Digital Commons Network^™

Role-Ing While Bipoc: Understanding The Experiences Of Table Top Role Playing Game Players Of Color, Jordan K. Posey

Dissertations

In 2015, controversy surrounded the interactive computer game Mission US: Flight to Freedom. The game was unveiled as an accessible way to teach about American chattel slavery by mixing elements normally associated with roleplaying games (RPGs), Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs), and social studies curriculum. The conversations surrounding the game exemplify the complicated history of RPGS/TTRPGs and the limitations of gamification in educational settings. This qualitative study aimed to analyze aspects of gaming culture through a critical race lens by documenting the experiences of Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG) players identifying as Black, Indigenous, and a Person of Color (BIPOC). Using a …

Sustained Effects Of Reading Recovery®: Beyond The Intervention, Dr. Lisa A. Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the sustained effects of Reading Recovery® on literacy achievement beyond the initial intervention period. It examines the program’s long-term effectiveness, assessing whether early literacy gains are maintained and identifying key factors that contribute to sustained progress. This study, titled “Sustained Effects of Reading Recovery®: Beyond the Intervention,” seeks to fill a critical gap in existing research by providing insights into the extended impact of this early literacy intervention.

A longitudinal, mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating quantitative data analysis and qualitative insights from educators and administrators. The study was …

A Comparison Of The Factors That Affect Graduation Rates Of Students Enrolled In Dropout Prevention Programs, Catina R. Thomason

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the factors that affected the graduation rates of students enrolled in five charter high school dropout prevention programs that utilized the same online accelerated curriculum model. The overarching research question was: what factors affected the graduation rates of students enrolled in dropout prevention programs? A mixed methods design was employed to evaluate extant data on graduation rates and attendance rates surveys and semistructured interviews were completed by administrators and teachers to compare data across the five schools. This approach allowed for a comprehensive analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, providing a …

Examining The Value Of Industry-Recognized Certifications In Illinois Secondary Career And Technical Education Programs, Nancy Awdziejczyk

Dissertations

The goal of career and technical education (CTE) is to equip students for success in postsecondary education and the workforce. This study investigated the integration and impact of industry-recognized certifications (IRCs) within CTE programs in Illinois, particularly within the framework of Perkins V legislation. The research aimed to determine how IRCs enhance employability, increase starting salaries, and support career advancement for high school students through aligning CTE curricula with the demands of the current labor market.

The study was initiated due to difficulties in identifying valuable certifications for CTE programs stemming from the excessive number of certifying organizations and unclear …

Assessing Alexithymia In Law Enforcement: The Role Of Service Tenure And Sex, Elfego J. Gallardo Jr

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Alexithymia, characterized by difficulties in identifying and expressing emotions, has significant implications for professions requiring emotional intelligence and trauma-informed response. Law enforcement officers routinely navigate high-stress encounters that demand emotional regulation, clear communication, and empathy, yet those with alexithymic traits may struggle in these areas, potentially affecting interactions with victims, suspects, and the community. This study examined the prevalence of alexithymia among front-line police officers in suburban municipal agencies within the Chicago metropolitan area, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) as a standardized assessment. The research addressed three questions: (1) What proportion of officers exhibited normative or elevated levels …

Does Artificial Intelligence Bias Exist In Mortgage Underwriting Software? Investigating Bias, Regional Disparities, And Fair Ai Models, Dorian Cornelius

Dissertations

This quantitative study closely emulated Zou and Khern's (2022) analysis of AI Bias in Mortgage Applications. They used the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) dataset from the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council's (FFEIC) website to review mortgage loan data from 2019 to determine if there was bias in the AI mortgage application approvals. Those researchers concluded that bias does exist in the AI mortgage underwriting software. Since their study, research has demonstrated that discrimination continues to exist in AI software. Therefore, this research expands on Zou and Khern’s study to determine if there are differences in the mortgage loan approval …

Bridging Learning Gaps: Enhancing Student Success Through Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Kimberly C. Mott

Dissertations

As students arrive at school with more and more diverse needs, due to different and sometimes traumatic life experiences, the obstacles students must overcome to be ready to learn are oftentimes unsurmountable. However, as an experienced educator, the scholar-practitioner has observed that students demonstrate academic growth when the whole child's needs (academic, attendance, behavioral/social-emotional) are regularly observed, measured, addressed, and progress monitored. This quantitative study aimed to examine the influence and effectiveness of implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) with fidelity. The scholar-practitioner used two data points to determine the effectiveness of a prescriptive embedded MTSS professional development. The first …

Assessing Psychologists’ Clinical Knowledge Of Geriatric Depression: A Validation Study Of The Later Life Depression Knowledge Questionnaire, Abigail J. Laine

Dissertations

Because the US population is rapidly aging, generalist clinicians will increasingly be called upon to provide mental health services to older adults. Unfortunately, most generalist clinicians do not possess the specialized knowledge to provide clinical services to this population and will require training. Professional training efforts are currently hindered by the lack of psychometrically supported scales of clinical disorders specific to aging. Without such scales, it is difficult to evaluate the impact of continuing education programs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties and scale dimensionality of the Later Life Depression Knowledge Questionnaire (LLD-KQ), a …

Leadership Practices For High-Performance Teams: Insights From Veteran Active-Duty United States Air Force Leaders Using A Conceptual Framework For Team Development, Yves Daos

Dissertations

Purpose: This mixed methods study investigated how influential veteran active-duty United States Air Force (USAF) leaders leverage clarity, connection, and communication to build high-performance teams (HPTs). Qualitative data provided in-depth insights into leadership practices in diverse operational settings, while quantitative data assessed the perceived importance of these competencies.

Methodology: This mixed methods approach combined qualitative and quantitative methods that allowed for a comprehensive understanding of how veteran active-duty USAF leaders build HPTs (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; McMillan & Schumacher, 2010; Patten & Newhart, 2018). The qualitative data obtained through interviews of eight studyparticipants details and context on how veteran active-duty …

Exploring Leadership In Physical Therapy: How Clarity, Connection, And Communication Influence Team Engagement, Burnout, And Achieving Organizational Objectives, Jason Collin

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe how highly effective PT leaders use the three competencies of HPTs (clarity, connection, and communication) to increase engagement, prevent burnout, and achieve organizational objectives. The second purpose of this study was to determine the degree of importance that highly effective PT leaders perceive the three HPTE core competencies impact their leadership for creating HPTs.

Methodology: The mixed methods study identified and described eight PT leaders’ perceptions of how they use clarity, connection, and communication to build and sustain HPTs. PT leaders were selected through purposive and snowball …

Primal Leadership In Healthcare: A Phenomenological Study Of Emergency Medicine Physicians And Their Perspective On Effective Leadership, Zoe Zaidi

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how emergency medicine (EM) physicians in leadership roles use the six EI leadership competencies related to relationship management (inspiration, influence, developing others, change catalyst, conflict management, and teamwork and collaboration) to lead teams and accomplish effective results. Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of emergency medicine (EM) physician leaders in San Bernadino, Riverside, and Orange counties in Southern California. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria “as leaders” for achieving effective results. Data were collected through semistructured interview questions and analysis …

Leadership Practices For High-Performing Teams: Insights From Senior Military General Officers And Flag Officers, Kimberly Mitchell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe how senior military general officers and flag officers (GOFOs) used the three competencies of high-performance teams (HPTs; clarity, connection, and communication) to achieve objectives in their organizations. The second purpose of this study was to determine the degree of importance that senior military GOFOs perceived the three high-performance team effect (HPTE) core competencies impacted their leadership for creating HPTs.

Methodology: This mixed methods study identified and described nine senior military officers’ perceptions of strategies to lead HPTs while focusing on the three core competencies: clarity, connection, and …

Intimate Partner Violence Screening Education For Nurses In Emergency Department, Martha I. Wydra

Dissertations

This quality improvement project aims to increase nurses' knowledge, confidence, and skills in IPV assessment in the ER using an education program and the PREMIS tool.

Earthing Practice For Mental Health Among Adults In The United States: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Natalie Greenberg

Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of adults in the United States who practice earthing for mental health.

The Utility Of The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition For Children Suspected To Have Autism: Examining The Srs-2 In Light Of Children's Race And Ethnicity, Emma Healy

Dissertations

The shortage of autism specialists and lack of culturally sensitive autism assessment tools are helping to perpetuate racial and ethnic disparities in autism identification and treatment. Using DisCrit as a framework, this quantitative study examined the utility of one autism assessment tool, the Social Responsiveness Scale, second edition (SRS-2) for Black, Latine, and White students suspected of being autistic. Results suggest that there is low inter-rater agreement between parents and teachers on the SRS-2 and that the SRS-2 demonstrates low predictive validity across racial/ethnic groups. Implications for practice are provided highlighting the importance of culturally responsive approaches in addressing disparities …

The Experience Of Transition To Self-Management For Saudi Adolescents With Type I Diabetes, Aeshah M. Almulhim

Dissertations

In Saudi Arabia (SA), between 2011 and 2021, there has been a 108% increase in death rates due to diabetes. Every year, around 3,800 Saudi children and adolescents under the age of 19 are diagnosed with Type I Diabetes (TIDM). Saudi adolescents with TIDM have less glycemic control than adults and younger children. If left untreated, inadequate glycemic control may hasten the onset of diabetes complications and early death. As adolescents with TIDM grow older, they are expected to take on more independence in Self-Management (SM) of their diabetes. The poor clinical outcomes of adolescents with diabetes, the onset of …

A “Scary Time” To Be A Man? Comparing Men’S Engagement With Anti-Sexual Violence Discourses In The Private And Public Sphere, Melissa A. Kinsella

Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual misconduct and its consequences for individuals and society remain pressing issues in the United States. While the #MeToo movement has emerged as a prominent response to these challenges, it has faced criticism for emphasizing a singular survivor narrative. Similarly, the study and theorization of sexual violence within sociology have remained limited in scope. This work extends empirical and theoretical perspectives on sexual misconduct by analyzing #MeToo’s utilization in Twitter1 posts from 2017 to 2022, as well as how individuals discuss sexual misconduct in relation to the movement. Additionally, I examine the influence of gender, race, and …

Evaluating Sympton Clusters In First-Time Ischemic Stroke Survivors Who Discharge From The Hospital To Home, Paula De La Pena

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine symptoms and relationships between those symptoms in first-time ischemic stroke survivors who discharge home after their initial stroke. Current measurement of recovery after stroke places emphasis on the physical aspects of recovery when current literature suggests that other, more subtle symptoms may be equally contributory to recovery. This descriptive, exploratory research study was conducted via a secondary analysis of both structured and unstructured data in a study cohort of 115 first-time ischemic stroke survivors from a tertiary academic medical center in the Midwest. Unstructured clinical notes were analyzed for the presence of …

The Impact Of Race And Gender On Benevolent Sexism Endorsement, Kelsey Berryman

Dissertations

Research investigating the influence of race and gender conjointly on sexism endorsement is limited. Much of this existing research exclusively focuses on difference between Black and White women and men or have focused on race and gender as separate entities. The goal of this study is to investigate gender and race difference in benevolent sexism (BS) endorsement while considering relevant cultural factors for each race-gender group. A mixed-method design examined differences in endorsement of BS for Asian, Black, Latina/o, and White women and men. A meditational model using each race-gender group as independent variables examined difference in BS as mediated …

Examining The Current Utilization Of Conceptual Data Modeling In Database Modeling Practices: Mixed Methods Research, Abhishek Sharma

Dissertations

The database system is essential to modern life and helps us in our day-to-day existence, even though it is invisible to us. The most optimal way to architect a new but efficient database is a modeling technique called conceptual data modeling. Despite this importance, research studies have suggested a divergence between actual practice and the ideal expectation from practitioners. Therefore, it was imperative to establish the ground truth in this context and explore the reasons behind the gap between practice and expectation. This mixed-method study used a survey and interviews to establish that only a small fraction of practitioners consistently …

School Psychologists’ Experiences And Roles In Trauma-Informed Practices, Taylor Williamson

Dissertations

Due to a wide breadth of training, school psychologists are uniquely qualified to provide indirect and direct services outlined by best practices, such as school-based mental health services, special education evaluations, and trauma-informed practices. Professional standards indicate that school psychologists are equipped to identify trauma response symptoms and provide evidence-based services when supporting students with trauma histories. However, an identified gap between best practices and the present realities of school psychologists' has been identified in the literature. The few studies that explored the experiences of school psychologists endorsed a lack of training and confidence with identifying trauma response symptoms and …

Like Teacher, Like Student: An Exploration Of Racial Matching On Black Student Identity Development In Secondary Education, Crystal Gloria Lennix

Dissertations

Research on racially matching teachers of color with students of color has demonstrated a plethora of benefits, whether it is in West-Indian teachers with West-Indian students (Warikoo, 2004), Mexicana educators with Mexicana students (Sosa-Provencio, 2019), or Black students with Black teachers (Brooms, 2017). Black teachers are warrior spirits, acknowledging education as a “racial, cultural, linguistic, and spiritual reclamation” for Black students (Sosa-Provencio, 2018). In this study, I sought to understand how the racial matching between Black teachers and Black students can impact Black students’ identity and achievement. Numerous studies say racial matching helps students, but only a few focus on …

Teaching Since 2020: Inhabiting Professionalization, Autonomy, And Classroom Teaching, Melissa Fisher

Dissertations

This study explores teacher professionalization Since 2020 by examining control over teachers’ work as constructed by classroom teachers. Using a conceptual framework combining the teacher disempowerment perspective, inhabited institutionalism, and professionalization, I focus on the question: Given the recent years of upheaval the profession of education has sustained, how are teachers inhabiting the role of "professional teacher," particularly regarding control over their own work? This qualitative study utilizes semi-structured interviews with fourteen teacher participants in an Indiana public school district. This study finds that participants are constructing a new Since 2020 teaching reality. Participants converged on professional challenges including disruptive …

The Impact Of Intersensory Redundancy On Face Processing In 12-Month-Old Infants: An Investigation Using Behavioral Methods And Erps, Aslı Bursalıoğlu

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Embodied Freedom: Nietzsche On Agency, Health, And Value, Nathan University Berthiaume

Dissertations

This study examines Nietzsche’s views on freedom to show how they inform a notion of human flourishing. I argue that while Nietzsche denies the existence of a metaphysical freedom in which the self is an unconditioned cause of events, he affirms an embodied freedom in which our consciousness can function as part of the causal explanation for action in virtue of its ability to alter the expression of bodily drives. However, I demonstrate that agential power in this sense can only function in conjunction with other causal factors that constitute constraints on freedom. As such, I argue that there is …

M/Other Your Politics, A Praxis For The Next Iterations Of Humanity, Shelley Maddox

Dissertations

In this dissertation, political, educational and feminist theories are intertwined to present m/othering as an educative practice and a revolutionary politics of love. Perspectives grounded in m/othering theories, practices and activism offer transformative visions of the future and connect the power inherent in our daily lives to the larger project of overcoming systems of domination. An invitation to pursue informal, liberatory educational practices in the mundane moments of everyday life, M/other Your Politics reframes power and repositions politics at the site of the interpersonal, offering a hopeful vision for the implementation of love as resistance. Set upon altering consciousness and …

Novice Adjunct Nursing Faculty As Partners In Education: Perspectives On Teaching, Genevieve L. Sullivan Greenaway

Dissertations

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate how the novice adjunct nursing faculty, with 0 to 3 years' experience, described their preparation to teach nursing. The expert clinician's transition from clinical practice to academia induces much trepidation about the modicum of preparation for the complexed, specialized educator role.

Discerning The Role Of Microtubule Acetylation During Hiv-1 Infection, Drew Michael Lichon

Dissertations

The host-pathogen interactions underlying Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are complex and involve the exploitation of host cellular machinery. This thesis investigates the roles of dynein adaptors, microtubule acetylation, and TRIM69-mediated restriction in HIV-1 infection. Through a series of detailed experiments, we explore how HIV-1 utilizes multiple dynein adaptors, such as BICDR1 and Hook3, for intracellular transport, and reveal that these adaptors are critical for efficient viral trafficking. Conversely, the knockdown of Ninein surprisingly enhances HIV-1 infectivity, suggesting a nuanced regulatory role for this adaptor in viral transport. Further, this thesis challenges the prevailing paradigm that microtubule acetylation …

Investigating The Role Of The Nsp15 Amino-Terminal Domain In Nsp15 Function, Viral Replication, And Pathogenesis, Monika Evdokimova

Dissertations

Identifying conserved mechanisms used by viruses to delay host innate responses can reveal potential targets for antiviral therapeutics. Here, we investigated coronavirus nonstructural protein 15 (nsp15), which encodes a highly conserved endoribonuclease (EndoU). EndoU functions as an immune antagonist by limiting the accumulation of viral replication intermediates that would otherwise be sensed by the host. Despite being a promising antiviral target, it has been difficult to develop small molecule inhibitors that target the EndoU active site. We generated nsp15 mutants of SARS-CoV-2 and mouse coronavirus MHV-A59 and identified conserved residues within the amino-terminal domain that are required for EndoU activity. …

Examining The Creative Process Of Visual Artists: A Phenomenological Study, Filiberto Vargas

Dissertations

Creativity fuels problem solving and innovation, driving both economic growth and individual success. Yet, many schools and organizations fail to nurture it. Today, there is a decline in creativity scores among U.S. students. This is concerning since many of these students will be the future leaders of organizations and communities. For this reason, this dissertation explores the creative process of visual artists to better understand how creativity can be cultivated. Visual artists' perspectives and sense-and-meaning-making processes offer a unique view of innovation and creativity. However, there is limited research on the creative processes of contemporary visual artists from culturally diverse …