Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Contributions Of Partnerships Between Employers And Disability Organizations On Recruitment, Hiring, Training, Retention, And Accommodation Of Individuals With Disabilities In Mississippi, Peter Oluwadare Kalejaiye

Dissertations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities (IWDs) by prohibiting discrimination in employment. However, one out of four IWDs face discrimination in employment in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Additionally, despite establishing the Office of Disability Employment Policy and enacting the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to help integrate IWDs into the workforce, IWDs face barriers to equal and equitable employment (NASEM, 2017). Previous studies recommend partnerships between employers and disability organizations (DOs) to provide employment opportunities and benefits for IWDs through recruitment, hiring, training, retention, and …

The Digital Incorporated Worker Narrative: A Mixed Methods Study Of Digital Capital, Work Selection, And Outcomes In The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Tracie King

Dissertations

Digital technology permeates society and industry, making digital-ready workers necessary for firms of all sizes as a firm seeks competitiveness in the market (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; de Ruyter et al., 2018; Gorski et al., 2022; Karaboğa, 2023; Kim et al., 2017; Qureshi Zia, 2019). Firms seeking digital-ready workers face a complex digital divide that creates a worker shortage (Bergson-Shilcock et al., 2023; Karaboğa, 2023; Qureshi Zia, 2019). This study aims to describe workers' work selection, work experience, and outcomes in a complex digital society.

Most digital divide research focuses on the individuals excluded from owning, accessing, and having skills …

Federal Telework Intensity, Perceived Organizational Support, And Perceived Supervisor Support As Predictors Of Affective Commitment In A Post-Pandemic Environment, Jamaris Moore

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many governments to transition to non-traditional work such as telework (Lunde et al., 2022). However, in a post-pandemic environment, federal agencies required their employees to return to the offices (Office of Management and Budget, 2021), which led employees to agency hop, looking for more accommodating work arrangements (The Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 2022). Therefore, the researcher sought to determine if telework intensity (TI), perceived organizational support (POS), and perceived supervisor support (PSS) predicted employee organizational commitment (OC). The researcher used a quantitative correlational cross-sectional survey to assess 202 federal employees from two Department of Defense …

The Effect Of Implementing A Development Program Using Mental Imagery On The Time To Master Psychomotor Skills, Randal Agee

Dissertations

Psychomotor skills development programs that use mental imagery have been demonstrated to help individuals acquire psychomotor skills (Anu et al., 2020; Seymore-Walsh et al., 2020; Toth et al., 2020). The commercial trucking industry is presently experiencing a global shortage of qualified truck drivers (American Trucking Association, 2019; Staats et al., 2017). One reason individuals are avoiding or leaving careers as commercial truck drivers is the time spent away from home (Staats et al., 2017). A couple logistical strategies have been developed to improve the situation (Mittal et al., 2018; Prime Inc, 2024); however, for the solutions to be sustainable, the …

Examining The Moderating Role Of Work Modality On Employees’ Engagement And Perceptions Of Inclusion, Eric Shapiro

Dissertations

In the evolving landscape of work, organizations increasingly adopt diverse modalities, including on-site, remote, and hybrid arrangements. This quantitative correlational study examines the relationship between work modalities, employee engagement, and perceived inclusion, with a focus on the moderating role of work modalities. Recognizing employee engagement as a key driver of organizational performance and perceived inclusion as essential for well-being and innovation, survey data were collected from 402 employees across multiple industries. Results revealed a strong, positive correlation between perceived inclusion and employee engagement (r = 0.789, p < .001). Work modality significantly moderated this relationship, with hybrid workers experiencing a weaker inclusion-engagement link, while remote workers showed no significant moderation effect. Additionally, on-site workers demonstrated a robust inclusion-engagement relationship. Hybrid workers reported higher perceived inclusion scores, though engagement levels remained consistent across modalities. These findings underscore the need for tailored inclusion strategies to optimize employee experiences and enhance organizational effectiveness. This study provides actionable insights for fostering inclusive workplace cultures and improving employee well-being in modality-diverse environments.

Exploration Of Disorienting Dilemmas New Registered Nurses Experience In Clinical Situations, Heidi Ritchie

Dissertations

The transition new graduate registered nurses (RNs) experience is difficult. New graduates feel pressure related to job expectations and high workload responsibilities. As nurses begin working in clinical practice, some experience a disorienting dilemma—a disconnect between what was learned in school and what is experienced in clinical practice. According to Mezirow (1981), this is the first step in a transformative experience. Yet, there is a gap in knowledge regarding disorienting dilemmas new RNs with less than two years of experience encounter.

The purpose of this study was to explore disorienting dilemmas new graduate registered nurses (NGRNs) experience in the clinical …

The Impact On General Education Preschool Teachers Mainstreaming Children With Special Needs: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study That Aims To Explore General Education Preschool Teacher Experiences Regarding Challenges And Strategies When Mainstreaming Students With Special Needs In The General Education Preschool Classroom, Magdalena Tapia Lamas

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore general education preschool teacher experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction while engaging and supporting all students in learning based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological methodology was conducted using semistructured interview questions with 12 general education preschool teachers. Results of interviews and an artifact collection and review were used to analyze how general education preschool teachers described their experiences regarding challenges and strategies faced in differentiating instruction, based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).

Findings: The findings from the study indicate …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Process Of Commissioning New Music For Choirs, Kyle Justin Brazell

Dissertations

This study provided an in-depth look at the commissioning process for choral music. The pursuit of new music has a storied tradition in western culture, deeply connected with the Catholic church, starting in the medieval era. In modern times, there is a substantial amount of research on commissioning new music. However, most of the existing research is focused on band and orchestra ensembles, with very few exploring choral music commissions. Using a mixed methods design, this study identified a process for pursuing new music for choral ensembles and measured attitudes and perceptions of the director and composer during the commissioning …

Resiliency Training For Music Therapy Students During Fieldwork Experiences, Crystal Weaver

Dissertations

All music therapy undergraduate and equivalency students in the United States must complete 1,200 hours of fieldwork experience to obtain degree conferment from an accredited and approved higher education program (American Music Therapy Association, 2023b, p. 1). While engaging in fieldwork had several benefits for music therapy students, such as the opportunity to build practical experience and refine skills, the experience also involved several challenges (Forinash, 2019; Tien & Trang, 2020). A challenge not yet thoroughly examined by faculty and staff within higher education music therapy programs was student mental health. To date, researchers had not examined the prevalence of …

The Barriers Preventing Generational Diversity In The Workplace: A Design-Based Research Study On Generational Diversity In The Workplace, Bryan T. Benke

Dissertations

Generational diversity poses numerous challenges within organizations, primarily as workplaces can now encompass up to five generations (BasuMallick, 2020). The scholar-practitioner explored various facets of generational diversity, highlighting barriers that impact the work environment, employee behavior, communication, knowledge transfer, technology adoption, management decisions, employer obligations, and cultural disparities. Despite increasing recognition of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), entrenched biases persist, perpetuating stereotypes and marginalizing different generational cohorts (Fasbender & Gerpott, 2022; Gates, 2023; Renstrom, 2020; St. Aubin, 2019). Research revealed deficiencies in emotional intelligence (EI) among apprentices, particularly in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, alongside challenges in achieving …

Creating A Co-Teaching Plc To Help Find Practical Solutions For Problems In Co-Teaching At A Suburban Middle School, Rachel Siân Machens

Dissertations

The research focused on addressing equity and communication challenges in co-teaching through the implementation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and peer mentoring within a suburban middle school. The study took place in a predominantly white, lower-middle-class suburban school that utilized co-teaching across various subjects to provide students with disabilities greater access to the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment. The primary objective was to establish a PLC composed of co-teachers from different disciplines, leveraging existing co-teacher training strategies to improve equity and communication within co-teaching partnerships. The PLC operated through an online forum, where the researcher, serving …

Does Universal Screening Increase The Proportion Of Culturally, Linguistically, And Economically Diverse Students In Gifted Education?, Leona Alexander

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of implementing a universal cognitive screening tool on the proportional representation of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) first-grade students in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs. This study employed a comparative interrupted time series design utilizing a difference-in-differences (DiD) regression model along with additional statistical analyses (two-proportions z-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests) due to limitations in the sample sizes.

Participants included first-grade students (N=425) from two demographically and socioeconomically similar districts in a Rocky Mountain region. One district implemented the universal screener (intervention group n=368), and the other …

Temporal Dynamics In Spatial Random Field Theory: A Methodological Advance In Fmri Data Analysis, Theophilus Barnabas Kobina Acquah

Dissertations

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive tool for studying neural correlates of cognition by measuring task-evoked brain activity. Accurate interpretation of fMRI data depends on modeling the hemodynamic response (HR), which varies across brain regions and conditions. Brain plasticity adds complexity as functional changes during development and aging affect cognition, emotion, and behavior. BOLD signals display complex temporal dynamics influenced by both neural and physiological factors, challenging conventional models. This highlights the need for adaptive frameworks that account for temporal dependencies and spatial heterogeneity in neural activity detection. This current study enhances fMRI data analysis by integrating temporal …

E-Learning In Developing Countries: Unveiling Faculty Digital Realities, Dauran Mcneil

Dissertations

Faculty in developing regions like the Caribbean play a crucial role in shaping education systems and the broader academic landscape. In this era of technology and e-learning, faculty encounter unique experiences, perceptions, and challenges that influence their roles, effectiveness, and the learning environment. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the perceptions, experiences, and challenges of e-learning among higher education faculty in developing countries, particularly in the English-speaking Caribbean region. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of 11 faculty members from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Jamacia, St. Lucia, and the Bahamas. These …

The Problem Of The Whiteness Of Wealth, Elizabeth Tharakan

Dissertations

In 2021, households with a White householder made up 65.3% of all U.S. households and held 80.0% of all wealth. Those with a Black householder made up 13.6% of all U.S. households but held only 4.7% of all wealth. And their median wealth ($24,520) was about one-tenth the median wealth of households with a White householder ($250,400). This disparity in Black wealth and White wealth is almost an order of magnitude. I seek to understand why the racial wealth gap exists and what people of any race can learn from a nuanced understanding of the interplay among culture, education, and …

College Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study Of Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Experiences, Laura K. Anderson

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the college experiences of students with intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD) who are attending an inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program in the United States. Inclusive post-secondary education program numbers have been increasing since 2008, when the Higher Education Opportunity Act passed and authorized federal student aid to students in IPSE programs. Most research on IPSE programs to date has been on their structure and employment outcomes, with scant research on what students experience during their time in an IPSE program.

Participants were 12 third or fourth year IPSE students with IDD …

Hispanic/Latinx Faculty Members’ Experiences Within Academia, Sarah Muñoz

Dissertations

This dissertation research was written and pursued to explore the experience of Hispanic/Latinx faculty within academia. A phenomenological, qualitative methodology was utilized to explore this phenomenon. The researcher used listservs, Facebook groups, and snowball sampling to recruit participants. Potential participants completed a prescreening questionnaire and were then contacted to participate in the interview portion of the study. Ten individuals thoroughly described their experiences holding a Hispanic/Latinx faculty identity within academia. The following six themes emerged from data analysis of the interviews: a) Impacts of the Lack of Representation of Diverse Faculty, b) Challenging Experiences of Hispanic/Latinx Faculty, c) Positive Experiences …

Perceptions Of Undergraduate Nurse Faculty Regarding Social Emotional Learning Within Nursing Academia, Nicole Claire York

Dissertations

The growing nursing shortage is a critical issue for healthcare systems worldwide. The demand for nurses and an urgent need for workforce stability require nursing students to be equipped with both knowledge and social and emotional skills for resiliency and coping before graduation. The social and emotional learning (SEL) framework provides specific competencies that emphasize the development of skills such as self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills. Incorporating SEL that emphasizes these skills into nursing education might provide the necessary tools not only for sustainability in the discipline, but academic and overall social-emotional competence.

The purpose of …

Understanding The Cybersecurity Knowledge And Cybercrime Experiences Of Older Adults Using A Learning Game, Richard Conrad West

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was two-fold. First, it was intended to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching internet safety to older adults through a fun, internet-based learning game. Second, it was carried out to understand the experience of internet fraud on older adults so that fraud prevention techniques can be refined and tailored to the online threats they face. Five adults over 60 who were previously online fraud victims participated in this study, which was carried out over three phases.

First, participants played a learning game that assessed their understanding of key cybersecurity topics, provided lessons explaining the risks, …

The Paraprofessional-To-Teacher Experience: Moving From The Margins To Front And Center, Joanna Kerster Ross

Dissertations

This study outlined a qualitative case study research of paraprofessionals from marginalized communities. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the barriers that nontraditional students enrolled in the Metropolitan School of Teaching program experience when earning a teaching degree and working as a paraprofessional, as well as the sociocultural influence(s) that help them develop their teaching philosophy, with a focus on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP). Paraprofessional hiring pools have tended to be more diverse than teacher hiring pools and changing demographics across the nation could highlight the importance of CRP approaches in education (U.S. Department of Education, 2023; …

Evaluating The Indirect Effect Of Microaffirmations On Intersecting Marginalized Identities And School Sense Of Belonging Among School Psychology Graduate Students, April Pratt

Dissertations

There is a discrepancy between the proportion of school psychologists identified as racially, ethnically, or linguistically diverse (REL) in the United States and the proportion of REL students they serve (Blake et al., 2016; Proctor & Owens, 2019). Current data estimates over 80% of school psychologists identify as white (Goforth et al., 2021), whereas more than 50% of U.S. public school students have non-white racial/ethnic identities (Irwin et al., 2024). In addition to increased recruitment of REL students to school psychology graduate programs, trainers in these programs must implement effective strategies to ensure retention. One method is to increase students’ …

A New Approach: Supporting Traditional Jazz Pedagogy Through Neuroscience, Christopher John Navarrete

Dissertations

Jazz musicians face a considerable learning curve in their performance endeavors. Numerous factors must be taken into account, including performance anxiety, memorization, active listening, ear training, mastery of musical techniques, and improvisation. Through the effective preparation of these skills, musicians tend to achieve success; however, this success fundamentally relies on the practice habits of the jazz musician.

A common approach in jazz pedagogy emphasizes the development of musical techniques such as scales and chords, modulating across various harmonic progressions. I will define this as a “traditional approach” used in jazz pedagogy. This method has been widely embraced by jazz musicians …

Implementation Of Holistic Admissions Review In Associate Degree Nursing Programs: An Interpretive Description, Alisha Loken

Dissertations

Holistic admissions review (HAR) is a mission-based approach to selecting applicants for higher education using a combination of experiences, attributes, and metrics. The purpose of HAR is to diversify the nursing workforce and promote health equity. The purpose of this interpretive description was to examine HAR practices in ADN programs from the perspective of deans and directors and develop recommendations for broader implementation. The following research questions guided this study:

Q1 How do deans and directors of associate degree in nursing programs describe holistic admissions review?

Q2 What, if anything, have deans and directors done to implement holistic admissions review …

“They’Ll Be Needing Us”: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Lived Experience Of Secondary English Teachers, Sarah Hahn Campbell

Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to explore the lived experience of secondary English teachers and the complex interactions between those teachers’ working conditions and the other dimensions of the school ecology. In particular, the researcher was interested to discover how the consideration of teacher working conditions as part of the school ecology can help education leaders reform schools. The teachers in this study worked in a large urban school district in the Rocky Mountain West of the United States. The study was iterative, which ensured credibility and validity in the results. From a quantitative survey …

Efficacy Of A Novel Role-Playing Based In-Class Simulation On Enhancing Clinical Judgment Skills In Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Melodie Jolly

Dissertations

Clinical judgment is a critical skill for nurses, directly impacting patient outcomes and quality of care. However, studies have shown that newly graduated nurses often lacked sufficient clinical judgment abilities to meet the demands of increasingly complex patient populations. This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel role-playing based in-class simulation designed to enhance clinical judgment skills among senior baccalaureate nursing students. The study employed a single-group pre-assessment and post-assessment design using Lasater’s Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) as the primary measurement tool. Using a convenience sample, 37 senior nursing students who enrolled in a Term 4 clinical …

How Do You Ask Questions? A Thematic And Discursive Analysis Of Question-Asking In Stranger Conversations, Nicholas Elliott

Dissertations

This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore how questions are used in casual conversations between strangers. While conversation has long been studied by linguists, sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists, a methodological divide persists: conversation analysis versus experimental approaches. Despite extensive research, the rules guiding question-asking in conversation remain unclear. This study integrates both conversation analysis and experimental literature to investigate the role of questions in interactions with strangers. The research began with a quantitative content analysis of questions drawn from a set of recorded conversations known wholly as the Candor Dataset, informed by Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, which suggests …

Here Be Dragons: The Barriers Of Korean American Female Leaders In Secondary Schools, Joyce A. Kim

Dissertations

In K-12 public schools, there is a shortage of Korean American women in school leadership roles at the secondary level. This phenomenological study explores the contributing factors to this lack of representation, how institutions can recruit and retain Korean American female leaders, and how school systems can better support them. This study examines the leadership experiences of eight Korean American women. It utilizes the socio-political contexts of Korean patriarchy, the Model Minority Myth, and mentorship to help frame the problem of existing barriers. This study explores the following questions: What factors hinder Korean American women in school leadership? What structural …

Useful Measures Of Adult Attachment And Object Relations In Psychotherapy, Matilde A. Torallas Huerta

Dissertations

This is a literature review of objective and projective measures of attachment and object relations in adults, with the objective of reviewing outstanding research to identify the key factors for adult attachment assessment considered within attachment and object relations theories, what measures of adult attachment styles and dysfunction work best, and to provide key themes of assistance in the measurement of attachment and object relations in adult clients in psychotherapy. Theoretical foundations of attachment and object relations theory are reviewed as well as objective and projective instruments grouped by format. The 10 themes found to be useful in the assessment …

Shades Of Families: Exploring Intersectionalities Of Cross-Cultural Parenting Experiences In The U.S., Shu-Han Huang

Dissertations

As multiracial and multicultural families continue to grow across the United States, parents must navigate evolving cultural identities, systemic inequities, and increasing social and emotional pressures. These realities underscore the need for parenting resources that are both culturally responsive and emotionally supportive. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 11 cross-cultural parents raising children in the U.S., with a focus on how intersecting identities and systemic forces shape parenting practices.

Guided by Critical Multiracial Theory and Intersectionality Theory, this study investigated parenting at the personal, familial, societal, and structural levels. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed …

Clinical Nurse Civility And Professional Identity Formation In Nursing Students, Janet Elaine Weeda

Dissertations

Professional identity (PI) formation is an essential objective for nursing education. In 2010, Benner et al. published a landmark document titled Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation, which included a transition from teaching roles and developing professionalism to professional identity formation. In 2018, a ‘Thank Tank’ meeting occurred at the University of Kansas to explore professional identity in nursing, which developed into the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing (ISPIN; Brewington & Godfrey, 2020). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN, 2021) The Essentials included a core competency that called for the “formation and cultivation of a …