Digital Commons Network^™

Race, Neighborhood Context, And Drug Enforcement: A Mixed-Method Analysis Of Racial Disparities In Drug Arrests, Shytierra Gaston

Dissertations

Black-white racial disparities in drug arrests are large and longstanding in the U.S. criminal justice system, as black Americans are arrested for drug offenses at a rate nearly five times the rate of white Americans. Because drug offending data mostly show that blacks are no more likely than whites to use or sell drugs, racial disparities in drug arrests appear to be attributable to factors other than drug offending. This dissertation assesses whether neighborhood contextual factors can explain racial disparities in drug arrests across St. Louis neighborhoods between 2009 and 2013. Using mixed methods, the quantitative and qualitative components test …

High Ability Visual Artists: A National Mixed Methods Study Of Secondary Art Teacher Training And Practice, Jennifer Christine Fisher

Dissertations

This study sought to determine the confidence levels and preparation of secondary art teachers in working with students who demonstrate high ability in the visual arts. This information is vital in order to inform the art education community regarding whether or not it does, why it should, and how it can best meet the needs of all students it serves. The study utilized a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data was collected to form a descriptive statistical base. This was necessary due to a paucity of research in the demographic particulars of secondary art teachers’ measured confidence and preparedness in working …

Expanding Coercive Mobility Theory: Women's Forms Of Capital And Neighborhood Social Control, Jaclyn Marie Cwick

Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a gendered theory of coercive mobility, synthesized from the collateral consequences of incarceration, along with coercive mobility theory and literature on forms of capital. Previous work has shown that the removal of residents due to mass incarceration contributes to disruptions in neighboring relationships and therefore, impedes the community’s ability to prevent crime, commonly referred to as informal social control. This involuntary mobility due to prison admissions and returns, known as coercive mobility, has focused almost entirely on the collateral consequences to the incarcerated, a predominantly male population. However, those who remain in the community, primarily women, also …

Fascism Revisited Or Millennial Eurosceptic Populism? Analysis And Rationale For A New Political Movement In The 21st Century, Prebble Q. Ramswell

Dissertations

Euroscepticism has steadily increased since the late 1990s, culminating in the emergence and success of numerous Eurosceptic and anti-establishment parties at the national and international level. Though often considered fascist and extremist, these groups have successfully achieved recognition and mainstream support as their once non-traditional ideas have become the norm. It is argued that these groups are a new class of social movement organization, a modern-day manifestation of fascism to be called Millennial Eurosceptic Populism. What conditions have allowed for these groups to emerge and attain such levels of success? Analysis utilizing fsQCA will test variables from McAdam’s Political Process …

Cacophony: Stories, Michael J. Goodwin

Dissertations

Cacophony: Stories was written over three years in the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi. The collection depicts middle-class characters disconnected from relationships, careers, and family. Each story explores disillusioned characters forced to confront a major moment in their lives from a bleak setting. Characters find varying degrees of success in forging an identity in the face of flawed existence. This existence lingers, producing an apathetic lifestyle where characters must act. These characters act passively through the narrative and the collection sees them forced to break away from their malaise. The collection aims to explore austere suburban …

Why Do People Continue Using Facebook: An Empirical Study From The Perspectives Of Technology Adoption And Social Contract, Chen-Wei Chang

Dissertations

Online stalking, identity theft, and other privacy-related issues have become the major reasons that impede users from continuously using their Facebook accounts. To better understand how privacy risks, among other factors, have come into play, in terms of affecting users’ intention to continue using social networking sites, the present study applies three theories (i.e., the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2, social contract theory, and technology continuance theory) to develop a new model for Facebook use continuance. An online survey (N = 450) was performed by administrating a random sampling method in January and February of 2014. …

An International Quantitative Comparative Content Analysis Of Reading Curriculum Using A 21st Century Framework, Tameka Tammy Moore

Dissertations

Research in the area of 21st century learning suggested the American public education system lacked educational preparation for students to compete in a global/connection economy. The United States performed lower than other nations on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 reading performance. However, the United States had a higher number of 21st century skills and knowledge embedded in the curriculum. The 21st century skills, referred to as the 4Cs (collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking) served as the foundation of this research. Moreover, while the United Sates performance on the PISA was no match to other developed nations; …

A Qualitative Study Of Workplace Perceptions By Postpartum Women, Chelsey K. Taylor

Dissertations

Working mothers face the challenge of balancing multiple roles while adhering to or rejecting the societal norms associated with those roles. The unique perceptions of the effects motherhood places on the working mother can shed light on the current and best practices in providing support for working women transitioning into working mothers. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate workplace and relationship perceptions of postpartum women employed in higher education. A qualitative, case study approach was developed and framed with three theoretical perspectives: the theory of work adjustment, role theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. To complete …

Our Voice, Our Choice: Race, Politics And Community Building On The Pages Of Five Historically Black College And University Newspapers From 1930 To 1959, Sheryl Monique Kennedy Haydel

Dissertations

From 1930 to 1959, the black college student-run press was a prolific voice leading discussions about ways to eradicate racial discrimination, amass political currency, and nurture communal solidarity. Embedded in their mission was a desire to awaken their readers intellectually and emotionally to join a mounting movement toward racial liberation. Yet, historians have ignored this expansive network of black collegian editors and writers, who were a philosophical extension of the professional Black Press.

Like their mentors in the Black Press, black college student editors and writers vigorously advocated for racial equality, took a combative stance against political gerrymandering that left …

Social Media As A Tool To Effectively Communicate With Stakeholders: School Administrators And Superintendents' Perceptions, Steven Coleman Hampton

Dissertations

This quantitative research study analyzed the perceptions of school administrators on the effectiveness of using social media outlets to communicate with stakeholders. School administrators throughout the State of Mississippi completed an online survey developed by the researcher identifying the social media outlets they use to communicate with their stakeholders and the effectiveness of using social media outlets. Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, and Public Relations Directors with various years of experience completed the survey. The study revealed there was a statistical significant difference between age groups of the school administrators with the concerns of using social media outlets as …

The Voice And Action Of Service: Exploring Nonprofit Volunteerism From A Dual Perspective, Colleen L. Mestayer

Dissertations

Key factors emerged for communicating with volunteers and staff in the nonprofit sector using a mixed methods approach in two phases. Phase I sought to explain volunteer satisfaction through the development of a new model that included motivation, identification with the nonprofit organization, attachment to the nonprofit organization and its mission, and the impact of interpersonal relationships formed between staff members and volunteers. Findings indicated that the model was an accurate predictor of volunteer satisfaction, and all variables were significantly correlated to volunteer satisfaction. Phase II sought to discover the communication patterns used by internal stakeholders of the nonprofit organization …

The Experience Of Professional Identity Development In Graduating Nursing Students, Anne M. Fitzgerald

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the experience of nursing professional identity development from the perspectives of both associate degree nursing (ADN) students and baccalaureate degree nursing (BSN) students in their final semester of study. This study filled gaps in the research by providing insight into the experience of the nursing professional identity itself and the factors identified by nursing students that supported or revealed a lack of professional identity development. This research helped to develop an understanding of two main experiences: (a) what is the meaning of a nurse’s professional identity to students in their final semester of nursing school? and (b) …

The Songs Of Mexican Nationalist, Antonio Gomezanda, Juanita Ulloa

Dissertations

Antonio Gomezanda (1894-1961) is one of the most undeservedly obscure composers in Mexican music. Apart from being a piano prodigy and a music critic, he composed romantic and early twentieth-century nationalistic music in many genres including large, small, instrumental, and vocal. His nationalistic topics were often based upon elements from the Mexican folk ranchera musical style that he grew up with in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico. Gomezanda was primarily trained in classical music in Mexico City and later in Germany. He composed over 90 original songs, several vocal dramatic works, and an opera ranchera. Gomezanda continued the stylistic path …

Community College Recruiting Through Facebook, Wendy S. Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine the ways in which community college administrators, faculty, staff, counselors, recruiters, and current students report using social networking, specifically, strategies related to recruitment were examined. There was an extensive review of the literature that included background, theoretical foundations, and pertinent research of social media. Along with data collection, there were also analysis reports, conclusions, recommendations for college personnel, and those for research.

The study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in social networking usage for community college recruitment; a difference in the views of the effectiveness as a …

Screening Strawberry Clones For Anthracnose Disease Resistance Using Traditional Techniques And Molecular Markers, Melinda A. Miller-Butler

Dissertations

Cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne, is host for many pathogens. One of the most destructive diseases of strawberry is anthracnose, whose symptoms include fruit rot, leaf and petiole lesions, crown rot, wilt, and death. Three species of Colletotrichum are considered causative agents of anthracnose diseases of strawberry. Colletotrichum acutatum causes anthracnose fruit rot, has a broad host range, and occurs in most areas of the world where strawberries are grown. Colletotrichum fragariae, the primary causal fungus of anthracnose crown rot, may infect all aboveground parts of the strawberry plant, and has restricted host and geographic ranges. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides …

What Influences Dolphin Interest In Video?, Kelley Ann Winship

Dissertations

Environmental enrichment is an important component in maintaining the welfare of animals housed in human care. While a variety of enrichment types (e.g., objects, food, sound) have been utilized, a major challenge in developing enrichment is determining the enrichment potential of various techniques for individual animals. In this study, the efficacy of video clips as enrichment devices was assessed in two species of captive dolphins, exposed to video footage accompanied by sound. Videos were evenly divided into five categories, based on content, and played at underwater viewing windows across 20 sessions while the animals were housed with conspecifics. Species and …

Addressing The Issues Of Drug Delivery Via Advanced Macromolecular Design, Brooks Allen Abel

Dissertations

The work described in this dissertation focuses on the development of synthetic approaches toward novel polymer architectures that specifically address the issues of in vivo drug delivery. Successful implementation of the synthetic methodologies described herein required fundamental investigations into the underlying chemistries in ways that now provide greater insights into the nature of the these chemical reactions.

In Section I, the synthesis of tunable pH- and CO₂-responsive sulfonamide-containing polymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is described. Initially, poor polymerization control of methacryloyl sulfonamide (MSA) monomers was observed using traditional RAFT polymerization conditions. Ultimately, reducing the polymerization …

A Qualitative Study Of The Process Of Learning Nursing Skills Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, Michael Douglas Aldridge

Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study sought to answer the question: How do undergraduate nursing students learn to perform psychomotor skills within the full complement of nursing skills? Nine senior nursing students from a nursing school in the south central United States participated in this study. In-depth interviews using open-ended questions were conducted, recorded, transcribed by the researcher, and then analyzed using Colaizzi’s method to identify recurring themes. These themes were validated with the participants using a member checking process. An audit trail was kept to enhance dependability and confirmability. Six themes were identified: (a) the umbrella of emotion; (b) practice, practice, …

Visual Approach And Design: The Appropriate Characteristics Of Instructional Photos As A Tool To Support Elementary Setting In Kuwait, Ali Buhamad

Dissertations

This study provided a guide for appropriate characteristics of Instructional Photo to be used by teachers, trainers, coaches, instructors, and anyone else who desires to deliver knowledge and present content with visual meaning to elementary students in the state of Kuwait as a teaching style that supports teachers, facilitates clarification, and gets the learners’ attention and motivates them. This study used a basic qualitative method. The participants in this study were two teachers and two photography artists from Kuwait who had at least 10 years of experience in both fields and were selected from researcher relationships. The data collection was …

Sex Education Programs, Motivation, And The Seeking Of Educational Versus Erotic Material: A Comparison Of Abstinence Only Until Marriage And Comprehensive Programs, Paul Dale Kleinert

Dissertations

Adolescents in different parts of the United States begin formally learning about human sexuality at different times based on state curricula. When students learn about sex, they may be inherently motivated to learn more than the information in the specific available curriculum. This study reviews different theories of motivation and investigates the most current and common forms of sexual education curricula that exist in schools in the United States and their differences. This study attempts to address a potential relationship between motivation felt in the classroom and learning about human sexuality away from the classroom. Reviewed are implications associated with …

Towards An Informed Pedagogy Of Modern New Orleans Style Music, Matthew D. Leder

Dissertations

This study contributes to the literature of New Orleans jazz by providing a documentation of twenty-four New Orleans musician's perspectives on New Orleans style and their ideas on jazz education. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for common themes. Participants in the study agreed that New Orleans style is a dialect of the jazz language that can expand any musicians' vocabulary. Results concluded that New Orleans style continues to evolve and could be incorporated into current jazz pedagogy. New Orleans musicians offered several strategies for integrating New Orleans style into jazz curriculum.

Outdoor Education And Mobile Learning: An Autobiographical Narrative Using Application-Based Information And Resources, Ivan Nikolaeff

Dissertations

Although mobile learning using smartphones and applications or apps have the potential to inform and educate individuals in an outdoor environment, users may find that connectivity issues and basic knowledge of outdoor environments, including both physical and emotional, could be limited by what this technology provided. This study provided my perspective as both participant and researcher on a journey over 150 miles on the Colorado Trail, using my iPhone as my primary tool for navigation and information for learning how to survive in an outdoor environment. From the beginning, the physical effects were difficult to overcome, but it was the …

Mathematical Teachers’ Perception: Mobile Learning And Constructing 21st Century Collaborative Cloud-Computing Environments In Elementary Public Schools In The State Of Kuwait, Nadeyah Alqallaf

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Kuwaiti mathematical elementary teachers’ perceptions about their ability to integrate M-learning (mobile learning) into their current teaching practices and the major barriers hindering teachers’ ability to create an M-learning environment. Furthermore, this study sought to understand teachers’ perceptions about their ability to create a collaborative cloud-computing learning environment that corresponds with the 21st century skills and possibly explain their readiness for future reformation of education in Kuwait. Using an Internet-based format to this study quantitative and qualitative data, the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and barriers survey gleaned quantitative information about how …

A Deconstruction Of The Distance Learning Milieu: Affinity Spaces In Higher Education, Kelly Mckenna

Dissertations

This research investigated the learning environment and social setting of a distance graduate higher education program. An embedded mixed methods design with a focus on qualitative research involving both faculty and students was employed. The methodology consisted of a multiple case study and cross-sectional survey completed by 22 students and three faculty. The research explored the learning space, who the stake holders are, how the space is defined, and how the space is utilized. The creation of tangible visualizations allowed for an alternate perspective and enlightened insight into the distance learning space. An affinity space lens was applied in examination …

Not Created Equal: The Effectiveness Of Two Types Of Educational Computer Games, Timothy Brent Dedeaux

Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to compare two types of educational video games based on Malone’s (1984) theory of challenge, curiosity, and fantasy. The participants were 136 students from a community college in the southeastern United States. The study used a quantitative approach with participants randomly divided into two groups, one playing each of the two games. Participants were given a brief introduction to a list of French phrases and words, took a pre-test, played the selected game, and then took a post-test to assess content knowledge gain. Brockmyer et al.’s (2009) Game Engagement Questionnaire was used to assess …

A Comparison Of The Attitudes Of Administrators And Teachers On Cell Phone Use As An Educational Tool, Karen Smith Lockhart

Dissertations

Youth continue to make up the largest share of the cell phone market in the United States. In 2010, 58% of all 12 year olds owned their own cell phone. By 2015, 88% of teenagers owned a cell phone. Today’s teenagers are constantly on cell phones, using them to text, talk, access the internet, and take pictures. Technology is such a part of teenagers’ lives that they have been labeled by Marc Prensky and others as digital natives (2001). They have always had technology and cannot conceive of a world without it.

School systems have faced challenges with the new …

Teacher Perception Of School Safety Between Mississippi Secondary Schools With School Resource Officers And School Safety Officers, David Audet Dit Lapointe

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the perception of school safety by teachers between secondary schools that employ School Resource Officers (SROs), who are armed, and School Safety Officers (SSOs), who are unarmed or a combination of SROs and SSOs. The School Resource Officers and School Climate Teacher Survey, created by Dr. Amy Oaks (2001) was utilized to gather data. The 193 participants of the study included certified teachers at secondary schools in the Jackson Public School District, the Jackson County Public School District, and the Ocean Springs School District.

A …

#Socialsupport For Diet And Physical Activity Via Web 2.0: A Qualitative Study Of College Women, Bethany Kies Kies

Dissertations

Like other adults in the U.S., college students, have high rates of obesity and overweight, and they have a pattern of poor diet and physical inactivity. Emerging adulthood is a key developmental period for building life-long habits and behaviors, and health theory suggests that one’s social environment and amount of social support affects health behaviors, particularly among women. With the technological advances of Web 2.0, or social media, the opportunity for providing social support for health behaviors through the online social environment now exists; social media is a game changer for both research and practice related to understanding the social …

The Effectiveness Of Digital Leadership At K-12 Schools In Mississippi Regarding Communication And Collaboration During Ccrs Implementation, Lin Zhong

Dissertations

Successful CCRS implementation requires educators to communicate and collaborate at the local, state, and national level. Technology plays an important role in successful CCRS implementation. This study aims to investigate how digital leadership improves communication and collaboration at K-12 schools in Mississippi regarding implementation of CCRS as well as the effectiveness of different ways of supporting communication and collaboration regarding CCRS implementation. Mixed-method was chosen to investigate the research questions. Ten public school principals from two school districts were interviewed and observed at qualitative stage and two hundred fifty-four public schools teachers participated in the survey at quantitative stage. Interviews …

Lignocellulose As Carbon Source Promotes Bacterial Synergism And Reduces Antagonism, Yijie Deng

Dissertations

Lignocellulose decomposes slowly in nature because it consists of complex polymers resistant to enzymatic degradation by most organisms. Some bacteria are capable of producing cellulolytic enzymes but the way in which bacteria interact within a community to enhance degradation of the recalcitrant substrate is poorly understood. A better understanding of how bacterial interactions affect lignocellulose degradation would provide potential approaches to improve the efficiency of lignocellulose degradation for biofuel production.

To study whether bacterial interactions enhance lignocellulose degradation, I grew environmental bacterial isolates in mixed cultures and pure cultures. I found that bacterial synergism in mixed cultures was common in …