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Grounded Leadership: Exploring Health And Wellness Strategies Of Company Grade Officers In The California Army National Guard, Greg Montanio

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe what exemplary California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) company grade officers do to maintain their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health. Methodology: This study used a mixed methods approach relying on the collection of data to provide for a more flexible platform to triangulate multiple data sources and increase the validity of the study’s findings. The study used a quantitative survey to examine how exemplary company grade officers in the California Army National Guard rated their use of grounded leadership strategies along with follow-on …

On The Edge Of Leadership: Narratives Of Asian Indian American Women In Higher Education In The United States, Denozy Sharma

Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the experiences of Asian Indian American Women (AIAW) in higher education in the United States. The motivation of this study was to gain a better understanding of Asian Indian American Women who, in spite of their rising presence in academia and educational attainment, are noticeably underrepresented in academic leadership roles. Asian Indian American women fall far behind White females in leadership positions in higher education.

A qualitative research methodology has been conducted. The investigation involved the narratives of the five female participants (faculty members and/or administrators in U.S. higher education) who identified themselves as …

Implications Of The Improvement Science Process On Swpbis Implementation At A Title I High School, Cody Rich

Dissertations

Disparities in discipline are well documented throughout our nation as the gap continues to increase (Losen et al., 2015; Losen & Skiba, 2016; Raush & Skiba, 2004; The Civil Rights Data Collection, 2014). Though Black students comprise only 16% of the student population in the United States, they account for nearly half of school suspensions and expulsions (The Civil Rights Data Collection, 2014). In the context of RHS (location of this dissertation in practice), Black students encompass nearly 20% of the student population while accounting for approximately 30% of the total number of referrals. More alarming is that administration suspended …

The Prevalence Of Mirror Gazing Behaviors In Men, Rutuja Pramod Chinchankar

Dissertations

Muscle Dysmorphia is when the individual is preoccupied with the idea that his or her body build is too small or insufficiently muscular. This study looked at the distinct criteria of MD, which is persistently and obsessively checking one’s appearance in the mirror and being dissatisfied with it. It studied the reasons behind these repetitive mirror-gazing behaviors. This study also attempted to understand the effect of an individual’s age, educational background, religious orientation, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status on his predisposition to MD via mirror-gazing behaviors. This study used a qualitative research design. Part I of the study included participants …

Youth Organizing From Within: A Case Study Of A District Youth Equity Council, Amy Elizabeth Nelson

Dissertations

The experiences of Black, indigenous, and person of color (BIPOC) youth in our school systems often share a common thread of having to navigate deficit thinking, institutionalized racism, marginalization, and discrimination (Hammond, 2015; Ladson-Billings, 2016; Roy et al., 2019). While youth organizing has emerged as a potential counter to deficit narratives, it is rarely seen in school settings (Arthurs, 2018; Kirshner & Ginwright, 2012; Roderick et al., 2020; Roy et al., 2019). Using critical race theory as a framework, this case study examined a sample of BIPOC middle and high school students serving on a district Youth Equity Council, their …

At Risk For Success: Promising Practices In Their Own Voices, Amber Leigh Mcelwee

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study utilized high school graduate perceptions to identify pedagogical methods, educational structures, and school supports that improved their participation, inclusion, and growth within their classrooms and coursework. The research was focused on students identified at-risk to graduate high school and how educational supports affected the success or constraint in attaining their diploma. The research design applied a connected learning framework structure with a focus on student interest, relationships, and opportunities as defined by the Connected Learning Alliance. One component of connected learning was student-centered learning; therefore, an examination of John Dewey’s educational philosophy of student-centered practices and …

Mothers’ Perspectives On Language And Literacy Development In Children With Disabilities Adopted From China, Jessica B. Hovland

Dissertations

Children with disabilities and special needs make up the vast majority of those currently being adopted internationally into the United States (U.S.). China has been a leading sending country for international adoption since the 1990s and remains one of the few nations with thousands of orphaned or abandoned children, many with congenital disabilities or significant medical needs, in government welfare institutions. While most children adopted internationally (CAI), whether from China or other nations, experience developmental catch-up after adoption, children with disabilities and those who spent time in institutional settings exhibit persistent language deficits that impact literacy and academic skills as …

Implementing Theory-Based Debriefing In The Clinical Learning Environment To Improve Teaching And Learning Outcomes, Adrienne Denise Wilk

Dissertations

For decades, the hallmark of nursing education has been experiential learning in a hands-on clinical environment (Kolb, 1984), allowing students to utilize clinical reasoning and decision-making skills and apply theoretical knowledge to patient encounters (Gubrud-Howe, 2020). To optimize student learning, nurse educators must develop skills to implement teaching methods that promote higher-level reasoning skills in students. One teaching method that is useful in the clinical setting and promotes higher-level reasoning is debriefing. While there were robust findings in the literature about debriefing simulated clinical experiences and the positive effect these had on students’ learning and reasoning (Cantrell, 2008; Dreifuerst, 2012; …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Impact Of Chronic Within-Year Teacher Turnover On Students, Sara Ashley Myers

Dissertations

This dissertation explored the impact of chronic within-year teacher turnover through the narratives of students who have experienced it. A three-part series of interviews were used to capture these lived stories, in addition to artifact collection and creation, by focusing on the perceptions of events through time and the impact of said events on students’ beliefs and understandings of teacher-student relationships. Participants included three junior students who had experienced within-year teacher turnover chronically, with three instances or more in their school career. The data collected from these series of interviews and collection of artifacts were analyzed and restoryed alongside participants …

Transplantability In Burdened Populations: A Regional Analysis Of The Robotic-Assisted Kidney Transplant Impact On Access Given Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors, Earnest James Davis Jr.

Dissertations

Introduction/Background

The social contract of health (SCOH) in America that governs healthcare interactions has listed toward provider organizations and away from the patient. End stage renal disease treatment provides an explicatory case to examine an unbalanced SCOH. The study evaluates whether the robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) technique allows for patients with higher body mass indices and of burdened socioeconomic and sociodemographic status improved access to transplant compared to traditional open kidney transplant (OKT).

Methods

The study set combined extant data for patients transplanted at Chicago from two data sets. Investigators used independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, survival analysis, analysis of frequencies, …

An Examination Of Academic Growth In Middle School Students Receiving Tier 3 Instruction And Teacher Perceptions Regarding Mindset, Stephanie M. Opela

Dissertations

Existing research on the implementation of RTI and growth mindset practices at the secondary level was sparse, despite the literature on the challenges facing the middle school structure and best practices for adolescent learners. This quantitative study added to the body of research by examining components of each effort in an urban school district. The researcher compared the academic growth of middle school students who received Tier 3 instructional support in reading or math to the academic growth of students who did not receive Tier 3 support. The data revealed no significant difference between the growth of the two groups. …

An Historical Study Of Student Outcomes For School Improvement Grant Recipient Turnaround High Schools In The State Of Missouri With Emphasis On Ninth Grade Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Graduation Rates, Juanita Chambers

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of the School Improvement Grant using the Turnaround Model to improve student academics, by looking at attendance, and drop out and graduation rates on ninth-grade achievement in Missouri. In the United States, within our urban schools, high school drop-out has been a serious, national crisis, which effects the graduation rate. Dropping out of high school has many unfavorable results that have negative effects on the economy, such as employment, crime, personal earnings, and health, such as in the lack of insurance. Students exhibit problems before they enter high school. Thus, …

Interventional Radiology Procedures Without Sedation: The Nurse Experience, Catherine De Leon

Dissertations

Background: Many IR procedures offer a less invasive and economical alternative to some open or laparoscopic surgeries. Patients undergoing a procedure without moderate sedation are awake, alert, with heightened sensory perceptions, and vulnerable to their surroundings. There is a gap in the current body of literature relating to the IR nurse’s experience of caring for patients during procedures without the use of moderate sedation.

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Interventional Radiology (IR) nurses caring for conscious patients undergoing a procedure without the use of sedation. This phenomenological study aimed to describe the …

Perceptions Of Secondary Educators Regarding The Educational Engagement Of African Immigrant Students With Disabilities, Charity Obiageli Uzochukwu

Dissertations

Despite the vital role that educational engagement has on student learning and academic achievement, there is limited research on how secondary educators perceive the concept concerning African immigrant students with disabilities. There is a significant increase of African immigrant students with disabilities in United States (U.S.) public schools. Little is known regarding how secondary educators perceive their roles and facilitate educational engagement for these students. Inadequate information about immigrant students with disabilities, further makes it difficult to support this student population in U.S. public schools. This phenomenological qualitative study investigated how secondary educators perceived their roles in facilitating educational engagement …

Transformative And Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Learning At The Secondary Level, Jennifer Ann Santos

Dissertations

This grounded constructivist theory study explored 21 public-school teachers’ perceptions of important knowledge for implementing social-emotional content at the secondary level to diverse populations of students and students who have experienced trauma. The participants in this study represented seven unique school districts from two different states in suburban and rural settings who have taught Social-Emotional Learning for at least 2 years. One main research question and three sub-questions guided this grounded theory study: What is your perception regarding what are important aspects of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) implemented currently at the secondary level that is inclusive of all learners from all …

Attachment Style And Teacher-Student Relationships Within Residential Treatment: A Mixed Methods Approach, John Paul Richardson

Dissertations

Little is known about the characteristics of special education teachers who work in residential treatment care facilities. The quality of relation between teachers and students beset with histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, or other mental health concerns is seen to be an important aspect to the success of this work. Understanding the attachment histories of teachers working in residential treatment may illuminate the factors that prompt these individuals to persist in this challenging environment. A mixed-methods, convergent-parallel design was conducted with 31 teachers working in residential treatment using the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) and Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) to …

“The Adaptanators” And “The Geode:” A Single-Case Study Of Narrative Co-Wonderfulness Interviews And The Relationship In Supervision During The First Practicum Experience, David William Matheson

Dissertations

Wonderfulness Interviews (WI) have been discussed as a meaningful entry point into the counseling relationship in Narrative Therapy with children and families (Ingamells, 2016; Marsten et al., 2016). Wonderfulness Interviews are designed to uncover and story a person’s Wonderfulnesses and reclaim “the person and the territory of the conversation from the problem” in work with children and families in Narrative Therapy (Ingamells, 2016, p. 61). WI allow individuals to enter into the therapeutic relationship through telling stories of the qualities that make them the most exemplary as human beings (Marsten et al., 2016). WI and their potential contributions had not …

Evaluation Of The Proliferation Of Electromagnetic Radiation In Smart Indoor Environment And Subsequent Absorption On Human Head By Simulation And Factorial Analysis, Reshna Raveendran

Dissertations

Smart buildings using 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) acknowledge themselves as one of the undeniable byproducts occasioned from the fifth Industrial Revolution and are seen as the best solution adopted by the built environment. Smart buildings are publicized to carry a spectrum of benefits for building occupants ranging from actively saving electricity, ensuring operational efficiency to facilitating health support, wellness and productivity. Conversely, the negative aspects associated with smart buildings are often marginalized, and the limited research produced so far makes them seemingly non-existent. Literature review informs us that a smart building being subjected to external and artificial radiation …

Outside And In: Social Support's Relationship With Support While Incarcerated, Phillip Michael Galli

Dissertations

Positive social support acts as a barrier against life events. Related to crime, positive social support may improve prison institutional behavior, reentry outcomes, and reduce recidivism. Conversely, negative support may create deleterious effects for individuals as they navigate life’s challenges. This dissertation explores the relationships between indicators of positive pre-prison social support (living as a family unit, marriage, financial help) and pre-cursors to negative social support pre-prison (caregiver substance use, family criminal history, growing up in foster care, receiving welfare, living in public housing and physical/sexual abuse) and three forms of carceral social support (visitation, making/receiving phone calls, and religious …

Post-Secondary Education Influence: College Vs. Skilled Trades, Sidney Joseph

Dissertations

Vocational education is a learning process where individuals focus on manual training with a non-academic curriculum related to a specific trade or occupation where individuals seek careers without college. According to Merriam-Webster (2019), vocational education is a type of education or training directed at a particular field and its skills. A skilled trade is any occupation that requires a specific skill set, knowledge, or ability. It is usually a hands-on job, but skilled trades are found in every career cluster. Vocational education helps create future professionals who need education and training, leading to job opportunities for plumbers, mechanics, and factory …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Native Hawaiian Caregivers' Cultural Perspectives Of Pediatric Asthma Management, Donna-Marie Palakiko

Dissertations

Asthma remains the leading cause of chronic respiratory illness among Native Hawaiian children 0 to 17 years in Hawai'i. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) established asthma management guidelines which includes medical assessment and monitoring, education in partnership with the caregiver, control of environmental triggers, and medication adherence (National Asthma Education Prevention Program [NAEPP], 2007).
However, these guidelines do not consider the worldview, health beliefs, and cultural practices of caregiver, child, and family.

The purpose of this study was to describe how Native Hawaiian caregivers manage pediatric asthma, to understand which strategies are considered cultural practices, and to …

Phenomenological Study On Leaders With Heart: Examining The Effects Of Heart-Led Leadership With Remote Employees, Aries Sanders

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine and describe how exemplary leaders of remote teams lead from the heart, using Mark Crowley’s four principles to accomplish extraordinary results in organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study examines and describes how exemplary leaders of remote teams at Fortune Global 500 companies who lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles accomplish extraordinary results in an organization. The research study is qualitative. The qualitative method was chosen to describe and understand the lived human experience. The study aims to uncover and explain patterns to make a scholarly contribution …

Female African American Higher Education Chief Executives: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Of Their Use Of Personal Power To Dismantle Self-Sabotage, La Toya Davis, Nee Goodrum

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American higher education chief executives and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify the strategies employed by female African American higher education chief executives to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This explanatory mixed method study identified and described the lived experiences of eight female African American higher education chief executives across the United States. This research design encompassed a sequential data collection method using an electronic survey instrument …

Race, Masculinity, And Personality Development: Understanding The Black Male Experience In America, Veronica High

Dissertations

Although men from all racial backgrounds have several poor health outcomes, most of the research suggests that Black men have even worse health outcomes compared to White men (Bowman, 1989; Watkins & Neighbors, 2007; Williams, 2003). The majority of published research on masculinity, however, has primarily focused on samples of White men. The issue of how racism intersects with masculinity and its impact on Black men remains understudied and is a current area of focus in the field. The present study examined relationships between Black men on the cultural measures of masculinity and self-esteem, Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism), …

The Effect Of Classroom And Clinical Learning Approaches On Academic Achievement In Associate Degree Nursing Students, Jo Anne Carrick

Dissertations

While many students compete aggressively to enter into nursing schools, those who succeed have no guarantee they will be successful in their nursing studies, graduating, and passing the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®). This study's objective was to gain a better understanding of how nursing students approach learning and to determine what characterizes the successful student. The study's design was based on the theoretical framework of the students' approach to learning, which ultimately impacts on the students' learning outcome.

This study followed a non-experimental causal-comparative study design using the Revised Approach to Studying Inventory - Short Version …

Team Dynamics And Learning Behavior In Hospitals: A Study Of Error Reporting By Nurses, Lindsay Thompson Munn

Dissertations

Error reporting is the primary way that hospitals identify errors and near misses, and it is essential for organizational learning and improvement to occur. However, it is widely recognized that errors in hospitals are significantly underreported. As a result, there are numerous lost opportunities for health care organizations to learn from errors and improve the care delivered to patients.

The purpose of this study was to use the model of work-team learning as the theoretical foundation to examine the error reporting behaviors of nurses. The study examined the team factors of safety climate, leader inclusiveness, and psychological safety and their …

Female African American Deans’ Rise To Success: Navigating And Conquering Self-Sabotaging Behaviors By Taking Back Their Power, Davina Bailey

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American Deans in higher education and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by female African American Deans in higher education to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed-method study explored the lived experiences of nine female African American deans who acknowledged they had experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their careers. The researcher distributed an electronic Likert scale survey to the participants to identify the most …

Trauma And Alcohol/Substance Use: The Role Of Self-Regulation Flexibility, Saankari Anusha Challa

Dissertations

Despite a high comorbidity rate between trauma/PTSD and problematic alcohol/substance use, there is only a small body of work investigating moderators and mediators in this relationship. Few studies have examined the role of self-regulation, composed of coping and emotion regulation, in the context of PTSD and problematic substance use. Prior work has generally measured self-regulation categorically, with strategies labeled as maladaptive or adaptive, and therefore failing to account for the adaptiveness of the strategy in particular contexts. The present study is the only one to date to examine self-regulation flexibility in the relationship between posttraumatic symptoms (PTSS) and problematic alcohol/substance …

Family Care Of Persons With A Brain Tumor, Paula R. Sherwood

Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that caregivers of persons with cancer and persons with dementia are at risk for negative consequences from providing care, such as increased mortality, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. However, there have been minimal efforts to describe the impact of providing care for persons with both oncological and neurological sequelae. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the care recipient's functional, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric status on the caregiver's level of burden and depressive symptoms for caregivers of persons with a primary malignant brain tumor, and to determine whether caregiver mastery and perceived adequacy of information …