Digital Commons Network^™

Jardín De Anjelita: Utilizing Arts-Based Methods To Inform Interculturalization In The Third Space, Amanda Jeanne Bucher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristics of the intercultural classroom across three K-12 public-school sites. The relationship between intracultural conscientização and intercultural curriculum among multiracial educators was of particular interest to this study. Auto criticism methodology that housed arts-based methods was utilized in order to address the theoretical tension between multicultural absorption and post-colonial discourse of hybridity as it manifests in curriculum and ensuing classroom interaction operating as the third space. In this arts-based auto criticism, I explored the relationship between intracultural conscientização among four multiracial educators having one white parent and one parent of color and …

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: Science Practices And Science Identity, Alaina Buchanan

Dissertations

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have become more commonly incorporated in laboratory courses in undergraduate education. Because CUREs incorporate research within the context of a course, the benefits of mentored research (self-efficacy, science identity, persistence, and more) are extended to each student enrolled. CUREs are designed with five key components: discovery, relevance, iteration, collaboration, and science practices. However, the term science practices is broad and includes a diversity of student activities which can make it difficult to compare student outcomes across different CUREs. The first part of this work reviews the components and specific science practices included in all CUREs …

A Current Wave Of Development: Examination Of Positive Youth Development And Identity In The Junior Lifeguard Program, Danielle Nicole Wong

Dissertations

The Junior Lifeguard (JG) Program is a youth ‘serious leisure’ summer program that teaches children between the ages of 9 to 17 years ocean safety and education (United States Lifesaving Association [USLA], 2022). Though the program has been anecdotally regarded as beneficial for youth, it has never been formally evaluated for aspects of Positive Youth Development (PYD). Positive Youth Development programs are considered successful if they efficiently provide the appropriate context for youth to enhance their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills (internal assets) with supportive individuals, or significant others, (external assets) to help guide them for life skills transfer, …

Luciano Berio’S Six Encores Pour Piano: A Guide For Performance Preparation, Ivana Muncan

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to provide strategies that can be used to prepare Luciano Berio’s Six Encores pour piano for performance. Each Encore is concisely analyzed with respect to five musical elements: sound (timbre, dynamics, texture), harmony, melody, time (tempo, meter, rhythm), and structure. From observations made during analysis, notable learning challenges are isolated, and learning strategies are devised to target the elements that pose significant challenges. Utilizing secondary sources, specific analytical procedures and technical exercises are crafted to aid the performer in expediting their mastery of the Encores. This document will be a valuable reference work for …

A Moustakas Phenomenological Analysis Of How Counseling Master’S Students Experience Instructor Use Of Humor In The Classroom, Claire Gabrielle Critchlow

Dissertations

The following dissertation presented the findings from the first known Moustakas Phenomenological Analysis study exploring the experience of seven counselors-in-training (CITs) in the classroom with an instructor who utilized humor. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experience of counseling students who had participated in master’s classrooms in which the instructor used humor. Previous research has explored the use of humor within counseling, though no research has explored the experience of CITs in a classroom with an instructor who utilized humor. Moreover, no literature has explored the experience of CITs within their instructor-student relationship with an …

A Portrait Of Culturally Responsive, Socially Just School Leadership: A Latino Critical Theory Student Perspective, Jennifer Ruth Crill

Dissertations

As the student demographics in classrooms across America shift to become more ethnically diverse, schools are examining their practices in supporting how students are prepared for college and career. This support includes the introduction of innovative learning environments aimed to provide students with opportunities to explore career pathways. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the leadership skills, attitudes, and knowledge that Latina/o/x students within an Innovative Learning Environment perceive as supporting students. This study examined how Latina/o/x students perceive the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of culturally responsive socially just school leadership in innovative learning environments. Through the …

Faculty’S Experience Providing Nursing Student Support: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Emily Brower

Dissertations

The nursing workforce shortage continues to grow. The effects of the shortage are significant, contributing to patient morbidity and mortality. Retaining nursing students is one way the nursing workforce could be increased. Faculty support is one factor that contributes to nursing student success. Faculty do not always provide the support needed for students to be successful; however, the contributing factors to providing adequate support by faculty are unclear. The retention of nursing faculty is also a pertinent contributor to increasing nurses in the workforce. The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of student support by exploring …

Factors That Affect The Motivation And Satisfaction Of Emiratis Workforce In Critical And Key Positions: The Case Of The Uae Media Sector, Afra Sulaiman Al Mheiri

Dissertations

With the economic boom of the UAE in recent years, the country has seen a major change in terms of employment of Emiratis and expatriates and influx of foreign job-seekers into UAE market. Despite the federal government's continued efforts to promote Emiratization and create a favourable business environment that attracts Emirati job-seekers, a slight improvement in the employment situation of Emirati workers, especially in key positions in private media sector. Although the UAE media sector plays a key role in reshaping the sociocultural landscape and is used as a soft tool of public diplomacy, it is slow in achieving Emiratization …

Women In Educational Leadership: An Embodied Narrative Inquiry, Pauline Avis

Dissertations

To meaningfully capture the lived experiences of women educational leaders working in American public schools, this study utilized the qualitative traditional research design and employed an embodied narrative inquiry to explore the primary research question: How do women educational leaders story their gendered experience of employment in the workplace? The purpose of this study was to describe and explore how female educational leaders in American public schools perceive the impact that gender identity construction has had on their ability to pursue successfully, attain, and retain educational leadership roles. Through a feminist semiotics theoretical lens, this study offers an examination of …

The Experiences Of Black Diplomat Families In United States Sponsored American International Schools, Teneshia A. Taylor

Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study captured the stories of the schooling experiences of Black American diplomat families who attended sponsored American international schools overseas. The purpose of this study was to examine the racialized experiences of Black American diplomat families whose children attend or attended United States sponsored American international schools (SAIS) overseas compared to Black middle-class racialized schooling experiences in the United States. Through interviewing, counterstories were captured from a total of twelve participants consisting of seven parents and five students. In this study, the data revealed Black diplomat students and their parents experienced similar, consistent racialization in United States …

A Comparison Of Registered Nurses’ Motivation And Knowledge Levels Between Gamified And Traditional Courses, Amanda Crim Rossley

Dissertations

Registered nurses (RNs) working in today’s healthcare environment must consistently learn new knowledge and skills, keep abreast of practice changes, and implement strategies to improve patient outcomes. However, healthcare organizations face significant challenges as they attempt to facilitate efficient training. Nursing professional development practitioners miss opportunities to leverage learner motivation, which drives investment, knowledge retention, and practice application. Gamification, which strategically embeds game elements and mechanics into an educational design to boost motivation, offers a potential solution. It aims to increase learner engagement by presenting learners with challenges, tracking their progress, and offering feedback, ultimately leading to knowledge retention and …

Let’S Take This Outside: Utilizing Outdoor Classrooms As A Response To The Coronavirus-19 Pandemic, Cortney Leigh Lamb

Dissertations

The worldwide school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID)-19 pandemic that began in the spring of 2020 caused a disruption to educational systems (Bao et al., 2020; Engzell et al., 2021; Masonbrink & Hurley, 2020; Munir, 2021; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, 2020). The pandemic created a dilemma in which school leaders around the world and in the United States had to make challenging decisions about how to open schools in the fall of 2020 and how to best educate students (Honein et al., 2021). The majority of school leaders choose to reopen schools in the fall of 2020 …

Dan Forrest’S The Breath Of Life: A Podium Guide With A Study Of The Compositional Techniques And The Integration Of Texts Used To Mirror The Emotional Arc Of The Human Life Cycle, Brian Keith Dukeshier

Dissertations

Dan Forrest’s the breath of life is a contemporary composition the author believes will be performed numerous times in future years after the extensive physical and emotional effect the pandemic had on the world. Although composed prior to the pandemic, the breath of life could bring comfort and a salve to the hurt and pain of humankind caused by the pandemic but will also affect the emotional state of loss for years to come for all humanity. This work exhibits Forrest’s use of acousmatic electronics with choir and orchestra. Biblical texts as well as poetry written by three poets from …

Inviting The Outside In: Nature's Contribution To Counselor Wellness, Naomi Medina

Dissertations

The positive influence of nature on client wellness and psychological health (BonhamCorcoran et al., 2022) is well reflected in the emergence of nature-based counseling interventions such as wilderness therapy, walk talk therapy, and horticulture therapy, among other counseling modalities that involve aspects of the natural world (Lewis et al., 2022). This suggests that the inclusion of nature within the counseling session could also contribute to the wellness of the counselor. The purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which presence of nature contributes to counselor wellness and which of the five senses may play a greater role …

Lived Experiences Of School Counselors Working In Conjoint Roles In A Multisystem Framework To Address The Mental Health Needs Of Students, Angela Cano Sampson

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of school counselors working in conjoint roles as social–emotional leaders and mental health professionals (MHPs) to address the mental health needs of students through multisystem collaboratives (MSCs) and school-based systems of mental health care (SBSMHC).

The role of the school counselor has expanded into becoming a social–emotional leader and school MHP advocating for comprehensive social–emotional learning and the “school-linked” movement that coalesced their exclusive professional proficiency with both school-based and community resources working to enhance initiatives for student psychosocial development in ways that would increase student assets …

Meta-Analysis Of Effective Instruction Delivery, Halley Blanchard

Dissertations

Effective instruction delivery (EID) is a combination of antecedent and consequent strategies used to increase child compliance with adult instructions. The current meta-analysis sought to evaluate the effects of EID as an independent and combined treatment component across studies, as well as evaluate the reported treatment acceptability across studies. Additionally, moderator analyses were conducted to determine the impact of interventionist type (i.e., parent or teacher), implementation setting, child age, and child diagnosis on the effects of EID on child compliance. The analysis generated large effect sizes for EID across studies and high levels of treatment acceptability. The effects of EID …

Championing Equity: Culturally Responsive Leadership Strategies Of California Community College Eops Leaders, Cara Demyra Askew

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to identify and describe how CCC EOPS leaders are culturally responsive in their leadership strategies, based on Horsford et al.’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework.

Methodology: This qualitative ethnographic study identified and described culturally responsive leadership techniques among 16 CCC EOPS leaders. Participants were purposefully chosen based on a predetermined set of criteria for the study. The researcher collected two types of data to gain firsthand knowledge of CCC EOPS leaders’ lived experiences. Data was captured using web-based semi-structured interviews and artifacts, which were subsequently coded and analyzed to identify themes and …

Experiences Of Family Caregivers For Adults With Oxygen Dependent Copd, Virginia A. Warner

Dissertations

This study investigated the caregiving experiences of family members who care for oxygen dependent adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A grounded theory design was used with a sample of 13 English speaking primarily non-urban caregivers who provided uncompensated care for oxygen dependent family members. Interviews using a semi-structured open ended interview guide were audiotaped and analyzed using constant comparative analysis to develop the caregiving model.

The Motherhood Crusade: Rural Low-Income Mothers, Support, And Empowerment, Christina Castellano

Dissertations

Previous research has shown that postpartum women with untreated mental health conditions are more likely to fail to manage their own health, have inadequate nutrition, abuse substances, experience abuse, be less responsive to their baby’s needs, have fewer positive interactions with their baby, experience difficulties breastfeeding, and question their abilities as a mother. Rural culture plays a complex role in the transition to motherhood, influencing whether mothers seek out and use resources. While more is known about location and access issues, less is known about how rural culture and, more specifically, how empowerment and social support impact postpartum experience. The …

Homegrown: Pastor Advocacy For Victims Of Sex Trafficking, Julie Heifner

Dissertations

Human trafficking consists of both sex trafficking (ST) and labor trafficking (LT) and is a growing problem for the United States. The Federal Human Trafficking Report (2019), states that Missouri is ranked ninth in the country for active criminal human trafficking cases. This issue is particularly prevalent in our churches because churches serve vulnerable populations and predators may be drawn to churches. Religious academic literature about pastor advocacy for victims of ST is lacking, while popular news sources reference case after case where pastors are the predators. This study consisted of nine Christian pastors who currently served in a pastoral …

Increasing Testicular Self-Examination Practices In Male College Students, Christopher Mccoy

Dissertations

A significant number of males attending colleges and universities in the United States have limited or no current knowledge of testicular cancer and screening practices (Tosun, Gul, & Arikan, 2020).

Lack of knowledge of testicular cancer and practice of testicular self-examinations.

The evidence-based health promotion project aimed to increase testicular self-examination practices in male college students and increase their knowledge of testicular cancer.

Activities Of The Mind And Soul: Eudaimonia, Identity, And Implicit Theories Of Giftedness In Secondary Gifted Students, Megan Roegner

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experience of secondary gifted students, more specifically their implicit theories of giftedness, how they incorporate giftedness into their sense of identity, and their eudaimonic development. The following four research questions guided the study: (a) What do the narratives of secondary gifted students reveal about their eudaimonic well-being? (b) What do the narratives of secondary gifted students reveal about their implicit theories of giftedness? (c) What do the narratives of secondary gifted students reveal about the extent to which giftedness is a part of their identities? (d) What are the relationships …

Improving Screening And Referral For Hereditary Cancers In New Breast Cancer Patients, Lisa J. Henczel

Dissertations

Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Early recognition and identification of those at risk for germline mutations have been difficult at the project site due to patients' lack of knowledge of their family cancer history, which is critical to improving access to the hereditary cancer program. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if the implementation of Kiran et al.'s family cancer history nursing telephone prompt impacted screening and referral rates to the provincial hereditary cancer program among adult patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer at an urban outpatient cancer clinic located …

Factors Influencing The Development Of Advanced Practice Nursing In Singapore, Madrean M. Schober

Dissertations

The development of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles has become a worldwide trend as healthcare planners explore innovative options for the provision of healthcare services. The integration of these new nursing roles presents a dynamic change for healthcare professionals and the systems in which they practice. Suitable policies should ideally support the inclusion of APN roles and their practice potential, however, a review of the literature found no evidence that demonstrated relevant policymaking, these policy processes and subsequent implementation of the intent of policy. The aim of the research was to investigate APN policy development from the beginning periods of …

Factors Associated With Newly Graduated Nurses' Intent To Leave Current Position In U.S. Acute Care Hospitals: A Descriptive Research Study Using Secondary Data Analysis, Mary N. Meyer

Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the individual, unit-based, and hospital-based characteristics correlated with new nurse intent to leave their current positions (ITLcp) in U.S. acute care hospitals.

A Delphi Study Of Possibilities Of Learning By 2035: Identify And Describe The Educational Changes For High Schools In California That Are Possible And Probable By 2035 As Perceived By A Panel Of Experts, Guillermo Lopez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify and describe the educational changes for high schools in California that are possible and probable by 2035 as perceived by a panel of experts. In addition, the purpose was to determine the level of desirability of educational changes identified as probable by a panel of experts. Finally, the purpose was to describe the actions necessary to promote the desirable educational changes by 2035 as perceived by the expert panel.

Methodology: The Delphi method was used as a mixed methods approach to build consensus among experts. Fifteen experts from diverse secondary …

Leading With Cultura Y Corazón: Culturally Responsive Leadership And Latina Mid-Level Leaders In The California Community Colleges, Gabriela Lopez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic study was to identify and describe how California community college Latina mid-level leaders are culturally responsive in their leadership strategies, based on Horsford, Grosland, and Gunn’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework.

Methodology: This ethnographic study identified and described how Latina mid-level leaders within the California community colleges utilize culturally responsive leadership strategies using Horsford et al.’s (2011) culturally relevant leadership framework. The researcher was part of a thematic team of 6 researchers who developed and vetted a semi-structured interview protocol aligned with the theoretical framework. Sixteen participants were identified and selected using purposeful criterion …

Implementation Of Established Guidelines To Determine The Correlation Of Antipsychotic Use And Fall Rate Occurrence Amongst Inpatient Long-Term Care Residents, Cynthia L. Hardy

Dissertations

The use of psychotropic medications may impact fall rates among senior adults. Despite evidence-based approaches to minimize psychotropic medications use, the project site had a gap in implementing one leading to high fall rates. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if the implementation of the Center for Assisted Living Guidelines for Reducing the Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Nursing Homes would impact fall rates when compared to current practice among geriatric patients in a long-term care facility in rural New Mexico over four weeks. Neuman's Systems Model provided the theoretical underpinnings for this project.

Emergency Obstetric Simulation Drills As A Strategy To Execute A Multidisciplinary Protocol With Emphasis On Safety Culture Evaluation, Team Synergy And Team Competency: A Dnp Project, Malinda Forsythe Carmouche

Dissertations

The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice Project was to implement emergency obstetric simulation to defend against patient safety risk linked to healthcare professional team dynamics in the care of obstetric patients as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), The Joint Commission (TJC) and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Initiative (QSEN). Team training is evidenced to reduce the mismanagement of emergency obstetric events by coaching providers in delivery of safe, effective and coordinated care during crises. The setting for this project was a hospital specializing in care of women and newborns. Hospitals, as the employers of …

Culturally Responsive Library Leadership In The California Community Colleges, Melanie Aponte Chu

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic qualitative study was to identify and describe how community college library leaders utilize culturally responsive leadership strategies when leading their organizations, based on Horsford et al.’s (2011) Culturally Relevant Leadership (CRL) framework.

Methodology: This study identified and described culturally responsive leadership strategies of library leaders at the California Community Colleges (CCCs). As part of a thematic team, the researcher designed an interview protocol in alignment with the four dimensions of the CRL framework: professional duty, personal journey, pedagogical approach, and political context. Fourteen participants were identified and selected using criterion sampling, with participants meeting …