Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Recruitment And Retention Strategies Of High-Performing Public School Districts In Missouri, Zebadiah Thomas Wallace

Dissertations

Teachers are the most-significant controllable factor that leads to student achievement (Hattie & Anderman, 2013). Accordingly, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers are the most-significant variables for student success that can be controlled by school leaders (Fraynd, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine teacher recruitment and retention strategies of high-performing public school districts in Missouri. Specifically, this study was designed to compare the perceptions of human resource directors and teachers to identify trends, commonalities, and differences to more fully understand the recruitment and retention of teachers. Participants received an online survey to elicit their perceptions of effective recruitment …

Exemplary Leaders’ Use Of Power And Influence To Cultivate An Ethical Organizational Climate: Case Studies Of Millennial Leaders In Admissions/Enrollment Management In Private Non-Profit Higher Education, Sasha Crowley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe how exemplary Millennial leaders in admissions/enrollment management use power and influence to create ethical organizational climate and to describe essential tactics Millennial leaders in admissions/enrollment management use to sustain an ethical climate.

Methodology: Qualitative case study methodology was used to provide a detailed description of the perspectives of 11 exemplary Millennial leaders in admissions/enrollment management in private non-profit higher education institutions in California, Oregon, and Washington and their approach to power, influence, leadership, and organizational climate. Case study instruments were developed through the lens of a …

How Exemplary Industrial Production Managers Lead Successfully Through The Turbulence Of The Covid-19 Crisis, Wendi Fast

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover and describe behaviors that exemplary industrial production managers in organizations practice to lead their organizations through the turbulent times of COVID -19 using the leadership attributes of personal temperament, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and moral purpose.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological research design. Data was collected from 10 interviews of industrial production managers and artifacts collected to discover and describe behaviors that industrial production managers in manufacturing organizations practice to lead their organizations through the turbulent times of the COVID-19 crisis.

Findings: The study revealed 27 …

How Exemplary Industrial Production Managers Lead Successfully Through The Turbulence Of The Covid-19 Crisis, Wendi Fast

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover and describe behaviors that exemplary industrial production managers in organizations practice to lead their organizations through the turbulent times of COVID -19 using the leadership attributes of personal temperament, concern for the collective interest, resilience, and moral purpose.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological research design. Data was collected from 10 interviews of industrial production managers and artifacts collected to discover and describe behaviors that industrial production managers in manufacturing organizations practice to lead their organizations through the turbulent times of the COVID-19 crisis.

Findings: The study revealed 27 …

How Do Exemplary Public School Superintendent Lead During Turbulent Times By Relying On Their Moral Purpose, Concern For The Collective Interest, Personal Temperament, And Resilience, Jason Lea

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to the describe behaviors that exemplary superintendents practice to lead their organizations through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, personal temperament, and resilience.

Methodology: This phenomenological study examined 12 exemplary superintendents in California who have led districts with a student population with at least 1,500 students, who have been in the position for a minimum of 2 years in the same district during a crisis period that occurred within the past 5 years, led their districts during turbulent times. Participants were interviewed on an …

Regulation Of Self-Love, Kruti Surti

Dissertations

While the concept of self-love is well-known in today’s society, it remains unknown how self-love can be increased. Increasing self-love may help individuals decrease stress and promote well-being. The current study tested how self-love and pleasantness can be increased and whether anxiety levels and personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with self-love increase. In this study, participants (N = 108; 86 women, 20 men, 1 gender queer, 1 other (not specified)) completed questionnaires related to self-compassion, self-efficacy, anxiety, and personality. Then, participants completed an online self-love regulation task in which they read prompts that encouraged them …

The Covid-19 Pivot To Online Education And Bsn Graduates’ Readiness To Practice, Abigail Schulte

Dissertations

There is a major nursing shortage worldwide, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to invest in the acceleration of nursing education to meet global needs. Nursing schools had to pivot to online education overnight, and many are unsure how this has impacted students. The purpose of this study is to see if the pivot to online education, prompted by COVID-19, impacted the readiness to practice and grade point averages (GPA) of graduating Bachelor of Nursing students. In this quantitative study, a casual-comparative survey design is used to test for readiness to practice and program modality. A cross-sectional design …

Effective Mindfulness Practices For Reducing Veteran Teacher Perceived Stress, Michael Brouillette

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to measure and describe the extent to which mindfulness practices impact veteran teacher perceived stress. In addition, it was the purpose of the study to capture the most effective mindfulness practices of veteran teachers to reduce veteran teacher perceived stress.

Methodology: This study used a mixed methods study research methodology. Data were collected from 15 teachers in the form of answers to the Perceived Stress Scale and interviews to collect their lived experiences. Responses from veteran teachers who have used mindfulness for at least 1 year were analyzed with the objective …

Hiding In Heteronormative Sight: Students' Concealment Of (Nonhetero)Sexual Identity In Public Schools, Kristine Carey

Dissertations

Increased legal protections and visibility in popular media of sexual minority persons can lead some to believe that sexual prejudice is a thing of the past (Kite & Bryant-Lees, 2016). However, national statistics still show sexual minority youth at greater risks for self-harming thoughts and attempts than their heteronormative counterparts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2019); and indicate schools as particularly hostile environments for these youth as well (Kowsic, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). The current study looks to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on the experience …

The Use Of Scorecards To Improve Documentation Of Obstetrical Blood Loss, Marilyn Cejka Steinberg

Dissertations

Obstetric hemorrhage is one of the most common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The measurement of quantitative blood loss (QBL) at delivery prevents clinicians from failing to recognize hemorrhage in healthy obstetric patients who initially compensate for excessive blood loss. The purpose of this project was to improve the compliance of labor and delivery nurses in a community hospital with consistent QBL measurement. Key theories that formed the basis for the project were Lewin's theory of planned change and homeostasis. The project question addressed was: Is the use of weekly scorecards to provide feedback to nurses with both blinded …

Perceptions Of Graduates From Online Accelerated Pre-Licensure Second-Degree Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Programs On Quality Of Educational Experience And Readiness For Clinical Practice, Virginia L. Jones

Dissertations

There is an increasing use of distance learning methods being utilized for nursing education. Accelerated second-degree Bachelor of Science in nursing (ASDBSN) programs have increased rapidly from 31 in 1990 to 230 in 2013 with 33 more programs in the planning stages according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2013). There are currently three identified online pre-licensure, ASDBSN programs. There are research studies focusing on graduates from this type of nursing programs using the traditional format, which is the face-to-face college experience, but a lack of literature regarding graduates of the online learning format. This qualitative descriptive study …

The Effect Of A Culture Of Safety On Patient Throughput, Laurie Lee Dawn Dillon

Dissertations

There is a national movement to create improvements in patient safety and outcomes due to evolutionary changes in the healthcare. Many health care organizations are using the framework of a culture of safety in order to create a reliable and stable work environment that emphasizes safety and improves patient outcomes. Patient throughput, defined as the active management of the supply of patient beds (rooms for occupation) to the demand of patients to beds and the length of time it takes for this action to occur, has been identified as one of the areas in need of improvement. This study considered …

An Analysis Of Transformational Leadership In Youth Nonprofit Programs, Danielle Priest

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe how nonprofit organization youth leaders perceive the importance of transformational leadership qualities in mentoring youth in leadership programs based on Bass and Riggio’s (2006) four transformational leadership qualities.

Methodology: This mixed-methods study examined the experiences of nonprofit organizations’ youth program leaders and examined the presence of transformational leadership qualities in their approach to providing program leadership to youth programs. An explanatory sequential study was utilized as it allowed the researcher to first analyze quantitative data, then follow with collection of qualitative data.

Findings: The findings showed respondents had …

Administrative Trust As A Contributor To Forensic Coach Burnout And Exit, Benjamin Schultz Pyle

Dissertations

This study sought to determine whether a relationship exists and its extent between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in university administrators and burnout and exit in intercollegiate forensic coaches. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in their university administrators with both intercollegiate forensic coach satisfaction and intercollegiate forensic coach burnout in predicting intercollegiate forensic coach exit from forensics.

Fifty-seven intercollegiate forensic educators participated in the research, including 37 directors of forensics. Data analysis revealed significant relationships between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in university administrators, intercollegiate forensic coach satisfaction, intercollegiate forensic coach burnout, and intercollegiate forensic coach …

Life Satisfaction: Aging Female Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Deborah Ann Monson

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between aging female informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and care recipients’ PWD demographic factors, aging female informal caregivers of PWD social support factors, positive and negative feelings, a sense of flourishing, stress, and life satisfaction.

Background/Rationale

Older adults with dementia are living longer and the majority are receiving care by aging female informal caregivers. Dementia incrementally worsens over time impacting informal caregiver life satisfaction. Most studies have focused on negative aspects of informal caregiving. Therefore, this study investigated both positive and negative aspects of caregiving.

Conceptual Basis …

Mixed Methods Study Of The Relationship Between Students’ Perceptions Of School Climate, Attendance, And Academic Achievement, Danielle Nicole Carter

Dissertations

As previous studies have shown a relationship between school climate, attendance, and academic achievement within public schools nationwide, the current mixed methods study of the relationship between students’ perception of school climate, attendance, and academic achievement sought to explore such relationships within an urban charter high school in the Midwest. The researcher specifically examined student perceptions of teaching and learning, student-teacher relationships, school safety, and overall climate and investigated whether such perceptions were related to attendance rates or grade point average. For this study, approximately 63 participants in grades 9-12 voluntarily completed anonymous, electronic surveys (adapted from Panorama Instrument with …

Educating Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: The Us Constitution, Citizenship And Disability, Julie Ramirez

Dissertations

This qualitative, design-based research study focuses on teaching citizenship to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The participants were middle school students who communicate in a variety of ways, many of whom don’t use speech. In the State of Illinois, the general education population is required to pass the U.S. Constitution test. However, in spite of a mandate that students with disabilities should have access to the general education curriculum, students with significant intellectual disabilities are not required to learn about the constitution or their rights as citizens. The goal of the research was to meet the needs of all students through …

Design Of Graphene-Based Sensors For Nucleic Acids Detection And Analysis, Asma’ Wasfi Fayez Mustafa

Dissertations

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the blueprint of life as it encodes all genetic information. In genetic disorder such as gene fusion, Copy Number Variation (CNV), and single nucleotide polymorphism, Nucleic acids such as DNA bases detection and analysis is used as the gold standard for successful diagnosis. Researchers have been conducting rigorous studies to achieve genome sequences at low cost while maintaining high accuracy and high throughput. A quick, accurate, and low-cost DNA detection approach would revolutionize medicine. Genome sequence helps to enhance people’s perception of inheritance, disease, and individuality. This research aims to improve DNA bases detection accuracy, and …

Novel Insights Into The Anti-Diabetic Mechanism(S) Of Withania Coagulans And Its Active Constituent, Coagulansin-A, Mariyam Khalid Naeem

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a serious medical challenge of the 21st century with a dramatic surge in diabetes cases since the last decade. It accounts for 90-95% of all cases of diabetes mellitus. The interplay between insulin resistance and beta cells dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance in skeletal muscles that leads to a constellation of metabolic disorders, and exhaustion of pancreatic beta cells to maintain euglycemia. The inability of pancreatic beta cells to compensate insulin demand in an insulin-resistant state, result in …

A Study Of Military-Connected Parental Perceptions Of Support, Engagement, And Climate, John Patrick Finnane

Dissertations

This quantitative study was conducted to determine military-connected families' perceptions concerning Family Support, School Climate, and Family Engagement after implementing the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity (Astor et al., 2012). Further, this study aimed to determine whether there were significant differences between the districts participating in the study. Two school districts participated in this study. One school district had a student population of greater than 25% military-connected, and one had a population of less than 25%. A third district, which was 100%, chose not to participate in the study due to personnel's stressors on their garrison caused by the global …

Utilization And Evaluation Of Treated Wastewater On The Production Technology Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Under Different Modes Of Cultivation, Fatima Hasan Al Hamedi

Dissertations

In the recent past, the production of wastewater from domestic and industrial sources has been steadily increasing through the population, urbanization, industrial revolution and economic development. In the world, 80% of wastewater consists of several harmful substances and hazardous chemicals that cause many deadly effects to human beings as well as ecosystems. So, the elimination of this toxic substance before discarding into landfills is utilized as an alternative source of water which is an emerging need. Using the treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is an excellent approach for rendering wastewater beneficial. As the quantity of wastewater grows, there is a …

Date Fruit Fiber Variability In Composition, Tissue Distribution, And Contribution To Hardness Of Date Fruits (Phoenix Dactylifera L.), Navomy George

Dissertations

Date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major desert crop and is an integral part of the United Arab Emirates. This study is on the various aspects of dietary fiber of ten Emirati date varieties. The main objective of this dissertation is to analyze the content and composition of mature date fruits and to study their microstructure. The aspects of biomineralization with particular importance to silica phytoliths and lignification are also studied. Finally, the date fruit dietary composition and microstructure are related to the textural attributes of the fruit. Uppsala method of dietary fiber analysis (AOAC 994.13) is used …

Variability Of The Proximate And Protein Composition Of Camel Milk (Camelus Dromedarius), Huda Musa Elsayed Mohamed

Dissertations

Dromedary camel milk (Camelus dromedarius) has unique physical, nutritional, and technological properties when compared with other milk. Unlike bovine milk, the processing of camel milk into fermented products and its treatment using ultra-high temperatures is technically challenging. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the variability in the proximate composition and the protein composition of camel milk collected from individual animals that are reared under intensive management in the UAE. To determine the proximate composition of samples (n = 217) were analyzed by NIR and MIR spectroscopy methods. The results obtained by the two methods were also compared. The …

Conversion Of Lignocellulose Biomass From Date Palm Waste To High Value Chemicals, Emmanuel Galiwango

Dissertations

Lignocellulose biomass has gained growing popularity because of its low cost of production compared to food crops, it solves problems of food and energy security, can grow in various climates and land, and it is CO₂ neutral. Date palm trees produce large amounts of fibrous wastes that are good sources of lignocellulose. There are over 40 million date palm trees in UAE and most of their lignocellulosic wastes (i.e., leaves, surface fibers, bunches, etc.) are currently used for low value applications such as compost or electric generation. However, the lignocellulosic components of this waste stream have the potential to …

Establishing The Roadmap For The Implementation Of Genomic Medicine And Pharmacogenomics In The United Arab Emirates, Azhar Talal Mahmoud Rahma

Dissertations

The slow clinical application of genomic medicine and Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is attributed mainly to lack of knowledge of genomic medicine and PGx and confidence among healthcare professionals, scarcity of infrastructure, and absence of stakeholders’ interest. The objective of this study is to lay out a strategic plan for the implementation of genomic medicine and PGx in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by exploring multiple areas: (1) the educational environment of genomic medicine and PGx in colleges and universities; (2) knowledge, and attitude of the medical and health sciences students, academics, and the healthcare providers; (3) the current infrastructure of genetic …

Geo-Spatial Modeling Of Carbon Sequestration Assessment In Date Palm, Abu Dhabi: An Integrated Approach Of Fieldwork, Remote Sensing, And Gis, Basam Saeed Dahy

Dissertations

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undertaken huge efforts to green the desert and afforestation projects (planted mainly with date palms) hence, reducing its carbon footprint, which have never been accounted for, because of lack of implemented mechanisms and tools to assess the amount of biomass and carbon stock (CS) sequestered by plants in the country. The purpose of this dissertation is to implement a new approach towards assessing the carbon sequestered by date palm (DP) plantations in Abu Dhabi, in both their biomass compartment as well as the soils under beneath, using geospatial technologies (RS and GIS) assessed by …

Managing Value Co-Creation Effectiveness Within The Healthcare Setting Of The Emirate Of Abu Dhabi: Patients’ Perspectives, Mariam Hamad Al Meraikhi

Dissertations

Value co-creation is an emerging trend in the healthcare context, a topic that is attracting increasing attention in modern healthcare settings as the emphasis shifts to encouraging patient engagement in care delivery. Value co-creation seems appropriate for the healthcare setting because of the intrinsic involvement of patients in activities associated with promoting and protecting their health. However, its application in healthcare is still evolving. This study develops a model of how various actors in healthcare delivery can collaborate to improve the delivery and quality of healthcare services. Deeper insights into how to achieve value co-creation in delivering care have received …

Delineating The Binding Sites Of Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus (Mpmv) Gag Precursor Polyprotein (Pr78gag) On Genomic Rna For Its Selective Packaging, Fathima Nuzra Nagoor Pitchai

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Role Of Nerolidol, An Aliphatic Sesquiterpene, In Colon Inflammation, Vishnu Raj

Dissertations

Inflammatory bowel diseases, which comprise Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic and progressive immune-mediated inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Both genetic and environmental factors influence this condition. Conventional therapy to suppress aberrant immune responses seen in IBD with corticosteroid or with biological agents has a high relapse rate that limits their use. Therefore, approximately 40% of IBD patients switch to alternative therapies that include dietary supplements rich in phytochemicals. Nerolidol (NED) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol present in various plants and has potent anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, in the current study, the role of NED …

How Can School Leaders Support Teachers In Becoming Culturally Proficient? Lessons From Teachers And School Leaders That Support Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices, Sherri Simek Rodriguez

Dissertations

This study was a program evaluation of educator cultural proficiency in a suburban school district in Illinois from 2019-2020. The primary research question explored was how school leaders can support teachers to become culturally proficient in order to support underserved students. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from school leader and teacher interviews, and document analysis, this study identified key components to improve culturally proficient practices. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the following: ensure that all staff members examine and eliminate institutional beliefs, policies, practices, and teaching that perpetuate racial inequalities; implement culturally relevant practices; and prepare all …