Digital Commons Network^™

Adolescent Female Substance Abuse: Risk And Resiliency Factors, Mary Bemker

Dissertations

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) abuse is a major social and health concern for adolescent females. For the first time, female use patterns are converging with male patterns among U.S. adolescents. Despite evidence that gender differences could be associated with ATOD origin and precipitating factors, little attention has been directed to female adolescents and ATOD use. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to explore the experiences of adolescent females in relation to ATOD risk and resiliency factors present in their lives. This investigation used the Neuman systems model as its theoretical framework. Grounded theory methodology was employed to …

Developing Social And Emotional Skills In Early Childhood Instruction: A Delphi Study, Tess Breen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore social and emotional learning in early childhood instruction with an emphasis on identifying the methods expert early childhood teachers use to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation, to have the teachers rate the impact of these methods, and to identify the specific activities used to implement the six most highly rated methods.

Methodology: This study utilized the Delphi method which is an iterative process used to collect and distill the judgments of experts using a series of questionnaires interspersed with feedback. Fourteen participants recommended strategies to …

Succession Planning For First-Year, P-12 Principals, Brannon Johnson

Dissertations

In order to improve retention of first-year principals, all schools should have a leadership succession plan for first-year, P-12 principals to help improve principal effectiveness and retention (Fink & Brayman, 2006). Russell and Sabina (2014) defined succession planning as the explicit design and implementation of programs to identify and develop high-quality principal candidates. Further, succession planning is about ensuring that the next set of leaders is trained and poised to take on leadership responsibilities when needed (Beaulieu, n. d.).

It is clear that the challenges of being a principal are great, and that this is especially true during the early …

A New Keynesian, Neo-Institutional Synthesis: Connecting And Explaining Under-Evaluated Risks In Consumption, Trade, And Finance, Todd Barry

Dissertations

The overall research questions addressed in this dissertation are twofold. First, what are the largest, under-evaluated (or unorthodox) factors that cause growth volatility in both the short and long terms? Second, how can one best determine how much risk is being taken across both of these periods, and how can states increase and/or diversify their risks? The principle hypotheses are that finicky consumerism and structural economic changes, undiversified trade, and under-financed investment contribute significantly to growth volatility. Above all, risk taking actions and policies in countries cause economies to fluctuate. Further, the dissertation suggests that the short-term risk characteristics of …

Technique For The Developing Dramatic Soprano, Amber James

Dissertations

This dissertation was inspired by a Facebook post by David L. Jones regarding common pedagogical problems in the dramatic soprano Fach. I am a dramatic soprano, who has dealt with many of the technical problems listed in his post. David L. Jones is an internationally recognized teacher and coach and has worked with some of the most well-known professional dramatic sopranos. After considering these pedagogical challenges, it was decided the best course of action was to interview professional singers, teachers, and coaches in the dramatic soprano Fach. After conducting a state of research, it was found that there …

Refugee Resettlement And Perceptions Of Insecurity: A Comparative Study Of The United States And Canada, Erik Amundson

Dissertations

In the United States and Canada, refugee resettlement has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and political debate, particularly since the November 2015 terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) against targets in Paris. While public opinion polls have shown increasingly negative attitudes toward refugees, existing survey questionnaires only provide a limited understanding of what shapes these views. As such, this study focuses on two important factors that influence attitude formation toward refugees, pre-existing levels of knowledge and contact with minority groups. Using a comparative case study approach, this research examines how refugee resettlement …

A Study Of Acculturative And Linguistic Experiences Of Syrian Refugees In The United States From 2011 – 2018, Amany Habib

Dissertations

Research examining the acculturation and linguistic processes of Syrian refugees resettling in the United States from 2011 – 2018 is limited. In order to learn about the acculturative and linguistic experiences of this unique group of refugees, the current study sought to collect data related to these two experiences within the resettled Syrian refugee population living in the U.S.A. since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Acquiring the language of a host country is necessary but language-learning experiences vary depending on a number of factors. This research attempted to elucidate the challenges of Syrian refugees in their …

Participation In Winter Guard International As Experienced By Ten Stakeholders: A Phenomenological Study, Jeremy Morgan

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the essence of Winter Guard International (WGI) as lived by ten stakeholders, invested individuals currently serving in leadership roles within the percussion and winds divisions of the WGI organization. Through the lens of a social constructivist theoretical framework, and the use of individual interviews to obtain data, this study considered what participants have experienced and the contexts in which these experiences have taken place. Grounded theory concepts were used initially to clarify the perspective and scope of the study. Analysis of the data involved the identification of significant statements from participant …

Nurse Expectations As Compared To Perceived Reality, Kathryn Mckelvy

Dissertations

Burnout and turnover in nursing have been well documented in nursing literature, but little is known about a nurse’s expectations of the profession compared to their perceived reality of the profession. Do these expectations meet the reality of the workplace, and does this cause the nurse to make a career change? What factors influence a nurse to leave the profession, job-hop, or return to school to further their education? The rate of nurse turnover is an ongoing issue with a lack of research regarding the foundation of nurse expectations compared to the realities of the profession.

The purpose of this …

Factors For Influencing Intervention For Dyslexia, Michele Schraeder

Dissertations

Although instructional leadership and transformational leadership styles of elementary school principals have been found to be effective variables in increasing academic progress for students, the integration of instructional and transformational leadership behaviors has proved to be the most effective form of leadership. However, many students in elementary schools have difficulty learning to read despite good leadership by the principal, with 5-20% of students being diagnosed with dyslexia. While these students need phonetic, multisensory intervention to build necessary reading skills, many principals report lack of knowledge of this specialized instruction. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore variables that …

Self-Care Vs. Self-Sacrifice In Medical-Surgical Nursing Culture: A Critical Ethnography, Elise Jordan Juergens

Dissertations

The critical ethnography research examines need prioritization culture among medical-surgical nurses. Grove, Burns, and Gray (2013) define the problem statement as an explicit identification of the research need. Literature search yields scarce ethnographic research on the nursing population as a culture-sharing group, and no qualitative research exists regarding medical-surgical nurses’ self-need prioritization. The purpose of this critical ethnography is to observe medical-surgical nursing culture, related to personal need prioritization, as reflected by behavior and dialogue.

Qualitative research methodology is appropriate where statistical data is not. Research motivation involves seeking insight and sociocultural understanding. Critical ethnography is the chosen qualitative research …

The Baritone To Tenor Transition, John White

Dissertations

Many notable opera singers have been virtuosic tenors; Franco Corelli, Plácido Domingo, James King, José Carreras, Ramón Vinay, Jon Vickers, and Carlo Bergonzi. Besides being great tenors, each of these singers share the fact that they transitioned from baritone to tenor.

Perhaps nothing is more destructive to the confidence of a singer than to have his vocal identity or voice type challenged. Many singers have experienced this, and not always by way of advice or as a gentle suggestion, but rather, as a solution to a fundamental deficiency regarding the singer’s voice. Though undergoing a transition to another vocal fach …

Tribal Governance In The United States: Adaptation And Change, Michelle Watts

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the body of knowledge on indigenous governance, specifically that of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. This project examined how differing circumstances of Native Nations influence how Native Nations leaders perceive their ability to govern and their relationships with non-indigenous entities. It sought a greater understanding of the cultural adaptations of Native Nations, and how these adaptations influence governance and relationships with state and federal government entities. To gather information, surveys were sent out to all leaders of Native Nations in the United States, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) …

Male Nurse Practitioners' Views On Nursing Education As A Career Option: An Inductive Qualitative Content Analysis, James Mcdavid

Dissertations

As the nursing shortage continues, the demand for new nurses will increase. In 2015, nursing schools in the United States turned away 62,361 qualified applicants in the baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs (Fang, Li, Arietti, & Trautman, 2016). The number of funded, vacant nursing faculty positions increased from 6.9% in 2014 to 7.1% in 2015 (Fang et al., 2016). One idea to help with the nursing faculty shortage is to recruit male RNs into nurse faculty positions. Males count for 10.6% of nurses in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). However, men only count for 5.5% of …

What Makes Employees Stay? Examining Social Exchange Relationships, Organizational Commitment, And Intent To Leave Among Casino Employees, Laura Haley

Dissertations

Turnover in the hospitality industry is higher than any other industry. In order for organizations to ensure their competitive advantage, they must continually facilitate ways to improve social exchange relationships, increase organizational commitment, and reduce intent to leave. Implementation of strategic HRD initiatives aimed at encouraging the development of leader-member exchange, team member exchange, and coworker exchange are important to increasing organizational commitment and reducing intent to leave. The purpose is to identify if a specific type of Social Exchange influences organizational commitment and intent to leave above others.

Results of this non-experimental study indicated that leader-member exchange, team member …

Hydrogen Bond Mediated Water Structuring, Diffusion, And Elastic Properties In Acrylamide Copolymer Glycohydrogels, April Levu Fogel

Dissertations

Glycohydrogels have recently gained considerable interest as biocompatible and high water content hydrogels that have similar physicochemical nature to the cell membrane, making them ideal materials for targeted biomedical and personal care applications (e.g., drug delivery systems, biosensors, and contact lenses). Regardless of the specific application, water-polymer and water-water hydrogen bonding interactions have been shown to dictate hydration stability and diffusional properties in traditional hydrogel architectures (e.g., crosslinked HEMA). However, due to the development of glycohydrogel materials within the past two decades, most literature focuses on synthetic techniques and general hydration characteristics. Furthermore, scant literature examines the effect of hydrophobically …

Structure-Property Relationships Of Solvent-Cast Organic Thin Films For Model Corrosion Control Coatings, Austin Maples

Dissertations

This dissertation aimed at answering several fundamental questions, specifically: 1) What is the effect of scribing parameters on visual corrosion assessments? 2) What role do molecular weight, residual solvent, and polymer composition have on morphological changes in organic thin films? 3) What alternatives to visual assessments could be implemented to better understand and detect corrosion before macroscopic failure? This research definitively proved that scribes can vary in type and dimensions, and yet are still comparable if the scribe dimensions before exposure are known. Furthermore, it demonstrated that solvents common to a variety of coating industries could become trapped within the …

Voluntary Professional Development In Thailand: Teachers’ Motivation, Professional Life Phase, And Contingencies Of Self-Worth, Pongwat Fongkanta

Dissertations

To address the increasing focus on teacher proficiency, professional development opportunities for teachers are routinely provided in Thailand. The focus of this work is on professional development at the individual level and addresses teachers’ motivation for self-improvement and their own worth. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to first validate the relative importance of teachers’ motivation for participating in voluntary professional development and contingencies of self-worth. Secondly, the study sought to determine the relationship of the indicators that contribute to teacher participation with contingencies of self-worth. Lastly, this study examined in what way professional life phase may be related …

Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Social Alienation For Student Veterans, Nicole Marie Justice

Dissertations

The number of veterans who return to college and university campuses following separation from the military is the highest since World War II and those numbers are expected to continue to rise (McBain, Kim, Cook, & Snead, 2012). Important to note is student veterans are a distinct sub-population of students on college and university campuses who have unique experiences and challenges--both as a result of their military experience as well as challenges that accompany transitioning from military to institutions of higher education. Given that unique challenges for this population often have a profound impact on social or interpersonal domains for …

Counseling In Spanish And English: Phenomenological Experiences Of Bilingual Counselors, Bradley James Crookston

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand how bilingual professional counselors experience bilingual counseling in Spanish and English. I was additionally interested in learning how bilingual professional counselors develop their bilingual skills for bilingual counseling. Further, how counselor educators and supervisors can assist bilingual professional counselors in their development of bilingual skills was of note. Twelve professional counselors were interviewed for the study from various regions in the United States of America. Through thematic analysis, five main themes and 13 subthemes were identified. The findings provide specific implications for bilingual professional counselors, counselor educators, and supervisors. …

A Comparison Of Saxophone Mouthpieces Using Fourier Analysis To Quantify Perceived Timbre, Mark Robert Pipes

Dissertations

The saxophone mouthpiece significantly contributes to the overall timbre of the instrument. Specialized mouthpiece designs employ combinations of chamber shape, facing dimensions, and material to create a potential sound and response for the performer. Also, manufacturers claim that ligatures affect tonal brightness. However, there is a lack of scientific data reflecting the impact of the claimed tonal characteristics of the specified designs on timbre. With the advent of the smartphone application, the spectrum analysis (also known as impedance spectra) resulting from a Fourier Transform has recently become available to a mass audience. This technology is being investigated to quantify timbre …

Development And Validation Of Hybrid Continuum/Structural Finite Element Model For Evaluating Foot And Ankle Biomechanics, Saif Alrafeek

Dissertations

Bone is composed of two structures: compact bone and spongy bone. Spongy bone porosity highly affects the strength and the physical endurance of bone to carry loads. Most studies use continuum finite element (FE) approaches to model spongy bone and neglect porosity. Neglecting porosity may not efficiently assist orthopaedic surgeons to treat patients who experience bone physical disability. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate an inexpensive approach that simulates spongy bone with more accurate capturing of porosity and less requirements of bone information. The approach is developed through investigating the mechanical characteristics of spongy bone; that is, by …

Assessing The Supports And Variables Needed For Graduation Of Students Receiving Special Education Service: A Longitudinal Study, Jennifer Dewaard

Dissertations

Graduation from high school is an important measure of success for both schools and individuals. While requirements for graduation change, the rate at which students receive a diploma within four years is on the rise. But students who receive special education services continue to have a lower graduation rate than the general population. It is imperative for both schools and individual students to increase this rate and close the gap for those receiving a diploma.

The purpose of this study is to examine that gap between graduation rates for the total population of a high school in West Michigan compared …

Vision-Based Framework For Monitoring Of Eating Behavior Of Persons With Alzheimer’S Disease, Haitham Al-Anssari

Dissertations

Dementia is a syndrome used to describe an array of significant declines in cognitive abilities due to progressive and irreversible loss of neurons and brain functioning. This neurodegeneration seriously affects daily life activities like driving, shopping, working and speaking. Among these, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, with individuals experiencing loss of memory and thinking and reasoning skills. Due to cognitive decline, individuals with Alzheimer’s often suffer from malnutrition, since they do not eat, even when food is presented, and must be fed with assistance. This assistance presents a significant burden of time to caregivers, and consequently …

Stakeholder Perspectives: Implementation Of Local School Wellness Policies In The Kent Intermediate School District, Adrienne A. Wallace

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes and perception of stakeholders (teachers, principals, nutrition service directors, nutrition service supervisors, school nurses, nutrition specialists and administrators) toward the implementation of the local school wellness policy in public schools within Kent County, Michigan. The subjects of interest were stakeholders from more than 300 schools and 20 public school districts within the Kent Intermediate School District. Subjects responded to a survey assessing their perspectives regarding the implementation of the local school wellness policy pursuant to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 an Obama-era policy, the results were then examined using …

Preventing Sexual Victimization: An Assertiveness Training Program For Female Adolescents, Emily Morgan

Dissertations

Unwanted sexual experiences occur too frequently in the United States and result in myriad deleterious consequences. The first instances of unwanted sexual experiences for females most frequently occur during adolescence (ages 12 to 17). Despite this, the majority of literature on sexual victimization and victimization prevention programs focus on college-aged females, thus leaving a need for research on prevention programs for adolescent females. The present study examined the effects of an assertiveness training program on the risk for sexual coercion among adolescent females. A behavioral skills training model (i.e. instruction, model, rehearsal, and feedback) was used to teach seven adolescent …

Mid-Level Student Affairs Professionals Worklife Negotiation And The Use Of Mobile Technology: A Case Study, Christopher M. Mullen

Dissertations

The mainstream media and academic research have covered worklife balance increasingly over the last couple of decades. Worklife balance, the notion that one’s work and life domains are equal, is a challenge for most working professionals. It has become even more significant with the prevalence of mobile technology such as smartphones and the continuously connected society in which we live. Student affairs professionals are not immune to worklife balance issues, particularly because they are in a field in which there are long hours and night and weekend work. This dissertation study uses work/family border theory to consider the following research …

Exploration Of Post-Secondary Preparation In Urban, Suburban, And Rural High Schools In The State Of Missouri, Rashida J. Mckinley

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze how high schools in the state of Missouri’s rural, suburban, and urban areas were preparing students for post-secondary education and career readiness. The researcher analyzed the state of Missouri secondary data gathered from the 2013 through 2017 school years, in urban, suburban, and rural high schools. The researcher also surveyed school guidance counselors and administrators. The data represented consisted of ACT Composite Scores, Annual Performance Reports, Post-Secondary Placements, Career and Technical Education Placements, Dropout Rates, and Graduation Rates. This examination utilized a mixed method study to gain an understanding of each school’s …

A Heuristic Inquiry Into Female Student-Athletes' Experiences Of Identity Loss After Retirement From Sport, Catherine Cody Wooten

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of retired female athletes after they have retired from Division I athletics. The study sought to understand retired female athletes' subsequent transition out of athletics and their loss in identity, if any. With increased understanding of psychological and emotional facets of retired female athletes, counselors may be able to provide more appropriate and well-tailored interventions, support, and guidance required for adaptive transitions in identity. Six retired female athletes were recruited to describe their lived experiences of transition out of athletics in a single semi-structured audio interview. Data comprised participants' …

Administrative Barriers To Compliance With The 2010 Ncaa Policy On Concussion Management, Tyler Norman

Dissertations

Concussions and concussion management in sport have become a polarizing public health issue. The best concussion assessment practices and “return-to-play” guidelines have been debated in both the scientific arena and in the media. At risk is the health of the athletes when proper diagnosis and treatment are not accurate for this potentially devastating injury.

Recent research estimates that approximately 1.6 – 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur each year in the United States (Brady, 2011), which can lead to chronic disease, swelling of the brain, cognitive impairment, chronic headaches, mood disorders, depression, blurred vision, double vision, cranial hemorrhaging and death if …