Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Support, Counseling, And Mentoring On The Behavior And Achievement Of African American Males, Elesha Jean Buckley

Dissertations

The extensive gap in educational achievement between African American males and their peers is one of the most detrimental problems facing American society (Burchinal, McCartney, Steinberg, Crosnoe, Friedman, McLoyd, & Picanta, 2011). The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), counseling, and mentoring on disruptive classroom behavior resulting in office referrals. The study also examined the impact of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), counseling, and mentoring on student achievement in reading of African-American male students in Pre-K through fifth grade. Previous literature discussed Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), counseling, …

Social And Literacy Development Of School-Based Pre-Kindergarten Students, Stewart Smirthwaite

Dissertations

In order to meet the demands of college and career ready standards, students are expected to enter kindergarten knowing more than ever before. A need exists to examine data that provides evidence of desired social and literacy outcomes for students in kindergarten. In order to address the need for further study of school prekindergarten opportunities for young children, two different sets of data were collected, examined, and discussed. Literacy proficiency was measured by using data from the Mississippi K-3 Assessment Support System’s (MKAS²) Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). Social competence was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, …

The Development Of Thad Jones’ Arranging/Scoring Style: A Comparative Study Of Six Works For Large Jazz Ensemble, Chang Su

Dissertations

This dissertation examined and compared six pieces for large jazz ensemble composed and arranged by Thad Jones. The analyses focused on Jones’ arranging and scoring techniques developed through three distinct periods of his career. In Jones’ early period, his arranging style showed influences from the Count Basie Orchestra as evidenced in blues vocabulary, call-and-response between saxophones and brass, and the form and structure of the arrangements. In his middle period, he explored symphonic sounds, suite-like forms, and elements from rock-jazz and funk-jazz music. In his late period, a more comprehensive development of tension and release guided his arranging. The vacancy …

It’S All Fun And Games Until Someone Learns To Read, Then It’S Educational: Children’S Librarians As Literacy Educators, Louise F. Benke

Dissertations

Children’s librarians who emphasize making reading and libraries fun may not think of themselves as literacy educators. But, a look into the profession’s past and three studies reveal both a history of overlap with literacy education in formal schools and informal learning and an overlap in the children’s librarians’ profession today. This dissertation presents two articles: (1) a literature review and comparative historical analysis on children’s librarians’ role in literacy instruction from 1876 to the end of the 20th century, and (2) a set of studies examining children’s librarians’ self-perceptions as literacy educators. In the first article, events in literacy …

Deliberation For Devolution In The Public Sphere: A Case Study From Pakistan, Beenish Kulsoom

Dissertations

Genuine democratic deliberation on design of institutional rules is possible only when the state apparatus and political and civil society are engaged in communicative interexchange, exchanging ideas, and speaking in a language understood and accepted by all others. Moreover, in such an exchange the interlocutors do not hold back their thoughts to achieve strategic control in order to subvert the communicative engagement. The deliberative theory of democracy advocates communicative engagement between state and society actors that results in institutional rules that are accepted by all.

The advocates of the theory of deliberative democracy argue that while the state is the …

Standards-Based Grading Practices In Middle School Mathematics Classrooms: A Multicase Study, Michelle Ann Morgan

Dissertations

This qualitative, multicase study sought to describe middle school mathematics teachers’ teaching practices as they implemented standards-based grading. Specifically, the study focused on understanding middle school mathematics teachers’ implementations of standards-based grading, use of assessment and feedback, and instructional design. Guided by cultural-historical activity theory lens, the researcher invited four middle school mathematics teachers who self-reported using standards-based grading practices to participate in the research study. Data collection for each case consisted of two interviews, lesson summaries and reflections, and classroom observations over the course of five consecutive class periods. Data analysis highlighted differences in the teachers’ uses of mathematical …

Latinos’ Intention To Seek Mental Health Services: A Cultural Adaptation Of The Theory Of Reasoned Action, Jesse Andrew Valdez

Dissertations

Latinos are at unique risk for experiencing untreated mental illness. These men face structural, cultural and gender specific barriers that may inhibit their use of counseling services. The current study provided greater insight into the factors that positively influence Latinos intention to seek these services. Building upon previous research, the current bi-lingual study recruited participants from Northern Colorado. Using an empirically supported model for explaining human behavior, the influence of traditional machismo, caballerismo, and attitudes as they relate to Latinos intention to seek counseling services were examined. In addition, the current study included measures of psychological distress, acculturation and enculturation, …

Design Of Instructional Modeling Language For Learning Objects And Learning Objects’ Repositories, Altaf Siddiqui

Dissertations

The advancement of technology has provided tools to write instruction in every discipline. However, the concepts of automation in the field of instruction is still not used. Teachers around the globe spend countless hours in editing lengthy texts in creating syllabi and reusable components, which are the Learning Objects (LOs). The software developers also experience time-consuming process to decipher the concepts of instruction before it is written. LOs provide a potential mechanism for the educators and software developers to refine curriculum development that uses common components such as exams or syllabi. While the concept of LOs came from software engineering, …

Career Pathway Orientation Courses And Their Influences On Student Career Decision Making, Daniel Weidner

Dissertations

High schools must create skill- and decision-making experiences to support student college and career readiness and effective transitions to careers. However, traditional career education models have lacked effectiveness. This study examines a career pathway model that includes career orientation courses focused on developing career awareness and advising, confirming and challenging student’s career decision-making. Surveys and interviews were used to identify impacts these courses had on student career choice and the influence different aspects of the orientation course had on their decision-making. From this, best practices were identified, changes to the model were proposed and modifications to policy were developed to …

The Underlying Psychophysiology Of Pedophilic Disorder And The Implications For Treatment Approaches, Tonise Florexil

Dissertations

Sexual crimes are a persistent and significant social dilemma that continues to plague our society (Lee, Jackson, Pattison, & Ward,2002). Past research has made considerable advancements in terms of the types of interventions that clinicians can utilize when they work with individuals who have a history of child sexual offenses. However, current literature lacks an understanding of the risk factors that influence the development of Pedophilic Disorder. A history of sexual trauma also affects families. The children of traumatized individuals have more adjustment difficulties than their counterparts who did not have a parent(s) with a sexual trauma history. This clinical …

From The Boots On The Ground: A Comparison Of The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Military Members And Mental Health Professionals Regarding The Moral Injury Construct, Karis L. Callaway

Dissertations

An increasing amount of research conducted in recent years indicates that, in addition to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, moral injury is a key concept to recognize when considering the deployment experiences of service members. Although related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which is a fear-based mental health diagnosis, moral injury is a distinct concept. It acknowledges the possible prolonged negative psychological, social, and spiritual consequences that may occur after experiences that challenge and transgress one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Events such as perpetration of harm, failing to protect or prevent harm, and witnessing or learning about distressing acts committed by influential others …

Examining The Effects Of Cell Phone Use On Caregiver Supervision And Child Injury Risk, Mckenna Corlis

Dissertations

Unintentional injuries are the leading killer of children in the United States. Research indicates caregiver supervision decreases child injury risk, but has not examined how different distractions may affect this relation. Specifically, research has not considered if and how caregiver cell phone use affects child injury risk. Given the prevalence and distracting effects of cell phones noted in previous studies, it is imperative to examine how caregiver cell phone use and child injury risk relate.

The present study examined how distractions influenced caregivers’ ability to tend to their child and their child’s engagement in risky behavior. Using a within-subjects design, …

Dispositions Of Junior Elementary Teacher Candidates, Amy Lynn Bartlow

Dissertations

Schools of teacher education strive to prepare teacher candidates with the most effective dispositions. Qualitative case study was used to gather data from university coursework, teacher candidate fieldwork, fieldwork observations, coursework observations and teacher candidate interviews. The varied data collection and yearlong data collection period allowed the researcher to gain a holistic and longitudinal view of teacher candidate dispositions. The researcher is a teacher educator who serves as an advisor, fieldwork supervisor, and instructor in the initial semester of professional coursework for participants. Particular attention was given to rigor and quality, participant protection, and credibility through specific procedures and processes. …

“We’Re Going To Be Figuring It Out Forever”: Testimonios Of Brown Women And Their Experiences Self-Authoring Their Brownness In Graduate School, Reyna Monique Anaya

Dissertations

Race, a socially constructed idea designed to maintain the power and privilege of Whiteness and the colonial and economic exploitation of Black/Brown-identified people in the United States (Quiros & Araujo Dawson, 2013), has a direct impact on the ethnic identity development and self-authorship of Brown people (i.e., Latina/os, Chicana/os, Hispanics, etc.). This inquiry uncovers the testimonios of five Brown women participants and their continued ethnic identity and self-authorship development as first-generation students in graduate school. From a critical, cultural, constructivist lens and blend of testimonio (Reyes & Curry Rodriguez, 2012) and collage inquiry (Butler-Kisber, 2007), this research applied a borderlands/Mestiza …

The Effects Of Pitch Singing Training On Recognizing And Enunciating Chinese Tones, Danqing Zhou

Dissertations

It is a challenge for non-tonal language speakers to enunciate the four Chinese tones accurately. In the present study, I examined whether musical training benefits tonal language learning, evaluated whether the pitch singing training influence recognizing and enunciating the four Chinese tones, and compared the effects of a pitch singing training method with the traditional audio-lingual method. The participants, 60 American college students who had not taken a Chinese course and who did not speak and write Chinese, were recruited in this study. The participants were divided evenly and randomly into two groups: the pitch singing training group and the …

An Inquiry Into The Internationally Minded Curriculum, Matthew Justin Thompson

Dissertations

This qualitative curriculum study was an inquiry into the development, application, and assessment of a curriculum for international mindedness in an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school. The participants included one teacher and 11 students. The influence of teacher beliefs, intentions, and actions regarding international mindedness; student perceptions of the curricular activities; and possible implications for international mindedness in U.S. schools in general were of particular interest to this study. I used Eisner’s (1994b) educational connoisseurship and criticism methodology and two additional frameworks: Eisner’s (1988) ecology of schooling and Uhrmacher, McConnell Moroye, and Flinders’ (2017) instructional arc to explore planning …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Moral Injury Among Female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans, Tricia Mercaldi Steeves

Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate the construct of moral injury among a female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veteran sample. Moral injury has been defined as the “lasting psychological, biological, spiritual, behavioral, and social impact of perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply-held moral beliefs and expectations” (Litz et al., 2009, p. 697). Moral injury also includes experiences of feeling betrayed by others (e.g., leaders and/or peers) while serving in high-stakes situations such as theater (Drescher et al., 2011; Litz, Leslie, Gray, & Nash, 2015; Shay, 1994). A …

The Flute Works Of Erwin Schulhoff, Sara Marie Schuhardt

Dissertations

While recent scholarship has begun to elucidate the life and compositions of Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff, whose life was cut short during the Holocaust, many of his works remain lesser known. The composer’s three works that feature flute (Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass; Sonata for Flute and Pianoforte; and Double Concerto for Flute and Piano) paint an intriguing picture of his late-1920s distinct and eclectic instrumental style. Recent in-depth theories of musical agency (which has long been a pervasive, albeit previously little-defined, perspective in music circles) by Hatten, Klorman, and Monahan supply an excellent lens through which to …

Experiences Of Secondary Social Studies Educators: The Redheaded Stepchildren Of Education, Rebecca N. Reed

Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-case phenomenological study is to understand the unique experiences of secondary social studies teachers. The number of participants was bound to six secondary social studies teachers from a public school district in a mid-Atlantic state and the experience of the researcher. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews using Seidman’s (2006) Three Step Interview Series and individual profiles were written. The phenomenological data analysis was guided by several methods including Hycner (1985), Moustakas (1994), and Seidman (2006). From the participants’ experiences several themes emerged: similarities in personal learning habits, a dislike for mandatory assessments and curriculum, and …

Exploring The Needs Of Families Of Hospitalized Critically Ill Individuals In A Caribbean Setting, Amy Christine Burlar Schweizer

Dissertations

Critical illness can be a traumatic, stressful time for families of hospitalized critically ill patients. Understanding the characteristics and needs of families of critically ill patients can assist the health care team to provide quality care that is responsive to the unique characteristics of family members. Providing culturally congruent care can help to minimize the negative consequences of this time of crisis. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore the needs of family members of hospitalized critically ill adults in a Caribbean setting. Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality provided the framework for this study. …

Effects Of Flipgrid For Training On Job Satisfaction In Adjunct Clinical Nursing Faculty In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Maria Quimba

Dissertations

Given the critical shortages of nurses in the United States and the corresponding shortfall of qualified faculty, the need to support adjunct faculty to meet the challenges of higher education is paramount. Comprising nearly half of the professoriate across institutions of higher education and nearly 50% of instructional time in associate and baccalaureate programs, adjunct clinical nursing faculty play a significant role in nursing education. Despite empirical research to support the need for training, development, and mentorship, ample evidence indicated lack of institutional support. Consequently, adjunct faculty experience numerous challenges accessing institutional services, struggle in their roles, and report job …

The Use Of Principal Feedback From Teachers To Create Effective Leadership, Kevin Richard Macina

Dissertations

In the past decade, K-12 education has undergone many changes, often brought about by national and state policymakers putting a higher emphasis on student outcomes. There are enhanced accountability expectations for all levels of education that have added to the responsibilities of principals. Research can be found on many different areas regarding effective educational leadership. Studies abound to reinforce the need for principals to lead their schools through decisions and actions that are evidence based and data informed. In that body of work, there is a growing attention to the importance of staff, student, and even parent feedback as an …

Check-In/Check-Out With High School Students, Ashley Murphy

Dissertations

Check-in/Check-out (CICO) has been shown effective in reducing problem behavior (PB) and increasing academically engaged behaviors (AEB) for elementary and middle school students (Mitchell, Adamson, & McKenna, 2017); however limited research has included high school students. The current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness and social validity of CICO for four high school students in a general education setting. During the initial intervention phase, two students refused to participate in the CICO process (i.e., did not attend check-ins or check-outs despite multiple efforts); therefore, CICO was ineffective for these students. For two other students, CICO was ineffective for improving behavioral …

Peer-Mediated Tootling With A Standardized Form And A Mystery Motivator In High School Classrooms, Sarah J. Wright

Dissertations

Peer-mediated tootling with a standardized procedure was implemented along with a mystery motivator component to determine the effects on academically engaged and disruptive behavior in three general education high school classrooms. The intervention used an A/B/A/B design across all classrooms. The goal of the study was to determine if these components would increase academically engaged behavior and decrease disruptive behavior. Students were trained on tootling procedures with a standardized format, which included reporting on peers’ positive, prosocial behavior on a premade tootling slip with various behaviors that they could select as being observed, reading five random slips aloud, totaling the …

Determining Readiness To Take The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses®, Heidi Elizabeth Monroe

Dissertations

Numerous studies have examined the association between pre-admission and/or during nursing program variables and the outcome on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®; National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN]; 2015) but very few studies have examined post-graduation variables. This study examined post-graduation variables associated with the outcome on the NCLEX-RN® examination. The purpose of this exploratory field study was twofold. The first aspect was to identify the benchmark score on a post-graduation test (the Kaplan RN Readiness Exam; Sanders, 2014) correlated with passing the NCLEX-RN® examination. The second aspect was to explore factors that the …

Division Of Student Affairs Student Employees Make Meaning Of Their Intersecting Identities And Work, Jason Ward Foster

Dissertations

A constructivist paradigm guided research to explore how student affairs student employees at two institutions made meaning of their multiple and intersecting identities in the context of their student affairs employment experience. Four current students at one institution provided data via interviews, a focus group, and participant journals while 12 former students at another participated, one via a phone interview whereas the rest submitted written email responses. Document analysis and a researcher journal also served as data sources as meaning and understanding emerged during this study. Through intentional and unintentional development opportunities, students shared stories and painted a picture of …

The Politics Of Christian Religious Movements In The United States, David Keith Searcy

Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploration of the religious movements within Christianity in the United States. After discussing the common strategies used in the social science literature to classify religious belonging, I develop an alternative method that leverages associational ties between religious groups and people who are not active despite their identity. I develop theory-driven classifications for people whose religious identity cannot be determined solely on their identification. The remainder of the dissertation tests whether religious movements correspond to differences in the social and political behavior of those in these religious categories. I find significant differences on demographics, religious beliefs and …

The Relationship Between Student Math Achievement And Teachers Utilizing A Process Involving Interim Instructional Assessments, Douglas B. Greer

Dissertations

According to recent national and state level assessments, only about one-third of Michigan students are proficient in secondary math. Previous studies have been inconsistent in demonstrating the impact of an interim assessment process on student achievement, especially with high school mathematics. Moreover, previous studies were not found to utilize Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM) to test such a relationship, especially a three level HLM that links secondary students to a primary math teacher. Therefore, the purpose of my study was to ascertain the extent to which math teachers utilized an interim instructional assessment (IIA) process within middle and high schools, and …

Use Of Mindfulness To Treat Mental Health Symptoms Of Individuals Subjected To Human Sex Trafficking And Prostitution, Amanda Mccaw

Dissertations

Human sex trafficking and prostitution is a global phenomenon that has been occurring for centuries. Millions of people are subjected to the cruelties that occur within sex trafficking and prostitution. The distinction between sex trafficking and prostitution is minute. Large economic profits serve as an incentive to sustain the sex work industry, despite the harm it causes to the people that are employed as sex workers. Numerous mental health problems can arise for individuals subjected to sex trafficking and prostitution including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, dissociation, terror, anxiety, guilt, anger, and substance abuse (Dalla, 2002; Farley, Baral, Kiremire, & Sezgin, …

Exploring The Characteristic Triad Of Resilience: Personal Disposition, Family Support And The Environment Within The Cultural Context Of Quality Mariachi Academies In The Impoverished Central Valley Of California, Lucia Vazquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study, was to explore through the lens of the Characteristic Triad of Resilience: personal disposition, family support and environment, how participation in community-based Quality Mariachi Academies (QMA) in impoverished counties contribute to educational resilience.

Methodology: This qualitative multi-case study explored the lived experience of ten resilient students in the impoverished San Joaquin Valley of Central California, utilizing the Characteristic Triad of Resilience as the framework in the context of Quality Mariachi Academies. Data collected from resilient students was triangulated with data from parents, grandparents and site staff.

Findings: Community-based Quality Mariachi Academies …