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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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The Ministry Of Ezra: A Biblical Model Of Intergenerational Worship, Matthew Ryan Nix Mar 2020

The Ministry Of Ezra: A Biblical Model Of Intergenerational Worship, Matthew Ryan Nix

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite many studies on intergenerational worship, there is little focus on a specific biblical character with the aim to edify the Church family as a whole in terms of intergenerational worship and how it impacts all generations and family types in the Church today. This study focuses on the ministry of Ezra and how he led others through a time of intergenerational worship and transition. Guided by examples from Ezra’s ministry, along with historical research, this study will seek to discover ways that Ezra taught worship across generational lines, lessons that the 21st-century church can glean from his ministry, and …


Engaging The Poor: Leveraging Local Poverty Assistance Programs To Prepare For Global Engagement, Darren Hercyk Mar 2020

Engaging The Poor: Leveraging Local Poverty Assistance Programs To Prepare For Global Engagement, Darren Hercyk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With globalization, there has been an explosion in travel by academic institutions and the church. For the church, this growth has been in short-term mission trips. Unlike traditional missionaries, most short-term travelers are untrained or lightly trained laypersons. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to understand how local poverty assistance programs could be leveraged to prepare the church today for global engagement. This study provided ten church volunteers with training that included a Scripture overview of the poor, the multidimensional factors of poverty, reducing harm in poverty programs, and the skills for affirming dignity during an interview. Following …


A Phenomenological Study On The Representation Of Female Senior Enlisted Leaders In The U.S. Army's Basic Combat Training Units, Allison Smith Mar 2020

A Phenomenological Study On The Representation Of Female Senior Enlisted Leaders In The U.S. Army's Basic Combat Training Units, Allison Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore retired female senior enlisted leaders’ lived experiences while assigned as first sergeant (1SG) and command sergeant major (CSM) in initial entry training (IET) to ascertain if their experiences shed light on the underrepresentation of female leaders in the basic combat training (BCT) environment. Data collection emphasized factors that led to success in the IET environment, as well as challenges and barriers they may have faced. The theoretical framework that underpinned this study included the social role theory that the expectations for men and women are based on sex differences that …


A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel Mar 2020

A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent research has shown that teacher burnout is a contributing factor to many teachers leaving the field of education early on in their careers. Many teachers of all levels and subjects leave before ever reaching their full potential due to decreased job-satisfaction and the overwhelming symptoms of burnout crippling other areas of their life. Emotional exhaustion is a major component of burnout. Thus, emotional empathy may be related to teacher burnout. In this quantitative, correlational and causal-comparative study, the researcher examined the relationship between emotional empathy and teacher burnout among K-12 teachers. Further, the researcher investigated whether the relationship between …


Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland Feb 2020

Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Harvest House of Hope (HHH) located in the inner-city of San Bernardino, Ca offers a mission services ministry to their community, they had become inactive in their community outreach missions. The ministry concerns of HHH surround the subject of spiritual transformation and the role of the church in community outreach. The purpose of this project is to educate the men, women, and children of Harvest House of Hope on the value of mission services, in hopes to drive them towards the spirit of community outreach. The proposed educational component included a theological structure built upon the Holy Scripture, as …


The Impact Of High Stakes Assessments On Self-Competence, Autonomy, And Perseverance For Educators In Rural Middle Tennessee: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lucas Charles Bowling Feb 2020

The Impact Of High Stakes Assessments On Self-Competence, Autonomy, And Perseverance For Educators In Rural Middle Tennessee: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lucas Charles Bowling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand, as a lived experience, the impact of high-stakes assessments on self-competence, autonomy, and perseverance for teachers in rural middle Tennessee. High-stakes assessments were generally defined as a summative assessment that provides data which could be used for employment, promotion, or pay-related decisions. The theory guiding this study was Deci and Ryan’s (2008) self-determination theory (SDT), which framed understanding a teacher’s determination to perform or avoid certain acts in relation to their innate psychological needs. The central research question for this study was designed to understand the lived experiences of teachers …


The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr Feb 2020

The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teacher attrition is a continuing issue facing schools in the United States. A lack of administrative support and working conditions are often cited as causes of job dissatisfaction and lack of career commitment, which in turn lead to burnout and intent to leave. Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been extensively studied and found to have a positive correlation to the outcomes of job satisfaction and commitment and a negative correlation to stress and burnout. Some leadership models have been found to be an antecedent to PsyCap. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of teachers’ PsyCap with the …


A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Working In Schools Influenced By Principal Turnover, Carrie Nicole Barbour Link Feb 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Working In Schools Influenced By Principal Turnover, Carrie Nicole Barbour Link

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand teachers’ experiences with principal turnover. Julian Rotter’s locus of control theory is the theoretical foundation for this study. He has proposed that people either believe that they have control over what happens to them or that external factors determine their fate. Currently, most research has highlighted the negative consequences of principal turnover; however, there are studies that highlight positives as well. This study sought to dig deeper into the phenomenon of principal turnover to gain an understanding of how teachers experience a change in leadership. The central research question for …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Institutional Debt In The Mid-America Region Of Acsi, John Robert Beck Feb 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Institutional Debt In The Mid-America Region Of Acsi, John Robert Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to inductively explore and understand how school leadership’s views on institutional debt impacted its use at Christian kindergarten-twelfth grade (K-12) schools in the Mid-America Region of the Association of Christian Schools International (MAR-ACSI). Institutional debt was generally defined as large and reoccurring expenses such as mortgages for school buildings. The qualitative research theory guiding this study was transcendental phenomenological reduction articulated by Clark Moustakas (1994) in his Phenomenological Research Methods. The Moustakas model provided an effective way to explore the gap in the literature found about how institutional debt impacted the planning and …


Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones Feb 2020

Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millions of children will die this year due to chronic and terminal illnesses. The medical and psychological communities have attempted for decades to find a methodology that will help parents and the child find hope for the future. The psychological and medical communities’ meta-analysis studies have shown that the goal of hope has been elusive for children and families in all current modalities. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true assurance for parents and children experiencing chronic and terminal childhood illness. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans that believing in the gospel brings life all joy, …


Problem-Based Learning In Physician Assistant Education At A University In Eastern South Carolina: Improving An Active Learning Pedagogy, Marvin S. Wade Feb 2020

Problem-Based Learning In Physician Assistant Education At A University In Eastern South Carolina: Improving An Active Learning Pedagogy, Marvin S. Wade

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of designing and delivering a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum which enhances students’ critical thinking and prepares physician assistant (PA) students to pass a national certifying examination at a small university in eastern South Carolina. A multi-methods approach utilizing concepts from qualitative and quantitative research was used. The study was guided through a central research question: How can the problems of problem-based learning be improved in PA education at a university in eastern South Carolina? Deeper understanding is discovered through the sub-questions: (a) how would PA education faculty in an …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Student Nurses With Learning Disabilities In The Clinical Learning Environment, Lorna Jean Woodhall Jan 2020

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Student Nurses With Learning Disabilities In The Clinical Learning Environment, Lorna Jean Woodhall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to record the lived experiences of nursing students with learning disabilities while in the clinical learning environment. Dewey’s theory of education and Knowles’ theory of adult learning were used to ground this study. Their theories provided a foundation to understand how the learning process is affected in nursing students with learning disabilities in the clinical learning environment. The study answered the following research questions: (a) What are the lived experiences of student nurses with learning disabilities in the clinical learning setting? (b) How are nursing students impacted by their learning disability during …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Capital Asset Pricing Model's Systematic Risk Indicator And Stock Returns, Kacy Edward Crowe Jan 2020

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Capital Asset Pricing Model's Systematic Risk Indicator And Stock Returns, Kacy Edward Crowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the Capital Asset Pricing Model’s risk indicator beta and the average monthly returns for stocks in the S&P 100. The problem addressed was that low beta stocks produced higher returns than high beta stocks. The study was conducted using the S&P 100 constituents. The study expanded the research literature regarding the beta anomaly and found a statistically significant result for an association between beta and average monthly returns for stocks in the S&P 100. The study has implications for investors and financial practitioners as to whether beta can …


Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly Jan 2020

Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to further understand the problem of poor literacy achievement among high school students and to design interventions for school leaders to impact and improve high school students’ literacy. Fifteen Florida secondary principals’ self-perceived instructional leadership behaviors were scored using the three dimensions of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). The independent variables were the principal’s instructional behaviors, and the dependent variable was sophomore students’ Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts school level scores for the 2016–2017 school year. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted using four open-ended questions to gather further information …


Improving Patient Satisfaction With The Virtual Handoff Process Through The Utilization Of Educational Pamphlets In The Emergency Department, Lynda Michelle Heintz Jan 2020

Improving Patient Satisfaction With The Virtual Handoff Process Through The Utilization Of Educational Pamphlets In The Emergency Department, Lynda Michelle Heintz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Boarding patients in the emergency room while waiting to transfer the patient to the proper unit can be harmful to clinical care and have significant financial opportunity costs. At one local hospital it was found that on average patients were being boarded in the emergency room (ED) for approximately 85 minutes waiting to be transferred. Several barriers that caused this delay were found including, delay in room cleaning, nurse staff shortage, and inability to give report to the nurse receiving the patient. In an attempt to combat this delay which may be caused by a difficulty in giving patient report, …


Assessing The Health Of An Established Urban Church To Develop A Strategic Plan For Growth, Alfonse Javed Jan 2020

Assessing The Health Of An Established Urban Church To Develop A Strategic Plan For Growth, Alfonse Javed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The health of a church is solely dependent on the health of its leadership. The more the leadership becomes imitators of Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2), the more the church resembles the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This work seeks to determine the kind of healthy church leadership, which generates a healthy church culture for multiplying disciples. The purpose of this study is to assess the health of an established urban church in midtown Manhattan, and to evaluate the perception that one large church is more effective than multiple churches in order to discover an evangelistic approach that may help this and …


Youth Decline In Church Growth And Attendance, Marion Diane Jones Jan 2020

Youth Decline In Church Growth And Attendance, Marion Diane Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Youth attendance in the church has declined in the recent past. The reason for their decline is that they no longer find a church to be socially and spiritually relevant to their lives. The paper seeks to provide a solution to the problem through spiritual formation and increasing the depth of youth programs so that they can remain socially relevant to the lives of the young people. This will be done by encouraging youth people to know who Jesus is and how to have a personal relationship with him through faith.


American God Story: Creating Shared Cultural Context With Popular Television, Timothy Joseph Rosenberger Jan 2020

American God Story: Creating Shared Cultural Context With Popular Television, Timothy Joseph Rosenberger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers increasingly encounter a stark divide between their cultural contexts and those of the people they seek to evangelize. This divide is particularly pronounced in popular culture where the television, movies, music, and books that appeal to Christians often are radically different than those that appeal to mainstream Americans. Without a shared cultural language, and a shared network of cultural touch points, it can be challenging to form meaningful connection between, and amongst, church members and unchurched community members. This study pioneers an intervention in which church members, and unchurched community members, come together to view popular television episodes and …


Transitioning To A Televised Worship Service Via Internet To Provide For The Continued Existence Of A Small, Declining Congregation, Clifford L. Herd Jan 2020

Transitioning To A Televised Worship Service Via Internet To Provide For The Continued Existence Of A Small, Declining Congregation, Clifford L. Herd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Prince of Peace (POP) congregation, Ft. Payne, Alabama has less than twenty members and is struggling to survive. POP needed another option for her continued existence and sustainability as a small, declining congregation. Utilizing Internet technologies, it was possible for this small congregation to connect with a host congregation to receive their worship service and message on a large screen television. The thesis project investigated if POP congregation could make a transition from a live person-led worship service/message to a televised worship service/message to enable them to continue to worship and survive as a congregation. The congregation was prepared to …


Fostering Self-Efficacy For Biblical Learning And Doctrinal Awareness With Micro-Teaching In A Brief Course On Bible Study, Robin K. Henson Jan 2020

Fostering Self-Efficacy For Biblical Learning And Doctrinal Awareness With Micro-Teaching In A Brief Course On Bible Study, Robin K. Henson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-efficacy for biblical learning was explored in the context of a small group experience focused on how to study the Bible. After first developing a new instrument to measure self-efficacy for biblical learning in a pilot study, ten church attendees participated in a seven-week course designed around the hermeneutical principles of understanding a Scripture passage in textual and historical context, placing the passage in the grand story of God, and relating it to relevant doctrine. The small group process employed micro-teaching as a mechanism to facilitate challenge and mastery experience in learning. Micro-teaching places the student in the role of …


Job Satisfaction Of Automotive Technicians: A Comparison Of Graduates From General Programs To Manufacturer-Sponsored Programs, Bobby Gene Rowe Dec 2019

Job Satisfaction Of Automotive Technicians: A Comparison Of Graduates From General Programs To Manufacturer-Sponsored Programs, Bobby Gene Rowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to compare the job satisfaction levels of graduates from postsecondary two-year automotive programs that included specialized manufacturer-sponsored training to those graduates of postsecondary two-year general automotive programs. The study used the results of surveys answered by graduates working in dealerships within a 50-mile radius of postsecondary schools that have four of more Mopar CAP, Honda PACT, GM ASEP, Ford Asset, or Toyota T-TEN programs. Job satisfaction was measured using Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey and consisted of pay, fringe benefits, assigned job tasks, and total job satisfaction. An independent t-test measured the differences in …


The Relationships Between School Burnout And Perceived Teacher Support In High School Male Students, Travis S. Moots Dec 2019

The Relationships Between School Burnout And Perceived Teacher Support In High School Male Students, Travis S. Moots

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study is to determine if perceived teacher support predicts school burnout in male high school students. High school males from four private high schools in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia participated in the study. The predictor variables were overall perceived teacher support, as well as four subcategories (i.e., invested, positive regard, expectations, and accessible) of perceived teacher support. Data was collected by utilizing student surveys to measure each of the variables. The Teacher Support Scale measured perceived teacher support, and the School Burnout Inventory measured school burnout among the high school males. …


A Qualitative Study On Urban Middle School Teachers' Perspective Of Social And Emotional Learning As Formed Through Personal And Occupational Experience, Joseph George Gerics Dec 2019

A Qualitative Study On Urban Middle School Teachers' Perspective Of Social And Emotional Learning As Formed Through Personal And Occupational Experience, Joseph George Gerics

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experience of social-emotional learning both personal and professional for twelve urban middle school teachers in northeast Ohio. Urban middle school teachers have typically been under-represented in the research around social-emotional learning and this study looks to give voice to this under-represented group. Through the research, this study gained information regarding urban middle school teachers’ personal and professional experiences with social and emotional learning and how this experience promotes or inhibits successful implementation of social-emotional learning within the classroom. The theories guiding this study are Emotional Intelligence which root …


The Correlation Between Quality Mentoring Relationships And African American Males' Overall Engagement And Academic Success, Cedric Gerard Miller Dec 2019

The Correlation Between Quality Mentoring Relationships And African American Males' Overall Engagement And Academic Success, Cedric Gerard Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mentoring has been the saving grace for many African American males. The positive influence of a caring adult, in many cases, shifted their academic path from danger to success. Programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have provided opportunities for students at-risk to form positive relationships along with a better outlook on life. The purpose of this correlational study is to determine if a relationship exists between quality mentoring relationships and attendance, behavior, and cumulative grade point average of African American males. The research questions guiding this correlational study are: 1) Is there a relationship between quality mentoring …


The Effectiveness Of Christian Accommodative Mindfulness In The Treatment Of Shame, Tracy Lynn Jones Dec 2019

The Effectiveness Of Christian Accommodative Mindfulness In The Treatment Of Shame, Tracy Lynn Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shame is a destructive moral emotion experienced by a vast majority of the population and is found at the core of numerous mental illnesses and spiritual crises. Unfortunately, Christians seeking help for these conditions are often left with unmet cultural needs in the process of treatment, potentially hindering full healing or even entrance into needed treatment. The current small N time series case study research addresses this dilemma utilizing a culturally accommodated form of mindfulness, which is an existing treatment known to promote healing in the physical and mental health realms. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to be useful in the …


Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, And Teacher Personalities, Kathryn Nabors Metherell Dec 2019

Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, And Teacher Personalities, Kathryn Nabors Metherell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The teaching profession is currently suffering from the number of teachers who leave the classroom before retirement. Many corporations use personality testing to determine if an individual is suitable for a position and if they are likely to remain in that position for the duration of their career. A causal-comparative research design was used to determine if there was a difference in teachers who left the classroom before retirement, teachers who officially retired under normal circumstances, biological sex, and personality type. The Big Five Inventory-2 was used to determine the personality types of the participants. The participants were categorized into …


Challenges Of Underserved Students In Disadvantaged Schools: Influence Of Training On School Counselors’ Self-Efficacy, Latonya Lovet Bunch Dec 2019

Challenges Of Underserved Students In Disadvantaged Schools: Influence Of Training On School Counselors’ Self-Efficacy, Latonya Lovet Bunch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A child’s social, mental, and emotional well-being is significant to his/her daily functioning and academic achievement. Socioeconomic impoverished students are often burdened by traumatic experiences and stressors from their homes, communities, and school environment that can exacerbate academic difficulties. Schools in low socio-economic status (SES) communities are frequently coupled with educational disadvantages. Consequently, the lack of expectations, resources, training, and qualified staff often characterizes schools in these communities. For these reasons, these challenges require additional development of school counselors’ capabilities. To serve all students, it is important for practicing school counselors to increase their awareness of the specific needs to …


Developing An At Risk Youth Prevention Model In Local Church, Norman Dwight Vick Dec 2019

Developing An At Risk Youth Prevention Model In Local Church, Norman Dwight Vick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Congregations must be spiritually positioned to receive and pass on the Gospel baton to all believers. This work will concentrate on those that are at risk for emotional disorders, particularly at the stage of adolescence. This effort will point to the young with emotive challenges that will assist them in being able to pass on the faith constructively and wholesomely. This dissertation will utilize an analytic approach that consists of multi-components related to mental health classifications and disorder, therefore, Christian leaders should be looking beyond secularism to provide support for adolescents who are at risk. Given the presence of millions …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Professional, Working Mothers Who Persisted To Doctoral Degree Completion, Brianne Kay Bruscino Dec 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Professional, Working Mothers Who Persisted To Doctoral Degree Completion, Brianne Kay Bruscino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of professional, full-time working mothers who successfully persisted to complete a doctorate degree in an education field through any program type: online, blended, or traditional. Clark’s work/family border theory and Tinto’s student retention theory guided this study, as they connect to the full-time working mothers’ persistence to complete their doctoral degree while holding multiple roles in their lives. Data collection comprised questionnaires, a life map, a Division of Household Roles Survey, and a semi-structured interview to provide rich individual and composite descriptions. The researcher used Moustakas’ modification of …


Uncommon Corps: A Transcendental Phenomenology Of The Academic Experiences Of Military-Connected High School Students Transitioning Between States, Norman Eugene Solomon Dec 2019

Uncommon Corps: A Transcendental Phenomenology Of The Academic Experiences Of Military-Connected High School Students Transitioning Between States, Norman Eugene Solomon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although nearly 1.1 million military-connected students attend public schools throughout the United States, few research studies have examined how transitions related to military mobility requirements affect this unique group of students from the perspective of the students. More often than not, researchers have examined phenomena related to military-connected students and their transitional experiences from the perspectives of parents, teachers, school administrators, or stakeholders other than the military-connected student. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe, from the perspective of the students, the academic experiences of military-connected high school students who transition to different states. Working closely with …