Digital Commons Network^™

A Case Study Of Preservice Teachers In An Associate Of Science Degree Early Childhood Teacher Education Program: Perceptions Of Professional Preparation, Tracy E. Sermon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of preservice students completing their associate’s degree (AS) in early childhood education (ECE). My intent was to discover, from the preservice teacher’s perspective, what skills and knowledge preservice students consider necessary to teach young children. I was also interested in how they viewed their professional preparation at the completion of their AS program.

The methods included participant interviews, documents and assignments completed by students, and program contextual data (faculty focus group and program documents). Seven themes were identified that represented the student’s perceptions of the skills and knowledge needed for …

Dramatic Play Affordances Of Natural And Manufactured Outdoor Settings For Preschool-Aged Children, Kimberly K. Cloward Drown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern for child wellness has led play professionals to explore natural playscapes as a means to enhance free play and consequently child development. For preschool children, dramatic or make-believe play is particularly beneficial for enhancing cognitive, social, and emotional skill. Dramatic play in collaboration with other children (sociodramatic play) and, surpassing that, complex socio-dramatic play (group make-believe with a sustained theme that uses sophisticated symbolism) are most valuable for development.

This study compared natural and manufactured outdoor play settings to determine which provided the most opportunity for quality dramatic play. Twenty-four 3- to 5- year olds were observed during daily …

Old Roots: Place-Making And Hybrid Landscapes Of Refugee Urban Farmers, Missy Ward-Lambert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research project was designed to analyze the relevance of place and the physical environment to the adjustment processes of refugees. This dissertation contains the results of qualitative research with a group of 30 refugee urban farmers living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Seventeen of these individuals—from Burundi, Sudan, Bhutan, the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Cuba—participated in interviews and a photography project focused on their experiences with agriculture in their home countries and since their arrival in Utah. The results of the research show the connection between the refugees’ work as farmers and their …

The Impact Of Participation In The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Program On Dietary Habits In Fourth And Fifth Grade Students In Cache County Utah After One Year, Amanda B. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents are not meeting the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables (FV). The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Program (FD), developed by researchers in the UK, has previously been shown to increase lunch time and overall FV intake in elementary school aged children. The aim of this study was to test if participation in the FD program during late elementary school could prevent decreases in FV intake and increases in junk food intake during the transition from elementary school into middle school.

A decrease in average lunchtime FV intake was seen at the beginning of the transition into middle school. …

Supporting Students With Psychiatric Disabilities In Postsecondary Education: Important Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes, Scott I. Kupferman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Students with psychiatric disabilities are the largest subgroup of students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education. However, their high enrollment rate does not equate to a high retention rate. Approximately 86 percent of students with psychiatric disabilities withdraw prior to degree completion. As a result, calls for improved disability services in postsecondary education have been plentiful. In an effort to take a step toward answering these calls, the current study began the exploratory process of identifying knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are important for disability service professionals to possess in order to provide beneficial services to students with psychiatric disabilities …

Exploring The Potential Of Resident Employed Photography As A Context Sensitive Technique In Roadway Design, Christopher S. Harrild

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the study was to explore the potential of resident employed photography as a tool in roadway design. Key elements of this tool that may contribute to context sensitivity in roadway design were identified and explored.

State and federal transportation agencies have identified principles and potential outcomes with the intent to guide processes that are sensitive to the context of a project’s surroundings. The improved design of public roadways to meet the needs of those who live and travel along them is the goal of these agencies. Resident employed photography is the use of a photograph to obtain …

Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions Of Eighth-Grade Students Toward Figures Of Varying Body Weight, Erin L. Mcleary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study examined attitudes toward and willingness to interact of 8th grade students toward their peers based on peer weight status. One-hundred-seventy primarily Caucasian, eighth-grade students (72 male, 98 female) from a public elementary school viewed a picture of a potential peer who was either average weight, overweight, or obese. After viewing the figure, participants completed The Adjective Checklist and The Shared Activity Questionnaire-B (SAQ-B. The Adjective Checklist measured attitudes toward obesity and the SAQ-B measured how they would interact with the potential peer in general social, academic, and active recreational situations. It was hypothesized that girls would rate …

Engaging Alternative High School Students Through The Design, Development, And Crafting Of Computationally Enhanced Pets, Maneksha Katrine Dumont

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A new kind of technology combines making in the physical world with computing in the virtual world. These technologies are simultaneously physical and virtual, require the design of artifacts like computer programs and the crafting of physical components. Combining approaches encourage youth to participate in computing who might not otherwise be interested by harnessing existing hobbies and interests. Because fluency with computing is important to success in a 21st century society, increasing the ways in which young people can experience and connect to computing is important. Computational thinking, and with it the process of debugging computer code, is an example …

An Exploratory Study Of Purposeful And Strategic Communicative Techniques To Teach Vocabulary From Core Reading Programs To English Learners, Danell Bench Mieure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of instructional practices when teaching vocabulary from a core reading program to English learners. Participants were 73 fifth-grade English learners nested in classrooms of 11 teachers who were randomly assigned to the instructional treatment group or to the comparison group. Both the treatment and comparison groups were taught vocabulary words from the district-adopted core reading program. The treatment group implemented an intervention specifically designed to teach vocabulary using techniques with the potential to increase vocabulary acquisition of English learners situated in principles of the communicative approach. Data were collected on a mastery test that measured …

Traditional Lecture Versus An Activity Approach For Teaching Statistics: A Comparison Of Outcomes, Jennifer L. Loveland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many educational researchers have proposed teaching statistics with less lecture and more active learning methods. However, there are only a few comparative studies that have taught one section of statistics with lectures and one section with activity-based methods; of those studies, the results are contradictory. To address the need for more research on the actual effectiveness of active learning methods in introductory statistics, this research study was undertaken.

An introductory, university level course was divided into two sections. One section was taught entirely with traditional lecture. The other section was taught using active learning methods and a minimal amount of …

Marital Preparation, Experiences, And Personal Qualities In A Qualitative Study Of Individuals In Great Marriages, Jennifer M. Weiss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study presents findings regarding marital preparation for individuals in great marriages. Data from a national qualitative study of individuals in self-identified great marriages were used. Thirty-eight individuals were identified as being married for 20 years or less, and therefore, chosen as the subsample for the current study. Their rich, narrative responses were analyzed and coded, using a qualitative method, to identify what marriage preparation occurred for these couples prior to marriage and contributed to their successful marriages. Findings from this research provide helpful, descriptive data on the experiences and socialization of individuals that influenced their choice in a …

The Role Of Religious Affiliation And Attitudes In Marriage Maintenance Strategies, Chenika Fowler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to explore associations among marital maintenance strategies, religious experiences, and marital quality in a sample of 80 married college students. Maintenance strategies are tactics used by couple members to sustain healthy relationships/marriages, and include both cognitive (e.g., choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the partner) and behavioral (e.g., engaging in shared activites) strategies. Specific patterns of association among religious practices and beliefs, particular maintenance strategies, and marital-quality outcomes were assessed in order to better understand pathways to optimal marital functioning for religiously affiliated individuals.

Most participants were affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ …

The Mental Health Disparity Among Nonheterosexuals: Risk, Resiliency, And New Perspectives To Consider In The Context Of Mormonism, Katherine Ann Crowell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nonheterosexuals disproportionately experience mental illness when compared with heterosexuals. Although it has been well established that the apparent mental health disparity among sexually diverse populations is almost exclusively derived from minority stress (i.e., the excess stress associated with culturally maintained sexual stigma), our understanding of how specific aspects of minority stress lead to specific psychological syndromes (e.g., depression) remains limited. On the other hand, in attempts to destigmatize individuals who do not identify as heterosexual, researchers have increasingly begun to shift the focus of their work towards understanding the specific characteristics or experiences that facilitate individuals’ capacity to adapt and …

Strong Marriages In The African American Community: How Religion Contributes To A Healthier Marriage, Lucy K. Shirisia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined how religion contributes to or strengthens strong African American marriages. In order to understand how religion contributed to their marriages, five couples who talked extensively about religion in their marriage were selected out of the total sample of 39 couples and were presented as case studies. Six themes surfaced across all five case studies in answer to the research question: couples consistently practiced their religion, religion was the foundation of the marriage, religion strengthened personal growth, couples had exemplars for a strong marriage, couples turned to religion during difficult times, and religion transcends race. These findings indicate …

A Qualitative Study Of Women High School Principals' Career Life Histories, Jan Bradshaw Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gender inequalities in the workplace continue to plague aspiring career-directed women. In public education, it is established that there are fewer women high school principals than there are men. In a profession predominantly employing women, the question remains, “Where are the women high school administrators”? This study examines the sociopolitical genders systems and psychological dynamics that perpetuate gender inequality. It then discusses the encumbered or constrained choices women make that are burdened or made more complicated by gendered sociopolitical or psychological dynamics. This study explored the unintentional career journeys of seven women high school principals and analyzed their career life …

Understanding Experiences Of Female Survivors Of Domestic Violence: Stories Of Strength, Resilience, And Mechanisms That Assist In Leaving Violent Relationships, Annel Cordero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A qualitative study was conducted in order to better understand domestic violence (DV) survivors’ lived experiences and the mechanisms that assisted them in leaving violent relationships. This method of research enabled me to immerse myself within the work in order to better understand this issue from the perspective of the survivors. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups, women were given the space to have their voices heard. For this project, 13 women from two different states, of diverse ages, sexual orientations, and ethnicities who identified as survivors volunteered to tell their stories. To obtain a complete picture of their experiences, …

The Effects Of High-Tech Stimuli And Duration Of Access On Reinforcer Preference And Efficacy, Audrey N. Hoffmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reinforcement is commonly used to increase individuals engaging in certain behaviors. We can alter the value of the reinforcers by manipulating how long they get access to the reinforcer (i.e., magnitude) or by varying the type of reinforcer we use. The use of high technology items (i.e., high-tech) as a reinforcer has not been examined. We examined the interaction between high- and no-tech items and duration of access and the effects of that interaction on reinforcer preference and efficacy (i.e., how effective the reinforcer is in increasing behavior) in three individuals with disabilities. We conducted two preference assessments to identify …

Doctoral Dissertation Research In Marriage And Family Therapy (Mft): A Content Analysis, Clinton L. Broadbent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 60 years, the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has experienced tremendous growth due largely to many charismatic pioneers in the field. These pioneers performed various research studies but lacked a focus on quality empirical research. Over the past 20 years, many MFT researchers have started to perform these studies, which in turn, have pointed the field in a positive direction in terms of research excellence. Doctoral dissertations offer unique and valuable insights into the current state of research as a field as well as give us a better idea of how we are doing at …

Examining The Impact Of Different Virtual Manipulative Types On The Nature Of Students' Small-Group Discussions: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Techno-Mathematical Discourse, Katie L. Anderson-Pence

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the influence of different virtual manipulative types on the nature of students' techno-mathematical discourse (TMD) when working with a partner. The research used a concurrent mixed-methods design using identical samples to compare and synthesize the results. For this study, six fifth-grade students participated in nine sessions of mathematics instruction using virtual manipulatives. The study compared three virtual manipulative types: combined (multiple representations, open environment), pictorial (single visual representation, open environment), and tutorial (multiple representations, structured environment). Students' levels of discourse in generalization, justification, and collaboration were measured as well as students' use of physical and computer gestures …

Predictors Of Persistence And Resurgence: Evaluation Of A Behavioral Momentum-Based Approach, Mary M. Sweeney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mary M. Sweeney, graduate student in the Experimental and Applied Psychological Sciences program at Utah State University, will complete this dissertation as part of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology.

One approach to reducing a behavior with a history of reward is to remove the reward for the target behavior to be reduced and introduce reward for an alternative behavior. When alternative reward is removed, though, relapse termed resurgence can occur. The broad purpose of this dissertation is to examine the variables that contribute to the persistence and resurgence of a behavior. The results of …

The Process Of Couples' Experiences In A Brief Intervention, D. Jim Mock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many couples struggle with their relationship, but resist seeking professional assistance due to concerns about time commitment, financial expense, and/or fear of stigma associated with treatment. To address these concerns the relationship checkup has been developed. Though there has been limited research of this format, there is still much to be explored. This study presents the findings from semi-structured interviews of ten couples who participated in a form of this intervention and their corresponding clinicians. Each interview was analyzed for commonalities among the responses and distilled into two sets of themes: the couples' and the clinicians'. Themes for the couples …

The Academic Preparation And Background Of Public Secondary Mathematics Teachers In Utah 1966-1967, Charles Martin Crittenden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A random survey was conducted to determine the academic preparation and background of the public secondary mathematics teachers in the state of Utah.

The survey indicated that there is a wide variance in the teacher mathematics preparation between the three types of public secondary schools. The class B high schools have a smaller percentage of well prepared mathematics teachers than either the class A high schools or the junior high schools.

The following facts were discovered: (1) 22.03 percent of all the surveyed mathematics teachers had between 1 and 15 quarter hours of college mathematics preparation, (2) 5.22 percent had …

The Impact Of Social Support, Psychosocial Characteristics, And Contextual Factors On Racial Disparities In Hypertension, E. Miranda Reiter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hypertension is a serious medical condition. Although men and women of all racial groups in the US suffer from high blood pressure, black women have the highest rates of hypertension. For instance, the age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among black women ages 20 and over is 44.3, compared to 28.1 among white women, 40.5 among black men, and 31.1 among white men.

Past research has focused on SES and behavioral factors as potential explanations for blood pressure disparities between black and white women. But, even after controlling for such factors, considerable disparities remain. The goal of this research is to examine …

Expert Vs. Novice: Problem Decomposition/Recomposition In Engineering Design, Ting Song

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to investigate the design behavior. A commonly used design strategy called “problem decomposition and recomposition” was the focus of the study. Dyads of engineering experts, dyads of engineering seniors, and dyads of engineering freshmen completed an engineering design challenge within an hour. The entire design process was video and audio recorded. After the design session, participants participated in a group interview.

The conversation and behavior from the design were transcribed, segmented, and coded. Two coding systems including the FBS ontology and “levels of the problem” were used in this study. A series of statistical …

Conditioned Reinforcement And The Value Of Praise In Children With Autism, Ben Beus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many efforts in teaching children with autism are focused on increasing the value of praise as a reward for work. Increasing the value of praise can help children with autism to work in a natural setting, without requiring constant rewards of food or toys for work. In this study, I analyzed a pairing method—a technique of providing verbal praise while simultaneously providing a food reward—to assess whether it would result in an increased value for praise for participants in the study. First, a baseline phase was conducted in which praise statements were provided as a reward for a certain task …

The One Man Crew: The Creating And Sustaining Of A Master Folk Artist, Heidi Jean Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Folk art is the art of everyday life. Framing homes can be artistic when done with a degree of exemplary expertise. Jerry Saville is a master folk artist because of his special skills and techniques exhibited in his trade of carpentry. This research provides a glimpse into a carpenter’s life to discover what creates and sustains a master carpenter. Through desire, drive, dedication (time/practice), life experience/opportunity (apprenticeship), purpose, and a community of support, Jerry Saville became a master folk artist.

Five-Year Prospective Evaluation Of The Development Of Borderline Symptoms In Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents Who Engage In Deliberate Self-Harm And Suicide-Related Behaviors, Kendra J. Homan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a form of psychopathology characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability with emotion regulation, impulse control,
interpersonal relationships, and sense of self. Research indicates that the majority of individuals with BPD engage in some form of deliberate self-harm (e.g., suicide attempts, nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior) or suicide-related behavior (e.g., suicidal ideation, suicide threats). Longitudinal data from 132 adolescent psychiatric inpatients who were hospitalized for deliberate self-harm and suicide-related behavior and followed for five years was used to investigate whether deliberate self-harm or suicide-related behaviors predicts BPD. Suicide threats were the only variable found to be predictive …

Biopsychosocial Variables Predict Compensation And Medical Costs Of Radiofrequency Neurotomy In Utah Workers' Compensation Patients, Amie L. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Back pain is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat. There has been a great deal of research showing that back pain surgery is expensive, but less is known about the costs of less-invasive spine procedures such as radiofrequency neurotomy. Radiofrequency neurotomy is used to treat facet joint pain and typically offers temporary pain relief by coagulating the affected nerve with radiofrequency waves to block pain messages from reaching the brain. This study aimed to document the costs of radiofrequency neurotomy in a group of participants who received the procedure through the Workers’ Compensation Fund of Utah (WCFU). …

The 2007-2009 Recession, Employment, And Housing-Related Financial Stressors, And Marital Outcomes, Robert C. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this research study was to examine employment and housing problems (stemming from the 2007-2009 Recession) and to see if there was a correlation between those problems and marital satisfaction and/or the perceived likelihood of future separation or divorce. A second purpose for this study was to see if feelings of financial stress (economic pressure) were mainly responsible for the projected drops in marital satisfaction or increases with divorce proneness. A final purpose for this study was to understand how other factors might additionally influence the relationships between recession-related employment problems and housing problems and the marital …

Does The Way Exposure Exercises Are Presented Matter? Comparing Fear Reduction Versus Fear Toleration Models, Ellen J. Bluett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Exposure therapy is considered to be a first line treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders as supported by several review studies. However, there is no clear understanding of how it works. The present study examined how framing exposure exercises impacted outcomes in socially anxious individuals. We conducted a brief two-session exposure-based intervention, including experiential exercises from each therapeutic rationale, with homework assigned between sessions. We were specifically interested in the efficacy of four brief skills interventions: (a) fear reduction, (b) psychological flexibility, (c) values rationale, and (d) control for reducing public speaking anxiety from first to second exposure session. …