Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Research-Based Leadership Practices And The Principal’S Impact On Student Achievement, Tisha Georgette Glasper

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the research-based leadership practices demonstrated by principals; in addition to how principals managed to lead others to become involved in student achievement. The participants of this study consisted of school principals from seven successful schools in Saint Louis City and Saint Louis in Missouri and Madison County, Illinois. For this study, a successful school can be defined as a school where student achievement met or exceeded the Adequate Yearly Progress targets set by the No Child Left behind Act of 2001. There were also 71 teachers who participated in this study. Effective …

Saudi Arabian Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Care In The United States, Abdullah Saeed Alasmari

Dissertations

Care is an essential need for human beings, especially students who spend extensive time at school. The goal of this study is to qualitatively explore Saudi university students’ perceptions of teacher care in the US. Fourteen male and female Saudi students at a large Midwestern US university were interviewed. This study offers a literature review about Saudi students’ cultural backgrounds, which make studying their educational experiences more understandable. Several themes emerged from the research data including cultural differences, learning a new language, help and support, making connections, and caring teachers as role models. Recommendations for US American teachers, Saudi Ministry …

Exporting America: The U.S. Information Centers And German Reconstruction, James Podesva

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the establishment of United States Information Centers in West Germany immediately after the Second World War, and their role in securing the support of West German elites for American occupation policies, particularly democratic self-government. Located at the intersection of culture, economics, and American politics, the America Houses (Amerikahäuser) educated curious Germans about the United States, presenting a carefully curated vision of American life that minimized conflict and highlighted the material and cultural prosperity enjoyed by the mythical “average American.” The Americans contended that with the adoption of democracy and a reformed market economy, affluence was something West …

Tinkering With Student Speech In The Age Of Social Media, Lola A. Burnham

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the issue of public junior high and high school students who are punished at school for their online speech that they created when they were off-campus. Specifically, it examines the issue of when students are punished at school for online speech that criticizes teachers and administrators, rather than the issue of student-on-student cyberbullying. Because the United States Supreme Court has not yet accepted any case that involves off-campus online student speech, this dissertation summarizes and analyzes federal appellate court decisions in such cases. Appellate courts in six federal circuits have heard and ruled in cases involving students’ …

Altered Expression Of Metabolic Proteins Contributes To Neuropathological Disease, Chelsea M. Griffith

Dissertations

Recent epidemiological data have shown that metabolic disease is known to increase the propensity for developing cognitive decline and dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While this interaction is not completely understood, clinical studies suggest that both hyper- and hypoinsulinemia are associated with an increased risk for developing AD. Indeed, insulin signaling is altered in post-mortem brain tissue from AD patients and insulin and treatments known to enhance insulin signaling, can improve cognitive function. Furthermore, clinical evidence has shown that AD patients and mouse models of AD often display alterations in peripheral metabolism. Since insulin is primarily derived from the periphery …

Human Trafficking: Flying Under The Radar, Amber L. Hulsey

Dissertations

The global hegemon, the United States encompasses roughly 57,000 to 63,000 of the roughly 45.8 million slaves present across the world today (Walk Free Foundation 2016a). This dissertation research uses the theoretical lens of Human Security as a unique approach in that it is people-centered, focusing on the individual, rather than the more traditional theories in international relations that emphasize the state as the central actor. This dissertation focuses on the understudied area of human trafficking into and within the United States. More specifically, the objective of this research examines the movement of trafficked persons via air and details actions …

Political Accountability And Determinants Of Governance Under Principal-Agent Theory, Matthew Bluem

Dissertations

This study examines the theory that quality of governance is largely dependent upon political accountability, and that the effect of political accountability on governance varies based on three main determinants: level of democracy, level of information available to the public, and diversification of the economy (Adserà et al. 2003). With quality of governance, represented by the World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI), as the dependent variable, this study considers how these three independent variables, and several control variables, affect governance quality. Incorporating data from 2010 – 2015 for 143 countries in both cross-sectional OLS and fixed effects panel regression analysis, …

The Shortage Of Licensed Secondary Agriculture Instructors In Illinois: An Examination Of The Impact On Secondary Agricultural Education Program Quality, Heavner, Howard Kent Heavner

Dissertations

This dissertation employed a 5-year longitudinal repeated measures research design that examined whether the shortage of licensed high school agriculture teachers in Illinois impacted the quality of Illinois programs. Due to the shortage of licensed agriculture teachers, the hiring of provisional instructors doubled over the five-year study. Every high school agriculture program in Illinois, from fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2018, was included in this study. Each school’s Incentive Funding Grant application was explored using data mining to collect the overall X-scores, and all the quality indicators the individual schools achieved. Results indicated that schools with licensed instructors had …

Experiences Of Gay And Lesbian Students At A Rural Midwestern Community College, Kristin N. Shelby

Dissertations

Currently, a gap exists in the research on gay and lesbian students in community colleges. In this qualitative study, I examine experiences of gay and lesbian students in a rural, Midwestern community college. The literature review consists of a review of gay and lesbian student emergence in higher education, coming out, the relationship between sexuality and rurality, and a brief overview of two of the first sexual identity models. This qualitative design incorporates primarily phenomenological and narrative research. Data collection includes narratives from the interviews with nine community college student participants. Data from the participant narratives is organized under four …

Conversational Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary High School Principals And The Behaviors They Practice In Leading Their Organizations, Robert Harris

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe behaviors exemplary high school principals practiced to lead their organization through conversation using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012c) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary high school principals. A sample of 10 participants was selected from the target population that was narrowed to high school principals in Los Angeles County. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in accordance to a protocol developed by a team of 12 peer researchers with the guidance of faculty. In addition, data from …

The Ecology And Feeding Behavior Of Mosquitoes In The Galapagos Islands, Samoa S. Asigau

Dissertations

Mosquitoes remain important vectors in transmitting wildlife diseases. This dissertation aims to understand the role that mosquitoes play in transmitting wildlife diseases such as avian malaria, a protozoan parasite belonging to the genus Plasmodium. Using data from wild-caught mosquitoes captured in multiple years and across multiple islands on the Galapagos Archipelago, we describe distributional patterns of mosquitoes, their range limits and assess whether there exists a disease-free refuge as occurs in Hawaii. We show that altitudinal ranges for disease transmission of avian malaria may not be bounded by a stable disease-free refuge, since mosquitoes are found at all elevations, …

Exploring The Relationship Between Family Social Capital And Utilization Of Well Child Preventative Health Care Services, Kristi K. Westphaln

Dissertations

Background: Passage of the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 increased insurance coverage for children, however possession of health care insurance doesn’t always equate to effective use of health care services. Misuse and underutilization of health care homes is associated with higher costs, fragmentation of health care, and poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Along with reliance upon the health care system, child health and well-being are dependent upon social factors such as interactions with caregivers and communities. Family social capital (FSC) addresses the interrelated nature of child health and family interaction while also promoting family cohesion as currency …

Poetics Of The [Selves]∞: An Active Aesthetic, Alena Tunprasert-Ahrens

Dissertations

This practitioner-based research reports on the development and assessment of a transdisciplinary pedagogical model for the learning sciences. The theoretical underpinnings of Poetics of the [Selves]^∞ draw from three domains of knowledge: (1) mindfulness, (2) positive psychology, and (3) contemporary performance. The approach is designed to create positive self-transformation in participants as a result of engaging them in a sequence of activities that require different modes of reflection. The model was tested in two settings: a collaborative learning space, and a university classroom. The sample from the first workshop included individuals from the general public, and middle and high-school …

Engaging Hispanic Science Learners Within California’S Central Valley: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Perceptions Of High School Teachers Relative To Advanced Placement Science Courses, David Menshew

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the engagement of Hispanic Advanced Placement science learners in California’s Central Valley as perceived by high school teachers.

Methodology: The mixed method study surveyed 20 Advanced Placement science teachers from the region of interest. Likert surveys were used to determine: 1) their perceptions of the engagement of Hispanic students by the AP Program, and 2) barriers presented by the AP Program. Quantitative results indicated teacher support for the AP Program and few barriers as currently administered. A focus group of 12 teachers recruited from the 20 surveyed provided qualitative …

Examining The Factors That Impact Adjunct Faculty Retention In Private Nonprofit Universities, Kara Kuvakas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and explore what factors, as perceived by adjunct faculty and those who hire and manage them at nonprofit universities, had the greatest impact on their decision to continue to serve in the part-time role. A secondary purpose was to explore differences between the perceptions of adjunct faculty and those who hire and manage them with regard to these factors.

Methodology:This phenomenological qualitative study collected data through in-depth interviews with ten adjunct faculty members and five supervisors working for private nonprofit California institutions of higher education. After transcription, data was …

The Impact Of Proactive Community Circles On Student Academic Achievement And Student Behavior In An Elementary Setting, Michele Lenertz

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the differences in student academic achievement and student behavior prior to and after implementation of proactive community circles (PCC) in elementary schools in California that have implemented for a minimum of two years as measured by standardized test scores and student behavior records. The second purpose was to describe the impact of proactive community circles on student academic achievement and student behavior in elementary schools in California that have implemented proactive community circles for a minimum of two years as perceived by school administrators.

Methodology: The mixed method explanatory …

Exemplary Middle School Principals Leading Through Conversation, John Ashby

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary middle school principals practice to lead their organization through conversations using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Orange County, California. The researcher was part of a thematic research team of 12 peer researchers and 4 faculty advisors. Through purposeful sampling, the researcher selected 10 exemplary middle school principals who met at least 4 of 6 criteria identifying someone as exemplary. Data collection …

Best Practices In 21st Century Learning Environments: A Study Of Two P21 Exemplar Schools, Susan Brown

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify and describe best practices related to 21^st century skill development in two elementary schools outside of California that have been recognized as exemplary by the Partnership for 21^st Century Learning (P21).

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study sought to investigate and understand the experiences of those associated with the phenomenon of exemplar schools, namely teachers, staff and parents in these elite elementary schools, as the elementary level sets the foundation for 21^st century learning. Two schools were selected for the study based on the criteria that they had …

Meaning Makers: A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Exemplary K-12 Superintendents And The Behaviors They Use To Create Personal And Organizational Meaning, Jamel Thompson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this thematic, mixed-methods case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary K-12 superintendents use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. Further, this study surveyed followers to assess the degree to which followers believe a leader uses character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration to create personal and organizational meaning.

Methodology: This research was achieved by interviewing exemplary K-12 superintendents regarding their perceptions of utilizing the behaviors associated with the five domains—character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration.

Findings: Overall, the participants indicated that …

Factors Related To Ethnocultural Empathy Among White Counselor Education Faculty: Implications For African American Male Students., Courtney R. Boddie

Dissertations

Cultural competence represents a central element of the professional practices exhibited by professional counselors and counselor educators (CACREP, 2016). Inconsistent with the place it holds in the field, cultural competence has been minimally studied among those responsible for gatekeeping, teaching, supervision, and research – faculty. Among variables relevant to measurable outcomes is ethnocultural empathy (EE), ideal as it is described as a combination of empathic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors toward others with whom you have differences in cultural identities and experiences (Wang et al., 2003). This study sought to add to the body of literature on the cross-racial interactions between …

Online Socialization And Delinquency: Expanding The Study Of Peer Influence In Criminology, Timothy Mccuddy

Dissertations

Criminologists typically study peer influence within traditional contexts such as schools and neighborhoods. Spurred by the ubiquitous use of electronic devices, recent research finds that online peer delinquency can also have deleterious effects on adolescent behavior. This has important implications for the study of delinquency since youth today are digital natives, meaning their developmental years are spent in a world reliant on technology and Internet-connected devices. Through the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC), adolescents can forge friendships with those found within the cyber context, a virtual environment unrestricted by the confines of space and time. This context not only provides …

Conversational Leadership: A Leadership Approach For Nonprofit Executive Directors, Qiana O'Leary

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary nonprofit executive directors practice to lead through conversation using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012b) four elements of conversational leadership (intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality).

Methodology. The qualitative phenomenological method was decided by a group of 12 thematic researchers to study conversational leadership practices based on four variables: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality. This method was selected to investigate the experiences, perceptions, and decisions of the participants to help identify the patterns of conversational leadership practitioners. The population for this study was nonprofit executive directors in …

Exemplary California School District Superintendents Leading The Social Media Charge, Jamie Hughes

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify the social media tools used and the role of social media when communicating with parents as perceived by exemplary California school district superintendents. In addition, the purpose of this study was to describe the benefits and challenges perceived by exemplary California school district superintendents when using social media to communicate with parents.

Methodology: A mixed-methods study was applied to identify the social media tools used, the role of social media, and the benefits and challenges of using social media to communicate with parents as perceived by exemplary California school district …

Combustion Of Nanocomposite Thermite Powders, Ian Monk

Dissertations

This work investigates combustion of nanocomposite thermite powders prepared by arrested reactive milling (ARM). The focus is on how ARM as a top-down approach to nano-thermite building generating fully-dense nanocomposite particles with dimensions of 1-100 µm affects the rates and mechanism of their combustion. A variety of thermites are milled using both aluminum and zirconium as fuels combined with several oxidizers (WoO₃, MoO₃, CuO, Fe₂O₃, and Bi₂O₃). The powders are ignited using both an electrostatic discharge (ESD) and a CO₂ laser beam.

A range of parameters vary …

Supporting User Evaluation Of Messaging Interactions With Potential Romantic Partners Discovered Online, Douglas Zytko

Dissertations

Online dating systems have transformed the way people pursue romance. To arrive at a decision to meet for a face-to-face date, users gather information about each other online pertinent to romantic attraction. Yet sometimes they discover on the date that they made the wrong choice. One aspect of online dating system-use that may be a contributing factor, but is largely overlooked in the literature, is interaction through text-based messaging interfaces. This dissertation explores how messaging interactions inform face-to-face meeting decisions through two qualitative studies, and explores through a mixed methods field study how innovative messaging interfaces that embody theory from …

African-American College And University Presidents Perceptions Of Effective Leadership Attributes, Sidney Glenn Carthell

Dissertations

This study examined how socio-demographic factors of gender, age, institution location, institutional Carnegie Classification, degree of residential students, and size of enrollment relate to the perceptions that African-American college and university presidents had relative to effective leadership attributes. The research was a quantitative study that employed a descriptive survey with correlational design. No statistically significant differences were found between the perceptions of successful leadership attributes in the study based on gender, education, position prior to the presidency, years of experience, school type, or location. Leadership attributes of Energetic with Stamina and Ideological Beliefs were found to be statistically significant at …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Higher Education Leaders As Portrayed In The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Colette Anderson Chelf

Dissertations

Leadership represents an abstraction of human thought. While functionalist theories propose leader-centric models, contemporary leadership theories embrace a postmodern paradigm acknowledging ontological and epistemological assumptions of qualitative study. This ideology suggests a multi-dimensional model of leadership that reflects the complexity and fluidity of leadership in practice. Emergent theories explore the social construction of leadership, rather than an individual leader’s traits or behaviors. Our collective understanding of leadership is manifest in the (re)creation of leadership as exemplified in social discourse such as newspaper reporting.

The purpose of the study is to reveal socially accepted archetypes assigned to higher education leaders, as …

Apology Not Accepted: The Impact Of Executive Rhetoric, Communication Strategies, Media Coverage And Time On Crisis Management And Public Perception During Major Oil Spills, Todd D. Harcek

Dissertations

This research builds upon the scholarship in crisis communication strategies and apologia employed by companies during a crisis. Within the expansive domain of crisis management, this work evaluates the media coverage and crisis communication strategies during three major oil spills: the Exxon Valdez, the American Trader, and the BP Gulf oil spill. The purpose of this study is to provide practitioners, researchers and others additional insight into the impact of media coverage on prior, current and future crises and how this coverage, coupled with the communication strategies of companies during a crisis, can influence public awareness or perception. Furthermore, …

Mixing Matching And Sabermetrics: Combining Advanced Analytics And The Generalized Matching Law In Nfl Football Play-Calling, Jacob Bradley

Dissertations

The fields of advanced analytics in sports and quantitative analysis of behavior as it applies to sports have developed independently over the last several decades. Both fields share the common goal of using a quantitative approach to describe and predict behavior within sports beyond the common traditional verbal accounts. To date, the two fields have not directly intersected. The current study provides an overview of advanced analytics and quantitative analysis of behavior in sports, demonstrates how the two fields can be combined to better account for the behavioral processes involved in decision-making in sports, and identifies several possible ways the …

Restorative Practices In Schools And Its Relationship To Decreasing Discipline Infractions In African American Males, Leslie Muhammad

Dissertations

After passing the Zero Tolerance policies in 1994, schools began to have a substantial increase in the number of suspensions especially among African Americans and students of color. The researcher wanted to explore alternative methods to traditional discipline to ascertain if it would decrease the number of suspensions in African American boys. The purpose of this mixed-methods study on restorative practices is to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative discipline methods such as Restorative Practices and Mindful Activities in Midwestern urban inner city elementary school of African American male students, in third grade. There has been a true void in addressing …