Digital Commons Network^™

Community College Advisors' Understandings And Uses Of Colorado Statewide Transfer Articulation Policy, Paul Eric Giberson

Dissertations

This interpretivist descriptive case study examines how community college academic advisors understand and use Colorado statewide transfer articulation policy (STAP) in their work with transfer students. Using systems theory to analyze data collected through 28 semi-structured individual interviews, document review, and field notes, I describe how academic advisors at a selected two-year institution understand and use STAP. The final product includes a rich and thick description of the findings presented through a systems theory framework. Among this study’s primary findings is that academic advisors’ understandings of STAP affects the ways they use articulation. Participants understand that STAP can improve advising …

Preparation Of Clinical Nurse Educators Using Simulation: Developing Competencies In Providing Feedback, Julie Susanne Fitzwater

Dissertations

Nursing students require a competent nurse educator to support and evaluate their performance in order to learn and grow. Frequently, nurses who enter into educator roles are not prepared to support and evaluate nursing students. An important competency for nurse educators is the ability to give effective formative feedback in a supportive learning environment. Nurse educators who are not prepared for the teaching role might negatively impact the educational experience and preparation of nursing students. Simulation could be an effective method for developing evidence-based teaching competencies in nurse educators but there is limited evidence about this topic in the literature. …

Bayesian Approach Of Joint Models Of Longitudinal Outcomes And Informative Time, Adbullah Ahmed Zaagan

Dissertations

Longitudinal studies are commonly encountered in a variety of research areas in which the scientific interest is in the pattern of change in a response variable over time. In longitudinal data analyses, a number of methods have been proposed. Most of the traditional longitudinal methods assume that the independent variables are the same across all subjects. It is commonly assumed that time intervals for collecting outcomes are predetermined and have no information regarding the measured variables. However, in practice, researchers might occasionally have irregular time intervals and informative time, which violate the above assumptions. Hence, if traditional statistical methods are …

Implementing Social And Emotional Learning In Rural Colorado Schools: A Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Impetuses And Challenges, Jimmie Robert Charles Phillips

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the circumstances of rural Colorado schools that impact SEL implementation. The research also sought to determine the relationship between impetus for implementation and levels of achieved implementation as well as the relationship between implementation challenges and achieved levels of implementation. A survey of 113 school leaders provided data about these relationships. The findings supported current literature about the difficulties of implementing SEL and about rural school challenges in general. The results indicate that leaders who observed best practices in SEL at the building-wide and classroom level also rated themselves as having higher …

Socio-Emotional And Socio-Cultural Perceptions Of Young Women And Their Interests In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Danielle Ann Riney

Dissertations

School districts across the United States have begun to focus on the holistic learning of their students. At the top of that focus is student learning in socio-emotional and socio-cultural areas, in addition to content areas. This dissertation utilized an explanatory sequential design mixed methodology to explore the socio-emotional competence and socio-cultural perspectives of middles school students in STEM. Through a Likert scale survey and open-ended question, responses of 137 students were gathered to complete factor analysis, compute descriptive analysis, and calculate statistical differences found between genders through the use of t-tests to quantitatively answer research questions one and two. …

Caring About More Than Grades And Test Scores: The Work Of Reputationally Caring Teachers, Gregory Max Chalfin

Dissertations

Using Nel Noddings’ definition of care as a theoretical framework (2005) alongside Elliot Eisner’s ecology of schooling (1988), this study examined how “reputationally caring” teachers approached assessment in their classrooms and their reasons for doing so. These topics were explored through interviewing and observing participants, in addition to analyzing documents related to their methods of assessment, utilizing the research methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship. This qualitative study include four “reputationally caring” teachers. The term “reputational care” is of the author’s creation and refers to those teachers who are known by various school constituents: parents, students, colleagues, and administrators as …

An Activity Theory Approach To Examining The Implications Of Developmental Mathematics Reform At An Urban Community College, Jennifer Ruth Zakotnik-Gutierrez

Dissertations

Developmental mathematics courses, designed to provide remediation for students who are identified as having skills below the college level, have long been a mainstay in community colleges. These courses fill a need and effectively prepare some students for college level math courses, providing access to mathematics courses and college programs they otherwise would not have had. However, a large majority of students experience developmental mathematics as a gatekeeper, rather than a gateway, to higher courses. As such, the status quo of traditional developmental mathematics programs is inequitable, denying access to college-level courses. Recognizing this equity issue as necessitating institutional change, …

Comparative Host Response And Gene Regulation In Deer Mice And Syrian Golden Hamsters During Acute Infection With Modoc Virus, Tyler Sherman

Dissertations

Flaviviruses (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) comprise a diverse group of globally-distributed viruses that may specifically infect vertebrates, invertebrates, or both. Of those that can replicate in both invertebrates (such as ticks and mosquitoes) as well as vertebrates (such as mammals), many represent important human pathogens. Examples of these include dengue virus (DENV), which may cause severe hemorrhagic fevers, West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and Zika virus (ZIKV), all of which may cause febrile illness with neurologic involvement, and yellow fever virus (YFV), which may induce hepatic dysfunction. Given that these viruses (among others) are carried and transmitted …

Coaching College Students To Thrive: Exploring Coaching Practices In Higher Education, Alicia Sepulveda

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how trained, four-year success coaches perceive their coaching practice with students in higher education, particularly in the context of their meetings. While coaching programs have proliferated, little is known about coaching as a practice in higher education and it is difficult to generalize findings because professionals are ‘coaching’ in different ways. Some academic coaches in the field have stated they were given a title, but they are not ‘coaching’ (Sepulveda, 2017). Little is known about coaching as a practice, and this study will help to fill this gap. Taking a narrative approach, …

The Influence Of Care: An Exploration Of Student And Teacher Experiences, Allison Marie Schnell

Dissertations

An exploration of caring relationships among students and teachers, what the relationships look like, and how the relationships impact teachers, students, and classroom culture is the focus of this portrayed case study. A constructivist epistemology and an interpretivist paradigm form the conceptual framework, both of which align with the theoretical frameworks of Attachment Theory, Care Theory, and Self-Determination Theory. The research questions focus on how care is enacted within the classroom setting, with a focus on one teacher and seven students within an alternative high school setting. Research questions guiding this research are: (a) What is the nature of caring …

The Haves And The Have Nots: How Disparities In Social Capital Impact The Postsecondary Decision Processes Of Seniors At A Midwestern High School, Patricia M. Closson

Dissertations

High school is the time when final preparations are made prior to embarking on postsecondary opportunities—enrollment in two or four-year colleges/ universities or vocational training programs, enlistment in the military, or employment. These decisions become based on resources, information, and networks—forms of social capital. By conceptualizing within-school differences among the student population, the experiences of the haves and have nots are shared to highlight the impact of social capital disparities on the postsecondary decision-making process. Through qualitative research, the researcher analyzed data culled from interviews with both student and parent participants in a medium-sized Midwestern high school by examining postsecondary …

The Relationship Between Efficacy And Teacher Turnover Intent, Bradley J. Kolwyck

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between efficacy and teacher turnover intent in small, poor, rural schools. The researcher focuses on small, poor, rural schools in a Midwest state in the United States due to the state’s annual teacher turnover rate (16.4%) which mirrors the national rate. A sample of 730 teachers was solicited to participate in the study through their building principal with a final response of N = 220 participating. This non-experimental study explores the relationship between efficacy (independent variable) and turnover intent (dependent variable) by collecting data utilizing the online platform of Survey …

Patterns And Perceptions Of Academic Librarian Deference Behavior: A Mixed Methods Study, Lyda Fontes Mccartin

Dissertations

Literature on academic librarians has indicated that academic librarians take a subservient role to disciplinary faculty and defer to disciplinary faculty in the context of information literacy instruction regardless of their own expertise (Downey, 2016; Julien & Pecoskie, 2009). This deferential relationship has not been explored in any meaningful way; thus, the behavior that is most negatively influencing librarian-disciplinary faculty relationships has been disregarded. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore academic librarian deference behavior in order to understand how the behavior manifests. Specifically, this study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design with the participant selection …

A Comparison Of Different Reflective Modalities Of Pre-Service Music Education Student Teachers, Yolanda Marie Chatwood

Dissertations

Reflective practice for teachers has become a significant area of interest in education literature and research (Coulson & Homewood, 2016; Loughran, 2002; & Wilson & Clarke, 2004). Student teaching allows pre-service teachers to practice instructional skills through their successes and failures. One way to examine these successes and failures is through reflective practices. Reflection allows for a pre-service teacher to study their habits, planning, and choices towards what would be the most effective plan for their students. The practice of reflection has been researched and shown to be useful for teachers in all areas of education, including music. The purpose …

Perceptions Regarding The Effectiveness Of Co-Teaching Practices To Support Students With Learning Disabilities In Secondary Inclusive Classrooms: Case Study, Aeshah Abdullah Alsarawi

Dissertations

Despite the prevalence of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) and using co-teaching in inclusive classrooms, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of co-teaching for these students in the secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to expand the research on supporting secondary students with SLDs in co-taught inclusive settings. More specifically, the researcher examined the perceptions of students and co-teachers regarding the co-teaching practices to support students with SLDs after conducting classroom observations. The study took place in a high school located in Colorado. The participants included seven co-teachers, four students with …

Exploring The Prevalence Of Suboptimal Effort Among Children And Adolescents On Psychoeducational Evaluations, Kayla Jo Singleton

Dissertations

This study represents one of the first known studies to explore suboptimal effort in children and adolescents as part of psychoeducational evaluations conducted within a school setting. Only recently has attention been given to pediatric performance validity testing. With the assistance of five credentialed school psychologists across two midwestern states, 52 students were administered the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) as part of their psychoeducational evaluation. The findings of the current study suggested that 19.2% of these students failed Trial 2 on the TOMM, a suggested indicator of suboptimal performance. Furthermore, school psychologists’ ratings of observed effort did not correlate …

Bless Our Hearts: Towards A Model For Queer Oral History, Colin Whitworth

Dissertations

This dissertation offers an outlined proposal and a model for practicing queer oral history—a nuancing of oral history praxis. Queer oral history is rooted in performance studies’ call to consider everyday texts alongside Dwight Conquergood’s (1985) articulations of ethical and dialogic performance of the other. I propose that queer oral history exists as an alternative praxis to traditional oral history; in order for this distinction to emerge, a practitioner must accept two charges. The first is a commitment to destabilizing oral history through the inclusion of other diverse methodological practices. Further, the researcher must welcome the ethical imperative to reflexively …

An Examination Of The Night Burn Clinic Transition To Nurse Practitioner Coverage, Kevin J. Maxwell Dnp, Fnp-Bc

Dissertations

Background/Significance: Burns are dynamic, evolving wounds requiring prompt attention and treatment (Morgan et al., 2018). Many studies have been conducted comparing physician outcomes to those of APNs showing no difference (McCleery, Christensen, Peterson, Humphrey, & Helfand, 2011; Naylor & Kurtzman, 2010; Pioro et al., 2001; Roche, Gardner, & Jack, 2017; Spetz, Skillman, & Andrilla, 2017). Time delays which allow for progression of the injury have a negative impact on patient outcomes. Any pathway allowing for quicker review of the burn by a burn specialist should be welcomed (Kelly et al., 2013). APNs can augment physician efforts and expand access to …

Health Care Access And Utilization By U.S. Farmworkers, Genesis Bojorquez

Dissertations

Background: Agriculture industry has the highest fatality rate among all United States industries. Farmworkers experience high rates of occupational injury, illness, and mortality, yet have limited access to health care. Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 increased health care accessibility and broadened farmworker eligibility for health insurance, yet no study has measured the impact of the ACA upon U.S. farmworkers.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine health care access and health care services utilization among U.S. farmworkers following the implementation of the ACA in 2010.

Specific Aims:

1. Apply the …

Regional Differences In Wild North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Behavior And Communication, Sarah Walkley

Dissertations

This study focuses on the vocalization repertoires of wild North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in New York and California. Although they are the same species, these two established populations of river otters are separated by a significant distance and are distinct from one another. River otters are semi-aquatic social predators that can be found throughout North America. This is the first study to examine the vocalizations of wild river otters, and results are compared across field sites in the different regions. River otter vocalizations and behaviors in New York were recorded using Bushnell Aggressor trail cameras that …

Agonistic Grooming In Multiple Lemur Species, Jennie L. Christopher

Dissertations

Social behaviors are represented in every animal species regardless of the level of sociability found in the species. At the very least, conspecifics must interact for the continuation of the species. Depending on species, social behavior could merely consist of mating and territorial disputes, it could consist of a multitude of social behaviors that provide a way of navigating a complex societal structure, or it could consist of any level of interaction between those extremes. However, the behaviors that make up these social repertoires are not universal across species. They could differ in either the form or function of the …

An Investigation Of The Impacts Of Traditional, Virtual, And Hybrid Biological Laboratories On College Students’ Achievement And Motivation To Learn Biology, Shavonda Jackson

Dissertations

Virtual courses function in a different manner than traditional courses, therefore they require teaching methods and assessment techniques geared specifically to maximize this learning experience. Internet-based learning and distance-education are no longer new concepts in the science field. Because of this, many collegiate biology programs have created courses that can be taken virtual or hybrid. A number of experimental studies have had great influence in terms of the effects and impacts of educational technology in relation to virtual laboratories.

However, not many studies emphasize the impact of hybrid laboratories on student achievement or assess students’ motivation to learn in a …

Geochemical Tracers Of Arctic Ocean Processes: A Study Of Gallium, Barium, And Vanadium, Laura M. Whitmore

Dissertations

The Arctic Ocean is linked to the global oceans and climate through its connectivity with the North Atlantic Ocean and the regional thermohaline deep water formation sites. It’s also a region undergoing rapid environmental change. To inform the community of potential changes in geochemical and biogeochemical cycles, this dissertation addresses three dissolved geochemical tracers (gallium, barium, and vanadium) as indicators of Arctic Ocean processes. Gallium is tested as a replacement for nutrient-type tracers in an effort to deconvolve Pacific and Atlantic derived waters in the Arctic Ocean basins. These water masses carry different heat and salt content and can influence …

Establishment Of Organoids From Gastric Stem Cells And Their Use To Study The Role Of Aryl-Hydrocarbon Receptors, Shakila Afroz Taleb

Dissertations

Stem cells are powerful tools in different aspects of biomedical and translational research, including disease modelling, drug testing, and tissue engineering for regenerative medicine. However, isolation and culture of organ-specific stem cells are challenging tasks. Therefore, the biological features of many adult stem cells are not well studied and their involvement in the development of cancer is still controversial. Some immortal stem cell lines have been established and used as an alternative to studying features of organ-specific stem cells. The ability to grow cells in a scaffold-free, three-dimensional (3D) model system that mimics in vivo conditions would help in revealing …

Perceptions Of Secondary School Special Education Teachers Of Their Preparation For Coteaching, Vicki Zands

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe and explain how secondary school special education teachers perceived that their special education teacher education programs prepared them to work as part of a coteaching team and how secondary special educators described the benefits and challenges of working as part of a coteaching team and sought secondary special education teachers’ recommendations for how teacher education programs could better prepare candidates to serve as members of a coteaching team.

Methodology: A qualitative multicase study was used. The researcher conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews with 12 secondary-level special education teachers who were …

Consumer Assessment Of Healthcare Providers And Systems In A Psychiatry Practice, Treacy Williams

Dissertations

Problem: Patient-centered care improves healthcare. Patient surveys are instruments used to assess the patient’s experience and is essential to providing patient-centered care. The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to assess patient perceptions of care delivered by nurse practitioner (NP) providers in a psychiatric mental health practice.

Methods: An observational, descriptive design with a customized Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey administered in an outpatient psychiatric mental health practice for six weeks. A structure, process, outcomes framework was used. The structure of study was care delivered by the NP, the process of interest was communication …

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Occupational Stress And Longevity As Perceived By Special Education Teachers Who Teach Students In Special Day Classes With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Chukwuka Bandele

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceived occupational stressors experienced by moderate to severe teachers of special day class (SDC) in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and how these stressors affect teacher longevity. An additional purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of moderate to severe teachers of SDC setting on the importance of (EI) characteristics-self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management on their management of occupational stressors and longevity in the teaching profession.

Methodology: The study used a qualitative phenomenological research design to explore the occupational stressors of special education …

Cyber Security In Mental Health: An Assessment Of Current Practice And Behavioral Intent, Richard Hamilton Stotts

Dissertations

Mental health practitioners rely on digital systems to interact with and in some instances treat patients (Hydari, Telang, & Marella, 2015; Recupero, & Rainey, 2005). Yet, while widespread use of digital devices provides significant practical advantages, that same use exacerbates the possibility of a cyber breach (Guterman, 1999). This research describes mental health practitioners’ current cyber security practices and the factors influencing their behavioral intentions to implement cyber security within clinical mental health settings. Factors assessed included knowledge, self-efficacy, norms, threat awareness and penalties. Mental health practitioners (n = 210) from across the United States formed the sample population, received …

Emotional Intelligence: An Essential Ingredient For Principals To Successfully Implement The Big Picture Learning 10 Distinguishers, Amos Nugent Iii

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this mixed methods descriptive case study was to explore and describe the importance of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management EI characteristics as perceived by principals when implementing the 10 learning distinguishers of Big Picture Learning (BPL) schools’ conceptual framework in order to support the academic success of ninth- to 12th-grade students attending BPL alternative education schools in the Southwestern United States.

Methodology. This mixed methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the research questions regarding the importance of EI characteristics when supporting student academic success according to alternative education principals. The …

Investigating Drivers Of Genetic Structure In Plants: Global, Regional And Local Scales, Diana Gamba-Moreno

Dissertations

Genetic structure within and among plant populations is a critical component of plant biodiversity, informing local adaptation, conservation, and incipient speciation. However, its drivers remain poorly understood, especially across different spatial scales. In my dissertation I examined factors that affect plant population genetic structure at global, regional, and local scales. At the global scale, I performed a literature review of population genetic differentiation (F_ST) in seed plants based on a 337-species dataset with data on F_ST and species traits. Using phylogenetic multiple regressions, I found that F_ST is higher for tropical, mixed-mating, non-woody species pollinated by …