Digital Commons Network^™

Looking Forward, Looking Back, Looking Inward: Lessons From Vital Women Leaders In Old Age, Shelly Marks Valdez Edd

Dissertations

Current social paradigms, based on established theory about the aged, consider old age as a time of drastic decline and deterioration and view the aged as nonproductive takers of society's resources. Far from using the wisdom and resources of the aged population, our society marginalizes old adults and treats them as obsolete. This study looks into the lives of nine women over the age of 65 who have found within themselves the strength, courage and determination to overcome the stereotypes of aging in order to become leaders in their old age. Life stories were obtained through personal interviews. Data from …

Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd

Dissertations

Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …

Leadership Behaviors And Communication Satisfaction: Community Colleges In Micronesia, Julie M. Ulloa-Heath Edd

Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to examine the satisfaction of Micronesian community college faculty with communication and their perception of their department chair's leadership style. Specifically, this study examined (a) the relationship of communication satisfaction with leadership and demographic data; (b) the relationship between the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) subset and the scales of the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ); (c) the difference between institutions in terms of satisfaction with communication or perception of leadership style; and (d) suggestions for improving communication. Significant relationship was found between the overall communication satisfaction with leadership quality and ethnicity. The data revealed …

Exploring Teachers' Experiences With The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, Emily M. Schell Edd

Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of ten teachers who participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute (CWTI) during an 11-year period. The researcher used in-depth interviewing to identify why these teachers participated in this institute, what they experienced and learned during the institute, and how the institute influenced their teaching as well as student learning of early American history. The participants in this study identified similar reasons for applying to the institute, which included a desire to gain more knowledge and skills to improve their teaching of early American history. Seven themes emerged as participants described their experiences during …

A Comprehensive Guidance Counseling Program For Jamaican Schools: A Needs Assessment, Grace Altia Kelly

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. This study sought: (a) to identify stakeholders' perceptions of the existing guidance program in Jamaican schools and (b) to identify aspects of the Comprehensive Guidance Counseling Program (CGCP) that are desired by stakeholders in order to observe if there were any significant gaps between the perceived current and desired status of guidance in Jamaican schools.

Method. This was a self-report, descriptive survey study that involved 420 subjects (151 students, 130 teachers, 44 counselors, 37 principals, and 58 parents) from 54 schools (18 primary, 18 All-Age/Junior High, and 18 Secondary) across the three counties of …

Leadership Development: Continuous Improvement Through Character Assessment, Robert Scott Clark Edd

Dissertations

One of the keys to personal development is self-awareness as assessed by instruments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the NEO PI-R, both of which are widely accepted reliable and valid indicators and measures of personality type. However, assessing the part of personality known as character presents challenges that are not adequately addressed by today's popular instruments leaving information needed for development incomplete or unavailable. An instrument that provides a reliable and valid assessment of character for leadership and personal development purposes could be very valuable. Qualitative methods were used for this study to investigate leaders' perceptions of …

A Study Of Technology Implementation In Two School Districts: The Dynamics Of Leadership And Change, Rebecca D. Gillespie Edd, Ma, Ba

Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the role administrative leadership plays in organizational change related to the infusion of technology into district programs and pedagogical practices. School districts have been engaged in a struggle to incorporate new generations of technological advancements in meaningful ways for their students. Instructional reform and measurable performance-based outcomes are frequently conflated with the pressure to implement effective technology programs that ensure the No Child Left Behind federal mandates are met while ensuring judicious use of district funds. While technology has the potential to transform the educational process, it must align with the cultural uniqueness of the …

Intention To Pursue Post-Secondary Education, And Related Factors, Among Jamaican Senior High School Students, Teran T. Milford

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The proportion of female students in post-secondary schools in Jamaica is approximately twice that of their male counterpart. This is in contrast to the observation that the proportion of male and female students in elementary and secondary schools is about the same. Little or no studies have been conducted to examine factors related to the disproportion of male and female students in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perception of senior high school students regarding their intention to pursue post-secondary education, and to determine the extent to which the value …

Fixing The Hole In The Pipe : Moving Beyond Prereferral Toward Changing The System, Jean T. Papandrea

Dissertations

Problem

Too many students in school districts across the nation fail and are inappropriately referred for special education classification and services, when, in reality, they are not disabled, but are casualties of systems that do not have appropriate instructional intervention and support systems in place. This study explores the outcomes of an Instructional Support system called the 7 SHARE Initiative. Essential system components are: (a) Instructional Support Teachers (ISTs) in each school, (b) Curriculum-Based Assessment as developed by Edward E. Gickling, (c) direct instruction of strategies to students, and (d) modeling strategies for teachers to implement in class-wide applications.

Method …

A Study Of The Influence Of Birth Order And Other Variables On Student Perceptions Of School Effectiveness In A Southwestern Michigan County, Hamil Tobias

Dissertations

Problem. There is an increasing demand for quality education. In his initiative for education reform, U.S. President George W. Bush promoted the concept of no child left behind, in which he calls for more accountability. It is useful to examine student perceptions of how well the education system functions. Instead of a monolithic view, their perceptions were analyzed by birth order, gender, and ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student perceptions differed by their birth order, gender, and ethnicity.

Method. This study utilized a 4 x 2 x 2 (birth order by …

The Relationship Of Academic Workload Typologies And Other Selected Demographic Variables To Burnout Levels Among Full-Time Faculty In Seventh-Day Adventist Colleges And Universities In North America, Sylvia Gonzalez

Dissertations

Problem statement. Research has shown that burnout is a widespread phenomenon among teachers, and that workload could be a possible predictor. No study had been done to date in Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities in North America to determine the levels of burnout in full-time faculty. Research was necessary, therefore, to determine the possible impact of academic workload typologies, gender, age, years of service in education, rank of professorship, teacher perception of academic workload intensity, and teacher perception of academic workload on burnout levels in this population.

Methodology. A non-experimental, exploratory, correlational, field-based, and cross-sectional study was conducted. …

Paul's Use Of Canonical And Noncanonical Wisdom Literature In Romans And The Corinthian Letters, Tadashi Ino

Dissertations

Problem . Although Paul's use of wisdom literature has been widely acknowledged, the relationship between the apostle and wisdom literature has not been thoroughly investigated. Scholars have tended to deal mainly with the function of wisdom traditions in general in Paul's argument. Furthermore, no one has compared his use of canonical and noncanonical wisdom literature. This present study sought to determine the nature of Paul's use of wisdom literature by comparing his use of canonical wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes) with his use of noncanonical ones (Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon) in Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians. …

Incarnation And Covenant In The Prologue To The Fourth Gospel (John 1:1-18), Wilson Paroschi

Dissertations

Most scholars would agree that the Prologue to the Fourth Gospel--as John 1:1-8 is usually called--introduces Jesus Christ as a divine, pre-existent being who at a certain point in time was made flesh and lived among humans. No agreement, however, exists on the point in the narrative at which the shift from one state to the other takes place. As John the Baptist is mentioned in vss. 6-8, many think that the following verses refer to the ministry of the incarnate Christ, while others, struck by the explicitness of vs. 14, argue that this verse marks the transition from pre-existence …

Predicting A Passing Outcome On The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses By Associate Degree Graduates, Patricia M. Collins

Dissertations

This ex-post facto study was conducted to determine whether grades in pre-program science courses, pre-program cumulative grade point average (GPA) and grades in selected nursing theory courses predict pass/fail performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for graduates of an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. A small, rural community college in western Michigan participated in the study. The subjects included 159 graduates, (143 females, 16 males) admitted to the program beginning fall semester 1992 through May 2001. Data was obtained from the college data files. The independent variables were the four pre-program science courses, Anatomy and …

Getting Back: Successful Rehabilitation After A Hip Fracture, Carole Florek Hair Phd, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

Fracturing a hip is a devastating experience for the older adult, and mortality and morbidity following a hip fracture are high among this vulnerable population. Mortality rates from 12 to 37 percent have been reported within one year after a hip fracture. It is estimated that 50 percent of individuals who experience hip fractures become partially dependent in activities of daily living, and 33 percent become totally dependent in activities of daily living. Reducing morbidity by improving rehabilitation outcomes is an important healthcare goal for older adults. Motivating participation in rehabilitation activities poses a challenge for professional caregivers. The purpose …

The Cultural Script Of Special Needs Adoption, George Grant, Jr.

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine special needs adoption from the perspective of the adoptive parents. Using the general guidelines of grounded theory, the study analyzed secondary data from a post-adoption program providing services to families who adopted special needs children. The data revealed that adoptive parents function under a cultural script of special needs adoption. The cultural script influences how families view themselves, the environment around them and how they decide to function as adoptive families. The study explains the cultural script, ways that professionals working in adoption can use that cultural script to support adoptive families …

A Study Of The Leadership Preparedness Of U.S. Public University Chief Business Officers, Daniel J. Hurley

Dissertations

Despite the enormous role that Chief Business Officers (CBOs) play in administering the business and financial affairs of American public universities, little research has been conducted on their leadership preparedness. The primary objectives of this study were to assess the self-perceived preparedness of U.S. public university CBOs at the time they assumed their first position in the role, and to determine if specific factors could be associated with their overall preparedness.

With support from the National Association of College and University Business Officers, a survey was developed and mailed to the entire population of CBOs at four-year public universities in …

The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Activation Group Therapy: Treating Comorbid Depression On A Specialized Inpatient Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Unit For Combat Veterans, Theodore P. Wright

Dissertations

The comorbidity of depression and PTSD has been shown to be relatively prevalent. Researchers have found a 70% lifetime prevalence o f comorbid PTSD and depression among combat veterans. This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral activation (BA) group treatment when administered to combat veterans with comorbid depression and PTSD in the residential treatment program at the Battle Creek Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Forty-five veterans participated in the study. Twenty-four veterans participated in a BA treatment group while in the treatment program. Twenty-one veterans attended the treatment program, but did not participate in the BA treatment group and served …

Have Charter Schools Materialized Their Promise A Contrast Between Rhetoric And Reality, Mary Kay Kempker-Vandriel

Dissertations

Charter schools are a growing force in American education. Parents are demanding a choice in their child's public education. Are charter schools better than traditional public schools? Have charter schools kept their promise?

In the study regular public schools and charter schools were compared along five dimensions: (a) opportunity for learning and access to quality education, (b) innovative teaching methods and participative management, (c) teacher job satisfaction, (d) parent involvement, and (e) school accountability. Existing data from the 1999/2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) were analyzed with primarily chi-square tests and one t-test. These analyses provided results in relation to …

How Does It Mean? Literary Theory As Metacognitive Reading Strategy In The High School English Classroom, Lisa J. Schade

Dissertations

In the last two decades, serious scholarly attention has been paid both to theories of teaching reading and to theories of literary interpretation. These potentially related fields have been treated as separate, focused either on teaching reading in the elementary grades or on teaching interpretation to advanced college literature students. Until very recently the relevance of either reading theory or literary theory to middle school or high school pedagogy has remained unexamined. My research, as a reflective practitioner, addresses this important gap. I focus on the teaching of literary theory in the high school English classroom as a strategy to …

Why Religious People Believe What They Shouldn't: Explaining Theological Incorrectness In South Asia And America, D. Jason Slone

Dissertations

Cross-cultural descriptions of religious thought and behavior in South Asia and America show that people commonly hold ideas and perform actions that seem to be not only conceptually incoherent but also “theologically incorrect” by the standards of their own traditions. For example. South Asian Theravada Buddhists are taught that the historical Buddha is unavailable because he attained enlightenment and achieved parinirvana (“complete extinction”) and yet conceptually and ritually represent him as if he is present and available for petition. Similarly, American Protestants represent the Christian God as having absolute divine sovereignty and yet reveal confidence in an inner locus of …

The Relationship Between Financial Aid And Freshman Persistance At A Midwestern Liberal Arts College, Jack Phillip Powell

Dissertations

College student persistence has been one o f the most important topics discussed in higher education over the last 25 years. The consequences of student attrition from our colleges and universities are immense for the individual student and institutions alike. One of the purposes of student financial aid is to promote student persistence. The need for empirical research to assess whether financial aid is accomplishing this vital purpose is critical Research is particularly important given the significant shifts in policy brought on by the 1992 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. This study addressed two research questions. The first deals …

The Impact Of Systematically Varying The Duration Of Breath Samples During Infrared-Based Alcohol Breath Testing, Chris C. Clatterbuck

Dissertations

The present study set out to investigate the reliability and performance of the BAC DataMaster®, an infrared-based alcohol breath testing instrument. The focus of this study was to determine: (a) the impact of varying breath sample duration during testing, (b) if Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels produced by the DataMaster® (BAC_DM) are significantly different from BAC levels produced by analysis of whole blood (BAC_WB), and (c) if the relationship between BAC_DM estimates and BAC_WB is influenced by the amount of alcohol an examinee has ingested. Each of 27 participants was randomly assigned to one …

The Adjustment Problems Of African Students At Western Michigan University, Apollos Bitrus Goyol

Dissertations

There are more international students enrolled in colleges and universities in the U.S. than in any other country as reported by the Institute of International Education. In the 2000/01 school year, the institute estimated that 547,867 international students were studying in the U.S. Most of these students, 302,058 (55%) came from countries in Asia; and 80,584 (14.7%) came from Europe. Latin America had 63,634 (11.6%); followed by the Middle East, with 36,858 (6.7%); Africa, with 34,217 (6.2%); North America, with 25,888 (4.7%), and Oceania, with 4,624 (.8%). Ten students were Stateless. As a response to the high number of international …

Theory And Design Of Mixed Lumped-Distributed Cross-Coupled Filters With Applications To Linear Phase Shifter And Tunable Filters, Sanghoon Shin

Dissertations

Using cross-coupled networks of a new concept, transmission zeros were efficiently located in the complex frequency-domain. With this approach, the group delay and attenuation slope of the circuit network can be controlled to get both sharp rejection characteristics and linear phase slopes. In order to achieve this performance, various types of combline filters are suggested. Various simulation tools (commercial linear circuit and E-M simulators), as well as the developed pole-zero locator program, were used to design a new class of cross-coupled networks. In particular, the polezero locator program can be used to extract an equivalent circuit of the topology that …

Genre Studies: Temporary Homogeneous Grouping To Improve Reading Or Merely Another Form Of Tracking?, Brenda Wright Campbell Edd

Dissertations

For the last fifty years, raising the achievement levels of students thought to be “at-risk” has proven to be one of the most difficult and vexing problems facing educators. Although many different strategies have been tried with varying levels of success, no single at-risk solution has emerged that both promotes significant achievement gains and helps to narrow the achievement gap between people of color and whites. This study examined the effectiveness of a particular district-wide literacy strategy in its first year that focused on literacy to educate students identified as “at-risk”. Specifically, this study used data gathered from two measures …

Prenatal Maternal Attachment: The Lived Experience, Regina Ann Leva-Giroux Dnsc

Dissertations

Prenatal maternal attachment and the practice of health promoting behaviors during pregnancy are considered universal phenomena to women. Yet, the understanding of these phenomena from the lived experiences of pregnant women has not been well researched. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of maternal attachment to the unborn child and how that attachment might relate to the practice of these behaviors during pregnancy. The participants in this study were ten English speaking women, college educated, professionally employed, who were pregnant for the first time. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the participants at 14–16 weeks and …

A Study Of Quality Of Life Issues In Community-Dwelling Elders, Kimberly S. Mcclane Phd

Dissertations

In the year 2000, there were approximately 35 million people in the United States who were 65 years of age or older, a ten-fold increase since 1900. The growth of this population has presented opportunities and challenges to American society. Health care needs, physical changes of aging, and the allocation of health care resources are several of the issues that need to be addressed (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2000). Quality of life measurement tools have been used to assess the health and social needs of aging people both in the United States and internationally since their conception in …

A Model Health-Related Elementary Physical Education Program For Saipan: Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Kurt C. Barnes Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was significant differences in changes of knowledge, attitudes, and practices between elementary school teachers who took part in an in-service physical education training program and those who did not take part. The in-service training program utilized a model health-related physical education program. The setting for the study was a school district on Saipan whose teachers were required to teach physical education. Teachers in five of nine public elementary schools were placed in the in-service training program. A questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices, was administrated as a pre- and post-test. …

The Relationships Between Attitude, Motivation, Anxiety, And Proficiency In English As A Second Language Of First-Year University Students In Puerto Rico, Carmen Mercedes Cortés

Dissertations

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes, motivation, and anxiety levels of first-year university students toward the learning and use of English as a second language. The study also examined the nature of the relationships between attitudes, motivation and anxiety, and English proficiency asmeasured by the College Entrance Examination Board.

Method. A Spanish version of The Attitudes/Motivation Test Battery (Gardner, 1985a), "Espejo de Actitudes: Aprendizaje del Inglés como Segundo Idioma en Puerto Rico," was administered to first-year college students at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. These students came from various …