Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Teachers’, Instructional Support Staff, And Administrators’ Attitudes And Beliefs Concerning Data, Data-Driven Decision-Making And Its Relationship To Student Achievement., Lashandra Antionette Hodge-Mcclure

Dissertations

The Every Student Succeeds Act has an accountability model that holds the educational system in the United States accountable. It was decided that students throughout the United States should be held to the same standards, independent of where they lived. Furthermore, the Every Student Succeeds Act seeks to provide considerable opportunity for all students to obtain a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and reduce academic performance disparities. The study aims to identify the role teachers, instructional support staff, and administrators’ attitudes and beliefs regarding data-driven decision-making plays in student achievement.

Data-driven decision-making is the systematic process of gathering, evaluating, and …

The Effect Of Sulfonamides Structural And Reactive Properties Examined Through Difunctionalization Of Alkenes, Gavin Rustin

Dissertations

Alkenes as masked functional groups have been a hallmark of organic chemistry and have been utilized to diversify natural products and medicinal targets. Disubstitutions have been a challenge for researchers as the reactions that are implemented most are not selective for the face that they attack. Investigations into electrophilic cyclization looked to overcome this phenomenon by introducing a known chiral center α to an amine where a protecting group, sulfonamide, is added to increase the torsional and allylic strain in the molecules. X-ray crystal structures and NMR techniques prove that the strain does affect the diastereoselectivity of the reaction through …

The Impact Of A Culturally Responsive Approach In Science Education On Kindergarten Students, Monique Hite-Patterson

Dissertations

Classrooms today are more ethnically and linguistically diverse. Unfortunately, students of color demonstrate a history of marginalized educational inequities (Williamson et al., 2007). These marginalized educational inequities impact academic achievement across all content areas especially literacy, math, and science. To improve the academic performance of students who are culturally, racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, methods of instruction and pedagogy that better facilitate learning among diverse student populations must be instituted (Ladson-Billings, 2005). A mixed methods study was conducted in response to the need to examine the impact of using culturally responsive strategies on kindergarten student’s attitudes towards science and their …

Interprofessional Role Clarification Among Licensed Health Care Practitioners In Rural And Smaller Community Hospitals, Dianne E. Allen

Dissertations

Enhancement of healthcare systems has increased the demand for healthcare practitioners (HCPs) to share client care by functioning in a variety of roles within interprofessional teams. When these roles are integrated into team practice, the outcome can be collaborative sharing of client care responsibilities but without sharing, team members can experience uncertainty as to what their contributions should be. Understanding this shift in practice begins with role clarification, whereby HCPs have self-awareness about their own roles, and then gain an understanding of the roles of others in their collaborative practitioner groupings. Interprofessional role clarification (IPRC) is thought to be necessary …

The Effects Of Lecture Capture Design On Student Performance In An Online, Asynchronous Nonmajors Biology Course, Melissa Ann Gutierrez

Dissertations

Lecture capture technology, the ability to provide multimedia recordings of instructional content, has become an essential technology for online learning. One of the ways online courses have tried to appeal to the digital lifestyle of today’s students is providing different lecture capture styles, such as audio (podcasts), video, or interactive videos, due to the popularity of mobile media players providing anytime and anywhere learning. Although lecture capture technology provides educators with a diverse set of tools on how content is delivered, studies have shown mixed results on the impact of lecture capture styles on learning.

For this study, the main …

A Study On Vivian Fine’S Chamber Concerto For Cello And Six Instruments, Andrea Beltran Landers

Dissertations

The music of American composer Vivian Fine (1913-2000) has fallen into obscurity despite its high quality. Her musical career has led her from being a child-prodigy at the piano to being a part of the elite inner circle of avant-garde composers in New York in the early 1930s, and ultimately to a faculty position at Bennington College in the 1960s. Due to the stability and job security that the academic world brought to Fine, she was able to dedicate most of her time to composition. The Chamber Concerto for Cello and Six Instruments belongs to this fruitful period in her …

Concurrent Study Of The Impact Of An Institutionalized Diversity Plan On The Perceived Sense Of Academic Achievement, Sense Of Belonging, And Program Completion Among African American Students In A Midwest Community College, Tyianna Thompson

Dissertations

This dissertation explored how an institutionalized diversity plan impacts perceived academic achievement, sense of belonging, and program completion among African American students. The concurrent mixed-methods methodology followed a single case study design to explore the impact of an institutionalized diversity plan in a Midwest community college. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed. The results of this study revealed that although diversity and inclusion programs are somewhat effective in higher education, more needs to be done to satisfy the needs of minority students in higher education. According to the findings of this study, most students felt a sense …

Administrative Leaders' Viewpoints About The Significance Of Art Education In Schools, Jennifer Luckett

Dissertations

The value of art education and people’s perspective of its value have been subjects of research throughout the years. Art programs are usually the first to be eliminated when there are budget cuts in the public-school systems. This study examines policy, history, and teachers’, parents’, and students’ viewpoints of the value of art education. It also analyzes the researched value that an art education provides. As there is little to no research on administrative leaders’ viewpoints, this research study utilized Q-methodology to determine administrators’ viewpoints on their personal value of art education. The main goal of this research was to …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Certificate In College Teaching Program On Graduate Students’ Pedagogical Metacognition And Teaching Knowledge, Audrey Jannine Tocco

Dissertations

Graduate student professional development initiatives aim to prepare future faculty for college-level teaching. One such program is the Certificate in College Teaching (CCT). CCT programs provide graduate students with foundational knowledge and authentic teaching experiences to prepare them to design and deliver instruction at the college level. Participants report positive perceptions of these programs during and after completion, but evidence of concrete program outcomes is limited. Two potential outcomes of graduate student professional development are the use of pedagogical metacognition (reflection on and action upon teaching) and knowledge of teaching and learning (identification of research-based teaching strategies and application to …

A Comparison Of Registered Nurses’ Motivation And Knowledge Levels Between Gamified And Traditional Courses, Amanda Crim Rossley

Dissertations

Registered nurses (RNs) working in today’s healthcare environment must consistently learn new knowledge and skills, keep abreast of practice changes, and implement strategies to improve patient outcomes. However, healthcare organizations face significant challenges as they attempt to facilitate efficient training. Nursing professional development practitioners miss opportunities to leverage learner motivation, which drives investment, knowledge retention, and practice application. Gamification, which strategically embeds game elements and mechanics into an educational design to boost motivation, offers a potential solution. It aims to increase learner engagement by presenting learners with challenges, tracking their progress, and offering feedback, ultimately leading to knowledge retention and …

Let’S Take This Outside: Utilizing Outdoor Classrooms As A Response To The Coronavirus-19 Pandemic, Cortney Leigh Lamb

Dissertations

The worldwide school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID)-19 pandemic that began in the spring of 2020 caused a disruption to educational systems (Bao et al., 2020; Engzell et al., 2021; Masonbrink & Hurley, 2020; Munir, 2021; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, 2020). The pandemic created a dilemma in which school leaders around the world and in the United States had to make challenging decisions about how to open schools in the fall of 2020 and how to best educate students (Honein et al., 2021). The majority of school leaders choose to reopen schools in the fall of 2020 …

Characteristics Of Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Mentoring Relationship Practices In Secondary Education Settings: A Case Study, Bonnie Jeanne Palmer

Dissertations

The use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mentors in public school systems and other organizations has grown comparably with our economy’s increasing demand for STEM industry professionals. However, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers by using STEM industry professionals as mentors requires an understanding of effective mentor practices. Limited research exists that focuses on the mentoring practices students respond to as they make academic and career plans. The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify practices that promote STEM careers among youth. The study sought to answer the question, “What STEM mentor practices, behaviors, and roles …

Elementary Principals’ Perceptions Of The Influence Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On Their Professional Identities, Melissa Gibson-Steiner

Dissertations

In the spring of 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) triggered a pandemic, caused schools to close, and created a crisis for school leaders. They led during unprecedented times and negotiated an unfamiliar environment. School principals managed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their schools for nearly two years. As principals led through the pandemic, the question arose as to what influence this experience had on their professional identity. Scholars such as Burke and Stets (2009) identified that changes in professional identity are generally gradual over time. However, when a situation does not match how an individual identifies as a leader, …

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: Science Practices And Science Identity, Alaina Buchanan

Dissertations

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have become more commonly incorporated in laboratory courses in undergraduate education. Because CUREs incorporate research within the context of a course, the benefits of mentored research (self-efficacy, science identity, persistence, and more) are extended to each student enrolled. CUREs are designed with five key components: discovery, relevance, iteration, collaboration, and science practices. However, the term science practices is broad and includes a diversity of student activities which can make it difficult to compare student outcomes across different CUREs. The first part of this work reviews the components and specific science practices included in all CUREs …

A Portrait Of Culturally Responsive, Socially Just School Leadership: A Latino Critical Theory Student Perspective, Jennifer Ruth Crill

Dissertations

As the student demographics in classrooms across America shift to become more ethnically diverse, schools are examining their practices in supporting how students are prepared for college and career. This support includes the introduction of innovative learning environments aimed to provide students with opportunities to explore career pathways. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the leadership skills, attitudes, and knowledge that Latina/o/x students within an Innovative Learning Environment perceive as supporting students. This study examined how Latina/o/x students perceive the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of culturally responsive socially just school leadership in innovative learning environments. Through the …

Faculty’S Experience Providing Nursing Student Support: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Emily Brower

Dissertations

The nursing workforce shortage continues to grow. The effects of the shortage are significant, contributing to patient morbidity and mortality. Retaining nursing students is one way the nursing workforce could be increased. Faculty support is one factor that contributes to nursing student success. Faculty do not always provide the support needed for students to be successful; however, the contributing factors to providing adequate support by faculty are unclear. The retention of nursing faculty is also a pertinent contributor to increasing nurses in the workforce. The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of student support by exploring …

Factors That Affect The Motivation And Satisfaction Of Emiratis Workforce In Critical And Key Positions: The Case Of The Uae Media Sector, Afra Sulaiman Al Mheiri

Dissertations

With the economic boom of the UAE in recent years, the country has seen a major change in terms of employment of Emiratis and expatriates and influx of foreign job-seekers into UAE market. Despite the federal government's continued efforts to promote Emiratization and create a favourable business environment that attracts Emirati job-seekers, a slight improvement in the employment situation of Emirati workers, especially in key positions in private media sector. Although the UAE media sector plays a key role in reshaping the sociocultural landscape and is used as a soft tool of public diplomacy, it is slow in achieving Emiratization …

Upgrading The Performance Of Steel Beams Using Fastened Advanced Composite Materials, Omnia Ragab Abouelhamd

Dissertations

Bonding Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRP) is commonly used to enhance the structural performance of existing steel beams; however, the brittle failure at the adhesive risks the effectiveness of the bonded system. Fastening FRP is recently proposed to avoid the brittle failure of the adhesive. Promising outcomes of few studies on fastened FRPsteel system provoked the interest to investigate the effects of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams.

This study investigates, experimentally and numerically, the impact of various fastening parameters on the performance of fastened FRP-steel beams. The proposed method involves fastening carbon-glass hybrid FRP (HFRP) strips to …

Electrodialysis Process For The Simultaneous Treatment Of Reject Brine And Capture Of Carbon Dioxide, Jawad Mustafa

Dissertations

Desalination plants are highly efficient in producing desalinated water for potable applications. However, the process also generates reject brine, which is highly concentrated saline water. In order to produce 1 liter of potable water using desalination, approximately 1.5 liters of reject brine is generated. The disposal of reject brine presents a significant challenge for the desalination industry. Typically, this waste product is discharged into the sea, causing environmental damage, and polluting marine life. Moreover, certain countries heavily rely on desalination to meet their potable water needs, which results in the emission of greenhouse gases. As desalination plants consume a significant …

Cultivating Community: Investigating Performances Of Community In Ecovillage Settlements, Alex Lockwood

Dissertations

This dissertation considers the subject of ecovillages, intentional ecologically-oriented sustainable communities developed in the U.S., and the different understandings of community involvement, structure, and challenges that members of these communities confront in their efforts at managing these time and labor-intensive settlements. Informed by the work of performance ethnographers and critical phenomenologists, I consider twelve interviews I conducted on-site and electronically with people living in ecovillage settlements. Taking these interviews and my own observations from on-site visits to two ecovillages as entry points, I conducted a phenomenological analysis informed by a critical phenomenological ethos of these accounts, highlighting five motifs that …

Intelligent And Explainable Solution To Predict Infant Birthweight And Preterm Birth In The United Arab Emirates, Wasif Khan

Dissertations

Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as Low Birth Weight (LBW) and Preterm birth (PTB) are complex pregnancy challenges that can lead to high perinatal mortality and long-term morbidity for infants. Early prediction of such adverse outcomes can be useful for averting catastrophic outcomes for the mother and her baby. With advances in machine learning (ML)-based algorithms, several models have been proposed for both PTB and LBW predictions. However, the risk factors associated with these outcomes are still unknown, particularly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Furthermore, existing ML-based prediction models work in a black-box manner and lack proper interpretations for clinicians, …

Synthesis, Sintering, And Electronic Conductivity Studies Of Medium- And High-Entropy Perovskite Oxides, Sai Ram Gajjala

Dissertations

The application of the entropy concept to stabilize oxide systems opens the possibility of discovering new materials with unique structural and functional properties. High-entropy alloys and oxides, which are based on the entropy stabilization concept and composed of multi-principal elements, have the potential to tailor structural and functional properties to meet specific needs. The study of lanthanum-based perovskite materials that benefit from the entropy stabilization approach is a promising area of research.However, the inherent randomness of multi-principal elements presents new challenges, making it difficult to predict their behavior. To understand these difficulties, we have initiated a methodical investigation of La-based …

The Influence Of Diamine Curing Additives On The Network Architecture Of Phthalonitrile Thermosetting Polymers, Tyler J. Richardson

Dissertations

Phthalonitrile monomers undergo diamine-promoted polymerization by a complex reaction mechanism involving two competitive cure pathways, forming two primary network architectures: linear polyisoindoline chains and branched triazine crosslinks. The influence of the diamine curing additive on the polymerization pathway, and the influence of the resulting network architectures on cured network properties, have not been adequately explored within the phthalonitrile field. Two structurally different diamine curing additives, bis[4-(3-aminophenoxy)phenyl] sulfone (mBAPS) and 1,3-phenylenebis((4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl)methanone) (AEK-134), were studied for the polymerization of resorcinol phenylphosphate phthalonitrile (RPPhPN), where the influence of diamine structure and concentration on the polymerization behavior, network architecture, and bulk thermal and thermomechanical …

You Can Get There From Here: A Phenomenological Study Of Help-Seeking Behavior And Experiences Of Student Military Veterans In Community College, Donivan Foster

Dissertations

This phenomenological study described the experiences of student military veterans in a community college with physical and psychological health needs. Each participant enrolled in the community college by utilizing the benefits of the post-9/11 GI Bill and transitioned from active duty to civilian life. More than 40,000 programs in the United States are designed to assist veterans transitioning to civilian life (Carter, 2013). Further, the health needs and transition experiences of military veterans have been well-documented. Numerous programs seek to reduce barriers; however, many veterans experience challenges when using the programs or services (Perkins et al., 2019; Aronson et al., …

Do Allyship And Motivation Influence Women’S Cognitive Functioning And Self-Regulation After Witnessing Sexism?, Christina Garasky

Dissertations

Prior research shows the effects of sexism can accumulate over time, resulting in severe negative, cognitive, affective, motivational, and physiological consequences for women; however, most research focuses on the consequences of being a direct target of sexism, and the cognitive and motivational consequences of being a witness of sexism have not yet been fully explored. Additionally, while it is thought that allyship can help mitigate the consequences of sexism, minimal research has tested this relationship. It was proposed that shifts in reactive approach motivation (RAM); aimed to protect against anxiety and negative affect, may direct attention away from goal-oriented behaviors, …

Homegrown: Pastor Advocacy For Victims Of Sex Trafficking, Julie Heifner

Dissertations

Human trafficking consists of both sex trafficking (ST) and labor trafficking (LT) and is a growing problem for the United States. The Federal Human Trafficking Report (2019), states that Missouri is ranked ninth in the country for active criminal human trafficking cases. This issue is particularly prevalent in our churches because churches serve vulnerable populations and predators may be drawn to churches. Religious academic literature about pastor advocacy for victims of ST is lacking, while popular news sources reference case after case where pastors are the predators. This study consisted of nine Christian pastors who currently served in a pastoral …

Loss Scaling And Step Size In Deep Learning Optimizatio, Nora Alosily

Dissertations

Deep learning training consumes ever-increasing time and resources, and that is
due to the complexity of the model, the number of updates taken to reach good
results, and both the amount and dimensionality of the data. In this dissertation,
we will focus on making the process of training more efficient by focusing on the
step size to reduce the number of computations for parameters in each update.
We achieved our objective in two new ways: we use loss scaling as a proxy for
the learning rate, and we use learnable layer-wise optimizers. Although our work
is perhaps not the first …

Moving Forward By Looking Back: How Family Firms Create Competitive Advantage By Embracing Their History, Adam Goldman

Dissertations

Family businesses are the engine that drives the United States economy. While extensive implications have been made in the literature about the advantages or disadvantages of family-owned businesses compared to non-family-owned businesses, the focus of this study was to show how small to medium-sized family-owned firms (FF SMEs) based in the United States can use their unique history to create a competitive advantage. Drawing on imprint theory and the resource-based view (RBV), this history-informed study helped identify the impact that founder imprints, business traditions, and storytelling have on the business performance of FF SMEs. Using quantitative methods, the findings of …

The Impact Of Firm Size, Job Embeddedness, And Job Engagement On Turnover In Public Accounting Firms, Amy Cooper

Dissertations

Retention in public accounting firms has been and continues to be a top concern in the accounting profession. The direct and indirect cost of turnover; the decrease in accounting enrollment and graduation; the Great Resignation; and changes to work environments due to the pandemic elevate what was already a serious problem into a critical problem for the accounting profession. The size of public accounting firms is a well-used descriptor when employees talk about where they work. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the size of firm in predicting an employee’s level of job embeddedness and …

Topological Data Analysis Of Weight Spaces In Convolutional Neural Networks, Adam Wagenknecht

Dissertations

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become one of the most commonly used tools for performing image classification. Unfortunately, as with most machine learning algorithms, CNNs suffer from a lack of interpretability. CNNs are trained by using a training data set and a loss function to tune a set of parameters known as the layer weights. This tuning process is based on the classical method of gradient descent, but it relies on a strong stochastic component, which makes the weight behavior during training difficult to understand. However, since CNNs are governed largely by the weights that make up each of the …