Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Active Learning Experience Of Prelicensure Nursing Students By Role And Level In Simulation, Delisa Flynn

Dissertations

As the complexity of healthcare continues to grow, it is essential that nursing graduates enter the workforce with strong clinical judgment, confidence, and practice readiness. Simulation is an active learning strategy that creates a realistic, hands-on experiences for learners. Despite its widespread use, the impact of simulation roles within a simulated experience (participant versus observer) on student engagement remains unclear, particularly across different levels of nursing education. This study investigated differences in active learning engagement among sophomore and senior prelicensure nursing students (N = 161) based on their assigned role in a high-fidelity simulation scenario. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning …

The Effects Of Targeted Interventions On Student Engagement With Feedback: A Meta-Analysis, Andy A. Accettola

Dissertations

ABSTRACT This meta-analysis examines the effects of classroom interventions aimed at enhancing student engagement with feedback in K–12 and higher education settings. Drawing on the framework developed by Winstone et al. (2017), interventions were categorized into four major feedback engagement categories and 14 subcomponents. A systematic review identified eligible experimental studies published between 2014 and 2023, each reporting outcomes relevant to student feedback engagement. Effect sizes were calculated using standardized mean differences, and subgroup analyses explored the relative influence of intervention categories, subcomponents, and moderators. Findings from this meta-analysis indicate that targeted interventions to enhance student engagement with feedback generally …

Perverse Convergences: Aelred Of Rievaulx And The Queerness Of Waiting, Zaccary A. Haney

Dissertations

ABSTRACT Using Aelred of Rievaulx’s (1110-1167) treatise Spiritual Friendship and his fundamental insight, “God is friendship,” this dissertation seeks to understand how the divine arrives woven into the dynamics of human relationships. I bring together social media research, critical theories of language, queer phenomenology, queer temporalities, and liberation theologies into a cross-temporal erotic narrative between Aelred and me. The first part establishes the imaginative distemporal space of Sodom, based on a shared homosexual identity. It critiques historical and theological disciplines as familiarizing discourses that compel arrivals of the other through structures authentication and the social magic of professionalization. In the …

Special Education Disproportionality In Illinois: What Are We Doing?, Kaelyn Chanel Green

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined special education disproportionality in Illinois to determine current trends, root causes, and responses to significant disproportionality as reflected in Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) plans. Quantitatively, repeated measures analyses of risk ratios over a five-year span revealed that although many districts had reduced overall risk ratios, racial and disability-based disparities persisted. Qualitatively, inductive content analysis of 32 CCEIS plans identified four primary root causes—deficiencies in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI), inadequate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) supports, cultural and linguistic barriers, and vague or misaligned problem statements. Most action plans …

Philosophical Purification As Liberation And Transformation, Lachanda C. Davis

Dissertations

This study utilizes Plato’s conception of purification as a diagnostic tool to examine contemporary issues of police brutality and political violence. Within this context, I aim to treat the multiple tensions that arise with the question of living a good life. What does it mean to live and what does it mean to live a good life within constraints that magnify fear, anxiety, and despair? I argue that philosophical purification involves ‘aporia’ (perplexity; difficulty; confusion; loss; or puzzlement) in both a literal and generative sense. Moreover, the multiple aporias that arise cannot be reconciled by merely performing a religious rite …

The Development And Validation Of The Measure Of Critical Reflection, Yea Jin Chang

Dissertations

Critical reflection, a component of critical consciousness, is defined as a metacognitive ability that is engaged when identifying, critiquing, and transforming social oppression. This study developed and validated the Measure of Critical Reflection, with items that assess participants’ cognitive ability to critically reflect and are framed to be generalizable across time and social contexts. Items were generated through literature review and interviews with critical consciousness educators and data was collected across two samples for factor structure analysis (N = 300) and replication and validation (N = 286). Results confirmed that a unidimensional model was most appropriate to represent the data …

Investigating Queer Asians' Accultrative Resilience And Wellbeing, Yiyu Cheng

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of resilience factors in moderating the effects of acculturative stress on the well-being of queer Asian Americans. A total of 181 survey responses were collected from queer-identified Asian Americans over the age of 18 residing in the United States. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study explores three models incorporating two identity resilience factors (ethnic identity salience and queer identity salience), two community resilience factors (ethnic community support and queer community support), and two intersectional resilience factors (queer Asian identity salience and queer Asian community support). Well-being was assessed through life satisfaction, negative affect, and …

Drawing The Curtain: A Grounded Theory Analysis Of The Conceptualizations Of Culture, Ethnicity And Race In Professional Training Materials For Child Life Certification, Kia Lee Ferrer

Dissertations

Objectives: Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) are pediatric healthcare professionals primarily working in hospital settings to support children and families in navigating the developmental challenges of hospitalization, illness, and enduring medical treatment. Recognizing the presence of racial and ethnic health disparities, coupled with the field’s notable lack of diversity (98% White female), the child life workforce is increasingly acknowledging the undeniable evidence that discriminatory behaviors adversely affect a child’s life and well-being. As advances in the social sciences increasingly reveal that discrimination functions as a "socially transmitted disease" in a child's life, I predict that the failure of child life …

Youth And Parent Knowledge And Perceptions Of Spina Bifida: Associations With Neurocognitive Factors, Self-Management, And Quality Of Life, Olivia Emery Clark

Dissertations

Spina bifida (SB) is a common congenital birth defect with multiple and varied medical, physical, and psychological impacts. The objective of these studies is to examine youth and parent condition-related knowledge in the context of SB and associations with executive function, quality of life, and medical self-management. Collectively, these studies examine both qualitative and quantitative multi-informant data from youth with SB, their parents, and their teachers. The first study used growth analyses to examine changes in condition-related knowledge over time, predicted by executive dysfunction and inattention, and predictive of medical self-management skills. The second study used qualitative coding methods to …

Challenges In Providing Equitable Education For Primary School Students With Learning Disabilities In Zimbabwe: Teachers’ Experiences., Joyce Madzinga

Dissertations

This study examines the challenges primary school teachers in Zimbabwe face when supporting students with learning disabilities (LDs). Many learners with LDs are excluded from adequate classroom support due to systemic, cultural, and resource limitations. Learning disabilities are often under-recognized as compared to other disabilities because they are invisible. Raising awareness and empowering educators are crucial steps toward addressing these hidden needs and ensuring they are recognized and met. Six teachers were interviewed using a qualitative ethnographic approach. Findings reveal obstacles, including insufficient training in special education, limited teaching resources, high pupil-teacher ratios, negative societal attitudes, and poverty-related constraints. Additional …

The Global Phase Space Of The Three-Vortex Interaction System And Its Application To Vortex-Dipole Scattering, Atul Anurag

Dissertations

This dissertation presents a global reduction of the classical three-vortex problem that is free from coordinate singularities, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the system's dynamics across all circulation regimes.

To achieve this, a two-step symplectic reduction procedure is developed. The first step introduces Jacobi coordinates adapted to the symplectic structure of the vortex system, and the second applies a Lie-Poisson reduction to the resulting system. This formulation eliminates the non-physical singularities associated with collinear vortex configurations and facilitates a global phase space analysis, including a detailed and novel investigation of bifurcations.

Within this reduced framework, all relative fixed points are …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Teacher Attitudes Toward Multilingual Pedagogies, Lauren H. Ramers

Dissertations

In an increasingly globalized world, substantial numbers of multilingual learners occupy K–12 and higher education spaces bringing diverse linguistic resources that, when intentionally and appropriately leveraged, can significantly enhance English language learning outcomes. Multilingual pedagogies, which honor and build upon students' full linguistic repertoires, are essential for fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. This quantitative exploratory study investigated teachers' attitudes toward multilingual teaching with the goal of developing a reliable survey instrument—the Multilingual Pedagogy Scale (MPS)—to measure how teachers perceive language learning in multilingual classrooms and what they report doing in their classrooms.

First, a review of the research helped …

Comprehending Students' Experiences With A Language Learning Resource Center: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of College Life And Belonging, Paulina Dzieza

Dissertations

This study explores the impact of Language Learning Resource Center (LLRC) services on college students' overall college experience and their sense of belonging on campus. In the constantly evolving world of higher education, higher education institutions work to provide welcoming spaces where students can flourish academically and socially. In higher education, where there is a growing focus on student support services, the LLRC is essential for promoting academic achievement, cross-cultural interaction, and social integration for foreign language learners. This qualitative study, guided by a combined theoretical framework of Community of Practice and Ethics of Care, aims to advance knowledge of …

Precarious Privilege: Exploring The Intersection Of White Teacher Habitus And Social Justice In International Schools, Kevin L. Workman

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the underresearched phenomenon of White teacher allyship within an emergent diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) movement in international schools. Gaining momentum in 2020 as a digital, postcolonial counterstory, the movement exposed structural inequities and racism across the international school ecosystem. Applying an antiracist reading of Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of practice, the study analyzes how White teachers (n = 8) from diverse international contexts understand, experience, and assess their participation in DEIJ activities. Thematic analysis of interview data corroborated the digital voices, explicitly identifying White supremacy as a key force shaping the field’s doxa. The study …

Archival Articulations Of Belonging: Resistance, Reimagination, And Resilience In School And In Incarceration, Caroline Hastings

Dissertations

Belonging is a universal desire, providing purpose and comfort, that supports our ability to survive and triumph through difficulty. A lack of belonging can impact one’s likelihood of becoming incarcerated. In turn, incarceration stigmatizes individuals and disrupts connections with family, friends, and community members. This study of individual’s experiences of belonging analyzed reflective written accounts created during incarceration. This phenomenological qualitative examination of belonging for formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, disproportionately people of color and individuals with disabilities, sought to deepen our understanding of belonging as a force in their lives. In the United States, high rates of incarceration impact …

Exploring The Connection Between Emotional Intelligence And Academic Achievement In Senior Nursing Students, Kimberly Smith

Dissertations

The need for nurses is now greater than ever, with a projected shortage of nearly five million nurses by 2030. Several factors exist that hinder the number of practice-ready nurses, causing nursing programs worldwide to explore and re-examine admission practices and increase student retention rates. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2024) reported that over 100,000 students were denied enrollment in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2024, indicating that maximizing admission processes is crucial in addressing the current nursing shortage. This emphasizes the need for greater participation to ensure that all students have access to the educational …

Establishment Of Neonatal Sepsis Predictors Utilizing Non-Invasive Monitoring Techniques, Dalton Janssen

Dissertations

Neonatal sepsis remains one of the leading causes of global neonatal mortality. Reactionary approaches for diagnosis and treatment have dominated the tactics in addressing neonatal sepsis but clinical intuition is an untapped resource that could lead to earlier prediction of sepsis onset. Nurses and other staff with specialized training and experience who have served as routine caregivers for a specific patient are able to identify when the patient’s status is altered. This clinical intuition may be substantiated by referencing specific patient trends in non-invasive measures over time. This retrospective, exploratory study examined whether variation in non-invasive monitoring variables could serve …

An Application Of Vocal Pedagogy For Thai Singers, Phitchaya Klimov

Dissertations

Vocal pedagogy incorporates diverse techniques and methodologies that aim to maintain longevity of the voice and to improve vocal performance, range, and tone. While vocal pedagogy has been extensively studied in Western music traditions, its application in the context of Thai singers remains unfamiliar. This dissertation will investigate the application of vocal pedagogy for Thai singers, with a focus on understanding the unique challenges faced by them. It will outline pedagogical approaches to address these challenges and will therefore lead to more authentic performances. “Complete mastery of the voice as an instrument is an idea toward which every singer must …

New Graduate Nurse Retention: The Effect Of Financial Literacy On New Graduate Nurse Intent To Stay, Jenna Elizabeth Hluwood

Dissertations

New graduate nurses (NGNs) undergo a range of life changes during their transition from an academic environment to clinical practice. To decrease NGN role strain, burnout and attrition, nurse educators and managers must do their part to limit the effects of transition shock. Therefore, Judy Duchscher’s (2009) theory of transition shock was the theoretical framework for this study. An essential component of transition shock is the responsibility of financial management. With no literature available to detail the financial literacy of NGNs, original research in this area of study was needed. The purpose of this quantitative exploratory study was to determine …

Exploring Moral Distress In Hospital-Based Nurse Case Managers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Mary Margaret Leas

Dissertations

Moral distress is a well-known phenomenon among hospital-based bedside nurses that is damaging and dangerous to patients, nurses, the healthcare system, and society. There is a gap in the literature related to the experience of moral distress (MD) among hospital-based nurse case managers. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand the experience of MD for the hospital-based nurse case manager and identify triggering events and consequences of MD. The following research questions guided this study:

Q1 What is the experience of MD among hospital-based nurse case managers?

Q1a What do they identify as causes or precursors of …

Teaching Strategies Clinical Educators Use To Develop Undergraduate Students’ Clinical Reasoning Skills, Lisa González

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the teaching strategies nurse educators used to develop students' clinical judgment in the clinical education setting. A significant gap in clinical education has persisted for years with a need for evidence to guide teaching and learning that emphasizes clinical judgment. Concerns regarding underdeveloped clinical judgment skills in new graduate nurses have led to initiatives and research aimed to increase clinical judgment emphasis in nursing education. The following research questions guided this study:

Q1 What teaching strategies do clinical nurse educators use to develop students’ clinical reasoning and clinical judgment skills in the …

Using Educational Communication Technology To Increase Parent Involvement And Build Parent Capacity At A Title I Elementary School: A Case Study, Mary E. Frankovsky

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain insight into parents’ perspectives on how rural Title I elementary school personnel can integrate instructional technology to increase parental involvement. Joyce Epstein’s Parent Involvement Framework (Epstein et al., 2019) on school, family, and community partnerships and Epstein's Overlapping Spheres of Influence (1995) served as theoretical frameworks for this study. The study design included both parent and teacher surveys, parent workshops using Google Classroom during which parent and teacher interviews were conducted. The study revealed affordances and constraints for the digital learning platform used in this study and other communication tools …

Emerging Adulthood, Identity Conflict, And Self-Compassion’S Impact On Mental Health Interference Of Collegiate Student-Athletes, Courtney Amber Shields

Dissertations

Prior research identified a strong connection between experiences of being a collegiate student-athlete with mental health-related struggles; however, little research has been conducted into how the competing identities of student and athlete within a heavy identity developmental period (emerging adulthood) might be impacting mental-health interference. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand how emerging adulthood, student identity, athletic identity, and the conflicting role of student-athlete identity had in mental health interference on training, competition, and willingness to see a sports psychologist within collegiate student-athletes as well as how self-compassion moderated these relationships. The following research questions guided this …

Academic Self-Efficacy In Nurse Anesthesia Residents, Nathan Seth Jones

Dissertations

Academic self-efficacy is a student’s belief in their ability to accomplish educational goals. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of academic self-efficacy in nurse anesthesia residents using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES). Three research questions guided the study:

Q1 What is the academic self-efficacy of current nurse anesthesia residents as measured by the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale?

Q2 What are the factors that predict academic self-efficacy in nurse anesthesia residents?

Q3 What is the appropriate cut-off score on the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale for identifying residents with low academic self-efficacy?

A total of 233 completed …

Undergraduate Faculty Experiences With Test Remediation, Shauna L. Haynes

Dissertations

Nursing students’ success in didactic courses generally depends on test scores. Students who fail to achieve a designated score might fail the test and/or the course. Test remediation is an intervention that could be implemented in response to a student’s failure. The intent of test remediation is to improve the student’s success on future exams and maximize the likelihood of progression. While remediation for success on the National Council Licensure Examination, standardized exams, and for the achievement of clinical skills were well documented, little research was found on test remediation for individual course exams. The purpose of this study was …

Through Their Eyes: A Photovoice Study Of Mental Health And Well-Being Among Rural-Dwelling Latina Adolescents, Ashley Marie Coburn

Dissertations

Latina adolescents are more prone to depressive symptoms, less likely to receive mental health services, and face higher rates of suicidality compared to their non-White peers. This population becomes more vulnerable to adverse outcomes when their problems are compounded by barriers to mental health care common in rural communities such as limited resources, stigmatization, and systemic inequities related to race/ethnicity, income, and insurance status. Despite Latinx youth representing the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in rural areas across the United States, there is limited research on the distinct factors shaping mental health outcomes for this population. Guided by an …

Difficulty In American Dramatic Literature, David Turkel

Dissertations

Speaking broadly, this dissertation explores the marginalization of American drama within the field of literary studies. In attempting to account for this marginalization, theater scholars have tended to invoke the genre’s supposed lack of “difficulty,” meaning its failure to pose meaningful interpretive challenges to its readers. However, this dissertation takes an alternative view of the matter, contending that if American drama has indeed been marginalized, it is not because literary studies departments have regarded it as intrinsically “simpler” than other literary genres; in fact, it is theater scholars who have been more likely to read the genre as simple, or …

Veterans Of Color At The Crossroads: Unraveling The Intersection Of Military And Racial Identity When Receiving Mental Health Care From White Providers In The Current Sociopolitical Context, Tabitha Alverio

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of post-9/11 veterans of color (VoCs) who have received mental health services from White mental health providers (WMHPs) within the current sociopolitical context. Specifically, this study addressed two research questions: (a) How do VoCs describe their experiences of receiving mental health care from White providers in the current sociopolitical environment? and (b) How can White mental health providers improve their understanding of the identities of VoCs to provide greater quality of care, to improve treatment retention, and ultimately help to achieve better mental health outcomes for VoCs? Twelve …

How Was Rehab? A Follow-Up To A Randomized Effectiveness Control Trial Of A Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Protocol For Inpatient Detoxification Patients, Alexander J. Twohy

Dissertations

Residential treatment for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) is a common treatment modality. However, the literature is sparse on modifiable predictors that affect change during the residential treatment stay. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for SUDs. Weststrate et al. (2023), in a randomized controlled effectiveness trial, compared ACT plus medication management to medication management during detoxification. The addition of ACT increased consumer satisfaction and ACT skills use, while decreasing psychological inflexibility and reducing withdrawal symptoms.

This study explored whether the brief ACT intervention had impacts during participants' subsequent residential stay. Forty out of …

Examination Of Caregiver Supervision Practices And Beliefs Among Caregivers Of Children With Bleeding Disorders, Sophia Noelle Prokos

Dissertations

Abstract: Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for young children in the United States, and children with chronic medical conditions such as bleeding disorders are at elevated risk for injury and more severe outcomes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021; Mayes et al., 2009; Shen et al., 2016). While caregiver supervision is a known strategy for injury prevention (Damashek & Corlis, 2017; Morrongiello et al., 2011), limited research has examined how supervision beliefs and practices differ for caregivers of children with bleeding disorders. The present study compared caregiver supervision, injury attitudes, and injury history between …