Digital Commons Network^™

Superintendent Transitions: Planning For The Expected, Jennifer Wildman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative and illustrative multiple case study was to identify and describe succession planning strategies utilized by six K-12 California public school districts of 1,000 to 10,000 enrollment that have experienced superintendent transitions within the previous 3 years during three stages—Prepare, Pivot, Thrive—of executive succession and transition management (Adams, 2006).

Methodology: The population consisted of 1,022 districts with a target population of 213 districts. Participants (superintendents, cabinet members, board members) were chosen through purposive and convenience sampling.

Findings: Five common themes emerged: (a) communication, (b) seeking input, (c) relationship-building, (d) strategic planning, and (e) stabilizing the …

More Than Just Words On A Screen: A Biopsychosocial Approach To Understanding Effects Of Race-Related Media, Melinda Kittleman

Dissertations

Racial disparities in physical and mental health are ongoing and well-documented problems in the United States. Black Americans, compared to White Americans, have higher risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression, and substance abuse. Research suggests prejudice and discrimination play a role in racial health disparities. Everyday discrimination is considered a chronic, psychosocial stressor that impacts the health of Black Americans. A biopsychosocial approach states there are various factors that contribute to the pathway from discrimination to disease and proposes complex relationships that explain effects of racial discrimination on health. The current study examined social factors (race-related media), biological factors …

The Efficacy Of The Co-Principal Model Of School Administration As Viewed Through The Lens Of The California Professional Standards For Education Leaders, Jennifer Slater-Sanchez

Dissertations

Purpose: It was the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study to examine the experiences of K-12 school principals who participated in the co-principal model viewed through the lens of the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSELs). No such study specifically focusing on the CPSELs has been conducted, even though the co-principal model has been implemented in various forms for over forty years. It is important to determine if the co-principalship is an effective alternative for schools and districts.

Methodology: To investigate the co-principal model of school leadership in California schools and districts, this study followed a phenomenological qualitative research …

The History Of The Doctoral Program In Organizational Leadership At Brandman University From An Innovation Theory Perspective: Beta Cohort 2013- Zeta Cohort 2017, Rebecca Farley

Dissertations

Purpose Statement. The purpose of this historical research study was to document the evolution of the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership at Brandman University from concept and design to implementation to present iterations (2013-2017). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to examine changes in vision, structure, curriculum, and the factors that influenced key leaders and decisions from the perspective of Bolman and Deal's 4-frame model, including structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames.

Methodology. This study is part of a 2-person thematic qualitative historical study on the Brandman doctoral program, with 1 researcher studying program design and …

Political Strategies Used By Regional Occupational Program Superintendents To Work Effectively With The Different Political Styles Of Their Board Members: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Maura Murabito

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify the political styles of exemplary Regional Occupational Program superintendents and school board members as perceived by Regional Occupational Program superintendents. In addition, the purpose was to identify and explain the political strategies exemplary Regional Occupational Program superintendents use to work with the different political styles of school board members.

Methodology: In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study, both electronic surveys and face-to-face interview data were collected from five exemplary ROP superintendents and analyzed to identify the political strategies used to work successfully with their boards of education. …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Educators’ Perceptions And Comfort Levels Of Professional Learning In A Blended Model, Gina Hartman

Dissertations

As technology evolves in our society and schools, the professional learning designed and facilitated for educators must also evolve. The purpose of this mixed methods, multi-state study was to examine the impact and effectiveness of a blended professional development model. The researcher investigated educators’ skills, comfort levels, and attitudes when participating in a sustained blended professional development model by using pre- and post-surveys and questionnaires, in addition to interviews at the conclusion of the ninemonth study. Furthermore, the researcher sought to identify characteristics of a blended professional development model that educators deemed most important to changing their practice. Participants in …

Elite Female Long-Distance Runners And The Impact Of Social Media On Their Lives Professionally And Personally, Elizabeth Camy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and discover the perceptions of elite female long-distance runners on the benefits and challenges of using social media to build their personal brand throughout their athletic careers.

Methodology: This study was a phenomenological study that identified and described the lived experiences of 10 elite female long-distance runners and the benefits and challenges of using social media to build a personal brand. The sample of elite female long-distance runners were athletes that had qualified for the 2020 USA Olympic Trails in the marathon.

Findings: The study concluded that female athletes identify …

The Impact Support Staff Has On School Climate At Comprehensive High Schools From The Perspective Of Principals, Melissa Bako

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how high school principals perceive the actions of support staff impact school climate in the areas of safety, teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships, and the institutional environment in comprehensive public high schools in Riverside County, California.

Methodology: The researcher identified comprehensive public high schools within the state of California. Of this target population, purposeful sampling was applied to identify participants that were rich with information and that met specific criteria, and 12 principals were identified. The researcher collected and coded data from in-depth interviews; interview protocol directly …

Variables That May Affect Physical Activity Levels In African American Females With Type 2 Diabetes, Melanie K. Samardzija

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes continues to pose a significant health challenge for the United States. The incidence and prevalence rates for type 2 diabetes are higher for certain at risk populations such as African American females. Personal behaviors including high-fat, high-caloric diets and physical inactivity result in obesity and insulin resistance that are associated with type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity is particularly common in African American females, and this places them at an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Certain variables have been shown to influence physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine how selected …

Factors Associated With Peer Violence Among Elementary, Middle And High School Students, Tracy J. Perron

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived school climate, self-reported psychosomatic symptoms, visits to the school nurse for reported psychosomatic symptoms and reports of bullying behaviors among students' grades 3-12. In the study self-reported bullying behaviors were proposed to predict psychosomatic complaints at the school health office. Negatively perceived school climate was proposed to predict bullying behaviors. Lastly, the combination of bullying and negative school climate were proposed to predict psychosomatic complaints. The final convenience sample of 222 students, ages 8-18 years, was obtained from one elementary school, one middle school and one high school …

The Impact Of Debriefing Sessions Following Viewing Of Recorded High Fidelity Simulation Scenarios On Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Kristen D. Zulkosky

Dissertations

The role of the nurse educator is complex and it is imperative that educators design pertinent learning activities including implementation of innovative teaching strategies while using the latest pedagogical techniques, and evaluating that learning occurred. This study utilized a quantitative, quasi-experimental, comparison group, crossover design and compared teaching strategies using simulation in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to determine if fourth semester Associate of Science in Nursing students who participated in debriefing sessions after watching recorded high-fidelity simulation scenarios in a nursing class obtained higher examination scores than those who received the same content through traditional lecture …

How Perioperative Nurses Define, Attribute Causes Of, And React To Intraoperative Nursing Errors, Robin R. Chard

Dissertations

Errors in nursing practice are a growing concern in healthcare posing a threat to patient safety. Practitioners have been hesitant to come forward and report errors because of negative ramifications in the workplace. Few studies have approached error management through the eyes of the clinician or have studied how nurses cope or change their practice after committing an error. Studies on nursing errors have traditionally used floor/unit nurses as the sample population. This study used an often unseen and highly specialized group known as perioperative or operating room registered nurses. This study was a descriptive, correlational design using a survey …

Trying Something New: Understanding The Common Practices Of Reforming Nursing Education, Martha M. Scheckel

Dissertations

What are the common reforming practices of teachers when they reform nursing education? How is cultivating thinking an important reforming practice in nursing education that moves beyond teaching "critical thinking?" Do the Concernful Practices of Schooling Learning Teaching reveal reforming practices that illuminate engendering community as central to creating and sustaining innovation? This interpretive phenomenological and Heideggerian hermeneutical study describes two themes (common practices) of reforming nursing education: Cultivating Thinking and Enacting the Concernful Practices: Making Visible How Innovation Arises. A pattern, Unlearning and Becoming, one of the Concernful Practices, was of central importance in this study. It describes how …

An Emergency Department Patient's Perception Of Safety, Paul R. Clark

Dissertations

Because the patient's perception of safety in the healthcare system has not been adequately examined, the purpose of this study was to discover an Emergency Department patient's perception of safety so as to add an element currently absent in safe patient care provision.

Impact Of An Active Learning Strategy On Learner Engagement In A Transition To Practice Program, Janiece Paulat

Dissertations

Research is abundant in the use of active learning rather than lecture. The effect on engagement on knowledge retention is also abundant. Most of the studies focus on secondary and higher education. Less research has been found on the link between active learning and engagement especially in transition to practice programs (TTP). Guidelines on content delivery in TTP is minimal. In this prospective, cross-sectional, quasi experimental project, the impact of an active learning strategy on learner engagement was studied. The sample was 14 new nurse graduates of mostly female gender of Millennial generation in a local transition to practice program. …

Low Income African American Adolescent Girl's Eating Choices, Sandra Kay Jenkins

Dissertations

The aim of this exploratory qualitative study is to identify the problems African American adolescent girls face in making eating choices and to learn how they make decisions about eating. Differences related to culture and socioeconomic status influences, and decision-making strategies were explored. Three sites in African American communities were selected for focus groups and individual adolescent girl-parent dyad interviews for data collection. Data were gathered in 5 focus groups and 4 individual adolescent girl-parent dyad interviews with African American adolescents (n=30). Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (EST) provided the conceptual framework for informing the analysis and interpretation of the data. …

Factors That Influence Contraceptive Decision-Making In African American Women, An Intergenerational Perspective, Allyssa L. Harris

Dissertations

African American women represent a unique group of women in the United States and have a long history of lack of reproductive freedom. Slavery and forced procreation, sterilization abuses, the Eugenics movement, and federally mandated contraception have all impacted on African American women's independence in contraceptive decision-making. Given this population's history, it is important for healthcare providers to understand African American women's contraceptive decision-making, as women often seek their guidance. The purpose of this dissertation research was to discover the intergenerational influences on African American women's contraceptive decision-making. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) develop an understanding …

The Impact Of Social Media On Improving English Learning Skills: A Case Study Of Uae, Sameer O. A Baniyassen

Dissertations

Social media are one of the current forms of media that have diverse qualities and characteristics. Today, the use of social media is growing day by day at a significant rate. It is in this domain that students can virtually meet with their classmates and their teachers. They can communicate issues that are of significance and are related to their learning process. This study aimed to explore how social media platforms could affect English learning skills and to find whether social media could improve English language skills. The current study used mixed methods involving quantitative and qualitative approaches, such as …

Dysmenorrhea And Related Factors In Taiwanese Adolescent Girls, I-Chen Lu

Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to validate the factors that are related to dysmenorrhea in Taiwanese adolescents. The specific aims were to describe the perceived dysmenorrhea pain symptom experience (SE), related self-care strategies (SCS), and perceived effectiveness of self-care strategies (PESS); to explore the relationships between SE, SCS, and PESS; and to explore the influence of contextual factors on SE, SCS, and PESS. A conceptual framework based on the revised Symptom Management Model was developed and guided this study.

Parents' Experience Raising A Child With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Charlotte D. Strahm

Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobiological disorder affecting 3%-11% of children leading to 30%-50% of child referrals for mental health services. Symptoms include diminished attention span, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, behaviors that can negatively affect family relationships and functioning. The purpose of this study is to describe aspects of perceived family quality among those with and without a child diagnosed with ADHD. The convenience sample consisted of 11 families of 6-12 year old children with ADHD and 12 families of children with no known physical or emotional disabilities.

Using Information Technology To Reduce A Health Risk: Effect Of A Mercury Calculator On Consumer Fish Choices And Test Of A Model For Technology Acceptance By Fish Consumers, Sharon D. Wallace

Dissertations

Research indicates consumers lack adequate information about the mercury content of fish to make informed choices about eating fish. Information technology can be used to fulfill this unmet information need. To examine this matter, a two-part study was conducted using a convenience sample of fish eaters. Three-hundred forty-one participants responded to this on-line study. The Theory of Planned Behavior served as the framework for a one-group, pre-test-post-test design to investigate the effect of a web-based mercury calculator on perceived behavioral control and simulated fish choices.

The Influence Of Self-Esteem And Self-Silencing On Self-Efficacy For Negotiating Safer Sex Behaviors In Urban Bahamian Women, Shane L. Neely-Smith

Dissertations

The rapidly increasing rate of HIV/AIDS among Bahamian women is daunting for the future of Bahamian society. Despite many concerted efforts, scientists are unable to find a cure for HIV disease and are faced with the multiple challenges that treatment and management strategies bring for persons living with AIDS. As a result, there is a major focus on HIV prevention. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics that put urban Bahamian women at risk for HIV/AIDS so that gender appropriate and culturally sensitive prevention interventions could be developed and implemented. A cross-sectional, correlational survey design was used …

Leading For Excellence: Behaviors And Strategies Of Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction That Support A High-Achieving School Environment, Robert Sherlock

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction (ASCIs). A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school ASCIs.

Methodology: This explanatory mixed-methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze …

Patient Satisfaction With Postpartum Teaching Methods Used By Nurses, Debra L. Wagner

Dissertations

Background. Maternity nurses have a responsibility to provide extensive teaching to new mothers after they deliver their babies prior to discharge from the hospital. Since patient satisfaction is an important indicator of nursing care quality, it is incumbent upon nurses to know which method of discharge teaching enhances satisfaction.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between new mothers' interaction with nurses using different methods to provide postpartum discharge teaching and their satisfaction with nursing care. The relationship between new mothers' background variables and the level of their satisfaction with nurses' teaching methods was also explored. …

Cultural Discovery In Nursing Practice: The Experience Of Nurses Who Work With Vietnamese, Evelyn Labun

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to generate a substantive theory of cultural discovery among nurses who work with Vietnamese. A grounded theory approach involving dimensional analysis was employed.

Dietary Risk, Readiness To Change, And Factors Related To Dietary Choices In African-American Women, Ellen Beth Daroszewski

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of American women with African-American women disproportionately represented in the number of women who die of heart disease every year. High dietary fat consumption is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the dietary risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, readiness to change, and intervention strategies to decrease dietary cardiovascular risk in African-American women.

An Investigation Of How Spirituality Supports Smoking Cessation, Lenora D. Follett

Dissertations

Smoking is a worldwide problem with major economic impact. Smoking cessation is difficult to attain, with the majority of smokers desiring to quit smoking. Religiosity has consistently shown some association with decreased smoking levels and increased smoking cessation, but little was known about how spiritual practice or religiosity could be incorporated into smoking cessation interventions. The purpose of this study was to describe the aspects of spirituality that were reported to be helpful by those who said that God or their spirituality supported them in smoking cessation, and to describe other factors that combine with spirituality to accomplish success in …

As Normal A Life As Possible: Mothers And Their Daughters With Congenital Heart Disease, Laura Tynes Gantt

Dissertations

This study utilized qualitative descriptive methodology to examine the impact of the chronic illness, specifically congenital or acquired childhood heart disease, on the mother-daughter relationship. Many studies have examined the effects of the child's illness on the mother-child relationship when the child is very young, but few have looked at the ongoing problems that chronic illness may cause. The investigator observed in her own clinical practice that the mother-daughter relationship when the daughter was chronically ill frequently appeared more antagonistic and ambivalent.

The Effects Of Cyberbullying As It Relates To Social Media: A California High School Assistant Principal And High School Counselor Perspective, Rodney Stone

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the perceptions of high school assistant principals and high school counselors regarding the impact of cyberbullying on high school students in southern California. The study also sought to identify strategies and prevention programs essential to counteract cyberbullying as perceived by high school assistant principals and high school counselors.

Methodology. A qualitative methodology was used with data collected through interviews and review of artifacts. High school assistant principals and high school counselors voiced their perspectives and personal views relative to the strategies and prevention methods to counteract cyberbullying. …

Bimodal Emotion Classification Using Deep Learning, Ashutosh Kumar Singh

Dissertations

Multimodal Emotion Recognition is an emerging associative field in the area of Human Computer Interaction and Sentiment Analysis. It extracts information from each modality to predict the emotions accurately. In this research, Bimodal Emotion Recognition framework is developed with the decision-level fusion of Audio and Video modality using RAVDES dataset. Designing such frameworks are computationally expensive and require more time to train the network. Thus, a relatively small dataset has been used for the scope of this research. The conducted research is inspired by the use of neural networks for emotion classification from multimodal data. The developed framework further confirmed …