Digital Commons Network^™

A Study To Determine The Relationship Between Classroom Teacher Attendance And Student Success, Meagan Stanley

Dissertations

Students that consistently have access to high-quality teachers and teaching strategies experience higher degrees of success (Frieberg, 2013). In the absence of high-quality, professional classroom teacher, students may not succeed at the rate they would otherwise. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between classroom teacher attendance and student success. Student success factors (attendance, behavior, and achievement) were examined in connection with classroom teacher attendance. The study included students in grades Kindergarten through Fifth grade who attended Kindergarten through Fifth grade buildings in a Midwestern school district. The literature reviewed for this study reiterated the importance of …

Noncognitive Characteristics And Family Income: The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Grit Levels And Mindset Types, Joshua A. Teeter

Dissertations

Noncognitive characteristics have been identified as essential predictors of academic success (Duckworth, 2016, 2019; Farrington et al., 2012). Grit and growth mindset are two noncognitive characteristics that predict academic success; therefore, this study was conducted to determine if there is a difference in grit level and mindset types among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds (Duckworth, 2019; Dweck, 2010b). Researchers and educators have focused heavily on identifying and implementing interventions to improve students’ cognitive factors, yet little attention has been given to finding ways to improve students’ noncognitive traits (Cooper, Krieg, & Brownell, 2018). High school students from a school district …

Increasing Provider Awareness To Detect, Treat, And Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections In Male Service Members, Vincent E. Krause

Dissertations

The incidence of sexually transmitted infections within the military continues to rise at rates higher than that of the civilian population. The project was developed to improve provider perception related to the male patient's sexual history, practices, and attitudes and focus on adherence to the recommended guidelines related to screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Education was provided regarding recommended screening criteria, screening protocols, interview techniques, screening options available, and statistical data. The goal was to increase provider awareness and laboratory diagnosis of STI screenings among the male population, reducing chlamydia and gonorrhea infections …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Male Students: An Exploration Of African American Male Student Athletes And African American Male Student Nonathletes At California Community Colleges, Marie Harris

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and differences between African American male student athletes and African American male student nonathletes at California community colleges. Methodology: The methodology of this study is a qualitative phenomenological design to explore the lived experiences of African American males who are student athletes and those who are student nonathletes enrolled at three California community colleges. In depth and semistructured interviewing techniques were utilized to capture their stories. Findings: There were 9 major findings that emerged through the data collection and analysis. The findings showed that African American …

Exploring Relationships Of Positive Reading Attitudes In Secondary English Classrooms, Lorin Blackburn Thierfelder

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore teacher perceptions of secondary student reading attitudes across Missouri. The study was conducted to examine the variables of student engagement, Young Adult Literature, and reading attitude. A conceptual framework was established based upon the work of Layne (2009) and Schoenbach (2012). Secondary English teachers face the daunting task of teaching students not only reading comprehension but also reading engagement (Gallagher, 2009; Layne, 2009). Demographic information and survey responses were collected to determine teachers’ perspectives on student engagement, Young Adult Literature, and reading attitudes in high school English classrooms. Some of …

Instructional Coaching: Perceptions Of Midwest Building Principals And Instructional Coaches, Mary Jean Hall

Dissertations

Instructional coaching has gained popularity with school districts to improve teachers’ instructional strategies, and students’ academic performance. Current research supports the use of instructional coaching for schoolwide improvements; however, researchers suggest research is needed regarding the training and support of instructional coaches. Different coaching models are in use today and research into the best coaching framework for effective instructional coaching is needed. This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of instructional coaches regarding their preparedness when entering the instructional coaching position, the professional development and support offered by school districts to coaches, and whether there is a need for …

Servant Leadership Behaviors That Positively Influence On-Time Delivery Of Committed Work By Agile Teams In A Scaled Agile Framework, Rob Barclay

Dissertations

This research found strong evidence that leaders who use Servant Leadership Behaviors (SLBs) positively influence on-time delivery of committed work by scrum teams in a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). In organizations using a Scaled Agile Framework to manage large programs, Agile teams plan work called “stories” within an iteration, which can range from one to four weeks. The stories are ultimately intended to deliver functionality to the end-user and have enough information within them for business and technical people to understand the intent, develop, test, and demonstrate a vertical slice of system functionality.

Our research used Servant Leadership theory to …

The Masks We Wear In The Workplace Masquerade: An Examination Of Antecedents Of Facades Of Conformity And The Impact Of Abusive Supervision, Kevin Sansberry Ii

Dissertations

Years of research conducted into abusive supervision (Tepper, 2000) have provided a greater understanding of how abusive supervision impacts workers including various negative outcomes as well as employee coping mechanisms. One of the possible ways that an employee may respond to abusive supervision is feigning their agreement with organizational values. The literature is somewhat deficient, however, in examining the manifestation of these facades of conformity (Hewlin, 2003). In this study, the relationship between abusive supervision and facades of conformity was examined, as well as several moderators of this relationship. The results indicated that abusive supervision was positively and significantly related …

What Is The Research Standard For Tenure And Promotion At U.S. Accounting Research Institutions Outside Of The Top 200?, Rodney Carmack

Dissertations

Prior studies provide benchmarking data for faculty promoted at the Top 75 U.S. Accounting Research Institutions (e.g., Glover et al. 2006 and Glover et al. 2012). The data from these studies help the academic accounting market operate more effectively and efficiently. The data are valuable for less seasoned scholars as they set goals for their research output, and for professors as they evaluate candidates’ cases for tenure both at their schools and on behalf of other universities. This paper extends Glover et al. (2012) to consider programs outside of the Top 200 U.S. Accounting Research Institutions (Glover, Prawitt, & Wood, …

Talent Retention: An Empirical Examination Of A 21st Century United States Department Of Agriculture, James Ellis Jordan Jr

Dissertations

Federal organizations at all levels are experiencing difficulty retaining talented employees and must examine current strategies to retain talented high performing employees. Thirty-one percent of government-wide employees will be eligible to retire by 2022 (GAO, 2019). As a result, government organizations need to examine generational expectations and values related to talent retention, which may prove beneficial when developing strategies for the current workforce. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five Generation X and millennial federal government employees to gain an in-depth understanding of their insights related to talent retention in the federal government context. Additionally, supplemental quantitative data were collected that …

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Classroom Walkthroughs In Middle School Settings, Ethel Shanklin

Dissertations

There is no question that education is paramount to student success. The goal of No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001), did not work. The last revision of this act, the Every Students Succeeds Act of 2016 is now being implemented, Educators are yet struggling for the panacea that is effective for all students’ competencies in the world. Students from low socio-economic areas are at a greater risk of their educational needs not being met for various reasons. There is the opportunity to reach students in schools in spite of their home situations. Instruction begins and ends with instructional leaders in …

The Effect Of A Restorative Intervention On Directed Attentional Capacity In The Third Trimester Of Pregnancy And Labor Pain, Mary Ann W. Stark

Dissertations

Directed attention, the ability to focus and concentrate, is essential for effective functioning. Pregnancy, birth, and parenting place unique demands on attentional capacity, increasing the risk of attentional fatigue. A longitudinal quasi-experimental design was used to examine changes in attention in the third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum and to test a restorative intervention.

Preschoolers' Judgments Of Nurses And Nursing Activities, Roxanne K. Hamilton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what judgments well preschoolers make of nurses and certain nursing activities, and to determine if judgments were influenced by certain factors identified in clinical practice and the theoretical framework of Piaget.

Acupuncture For Symptom Management In A Menopausal Population: An Exploration Of Mechanism And Experience, Cheryl L. Wright

Dissertations

This early phase study examined the effects of a series of ten standard-protocol acupuncture treatments over four weeks in 12 healthy, but symptomatic, menopausal women. In addition to measuring two biologic markers that may shed light on the physiologic impact of acupuncture, symptom experience data were collected.

Having Courage: A Lived Experience Of Human Becoming, Debra A. Bournes

Dissertations

Having courage is inextricably related to the way people make choices about what is important, what to do, and how to go on in life in ways they view as worthwhile. It is a universal lived experience that is important to quality of life. The purposes of this research were to identify the essences of the experience of having courage and to contribute to knowledge about human becoming the nursing theory guiding this study. Participants were ten persons 21 to 64 years of age who were living in the community with spinal cord injuries. They were willing to speak about …

Si Me Preguntas, Te Lo Contaré Todo: If You Ask Me, I'Ll Tell You Everything. Battered Latina Women's Experiences Of Health Care, Ursula A. Kelly

Dissertations

Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a significant health problem for women around the globe, and a challenge for health care providers (HCPs). Identifying and appropriately responding to victims of IPA is the standard of care for HCPs. There is a lack of understanding of this problem, as well as the needs of victims of IPA, from patients' perspectives, particularly Latina women. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenology was to improve health care providers' understanding of the health care experiences of battered Latina women. Feminism was the orienting philosophical framework of the study. Hermeneutic interviews were conducted with 17 Latina women …

Computerized Lung Sound Analysis As An Indicator For Endotracheal Suctioning In Mechanically Ventilated Patients, Joseph O. Schmelz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to extend prior research on the role of adventitious lung sounds as an accurate indicator of the need for endotracheal suctioning (ETS) in adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Prior research has demonstrated a link between the presence of adventitious lung sounds and secretions in the tracheobronchial tree. However, many questions still remain unanswered in relationship to: lung sound characteristics, pattern, relationship to the respiratory cycle, volume of airway secretions, and clinical decision making. The following research questions were addressed. (1) What is the pattern of adventitious lung sounds present immediately prior …

The Role Of Cognitive And Emotional Representations In Cancer Symptom Management, Heidi Scharf Donovan

Dissertations

Women with ovarian cancer experience multiple symptoms that impair quality of life. The factors that influence women's efforts and success at managing multiple symptoms are not well understood. The primary aim of this study, guided by an extended version of Leventhal's Common-Sense Model, was to evaluate the relationships among personality variables, illness- and symptom-related beliefs (representations), symptom-related coping efforts, and appraisal of coping success. A survey containing valid and reliable measures of personality (optimism, trait anxiety); illness representations; symptom representations; coping efforts; and appraisal of coping success (satisfaction with symptom management, life satisfaction) were mailed to members of the National …

The Effects Of A Self-Efficacy Enhancing Internet Intervention On The Dietary Management Of Cholesterol, Claire P. Donaghy

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Elevated serum cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol contribute to elevation in blood cholesterol. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a self-efficacy enhancing Internet intervention for dietary reduction of cholesterol.

Nursing Effects In Policy-Making, Alexis A. Wilson

Dissertations

Nursing effects in policy-making is a qualitative interview study about the effects of nursing as a professional entity in the policy-making process. The framework of the study included exploration of a perceived problem that nursing does not communicate effectively within the larger health care community. The research question asked was: What are the effects of the nursing profession in the policy-making process? The question was answered through in-depth interviews with eight influential nursing leaders, and two non-nurse health care leaders. Respondents were chosen because of demonstrated excellence or leadership positions, political positions, non-traditional nursing experiences, attachment to service ideals, and/or …

College Smoking And Psychosocial Correlates Among College Students, Mavra E. Kear

Dissertations

While the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adolescents and adults declined in the 1990's, smoking among college students rose nearly 30%. Relatively little research has explored smoking determinants among this at-risk group. Given the high cost of morbidity and premature mortality related to smoking, it is crucial that factors influencing smoking be identified and addressed in tobacco use prevention and cessation programs aimed at this age group. The combined effect of risk-taking tendency, depression, social normative beliefs, and smoking resistance self-efficacy on cigarette smoking behavior among college students was studied. The Theory of Triadic Influence (Flay & Petraitis, 1994), a …

The Effect Of Interpersonal Relatedness On Partner Abuse As Mediated By Hopelessness And Depression In African-American Males, Larry B. Rankin

Dissertations

Research on partner abuse has generated controversy regarding contributing factors. One problem is studies have not included significant numbers of African-American males. This study examined the effect of interpersonal relatedness variables on partner abuse as they were mediated by affect states of hopelessness and depression in 69 African-American males who were arrested for partner abuse. Path analysis was used to examine the relationship between attachment, social support, and sense of belonging as mediated by hopelessness and depression to explain abusive behaviors in African-American males arrested for partner abuse. There were nine hypotheses proposed for the study. They included the examination …

Compassion Fatigue Among U.S. Military Rns Post Overseas Deployment, Dawn Marie Goldstein

Dissertations

Describe the meaning of compassion fatigue (CF) as experienced by the U.S. military registered nurse (RN) post-deployment from Iraq and Afghanistan. Background: CF is characterized by deep emotional and physical exhaustion, and may resemble posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often this causes a shift in confidence and clouds RN perceptions. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating, intrusive imagery, hopelessness, exhaustion, and irritability leading to profound alterations in one's view of the world, patients, family, and friends. Outcomes include depersonalizing patients, poor coping mechanisms, lowered standards, clinical errors, and blurring boundaries, all can contribute to a toxic work environment and RNs leaving the profession.

An Intervention To Increase Intentions And Behavioral Skills To Postpone Sexual Activity In Cameroonian Preadolescent Female Students, Comfort C. Enah

Dissertations

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an escalating problem in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Health Organization, the disease constitutes a threat to the health of adolescents in this region. One of the countries in this region with a growing prevalence of AIDS is Cameroon, where an estimated one in four adolescents is at risk for contracting this disease. Little is known, however, about effective strategies that can assist adolescents in this country to reduce their vulnerability. The specific aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a school-based intervention delivered to pre-adolescent Cameroonian girls to: (1) …

Measuring Nursing Home Staff Turnover Using Date-Of-Hire From Current Payroll Records, C. Jo Riggs

Dissertations

Turnover in nursing homes is a major problem that threatens quality of care. Widespread staffing shortages already exist, and these shortages are projected to worsen. The lake of accurate data sources makes the study of nursing home staff turnover problematic. The purpose of this at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This TS mathematically estimates turnover from current payroll data including date-of-hire; job title, and full- or part-time status. TS scores from this sample of 72 Missouri nursing homes added to distribution data obtained during pilot testing; and nonparametric correlational analysis revealed significant relationships between lower turnover (TS scores) and lower rates …

Factors Affecting The Relocation And Transition Of Internationally Educated Nurses Migrating To The United States Of America, Kristina S. Ibitayo

Dissertations

A paucity of research studies and systematic reviews have been conducted on IEN nurse migration experiences in the US. The number of IENs in the US RN workforce is projected to continue growing. Therefore, studies on nurse migration and IEN relocation and transition experiences are essential. This exploratory descriptive study on the transition conditions and professional satisfaction of nurses migrating to the US provides information on the complex pull and push factors affecting nurse migration. This study described the push factors, pull factors, personal characteristics, motivation to migrate, transition conditions, family/social environment, work environment, and professional satisfaction of IENs in …

An Investigation Of The Learning Perspectives Of Non-Native English Speakers In An Esl / Epp Writing Program, Susan L. Lundry Ph.D.

Dissertations

Understanding the needs of international learners seeking English writing skills has been an ongoing challenge for educators working in the field as support systems to this group of learners (Carlson, 2005; Hayes & Lin, 1994). In addition, the research (Halic, Greenberg, & Paulus, 2009; Hayes & Lin, 1994) reveals that when international learners move to another country, for the first time to learn, they may initially experience a profound sense of loss. Therefore, providing a sense of support and balance for this group of learners is an important part of the educational process. This qualitative study looked at nine undergraduate …

Studies Of Two-Phase Flow With Soluble Surfactant, Ryan Peter Atwater

Dissertations

Numerical methods are developed for accurate solution of two-phase flow in the zero Reynolds number limit of Stokes flow, when surfactant is present on a drop interface and in its bulk phase interior. The methods are designed to achieve high accuracy when the bulk Péclet number is large, or equivalently when the bulk phase surfactant has small diffusivity

In the limit of infinite bulk Péclet number the advection-diffusion equation that governs evolution of surfactant concentration in the bulk is singularly perturbed, indicating a separation of spatial scales. A hybrid numerical method based on a leading order asymptotic reduction in this …

Deverne Calloway: “I Am A Teacher---I Will Teach”, Holly Hick

Dissertations

In 1962, DeVerne Calloway was the first Black woman elected to the Missouri General Assembly and the first Black woman elected to any public office in the state of Missouri. A political activist and educator by nature, a legislator by trade, DeVerne has decades of historically documented critical work within the intersections of race, gender, and class. Her work, though well documented, remains undertheorized. This study seeks to explore DeVerne’s life and work through Black feminist theory and Critical Race Theory’s tenets of intersectionality and interest convergence, ultimately tracing her actions as a public intellectual. Written as an educational biography, …

The Impact Of Direct Instruction At English Learner Instructional Sites Compared To Indirect Instruction At English Learner Support Sites, Lauren Shim

Dissertations

Approximately one in every ten public school students in the United States is considered an English learner (Sanchez, 2017). It has also been determined that the English learner population is one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States (Gibson, 2016). This study focused on a school district in the Midwest region of the United States, where approximately 4% of the student population was classified as English learners, and the population had been steadily growing since 2014 (School District Manual, 2019). This Midwestern school district offered a unique English learner program by transporting students to specific Instructional Sites for English …