Collective Memory And Place Attachment Expressed As Communicative Constitution Of Community, Amy Jo Ellefson

Dissertations

Twenty-six residents of Ralston, Nebraska recorded oral histories for use in the city library’s 100-year anniversary celebration. The recordings build a limited history of the city and expose residents’ collective memories as a conduit to place attachment in a changing community. By positioning the City of Ralston as an organization using the Four Flows approach to the communicative constitution of organization [CCO], I examined communication by members of the organization as maintaining the city. Qualitative coding of the city’s Facebook page and narrative analysis of the oral history recordings produced identifiable categories related to collective memory, place attachment, and the …

P-12 School Administrators' Experiences, Opinions, And Perceptions Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Written Language Instruction And The Response To Intervention, Alison Webster

Dissertations

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are employed in public school systems as part of the special education department to work with students with deficits in oral and written language skills. The literature shows a direct relationship between oral language development and early literacy skills. SLPs can provide a preventative role through the multitiered systems of support (MTSS) or response to intervention (RTI) programs. However, many SLPs report barriers to accessing students in the general education setting. One of these reported barriers is a lack of administrative support. Therefore, this research explored factors that impact a P-12 school administrator’s experiences, opinions, and …

Camp À La Campagne: Francis Poulenc’S Les Animaux Modèles, C.J. Everett

Dissertations

Francis Poulenc’s ballet Les Animaux modèles [The model animals] premiered in 1942 at the Paris Opéra during the German occupation of Paris to favorable reviews from prominent voices in the Parisian musical scene. Set in the French countryside (la campagne) in the seventeenth century, the ballet is a seemingly honest depiction of quaint rural life. To create the short vignettes that comprise the work, Poulenc (1899–1963) adapted well-known fables of the poet Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95). Existing discussions of Les Animaux modèles primarily focus on the ballet’s conception during World War II and the political implications of …

Enhancing Chinese Language Learning Through Problem-Solving Gameplay, Weihsuan Lo

Dissertations

Integrating 21st-century skills into language education faces challenges in providing meaningful, skills-based activities beyond traditional vocabulary and grammar instruction. This study addressed the need for updated curricula that aligned learning goals with 21st-century labor market demands, emphasizing the development of creative thinking, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills (P21 4C skills). Teacher-centered approaches in Chinese language education further complicate the adoption of student-centered pedagogies. To overcome these challenges, the study proposed using game-based learning to create an inclusive and dynamic learning environment that fostered language proficiency and P21 4C skills. The FIXIT card game was introduced as an educational tool …

The Effect Of Altitude On Decomposition: Toward An Understanding Of The Postmortem Interval In The Rocky Mountain Region Of Colorado., Christiane Irene Baigent

Dissertations

The estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) is a critical component of medicolegal death investigation. An accurate PMI estimate has the potential to influence the allocation of investigative resources, establish the probative value of associated biological and material evidence, shape the analytical framework applied to skeletal analysis, and inform cause and manner of death. Forensic anthropologists are often tasked with PMI estimation throughout all stages of decomposition and typically rely on categorical phases of soft tissue and skeletal change purported to correspond to broad estimates of elapsed time. In an attempt to improve precision, Megyesi et al. (2005) developed the Total …

Preservice Teachers And Game Development: Constructing Learning Experiences, Erin Catherine Wachter

Dissertations

Incorporating game-based learning and technology integration into teacher preparation programs through communities of practice can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. This approach involves creating simulations of real-life situations, enabling preservice teachers to prepare to co-construct knowledge and connect with learners on pedagogical and interpersonal levels. The purpose of this critical case study was to explore preservice teachers' experiences constructing game-based learning experiences by collaborating in groups to develop a content-based educational card game along with a lesson plan based on the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework. This study's epistemological view is the transformative learning theory, …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Perceptions Of Counseling Faculty Regarding The Use Of Humor In Clinical Supervision, Ryan Cheuk Ming Cheung

Dissertations

Cheung, Ryan Cheuk Ming. A narrative inquiry into the perceptions of counseling faculty regarding the use of humor in clinical supervision. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2024. Students in counselor preparation programs are required to be clinically supervised by faculty when working with clients. Considering how to help supervisees and positively affect supervision outcomes, one method could be the use of humor by counseling supervisors. Research in the area of humor in counseling supervision is largely missing (Dantzler, 2017; Vereen et al., 2006). A key task in supervision is building a strong working alliance (Bordin, 1983) …

The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs, Novelty, And Transformative Experience: A Cross-Cultural Study, Yousef T Dh Kh T Alardhi

Dissertations

Alardhi, Yousef T Dh Kh T. The relationship between basic psychological needs, novelty, and transformative experience: A cross-cultural study. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2024. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) categorizes motivation into two different types: intrinsic and extrinsic (Ryan & Deci, 2000a, 2017). Intrinsic motivation refers to engagement in learning activities for personal meaning and satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2017). According to SDT, in order for individuals to be intrinsically motivated, their basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence should be satisfied. Additionally, previous research has shown that satisfaction of basic psychological needs not only supports …

California School Psychologists’ Assessment Practices With Cld Students: A Phenomenological Study, Hector Manuel Teran Jr.

Dissertations

School psychologists are tasked with assessing students to qualify them for special education, typically using standardized tests. Standardized testing, like IQ testing, routinely used in the psycho-educational process, serves to justify prejudices, as they often mark people of color as intellectually inferior to White people. A closer look at school psychologists’ assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is necessary, as these students have historically been placed in special education at a higher percentage, likely due to misperceptions related to their race, ethnicity, or linguistic background. While IQ tests are regarded as tools that identify the needs of …

Factors Influencing Uae High School Chemistry Students' Learning Of Organic Qualitative Analysis: A Qualitative Study, Manal Abdullah Almahdawi

Dissertations

Chemistry is one of the five science subfields typically covered in secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates. Chemistry is a branch of science that studies substances' characteristics, components, and structures. Numerous subfields fall under the umbrella of chemistry, including inorganic, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry. One of the topics covered in chemistry classes is the analysis of chemical compounds, which is divided into two types: quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. While qualitative analysis determines the kind of each element or group present in a given solution sample, quantitative analysis determines the quantity of each element or group present. Students' …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, “If I Told You That A Flower Bloomed In A Dark Room, Would You Trust It?1”: A Case Study In English Language Arts Achievement, Anna E. Russell Ziegler

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationship between culturally responsive pedagogy and student achievement to showcase how teaching can build a more equitable learning community where all students thrive. Using a case study model, the author explores how one English teacher designed culturally responsive instructional practices to improve student performance. Analyzing data from student work, student interactions, and student conversations, I discovered instructional themes that improved learning for each student and can be transferred to classrooms across the country.

Convening The Counter-Conversation: Critical Participatory Action Research Against Real-Time Repression, Connor Maguire, Leo Jalipa, Anne Grass

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the anti-fascist Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) process of three doctoral student participants/co-researchers, all practicing educators, with varied experiences in public and private education at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level. This research examines the convergence of the participants/co-researchers in response to their shared concerns about ascendent authoritarianism and rising repression and the subsequent formation of this study’s in-process CPAR research collective organized to critically counter, rather than reiterate, this repression.

Enacting the theoretical/methodological frameworks of Critical Theory and Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action, the participants/co-researchers dialogically determined contemporary fascism to be the focus of …

Autoethnographies Exploring The Cultural Spirit Murdering And Nurturing Of Three Minority Educators In K-12, Sara Z. Beg, Maritza Caldera, Denise Ross

Dissertations

This autoethnography sought to understand how our experiences during our K-12 journey as three minority students shaped our identities as students and our teaching style today. An autoethnography allowed us to analyze our experiences through the lens of Cultural Spirit Nurturing and Cultural Spirit Murdering. Cultural Spirit Nurturing, as we defined it, is the acceptance, respect, and inclusion of different cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, races, languages, and religions in society. We dissected our lived moments as Pakistani Muslim American, African American, and Mexican American students turned educators, defined them as Cultural Spirit Nurturing or Murdering, and bridged them with the concepts …

The Spirit-Murdering Of Black Students From White Educators, Brian C. Guilfoyle, Casetta D. Brown, Sarah J. Guilfoyle, Courtney D. Jude

Dissertations

In this collection of autoethnographies, four researchers explored our deeply personal experiences and encounters with racialized oppression in the form of spirit-murder. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Whiteness Studies, this dissertation explores how two white educators have committed spirit-murder against Black students and how two Black educators have both experienced spirit-murder as students and have spirit-murdered their Black and Brown students as classroom teachers. We wanted to elevate our voices using counter-stories as a tenet of CRT and examples of our teaching practices. We aimed to elicit relatable suggestions to combat spirit-murdering from white educators toward Black students …

Relations Between Prior Racial Microaggressions, Expat Motivation, And Life Satisfaction Among African American Expat Women In Mexico, Patricia Keller

Dissertations

Microaggressions refer to subtle forms of racism that occur in everyday interactions, often conveying hostile or demeaning messages. These experiences can have a negative impact on the psychological well-being and life satisfaction of African Americans. However, there is a lack of research that explores the relationship between microaggressions and the life satisfaction of African American women who have relocated abroad. Additionally, little is known of the contemporary motivations for expatriation of African American women. A review of African American historical migration, study abroad participation, and tourism lays the framework for examining recent expatriation. The purpose of this study was to …

A Holistic And Collaborative Behavioral Health Detection Framework Using Sensitive Police Narratives, Martin Keagan Wynne Brown

Dissertations

Identifying behavioral health is paramount for law enforcement officers to provide appropriate follow-up community care. In the current practice, law enforcement offices manually identify these behavioral health cases to allow the designation of the relevant follow-up resources. Police reports generated by officers' response to 911 calls remain an untapped resource for identifying such incidents. Therefore, we advocate for the incorporation of manual annotations from experts, natural language processing (NLP), active learning, advanced machine learning, and ensemble techniques to detect behavioral health cases within police reports. In this dissertation, we develop tools and frameworks to automatically detect behavioral health cases from …

Diverse Gamers: Resistance Through Video Gameplay, Breon Rose

Dissertations

With most of the global population engaging with video games, it is crucial to understand the relationship between gaming and the holistic health of players. However, counseling scholarship exploring the relationship between gaming technology and mental health is nascent. Moreover, ethical guidelines in counseling require professionals to further their awareness and competence while working with underrepresented populations (American Counseling Association; ACA, 2014). To address the preceding statements, this two-study dissertation focused on expanding awareness and clinical understanding of video game technology and human experience. The first study used quantitative methods to examine the relationship between race-related stress, motivations to play …

Dream-Seekers (Ladson-Billings, 2009): An Analysis Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogical Development Through The Perspective Of Black Novice Teachers, Christina Grove, Nana Becoat, Michelle Cooley, Pablo Ramos Jr

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Using critical race theory and Gloria Ladson-Billings' culturally relevant pedagogy as theoretical frameworks, this thematic narrative analysis study explored the epistemology and ontology of culturally relevant pedagogy by investigating the research question: How do Black novice teachers (years 1-5) become culturally relevant practitioners? The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with Black K-12 public school teachers in which the participants reflected on how their upbringing, cultural identities, K-12 experiences, and teacher preparation program/process impacts their readiness to practice culturally relevant pedagogy. Five themes emerged from the narrative analysis: 1) K-12 racialized trauma; 2) racialized awakening and awareness; 3) the sanctuary of …

Improving The Experience Of Culturally Diverse Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study, Miriam L. Griffin

Dissertations

Current literature reflects a need for an overall increase in the number of nurses and an increase in ethnic and racial diversity in the nursing profession. The lack of diversity is a global nursing concern, and nursing programs and educators are tasked with attempting to recruit, retain, and graduate culturally diverse students. The literature and research discuss the need for nursing programs and educators to design early intervention success programs and pre-nursing preparation that focus on critical factors that contribute to student success and assist with decreasing attrition rates. In this basic qualitative research study, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted …

Inclusive Education In Early Childhood: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Successes And Barriers Impacting Successful Early Childhood Inclusive Education, Cynthia Hartshorn

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore early childhood teacher experiences regarding the successes and barriers of implementing inclusive education with general education and special education students based on the three dimensions of Booth and Ainscow’s (2016) Index for Inclusion. This study sought to identify what preschool teachers perceive to be the greatest barriers to implementing inclusive education and the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers. Finally, this study sought to identify the preservice and in-service experiences that teachers perceive as most effective in supporting the successful implementation of inclusive education.

Methodology: The study methodology was conducted using …

Warrior Voices: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Men Living With Multiple Sclerosis, James Petropulos

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry delves into the lives of six men, including the researcher, who have multiple sclerosis (MS). Through in-depth interviews, the researcher asks participants to describe their life before diagnosis, the diagnosis process, and the construction of a “new normal” after diagnosis. This research provides insights into how participants make sense of the disease, how they cope with the ongoing changes to their bodies, their relationships, their careers, and their perceptions of their masculinity. Analyzing the narratives provides insight into the variability of MS types and symptoms, and various coping mechanisms. It supports the idea that each participant should …

From Doctoral Student To Professor: The Professional Socialization And Career Development Of International Counselor Educators, Ayla Martine Ludwig

Dissertations

Becoming a counselor educator is a complex and rigorous process wherein students grow both personally and professionally (Dollarhide et al., 2013). Throughout this process, students develop in accordance with doctoral competency standards (CACREP, 2021) which help socialize them into the role of professor. For international learners, their education has historically included unique challenges such as language barriers (Behl et al., 2017; Hegarty, 2014; Jang et al., 2014; McDowell et al., 2012; Ng, 2012; Pollock et al., 2017; Sato & Hodge, 2015; Sherry et al., 2010), cultural adjustment (Jang et al., 2014; Kuo et al., 2018; Woo et al., 2015), and …

Identity And Alterity In A Comedy Series From Santa Cruz, Bolivia, During The Presidency Of Evo Morales, Anita L. Zandstra,

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the construction of social identity and social difference in and through Neo/Los Mismos, a Bolivian comedy series produced during the presidency of Evo Morales (2006-2019), the country’s first president to claim an Indigenous identity. These years were characterized by profound divisions between the Bolivian highlands, home to Morales’s base of support, and the opposition based in the lowlands department of Santa Cruz. This qualitative study takes an interdisciplinary approach to social identity and social difference during the Morales era, drawing on concepts from linguistic anthropology, literary criticism, and humor studies, and tracing connections between Neo/Los Mismos and …

The Impact Of Student Behavior And Motivation On Intercultural Competence, Marki Alexander

Dissertations

Intercultural competence has become an important trait for university graduates to possess, but an investigation into the influence of multiple factors on the achievement of intercultural competence has not been undertaken. This research examines the influence of academic and social behaviors, motivation, and student demographics on the attainment of intercultural competence through a mixed methods study. Undergraduate students taking a course focused on human diversity responded to intercultural situational judgement tests and the Expanded Cultural Intelligence Scale. The qualitative findings show a need to refine previous understandings of the development of intercultural competence. Some support for the influence of motivation …

An Evaluation Of The Factors That Lead To The Development Of Deferential Interactions Between Teachers And Students, Shondra Browne-Bolton

Dissertations

Schools have historically maintained a hierarchy with an expectation that students show deference. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that caused students to treat teachers disrespectfully. This mixed-methods inquiry included K-12 teachers and administrators who responded to a social media post and participated in surveys and interviews. Based on my findings, the factors that led to the development of deferential interactions between teachers and students included establishing trusting relationships, reciprocated respect, clear schoolwide behavior expectations, positive communication with parents, and teachers' professional dress. My recommendations were for establishing clear schoolwide behavior expectations, for school districts to …

Investigating Parental Roles In Developing Preschool-Aged Children’S Emergent Literacy In English, Their Second Language, Through Storybook Reading In A Sample Of Kuwaiti Homes, Fajr M. Alkouz

Dissertations

Using a convergent mixed methods design, this study explored home emergent literacy environments actualized by six mothers of young preschool-aged children living in Kuwait. It investigated the role of these Kuwaiti mothers in developing their bilingual preschool-aged children’s print knowledge, oral language, and phonological awareness, as three areas associated with Emergent Literacy (EL). In particular, the study explored the influence of parental storybook reading on the development of bilingual children’s EL skills in English, their Second Language (L2). Employing purposive sampling, this case study obtained statistical quantitative results from parents who responded to a questionnaire about their home literacy experiences …

Unlocking Potential: Analyzing The Impact Of Special Education Services On The Assessment Outcomes Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Kaitlyn Billops

Dissertations

Since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, there has been a notable increase in the enrollment of students receiving special education services (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2022). However, despite advancements in special education programming and service delivery, academic performance for students with disabilities still falls behind their general education peers, particularly on state summative assessments (Aron & Loprest, 2012). Disparities in academic achievement on these assessments can be attributed to various factors, including assessment practices, students' comfort levels during testing, and the severity of their disabilities. Assessing the efficacy of special education …

The Impact Of Changing The Admission Policy On Students’ Educational Opportunities In Abu Dhabi Higher Educational Institutions, Maha Khalifa Al Mansoori

Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the intricate dynamics of educational change in the UAE, particularly focusing on the impact of admission policy changes on students’ educational opportunities on higher educational institutions. The main objective of this dissertation is to critically evaluate the effectiveness of educational changes, specifically through the lens of revised admission policy, in enhancing the standards of higher education in the United Arab Emirates.
/="/">A quantitative research methodology using questionnaire was utilized in this research paper and PLS-SEM method with SmartPLS software was used for data analysis. The study investigates the effect of changing the admission policy …

School Leadership For The Practice Of Inclusive Education In Elementary Schools In The United Arab Emirates, Aysha Saeed Al Nuaimi

Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities in regular classrooms is increasing. In 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced a new policy with the goal of promoting inclusive education in all public schools. Although the UAE government is committed to the education of children with disabilities, the role of school leaders is vital to the successful implementation of inclusive education in schools. While school leaders have been found to be the main agents in steering inclusive practices, their contribution to practices in schools in the UAE context remains empirically unresearched. The objective of this study was to explore elementary school …

One Hand Doesn't Clap: The Moderation Of Individual Factors On The Relationship Between Leader Narcissism And Followers' Outcomes, Wafa Mohammed Al Wahedi

Dissertations

Drawing on leadership and social exchange theories, the purpose of this study is to examine the adverse impact of the toxic triangle; namely, Leader Narcissism (LN), Perceived Unethical Climate (PUC) and Followers' Submissiveness (FS) on followers' outcomes, particularly Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and Constructive Deviance (CD) through the mediation of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX). The study introduces Moral Identity (MI) as a moderator. The conceptual framework was put to the test with data collected from both leaders and their followers in UAE-based organizations. Hierarchical linear model analysis was run on leaders and followers' dyadic data for testing whether moral identity moderated the …