Digital Commons Network^™

The Haves And The Have Nots: How Disparities In Social Capital Impact The Postsecondary Decision Processes Of Seniors At A Midwestern High School, Patricia M. Closson

Dissertations

High school is the time when final preparations are made prior to embarking on postsecondary opportunities—enrollment in two or four-year colleges/ universities or vocational training programs, enlistment in the military, or employment. These decisions become based on resources, information, and networks—forms of social capital. By conceptualizing within-school differences among the student population, the experiences of the haves and have nots are shared to highlight the impact of social capital disparities on the postsecondary decision-making process. Through qualitative research, the researcher analyzed data culled from interviews with both student and parent participants in a medium-sized Midwestern high school by examining postsecondary …

An Analysis Of Select Illinois School Board Efficacy, And Board-Authorized Strategies Toward Greater Educational Equity Through A Framework Of Social Justice Advocacy And Change Theory, Perry Hill

Dissertations

The presence and prevalence of educational inequities within public education continue to foster structures that limit student opportunities for specific student subgroups. Such limitations negate the tenets of public education and conflict with a system that should embrace success for all. This study explored district leadership, in the form of school boards and governance teams within the frameworks of Change Theory and Social Justice Advocacy, to identify patterns in approaches that could initiate and sustain systemic reform toward greater educational equity.

The Relationship Between Efficacy And Teacher Turnover Intent, Bradley J. Kolwyck

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between efficacy and teacher turnover intent in small, poor, rural schools. The researcher focuses on small, poor, rural schools in a Midwest state in the United States due to the state’s annual teacher turnover rate (16.4%) which mirrors the national rate. A sample of 730 teachers was solicited to participate in the study through their building principal with a final response of N = 220 participating. This non-experimental study explores the relationship between efficacy (independent variable) and turnover intent (dependent variable) by collecting data utilizing the online platform of Survey …

Mathematical Literacy: A Case Study Of Pre-Service Teachers, Maria Gabriela Lopez Jaramillo

Dissertations

This study addresses the question of whether or not pre-service teachers are ready and prepared to use and teach the highly-specialized language of each discipline. The disciplinary languages present teaching and learning challenges due to their lack of parallels in the daily language (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008). Additionally, the languages of the disciplines are rarely taught and are commonly acquired through an isolated representation of words without a situated meaning within the theory (Gee, 2002). The knowledge of the particular ways of reading, writing, listening to, and talking in the content areas provides opportunities for students’ apprenticeship within the disciplines …

“From Behind The Plow”: Agrarianism And Racial Uplift In African American Literature, 1881-1917, James O'Donoghue

Dissertations

My study challenges our current valorization of movement and flow in readings of African American literature. I do so through an exploration of the representations of the black agrarian masses who either choose to remain or could not afford the spectacular forms of escape to urban life which many essentialized as freedom. In the dramatic and pivotal decades following emancipation, African American leaders attempted to check the growing apartheid by the “combination” of diverse African American communities: North and South, professional and working class. This required that they move beyond the question of whether one was free or slave to …

Perceptions Of Secondary School Special Education Teachers Of Their Preparation For Coteaching, Vicki Zands

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe and explain how secondary school special education teachers perceived that their special education teacher education programs prepared them to work as part of a coteaching team and how secondary special educators described the benefits and challenges of working as part of a coteaching team and sought secondary special education teachers’ recommendations for how teacher education programs could better prepare candidates to serve as members of a coteaching team.

Methodology: A qualitative multicase study was used. The researcher conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews with 12 secondary-level special education teachers who were …

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Occupational Stress And Longevity As Perceived By Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students In Special Day Classes With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Chukwuka Bandele

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceived occupational stressors experienced by moderate to severe teachers of special day class (SDC) in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and how these stressors affect teacher longevity. An additional purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of moderate to severe teachers of SDC setting on the importance of (EI) characteristics-self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management on their management of occupational stressors and longevity in the teaching profession.

Methodology: The study used a qualitative phenomenological research design to explore the occupational stressors of special education …

Cyber Security In Mental Health: An Assessment Of Current Practice And Behavioral Intent, Richard Hamilton Stotts

Dissertations

Mental health practitioners rely on digital systems to interact with and in some instances treat patients (Hydari, Telang, & Marella, 2015; Recupero, & Rainey, 2005). Yet, while widespread use of digital devices provides significant practical advantages, that same use exacerbates the possibility of a cyber breach (Guterman, 1999). This research describes mental health practitioners’ current cyber security practices and the factors influencing their behavioral intentions to implement cyber security within clinical mental health settings. Factors assessed included knowledge, self-efficacy, norms, threat awareness and penalties. Mental health practitioners (n = 210) from across the United States formed the sample population, received …

Emotional Intelligence: An Essential Ingredient For Principals To Successfully Implement The Big Picture Learning 10 Distinguishers, Amos Nugent Iii

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this mixed methods descriptive case study was to explore and describe the importance of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management EI characteristics as perceived by principals when implementing the 10 learning distinguishers of Big Picture Learning (BPL) schools’ conceptual framework in order to support the academic success of ninth- to 12th-grade students attending BPL alternative education schools in the Southwestern United States.

Methodology. This mixed methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the research questions regarding the importance of EI characteristics when supporting student academic success according to alternative education principals. The …

Increasing Patient Adherence To Gestational Weight Gain Goals In Pregnancy, Annie Vining

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The inability to maintain healthy weight gain during pregnancy may contribute to multiple pregnancy-related complications. Nutritional education and support may improve nutrition and vitamin consumption, and recommendations for healthy gestational weight gains have been published. However, pregnant women have reported minimal advice regarding healthy weight gain during pregnancy. A personalized, nutritional counseling program was initiated in a Midwestern, suburban OB-GYN private practice.

Methods: A quality improvement descriptive, correlational design was used. A cohort of pregnant women first trimester through six-weeks postpartum received individual counseling and face-to-face interaction at an office visit each trimester.

Results: Twenty ( …

Academic Field Influence On Acquisition Of Global Awareness In Undergraduate Study Abroad Students, Tim Schmalz

Dissertations

Very little comprehensive research has been done thus far examining the effects of academic discipline on study abroad outcomes. This study investigated potential differences between global awareness scores across different academic disciplines for students that participated in study abroad during their undergraduate academic programs. Five hundred and eight-five current and past university students took a short survey modified from a Chieffo & Griffiths 2004 study. Overall global awareness scores, as well as scores for four sub-characteristics: intercultural awareness, personal growth & development, awareness of global interdependence, and functional knowledge of world geography & languages – were compared across student majors …

Developing A Predictive Model For Prostate Cancer Screening Intent, Quentin E. Moore

Dissertations

African Americans bear a disproportionately high burden of cancer incidence and mortality in this country. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate factors associated with African-American men, who are incarcerated, making informed health decisions about participation in prostate cancer screening, as well as exploring factors that reduce modifiable risk factors for cancer. The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any country in the world and African American men are overrepresented in the U.S. prison system. This dissertation is composed of three manuscripts. The first paper reviews the current literature about the factors that influence African-American males in …

Congruency Between Parents' Actual And Desired Participation In The Care Of Their Hospitalized Child, Daria Katherine Romaniuk

Dissertations

Parents' participation in the care of their hospitalized child is an integral part of pediatric nursing practice and is considered to be beneficial for children and parents. However, parents may not discuss their participation with nurses and instead base their activities on their perceptions of nurses' assumptions and expectations regarding parents' participation in care. Nurses may assume a gate keeping role regarding parents' participation, deciding what parents will do and then monitoring these activities. Nurses' heavy workloads may preclude the teaching necessary for parents to participate in certain aspects of care. As a result, parents' actual participation in care may …

The Experience Of Faculty Transitioning From Traditional To Non-Traditional Methods In The Community College Classroom, Christina Calentine

Dissertations

There is documented success with the use of active learning strategies in community college classrooms, yet instructors lack the necessary skills and incentives to develop these strategies. While faculty members may have an expertise in a particular discipline they often lack the necessary skills to recognize the specific academic needs of a student and respond and/or adapt to those needs. Many specialized degrees do not include pedagogical training as part of the required curriculum but community colleges are typified by diversity in student backgrounds and learning styles. This has led to increased attention to the implementation of a diverse array …

Teaching Perspectives Of Faculty Members At Arab Universities: Andragogy And Islamic Humanism, Layla Goushey

Dissertations

Cultural differences exist between Western perspectives on humanistic teaching methods and methods developed during the past 100 years in the Arab region based on English and French colonialist systems. Political structures and economic challenges in the region uphold the rigid societal and security structures that limit faculty governance and academic freedom, which impacts teaching and learning perspectives. This study utilized basic qualitative design methods based in constructivist grounded theory. Questionnaires, surveys, and email interviews that invited open-ended, explanatory, and descriptive answers were central to this work. Taking an observer’s approach to this study, I analyzed survey responses of Arab university …

Student Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Purposive English In A Spanish As A Foreign Language Classroom, Kacey Booth

Dissertations

In modern American society, diversity is both challenged and celebrated, and inclusion is imperative. This ideology begins in the classroom. Oftentimes, this celebration of diversity, more specifically linguistic diversity, is most visible in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) classes and similar bilingual educational programs. In TESOL programs, students’ international identities are highlighted and students are often instructed using multilingual educational resources to scaffold their acquisition of English. Historically, foreign language teaching also utilized dual-language instructional methodologies. Such archaic teaching methodologies have since been replaced by more modern and immersive sociopsycholinguistic approaches such as Communicative Language Teaching. Such …

A Focused Ethnography: Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Cultural Competence And Social Justice, Wanda Elizabeth Thuma-Mcdermond

Dissertations

Disparities in health care suggest a need for greater social justice in national and international health care systems. Nurses are uniquely involved with disparities since the nursing profession has emphasized social justice not only as a moral value but also as the foundation for social action. Social justice, however, may be difficult to conceptualize, especially for nursing students. Since cultural competence has been identified as an important aspect for decreasing disparities, it may be a vehicle or tool students could use for the social action necessary for social justice. A focused ethnographic design was selected for this study because of …

Contentment In "Songs Of The Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism": A Humanbecoming Hermeneutic Study, Susan Agnes Bonis

Dissertations

Contentment is a universally lived experience that is inexplicably intertwined with health and quality of life. The aims of this humanbecoming hermeneutic study were to identify the essence of the experience of contentment, to contribute to knowledge about humanbecoming, and to contribute to the knowledge base of nursing. The source of data collection was the text of Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey through Autism. Through a hermeneutic process of discoursing with penetrating engagement, interpreting with quiescent beholding, and understanding with inspiring envisaging the structure of the lived experience of contentment was illuminated in the text. The finding is …

Nurses' Information Processing Related To Surveillance As An Intervention In The Care Of Stroke Patients, Lori Rhudy

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the nursing intervention of surveillance from an information processing framework. Research questions addressed how surveillance was expressed by nurses during the care of stroke patients and the relationship of cues identified to the focus of care.

System Usage: A Shared Mental Model Perspective, Rooji Sugathan

Dissertations

The failure rate of Information Systems (IS) projects is high and has been high for many years. Failed IS projects leave organizations with systems that have very low usage and a negative rate of return on their investment. System use is a key measure of IS success. User participation and involvement (UPI) during application development and configuration are key factors that influence system use. However, empirical studies have shown mixed results for the influence of UPI on system use.

This study explores the extent to which shared mental model (SMM) of a project team influences the impact of UPI on …

Buccal Pulse Oximetry: Accuracy And Precision, Patricia N. Meza

Dissertations

Clinicians assess multiple biomarkers and patient signs/symptoms in clinical settings such as intensive care units, operating rooms, emergency departments, and patient transport. Pulse oximetry monitoring remains a standard. There are instances in which traditional pulse oximetry monitoring sites, such as the fingers, toes or earlobes, fail or access is infeasible. In these instances, clinicians seek alternative monitoring sites, such as the buccal area. Unstable patients may also challenge ability to acquire a pulse oximetry signal, possibly preventing reliable pulse oximetry values. Compared to fingers or toes, the buccal area is not as susceptible to local vasoconstriction effects. Therefore, the buccal …

The Effect Of A Work-Place Based Education Program On Moral Distress, Nancy Miller Powell

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if registered nurses (RNs) who attended a workplace-based educational program would have decreased intensity, frequency, and total moral distress, compared to nurses who did not attend the program. This educational program was operationalized using a framework published by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' program entitled The 4A's to Rise Above Moral Distress (2005). Moral distress is an insidious problem affecting many registered nurses, directly and or indirectly, with potentially harmful consequences. A review of the literature revealed that the consequences of moral distress produce a significant negative effect on …

Surviving On The Margin Of A Profession: Experiences Of Black Nurses, Josephine Bassey Etowa

Dissertations

This study used grounded theory method to explicate Black nurses' worklife experiences within the health care system in Nova Scotia. The aim of this research was to develop substantive theory of this phenomenon. The data were collected using informal interviews, observations, field notes and group meetings. Theoretical sampling was used to enhance maximum variation within the sample.

Factors Influencing Family Caregiver Burden At A Taiwanese Hospital, Pi-Ming Yeh

Dissertations

In Taiwan, most of the hospitalized patients have their relatives with them 24 hours a day. New family caregivers are usually poorly prepared to take on their role, and little literature demonstrates that nurses assess the burden of family caregivers in the hospital. The purpose of this study was to examine cancer patients' dependency, caregivers' factors, and family support that predict outcomes of family caregiver burden, including impact on health, schedule, and finances in the hospitals in Taiwan. A multivariate descriptive design was used.

Examining Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Development Throughout Teacher Education, Jenny Christine Hernandez

Dissertations

Teacher preparation plays an integral role in the success of American education, and many programs are not adequately preparing teachers for the classroom (Guha, Hyler, & Darling-Hammond, 2017b; National Council on Teacher Quality [NCTQ], 2018). The purpose of this study was to better understand preservice teacher self-efficacy development and perceptions of teacher education program effectiveness for program improvement. Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy guided this study. Tschannen- Moran and Hoy’s (2001) Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale was distributed three times throughout the fall 2019 semester to preservice teachers completing their student teaching practicum to detect changes in self-efficacy levels. Perceptual …

Non-Traditional Church Involvement As A Life-Course Turning Point: Qualitative Interviews With Religious Offenders, William Hunter Holt

Dissertations

This research project conducted and then analyzed qualitative interviews from former and current addicts and criminal offenders who are voluntarily participating in the Christian faith at the same non-traditional, Protestant church. An abridged case study of this church is also provided for background and context. Life-course theory and grounded theory are utilized.

Both the offenders and this church were chosen in an attempt to better understand how the offenders’ involvement at this house of worship, along with their faith in general, have impacted them. Obtaining the perspectives of the offender is essential for three reasons. First, qualitative research conducted in …

Life Factors Affecting U.S. Army Junior-Enlisted Soldiers In Reaching Their Educational Goals, Irina Rader

Dissertations

This study focused on drawing a picture of the dynamics and educational experiences of U.S. Army junior-enlisted soldiers in the rank of specialist in the RA. Those soldiers are eligible to participate in the U.S. Army’s VolEd Program available worldwide. According to Gleiman and Zacharakis (2016):

The military relies on continuing professional education as a key component to the success of its organization. With decreasing budgets and increasing importance for a force that operates efficiently and thinks critically, the cognitive tension among training, education, and learning come center stage. (p. 81)

The researcher formed the research questions (RQs) sought to …

Apprenticeship Participation At Ge Appliances: An Insider’S Ethnographic Study Of Apprentice Participation And Factors Contributing To Student Success, Berschel Robert Hunt

Dissertations

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has defined an apprenticeship as a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation (Smith, 1996, p. 5). General Electric Appliances (GEA) has viewed the DOL model as a viable solution to the decreasing numbers of skilled workers available to employers. Leaders at GEA determined a void existed between the number of skilled workers needed for GEA operations compared to the number of skilled workers available. GEA apprentice programs were suspended in 1995 but reinstated in 2015 to address …

A Qualitative Study Investigating The Common Or Shared Experiences Of Saudi And American Parents Of Students With Autism In The Iep-Process, Alwiah Abdullah Alsaggaf

Dissertations

Nationally, research on special education has emphasized the importance of involving parents in the individual educational plan (IEP) process (Al-Herz, 2008; Angel, Stoner, & Shelden, 2009; Hebel & Persitz, 2014; Hobbs & Silla, 2008; Hui-Chen & Mason, 2008). The IEP is a blueprint for special education and related special education services in the United States and other countries (Alquraini, 2013; Hebel & Persitz, 2014; Martin et al., 2006; Tal, 2009; Yell, Katsiyannis, Ennis, & Losinki, 2013). Development and implementation of effective educational programs for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involve collaboration with parents (Hebel & Persitz, 2014). However, the …

The Pre-Instructional And Reading Comprehension Strategies Special Education Teachers Use To Engage And Instruct Elementary Student Readers With Asd, Murfet Alnemr

Dissertations

Lyon (1998) called reading “critical to a child’s overall well-being.” Given the ubiquity of text in their lives today, reading skills can help students lead productive, meaningful lives. But what about elementary student readers with ASD? Senokossoff (2016) argued that “in addition to the social and emotional difficulties that children with ASD experience, many also struggle with reading comprehension.” Research indicates that students with ASD can face deficits associated with self-regulation and sensory overload—associated with visual, hearing, and touch —and this can threaten learning and comprehension (Bogdashina, 2003). Thus, it could be argued that pre-instruction strategies focused on visual, hearing, …