Identity And Alterity In A Comedy Series From Santa Cruz, Bolivia, During The Presidency Of Evo Morales, Anita L. Zandstra,

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the construction of social identity and social difference in and through Neo/Los Mismos, a Bolivian comedy series produced during the presidency of Evo Morales (2006-2019), the country’s first president to claim an Indigenous identity. These years were characterized by profound divisions between the Bolivian highlands, home to Morales’s base of support, and the opposition based in the lowlands department of Santa Cruz. This qualitative study takes an interdisciplinary approach to social identity and social difference during the Morales era, drawing on concepts from linguistic anthropology, literary criticism, and humor studies, and tracing connections between Neo/Los Mismos and …

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

An Evaluation Of The Elements Needed In A New Teacher Induction Program To Prepare And Retain Second Career Educators, Bianka Newkirk

Dissertations

According to García and Weiss (2019), the United States faces a critical teacher shortage. There are not enough students majoring in or graduating with degrees in education. A solution to the teacher shortage is to fill the vacancies by recruiting and training secondcareer educators. If teachers are trained and mentored during the early stages of their careers, students will reap the benefits. Teachers who participate in a comprehensive new teacher induction program remain in the teaching profession longer and have tremendous success in terms of student achievement. Through my study, I aimed to research the elements needed in a new …

My Legacy Document: A Story Told Through A Pedagogical Lens Of Three Landscapes. School, Work, And Faith, Debra Williams

Dissertations

Too often professionals, when answering the question “Who are you?”, resort to listing what they do. Although individuals are gifted, experienced, and qualified, as these persons influence and significantly impact others, one could get lost as a person and be unfulfilled. That’s a problem.

Positioning myself as the study of research, utilizing autoethnography as the chosen methodology, my doctoral journey is chronicled. Three landscapes, school, work, and faith, serve as the areas of emphasis.

Unlocking Potential: Analyzing The Impact Of Special Education Services On The Assessment Outcomes Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Kaitlyn Billops

Dissertations

Since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, there has been a notable increase in the enrollment of students receiving special education services (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2022). However, despite advancements in special education programming and service delivery, academic performance for students with disabilities still falls behind their general education peers, particularly on state summative assessments (Aron & Loprest, 2012). Disparities in academic achievement on these assessments can be attributed to various factors, including assessment practices, students' comfort levels during testing, and the severity of their disabilities. Assessing the efficacy of special education …

A Case Study Of The Organizational System Of Articulation At A Midwestern Regional Public University, Katherine J. Giardello

Dissertations

Quantitative research has long shown lagging community college transfer student completion rates, in addition to excess credits earned and lengthened time-to-degree for transfer students that do earn a bachelor’s degree (Horn & Skomsvold, 2011; Jenkins & Fink, 2016; Simone, 2014; U.S. GAO, 2017). Scant qualitative studies exist related to student transfer, particularly the academic enterprise of articulation and the university perspective on transfer.

This qualitative study takes up the cause, using organizational and systems theories (Birnbaum, 1988; Clark, 1983; Cohen & March, 1974; Morgan, 2006; Senge, 1990; von Bertalanffy, 1972; Weick, 1976) to frame a single site case study with …

Friction Stir Welding Of Tube-To-Tubesheet And Spot Joints For Virgin And Recycled Thermoplastic Materials, Syed Haris Iftikhar

Dissertations

Thermoplastic materials are becoming popular, due to their chemically inert and anti-fouling properties, for use in industrial heat exchanger applications involving heating/cooling of highly reactive fluids like acids. A novel non-conventional joining framework, based on the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technique, is developed to create high-quality thermoplastic Tube-to-Tubesheet Joints (TTJs). The proposed technique has applications in the thermoplastic shell-and-tube heat exchanger and piping industries (as flange-to-pipe joints). The primary objective is to study the feasibility of the FSW technique for developing thermoplastic TTJs, followed by optimization of the process parameters and detailed material characterizations. This work used workpieces (tube, tubesheet) …

Cybersecurity Education And Continuous Learning Towards Uae Ncsp Fulfilment, Saleh Hamad Aldaajeh

Dissertations

This dissertation delves into enhancing cybersecurity education by aligning academic curricula with national cybersecurity strategic plan (NCSP) objectives, emphasizing the crucial role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Analyzing ten NCSPs, it identifies strategic themes and gaps between national goals and HEI offerings. The study reviews NCSP guidelines, international cybersecurity indices, and literature, including the NICE-NIST framework, to develop a framework that bridges the educational gap, improving learning outcomes and arming students with vital skills, knowledge, and competencies. Furthermore, it introduces a platform for continuous cybersecurity learning, employing micro-credentials, blockchain technology, and AI-driven systems. Based …

ﻣﺪى ﻛﻔﺎﯾﺔ ﺿﻤﺎﻧﺎت اﻻﺳﺘﺜﻤﺎر اﻷﺟﻨﺒﻲ اﻟﻤﺒﺎﺷﺮ - دراﺳﺔٌ ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻠﯿﺔٌ وَ ﻓﻘًﺎ ﻷﺣﻜﺎم اﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮن اﻻﺗﺤﺎدي رﻗﻢ (32) ﻟﺴﻨﺔ 2021, Mohammed Ibrahim Almemari

Dissertations

The Adequacy of Foreign Direct Investment Guarantees Analytical Study in Accordance with the Provisions of Federal Law No. (32) of 2021

The great economic competition between countries, and their endeavor to strengthen their economy through various fields; Make them compete with each other in attracting foreign direct investments to their territories; However, these investments cannot move from their home country to another country without having economic advantages and incentives that encourage them to invest in a country other than the home country. Likewise, these investments cannot carry out their work in any country without having The investor has many guarantees …

Increasing Folic Acid Self-Efficacy In College-Age Women Of Childbearing Age, Kristie Buchanan

Dissertations

Preventative measures taken by women of childbearing age before and during conception limit the risk of fetal defects or complications. One specific measure that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that all women of childbearing age take folic acid 400 mcg daily. Evidence-based research suggests that taking 400 mcg daily limits the risk of fetal neural tube defects if taken daily and started at least two months before conception. Fetal neural tube defects are classified as defects that damage the baby's spine and brain. The researcher conducted an evidence-based practice project that sought to determine …

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

Multi-Modality Transformer For E-Commerce: Inferring User Purchase Intention To Bridge The Query-Product Gap, Srivatsa Mallapragada

Dissertations

The rapid growth of e-commerce has necessitated the development of sophisticated product retrieval systems that can effectively match user queries with relevant products. However, the semantic gap between queries and products remains a significant challenge, as traditional retrieval methods often fail to capture the nuances of user purchase intentions. E-commerce click-stream data and product catalogs offer critical user behavior insights and product knowledge that are untapped in the current product search algorithms. This dissertation presents learning strategies that leverage the query-product transaction logs to enrich the pipeline of our proposed multi-modal transformer model, which transforms initial user queries into pseudo …

Initiating A Mobile Wayfinding Application At A Verterans Affairs Medical Center: A Current State Assessment & Needs Analysis, James Machauf

Dissertations

Wayfinding within medical facilities is complex and challenging resulting in missed appointments, late appointment check-ins, and even procedural/surgical delays which further patients' frustration, stress, and anxiety.

This project aims to perform a current state of wayfinding assessment and a needs analysis of a potential mobile wayfinding application at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center within the surgical service's pre-anesthesia testing (PAT) check-in desk.

Increasing The Usage Of Mychart Bedside By Nurses And Patients In The Acute Care Setting: An Integrative Review, Laura Darnell

Dissertations

Teach-back has been a proven model to teach patients about their disease process, medications, or dressing changes in a simple-to-understand language that often includes a return demonstration. Teach-Back isn't just a tool to be used with patients, it can be used to help anyone understand something new. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, people are less inclined to use new technology if they do not find it easy to use or useful in their day-to-day jobs. This integrative review aims to support the use of the Teach-Back method of instruction with staff, including return demonstration, to prove the ease of …

Impact Of Brøset Violence Checklist On Safety Events In An Adult Mental Health Unit, Maritess B. Bernardo

Dissertations

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) is an escalating issue in healthcare that needs to be addressed to improve patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Inpatient mental health facilities are at higher risk for safety event occurrences.

Problem: There is a practice gap in the assessment of possible violence at the practicum site with higher tolerance and acceptance that this is an acceptable event. The policies on deescalation are poorly implemented.

Methods: A pre- and post-intervention design was used to investigate the impact of the BVC tool on safety events. Data analysis included outcome measures on BVC scores, safety events, and de-escalation intervention. …

On Pills And Needles: Students' And Clinical Nursing Faculty's Lived Experience Of A Nursing Students' First Med Pass In The Clinical Setting, Cindy K. Paradiso

Dissertations

Learning and teaching medication administration is a substantial component of prelicensure nursing education. The emphasis of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses initiative is to prepare nursing students to provide safe, quality care. Medication administration, which falls under this initiative, is a challenge for nursing students to learn and for clinical nursing faculty to teach. Consequently, nursing students graduate feeling unprepared to administer medications in their practice. This issue is prevalent and long-standing within nursing education. Most of the research studies conducted, though, are from senior nursing students and nurses. There is little research from the beginner nursing student …

Knowing The Patient As A Person: Social Media Listening And Gadamerian Analysis Of Nurses' Expressions Shared During The Covid-19 Global Health Pandemic, Janusz A. Kaleta

Dissertations

COVID-19 has dramatically changed human-to-human interactions from in-person to the nonhuman domain of virtual space. In January 2021, every 28 seconds one person died of COVID-19 in the United States. An average of 3,100 Americans died each day during the deadliest month of the pandemic. As of January 2023, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the USA surpassed 1.000.000 people. In hospitals, human-to-human interactions were often limited to seeing one's eyes behind the face shields, and respirator masks, and hearing a muffled voice, or sounds of the ventilators. In New York State 452 nurses died during the pandemic.

What does …

Confidence In Crises: School Nurses' Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy In Active Shooter Emergency Preparedness, Titilayo Idowu

Dissertations

The incidence and number of mass school shootings have increased since the first reported school shooting in 1840. Since then, extensive research has been conducted to explore school violence's underlying causes and precursors, resulting in many recommendations for preventative and mitigating practices. However, no national standard or legislation currently dictates the minimal requirements for competencies and training among school nurses in preparation for active shooter incidents. This interpretive qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of postlicensure K-12 school nurses regarding their self-efficacy and confidence to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover from a school shooting incident. …

Adaptive Leadership During Times Of Great Change And Opportunity: Building Adaptive Capacity As Perceived By Community Emergency Response Team Program Managers, Ramona Gresham

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program managers to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 1` to build an adaptive capacity. The purposeful, convenience sampling frame was used to identify 10 participants who met the study’s criteria. The semistructured, open-ended interview protocol was developed by a thematic research team of nine peers and three faculty advisors. The data collected from interviews and artifacts …

The Effect Of Teacher Identity On The Level Of Cultural Inclusion In The Classroom, Jennifer Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to investigate high school teachers’ perceptions of cultural inclusion and the impact of teacher identity on the level of cultural inclusion in the classroom. This research study utilized semi-structured one-on-one interviews as the primary source of data and participant surveys and researcher notes taken during the interviews as the secondary sources. This study sought to address two research questions: (1) What can we learn from teachers' experiences at a southeastern suburban high school regarding the post-COVID perceptions of cultural inclusion in the classroom? (2) How does teacher identity affect cultural inclusion in …

Participation Mandatory, Learning Not Required: A Phenomenological Study Of Diversity Training In Education And Law Enforcement, Jamie Martin, Tabari Asim Coleman, Toni J. Fall, Crystal L. Isom, Jennifer L. Niebrzydoski

Dissertations

This study provides a timely, qualitative exploration of the perceived efficacy of cultural competency training for both law enforcement officers and educators. It comprises 18 semi-structured interviews, 10 of which were conducted with education professionals and 8 with law enforcement officers. Drawing four main themes from the interview sample, findings show participants held a complex perception of training efficacy. Interviews featured multiple anecdotes from participants concerning the application of culturally competency skills, as well as important takeaways concerning their desired topics/format of professional development sessions and their favored characteristics of facilitator approach. Our analysis further reveals implications of participants’ identity …

For Black Women - When The Rainbow Was Not Enough (Shange, 1976, New York City): An Autoethnographic Collection About Spirit Assassination, Teresa Quarles, Tamika Galvin, Sherrie Mcclellan

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

We live in an America where the higher you elevate in your career as a Black woman, the greater your chances of being subjected to racism, discrimination, isolation, and bullying. We are underrepresented in various elevated roles, but we will not let that stop us. As Black women, we can attest to the experiences that we are subjected to with no question about our mental health. The Black community in America has been subjected to a considerable presence of systemic racism, oppression, and violence - with the objectives of exercising authority and oppressing the Black community, as well as …

Ethnic Studies And White Identity, Aimee Snelling, Kara Cisco

Dissertations

Abstract

This dissertation addresses white individuals’ experiences in ethnic studies courses and addresses concerns that there is too little research in this area. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Critical Whiteness Studies and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, this qualitative research study examines the lived experiences of white individuals who have taken at least one ethnic studies course in high school and explores the extent to which these experiences influence the development of their racial identity in the present. An extensive literature review includes the most recent research on Critical Whiteness Studies, white racial identity development, ethnic studies, and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. …

Enhancing Teachers’ Tpack And Self-Efficacy Through Content-Based Technology Professional Development, Chloe Wilson

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the impact of content-based instructional technology on teacher’s TPACK, specifically the technology related knowledge domains, and instructional technology self-efficacy. Demographic data was compared for correlations with TPACK or self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, the professional development model was evaluated by gathering teacher perceptions. A pre- and post-intervention survey was conducted to gather TPACK, self-efficacy, and perceptions of professional development. Findings were consistent and built upon previous research. Teachers experienced growth in all TPACK technology knowledge domains and displayed increased instructional technology self-efficacy ratings. Additionally, suggestions from previous research regarding best practices for …

Disclosure Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Identity By Adolescents And Young Adults To Health Care Providers And Its Relationship To Sexual Orientation Victimization, John A. Nelson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between sexual orientation disclosure by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and young adults to health care providers, gender atypicality of LGB adolescents and young adults, and the level of sexual orientation victimization (SOV) they experience from these health care providers as a result.

Uncovering The Lifeworlds Of College Students Who Are Food Insecure: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry, Amber L. Kolesar

Dissertations

Food insecurity (FI) is a concern for many college students, and contributes to significant physical, mental, and academic stressors. Experts have described the need for qualitative research. A better understanding of the experience of FI among college students may help to inform future research and interventions to support students on their educational journey. This study sought to interpret the lived experience of FI, with specific focus on the sociocultural context in which students experience FI, and its' contributing factors. Incorporating the philosophical perspective of Merleau-Ponty, the researcher utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis to uncover the life-worlds of food-insecure college students.

Qualitative Study: Brain Breaks In Primary School Classroom, Mandeep Biring

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe the brain break strategies used by exemplary primary grade teachers to support student learning for each of the three different types of brain breaks (breathing breaks, movement breaks, and mental breaks). A further purpose of this study was to identify primary teachers’ perceptions of which brain break strategies are most effective to support student learning.

Methodology: A phenomenological research design was used for this study. A qualitative method was used to collect data which included conducting semistructured interviews and observations with participants to gain information related to …

Understanding Social Determinants Of Healthcare Access From The Perspective Of Hispanic Latino Immigrants In Louisville, Ky, Jean S. Edward

Dissertations

In the last decade, the total foreign-born population in the U.S. has grown exponentially, with the Hispanic Latino immigrants (HLI) experiencing the greatest growth. The literature clearly identifies that HLI experience significant health disparities as a result of the negative impact of influential social determinants of health, such as access to healthcare services. Barriers to healthcare access among HLI are related to the access dimensions of accessibility, availability, affordability, and acceptability. Despite research on the barriers to healthcare for this population, issues of access from the perspective of immigrant community members are poorly understood. There is an increased need to …

Unraveling Biases And Customer Heterogeneity In E-Commerce Recommendation Systems, Sachin Sharma

Dissertations

This research explores the biases present in AI algorithms within e-commerce recommendation systems, focusing on how these biases prioritize popular, sponsored, and private-label products over actual customer preferences. We extend the responsible AI discourse by critically examining these biases and their implications for fairness in e-commerce. To strengthen the current understanding of AI fairness in the fields of information systems and computer science, we aim to challenge the assumption that AI fairness is objective and the same for everyone. We examine how individual differences, such as equity sensitivity and exchange ideology, contribute to users' varied perceptions of AI fairness. Through …

Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Mental Illness: A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study, Todd B. Hastings

Dissertations

Nursing students often harbor negative stereotypes and feel unknowledgeable and unprepared to work with mentally ill people. In addition, nursing students rarely choose the psychiatric specialty as a career option. A quantitative quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine nursing student feelings about engaging those with behavioral health problems. Over 300 nursing students in eight Bachelor of Science in Nursing professional nursing programs were surveyed on the first and last day of their program's psychiatric mental health nursing course (the independent variable). A valid and reliable survey instrument was used to collect nursing student responses characterizing attitudes, impressions of knowledge and …