Digital Commons Network^™

A Multi-Case Study Of Americorps Tutoring Programs, Kimberly E. Hawk

Dissertations

An analysis of the practices and results of AmeriCorps tutoring programs in a Midwest state was the basis of this study. Volunteer management theory, the theory of planned behavior, and social change and justice theory were used as the theoretical foundation of this qualitative, multi-case study. Understanding the essential components of effective AmeriCorps tutoring programs will assist program directors in establishing or improving AmeriCorps tutoring programs throughout the country. The essential components identified in this study will serve as a model for program directors and provide state and national AmeriCorps leadership insight as to the support needed to establish effective …

From Strain To Success: A Phenomenological Study Of The Personal And Academic Pressures On African American Male Community College Students, John R. Mosby Phd

Dissertations

For many African American college students, the challenges to achieve academic success are overwhelming. The disproportionate number of African American male students enrolled in the community college system is of substantial concern because community colleges have not traditionally been successful in producing African American male graduates and transfers at the same rate as their counterparts from other racial and gender groups. Moreover, the pressure for African American male students to choose between academic success and their cultural frame of reference often jeopardizes their chances of successfully completing their undergraduate degree. Consequently, African American males who choose the community college system …

Effect Of A 15-Week Wellness Course On Health Indicators And Six Areas Of Wellness In College Students, Andrea Michelle Alameda

Dissertations

The current state of health of the United States, including physical inactivity, dietary intake, and overall lifestyle habits is of concern for educators. Specifically, the health of the college population appears to be under-represented in health and wellness research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a 15- week university wellness-based course on health indicators and six dimensions of wellness: physical, psychological, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual. The researcher hypothesized that students who participated in the wellnessbased course (intervention group) would experience positive health outcomes and increased perceptions of wellness in the six areas of wellness. The intervention group …

Investigation Into Select Isoquinolines As A Putative Causal Agent Of Ethanol Addiction In Mammals, Jacob Christopher Strawbridge

Dissertations

Alcohol is the most abused drug in America today. The neurological root of the problem is still a much debated subject and many differing views exist on the nature of alcoholism, be it a social dysfunction or a neurochemical imbalance. Some researchers have proposed that a skewed metabolism of dopamine that results in the formation of tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) alkaloids plays a major role in the neurochemical acquisition and maintenance of alcohol addiction. In an effort to better understand the relationship of THIQ's to alcohol addiction, a series of experiments have been conducted. The chiral separation via high pressure liquid chromatography …

Driving Anger, Sensation Seeking, Narcissism, And Driver's Angry Thoughts In The Prediction Of Unsafe Driving, Roy Preston White

Dissertations

The present study expanded the previous research on multivariate prediction of unsafe driving behaviors. Specifically, the utility of combining driving anger, sensation seeking, narcissism, and driver's angry thoughts variables in the prediction of various unsafe driving behaviors and driving anger expression were assessed. In addition the present study sought to explore the predictive utility of driving anger and sensation seeking in a non-college sample. Three hundred and forty-nine college students completed measures of driving anger, sensation seeking, narcissism, driver's angry thoughts, unsafe driving behavior, and driving anger expression. Ninety eight non-college participants completed a subset of the previously mentioned measures. …

Raft Synthesis Of Water-Soluble, Stimuli-Responsive (Co)Polymers And Post-Polymerization End Group Modification Via The Thiol-Ene Reaction, Bing Yu

Dissertations

A series of water-soluble, stimuli-responsive (co)polymers was synthesized via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The end group of a RAFT polymer, poly(jV-isopropylacrylamide), was modified to ene or yne function via thiol-ene click chemistry. The ene or yne end group subsequently underwent thiol-ene or thiol-yne addition affording mono- or di-functional end group. First, three methacrylic monomers containing 2 or 3 pendent tertiary amine functional groups, l,3-bis(dimethylamino)propan-2-yl methacrylate (Ml), l-(bis(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)amino)propan-2-yl methacrylate (M2), and 2-((2-(2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy)ethyl)methylamino)ethyl acrylate (M3), were synthesized via an acylation reaction between methacryloyl chloride and the corresponding aminoalcohol. All of these three monomers were successfully homopolymerized under RAFT conditions …

Exploring Challenge By Choice In An Adventure Setting, Daniel Lyons Chase

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring How Resident Advisors Create Meaning Of Their Paraprofessional Fall Training And Its Transfer: A Constructivist Case Study, Dean F. Kennedy

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Issues In Rural Missouri K-12 Public School Districts, Jason L. Buckner

Dissertations

This evaluation discusses the commonalities in the issues among rural school districts in Missouri. A survey was sent to 270 school districts in the state of Missouri with 1,000 student enrollment or fewer. Fifty percent of the districts responded. The survey consisted of a questionnaire targeting thirteen different issues and requested that superintendents target the top five issues in their school district. The main issues selected were district funding (84%), student achievement (73%), governmental mandates (61%), socio-economic factors (48%), and technology (47%). Results of this evaluation are tabulated in Chapter 4, based on the following research questions: 1)What are the …

Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Academic Performance In Missouri Public Schools, Brent M. Blevins

Dissertations

Understanding the effects of socioeconomic status on academic performance is important in determining effective and valid testing for all Missouri students. Determining the correlation between these two variables is important for all educators to understand, so that all students can achieve to their academic potential. Finding the correlation between academic performance and socioeconomic status can assist educators in determining instructional strategies that best fit each individual student. In this study the researcher analyzed the effects of socioeconomic status on the academic performance by retrieving data on the state mandated Missouri Assessment Program. The researcher analyzed fifty school districts on the …

An Educational Intervention To Develop Characteristics Of Transformational Leadership In Novice Nurse Managers, Mary Catherine Goetter

Dissertations

Objective: To support the development of characteristics of transformational leadership (TFL) in novice nurse managers/administrators (NNM) through use of a Journal Club as an educational intervention based on theories of educational psychology and nursing’s unique patterns of knowing.

Research Questions: Does an educational intervention of a Journal Club increase NNM perceived knowledge of characteristics of transformational leadership? Does an educational intervention of a Journal Club increase NNM perceived ability of self to lead? How do NNM describe the effect of the intervention on their leadership knowledge and ability?

Design: Mixed method research approach using experimental, repeated measures design with participants …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Provider Response To Emergency Pandemic (Prep) Tool, Linda Suzzanne Good Phd

Dissertations

Background: History and science would suggest that a worldwide influenza pandemic is near and its implications are on the minds of healthcare workers (HCWs). Previous studies revealed that HCW have loss-related fears and concerns associated with working during a disaster, especially one with a biologic component. Most healthcare organizations have well-crafted disaster plans in place; however, these plans often rely on the assumption that HCWs will report to work as usual, which may not be the case. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if HCWs' fears and concerns are a predictor of their willingness to report to …

Congregation Activism In The Community: A Study Of Faith-Based Leadership, Jensen Harry Shirley Edd

Dissertations

Policymakers have acted as if the federal government was the prime mover in developing and supporting American communities with significant needs. That assumption is now being challenged not only by politicians who recommend funding faith-based initiatives, but also by scholars who make the case for giving the nation's churches a central role in tackling community problems, including problems associated with poverty (Boddie, 2003). These scholars point out that, with over 300,000 congregations in America, faith-based organizations are strategically located in the community to address community needs (Boddie, 2003). As government services devolve to the community level, these scholars argue, congregations …

Exploring Efforts On Two College Campuses To Cultivate A Culture Of Vocation, Mark Peters Phd

Dissertations

Young adults today experience an extended adolescence, a period of time now commonly referred to as emerging adulthood, in which they delay undertaking the roles traditionally associated with becoming an adult in contemporary society. College has the potential to become the mentoring environment needed for emerging adults to consider their future life choices grounded in the context of their deepest beliefs, shared values, and personal passions. Since 2000, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. has invested over $2 million in 88 select religiously affiliated colleges to fund Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV). These Programs were designed to help students …

Factors Influencing Nurse Faculty's Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Sally Pulver Ruel

Dissertations

This study of nurse faculty examined the relationship of role conflict, role ambiguity, and work role balance, and their influence on job satisfaction and intent to stay in AACN nursing schools offering baccalaureate and higher degree programs within the United States. In light of the current nursing and nursing faculty shortage, this research was undertaken in an attempt to identify statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction and intent to stay in nursing education.

An online survey was conducted over seven weeks during the fall of 2008 and early spring 2009. A stratified random sample of each of the four regions …

Gender, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension And Science Reasoning As Predictors Of Science Achievement Among African-American Students At A Historical Black College Or University, Consuella Artiemese Davis

Dissertations

This study investigated predictors that influence the science achievement of African-American non-science majors in a Physical Science class. The population consisted of male and female college students enrolled in Physical Science courses at a historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern portion of the United States. A personal data information sheet was administered to 120 participants during the Fall of 2008. The personal data information sheet consisted of questions pertaining to the high school courses, students took in math, language arts and science. It also consisted of basic background information. Students also gave written consent for their …

African-American College Student Attitudes Toward Physics And Their Effect On Achievement, Carl Timothy Drake

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the attitudes that African-American college students have towards introductory college physics. The population targeted for this study consisted of African-American males and females enrolled in introductory college physics classes at an urban public historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern United States. Nine of the Fennema- Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales, modified for physics, were used to analyze the attitudes of the 135 participants enrolled in an introductory college physics class. The nine scales used to measure the students' attitudes were Attitude Toward Success in Physics Scale (AS), …

The Physical Educator's Perception Of The Adequate Implementation And Overall Impact Of The Healthy Students Act Of Mississippi, Carol Johnson Barnes

Dissertations

Obesity is an epidemic among Americans that is threatening the health status of citizens and having a major impact on overall physical and psychological well being. Physical education can play a vital role in containing obesity by contributing to the development of physical fitness and assisting students in planning a healthy lifestyle. The "Healthy Students Act of Mississippi" was passed in 2007 and implemented in the public schools in the fall of 2008. This new legislation requires participation of physical activity-based instruction in the public schools.

The subjects for this study consisted of 111 individuals charged with the responsibility of …

Stories, Ethics And The Interpretation Of Meaning: Bearing Witness To Mothers' Stories Of Their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Experience, Angela Chisum Blackburn

Dissertations

This study grounded in narrative perspectives was conducted to uncover mothers' experience of having a baby in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU). The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret mothers NICU experiences, and to sensitize health care professionals about the importance of mothers' personal experience stories.

The NICU experience began with mothers' birth experience or the incident that led up to her infant requiring care in the NICU and her experience extended beyond the NICU with future concerns about the health and wellbeing of her baby.

Stories of mothers' experience were gleaned from data generated from …

A Comparative Analysis Of Roman Palester's Concertino Pour Saxophone Alto Et Orchestre A Cordes, Brian Donald Kauth

Dissertations

The music of Roman Palester (1907-1989) is little known outside his native Poland. Before World War II, he experienced a great deal of musical success, with many of his compositions being performed at prestigious music festivals throughout Europe. Palester completed his one solo work for the saxophone, the Concertino pour Saxophone Alto et Orchestre a Cordes, in 1938, but its scheduled premiere in 1939 never took place due to political tensions on the eve of World War II.

In 1978, Palester revised the work for saxophonist David Pituch, who premiered and recorded this version. A comparison of the original and …

Interventions, Perceptions Of Accommodations, And Motivating Factors Impacting The Achievement And Successful Mainstreaming Transition Of English Language Learners, Desiree Atchley

Dissertations

This study was inspired by the many English language learners who have overcome the struggles of achieving proficiency in English. The district studied is a small school district with approximately 1850 students. In 1999, there were 148 Hispanic students, and this number has more than doubled in the last nine years. For a school that was basically void of diversity twenty years ago, it is now a school in which almost one-fifth of its population is a second language learner. Currently over seven languages are represented in its population, and those numbers continue to grow. The district has faced many …

Making Sense Of Roles And Responsibilities: A Socialization Study Of College And University Music Department Chairs, Jason Robert Werkema

Dissertations

Department chairs have received considerable attention in higher education literature due to the many challenges associated with their mid-level administrative position. Those who accept the department chair position report limited preparation, little or no formal training, increased stress, and overall difficulty functioning in their numerous roles. The troubled experience of many who have served as department chairs was the central problem driving this research.

The music discipline is particularly complex when compared to other academic disciplines because of its unique characteristics and challenges. The purpose of the current study was to understand and describe the process by which music department …

Middle School Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of Parental Involvement, Brandon Graham

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study research was to examine the perceptions of teachers and parents towards current parental involvement factors in a suburban junior high school located in the Midwest United States. Such perceptions were compiled by means of surveys based on Dr. Joyce Epstein's Framework of the Six Dimensions of Parental Involvement: (a) parenting, (b) communication, (c) volunteering, (d) learning at home, (e) decision-making, (f) and collaborating with the community (Epstein, 1995). The subjects were N=36 seventh and eighth grade teachers, and N=344 parents of students. The descriptive statistical analysis did show a difference between teachers and parents …

Acceptability Of Interventions To Staff In Long-Term Care Settings For Older Adults: Comparing Ratings And Hierarchical Selection, Jonathan C. Baker

Dissertations

Older adults and their caregivers generally prefer behavioral interventions over medications in treatment acceptability studies (Osterkamp, Mathews, Burgio, & Hardin, 1997). However, previous acceptability studies have primarily examined ratings, which did not force the responder to select between treatment options. Additionally, recent advances in behavioral treatment technologies (Carr & LeBlanc, 2003) and pharmacotherapy (Schneider, 1999) warrant revisiting treatment acceptability for older adults. The present investigation examined treatment acceptability of behavioral, pharmacological, and sensory interventions using a treatment acceptability rating scale, treatment selections, and direct report of treatments used in a six-month window. Fifty-six staff from nursing homes in the Mid-West …

Low-Level Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In The Waters Of Michigan, Lisa M. Anderson

Dissertations

The results of this research are the product of a two year study funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality with monies from the Clean Michigan Initiative. Low-level (part per billion range) pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the waters of Michigan were investigated. Five rivers in the State were sampled; including the Clinton, Grand, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and Saginaw. Groundwater samples were obtained from two shallow municipal water wells also; one on the Grand River and one on the Kalamazoo River. The wells were sampled to determine if PPCPs in the river water were being drawn in by …

Investigating The Effects Of Observer Presence And Feedback On Individuals' Work-Related Behavior, Angela R. Lebbon

Dissertations

Direct observation procedures have been widely used by applied behavior analysts to examine the effects of various interventions, however, recent research examining the effects of the observer's presence on behavior has found that participants behave in ways that are not representative of their behavior in the absence of an observer. Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated that both reactivity and habituation are idiosyncratic and it remains unclear which variables mediate reactive effects with individuals. Researchers have discussed the necessity of identifying and measuring reactive effects in order to discover variables (e.g., discriminative stimulus properties) that may mediate reactive effects. Previous research …

Training The Execution Of Single-Case Research Methodology Skills In An Early And Intensive Behavioral Intervention Setting, Jessa R. Love

Dissertations

Early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for children with autism is a fruitful area for conducting research on clinically relevant problems in an attempt to investigate some of the unanswered questions about which procedures are most effective and efficient. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that therapists providing these services have received adequate training in conducting relevant single-case design research in this area. Providing such therapists with the skills needed to implement single-case design research protocols could improve the use of the scientist-practitioner model in these settings and greatly expand the base of scientific knowledge in the area.

Behavioral Skills Training (BST; …

Student-Athlete Worldview: A Qualitative Discovery Of Student-Athletes' Outlook Of The World Through Their Athletic Experiences, Lara Preacco

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore Athletic Identity (AI) by looking at its essence, and learn about how student-athletes perceive and experience themselves and the world through their athletic experiences; or Student Athlete Worldview (SAWV). A phenomenological study was conducted to investigate and describe the common and emerging themes of SAWV. Initial interviews, journaling, and follow-up interviews were conducted with nine student-athletes competing in NCAA Division I, non-revenue, individual and team sports. Student-athletes offered a revealing picture and identified three aspects of being a student-athlete: intrapersonal, interpersonal and restrictive/sacrificing aspects. These aspects were combined to develop an integrative …

Visual Impairment And Eye Care Among Older Americans: Secondary Analysis Of The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss), Amy L. Freeland

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper format dissertation is to explore three topics relevant to public health and vision loss. The three papers are independent studies, yet build upon each other by first describing the population of people aged 40 years and older in the United States in terms of visual impairment, diagnosed eye disease/injury, and their use of eye care, and then next exploring the factors that influence eye care use for both the general population and the subpopulation of people with diagnosed diabetes. The first paper provides a state-level examination of the characteristics of people aged 40 years and …

Domestic Violence Rights Movement In Tanzania: An Exploration, Flora Peter Myamba

Dissertations

In Tanzania, the involvement of a social movement to addressing domestic violence is fairly recent (early 1990s) (Green, 1999; Hirsch, 2003; Michau, 2002; TAMWA, 1999). As has historically been the case in most African countries, domestic violence has remained largely invisible, being considered a normal custom, practice and tradition (Green, 1999; The New York Times, 2005; TAMWA, 1999). Efforts to address it have been regarded as shameful and pointless (TGNP, 1993). Indeed, cultural mores remain very contentious with regard to the activities of the Tanzanian domestic violence rights movement (DVRM). It is this conflict between the movement's efforts to educate …