An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

An Evaluation Of The Elements Needed In A New Teacher Induction Program To Prepare And Retain Second Career Educators, Bianka Newkirk

Dissertations

According to García and Weiss (2019), the United States faces a critical teacher shortage. There are not enough students majoring in or graduating with degrees in education. A solution to the teacher shortage is to fill the vacancies by recruiting and training secondcareer educators. If teachers are trained and mentored during the early stages of their careers, students will reap the benefits. Teachers who participate in a comprehensive new teacher induction program remain in the teaching profession longer and have tremendous success in terms of student achievement. Through my study, I aimed to research the elements needed in a new …

My Legacy Document: A Story Told Through A Pedagogical Lens Of Three Landscapes. School, Work, And Faith, Debra Williams

Dissertations

Too often professionals, when answering the question “Who are you?”, resort to listing what they do. Although individuals are gifted, experienced, and qualified, as these persons influence and significantly impact others, one could get lost as a person and be unfulfilled. That’s a problem.

Positioning myself as the study of research, utilizing autoethnography as the chosen methodology, my doctoral journey is chronicled. Three landscapes, school, work, and faith, serve as the areas of emphasis.

Cybersecurity Education And Continuous Learning Towards Uae Ncsp Fulfilment, Saleh Hamad Aldaajeh

Dissertations

This dissertation delves into enhancing cybersecurity education by aligning academic curricula with national cybersecurity strategic plan (NCSP) objectives, emphasizing the crucial role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Analyzing ten NCSPs, it identifies strategic themes and gaps between national goals and HEI offerings. The study reviews NCSP guidelines, international cybersecurity indices, and literature, including the NICE-NIST framework, to develop a framework that bridges the educational gap, improving learning outcomes and arming students with vital skills, knowledge, and competencies. Furthermore, it introduces a platform for continuous cybersecurity learning, employing micro-credentials, blockchain technology, and AI-driven systems. Based …

An Intelligent Framework Towards Fully Autonomous Driving Fueled By Smart Roads, Muhammad Jalal Khan

Dissertations

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are transforming next-generation autonomous mobility. These vehicles promise to increase road safety, improve traffic efficiency, reduce vehicle emissions, and enhance overall mobility. They achieve higher levels of Autonomous Driving (AD) by integrating sensors, communication technologies, computation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Apart from these advancements, significant gaps remain in integrating heterogeneous technologies and disciplines essential for optimizing AD. Therefore, the current solution approaches lack the capability to exploit intelligent road infrastructures and effectively orchestrate perceptual services for complex driving scenarios. The main objective of this dissertation is to address these challenges by proposing a novel end-to-end intelligent framework …

Graphene 2d Heterostructures For Thz Applications, Omnia Samy Shaaban

Dissertations

THz technology is a promising field that has various applications in communication, medical imaging and diseases’ detection, scanning, and the food industry. Since THz technology is still in its early stages, there is a lot of work to be done to obtain devices that work efficiently in the THz range. One of these devices is THz absorbers that are the basic building blocks for the next generation THz systems whether in communication systems, imaging or shielding. THz absorbers are structures that can absorb electromagnetic waves in the THz range (0.1-10 THz). THz absorbers can be wideband (absorb a wide range …

The Causes Of Teacher Burnout And Its Impact On The Personal Lives Of Teachers, Neisha Williams

Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative study focused on the experiences of high school teachers in the state of Georgia, United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the reasons why high school teachers experience burnout and how the occupational burnout impacts their personal life. This study was also conducted to fill the gap in the literature and gain insight on the burnout teacher perspective on what causes burnout and what actions need to be made at various (local, district, and state) levels to help manage or eliminate burnout entirely. The theoretical framework used for this study …

Impact Of Collaborative Communities On Collective Teacher Effectiveness And Agency, Leila Barber

Dissertations

In an ever-increasing world in which change, and diversity are commonplace, leaders are often faced with the unique challenge of building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with unique skill sets. Building collaborative teams of educators is one way building leaders tackle this absolute task. The methods by which leaders construct teams vary widely and at times with limited direction. Teacher teams are then at the mercy of those who they are teamed with, and either reap positive rewards of collaboration, or negative discord. Teacher experiences shape the way PLCs function and how they engage with shared work with their teammates. Throughout …

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 …

On The Projections And Unitary Groups Of Unital C*-Algebras, Fouzia Shaheen

Dissertations

H. Dye proved that the unitary group in a factor determines the algebraic type of that factor. Al-Rawashdeh, Booth and Giordano established that, for a large class of simple unital C*-algebras, an isomorphism between the unitary groups induces an isomorphism between their K₀-ordered group and 1-groups. Then using the results of Dadarlat-Elliot-Gong and Kirchberg-Phillips, the C*-algebras are isomorphic. Dye introduced special projections P_i,j (a) of the matrix algebra M_n(A), and he used it as a main tool to establish his results in the case of von Neumann factors. Precisely, in case of von Neumann algebra, …

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 …

Enhancing Health Analytics: Secure And Private Federated Learning Solutions, Nisha Thorakkattu Madathil

Dissertations

Federated Learning (FL) is a collaborative method allowing individuals to train a model jointly without sharing their local datasets. It utilizes decentralized data sources to protect privacy, making it particularly promising in medical contexts where data confidentiality is paramount. FL facilitates the use of diverse datasets from various healthcare organizations while upholding patient confidentiality. It also plays a crucial role in advancing medical research and healthcare services while adhering to data distribution and compliance requirements. The primary challenges within federated healthcare encompass privacy preservation among sensitive distributed data, ensuring efficient communication, addressing data heterogeneity, and ultimately guaranteeing model accuracy. To …

Increasing Folic Acid Self-Efficacy In College-Age Women Of Childbearing Age, Kristie Buchanan

Dissertations

Preventative measures taken by women of childbearing age before and during conception limit the risk of fetal defects or complications. One specific measure that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that all women of childbearing age take folic acid 400 mcg daily. Evidence-based research suggests that taking 400 mcg daily limits the risk of fetal neural tube defects if taken daily and started at least two months before conception. Fetal neural tube defects are classified as defects that damage the baby's spine and brain. The researcher conducted an evidence-based practice project that sought to determine …

Multi-Modality Transformer For E-Commerce: Inferring User Purchase Intention To Bridge The Query-Product Gap, Srivatsa Mallapragada

Dissertations

The rapid growth of e-commerce has necessitated the development of sophisticated product retrieval systems that can effectively match user queries with relevant products. However, the semantic gap between queries and products remains a significant challenge, as traditional retrieval methods often fail to capture the nuances of user purchase intentions. E-commerce click-stream data and product catalogs offer critical user behavior insights and product knowledge that are untapped in the current product search algorithms. This dissertation presents learning strategies that leverage the query-product transaction logs to enrich the pipeline of our proposed multi-modal transformer model, which transforms initial user queries into pseudo …

The Effect Of Teacher Identity On The Level Of Cultural Inclusion In The Classroom, Jennifer Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to investigate high school teachers’ perceptions of cultural inclusion and the impact of teacher identity on the level of cultural inclusion in the classroom. This research study utilized semi-structured one-on-one interviews as the primary source of data and participant surveys and researcher notes taken during the interviews as the secondary sources. This study sought to address two research questions: (1) What can we learn from teachers' experiences at a southeastern suburban high school regarding the post-COVID perceptions of cultural inclusion in the classroom? (2) How does teacher identity affect cultural inclusion in …

Enhancing Teachers’ Tpack And Self-Efficacy Through Content-Based Technology Professional Development, Chloe Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the impact of content-based instructional technology on teacher’s TPACK, specifically the technology related knowledge domains, and instructional technology self-efficacy. Demographic data was compared for correlations with TPACK or self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, the professional development model was evaluated by gathering teacher perceptions. A pre- and post-intervention survey was conducted to gather TPACK, self-efficacy, and perceptions of professional development. Findings were consistent and built upon previous research. Teachers experienced growth in all TPACK technology knowledge domains and displayed increased instructional technology self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, suggestions from previous research regarding best practices for …

Qualitative Study: Brain Breaks In Primary School Classroom, Mandeep Biring

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe the brain break strategies used by exemplary primary grade teachers to support student learning for each of the three different types of brain breaks (breathing breaks, movement breaks, and mental breaks). A further purpose of this study was to identify primary teachers’ perceptions of which brain break strategies are most effective to support student learning.

Methodology: A phenomenological research design was used for this study. A qualitative method was used to collect data which included conducting semistructured interviews and observations with participants to gain information related to …

Unraveling Biases And Customer Heterogeneity In E-Commerce Recommendation Systems, Sachin Sharma

Dissertations

This research explores the biases present in AI algorithms within e-commerce recommendation systems, focusing on how these biases prioritize popular, sponsored, and private-label products over actual customer preferences. We extend the responsible AI discourse by critically examining these biases and their implications for fairness in e-commerce. To strengthen the current understanding of AI fairness in the fields of information systems and computer science, we aim to challenge the assumption that AI fairness is objective and the same for everyone. We examine how individual differences, such as equity sensitivity and exchange ideology, contribute to users' varied perceptions of AI fairness. Through …

The Postsecondary Success Of Historically Marginalized Black And Latino Male Students: Examining Factors That Impact College Readiness Preparation And Persistence, Molly Croghan, Ebonie Davis, Janci Finkley, Zehra Khan, Yvette Levy, Evans Mudanya, Lizbeth Roman

Dissertations

This qualitative research study investigates the multifaceted factors influencing the postsecondary success of historically marginalized Black and Latino male students, with a particular emphasis on understanding the impact of college readiness preparation and persistence. Employing a comprehensive research design, the study integrates semi-structured interviews with high school teachers and counselors, and Black and Latino male freshmen and sophomores to provide a holistic exploration of the challenges and opportunities within the educational journey. Situated within an interpretive phenomenological paradigm, this study elucidates the experiential realities and viewpoints of the subjects, thereby illuminating the socio-cultural, institutional, and individual factors shaping their trajectories …

The Process Of Restoring Personal Integrity: Mitigating The Emotional Cost Of Medical Errors, Marie M. Prothero

Dissertations

This constructivist grounded-theory study was conducted to explore the emotional response to and recovery process following a medical error causing harm to a patient. The study participants were 37 registered nurses (30 women and 7 men), and unstructured interviews provided rich, detailed data. Through an inductive analysis of these errors, a taxonomy of errors is proposed. The Circumstance of Error Model was developed, and five distinct error circumstances were identified: accidental, unanticipated, distracted, unrecognized/unknown, and external. By linking the circumstances of error types with the recovery process, new insights were obtained. These insights resulted in a theory, reestablishing competency, that …

The Complexities Of Using Digital Game-Based Learning For Writing Instruction: An Exploratory Multiple-Case Study Of Two Teachers, Sean D. Bowden

Dissertations

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is an innovative learning approach for engaging and teaching students across various content areas. There is a shortfall in the extant literature on DGBL for writing instruction specifically. The purpose of this exploratory multiple-case study was to gain a greater understanding of (a) how teachers plan and deliver writing instruction using a DGBL approach, (b) how they evaluate the impact DGBL has on students’ writing, and (c) the shared experiences two teachers have with using DGBL for writing in two different contexts. Flow theory, activity theory, and TPACK comprised this study's theoretical foundation.

Two teachers with …

Help Or Hindrance: Latinx College Graduates’ From Stem Majors Perceptions Of University Culture Following Vincent Tinto’S Theoretical Framework Of Student Persistence, Carmen Gonzalez, Carmen Lucia Gonzalez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Latinx college graduates who have achieved STEM degrees perceive the culture of their university and the STEM program they were enrolled in as supporting or not supporting a Latinx college student’s persistence to graduation.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological approach was the methodology selected for this study. This phenomenological research captured and described the lived experiences of study participants through interviews and artifacts.

Findings: The findings of this research illustrate (a) Research participants all perceived that creating relationships with STEM program faculty was important in supporting them toward degree completion, …

An Exploration Of The Effects And Clinical Presentations Of Premature Birth Within The Latinx Population, Diana Hill

Dissertations

There are roughly ten percent, or 15 million, preterm births every year across the world. Therefore, it is vital to understand the impact on their development across cognitive, academic, socioemotional, and behavioral levels. A vast amount of research has shown that children who are born prematurely are more at risk of facing challenges across various areas of their development. However, the majority of the research samples have been limited within their scope, leaving behind a gap in research focused on specific subgroups within the population. By delving into the unique context of the Latinx population, this study endeavors to shed …

Readers’ Workshop Model Impact Urban Primary Students’ Motivation And Reading Progress, Narissa Waller

Dissertations

In order to assess the impact of the Readers' Workshop on academic success and literacy progress of primary students in an urban Midwest primary school, the researcher conducted a study. Through this study, the researcher aimed to determine whether the implementation of the Readers' Workshop positively affected the academic and literacy progress of primary students in an urban setting. Student progress was analyzed by comparing their assessment scores and reading levels in fall 2022 and spring 2023. The study aimed to identify effective teaching practices that can be implemented to bridge the achievement gap between urban students and their counterparts. …

A Design Thinking Mixed-Methods Study On Deliberate Practice And Building Collective Efficacy For Teachers In The Midwestern United States, Brian Elder

Dissertations

Educational research identified teacher efficacy as a primary driver for student learning and building a positive school culture (Hattie, 2018). However, understanding how to build and support the self and collective efficacy of teachers remained unclear and an elusive process for in-service teachers. The following research study used a design thinking mixed-methods study to explore how professional development rooted in a criteria of deliberate practice worked to build professional capacity of teachers and increase teacher efficacy (Ericsson, 2020). The research project initially began embedded at an independent school in a Midwestern city before expanding to include 15 in-service teachers representing …

A Novel Data Fusion Fr Amework To Enhance Contextual Awareness Of The Autonomous Vehicles For Accurate Decision Making, Henry Alexander Ignatious

Dissertations

Autonomous driving has the potential to bring significant changes and benefits to various aspects of transportation. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) use a combination of advanced sensors, cameras, radar, lidar, GPS, maps, and AI algorithms to perceive their environment, make decisions, and control their movements. Though there is a significant increase in the AVs utility, there are several challenges associated with the AVs among which ensuring safety and security for a reliable drive is still an existing challenge. The majority of accidents involving the AVs result from faulty decision-making resulting in fatal incidents. Multiple elements contribute to the flawed decision-making in autonomous …

Students' Attitudes Toward Computers At The College Of Nursing At King Saud University (Ksu), Osama A. Samarkandi

Dissertations

Computer knowledge and skills are becoming essential components technology in nursing education. Saudi nurses must be prepared to utilize these technologies for the advancement of science and nursing practice in local and global communities.

Little attention has been directed to students' attitudes about computer usage in academic communities in Saudi Arabia. Their attitudes about the use of computers for the enhancement of learning are relatively unknown. Few research studies have been identified that explicate Saudi Arabian nursing students' attitudes toward computer usage for the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Males and females matriculate at King Saud University (KSU), but attend …

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …