Digital Commons Network^™

Advising Style Perceptions And Preferences Of Students And Advisors, Gladys Patricia Brown Jordan

Dissertations

The best style of advising to offer students has been questioned over and over. The literature review revealed uncertainty related to national surveys of advisors and students and encouraged smaller institutional reviews.

The Academic Advising Inventory (Winston and Sandor, 1984b), was administered to a proportionate to size random sample of advisors (faculty and professional) and then to the advisees of the advisors who responded to the survey. Variables of interest for advisors included age, gender, type (faculty or professional), and college. Variables of interest for students included gender, ethnicity, age, classification, generational status, and GPA.

A standard multiple regression, one-way …

Instituting An Oral Health Preventive Service Program, Including Fluoride Varnish, For Preschool Children Birth To Five Years In A Rural Health Clinic: A Clinical Scholarship Project, Carol Ann Berger

Dissertations

Abstract This project was designed to institute an oral health preventive program in a rural health clinic, in a dental provider shortage area, promoting oral health in preschool children birth to five years by: (a) instituting a program that supports the Missouri preventive service program in oral health, (b) promoting oral screenings and fluoride varnish twice yearly, (c) assessing the risk of caries, (d) referring to appropriate dental services and (e) educating parents or guardian about the importance of oral health and how to maintain oral health at home with children birth to five years. This project sought to answer …

Development Of An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Primary Care Telephone Clinic, Linda G. Kaiser

Dissertations

Abstract Development of an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Primary Care Telephone Clinic This pilot project developed and implemented a telephone clinic based on established Veterans Affairs telephone policy and procedures and determined patient acceptability of this new visit type as an alternative to face to face visits. The review of the literature produced research that indicates telephone clinics are a viable visit option for patients. Telephone visits provide access to the primary care provider while being convenient and economical for patients. Research studies demonstrate that patients are satisfied with this visit option. The pilot project was successfully implemented in a …

Contribution Of The Mnr2 Protein To Magnesium Homeostasis In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Nilambari Prafulla Pisat

Dissertations

Magnesium is an essential metal nutrient with diverse roles in biology. To maintain the optimal function of key biological processes, intracellular Mg2+ concentration is tightly regulated. Despite the importance of this process however, relatively little is known about mechanisms of Mg2+ homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. An understanding of homeostasis starts with defining the function of key transport proteins that allow the passage of Mg2+ ions across the membranes. Yeast geneticists have identified four proteins from Bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) involved in regulating the accumulation of Mg2+ within the cell (Alr1 and Alr2) and within the mitochondrial compartment (Mrs2 and Lpe10). …

Evaluation Of Electronic Assessment Systems And Their Ability To Meet Ncate Standard 2, Anthony Kirchner

Dissertations

The pressures relating to accountability and data collection, not only from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) but also from other national organizations, continue to increase the demand for educator preparation programs to systematically collect, analyze, and report on the success of their students and their programs. Many educator preparation programs have turned to electronic assessment systems (EASs) to help ease the data collection burden, to allow for the collection, aggregation, disaggregation, and reporting of data for programmatic improvement, as well as to meet the needs of the accreditation process.

The purpose of this study was to …

Factors Influencing The College Choice Of Music Majors Attending A Four Year Institution: A Comparative Study, Ryan Curtis

Dissertations

The purpose of this research sought to investigate and compare the factors influencing the college choice of music majors attending four-year private and four-year public universities. A comparison of college choice data among four universities was completed in the following areas: academic, institutional, financial, and personal/social. These influences leading to college choice are based on the study of real-life decision-making (Galotti, 1995) and the factors which influence the music majors choice of institution (Locke, 1982). The four main factors deemed important in college choice, surveyed through a 31 question survey and a follow up interview, focused on which of these …

Predictors Of Academic Success For Optometry Students, Robert S. Buckingham

Dissertations

Optometry school admissions are very competitive. With more applicants than available slots, admission committees must choose those students whom they feel will be successful graduates. Previous studies in the health profession schools have demonstrated that the predictors of academic achievement are preadmission science grade point average (GPA), preadmission cumulative GPA, and standardized entrance tests. However, with the advent of the Optometry Centralized Applications Service (OptomCAS), no research could be found on the predictors of success as it relates to those variables. This study, therefore, evaluates the ability of these variables to predict the GPA and graduation of students in the …

Teachers' Sense Of Professional Practices As A Result Of Mentoring, Leadriane L. Roby

Dissertations

Formal mentoring programs focus on the probationary period of new teachers. Providing teachers with mentoring support during the initial years of teaching requires significant commitment and investment from school districts, mentors, and new teachers. Numerous studies argue the merits of mentoring programs, yet the research has been less clear about what happens once mentoring support has ended. The purpose of this study was to explore how mentored teachers, those beyond the formal mentoring experience, created sense and meaning of their teaching roles and developed professional practices after participation in a mentoring program.

There is an assumption that there is a …

Teaching And Understanding The Concept Of Critical Thinking Skills Within Michigan Accredited Associate Degree Dental Hygeine Programs, Kimberly S. Beistle

Dissertations

This study explores dental hygiene faculty's perceptions regarding the issues surrounding the concept of critical thinking skills integration within Michigan accredited associate degree dental hygiene programs. the primary research goals are to determine faculty understanding of the concept of critical thinking, identify personal and departmental rational and support for integrating critical thinking into the curriculum, describe teaching strategies used to teach critical thinking skills, and identify challenges by incorporating critical thinking skills into the curriculum. Using the Critical Thinking Model developed by Paul and Elder (2005), along with their research-based teaching strategies promoting critical thinking, a qualitative study approach is …

Interpreting And Implementing English Language Arts State Standards/Expectations In Secondary Classrooms, Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer

Dissertations

In my dissertation, I investigate the way in which English Language Arts (ELA) state standards are being interpreted and implemented, and how this implementation process affects the curricular decisions teachers make. This project focuses generally on the standards movement in American education, and more specifically on the ways teachers navigate the standards in their own classrooms.

The goal of this study is to problematize and better understand the end-result of current standards as they are conceived of by the final arbiters and interpreters of those standards – classroom English language arts teachers. Much work has been done in creating standards, …

A Cost Benefit Analysis Of Retention Of K-2 Students In An Urban District, Debra Ann Davenport Yonke

Dissertations

With increased educational accountability, the rate of student retention has risen in the United States. The purpose of this study was to analyze the costs and benefits of retaining primary (K-2) students in an urban district by using a methodological triangulation. Academic growth in reading was compared from the year prior to retention to the year retained to establish if there was a significant academic growth difference. Trends were also identified in regards to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES), and school type. Elementary principals were surveyed to gain their perspective in regards to benefits and costs of retention. Principals reported …

An Inquiry Into Workplace Incivility: Perceptions Of Working Graduate Students, Ashley E. Greene

Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine and determine the level of incivility in the workplace as a growing problem from the perceptional views of graduate students enrolled in accelerated degree programs for graduate studies in Business Administration, Criminal Justice Administration, Gerontology, Health Management, and Human Resource Management at a private Midwestern university. Modest research on the subject of incivility in the workplace has emerged only recently to identify the problem exists in today‘s workforce, while studies inclusive of diverse populations of employees with short and long term career paths and ranges of employment service years …

The Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act And Permissive Disclosure: What Information Are Post-Secondary Institutions Disclosing And Why?, Christine Glah Greer

Dissertations

This study focuses on the response of universities to the permissive disclosure clauses of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA has been amended nine times; some of these amendments permit universities to disclose personally identifiable information without the permission of students.

The purpose of this study is to determine how prevalent disclosure is under the permissive disclosure clauses of FERPA and if universities use the concept of risk management to make decisions regarding disclosure. This will inform administrators of trends in disclosure and provide data universities can use when formulating or revising policy.

This is a relational …

Establishment And Maintenance Of Academic Optimism In Michigan Elementary Schools: Academic Emphasis, Faculty Trust Of Students And Parents, Collective Efficacy, Jill Van Hof

Dissertations

In response to heightened standards and calls for accountability, schools have dramatically intensified their work to meet the growing challenges. Schools require strategies for improvement that will transcend demographic factors such as SES. Research has shown the construct of academic optimism as contributing to student achievement despite a school’s socio-economic status (Goddard, LoGerfo, & Hoy, 2004; Goddard, Sweetland, & Hoy, 2000; Hoy, 2002; Hoy & Miskel, 2005; Hoy & Sabo, 1998; Hoy & Tarter, 1997; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991; Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk, 2006; McGuigan & Hoy, 2006; Smith & Hoy, 2001; Tschannen-Moran, Hoy, & Hoy, 2000).

There exists, …

A Study Of Support Services And Their Relationship With School Effectiveness In American Public Schools: Findings From The School And Staffing Survey (Sass) 2007-2008, Diane J. Gibbs

Dissertations

This study inquires into support services in schools and their relationship to school effectiveness by using data from the National Center for Education Statistics 2007–2008 School and Staffing Survey (SASS). Students’ ability to learn is impacted by their physical and mental health. It is more difficult to measure the influence of nonacademic factors on academic achievements than traditional academic factors. This study focuses on (a) the extent support services, beyond regular classroom instruction, are provided, (b) how provision is affected by school background, (c) whether and, if so, how providing support services relates to school effectiveness, and (d) whether and, …

Oncology Nurses' Cultural Competence, Knowledge, And Attitudes Toward Cancer Pain, Ayman Alnems Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Effective pain management requires appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and assessment skills. The purposes of this study were to obtain information about the knowledge and attitudes of oncology nurses related to cancer pain and its management, to evaluate oncology nurses' cultural competence, and to investigate relationships between oncology nurses' cultural competence and their pain management knowledge and attitudes. Ferrell and McCaffery's (2008) Nurses' Knowledge and Attitude Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP), the Cultural Competence Assessment Survey (CCA) (Doorenbos, Schim, Benkert, & Borse, 2005; Schim, Doorenbos, Miller, & Benkert, 2003), and a demographic questionnaire were used to measure oncology registered nurses' cultural competence and …

California School Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude, And Intention To Participate In Sexuality Education, Maria G. Matza Phd, Msn, Rnc

Dissertations

A critical need exists to provide adolescents with sexual health education as demonstrated by our nation's position in having the highest adolescent pregnancy rates among all the developed nations. The critical need is further pronounced by California's changing demographic profile of young Latinos who are projected to be the majority in 2042 and continue to demonstrate higher pregnancy and birth rates than other racial and ethnic groups. Currently, there is limited evidence to confirm if California's students are receiving sexual and reproductive health as required by law, nor is there evidence to link school nurses as teachers or consultants in …

Factors And Health Promoting Behaviors That Influence Maternal And Infant Outcomes In Older Pregnant Thai Women, Supawadee Thaewpia Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

This dissertation summarizes research conducted in partial fulfillment of the program requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing degree from the Hahn school of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of San Diego. The results of the dissertation research are organized as three discrete papers. Article one is entitled; "Reliability and Validity of Thai Translations of Instruments Measuring Psychosocial Factors and Health Promoting Behaviors among Older Pregnant Thai Women." This article describes the dissertation research study in which the selected instruments were piloted at an antenatal clinic in Thailand. The article determines the instruments' ability to examine perceived benefits, perceived …

Data-Driven Decision Making In Community Colleges: An Integrative Model For Institutional Effectiveness, Claude Adam Callery

Dissertations

This qualitative study identified the best practices utilized by community colleges to achieve systemic and cultural agreement in support of the integration of institutional effectiveness measures (key performance indicators) to inform decision making. In addition, the study identifies the relevant motives, organizational structure, and processes to support the continuing organization development as the institution transitions to an information rich decision making environment.

A multi-dimensional conceptual framework consisting of four concepts and theories was used to situate the study. The conceptual framework elements were: John Levin’s (2001) Four Domains of Globalization (globalization), L. E. Greiner’s (1998) Five Stages of Organizational Development …

Identification And Characterization Of Suppressors Of Hopm1; A Plant Pathogen Effector Of Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Vanessa Revindran

Dissertations

We have created a yeast model system to study the action of the plant pathogen effector HopM1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pseudomonas syringae, causative agent of bacterial speck in tomatoes, utilizes the type III secretion system to shuttle the effector proteins into the host cell.

When expressed in yeast, HopM1 is lethal on solid media at 21°C, but not at 30°C and 37°C. The same temperature sensitive ability of HopM1 to cause death on solid media is also observed in liquid. As demonstrated by SDS PAGE-Western blot analysis, HopM1 protein is present at 21°C, 30°C and 37°C. At 21°C, a full-length …

Adaptive Radial Basis Function Neural Networks-Based Real Time Harmonics Estimation And Pwm Control For Active Power Filters, Eyad Kh Almaita

Dissertations

With the proliferation of nonlinear loads in the power system, harmonic pollution becomes a serious problem that affects the power quality in both transmission and distribution systems. Active power filters (APF) have been proven to be one of the most successful methods for mitigating harmonics problems. So far, different techniques have been used in harmonics extraction and control of APF to satisfy the fast response and the accuracy required by the APF. Neural networks techniques have been used successfully in different real-time and complex situations. This dissertation demonstrates four main tasks; (i) a novel adaptive radial basis function neural networks …

Optical And Electrochemical Sensors For The Detection Of Metal Ions And Nerve Gas Mimics Via Fluorescein And Coumarin Derivatives, Fasil Adefris Abebe

Dissertations

Trace element detection of metals, for example, iron, Copper and zinc, are important in biological systems and in the environment. Many of us are aware that our cells contain metal ions that are “tied” up in proteins. However, chelatable or “free” trace elements can also be found in small quantities, and can have a negative impact on our bodies. Despite the increasing surge in developing sensors for metals and nerve gas agents, efficient detection still remains a challenge. Among the various sensors developed so far, fluorescence sensors play an important role due to their simplicity. I design fluorescein-based chemosensors for …

Three Essays On Banking Foreign Direct Investment, Tamrat Workalemahu Gashaw

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates three aspects of banking foreign direct investment (BFDI). One striking development in the banking sector over the past two decades is the significant increase in BFDI. Multinational banks are now major players in the global financial system in terms of their asset positions, loan amounts, and operational scales. Despite this significant trend in BFDI, few empirical studies exist explaining observed international BFDI trends.

The first essay investigates the factors determining a bank’s decision to invest abroad. I first develop a two-asset portfolio selection model to identify determinant factors, and then employ a three-way error component model for …

Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America In The Twentieth Century, David E. Zwart

Dissertations

The people of the Dutch-American community constructed and maintained a strong ethnoreligion identity in the twentieth despite pressures to join the mainstream of the United States. A strong institutional completeness of congregations and schools resulted from and contributed to this identity. The people in these institutions created a shared identity by demanding the loyalty of members as well as constructing narratives that convinced people of the need for the ethnoreligious institutions.

The narratives of the Dutch-American community reflected and reinforced a shared identity, which relied on a collective memory. The framing, maintaining, altering, and remodeling of the collective memory from …

Stop Snitching: Hip Hop's Influence On Crime Reporting In The Inner City, Ladel Lewis

Dissertations

The “stop snitching” phenomenon is a social epidemic that is affecting inner cities from coast to coast. These street politics have an adverse effect on the way individuals in the inner city view cooperation with police. With hip hop culture claiming a larger stake on the global stage, and mainstream artists sparking attention by denouncing cooperation with authorities while reproving others that choose to do so, this research examines if a relationship exists between individuals that adhere to the “code of silence” and self-professed hip hoppers. While much has been written about the significance of hip hop culture on the …

Missouri Educator Perceptions On The Use Of Smartphones/Cell Phones In A Secondary School Setting: Their Relationship To Instruction, Christopher Birch

Dissertations

This mixed methods study evaluated the differences in the perceptions of educators in the state of Missouri on cell phone use in the classroom setting and its relationship to instruction. Specifically, this study analyzed the difference in perceptions and relationships that exist among educators (teachers and counselors) and administrators in Missouri public schools. Furthermore, this study also examined relationships between region (rural versus suburban), school setting (middle school versus high school), and education level (bachelors and masters/specialist/doctorate) and interest level in using cell phones as an instructional tool. In addition, this research investigated current instructional practices involving mobile technology. Through …

A Behavioral Approach To Modus Operandi: Incident Form Completion And Its Effect On Predictive Analysis, Sarah Elizabeth Casella

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of task clarification, group feedback, and policy change on incident form completion by police officers. Participants included all sworn officers employed in the Operations Division by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The task consisted of completing the modus operandi (MO) section of the incident reports for burglary, robbery and aggravated assault. The main dependent variable was the percentage of incident reports with MO form completion. The secondary dependent variable was quality of the MOs completed in the reports; more specifically the completeness of the MO section compared to the narrative and discrepancies between the …

Patterns Of Interaction And Mathematical Thinking Of High School Students In Classroom Environments That Include Use Of Java-Based, Curriculum-Embedded Software, Karen L. Fonkert

Dissertations

This study analyzes the nature of student interaction and discourse in an environment that includes the use of Java-based, curriculum-embedded mathematical software. The software CPMP-Tools was designed as part of the development of the second edition of the Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum. The use of the software on laptop computers in small groups of students, and in whole-class interactive lessons with a single computer at the front of the classroom was explored. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and selected items from the students’ regular assessments. During the observations, classroom discussion was audio-taped and videotaped, and field notes were taken. The …

The Perception Of Adult Learners Concerning Their Satisfaction Of Their Educational Experiences In A Midwestern Community College, Constance L. Mccallum

Dissertations

In the United States, over 90 million adult students, aged 25 years or older, are engaging in post-secondary studies (Stokes, 2006). Adult learners are the fastest growing segment in higher education and this trend is expected to continue into the future (Benshoff & Lewis, 1992). This expanding influx of adult learners into colleges and universities has required post-secondary educational institutions to provide for the special needs, desires and expectations of their adult learner populations (Nesbit, 2001). Therefore, this study examined the relationship between adult learners’ educational experiences and their satisfaction levels with their educational experiences by recognizing the differences within …

A New Non-Parametric Test For Umbrella Alternatives, Gilbert Ngwa Muma

Dissertations

The Mann-Whitney statistics have commonly been used as a building block for many tests involving ordered and umbrella alternatives. Such tests are based on pair wise information that is obtained from all Ck 2 pairs of samples. This dissertation introduces a new nonparametric test for testing umbrella alternatives in a completely randomized one way design. This test is based on information obtained from a subset of the Ck 3 trios of samples. Unlike most existing tests for umbrella alternatives, the new test lays emphasis on the importance of testing across the peak of the umbrella, thereby rendering the new test …