Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Adolescent Trauma, Mental Health Treatment, And Demographic Variables On Educational Outcome, Christopher Postema

Dissertations

Poor educational performance in adolescence can occur due to trauma, substance use, or other stressors. This study used conflict theory as a foundation, suggesting differences in educational outcomes can be attributed to systems perpetuating the current power structures that cause inequality in academic opportunities and performance. Trauma in adolescence can have adverse effects on educational outcomes and emotional stability. Research suggests that mental health therapy as well as a reduction in trauma symptoms can improve educational outcomes. Race, gender, substance use, socioeconomic status, and employment are important variables that could influence educational outcomes. Interaction terms were found in the literature …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Making Experiences Of Christian Women Who Had An Abortion, Anne E. Stocker

Dissertations

Whether or not a woman should have an abortion is a hotly debated topic, and little information is known about how women make sense of their abortion experiences. Even less is known about how women make sense of abortion experiences in the context of their religious or spiritual belief system. This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of how women who have had an abortion make meaning of their abortion experience in the context of their Christian identity. This phenomenon was explored via research questions related to a woman’s experience of having both an abortion history and a Christian identity, how …

Antiracist School Counseling Pedagogy: A Quasi-Experimental Multiple Regression Analysis, Star L. Zetocha

Dissertations

America’s K-12 schools, which were initially created exclusively for White children, are racialized institutions (Spring, 2019). School counseling ethics now obligate school counselors to engage in antiracist praxis in schools, yet school counselors-in-training (SCITs) are not typically provided with explicit training in antiracism, which allows them to enter the field with colorblind racial attitudes that inhibit them from recognizing and confronting racism in schools (Gibson & Fripp, 2022). The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between colorblind racial attitudes and antiracist behaviors of school counselors in-training who had and had not taken an antiracist school counseling course. …

Adaptive Instruction Through Reflection: How Preservice Teachers Create And Implement Individualized Literacy Lessons In A University Reading Center, Jennifer Marie Lennon

Dissertations

Modern classrooms are increasingly diverse. Students vary in their academic abilities, personal interests, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and previous experiences (Allen et al., 2013). To meet the varied needs of students, educators must adapt their instruction so all are able to find success. Modifying lesson plans and changing instruction based on student needs are forms of adaptive instruction (Hoffman & Duffy, 2016; Vaughn, 2019). This study explored the metacognitive processes of preservice teachers (PSTs) as they implemented adaptive instruction within their literacy lessons in a university reading center tutoring program. Adaptive instruction was examined through two lenses: first, as PSTs …

Psychology In A Podcast Context: Do Brand Personality Perceptions And Social Nudges Explain Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions To Subscribe To Breaking Points?, Stephen D. Berry

Dissertations

Two psychological variables are of interest in the study of consumers: brand personality perceptions (per social cognition, beliefs that brands exhibit human-like attributes) and nudges (per behavioral economics, an attempt to influence behavioral change that benefits the consumer without taking away their right to choose). However, no known research exists about whether these variables explain behavioral intentions to consume podcasts, specifically. This is relevant because perceptions of mass media brands are historically negative, and consumers increasingly seek out independent media (e.g., Breaking Points). Therefore, this dissertation’s purpose was to use Breaking Points as an example to study the influence of …

Examining Psychological Capital, Leader–Member Exchange, And Doctoral Student Connectedness, Regina Fowler Spiers

Dissertations

According to Young et al. (2019), doctoral programs in the United States in math, science, engineering, and humanities have a 36–51% attrition rate. Rigler et al. (2017) suggest that online doctoral students' attrition rates average between 50–70%. According to the International Affairs Office ([IAO]; 2020), the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest academic degree in the United States. Universities award the degree to students who complete coursework to become a PhD candidate before completing and defending an independent research project, or dissertation (IAO, 2020). Relationship quality between PhD candidates and their supervisors is the most common research finding associated …

A Qualitative Study Of Redemptive Intelligence And The Leader’S Opportunity To Grow Performance Through Failure, Jonathan Eastman

Dissertations

This is a qualitative study about the redemptive intelligence of successful leaders and their opportunity to grow their personal and team performance through failure. Leaders who have a strong ability to leverage failures for improved performance for self and team, exhibit high levels of redemptive intelligence. Leaders who have a weak ability to leverage failures for improved performance for self and team, exhibit low levels of redemptive intelligence. After failure happens there are one of three paths that everyone will follow. They are first, a path to improved performance than what was experienced before the failure. Second, a return to …

A Holistic Approach To Leadership Development And Self-Efficacy For Frontline Managers, Alberta Green

Dissertations

According to Clifton and Harter (2019), managers determine an organization’s success. Specifically, managers determine 70% of worker engagement. Researchers (Bandura, 1997; Dwyer, 2019) have associated self-efficacy with leadership strengths. As such, frontline managers (FLMs) need holistic leadership development (HLD) training in the four leadership domains—analytic, conceptual, emotional, and spiritual—to improve their competencies and bolster their self-efficacy (Clifton & Harter, 2019; Ward, 2018). Integrative leadership development models that prioritize organizational resources through holistic leadership development offer a modern approach to addressing FLMs’ leadership skill development and self-efficacy (Guidi et al., 2018). According to Bandura (1997), self-efficacy is how individuals evaluate their …

School Psychological Services Throughout The Coronavirus-19 Pandemic, Emily Kristine Phillips

Dissertations

School psychologists, among other educators, experienced a rapid transition to online educational service delivery in response to the Coronavirus-19 pandemic and related stay-at-home orders in March of 2020. Students and educators experienced significant difficulties throughout the pandemic, including increased mental health needs. Educators and parents may have required additional support from school psychologists in order to best support students’ learning online. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how school psychological services in public United States primary and secondary schools changed and adapted in response to the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. School psychology practitioners completed a survey where they provided …

Gendered Singing Training: A Comparison Of Estelle Liebling And Richard Miller’S Strategies For Teaching Across Fach., Kristi Muzzio

Dissertations

In the classical singing field, vocal Fach is an important part of a singer’s identity. Fach classification is initially assigned by gender and further separated within each gender based on characteristics of sound and appearance. There is significant debate over the similarity of techniques used to teach each Fach. Discussion among singers and the prevalence of publications related to training one specific voice type suggests that there are notable differences in technique across Fach, and by extension, gender. This research compares Richard Miller’s books on soprano, tenor, and baritone voice training with Estelle Liebling’s courses for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and …

A Conceptual And Applied Analysis Of Treating Severe Problem Behavior And Reducing The Need For Emergency Interventions, James Matthew Nuse

Dissertations

Special education teachers are tasked with ensuring the implementation of a free appropriate public education, which might also include supporting students who demonstrate severe problem behavior (SPB). Often, students with emotional and behavioral disorders are likely to engage in SPB in various forms such as physical aggression and property destruction. While definitions surrounding the term SPB vary, there is a general consensus within the field for interventions to address these types of dangerous behaviors. Unfortunately, students who demonstrate similarly concerning behavior are likely to experience some type of emergency intervention such as physical restraint or seclusion. These practices are problematic …

Measuring Multicultural Competence In Counseling, Martha Mae Golubski

Dissertations

Pedersen (1999) described multicultural counseling as the “fourth force” in psychology. The description is used to imply that multiculturalism is the next theory to understand human behavior, complementary to the other three forces: psychodynamic, behavioral, and humanistic explanations. Despite the attention being given to multiculturalism, professional organizations, training institutions, and service providers are still trying to understand what it means to have competency in multicultural counseling. Researchers have made decades of efforts to define and measure multicultural counseling competence; yet, there is still limited data about how multicultural training efforts influence these competencies and how counselor multicultural competency affects clients’ …

Analysis Of Trauma Screening As A Potential Predictor Of Congregate Care Placement As A Key Factor In Caseworker Decision Making, Amy Louise Perricone

Dissertations

The placement of foster care children into congregate care (CC) facilities has been debated regarding whether CC can provide safety and healing, or if it is harmful and retraumatizing to children. In recent years CC has come under scrutiny due to high per diem costs and increasing reports of abuse and even death of children. In response, the federal Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was enacted in 2018 with a goal of reducing the number of children in CC. Since then, efforts have been implemented nationwide to achieve this goal. This study explored the value of statewide trauma screening …

An Analogue Study Of Expected Working Alliance And Hope With Victims Of Military Sexual Trauma Among Civilian And Military-Oriented Therapists, Alishia D. Salyer

Dissertations

Victims of military sexual trauma (MST) face unique challenges as they pursue mental health treatment and supportive care. Understanding what factors impact potential treatment outcomes is critical in aiding in their recovery (Castro et al., 2015; Kroviak, 2020). Although a substantial amount of research has been conducted to evaluate prevalence and client factors associated with treating victims of MST (Teit et al., 2015; Turchik & Wilson, 2010), little is known about therapists’ factors including therapists’ expectations working with such clients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between therapist type (military-affiliated versus civilian), therapist gender, client gender, …

Using Explicit Instruction And Frequency Building To A Performance Criterion To Teach Writing To College Students With Disabilities, Alyssa R. Mcelroy

Dissertations

Proficient writing skills are critical for academic, vocational, and social outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, many individuals struggle to develop proficient writing repertoires. Explicit Instruction (EI) and Frequency Building to a Performance Criterion (FPBC) are two effective teaching strategies. EI is comprised of clear, direct instructions and scaffolding to support a gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student, and follows a model, lead, test format. Once a skill is mastered, it should be built to fluency. FBPC is method that uses timed practice and feedback to build skills to …

Influence Of A Multicultural Counseling And Psychology Course On Counseling Psychology And Counselor Education Master’S Students Color-Blind Ideologies And Ethnic Identity, Rebecca Tuinstra

Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether ethnic identity awareness mediates the relationship between completion of a Multicultural Counseling and Psychology Course and color-blind ideology endorsement. The participants included 93 master’s level counseling psychology and counselor education trainees attending a predominantly White university in the Midwest region of the United States. The study used a quantitative, pre- and post-test descriptive research design. Using mediation analysis, this study estimated the influence of completing a Multicultural Counseling and Psychology Course on awareness of ethnic identity and use of color-blind ideology while controlling for social desirability among master’s level counseling …

An Examination Of The Casel Social And Emotional Learning Standards In Middle School, Nicole Cramer

Dissertations

In this mixed-methods study the researcher analyzed teacher perceptions of social and emotional learning and whether students in subgroup populations including Black students, students receiving free and reduced lunch, and students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) attained social and emotional competency at the same level as peers not in the aforementioned subgroups.

The researcher used the CASEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills) to define social and emotional learning data in the study. The researcher used descriptive statistics and a t-test from data collected in a student self-reported survey to determine whether subgroup populations achieved SEL …

Using Mindfulness Through Doodling In Interactive Notebooking To Increase Student Achievement, Michelle Brown

Dissertations

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which unfolded from 2019 to 2021, disrupted education systems worldwide, leading to significant learning loss and inequities. The shift to digital learning, necessitated by the pandemic, presented challenges such as learning loss and social-emotional impacts. This study investigates the incorporation of Social Emotional Learning(SEL), with mindfulness, into the school curriculum to address these challenges.

The focus of the study is on the implementation of Mindful Doodling as a component of SEL within an interactive notebook in a middle school science curriculum to enhance student achievement. The study aimed to analyze how different amounts of Mindful Doodling in …

A Word Of Warning: Educational Activists And Public Instruction Conspiracy Theories, David Philip San Juan

Dissertations

By utilizing a qualitative approach of educational criticism and connoisseurship, the purpose of this study was to explore the intentions and motivations, processes and strategies, and implications and outcomes of educational activists that work to expose and/or debunk a public instruction conspiracy theory. Data were collected through the interviews and observations of four participants that were educational activists that had worked to expose and/or debunk a public instruction conspiracy theory. Their related literature and artifacts such as various online and traditional publications, social media posts, and audiovisual materials were also collected and transcribed. Data were analyzed with numerous rounds of …

Principals’ Leadership Of The Integration Of The Neurosequential Model In Education, Alison Grace Ostrom

Dissertations

The impact of childhood trauma on students in schools has become a relevant issue for today’s school leaders in the United States (Mendelson et al., 2015). The effects of trauma often interfere with students’ ability to learn and manage the demands of a school environment. Students are coming into schools with diverse academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, which has led school leaders to adopt trauma-informed approaches and programs in schools (Rossen, 2020). There are many trauma-informed programs available to school principals, one of them being the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME). This particular approach connects trauma-informed practices to neurobiological principles …

Exploring The Relationship Among Clinical Judgment, Academic Resiliency, Student Predictors, And Exam Remediation In Prelicensure Nursing Students Preparing For Next Generation National Council Licensure Examination [For] Registered Nurses, James Franklin Oberlander

Dissertations

As the field of nursing becomes increasingly more complex, nursing students are psychologically challenged as they progress through a program of study, prepare for the licensure examination, and enter professional practice. Identifying factors that influence student outcomes is necessary for faculty to effectively guide students toward successful completion of nursing school and passing the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Along with academic and nonacademic demographic variables, the main objective of this exploratory, quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between clinical judgement, academic resiliency, exam remediation, and NCLEX-RN first attempt pass rates. One hundred six senior, …

Individual Differences In Numerical And Verbal Abstraction And The Ability To Draw Inferences From Text, Anna Christine Johnson

Dissertations

Abstraction may be defined as the process of isolating commonalities from a series of examples. Numerical estimates (e.g., Brown & Siegler, 2001), prototypes (e.g., Posner & Keele, 1968), and scripts (e.g., Schank & Abelson, 1977) are forms of abstract representations. Abstraction may differ across individuals, with some relying more on memorizing individual examples than on forming abstract representations, or vice versa. McDaniel et al. (2014) elucidated this abstractor vs. memorizer distinction and developed a function learning task to categorize individuals. Subsequent research has explored this distinction as it applies to transfer, the application of previously learned knowledge to new situations …

Student Desire To Stay In A Program: The Influence Of Faculty Caring And Cultural Identification With Faculty, Elizabeth Ann Cunniff

Dissertations

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021) stated nurses should reflect the characteristics of the people they serve to ensure individuals receive culturally competent and equitable health care. Over the next decade and beyond, the U.S. population will become more racially and ethnically diverse, but the nursing workforce has not kept pace with the changing demographics (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2023). To increase diversity among nurses, nursing schools need more diverse graduates from prelicensure nursing programs, but attrition is greater among students with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds (Barbé et …

Perceptions Of Special Education Teachers On The Use Of Assistive Technology For Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Case Study, Abdullah Mohammed Alshehri

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of special education teachers’ perceptions and experiences using assistive technology (AT) to support students with learning disabilities (i.e., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) in public general education schools within the Abha educational district in Saudi Arabia. Interviews, among other data collection methods, were utilized in this extensive investigation to answer two research questions regarding the perceptions of Saudi special education teachers of students with learning disabilities of the usefulness of AT, and the challenges and barriers these teachers perceive as influencing their use of AT. The participants were seven …

An Analysis And Performance Guide Of Three New Works For Clarinet And Saxophone Duo, Aaron Patrick Burr

Dissertations

The clarinet and saxophone duo has become one of the standard chamber ensembles available to both instruments. However, there has been a lack of scholarship surrounding this ensemble and its music. This dissertation seeks to bring awareness to the duo and its music through providing an analysis and performance guide of three new works commissioned by Duo Velox. The first piece, Shots Fired by Caleb Westby is written for B-flat clarinet, tenor saxophone, and electronic playback. Shots Fired derives much of its thematic material from a post-tonal version of a theme from the Columbine Alma Mater by Frank Ticheli. The …

The Effects Of Mindfulness And Exercise On Symptoms Of Parkinson’S Disease: A Systematic Review, Collin Tyler Garner

Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting which affects motor control, emotional regulation, cognition, and sleep through degradation of dopaminergic neurons. As of 2019, PD affects approximately 8.5 million individuals worldwide, with prevalence estimated to increase to between 8.7 and 9.3 million by 2030. The primary therapeutic approach to PD management is pharmaceutical, relying on dopamine replacement therapy. However, recent research has identified promising complementary therapies such as exercise and mindfulness training.

This review was conducted to compile and present evidence related to the efficacy of exercise, mindfulness, and combined exercise and mindfulness protocols as complementary …

Establishing Guidelines For Achieving Optimal Individual Posture In Hornists, Daniel Alan Nebel

Dissertations

Potentially debilitating performance-related pain (PRP) is common among professional and aspiring instrumentalists, can lead to significant loss of income, and sometimes end a career. Postural misalignments that lead to PRP can develop early in students’ training and is often successfully addressed by a music teacher recommending a change in technique. The nature of a musician’s PRP is dependent on how their instrument is held; there has never been an in-depth study of PRP specifically for hornists. This dissertation summarizes the current relevant research of PRP in musicians and hornists, conducts and analyzes a comprehensive hornist-specific health survey, seeks to identify …

Resiliency In Families Of Children With Low Vision, Deborah Lynn Mendoza

Dissertations

Resiliency is comprised of a complex interplay of risk and protective factors that change and develop over time. In the past, research focused on characteristics that allowed individuals to remain untouched by negative events around them; however, over time, this has morphed into investigating not only the characteristics individuals possess but those present within families as well. Families of children who have either a congenital or an acquired disability could face a unique set of risk factors over time that might require different protective factors to ensure they emerged from their adversity positively changed. As professionals, we have a responsibility …

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Investigating Core Self-Evaluations, Ethnicity, And Perceived Discrimination Among Undergraduate Students, Rosa I. Law

Dissertations

This research, guided by Yosso’s (2005) social capital theory, delved deep into the lived experiences of individuals navigating spaces where they encountered perceived discrimination and how their core self-evaluations played a pivotal role in shaping their responses to such experiences. Through a meticulous process involving qualitative data analysis strategies such as coding and thematic analysis, the study unveiled larger themes and narratives that moved away from a deficit perspective, focusing instead on assets the individuals brought to the table including their aspirations, goals, and familial and social capital. In the discussion section, focus group settings facilitated rich dialogues where participants …

Resilience In High-Achieving Music Ensemble Directors, Stacey Lynn Larson Dolan

Dissertations

Understanding the professional, relational, and personal traits and characteristics of those who remain and excel in the profession is paramount in helping to retain quality music teachers. Past research has established the complex nature of teacher resilience as a social construct that is unique to an individual’s context, past experiences, and personal and professional values (Day & Gu, 2007; Gu, 2014; Mansfield et al., 2016; Smith, 2020). This case study and photo elicitation sought to better understand resilience in high-achieving music ensemble directors by analyzing the attributes, professional lifestyle traits, and school cultures of teachers who excelled in their role …