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Eye Examination:Satisfying A Quality Care Measure In Diabetes, Meera Shekar

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication occurs in patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). A known risk of increased visual impairment associated with DM occurs in patients when the glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c) increases over 7.0%. Therefore, an annual retinal assessment as a quality care measure in diabetes management is necessary. The conducted study aimed to evaluate the documentation of an annual eye exam in all patients with DM in a private family practice clinic and to investigate any possible association between HbA1c level.

Method: This quality improvement study included a retrospective medical record review in …

Motivation Predicts Self-Control Of Racial Bias After Viewing Alcohol Advertisements, Zachary Wolfgang Petzel

Dissertations

Exerting self-control shifts motivation toward rewarding cues (i.e., approach motivation) and impairs control of racial bias. However, whether approach motivation predicts deficits in control of racial bias is unknown. Exertion of self-control is also related to alcohol use, but whether exerting self-control shifts motivation toward alcohol-related cues is not established. Similar to exerting self-control, viewing alcohol-related cues shifts motivation and promotes racial bias. The current study examined the interaction between exerting self-control and viewing alcohol-related cues on approach motivation and its influence on racial bias. Participants (N = 71) exerted (or did not exert) self-control and then viewed neutral …

How School Counselors Cope With Student Suicide: A Qualitative Study, Sara Carpenter

Dissertations

Recognizing that school counselors will likely encounter the tragedy of youth suicide, many counselor educator programs focus on identification of suicidal ideation and prevention, but the field of school counseling remains largely under-equipped regarding how to cope with the aftermath of student suicide. In an effort to expand the qualitative research within the profession on how best to educate, support, and implement suicide postvention strategies, there remained a need to explore the experience of the school counselor in the aftermath of such tragedy. This study addressed how school counselors who were trained in CACREP-accredited programs experience the response to student …

Unmasking Whiteness: Progressing Toward Cultural Responsiveness Within A Rti Framework, Melinda F. Scheetz

Dissertations

Response to Intervention (RTI) developed out of educational policies and practices that comprise NCLB and IDEA. RTI is a system to ensure all students receive high-quality instruction that meets their needs, increases opportunities to learn, and prevents reading failure. A culturally relevant RTI framework offers the most promising pedagogical approach to quality instruction and educational equity. The purpose of this study was to understand, describe, and explore the intersection of culturally relevant practices and RTI. The research questions that guided this study were: What can be learned about a culturally responsive approach to RTI by listening to teachers’ perspectives and …

A Quantitative Comparative Analysis Of Early Learning And Developmental Programs In High Poverty And Low Poverty Counties In Missouri, Tracy Jenkins Pelot

Dissertations

The researcher completed a quantitative comparative content analysis of early childhood developmental programs in high-poverty and low-poverty counties across the state of Missouri. The researcher discussed the importance of early childhood programs in the longevity of academic, professional success and long-term health benefits. Although lawmakers, educators, parents and policy makers emphasized the immense importance of early childhood education, the state of Missouri had not completed an evaluation of early childhood developmental programs for over 15 years. The last study (Fuger et al., 2003), completed in 2003, only evaluated early childhood programs described as part of the state’s Missouri Preschool Project …

A Comparison Of Student Success, Attrition, And Perceptions Of Course Satisfaction In Online Courses With Face-To-Face Health Information Management Associate Degree Programs, Susan L. Foster

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is centered on health information management (HIM) student learning outcomes and attrition in an online learning environment as compared with that of a traditional face-to-face learning environment. Online education has become mainstream and enrollment continues to grow even though overall enrollment in higher education has decreased (Poulin & Straut, 2016). In addition, colleges and universities retain fewer online students than traditional face-to-face students (Brown, 2017). Furthermore, student satisfaction has been labeled as a measure of quality for online education (Online Learning Consortium, 2017). The Community of Inquiry theory of student satisfaction with an online learning …

Religiosity And Attitudes Toward Psychological Health, Distress, And Help-Seeking Among Coptic Orthodox Parishioners, Sandy Guergues Aziz

Dissertations

This study was undertaken to provide information and insights enabling mental health professionals to better understand and treat clients who follow the Coptic Orthodox religion. Using the heuristic phenomenological method dialogues with six members of the Coptic Orthodox church were conducted to learn how religious orientation influences attitudes toward psychological distress and psychological help-seeking in the Coptic Orthodox community. Qualitative analysis of responses revealed the following eight themes: culture informs religiosity, experiencing psychological distress, sources of psychological distress, attitudes toward psychological distress and help-seeking, devotion to the church, dealing with psychological distress religiously, carrying the cross, and priests as psychological …

The Impact Of Learning Contracts On Eating Habits Groups, Jose Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was for the researcher to explore adult education techniques and tools that could be used to explore eating habits within research study groups. The participants enrolled in the research study groups brought their own way of thinking on eating habit discussions based on their unique experience in life. The researcher explored different techniques that could help improve the participants’ quality of life and other positive solutions to benefit the participants. This research study explored the impact of learning contracts on participants with eating habit research-based study groups. The study explored the degree to which learning …

A Correlational Study Of Academic Locus Of Control, Study Preparation, And The Praxis Ii, Elizabeth Polzin

Dissertations

For school counseling candidates, the culmination of the pathway to state certification and/or licensure lies in a passing score on a standardized test. Within the state of Missouri, this test is the Praxis II. Within the state of Missouri, an achievement gap on the pass rates of the Praxis II existed between Caucasian and African American students. Participants in this study, both male and female, attended a Midwestern, private university and spanned a wide range of ages, all older than 20 years. The participant population included African American and Caucasian students. This dissertation sought to explore potential contributors to the …

Advancing Faculty Adoption Of Open Educational Resources In Higher Education: A Delphi Study, Stephanie Brasley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify and describe the perceptions of open educational resources (OER) higher education experts regarding the activities needed at colleges and universities in the United States in order to advance faculty adoption of OER over the next 10 years. Also, this study examined those activities that were most important and had the greatest likelihood of being implemented.

Methodology: The researcher utilized a mixed-methods Delphi study technique to identify and describe activities to advance faculty adoption of OER. The target population for the study consisted of a group of OER higher education faculty …

An Evaluation Of Early Childhood Education Programs: The Parents’ Perspective Of Quality Care, Buu Chau Thai

Dissertations

Early childhood education (ECE) programs play a critical role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children and help to prepare them for kindergarten. Recognizing the benefits of ECE programs, state and federal governments have made notable efforts to make these programs more accessible. However, with various federal, state, and local governments involved in administering and funding ECE programs, a complex, fragmented, and oftentimes confusing system ensued, making the ECE landscape very difficult for parents to navigate. Parents are often the primary decision-makers when selecting educational programs for their children. Studies often focus on practitioners’ or researchers’ perspectives on …

Teacher And Administrator Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, And Practices Related To Equity In A Suburban California School District, Arcia Dorosti

Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of one district’s efforts to reduce the disparities in

educational outcomes among its ethnic groups as well as the disparities in educational

outcomes between its economically disadvantaged students and its students that are not

economically disadvantaged. The literature reviewed began with the larger historical

context around equity issues in education and then discussed in-school and out-of-school

factors affecting educational outcomes. The methods used included interviews with

teachers and administrators, site visits, and classroom observations. The results

summarized the successes and remaining challenges facing the district as it continues its

desired journey towards more equitable …

A Study Of The Global Job Satisfaction And Motivators Of Job Satisfaction Among Long-Tenured Protestant Pastors In Southern California, Ron Armstrong

Dissertations

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine the global job satisfaction of long-tenured Protestant pastors in southern California; to determine what are the facets of job satisfaction that motivate them to remain in their job; to discover what personal characteristics they perceive to have contributed to their long tenure.

Methodology: This study utilizes an explanatory, mixed method design. It is explanatory because it utilizes quantitative methods first, then seeks to better understand those results through qualitative methods (McMillan & Schumacher, 2010).

Findings: The subject pastors are very satisfied with their jobs; report high global job satisfaction; substantially higher …

Living The Dream: The Stories Of Female Foster Youth Alumni With Graduate Degrees, Deshunna Ricks

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the institutional and noninstitutional sources of support that California female foster youth alumni perceive enabled them to successfully complete a graduate degree.

Methodology. The methodology of this study is a multiple-case study design with utilization-focused sampling to explore the information-rich stories of female foster youth alumni with advanced degrees. Semistructured interviews were utilized to collect data from all of the participants.

Findings. The data collection and analysis resulted in six themes for institutional supports: (a) financial aid, (b) academic resources, (c) mental health services, (d) academic advising, …

Parent Perception Of The Working Alliance, Parent Self-Efficacy, And Parent Locus Of Control As Predictors Of Child Therapy Outcome, Christopher Glenn Chandler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that parent-therapist working alliance, parent self-efficacy, and parent locus of control have on child therapy outcomes. Bordin’s model of the working alliance provides a framework for measuring the collaboration between the parents and therapists while Social Cognitive Theory informs the decision to assess parent self-efficacy and parent locus of control.

The research questions were as follows: 1) Does a strong parent and therapist working alliance, as perceived by the parent, predict improved outcomes in child counseling? 2) Does parent self-efficacy predict outcomes in child counseling? 3) Does parent locus of …

A Mixed-Methods Study Investigating The Relationship Between Minority Student Perceptions Of The Climate And Culture Of Their Institution And The Climate And Culture Of Higher Education, Melodie Carr-Winston

Dissertations

The researcher conducted a mixed-methods study at a private, Midwestern, Predominantly White institution in order to determine the relationship between minority student perceptions of higher education and minority student perceptions of their institution. The goal of the study was to determine whether minority student perceptions of the climate and culture of their institution influenced their perception of higher education as a whole. Another objective was to determine whether minority student perceptions connected to minority student retention. To determine the relationship, the researcher surveyed 20 undergraduate, African American students and conducted one-onone interviews with three of the students between the fall …

Finding Hope In Chaos: The Development Of A Tool To Identify Key Factors That College Students Use To Effectively Deal With Adversity, Joetta Harlow Kelly

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify techniques that could be developed into a resource for counselors and other professionals who assist college students in dealing effectively with adversity. In a series of four surveys, 200 people were asked to participate. These included professional counselors and ministers both on and off campus, as well as directors in Student Affairs, such as those in student support services and student life. To accomplish this, questionnaires were developed to identify and allow for tabulation of the counseling techniques most commonly used for students dealing with adversity by those working with college students. …

The Relative Effects Of Religion, Empathy, Anger, And Apology On Forgiveness, Christine P. Lopez

Dissertations

Researchers have begun elucidating the complex relationship between religion and forgiveness. This study examined the effects of religious measures on forgiveness beyond the variance explained by empathy, anger, and apology. Utilizing hierarchical multiple regression, this study investigated the predictive power of religious coping and Catholic religiosity on state forgiveness after controlling for the effects of the strongest known predictor variables: state empathy, state anger, and received apology. A discriminant function analysis allowed this researcher to conceptualize the religious variables further by comparing religious coping with Catholic religiosity. Parishioners from local Catholic churches were invited to participate in an online survey …

A Mixed Methods Study On The Relationship Between Jobfit, Teacherfit, Morgan & Associates Video Screener, And Iobservation In A Suburban Midwest Public School, M. David Duckworth

Dissertations

Research showed a correlation between highly effective teachers and student achievement. Studies also indicated school administrators play a vital role in overall student achievement by hiring quality teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the hiring process used by a Suburban Midwest Public School from 2011 through 2016. During this time, the research site used a systematic approach using various screening tools, JobFit, TeacherFit, and Morgan & Associates Video Interviews, as a way to reduce the time spent on reviewing application materials while hiring highly effective teachers. JobFit, TeacherFit, and Morgan & Associates Video Interview Screener all claim …

A Mixed Method Study Examining Corrective Reading Implementation Models In An Urban Midwest School District, Claudette Denean Vaughn

Dissertations

In this mixed methods study, the researcher analyzed three school years of third through fifth-grade students’ reading scores on the NWEA MAP reading test to determine possible differences in students’ reading growth relative to the instructional delivery model used to provide Corrective Reading as supplemental reading intervention. Students received Corrective Reading intervention with the classroom teacher, the afterschool teacher (both large groups), or in small-groups with the Title I Reading Teacher. Five elementary school principals and 15 teachers answered interview questions related to experiences with Corrective Reading, perceptions of student academic and behavioral outcomes, and perceptions of the three instructional …

Reflection, Insight, And Critical Thinking In Nutrition Diagnostics Graduates, Kristen Jane Williams

Dissertations

Dietitian nutritionists are challenged with processing information and making clinical decisions as part of the nutrition diagnostic process, hence it is important to understand how dietitian nutritionists think and make clinical judgments (Goodman et al., 2018; Trostler & Meyers, 2008). Two major processes underlie decision-making: experiential (intuitive) and rational (conscious) thinking (Croskerry et al., 2017). The reflection process is a metacognitive skill thought to influence thinking (Croskerry, 2017). This mixed methods study was designed to investigate the difference in thinking styles, selfreflection, and insight between graduates of a Dietetic Internship and a combined Master of Science/Dietetic Internship, as well as …

Evaluating The Kentucky Association Of Extension 4-H Agents Annual Conference Using The Re-Aim Framework, Michael Elijah Wilson

Dissertations

The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (REAIM) evaluation framework, as first introduced by Glasgow, Vogt, and Boles (1999), offers a straightforward method for evaluating Extension related programs. In this study, the RE-AIM framework is used to evaluate the Kentucky Association of 4-H Extension Agents (KAE4-HA) annual conference by examining pre-existing organizational data and records that include the results from KAE4-HA post-conference surveys that had never been reviewed as part of a comprehensive program evaluation.

This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter I provides an overview of the study. Chapter II reviews the history of Extension in Kentucky, program …

Intercultural Coworker Relationships (Icors) In The Global Workplace: A Grounded Theory Study, Jennifer L. Morton

Dissertations

Previous research supports what employees intuitively sense: peers make the place (Chiaburu & Harrison, 2008; Schneider, 1987). Extant research suggests coworker relationships have critical influence on outcomes ranging from turnover (Felps, Mitchell, Hekman, Lee, Holtom, & Harman, 2009) to creativity (Homan, Buengeler, Eckhoff, van Ginkel, & Voelpel, 2015) to organizational commitment (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2002) to employee health and well-being (Heaphy & Dutton, 2008). Despite the increase of Intercultural COworker Relationships (ICORs), particularly in multinational firms in the technology industry, research has yet to examine what defines coworker relationship quality in the presence of national cultural differences. In other words, …

Teacher Emotional Intelligence And Best Practices For Classroom Management, Juanita E. Kelley

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how middle school teachers describe their use of the four elements of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management) to reduce student behavioral referrals. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to discover the barriers and benefits to teacher use of the elements of emotional intelligence (EI).

Methodology. This study utilized a qualitative approach to understand how middle school teachers describe their use of the four elements of EI to reduce student behavioral referrals. In addition, a qualitative approach was utilized to discover the barriers and …

Perceptions Of Commuter Students And Faculty: A Mixed Methods Study On Commuter Student Retention, Julie A. Wengert

Dissertations

College student success outcomes have become increasingly significant to many stakeholders as student attrition has proven costly for students, institutions of higher education, and the economy (Foss, Foss, Paynton, & Hahn, 2014; Jobe & Lenio, 2014). Historically, a positive relationship between college students who live on-campus and retention has been found (Astin, 1993; Bronkema & Bowman, 2017; Chickering, 1974; Pike & Kuh, 2005; Schudde, 2011; Soria & Taylor Jr., 2016; Walsh & Robinson Kurpius, 2016). However, commuter students now make up most of the current college student population (Skomsvold, 2014). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to advance …

Factors That Influence K-8 Educators In Regard To Teacher Retention, Jerold C. Osbourn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of teacher retention by researching factors that influence veteran teachers to remain in Missouri’s K-8 school districts. School districts all across the nation face the daunting task of improving student achievement in the face of teacher shortages, especially in rural areas and in hard-to-staff content fields such as math and science (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Harrington, 2017). Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the researcher sought to articulate the core perceptions of superintendents and veteran teachers that lead to longevity and retention in the K-8 school environment and to identify the …

Challenges And Opportunities Of Chinese Immigrant Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Transition Services, Xin Qing

Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to understand the experiences of newly immigrated Chinese students with intellectual disabilities who are in transition programs. In depth interviews were conducted with four students and their families. Quality of life, sense of self, nature of relationships, beliefs about disability, and challenges and opportunities are examined. The study surfaces complex social, cultural, and economic factors that impact students’ experiences. Data indicates that participants’ sense of self are informed largely by negative experiences with others based on perceptions of disability combined with negative experiences of being a new immigrant. They expressed feeling lonely and …

A Case Study On The Experiences Of Black Men Participating In An African-American Male Initiative At A Post-Secondary Institution, Michael A. Gibson

Dissertations

In the United States, African-American men are dominant in the entertainment industry mainly in sports and music. However, their success in entertainment does not translate to education. Many Black men grow up not having a positive experience in education, thus they do not see its value. However, many see the value in striving after a false sense of masculinity comprised of sex, drugs, money, and crime. This research was conducted to see how effective Black male mentorship through an African-American Male Initiative could be for Black males in a post-secondary institution in providing the positive experience in education that they …

A Mixed Method Analysis Of Leveled Literacy Intervention With Second Grade Students In An Urban Midwest Public School, Angela Glass

Dissertations

Early identification and intervention for struggling readers increased the likelihood of students identified as proficient; ultimately leading to future success. The researcher sought to evaluate the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) program in a Midwest urban school district, to help close the achievement gap between students’ reading levels and students reading on grade level. The purpose of the study was to investigate the difference in STAR reading scaled scores between struggling 2nd grade students who received LLI and peers who did not receive LLI. The researcher also examined the possible relationship between the increase in students’ literacy skills and fidelity of …

The United Arab Emirates Indigenous Essential Oil-Bearing Plants: Essential Oils Of Aerva Javanica And Cleome Amblyocarpa Grown In Sandy Soils Under Arid Conditions, Suzan Marwan Ramadan Shahin

Dissertations

Essential Oils (EOs) are expensive hydrocarbons produced exclusively by specific species in the plant’s kingdom. Nowadays, with the growing trends of a healthy lifestyle and enormous research-based discoveries, EOs became a popular, attractive topic, for both research and industry, with revenues reaching billions of dollars annually. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rich traditional herbal medicine, associated with topical and EO-aromatherapy applications, that (in most cases) not scientifically justified nor clarified. This dissertation investigated the EO-bearing plants of the UAE, providing a databank with comprehensive knowledge for all indigenous and naturalized EO-bearing plant species of the UAE wildflowers. Also, this …