Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of A Balanced School Calendar And Its Effects On Students In Poverty, Kevin D. Huffman

Dissertations

The creation of this study came out of a need to increase student achievement and support services for students living in poverty in the selected school district in Missouri. Due to the large amount of academic regression over the long summer break and the lack of consistent support services for students in poverty, a Balanced School Calendar (BSC) was investigated. The researchers conducted surveys and interviews to assess the level of support from parents, teachers, and administrators to see if a BSC school choice program would be a viable option for implementation at a K-5 elementary school in the selected …

Righteous Commitment: Renewing, Repairing, And Restoring The World—Wangari Maathai And The Green Belt Movement, Jennifer Lara Simka Kushner

Dissertations

This Africentric historical inquiry introduces Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and internationally renowned Kenyan activist, as a visionary adult educator and leader of the liberatory environmental movement -The Green Belt Movement. The Movement addresses decades of mis-education through culturally grounded adult education activities that help communities understand the linkages between environmental degradation and poor governance, and educate people to participate in democracy.

The study describes Maathai’s philosophy and how it informed her leadership of environmental, political, and social change. The African philosophical framework of Maat, and the principle of serudj-ta (repairing, renewing and restoring the world) provide a …

Wellness Characteristics And Health Risk Behaviors Of Young Adult University Students, Nicole Mareno Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine wellness and health risk behaviors of young adults at a university in the southwest. Nutrition, physical activity, alcohol use, and safe sexual practices are high priority health concerns on college campuses. Health promotion is integral to nursing. Early identification of risky health behaviors allows for the design of campus health interventions. Health behaviors continue to be formed during college and interventions may have a lasting impact on health promotion and disease prevention. This study added to the research on demographic factors impacting wellness. A correlation between BMI and wellness level was also …

A Rat Model Examining Behavioral And Neurochemical Effects Of Passive Exposure To Aggression On Observers, Hideo Suzuki

Dissertations

Previous studies have consistently reported that passive exposure to aggression is a risk of aggressive inclinations for a human witness. However, it is unclear whether a witness' aggressiveness is semi-permanently socialized or temporarily primed. Furthermore, a neurochemical mechanism of passive exposure to aggression also remains unaddressed in clinical literature. The present research used a rat model to clarify the behavioral and neurochemical effects of passive exposure to aggression. First, rats were screened for their aggressiveness after they were acutely or chronically exposed to aggression or non-aggression. It was found that observer rats chronically exposed to aggression exhibited more aggression than …

The Importance Of Comprehensive Clinical Social Work Assessments For Determination Of Older Adult Guardianship Petitions In Cook County Probate Court, Chicago, Illinois, Heather Jones

Dissertations

As our population ages there seems to be a strong current toward seeking surrogate decision-makers for individuals, who appear unable to manage their lives and make clear choices. Guardianship is the most profound course of action when determining that an older adult lacks decisional capacity. Older adults make up the majority of persons adjudicated incapacitated and, in turn, are assigned guardians (Crampton, 2004; Teaster, Schmidt, and Roberto, 2004). There is limited research about older adult guardianship, so this study is opportune because of the increased longevity of the population, with the most rapid growth among the very old, who likely …

Perceptions Of Teachers On Systemic Factors Related To Student Performance In Seventh-Day Adventist Secondary Schools In Zimbabwe, Sophie Masuku

Dissertations

Problem. The Regional officer of Matabeleland North region in Zimbabwe was concerned over the poor student pass rates in these regions. The Education Director of the Zimbabwe Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists also voiced the same concern about the poor student pass rates, especially in the West Zimbabwe Conference, which is comprised of Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, and Bulawayo regions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of teachers on student support and student factors that influence the academic performance of students attending Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools in Zimbabwe, focusing mainly on school, community, and student factors. …

The School Climate In A K-12 Single-Campus School As Perceived By Students, Graduates, Parents, And Teachers, Albert P. Lindner

Dissertations

Problem. Pressures created by consistently higher expectations of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation are forcing school boards and professional educators to examine current practices and structures in an effort to reach Average Yearly Progress (AYP). The concept of a single-campus K-12 school may be a viable school structure that can provide an optimum learning climate while addressing academic needs to provide a well- rounded education for the children of America.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to closely examine the school climate of a K-12 school that operated as a single entity for 20 years. The intent was …

Barriers In Educating Homeless Children And Youth, Gloria Elaine White Adams

Dissertations

Across America, homeless students face a myriad of barriers that impede education and school access and success of homeless children. The purpose of this study was to determine the barriers to enrollment and school success for homeless students. The ultimate goal was to provide information to parents, teachers, administrators, and school districts that could serve as a vital resource tool in educating homeless students while removing barriers.

The participants consisted of 215 certified teachers, school administrators, and homeless liaisons in 23 school districts representing the populations that provide afterschool instruction to homeless students. The study was conducted in the spring …

The Contemporary Perspective Of Wellness Through The Voices Of The Kūpuna, Anne P. Odell Phd

Dissertations

Few studies successfully explain the decline of Hawaiian health, nor provide enough insight to the cultural determinants that affect Hawaiian wellness. For over two hundred years, Hawaiians have been influenced by a changing landscape mostly imposed upon Hawaiians and Hawaiian lands as a consequence of being conquered by powerful Western cultures. This grounded theory study utilized video elicitation and focus group methodologies to examine the perspective of wellness in a group of Hawaiian elders known as kūpuna. Following the viewing of a documentary film designed to elicit culturally based memories, a series of interview questions were asked to foster group …

Reduction Of Toxicity In The Premature Neonate Addociated With Aluminum As A Contaminant Of Total Parenteral Nutrition Solution, Sujittra Srisung

Dissertations

Aluminum (Al) is the third most common element in the Earth?s crust. It is widely consumed in water, foods, and drugs. However, in humans, the uptake of aluminum into the body and its deposition in tissues has been linked to conditions of medical concern, including many neurological disorders such as dialysis dementia, Alzheimer?s disease, Parkinson?s dementia and Down?s syndrome. Premature neonates who receive intravenous feeding (TPN) are at a high risk for Al toxicity because the TPN solutions are contaminated with Al3+, which is not excreted effectively due to poor kidney development in these patients. The FDA has recommended regulations …

Cervical Screening A Study On The Prevalence Of The Risk-Factors For Developing Cervical Cancer Among Young Women, Jennifer Cann

Dissertations

This study had three aims: to determine the prevalence of the risk-factors for contracting HPV (the Human Papillomavirus) and developing cervical cancer among young women; to establish if there are any links between the presence of these risk-factors, attendance for cervical screening and abnormal cervical screening results; and to ascertain the key barriers to the prevention of cervical cancer. The risk-factors were identified from literature as being sexually active at a young age, having increasing numbers of sexual partners for females and their partners, having had a sexually transmitted infection/disease (STI), smoking and long-term use of the oral contraceptive pill. …

Identifying Preschool Students In Need Of Early Intervention, Cassie Delso Wells

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate a screening instrument targeting identification of preschool students in need of early intervention in order to determine the screening instrument's predictive validity. This study specifically examined the relationship between student scores on the DIALS and student achievement in reading at the end of first grade. All participants in the study were residing on Alaska's North Slope and the majority were Alaska Natives. The remote geographic location of the North Slope along with the ancient traditions of the Inupiat Eskimos, including the Inupiaq language that is still spoken among the residents of the …

Physical Education Content Knowledge And Physical Activity Behaviors Of Mississippi High School Students, Christina Leigh Lumpkin Martin

Dissertations

The present study investigated physical education content knowledge, physical activity behaviors, and body mass indexes of 386 Mississippi ninth (n=236 ) and twelfth (n=150) grade students with a goal of establishing evidence-based needs to modify physical education curricula. Results of this study suggested that a significant, direct relationship did exist in the Assessment of Sub-disciplinary Knowledge in Physical Education: Exercise Physiology (ASK PE: EXP);(Ayers, 2004) scores and scores from the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (M4<2^4);(Aaron & Kriska, 1997) for both ninth and twelfth grade students. Findings also suggested that physical education content knowledge (exercise physiology) is more likely to contribute to twelfth grade reported physical activity scores than ninth grade reported physical activity scores. However, ninth graders were more active than twelfth graders. This is possibly explained by the small difference (5%) in ASK PE: EXP scores between ninth (M ASK PE: EXP score = 52%, SD=.22) and twelfth graders (M ASKPE: EXP score = 57%, SD = .21). As a whole, results indicated that Mississippi ninth and twelfth grade students' average ASKPE: EXP score was lower (M = 53%, SD = .22) than students in 16 other states (M = 62%, SD = 7.65). Further, majority of Mississippi high school students are performing significantly below the established, research-based cutoff score of 62% (observed N below 62% = 236 and observed N above 62% = 150). This is notable, because findings also suggested that students who scored higher (M knowledge = 76%, SD = .08);(M activity = 8.6 hours/week, SD = 9.7) or above 62% on the ASK PE: EXP were more likely to be active during a weekly basis compared to those who scored lower (M knowledge = 39%, SD = .14);(M activity = 5.8 hours/week, SD = 9.8) or below a 62% on the ASK PE: EXP. With this noted, it was recommended that Mississippi high schools evaluate the current physical education programs, and strive to implement curricula that can provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make lifelong healthy decisions.

Perceptions Of Quality Of Life Of Latinos With Diabetes Living In The U.S.: Variations By Geographic Region Of Origin, Janice M. Long

Dissertations

The Latino population, the largest ethnic minority in the United States, is a diverse group originating from numerous geographic regions of Latin America. Latinos vary in the risk for type 2 diabetes, a condition that exacts a costly burden on those who suffer with it. With the Latino population diversity, diverse strategies are needed. One strategy is to improve outcomes of life quality by improving knowledge of those who deliver health services to Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Through measurement of quality of life (QOL), the more precious aspects of living, how one feels about living with diabetes, can be …

The Stress Process Model And In-Home Respite For Caregivers Of Cognitively And Physically Impaired Older Adults, Lauren Clair Mensie

Dissertations

Common problems in the family caregiving respite outcome literature include little attention to in-home respite, lack of theoretical grounding, and low rates of respite utilization. This dissertation study utilized the predominant model of family caregiving stress, the Stress Process Model (Aneshensel et al., 1995; Pearlin et al., 1990), to (1) investigate the variables through which in-home respite impacts caregivers and to (2) investigate the factors that predict utilization of respite services. Participants (N = 74) were family caregivers receiving federally subsidized in-home respite. Results indicate that both prior hours of in-home respite services and respite time devoted to non-care related …

Transformations With Tai Chi: The Experience Of Community-Dwelling Tai Chi Practitioners, Sunny Yim Alperson Phd

Dissertations

While Tai Chi practice has dramatically increased across the U.S., its mechanism is unknown, and overall understanding of the phenomenon is lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of community-dwelling Tai Chi practitioners through a qualitative study, detailing its social and personal appeal, the reasons for their continued involvement, its symbolic meanings, and its impact on their lives. Utilizing the grounded theory method and dimensional analysis, in-depth interview data from 23 practitioners, aged 49-82 were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed to derive a grounded theory. A theoretical model, transformation with moving meditation was developed, reflecting the …

The Impact Of Telemonitoring On Self-Efficacy, Emotional Well-Being, And Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Or Heart Failure, Jaclyn West-Frasier

Dissertations

Telemonitoring is the remote monitoring of patients' health status using telecommunications and information processing technologies. This pilot study analyzed data collected through a parent study that randomized 46 home health patients to either standard care (SC) or standard care with the addition of telemonitoring (TM). The telemonitoring device used in this study provided daily transmission of physiologic data and patients responses to questions about their disease and symptom management. Data analysis was completed to address the question whether telemonitoring, as part of standard home care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and patients with heart failure (HF), has …

The Relationship Between Learning Styles And Student Performance On The Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test In A Low Performing, Low Socioeconomic-Status School, Joseph Lassale Williams

Dissertations

The intention of this research was to bring light to the current state mandated testing, and possible solutions in assisting educators to address the issues of students not meeting the standards. In more general terms, this study is looking to prove to what extent a student's learning style has on their performance on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT). This study analyzed four of the twenty-six learning preference areas identified by the Learning Style Instrument (LSI) of middle school students in a traditional public middle school in seventh grade. The four areas that were looked at were kinesthetic, tactile, auditory, …

Perceptions Of Sources Of Pressure And Reasons For Dismissals Of Mississippi High School Head Coaches, Michael Keith Pigott

Dissertations

The coaching profession is like a roller coaster ride. A person pays to get on the ride, sacrifices their life, enjoys the highs, and survives the lows. It is a job filled with long hours, stressful days, sacrifices of health and family, and moments of adrenaline rushes that make an individual want to stay in this profession forever.

The primary focus of this study was to identify the perceived sources of pressure on high school head coaches in the state of Mississippi. This study provides feedback regarding reasons for coaching dismissals and perceived sources of pressure. Two hundred and thirty …

Differences In Learning Motivations Of Professionals And Nonprofessionals Participating In Two South Mississippi Institutes For Learning In Retirement, Constance Marie Farmer

Dissertations

This study investigated the differences in learning motivations of (a) professional and nonprofessional, and (b) urban and rural members of two south Mississippi Institutes for Learning in Retirement (ILR) programs in an attempt to expand C. O. Houle's conceptual model of continuing professional education into the retirement years and to determine if the life transitions of the older adult unite the learning orientations of these subpopulations into self-actualizing (growth) motives as part of the maturation process identified y Abraham Maslow.

Ninety urban ILR and 60 rural ILR members were recruited. Professional was defined as having completed a bachelor's degree or …

In Vitro And In Vivo Techniques For Screening New Natural Product-Based Fungicides For Control Of Strawberry Anthracnose, Maritza Abril

Dissertations

Seven plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae, C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis obscurans, and P. viticola) valuable in screening fungicide efficacy were tested. Optimal and reproducible conditions for germination of these selected fungi were established by incorporating Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 (RPMI) as a medium of known composition and washing conidia to remove innate germination inhibitors. This step reduced average fungal germination times between 3.5 h and 21.2 h. The natural product-based fungicide, sampangine, seven sampangine analogs (4-bromo-sampangine, 4-methoxysampangine, benzo[4,5]sampangine, liriodenine Mel AMC-XIII-103, onychine, cryptolepine, and liriodenine CDH-II-37), plus seven conventional fungicides (benomyl, captan, cyprodinil, fenbuconazole, …

The Effects Of Flaxseed Sdg On Perimenopausal Women With Mild Hyperlipidemia, Bonnie Marblestone Phd

Dissertations

In 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) expanded their guidelines for evaluation and treatment of hyperlipidemia which includes not only a low cholesterol diet and exercise, but also the use of plant stanols such as Flaxseed and Soluble fiber. According to the NCEP III guidelines, women with mild hyperlipidemia and low risk cardiac factors would not qualify for drug therapy to control their cholesterol. However, the use of plant stanols could be used as an alternative. As there are limited studies involving postmenopausal women in regards to treatment of heart disease, there is virtually no information or research on …

Mortality Prognostication In Long-Term Care Residents: The Mds-Chess Scale, Caroline Etland Phd, Msn, Cns

Dissertations

Quality end of life (EOL) care for the elderly continues to be a challenge, in part due to late referral for palliative and/or hospice services. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the MDS-CHESS scale (Hirdes, Frijters & Teare, 2003) in predicting 6-month mortality in a stable American nursing home (NH) population. A secondary aim was to determine any differences in mortality between the 2 sites. A sample of 191 residents of two NHs was analyzed in a retrospective, correlational cohort study, using data collected from the federal MDS database. Correlational statistics and logistic regression were …

Obesity Risk Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, And Physical Activity In Families Of Adolescents, Elaine M. Rutkowski Phd, Msn, Rn, Cns

Dissertations

There were no significant relationships found between parental obesity risk knowledge and physical activity in their children. nor between parent's self efficacy and their children's physical activity. In addition there was no significant relationship between the adolescents' obesity risk knowledge and their physical activity. There was, however, a statistically significant relationship between adolescent's self efficacy and physical activity. The result of the correlation between parent's self-efficacy and their level of physical activity was not significant but approached significance (p = .07) and may be identified as a trend. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between parents who describe their …

The Impact Of Instructional Delivery Methods On Retention Of Bsn-C Students, Cynthia Susan Billman

Dissertations

Education and nursing are changing. Registered Nurses (RNs) who have the greatest impact on the health of consumers are those who have attained a Baccalaureate degree or higher (Aiken, Clark, Cheung, Sloan, & Silber, 2002). Yet nurses remain the least educated of all health care professionals. RNs who return to school to pursue a bachelor's degree face many challenges including scheduling full-time work and family responsibilities (Jeffreys, 2004). Instructional delivery alternatives may increase the likelihood of graduation with a baccalaureate degree for RNs whose initial nursing education was either the associate or diploma degree (Shelton, 2004). Retention is integral in …

Perceptions Of Dyspnea, Physical Activity, And Functional Status In Obese Women, Donna Althea Jewell

Dissertations

PURPOSE: King's Theory of Goal Attainment guided this study exploring the physical sensation of dyspnea that obese women feel and how it affects their functioning. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Obesity prevalence has doubled since 1980. Current research is investigating how to reduce prevalence and examining obesity's impact on the respiratory system. Little research was found that investigated the impact obesity has on routine activities because of dyspena and function and whether physical activity has a mitigating effect. METHODS: A comparative descriptive research design was used. A survey of dyspnea felt during routine activities was created; IRB approval to survey community-dwelling women …

Essays On Intrahousehold Allocation And The Family: Fertility, Child Education, And Nutrition, Alemayehu Azeze Ambel

Dissertations

Understanding the constraints that households face when making decisions on fertility, education, and health is beneficial for effective interventions aimed at enhancing investments in human capital, promoting gender equity, and reducing poverty. This dissertation consists of four essays that analyze the nature, performance, and determinants of fertility, child education, and nutritional status in a developing economy.

The first essay identifies peculiar constraints, including gender preference and income uncertainty that households face when making fertility and schooling choices. The underlying assumption in the theoretical analysis is that in the absence of formal risk and capital markets, households may revert to informal …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Benefit-Cost Of Michigan Background Check Program Using Crime Opportunity Theory, Judith Brown Clarke

Dissertations

Elderly persons in long-term care settings are exceptionally vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation necessitating special protective measures by criminal justice, social services, and health care agencies. In 2006, 28.6% of Michigan households with a family member in long-term care reported that person having experienced one or more forms of abuse including physical, caretaking, verbal, emotional, neglect, sexual, and exploitation (Post, 2006). Criminal justice agencies were scrambling to identify programs aimed at reducing elder abuse in long-term care. Michigan was selected as one of seven states designated as a federal pilot test site. As a result, the Michigan Background Check …

Adsorption Of Lead On Single And Mixed Solid Systems, Soumya Das

Dissertations

Metal oxy-hydroxides and phyllosilicate minerals play a significant role in the fate and transport of heavy metals in the environment (Bertsch and Seaman, 1999). Chemical speciation of metals affects their bioavailability and chemical reactivity (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). Surface complexation models (SCMs) based on equilibrium thermodynamic principles have been successfully used to quantify adsorption of heavy metals on pure solid minerals, including phyllosilicates and oxy-hydroxides. For natural sediments with mixed mineralogy, Davis et al. (1998) suggested two different SCM approaches, namely, the component additivity and generalized composite models. In this study, adsorption of lead on pure HFO, silica and kaolinite …

Gender Disparity In Nigerian Education: Women’S Experience Of Barriers To Equal Educational Opportunity, Eugene Okoli

Dissertations

Discrepancies between males and females in access to schooling, school completion rates, and participation in employment opportunities are still more the norm in some regions of the world than others. Limited access to education plagues women in Nigeria as well as in Sub-Saharan Africa. Disparity in access to educational opportunity is a pressing gender equity issue in Nigeria (World Bank, 2003).

Relatively few studies have focused on obtaining the viewpoints of women who experience this phenomenon. To hear the voices of these women regarding how they gained or were denied access to education in the Nigerian context, a cross-section of …