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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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The Relationship Between The Number Of Hours Taken In A Senior Practicum Course In Prelicensure Nursing Education And The Score Of Preception Of Professional Competence By The Newly Graduated Nurse, Arlene Holowaychuk Apr 2018

The Relationship Between The Number Of Hours Taken In A Senior Practicum Course In Prelicensure Nursing Education And The Score Of Preception Of Professional Competence By The Newly Graduated Nurse, Arlene Holowaychuk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study determined whether there is a relationship between the number of direct acute care hours completed in a senior practicum course during pre-licensure nursing education and the scores of perception of Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) in newly graduated nurses between the third and sixth month of employment. A sample of new hires of newly graduated nurses within a large, nonprofit healthcare system was used. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained from Liberty University’s IRB and the healthcare organization’s IRB prior to the survey being sent out to prospective participants and data collected. A non-experimental, correlational design was used …


Effect Of School Level On Teacher Perceptions Of Sst/Rti Effectiveness (K-12), Within A Northwest Georgia School System, Susan R. Tolbert Mar 2018

Effect Of School Level On Teacher Perceptions Of Sst/Rti Effectiveness (K-12), Within A Northwest Georgia School System, Susan R. Tolbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to evaluate the effect of school level (primary, elementary, middle, and high school) on teacher perceptions of Student Support Team and Response to Intervention within a Northwest Georgia school system. Understanding these differences in perceptions will allow educational leaders to create meaningful staff development for mandated programs for all certified staff. This study will utilize demographic information, 21 survey questions, and two multiple-choice questions to analyze the differences in perceptions among primary, elementary, middle, and high school certified staff in regards to SST and RTI. Analysis will involve the use of an ANOVA …


Factors That Contribute To Job Satisfaction And Teacher Retention In Title I Versus Non-Title I Elementary Schools, Janice Tolliver Mar 2018

Factors That Contribute To Job Satisfaction And Teacher Retention In Title I Versus Non-Title I Elementary Schools, Janice Tolliver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The public school systems in the United States are facing a major teacher shortage in the near future due to the fact that teachers are leaving the profession by the thousands each year. It is imperative that this trend is stopped and reversed to ensure that quality teachers remain in schools. The current study employed a causal-comparative design to determine if working conditions in Title I schools versus non-Title I schools were associated with teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention using the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NC TWC) Survey. The qualifications of the selected participants were that they were …


Exploring A Project Management Dilemma: A Case Study Examining The Shortage Of Qualified Project Personnel In A Four-Year Research University, Francine Lyken Mar 2018

Exploring A Project Management Dilemma: A Case Study Examining The Shortage Of Qualified Project Personnel In A Four-Year Research University, Francine Lyken

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Qualified individuals are an essential resource of project teams. A primary goal of the project manager is to ensure appropriate team members are hired to meet project objectives and stakeholder expectations. However, this is not always the case since a shortage of qualified project personnel seldom occurs, and prevents the project from being completed successfully. The project personnel shortage problem is prevalent in a four-year research university as inaccessibility to qualified individuals threatens the project deadline and delivery to sponsors. Research suggested these qualified individuals are recruited to provide scientific and technical expertise to academic projects. They possess knowledge and …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of Women Entrepreneurs' Attitudes And Views On Establishing A Mentoring Relationship, John Rollins Mar 2018

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Women Entrepreneurs' Attitudes And Views On Establishing A Mentoring Relationship, John Rollins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the attitudes and views of women entrepreneurs on establishing a mentoring relationship. Despite the stated advantages of establishing a mentoring relationship, including improving entrepreneurs’ chances of business success, organizational growth, and leadership development, over 50% of novice women entrepreneurs do not establish a mentoring relationship. The researcher conducted 22 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with women entrepreneurs in the wedding industry. All participants had a positive attitude towards establishing a mentoring relationship and stated that mentoring would increase novice women entrepreneurs’ chance of business success, organizational growth, and leadership development. Most participants believed a mentor would enhance …


Financial Literacy And Accountability Within Black Baptist Churches, Joanne Suttington Mar 2018

Financial Literacy And Accountability Within Black Baptist Churches, Joanne Suttington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the lack of financial literacy and accountability of church leaders within black Baptist Church in fulfilling their financial stewardship responsibilities in overseeing the church’s resources. In order for churches to grow both spiritually and financially, the church leaders are critical to the overall success and sustainability of the organization. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the stewardship theory, which implied that church leaders would perform as responsible stewards in managing the church’s resources. In this study, the researcher used a qualitative method with a case study design to explore the education and experiences of …


The Effect Of Two-Way Immersion On Students' Attitudes Toward Education, Other Cultures, And Self-Esteem, Jonathan Pedrone Mar 2018

The Effect Of Two-Way Immersion On Students' Attitudes Toward Education, Other Cultures, And Self-Esteem, Jonathan Pedrone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research compared students who participated in a two-way French/English immersion program to students who participated in an English-only program to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in their perceptions of: (a) education, (b) attitudes towards other cultures, and (c) self-esteem. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to identify the differences in attitudes toward education, other cultures, and self-esteem between students enrolled in a two-way French/English immersion program and those enrolled in a traditional English-only program to test the theory of linguistic interdependence. This study is important because English language learners are the fastest growing subpopulation …


Seven Key Steps In Planning And Implementing A Successful Church Merger, Andrew Pietrylo Mar 2018

Seven Key Steps In Planning And Implementing A Successful Church Merger, Andrew Pietrylo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The hypothesis of this project is that merging of two churches is a viable option for some congregations who are seeking to advance the kingdom of Christ. However, an analysis of obtainable literature reveals that there is little material available to assist churches that are interested in such a pursuit. This project will provide churches with an effective process of determining, implementing and maintaining a successful church merger. Utilizing information from Scripture, current trends, advice from church growth experts, observations of actual church mergers, and a post-merger survey, this project will develop practical steps to navigate churches through a successful …


Nurturing Church As A Biblical Strategy To Recover A Healthy Church Within South Korean Churches, Jinwook Kang Mar 2018

Nurturing Church As A Biblical Strategy To Recover A Healthy Church Within South Korean Churches, Jinwook Kang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are many churches in South Korea, but not too many healthy churches. A healthy church should have a proof of early church from the Acts. It is impossible to be a healthy church only with a number of people, buildings, programs, and new church planting. The goal of this thesis is to suggest healthy biblical church using early church as a model and propose strategy. This study will first take a look at what is a healthy biblical church. A healthy biblical church is a nurturing church. Conventional church has a lot of nurturing programs, but this thesis compares …


How Does An International Spanish Academy (Isa) Bilingual Program Affect The Motivation For Students To Take Four Years Of Spanish Classes Instead Of The Customary Two Years?, Frank Madden Feb 2018

How Does An International Spanish Academy (Isa) Bilingual Program Affect The Motivation For Students To Take Four Years Of Spanish Classes Instead Of The Customary Two Years?, Frank Madden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this explanatory multi-case study was to determine how an International Spanish Academy (ISA) bilingual education model affects motivation for students to take four years of Spanish classes instead of the customary two years. The study involved three groups of Georgia public high school students currently enrolled in Spanish II classes in schools that did not include an ISA program. There is a growing trend across the United States to drop the world language requirement for high school graduation (National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL), 2016). Because of this national trend, a phenomenon exists among Georgia …


A Collective Case Study Of Economically Disadvantaged High Achieving Minority Schools, Stefanie Barnes Feb 2018

A Collective Case Study Of Economically Disadvantaged High Achieving Minority Schools, Stefanie Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to discover the characteristics that defined a high achieving minority population within a high, middle, and elementary school setting. The theoretical ideas included those of Dewey, Piaget and Payne. The central research question was: What are the unique characteristics of a high, middle, and elementary school with a high achieving minority student population? The characteristics were identified and examined through contemporary practices, observations, focus group discussions, interviews, surveys, and data analyzed. The participants in this research were the teachers, administrators, and students at various high, middle, and elementary school sites. The data …


The Effect Of A Bible Based Manualized Protocol Targeting Attachment To God In Anxiety And Stress, Sung Kim Feb 2018

The Effect Of A Bible Based Manualized Protocol Targeting Attachment To God In Anxiety And Stress, Sung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effectiveness of the Bible-Based Stress Reduction Protocol-Attachment to God (BSRP-AG) in enhancing participants’ attachment to God and quality of life, decreasing perceived depression, anxiety, stress, and increasing overall spiritual well-being, using a randomized pretest and posttest design with waiting list control group among Hispanic population. The theory of stress, and attachment theory were discussed. At the same time, the relationship between stress, attachment, attachment to God and quality of life were considered as well. Lastly, the efficacy of Christian spiritual disciplines to improve attachment to God was argued. Thirty-four Hispanic individuals from Virginia participated in this …


Exploring The Relationship Of Burnout, Retention, And Tenure Between Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Traditional Brick-And-Mortar Environment And Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Fully Online Environment, Scott Dunbar Feb 2018

Exploring The Relationship Of Burnout, Retention, And Tenure Between Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Traditional Brick-And-Mortar Environment And Full-Time Professors Teaching In A Fully Online Environment, Scott Dunbar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of educational delivery as it related to burnout in full-time college professors in a Southern California Christian university. The problem addressed was examining the relationship of full-time faculty burnout between two educational delivery methods, traditional brick-and-mortar educational delivery and fully online educational delivery, in a Southern California Christian university. This study was significant as the phenomenon of burnout in relation to brick-and-mortar full-time professors and online full-time professors had yet to be researched in a Southern California Christian university. In addition, burnout in online faculty members had rarely been studied …


Understanding How Transformational Leaders Inspire Employee Engagement In Rapidly Changing Environments, Michael Coleman Feb 2018

Understanding How Transformational Leaders Inspire Employee Engagement In Rapidly Changing Environments, Michael Coleman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the past five years, North Carolina community colleges have experienced a plethora of rapid changes, which can have a negative impact on employee engagement. Individuals who possess a transformational style of leadership typically inspire employees to engage in their work despite a rapidly changing environment. The specific business problem in this research study was a lack of understanding of how transformational leaders in North Carolina community colleges were inspiring employees to engage in their jobs during a rapidly changing environment. To address this significant issue, the researcher interviewed a group of senior transformational leaders from various community colleges within …


Middle School Student Perception And Understanding Of Differentiated Instruction: A Phenomenological Study, Zoie Park Jan 2018

Middle School Student Perception And Understanding Of Differentiated Instruction: A Phenomenological Study, Zoie Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Lack of published research on student perception and understanding of differentiated learning hinders educators attempting to diversify learning for individual students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perception and understanding of differentiated instruction of middle school students in a charter middle school in central Florida, as a review of literature reveals limited research conducted from a student perspective. The study will broaden existing educational practices in relation to individualized student differentiated instruction and suggest a relationship between differentiated instruction and student understanding of educational material. The brain-based theories guiding this study are Piaget’s theory of cognitive …


Evaluating A Reading Response To Intervention Model: A Case Study Of Elementary Educators, Jeremy Brumfield Jan 2018

Evaluating A Reading Response To Intervention Model: A Case Study Of Elementary Educators, Jeremy Brumfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study sought to explore the perceptions of classroom teachers and an instructional support team regarding the effectiveness of an established reading Response to Intervention model. It compared the perceptions of both groups regarding the model’s effectiveness, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses. The similarities and differences between the two participant groups’ perceptions that emerged from the individual interviews and focus groups were identified and discussed. This research also compared the perceptions of the participants to the success rates of students in the school in terms of the Response to Intervention measures of reading and standardized student achievement on …


Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider Jan 2018

Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will present the Gospel of Mark in light of the Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem published by Augustus immediately after Virgil’s death in 19 B.C. The Aeneid’s genre, literary style, grammar, symbolic hermeneutics, and lasting influence has been thoroughly researched and dissected in literature courses throughout the centuries. It has been translated into numerous languages and widely distributed in terms of geography and nationalities. Virgil wrote the Aeneid to proclaim the deity of Augustus. “Hic Caesar et omnis Juli progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem. Hic vir, his est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis, Augustus Caesar, Divi genus, aurea …


Secondary Teachers' Perceptions And Self-Efficacy Regarding Technology Integration: A Phenomenological Study, Christopher Brantley Jan 2018

Secondary Teachers' Perceptions And Self-Efficacy Regarding Technology Integration: A Phenomenological Study, Christopher Brantley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how teachers from various levels of technology self-efficacy perceive and implement technology within their specific classroom. Using a qualitative approach, I explored four public schools from a medium to large-sized school district in the Southeastern United States. The Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS) was used to purposively select 10 secondary teachers from the west side of Beach County (a pseudonym). The secondary teachers were placed into three groups based upon their individual self-efficacy level towards technology integration: (a) low, (b) average, and (c) high. Data was collected through the following methods: …


Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Of Lyons, And Cyprian Of Carthage On Suffering: A Comparative And Critical Study Of Their Works That Concern The Apologetic Uses Of Suffering In Early Christianity, Aaron Kilbourn Dec 2017

Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Of Lyons, And Cyprian Of Carthage On Suffering: A Comparative And Critical Study Of Their Works That Concern The Apologetic Uses Of Suffering In Early Christianity, Aaron Kilbourn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Suffering in Early Christianity has often been highlighted in martyrdom and the stories surrounding the persecution of the Early Church. The biblical idea of redemptive suffering was not an afterthought to the Christian community or part of what Joyce Salisbury calls, “the unintended consequences of ancient violence,” but it appears to be part and parcel of the Early Christian community as they sought to live faithfully to Christ’s teachings. As the Early Church lived out redemptive suffering, it became apparent to the surrounding culture and critics of Christianity that their suffering was different and it pointed to something else. Through …


A Case Study Investigating Teacher Perceptions Of Obstacles Faced By Eighth-Grade Latino Males, Stanley Mcqueen Dec 2017

A Case Study Investigating Teacher Perceptions Of Obstacles Faced By Eighth-Grade Latino Males, Stanley Mcqueen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to investigate teacher perceptions into the educational obstacles of eighth-grade Latino males. For the purpose of this research, educational obstacles are generally defined as anything which obstructs Latino males from receiving a high school diploma. Critical Race Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory provided a lens to view the perceptions investigated in the study. Participants included 12 teachers from different middle schools across Northern Georgia. Teacher perceptions of educational obstacles (intentional or unintentional) were investigated through interviews, focus groups, pilot studies, and observations. Guiding the study was the research question: What are teacher perceptions of …


A Case Study Comparison Of Self-Perception Of Latino First Year College Students And Latino Second Year College Students, Corinna Rene Cavanaugh Dec 2017

A Case Study Comparison Of Self-Perception Of Latino First Year College Students And Latino Second Year College Students, Corinna Rene Cavanaugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the self-perceptions of Latino students at an institution of higher education in Eastern Pennsylvania. Specifically, first and second year Latino student’s self-perceptions of campus assimilation and involvement in campus activities were studied. Latino assimilation into Western culture has been tumultuous. Although statistics report Latino college enrollment to be the second highest in the nation, second only to Asian enrollment, degree completion rates continue to be the lowest in the nation. Subsequently, a rise in Latino population is dramatically influencing the higher education classroom, and educators are confronted with meeting the …


Parental Involvement Impact And The Academic Success Of African American Fourth Grade Males, Dana C. Madison Dec 2017

Parental Involvement Impact And The Academic Success Of African American Fourth Grade Males, Dana C. Madison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to examine if there was a statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of African American 4th grade males who had strong parental involvement and those who had little to no parental involvement. The data for this causal comparative study was obtained through the benchmark and developmental assessment reading scores as well as the results of the Parent Success Indicator Survey. This survey was designed to measure how the parents viewed their involvement in their child’s education. The research questions were (1) Is there a statistically significant difference between the academic success …


Identifying As Husbands, Fathers, And School Leaders: A Phenomenology Of Doctoral Persistence Among Limited Residency Students, John Patterson Dec 2017

Identifying As Husbands, Fathers, And School Leaders: A Phenomenology Of Doctoral Persistence Among Limited Residency Students, John Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study investigated doctoral persistence for males (N = 13) who completed their limited residency doctoral program (LRDP) while managing their family roles as fathers and husbands, and while performing their work role as a K-12 lead school administrator. Participants were selected via snowball sampling from private universities that offered a LRDP in the United States. The theories guiding this study were Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 2006) student integration theory (SIT) and Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resource model (COR). Tinto’s (1975, 1993, 2006) SIT explained the academic and social interaction between the individual and the institution, while Hobfoll’s (1989) …


The Effectiveness Of High Frequency Word List Instruction On Star Reading Test Scores, Michael Foster Dec 2017

The Effectiveness Of High Frequency Word List Instruction On Star Reading Test Scores, Michael Foster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to test the theory of using high frequency word list (HFWL)-based instruction when teaching beginning reading instruction. This study compared the reading fluency changes of eight classes across three different grades containing 115 students over 5 months as measured by the Standardized Test for the Assessment in Reading (STAR) when intervention students are given identical instruction using different popular HFWLs. One control group received no such intervention. The Fry HFWL was used. The resulting scores were analyzed using an independent-samples t test. The comparisons determined the effectiveness of teaching beginning reading using …


A Correlation Study Of Professional Development Perception And School Achievement In North Carolina, Kevin Popadines Dec 2017

A Correlation Study Of Professional Development Perception And School Achievement In North Carolina, Kevin Popadines

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adult learners have distinctly different needs and motivations compared to those of children. These needs and motivations need to be kept in mind to help ensure meaningful and successful learning experiences in professional development offered to educators. The purpose of this correlation study is to determine if the perceptions educators have of the professional development they receive had a statistically significant relationship to the school achievement within their North Carolina public schools. The educator perceptions regarding professional development were measured by using the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NCTWC) Survey. School achievement was measured by the school performance grade score. …


Revenue Accrual Quality As An Indicator Of Financial Statement Fraud, Meredith Potts Jackson Dec 2017

Revenue Accrual Quality As An Indicator Of Financial Statement Fraud, Meredith Potts Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to address the need for additional financial statement fraud detection techniques. Accruals were chosen as the focus of this study due to the high likelihood of financial statement manipulation using accruals. Using the Dechow/Dichev accrual quality model, this study tested whether or not accrual quality can be used as an indicator of financial statement fraud. The study concluded that the Dechow/Dichev model found non-fraudulent financial statements to have higher quality accruals than fraudulent financial statements. In addition, accrual quality of non-fraudulent financial statements was found to be significantly different from the accrual quality of fraudulent financial …


The Correlation Between Self-Determination And Act Scores For High School Students With Disabilities, Deitra Learchelle Brown Dec 2017

The Correlation Between Self-Determination And Act Scores For High School Students With Disabilities, Deitra Learchelle Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A significant gap exists between the graduation rate of students with disabilities and their nondisabled. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine the relationship self-determination had on college and career readiness using ACT scores of students with high incident disabilities. This study was guided by the following questions: (a) Is there a relationship between AIR Self-Determination Scale scores and ACT scores? (b) Is there a relationship between students’ capacity subscale scores on the AIR Self-Determination Scale and ACT scores? A convenient sample of thirty, twelfth grade students with disabilities in two suburban public high schools in the …


A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary General Education Teachers' Experiences Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Patricia Massengale Dec 2017

A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary General Education Teachers' Experiences Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Patricia Massengale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of elementary general education teachers instructing students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a suburban North Georgia inclusion setting. The four research questions that guided this study included (a) How do elementary general education teachers describe their experiences teaching students with ASD in their classrooms? (b) In what ways do teachers describe how the presence of students with ASD influence their beliefs regarding inclusion? (c) How do teachers describe the challenges they faced with students with ASD in the inclusion setting? and (d) How do teachers describe the …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Pharmacists' Experiences, Motivation, And Preferences In The Context Of Continuing Pharmacy Education, Laura Beth Ladymon Dec 2017

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Pharmacists' Experiences, Motivation, And Preferences In The Context Of Continuing Pharmacy Education, Laura Beth Ladymon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe select Tennessee pharmacists’ experiences, motivation, and preferences in the context of continuing pharmacy education (CPE). The pharmacists’ experiences, motivation, and preferences related to CPE were generally defined as participating in CPE programming in a manner that meets the needs of the pharmacist. Also, select pharmacists were defined as pharmacists with at least six hours of continuing pharmacy education credit within the last year. This study explored how 12 pharmacist participants in Tennessee experienced CPE as well as what motivated them to attend CPE activities. Additionally, the study investigated pharmacists’ preferences in …


The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon Dec 2017

The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project examines the role of the Black Church in the development of the African American Community and seeks to encourage churches to embrace this role. Support for communities by churches in rural North Alabama is key to improving living conditions and achieving biblically based outreach. This project investigates the church’s theological duties for community outreach and provides a biblical mandate as a part of a larger community development model, while preparing ministry teams for outreach. This paper will consider the equipping methodology that leads to a trained ministry team able to reach, identify, and fulfill the needs of the …