How Exemplary Female Superintendents Use Six Sources Of Influence To Achieve Extraordinary Results, Cheryl Sosa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore how exemplary female superintendents who have achieved extraordinary results influence employees through personal motivation, personal ability, social motivation, social ability, structural motivation, and structural ability.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and explored how 11 exemplary female superintendents who have achieved extraordinary results influence employees through personal motivation, social motivation, structural motivation, personal ability, social ability, and structural ability to achieve extraordinary results. Respondents were chosen from exemplary female superintendents in three Southern California counties who met the study criteria. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and artifacts. Data …

How Do Exemplary Public School Superintendent Lead During Turbulent Times By Relying On Their Moral Purpose, Concern For The Collective Interest, Personal Temperament, And Resilience, Jason Lea

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to the describe behaviors that exemplary superintendents practice to lead their organizations through turbulent times using the leadership attributes of moral purpose, concern for the collective interest, personal temperament, and resilience.

Methodology: This phenomenological study examined 12 exemplary superintendents in California who have led districts with a student population with at least 1,500 students, who have been in the position for a minimum of 2 years in the same district during a crisis period that occurred within the past 5 years, led their districts during turbulent times. Participants were interviewed on an …

Equity And Ability Grouping: A Study Of Whole-School Practices And Reflections On Vocal Music Education, Daniel Glossenger, Andrew Cowell

Dissertations

This co-authored dissertation is a macro-level case study of a public high school tracking system and a micro-level autoethnography from a music educator about vocal music placement practices. The case study sought to comprehensively describe and analyze the characteristics of a tracking system in all core subjects at a single school, including the extent of differentiation of levels, placement practices, student mobility, teacher tracking, and inclusiveness by race, class, and gender. It also used network analysis software to map more than 75,000 connections among students created by their course-taking; it used this to quantitatively identify student communities, which then were …

Regulation Of Self-Love, Kruti Surti

Dissertations

While the concept of self-love is well-known in today’s society, it remains unknown how self-love can be increased. Increasing self-love may help individuals decrease stress and promote well-being. The current study tested how self-love and pleasantness can be increased and whether anxiety levels and personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with self-love increase. In this study, participants (N = 108; 86 women, 20 men, 1 gender queer, 1 other (not specified)) completed questionnaires related to self-compassion, self-efficacy, anxiety, and personality. Then, participants completed an online self-love regulation task in which they read prompts that encouraged them …

The Covid-19 Pivot To Online Education And Bsn Graduates’ Readiness To Practice, Abigail Schulte

Dissertations

There is a major nursing shortage worldwide, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to invest in the acceleration of nursing education to meet global needs. Nursing schools had to pivot to online education overnight, and many are unsure how this has impacted students. The purpose of this study is to see if the pivot to online education, prompted by COVID-19, impacted the readiness to practice and grade point averages (GPA) of graduating Bachelor of Nursing students. In this quantitative study, a casual-comparative survey design is used to test for readiness to practice and program modality. A cross-sectional design …

Effective Mindfulness Practices For Reducing Veteran Teacher Perceived Stress, Michael Brouillette

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to measure and describe the extent to which mindfulness practices impact veteran teacher perceived stress. In addition, it was the purpose of the study to capture the most effective mindfulness practices of veteran teachers to reduce veteran teacher perceived stress.

Methodology: This study used a mixed methods study research methodology. Data were collected from 15 teachers in the form of answers to the Perceived Stress Scale and interviews to collect their lived experiences. Responses from veteran teachers who have used mindfulness for at least 1 year were analyzed with the objective …

Hiding In Heteronormative Sight: Students' Concealment Of (Nonhetero)Sexual Identity In Public Schools, Kristine Carey

Dissertations

Increased legal protections and visibility in popular media of sexual minority persons can lead some to believe that sexual prejudice is a thing of the past (Kite & Bryant-Lees, 2016). However, national statistics still show sexual minority youth at greater risks for self-harming thoughts and attempts than their heteronormative counterparts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2019); and indicate schools as particularly hostile environments for these youth as well (Kowsic, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). The current study looks to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on the experience …

An Analysis Of Transformational Leadership In Youth Nonprofit Programs, Danielle Priest

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe how nonprofit organization youth leaders perceive the importance of transformational leadership qualities in mentoring youth in leadership programs based on Bass and Riggio’s (2006) four transformational leadership qualities.

Methodology: This mixed-methods study examined the experiences of nonprofit organizations’ youth program leaders and examined the presence of transformational leadership qualities in their approach to providing program leadership to youth programs. An explanatory sequential study was utilized as it allowed the researcher to first analyze quantitative data, then follow with collection of qualitative data.

Findings: The findings showed respondents had …

The College Choice Of West African International Students: A Generalization Of The Hossler And Gallagher Model Of Student College Choice, Zeambo Wynger Dahnweih

Dissertations

After decades of research, the question of a universal college choice still abounds. In the United States scholars still advance disparate data on how students make college choice decisions that meet their particular needs. And, whereas research is replete with studies on the college choice of black families, there remains a dearth of studies on Black people of foreign descent, an integral demographic of the overall U.S. higher education enrollment.

This qualitative case study focuses on the college choice plights of West African students who enroll at U.S. public universities. It employs a West African-centric version of the Hossler and …

Administrative Trust As A Contributor To Forensic Coach Burnout And Exit, Benjamin Schultz Pyle

Dissertations

This study sought to determine whether a relationship exists and its extent between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in university administrators and burnout and exit in intercollegiate forensic coaches. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in their university administrators with both intercollegiate forensic coach satisfaction and intercollegiate forensic coach burnout in predicting intercollegiate forensic coach exit from forensics.

Fifty-seven intercollegiate forensic educators participated in the research, including 37 directors of forensics. Data analysis revealed significant relationships between intercollegiate forensic coach trust in university administrators, intercollegiate forensic coach satisfaction, intercollegiate forensic coach burnout, and intercollegiate forensic coach …

Mixed Methods Study Of The Relationship Between Students’ Perceptions Of School Climate, Attendance, And Academic Achievement, Danielle Nicole Carter

Dissertations

As previous studies have shown a relationship between school climate, attendance, and academic achievement within public schools nationwide, the current mixed methods study of the relationship between students’ perception of school climate, attendance, and academic achievement sought to explore such relationships within an urban charter high school in the Midwest. The researcher specifically examined student perceptions of teaching and learning, student-teacher relationships, school safety, and overall climate and investigated whether such perceptions were related to attendance rates or grade point average. For this study, approximately 63 participants in grades 9-12 voluntarily completed anonymous, electronic surveys (adapted from Panorama Instrument with …

Life Satisfaction: Aging Female Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Deborah Ann Monson

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between aging female informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and care recipients’ PWD demographic factors, aging female informal caregivers of PWD social support factors, positive and negative feelings, a sense of flourishing, stress, and life satisfaction.

Background/Rationale

Older adults with dementia are living longer and the majority are receiving care by aging female informal caregivers. Dementia incrementally worsens over time impacting informal caregiver life satisfaction. Most studies have focused on negative aspects of informal caregiving. Therefore, this study investigated both positive and negative aspects of caregiving.

Conceptual Basis …

How Can School Leaders Support Teachers In Becoming Culturally Proficient? Lessons From Teachers And School Leaders That Support Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices, Sherri Simek Rodriguez

Dissertations

This study was a program evaluation of educator cultural proficiency in a suburban school district in Illinois from 2019-2020. The primary research question explored was how school leaders can support teachers to become culturally proficient in order to support underserved students. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from school leader and teacher interviews, and document analysis, this study identified key components to improve culturally proficient practices. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the following: ensure that all staff members examine and eliminate institutional beliefs, policies, practices, and teaching that perpetuate racial inequalities; implement culturally relevant practices; and prepare all …

Studying The Impact Of Grit In The Learning Of Young Children By Way Of Implementing A Student-Teacher Mentorship Program In Elementary Grades, Azra Naqvi

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Children are born with the potential to become successful in life, provided their developmental needs are met. One component is developing the foundational skills, behavior, and attitude that will remain essential ingredients for a successful life. While most children entering school are prepared to learn, there may be some who lack foundational skills that prevent them from learning. The change leadership model developed by Wagner, Kegan, Lahey, Lemons, Garnier, Helsing, and Ark (2006) was used to assess the culture, context, conditions, and competencies of a small, nonpublic Islamic school located in a suburban area. This study aimed to explore …

Date Fruit Fiber Variability In Composition, Tissue Distribution, And Contribution To Hardness Of Date Fruits (Phoenix Dactylifera L.), Navomy George

Dissertations

Date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major desert crop and is an integral part of the United Arab Emirates. This study is on the various aspects of dietary fiber of ten Emirati date varieties. The main objective of this dissertation is to analyze the content and composition of mature date fruits and to study their microstructure. The aspects of biomineralization with particular importance to silica phytoliths and lignification are also studied. Finally, the date fruit dietary composition and microstructure are related to the textural attributes of the fruit. Uppsala method of dietary fiber analysis (AOAC 994.13) is used …

The Influence Of Youth Leaders’ Competencies, Emotional Intelligence, And Climate For Creativity On The Performance Of The Uae Governmental Organizations, Shamsa Saif Suhail Almarri

Dissertations

Nowadays, leadership is an essential asset in youth society. Thus, this study aims to identify the required capabilities to determine their readiness and openness amongst other qualities to be able to identify those youths who are able to take on federal government leadership positions in the upcoming 4th Industrial Revolution which is important for the future economic success of the country. This research utilized the leadership competencies theory to locate the important competencies that are needed to create strong youth leaders. The research has suggested a model and a positivist research philosophy was used to examine the suggested model. A …

Impact Of Computer Simulations On Uae Students’ Learning Of Newton’S Second Law Of Motion And Attitudes Toward Physics Within The Context Of Scientific Inquiry, Khaleel Shehadeh Alarabi

Dissertations

Unlike traditional instructional strategies, Computer Simulations (CSs) have lately been receiving increasing attention and applications within the international physics education community. This study aims to investigate the impact of CSs within an inquiry-based learning environment on the UAE grade 11 students’ performance in Newton’s Second Law of Motion (NSLOM). The study also investigates the impact of CSs within an inquiry-based learning environment on students’ Attitudes towards Scientific Inquiry (ASI), Enjoyment of Science Lessons (ESL), and Career Interest in Science/physics (CIS). The sample of the study consisted of 90 male and female students chosen from a population comprised of public-school grade …

Novel Insights Into The Anti-Diabetic Mechanism(S) Of Withania Coagulans And Its Active Constituent, Coagulansin-A, Mariyam Khalid Naeem

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a serious medical challenge of the 21st century with a dramatic surge in diabetes cases since the last decade. It accounts for 90-95% of all cases of diabetes mellitus. The interplay between insulin resistance and beta cells dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance in skeletal muscles that leads to a constellation of metabolic disorders, and exhaustion of pancreatic beta cells to maintain euglycemia. The inability of pancreatic beta cells to compensate insulin demand in an insulin-resistant state, result in …

Perceived Source Characteristics Of E-Wom Senders Effects On Purchase Intentions And Behaviours: An Experimental Study In The Uae, Hala Saeed Hasan Al Ghusain

Dissertations

The popularity and power of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) have raised the attention of academia and businesses in the past decade. A plethora of relevant literature investigated the motives of the sender to engage in e-WOM, besides the actual content of the message, leaving unanswerable questions concerning the receiver’s perception of the message and the interpersonal similarities with the sender. This study aimed at filling this gap by assessing the potential impact of e-WOM cues on the receiver experimentally by consulting i) social comparison theory, and ii) social judgment theory. Two experiments were designed and conducted incorporating mixed-method research …

The Influence Of Parent-Child Relationships On Female Sexual Functioning: A Review Of The Literature, Laura Tillman

Dissertations

This literature review is an examination of the impact of parental communication of sexual functioning in women. Women have many commonalities of sexual experiences and receive similar messages as children and adolescents in regards to their sexual behavior. Current attitudes towards women’s sexuality and sexual functioning and the outcomes that a lack of communication can warrant are areas of importance for this literature review. This Clinical Research Project (CRP) examines how frequently parents communicate about sexual topics with their child, how parents communicate, and parental feelings surrounding discussions. Parenting models and attachment styles are reviewed and how childhood experiences shape …

Support Systems Contributing To Retention Of Latinas In The Superintendent Position, Rachel Lemus Valenzuela

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe the support systems that California Latina superintendents perceive contribute to their retention in the position. A second purpose of this study was to discover to what extent these support systems impact their retention as a superintendent.

Methodology: This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study described the experiences of 11 Latina public school district superintendents in California. Participants were selected based on delimiting criteria, and purposive and convenience sampling methods were applied. The qualitative phase consisted of one-to-one interviews to gain in-depth information about the support systems the superintendents perceived …

Bridging The Gap: A Closer Look At Educational Inequities And Strategies To Support African American Students, Terry Daily-Davis, Lachrisa Crenshaw, Gina M. Jenkins

Dissertations

This autoethnography shares our personal experiences, narratives, and counter-stories as we view the social justice issues of inequities in the education of African American students. Through our journey, we highlighted our personal views and real scenarios as seen through the eyes of a reading specialist, social worker, and college-level administrator. Critical Race Theory in Education (CRT) served as our primary guiding force allowing us to focus on the following tenets: counter-stories, permanence of racism, whiteness as property, interest convergence, and critique of liberalism (Dixson, Anderson & Donnor, 2017). Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the framework in Social Sciences that examines …

Barriers To Post-Secondary Success, Douglas Swanson, Najeana Henderson, Maritza Sloan

Dissertations

This study reviews factors that prior studies have identified or failed to consider as barriers to post-secondary success. The three main areas include academic success for Latinx students after high school, organizational systems and their impact on African-American students’ postsecondary readiness, and what workers think of their high school education with regards to career preparedness.

Five factors are identified as major barriers for Latinx students to continue in a higher education system. A survey of former students from Saint Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, metroplex area identified 56 Latinx students that participated in an initial survey. This led to a …

A Tale Of Two Schools: A Study Of Student Risk Factors And Exclusionary Suspension Incidents, Brandy Nicole Williamson

Dissertations

discipline practices can widen the opportunity gap for at-risk students (Baker & Coley, 2013; Black, 2016; Crosby et al., 2018; Gibson & Gibson, 2019; Mallett, 2016; McCarter, 2017; Porter, 2015; Williams et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student risk factors and exclusionary discipline rates. Identification of a significant relationship between exclusionary discipline and student risk factors could lead to an increased awareness of precertification and practicing educator professional development needs. Identification of a significant relationship between trauma-related risk factors and exclusionary discipline could lead to an awareness of exclusionary discipline alternatives more …

Moth To A Flame: An Investigation Of The Personality Traits And Early-Life Trauma Histories Of Women Who Have Survived Adult Relationships With Men With Pathological Narcissism, Michelle D. Roberts

Dissertations

Although emotional and psychological abuse, in addition to physical assault, are now commonly accepted as aspects of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), narcissistic abuse as a subset of IPV is not widely recognized or understood. Due to the extremely debilitating, chronic mental health effects of narcissistic abuse (Bremner, 2008; Campbell, 2002; Yoon et al., 2009), this study sought to explore the experiences, personalities, early-life (childhood) trauma histories and mental health outcomes of heterosexual women who self-identify as having been in an adult romantic relationship with a man with pathological narcissism. Specifically, this study aimed to identify the nature and frequency of …

Examining The Impact Of Interscholastic State Activity Association Athletics Expansion At The Middle School Level In A Large Urban School District, Nathaniel Brooks Gillespie

Dissertations

Few studies have been conducted to investigate the educational benefits of participation in extracurricular activities during middle school (Hughes et al., 2016; Knifsend & Graham, 2012). This mixed-methods study involved elicitation of athletic directors’ perceptions and analysis of secondary data to determine the impact of interscholastic athletics participation on school connectedness. The qualitative portion of the study involved an analysis of the perceptions of athletic directors. The quantitative portion of the study involved an analysis of grade-point average (GPA), attendance, and discipline data of middle school students who participated in intramural athletics during the 2016– 2017 school year and those …

The Impact Of Supervisory Roles On Employee Engagement At A Private Midwest University, Brittany D. Brown

Dissertations

Previous research has confirmed that high performing employees have higher levels of engagement. This study explored factors influencing employee engagement in the context of higher education with particular emphasis on the potential impact of supervisory behaviors. Participants included faculty, adjunct instructors, staff, and coaches. No significant relationships were found between direct supervisor behaviors and the extent to which the research sample was engaged in their work. In addition to meaningful opportunities, recognition and collaboration with others were found to be important motivators through which engagement at work is heightened.

An Examination Of Refugees Strategies Of Survival: A Critical Ethnographic Study Of The Status Of Resettlement Organizations And The Promotion Of Alternative Forms Of Resettlement Setting, Moshood Olanrewaju

Dissertations

Resettled Refugees require humanizing approaches to community integration that promote healthy levels of independence and connection to the U.S. cultural practices, similar to that of home communities. Instead, a host culture dominates with complex and "none-reachable" profit-making institutions suffocating home culture practices. Within this context, this study attends to the social dysfunctionality that occurs beyond an interpersonal stress-adaptation-growth dynamic and clarifies why research often failed to understand a more successful refugee cultural integration experience.

The research was a systemic review of refugee strategies of survival collaboratively obtaining perceptions post-settlement: attitudes, motivations, interests, experiences, and expectations and the different ways in …

The Influence Of Irtiqa’A Inspectorate Program On School Leaders’ Professional Identity And Their Operational Practices In Abu Dhabi Schools, Sameera Abdulla Alhosani

Dissertations

Entering a new phase of attaining excellence in all sectors, the UAE has specifically emphasized the importance of improving and enhancing the education sector, in order to establish a knowledge-based economy. One of the main functions of the school inspections is the school development and school enhancement for improving the performance of educational institutions through inspectorial programs, which are vital in ensuring the success of the quality of education offered in the UAE. The study explores the influence of school inspections on school leaders’ (principals, vice-principals, and lead teachers/heads of faculties) in Abu Dhabi Schools. The effects of school inspections …

Commitment Of Teachers In Times Of Educational Change: The Case Of Government School Teachers In Al Ain City, Fawzia Salah Aljneibi

Dissertations

Interest in teacher commitment is growing as a critical factor for the future success of education and schools. Committed teachers play a significant role in improving students’ achievement and positively building their identities. Teacher commitment is an essential consideration, particularly in times of change. This research is concerned with the topic of teacher commitment in Al Ain schools, Abu Dhabi. The objectives of this dissertation explored teachers’ levels of commitment during times of change in the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and related variables that could increase or decrease their commitment. This study utilized a quantitative research …