Digital Commons Network^™

Delphi Study To Explore The Organizational Characteristics, Conditions, And Infrastructures Needed To Integrate Professional Development With A Career Advancement Framework In The Form Of Career Lattice, Shelly Yu-Tze Tze Shelly Wang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this policy Delphi study was to identify, prioritize, and build expert consensus on the organizational characteristics, conditions, and infrastructures that support employee access to professional development (PD) opportunities embedded within a career advancement (CAd) framework. Specifically, this study aimed to: (a) identify key organizational components necessary to support professional development within a career lattice structure, (b) determine the relative importance of these components as rated by experts, and (c) establish expert-recommended strategies for implementation.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of three rounds, to collect data from experts with the titles of manager, directors, …

Retention Of Elementary Special Education Teachers: A Phenomenological Study Of Retention Factors And Work-Life Balance In Brick-And-Mortar And Virtual, Independent Study Educational Environments, Meredith Clark-Lewis

Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to identify the factors that influence the retention of elementary special education teachers in virtual, independent study environments and brick-and-mortar environments, and to explore similarities and differences in how elementary special education teachers experience work-life balance across educational settings.

Methodology: Purposeful sampling was used to identify 10 elementary special education teachers in California who worked in brick-and-mortar and virtual independent study settings and met the study's inclusion criteria. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted virtually, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Both deductive and inductive coding strategies were employed, guided by the …

Student Wellness: Exploring The Role Of Faculty In Implementing Effective Supports For Mental Well-Being And Academic Performance In Community College Dental Hygiene Education, Bernadette Heather Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological, comparative study was to identify and describe effective supports used by dental hygiene faculty and their role in the mental well-being and academic performance of community college dental hygiene students.

Methodology: Two Southern California community college dental hygiene programs were selected for this phenomenological study to identify the use of faculty supports. A purposeful sampling strategy was applied to these populations to identify participants in specific selection criteria. Twenty-one participants, who consisted of five faculty members and five or six 2nd-year students from each school, were selected. Data were collected by conducting individual interviews …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Efficacy In Relation To Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role Of Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment In Faith-Based K–12 Education, Nestor Osorio

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership turnover remains a significant challenge within faith-based K–12 educational systems, affecting organizational stability, school culture, and long-term institutional effectiveness. Although previous studies have examined turnover intention in educational leadership, limited research has explored how emotional intelligence and principal self-efficacy relate to turnover intention through organizational attitudes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment within faith-based educational settings. Additionally, little empirical research has focused specifically on educational leaders serving within the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventist schools. This study examined the extent to which emotional intelligence, principal self- efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment are associated with …

Match Or Mismatch? : The Effects Of Fingerprint Evidence And Expert Testimony On Jury Decisions, Kassie N. Thallas

Dissertations

Fingerprint evidence is widely perceived as objective and reliable, yet is typically presented to jurors through expert testimony rather than directly evaluated. The present study examined how fingerprint match status and expert testimony influence juror decision-making. Participants (N = 225) read a mock criminal trial summary and were randomly assigned to one of five conditions. Four conditions were derived by crossing Expert Condition (fingerprint expert alone vs. conflicting experts) and Match Status (match vs. no match), with an additional control condition without fingerprint evidence. The participants made verdict decisions and rated the credibility, honesty and believability of the expert. The …

Exploring Detached Concern, A Dual-Process Emotional-Regulation Strategy, Among Intensive Care Nurses Providing End-Of-Life Care In The United States, Melissa Milton Miasek

Dissertations

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses repeatedly provide end-of-life care (EoLC) and experience significant emotional distress, burnout, and moral distress that can lead to leaving the profession. Detached concern (DC), a dual-process emotional-regulation strategy which balances empathetic concern with emotional detachment, may support ICU nurses' emotional well-being; however, DC among nurses remains vastly understudied. This qualitative descriptive study gained deeper understanding of DC among ICU nurses providing EoLC in the United States. The study was guided by a conceptual model adapting Lampert and Glaser's dynamic DC process within Elfenbein's emotional regulation framework. The overarching research question explored ICU nurses' perspectives on …

Comprehending Levels Of Explainability And Ai Recommendations (Clear) Study Series, Virginia Sullivan

Dissertations

AI systems can offer a great deal to improve decision-making through efficiency and predictive accuracy due to their unique ability to rapidly analyze large amounts of data relevant to the decision. Yet many AI systems remain opaque, limiting users’ ability to evaluate outputs and leading to issues of mistrust or over-reliance. This dissertation investigates how varying levels of AI explainability affect trust, perceived reliability, understanding, and confidence, and identifies perceptual and behavioral indicators of over-reliance behavior in AI-assisted decision making scenarios. This dissertation is organized as a three-study series. The CLEAR survey study uses a mixed design to examine the …

Investigation Of A Flux Compression Magnetic Nozzle For Pulsed Plasma Propulsion, Zachary K. White

Dissertations

A key part of any propulsion system is how the energy of the propellants is used for thrust. Because of the high temperatures of nuclear fusion plasma, traditional methods like guiding the propellant with walls are not feasible, so instead, electromagnetic forces must be used to avoid physical contact between the propellant and the vehicle. Usually, to do so the physical nozzle is replaced by a magnetic nozzle where the physical walls are replaced by magnetic fields. This thesis focuses on the direct imaging and probe measurements of a laser produced plasma expanding into a magnetic field as analogous event …

Threatened To Testify : Juror Perceptions Of Coercive Eyewitness Interviews, Alexa A. Mecikalski

Dissertations

The effects of coercive investigative questioning techniques have been extensively studied in the context of suspect interrogations; however, few studies have evaluated outcomes related to coercive questioning of eyewitnesses. Therefore, the present study investigated mock juror perceptions of the use of interrogation tactics during eyewitness questioning. Participants read a trial summary and provided trial judgments (e.g., verdict, eyewitness credibility, perceived coerciveness of the interview) pertaining to a case in which an eyewitness is questioned using either (1) maximization tactics (e.g. high pressure questioning, threats), (2) minimization tactics (e.g., minimizing severity or consequences), or (3) no tactics (e.g., statement provided voluntarily). …

Exploring Drivers And Barriers To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Implementation: A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary K-5 Public Elementary School Teachers, Rochelle Davies

Dissertations

Purpose: The research aimed to explore how exemplary K-5 public elementary school teachers in Southern California perceive the factors that support or hinder S.M.A.R.T. goal implementation, as well as their suggestions for sustaining these practices in their classrooms. This study also examined how teachers who successfully implement S.M.A.R.T. goals experience the process of using them to promote academic clarity, strengthen student ownership, and foster long-term achievement.

Methodology: The research design used qualitative phenomenological methods to collect and analyze data. Nine K-5 teachers from public elementary schools in Southern California were purposefully selected based on specific criteria. Semistructured interviews served as …

Exploring Cultural Competence Of Alabama Nurse Educators : A Mixed Methods Study, Rachel Bloodworth

Dissertations

Cultural competence is a vital skill in nursing practice and nursing education. Nurse educators must be able to teach this concept and prepare students to provide culturally competent care to patients. This study examined the cultural competence of Alabama pre-licensure nurse educators in associate degree nursing (ADN) and baccalaureate (BSN) programs and explored their perceptions of cultural competence's role in nursing education. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, guided by Campinha-Bacote's Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care Services Model. In Phase I, 51 nurse educators completed the Cultural Diversity Questionnaire for Nurse Educators-Revised (CDQNE-R) and …

Exploring Pregnancy-Related Empowerment And Person-Centered Prenatal Care In Black Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Alabama, Lauren Milam

Dissertations

Black women in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality and often report feeling unheard, dismissed, or excluded from decision-making during pregnancy and childbirth. Understanding how Black women experience prenatal care and how those experiences relate to empowerment during pregnancy is essential for improving care and addressing persistent inequities. This study examined the relationship between person-centered prenatal care and pregnancy-related empowerment and explored Black women’s prenatal care experiences in Alabama using a sequential Quan → QUAL mixed methods design. In the quantitative phase, relationships among person-centered prenatal care, pregnancy-related empowerment, and care-related factors were examined …

Human Perceptions Of Social Intelligence In Large Language Models, Derek Koehl

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how users form perceptions of social intelligence and trust when interacting with large language model chatbots. Three experimental studies manipulated chatbot agreeableness, goal orientation, and simulated short-term memory, measuring perceived social intelligence and trust. The primary finding is an asymmetric effect of personality: disagreeable chatbot behavior produced large reductions in perceived social intelligence and trust, whereas agreeable behavior produced negligible gains above a warm baseline, consistent with negativity bias in social cognition. Goal orientation did not independently enhance perceptions but functioned as a contextual moderator. Simulated memory produced medium-to-large increases in perceived social intelligence without reliably increasing …

Querer Es Poder: First-Generation Latinx Students From Central Coast Navigating Higher Education Post-Pandemic, Diana Yahaira Valle

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the educational experiences, goals, and aspirations of First-Generation Latinx students from California’s Central Coast attending selected CSU campuses and identified the critical non-academic factors influencing their post-pandemic college navigation. Guided by two research questions, the study explored (1) the role of the pandemic in shaping students’ experiences and aspirations, and (2) the economic, familial, and academic factors affecting their preparation for and persistence in higher education. Findings revealed that students navigated prolonged economic strain, intensified family responsibilities, mental health challenges, and identity negotiation within liminal spaces, while drawing on cultural wealth …

Teacher Self-Efficacy Perceptions For Technology Integration And Social Media Use As Instructional Tools: Future Implications For Pedagogy In Trinidad And Tobago, Paula Edwards Sealey

Dissertations

Problem

As the educational landscape in Trinidad and Tobago evolve post COVID-19, gaining an understanding of the purpose of teachers in the implementation of national and ministerial ICT policies seem imperative. The exploration of teacher’s personal belief about their ability to effectively infuse technology and social media with their traditional teaching practices, may provide much needed insight about the role that teacher self-efficacy plays in this educational shift (Caner & Aydin, 2021; Phillip & Cain, 2015). Very few studies in the local and regional literature involve teacher self-efficacy as a variable of interest. Moreso, there has been no research to …

The Impact Of Culturally Diverse Student Populations On High School Mathematics Teachers’ Preparations And Practices In Southern Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Carla Thrower

Dissertations

The Problem

Across the United States and within faith-based schools recent social and political currents have amplified tensions around culture and belonging in classrooms, particularly for students from racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse communities. Evidence indicates that when schooling practices overlook students’ cultural identities or normalize a single cultural frame, students can experience marginalization and reduced access to equitable opportunities to learn (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Milner, 2010). In mathematics, a subject often perceived as culture-neutral these dynamics may surface through curriculum choices, participation norms, and expectations that do not meaningfully connect to students’ lived experiences (Aguirre, Mayfield-Ingram, & …

Validation Of The Touch/Bonding Sense Of The Five Senses Model Of Intimacy As A Spiritually Based Whole-Person Lifestyle Approach To Intimacy In Dating And Marital Relationships, Karen J. Holland

Dissertations

Problem

Intimacy is in crisis and is being culturally defined and redefined through a number of influencing factors. These include the ongoing development of individualist and narcissistic relationships; the fragmentation of human wholeness; the influence of social media and an increasingly entertainment focused society; the permeation of technology influencing personal choice and lifestyle, including the use of generative AI; and the diminishing influence of Judeo-Christian principles and values as key drivers in the development of life-long marriage relationships. This study seeks to address the need for establishing a foundation for relational intimacy based on the biblical relationship demonstrated by God’s …

A Case Study Of California Postsecondary Faculty Collaboration On Rubric Development To Foster Student Learning, Emmanuel Kwadwo Frimpong

Dissertations

Although perceived as the ‘gold standard’ strategy for conquering complex problems, collaboration can be ignored by intellectuals who prefer to work independently. This oversight may occur even in the face of challenging problems such as assessment of scholarships, institutional effectiveness, strategizing, and even the crafting of effective rubrics for assessing student learning. The scholarly literature clearly reveals that real difficulties often refuse to respond to routine assignments or common bureaucratic patterns. Additionally, 21st century conflicts may require creative solutions involving interdependence, joining of forces and brains, or vision sharing. Effective assessment of student learning within higher education may reflect just …

The Influence Of Black African American Fathers’ Parenting Styles On Young Adult Children’S Attachment Styles: The Roles Of Gender And Fathers’ Residence, Robert Baptiste Thompson

Dissertations

Parenting

Black African American (BAA) fathers in the United States are frequently mischaracterized as absent or uninvolved, reinforcing deficit-based narratives rooted in historical and systemic racism. Such portrayals obscure the meaningful and sustained roles many BAA fathers play in their families and fail to account for the cultural, structural, and contextual conditions that shape paternal involvement and parenting practices. Although a growing body of research has documented the importance of father involvement for child development, comparatively limited empirical attention has been given to how BAA fathers’ parenting styles influence their children’s attachment—particularly as a function of fathers’ co-residency histories. This …

Associating Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, And Inclusive Leadership: A Correlational Study Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Church Leaders In Canada, Damson Anim Oppong

Dissertations

Problem

In an increasingly polarized world, church leaders are expected to foster inclusion, belonging, and unity within diverse congregations. Inclusive leadership (IL), supported by emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ), may offer a relational leadership posture well-suited to this challenge. Growing evidence suggests that relational qualities such as EQ and CQ help leaders develop inclusive communities, foster belonging, and bridge differences (Thomas & Inkson, 2017; Wise, 2022). Emotional and cultural intelligence are studied increasingly in organizational settings, but little is known about how they affect inclusive leadership in faith-based institutions, such as among pastors and church leaders in the …

Transformational Leadership And Employees’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Examining The Role Of Perspective-Taking, Job Satisfaction, And Organizational Trust, Marie A. Smith

Dissertations

The study surveyed employees in the service and helping professions (for example retail, healthcare related, hospitality), to examine the impact of transformational leadership on employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Specifically, it tested job satisfaction and organizational trust as possible mediators to the transformational leader to employee OCB relationship and evidence of perspective-taking as a possible moderator to either of these mediated relationships. The study employed PLS-SEM as the method of analysis and examined the influence of transformational leadership, and employee job satisfaction and trust, on employee OCB. The social exchange theory’s reciprocal nature and the leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, based …

A Proposed Conceptual Framework For Assessing Quality Of Life In The United Arab Emirates: Application To Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, Aaesha Saif Al Shehhi

Dissertations

Quality of Life (QoL) has become a central concern in urban planning and sustainable development, particularly in rapidly transforming contexts such as the United Arab Emirates. This dissertation proposes and empirically validates a comprehensive framework for assessing urban QoL, with a focused application to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. A mixed-methods approach integrates objective indicators and residents' subjective perceptions, aligned with national strategies including UAE Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, and UAE Centennial 2071.

The methodology combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical analyses to evaluate seven key sectors: environment, infrastructure …

Burnout And Engagement Among Electric Reliability Compliance Professionals: A Sequential Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study Using A Job Demands–Resources Secure Delphi Method, Michael Ward Dalebout

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential exploratory mixed-methods study was to identify key job demands and resources experienced by electric reliability compliance professionals, examine their relationships with burnout and work engagement, and interpret the findings using the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework. Methodology: The study used a three-round Job Demands–Resources Secure Delphi (JSD) mixed-methods design. Round 1 reviewed, refined, and expanded a preliminary inventory of job demands and resources. Round 2 prioritized the resulting constructs through importance ratings and participant feedback. Round 3 surveyed 48 electric reliability compliance professionals using the finalized 10 job demands and 10 job resources, the Oldenburg …

A Phenomenological Study Of Empowerment Leadership Practices Among Tk-6 Elementary Principals In Sacramento County, Irene Geivett

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe strategies used by exemplary TK-6 elementary school principals in Sacramento County to foster empowerment within their school communities. Guided by Frei and Morriss’s (2020) empowerment leadership framework, the study examined leadership practices related to five dimensions: trust, love, belonging, strategy, and culture.Methodology: This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of exemplary TK-6 elementary school principals in Sacramento County. Purposeful, convenience sampling was used to select 10 participants who met the study’s established criteria. A semi structured, open-ended interview protocol was co-developed by a thematic research team of …

General Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Levels When Supporting Students With Special Needs In The General Education Classroom, Sheyna Alarcon

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to identify and describe factors that impact elementary school general education teachers’ self-efficacy when supporting special education students in the general education classroom. The study was based on the three components of teacher efficacy for inclusive practices (inclusive instruction, collaboration, and  behavior management). An additional purpose was to identify what had the greatest impact on  general education teachers’ sense of self-efficacy when supporting students with special needs in the general education classroom.

Methodology: This study was a mixed method, nonexperimental descriptive design, phenomenological study. To gather samples, purposeful and convenience …

Beyond Words: A Systematic Multimodal Framework For Text, Images, And Extreme Helpfulness In Online Reviews, Alvaro J. Aguado Marin

Dissertations

Online product reviews have become increasingly multimodal, combining text with media-rich elements such as images. However, academic research has largely examined textual features in isolation, overlooking how visual content and its interaction with text shape perceived helpfulness. This dissertation addresses that gap by developing and empirically validating a comprehensive framework capturing how textual, visual, and contextual features collectively influence review evaluation. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and extended through the Text-Image Elaboration Likelihood Model (TI-ELM), the framework advances understanding of how consumers process content from both user- and business-generated sources. It also lays the foundation for examining emerging …

Level Up Your Teaching: A Qualitative Analysis Of Teachers’ Perceptions On Gamification As A Tool For Learning, Bryant Wesley Lazenby

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated K-12 teachers’ views about gamification as an instructional tool to increase student motivation, self-efficacy, and learning mastery. Kelly’s Curriculum Theory and Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory were used to investigate how gamified learning environments affect teacher practice and self-efficacy. Seventeen teachers participated in a researcher-designed Qualtrics survey that included both Likert-style and open-ended items. The researcher used descriptive statistics and thematic coding of responses, based on participants’ self-identified levels of gamification experience. The research produced three main findings, which showed that (1) Gamification motivates students through collaborative work, challenging tasks, and progress tracking systems, (2) Students build self-efficacy …

Student Voices On Trauma And Resilience: A Critical Phenomenological Study Of Gun Violence And College Student Experiences, Lucia Helena Garcia

Dissertations

This study posits that gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis and that colleges and universities must actively collaborate to develop and implement solutions to address and prevent this crisis, which affects communities and students. Gun violence can and does lead to disruptions in educational access, travel and safety, as well as have longstanding impacts on mental health. While extensive research exists that is focused on the impact of community and gun violence exposure on K-12 students, the impact of community violence and gun violence exposure on emerging adults in university settings is limited and remains …

Teaching And Learning With Feeling: A Qualitative Case Study Of Teacher Candidates’ Experiences With Socio-Emotional Learning, Anna Melinda Press

Dissertations

Research on socio-emotional learning (SEL) has demonstrated its many benefits for students, justifying its prevalence in pre-kindergarten to grade 12 schools across the U.S. Despite evidence of the centrality of a teacher’s role in effective SEL implementation, less research has been conducted on teacher training in SEL – particularly for teacher candidates (TCs). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine TCs’ experiences with SEL, and the impact of those experiences on their development as providers of SEL. Purposive sampling was used to recruit TCs in either the second or third year of one specific undergraduate, field-based teacher …

Understanding Medication Adherence Among American Indian/Alaska Native People With Type 2 Diabetes Within A Commercial Health System, Leandra Bitterfeld

Dissertations

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults experience higher rates of type 2 diabetes and worse glycemic control than non-Hispanic White Americans. Despite the importance of medication adherence for T2DM management, there is only one study in the last 15 years examining the relationship between medication adherence and A1C among AI/ANs. Furthermore, T2DM research among AI/ANs has largely been conducted within Indian Health Service and Tribal healthcare systems, though most AI/ANs live outside of reservations, meaning many use commercial health systems. The purpose of this dissertation is twofold. We sought to first understand the experience of AI/AN people accessing T2DM in a …