Digital Commons Network^™

A Study On Various Factors And Their Relationship To Burnout Among Seventh-Day Adventist Clergy, W. Don Edwards

Dissertations

Problem. Few studies have addressed burnout among Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) clergy. Many SDA ministers report experiencing high stress in their ministries and they find it difficult to function optimally under these circumstances. Others experience serious complications that lead them to terminate their work as ministers.

Method. A quantitative research design was used for an ex post facto study of 130 pastors from the Pacific Union Conference. They completed two questionnaires: the Pastoral Services Demographic Data Sheet (PSDDS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

Results. This study examined 12 variables and found that 10 variables had a significant …

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 …

Making The Transition From The Field To The Classroom: The Experiences Of Novice Health Care Instructors At Private Career Colleges, Lezlee Haroun Edd

Dissertations

Health care instructors at private career colleges are responsible for training thousands of health services workers who enter the American work force annually. The number of students seeking health care occupational training at career colleges is expected to increase significantly during the next decade because the health service industry is the fastest growing section of the United States economy. At the same time, the public education system does not have the capacity to fully accommodate the future population of students seeking the postsecondary education required for these jobs. Instructors at private career colleges are typically hired directly from professional positions …

Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness And Teacher Morale: A Study Of Public Secondary School Teachers On Guam, Michelle M.S. Santos Edd

Dissertations

For more than a decade, the public schools on Guam have suffered from low student test scores, high turnover rates and low levels of teacher morale. Although there may be many explanations for this persistent problem, an important part of any solution is improving the overall level of teacher morale, which of course, can be influenced in many ways by the actions of the principal. In an effort to determine both the level of teacher morale among secondary school teachers on Guam as well as the factors that may help explain it, including the perceived level of principal effectiveness, this …

The Effects Of Cooperative Learning Versus Traditional Classroom Instruction On Cognitive Achievement, Critical Thinking, And Attitudes Toward Learning In Teams In A Physician Assistant Program, Scott L. Massey

Dissertations

Problem. Physician assistants are required to possess critical thinking skills and excellent intellectual skills to achieve the level of autonomy expected by supervising physicians. No scientific research has been identified to determine the most effective means of educating the physician assistant students. The purpose of the research study was to determine whether a statistical difference exists between students educated in a cooperative learning environment versus a traditional lecture environment. The dependent variable utilized in this study included critical thinking skills, cognitive achievement, and attitudes towards learning in teams. Using an experimental research design, students were educated in a cooperative learning …

Job Satisfaction And Its Relationship To Organizational Commitment And Religious Commitment For Andrews University Employees, Ralph Schroder

Dissertations

Problem. Relatively few studies have examined job satisfaction and its intrinsic and extrinsic facets for religious private universities. Andrews University seems to benefit from an identification of factors contributing to job satisfaction, and a measurement of its employees’ organizational and religious commitment. This study can clarify whether religious commitment has a potentially mediating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Method. As part of this quantitative research study a survey questionnaire was mailed out to all 976 Andrews University employees’ which measured levels of overall, intrinsic, and extrinsic job satisfaction as well as organizational and religious commitment. …

The Phenomenon Of Woman-On-Woman Abuse And Its Relationship To Gender Profile And Personal Experiences Of Women, Deborah Johnson Spence

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. Female-on-female aggression is often inferred, or drawn from studies conducted with children or males. Little or no information is available that reports behaviors perceived as mistreatment or abuse among women. The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) behaviors demonstrated by women that women consider abuse or mistreatment; (b) the extent to which these perceptions of abuse/mistreatment were related to gender profiles; and (c) the extent to which personal experiences as victims or perpetrators of abuse were related to age, race, and education.

Method. This study used the survey research method in which questionnaires …

The Impact Of Early-Intervention/Prevention Services On The Northville Public Schools, Robert O. Sornson

Dissertations

Problem

Whereas some school districts have continued to observe high rates of reading failure and increasing rates of special education identification, others have looked at program or system changes to reduce early learning failure. This study is an analysis of the impact of early intervention practices in the elementary schools of an upper-middle-class community.

Method

Cost analyses of district programs were compared to a hypothetical district with state average levels of special education identification. Special Education eligibility rates were tracked over a 10-year period. Data were collected from surveys given to Instructional-Support Team personnel, general education teachers, elementary administrators, and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Loneliness And Internet Use Among University Students, Katherine L. Dittmann

Dissertations

Problem . Research investigating the relationship between loneliness and various dimensions of Internet use is mixed. While some studies support the connection, other studies refute the link. More analysis in this area is needed to help clinicians, parents, college students, school counselors, and educators better understand the effects of the Internet on college-age students. This study attempts to expand understanding of the conflictual relationship that exists between loneliness and the dynamics of Internet use in undergraduate students.

Method . Four-hundred sixty-six randomly selected Andrews University undergraduate students who lived in residence halls, university apartments, and the community completed the UCLA …

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. …

Perceptions Of Nursing Academic Administrators And Faculty Related To The Pursuit Of Upper-Level Administrative Careers, Lavonne M. Adams

Dissertations

Problem. To address the shortage of qualified candidates interested in academic administration, this study explored factors related to recruitment of nursing academic administrators, including leadership practices of current administrators, career aspirations of potential administrators, and perceptions of both groups toward a career in academic administration.

Method. Nursing academic administrators and full-time faculty from randomly selected National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC)-accredited nursing programs in private colleges or universities in the United States participated in the study. Administrators completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self (LPI-Self) and an investigator-designed Recruitment Questionnaire. Faculty completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer (LPI-Observer) and an investigator-designed Career …

The Role Of School Psychologists As Perceived By Administrators, Teachers, And School Psychologists In Berrien, Cass, And Van Buren Counties, Rosemary E. Mcdaniel

Dissertations

Problem. As our society changes, new demands are made on families and their children. This creates problems, concerns, and needs which should be addressed by the schools. Consequently, school psychologists will be expected to broaden their present roles and functions to meet these demands. The dilemma is to know what adjustments within the role of school psychology must be made in order to keep up with the changes in society, particularly those which affect school-age children and their families.

Method. This study was an attempt to examine actual and desired functions and training needs of school psychologists within Southwestern …

An Examination Of Employees' Understanding And Implementation Of The Information Security Program At Xyz Engineering Center, Dale J. Mancini

Dissertations

Purpose of Study. Due to an increase in global competition and employee dishonesty, the need for information security is on the rise. Consequently the XYZ Engineering Center faces an ever-increasing threat of industrial espionage and information theft. Employees of the Center have been given the product-security policy and have been encouraged to secure confidential information. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the level at which employees at the XYZ Engineering Center understand, value, and practice information security. Additionally, the study also examined employee views on physical safety while at work.

Methodology. The study used analysis of variance and a …

“You Are With Someone Who Is A Fighter”: Constructing A Model Of Transformation Which Can Occur In Surviving Breast Cancer, Helen Hays Eckmann Edd

Dissertations

The American Cancer Society estimated a quarter of a million women would be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. For each of those, another ten women are living with or have survived this disease. At diagnosis, most women view their futures with dread. As with other extreme traumas, the diagnosis of breast cancer can bring profound transformation (Jackson, 1983; LeShan, 1994; O'Brien, 1995). In this study, seven survivors of breast cancer articulate their journeys through this disease and detail how they were able construct transformed lives. The women described how they turned tragedy into triumph. Individual interviews were conducted and …

Career Paths To Navy Admiral, Lilly "Ericka" A. Jordan Edd

Dissertations

A significant disparity exists between the numbers of male and female personnel among high-ranking officers serving in the U.S. Navy. The general perception is that women have not been part of the Navy long enough to be in the flag officer's ranks. However, it has been over 30 years since the Navy first placed women in the ranks of flag officers. The purpose of the study is to trace the most common professional career paths followed by male and female flag officers in the U.S. Navy and to examine how certain aspects of a military career might have influenced selection …

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 …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Activation Therapy In The Treatment Of Acute Unipolar Depression, Jenifer M. Cullen

Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the clinical effectiveness of Behavioral Activation (BA) Therapy, the behavioral activation component of Beck's Cognitive Therapy (CT; Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). Seventeen adults seeking mental health services for Unipolar Depression were recruited from the Kalamazoo and Southwestern Michigan regions. All participants were randomly assigned to either (a) an Immediate Treatment Group, or (b) a waitlist control group, while both received 10 weeks o f BA therapy. Depressive symptomatology for both conditions were assessed at pretreatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, Ball, & Ranieri, 1996), the …

Three Essays On Economic Reform: Effects On Human Development, Fertility, And Factor Shares, Khaled Ibrahim Abdel-Kader

Dissertations

This dissertation contains three essays on economic reform programs supported by the IMF and World Bank. Using appropriate theoretical and empirical models, we investigate the impact of reform on three aspects of economic development: (1) human development, (2) fertility, and (3) income shares of factors of production. In the first essay, we examine the long-run impact of reform on different measures o f human development and income. Empirical results show that reform has long-run positive impact on GDP per capita and measures of human development. However, worse initial macroeconomic conditions offset this impact. In the second essay, we examine the …

The Relationship Between Insurance Type And Health Care Costs, Use And Choice Of Outpatient Provider, Dan-Alexandru Balan

Dissertations

The impact of insurance type on health care is a very important topic in health economics. This dissertation examines the relationship between insurance type and health care cost, use and outpatient provider choice using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. I examine separately three types of services: emergency, nonemergency hospital care and outpatient because the effect of insurance type on use may depend on the type of health care service provided. The insurance types analyzed are Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), private fee-for-service employer insurance, private fee-for-service non-employer insurance, government insurance and self insurance. For each service, individuals paying for health …

Specifying The Psychomotor Domain Of The Construct Of Nursing Competence, Joni L. Jones

Dissertations

The measurement of an individual's predicted performance in his/her field is a requirement of many professions. The NCLEX-RN® is the measurement tool used to determine whether or not new graduates of registered nursing programs are competent to enter the profession. Although there are three domains of learning in nursing (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) the only domain tested for licensure is the cognitive. Many factors contribute to the lack of testing in the psychomotor area. One of the major impediments is that the entry-level psychomotor domain for registered nursing has yet to be defined. The purpose of this study was to …

Co-Occurring Disorders And Selective Substance Use In Females Ages 10 To 25 Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nancy A. Clinton

Dissertations

The paucity o f research on females diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) precipitated this exploratory investigation into co-occurring disorders and selective substance use in females (n = 70), ranging in age between 10 and 25, diagnosed with ADHD and substance use disorder (SUD). Data extracted from archived substance abuse treatment center records were tested via chi-square analyses to determine proportional differences between frequencies in predetermined co-occurring disorder groups (disruptive behavior disorders, moodanxiety disorders, and learning disorders) and predetermined substance groups (stimulant, depressant, and cannabis) for the total ADHD cohort and for specific diagnoses (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, combined, and with …

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 …

Teaching My Son To Be A Father: The Plight Of Unmarried Adolescent African American Fathers, Michael George Till

Dissertations

A quantitative research design was utilized to examine and understand the perceptions of fatherhood and manhood held by unmarried African American adolescent fathers. In face-to-face 60-90 minute interviews using a semistructured interview guide developed by the researcher, participants were asked open-ended questions to provide these young men with a voice and an opportunity to express their needs, support, neglect, understanding, and perception of how society views them and its impact on the functioning of the family unit. Using purposeful sampling, 10 unmarried African American adolescent fathers, located in the southwestern area of Michigan, were interviewed for data collection.

Interviews were …

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 …

After Turning Points: Evidence Of The Adoption Of Middle School Reforms In The United States 1987-2000., Nancy Barnes Mansberger

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption by U.S. middle schools of key practices recommended by the 1989 Turning Points report. Three questions were examined: (1) To what extent have the organizational practices identified by research to impact the development of "small learning communities" been adopted by U.S. middle schools? (2) To what extent do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers reflect developmentally responsive or traditional/bureaucratic methods?, and (3) Do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers differ between those who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in …

Examining The Experiences Of Nontraditional Undergraduate Women: Pedagogy Versus Andragogy, Beverly Ann Hair

Dissertations

Increasing numbers of nontraditional students, of whom many are women, are enrolling in two-year and four-year colleges and universities. The purpose ofthis study is to critically examine the experiences of nontraditional undergraduate women and their preferred learning environment--pedagogy vs. andragogy. Students were asked to respond to a variety of questions in order to reflect upon their preferred learning environment. The researcher looked for differences inthe experiences of 20 (ten Black and ten White) nontraditional female undergraduate college students within their respective institutions based on their race, socioeconomic background, age, and religious background. Also, the researcher focused on why these nontraditional …

The Development And Psychometric Testing Of An Instrument Measuring The Use Of Intuition By Nursing Students, Anita Joel Smith Phd, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

Measurement of intuition use among nursing students has not occurred because developed intuition measures have been designed specifically for experienced nurses. The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate an intuition instrument for nursing students. An intuition instrument can provide the means to (a) determine if students use intuition in care providing activities and (b) measure intuition use over time. Instrument development included (a) concept clarification, (b) item development, and (c) psychometric testing. Intuition was defined as a nonlinear process of knowing perceived through physical awareness, emotional awareness, and/or through physical or spiritual connections. Content experts established …

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 …

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 …