Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Experiences Of Teachers In A Bilingual Immersion Environment, Paloma Cordova

Doctoral Dissertations

The following qualitative study provides a theoretical analysis of teachers’ experiences and interactions at a progressive Mandarin immersion school. Missing from the current literature based on immersion education are the narratives of teachers, specifically international teachers from diverse teaching backgrounds in foreign language settings. An integration of Mandarin and a progressive framework is unique and therefore illuminating their voices is vital to the field of education specifically as they contribute to the growth of prospective mandarin immersion schools in the US. This study included fifteen participants who identified the ways in which their own personal reflections as pedagogues changed over …

A Convergence Of Conceptual Frameworks: Neurocognitive, Metacognitive And Social Cultural Techniques In Vocabulary Teaching And Learning, Malihe Eshghavi

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study investigated the effectiveness of neurocognitive, metacognitive and sociocultural techniques in vocabulary instruction at the high-intermediate level of English as a second language learners’ vocabulary learning and recall at a community college in Northern California. While previous studies offered and demonstrated different methods, those studies emphasized only one particular vocabulary learning modality. As a result, most ESL learners learn vocabulary passively but not actively. No study has proposed to explore the inclusion of the neurocognitive, metacognitive and sociocultural techniques on vocabulary learning and recall, in order to analyze the resulting effects of these proposed instruction techniques among …

A Reanalyses Of Intercorrelational Matrices Of Visual And Verbal Learners' Abilities, Cognitive Styles, And Learning Preferences, Jeanette Marie Fox

Doctoral Dissertations

In psychology and education, the visual-verbal conceptual distinction is a widely studied bipolar contrast, and this distinction has been the subject of much debate. There are two main issues: One is a construct-validity issue related to the extent that scores from a test measuring the visual- and verbal-conceptual distinction accurately reflect the construct being measured, and the second one is an issue related to the use of different data analysis methods that collect and analyze the data from the visual and verbal measurements. To help resolve these issues, this study examined 21 individual intercorrelation matrices that were illustrative of the …

Counter-Narratives: Haitians In Economic Transition, Patricia Barthaud

Doctoral Dissertations

The stories of Haiti and the Haitian people have often been filtered through the sensibilities of those who are not of that nation nor of African ancestry. Haitian people deserve the opportunity to tell their authentic stories of their lived realities. This study presents the stories of a small group of Haitian young people under the age of 40 who incorporated their passions into viable work to improve economic circumstances for themselves, their communities, and their country. Based upon narrative inquiry, data collection included interviews, observations, and documents gathered in Haiti. The results produced a complex portrait of participants who …

Decolonizing Education: Using Mother Tongue And English Side By Side In Nigeria, Omobola Wusu

Doctoral Dissertations

Nigerians lack access to effective mother tongue education (MTE) at all levels of their schooling. It is well established that cognitive and educational benefits are achieved if one’s mother tongue (MT) is used as the medium of education. This study aimed to determine how adult Nigerians around the world who had been deprived of using their mother tongues (MTs) in their education reflect on their past experiences with negative messages or colonial language ideologies received in school. Also, it explored how these past experiences have shaped their positive MT identities, their MT experiences, and their perspectives on MTE. In this …

Fuzzy Logistic Regression For Detecting Differential Dna Methylation Regions, Tarek M. Bubaker Bennaser

Doctoral Dissertations

“Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene activity or function that are not related to a change in the DNA sequence. DNA methylation is one of the main types of epigenetic modifications, that occur when a methyl chemical group attaches to a cytosine on the DNA sequence. Although the sequence does not change, the addition of a methyl group can change the way genes are expressed and produce different phenotypes. DNA methylation is involved in many biological processes and has important implications in the fields of biomedicine and agriculture.

Statistical methods have been developed to compare DNA methylation at …

The Development Of A Project Typology And Selection Tool To Improve Decision-Making In Sustainable Projects, Rakan Alyamani

Doctoral Dissertations

"Decision-making in sustainable projects is a complex and challenging process, especially during the initiating and planning phases of project development, due to influence from several external factors, as well as the uncertain environments surrounding their creation. It is essential to improve the decision-making process in sustainable projects during these two phases by relying on strong decision-making tools. The first contribution in this work identifies gaps in the literature of how institutionalization can impact sustainable projects through the effects of institutional isomorphisms from institutional theory. This helps decision makers better understand the relationship between institutionalization and sustainable projects. The second contribution …

Inequity And Resistance: Latinx Students And The College Readiness Process, Israel Velez

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study used Youth Participatory Action Research and Community Cultural Wealth Framework (Yosso, 2005) to understand how Vamos a La Universidad (VALU), a high school bilingual college preparation program, impacts first-generation Latinx ninth grade students’ community cultural wealth and understanding about college. This study expands our understanding of how Latinx students interpret the college preparation process after participating in a college preparation program and emphasizes the importance of students’ cultural background and social contacts in their college readiness process. This study proposes new initiatives to add to Latinx students’ college learning process and increase the students’ interest in continuing …

Head Labeling Preference And Language Change, Marcin R. Dadan

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores a cross-linguistic trend of a diachronic loss of obligatory syntactic movement, which includes the loss of phrasal movement, as in the new observation regarding the unidirectionality of wh-dependency changes—always from fronting to in-situ (e.g. Old to Modern Japanese, Archaic to Modern Mandarin, or Latin to Modern Romance, as well as the loss of head-movement, e.g. V-to-T in English or Swedish. I propose a unified explanation for these changes based on the preference for head-phrase {H,YP} configurations from the perspective of labeling (Chomsky 2013). I argue that the pressures imposed by Labeling Algorithm to maximize head-phrase configuration …

Harry Potter And Queering The College Classroom, Hannah Yanow

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation reimagines the college classroom through a queer pedagogical practice that, I argue, results in a queer space. Through a mixed method study that utilized duoethnography and student survey, I find that queer pedagogy, or the resistance of heteronormativity, challenging binaries, welcoming the student’s lived experience as fodder for learning academic concepts, paired with a beloved fantasy text such as Harry Potter, can be a medium with which to deconstruct the traditional college classroom and reconstruct a queer space that encourages student self-authorship and questioning of the traditional hierarchy in higher education. The data suggests that queering the college …

The Role Of Environment On Second Language Pragmatic Comprehension: A Case Study Of Intensive English Program Students In Homestays, Sarah Mcgregor

Doctoral Dissertations

There is insufficient research on the role of homestay accommodations on the development of pragmatic comprehension of students in intensive English programs (IEPs). This case study conducted in San Jose, California explored the experiences and perceptions of four IEP students in response to these questions: (1) In what ways do IEP students and their host families understand the role of homestays as part of their English language development? (2) What are IEP students’ in homestays awareness and comprehension of conversational implicatures? Research data included separate pre- and post-interviews with four students and a member of their host families, five student …

Exploration Of The Behavioral, Electrophysiological, And Psychometric Effects Of Kth Speech-Tracking Training In Noise In Normal Hearing Adults, Michael Kurth

Doctoral Dissertations

Looking at hearing loss through the WHO-ICD model for disability reveals that auditory interventions do not necessarily address all of the components of auditory disability. Auditory training has been proposed as a solution to address activity-level deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine structure- and activity-level changes as the result of auditory training for normal hearing individuals training in the presence of noise. Thirty adults with normal hearing were placed into three experimental groups: A group engaging in active auditory training in noise, a group listening to speech material in noise, and a control group that performed no …

Examining The Role Of Resolution To Diagnosis In Intervention Engagement For Early Diagnosed Children With Asd, Cara Cordeaux

Doctoral Dissertations

A large body of research indicates that early intervention leads to better outcomes in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); yet, research on parent factors that influence intervention engagement is sparse, though emphasized in recent literature that examines the impact of receiving a child’s diagnosis on parents’ mental health and well-being. Examination of the relationship between parent adaptation to a child’s diagnosis (resolution to diagnosis) and intervention engagement as well as factors that may influence parent resolution provides important information about parent psychological processes and their impact on real-life behaviors. We examined these factors in parents of children diagnosed at …

Exploring The Nexus Between Bilingual Learning, Emotions, And Creativity: A Case Study Of A Former Korean Bilingual Student’S Creative Artifact (Book), Mihyun Han

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study explores how a student creative artifact, (a book, developed by a Korean bilingual student, named Jinwoo) in an U.S. elementary school made a lasting contribution within and beyond the school community. Jinwoo’s book offers creative insights into Korean emergent bilingual students’ learning experiences in the U.S English-only classrooms. This study explores and documents how a student generated artifact can be used to illustrate and scaffold intense emotional learning experiences, serve as a vehicle for creative expressions, and provide a lens for understanding of Korean emergent bilingual students’ learning experiences in English-only U.S. school contexts. A theoretical process …

Scan Statistics For Detecting A Local Change In The Scale Parameter For Gamma Random Variables, Qian Meng

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation scan statistics for detecting a local change in the scale parameter for gamma and exponential random variables are investigated for both one dimensional and two dimensional cases. The shape parameter is assumed to be known for the gamma random variables. When the size of the window where the local change occurs is known but the scale parameter in null hypothesis is unknown, conditional fixed window scan statistics are proposed. When the true window size is unknown, conditional multiple window minimum $p$-value scan statistics and variable window scan statistics based on generalized likelihood ratio test principle are developed. …

Sexual Aggression In Greek Life: Perceptions, Definitions, And Recommendations For Prevention, Lauren Moss-Racusin

Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual aggression is a major public health issue in higher education settings. The overall objective of this study was to examine whether Greek-affiliated students differ from unaffiliated students in how they view sexual aggression, and in what types of strategies they believe could reduce it. This information can enhance the effectiveness of prevention efforts by facilitating more targeted and engaging programming. A convenience sample of 450 undergraduate students at a large public university in the northeastern United States completed a survey on their views of sexual aggression, including its meaning, severity, frequency, contributing factors, reporting, and importance. They also made …

Borderlands Of Teenage Mothering: Life Stories Of Latinx Teen Mothers From A Critical Feminist Perspective, Ashley Burciaga

Doctoral Dissertations

Borderlands of Teenage Mothering: Life Stories of Latinx Teen Mothers from a Critical Feminist Perspective Rather than trying to understand and support teenage mothers, society has stigmatized and marginalized them, even more so for women of color. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of teenage mothers of color as they reflected back on their teenage years in school, at home, and in their communities. Participants were asked to photograph people, places, and things that reminded them of their time as a teen mom. Open-ended semi-structured interview questions along with photo elicitation were implemented to support the …

Contralto Marian Anderson As Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie Rocke

Doctoral Dissertations

Marian Anderson was an internationally-acclaimed contralto and goodwill ambassador for the United States government. In her role as a political asset, she utilized her talents to evoke a perception of the United States that differed from past assessments involving race relations. To provide an understanding of how she became an icon and asset to the State Department, three theoretical frameworks are applied—performativity, prototype, and social semiotics. In classical theories of performativity, classification separates us into categories and hierarchies, while concepts help us to categorize, understand, and predict the material world. Scholars have defined identity as a series of citational acts …

Implementing A Dropout Prevention Program To Improve Student Outcomes In A Title I School, Melissa Berggren

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Narratives Between English-Speaking Indian And Us Children And Adults, Manya Jyotishi

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

The Trumpet Music Of Eric Nathan, David Wharton

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the trumpet works of composer Eric Nathan in terms of their technical and notational elements. This analysis develops an understanding of the musical vocabulary and techniques that will provide insight into the structure, style, and performance of this repertoire and in doing so to discover a historical perspective of the trumpet’s role within solo and chamber music genres in the 21st century. Through this analysis, I suggest that Nathan's music pushed the technical, and therefore expressive boundaries of the instrument. While not exhaustive, the analysis of Cantus, Four Sculptures, and Toying will …

Euromodernity's Undertone: On Reconceptualizing Political Speech, Derefe Chevannes

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation contends speech is indispensable to politics. It begins with Aristotle, whose conception of political speech grounds our modern understanding. I argue the Aristotelian position is colonizing insofar as it essentializes speech as sound. The consequence is that speech becomes phonocentric, privileging a particular mode of communication. This raises the issue of Deaf subjects who engage politics in non-phonocentric ways. That is, their speech is seen in what I contend is a visual vernacular. Subsequently, I turn to the issue of race. If Deaf subjects raise questions about what it means to speak, Black subjects, who speak audibly and …

Marriage And Family Therapist Websites: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Thomas Bischoff

Doctoral Dissertations

The positive benefits of therapy are well-established (Duberstein et al., 2018) and therapy continues to make significant strides with regard to therapeutic outcomes. However, little is known regarding client initiation processes as well as how therapists reach out to potential clients. Clients present with a variety of challenges, and researchers and clinicians struggle with creating ways to increase access to care, reach out to potential clients, and engage individuals in therapy services. Nevertheless, therapist engagement and connection with the client can have a significant impact (Sexton, Littauer, Sexton, & Tømmerås, 2005). Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are uniquely trained and …

Degrees And Deflationism, Jared Henderson

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the limits of deflationary theories of truth and offers in their place a degree-theoretic conception of truth. The primary focus is on the intersections of theories of truth and theories of linguistic meaning, particularly as found in contemporary linguistics. I offer two degree theories: one substantive and one deflationary. It is argued that the substantive theory is the best descriptive theory of truth, but that the deflationary theory is an attractive revisionary theory.

The Impact Of Developmental Level On The Emergence Of Autism Symptoms: Implications For Diagnosing Children With Low Mental Age, Lauren Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is complicated in children with low mental age (low MA; cognitive functioning below a 12-month level) due to the way in which diagnostic measures function in this group, and due to limited understanding of symptom presentation in children with low MA. Indeed, no commercially available ASD diagnostic tools are designed or recommended for use in children below 12 months. Utility of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) in discriminating ASD from Global Developmental Delay (GDD), as well as symptom profiles measured by individual ADOS item scores, were …

Perspectives Of Augmentative-Alternative Communication Users Regarding Their Experiences And Perceived Barriers To Engagement In Higher Education, Heather Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigated the higher education experience of students who communicate via augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) due to having severe speech impairments. Research questions addressed how the students interact with others in the higher education setting, and the presence and nature of any barriers to full participation in academic and nonacademic activities. Using a qualitative case study design, data obtained from personal interviews and questionnaires were analyzed and interpreted based on the theoretical perspectives of critical disability theory and Astin’s model of student involvement. Key themes included issues with communication; challenges associated with disability; and policy and practice, specifically the role …

Stakeholders’ Conceptions Of Giftedness, Ashley Y. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations

In the world of gifted education, educators must first find students who qualify for gifted services. Various stakeholders in public elementary education often nominate students for gifted identification and ultimately gifted programs. It is important to determine if stakeholders’ conceptions of giftedness are the same or different, as conceptions influence actions. There is substantial research on teachers’ conceptions of giftedness but limited research on parents’ conceptions of giftedness. The purpose of this study was to explore stakeholders’ conceptions of giftedness and answer the research question: How do stakeholder groups describe giftedness? Participants included parents of elementary gifted students (n …

Null Operators And Parameter Setting, Ryosuke Hattori

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis investigates cross-linguistic variation regarding null operator (Op) movement constructions, in particular comparatives and tough constructions, focusing on their syntactic structure and their acquisition by children. Through a cross-linguistic survey, I show that Degree Clausal Comparatives (DCC) and English-type tough constructions are not allowed in languages without articles. I argue that due to lack of the DP layer, such languages cannot form a Complex Null Op (CNO), which I argue is necessary in the derivation of such constructions. In terms of parameter setting in language acquisition, an English-learner, then, would have to switch the value to a more marked …

Application Of Computational Intelligence To Explore And Analyze System Architecture And Design Alternatives, Gene Lesinski

Doctoral Dissertations

"Systems Engineering involves the development or improvement of a system or process from effective need to a final value-added solution. Rapid advances in technology have led to development of sophisticated and complex sensor-enabled, remote, and highly networked cyber-technical systems. These complex modern systems present several challenges for systems engineers including: increased complexity associated with integration and emergent behavior, multiple and competing design metrics, and an expansive design parameter solution space. This research extends the existing knowledge base on multi-objective system design through the creation of a framework to explore and analyze system design alternatives employing computational intelligence. The first research …

Long-Term Effects Of Teacher Training And Other Intervening Factors On Teaching Styles Of Foreign-Language Instructors, Hamid Mohammed-Ahmed

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the long-term effects of a learner-centered-oriented-teacher training on teaching styles of foreign-language instructors at a multilanguage institute to assess the relationship between the training and the teaching practice. A mixed-method design was employed, and the data were collected from 165 participants who took the Principles of Adult Learning Style (Conti, 1978, 2004) and who provided their written reflections on the training, in addition to follow-up interviews with 12 language instructors. Results of one-sample t tests showed statistically significant differences between the teaching styles of language instructors at the institute and the general population of adult educators indicating …