Digital Commons Network^™

Teachers’ Perspectives On Academic Achievement And Educational Growth Of U.S.-Born Hispanic Students In A Midwestern Spanish Language Immersion Program, Herlinda Arlene Galve Salgado

Dissertations

Elementary Spanish language immersion programs have become more popular in the educational field in the United States to support the academic achievement of minority students. The final goal of immersion programs is to develop proficiency in the home language and dominant language, identified as first language (L1) and second language (L2), to impact the understanding of academic concepts. This study explores teachers’ perspectives of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students’ academic achievement and educational growth in a Spanish language immersion program. Ultimately, the study aimed to identify processes that educational leaders could incorporate into instructional models to improve as many Hispanic students’ …

A Qualitative Study Of Factors Promoting Doctoral Attainment Of Second-Generation Mexican American Males From California, Jorge Chavarin

Dissertations

Research on second-generation Mexican American males who attain a doctoral degree is limited. Often, the data presented clusters Mexican Americans under the Latina/o or Hispanic ethnic group, focuses on factors that hindered educational attainment or details Latino male experiences in the context of their Latina female counterparts. Mexican-Americans are the largest subgroup of this ethnic group yet little is known about their post-secondary educational experiences. Rather than focusing on barriers, this study concentrated on the factors that influenced eight Mexican American males from California who attained their doctorates from a doctoral-granting university within California.

Arguably, the self-efficacious men of this …

An Evaluation Of Gamification To Assess Students’ Learning On Their Understanding Of First Year Computer Science Programming Module, Daniel Gebremichael

Dissertations

This research examines the use of gamification to develop an assessment tool, to assess students’ learning of a first year computer science module. The students’ undertaking of the first semester Programming and Algorithms module in 2015 were assessed on their knowledge of the programming language Python. The incorporation of gamification when assessing students can have various potential benefits. The research aims to identify these benefits and issues. Assessments and games have almost opposite effects on opinions on people, as games are usually expected to have an entertainment value but this is not the case for assessments. The research examines if …

Transformative Models In K-12 Education: The Impact Of A Blended Universal Design For Learning Intervention, Kai Monet Mathews

Dissertations

Accountability measures, by way of standardized curriculum and assessments, have played a large part in the attempt to ensure that students from all backgrounds receive equal access to quality education. However, the inherent disadvantage of a standardized system is the implied assumption that all students come in with the same knowledge, learn at the same pace, and learn the same way. In the wake of an increasingly diverse K-12 population, educational researchers, learning theorists, and practitioners agree that the concept of the average student is, in fact, a myth. Students come to school with different needs, norms, interests, cultural behavior, …

No Taxation Without Discrimination: The Racial Politics Of American Property Taxes, Kasey Henricks

Dissertations

No longer is it acceptable to rationalize racial hierarchy in explicit terms. Today’s ideology substitutes these explanations for cultural ones that diminish racial oppression. Though recent studies uncover the slippery, covert, and seemingly nonracial discourse of colorblindness, claims of ideological progression are offered without empirical verification. Examining debate surrounding the three-fifths clause of the U.S Constitution, I complete a “historical ethnographic content analysis” that transplants colorblind ideology into historical soil some presume it does not belong. The data derive from “A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation” and consist of 1,493 pages of congressional record. My findings reveal how …

Managing Workers Who Are Deaf: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Hearing Supervisors, Hayley Sneiderman Stokar

Dissertations

This study examines the experience of hearing managers of Deaf employees in the restaurant sector, specifically as it relates to accommodation and social integration. Deaf workers who use American Sign Language differ from their hearing peers with regard to communication style, language choice, and need for accommodation. Responsibility for social integration and logistical accommodation falls largely on managers, who may be unfamiliar with the needs and capabilities of Deaf workers. The aim of this study is to generate knowledge about the accommodation and social integration experiences of managers with Deaf workers that can benefit those unfamiliar with these phenomena. The …

The Seat Of Justice In The House Of Love: Toward An Ecclesial Theory Of Justice, James Grant Gholson

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation is an extension of the ongoing conversation about justice within Christian ethics from a postliberal perspective. Beginning with an account of Christian ethical methodology centered on the grammar of the Christian “language-game” that is both shaped by, and which mediates, the communal reading of scripture, the dissertation argues that Christian discipleship, as a teleological enterprise governed by the normativity of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, consists in the communal representation of Christ’s own faithfulness to God as a public witness over against the reign of the “principalities and powers” of the world. Applying Iris Marion …

“Englishing” Horace: The Influence Of The Horatian Tradition On Old And Middle English Poetry, Justin A. Hastings

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the ways in which Old and Middle English poets made use of the poetic corpus of the Roman Augustan Age poet Horace (Quintus Flaccus Horatius) and the medieval commentary tradition that accrued around it. It considers especially the Late Antique commentaries of Porphyry and PseudoAcro as well as the scholia transmitted in Bern MS Bernensis 363 and Paris, BnF MS Latin 17897. The Old English elegies in the Exeter Book (Exeter Cathedral MS 3501) are the subject of the second chapter. Subsequent chapters focus on William Langland’s Piers Plowman, John Gower’s Confessio Amantis, and Geoofrey Chaucer’s Canterbury …

Using Tops For Identification Of Gifted Hispanic Students, Barbara Martin

Dissertations

USING TOPS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF GIFTED HISPANIC STUDENTS

Researchers have noted an underrepresentation of Hispanic ELL students in gifted education. A literature review revealed several problems encountered when assessing and identifying gifted Hispanics and have also suggested a variety of solutions including use of non-standardized alternative assessments. In this project, the researcher explored the attitudes of educators regarding the addition of a non-standardized tool. The TOPS is a non-standardized tool used to systematically gather and document qualitative observational data within the context of instruction (Harradine, Coleman, & Winn, 2014). The researcher used both a survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview …

The Parent Advisory Council For Spanish-Speaking Parents: A Program Evaluation, Alison Alves

Dissertations

English Language Learning (ELL) students comprise the largest growing group within schools in the United States (Arias & Morillo-Campbell, 2008; Kindler, 2002 as in Ochoa & Rhodes, 2005). Such large numbers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students within schools has led governing institutions to mandate efforts be made to establish greater connections to these families (Tellez & Waxman, 2010). One of these mandating documents is the Illinois State Board of Education Administrative Code which pertains to Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) of CLD students. This code states that schools with a TBE program must create a parent advisory committee that …

The Historical Superscriptions Of Davidic Psalms: An Exegetical, Intertextual, And Methodological Analysis, Jerome L. Skinner

Dissertations

The significance of the historical superscriptions (h/ss) that refer to David’s life (Pss 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142) has been a matter of interest over the past century of Psalm Studies. An investigation into the structural and theological role1 of the thirteen Davidic h/ss and their psalms in the Psalter, as well as the role of David expressed in them reveals the nature of their origin, authorship, structural function, and theological import. While their historicity forms a large part of the discussion, at its core is the question of meaning. The literary …

The Influence Of Race And Ethnicity On Giving Among Latin@ Young Alumni From A Predominantly White Institution, Michael Bumbry

Dissertations

Little is known about the way in which alumni of color think about and exercise giving to higher education (Gasman & Anderson-Tomkins, 2003). The majority of research in alumni giving to higher education has not highlighted the unique elements of philanthropy within communities of color, promoting the assumption that they are not philanthropic compared to their White counterparts (Newman, 2004). This is problematic considering shifting educational, labor and economic demographics which suggest that people of color are enrolling and graduating from college at higher rates; entering the work force, and have increasing buying power. Further limiting scholars’ and practitioners’ understandings …

Teachers' Cultural Competence And Students' Perception Of The Social Classroom Climate In Culturally Different Middle School Classrooms, Olivia L. R. Spence

Dissertations

Problem

Teachers and students often come from different cultural backgrounds, so classrooms are increasingly becoming the venue where interactions, if not appropriately managed, will produce a social climate not conducive to learning. The present study seeks to determine to what extent teacher cultural competence impacts student perception of the classroom social environment.

Method

The Teacher Multicultural Attitudes Survey was used to quantify teachers’ cultural competence and a Social Classroom Climate Measure was used to gather scores on the four key factors of the social climate. Hierarchical Linear Modelling was used to assess the influence of teacher cultural competence and several …

Latina Principals In Southern California: A Phenomenological Look Into Their Journey Towards Leadership, Fabiola Bagula

Dissertations

California is home to almost 15 million Latinos, however, according to the 2015 State of Higher Education Report for California, only 12% of the Latino population between the ages of 25 and 64 has a baccalaureate degree or higher, compared with 42% of the White population. Latina students have some of the lowest levels of educational attainment at every point in their K-12 journey and in general, very low occupational attainment. Given these troubling findings, this research sought to understand and tell the stories of Latinas in k-12 leadership positions in Southern California. In this study, Latinas describe how they …

The Afterlife Views And The Use Of The Tanakh In Support Of The Resurrection Concept In The Literature Of Second Temple Period Judaism: The Apocrypha And The Pseudepigrapha, Jan A. Sigvartsen

Dissertations

The literature of Second Temple Period Judaism indicates there was an increased interest in and speculation about the fate of the righteous and the wicked following their physical death. This period saw the birth of multiple Jewish sects and also multiple views of the afterlife. This study will outline the numerous afterlife views and will analyse the resurrection passages appearing in the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha to gain a comprehensive overview of the texts used from the TaNaKh in support of these various resurrection beliefs. This study also provides a better understanding of how the TaNaKh was read by differing …

A Theology Of Missional Leadership In The Book Of Revelation, Gyeongchun Choi

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership styles and the attendant behavior of mission practitioners and church administrators too often demonstrate leadership attitudes and practices that reflect cultural norms while violating biblical norms. There is both historical and contemporary evidence of a predictable migration from leadership as service to leadership as control—such as autocracy, coercion, self-ascendancy, and dominance. These problems are found in leadership practices primarily informed by cultural norms apart from God’s Word. These norms vary widely and may even be practiced within the faith community thus violating biblical principles. This reality creates an urgent need for the application of biblical principles that transcend …

The Relationship Between Leaders' Emotional Intelligence And Employees' Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Job-Related Affective Well-Being At Andrews University, Robert L. Overstreet

Dissertations

Problem

Research has been conducted linking high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in leaders with organizational success. However, the link between leaders’ EI levels and workplace climate (as evidenced by employees’ Job-related Affective Well-being [JAW] and Organizational Citizenship Behavior [OCB] levels) has not been adequately understood. This study sought to improve the understanding of how employee affective well-being and citizenship behaviors are related to leaders’ EI, with additional consideration given to how the gender of those leaders may affect that relationship.

Method

A quantitative correlational research method has been chosen as an appropriate method for the research study in which …

Emature: Intergenerational Networks In Digital Media Spaces, Andras Lukacs

Dissertations

While the literature on adolescent usage of the Internet and mobile communication technology is burgeoning, the technological affordance of increased intergenerational contacts and intergenerational friendships received less attention. This project documents how intergenerational virtual networks operate in one particular massively multiplayer online game (World of Warcraft) from the standpoint of adolescent players. Online social worlds are similar to offline settings in a lot of ways. Users must obey certain behavioral standards and follow established rules and moral codes to participate. Despite accounts of online democracy and networked individualism, control and authority is central to the functioning of these environments. Power-relationships …

Dating Violence Prevention Through A Change In Gender Norms, Katie Doud

Dissertations

Gender norms that promote male dominance and control lead to greater violence against females and deleterious health effects for males (Reed, Raj, Miller & Silverman, 2010). A strict adherence to female gender roles is associated with a greater likelihood to be in an abusive relationship and a greater length of time to leave an abusive relationship (Molidar & Tollman, 1998). Adolescence is a developmental time where boys and girls rigidly follow gender stereotypes (Alfieri, Ruble, & Higgins, 1996). Three-fourths of adolescents have been in a dating relationship by their senior year in high school (Carver et al., 2003). The combination …

Ecological Factors Promoting Academic Resilience Of Latina Students, Rebecca Testa-Ryan

Dissertations

To enhance the academic success of Latina students, researchers and educators must move away from focusing on deficits and risks and concentrate more on student potential and environmental support, which have been found to successfully open pathways to academic achievement. By shifting the focus, stakeholders can gain an understanding of the educational experiences of Latina students considered on a pathway of educational failure and the processes that can contribute instead to their academic resilience. In this qualitative study, I investigate the ecological factors that influence and impact the academic resiliency of Latina students. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory of Human …

Defect Or Defend? Explaining Military Responses During The Arab Uprisings, Timothy Hazen

Dissertations

The Arab uprisings demonstrated that a military's response to the domestic unrest had a significant impact on whether the protests were successful and triggered regime change. In Egypt and Tunisia, the militaries defected from the incumbent regimes, and as a result the ruling leaders were removed, whereas in Bahrain, the military defended the regime and used violence against protesters, which led to the continuation of the government's rule. Scholars identify numerous factors to explain Middle East and North African (MENA) military behavior during the Arab uprising but overall these arguments tend to overemphasize individual case studies and fail to provide …

Hidden Voices: The Missing Narratives Of Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Participants From 2000 To 2004 And Student Transfer Participants From 2013 To 2014, Miranda Temecka Ming

Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of students participating in the Voluntary Inter-district Choice program from 2000-2004 and the experiences of participants in the Student Transfer Program attending the same suburban district due to the lack of accreditation in their neighboring schools during 2013-2014. The study uncovered the voices of participants in the VICC and student transfer program and to provided their voices in hope that it may be used as an instrument of change. This subjective, phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of high school students transferring to suburban districts and provides an in-depth analysis of their social, emotional, …

Behind Closed Doors: The Mask Of Antiracism In Presentation And Practice, Kevin Murray

Dissertations

School districts have recognized the challenges that teachers face in building relationships with the students they teach. This can be especially true when the teacher is White and the students are people of color. This study is a follow-up to an intense, year-long professional development that a group of teachers experienced in 2012. Through interviews, six such participants were asked about their experiences in the classroom, the ways in which they felt they had grown because of the professional development, and ways that they had implemented what they learned in their classrooms. While the teachers had positive things to say …

Robert Frost’S New Hampshire, Philip Larkin’S England, And Seamus Heaney’S Ireland: Non-Urban Place And Democratic Poetry, Faisal I. Rawashdeh

Dissertations

In Anglo-American Modernist poetry, place is reduced to an analogue for the cultural degradation brought forth by the disruptive experience of modernity. This demotion stands in sharp contrast to the representation of place as a center of value in the poetry of Robert Frost, Philip Larkin, and Seamus Heaney. In this dissertation, I shall explain this value in terms of its connection to a particular cultural substance which Frost, Larkin, and Heaney deem foundational for their non-ideological terms of belonging to place. Frost embraces New England vernacularism first as the basis for his egalitarianism and second as the core substance …

Stable Isotope Ratios As A Proxy For Human Geographic Provenance: Biogeographical Evidence From The 2h, 18o, And 13c Signatures In Modern Human Teeth, Anastasia Holobinko

Dissertations

The positive identification of a decedent is paramount to a forensic investigation in which human remains have been recovered and must be identified. Due to increasing global mobility in the world's populations, it is not inconceivable that an individual might die far away from his or her home. Pinpointing an individual's geographic origin may contribute to definitive forensic identification of contemporary human skeletal remains in cases where dental records and other means of identification are either unavailable to law enforcement personnel or do not yield immediate results. Stable isotope analysis of biogenic tissues such as tooth enamel and bone mineral …

Communication Partner Experience In Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study, Pamela Charlie Marie Buckley

Dissertations

For the purpose of this dissertation, the term communication partner described any individual in a position to provide or support opportunities for communication. Communication partners have been discussed in current literature in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), severe disabilities, aphasia, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The role, characteristics, and responsibilities of a communication partner are most comprehensively described in the aphasia literature.

It is likely that individuals with ASD would have more opportunities for social interaction and engagement if supported by skilled and informed communication partners. The communicative success of individuals with ASD may depend on the …

Flow Experiences Among Individuals With Aphasia, Thomas W. Sather

Dissertations

Flow has been described as positive experiences of intense concentration, distorted time passage, and loss of self-consciousness. While flow has been reported for multiple populations in various settings, it has not been studied among individuals with aphasia. The purpose of this three paper dissertation is to examine flow experiences among individuals with mild aphasia, including environmental and personal factors associated with flow. Advocates of life participation approaches to aphasia stress the importance of interventions that support full engagement in life. Research on flow experiences and related environmental and personal factors may foster improved service delivery and outcomes for this population. …

Model Minority Mismatch: Exploring The Community College Experience And Persistence Of Southeast Asian American Students, Genda Vann Ed.D

Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the relationship of Southeast Asian American student involvement and persistence in urban community colleges of Illinois. There are large gaps in research regarding the academic struggles of Southeast Asian American students because most data concerning Asian Americans is aggregate, consolidating all experiences rather than considering each sub-group independently. The existing data revealed that Asian Americans are performing exceptionally well in academics, especially when compared to other minority groups, such as African American and Latinos, resulting in Asian Americans being stereotyped as the “model minority” (CARE, 2008). However, a closer assessment of the data shows that …

Increasing Student Achievement Through Supporting English Language Learners, Michelle George

Dissertations

The purpose of this advocacy document is to demonstrate the need for a policy to implement a two-way immersion program in Spanish and English. The intent of this policy is to provide opportunities for students to be successful in a global society, acquire a second language, and develop a strong global awareness. This advocacy document includes an analysis of the educational, economic, social, political, moral, and ethical need for the policy change. The primary needs addressed through research are the ability to implement strong instructional practices of language development for English as a Second Language (ESL) student and to develop …

Creating A Framework For Success For High School African American Males: A Policy Advocacy Document, Ilandus Hampton Sr.

Dissertations

The policy advocacy document is an alternative to the traditional doctoral dissertation. This approach arose from the educational administration preparation reform agenda which calls for more thoughtful approaches to educational policy development, a concern that educational leadership express itself in a moral context, and a desire to develop reflective practices in administration. (Browder, 1995). This document attempts to ensure public schools, high schools in particular, are providing African American males with the skills and knowledge necessary to be academically successful so that they are given the opportunity and support necessary to achieve economic and social advancements throughout life. The policy …