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The Development Of Science Identity: An Evaluation Of Youth Development Programs At The Museum Of Science And Industry, Chicago, Sam Cole

Dissertations

The following dissertation presents findings from a year-long evaluation of informal scientific education programs at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. Science identity, rather than scientific knowledge, was the analytic lens through which the programs' effectiveness was assessed. A goal of the Museum generally, and the programs specifically, is to increase public identification with the field of science. Science identity was assessed using a novel survey instrument and three focus groups. Hierarchical linear models found a positive relationship between time enrolled in the Science Minors program and the development of science identity. These analyses also point to …

In Search Of Resilience And Positive Health Outcomes In Low-Income Adolescents With Asthma, Darla Kim Dewolff

Dissertations

Asthma is a chronic lung disease of epidemic proportions affecting 24.6 million Americans, including 7.0 million children. In particular, 22% of high school students indicated a doctor or a nurse had told them that they had asthma, with 10.8% with current asthma. The disease disproportionately afflicts minority children from low-income areas. Adolescents with asthma, who live in such areas, are at particular risk for increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which the phenomenon of resilience, observed in other physical health and psycho-social contexts, may be found in adolescents with asthma exposed …

Coping Mechanisms Among Lebanese First-Time College Students, Rita Doumit

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Functional Communication Training (Fact) On The Communicative, Self-Initiated Toileting Behavior For Students With Developmental Disabilities In A School Setting, Jinnie Kim

Dissertations

Far less is known about the effects of functional communication-based toileting interventions for students with developmental disabilities in a school setting. Furthermore, the currently available toileting interventions for students with disabilities include some undesirable procedures such as the use of punishment, unnatural clinic/university settings as opposed to more natural school/home settings, and prompt-based as opposed to communicative, self-initiating skills. The current study examined the effectiveness of FCT on the incidence of communicative, self-initiated toileting and of toileting accidents without any punishment components, which were often considered as necessary in traditional toileting procedures. A multiple baseline design was used for the …

Wet Chicago: Prohibition And The Development Of The Informal Alcohol Economy, Brian Doumeth Jolet

Dissertations

The Prohibition-era presents a story of both continuity and change. While the illegal alcohol manufacturing and selling that occurred during the period was not an aberration from the past, the resultant increased wealth and sway of the criminal underworld and the increasing disrespect for the law were new transformations. This dissertation seeks to understand the informal economy in alcohol by examining the multitude of men and women who participated in this black market in the city of Chicago, Illinois. The analysis describes the movement from small-time bootleggers operating within a narrow market to the development of a complex and hierarchical …

The Things That Remain: People, Objects, And Anxiety In Thirties British Fiction, Emily O'Keefe

Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the appeal of things in thirties British literature. I argue that in a time in which a catastrophic and world-changing war seemed to be on the way, many writers saw seemingly unshakable material things as a source of comfort. Drawing on thing theory, I explore thirties writers' recognition of the duality of things, their alienness to human society even as people invest great significance in them. Therefore, I show that despite this frequent appeal to the material world as a place of stability and comfort, many of these writers also recognized conflicting aspects of things, knowing (and …

The Road To Virtue And The Road To Fortune: The Scottish Enlightenment And The Problem Of Individualism In Commercial Society, Sarah Ramirez

Dissertations

As commercial society began to emerge in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe, it was widely thought to be inherently individualistic--whether such individualism was viewed as a strength, in the Mandevillean view, or as a weakness, by the civic humanists. Five thinkers from the Scottish Enlightenment--Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson, and John Millar--confronted this problem. First, they questioned whether some aspects of individualism constitute genuine problems at all. For instance, their analysis of conspicuous consumption or luxury indicated that it could inspire an individual's virtue by sensitizing him to the beautiful and the fitting. Second, they pointed out that …

Reification And The Closed Mind, Mark D. Rockwell

Dissertations

What does it mean to have an open mind? Is it desirable? Are we therefore to avoid its opposite, a closed mind? How shall we proceed in producing an open mind or avoiding its opposite a closed mind? The terms open and closed are commonly used as if the meanings of the terms were clear and the expectant goods associated with being open preferred. This project examines the current literature regarding the above problem and then suggests an alternative exploration of the concept of reification as closed-mindedness. Reification will be defined in its traditional sense with the addition that it …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of First-Generation College Students In Lasallian Higher Education, Kurt Schackmuth

Dissertations

As higher education has become more accessible to traditionally underrepresented groups, more of these types of students - such as first-generation college students - have started to matriculate on campuses across the country. Existing research on first-generation college students focuses on the characteristics common among these students and the strategies often implemented to foster their success in college. There is a lack of more detailed, personalized accounts of the college experiences of these students. This dissertation focuses on an exploration of the experiences of first-generation college students in Lasallian higher education (institutions sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.) …

A Case Study: The Impact Of An Immersion Experience On The Vocation Of Lay Teacher-Leaders In American Jesuit High Schools, Martin Joseph Schreiber

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study explores the impact of an immersion experience to a least developed country on the vocation of lay teacher leaders in American Jesuit High Schools. Nine lay teacher leaders engaged in a four stage process of immersion from November 2009 to August 2010. The study employed the conceptual framework of Edward Hahnenberg's, "Awakening Vocation" to develop a self-understanding of a lay teacher leader's call. The writings of Paulo Freire, Fredrick Buechner and Parker Palmer informed the study's exploration of vocation. Poetry from Mary Oliver and William Stafford functioned as a method for articulating a lay …

Leadership Team Actions That Manifest Collective Autonomy And Their Impact On Student Growth And Curriculum, Brian Keith Wegley

Dissertations

To be successful in the age of accountability, principals and all school leaders need to continue to build their capacity to lead meaningful, systemic and sustainable student improvement efforts that incorporate the required areas of reading and mathematics. A review of the educational literature revealed several studies that identified the limitations of America's current school accountability movement and described the narrowing of curriculum as a negative side effect of No Child Left Behind.

Educational research on leadership included a multitude of studies and leadership models for implementing change; this study focused on ideas contained within Zmuda, Kuklis and Kline's (2004) …

Beyond Utility, Rights, And Care: An Alternative Approach To Global Poverty, Timothy Weidel

Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue in favor of an alternative approach to the problem of global poverty, one that is distinct in significant ways from current philosophical approaches of utilitarianism, human rights, or an ethic of care. While these approaches have their merits, I will argue that they are all insufficient (in various ways) to deal with the problem of global poverty. Given their shortcomings, a new approach is needed. My alternative ethical approach contains two major facets: It provides a compelling moral motivation to act to end global poverty, and it also suggests specific initiatives that will prove effective …

An Exploratory Study Of Principals' Attitudes Regarding The Provision Of Special Education Services Using The Traditional Special Education Model Compared To Using The Response To Intervention Model, Deirdre Marie Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of principals regarding the provision of special education services using the traditional special education model compared to using the response to intervention model. The major research and related research questions were identified by the investigator to explore the attitudes of Illinois public elementary school principals regarding special education services, in relation to: (1) resources; (2) amount of faculty time spent; and (3) the role of the principal. The major research question and the related research question was addressed through seven survey questions, six through Likert–scaled questions and one through an …

The Mystery Of God In Situations Of Suffering: Toward The Universality Of Christ And A Reconstruction Of African Identity, Leocretia L. Muganda

Dissertations

During the patristic era, theology dealt with the problem of how to explain the union of the two natures in Christ without losing the impassible nature of God. Today, the understanding of God as impassible is no longer absolute in light of present human suffering. To gain a better understanding of God as passible, the following areas will be examined: the patristic view and the contemporary critique of divine impassibility, the African context and the reconstruction of African Christology via inculturation and liberation. The concept of God as passible can make a significant difference in the lives of Christians. This …

A Portrait Of Christ The Hero In The Epistle To The Hebrews, Jeremy Miselbrook

Dissertations

The Epistle to the Hebrews has been noted as one of the most intricate documents of the New Testament. The author artistically employs a multiplicity of well-known images and ideas which resonate with his audience while simultaneously exemplifying Christ as the paragon of these images. The author of Hebrews presents a portrait of Christ that places him in relation to other figures known to his audience and uses figures to convey his intricate Christology. This dissertation investigates how the author of Hebrews places Christ in the context of Greco-Roman heroic references to portray Christ's superiority over all other heroes.

Chapter …

Theological Plunderphonics: Public Theology And "The Fragment", William Myatt

Dissertations

In response to methodological vagueness in public theology, I construct a theory of "the fragment" that enables the public theologian to respond adequately to contemporary exigencies and appropriately to traditional self-understandings. After surveying four streams of public-theological thought (chapter one), I consider the debate between David Tracy (chapter two) and George Lindbeck (chapter three). The various observations of these three chapters give way to a suggested criteriology for public theology. I then turn to Paul Ricoeur (chapter four) and Walter Benjamin (chapter five) to assist in constructing a theory of the fragment (chapter six). The thesis defended by this dissertation …

Desire And Agency In The Modern Women's Sonnet, Catherine Anne Ramsden

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the ways that women poets, from the late Renaissance to the postmodern age, have used the sonnet form both to critique and to re-envision the female experience, particularly in regard to the cultural value of love. In addition to its analysis of poetic form, this dissertation also engages a cultural/feminist critique based on an enduring theme in women's writing: the power of patriarchal constructs to prevent women's individuation within traditional, middle-class cultural norms.

The Voice Of The Negro: African American Radio, Wvon, And The Struggle For Civil Rights In Chicago, Jennifer Searcy

Dissertations

Little historical research has been done on the role that radio stations in the northern United States played in spreading information related to the Civil Rights Movement. Owned and operated by Chess Records label owners Leonard and Phil Chess, the Chicago radio station WVON 1450 AM, "The Voice of the Negro," was one of the most popular African American radio stations in the country during the 1960s. This dissertation explores how WVON served not only as a lucrative marketing outlet for the label's music and for the national rhythm and blues and soul music industry, but also as a driving …

Introduction Of Critical Stress State Criterion To Predict Bond Strength Between Frp And Concrete Substrate, Shigeyuki Ueno

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Campus Influence On International Students' Perceptions Of The United States

Dissertations

International students not only have an economic impact on the United States in the billions of dollars, they culturally enrich college campuses and play a critical role in fostering U.S. foreign relations (NAFSA, 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine international students’ perceptions of the United States as a result of participating in a short-term ESL program at three campuses of a community college district in the Midwest, and to explore the influence of campus cultural attributes (diversity of the student body, breadth of support for international students, and setting) on these perceptions. This was a mixed-method study. …

Elementary Teachers’ Mental Models Of Engineering Design Processes: A Comparison Of Two Communities Of Practice, Ann Piening Mcmahon

Dissertations

Educating K-12 students in the processes of design engineering is gaining popularity in public schools. Several states have adopted standards for engineering design despite the fact that no common agreement exists on what should be included in the K-12 engineering design process. Furthermore, little pre-service and in-service professional development exists that will prepare teachers to teach a design process that is fundamentally different from the science teaching process found in typical public schools. This study provides a glimpse into what teachers think happens in engineering design compared to articulated best practices in engineering design.

Wenger’s communities of practice work and …

Leadership Styles Of Female Senior Student Affairs Officers, Montague Theresa Orinthia

Dissertations

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the self-reported leadership styles of female Senior Student Affairs Officers at public and private 4-year institutions. This study sought to determine if (a) there is a dominant leadership frame usage among female SSAO’s, (b) determine if leadership style varies significantly among females with less than 5 years of experience in the profession as compared to those with 5 or more years of experience in the profession and (c) identify whether multi-frame leadership style usage differs between female SSAOs at public and private 4-year institutions. This study employed a cross-sectional research design …

The Effect Of Problem-Solving Video Games On The Science Reasoning Skills Of College Students, Tina Marie Fanetti

Dissertations

As the world continues to rapidly change, students are faced with the need to develop flexible skills, such as science reasoning that will help them thrive in the new knowledge economy. Prensky (2001), Gee (2003), and Van Eck (2007) have all suggested that the way to engage learners and teach them the necessary skills is through digital games, but empirical studies focusing on popular games are scant. One way digital games, especially video games, could potentially be useful if there were a flexible and inexpensive method a student could use at their convenience to improve selected science reasoning skills. Problem-solving …

Exploring The Relationship Between Planning And Training, And Response To Campus Safety Incidents, Kimberly Michele Harvey

Dissertations

Over the past 50 years, campus violence has significantly impacted our institutions of higher education. As a result, campus safety has become an increasingly important topic for all colleges and universities. The Virginia Tech tragedy in 2007 highlighted the necessity of emergency management planning and training as well as employee understanding of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Emergency management plans for 27 institutions in Missouri were collected and evaluated to determine how they instructed employees to respond to various campus safety scenarios and how training factored into the campus plans. Two-hundred, fifty-one employees were then surveyed to …

From Juvenile Court To The Adult Criminal Justice System: An Examination Of Judicial Waiver, Sheri Lu Jenkins Cruz

Dissertations

This project was concerned with how extra legal factors impact juvenile court judge‟s decisions to waive juveniles to the adult criminal court. This study had both a general and a specific purpose. Generally, it sought to identify and examine the perceptions of juvenile court judges regarding judicial waiver based on previous positions held and on the state in which the juvenile judge resides. Specifically, this study sought to examine the relationship between individual characteristics of juvenile court judges and their perceptions regarding judicial waiver. Based on the research questions, ten hypotheses were developed and tested. The population for this study …

Legal Discourse, Conceptual Metaphors, And Basic Writing Programming: A Study Of Ayers V. Fordice, Joyce Olewski Inman

Dissertations

In what ways does legal discourse influence our perceptions of students labeled as basic writers and these students’ perceptions of themselves? How does standards-based discourse affect student writers’ abilities to define themselves in academe? This dissertation involves an examination of legal and public discourse surrounding Ayers v. Fordice, one of the most prominent desegregation cases in higher education, in an attempt to answer these questions. Its intent is to explore how conceptual metaphors prevalent in these discourses affect our understandings of basic writing programming in the state of Mississippi but also in the field of composition more globally.

My …

Understanding Captive-Takers Motivations, Methods And Targets, Jean Garner Larned

Dissertations

Understanding Captive-Takers Motivations, Methods and Targets is the ultimate goal in order to help those who train, manage and prevent hostage taking events which include police officers, negotiators, recovery personnel, academics and psychologists. The overall lack of literature relating to the topic of captive-taker motivations is another impetus for this dissertation. There is a dearth of scholarly material in any of the main areas of understanding kidnapping/captive-taking/hostage-taking from the perspective of the perpetrator within law enforcement, psychology, private sector or academia. It is anticipated that this research study and the data garnered from it will assist academics, psychologists, private corporations, …

That He May Raise, Armond Joseph Boudreaux

Dissertations

This dissertation is a work of fiction written during the author's time as a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Son Of A Thousand Fathers, Colter Patterson Cruthirds

Dissertations

The following collection, which explores the often tenuous relationships between fathers and sons, was written by the author between 2008-2011.

Moral Performances: Melodrama And Nineteenth-Century American Literature, Jeffrey Taylor Pusch

Dissertations

Despite a high number of ticket sales, theater reviews, and innumerable letters and diary entries detailing trips to the theater, the stereotype that theater in nineteenth-century America was almost culturally invisible continued well into the twentieth century. Indeed, a scan of anthologies of American literature fails to yield any examples of nineteenth-century drama, even though figures like Henry James were also theater critics and playwrights. Just as it did in American life, theater exhibits a strong presence in the literature of the time. Considering theater’s pervasiveness, this dissertation seeks to restore it to its proper place in our study of …