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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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Proven Biblical Discipleship: Make It According To The Pattern, Anthony Ray Mckee Apr 2021

Proven Biblical Discipleship: Make It According To The Pattern, Anthony Ray Mckee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The first-century church’s spiritual growth methodology functioned to achieve the goal of Christlikeness through discipleship. God crafted a design for his church to advance followers of Jesus toward Christian maturity. God’s instruction for Israel to “see that you make it according to the pattern” came from God’s perfect mind and is practical guidance for today’s spiritual growth practices. According to the countless number of discipleship methods available, some churches communicate that Christian maturation can be achieved through any discipleship perspective. This project aims to study local churches that offer a discipleship program, process, or pedagogy and compare them with twelve …


Title Ix And The College Employee: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica Jean Necessary Apr 2021

Title Ix And The College Employee: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica Jean Necessary

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand employee perceptions of Title IX through participants’ lived experiences at Small Public College. The transcendental phenomenological design for this study was be grounded in the phenomenological approach of Moustakas (1994) as it enables the researcher to investigate the lived experiences of participants related to a central phenomenon. The central research question guiding the study was what are the employee perceptions of Title IX at Small Public College? The study utilized three instruments: interviews, focus group, and document analysis. Fifteen participants were interviewed. Six participants were in the focus group. Data …


A Study Of American Rural Music Educators: The Impact On Community Involvement In Music, Stanley Norman Harris Iii Apr 2021

A Study Of American Rural Music Educators: The Impact On Community Involvement In Music, Stanley Norman Harris Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study intends to discover and evaluate positive and negative relationships that music educators experience while teaching in rural educational settings and to discover if broader community involvement can help mitigate resource reductions. Influences such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) have accelerated reductions in music programs. The purpose of the investigation is to recognize the feasibility of rural music educators leveraging increased support through community involvement to benefit their local music programs and students. The study's focus is twofold: first, to discover and examine what causes rural music educators to not participate …


Examining Emergency Safety Preparedness Training In Baptist Churches In North Carolina Against An Active Shooter Threat, Kim Mark Auten Apr 2021

Examining Emergency Safety Preparedness Training In Baptist Churches In North Carolina Against An Active Shooter Threat, Kim Mark Auten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the threat of human-made hazards intensifies, church leadership will need to examine their church safety preparedness policies to keep congregations safe while on the property. This research's primary objective was to determine if there are current safety protocols in which address potential threats and if church leadership has procedures in place that cover the various disasters that churches are exposed to in the state of North Carolina. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to examine the churches serving North Carolina in a rural, suburban, and inner-city setting to determine if there is any correlation in leadership's perception …


A Separate Asset Class For Cryptocurrency, Wayne Allen Durr Apr 2021

A Separate Asset Class For Cryptocurrency, Wayne Allen Durr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to research the need for a separate asset class for cryptocurrency. The researcher found a lack of research on this topic and conducted research that provides more information on the topic than is currently in existence. The researcher examined the effects of classification and lack of classification of cryptocurrency as an asset class. This research provided a greater understanding of how cryptocurrency is working without a separate asset classification and added to the current research on the topic. The researcher interviewed multiple people, all with various forms of involvement with cryptocurrency. The interview …


The Influence Of Authentic Leadership On Venture Philanthropy In Christian, K-12 Schools, Renee G. Cervantes Apr 2021

The Influence Of Authentic Leadership On Venture Philanthropy In Christian, K-12 Schools, Renee G. Cervantes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This multiple case study explored the influence that authentic leadership has on venture philanthropy in five, Christian, K-12, non-profit schools in the United States. The research was conducted using a multiple case study method through qualitative interviews with the venture philanthropists of each Christian school. In this study, venture philanthropy at a Christian school was defined as the provision of a collective gift total of $1 million or more in cash assets, the provision of strategic assistance through a close funder-fundee relationship, serving on the school’s board of trustees or in an advisory role, and the implementation of social and …


African American Women In Leadership In Faith-Based Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Michael Charles Walker Mar 2021

African American Women In Leadership In Faith-Based Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Michael Charles Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American women hold unique experiences in the pursuit of leadership roles within faith-based colleges and universities. Since leadership occurs within a cultural context, there is sound reason to explore if transformational leadership behavior could positively impact the lived experiences of African American women within faith-based colleges and universities who seek to enter into leadership roles. The survey was cross-sectional with data collected at one period and returned to the researcher. This research design utilized qualitative interview as the means of data collection. Five open-ended research questions guided the research study. Women were qualified for sampling with employment at a …


Church Revitalization: Fashioning Church For Growth, Willie Lee Wormack Mar 2021

Church Revitalization: Fashioning Church For Growth, Willie Lee Wormack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis research project is an approach to resolve the issues of the critically declined and dying Friendship Baptist Church whose membership cannot support a viable ministry. Friendship Baptist Church exists with minimal infrastructure at 38503 Mosstown Road, Dade City, Florida, in the rural Lacoochee, Florida area. Friendship Baptist Church needs a visionary plan with leadership and team support directed to assist with church development and growth. The case study approach will implement exploration on the meanings and beliefs of Christianity for the church in the church’s social setting. Investigations about cultural associations of faith with the church is engaged …


Elementary Educators' Self-Efficacy, Curiosity, Learning Attainment, Experience, And The Number Of Neuromythic Beliefs: A Correlational Study, Angela Ranae Posey Mar 2021

Elementary Educators' Self-Efficacy, Curiosity, Learning Attainment, Experience, And The Number Of Neuromythic Beliefs: A Correlational Study, Angela Ranae Posey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The advancements in brain research have led to misconceptions in education. These misconceptions, known as neuromyths, can have impacts on the education system. The problem is educators could potentially waste resources on instructional practices or professional development due to neuroscience misconceptions. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to determine if there was a relationship between elementary educators’ self-efficacy, curiosity, learning attainment, experience, and the number of neuromythic beliefs. The sample population (N = 67), collected through a convenience sample, included rural in-service elementary educators from one school district in Missouri. Participants took an online questionnaire that included the …


Purging The New Age: A Theological Analysis Of The Use Of New Age Practices By The Church, Christopher Michael Berg Mar 2021

Purging The New Age: A Theological Analysis Of The Use Of New Age Practices By The Church, Christopher Michael Berg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation sets out to demonstrate that Yoga and the Enneagram are not compatible with orthodox Christianity. Additionally, this dissertation will show that all possible attempts at Christianizing these practices ultimately fail due to incompatible underlying philosophies and theologies. In order to accomplish this task, assessment criteria will be developed through a comparison of a subset of evangelical Christian theological topics with their New Age counterparts. These criteria will be used to assess the level of syncretization in each practice as presented by the most popular and prolific Christian practitioners. After assessment, a recommendation will be given concerning each practice’s …


A Predictive Correlation Study Examining Persistence In A Virginia Community College Based On Veteran Status, Demographics, And Completion Of Developmental Coursework, Takesha A. Holt-Mcmiller Mar 2021

A Predictive Correlation Study Examining Persistence In A Virginia Community College Based On Veteran Status, Demographics, And Completion Of Developmental Coursework, Takesha A. Holt-Mcmiller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the significant scope and documented challenges facing veterans, few studies have addressed student veteran graduation persistence. A predictive correlation research design was used to analyze the persistence of veteran and non-veteran students in an associate degree program. In this study, community college students’ veteran status (i.e. veteran or non-veteran), enrollment status (part-time or full-time), success in remedial/developmental English (Yes/No pass), and demographic variables, such as gender (male, female, other), race (minority, non-minority), and age, were examined to determine their ability to predict persistence to graduation from associate degree programs. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine how persistence …


Practitioner Perception Of The Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In The Special Education Classroom: A Case Study, Jolene G. Swezey Mar 2021

Practitioner Perception Of The Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In The Special Education Classroom: A Case Study, Jolene G. Swezey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to identify factors that inform the decision-making process of 11 special education practitioners for the implementation of evidence-based practices in the classroom at Central Combined School (pseudonym). The theoretical framework for this study is Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory. Street-level bureaucracy theory states that social services workers use discretion to administer required policies. Understanding how special educators act as street-level bureaucrats will provide new insights into teacher perception of the decision-making process for implementing evidence-based practices. The central research question asked, What are the factors that inform the decision-making process for special …


From Spectator To Servant: Addressing The Heart Of The Christian For Service Within The Church Based Upon Ephesians 5:18-21 And Biblical Principles Of Servanthood, David Warren Di Raddo Feb 2021

From Spectator To Servant: Addressing The Heart Of The Christian For Service Within The Church Based Upon Ephesians 5:18-21 And Biblical Principles Of Servanthood, David Warren Di Raddo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the ninth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, verses thirty-six through thirty-eight, Jesus said to His disciples that the fields were ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. This dissertation project will address the question of why today, as in the days of Jesus, workers in the church continue to be few in number. Specifically, what factors have contributed to the majority of those who attend church becoming spectators rather than servants, and what will change the heart of the individual? This study will include three primary data collection methods comprised of a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire, a ten-question survey …


Sons Of Nehemiah: Raising The Level Of Leadership In Ten Pastor Revitalizers Of The Montgomery Baptist Association, Donald Neal Hughes Feb 2021

Sons Of Nehemiah: Raising The Level Of Leadership In Ten Pastor Revitalizers Of The Montgomery Baptist Association, Donald Neal Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are churches in America seeking vitality through the restorative and refreshing power of the Holy Spirit. The present term of renewal is called “church revitalization.” Each struggling congregation has or is securing a pastor revitalizer. The question many will ask is, “Are these holy shepherds high capacity leaders? Will they lead the church with a compelling vision, a devoted work ethic, a contagious passion, and a kingdom focus based on a community context?” The thesis project researches ten pastor revitalizers from Montgomery, Alabama. The researcher gives them the name Sons of Nehemiah to build rapport and accentuate Nehemiah’s biblical …


Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine Jan 2021

Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Constitution allowing for the removal of religious conceptions from public schools, the perspectives of most United States middle school-age kids show that the cultural shift towards scientific naturalism as the de facto worldview has impacted worship music in the Church. The worldview is one of worship that presents more as a concert than that of praise. The data, such as suicide statistics, show that there is a correlation between a negatively shifted moral valuation and the aversion, or inability, for the subject of God to be approached in the school setting (i.e., the science classroom) - even where …


Social-Emotional Learning And Its Relationship To High School Student Academic Achievement In Stem Courses, Maurice Lavelle Mcdougald Jan 2021

Social-Emotional Learning And Its Relationship To High School Student Academic Achievement In Stem Courses, Maurice Lavelle Mcdougald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of high school student social-emotional learning and its relationship to academic achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) courses as moderated by gender and racial groups and within a rural school in the Sandhills area of North Carolina. Using a quasi-experimental variable-centered design, 202 Junior Reserve Officer Corps students participated in this research. The researcher sought to answer: (1) Do individual high school students' self-perceptions of social-emotional learning skills influence academic achievement in traditional STEM courses? (2) Are there significant variations of individual high school students' self-perception of social-emotional learning …


A Study On The Development And Effectiveness Of Christian Leaders Through Cambodia Christian International School, Changsoon Son Jan 2021

A Study On The Development And Effectiveness Of Christian Leaders Through Cambodia Christian International School, Changsoon Son

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper is about fostering Christian leaders and missionary roles in Cambodia through the operation of the Christian International School in Cambodia. The researcher emphasizes the necessity and importance of Christian international schools in Cambodia, a Buddhist country, and aims to present missionary strategies through them. Cambodia is located in Indochina, southeast of Asia, and has a painful history of the Killing Fields. In 1976, a Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, killed at least one million Cambodians by 1979, systematically sweeping the educated middle class and most of those who seemed enemies of the government. As a result, Cambodia …


The Impact Of Social Media Use On Social Comparison And Body Images Of Young Adult Males, Tresa Lynn Hildreth Dec 2020

The Impact Of Social Media Use On Social Comparison And Body Images Of Young Adult Males, Tresa Lynn Hildreth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the rise of social networking sites, young people are utilizing social platforms as an on-going avenue for comparison, specifically with regard to body image. Although issues of body image are often attributed to females, males struggle to live up to societal ideals of what a man should look like. This study highlights the body image comparisons that exist with young men and provides insight into the detrimental impact and consequences these comparisons can have on young men as they grow into adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media use and body image …


Loving The Unloveable: A Biblical Approach For The Local Church To Homosexuality In A Morally Declining Society, Robert Jonathan Archer Dec 2020

Loving The Unloveable: A Biblical Approach For The Local Church To Homosexuality In A Morally Declining Society, Robert Jonathan Archer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will strive to prove that local churches worldwide have been highly ineffective at providing true recovery for parishioners that struggle with homosexuality often ostracizing them as a diseased product rather than a creation of the Father. The goal is to help the church discover, assess, and address the sin, healing, and recovery for homosexuals in their ministry in a healthy biblical manner that promotes freedom in Christ and true recovery. This will allow the local church to partake in the healing process of broken parishioners promoting evangelism and discipleship that will in turn extend into the communities of …


Refilling The Oilpots: Developing A Program To Reverse Stagnancy In African-American Churches, Mancil Carroll Dec 2020

Refilling The Oilpots: Developing A Program To Reverse Stagnancy In African-American Churches, Mancil Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many African American churches in America are experiencing a decline in attendance and participation. The typical church goes through a life-cycle that includes the church's birth, infancy, maturity, stagnation, and death. However, it is possible to create a rebirth process that will restart the life-cycle from the beginning. This thesis develops a strategic plan to initiate church rebirth and build momentum for the congregation. This project's research approach will include interviews with the leaders of a medium-size African American church in Dallas's suburbs. The project will also include survey questionnaires to congregants, former church members, and random subjects selected through …


First-Generation College Students' Lived Experiences In An Undergraduate Music Education Program: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Joseph Benjamin Earp Dec 2020

First-Generation College Students' Lived Experiences In An Undergraduate Music Education Program: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Joseph Benjamin Earp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of first-generation college students (FGCSs) majoring in music education at a small, private university in the southeastern United States. Through understanding FGCSs’ experiences, university faculty and administrators can make informed decisions that can help this important sub-population of students. The self-determination theory (SDT) and the relationships motivation theory (SDT mini-theory) have guided this study exploring the central research question: How do FGCSs describe their lived experiences while majoring in music education? Sub-questions include (1) how do FGCSs majoring in music education describe challenges relating to self-determination while …


High School Education Professionals' Explanations Of The Impacts Of Military Stress On Military Dependent Students' Development, William John Buchleitner Iv Dec 2020

High School Education Professionals' Explanations Of The Impacts Of Military Stress On Military Dependent Students' Development, William John Buchleitner Iv

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this explanatory case study is to understand how the military culture and inherent stress affect the development of military dependent high school children as explained by high school professionals. For this research, military stressors were identified as combat deployments, permanent change of stations, and living within a military household. The conceptual framework that influenced this research was the social cognitive theory as developed by Albert Bandura and Ronald Akers’ social learning theory, both of which explain how children learn from observing individuals and their environments. This study sought to answer the central research question: How do high …


My Spouse Is Amazing Like Me: The Association Between Homogamy For Narcissism And Relationship Satisfaction, Kerry Anne Marsh Dec 2020

My Spouse Is Amazing Like Me: The Association Between Homogamy For Narcissism And Relationship Satisfaction, Kerry Anne Marsh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study’s purpose was to better understand how narcissistic admiration and rivalry relate to relationship satisfaction and to investigate the satisfaction found in homogamous versus heterogamous narcissistic relationships. The study explored relationship satisfaction of married participants (N = 764), as moderated by their partner’s perceived level and subtype of narcissism. It also examined direct correlations between participant narcissistic admiration and rivalry and relationship satisfaction, as well as correlations between participant and perceived partner narcissism scores. An exploratory study about how relationship length moderates the association between narcissism and relationship satisfaction was also conducted. This quantitative study featured a cross-sectional online …


Student Success Of Online Vs. In-Person Biology Courses At Virginia Community Colleges, Jennifer Claire Scott Dec 2020

Student Success Of Online Vs. In-Person Biology Courses At Virginia Community Colleges, Jennifer Claire Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Community colleges have a significant role in preparing students for STEM-related careers through certificates, degrees, and transfers to four-year institutions. In addition, online education is a growing mode of higher education, particularly for community college students. However, community college and online students are both at a high risk of attrition and show a lower success rate for degree completion. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in attrition and success between students in online and in-person biology courses at Virginia community colleges. Also, this study addressed downstream effects of online education by examining course completion of second-semester biology …


An Effective Strategy Of Family Ministry In Korean Church To Build A Biblical Family, Ikjae Jin Dec 2020

An Effective Strategy Of Family Ministry In Korean Church To Build A Biblical Family, Ikjae Jin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to assist churches in building a biblical family and developing an effective strategy for family ministry programs. Additionally, it will address the problems and difficulties of Korean families. The study will be based on Korean churches in South Korea. A study of what churches are doing to assist these families will be conducted. This project will suggest how to build a biblical family in Korean churches. This research will survey at least 50 Korean pastors living in Korea and will conduct research on existing family ministry programs in Korean churches based on biblical and …


Establishing Christ Community Church As A Sent Community: Initiating Spiritual Conversation With Confidence, Relevance, And Conviction, William Leland Burch Ii Nov 2020

Establishing Christ Community Church As A Sent Community: Initiating Spiritual Conversation With Confidence, Relevance, And Conviction, William Leland Burch Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that Christ Community Church does not see itself as a ‘sent community.’ A ‘sent community’ is one where purpose and forward movement in Kingdom work is embraced. A church must seek to involve itself in the community, delve into the needs, and speak to the emptiness with the Gospel of Jesus. The purpose of this project is to establish Christ Community Church as a ‘sent community’ by offering a sustentative engagement program which will: 1) describe the mission of Jesus; 2) assess the culture in which the church is situated; 3) answer six frequently asked theological questions; …


African American Pastoral Counseling: The Dynamics On Self-Worth, Personal Efficacy, Motivation, And Responsible Discipleship, Charles T. Walker Nov 2020

African American Pastoral Counseling: The Dynamics On Self-Worth, Personal Efficacy, Motivation, And Responsible Discipleship, Charles T. Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study evaluated the counseling practices of African American pastors in the Southeastern region of the United States. The study examined their perceptions and relevant themes when counseling their parishioners on self-worth, personal efficacy, and motivation. Relevant themes were: Cultural Context counseling; impaired self-worth and self-love in rural young females; and whether the rural male is dominated by loss of hope. The exploratory study collected data from 19 digital surveys, 10 selected pastoral counselors’ semi-structured interviews, and 10 collected member focus interview questionnaires. The findings from the data collected show that members felt comfortable receiving counseling from their pastor …


The Decline Of Ministry Participation And Leadership Amid Black Males In The Worthington Missionary Baptist Church In Houston, Texas, Joseph Ray Davis Nov 2020

The Decline Of Ministry Participation And Leadership Amid Black Males In The Worthington Missionary Baptist Church In Houston, Texas, Joseph Ray Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMin thesis project sought to address the decline of male participation in ministry leadership at the Worthington Missionary Baptist Church (WMBC) in Houston, Texas. Not only are males absent from many church congregations, but those that do attend church services tend to be seemingly content with the female populace leading an abundance of church ministries. This research study accessed rationales prompting male withdrawal and then ascertained how to restore balance to the initial design of God at WMBC. Assessment tools of questionnaires, surveys, and one-on-one interviews were utilized to gain insights from 10 WMBC males between the ages of …


A Model For Pastoral Care And Shepherding Of A Mid-Sized Growing Church, Willis Dean Wainwright Nov 2020

A Model For Pastoral Care And Shepherding Of A Mid-Sized Growing Church, Willis Dean Wainwright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses the challenges related to the caregiving ministry of Mountain View Community Church located in Temecula, California. This revitalized Church has grown from 50 attendees in 2004 to over 2000 by 2010. The growth has led to many challenges, including the development of a ministry strategy that will meet the needs of the congregation. The leadership team sought to answer the question of an appropriate ministry strategy through examining scriptures, reviewing the history of ministry, and evaluating current models of caregiving used in large Baptist churches. Additionally, a survey of pastoral care methodology employed in large Baptist churches …


The Relationship Between Sense Of Community And Self-Efficacy Among Senior Citizen Students, Matthew Joseph Pranger Nov 2020

The Relationship Between Sense Of Community And Self-Efficacy Among Senior Citizen Students, Matthew Joseph Pranger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Older adult students are at risk academically. The senior citizen population and average life expectancy are increasing globally, which results in an increased number of adults returning to school later in life. Sense of community is related to academic engagement, achievement, interactivity, and retention. Self-efficacy is related to motivation, learning, and academic performance. One gap in the literature is the relationship between sense of community and self-efficacy for senior citizen students. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to determine if there is a relationship between sense of community and self-efficacy among senior citizens recently enrolled in a college-level …