulations, Joon Kyoung Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has become the most widely used nicotine porduct among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Although some research has shown that e-cigarettes are relatively less harmful than combustible tobacco cigarettes, the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes remain unclear. Some evidence suggests that exposure to e-cigarette marketing leads young people to try e-cigarettes. Given the increased popularity of e-cigarette use, the U.S Food and Drug Administration has implemented regulations on e-cigarette marketing since 2016. To understand the public’s support for media censorship, media scholars have examined gaps in individuals’ perceptions of media effects on themselves …

Aging With Hiv In The United States: Trends And Impact Of Hospital Stays On Inpatient Resource Utilization, And Costs Of Care, 2003-2015, Khairul Alam Siddiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Background:

Due to advances in Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) live longer in the United States. Aging prolongs exposure to HIV and antiretroviral drugs, which could lead to an elevated risk of developing multiple age-related comorbidities [HIV Associated Non-AIDS (HANA) conditions], earlier for PLWH. Higher comorbidity burdens among older PLWH may require greater use of inpatient care, i.e., higher hospitalization, inpatient resource utilization, and costs. This study examined the trends and characteristics of comorbidities, resource utilization, and costs of hospital stays with HIV (HSWH) compared to hospital stays without HIV (HSWOH). We also assessed trends for resource …

Understanding The Intercultural Motivators That Encourage Adult Basic Education Esl Students To Pursue General Education Opportunities, Nelecia Renetha Murrell

Theses and Dissertations

Per internationalization, the world of Adult Basic Education (ABE) has exponentially increased within the last decade (National Center for Statistics, 2015). Subsequentially, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second Language (ESL) student population has experienced a huge upsurge nationwide. However, the students who have the English language proficiency to expand their academic and vocational skills by taking General Education classes (GenEd) are underrepresented in GenEd courses. Research posits ESL students are more apt to accomplish their academic and professional aspirations if their teachers employ interculturally competent (ICC) practices in the classroom. Nonetheless, Adult Basic Education (ABE) educators are …

How Self-Sentiments And Personal Networks Impact Political Polarization, Matthew Facciani

Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates how identities, self-sentiments, and personal network composition impact political polarization. I apply the framework of Affect Control Theory to capture how Democrats and Republicans feel about their political ingroup and outgroups (through evaluation, potency and activity ratings) and evaluate the likelihood of events involving these groups. In my first experiment, I study if self-uncertainty and self-affirmation primes impact political bias. I also apply Affect Control Theory-Self to measure self-sentiment change (self-evaluation, self-potency, and self-activity) from these primes as well. I predict that priming self-uncertainty should increase political bias (due to inflated self-sentiments) and that priming self-affirmation should …

African, Know Thyself: Hip-Hop Pedagogy, Epistemic Disobedience, And Youth Engagement In West Africa, Noella Binda Niati

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was a 23-month comparative case study of Y’en a Marre, a civic organizing movement based in Dakar, Senegal and FESCI, a student organization in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. This study investigates the ways in which these organizations view Hip-Hop and its pedagogical utility as a means to encourage socialization, promote authenticity, and foster leadership. Through Hip-Hop, young people are drawn to a cultural expression that reflects the social, economic, and political realities of their lives speaking to them in a language and manner they understand. This is critical given sub- Saharan Africa’s tremendous youth population and their potential impact …

Nutrient Timing: A Garage Door Of Opportunity?, Shawn M. Arent, Harry P. Cintineo, Bridget A. Mcfadden, Alexa Jenny Chandler, Michelle Angelique Arent

Faculty Publications

Nutrient timing involves manipulation of nutrient consumption at specific times in and around exercise bouts in an effort to improve performance, recovery, and adaptation. Its historical perspective centered on ingestion during exercise and grew to include pre- and post-training periods. As research continued, translational focus remained primarily on the impact and outcomes related to nutrient consumption during one specific time period to the exclusion of all others. Additionally, there seemed to be increasing emphasis on outcomes related to hypertrophy and strength at the expense of other potentially more impactful performance measures. As consumption of nutrients does not occur at only …

Restructuring A Beginner Language Program: A Quantitative Analysis Of Face-To-Face Versus Flipped-Blended Spanish Instruction, Nina Moreno, Paul Malovrh

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Technical Colleges On The Cutting Edge: Implementing New Technologies At Hgtc Library, Jj Fickenworth, Richard J. Moniz Jr.

South Carolina Libraries

The integration of new technologies on college campuses is an imperative to enhance learning and prepare students for career success. This article describes the implementation of new technology at a technical college library. Thanks to a multi-layered grant from The Chapin Foundation HGTC Library was able to install a video wall, 10 zSpace machines, and a PolyCom system all in the same space located inside the library. Uses of this equipment in other settings as well as at HGTC are considered.

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.