Digital Commons Network^™

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. …

We, Not Me: The Musical Life Of Bob Cranshaw, Seth Britton Lewis

Dissertations

This study focuses on the career of Bob Cranshaw by examining his musical attributes and his leadership within the jazz community. Cranshaw’s career exceeded sixty years and yielded more than 400 recordings with artists such as Sonny Rollins, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Dexter Gordon, and numerous others. His career is examined using recordings, interviews, articles, discographies, and other publications. Biographical information about Cranshaw’s upbringing, education, military service, and family dynamic offers perspective on how he established himself as a professional bassist and clarifies certain important decisions regarding his work. A timeline of Cranshaw’s career is constructed …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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) …

Bayesian Approach Of Joint Models Of Longitudinal Outcomes And Informative Time, Adbullah Ahmed Zaagan

Dissertations

Longitudinal studies are commonly encountered in a variety of research areas in which the scientific interest is in the pattern of change in a response variable over time. In longitudinal data analyses, a number of methods have been proposed. Most of the traditional longitudinal methods assume that the independent variables are the same across all subjects. It is commonly assumed that time intervals for collecting outcomes are predetermined and have no information regarding the measured variables. However, in practice, researchers might occasionally have irregular time intervals and informative time, which violate the above assumptions. Hence, if traditional statistical methods are …

Socio-Emotional And Socio-Cultural Perceptions Of Young Women And Their Interests In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Danielle Ann Riney

Dissertations

School districts across the United States have begun to focus on the holistic learning of their students. At the top of that focus is student learning in socio-emotional and socio-cultural areas, in addition to content areas. This dissertation utilized an explanatory sequential design mixed methodology to explore the socio-emotional competence and socio-cultural perspectives of middles school students in STEM. Through a Likert scale survey and open-ended question, responses of 137 students were gathered to complete factor analysis, compute descriptive analysis, and calculate statistical differences found between genders through the use of t-tests to quantitatively answer research questions one and two. …

Caring About More Than Grades And Test Scores: The Work Of Reputationally Caring Teachers, Gregory Max Chalfin

Dissertations

Using Nel Noddings’ definition of care as a theoretical framework (2005) alongside Elliot Eisner’s ecology of schooling (1988), this study examined how “reputationally caring” teachers approached assessment in their classrooms and their reasons for doing so. These topics were explored through interviewing and observing participants, in addition to analyzing documents related to their methods of assessment, utilizing the research methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship. This qualitative study include four “reputationally caring” teachers. The term “reputational care” is of the author’s creation and refers to those teachers who are known by various school constituents: parents, students, colleagues, and administrators as …

Comparative Host Response And Gene Regulation In Deer Mice And Syrian Golden Hamsters During Acute Infection With Modoc Virus, Tyler Sherman

Dissertations

Flaviviruses (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) comprise a diverse group of globally-distributed viruses that may specifically infect vertebrates, invertebrates, or both. Of those that can replicate in both invertebrates (such as ticks and mosquitoes) as well as vertebrates (such as mammals), many represent important human pathogens. Examples of these include dengue virus (DENV), which may cause severe hemorrhagic fevers, West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and Zika virus (ZIKV), all of which may cause febrile illness with neurologic involvement, and yellow fever virus (YFV), which may induce hepatic dysfunction. Given that these viruses (among others) are carried and transmitted …

Establishment Of Organoids From Gastric Stem Cells And Their Use To Study The Role Of Aryl-Hydrocarbon Receptors, Shakila Afroz Taleb

Dissertations

Stem cells are powerful tools in different aspects of biomedical and translational research, including disease modelling, drug testing, and tissue engineering for regenerative medicine. However, isolation and culture of organ-specific stem cells are challenging tasks. Therefore, the biological features of many adult stem cells are not well studied and their involvement in the development of cancer is still controversial. Some immortal stem cell lines have been established and used as an alternative to studying features of organ-specific stem cells. The ability to grow cells in a scaffold-free, three-dimensional (3D) model system that mimics in vivo conditions would help in revealing …

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Occupational Stress And Longevity As Perceived By Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students In Special Day Classes With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Chukwuka Bandele

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceived occupational stressors experienced by moderate to severe teachers of special day class (SDC) in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and how these stressors affect teacher longevity. An additional purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of moderate to severe teachers of SDC setting on the importance of (EI) characteristics-self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management on their management of occupational stressors and longevity in the teaching profession.

Methodology: The study used a qualitative phenomenological research design to explore the occupational stressors of special education …

Investigating Drivers Of Genetic Structure In Plants: Global, Regional And Local Scales, Diana Gamba-Moreno

Dissertations

Genetic structure within and among plant populations is a critical component of plant biodiversity, informing local adaptation, conservation, and incipient speciation. However, its drivers remain poorly understood, especially across different spatial scales. In my dissertation I examined factors that affect plant population genetic structure at global, regional, and local scales. At the global scale, I performed a literature review of population genetic differentiation (F_ST) in seed plants based on a 337-species dataset with data on F_ST and species traits. Using phylogenetic multiple regressions, I found that F_ST is higher for tropical, mixed-mating, non-woody species pollinated by …

Sedative And Neurotoxic Properties Of Brexanolone Compared To Midazolam In The Developing Rodent Brain, Jacob Huffman

Dissertations

The developing brain is susceptible to extensive neurotoxicity following exposure to sedative/anesthetic drugs (SADs). Every year hundreds of thousands of children around the world are exposed to SADs with no viable non-neurotoxic agents approved for clinical use. Allopregnanolone (AlloP) has well-established sedative effects in adults and neonates. AlloP and many SADs produce sedation/anesthesia through allosteric modulation of GABA_A receptors, which is one of two principal mechanisms behind SAD-induced neurotoxicity. Evidence suggests AlloP has the unique capacity to regulate key apoptotic factors in adults and is widely involved with critical stages of neurodevelopment, indicating this neurosteroid might serve as a …

Academic Field Influence On Acquisition Of Global Awareness In Undergraduate Study Abroad Students, Tim Schmalz

Dissertations

Very little comprehensive research has been done thus far examining the effects of academic discipline on study abroad outcomes. This study investigated potential differences between global awareness scores across different academic disciplines for students that participated in study abroad during their undergraduate academic programs. Five hundred and eight-five current and past university students took a short survey modified from a Chieffo & Griffiths 2004 study. Overall global awareness scores, as well as scores for four sub-characteristics: intercultural awareness, personal growth & development, awareness of global interdependence, and functional knowledge of world geography & languages – were compared across student majors …

The Experience Of Faculty Transitioning From Traditional To Non-Traditional Methods In The Community College Classroom, Christina Calentine

Dissertations

There is documented success with the use of active learning strategies in community college classrooms, yet instructors lack the necessary skills and incentives to develop these strategies. While faculty members may have an expertise in a particular discipline they often lack the necessary skills to recognize the specific academic needs of a student and respond and/or adapt to those needs. Many specialized degrees do not include pedagogical training as part of the required curriculum but community colleges are typified by diversity in student backgrounds and learning styles. This has led to increased attention to the implementation of a diverse array …

Nurses' Information Processing Related To Surveillance As An Intervention In The Care Of Stroke Patients, Lori Rhudy

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the nursing intervention of surveillance from an information processing framework. Research questions addressed how surveillance was expressed by nurses during the care of stroke patients and the relationship of cues identified to the focus of care.

An Evaluation Of The Molecular Species Of Ca125 Across The Three Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle, Monica Rose Mclemore

Dissertations

CA125, a tumor-associated antigen, is primarily used to monitor epithelial ovarian cancer. However, CA125 alone lacks the sensitivity and specificity necessary for population-based screening in healthy women. Barriers to the development of a screening assay includes the low incidence of the disease, large inter-individual variability in CA125 levels, fluctuations in levels during the phases of the menstrual cycle (i.e., menses, follicular, luteal), ethnicity, menopausal status, and other benign conditions. Evaluation of the molecular species of serum CA125 is a vital step in understanding the underlying biology of CA125. The specific aims of this study, in a sample of healthy women …

Southern, Rural African American Women's Hypertension Perceptions, Cassandra D. Ford

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of adult deaths in the United States, and hypertension is a major contributing factor to the development of cardiovascular disease. Epidemiologic research reveals that cardiovascular disease and hypertension are prevalent in southern, rural areas. Vital statistics clearly document the disproportionately high prevalence of hypertension in African American women in the rural south. Therefore, in attempt to learn more about this phenomenon, the present study sought to ascertain and describe the perceptions of hypertensive, southern, rural African American women on their personal and environmental factors affecting their hypertension and how it is controlled and treated. …

Quality Of Life Of Parental Caregivers Of Children (1-36 Months) With A Tracheostomy, Rachel Abraham Joseph

Dissertations

Children's health and well-being are invariably related to the health and well-being of their parents or caregivers. Many parents undertake home care of children with a tracheostomy who require highly complex and technology driven care that would have been formerly assumed by health care providers. Parents accept multiple responsibilities- that of an advocate, case manager, parent, nurse, and much more. A cross sectional descriptive study using survey method was conducted to gather data on stress, coping and quality of life in parents of children with a tracheostomy aged one month to 36 months.

An Educational Intervention To Develop Characteristics Of Transformational Leadership In Novice Nurse Managers, Mary Catherine Goetter

Dissertations

To support the development of characteristics of transformational leadership (TFL) in novice nurse managers/administrators (NNM) through use of a Journal Club as an educational intervention based on theories of educational psychology and nursing's unique patterns of knowing.

Does an educational intervention of a Journal Club increase NNM perceived knowledge of characteristics of transformational leadership? Does an educational intervention of a Journal Club increase NNM perceived ability of self to lead? How do NNM describe the effect of the intervention on their leadership knowledge and ability?

Surviving On The Margin Of A Profession: Experiences Of Black Nurses, Josephine Bassey Etowa

Dissertations

This study used grounded theory method to explicate Black nurses' worklife experiences within the health care system in Nova Scotia. The aim of this research was to develop substantive theory of this phenomenon. The data were collected using informal interviews, observations, field notes and group meetings. Theoretical sampling was used to enhance maximum variation within the sample.

Vertical Violence And The Student Nurse: Is This Toxic For Professional Identity Development?, Sherri Williams Cantey

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry centers on student nurses' stories of vertical violence perpetuated by clinical registered nursing staff and the meaning that students associate with this phenomenon. Student nurses are the very young and potentially impressionable members of our profession; therefore, a concern of this study was if vertical violence affects professional identity development for the student nurse. Additionally through stories revealed by these participants, this study attempted to explore whether perceptions of violence are believed to be a rite of passage into the profession. Students are the future of our profession, and it is important that this phenomenon be understood …

Exploring The Subconcepts Of The Wittman-Price Theory Of Emancipated Decision-Making In Women's Health Care Using Infant Feeding Method As The Clinical Exemplar, Ruth Ann Wittmann-Price

Dissertations

The Wittmann-Price Theory of Emancipated Decision-making (EDM) was derived from the philosophical underpinnings of Critical Social, Freire's Emancipatory Education and Feminist Theory. The theory describes a process of reaching a more positive state of being, a state of freedom in choice, by first acknowledging the effective experience of oppression in women's healthcare. This oppression produces a dilemma in decision-making by socially sanctioning one alternative as superior over all other alternatives. The theory proposed that five subconcepts must be present when using the decision-making process. These are empowerment, a flexible environment, personal knowledge, reflection, and social norms. This study used three …

Academic Honesty, Professional Integrity, And Undergraduate Engineering Students: Exploring The Connections, S. Amy Skyles, Jeffrey W. Jennings

Dissertations

One benefit of inculcating professionalism into engineering degree program curricula is a measure of the extent to which future practitioners adopt an engineering code of ethics (Abaté, 2011; Davis, 2006). Studies have indicated more dishonesty among engineering students than other groups of undergraduate learners, but the effects of technology on dishonesty in the classroom was not addressed (Bowers, 1964; McCabe et al., 2012). An explanatory, sequential mixed methods study was designed to explain to what degree course pedagogical practices and attitudes of civil, architectural and environmental engineering students of various academic levels (freshman/sophomore and senior) relate to academic dishonesty. The …

Applying The Homework, Organization, And Planning Skills (Hops) Intervention To Elementary Students With Adhd, Ayanna Maia Peake

Dissertations

Students need appropriate executive functioning (EF) skills to improve their academic achievement. The Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) Interventions were implemented for 16 sessions with three elementary students with ADHD and executive functioning (EF) deficits. The study aimed to improve the homework, organization, and time management skills of each participant. The interventions were expected to decrease both EF deficits and teacher reports of homework behavior difficulties. This study used a multiple baseline across participants single subject research design with interventions implemented concurrently. A behavior rating scale provided pre and post-intervention data on the participants’ EF deficits. Classroom teachers also …

Intersex Experiences, Activists’ Perspectives, And Counseling Implications, Cynthia J. Mulit

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Intersex people are born with sex development differences; for example, atypical genitals. The intersex community is the only sexual minority population subjected to medical treatments in infancy designed to make their bodies conform to cultural expectations for male and female bodies. Intersex activism to stop the medicalized treatments began in the late 1990s. No other qualitative study has focused on the experiences of intersex activists. Four leading activists were interviewed in depth regarding their personal, activist, and counseling experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A 3-stage intersex identity development model was formulated …

A Mixed-Method Investigation Of The Best Practices Of Online Education In Southwestern China At Four Public Universities By Yu Hao, Yu Hao

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to discover the best practices of online education in Southwestern China in order to improve the quality of online education in the region. The Chinese overall higher education online courses and programs are continuously expanding (Chou & Lu, 2013). However, the Chinese southwest region’s online education was still in its initial stages, which lacks research and reports regarding regional online education development. This study is innovative research essential to assist in online education development in Southwestern China. The researcher conducted this study at four universities that reflected the local culture. According to Baghdad …

Program Evaluation Of A District’S Elementary School Wellness Curriculum To Improve Undergraduate Training, Katie Boyer

Dissertations

This doctoral research project examined elementary teachers’ preparation to teach health content (Emotional, Relationships, Growth and Development, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Hygiene, Safety, Substance Use/Misuse, Diseases, Environmental/Consumer/Community Health) within the framework for a state’s certification and qualifications. The study used a mixed-methods approach in a Midwest school district to discover components of undergraduate certifications, current teaching methods, and potential modifications to the curriculum. While all surveyed elementary teachers were licensed to teach the health content, many were not formally qualified to teach the material due to content gaps in their teacher preparation programs. The study concluded that undergraduate institutions preparing teachers …

The Voices Of Single-Headed Household African American Mothers Concerning The High School Completion Of Their Daughters, Lametria A. Johnson_Eaddy

Dissertations

African American female students in urban schools are not graduating from high school at the same rate as females of other ethnic groups (Bucknor, 2015; Martin & Halperin, 2006; Stillwell & Sable, 2013). This study sought to investigate the voices and lived experiences of single-headed households of African American mothers whose daughters graduated from high school within the traditional four-year schedule. Through the voices and lived-experiences of these African American mothers, this study sought to capture the impact certain internal and external support systems from within both the home and school environments had on their daughters’ persistence in graduating from …