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Pride And Prejudice, An Operatic Work For Ensemble Based On Jane Austen’S Novel, With Comparisons To Mozart’S Ensemble Opera Works, Sondheim’S Ensemble Musicals, And Mark Adamo’S Little Women, Arlene Brenda Siagian

Dissertations

Pride and Prejudice is an original composition. It adapts the storyline and various characters from Jane’s Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, into an operatic ensemble work for the stage and theatre. The project is the result of an exploration into the characteristics and qualities of an ensemble opera, a work that derives its synergy from the interactions and collaborative efforts of memorable and varied performers. In an operatic setting, when a performer is immersed in the portrayal of a character, that nature is amplified when communicating with another role just as intentional and skillful. The sense of personality and singleness …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Counselors: An Exploration Of Their Reactions To Trauma Survivors, Zanovia P. Tucker

Dissertations

Nearly 83% of Americans are exposed to a traumatic event (Benjet et al., 2016). Given this, every counselor will more than likely work with trauma survivors (Trippany et al., 2004). Because of the high percentage of exposure to trauma, mental health professions who service individuals who experience trauma are at risk for secondary trauma (Ivicic & Motta, 2016), vicarious traumatization (Culver et al., 2011), and shared trauma (Hope & Edward, 2013). African American counselors have not been recognized in the counseling literature; thus their work with trauma survivors and their training experiences remain relatively unknown. Most of the research pertaining …

First-Generation Students, Belongingness, And Climate In An Academic Unit Of Study, Kelly Christine Scott Raisley

Dissertations

To capture the essence of the sense of belonging for first-generation students (FGS) within an academic unit of study in higher education, this qualitative inquiry used portraiture to provide answers to four research questions. Q1 How do FGS make meaning of belongingness in an academic unit? Q2 How do FGS describe the academic unit’s climate which contributes to their sense of belonging? Q3 According to participants, how do social interactions within the academic unit contribute to belongingness? Q4 How do FGS interpret symbols that create a sense of belongingness? Through the theoretical frame of symbolic interactionism, this research offered a …

The Lived Work Experiences Of Novice, Doctorally Prepared Nurse Educators, Misty Dawn Smith

Dissertations

Nursing literature reflects role confusion about the doctorally prepared nurse educator role. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived work experiences of novice, doctorally prepared nurse educators. An aim of this study was to shed light on the lived work experiences of novice, doctorally prepared nurse educators. This study was completed using a descriptive, phenomenological method using purposive sampling. Participants for this study included 12 nurse educators who had earned either a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree within the last 5 years. Semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions were conducted …

Leadership In High Achieving Blended Learning Schools, Benjamin Wyatt Alexander

Dissertations

The use of blended learning in kindergarten–12 (K–12) schools in the past decade has seen a dramatic increase, but the research on the effectiveness of blended learning has shown mixed results. However, some schools use blended learning that would be considered successful. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of principals in high-performing schools that use blended learning. A post-intentional phenomenological methodology was used to explore the lived experience of the principals in this study. The primary source of data collection was semi-structured interviews of 12 school principals. The principals in this study had common experiences …

Applying Bayesian Growth Modeling In Machine Learning For Longitudinal Data, Alisa Udomvisawakul

Dissertations

There has been increasing interest in the use of Bayesian growth modeling in machine learning environment to answer the questions relating to the patterns of change in trends of social and human behavior in longitudinal data. It is well understood that machine learning works properly with “big data,” because large sample sizes offer machines the better opportunity to “learn” the pattern/structure of data from a training data set to predict the performance in an unseen testing data set. Unfortunately, not all researchers have access to large samples and there is a lack of methodological research addressing the utility of using …

Families’ Experiences Raising A Child With Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, Amber L. Rundle Kahn

Dissertations

Optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) is a leading cause of childhood visual impairment. Children with ONH are at significantly increased risk for a number of concomitant neurological and behavioral problems. This study applied phenomenological qualitative research methods to investigate the experiences that parents of children with ONH have with raising their child. Twelve parents of children with ONH were interviewed. Three major categories emerged from the data: (a) resiliency of parents who have children with ONH; (b) strategies that families of children with ONH use; and (c) connections that support families of children with ONH. The categories and associated themes are …

Nursing Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Sex Trafficking: Does Victim Gender Matter?, Sarah Rapoza

Dissertations

Sex trafficking (ST) often goes unrecognized; yet, it is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects marginalized populations. Sex trafficking involves the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving of persons for the purpose of commercial sex acts. As a result of ST, victims suffer adverse health effects and often present to healthcare facilities while still under control of their traffickers. Few healthcare personnel are aware trafficking is happening in their geographical areas and victims are rarely identified or offered assistance. The majority of studies and interventions related to ST focus on female victims despite evidence that males are also …

The Effects Of Online Parent Training In The Teach- Model-Coach-Review Instructional Approach On Parents’ Use Of Language Expansion During Routine-Based Activities For Children With Cochlear Implants In Thailand, Rumpasri Sukonthaman

Dissertations

Early intervention is not officially implemented in Thailand. The shortage of practitioners, the inaccessibility of early intervention services, and the lack of parental involvement extremely deprive opportunities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to develop language and communication within the critical period. This dissertation aimed to explore an intervention approach that practitioners can use to encourage and empower parents’ roles and responsibilities, as well as improve the children’s language outcomes. The objectives in this dissertation study were to explore (a) how online parent training in the modified Teach-Model-Coach-Review Instructional approach can be implemented to improve the parents’ …

Reconciling Religious And Scientific Epistomologies: Leveraging Mutuality To Enhance Acceptance Of Science And Respect For Religion, Mary Medlin

Dissertations

One prominent factor associated with accepting science as factual includes religiosity, with greater espoused religiosity often associated with less acceptance of scientific facts and greater secularism associated with greater acceptance of science as factual, but often reduced respect of religious beliefs. Such dichotomies exacerbate perceptions that science and religion are mutually exclusive, thereby fostering conflict between individuals with different perspectives and increasing ideological polarization. The current study sought to compare these mutually exclusive articulations of science and religion to a mutualist articulation of science and religion as complementary ways of knowing. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four …

Confronting And Dismantling Whiteness In Higher Education: A Grassroots Approach, Winnie Needham

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate how an Educational Studies department in a small, Midwestern liberal arts college might confront and dismantle whiteness in curricular, pedagogical, and policy choices. Utilizing a critical participatory action research design, five higher education faculty engaged in a critical conversation inquiry group (Schieble et al., 2020) to develop their critical literacy (Rogers and Mosley, 2014). This study was designed to answer the following questions: How do faculty within an Educational Studies department think about their racial identities and the relevance of racial identity to the program, the institution, and higher education? …

Technology-Enhanced Interaction, Residency Requirements, And Student Characteristics In Fully Online Programs And Their Relationship With Student Connectedness, Susan Dellasega

Dissertations

This study included an investigation of several aspects of fully online programs and their relationship with student connectedness. Bawa (2016) stated retention rates for fully online students lag far behind their traditional in-person counterparts. Green et al. (2017) concluded online students who feel more connected are more likely to persist in their online programs. This quantitative study included data collected from students enrolled in fully online programs offered by a regional, four-year public institution. The survey instrument included a measurement of student connectedness as determined by the Online Student Connectedness Survey (Bolliger & Inan, 2012). Additional information collected from participants …

Strategies Exemplary Mental Health Leaders Use To Stay Grounded While Working With Veterans, Audrey Dangtuw

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this explanatory mixed method study was to identify and describe what exemplary mental health leaders in Puget Sound area mental health facilities serving veterans do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health based on the six dimensions of Rosen's (2014) healthy leader model.

Methodology. An explanatory mixed methods approach was selected to allow the triangulation of data to increase the validity of the findings. The study analyzed quantitative surveys to identify how exemplary mental health leaders rate their use of grounded leadership strategies and qualitative semi-structured interviews to identify strategies exemplary mental …

Which School- And Community- Characteristics Lead To Charter School Success?, Susan Marino, Sarah Ranney

Dissertations

Charter schools have existed in the United States for thirty years, with mixed results. Research has largely focused on charter school failure and an analysis of what led to the demise. This study aimed to understand characteristics predicting charter school success, alongside those predicting failure. Specifically, it focused on a charter school’s first six years to understand how one successfully establishes a strong foundation, with the expectation that early success will lead to long-term success.

To understand characteristics predicting charter school success and failure, a review of existing data determined which charter schools were successful. Then, founding school leaders were …

Systems Of Success: African American Women Prepared, Dawna Sturdivant Wharton

Dissertations

This study generates a vision for African American schooling based on the lived experiences of Black women, born between 1965 – 1980, who have persisted through college and graduate studies. This research centers the voices of Generation X African American women, to discover the impact school systems have had on their development toward adulthood and how their experiences help construct their vision of Black education for the future. Using the ecological systems theory to position that school systems help create meaning and impact development towards adulthood, the study asks participants to envision an education system that enables success for African …

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. …

Oneida College Lacrosse Players’ Perspectives Of The Sacred Game Of Lacrosse, Thomas Reed

Dissertations

Oneida college lacrosse players have an important perspective on the sacred game of lacrosse that needs to be heard. The Oneida are one of six tribes of the Haudenosaunee, or also known as, the Iroquois. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and the style played today is most similar to the Haudenosaunee style. Oneidas are traditionally orators and lacrosse players. There is a lack of literature on the Oneida, lacrosse, and education. Oneida college lacrosse players face a problem in attempting to preserve their traditional Indigenous knowledge at their respective university communities, while also seeking …

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 …

How Do Exemplary Public School Superintendent Lead During Turbulent Times By Relying On Their Moral Purpose, Concern For The Collective Interest, Personal Temperament, And Resilience, Jason Lea

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to the describe behaviors that exemplary superintendents practice to lead their organizations through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, personal temperament, and resilience.

Methodology: This phenomenological study examined 12 exemplary superintendents in California who have led districts with a student population with at least 1,500 students, who have been in the position for a minimum of 2 years in the same district during a crisis period that occurred within the past 5 years, led their districts during turbulent times. Participants were interviewed on an …

Regulation Of Self-Love, Kruti Surti

Dissertations

While the concept of self-love is well-known in today’s society, it remains unknown how self-love can be increased. Increasing self-love may help individuals decrease stress and promote well-being. The current study tested how self-love and pleasantness can be increased and whether anxiety levels and personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with self-love increase. In this study, participants (N = 108; 86 women, 20 men, 1 gender queer, 1 other (not specified)) completed questionnaires related to self-compassion, self-efficacy, anxiety, and personality. Then, participants completed an online self-love regulation task in which they read prompts that encouraged them …

The Covid-19 Pivot To Online Education And Bsn Graduates’ Readiness To Practice, Abigail Schulte

Dissertations

There is a major nursing shortage worldwide, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to invest in the acceleration of nursing education to meet global needs. Nursing schools had to pivot to online education overnight, and many are unsure how this has impacted students. The purpose of this study is to see if the pivot to online education, prompted by COVID-19, impacted the readiness to practice and grade point averages (GPA) of graduating Bachelor of Nursing students. In this quantitative study, a casual-comparative survey design is used to test for readiness to practice and program modality. A cross-sectional design …

Effective Mindfulness Practices For Reducing Veteran Teacher Perceived Stress, Michael Brouillette

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to measure and describe the extent to which mindfulness practices impact veteran teacher perceived stress. In addition, it was the purpose of the study to capture the most effective mindfulness practices of veteran teachers to reduce veteran teacher perceived stress.

Methodology: This study used a mixed methods study research methodology. Data were collected from 15 teachers in the form of answers to the Perceived Stress Scale and interviews to collect their lived experiences. Responses from veteran teachers who have used mindfulness for at least 1 year were analyzed with the objective …

Hiding In Heteronormative Sight: Students' Concealment Of (Nonhetero)Sexual Identity In Public Schools, Kristine Carey

Dissertations

Increased legal protections and visibility in popular media of sexual minority persons can lead some to believe that sexual prejudice is a thing of the past (Kite & Bryant-Lees, 2016). However, national statistics still show sexual minority youth at greater risks for self-harming thoughts and attempts than their heteronormative counterparts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2019); and indicate schools as particularly hostile environments for these youth as well (Kowsic, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). The current study looks to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on the experience …

Perceptions Of Graduates From Online Accelerated Pre-Licensure Second-Degree Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Programs On Quality Of Educational Experience And Readiness For Clinical Practice, Virginia L. Jones

Dissertations

There is an increasing use of distance learning methods being utilized for nursing education. Accelerated second-degree Bachelor of Science in nursing (ASDBSN) programs have increased rapidly from 31 in 1990 to 230 in 2013 with 33 more programs in the planning stages according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2013). There are currently three identified online pre-licensure, ASDBSN programs. There are research studies focusing on graduates from this type of nursing programs using the traditional format, which is the face-to-face college experience, but a lack of literature regarding graduates of the online learning format. This qualitative descriptive study …

Raising Cross-Cultural Awareness Among The Undergraduates Through Intentional Design In A Culture Course In The Us—An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Experimental Design, Hua Wang

Dissertations

The cultivation of intercultural competence is a growing trend globally, and integration of intercultural competence into coursework was widely acknowledged as a valid strategy to achieve this goal. The purpose of this study is to examine (1) the effects of the intervention of connecting one’s own culture to affect students' cross-cultural awareness development in American colleges; and (2) students’ perceptions of their own cultural‐awareness changes. Data was collected through pre-and post-questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. This study also compared between-group participants’ posttest ratings on a cross-cultural awareness scale, as well as pre- and post-test ratings within each group. The quantitative and …

How Do Teachers’ Pedagogy Influence The Ways In Which African American Males Are Disciplined? A Case Study Examining Discipline In A High School Setting, Kimberly Kimbrough

Dissertations

This qualitative study was conducted to examine the pedagogies of high school teachers who have demonstrated success in working with African American male students and to determine which factors influence the way African American male students are disciplined. The rationale behind this research was based on the researcher’s direct observation of the many challenges African American male students encounter while navigating high school. The study was guided by a case study methodology to gather information about the shared experiences of the five teacher participants via interviews. Results showed African American male students experience high success levels when working with teachers …

The Influence Of Youth Leaders’ Competencies, Emotional Intelligence, And Climate For Creativity On The Performance Of The Uae Governmental Organizations, Shamsa Saif Suhail Almarri

Dissertations

Nowadays, leadership is an essential asset in youth society. Thus, this study aims to identify the required capabilities to determine their readiness and openness amongst other qualities to be able to identify those youths who are able to take on federal government leadership positions in the upcoming 4th Industrial Revolution which is important for the future economic success of the country. This research utilized the leadership competencies theory to locate the important competencies that are needed to create strong youth leaders. The research has suggested a model and a positivist research philosophy was used to examine the suggested model. A …

Utilization And Evaluation Of Treated Wastewater On The Production Technology Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Under Different Modes Of Cultivation, Fatima Hasan Al Hamedi

Dissertations

In the recent past, the production of wastewater from domestic and industrial sources has been steadily increasing through the population, urbanization, industrial revolution and economic development. In the world, 80% of wastewater consists of several harmful substances and hazardous chemicals that cause many deadly effects to human beings as well as ecosystems. So, the elimination of this toxic substance before discarding into landfills is utilized as an alternative source of water which is an emerging need. Using the treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is an excellent approach for rendering wastewater beneficial. As the quantity of wastewater grows, there is a …

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 …

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 …