Digital Commons Network^™

Ged Participants’ Beliefs And Experiences Of Play As A Multi-Domain Approach To Increasing Adults’ Success In The State Of Mississippi, Latisha Taylor

Dissertations

Societal advancements have aided in the evolution of twenty-first-century adult learners. Learners no longer conform to traditional instruction; instead, instruction that adapts to the learner’s needs are necessary. Conventional learning that ensues multi-domain approaches to learning is on the rise. Play-based learning is one such approach that is multifaceted, and versatility in bridging gaps that exist between the learner and the curriculum. Play-based learning is a form of instruction that has the potential to encompass the whole learner by allowing opportunities for cognitive, affective, and psychomotor interactions throughout learning. However, for many, play-based learning is an instructional approach represented solely …

Transgender College Students In The English Composition Classroom In The Rocky Mountains, Tracey Williams

Dissertations

Transgender students face challenging and unique experiences in academic classrooms on college campuses. This qualitative study, which used queer and transgender theory, sought to examine the realities of transgender students’ experiences within the English Composition classroom in the Rocky Mountains. English Composition is a class nearly every undergraduate student must take, no matter their major. It acts as a microcosm of the college population. Composition classes are generally small (20-25 students), offering a more intimate setting than other general education classes in college. Additionally, personal writing is expected, as is sharing work with classmates for peer-review sessions. Within this context …

Analysis Of A Research-Based Show Choir Competition Adjudication Rubric: Reliability And User Perceptions, Ladona Tyson

Dissertations

A weighted rubric, created in a prior pilot study, used for adjudicating nine show choir competitions was statistically analyzed to determine reliability. A survey and ten interviews with adjudicators were examined to ascertain user perceptions. Results from an intraclass correlation coefficient indicate that the Tyson Rubric has excellent inter-rater reliability. Survey respondents indicated that the Tyson Rubric provides a step towards standardization in the genre of show choir, though improvements were suggested. Interviews were transcribed and coded, revealing themes of bias in show choir adjudication, the need for standardization in the genre, and the need for improved adjudication training. The …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Sports Participation And Financial Accessibility For First-Generation African-American Students At Selected Mississippi Colleges And Universities, Theresa Rash

Dissertations

First-generation students, and particularly African Americans, are historically underserved in terms of college access and success. During college, they often carry greater financial responsibilities and remain less likely to be engaged in activities, both academic and social, that promote academic success. Becoming a collegiate athlete may increase a student’s financial capacity to successfully complete college.

This study examined whether being a collegiate athlete was related to greater college financial accessibility, particularly for first-generation students. The study included 537 undergraduate African-American students from 5 Mississippi colleges and universities. I hypothesized that (1) athletic status is related to college financial accessibility for …

Work-Life Balance: Perceived Differences Of Teleworkers And Non-Teleworkers, Christian Paul Lagarde

Dissertations

As the growth in the number of dual-career couples continues, couples attempt to balance the demands of career and family (Berlato & Corrêa, 2017). A healthy work environment potentially supports a positive work-life balance for employees. Supportive work environments increase morale, job satisfaction, job retention, productivity, as well as a fulfilling family life (Molla, 2015). Failure to assist employees with finding work-life balance risk the loss of a positive work environment for a company’s employees and the entire organization. Therefore, this human capital study seeks to build on the current research surrounding assisting organizations to find work-life balance for their …

Self-Regulated Learning Instruction’S Relationships With Teacher Subject Area, Teacher Beliefs, And Teacher Efficacy, Jeffrey Coggin

Dissertations

Self-regulated learning (SRL) instruction develops essential competencies required in the classroom and the workplace (Johnson, 2002; Yan, 2017). SRL instruction helps learners develop the proficiency required for successful self-directed, life-long learning. Furthermore, SRL instruction produces the skills needed to plan, monitor, and achieve learning goals. However, SRL instructional techniques are difficult to implement in the classroom or workplace because educators must transfer learning responsibilities and outcomes to the learner. This study examined the relationships of teacher subject area, teacher beliefs, and teacher efficacy on the use of SRL instruction. The participants included PK-12 teachers from a public-school district in Alabama. …

Exploring Counselor Educators’ Experiences With Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Pedagogy, Savannah Rose Cormier

Dissertations

Human beings have been curious about the mysteries of the brain for centuries (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso, 2007). Modern advances in neuroscience technology and brain imaging techniques have allowed scientists to see the inner workings of the brains of living people, resulting in increased knowledge and understanding of how the brain functions and how learning occurs (Hardiman, 2012; Sousa, 2017). Findings from neuroscience research are rapidly being used to inform practices in fields such as education (Thomas, Ansari, & Knowland, 2018) and professional counseling (Beeson & Field, 2017; Field, Jones, & Russell-Chapin, 2017; Luke, Miller, & McAuliffe, 2019; Navalta, McGee, …

The Roles Of Educational Leaders And Other Factors That Contribute To Successful Programs For English Learners, Abdulmohsen Ibrahim Alsliman

Dissertations

Public schools in the United States have experienced a rise in the number of English language learners (ELLs). (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018). The ELLs across different states including Colorado schools underperform academically when compared to their peers (NCES, 2018). To close the achievement gap, it is important to understand how to create and sustain successful ELL programs at the elementary level. Therefore, the purpose of this non-experimental survey research was to identify the possible factors contributing to the success of ELL programs in elementary schools in the same school district and to explore the role administrators and …

Did You Take Care Of Everybody? Insights On Crisis Management From Senior Student Affairs Professionals, Matthew Lawrence Peterson Ricke

Dissertations

This constructivist narrative study explored the experiences of five senior student affairs administrators who responded to an organizational crisis impacting their universities. Crisis management is a critical competency for higher education leaders (Peters, 2014) and involves the prevention, mitigation, and planning prior to a crisis; response and recovery during the crisis; and learning and changing following a crisis (Zdziarski, 2006). This study was guided by the research question: how do campus leaders at an institution of higher education (IHE) make meaning of a campus crisis event? Five participants, all of whom are senior student affairs professionals with extensive crisis management …

Strengths-Based Assessment Of Students With Emotional Disturbance: Rater Variance Using Generalizability Theory, Kara Alison Loftin

Dissertations

Loftin, Kara Alison. Strengths-Based Assessment of Students with Emotional Disturbance: Rater Variance Using Generalizability Theory. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, free appropriate public education (FAPE) was guaranteed to all students ages 3 through 21 regardless of ability. For students with emotional disturbance (ED), one of the 13 disability categories served under IDEA, when appropriate special education programming and services were in place early, educators could deescalate the potential for more serious and ingrained behaviors that impacted the course of the …

Perceptions Regarding The Effectiveness Of Co-Teaching Practices To Support Students With Learning Disabilities In Secondary Inclusive Classrooms: Case Study, Aeshah Abdullah Alsarawi

Dissertations

Despite the prevalence of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) and using co-teaching in inclusive classrooms, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of co-teaching for these students in the secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to expand the research on supporting secondary students with SLDs in co-taught inclusive settings. More specifically, the researcher examined the perceptions of students and co-teachers regarding the co-teaching practices to support students with SLDs after conducting classroom observations. The study took place in a high school located in Colorado. The participants included seven co-teachers, four students with …

Exploring The Prevalence Of Suboptimal Effort Among Children And Adolescents On Psychoeducational Evaluations, Kayla Jo Singleton

Dissertations

This study represents one of the first known studies to explore suboptimal effort in children and adolescents as part of psychoeducational evaluations conducted within a school setting. Only recently has attention been given to pediatric performance validity testing. With the assistance of five credentialed school psychologists across two midwestern states, 52 students were administered the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) as part of their psychoeducational evaluation. The findings of the current study suggested that 19.2% of these students failed Trial 2 on the TOMM, a suggested indicator of suboptimal performance. Furthermore, school psychologists’ ratings of observed effort did not correlate …

The Psychological Foundations Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Recreational Sport Organizations: An Investigation Of Employee Functioning, Rammi Hazzaa

Dissertations

The importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been well documented in the mainstream management literature (e.g., Aguinis & Glavas, 2012; Turker, 2009). While CSR has been investigated in the sport management literature, it has been done almost exclusively from the macro-level perspective aiming to address questions about the implications of CSR for organizations and society (Babiak, 2010; Smith & Westerbeek, 2007). However, there has been little CSR-related research undertaken with regards to sport employees and the individual level of analysis (microlevel). As such, this study is guided by the general notion of the psychological foundations of CSR that explain …

Understanding Learner-Centeredness And Student Engagement In Undergraduate Biology Education, Ashley Barbara Heim

Dissertations

The overarching goal of my dissertation research is to better understand how undergraduate students engage in biology. Considering the notable lack of interest in the sciences among undergraduates in recent years, actively engaging more students in biology throughout college could potentially increase their motivation to learn biology and retain more students in science fields. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, I sought to discover the dimensionality of learner-centeredness in the biology classroom using a variety of instruments. Outside of the classroom, I aimed to describe college-age adults’ learning experiences at informal learning settings such as zoos via development and administration …

The Impact Of Teacher Beliefs On Relationship-Building In A High School Advisory Program, Insoon H. Olson

Dissertations

This was a descriptive case study at a high-needs, comprehensive public high school in Northern Colorado, focused on teachers’ beliefs regarding building relationships with students in the context of a structured high school advisory. Participants were members of the ninth-grade advisory team, including the Coordinator, counselor, Zero Drop-out Student Interventionist, and fourteen content teachers. Each teacher had approximately twenty freshmen students, some of whom were also in their ninth-grade content courses. The author created and anonymously distributed an open-ended pre-questionnaire to the participants, whose responses were blind copied to an anonymous Google survey, collecting all responses within a Google spreadsheet …

Growth Mindset For Incoming College Students, Erin Michelle Datteri-Saboski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine an educational psychology phenomenon called growth mindset and the influence it may have on first-generation college student transition as measured by first-semester GPA. I invited students attending the orientation first-generation workshop to participate in my study and had 308 participants. I systematically selected one-third of them to participate in a 35-minute intervention that taught them about growth mindset. Students in the control group participated in the session New Student Orientation had in place for years: a simple social-belonging intervention. My study found that students who participated in the control/social-belonging intervention had statistically …

Regional Differences In Wild North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Behavior And Communication, Sarah Walkley

Dissertations

This study focuses on the vocalization repertoires of wild North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in New York and California. Although they are the same species, these two established populations of river otters are separated by a significant distance and are distinct from one another. River otters are semi-aquatic social predators that can be found throughout North America. This is the first study to examine the vocalizations of wild river otters, and results are compared across field sites in the different regions. River otter vocalizations and behaviors in New York were recorded using Bushnell Aggressor trail cameras that …

Memories Of Emotions Of First Consensual Sexual Encounters, Mario Herrera

Dissertations

Are people’s memories of their most intimate moments prone to memory distortions? There is some limited research that has found that to be the case—memories of past consensual sexual encounters have been prone to memory biases. However, no past research has looked into whether memory of emotions toward a person’s first consensual sexual encounter are malleable. A combination of reconstructive memory and appraisal theories would predict that memory for emotions are prone to distortions based on the changes in current appraisals of the event and/or person. In the current experiment, we investigated the effects of current reappraisals of participants’ first …

Social And Individual-Level Identities And College Male Alcohol Use Behaviors: Examining The Utility Of Protective Behavioral Strategies, Robert Bearden Whitley

Dissertations

Recent literature has consistently identified conformity to traditional masculine norms as motivating hazardous drinking behaviors of college men. Given the high prevalence of hazardous drinking among college men and the particular negative consequences that emerge secondary to it, additional research is needed in this area to better identify possible intervention targets. The present study sought to better elucidate the proximity of male norm conformity to drinking behaviors through including a specific identity factor related to alcohol use: drinking identity. Secondary to this goal, this study also sought to examine how these factors of identity predicted the safe drinking behaviors of …

Adapting To Obstacles: Inhibition And Creative Potential In A Sample Of Successfully Aging Older Adults, Cassandra Dinius

Dissertations

Studying older adults who are aging ‘successfully’ (i.e., avoiding disease/disability; maintaining high cognitive and physical functioning; engaging in meaningful interpersonal/social engagement) may offer insight into variables that contribute to cognitive change throughout the lifespan. Successful aging is related to levels of engagement, which may be promoted by the problem solving and reevaluation encouraged by the creative process (Fisher & Specht, 1999). Creative thinking requires the consideration of diverse concepts and strategies (e.g., generating many solutions), as well as the regulated filtering of these possibilities (e.g., neither too permissive nor too narrow when eliminating ideas; Baas, De Dreu, & Nijstad, 2011). …

Exploring Self-Determination Scores In Youth And Young Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Kaitlyn Marie Millen

Dissertations

Self-determination is a potential predictor of in-school and post-school success, yet it has not previously been examined in youth and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The purpose of this study utilizing a cross-sectional survey design was to (a) determine if the scores produced by the American Sign Language (ASL) version of the Self-Determination Inventory (ASL SDI:SR) are valid and reliable and (b) examine self-determination scores in youth and young adults who are DHH to determine typical areas of strength and need within the population and if scores vary by disability, communication mode, or educational setting. …

Flow State Experiences In Second Semester General Chemistry, Kyle Glen Kemats

Dissertations

“Flow” is a mental state in which a person experiences an optimal performance of an activity, when they are completely immersed in it. The flow state is characterized by a feeling of confidence, and the activity seems to be effortless. A person enters a state of flow when their skills performing a task (activity) matches its level of difficulty. They perceive that the task is neither too easy nor too difficult. Flow state experiences have been connected to increased levels of performance in domains such as athletics and music, as well as in academic domains such as learning foreign language. …

Scandals In College Athletics: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of A College Basketball Scandal On The Admissions/Enrollment Management Process Of A University, Andrew Jacob Lail

Dissertations

“Scandal is a phenomenon associated with sports both professional and collegiate. Virtually no sports are immune to scandal” (Prior et al., 2013, p. 189). Scandals in college athletics have become a topic of interest for the higher education community, arising over the last decade. High profile institutions are being publicly implicated and found guilty of transgressions that alter the way these universities are viewed. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body of college athletic departments. This body regulates the actions of its members institutions by establishing specific regulations around recruiting, player interaction and many other facets of …

Agency And Parallelism In Three Saxophone Works By Dorothy Chang: A Performative Analysis, Courtney Elizabeth Long

Dissertations

Dorothy Chang’s saxophone works are significant contributions to modern saxophone repertoire. Chang’s music employs multifaceted construction that presents unique post-tonal vocabularies with significant motivic action within traditional frameworks, which creates a dialogue with the past and present. This provides a wealth of interpretive avenues for performers. Nonetheless, there is a lack of scholarship pertaining to Chang and her works. This dissertation’s analytical focus of Two Preludes for alto saxophone and piano (1993), Walk on Water for alto saxophone and cello (2004), and Afterlight for soprano saxophone and piano (2018) initiates the necessary conversation of Chang’s importance as a composer while …

The Effects Of Resilience On Student Academic Success In Baccalaureate Nursing, Cassandra Frost

Dissertations

The current rise in nursing student attrition has impeded the future supply of registered nurses. With the shortages projected to continue, this growing problem needs to be addressed. Factors influencing nursing student success are diverse and multidimensional. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between resilience and student academic success. A descriptive, correlational design was utilized. The study was conducted in a private nursing college with 300 baccalaureate level nursing students. Based on correlational analysis, a weak positive relationship was found between academic success and resilience. Academic success also demonstrated relationships with cumulative grade point average, …

Implicit And Explicit Sexual Attitude Among United States Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Michael G. Murphy

Dissertations

Recognizing sexual minorities continue to experience discrimination and social, institutional, and health disparities, this study explored implicit and explicit sexual attitude among nursing students. Knowledge of these attitudes is an important step to improve the care provided to this vulnerable population. Yet, there remains little research of implicit sexual attitude among nurses and no research among nursing students. This study addressed this gap in the current literature by comparing measurements of implicit and explicit attitude and identifying demographic attributes that predict these attitudes. Critical cosmopolitan theory (Delanty, 2006), informed this non-experimental, descriptive, correlational study. Implicit attitude wasmeasured using the sexuality …

If You Build It, Will They Come? An Autoethnographic Account Of Starting A School And Year One, Courtney Rae Luce

Dissertations

This autoethnographic research was a qualitative analysis of the process of starting a school and running it in the first year. While this research explained some of the process, it is not a guidebook for starting schools. Instead, this narrative was meant to tell about the experience in order to inspire others in education to try something new or different. The significance of the research came from the need for a change in education and the power of narrative to inspire change. Using autoethnography as my methodology and reflection and layered accounts to tell the narrative, I explored the following …

The Effects Of Disability Labeling On Teachers’ Referrals Of Twice-Exceptional Children To Gifted Programs In Saudi Arabia, Amra Abdulrahman Mohammad

Dissertations

The issue of biases associated with labeling students as gifted or as having a disability presents a significant challenge to educational professionals with regard to identification and the provision of services. In the presence of labels indicating giftedness, disability, and twice exceptionality, research consistently demonstrated biases on the part of parents, teachers, and even other students. These biases could prevent students from receiving the services they need to achieve their fullest potential (Bianco & Leech, 2010). The current study systematically replicated a study by Bianco and Leech (2010) and examined the influence of disability labels on teachers’ decisions to refer …

Nonparametric Approach To Multivariate Analysis Of Variance (Manova) Using Density-Based Kernel Methods, Hend Aljobaily

Dissertations

Density estimation and nonparametric methods have become increasingly important over the last three decades. These methods are useful in analyzing modern data which includes many variables with numerous observations. It is common to see datasets with hundreds of variables and millions of observations. Examples proliferate in fields such as geological exploration, speech recognition, and biological and medical research. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for tools that can detect and summarize the multivariate structure in complex data. Only nonparametric methods are able to do so when little is known about the data generating process. The term nonparametric does not necessarily …

The Effects Of Fidgets On Attention And Learning Of College Students, Stephanie Leandra Kriescher

Dissertations

Fidget “tools”, or objects to facilitate fidgeting, are gaining in popularity and controversy within the educational setting. Advertisers market fidget objects as evidence-based methods to improve attention, alleviate anxiety, and otherwise improve academic performance for their users. Thus, many individuals are investing in these objects to aid them in their academic studies, jobs, and other attention/focus orientated pursuits. These claims of evidence basis are made in the absence of sufficient scientific research and with conflicting theoretical basis regarding their mechanism of effect. The present study looked at the effect of facilitated fidgeting through different devices (stress ball and fidget spinner) …