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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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Best Practice Spiritual Formation Models In The Christian Hybrid Church, Crystal Deneene Stalling Mar 2023

Best Practice Spiritual Formation Models In The Christian Hybrid Church, Crystal Deneene Stalling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore best practice spiritual formation models and the perceived effectiveness of spiritual formation in the hybrid church community brick-and-mortar and online church settings for individuals in Christian hybrid churches. The concern was whether the churches effectively implemented best practice models through their traditional brick-and-mortar locations and digital platforms that would cause individuals within the Christian community to experience spiritual formation. Spiritual formation is generally defined as “the holistic work of God in a believer’s life whereby systematic change renders the individual continually closer to the image and actions of Jesus Christ” (Pettit, …


Increased Prevalence Of Suicide In The Adolescent Population Within The Lgbtq+ Community Compared To Adolescents In The Heterosexual Population: An Integrative Review, Natasha Denese Causey Mar 2023

Increased Prevalence Of Suicide In The Adolescent Population Within The Lgbtq+ Community Compared To Adolescents In The Heterosexual Population: An Integrative Review, Natasha Denese Causey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to research, young Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) are currently experiencing a mental health crisis. Suicide ideations reportedly begin sooner in LGBQ+ adolescents, 13 to 18 years of age. Suicide ideation is defined by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), as having serious thoughts about suicide with a plan. This involves LGBTQ+ adolescents shifting from suicidal ideation to planning more quickly than their heterosexual (straight) peers. Adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+ showed a higher lifetime risk of suicide thoughts than their heterosexual peers (26.1 percent to 13 percent, respectively). Additionally, 5.4 …


Unpacking The Upper Echelon’S Cognitive Black Box: A Qualitative Study Of Selective Attention And Decision Making In Senior Executives, Jon Matthew Hart Mar 2023

Unpacking The Upper Echelon’S Cognitive Black Box: A Qualitative Study Of Selective Attention And Decision Making In Senior Executives, Jon Matthew Hart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, senior executives face a myriad of difficult decisions. These decisions are often accompanied by a barrage of stimuli, which can complicate decision-making processes. To traverse these challenges, those in the upper echelons of leadership must manage their selective attention well, make clear sense of unfolding events, and act upon them in ways that maximize organization outcomes. However, there is a gap in research around how the upper echelons of leadership manage their selective attention in high-stimuli decision scenarios. This qualitative grounded theory research addresses this gap by studying the cognitive processes used …


Postsecondary Experiences Of Title I High School Graduates Who Were At-Risk Students Of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Raquel Anya Grindley Mar 2023

Postsecondary Experiences Of Title I High School Graduates Who Were At-Risk Students Of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Raquel Anya Grindley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of high school graduates who were at-risk students (ARS) of low socioeconomic status (SES) who completed the state standards-based college and career readiness (CCR) curriculum at Title I high schools. For the purposes of this study, ARS of low SES were generally defined as students of low-income households with at least one parents failing to complete high school or a postsecondary degree program. CCR is defined as the level of preparedness for postsecondary schools and workforce settings. A Title I school is defined as a school that …


Changing An Individualistic Cultural Identity Into A Christocentric Identity At Community Alliance Church Of The Christian And Missionary Alliance In Towanda, Pennsylvania, Jacob Samuel Howard Mar 2023

Changing An Individualistic Cultural Identity Into A Christocentric Identity At Community Alliance Church Of The Christian And Missionary Alliance In Towanda, Pennsylvania, Jacob Samuel Howard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Jesus instituted a new way of doing community which would transcend all cultural backgrounds and creates a new belonging and identity. This thesis aimed to engage a small group of men from Community Alliance Church in a covenant community, establishing a christocentric identity. The small group of five men, including the facilitator, met for eight weeks to practice several spiritual disciplines together, including confession and accountability, to know what God says about whom they are in Christ, and how to live out that identity in every circle of influence. This mixed-method action research project included both entry and exit surveys …


The Impact Of The Absent Father On African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Abishag Israel Douglas Mar 2023

The Impact Of The Absent Father On African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Abishag Israel Douglas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the challenges and hardships African American females have endured through their lived experiences of not having a father present when growing up. The lived experiences of the female participants were analyzed using qualitative phenomenological methodology. The participants were made up of African American women that did not have their fathers present in their lives growing up. Virtual interviews using Facetime and Zoom technology, as well as written interviews were the platforms utilized to collect data. The analyzation process used the six stages of phenomenological methods (Holroyd, 2021). This study provided insight into the lived experiences of …


A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Surgical Technology Graduates Who Achieved Transformative Learning, Anna Danielle Campbell Mar 2023

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Surgical Technology Graduates Who Achieved Transformative Learning, Anna Danielle Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of successful surgical technology graduates who achieved transformative learning during their CAAHEP accredited surgical technology program while encountering risk factors for failure. The study’s central research question is: What experiences of successful surgical technology graduates contributed to transformative learning? The theory guiding this study is Mezirow’s (1981) theory of transformative learning. Mezirow’s theory relates to this study as it requires individuals to find meaning in learning in order, through a disorienting dilemma, to acquire new perspectives on their subject matter. The setting of this study is Commission on …


Teamstepps And Organizational Culture, Amelia Arca Quinto Mar 2023

Teamstepps And Organizational Culture, Amelia Arca Quinto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Patient safety issues remain despite several strategies developed for their deterrence. While many safety initiatives bring about improvement, they are repeatedly unsustainable and short-lived. The index hospital’s goal was to build an organizational culture within a groundwork that improves teamwork and continuing healthcare team engagement. Teamwork influences the efficiency of patient care, patient safety, and clinical outcomes, as it has been identified as an approach for enhancing collaboration, decreasing medical errors, and building a culture of safety in healthcare. The facility implemented Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS), an evidence-based framework which was used for …


Success Vs. Survival: The Challenges Of Teaching K-12 School Music In South Metro Atlanta, Davion Rashad Battle Mar 2023

Success Vs. Survival: The Challenges Of Teaching K-12 School Music In South Metro Atlanta, Davion Rashad Battle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Music education has been an essential part of American education and society. Since the earliest beginning of our nation's founding, many proponents of music education successfully advocated for musicians to teach music as a curricular discipline within the core of academics. Still, changes continue to occur with governmental reform and educational policies. Coupled with the demographic changes within our society, successful and influential music education has become a difficult challenge for many educators who teach within communities with limited resources. Many teacher-educator preparation programs across the nation modify curriculums to meet the concerns of an ever-changing society, including socioeconomic status, …


A Phenomenological Study Of Experienced Social Justice Disparities Described By African American Public Policymakers, Lawrence L. Crenshaw Mar 2023

A Phenomenological Study Of Experienced Social Justice Disparities Described By African American Public Policymakers, Lawrence L. Crenshaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe African American public policymaker's experiences with social justice disparities in the United States of America. Currently, social justice disparities are understood as inequities that exist as the result of policies and practices that create an unequal distribution of money, power, and resources among communities based on race, class, gender, and geographical location. A theme central to this investigation is to understand the impact of societal beliefs concerning mental and physical health concerns such as anxiety and hypertension among African Americans. This insight will aid in the development of positive societal-level psychological …


How A Higher Education Aviation Faculty Perceived The Challenges Of An Online Emergency Transition During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Identifies Recommendations For Future Emergency Online Transitions, Victor Miguel Fraticelli Rivera Mar 2023

How A Higher Education Aviation Faculty Perceived The Challenges Of An Online Emergency Transition During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Identifies Recommendations For Future Emergency Online Transitions, Victor Miguel Fraticelli Rivera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to discover the perceived challenges and identify future recommendations for emergency online learning transition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a major aeronautical higher education institution in the southeast region of the United States. For this study, emergency online learning transition is defined as the period in which higher education faculty members were required to pivot to an online methodology in response to a global pandemic in the spring and fall academic semesters of 2020. The theories guiding this study are the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by Icek Ajzen and …


Lived Experiences Of Co-Teachers Including Students With Emotional Behavioral Disabilities: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jessica Lynn Masters Mar 2023

Lived Experiences Of Co-Teachers Including Students With Emotional Behavioral Disabilities: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jessica Lynn Masters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of elementary educators in a large suburban district who have engaged in the co-teaching model to support the reintegration of students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disabilities from self-contained classrooms to the general education classroom. The theories that guided this research were the theory of planned behavior, developed and refined by Ajzen, and the attribution theory, developed by Weiner. Together, these theories support the connection between teacher factors, teacher perspectives, and predictable engagement in the behavior, such as supporting and facilitating inclusion for students …


Teaching High School Students An Apologetic Curriculum On Relativism, Ryan G. Willert Mar 2023

Teaching High School Students An Apologetic Curriculum On Relativism, Ryan G. Willert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to develop and teach an apologetic curriculum on relativism to the high school students at Eastern Hills Church. The research project will measure the student's prior knowledge of relativism and show that an apologetic curriculum on the topic can be used in order to grow their knowledge of the worldview that inhabits their generation. There were twenty total student participants. Eight total male students ranging from 9th grade to the 12th grade level. There were twelve female students ranging from the 9th grade to the 11th grade level. Each student was given …


Predictive Correlation Between Teacher Self-Efficacy Factors In Literacy And Preparedness To Teach Morphology, Angelique M. Tomlinson Mar 2023

Predictive Correlation Between Teacher Self-Efficacy Factors In Literacy And Preparedness To Teach Morphology, Angelique M. Tomlinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlation study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy factors in literacy and teacher preparedness in teaching morphology in elementary classrooms. Results from this study have the potential of determining needed instructional changes at both the teacher training and elementary school levels. One hundred fifteen respondants came from elementary teachers in three school districts across the Tennessee Valley, although only 69 participants completed the survey in its entirety. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy in Literacy Instruction (TSELI), with demographic questions on education level, teacher position, and completion of Language Essentials for Teachers of …


Immigration Related Trauma Among Haitians: Barriers To Treatment And The Role Of Faith In Creating Resiliency, Sandra Garcon Degerville Mar 2023

Immigration Related Trauma Among Haitians: Barriers To Treatment And The Role Of Faith In Creating Resiliency, Sandra Garcon Degerville

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The topic of this writer’s dissertation is immigration-related trauma among Haitians, barriers to treatment, and the role of faith in creating resiliency. The purpose of this qualitative push and pull hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand the lived experiences of people who have immigrated to the United States (US). To better understand these lived experiences, it is imperative to also examine the experiences of Haitian immigrants from the gateway countries of Brazil, Chile, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. It is known that a number of Haitians have entered the US directly (legally or illegally) and a great many entered by …


A Quantitative Analysis Of The Views And Perceptions Of Building Leaders On Discipline And Special Education For Urban Students, Dementred T. Young Mar 2023

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Views And Perceptions Of Building Leaders On Discipline And Special Education For Urban Students, Dementred T. Young

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation involved summarizing and critically evaluating principals’ views on students who have been traumatized and the treatment these students receive as a result of these perceptions. The main focus was to ascertain whether administrators’ upbringing has a mediating effect on the treatment of students being educated in an urban community. The central question focused on the views and perceptions of building leaders raised in urban, suburban, or rural areas and the impact of their perception of urban students who have experienced trauma. Sub-questions were designed to uncover the relationship between the building administrator’s life experiences and perceptions of disciplinary …


Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Addiction Disorders: A Study Of Effectiveness Of Digital Mental Health Interventions, Andrew L. Stokes Mar 2023

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Addiction Disorders: A Study Of Effectiveness Of Digital Mental Health Interventions, Andrew L. Stokes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to review the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with addiction disorders as measured with digital mental health interventions when traditional face-to-face methods were not available. Most of the United States was shut down at the height of COVID-19 pandemic and it made it difficult for patients to receive mental health care. Many had to turn to telehealth or some other form of eHealth. The pandemic left many wondering how they could receive the care they needed. Through the course of the pandemic, many Americans turned to substances to cope with …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study: Examining Interprofessional Clinical Learning Experiences To Define The Essential Activities That Will Provide Student Transformation, James David Nash Mar 2023

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study: Examining Interprofessional Clinical Learning Experiences To Define The Essential Activities That Will Provide Student Transformation, James David Nash

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the interprofessional education clinical experiences that pharmacy preceptors provide to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students during the final year of training within four different academic institutions. The theory guiding this study was Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model (ELM) and its four components comprised of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. These experiences should incorporate all four components of the model to be true experiential learning events leading to transformation. An extensive literature review was provided to support the research. Transcendental phenomenology was the methodology used, as researchers were …


Grief After Perinatal Loss: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Marlena Jalise Baxter-Dunn Mar 2023

Grief After Perinatal Loss: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Marlena Jalise Baxter-Dunn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of grief, coping, and spiritual crisis in the lives of women who faced perinatal loss. The theory guiding this study was Pargament’s Theory of Religious Coping, as it explains the role of religious coping in the potential development of complicated grief and complicated spiritual grief. One central research question guided this study: how do women with religious/spiritual beliefs describe their lived experience of grief from perinatal loss? The sample size for the study was eight women with religious/spiritual beliefs who experienced perinatal loss. Data were collected using an …


Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Single Adult Homelessness In New York City, Chloe A. Delgado Mar 2023

Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Single Adult Homelessness In New York City, Chloe A. Delgado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Homelessness has been an ongoing public health crisis in major cities throughout the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the country’s social service and healthcare system, thus worsening the conditions faced by over half a million homeless Americans. This study aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the number of homeless individuals, funding for homeless services and homelessness prevention, and availability of social services. To answer these questions, this study conducted a thorough secondary data analysis of New York City’s publicly available data as well as primary research conducted by the Coalition for the Homeless. Additionally, this study …


School Connectedness In American Style Comprehensive And European Style Tracking Secondary Schools, Diana Csaki Mar 2023

School Connectedness In American Style Comprehensive And European Style Tracking Secondary Schools, Diana Csaki

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schools are often considered a community nested within a community. A caring school environment contributes to community and belongingness among students. School connectedness, the belief held by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning and about them as individuals, is viewed as a construct comprising affective, behavioral and cognitive dimensions. School connectedness among students in the United States has been shown as a predictor of adolescent health and academic outcomes with positive feelings of school connectedness linked to positive outcomes. School connectedness research often centers on children and early adolescents and less over the high …


A Phenomenological Study Examining The Collaborative Community Experiences Of Veteran Special Educators, Jennifer Boyd Mar 2023

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Collaborative Community Experiences Of Veteran Special Educators, Jennifer Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to examine and describe the experiences of veteran special education (SPED) teachers in rural southwest Georgia school districts regarding their collaborative community network experiences within the field. Granovetter’s (1973) social network theory (SNT) encompasses critical concepts of belongingness and connection about job satisfaction over time and throughout educational contexts and guided this study. A phenomenological approach involving teacher interviews, a focus group, and journal prompts was used to examine the experiences of SPED teachers on their social networks. Eleven veteran SPED teachers were interviewed using open-ended interview scripts developed to target the central research question. Convenience …


From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton Mar 2023

From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of former high school dropouts in the Continental United States who self-determined to persist to doctoral degree attainment. The theory that guided this study was the self-determination theory with support from the self-efficacy theory and adult learning theory. These three theories framed this study, which sought to discover the motivating factors, life influences, and perseverance required of former high school dropouts who determined to re-enter academia and pursue an education to the doctoral level. The problem this study sought to address was the need to discover the …


Developing A Community Chaplaincy Ministry: Through A Need Satisfaction Care Model For A Native Language Church, Shanti Samuel Mar 2023

Developing A Community Chaplaincy Ministry: Through A Need Satisfaction Care Model For A Native Language Church, Shanti Samuel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers in Jesus Christ are mandated to "go" into the world, and caring for people is part of the seeking. God has provided models and processes of His care in the scriptures. A chaplain holds spiritual care functions outside the church's four walls on the field. Unfortunately, many Asian Indian Americans in the booming immigrant population have not received care. Therefore, this action research thesis assumes need-based church training to build a culture-sensitive model of care to provide care. This research project explored the causes and impediments to care through participative sessions with the spiritual care provider volunteers of the …


The Impact Of Pre-Hire Fitness Scores On Resilience And Burnout Among New Castle County Patrol-Level Police Officers, Eugene Joseph Reid Mar 2023

The Impact Of Pre-Hire Fitness Scores On Resilience And Burnout Among New Castle County Patrol-Level Police Officers, Eugene Joseph Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks participation from patrol-level officers with at least two years’ experience in the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware (n=134) and requests that they respond to two questionnaires measuring resilience and job burnout: the 25-item Resilience Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Additionally, participants are asked to self-report their pre-hire fitness scores. Police officers are repeatedly exposed to trauma, which has negative mental and physical consequences, often leading to extreme stress, fatigue, and emotional imbalance. Repeated trauma also impacts physical fitness, which is critical for not only physical and mental health but also work performance, especially for …


A Phenomenological Study Of How Active Engagement In Black Greek Letter Sororities Influences Christian Members' Spiritual Growth, Lorraine Mary Aragon Mar 2023

A Phenomenological Study Of How Active Engagement In Black Greek Letter Sororities Influences Christian Members' Spiritual Growth, Lorraine Mary Aragon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored how being part of a Black Greek Letter. Organization (BGLO) sorority impacts the spiritual growth of its Christian members. One of the issues explored was the influence relationships within these sororities have on members striving to be like Christ. There is a dichotomy of perspectives regarding Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). They have a significant role in the Black community as organizations that foster leadership, philanthropy, and sisterhood and promote education. They are admired on and off college campuses and in the broader community in graduate chapters. The objective of phenomenology is to describe phenomena of …


Finding The Missing Pieces: A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary Teachers' Experiences With Student Suicidality, Dionna Lashawn Doneghy Mar 2023

Finding The Missing Pieces: A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary Teachers' Experiences With Student Suicidality, Dionna Lashawn Doneghy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore elementary school teachers’ experiences with student suicidality in North Georgia. The first theory guiding this study was the Interpersonal theory of suicide, developed by Thomas Joiner to explain how risk factors of suicide interact to better understand who is most likely to make suicide attempts. Specifically, it proposes that when a sense of social alienation and perceived burdensomeness occur simultaneously, an individual begins to desire death. The second theory guiding this research was the three-step theory of suicide developed by E. David Klonsky and Alexis May. This theory posits that …


The Effects Of Positive Leadership Behaviors And Organizational Justice On Employee Engagement, Felicia A. Long Mar 2023

The Effects Of Positive Leadership Behaviors And Organizational Justice On Employee Engagement, Felicia A. Long

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing employee engagement has been a challenge for many organizations in recent years, especially in America. Most research has focused on organizational factors related to engagement; few have explored interactional issues from a positive leadership perspective. This study sought to contribute to research on engagement by exploring its relationship with fairness and trust This study viewed fairness from the perspective interactional justice, as defined by the interactional justice scale of Colquitt’s Organizational Justice Scale (OJS). This study also viewed trust from the perspective of leader trustworthiness, a positive leadership attribute. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the …


The Clapham Saints: A Correlational Study Between A Christian's Level Of Commitment To The Christian Faith And Their Engagement In Human Trafficking Political Matters, Charles L. Carpenter Mar 2023

The Clapham Saints: A Correlational Study Between A Christian's Level Of Commitment To The Christian Faith And Their Engagement In Human Trafficking Political Matters, Charles L. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study is to determine if a relationship exists between the commitment level of Christians who attend a church in the Northern Shenandoah Valley portion of Virginia that falls under the covering of Abba’s House––Chattanooga, Tennessee as assessed by the Belief into Action (BIAC) scale, and their level of engagement in human trafficking political matters, as assessed by the Human Trafficking Political Engagement (HTPE) scale. Every year, millions of individuals become victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking victims are created in God's image, leaving Christians obligated to protect them. William Wilberforce and the Clapham Saints’ political …


Social Media Perceptions Of Academic Performance And Self-Esteem As Defined By Female Adolescents, Michele T. Miller Mar 2023

Social Media Perceptions Of Academic Performance And Self-Esteem As Defined By Female Adolescents, Michele T. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The essential need for developing social interaction and relationships through participation on social media has begun to have an influence on academic performance and self-esteem in adolescents. This study examined the perceptions of adolescent females on the effect social media has had on both academic success and self-esteem. The literature reviewed the effects social media has on this population as it relates to these two areas. This was a qualitative study with 10 participants ages 11-15. A convenience group of participants were interviewed through in-person discussion whenever possible or through Google Meet/Zoom meetings. Questions were posed from an interview guide …