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Lennie Tristano’S Pedagogical Model In Jazz Education: A Critical Analysis Of Pertinent Components From The 1950s For Current Classroom Implementation, Robert Ngobi

Dissertations

Lennie Tristano's pedagogical model, established in the mid-20th century, transformed jazz education by focusing on ear training through singing with solos and melodic development based on a systematic, individualized approach to teaching and learning. This dissertation explores Tristano's model through the lens of educational psychology and cognitive science. While it does not profoundly explore either field, it highlights aspects relevant to Tristano's pedagogical strategies. The study addresses the following research questions: (1) What are the specific components of Tristano's model, and how did they reshape the jazz educational landscape of the 1950s? (2) How can these components be adapted to …

(Re)Birth Of The Cool: A Culturally Sustaining & Community Responsive Pedagogical Framework For Music Education, Mario Yuzo Nieto

Dissertations

This qualitative research study sought to illuminate how culturally sustaining, community responsive educational frameworks of pedagogy and leadership (Duncan-Andrade, 2022) can serve to increase recruitment, enrollment, retention, graduation, and overall satisfaction rates for ethnically minoritized student populations majoring or seeking degrees in fields of music in institutions of higher education. To investigate this question, a collective portraiture case study (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997; Stake, 1995) that compared music departments of two different universities located in a localized state, was conducted to analyze both the need for and effectiveness of such a framework. The data were collected by way of this …

Exploring The Motivations And Aspirations Of High School Senior Latinas: A Phenomenological Constructivist Study Of Advancement Via Individual Determination And Non-Advancement Via Individual Determination Student Experiences, Marina Rodriguez

Dissertations

While student support programs aim to offer guidance on college information and resources, not all student support programs offer a class curriculum targeted toward college and career readiness. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program offers AVID as an elective class in a student’s academic schedule. Similar programs that support students include the Migrant Education Program, TRIO, and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. The purpose of this study was to establish a greater understanding of the motives and aspirations to attend a higher education institution of Latina high school seniors who have participated in an AVID program …

After The Bullets: Managing A Mass Shooting Resource Center Explored Through Autoethnography, Karen Allene Schweihs

Dissertations

The rate of mass shootings has more than doubled over the past 10 years in the United States (Gun Violence Archive, 2024). The focus of this study was a thorough exploration of my personal experiences in designing a response center after a mass shooting occurred in Boulder, Colorado. This study utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry form of research methodology called autoethnography. Autoethnography has been utilized to capture more than the raw data collected, but to offer a more expansive and detailed description of a unique experience. The following research questions were studied:

• Q1 What might I learn about my own …

The Unconscious At Work: A Psychosocial Study Of Leaders' Unconscious Processes Impacting Participatory Change Leadership, Vanessa Hills

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the varied dynamics impacting how organizational leaders conceptualize and enact their roles in participatory change processes. To that end, a multiple-case study informed by a psycho-social approach and using Free Association Narrative Interview (FANI) methods was conducted. Each case was comprised of a single business leader. The findings, presented through individual case analyses and cross-case comparisons, reveal a discrepancy between leaders’ rhetoric and the reality of their change leadership behaviors. While leaders express support for collaborative change, factors such as a desire for control, fear of failure, and bias toward their own capabilities lead them to adopt …

Journey Of Decisions: Understanding Parental Perspectives On Vaccine Hesitancy And Decision-Making Approaches In Childhood Vaccinations, Carlene Joy Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of parental attitudes toward childhood vaccinations and decision-making styles. Overall, this study worked to comprehensively examine the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among parents of children under 18 utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies and conducting qualitative analytic comparisons to enhance understanding for future research practices.

The study’s objective in the first phase was to quantitatively assess whether decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy, considering demographic factors. The contextual research question guiding this phase was, “Do general decision-making styles predict vaccine hesitancy controlling for age, gender, level of education, employment status, marital status, …

The Application Of Thai Classical Fiddle Techniques For Cello, Athita Kuankachorn

Dissertations

While non-Western cultural influences have become increasingly more prominent in contemporary cello compositions, Thai classical fiddles—saw duang, saw u, and saw sam sai—which are integral to Thai music tradition, have yet to be fully explored or incorporated into cello works. The complexity of the Thai pitch system, diverse performance practices, and the reliance on oral tradition, which limits written resources, pose challenges to integrating Thai fiddle elements into cross-cultural compositions.

This research examines Thai classical fiddle techniques through a bi-musical approach. Among the diverse practices, the Vorayot Seventeen-Microtone Theory, developed by esteemed fiddle Master Vorayot Suksaichon, …

Exploring The Content Of Introductory Quantitative Methods Courses For Education Doctoral Students, Samantha Brooke Patterson

Dissertations

Quantitative methods training is an integral part of an Education Doctoral Degree (EdD). Students tend to struggle with the content of these courses and consequently their quantitative proficiency has suffered. Currently, there is no consensus on the learning outcomes of introductory quantitative methods classes, leaving instructors to individually decide the content and teaching methods of their classes. The aim of this study was to capture the content of introductory quantitative methods course and determine their alignment with current best practices in statistics education.

• Q1 What curricular and pedagogical techniques are used in introductory quantitative methods course for EdD students?
• Q2 …

Does Mindset Matter: The Perceptions Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Have Regarding Mindset And Academic Success, Amanda Sue Schuster

Dissertations

Nursing programs need to graduate more students to increase the potential number of practicing nurses and help the nursing shortage. However, with high attrition rates, nursing programs are looking for ways to promote student success. Many factors lead to students not finishing a nursing program and nurse educators need to develop innovative ways to help students succeed. Identifying characteristics that make students successful is key to reducing attrition rates. One characteristic that a nurse educator can identify in students is a growth mindset. Mindset is formed by students’ beliefs and experiences, by having a growth mindset, one believes their intelligence …

Portraiture Of Four Reservation Community College Graduates, Ray Andrew Jade Talley

Dissertations

This qualitative study used portraiture to explore the experiences of four Native American, or sometimes referred to as American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), college students who attended Reservation Community College (RCC), a Tribal College and University (TCU). Interviews, focus groups, and detailed notes captured the encounters that conceptualized the perspectives of four Native American students at this TCU. Participants included individuals who are members of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and graduated from RCC with a bachelor's degree. The texts incorporated the direct voices and stories of the participants to allow for direct and authentic quotes and phrases used during the interviews. …

The Inheritance And Breakthrough Of Twentieth-Century Harpsichord Music: Stylistic Analysis And Performance Guide Of Selected Works, Hanguang Wang

Dissertations

The twentieth century saw a notable revival of early music, with the harpsichord, one of the key instruments in this movement, gradually gaining attention as a vehicle for new compositions. However, most research still focuses primarily on early music, leaving the phenomenon and specific works of modern harpsichord music underexplored, despite the substantial body of compositions it has inspired.

This dissertation traces the development of harpsichord music across four historical periods, while also examining the stylistic and technical shifts in compositions from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. By analyzing Bohuslav Martinů’s Deux Pièces pour Clavecin, H. 244, and …

The Role Of Task-Based Language Assessment In English Language Learning And Learner Autonomy Enhancement In An Efl High School Context In The Uae, Eman Yousef Mahmoud

Dissertations

Assessment plays an integral role in education, incorporating various types that serve multiple purposes. In language education, the proper integration of formative assessment practices, such as Task-Based Language Assessment (TBLA), is crucial to improve students’ language learning. This study explores the impact of implementing TBLA in an English as a foreign language (EFL) high school context on language learning. It also investigates whether and to what extent TBLA application promotes Learner Autonomy (LA). Furthermore, this study examines the teacher’s and students’ perceptions of the intervention and its impact on linguistic and non-linguistic skills. The study used an experimental mixed methods …

Exploring Subclinical Delusional Ideation Within The Psychological Flexibility Model, Caleb Spencer Fogle

Dissertations

Delusional thoughts are defined as stable beliefs that are not amenable to change when conflicting evidence is presented. Like psychosis broadly, endorsement of delusional ideation appears to exist on a continuum ranging from severe to common endorsement in non-clinical samples. Delusional ideation, particularly in a subclinical conceptualization, fails to receive adequate attention in psychological research despite potential connections to both negative (i.e., symptoms of psychopathology) and positive (i.e., quality of life) outcomes. The psychological flexibility model, a conceptualization of human wellness in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), may explain delusional ideation. The current study aimed to fill these gaps in …

Magnetotransport Properties Of Polycrystalline Mn_(3-X)Fe_Xsn (X = 1, 2) Thin Films, Duston Wetzel

Dissertations

The incredible progress of the microelectronics industry in the last several decades hasbeen primarily due to the progressive miniaturization and optimization of the MOSFET. However, the rate of this progress is becoming unsustainable by these means. Of several proposed replacements, one of the most popular ideas is to utilize electronic spin in logical processing. The discovery of Giant Magntoresistance (GMR) in layered thin film heterostructures and the subsequent development of Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) devices revolutionized magnetic field sensing, which allowed magnetic domains in hard drives to get much smaller. This enabled hard drives to get denser, but because current charge-based …

Occupational Performance With Formstack: Academic Fieldwork Coordinator's Perceptions And Experiences, Sara Clark

Dissertations

This multiple descriptive case-study explored the perceptions and experiences of eight occupational therapy program academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs), regarding their usage of Formstack, as an online fieldwork data collection system. Previous survey research revealed that AFWCs had positive feelings about the new AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (AOTA, 2020) housed within Formstack (Sanders & Carpenter, 2024), but the AOTA AFWC national list-serve suggests frustration with the online platform itself. Past research by Sanders and Carpenter (2024) also recommended further investigation into the usability of Formstack. To this end, this inquiry focused on two research questions: (a) How do AFWCs at multiple …

Picturing The Teaching Of The Holocaust: A Narrative Case Study Of Four English Language Arts Teachers Who Teach The Holocaust, Shelley L. Esman

Dissertations

This qualitative narrative case study was designed to examine the pedagogical choices of four English Language Arts teachers who teach the Holocaust. This study shares the “picture” of the four English language arts teachers from Michigan, Indiana, and Florida. Data collected through interviews and curricular documents were analyzed in connection to each of the teacher’s identities and rationales for teaching the Holocaust. This study highlights each teacher’s process of becoming a Holocaust teacher and describes how each teaches the content of the Holocaust in grades fifth to tenth. It uncovers the common dispositions of these four teachers. It shares the …

Public Health Implications Of State-Level Public Health Organizational And System Structures, Cameron Ferguson Hays

Dissertations

Public health thought leaders such as the Institute of Medicine and National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have long been concerned about the lack of standardization among state-level public health systems (IOM, 1988; NASEM, 2023). However, little research studies these systems, their structures, and whether structural constructs affect population health outcomes.

This study attempted to examine the structural constructs that make up these systems and the impact of those constructs using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Variables from management science were qualitatively extracted from materials describing all 50 state-level public health systems. Those variables were then analyzed using a …

Intelligent Health Monitoring Systems Via Flexible Hybrid Electronics And Machine Learning, Masoud Panahi

Dissertations

Advanced data analytics approaches, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are increasingly being integrated into all aspects of patient care. This integration is paving the way for minimally invasive or non-invasive treatment modalities. By combining recent advancements in fabrication technology and computing ingenuity, wearable devices now enable continuous health monitoring and provide data for AI-driven analysis. These intelligent devices seamlessly integrate with the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling remote or “at-home” patient monitoring.

This dissertation study investigates the integration of recent advancements in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and machine learning (ML) to develop intelligent health monitoring systems. The developed FHE-based health …

A Single Session Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In A Group Format To Promote Health-Related Behavior Change In Nutrition And Sleep: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Thi Anh Tran

Dissertations

Nutrition and sleep are important health-related behaviors for which only a small percentage of the population meet recommended guidelines. To impact population-health it is important to develop focused, flexible, efficient, and efficacious interventions. This study examined the efficacy of a 60-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention in a group presentation format to initiate change in nutrition and sleep related behaviors in college students. Thirty-two collegians (M age = 18.55 [.85], 66% female, 34% Hispanic, 25% white) were randomized to receive ACT focusing on nutrition (n = 18 participants across 4 groups) or sleep (n = 14 participants across 3 …

All Children Matter: Developing Social Capital Through School Renewal Rounds, Jeremy Allen Andrick

Dissertations

Educational researchers and practitioners have worked for decades to improve student achievement and close achievement gaps. Knowing from multiple research studies that the teacher is the number one influence on student learning, these researchers and practitioners have attempted to grow teacher practice individually through teacher evaluation systems and across classrooms through group-based approaches such as PLCs, Learning Walks, and the Harvard Model of Instructional Rounds. The result is that pockets of instructional and academic excellence persist meaning that not all students benefit equitably across classrooms, schools, and districts. In response, this study explored the role of the HIL-Project inspired and …

Single-Shot Mev-Resolution Hard X-Ray Spectrograph For Cavity-Based X-Ray Free Electron Laser, Keshab Kauchha

Dissertations

The Cavity-Based X-ray Free Electron Laser (CBXFEL) is a possible future direction in the development of fully coherent hard X-ray sources of high spectral brilliance, a narrow spectral bandwidth of ≃ 1 − 100 meV, and a high repetition rate of ≃ 1 MHz. A diagnostic tool is required to measure CBXFEL spectra with a meV resolution on a shot-to-shot basis.

The CBXFEL hard X-ray spectrograph is designed to image 9.831 keV X-rays in a ≃ 200 meV spectral window and with a spectral resolution of a few meV using an LCLS XFEL (Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray Free Electron …

An Exploration Of The Experiences That Influenced Black Males To Become Information Technology Professionals, Ronnie Mcmillian

Dissertations

Historically, the United States (U.S.) has led the world in the development of innovative high-tech solutions that increased employment opportunities, wages, productivity, and the economic growth of our nation. However, STEM workers are in great need to fill the millions of vacancies in the STEM workforce. Despite the increasing demand for STEM professionals, racial minorities, especially Blacks, continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in STEM. In order to adequately address the STEM workforce problem and remain competitive globally, the U.S. must motivate a much larger cross-section of its population to enter STEM fields. Since Blacks are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM, they …

Faulty Perception Correction Of Autonomous Vehicles In Real-Life Driving Scenarios, Mark Omwansa

Dissertations

Driving is one of the most popular modes of transportation in the world. The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reported 2.8 trillion vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in 2020, and the National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) recorded 3.2 trillion VMT in 2019. Also recorded in the NHTSA report were 39,096 fatalities and 2.7 million injuries due to traffic accidents, costing the economy an estimated $242 billion. Most of these recorded accidents can be attributed to human error or misjudgment. It is for this reason that governments and the automotive industry are looking at autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies …

Synthesis, Characterization And Testing Of Graphene-Based Materials For Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Catalysts, Hassan Shirzadi Jahromi

Dissertations

The requirement for low cost and efficient catalysts for fuel cells motivated the proposed research on Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) integrated with transition metal zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). Synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation of the newly synthesized nitrogen-doped graphene oxide-based catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) constitutes the main objective of this thesis.

The synthesis of N-rGO combined with cobalt, nickel, or iron ZIFs was carried out using wet chemical methods followed by one step pyrolysis at 900°C, resulting in catalysts with highly porous structures and uniform metal nanoparticle distribution. These were characterized for structure, microstructure, composition …

The Challenges That Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education, Polixeni Pantelidou

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Challenges that Nontraditional Early Childhood Educators Face When Completing Higher Education by Polixeni Pantelidou

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the challenges that non-traditional Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers face as they pursue higher education. The study aimed to identify key barriers, motivators, and strategies that influence their educational progression and completion. It aims to identify the motivators that drive these individuals to pursue further education, the challenges they encounter once enrolled, and the strategies they employ to overcome these barriers.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative descriptive method, engaging a select group …

Benefits Of Alternative Discipline Practices In Lieu Of Exclusionary Discipline Practices According To Exemplary Public-School Elementary Principals (K-5/6) In Merced County, California, Mary Andrews

Dissertations

Benefits of Alternative Discipline Practices in Lieu of Exclusionary Discipline Practices

According to Exemplary Public-School Elementary Principals (K-5/6) in Merced County, California by Mary Binion Andrews

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify and describe the school-wide structural, academic, and social–emotional strategies exemplary elementary public-school principals (K-5/6) have found effective for addressing defiant and disruptive student behaviors.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study identified and described 12 exemplary public-school elementary principals (K-5/6) in Merced County, California and their perceptions of alternative discipline practices used in lieu of exclusionary discipline practices. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific …

Disruptive Clinician Behavior: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Non-Native English-Speaking Nurses, Seyoung Baik

Dissertations

Background: Disruptive clinician behaviors among healthcare staff are an increasing concern, negatively affecting patient safety. In 2015, 16% of nurses in the U.S. were foreign-born (Shaffer et al., 2022), and 25% of New York and California nurses were immigrants (Shaffer et al., 2021). Nurses' migration to the U.S. has been exploding. Non-native English-speaking nurses experience complications, problems, and discord in their workplace with coworkers.

Aim: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore and understand non-native English-speaking nurses’ experiences with disruptive clinician behaviors in the U.S.

Specific aims were to 1) create a comprehensive description of the experiences …

Navigating The Landscape: Perceptions, Motivations, And The Journey Of Data Professionals In Implementing Data Processes And Procedures, Willie Rivers

Dissertations

This explanatory study investigates the motivations behind data professionals' willingness or resistance to implementing data policies and procedures, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior and Psychological Ownership as frameworks. Through interviews with 21 data professionals, the research explains how factors such as perceived control, ownership, and attitudes towards data processes influence their motivation. The study tests key propositions, including the impact of perceived time burdens, bureaucratic procedures, and organizational expectations on data governance engagement. The findings underscore the critical role of control and access to information in motivating the adoption of data policies, providing insights for organizations aiming to enhance …

Examining Mentoring As A Catalyst For Nurse Work Engagement And Professional Development, Cherryl A Rainey

Dissertations

Abstract

Research literature has identified mentoring as a strategic intervention for employee professional development. The Business and Psychology disciplines have used mentoring widely for employee development, but it has not been used extensively in nursing.

Nursing has unique challenges and is constantly changing with a need to meet some of those needs by advancing the development of nurses to serve as leaders and fill positions due to nurse shortages and high turnover rates. Mentoring has also been identified as a vehicle to promote work engagement.

The purpose of this study was to examine mentoring as a catalyst for nurses’ professional …

Organizational Characteristics As Drivers Of Employer Attraction, Naomi L. Akins-Osuma

Dissertations

This research study examined perceptions of attraction to different organizational characteristics based on an individual’s Career Stage in Super’s (1980) life-span model. Using a diverse sample of 230 participants in the U.S. workforce 18 years or older, the study manipulated the opposing Reputation and flexible working arrangement (FWA) conditions of a hypothetical hiring organization in the technology industry. The results indicated that the main effects of Reputation and FWAs on general attraction, intention to pursue, perceived economic citizenship, and perceived ethical citizenship were significant. Although the high levels of Reputation and FWA yielded the highest mean scores among the dependent …