Digital Commons Network^™

Traits Of Character That Facilitate Formation Of Exemplary Nurses In Bachelor Of Science Nursing Programs, Jean Marks

Dissertations

Constructivist grounded theory methods were applied in this study to explore traits of character that facilitate the formation of exemplary nurses in Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) programs. Interest in this study was prompted by a desire to examine attributes beyond academics alone that contribute to the formation of excellent nurses. The intent was to promote clarity in describing these attributes for further scholarly discussion.

Framing this study was Aristotle’s doctrine of the golden mean (Aristotle, 350 B.C.E./1934). Operational definitions consistent with this doctrine were created for the concepts of character, character traits, and exemplary nursing practice. The concept …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Their Participation In Technology-Based Professional Development Training In Mississippi’S High School Districts, Natalie N. Hill

Dissertations

The use of technology has become an essential part of daily interaction in Career and Technical education learning environments. There is very little research regarding career and technical teachers’ attitudes and participation in professional development, although previous studies have been conducted referencing K-12 teachers’ attitudes. A qualitative research methodology was employed to investigated the insight of CTE teachers’ attitudes toward the professional developments that they had attended. This study also investigated whether training was appropriate to teachers’ learning needs in high school districts in MS. The population for this study included seven high school career and technical teachers in five …

Hemodynamic Response During Sedentary Behavior In Black/African American And White Males, Raymond Jones

Dissertations

Emerging evidence suggests that uninterrupted sitting has a deleterious impact on hemodynamics, namely a reduction in blood-flow induced shear stress in peripheral vessels, which leads to vascular dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness. Few studies have examined the cerebrovascular response, and no studies have discerned potential racial differences on the hemodynamic response to uninterrupted sitting. Purpose: To examine racial differences in the hemodynamic response during an acute period (1-hour) of uninterrupted sitting between Black/African American and White males. Methods: Twenty-four adult males (50% Black/African American) between the ages of 18 and 35 years and relatively healthy (i.e., free of …

Transformers: The Relationship Between Instructor And Course Persistence Among Community College Students, Jairus L. Johnson

Dissertations

U.S. community colleges play a unique role in providing higher education opportunities for members of society and are often viewed as the gateway to a post-secondary education (Savi, 2011). Two-year colleges foster a robust mission that is supported by a variety of curricular functions that tailor to a diverse student population. Furthermore, through an open-door policy, admittance only requires a high school diploma or equivalent. The aforementioned factors have created inherent challenges associated with student persistence, institutional retention, program completion, and graduation rates among community colleges. As compared to universities, community colleges have lower graduation and retention rates.

Researchers suggest …

The Haitian Diaspora As Human Capital And Agents Of Change: Perceptions And Attitudes Of The Haitian Diaspora As An International Development Actor, Alain Pompilus

Dissertations

For decades, Paul Romer’s endogenous growth theory has enriched the discussion regarding human capital in development. Romer posits that human capital is a vital resource and critical component of macroeconomic growth. With emigration identified as the leading cause of human capital loss for developing countries, Romer recommends growth policies focus on accessing knowledge in more developed parts of the world. As a way to achieve sustained development, institutions like the United Nations have proposed strategies similarly aligned with Romer’s theory. These institutions suggest the diaspora, as a source of human capital, can go beyond remittances and serve as integral actors …

Public Relations Education In Mississippi Today: Perceptions And Realities, Gail Brown

Dissertations

This two-component study assessed public relations educators’ (n=18) and public relations practitioners’ (n=53) perceptions and realities of public relations education in Mississippi today. A Qualtrics-designed survey ascertained the quantitative data for Study I (N=71). The researcher used telephone and email interviews to gather qualitative data from a convenience sample (N=10) of five public relations practitioners and five public relations educators for Study II. The dual study used education recommendations from the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE) 2017 Report, Fast Forward: Foundations and Future State. Educators and Practitioners, as assessment variables.

The survey was distributed to the Public Relations Association …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

Mississippi Teachers' Perception Of Performance Evaluation Feedback And Its Influence On Teaching Practices And Student Outcomes, Joanna Barnes

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to understand how teachers make sense of instructional feedback from performance evaluation and its effect on their teaching practices and student outcomes. It is essential to understand how teachers make sense of feedback and incorporate it to improve their instructional practices. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to obtain an in-depth understanding of teachers’ perceptions and experiences of evaluation feedback and how it influences their practices and student outcomes. The researcher identified five schools with a performance rating ranging from A to D. An interview protocol was developed and used to guide the individual, …

Practical Adhesion Measurements In Organic Coatings; Advancing Understanding And Mechanical Methods Development, Diana Gottschalk

Dissertations

“Adhesion” can be considered either a mechanical or chemical phenomenon. The mechanical interpretation describes the difficulty of separating surfaces and is useful for quantifying performance within applications that depend on bulk and interfacial properties. Chemical adhesion describes interfacial resistance to chemical attack and does not depend on bulk properties. Predicting chemical failure through mechanical measurement is confounded by the influence of bulk properties. However, the prospect is attractive because of the robust tolerance for sample geometries, allowing experiments to resemble an end-use system. The present work's primary goal was to elevate mechanical methods to provide a detailed interfacial characterization of …

Living On Campus Is Beneficial: Studying The Impact Of Student Involvement Through Living-Learning Communities, Stephen R. Mccay

Dissertations

Since the early days of higher education, living-learning communities have been beneficial for student success, involvement, and retention. A living-learning community can be studied using the following as a basic definition for this research: a group of students living together who have a purpose of focusing on learning outside the classroom and that interacts with the institution’s staff, who assist with the students’ holistic development. Research suggests that students who are involved and those who live on campus have greater academic success and are more likely to return for their next academic semester. Astin’s involvement theory explores the interactions between …

Hierarchical Aggregation Of Multidimensional Data For Efficient Data Mining, Safaa Khalil Alwajidi

Dissertations

Big data analysis is essential for many smart applications in areas such as connected healthcare, intelligent transportation, human activity recognition, environment, and climate change monitoring. Traditional data mining algorithms do not scale well to big data due to the enormous number of data points and the velocity of their generation. Mining and learning from big data need time and memory efficiency techniques, albeit the cost of possible loss in accuracy. This research focuses on the mining of big data using aggregated data as input. We developed a data structure that is to be used to aggregate data at multiple resolutions. …

Cardiac Electrophysiology: Exploring Racial And Gender Outcomes Of Treatment Of Paroxysmal And Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Using Sotalol And Dofetilide, Nicole Lanette Bradford-Love

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the association between gender and racial lines in the conversion and sustainment of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and persistent atrial fibrillation using the anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) sotalol and dofetilide.

Methods

A secondary data analysis was performed to assess the relationships of the independent and dependent variables listed above. Using SPSS v. 24 descriptive statistics were obtained and initially evaluated for accuracy with histograms. A cross-tabulation frequency table was produced to determine the number of variables that fell into each dependent category. Following this, the frequencies were …

Development Of Functional Materials And Devices On Flexible Platforms Using Additive Print Manufacturing Processes For Biomedical And Environmental Applications, Dinesh Maddipatla

Dissertations

In recent years, considerable research has been vested into the development of printed electronics (PE) to explore the best ways of fabricating electronic devices on flexible platforms using additive print manufacturing processes. PE produces flexible devices that are compatible with complex geometries, foldable applications and conformal to curved surfaces, with a promising potential for large‐area device fabrication at relatively lower manufacturing costs. This dissertation focuses majorly on the design and fabrication of novel flexible functional materials and devices for biomedical and environmental applications using additive printing processes.

Initially, a simple paper-based low cost and rapid prototypable platform with oxygen sensors …

Objectively Determining The Language-Related Communication Challenges For In-Flight Operations, Fehime Utkan

Dissertations

Communication breakdowns between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) have been identified as primary factors in fatal airplane accidents (Wu et. al., 2019; Bauh & Stolzer, 2018; Ritter, 1996; Eurocontrol, 2011). Although there are various aspects that have affected communication efficiency, language-related issues have been mostly associated with transmissions involved in serious incidents, especially in multicultural flight environments (Sexton & Helmrich, 2000). More than 2,000 people have died in accidents where miscommunication was a primary factor (Bauh & Stolzer, 2018; Patty, 2016). By the year of 2025, the air transportation system is projected to become more complex, and the volume …

Exploring The Relationship Between Student Online Discussion-Board Activity And Student Grades, Frank Robert Talbott

Dissertations

As students, instructors, and higher-education administrators delve further into cyberspace, scholarly literature and practice require further insights into the dynamics of online learning. This study examined the relationship between online student discussionboard activity and student grades and, consequently, addressed a dearth in the literature about this relationship. Student Involvement Theory provided the theoretical foundation of this research. This study’s sample consisted of 200 online undergraduate students in online business-analytics courses. Regression-analyses findings supported the relationship between student postings of certain mathematical-symbol references (e.g., for equalities, inequalities, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and student grades. Therefore, administrators, faculty, and course designers …

Military Life Narratives And Identity Development Among Black Post-9/11 Veterans, Deon Marcell Hall

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenological experience of veteran identity development in post-9/11 veterans who identify within the Black diaspora. Given that current research suggests that behavioral health providers lack the sufficient training necessary to meet the unique clinical needs of post-9/11 veterans, this study aimed to examine military culture and experience in the context of intersecting cultural identities so as to more effectively frame the services offered by counseling psychologists working with Black military veterans and service members. More specifically, this study strengthens the existing empirical framework for addressing the behavioral health needs of post-9/11 …

Grounded Theory Of Intellectual Humility For 6th-12th Mathematics Teaching, Catherine Nicole Carter

Dissertations

Carter, Catherine Nicole. Grounded Theory of Intellectual Humility for 6th-12th Mathematics Teaching. Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. Intellectual humility is an intellectual virtue where humility and the pursuit of epistemic goods intersect. As of this dissertation being written, intellectual humility had been studied in psychology and philosophy, but not from the perspective of the teacher in 6th-12th grade mathematics. Hence, this Grounded Theory study sought to develop a theory for intellectual humility while teaching 6th-12th mathematics. This study was guided by research questions focused on beliefs teachers held while practicing and characteristics of intellectual humility …

Incorporating Critical Thinking: Self-Perception Of Teachers’ Ability To Promote Critical Thinking Skills In Primary Grades (K-2), Courtney Milligan

Dissertations

The ability to think critically is a fundamental life skill and is an essential part of being a productive and contributing member of society. “Research shows that elements of critical thinking need to be taught explicitly” (Haber, 2020). The practice of developing critical thinking skills while students are initially "developing as thinkers" in primary grades is essential. According to Wagner (2008), his research finds that children should begin developing critical thinking skills as soon as they “are capable of abstract thinking” (p.17). Wagner (2008) argues that students need to develop these essential skills to effectively participate in our democracy and …

Cost-Effective Gnss Hardware For High-Accuracy Surveys And Its Prospects For Post-Processed Kinematic (Ppk) And Precise Point Positioning (Ppp) Strategies, Johnson Olusegun Oguntuase

Dissertations

This dissertation determines for the first time the vertical accuracy achievable with low-cost mass-market multi-frequency, multi-GNSS (LM3GNSS) receivers, and antennas in the context of Ellipsoid Reference Survey (ERS), usually employed in bathymetric operations aboard survey platforms. LM3GNSS receivers are relatively new in the market, and their emergence is driven by the automobile industry and several mass-market applications requiring location-based solutions at high accuracies. It is foreseeable that emerging hydrographic survey platforms such as autonomous surface vehicles, small unmanned aircraft, crowd-sourced bathymetric platforms, and offshore GNSS buoy will find LM3GNSS receivers attractive since they are power- and cost-effective (often less than …

Program Evaluation Of Departmentalizing In Upper Elementary, Pamela Crabb

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of departmentalization as a strategy at the elementary upper grades to affect gains in the school’s accountability and gains in achievement performance. Based upon standardized testing measures, accountability for student achievement has dramatically increased in elementary schools; rigorous standards have increasingly affected teachers to become highly skilled in subject content areas. This increase in teacher content knowledge expertise requirements have caused many administrators to seek alternative instructional strategies to meet this need. Departmentalization is one of many potential methods that administrators and educators may implement in order to provide expert …

Narrowing Attainment And Achievement Gaps Of African American Third Grade Students Through Culturally Responsive Teaching, Phyteria Proctor, Phyteria Lashawn Proctor

Dissertations

Literature suggest culturally responsive teaching is one of our most powerful tools for accelerating student learning and helping students find their way out of the gap. Billions of dollars have been invested in creating educational equity, but the data have shown that inequality in achievement still exists. However, school districts are beginning to focus more on being aware of and sensitive to the cultural and social needs of African American students. When school communities accept the challenge of changing the culture within their schools to ensure all students reach their full potential, then the achievement gap can be eradicated.

The …

An Evaluation Of The Trauma-Informed Approach Implemented At A Title I Elementary School, Aleli Vazquez

Dissertations

An Evaluation of the Trauma-Informed Approach Implemented at a Title I Elementary School assesses the merits of the implementation of an intervention to support the social emotional ability and stability of students within elementary schools; called the Trauma Informed Approach. Many children attending elementary schools bring diverse and complex experiences to the classroom setting. Students with multiple adverse childhood experiences attend the educational system. Many students have a more difficult time concentrating and succeeding due to anxiety and lack of physiological needs being met. These needs must be met to secure positive learning gains for these students.

For data gathering …

Trust In Leadership To Develop Collaborative School Culture And Effective Implementation Of Professional Learning Communities, Kara Mieszanek

Dissertations

DISSERTATION: TRUST IN LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Kara N. Mieszanek National Louis University

ABSTRACT

In education, we are constantly working toward increasing student achievement. Often, we pursue technical elements such as implementing programs, data analysis, utilizing assessment tools, embedding evaluation systems, etc. However, there is another critical element that may all too often get overlooked—the culture. The purpose of this study was to strip away all the layers required to achieve systemic change by observing what is at the core of it all: trust. Through qualitative and quantitative research, I took …

African American Women Attaining And Maintaining The Position Of Superintendent, Twyla Harris

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

There is an underrepresentation of African American women in the position of school district superintendent. The purpose of this research was to uncover the barriers and challenges African American women face both as aspiring and sitting superintendents. To gain a lived experience perspective on the problem, five African American women superintendents were interviewed. The primary research question was: How have African American female superintendents attained and successfully held the superintendent position? Using narrative inquiry, interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for the discovery of common themes. Findings include the value of networking for mentoring and support, accepting and bearing …

Building Positive Relationships In Title I Schools: Teacher And Student Perspectives In An Elementary Classroom, Alice Charlotte Pendlebury

Dissertations

Title I schools have a high percentage of students who come from a background of poverty. Students growing up in poverty are more likely to have insecure attachments because of the chronic and acute stressors their caregivers experience. These insecure attachments mean that students are less likely to have positive relationships with their teachers and are less likely to trust them. Given the importance of positive relationships in student’s academic, social, and emotional growth it is crucial that teachers are able to build relationships with these students regardless of their economic backgrounds. Qualitative case study was used to collect data …

Are They Ready? Implementing 21st-Century Learning Skills Integration Into Indonesia Science Instruction, Esty Haryani

Dissertations

Science and technology education are essential subjects for achieving the desired workforce skills for the 21st century (Bybee & Fuchs, 2006). In 2017, Indonesia adopted the 21st century learning and innovation framework into its national curriculum to address the demand to improve students’ readiness for the complexity of the future whether for the work environment or in their personal lives. This learning and innovation skills framework focuses on the development the skills of creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, and communication, known as the 4Cs. However, there is little knowledge on the integration of these skills into …

Female Graduate Students’ Experiences And Career Orientations In Stem: A Comparative Case Study, Jasvir K. Pannu

Dissertations

Regardless of implementation of government policies to promote STEM education and eradicate the underrepresentation of women and minorities, the number of women choosing STEM throughout their educational career remains low. In 2018 65% doctorate degrees were awarded to men and only 35% to women. Moreover, 40% of all students enrolled in doctorate programs drop out before completion. The process of socialization in graduate school and students’ non academic responsibilities play critical roles in graduate students’ success and future career orientations. Processes of socialization involve interactions with faculty, peers, and administration while taking courses and conducting dissertation research. Non academic engagements …

Getting Online With Generation Z: Learning Approaches, Letha Marie Mellman

Dissertations

This e-Delphi study explored learning approaches, as defined by Generation Z (Gen Z) learners, in online academic settings and nonacademic settings. It also considered differences between the two panels (38 participants in each panel, representing 39 states) of learners (Academic and Nonacademic) and compared current literature-supported best practices to the learning approaches generated by participants in this study. The Academic panel participants reached consensus on six of the 56 learning approaches: (a) completing course material; (b) rely on self; (c) projects that I can choose what to do and learn material by myself; (d) search Internet; (e) ask expert; and …

Parent Perspectives On Their Role In The Transition Planning Process Of Children With Significant Support Needs, Elizabeth Elaine Osborne

Dissertations

Legally coordinated transition plans have been the expectation since the Individual with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA, 1990). Research is firm that parent participation and high expectations are evidence-based practices supporting improved outcomes in post-secondary environments (Mazzotti et al., 2016; Test, Mazzotti et al., 2009). Yet, these two expectations, which should work synchronously, often seem to be out of sync. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to give voice to the parents of children with significant support needs (SSN; Colorado Department of Education, 2017). The researcher explored the parent’s perceptions in the transition planning process, specifically evaluating their role in …

Rural Cochlear Implant Services: Reflections From Parents And (Re)Habilitation Professionals, Natalie J. Austin

Dissertations

Austin, Natalie J. Rural cochlear implant services: Reflections from parents and (re)habilitation professionals. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The idea of what “rural” means and the influence of this setting is very complex. The impact on the resources and services available to the family, school district, and community goes beyond geographic barriers. Despite there being known problems with service provision for children with hearing loss in rural areas, little is being done to improve the support offered to families and professionals working to meet the needs of children who have cochlear implants. The purpose of …