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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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Chronic Disease Self-Management Support In Rural Areas: An Integrative Review, Karla A. Callahan Jul 2021

Chronic Disease Self-Management Support In Rural Areas: An Integrative Review, Karla A. Callahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millions of Americans live with chronic health conditions which require careful attention and specific actions for optimal management. Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) has been effectively utilized to improve health outcomes and quality of life for individuals with chronic disease, enhancing knowledge and self-efficacy. Traditional CDSME programs are less available for rural residents. An examination of successful CDSME programs highlights common interventions that yield success and may be utilized in a variety of settings. Self-management is more complex, but also more essential, for individuals with more than one chronic condition. Clinicians can provide individualized support for appropriate self-management techniques, thereby …


High School Teachers' Experiences In Addressing The Challenges Of Written Expression Among Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kevin James Hasinger Jul 2021

High School Teachers' Experiences In Addressing The Challenges Of Written Expression Among Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kevin James Hasinger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe high school special education teachers’ experiences in teaching written expression to students with autism spectrum disorder in Parker County School District, located near the mid-eastern seaboard of the United States. At the onset of the study, written expression instruction was defined as instruction that facilitates the expression of feelings, thoughts, and ideas on paper to convey meaning to and/or persuade the reader (Flowers & Hayes, 1981). The theory guiding this study was Flower and Hayes’ (1981) cognitive process theory of writing which defined three essential elements of writing: the task …


Life In The Army: A Case Study Of Junior-Enlisted Soldiers And Their Families With Deployment Resources And Experiences, David Estrada Jul 2021

Life In The Army: A Case Study Of Junior-Enlisted Soldiers And Their Families With Deployment Resources And Experiences, David Estrada

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to illuminate the challenges that junior-enlisted soldiers and families endure when preparing for a deployment. This study sought to answer the research question: What are the experiences of military families before and during the deployment of a junior enlisted soldier to include challenges or successes with existing deployment resources and programs? A total of 10 participants were selected utilizing criterion sampling for this study and solicited volunteers from junior-enlisted soldiers and their families in the U.S. Army. The Relational Turbulence Theory served as the theoretical framework for this study and utilized the following …


Sister-To-Sister: A Phenomenological Study Of Women’S Experiences Of Having A Sister With Autism Spectrum Disorder Based On The Female Autism Phenotype, William Gregory Carroll Jul 2021

Sister-To-Sister: A Phenomenological Study Of Women’S Experiences Of Having A Sister With Autism Spectrum Disorder Based On The Female Autism Phenotype, William Gregory Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the amount of material currently available on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little research has been done specifically on females with ASD. Several studies have looked at the various relationships that individuals with ASD have, but to date no known study has been done specifically on the sibling relationship between neurotypical and autistic sisters. In this study, through semi-structured interviews, four neurotypical women reported on their lived experiences of having a sister with ASD. Their accounts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis informed by the theory of a unique female autism phenotype. Six superordinate themes appeared in the work: social …


A Correlational Study On Institutions' Financial Impact On Undergraduate Graduation Rates, Tiffany Channelle Lee Jul 2021

A Correlational Study On Institutions' Financial Impact On Undergraduate Graduation Rates, Tiffany Channelle Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Researchers have emphasized higher education accessibility and undergraduate degree completion in the United States for several decades. A significant amount of literature has examined student financial resources' role in influencing the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Not much research exists on how institutional financial resources relate to and impact undergraduate graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to gauge how accurately institutional financial resources predicted undergraduate degree completion rates. The study investigated a random sample of 193 four-year colleges and universities classified as baccalaureate institutions by the Carnegie Classification system. The data collection process extracted institutional information from the …


Family Matters: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Experiences In A Title I School With Low Parental Involvement, Janelle Dyanne Taylor Jul 2021

Family Matters: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Experiences In A Title I School With Low Parental Involvement, Janelle Dyanne Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the impact that low parent involvement has on students from the perspectives of teachers in a Title I school. Although low parental involvement has not been clearly defined in research, for the purpose of this study, parental involvement was defined as the participation of parents in regular, two-way meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities. The theory which guided this study is Maslow’s theory of human motivation, which offered a hierarchy of needs. Using this theory helped identify and describe how teachers’ experience with low parental involvement …


Web-Based Applications For Weight Loss And Management: An Integrative Review, Linda Lawton Smith Jul 2021

Web-Based Applications For Weight Loss And Management: An Integrative Review, Linda Lawton Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Obesity is associated with the leading causes of death in the United States and the world. Internationally, 39% of the world’s population was overweight or obese, in 2014, with 9% having diabetes. These causes include diabetes, stroke, certain types of cancer and heart disease. Obesity can lead to poorer mental health outcomes and cause a decrease in the quality of life. This integrative review is to determine if health and dietary smart-phone apps are effective tools to help overweight and obese people lose weight and maintain that loss.


Long-Term Impact Of Growing Up In A Blended Family: Emotional And Attachment Issues, Sarah Lucille Sloan Jul 2021

Long-Term Impact Of Growing Up In A Blended Family: Emotional And Attachment Issues, Sarah Lucille Sloan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research indicates that three out of four people who go through a divorce may marry again, and more than half of all marriages today are at least the second marriage for one partner. Recent studies estimate that 65% of remarriages involve children from a prior marriage creating a blended family or stepfamily during their lifetime. This study explored the lived experience of individuals raised in a blended family or stepfamily and what, if any, was the impact on their development and adult attachments. It also explored why adults often report adjusting to communication styles, abandonment, self-esteem, and individual behavior issues …


Assessing Well-Being In A Pastoral Counseling Program, Neil B. Dodson Jul 2021

Assessing Well-Being In A Pastoral Counseling Program, Neil B. Dodson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this project is to assess the efficacy of The Henry First Counseling Program by demonstrating the change in life satisfaction and client well-being. The Judson Baptist Association operates two Ministry Centers to serve persons in Henry County, Alabama, who are unserved, underserved, and marginalized. The Centers provide food assistance, moderately priced clothing and household goods, and spiritual resources for clients within the Judson Baptist Association of Henry County.


The Effects Of Self-Compassion On Body Image In Pageant Contestants, Amanda Dolce Powers Jul 2021

The Effects Of Self-Compassion On Body Image In Pageant Contestants, Amanda Dolce Powers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-compassion has been found to provide individuals with important tools for facing personal adversity and struggles. These strengths are increasingly beneficial to individuals faced with both internal and external criticism. Studies exploring these benefits for those in highly public and critiqued fields are limited. Pageantry has the ability to amplify such criticism, but research for the population is limited. A group of twenty female previous and current pageant contestants were recruited to explore the effects of self-compassion. This study will explore, in detail, the effects of self-compassion on personality and body image in this population. This study will utilize creative …


Small Groups Evangelistic Growth At New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John Raymond Sconiers Jul 2021

Small Groups Evangelistic Growth At New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John Raymond Sconiers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian denominations generally have low growth rates and stagnant evangelistic programs. While churches struggle to evangelize new believers, evangelistic models that utilize small group methodology have shown various degrees of success. The purpose of the author is to conduct a church growth study of the New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church by developing, implementing, and evaluating small groups over a thirteen-week period to analyze it’s effect on quarterly growth rate. The author will define and implement biblical principles of small groups and measure the outcome of numerical and personal growth among participants. As a result of implementing small group evangelism into …


Improving Clinician Care Practices Of Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia: An Integrative Review, Tracey Ann Royer Jul 2021

Improving Clinician Care Practices Of Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia: An Integrative Review, Tracey Ann Royer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hematological disorder that can have a debilitating impact on those affected. The disease is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding for hemoglobin that alters the formation of the red blood cell to a sickle shape, the source of the term hemoglobin S or sickle hemoglobin. The most common manifestation of this disease state is acute pain due to the effects of vaso-occlusive crisis. The burden of disease can be intense, requiring frequent and prolonged hospitalizations with disruptions in one’s quality of life. Despite the gravity of this disease state, there exist …


Reincorporating Senior Adults Into The Life Of A Local Church, Joe Lloyd Evans Jul 2021

Reincorporating Senior Adults Into The Life Of A Local Church, Joe Lloyd Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN research thesis’s problem concerns that some senior adults have grown complacent in their walk with God at Judson Baptist. In response to this problem, the researcher desired to implement a trend of encouraging all senior adults to become fully engaged in serving Christ. This senior adult minister wanted to reincorporate inactive members into the life of the church. As the seniors were encouraged to reactivate their status, their prayer life and faith walk may have improved. The problem was addressed by using a specific plan and understanding its objectives of overcoming apathy and indifference in church life. A …


Church Leadership: The Church's Responsibility To The Great Commission And A Qualitative Approach To Its Command To Make Disciples, William Maxwell Jul 2021

Church Leadership: The Church's Responsibility To The Great Commission And A Qualitative Approach To Its Command To Make Disciples, William Maxwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The gospel message is one that is life changing and one that must go forward in our world. As the church, every Christian is responsible for making every effort to fulfill the incredible command that Jesus gave first to his small group of disciples and essentially to every follower. Disciples of Jesus are to go out and make new disciples of Christ, teaching them the ways of Jesus and actively helping them, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to mold them into Christians that will in turn go out and be disciples that make new disciples. Consequently, this is …


The Impact Of Stem Education On Elementary School Math And Science Achievement, Jessica Leigh Bentley Jul 2021

The Impact Of Stem Education On Elementary School Math And Science Achievement, Jessica Leigh Bentley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following is a dissertation looking to address the impact of STEM-focused education on fifth-grade standardized test scores in mathematics and science. STEM education has become such an integral part of American education in recent years, and its importance continues to extend beyond the research available. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the effects of a STEM-focused education on the standardized test scores of students in fifth grade. Convenience sampling was employed, with matching, to collect data from four classes of fifth grade students, totaling 226 students, from a rural school district. The 2019 Virginia Standards of …


Analyzing The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And Postpartum Depression: An Integrative Review, Sarah K. Johnson Jul 2021

Analyzing The Relationship Between Breastfeeding And Postpartum Depression: An Integrative Review, Sarah K. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Treating maternal mental health and identifying contributing factors are priorities in health care. Postpartum depression is a very prevalent and burdensome illness in the United States that negatively affects the health and well-being of postpartum mothers as well as their infants. While breastfeeding is known to be advantageous to both maternal and infant health, it may be implicated in the development of postpartum depression in some scenarios. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum depression to promote the best health outcomes for both the mother and the child with goals of determining …


Understanding And Managing Conflict In Leadership Teams Within The African-American Church, Damian Alexander Hinton Jul 2021

Understanding And Managing Conflict In Leadership Teams Within The African-American Church, Damian Alexander Hinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The African American church has been the cornerstone of many urban centers since its birth in the United States. While it has been a haven for so many, the African American church (or Black church) has faced conflict, especially among its leaders. Senior Pastors and staff are keys to ministry progress in urban centers. This study utilized data from leaders within the African American church in the form of surveys, focus groups, and private interviews to identify the sources of conflict between Senior Pastor in the church and their ministry staff or team members. The results showed that while there …


The Lived Educational Experiences In Juvenile Facilities: Perspectives Of Former Juvenile Offenders, Deneil D. Christian Jul 2021

The Lived Educational Experiences In Juvenile Facilities: Perspectives Of Former Juvenile Offenders, Deneil D. Christian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of earning a high school diploma or equivalent in a juvenile correctional facility in Pennsylvania. Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT) and self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The two research questions were: 1) How do former youth offenders describe their lived experiences of obtaining a high school diploma or equivalent in a juvenile correctional facility in Pennsylvania? 2) How do former youth offenders describe their self-efficacy in completing their high school diploma or equivalent while they were in a juvenile correctional facility in Pennsylvania? This qualitative study …


The Relationship Of Peer-Mentoring And Online Undergraduate And Graduate College Student Retention, Stephen W. Pray Jul 2021

The Relationship Of Peer-Mentoring And Online Undergraduate And Graduate College Student Retention, Stephen W. Pray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the strength of the relationship between peer-mentoring and retention rates of online undergraduate and graduate college students. Extant literature has reported consistently lower retention rates within the online college student community when compared to the retention rates of on-campus students. One possible means for countering low retention rates is providing a mentoring program to online students, which has had a positive effect on the retention rates of on-campus students, as reported by various studies. This quantitative correlational study examined the association between peer-mentoring and retention rates of online undergraduate and graduate students. The study utilized a sample …


A Strategy For Developing Emotionally Healthy Chaplains In The United States Army Reserve, Ricardo Hosein Jul 2021

A Strategy For Developing Emotionally Healthy Chaplains In The United States Army Reserve, Ricardo Hosein

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

United States Army Reserve Chaplains who serve in a dual ministry role spend countless hours tending to the needs of their congregants and the needs of soldiers and their families. They are pulled in two different directions and struggle to balance the demands of civilian and military ministries. The demands of ministry leave chaplains doing more for God but not being intimate with Him. This constant doing negatively impacts the spiritual and emotional health of these chaplains. Through a biblical understanding of how Jesus practiced emotional health, a literature review of key themes, the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data …


Prison Behind The Urban Walls Of Church, Walter L. Powell Jul 2021

Prison Behind The Urban Walls Of Church, Walter L. Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that the men at the Federal Correctional Institution located in Safford, Arizona (FCI-Safford), which is located approximately 168 miles northeast of Phoenix, lack spiritual fulfillment through God. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for the men at FCI-Safford to seek and find spiritual fulfillment. The primary investigator conducted qualitative research and analysis through one-on-one interviews with twelve men at FCI-Safford.


Comorbid Antisocial Personality Disorder And Substance Use Disorder Treatment Efficacy, David V. Smith Jul 2021

Comorbid Antisocial Personality Disorder And Substance Use Disorder Treatment Efficacy, David V. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by failure to conform to social norms, deceitfulness, impulsivity, irritability, and aggression. Individuals diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder demonstrate a constellation of problematic and dangerous behavioral traits including, a reckless disregard for the safety of self and others, thrill seeking, and a lack of remorse and guilt. Comorbid antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorder is highly prevalent and a significant source of financial and emotional burden due to the strong correlation between severe and violent crimes. The purpose of this qualitative single subject design study is to describe treatment efficacy for comorbid antisocial personality …


Bibliotherapy As Intervention For African American Socially Aggressive Girls In An Urban School Setting: A Case Study, Deborah Kay Charaman Jul 2021

Bibliotherapy As Intervention For African American Socially Aggressive Girls In An Urban School Setting: A Case Study, Deborah Kay Charaman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to describe how bibliotherapy among adolescent African American females in urban middle schools served as an intervention for female social aggression, or the mean girl syndrome. At this stage of the research, bibliotherapy was defined as the use of literature to support positive socio-emotional health and prosocial behavior. The theory guiding this inquiry was Rosenblatt’s (1969) transactional theory of reading. It stands to reason that if there is indeed a transaction between the reader and the text; bibliotherapy could impact the attitudes, perceptions, and behavior of socially aggressive females. The central research …


Conscious Sedation Medications And Risk Of Patient Falls: An Integrative Review, Tricia G. Stevens Jul 2021

Conscious Sedation Medications And Risk Of Patient Falls: An Integrative Review, Tricia G. Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Falls cause injury and occur at a high rate worldwide (World Health Organization, 2018). Healthcare organizations suffer from loss of reimbursement from patient falls due to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ no-pay policy. With sedation increasing the risk for patient falls, the study of conscious sedation should be performed to analyze if there is a relationship between conscious sedation and patient falls. Current knowledge regarding this topic is needed to further understand the topic at hand. An integrative review was performed to review and synthesize data. A database search was conducted with research from 2016 to 2021. CINAHL, …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Doctoral Women Student Veterans In Residential Doctoral Programs, Heather Catherine Cody Jul 2021

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Doctoral Women Student Veterans In Residential Doctoral Programs, Heather Catherine Cody

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology was to understand the experiences of women student veterans enrolled in residential doctoral programs in the United States. Drawing from this purpose, the central research question for this study was: What are the experiences of women veterans enrolled in doctoral programs? The theory guiding this study was Weiner’s attributional theory of achievement, motivation, and emotion, as it framed an exploration of the students’ ability to perform in challenging academic events and maintain motivation to learn within a doctorate program. The setting for this study was any US-based university with a residential doctoral program, increasing …


Chaplain Leadership: The Absence Of Spiritual Leadership At Winston -Salem State University For Spiritual Advocacy, Leroy H. Izzard Iii Jul 2021

Chaplain Leadership: The Absence Of Spiritual Leadership At Winston -Salem State University For Spiritual Advocacy, Leroy H. Izzard Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students living in an academic environment need a consistent spiritual presence to enhance the overall academic experience. Spiritual advice should be available in times of crisis and a chaplain could be the spiritual leader to fill that void. . Chaplain leadership should parallel secular academy professionals and religious professionals to fortify spiritual and community awareness on the campus of Winston Salem State University. On a broader scale, the absence of spiritual leadership is a vital component of this problem. Chaplain leaders must answer the call outside the boundaries of religious comfort zones and address the absence of spiritual leadership crippling …


Campus Recreation And Retention In Higher Education: A Predictive Correlational Study, Christopher John Misiano Jul 2021

Campus Recreation And Retention In Higher Education: A Predictive Correlational Study, Christopher John Misiano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Campus recreation facilities and programs provide various environments and opportunities outside of the classroom for students to socialize, participate in sports, improve their physical fitness, and learn new skills. Existing research has explored the relationship between participation in campus recreation and the social, academic, and physical impacts it has on the lives of students. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if participation in various types of campus recreation held predictive significance regarding year-over-year retention of first year college students at a large, private university. The predictor variables were participation in club sports, intramural sports, outdoor recreation, …


The Impact Of Inclusive Middle School Classrooms On Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashley Barbara Reichert Jul 2021

The Impact Of Inclusive Middle School Classrooms On Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashley Barbara Reichert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The effects of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic continue to be unveiled. The pressures and stipulations for inclusion can cause great stress for teachers and administrators to attempt ways to create a least restrictive environment (LRE) for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), while maintaining rigor and safety for all students in the midst of changing policy and practice. Self-efficacy allows individuals to measure their beliefs in the ability to complete a task. The pandemic led to a need of examining students’ self-efficacy within the inclusive environment. The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in academic self-efficacy …


The Leadership Challenges In The Interdependent Korean American Church, Brian J. Lee Jun 2021

The Leadership Challenges In The Interdependent Korean American Church, Brian J. Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Korean American churches have faced many challenges associated with cultural and generational gaps between the Korean and English-speaking congregations. Despite meaningful attempts to resolve the issues, the Korean American church leaders are still struggling to find the right system or a model that could unite Korean American churches. The purpose of this research thesis is to address the leadership challenges in a multi-congregational church by examining the vision of interdependence to bring strategic changes that promote greater unity between the two congregations. This research thesis will help the leaders at NCFC identify the core issues of leadership and reevaluate …


The Impact Of A Service-Learning Study Abroad Trip On Social Justice Advocacy In Counselors-In-Training: A Thematic Analysis, Sagen Lynae Blackwell Jun 2021

The Impact Of A Service-Learning Study Abroad Trip On Social Justice Advocacy In Counselors-In-Training: A Thematic Analysis, Sagen Lynae Blackwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Though there has been extensive research into the benefits of using international cultural immersion experiences to enhance the development of multicultural competence of counselors in training, limited research has been conducted to specifically examine the effect of the service- learning component of a study abroad trip on students’ multicultural and social justice competencies. Given that social justice advocacy is an integral aspect of multicultural competence, it is important to understand how students assimilate the social justice advocacy experiences gained during their service-learning trip once they return home. To this end, a qualitative thematic analysis design was used to identify themes …