Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Organizational Influences On Coach Decision Making, Arien Elizabeth Faucett

Dissertations

Sport coaching occurs in an ambiguous, complex, and dynamic environment bounded by rules, structures, and traditions unique to the context in which it occurs (ICCE et al., 2013; Jones & Wallace, 2005; Nash & Collins, 2006). Coaching is therefore not only pedagogical in nature but also features social and political elements (Abraham & Collins, 2011) focused on athlete development within a specific social and organizational context (ICCE et al., 2013). At the heart of this coaching practice is a constant process of decision-making (Abraham et al., 2006; Lyle & Vergeer, 2013; Vergeer & Lyle, 2009). However, research on the decision-making …

Social Media Usage And Self-Esteem: The Moderating Role Of Media Literacy, Comparison Tendency, And User Motivation, Feng Li

Dissertations

Studies on Facebook and Twitter have shown that social media usage negatively influences individuals’ self-esteem. Many scholars believe media literacy could help reduce this negative impact. Social comparison tendencies and user motivations may also influence this dynamic. The current study is designed to test the moderation effects of media literacy, comparison tendency, and user motivation influencing WeChat Moments usage on individuals’ self-esteem. A group of Chinese college students (N= 299) participated in an online survey. Results show no negative association between WeChat Moments usage and self-esteem. Media literacy only negatively moderates this effect among those who reported having 20-50 friends. …

An Examination Of Teachers’, Instructional Support Staff, And Administrators’ Attitudes And Beliefs Concerning Data, Data-Driven Decision-Making And Its Relationship To Student Achievement., Lashandra Antionette Hodge-Mcclure

Dissertations

The Every Student Succeeds Act has an accountability model that holds the educational system in the United States accountable. It was decided that students throughout the United States should be held to the same standards, independent of where they lived. Furthermore, the Every Student Succeeds Act seeks to provide considerable opportunity for all students to obtain a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and reduce academic performance disparities. The study aims to identify the role teachers, instructional support staff, and administrators’ attitudes and beliefs regarding data-driven decision-making plays in student achievement.

Data-driven decision-making is the systematic process of gathering, evaluating, and …

An Exploration Of Faculty-To-Faculty Bullying In Nursing Education: The Prevalence, Who Is Bullying Whom, And Intent To Leave, Pamela Kemp

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study, drawn from a nationwide sample with 1,407 responses, examines faculty-to-faculty bullying and incivility in nursing education. It assesses the prevalence of bullying and incivility within the organization, identifies the most commonly occurring bullying behaviors, and identifies and ranks the most frequently occurring uncivil workplace behaviors. The study also examines the relationship between bullying, incivility, and intent to leave the organization.

Research tools include the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), the Workplace Incivility/Civility Scale (WICS), and the Turnover Intention Scale-6 (TIS 6). The analysis includes an evaluation of significant differences in which faculty members are targets of bullying or …

Weight Change In College Freshmen: Personal, Interpersonal And Situational Influences, Kristin L. Kuhlmann

Dissertations

Obesity has become the most significant noninfectious health risk in the United States, and the major causes of death and disability are shifting to chronic, non-communicable health conditions that are largely attributable to physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, and other diet-related factors. Among children and adolescents, the overweight/obesity rate is approaching 32%, with 17.9% of adolescents becoming obese. While the obesity rate has doubled in all age groups in the United States, it has tripled among young adults aged 18 to 28 years, and 70% of adolescents who are at a healthy weight will become overweight or obese as adults. …

The Experience Of Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses Caring For Dying Children, Rebecca L. Meyer

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of pediatric nurses caring for dying children. An estimated 55,000 children die every year in the United States and another 400,000 live with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions requiring them to be admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Nurses who work in this area may have unexplored information and knowledge about the experience itself which could contribute to a better understanding of caring to the nursing profession. Watson's Theory of Human Caring was selected as the framework for the study.

Unfit For Slavery: A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Male Perceptions Of Persistence And Academic Achievement At A Midwest Public Community College, Lavada Rebecca Rice

Dissertations

While African American males enrolled in community colleges, persistence and graduation rates remained low compared to all other demographics. Educational literature and research examining the performance of African American male students in community colleges was scarce (Bush & Bush, 2010). The most recent research focused on African American male students in the community college systems was 2010 (Harris & Wood, 2013) and focused on ways to keep African American male students enrolled. Ignoring the socio-ecological factors can affect decisions to stay enrolled. The researcher believed examining institutional and socio-ecological influences might be necessary to improve the persistence and academic achievement …

Interprofessional Role Clarification Among Licensed Health Care Practitioners In Rural And Smaller Community Hospitals, Dianne E. Allen

Dissertations

Enhancement of healthcare systems has increased the demand for healthcare practitioners (HCPs) to share client care by functioning in a variety of roles within interprofessional teams. When these roles are integrated into team practice, the outcome can be collaborative sharing of client care responsibilities but without sharing, team members can experience uncertainty as to what their contributions should be. Understanding this shift in practice begins with role clarification, whereby HCPs have self-awareness about their own roles, and then gain an understanding of the roles of others in their collaborative practitioner groupings. Interprofessional role clarification (IPRC) is thought to be necessary …

A Quantitative Study Of Moral Distress In Vha Nurses, Mary E. Kelly

Dissertations

Ethical issues continue to be an important aspect in the practice of professional nursing. The complexities of nursing practice begin in nursing school and continue throughout a nurse's career. Advances in health-care technology, emphasis on cost-effectiveness, and higher acuity level patients in hospitals lead to ethical conflicts and a phenomenon known as moral distress. Moral distress constitutes a serious problem in nursing practice. Studies regarding moral distress correlate the phenomenon to nurse turnover, intent to leave, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and stress. Moral distress differs from experiencing an ethical dilemma in that moral distress is the inability to do what one …

When Nurse-Teachers Become Ill: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Personal Illness Experiences Of Three Nurse-Teachers, Jasna K. Schwind

Dissertations

In this inquiry I explore how a personal serious illness of three nurse-teachers impacts their teaching and nursing practice. My interest in illness stories emerges in response to my own experience of becoming a patient thirteen years ago. As a result of this circumstance I became curious to learn how other nurse-teachers may experience personal illness events. To help me think about my puzzle I chose Connelly and Clandinin's narrative inquiry, where narrative is both the method and the phenomenon of study. In this research my two co-participants and I talk about what it is like for a person, who …

Predicting Attrition Among Human Anatomy And Physiology I Students In Community Colleges, Benjimen Sessums

Dissertations

Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) courses are offered at almost every postsecondary educational institution in the United States enrolling over 450,000 students each year across the United States with an overall attrition rate between 30-40%. Approximately 150,000 of these students will not be successful the first time they attempt A&P. This constitutes one of the highest attrition rates of all undergraduate degree courses with this size of yearly enrollment.

A&P courses often serve as gateway course required for the continuation and completion of several biological degree fields. Many health-related professional programs such as nursing, paramedicine, and other allied health vocations require …

Faculty Perception Of The Impact Of Covid-19: A Descriptive Case Study Analysis, Traci Pooler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to get an understanding of college faculty experiences and perceptions of student learning outcomes during forced virtual instruction in the spring 2020 semester. The study was limited to faculty who taught at one of the 18 member institutions of the Association of Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU). Factors such as the discipline being taught were considered. Other factors considered were faculty experience with virtual instruction, the availability of technology for faculty and students, and the support provided to students and faculty amid the transition to virtual instruction. The survey reviewed responses from each AIKCU …

Agreement Of Psychiatric Diagnoses Within And Between Groups Of Mental Health Clinicians From Different Disciplines, Wade Mcguire

Dissertations

The development of therapy as a treatment option for mental health problems has led to the creation of different disciplines. Each discipline has developed its own conceptualization of classification and treatment of mental health problems. These conceptualizations have led to different areas of focus for each of the disciplines, specifically counseling, psychology, and social work. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether these areas of focus influence how each discipline diagnoses. For this study, data was collected by having clinicians provide diagnoses for three fictitious clients. The vignettes for the clients were taken from a psychopathology textbook to …

An Improvement Science Approach To Understanding Adaptive Leadership As A Tool For Diabetes Educators To Teach Patient Self-Efficacy, Allie Carter

Dissertations

Background: Worldwide diabetes is estimated at 415 million, and that number is expected to increase to 642 million by 2040 (Roberts et al., 2017). Certified Diabetes Care and Educational Specialists (CDCES) and other health care providers strive to teach patients with diabetes skills that assist them in developing and maintaining self-efficacy. Current education methods are not always enough to help a patient navigate effects of their diabetes. Using the adaptive leadership principles can provide educators an interventional practice that facilitates patient self-management. This study explores the effectiveness of adaptive leadership when applied to the diabetes education delivery and confirms the …

Examining The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being And Academic Performance Among First-Year College Students In A U.S. Mid-South University, Ya-Hsin Hsiao

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between psychological well-being and college students. In addition, I looked at how COVID-19 impacted their psychological well-being. I used Ryff and Keyes’ (1995) 18-item Scale of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB-18) to measure participants' psychological well-being. Other demographic information such as race, gender, first-generation college student status, college readiness, and Pell Grant eligibility were collected from the WKU’s Institutes of Research.

Data were analyzed using multiple regressions that controlled for the effects of ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, and socioeconomic status. Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being was evaluated and reported. In this dataset, the internal …

Technology Integration In School-Based Physical Activity, Taemin Ha

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the current practice of technology use for physical activity promotion in K-12 schools in the United States by conducting two studies. Using a quantitative research design, study one aimed to identify the current practice of technology use in school-based physical activity promotion. Study two investigated what attributes contribute to the use of technology in schools for physical activity facilitation and promotion. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was used for study two, and Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory served this study as a theoretical framework. A total of 367 registered Active …

The Intersection Of Queer And Atheist Identities: A Critical Inquiry, Jennifer Geiman

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore the lived experiences of queer atheists, to examine how they were impacted by various oppressive systems, and how to assess their needs might be better met by counseling psychologists and other mental health clinicians. The two research questions of focus were: Q1 What are the lived experiences of individuals who hold intersecting queer and atheist identities? Q2 How might individuals who hold intersecting queer and atheist identities be better served by counseling psychologists? While extant literature on the experiences of queer people and how to support them clinically has grown in the …

A Double-Edged Sword: Lived Experiences Of Hispanic/ Latino Nursing Students Who Speak English As An Additional Language, Esmeralda Araceli Clark

Dissertations

As the population of the United States continues to become more diverse, the nursing profession is working toward diversifying its nursing workforce. Diversification of the nursing profession is linked to improved patient outcomes and culturally competent care. The experiences of minority nursing students with English as an additional language (EAL) have been studied including some interventional studies. Still, there is a gap in exploring the experiences of Hispanic/Latino nursing students with EAL. The literature described EAL as the most significant risk factor for non-acceptance into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for any group of otherwise qualified applicants. Since …

The Lived Experience Of Registered Nurses And Registered Midwives In St. Kitts And Nevis, Raiden Alexandra Gaul

Dissertations

At the beginning of the 20th century, St. Kitts and Nevis had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Caribbean. However, unlike some Caribbean nations with similar historical and socioeconomic factors that continue to suffer from significant health disparities, St. Kitts and Nevis implemented strategic health reforms that have led to dramatic improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes. One of the strategic reforms designed to address these poor health outcomes was to mandate that all registered nurses in St. Kitts and Nevis pursue certification in the post-basic midwifery program. The purpose of this study was to examine …

Essays On Risk Preferences, Altruism, And Life Events, Fitri Safira

Dissertations

In this applied microeconomics dissertation, we study the effect of religiosity and life events on risk preferences and how happiness affect altruism. We begin with the first chapter by examining the relationship between high-risk health behavior and religiosity. Religious beliefs can impact an individual's behavior, including their future health. The 2021 CDC analyses shows that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are still common, with an estimated 1 in 5 people in the US having an STI, and 13% of persons in the US with age 12 years old and above consuming any illicit drugs. We estimate the effect of religiosity on …

A Mixed Methods Study On Urban Educators’ Feelings Of Preparedness To Implement Practices That Impact Social And Emotional Learning In A Mid-Pandemic Environment, Emily Dittmer

Dissertations

The purpose of the mixed methods study was to evaluate urban educators’ perceptions of their preparedness to implement social and emotional learning strategies in their classrooms/workspaces as well as to understand what the educators’ experiences were as their students returned to a five day a week school schedule after a year and a half of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those involved in the study included educators from four K-8 public charter schools located in an urban Midwestern environment. Quantitative data was obtained through the administration of two identical surveys that were completed by volunteer participants at two different …

Cultivating Community: Investigating Performances Of Community In Ecovillage Settlements, Alex Lockwood

Dissertations

This dissertation considers the subject of ecovillages, intentional ecologically-oriented sustainable communities developed in the U.S., and the different understandings of community involvement, structure, and challenges that members of these communities confront in their efforts at managing these time and labor-intensive settlements. Informed by the work of performance ethnographers and critical phenomenologists, I consider twelve interviews I conducted on-site and electronically with people living in ecovillage settlements. Taking these interviews and my own observations from on-site visits to two ecovillages as entry points, I conducted a phenomenological analysis informed by a critical phenomenological ethos of these accounts, highlighting five motifs that …

Relationship Between Rehabilitation Counselors’ Experiences, Burnout, And Professional Collaboration During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sharika Lawanda Sproling

Dissertations

Sharika L. Sproling, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Rehabilitation, presented on [March 31, 2023], at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.TITLE: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REHABILITATION COUNSELORS’ EXPERIENCES, BURNOUT, AND PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMICMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Thomas UptonThe purpose of this quantitative study is to explore the relationships between rehabilitation counselors’ experiences, burnout, and professional collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. These counselors represent an understudied population at risk of burnout, especially regarding its relationship to collaboration. Prior research has established how burnout can occur at the individual and organizational levels, and those who provide direct care have a greater risk …

Decoding The Public Service Announcements (Psas) Of Hiv/Aids: Evaluating Botswana's Aids Messages And Their Impact On 15 - 24 Ages, Enole Ditsheko

Dissertations

The study is grounded in the concept of “Start where the people are” (Nyswander, 1956) which suggests that effective health campaigns that promote prevention strategies to enhance the quality of life for those targeted must be rooted in the prevalent cultural practices and religious values of the receivers of the slogans, themes, and taglines. Health campaigns that superimpose the values of the outsiders promoted as universalized solutions have limited effectiveness.

Sub-Saharan Africa has only 1.3 billion people out of an estimated eight billion of which China and India each recording above two billion, cumulatively accounting for more than half of …

An Examination Of Support Provided To Students Attending Two Performing Colorado High Schools With A Significant Percentage Of Students Experiencing Poverty, Rebecca Albert Vollrath

Dissertations

Students living in poverty are noted to experience a variety of barriers, which include literacy gaps (Buckingham et al., 2013), lower reading achievement entering high school (Reardon et al., 2013), lower graduation rates (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016), higher incidences of learning disabilities and behavior problems (Morgan et al., 2009), and other negative psychological and educational outcomes that could affect academic achievement (Mistry et al., 2009). The aforementioned items have created barriers to learning and achievement while high school leadership across the United States have worked to support all students at school. Colorado high schools generally have used Multi-Tiered …

An Exploration Of The Pathway From Childhood Neglect To School Bullying Victimization, Natalie D. Johnson

Dissertations

The objective of the current study was to explore the association between two widely prevalent sources of trauma occurring early in life, child neglect and bullying victimization (BV), via adult recollections of maltreatment experiences. One hundred and twenty participants, recruited from a mid-sized university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, were ultimately included in the sample. Of the total sample, 30 participants (25%) endorsed a history of moderate to severe neglect in childhood and 62 participants (52%) endorsed experiencing at least one form of BV in school. Childhood maltreatment, including various forms of neglect and abuse, was …

An Eye-Tracking Investigation Of Consumer’S Real-Time Behaviors In Professional Minor League Hockey, Alicia B. Romano

Dissertations

Minor league hockey provides a unique setting to investigate consumers’ marketingcontrolled activities in a natural environment. Consumers’ visual attention to sponsorship information has been shown to influence their explicit memory of sponsor brands and their purchase intentions. The current research builds on the sponsorship information processing framework of previous scholars by examining consumers’ real-time behaviors to sponsorship information in a natural setting. To analyze consumers’ behaviors at minor league hockey sporting events, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 16 participants. The qualitative data related to the patterns and observations of consumers’ visual attention behaviors. The quantitative data measured consumers’ …

Considerations And Pedagogical Approaches For Transitioning From Soprano To Mezzo-Soprano, Caitlin Hammon Moore

Dissertations

Within the operatic and classical music realms, Fach is an identifier based on voice classification, as well as non-vocal factors such as acting style and physical appearance. For singers, stating one’s Fach is a way to advertise oneself for suitable operatic roles and concert solos. However, not all singers fit perfectly into a Fach, and some choose to switch between Fach categories over the course of their careers. Although such choices require careful consideration with the potential to impact a career, many have found success after transitioning to a lower Fach. While several studies have investigated singers transitioning to higher …

Effects Of Exercise Training On Objective Measures Of Sleep Quality And Markers Of Peripheral Circadian Rhythm In Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment, Luke Michael Krynski

Dissertations

Poor sleep quality is a common side effect among cancer survivors, which could lead to a decrease in quality of life and worsen a variety of clinical outcomes for cancer patients including risk of infection and cancer recurrence. The detrimental effects of poor sleep quality are correlated with a disruption in circadian rhythm, which is a vital component of essential physiological processes. Exercise could improve sleep quality and circadian rhythm in an apparently healthy population but evidence was lacking in the cancer population. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the effects of individualized, prescribed, supervised exercise on …

The Effects Of Puberty Blocking Treatment (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonist) On Physical Activity And Reproductive Health In Young Female Rats, Brandon Creed Jones

Dissertations

The number of adolescents identifying as transgender has been increasing with many transgender youth receiving treatment with a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) that suppresses sex hormone production (i.e., puberty blocker). Transgender individuals taking a GnRHa to block puberty have reported improved mental wellbeing, but the physiological impacts need to be examined. Purpose: To investigate the effects of puberty blocking treatment using GnRHa on physical activity, reproductive morphology, and reproductive function in young female rats. Methods: Four-week old female Sprague Dawley rats were given daily subcutaneous injections of the GnRHa triptorelin or saline as control. One group of rats was …