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Understanding The Benefits Of Experiential Learning For Executive Leader Development: A Mixed Methods Approach, Bruce Loveless

Dissertations

This study sought to understand the benefits of using experiential learning methods (such as outdoor activities) for executive leader development from the perspective of senior corporate, government, and nonprofit leaders. Increasingly, executive development programs are embracing “learning by doing” by incorporating experiential activities. Although most programs are influenced by developmental psychology (such as stage theory), this study integrated perspectives from adult, transformative, and experiential learning with common practices in outdoor adventure education into a new conceptual framework for experiential leader development with four types of experiences: intrapersonal, interpersonal, managerial, and environmental. This study fills a gap in research literature regarding …

Does Winning Matter? An Examination Of The Impact Of Success On Former Student-Athlete Philanthropic Giving, Zach Harris

Dissertations

Intercollegiate athletic departments (ICAs) rely on philanthropic giving to remain relevant in the “arms race” that is college athletics. Donations provide the necessary resources (scholarships, upgraded facilities, etc.) to compete with rival programs for prospective student-athletes and fans. Previous research in ICA philanthropy has found that team success is one of the key factors driving donations to athletic programs. However, much of the research in this field has centered on athletic giving on a macro-level, focusing on the overall alumni population of an institution. While this research is important for colleges and universities, it misses on measuring the impact that …

Social Support Among Family Caregivers Who Attend Hospice Virtual Group Counseling Sessions: Facilitators And Barriers To Attending These Sessions, Katherine M. Hertzfeld

Dissertations

The National Hospice and Palliative Care organization has identified that a majority of its estimated 1.43 million patients in 2016 were cared for by family members. Studies show that these family caregivers often suffer poor health outcomes if they do not receive enough social support during the grieving process following their family members' death. Attending group counseling sessions can provide social support if the family caregiver is willing to attend. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) indicates changes in health behavior and can facilitate individuals to attend group counseling sessions. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project is to identify the level …

An Exploration Of The Two-Generation Approach For Single Mother Degree Or Certificate Attainment, Chiquila N. Dolison

Dissertations

Investments in student support services that encompass single mother needs can influence postsecondary degree attainment and increase earning potential that can lead to benefits, including economic self-sufficiency and poverty alleviation (Alssid et al., 2002; Gault, Milli, & Cruse, 2018; Gault, Noll, & Reichilin, 2017; Graham & Bassett, 2011; Kruvelis, Cruse, & Gault, 2017). Despite the benefits of single mothers' college degree attainment, they are least likely to earn them (Gault et al., 2018). In the United States, 8% of single mother undergraduates earn a postsecondary degree within six years of enrollment compared to the 49% of women who are not …

Barriers And Enablers To Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems As Perceived By Change Agents In The Workplace, Shanda Barrett

Dissertations

This study explores factors that influence entrepreneurial ecosystems. Clifton (2010, 2015) recommends entrepreneurship, better business models, and new business startups as a solution for economic renewal in the United States and specifically identifies disengaged workers and low-energy workplaces as the starting point. The recommendation does not address how to make workplaces conducive to entrepreneurial activity, nor does the recommendation address how to engage entrepreneurial employees.

Existing literature outlines the known tensions between theory, anecdotal evidence, and the professional practice of building entrepreneurial ecosystems. To date, the term entrepreneurial ecosystem exists as a metaphor in the extant literature. While scholars have …

The Relationship Between School Principals’ Servant Leadership Attributes And Teacher Morale, George Larry Johnson

Dissertations

Teacher morale in schools has a profound impact on the school and the level of student achievement. Low teacher morale cases high teacher turnover and causes teachers to be resistant to change, while schools with high teacher morale boast better teacher attendance, higher student achievement, and a sense of cohesiveness in the school. A principal’s leadership style has a significant effect on the level of teacher morale in schools. Servant leadership is a theory of leadership, first developed by Robert Greenleaf, where the leader leads by serving and puts followers first. Servant leadership theory has proven to be an effective …

Comparison Of Manipulatives Effect On Academic Achievement In Preschool Math, Ashley Stewart

Dissertations

Students in the United States tend to possess poor academic performance in mathematics compared to other developed countries. Despite the increased preschool enrollment and attendance, there are academic disparities among preschool students. Earlier exposure to mathematical concepts can positively affect student outcomes. Research supports the idea that early exposure and mastery of patterning skills and non-symbolic quantity knowledge are trajectories of math academic achievement during elementary and middle-level grades (Rittle-Johnson, Fyfe, Hofer, & Farran, 2016). Students who begin with mathematics deficiencies, without proper intervention, tend to continue to lack understanding of foundational math skills that are essential for proficiency in …

A Performer’S Guide To Barbara York’S Four Paintings By Grant Wood, Allen Parrish

Dissertations

In 2012, Barbara York was commissioned by John Manning to write Four Paintings by Grant Wood for solo tuba. The work is based on four paintings by native Iowan painter, Grant Wood. The four paintings are Stone City, Iowa; Young Corn; American Gothic; and Parson Weems’ Fable. York included details from these paintings in each movement. This dissertation includes information about Barbara York, Grant Wood, the programmatic details of Four Paintings by Grant Wood, and technical considerations for the work. The performer should be better prepared to create a well-informed performance after reading this dissertation.

The Knowledge And Use Of Multi-Tiered System Of Supports Tier 1 Behavioral Management Strategies By Teachers In Saudi Arabia When Students With Behavioral Challenges Are Included In The Classroom, Jehad Abdullah Alnoaim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and use of Tier 1 interventions found in the MTSS literature by general education (GE) elementary school teachers when students with behavioral challenges are included in their classrooms. The researcher utilized a purposive sampling procedure and targeted teachers from the Hail Region School District in Saudi Arabia. A 98-question survey consisting of five sections was used to measure the variables as presented to obtain data from 95 Saudi Arabian general education elementary school teachers. It focused on four themes: (a) Teachers’ Perceptions of Inclusion of Students with Challenging Behaviors; (b) …

Psychological Wellbeing And Sense Of Community Among African Americans: Does Purpose In Life Matter?, Yatesha D. Robinson

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationships between sense of community, purpose in life, and psychological wellbeing among African Americans. It investigated whether purpose in life moderated the relationship between sense of community and psychological wellbeing. Although previous studies have linked a sense of community and purpose in life with wellbeing, few studies have examined these relationships among African Americans using a multidimensional model. The data for the current analysis were drawn from the third wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States study (MIDUS 3), collected between 2013–2014. The sample included 98 African American men (n …

The Neuroanatomical, Neurochemical, And Phenomenological Correlates Of Social Bonding, Empathy, And Flow In Music Improvisation, Edward A. Roth

Dissertations

The three studies in this dissertation explore the biological and phenomenological under-pinnings of music improvisation related to bonding, empathy, and flow. Musical improvisation is a multi-dimensional behavior encompassing motor, cognitive, affective, and often social domains, and as such, it is reasonable to consider that music improvisation shares many characteristics with other forms of non-musical extemporaneous behavior, such as carrying on a verbal dialogue. The primary aims of this three-study dissertation were to (1) determine the feasibility of the study designs and interdisciplinary methods; (2) examine potential differences in the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological correlates of improvisation between non-musicians and musicians; and …

A Study Of Communication Practices Between Office And Field-Based Personnel In Home Healthcare Agencies, Ruth M. Bates-Hill

Dissertations

The population of developed countries is rapidly aging. People want to age in their residence, and as they advance in years, most people will need assistance with activities of daily living and perhaps medical assistance to remain at home. Home health aides provide a large portion of such care. However, the annual turnover rate of home health aides exceeds 60% due to factors such as low wages, poor benefits, and a challenging work environment. Many studies have been conducted to elucidate the factors contributing to job satisfaction in the home health aide population, yet despite decades of research, turnover among …

Reframing National Women's History Month: Practicalities And Consequences, Skylar Bre’Z

Dissertations

This study evaluates the practicalities and consequences of designating one month (March) out of the calendar year for the commemoration of women’s history. In the 1970s and 1980s, national women’s organizations such as the Women’s Action Alliance (WAA) collaborated with the Smithsonian Institute and the Women’s History Program at Sarah Lawrence College to build programs to increase awareness of women’s history. Using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in feminist theory, media studies, and historical memory studies, this project contextualizes the commemoration through its connection to 1970s women’s activism, explores its usefulness as a tool for building educational equity, and questions its …

The Effects Of Online Parent Training In The Teach- Model-Coach-Review Instructional Approach On Parents’ Use Of Language Expansion During Routine-Based Activities For Children With Cochlear Implants In Thailand, Rumpasri Sukonthaman

Dissertations

Early intervention is not officially implemented in Thailand. The shortage of practitioners, the inaccessibility of early intervention services, and the lack of parental involvement extremely deprive opportunities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to develop language and communication within the critical period. This dissertation aimed to explore an intervention approach that practitioners can use to encourage and empower parents’ roles and responsibilities, as well as improve the children’s language outcomes. The objectives in this dissertation study were to explore (a) how online parent training in the modified Teach-Model-Coach-Review Instructional approach can be implemented to improve the parents’ …

Latent Growth Curve Modeling Of Child-Mother And Student-Teacher Relationships From Kindergarten To Fifth Grade, Karyn Leigh Steen

Dissertations

The relationships between children and their parents and the relationships between the home and school have been studied extensively over time as important factors contributing to the outcomes of children. Given that the best outcomes for children likely occur when the home and school collaborate regarding each child, it is important to examine these relationships across time and both environments. In this study latent growth curve modeling was used to examine closeness and conflict relationships within child-mother and student-teacher dyads over five time points using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Childcare …

“Will You Scream With Me?”; The Experience Of Expressive Therapy For One Adult Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Counselor: A Single-Case Study Giving Voice To Complex Trauma, Maegen Grace Horton

Dissertations

Due to the high prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (Finkelhor, 1994), most mental health counselors will likely provide treatment to adult survivors. However, many counselors lack specialty training in working with this vulnerable population (Priest & Nishiinura, 1995). Recent neurobiology research has illuminated the long-lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse on the brain and its implications for emotional expression and regulation (van der Kolk, 2014). Informed by this research, it stands to reason that expressive therapy, defined by Malchiodi (2005) as “the use of art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, and sandtray within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation, …

Physical Education Teacher Education: Curriculum, Philosophies, And Readiness For Induction, Collin Chandler Brooks

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine preservice physical education teachers’ professional socialization experiences at one university and how these events prepared them for induction into the teaching profession. In study one, modifying curriculum mapping procedures provided by Britton et al. (2008), a curriculum map exercise was conducted using six sets of standards over 21 physical education teacher education (PETE) courses at PETE State University (PSU). Individual course maps and the program curriculum map were the primary data sources during this study. The data were analyzed using deductive content analysis (Sparkes & Smith, 2014). The number of times course …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Humility In Counseling Scale, Jennifer Barker Santopietro

Dissertations

As clients’ needs grow in depth and complexity, it is imperative that counselor educators have a process for training counselors-in-training (CITs) to develop nuanced intrapersonal qualities and further prepare them for the challenges of the therapeutic relationship. Counseling skills are just one facet of clinical competence. Counselors-in-training must also develop their self-as-the therapist to gain competence in working with the client’s emotional turmoil, life stressors, intersectionality, unique perspectives, and autonomy (Aponte et al., 2009). The purposeful application of clinical humility could be a catalyst to both scaffold and deepen learning experiences to foster intra- and interpersonal development. The purpose of …

Program Evaluation Of Restorative Practices At One Elementary School, Nicholas X. Samuels

Dissertations

The rationale for this study was to evaluate the use of restorative practices at One Elementary School. During this evaluation process, I sought to discover the pros and cons of the Restorative Practices program being implemented at this school. Additionally, I sought out responses to my secondary/sub-questions to discover ways that the program’s effectiveness could be enhanced. Furthermore, my desire was to discern the effects that the program’s implementation had on the school's African American/At-Risk population. The data embedded within this study reflects the results of the Restorative Practices program implementation. My findings support the efficacy of Restorative Practices at …

Remote Neuropsychological Assessment: Does Mode Of Administration Matter?, Renee Dematteis

Dissertations

Neuropsychology relies heavily on standardization of administration to increase the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of an assessment instrument. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly increased the need to be able to provide neuropsychological assessments remotely. Teleneuropsychology can be conducted through various avenues, including telephone, computerized, and televideo modalities. Given neuropsychology's reliance on standardization for proper use of normative data that accompanies individual assessments, the question arises how mode of administration impacts the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of an assessment instrument. The literature review summarizes the research conducted regarding the validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of telephone neuropsychological assessments, computerized …

Academic Nurse Educator Attitudes Regarding Their Role Educating Ethnically And Racially Diverse Nursing Students: A Focused Ethnography, Melissa Lillian Weir

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore academic nurse educator attitudes, specifically beliefs and values, regarding their role educating ethnically and racially diverse students through the lens of culturally relevant pedagogy. Focused ethnography methodology was applied through all phases of this research. Interviews with 14 academic nurse educators provided insight into a subculture of nursing. Themes that emerged from data analysis included strengths perspective, teacher-student relationships, diversity as an asset, crucial or difficult conversations, and ethnicity and race setting the narrative. In addition, assimilation and white privilege were discussed due to compelling and varied responses from participants. The results …

The Lullaby As Art Song: Engaging Repertoire For Study And Performance, Carissa Scroggins

Dissertations

When selecting repertoire, teachers of singing do not often turn to lullabies. The consensus is they are too simple in melody, texture, and harmony to warrant attention. However, this commonly held view should be reconsidered because lullabies can offer dramatic text settings. Lullabies can be divided into two categories: those for practical use and those for performance. The latter are composed as art songs written from many perspectives. They can be nationalistic, violent, frustrated, funny, and can use sleep as a metaphor for the release of death. This wealth of subject matter and variety of styles and skill levels found …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of How Transgender And Gender Expansive Youth Experience Their Gender Identities, Michelle N. Saltis

Dissertations

This dissertation presents findings from the first known Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study of how nine transgender and/or gender expansive youth, aged 13-17, experienced their gender identities and additional intersecting identities. The purpose of this study was to share how transgender and/or gender expansive youth experienced their gender identities, additional intersecting identities, and how they made meaning of these experiences within the contexts of current social, cultural, political, and historical factors. Additionally, this study sought to share the participants’ stories within their own words. The primary research question for this study was: how do transgender and gender expansive youth (TGEY) experience …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Counselors: An Exploration Of Their Reactions To Trauma Survivors, Zanovia P. Tucker

Dissertations

Nearly 83% of Americans are exposed to a traumatic event (Benjet et al., 2016). Given this, every counselor will more than likely work with trauma survivors (Trippany et al., 2004). Because of the high percentage of exposure to trauma, mental health professions who service individuals who experience trauma are at risk for secondary trauma (Ivicic & Motta, 2016), vicarious traumatization (Culver et al., 2011), and shared trauma (Hope & Edward, 2013). African American counselors have not been recognized in the counseling literature; thus their work with trauma survivors and their training experiences remain relatively unknown. Most of the research pertaining …

Behavioral Economic Modeling Of The Effects Of Symptom, Severity, And Cost On Seeking Medical Care, Mark J. Rzeszutek

Dissertations

While the United States has some of the highest healthcare spending in the world, it has some of the worst health outcomes. For example, maternal mortality in the United States is almost five times as high as in other similarly wealthy countries. It also has the highest rates of avoidable deaths. One of the reasons for this may be the cost of accessing healthcare due to privatized insurance. For example, Americans may avoid important preventive medical visits and other health screeners due to cost. While lack of health insurance has been correlated with decreased health utilization, a precise understanding of …

Evaluation Of Telehealth Training To Teach The Stimulus Identification Questionnaire And Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement, Andrea Perez

Dissertations

The field of behavioral gerontology has seen a paucity in literature within the past 15 years focused on updating training technology and teaching best practice skills to staff. Specifically, there is a need to expand the breadth of training research focus areas could more broadly the elderly population (e.g., increasing engagement), to ensure that trainings are designed to equip caregivers with the skills to be independent, and finally, given the frequent staffing challenges experienced by aging settings (Harrington et al., 2020), to explore effective and efficient training techniques that are alternatives to lengthy, in-person training modalities. Given the personnel challenges, …

The Effects Of Token Menu Manipulations On Token Demand, Sean Regnier

Dissertations

Token economies are systems of contingencies that are designed to reinforce targeted behavior. Engaging in a targeted behavior produces conditioned stimuli that can later be exchanged for established reinforcers. A back-up reinforcer is an established reinforcer that can be acquired by exchanging the tokens. A component of token economies that has received little attention in the literature is the composition of the set of back-up reinforcers available for exchange; typically referred to as the menu. When used as part of behavior therapy, the token menu often contains a set of items that has been identified by conducting a preference assessment …

Considerations For Acquiring Excess Military Equipment By Police Leaders, Michael P. Mendenhall

Dissertations

Police departments across the United States have been able to acquire excess military equipment from the 1033 program since 1997. Although several studies have examined police militarization, including the 1033 program, this is the first study that has surveyed police leaders at the local level to understand the determinants of 1033 acquisitions in Michigan. Using an open systems framework, this dissertation will examine both the internal and external factors that contribute to police leaders’ decisions to acquire or not acquire equipment for their departments. These determinants include internal factors such as budgetary considerations, perceptions of the profession, and knowledge of …

The Impact Of The Advisor-Advisee Relationship Among Black And Latino/A/X Stem Graduate Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Tasia C. Bryson

Dissertations

An advisor is often the most central and powerful person influencing a student’s trajectory through graduate school (Barnes & Austin, 2009). This dissertation consisted of three articles that focused on the impact of the advisor-advisee relationship among Black and Latino/a/x students in STEM graduate programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) from the student perspective. Two frameworks were used to analyze data and guide the research: Black Feminist Thought (BFT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT). BFT was used to explore Black women’s experiences at Predominately White institutions as it provides an in-depth understanding of Black women’s perspectives. CRT was used when …

First-Generation Students, Belongingness, And Climate In An Academic Unit Of Study, Kelly Christine Scott Raisley

Dissertations

To capture the essence of the sense of belonging for first-generation students (FGS) within an academic unit of study in higher education, this qualitative inquiry used portraiture to provide answers to four research questions. Q1 How do FGS make meaning of belongingness in an academic unit? Q2 How do FGS describe the academic unit’s climate which contributes to their sense of belonging? Q3 According to participants, how do social interactions within the academic unit contribute to belongingness? Q4 How do FGS interpret symbols that create a sense of belongingness? Through the theoretical frame of symbolic interactionism, this research offered a …