Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
File Type

Articles 4351 - 4380 of 5891

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Comparison Study Between Math Test Scores For Brick And Mortar And Online Classrooms, Marisa May Jul 2020

Comparison Study Between Math Test Scores For Brick And Mortar And Online Classrooms, Marisa May

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the emergence of online education, opportunities have risen for students who seek alternatives to attending a traditional school. However, the rise of virtual education has highlighted the challenges educators and students face in this environment such as academic integrity and quality control. In both learning environments, students often struggle to grasp mathematical concepts despite resources that are intended to aid learners in understanding abstract concepts. With an emphasis on state testing, educators are faced with the challenge to improve both math learning and performance on math standardized tests given at the state level. This study aimed to answer whether …


The Intersection Of Job Satisfaction, Job Dissatisfaction, And Motivation Of Instructional Designers In Online Higher Education: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Laura Elaine Dykstra Jul 2020

The Intersection Of Job Satisfaction, Job Dissatisfaction, And Motivation Of Instructional Designers In Online Higher Education: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Laura Elaine Dykstra

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online education has become a significant part of the strategic growth and health of institutions of higher education (HEIs) today. Instructional designers support the strategic mission of the HEI, and while research to date has looked extensively at the role of the instructional designer in higher education, no research has looked at the experience of the instructional designer focusing specifically on the feelings and intersection of job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and motivation. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the experiences related to job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and motivation for instructional designers working in online higher education. The theoretical …


The Lived Experiences Of High School Students Who Self-Identify As Readers: A Phenomenological Study, Michael J. Romick Jul 2020

The Lived Experiences Of High School Students Who Self-Identify As Readers: A Phenomenological Study, Michael J. Romick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and better understand the lived experiences of what it means to be a reader as a high school student. The literature revealed a plethora of studies and articles on various aspects of reading and many pieces from teachers, researchers, and academics’ perspectives, but there are virtually no studies that have explored what being a reader means from the high school reader’s perspective; no studies that have explored the lived experiences of what being a reader means to high school students. The central question guiding this study asked, “What is the lived …


The Impact Of Teacher Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Sallie Johnakin-Putnam Jul 2020

The Impact Of Teacher Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Sallie Johnakin-Putnam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teacher recruitment and retention is a growing concern for educational organizations. This is in large part due to the increasing work demands and underfunding of public funding. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teacher motivation and the adaptive factor of self-efficacy. The theoretical frameworks of Bandura’s social learning theory, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and Rotter’s locus of control theory were used to guide this study. The researcher used a quantitative correlation study to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and overall motivation. The two surveys were given to 130 elementary …


Easycbm And The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program: A Correlational Analysis Of Reading Achievement, Stephanie Ann Stone Jul 2020

Easycbm And The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program: A Correlational Analysis Of Reading Achievement, Stephanie Ann Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current trends in education suggest that the best way to help struggling readers is to provide academic intervention before they fall too far behind. Schools that use annual standardized test scores to determine students’ academic deficiencies, and thereby their need for intervention, only receive these score reports once per year, often several weeks or months after the students have been assessed. The purpose of this correlational analysis of reading achievement was to compare students’ performance on the EasyCBM progress monitoring tool to students’ performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program for third, fourth, and fifth grade students at a suburban …


Pastoral Stress: The Urgent Need For Self-Care, Remiel Lockwood Jul 2020

Pastoral Stress: The Urgent Need For Self-Care, Remiel Lockwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors are called to the ministry of helps while also needing help. The care and counseling they offer others can also be beneficial to them. Unfortunately, they are often so busy helping others they may neglect themselves and their families. Consequently, what is meant to be a blessing becomes a curse. Pastors often suffer with the silent frustrations of their call, personal temptations, family pressures and career desires while struggling to hold it together. The pastor may be limited in who can be entrusted with the deep concerns of their hearts. Everybody needs someone they can talk with and the …


Implementation Of An Independent, Unit Specific Lgbt Cultural Competency Training, Kristen Nicole Kaiafas Jul 2020

Implementation Of An Independent, Unit Specific Lgbt Cultural Competency Training, Kristen Nicole Kaiafas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper describes the methodology of the implementation of an educational intervention in the emergency department (ED) setting seeking to improve the provision of culturally competent care for the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) population. The intent of the project was to improve the knowledge and skills, openness and support, and oppression awareness of ED nurses when providing care to the LGBT population. The scholarly project included an evidence-based, unit specific education intervention to improve these measurement outcomes. Analysis utilizing descriptive statistics demonstrated an increase in the mean knowledge and skills and openness and support following the education intervention. The results illustrated an …


A Phenomenological Study Of 21-29-Year-Old Teachers' Perceptions Of Using Twitter For Professional Development, John Woodring Jul 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of 21-29-Year-Old Teachers' Perceptions Of Using Twitter For Professional Development, John Woodring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the perception of 21-29-year-old public school teachers’ use of Twitter in their professional development. However, while teachers in the 21-29-year-old age range were part of the demographic dominating online social media use in general, they did not use online social networks for professional development purposes as much as their older peers (Carpenter & Krutka, 2014; Visser et al., 2014). While professional development was important for improving teachers’ classroom performance and student achievement (Coldwell, 2017), traditional professional development often was ineffective in changing classroom instruction (Carpenter & Krutka, 2014; Dingle, Brownwell, Leko, Boardman, & Haager, 2011; …


A Phenomenology Of Teachers' Experiences Using One-To-One Technology In Rural North Carolina Middle Schools, Louise Marie Cline-Caulder Jul 2020

A Phenomenology Of Teachers' Experiences Using One-To-One Technology In Rural North Carolina Middle Schools, Louise Marie Cline-Caulder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of middle school teachers using one-to-one technology in schools in rural North Carolina. The guiding theory, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), is a framework for interweaving technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. The 12 participants in this study were middle school teachers from three schools in a rural North Carolina school district. The central research question for this study is: how do middle school teachers describe their daily experiences using one-to-one technology in schools in rural North Carolina. The supporting questions posed were: how do participants describe their self-efficacy …


The Effect Of Co-Teaching On Student Reading Achievement Scores, William Joshua Taylor Jun 2020

The Effect Of Co-Teaching On Student Reading Achievement Scores, William Joshua Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the co-teaching model on student performance on a high-stakes reading assessment. The significance of this study was to show the need for this type of research and the need for further research dealing with high-stakes assessments, its impact on at-risk students, and ways to assist at-risk students with preparation for high-stakes assessments. This study utilized a quantitative, causal-comparative design to determine if the co-teaching model influences student achievement scores while controlling for prior knowledge. The participants for this study were drawn from a convenience sample of eighth grade students …


A Phenomenological Study Of Performance Assessments In Detracked Secondary English Classes, Susan Renee Mahlburg Jun 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of Performance Assessments In Detracked Secondary English Classes, Susan Renee Mahlburg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how teachers described the experience of using performance assessments in detracked English classrooms. The theory guiding this study was constructivism, a psychological theory of learning based on the work of Vygotsky, which holds that learning, especially lasting, meaningful learning, results from the activity and self-organization resulting from learners’ attempts to create meaning. The central research question addressed how teachers described the experiences and purposes of teaching in detracked secondary English classrooms, with additional research questions focusing on the use of performance assessments, advantages and disadvantages of detracking, professional development, and other …


Friend And Spouse: Does The Level Of A Close-Knit, Same Sex Friend Affect Marital Intimacy?, Caitlyn Royal Jun 2020

Friend And Spouse: Does The Level Of A Close-Knit, Same Sex Friend Affect Marital Intimacy?, Caitlyn Royal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing literature in the fields of Marital Intimacy and Healthy Friendships and adding empirical research about how the two constructs correlate. Currently, there is a gap in the literature regarding the effects of adult friendships on marital intimacy. Participants had to be in an ongoing heterosexual marriage for at least three years, be at least 18 years old and live within the United States in order to take an online survey that evaluated friendship levels and marital intimacy dynamics. Data was collected via the following instruments: Personal Assessment of Intimacy …


A Multiple Case Study Examining How Christian Education Has Influenced A High School Graduates’ Worldview, William Lawrence Lorigan Jun 2020

A Multiple Case Study Examining How Christian Education Has Influenced A High School Graduates’ Worldview, William Lawrence Lorigan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand how the Christian education offered by Country Lakes School System (CLSS; pseudonym) has influenced the worldview of its graduates. CLSS defines a biblical worldview as follows: “The entire process of education is seen as a means used by God to bring the student into fellowship with Himself, to develop a Christian mind in him and to train him in Godly living so that he can fulfill God’s total purpose for his life.” The theoretical framework that guided this study was Sire’s three-dimensional concept of worldview, which served as a basis …


A Social-Emotional Framework Aligned To Common Core State Standards: Applied Social Research, Lisa A. Colapietro Jun 2020

A Social-Emotional Framework Aligned To Common Core State Standards: Applied Social Research, Lisa A. Colapietro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied social research study was to solve the problem of the omission of a social-emotional framework aligned to Common Core State Standards for a suburban middle school in southeastern Pennsylvania and to design training, if needed, to address the issue. An applied social research design using interviews, surveys, and documents was employed to inform the perceived problem. Interviews with teachers and administrators familiar with the school’s curriculum and its development, a survey of the middle school teachers, and review of documents from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Common Core State Standards informed the applied social …


Learning Disability As An Influence On Entrepreneurial Calling And Success, Christopher James Stemple Jun 2020

Learning Disability As An Influence On Entrepreneurial Calling And Success, Christopher James Stemple

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The phenomena identified as the relationship between learning disabilities, entrepreneurial calling, and entrepreneurial success or failure is a timely and relevant topic that necessitated exploration. To build upon this research, this qualitative case study was conducted. The goal of this case study research is to understand how learning disabilities affect the success or failure of entrepreneurs, while also exploring how the entrepreneur was called to be an entrepreneur. The first theme identified in this research study was individual entrepreneurial resilience. Entrepreneurial resilience, hardiness, and optimism were commonly found personality traits amongst research study participants. The second theme to emerge from …


Teacher Technology Efficacy: The Relationship Among Generation, Gender, And Subject Area Of Secondary Teachers, Kimberly D. Woods Jun 2020

Teacher Technology Efficacy: The Relationship Among Generation, Gender, And Subject Area Of Secondary Teachers, Kimberly D. Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive, correlational study is designed to examine the relationship between the technology efficacy of gender, generation (baby boomers, millennials, and generation X), and subject area using teachers who use 21st century technology tools and devices in a high school setting. In this non-experimental study, participants submitted their online responses to the 34-item survey, Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Questionnaire for 21st Century Learning (TPSA C-21), as well as their demographic information via Google Forms. The researcher used multiple regression to analyze participants’ anonymous responses. In using a multiple linear regression analysis, the researcher examined results of the TPSA C-21 and concluded …


Using Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment To Address Problematic Alcohol Use At A University Student Health Center, Tajuane H. Dockery Jun 2020

Using Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment To Address Problematic Alcohol Use At A University Student Health Center, Tajuane H. Dockery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Problematic drinking is a public health concern on college campuses. College students who do not have their risky drinking behaviors addressed are at greater risk for developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Despite known risks associated with drinking on college campuses, many college health centers miss an opportunity to address these behaviors because they lack a systematic process for identifying students at risk and referring them for treatment. This evidence-based project evaluated the effectiveness of using Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to identify students with risky drinking behaviors and the impact the screening process had on facilitating a referral …


The Silent Disease Of Law Enforcement Officers: The Stigma Of Mental Health In Law Enforcement Identity And Mental Health Outcomes, Timothy Lavelle Myles Jun 2020

The Silent Disease Of Law Enforcement Officers: The Stigma Of Mental Health In Law Enforcement Identity And Mental Health Outcomes, Timothy Lavelle Myles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the organizational and personal factors affecting law enforcement officers' willingness to seek mental health assistance following a stressful/traumatic experience from the perspective of the law enforcement officer. The effect of stigmas associated with mental health-seeking behaviors and its impact on the reluctance of law enforcement officers' willingness to seek assistance is the central phenomenon of this study. Study participants included twelve active and retired law enforcement officers from the northern part of the state of Minnesota in an effort to elicit rich narratives and lived experience from this target population. …


Preaching God's Redemptive Plan Through Jesus Christ In The Old Testament, David H. Lane Jun 2020

Preaching God's Redemptive Plan Through Jesus Christ In The Old Testament, David H. Lane

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The example of the early church reveals a commitment to preaching the complete Word of God. Case in point, the Apostle Paul gave the charge to Timothy: “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim 4:2). Preachers are called to proclaim the entire counsel of God’s Word (2 Tim 3: 16-17). The motivation for this project was grounded in the perceived need for the church family to have a better understanding of how God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ began in the Old Testament. More specifically, the …


Job Embeddedness And Certified Nursing Assistant Retention In Skilled Nursing Facilities, M Ashley Pressman Jun 2020

Job Embeddedness And Certified Nursing Assistant Retention In Skilled Nursing Facilities, M Ashley Pressman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Certified nursing assistants (CNA) are a critical part of the direct care provided in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). Turnover among CNAs results in patient care issues and increased costs to providers. Despite years of research into why CNAs leave their jobs, the turnover in this occupation continues to be the highest among direct caregivers in SNFs. Job Embeddedness (JE) is a construct that evaluates why people stay with their job. JE has been found to explain intent to leave and voluntary turnover over and above the traditional indicators of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job alternatives, and job search. This quantitative, …


A Phenomenological Study Of Assistant Principals' Shared Experiences Of Restructuring In Virginia Schools, Lisa Whitmore Rath Jun 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of Assistant Principals' Shared Experiences Of Restructuring In Virginia Schools, Lisa Whitmore Rath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology study was to describe the experiences of assistant principals before, during, and after restructuring in Virginia. Restructuring is defined as the transition or movement from one setting to another. Schlossberg’s transitional theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study, answering the essential question: How do assistant principals describe their experiences associated with being restructuring? The sub-questions explored the experiences of the assistant principal before, during, and after the restructuring. Sub-questions inquired as to what the experiences were before the restructuring, during the restructuring, and after the restructuring occurred. The research design used …


What Is The Relationship Between Employee Engagement And Job Satisfaction To Organizational Commitment In Supply Chain Management? An Examination Of These Causal Factors In Supply Chain Managers In The Middle East, Phaylinh "Tia" Nosavan Prang Jun 2020

What Is The Relationship Between Employee Engagement And Job Satisfaction To Organizational Commitment In Supply Chain Management? An Examination Of These Causal Factors In Supply Chain Managers In The Middle East, Phaylinh "Tia" Nosavan Prang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the Middle East, one of the biggest challenges facing supply chain business leaders was the expatriate assignment failures, an average turnover rate of 12%, with the main reason an inability to cope with lifestyle adjustments due to cultural and family pressures. Additionally, fifty-one percent of expatriates leave the multinational corporation (MNC) within two years of repatriation (De Ruiter, Lub, Jansma, and Blomme, 2018; Haak-Saheem, Darwish, & Al-Nasser, 2017; Stoermer, Haslberger, Froese, & Kraeh, 2018). The Middle Eastern workforce showed the disproportionate ratio of expatriates to local nationals in which nearly 99% of employees in the private sector in the …


A Marriage Education Program To Address An Education Gap Affecting Those Not Participating In Premarital Education, Nikolaus Alvin Secula Jun 2020

A Marriage Education Program To Address An Education Gap Affecting Those Not Participating In Premarital Education, Nikolaus Alvin Secula

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The importance of developing tools and programs within the local congregation to strengthen marriages is of the highest necessity. With an increasing movement away in society from the truths and purposes of God, marriages are under increased stress in modern culture. This societal stress is on all marriages, including those of Christians. This project creates a curriculum and education program to teach married couples and individuals that may or may not have had premarital education. The project is designed in part to meet an observed gap in marriage education at the local level. The project showed a considerable success rate …


The Emdr Integrative Group Treatment Protocol For Ongoing Traumatic Stress With Female Survivors Of Child Marriage, Trafficking, And Exploitation In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sarah Frances Walsh Jun 2020

The Emdr Integrative Group Treatment Protocol For Ongoing Traumatic Stress With Female Survivors Of Child Marriage, Trafficking, And Exploitation In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sarah Frances Walsh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study implements a pilot project investigating the effectiveness of providing the EMDR integrative group treatment protocol adapted for ongoing traumatic stress (EMDR- IGTP-OTS) to females in Dhaka, Bangladesh (and the surrounding areas) who have survived early marriage and sexual exploitation. The aim of the study is to reduce the PTSD symptoms of these women as measured by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS-Anxiety & HADS-Depression). This study analyzes archival data gathered by Scaling UP EMDR. Few studies exist testing actual interventions to help the population of women or using EMDR-IGTP-OTS with …


Improving Student Attendance In Two Rural Mississippi Elementary Schools, Angela A. Bonner Jun 2020

Improving Student Attendance In Two Rural Mississippi Elementary Schools, Angela A. Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the problem of low student attendance for two elementary schools in southwest Mississippi by reviewing interventions designed to improve average daily attendance among elementary students. This study sought to review previous interventions and determine which initiatives worked to improve student attendance using qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods such as interviews and document analysis were conducted with staff and administrators who work within the school district, ensuring attendance regulations are being met. Their responses, along with a review of related literature, provided insights into recent initiatives undertaken to address attendance issues. …


The Effects Of Rotational Blended Learning On Course Grades In High School Credit Recovery Math I And English I Courses, Jarrod S. Dennis Jun 2020

The Effects Of Rotational Blended Learning On Course Grades In High School Credit Recovery Math I And English I Courses, Jarrod S. Dennis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the increasing popularity of using online and blended technology to recover lost initial credit, there has been limited research as to the effectiveness of online only credit recovery models, and the effectiveness of blended learning models, especially in secondary public education. This study is important in that it analyzes which method of content delivery is most effective for a particular population. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine if there were any statistical differences in the individual final numerical course grades of students taking online only credit recovery English I and Math I classes, and students taking …


The Development Of A Comprehensive Biblical Worldview In Undergraduate Students Who Attend A Regionally Accredited Christian University Located In A Church Setting, Nell Ivy Prince Jun 2020

The Development Of A Comprehensive Biblical Worldview In Undergraduate Students Who Attend A Regionally Accredited Christian University Located In A Church Setting, Nell Ivy Prince

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem this study addresses is that Christian undergraduate Generation Z students at Southeastern University’s Bayside Regional Campus (SEUB) do not have a comprehensive biblical worldview. This was confirmed when a worldview test taken by SEUB students at the beginning of this study revealed that zero students part of this study had a biblical theist worldview, and 15 percent had a moderate Christian worldview. This problem is widespread among universities as a 2018 study from Barna revealed that only 4 percent of Gen Z engaged Christians have a biblical worldview. This study proposes that students who attend a regionally-accredited Christian …


Using Patient Safety Principles To Prevent Patient Harm, Octavia Reed Wynn Jun 2020

Using Patient Safety Principles To Prevent Patient Harm, Octavia Reed Wynn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While healthcare is intended to promote and restore optimal health and quality of life, it has been realized that patients often experience unintended harm while consuming healthcare services. In a project conducted in a 12-bed intensive care unit, nurses completed a pre-survey to identify a baseline understanding of patient safety principles. They then completed online educational modules designed to teach patient safety principles including patient and family centered healthcare, systems safety, and culture of safety. Following the educational intervention, a postsurvey to assess for increased understanding was administered. Forty-seven nurses completed the presurvey and education showing improved understanding of patient …


Love Your Neighbor: An Educational Strategy To Cultivate Compassion In Adolescent Males, James Allan Benson Jr Jun 2020

Love Your Neighbor: An Educational Strategy To Cultivate Compassion In Adolescent Males, James Allan Benson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When challenged to identify the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus Christ famously included “love your neighbor” in his response, making love foundational for all followers of Christ. Compassion is a key element that serves to demonstrate biblical love; sadly, today’s culture often minimizes or discourages compassion. In ten years of chaplaincy at the secondary school level, this author has seen too many Christian young men finish their high school journey without a foundation in love through compassion. This thesis project will utilize existing resources for academic and biblical research, as well as interviews of 25 high school males, to …


Community College Academic Advising: A Study Of Effects On Gpa, Retention, And Engagement, Christy Lynn Genova Jun 2020

Community College Academic Advising: A Study Of Effects On Gpa, Retention, And Engagement, Christy Lynn Genova

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although research shows the utilization of advising services can impact academic performance and provide students with a point of connection to postsecondary institutions, the effect of advising services in the experiences of traditional-aged college student attending community colleges has only recently been explored. This causal-comparative research study was designed to address the gap in literature concerning the use and effectiveness of academic advising services in community colleges. The study included a convenience sample of 99 community college students, between the ages of 18 and 24 years, from a small community college. Participants completed an online version of the Community College …