Digital Commons Network^™

From Babysitting To Teaching—Latina Childcare Providers Acquiring Effective Teaching Strategies: A Grounded Theory Of Transformative Professional Development, Deborah Becker

Dissertations

Using theoretical sampling, focused on those who could best inform the theory, the participants in this study, all Latina women, consisted of two program Tías (Aunties), currently teaching and mentoring in the Abuelas Preparando a los Niños Para La Escuela [Grandmothers Preparing the Children for School], or APPLE program, and 14 past graduates. The only education the program graduates had before APPLE was in their home countries prior to immigrating to the United States. Beginning with a description of the type of care they provided to children before they participated in the APPLE program, the participants explained how the structure …

The Role Of Youth Characteristics, Home Ecology, And Child Maltreatment In The Severity Of Problematic Sexual Behaviors And Conduct Problems, Ariel K. Berman

Dissertations

A multitude of individual, familial, and environmental variables have previously been identified as contributing to the development of problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) and general conduct problems (CP) in youth. The majority of these studies have focused either on individual youth characteristics or parenting behaviors such as child maltreatment. Although researchers examining contributions to PSB and CP generally acknowledge the importance of the impact of the home environment on youth behavior, few researchers have included family characteristics of both parents and siblings in their analyses. Additionally, some factors that have been identified as having great importance in general juvenile delinquency, such …

A Discipline In Search Of A Voice: A Corpus Linguistic Study Of Evaluation Scholarly Literature, Aaron Wilson Kates

Dissertations

Linguists use the concept of discourse community (DC) to describe the speech of groups of people associated by some extrinsic purpose or interest (Swales, 1990). One defining feature of a DC is a shared lexicon. Scriven (1994), in his discussion of evaluation as a discipline, addresses the need for evaluation to have a “core subject” which would then allow, among other things, the development of “concepts and language to deal with core problems,” while noting that there exists a definite lack of clarity of language among evaluators (p. 147). Christie and Rose (2003) suggest that the lack of clarification around …

School Principals’ Awareness Of Their Emotional Intelligence And Connections To Leadership, Lourdes M. Pimentel Soto

Dissertations

Leaders set the tone and mood of the organization through their attitudes and actions. This emotional climate set by the leader has been found to influence employee’s performance, including their sense of job satisfaction and commitment. In other words, what sets great leaders apart from their peers is their ability to drive the emotions of those they lead in the right direction. This ability to understand and manage one’s and other’s emotions is what is known as emotional intelligence (EI).

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of K-12 principals’ awareness of their EI in relation to how they lead, and …

Assigning Assessment Accommodations To English Learners: A Phenomenological Study, Heather May Villalobos Pavia

Dissertations

The English learner (EL) student population has grown steadily for the past 20 years. During this time, the use of standardized assessments has increased as well. Teacher understanding of assessment accommodations that best support ELs is low, despite the research that shows the unreliability of standardized achievement tests that measure the academic achievement of ELs. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine how 10 teachers engage in the assessment accommodation selection process. Teachers were intentionally selected from intermediate elementary grades where the most native (primary/home) language accommodations are available on state assessments. Data were collected through surveys, …

The Relationship Between Trauma, Attachment, Self-Compassion, And Emotion Regulation: A Structural Equation Model, Susanna Jane Turner

Dissertations

Previous research has examined the relationship between trauma, attachment, selfcompassion, and emotion regulation, but never with an incarcerated population. Given the link between emotion regulation and illegal behaviors, it may be helpful to more fully understand this relationship in order to lay the groundwork for future intervention research. I gathered data from 378 participants. I then examined the relationships between these constructs on data from 204 participants, the number that remained after cleaning the data, by way of a structural equation model. Findings suggest that greater experiences of trauma may lead to insecure attachment styles, impacting individuals’ ability to trust …

An Investigation Of Outsourcing Ticket Sales In Division I College Athletics, Kyle John Brannigan

Dissertations

Understanding the phenomenon of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics can help athletic departments make more informed ticketing decisions. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to help create new and emerging knowledge of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics from the interactions with the study’s participants. The study had 15 participants who experienced the decision-making process as well as the stakeholder impact of outsourcing ticket sales in collegiate athletics. After doing a thematic analysis of the data, eight final themes were used to help describe the phenomenon. It was clear that the importance of being able to …

English As A Foreign Language Preservice Teachers’ Technology Integration In Teaching Speaking Skills: A Study From Indonesia, I Putu Indra Kusuma

Dissertations

The novel coronavirus, namely COVID-19, has drastically forced schools and universities around the globe to implement emergency remote teaching (henceforth, ERT) in online forms. During this ERT, the personal computer, internet-accessible devices, and computer programs have expanded the opportunities of language learners to obtain more authentic materials and learning experiences. Moreover, technology enables students to record and store their speaking performance in digital forms, accommodating a new reform in English language teaching. Very little is known about how English as a foreign language (henceforth, EFL) preservice teachers, especially student teachers, implement technology in teaching speaking skills during their practice teaching. …

Blood Pressure Management And Factors Affecting Adherence To Antihypertensive Medications In The United Arab Emirates, Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula

Dissertations

Hypertension is a significant public health problem worldwide and is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The dynamics of guidelines-recommended blood pressure (BP) control and adherence to antihypertensive medications in incident hypertensives remain unclear. This dissertation aims to assess guidelines-recommended BP management, adherence to antihypertensive medications, and factors associated with poor BP control among newly diagnosed hypertensive patients in the UAE. A retrospective chart review of 5308 newly treated hypertensives across the emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2017 was conducted. These patients were diagnosed by the treating physician according to ambulatory (ABPM), or home-based BP monitoring (HBPM) …

Toward The Micro-Foundations Of Environmental Sustainability: Fostering Pro-Environmental Behavior Among Employees To Boost Corporate Environmental Performance In The United Arab Emirates, Tareq Zaal Al-Ali

Dissertations

Today, the world is still struggling to find ways to control pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Consequently, environmental sustainability has become an essential concept in the global business environment. This study examined the factors that can influence the environmental sustainability performance of organizations. While previous studies have examined the role of regulatory frameworks, industry standards, innovation, and the use of clean technologies in achieving environmental sustainability, little attention has been paid to the role of employees in improving a company's environmental performance. This study examined how employees' pro-environmental beliefs and behaviors are triggered in the workplace. It then …

Student Engagement And Equitable Student Learning Outcomes, Douglas K. Harter

Dissertations

Student engagement is consistently shown by research to be a critical component of student learning. An opportunity to link variables of perceived student engagement, perceived student-teacher relationship and clarity, an in-person learning format, and a remote learning format presented itself when, in March of 2020, all Illinois public schools were mandated by Governor J.B. Pritzker to teach in a fully remote structure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student survey data results were examined using Wagner et al’s (2006) 4 C’s model to determine if there were statistically significant differences among student engagement and student-teacher relationships when compared across in-person and …

Mental Health Treatment In Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Utilizing Assessment To Inform Treatment, Sarah Riccio

Dissertations

Youth in juvenile correctional facilities face a wide range of mental health difficulties. Over the years, the juvenile justice system has prioritized the need for providing appropriate and effective treatment services to youth throughout their detainment. Despite these ongoing efforts, treatment practices in juvenile correctional facilities continue to fall short. This study will first focus on assessment practices within these facilities and the impact current practices have on diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of comprehensive evaluations for informing diagnosis and determining the individual treatment needs of detained youth. An integrated approach to assessment will …

Radical Inclusion: An Engagement Model For Accountability Redesign, Natalie Neris

Dissertations

To ensure that Chicago Public Schools’ school accountability policy is equitable and representative of the insights and perspectives of those most impacted, this study advocates for CPS to enact a Radically Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement (RISE) policy to enforce a more inclusive policy redesign process. This policy advocacy document examines the history of school accountability through five intersecting domains: education, economics, social context, political context and moral/ethical considerations. Reflecting on my experience as a third-generation CPS student, a CPS parent, former teacher and school leader, I challenge the reader to consider the intention and impact of school accountability on Chicago’s students …

An Intergenerational Photo Exploration Of Self Care Actions In Self-Identifying Strong Black Women, Vanessa Patrice Goodar

Dissertations

The current study sought to expand upon the Giscombé Superwoman Schema (2010) specifically exploring the role of vulnerability resistance and help obligation as potential barriers to changing comprehensive self-care health commitments in self-identifying Strong Black Women (SBW). The Superwoman Schema characteristics of vulnerability resistance and help obligation along with socio-economic factors of income, religious affiliation and marital status were assessed in the project using a visual-ethnography approach to Photo Voice methods and five intergenerational focus groups of SBW's born between 1946 and 2002. The collective self-care knowledge of these eighteen participants was analyzed using a participatory action research discussion framework …

The Impact Of A K-8 Stem Program On Grades And Student Choice Of Stem And Advanced Mathematics And Science Coursework In High School, Astrid Rodrigues

Dissertations

The demands of today’s workforce call for schools to prepare their students to have problem-solving skills and be critical thinkers and collaborative colleagues. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning has been known to cultivate, excite, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students from an early age.

This study explored the high school course selection of students who had participated in a compulsory Kindergarten to 8^th grade (K-8) STEM program, called Project Lead the Way (PLTW), while in middle school. Specifically, the study compared the number of STEM and advanced mathematics and science courses that students who …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Nurse Advocacy In Health Policy, Marilyn Longo Dollinger

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how effectively nurses function as advocates in the federal health policy process, understanding their perspectives, their strategies, and tactics. This study examined how nurses in legislative and administrative positions advance health policy or regulatory issues that are important to health care or the nursing profession. Although nurses have a long history of social and political activism, little is known about their effectiveness in achieving favorable policy outcomes. The researcher interviewed 11 registered nurses who had experience as staff in government offices, committees, or federal agencies to learn what processes, tactics, and strategies …

Experiencing Narrative Pedagogy, Wendy S. Bowles

Dissertations

The role of the nurse has changed dramatically in the past twenty years with increasing complexity of patient care and a rapidly changing health care environment. In addition to the challenges noted regarding patient care, problems with increasing medical errors were noted in the literature specific to graduates in their first year as a nurse. Research in particular to nursing education provides a way for nurse educators to become more astute at addressing problems pervading the role of the new nursing graduate. Narrative Pedagogy was identified as a research-based nursing pedagogy and has been researched and enacted for more than …

Phenomenological Study Of Nurses' Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of Quality And Safety, Conchita Sunico Freitag

Dissertations

Maintaining quality and safety has become one of the major problems of healthcare organizations affecting patient satisfaction scores. Nurses are essential in promoting quality and safety. To achieve quality and safety, nurses tend to focus on clinical aspects of care and place personal needs of patients as least priorities. However, literature showed that patients perceive quality care as meeting their personal needs and demands rather than their clinical conditions. There were limited studies that considered nurses' perceptions of quality and safety, most studies were patients' perceptions and satisfactions focused. Conflicting opinions from nurses' and patients' perspectives as well as limited …

Teaching The Esl Nursing Student: The Relationship Between Nurse Educator Background Attributes, Beliefs Concerning The Esl Nursing Student And Instructional Strategies Used By Nurse Educators, Bonnie L. Fuller

Dissertations

As the U.S. population quickly moves toward linguistic diversity, it is essential that sufficient numbers of linguistically diverse nurses be available to provide care, and nurse educators play a significant role in the preparation of these nurses. Little information was found in the literature about factors that influence the practices of the nurse educator related to teaching the nursing student who has English as a second language (ESL). The purpose of this research study was to investigate the factors related to teaching ESL nursing students from the perspective of the nurse educator. A pilot study was conducted to validate the …

Experiences Of African American Students In Pre-Licensure Schools Of Nursing: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Barbara Jean White

Dissertations

Despite more than 40 years of research and governmental support, African Americans continue to be underrepresented in the nursing profession compared to the population it serves. Though some progress has been made over the past 20 years, the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) continue to identify increasing diversity as a disciplinary priority. Further understanding of the experiences of African American nursing students is needed to inform decisions about recruitment, retention and successful matriculation of these students. This qualitative descriptive study focused on understanding the …

Surfing Without Water: College Students Who Experience Homelessness, Melissa Scheer, Deidra C. Thomas-Murray

Dissertations

This study explores the educational experiences and needs of college students experiencing homelessness from the St. Louis metropolitan area. Research has shown that youth experiencing homelessness have difficulties entering college, remaining in college, and graduating from college (School House Connections, 2020). Difficulty accessing services and support coupled with prejudice, discrimination, and lack of knowledge can be detrimental to the homeless students’ academic performance (Svokos, 2015). The purpose of this study is to investigate issues of homelessness in higher education as experienced by independent college students identified as homeless in high school and explore the types of support universities offer via …

Barriers Teaching Environmental Justice Education, Jodi Devonshire

Dissertations

The idea of freedom in education has its roots in the social justice movements of the 1950s and 60s. Civil rights groups coalesced independently of other marginalized groups and movements of its time. While similar in nature, environmentalism and civil rights issues rarely crossed paths. As environmentalism made its way into science education and curriculum, social justice issues were restricted to historical perspectives in education. This research initially sought to create an understanding of purpose driven, social justice conscious, Environmental Education as it is related to marginalized learners and identify the barriers of creating and implementing culturally relevant environmental education …

Exploring The Influence Of Industry 4.0 Technology On Buyer-Supplier Relationships (Supplier Transparency) And Supply Chain Agility, Honey Zimmerman

Dissertations

Constantly evolving technologies enable supply chains around the world to thrive and become progressively more sophisticated and responsive. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies connect supply chain networks like never before. Still, anecdotal evidence suggests that few firms have implemented such technologies enterprise-wide. Therefore, to investigate the value created from the implementation of such technology, the focus of this study was on buyer-supplier relationships (BSR) and firm supply chain agility (FSCA) in the context of I4.0 technologies. Using mixed methodologies within a single-case study, we set out to answer the research question: Does I4.0 technology influence buyer-supplier relationships and firm supply chain …

White Voters And Minority Animus In The Era Of Trump, Zachary Schwartz

Dissertations

Overt and blatant racism of the type that was once used to justify Jim Crow laws and other forms of de facto segregation against Blacks has largely been forced into the margins of society. However, the reduction of overt racism that casts whites as biologically superior to Blacks can be easily confused with a reduction of racism in totality. The election and continued popularity of Donald Trump demonstrates that the conversation on race in the United States needs much more analysis. On multiple occasions during his campaign and presidency, Trump made inflammatory remarks on race and immigration, and yet suffered …

Experiencing Narrative Pedagogy: Conversations With Nurse Educators, Ruth A. Stoltzfus

Dissertations

The increasingly complex nature of health care requires nursing graduates, upon completion of their formal education, to be fully capable of providing safe and competent patient care. Accrediting bodies for schools of nursing have challenged nursing education to develop and implement innovative, research-based pedagogies that engage students in learning. Narrative Pedagogy is an innovative approach to teaching and learning developed by Nancy Diekelmann after many years of researching nursing education using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology.

Expanding Boards: A Study Of The Experience Of Former National Student Nurses' Association Board Of Directors Members From 2010-2020, Kenya D. Williams

Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to examine how student nurses experience and understand their role as National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Board of Directors members and how that experience shapes their career trajectories as registered nurses (RNs). More specifically, this study's research objectives were to describe and discuss (a) the professional culture and value of board governance education to the nursing profession, and (b) the importance of board governance education for nursing curriculums. Seventeen nurses who served in different capacities as NSNA Board of Directors while they were student nurses were interviewed individually regarding their experience. NVIVO qualitative data analysis …

Reducing No-Show Appointments In The Outpatient Rheumatology Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Callie Soltero

Dissertations

Introduction: Missed appointments, or no-show appointments, can be detrimental to the patient and office alike in the outpatient setting. No-show appointments decrease patient satisfaction, increase acute episodic visits, and decrease office revenue.

Method: This project aims to reduce no-show appointments by two percent in an outpatient rheumatology office through utilizing an existing phone call reminder system and implementing a text message reminder system.

Results: After the implementation of the text messaging reminder system, contrary to the project's aim of decreasing no-show appointments by two percent, no-show appointments were decreased by 1.1%.

Conclusion: The findings of this quality improvement project show …

Resuscitation Quality Improvement Mortality Rates, Jordan Priest

Dissertations

This paper explores and answers the question: What is the impact of Resuscitation Quality Improvement on survival at discharge rates after suffering an IHCA when compared to every two-year BLS/ACLS training? Articles are explored that identify positive patients’ outcomes when resuscitation training is repetitively learned. The design consists of a BLS/ACLS and RQI evaluation of quarterly survival to discharge rates prior to the initiation of the new RQI program and after the initiation of the new RQI program. The setting of the study is the east region of a midwestern faith-based health care system, that includes four hospitals in one …

The Impact Of Advisory Programs On Student Achievement, Attendance, And Behavior, Joshua Colby Flora

Dissertations

The impact of advisory programs on student achievement, attendance, and behavior was explored in this study. The study was conducted to contribute to existing research and to gain insight as to whether or not advisory programs promote positive academic outcomes in schools. Four schools with advisory programs and four schools with academic homerooms participated in the study. Each school provided student achievement, attendance, and behavior data from the 2015‒2016, 2016‒2017, 2017‒2018, and 2018‒ 2019 school years. In addition, advisory teachers responded to a survey regarding outcomes of advisory and their perceptions of advisory programs. The data were analyzed using an …

Forecasting Demand For Optimal Inventory With Long Lead Times: An Automotive Aftermarket Case Study, Chris Anderson

Dissertations

Accuracy in predicting customer demand is essential to building an economic inventory policy under periodic review, long lead-time, and a target fill rate. This study uses inventory and customer service level as a stock control metric to evaluate the forecast accuracy of different simple to more complex predictive analytical techniques. We show how traditional forecast error measures are inappropriate for inventory control, despite their consistent usage in many studies, by evaluating demand forecast performance dynamically with customer service level as a stock control metric that includes inventory holdings costs, stock out costs, and fill rate service levels. A second contribution …