Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Analysis Of Effective Mathematics Curriculums In The State Of Missouri, Matthew Robert Britt

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematics curriculums and implementation strategies of high-performing school districts in Missouri. The study was designed to determine any similarities or differences in the selection of mathematics curriculums or in implementation strategies among these high-performing school districts. Scores from the mathematics section of the ACT during the years all Missouri 11th-grade students were mandated to take the ACT were used to make determinations about the efficacy of mathematics curriculums and implementation strategies. The school districts with an average score in the top 10% of the state during the mandated years were asked …

Is United States’ Economic Power In Decline? Can China Replace The U.S. As The World’S Next Economic Superpower?, Islam Bakirci

Dissertations

The decline of American economic power has been passionately debated for decades. Starting from the Kennedy administration, there were many cases that declinist scholars interpreted as the beginning of American economic power decline. The financial crisis of 2007-09 is the latest case of the same debate. However, unlike the previous cases, declinist scholars who support the idea of U.S. economic power is in decline after the financial crisis, strongly believe that this time the decline is different. This time the decline is real. In addition, the same scholars also argue that China, as an economic challenger which is different from …

At The Top Of The Chart: A Composite Counterstory Of Black Students’ Mathematical Success, Joslyn N. Richardson

Dissertations

Mathematics as a discipline has ignored the experiences of African American students, making it difficult for them to develop strong mathematical identities and racial identities in relation to math. Black children and their academic achievements are often framed negatively, and underachievement and failure are often emphasized over their brilliance and resilience. This qualitative study adds to the limited body of knowledge by examining student perspectives and socialization factors that contribute to positive math identity and achievement in middle school students. Using a Critical Race Theory framework, data was collected through semi-structured interviews and math autobiographies that were structured around the …

The Effects Of Mobile Devices & Maker Projects On Middle School African American Students’ Stem Knowledge Base & Interest, Allen L. Savage Sr.

Dissertations

The nature of future employment is rooted in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Educating the current and future workers will require the inclusion of STEM education, especially in the K-12 classrooms. African Americans run the risk of being left behind in future STEM jobs due to their poor STEM representation throughout institutional education. In general, African American students have a poor attitude towards and poor academic performance in STEM. This research was explored using ubiquitous smartphones and a unique form of student-centered learning called maker education to increase the attitude and STEM knowledge of African American middle schoolers. …

Construct Linear Quasi-Interpolants On Infinite Intervals, Johara Farah Albaliwi

Dissertations

In solving the data interpolation problem, which is fundamental in data analysis, we typically deal with the data samples spread in a finite interval [a, b], which results in the operations involving finite-dimensional matrices. There are many interesting results developed under this framework. However, when the data samples are given from an infinite interval [a, ∞) (for certain special types of real-world applications), many existing results would not work anymore due to the special properties of the infinite data samples. A new framework should be established to support the infinite data samples.

In this dissertation, we develop a special tool …

Matrix Product Structure Of A Permuted Quasi Cyclic Code And Its Dual, Perian Perdhiku

Dissertations

In my Dissertation I will work mostly with Permuted Quasi Cyclic Codes. They are a generalization of Cyclic Codes, one of the most important families of Linear Codes in Coding Theory. Linear Codes are very useful in error detection and correction. Error Detection and Correction is a technique that first detects the corrupted data sent from some transmitter over unreliable communication channels and then corrects the errors and reconstructs the original data. Unlike linear codes, cyclic codes are used to correct errors where the pattern is not clear and the error occurs in a short segment of …

Ready To Engage? Urban Middle School Teachers’ Responsiveness To Targeted Engagement Interventions On Their Virtual Instructional Practices: An Action Research Study, Svetlana Nikic

Dissertations

Teachers’ effectiveness is associated with their instructional practices and is ultimately linked to students’ learning outcomes. In order to impact teachers’ effectiveness, schools focus substantial effort and resources on professional development led by an assumption that teachers’ classroom practices can be improved through targeted interventions. Even if this premise is correct, little information is available about how much a teacher’s practice may change through interventions, or which aspects of instructional practice are more receptive to improving teacher effectiveness (Garret et al., 2019).

This study took place at an urban middle school and examined teachers’ responsiveness to targeted engagement intervention in …

Economic And Environmental Impacts Of Drone Delivery, Juan Zhang

Dissertations

Motivated by the potentially huge economic and environmental benefits of drone delivery, this dissertation developed mathematical models using the continuous approximation methodology to quantify the cost and emissions savings that drone delivery can provide relative to conventional truck delivery on multi-stop routes for a range of operating characteristics, delivery environments, and carbon intensities of power generation. This research considers two types of drone delivery: drone-only delivery and truck-drone delivery. In drone-only delivery, drones travel out-and-back from a depot to make each delivery. In truck-drone delivery, a truck and drone tandem make deliveries in parallel with the drone being launched and …

Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri: Who Should Solve The Problem? A Three-Tiered Analysis Of Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri, Joshua Flores

Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition is an ongoing issue in the United States and more specifically in the state of Missouri. This dissertation, using a three-tiered analytical approach, offers suggestions, recommendations, and strategies, aside from raising salaries or increasing benefits packages, that schools, their districts, and leaders can implement to bolster teacher retention. The findings are based on the practices of successful districts, buildings, and leaders. The first level of research included semi-structured interviews with district level personnel to offer guidance and recommendations that can be implemented at the local school district level. Similarly, the second level of research utilized the same …

An Examination Of Recruitment And Retention Strategies Of High-Performing Public School Districts In Missouri, Zebadiah Thomas Wallace

Dissertations

Teachers are the most-significant controllable factor that leads to student achievement (Hattie & Anderman, 2013). Accordingly, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers are the most-significant variables for student success that can be controlled by school leaders (Fraynd, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine teacher recruitment and retention strategies of high-performing public school districts in Missouri. Specifically, this study was designed to compare the perceptions of human resource directors and teachers to identify trends, commonalities, and differences to more fully understand the recruitment and retention of teachers. Participants received an online survey to elicit their perceptions of effective recruitment …

Equity And Ability Grouping: A Study Of Whole-School Practices And Reflections On Vocal Music Education, Daniel Glossenger, Andrew Cowell

Dissertations

This co-authored dissertation is a macro-level case study of a public high school tracking system and a micro-level autoethnography from a music educator about vocal music placement practices. The case study sought to comprehensively describe and analyze the characteristics of a tracking system in all core subjects at a single school, including the extent of differentiation of levels, placement practices, student mobility, teacher tracking, and inclusiveness by race, class, and gender. It also used network analysis software to map more than 75,000 connections among students created by their course-taking; it used this to quantitatively identify student communities, which then were …

Instantaneous Frequency Estimation And Signal Separation Using Fractional Continuous Wavelet Transform, Abdelbaset R. Zeyani

Dissertations

In the signal processing field, time-frequency representations (TFR's) have intensively been improved to provide effective and powerful tools for reliable signal analysis. One of the most valuable and frequently used tools is Fourier transform (FT) which has been used to study the frequency content of stationary signals in the Fourier domain (FD). However, FT is not sufficient to study the frequency of non-stationary signals. For this particular type of signals to be best analyzed, some transforms such as the short time Fourier transform (STFT) and the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) have been introduced to provide us with a signal representation …

Mixed Methods Study Of The Relationship Between Students’ Perceptions Of School Climate, Attendance, And Academic Achievement, Danielle Nicole Carter

Dissertations

As previous studies have shown a relationship between school climate, attendance, and academic achievement within public schools nationwide, the current mixed methods study of the relationship between students’ perception of school climate, attendance, and academic achievement sought to explore such relationships within an urban charter high school in the Midwest. The researcher specifically examined student perceptions of teaching and learning, student-teacher relationships, school safety, and overall climate and investigated whether such perceptions were related to attendance rates or grade point average. For this study, approximately 63 participants in grades 9-12 voluntarily completed anonymous, electronic surveys (adapted from Panorama Instrument with …

Evaluating The College And Career Readiness Of High School Students In Chicago, Illinois- Strategies, Actions And Policy Implications For School Districts, James M. Walton Jr

Dissertations

During my course of study in my doctoral program, I was made aware of research where there was considerable concern by businesses and corporations regarding the potential candidates for hire graduating from our nation’s colleges and universities and their readiness to be engaged and contribute in their particular workforce and/or industry.

As detailed in the book The Global Achievement Gap (Wagner, 2014), this concern arose as the various human resource departments of these corporations and businesses began to discover an “unreadiness” in the educational preparation of graduating college students. Consequently, college admissions departments throughout our country saw more and more …

Educating Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: The Us Constitution, Citizenship And Disability, Julie Ramirez

Dissertations

This qualitative, design-based research study focuses on teaching citizenship to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The participants were middle school students who communicate in a variety of ways, many of whom don’t use speech. In the State of Illinois, the general education population is required to pass the U.S. Constitution test. However, in spite of a mandate that students with disabilities should have access to the general education curriculum, students with significant intellectual disabilities are not required to learn about the constitution or their rights as citizens. The goal of the research was to meet the needs of all students through …

Design Of Graphene-Based Sensors For Nucleic Acids Detection And Analysis, Asma’ Wasfi Fayez Mustafa

Dissertations

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the blueprint of life as it encodes all genetic information. In genetic disorder such as gene fusion, Copy Number Variation (CNV), and single nucleotide polymorphism, Nucleic acids such as DNA bases detection and analysis is used as the gold standard for successful diagnosis. Researchers have been conducting rigorous studies to achieve genome sequences at low cost while maintaining high accuracy and high throughput. A quick, accurate, and low-cost DNA detection approach would revolutionize medicine. Genome sequence helps to enhance people’s perception of inheritance, disease, and individuality. This research aims to improve DNA bases detection accuracy, and …

Perceived Source Characteristics Of E-Wom Senders Effects On Purchase Intentions And Behaviours: An Experimental Study In The Uae, Hala Saeed Hasan Al Ghusain

Dissertations

The popularity and power of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) have raised the attention of academia and businesses in the past decade. A plethora of relevant literature investigated the motives of the sender to engage in e-WOM, besides the actual content of the message, leaving unanswerable questions concerning the receiver’s perception of the message and the interpersonal similarities with the sender. This study aimed at filling this gap by assessing the potential impact of e-WOM cues on the receiver experimentally by consulting i) social comparison theory, and ii) social judgment theory. Two experiments were designed and conducted incorporating mixed-method research …

The Impact Of Strategic Alliances On Corporate Performance: Exploring Mechanisms And Conditions In The Context Of Oil And Gas Industry In The Uae, Khalid A. Al Kindi

Dissertations

Strategic Alliances are fast gaining traction in the oil and gas Drilling Industry in the World and the UAE in particular, in contrast to the challenges that arise in the markets as a result of globalization and as a business strategy to enhance the corporate performance of the firms involved in the alliances. The alliances are also in the focus of academic and business researchers and interest in Strategic Alliances has significantly increased over the past decades. This research aims to study to what extent do strategic alliances impact the corporate performance of the firms involved in these alliances in …

Impact Of Computer Simulations On Uae Students’ Learning Of Newton’S Second Law Of Motion And Attitudes Toward Physics Within The Context Of Scientific Inquiry, Khaleel Shehadeh Alarabi

Dissertations

Unlike traditional instructional strategies, Computer Simulations (CSs) have lately been receiving increasing attention and applications within the international physics education community. This study aims to investigate the impact of CSs within an inquiry-based learning environment on the UAE grade 11 students’ performance in Newton’s Second Law of Motion (NSLOM). The study also investigates the impact of CSs within an inquiry-based learning environment on students’ Attitudes towards Scientific Inquiry (ASI), Enjoyment of Science Lessons (ESL), and Career Interest in Science/physics (CIS). The sample of the study consisted of 90 male and female students chosen from a population comprised of public-school grade …

Conversion Of Lignocellulose Biomass From Date Palm Waste To High Value Chemicals, Emmanuel Galiwango

Dissertations

Lignocellulose biomass has gained growing popularity because of its low cost of production compared to food crops, it solves problems of food and energy security, can grow in various climates and land, and it is CO₂ neutral. Date palm trees produce large amounts of fibrous wastes that are good sources of lignocellulose. There are over 40 million date palm trees in UAE and most of their lignocellulosic wastes (i.e., leaves, surface fibers, bunches, etc.) are currently used for low value applications such as compost or electric generation. However, the lignocellulosic components of this waste stream have the potential to …

The United Arab Emirates Soft Power In The International Relations Context, Ahmed Mohamed Saeed Jber Al Suwaidi

Dissertations

In the modern world, soft power is a significant concept referring to nations’ ability to influence others without the need to use force or threats. Developed nations have made a great effort to enhance their soft power practices in order to utilize this power to influence fellow nations. The United Arab Emirates’ soft power is still considered a relatively new area of practical academic discipline. Nonetheless, the UAE's soft power practices remain essential in determining its position on the global scale. To develop a soft-power strategy, objectives and needs must be outlined. To address these objectives and needs, mixed-method research …

Geo-Spatial Modeling Of Carbon Sequestration Assessment In Date Palm, Abu Dhabi: An Integrated Approach Of Fieldwork, Remote Sensing, And Gis, Basam Saeed Dahy

Dissertations

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undertaken huge efforts to green the desert and afforestation projects (planted mainly with date palms) hence, reducing its carbon footprint, which have never been accounted for, because of lack of implemented mechanisms and tools to assess the amount of biomass and carbon stock (CS) sequestered by plants in the country. The purpose of this dissertation is to implement a new approach towards assessing the carbon sequestered by date palm (DP) plantations in Abu Dhabi, in both their biomass compartment as well as the soils under beneath, using geospatial technologies (RS and GIS) assessed by …

Thermal Evaluation Of Advanced Leading Edge For Rotating Gas Turbine Blade: Numerical And Experimental Investigations, Amin Safi

Dissertations

Gas turbine engines play a vital role in our life. Our power demand is significantly and continuously growing. One approach to improve thermal efficiency in gas turbine engines requires a higher turbine inlet gas temperature. Advanced gas turbine engines operate at high temperatures, around 2000 K. Since operating at high temperatures may compromise the blade structure integrity, different cooling systems are used in a turbine blades. One of the most efficient cooling techniques is impingement cooling, mostly used in the leading edge. The leading edge experiences the highest temperature in the blade exposed to the hottest gas.

Researchers studied different …

How Can School Leaders Support Teachers In Becoming Culturally Proficient? Lessons From Teachers And School Leaders That Support Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices, Sherri Simek Rodriguez

Dissertations

This study was a program evaluation of educator cultural proficiency in a suburban school district in Illinois from 2019-2020. The primary research question explored was how school leaders can support teachers to become culturally proficient in order to support underserved students. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from school leader and teacher interviews, and document analysis, this study identified key components to improve culturally proficient practices. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the following: ensure that all staff members examine and eliminate institutional beliefs, policies, practices, and teaching that perpetuate racial inequalities; implement culturally relevant practices; and prepare all …

A Tale Of Two Schools: A Study Of Student Risk Factors And Exclusionary Suspension Incidents, Brandy Nicole Williamson

Dissertations

discipline practices can widen the opportunity gap for at-risk students (Baker & Coley, 2013; Black, 2016; Crosby et al., 2018; Gibson & Gibson, 2019; Mallett, 2016; McCarter, 2017; Porter, 2015; Williams et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student risk factors and exclusionary discipline rates. Identification of a significant relationship between exclusionary discipline and student risk factors could lead to an increased awareness of precertification and practicing educator professional development needs. Identification of a significant relationship between trauma-related risk factors and exclusionary discipline could lead to an awareness of exclusionary discipline alternatives more …

Commitment Of Teachers In Times Of Educational Change: The Case Of Government School Teachers In Al Ain City, Fawzia Salah Aljneibi

Dissertations

Interest in teacher commitment is growing as a critical factor for the future success of education and schools. Committed teachers play a significant role in improving students’ achievement and positively building their identities. Teacher commitment is an essential consideration, particularly in times of change. This research is concerned with the topic of teacher commitment in Al Ain schools, Abu Dhabi. The objectives of this dissertation explored teachers’ levels of commitment during times of change in the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and related variables that could increase or decrease their commitment. This study utilized a quantitative research …

Strategies That Exemplary Elementary Dual Immersion Principals Use To Create An Organizational Culture Of Inclusiveness, Stephanie K. Smart

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy’s (2008) five leadership qualities of cultural differences.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed methods research study utilized quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews of 15 exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California to identify and describe the strategies used to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness according to Kennedy’s (2008) five qualities …

Exploiting Bert And Roberta To Improve Performance For Aspect Based Sentiment Analysis, Gagan Reddy Narayanaswamy

Dissertations

Sentiment Analysis also known as opinion mining is a type of text research that analyses people’s opinions expressed in written language. Sentiment analysis brings together various research areas such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Data Mining, and Text Mining, and is fast becoming of major importance to companies and organizations as it is started to incorporate online commerce data for analysis. Often the data on which sentiment analysis is performed will be reviews. The data can range from reviews of a small product to a big multinational corporation. The goal of performing sentiment analysis is to extract information from those …

Combination Of Facebook Prophet And Attention-Based Lstm With Multi- Source Data For Indian Stock Market Prediction, Pavan Nagesh

Dissertations

The stock market prediction has been the subject of interest to various researchers and analysts due to its highly unpredictable nature and serves as a perfect example for time series forecasting. Over the years deep learning models such as Long-Term Short-Term Memory and statistical models such as Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average have shown promising results in predicting future stock prices. But the results from these models cannot be generalized as they fail to incorporate the dynamics of the market and influence of several external factors such as political, social, investor's emotion, etc on stock markets. Recently Facebook’s creation of the …

Feature Augmentation For Improved Topic Modeling Of Youtube Lecture Videos Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Nakul Srikumar

Dissertations

Application of Topic Models in text mining of educational data and more specifically, the text data obtained from lecture videos, is an area of research which is largely unexplored yet holds great potential. This work seeks to find empirical evidence for an improvement in Topic Modeling by pre- extracting bigram tokens and adding them as additional features in the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm, a widely-recognized topic modeling technique. The dataset considered for analysis is a collection of transcripts of video lectures on Machine Learning scraped from YouTube. Using the cosine similarity distance measure as a metric, the experiment showed …