Digital Commons Network^™

Performance Management Training Evaluation In An Autism Treatment Facility, James D. Morrison

Dissertations

The demand for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) has increased dramatically since 2010 (Burning Glass Technologies, 2019). A core component of a BCBA’s role is to provide supervision to Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and other paraprofessionals. Currently there is a lack of research on effective supervision training in the ABA literature. This study evaluated a supervision training program based on the Operant Model of Effective Supervision developed by Komaki (1986). The training developed for this study incorporated basic OBM concepts such as behavioral pinpointing, feedback, and goal setting as well as concepts such as work sampling, which the …

What Kind Of Support Do New Special Education Teachers In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia Need?, Abdulhakeem M. Almoneef

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the challenges faced by new special education teachers of hearing impaired students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the support they identified that they would like to receive during the first years of their teaching experience. Exploring the concerns of special education teachers of hearing impaired students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an important step in determining how these concerns may be addressed in order to improve instruction for deaf and hearing impaired students. The identification of the challenges and desires of new special education teachers of deaf and …

The Role Of Masculinity In The Development Of Capability For Suicide, Claire Houtsma

Dissertations

Males account for over two-thirds of suicide deaths annually. Additionally, more than 50% of American suicide deaths annually are firearm-related. Suicide risk is elevated within firearm owning households and men are more likely to own firearms, which suggests that male firearm owners are at disproportionate risk for suicide. Prior research has argued that certain stereotypically male traits (e.g., lack of help-seeking) may explain sex differences in suicide death; however, this remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Male gender norms (e.g. physical toughness, self-reliance) may contribute to the development or expression of capability for suicide, primarily through their impact on behavior. The …

Student-Athlete Success: An Examination Of Parenting, Grit, Academic Success, And Mental Health Outcomes, Jackson Howard

Dissertations

Factors such as poor adjustment, substance misuse, and mental health concerns have been found to be detrimental to college student success. Considering this, researchers have focused on investigating protective factors, which may enhance performance in higher education. Specifically, non-cognitive traits, such as grit, or an ability to maintain determination and passion for long-term goals in the face of adversity, and positive parenting strategies, such as psychological autonomy granting, have been tied to positive outcomes for college students in higher education. Conversely, overparenting behaviors and negative outcomes, such as burnout, have been found to be damaging to student success. Student-athletes are …

Natural Disasters And Attachment Quality: The Mediating Roles Of Self-Compassion And Positive Mental Health, Alexandra Teller

Dissertations

Emerging adults exposed to natural disasters may develop posttraumatic stress symptoms, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Attachment quality has been found to be negatively associated with psychopathology in emerging adult hurricane survivors; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs have not yet been explored fully. Self-compassion may act as a protective factor against developing psychopathology while potentially promoting positive mental health outcomes following hurricane exposure. Furthermore, positive mental health has been identified as a potential resilience resource and may be impacted by attachment quality and self-compassion. The present study investigated the relationships between attachment quality, self-compassion, positive mental health, posttraumatic …

The Role Of Acculturation And Acculturative Stress In The Association Between Generational Status And Factors Related To Suicide Among South Koreans In The United States, Hyejin Jin

Dissertations

Korean Americans have the highest suicide mortality rates among Asian American subgroups (6.84 per 100,000 population; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Therefore, it may be important to examine the unique factors that account for the suicide rates of Korean Americans, especially since current knowledge on suicide with Korean Americans is limited. Thus, the present dissertation study sought to examine the role of acculturation and acculturative stress in the association between generational status and factors related to suicide among Korean Americans.

A sample of 150 participants completed a study protocol consisting of various self-report measures on MTurk. The results supported the hypothesis …

Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support For Head Start Teachers Behavior Specific Praise, Elizabeth Lown

Dissertations

A variety of evidence-based studies have examined teachers’ intervention implementation and its effects on student outcomes. This study tested a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach to supporting teachers’ intervention implementation. Specifically, the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach was comprised of Tier 1 (didactic training), Tier II (tactile prompting), and Tier III (performance feedback). The primary dependent variable was Head Start teachers' use of behavior specific praise. Secondary dependent variables included teachers' use of reprimand statements and child outcomes, which included academically engaged behavior and disruptive behavior. This study further examined if Head Start teachers' use of behavior specific praise was …

An Examination Of Parental Locus Of Control, Stress, Social Support, And Depression Among Parents Of Children And Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities, Brandi Ellis

Dissertations

Caregivers (i.e., mothers and fathers) of youths with ID seem to be at a much higher risk of having symptoms of depression than caregivers of typically developing youths (Cantwell, Muldoon, & Gallagher, 2015; Giallo et al., 2015; Hu et al., 2010; Lee, 2013). A concurrent link has been found between parental locus of control (PLOC) and depression; however, there is a lack of support for a longitudinal association between these constructs among caregivers of youths with ID (Campis, Lyman, & Prentice-Dunn, 1986; Coyne & Thompson, 2011; Freed & Tompson, 2011; Lloyd & Hastings, 2009). Researchers have hypothesized that the lack …

Brief Intervention With Holland’S Theory And Vocational Calling: Three Conditions With Pre-Existing Calling Status As A Covariate, Nathan Ross

Dissertations

In a series of workshops, Holland’s RIASEC Theory and elements of Cognitive Information Processing Theory were infused with vocational calling language. Participants were largely college freshman in a community learning group and students participating in an extra credit opportunity in the School of Psychology. An in-person quasi-experimental design compared outcomes between three career workshops (i.e., Holland, Calling, and Control) on career decision-making self-efficacy, cognitive and emotional career decision-making difficulties, and vocational identity. The Calling workshop outperformed Holland and Control for all measured career variables (i.e., career decision-making self-efficacy, cognitive career decision-making difficulties, emotional and personality career decision-making difficulty, and vocational …

Comparison Of Retention Rates Between Traditional On-Ground And Online Biology Laboratory Courses In The Community College Setting, Megan Davis Winborne

Dissertations

Community colleges provide vital educational resources to students across the nation. Online learning has become an integral part of the course offerings for community colleges. With regards to online learning, there is a lack of empirical evidence and research focused on community college offered biology laboratories, particularly concerning retention rates of these students. Means, Toyama, Murphy, and Bakia. (2013) found that even though there are copious amounts of studies dedicated to evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning formats, many of them neglected to review retention rates associated with online educational courses.

The purpose of this study was to determine …

Exploring The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, And Empathy In Student Therapists, Nicole Montes

Dissertations

Literature suggests that the practice of mindfulness may foster self-compassion within the practitioner. Mindfulness is also associated with increased empathy towards others. The current study explored the relationship between a mindfulness intervention and student clinicians’ levels of self-compassion and empathy towards a mock “client.” Graduate student clinicians were randomly assigned to two groups: one that participated in a mindfulness exercise then viewed a mock client video, and another that did not participate in the mindfulness exercise and went directly to viewing the mock client video. Participants’ levels of empathy towards the client and self-compassion were measured. The results revealed no …

Comparing Student Nurse Experiences With Developing Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Competencies In Hospital And Nursing Homes: A Mixed Methods Study, Maria M. Tice

Dissertations

Tice, Maria M. Comparing Student Nurse Experiences with Developing Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Competencies in Hospital and Nursing Homes: A Mixed Methods Study. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. Nurse educators today face many barriers to attracting and retaining an adequate workforce of nurses to serve two significantly underserved and growing populations: elders and persons with mental illnesses. The primary purpose of this study was to compare and contrast how baccalaureate student nurses’ level of engagement and the perceived quality of the learning environments in inpatient mental health units and nursing homes were related to students’ …

Transitions: The Lived Experience Of Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students, Rita Peters

Dissertations

Peters, Rita. Transitions: The Lived Experience of Bachelor of Science Nursing Students. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. This study explored the lived experience of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) nurse utilizing an interpretive phenomenological approach. Transition theory was utilized as the lens to guide the study. Societal needs are demanding nurses who are capable of caring for increasingly complex patients. An aging population continues to increase the need for nurses. The increased need for new nurses is complicated by continuing attrition from schools of nursing. The literature identified many interventions that have been …

Characteristics And Motivation Of Spanish- Speaking Latinx Families Of Children With Disabilities Engaged In A Family Support Group, Sandra Helena Rasmussen

Dissertations

Rasmussen, Sandra Helena. Characteristics and Motivation of Spanish-Speaking Latinx Families of Children with Disabilities Engaged in a Family Support Group. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. English learners consistently demonstrate achievement gaps with family educational engagement being one method to improve student academic achievement, however, culturally and linguistically diverse families engage less due to cultural and language differences as well as due to motivational barriers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to add to the limited literature by gaining insights into the motivational reasons of Spanish-speaking families to engage in a family support group. …

From Invisibility To Belonging: Supports And Challenges Of First-Generation College Students Who Identify As Racial Or Ethnic Minorities, Megan Nichols Martinez

Dissertations

Martinez, Megan N. From Invisibility to Belonging: Supports and Challenges of First- Generation College Students who Identify as Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The experience of navigating through college is fraught with challenges, and within six years only 20 percent of first-generation college students graduate with their bachelor’s degree (RTI International, 2019b). Additionally, these students experience notable academic difficulties during college when compared to peers, including lower GPA (Chen & Carroll, 2005; D’Amico & Dika, 2013; Lohfink & Paulsen, 2005), decreased academic engagement (Soria & Stebleton, 2012b), and greater likelihood of …

How Prepared Are Principals To Evaluate Teachers? A Look At Principals’ Professional Development And High Stakes Educator Evaluation, Angie Katherine Lackey

Dissertations

Lackey, Angie Katherine. How Prepared Are Principals to Evaluate Teachers? A Look at Principals’ Professional Development and High Stakes Educator Evaluation. Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. A primary goal of Race to the Top was to increase states’ capacities to help school districts have a common means of evaluating teachers and school principals. With funding, states developed a rubric that could be used by districts to evaluate and improve teacher practice. As a result of this change to state systems, research has also begun to focus on the knowledge and practice of school principals who …

An Empirical Study Of The Determinants Of Consumer Price Sensitivity For The Health And Fitness Club Industry, Lei Ouyang

Dissertations

Ouyang, Lei. An Empirical Study of the Determinants of Consumer Price Sensitivity forthe Health and Fitness Club Industry. Published Doctor of Philosophydissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The primary purpose of this study was to propose and test a general model todescribe the extent to which customer price sensitivity is influenced by perceived value, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and switching costs. Additionally, the study also sought to examine if there is a significant difference in consumer price sensitivity among gender and household income groups. Finally, the study was designed to examine the congruency of the hypothesized model and …

Perceptions Of Challenges And Resiliences Of Of Post 9/11 Combat Veterans’ Wives, Kaitlin N. Ohde

Dissertations

Ohde, Kaitlin N. (2020). Perceptions of Challenges and Resiliencies of Post 9/11 Combat Veterans’ Wives. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. This study examined the perceptions of challenges and resiliencies of post 9/11 combat veterans’ spouses. For this phenomenological study, 12 female, heterosexual, Caucasian, post 9/11 combat veterans’ wives participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized family systems and secondary traumatic stress theories. Results were presented in themes and subthemes. This study added to the literature and exploration of the unique challenges experienced by post 9/11 veterans’ wives and how they cultivated resiliency in their marriages. …

Experiences Of Middle School Principals With Accountability-Related Stress And Coping Skills, Gus T. Calbert

Dissertations

This exploratory qualitative study was focused on the impact of state and federal mandates on the role of middle school principals, specifically what increased responsibilities and major areas of stress middle school principals are experiencing; how any enhanced stress impacts these middle school principals, both professionally and personally; and what coping mechanisms principals use to handle the stress of any increased responsibilities.

The experiences and perceptions of 12 principals from one Midwestern state were captured through semi-structured interviews, and by having them complete Allison’s Coping Preference Scale. Their answers provide a deeper understanding of what it is like leading a …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence And Geographic Information System For Developing Automated Walkability Score, Md Mehedi Hasan

Dissertations

Walking is considered as one of the major modes of active transportation, which contributes to the livability of cities. It is highly important to ensure walk friendly sidewalks to promote human physical activities along roads. Over the last two decades, different walk scores were estimated in respect to walkability measures by applying different methods and approaches. However, in the era of big data and machine learning revolution, there is still a gap to measure the composite walkability score in an automated way by applying and quantifying the activityfriendliness of walkable streets. In this study, a street-level automated walkability score was …

A Comparative Study Of Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Between Differently Structured Special Education School Districts, Leigha Wetter

Dissertations

In order to provide recommendations for special education service organization practices, the researcher investigated student achievement and teacher perceptions of differently structured special education school districts that collaborated with a special school district to provide special education services and schools that provided their own special education services. Through evaluating the varying school districts, this study aimed to address possible best practices within the structuring of the organizations to increase student achievement for students with special needs. In order to evaluate the organization of the school districts, the researcher analyzed the student achievement of special education students at the elementary and …

A Qualitative Study Of The Preparedness Of Novice Teachers To Teach Effectively In A Blended Learning Environment, Rachelle R. Lafave

Dissertations

Proponents of the effective use of blended learning argue that without technologyenhanced instruction, students graduate from high school missing the digital skills they need to be successful competitors in the labor market (Dickinson, 2018). Yet, authors of supporting work have established technology-enhanced instruction can have a negative effect on student achievement (Newman & Dickinson, 2017). Examined in this qualitative study was the preparedness of novice teachers to provide effective instruction in a blended learning environment, as researchers have found teacher self-efficacy is the number one predictor of instructional quality (Belanger, 2018; Conant, 2016; Künsting, Neuber, & Lipowsky, 2016). Self-efficacy is, …

Midwestern “Grow Your Own” Programs: A Viable Means To Teacher Recruitment And Retention?, Sandra Jean Humbyrd

Dissertations

In this study, an analysis of the perceptions of Career and Technical Education Pathways for the Teaching Profession teachers (pseudonym) and Homegrown Educators sponsors (pseudonym) in a Midwestern state on the success of grow your own programs regarding recruitment and retention rates of alumni teachers was conducted. This research resulted from reports throughout the nation concerning the shortage of teachers. An open-ended survey was utilized to gather perceptual data surrounding recruitment and retention, with a specific interest in high-needs areas and geographical location. Survey results showed there were no significant perceived differences between rural and urban districts in regard to …

A Delphi Study Of Actions Needed For Active Shooter Preparedness To Lower The Number Of Casualties And Injuries During Active Shooter Incidents At K-12 Schools, Michael Maley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify specific actions that experts perceive are needed for active shooter preparedness for educational facilities, to lower the active shooter incident casualties and injuries in the U.S. K-12 schools. The study also examined the degree of importance for the identified specific actions needed for active shooter preparedness at educational facilities and those actions most likely to be implemented.

Methodology: The research design for this study is utilizing the Delphi technique that provides a systematic process in collecting data of opinions from a panel of experts. The Delphi study includes collecting …

Personality Type, Self-Efficacy, And Learning Style Preference: A Quantitative Study Of Ninth-Grade Students In Missouri, Katie Lee Mock

Dissertations

Personality types, learning style preferences, and self-efficacy domains of ninth-grade students in southwest Missouri were explored in this study. The study was conducted to shed light on needs assessments used to identify learner differences due to the rise of mixed-ability classrooms. Five selected schools participated in the study during the 2019-2020 school year. The Big Five Personality survey was used to identify the dominant personality type of each participant: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, or neuroticism. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was used to identify the dominant self-efficacy domain for each participant: academic, social, or emotional. The Thinking and Learning …

Development And Evaluation Of A Nursing Psycho-Educational Program Focused On Communication For Family Caregivers In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Krystyna Klodnicka Kouri

Dissertations

In the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, a major area of concern for the family caregiver is that of communication with the family member. In response to this problem, a psycho-educational intervention focused on communication was developed for the family caregiver and tested within an experimental design. The theoretical framework for the study included the McGill Model of Nursing, Self-efficacy theory and Geragogy. The study took place in a semi-urban region. The sample was recruited through memory clinics, a geriatric assessment unit and in the community. The inclusion criteria for participants were as follows: (1) being the principal caregiver of …

Perceptual Differences Between Lighthouse Team Members And Non-Lighthouse Team Members Regarding School Attendance, Classroom Discipline, And School Climate In Leader In Me Schools, Nina J. Henson

Dissertations

The Leader in Me is a school approach with a focus on socioemotional education adopted by over 3,000 schools across the globe (Soutter, 2018, p.8). As culture continues to change with technology and new social aspects, character education programs must continue to adapt as well to support student needs within schools (Rocco, 2018). This quantitative study was designed to identify differences in perceptions of Lighthouse Team members and Non-Lighthouse Team members about how the Leader in Me impacts student attendance, classroom discipline, and school culture. Surveys were sent to educators in 22 schools in southern Missouri who had implemented the …

The Role Of Plasticity In Bumble Bee Responses To Environmental Variability, Matthew Austin

Dissertations

An aim of contemporary biology is elucidating the causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity. Here, I approach this aim by exploring the eco-evolutionary dynamics of phenotypic plasticity and environmental variability in bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus), a congeneric clade of eusocial pollinating insects. Throughout their evolution, bumble bees have encountered spatiotemporal variability imposed by dynamic floral environments. Today, bumble bees additionally encounter spatiotemporal variability imposed by anthropogenic environmental change. In this dissertation, I explore how phenotypic plasticity affects how successfully bumble bees respond to environmental variability imposed by anthropogenic global change (Chapters 1 and 2) and their floral resources (Chapters …

Supporting Hope In Midlife Cancer Survivors: Intervention Workshop, Clare Marie Butt

Dissertations

Cancer patients lack information and support needed to make the transition to survivorship. This problem was addressed by testing a psycho-educational group intervention, the Mid-Life Directions Workshop, for its effect on hope and quality of life in midlife cancer survivors.

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness, Efficiency, And Post-Training Outcomes Of Traditional Behavioral Skills Training And Asynchronous Remote Training, Dani Pizzella

Dissertations

While applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the most commonly recommended therapy for individuals with Autism spectrum disorders (New York State Department of Health, 1999; Surgeon General, 1999), there is a significant lack of board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs; Bethune & Kiser, 2017; Maglione, Kadiyala, Kress, Hastings, & OʹHanlon, 2016). Telehealth may help to increase the availability of training in behavior analytic procedures, however, BCBAs have been slow to adopt remote training measures (Tomlinson, Gore, & McGill, 2018). This may be due to the in-vivo training requirements of common behavior analytic training procedures. This research compares traditional, face-to-face behavioral skills training …