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The Relationship Between Self-Regulation And Perceived Autonomy Of Psychological Well-Being Among Fifth Grade Christian Private School Students, Benedetto Mongiovi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increased anxiety, depression, and maladaptive ways of coping among children are evidence of an increase in poor psychological well-being. The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to examine the theory of self-determination that relates natural and intrinsic tendencies of students to behave in an effective and healthy autonomy-supportive way, by examining the predictive relationship of perceived autonomy-support, self-regulation, and psychological well-being of fifth grade Christian private school students. The criterion variable was defined as psychological well-being in this study. The predictor variables were perceived autonomy-support and self-regulation. Data were collected to facilitate this study from 124 fifth grade students …

The Relationship Between English Language Proficiency And Academic Achievement For English Language Learners, Laura Grisso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to test the threshold hypothesis as it applied to the performance of English language learner students on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) in third grade reading and the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English language learners assessment, also known as the ACCESS for ELLs. The OCCT assesses student performance on third grade reading content and the ACCESS for ELLs assesses the English language proficiency levels in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This study specifically proposed to analyze the relationship between the ACCESS for ELLs reading …

An Analysis Of Fraud Prevention And Detection In Not-For-Profit Organizations In The State Of South Carolina, Mary Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed fraud detection and prevention techniques and analyzed if there was a relationship between the techniques and the detection of fraud. The combined techniques were fraud risk assessment, fraud risk register, code of conduct, fraud assessment training, whistle-blower policy, fraud control plan, fraud control policy, and internal control review. Nonprofits are vulnerable to fraud and costly for the organizations that rely heavily on donations to provide needed services or goods to a community. Through analyzing 109 nonprofits surveyed in South Carolina, the researcher found 59 reported fraud occurrences and 86 percent were using fraud detection and prevention techniques. …

The Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Beliefs About Sex And Spirituality, Brittany Lashua

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Spirituality and sexuality are related concepts that include sacredness and transcendence. When the spiritual concepts of sacredness and transcendence are the filter through which sexuality is understood, there are many positive benefits, including increased sexual and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has considered the concepts. However, little empirical work has addressed the idea of transcendence, spirituality, and sacredness without explicitly religious overtones. Previous measures that have considered spirituality and sexuality have been found lacking in the ability to capture the multidimensionality of sex fully and have utilized explicitly religious terminology that may not capture the experience of non-religious or spiritual individuals. …

Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Teachers’ Experiences With Academic Parental Involvement At Denied-Accreditation Elementary Schools In Virginia: A Phenomenological Study, Allison Knappenberger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to understand third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers’ experiences with academic parental involvement at denied-accreditation elementary schools. Parent involvement refers to two-way communication between parents and teachers. Denied accreditation refers to schools scoring below 70% on state assessments for four or more consecutive years. The theories guiding this study were the Getzels and Guba (1957) social systems theory and Bakhtin’s (1986) theory of dialogism as they influence teachers’ experiences of academic parental involvement through socio-psychological and dialogic environmental interactions. The research questions for this study included: How do third, fourth, and fifth …

A Strategy For The Church Growth Through The Development Of Senior-Friendly Pastoral Ministries: The Case Of The Senior Ministry At Shinlim Central Church In Korea, Hoo Sik Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to suggest the necessity of and alternative strategies for senior-friendly pastoral care to achieve sustained church growth amid the growing phenomenon of aging in Korean society. The recent aging of Korean society also has effects on changes in church members. As the ratio of senior members becomes increasingly high, pastoral alternative strategies for coping with it has also been urgently needed. The problem is that although this social phenomenon was already foreseen several years ago, there are insufficient practical strategies for pastoral care to deal with it.

The researcher first conducts biblical, theological, historical, …

An Exploration Of Internal Controls And Their Impact On Employee Fraud In Small Businesses, Kent Lachney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain greater understanding of the current practices of the internal control systems of small businesses and to explore the effectiveness of their systems in comparison with anti-fraud activities recommended by forensic accountants. The researcher selected five small businesses that were members of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce and had fewer than 100 employees. The researcher interviewed the owners and/or managers of the businesses, reviewed and analyzed company documentation, interpreted data, made observations, and offered recommendations. The researcher asked each participant to respond to questions related to the five elements of …

Students' Spiritual Integration Into Bible Colleges: A Grounded Theory Study, Brett Blount

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explain how undergraduate students integrate spiritually into Bible colleges in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States and discern the role spiritual integration plays in persistence. Spiritual integration of Bible college undergraduate students occurs when they perceive that their spirituality, whether possessed by them upon their enrollment and/or formed during their attendance, has aligned with the spiritual environment of their college and therefore have accepted their place in that environment. A total of 35 participants, 28 students and seven faculty members, were interviewed to obtain their perceptions of how students experience the …

A Model Of The Process African American Adolescents Use To Integrate Their Bilingual Identity With Their Overall Identity In A Foreign Language Immersion Environment: A Grounded Theory Study, Kim Romero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model that illustrates how African American adolescents in a foreign language immersion environment integrate their bilingual identity with their overall identity. For this study, bilingualism is defined as the ability to use two languages for academic and/or business purposes. I used multiple interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, and journals to collect data. The most important part of the identity integration process for African American adolescents in a foreign language immersion environment is choice. The loss of choice caused conflicts during the identity negotiation process. The participants perceived their bilingual identity …

Religiosity, Moral Disapproval, Shame And Pornography Use: Assessing The Relationship Between Shame And Sexual Behaviors, Ryan Carboneau

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many compulsive and hypersexualized behaviors, including pornography use, have been associated with negative emotional, neurological, and psychosocial problems in a subset of users. Research showed that the constructs of shame, shame-proneness, and attachment may be related to the use of pornography as well as the theory of addiction. Shame-proneness is a construct that is consistently and positively associated with a variety of internalizing symptoms including depression, social, and generalized anxiety as well as a linked to an assortment of externalizing and risky behaviors such as anger, substance use, and criminal offending. Research suggested that higher levels of religiosity have a …

Saving The Sheep, Preserving The Fruit: A Plan Of Christian Education For The Millennials And Beyond In The Midwest Wesleyan Church, Keith Studebaker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis involved a ministry plan for adequately preparing preteen youth in the Midwestern Wesleyan Church denomination. The goal was to ground those youth in their relationship with God until their relationship with Him and His Church will persist through their teenage years and beyond. The topic is crucial in view of the marked exodus of youth from the evangelical church by their late teenage years, often never to return. Data were collected to show what is actually being provided currently to preteen youth in Midwestern Wesleyan local churches through a mixed-methods survey of pastors or Christian education leaders in …

Understanding High School Students' Motivation And Amotivation To Read In And Outside Of School: A Phenomenology, Matthew Deibler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the motivation and amotivation to read of 9th-12th grade adolescents in a large semi-urban high school in southwestern North Carolina. The principal theory guiding this study is Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991, 1994, 2000) as it explicates three universal human needs underpinning adolescent motivation to read. This investigation was guided by the following principal research question: How do high school students in southern North Carolina describe their motivation to read? General education high school students (n=12), balanced for gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, and initial reading motivation, were observed, …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Jami Weidmann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe secondary teachers’ experiences implementing a secondary flipped classroom model (FCM) in the United States. A FCM is a framework wherein students work at their own pace and use in-class time for active learning activities. The following questions were researched: (a) How do secondary FCM teachers describe their lived experiences from implementing the FCM? (b) What benefits, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (c) What challenges, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (d) What necessary resources do teachers perceive important for successful …

A Phenomenological Study Of Female Stem Majors Who Have Decided To Become Educators, Porcia Richardson-Spears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate, identify, and describe the lived experiences that influence female STEM majors to become secondary educators rather than enter a STEM-related corporate profession. This study was guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT) and Lent, Brown and Hackett’s social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as they related to self-awareness, which guides and motivates the behaviors involved in choosing a career path. The research questions for this study were designed to investigate the experiences that prompted females to major in STEM majors and to enter the field of teaching rather than enter corporate …

Comparing Active Duty And Transitional Military Veteran Students' Evaluation Of Online Distance Higher Education Learning Environments, Sherry Crissman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Active duty service members’ participation in non-traditional higher education designed for veterans and other non-traditional adults can be uniquely impacted by their unpredictable military schedules, geographic instability, and frequently limited access to technology needed to complete course requirements while in remote areas. The purpose of this study was to examine whether active duty undergraduates differed significantly regarding their attitudes toward distance learning and their perceptions of the distance learning environment compared to veterans and non-traditional adults. This causal comparative study examined adult students’ perceptions after participating in 200-level undergraduate education delivered online at a private four-year institution based on their …

Relational Reading For Biblical Discourses: A New Strategy For Preparing Biblical Preaching, Sung-Shin Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to propose a new strategy for preparing Biblical Preaching by demonstrating the value of using Relational Reading (RR). Since preaching is communication between God and His people, preachers must properly handle God’s message, His Word, written for His people. RR is a powerful interpretive tool that can help maintain the integrity of Scripture and assist pastors in their biblical preaching ministry. Theoretical and biblical research was conducted in relevant literature and articles on hermeneutics, homiletics and linguistics. Based on surveys sent to current pastors, the present situation of biblical interpreting and preaching was …

Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Processing Therapy For Spiritual Struggle In Christian Sexual Assault Survivors With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Deborah Driggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A Single Case Research Design (SCRD) with a multiple-baseline across participants was used to investigate the effects Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Processing Therapy-Cognitive (SOCPT-C) had on spiritual struggle, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores and depression in four Christian sexual assault survivors with PTSD reporting spiritual struggle. A complex reciprocal relationship between spiritual struggle and PTSD is suggested in the literature as influencing posttraumatic adjustment and treatment for Christian trauma survivors. Many empirically supported treatments (EST) for PTSD lack spiritual interventions to directly target effects from this relationship. Individuals completed an online pre-screening evaluation and an assessment was scheduled with those meeting …

Financial Literacy And Accountability Within Black Baptist Churches, Joanne Suttington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the lack of financial literacy and accountability of church leaders within black Baptist Church in fulfilling their financial stewardship responsibilities in overseeing the church’s resources. In order for churches to grow both spiritually and financially, the church leaders are critical to the overall success and sustainability of the organization. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the stewardship theory, which implied that church leaders would perform as responsible stewards in managing the church’s resources. In this study, the researcher used a qualitative method with a case study design to explore the education and experiences of …

The Effect Of A Bible Based Manualized Protocol Targeting Attachment To God In Anxiety And Stress, Sung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effectiveness of the Bible-Based Stress Reduction Protocol-Attachment to God (BSRP-AG) in enhancing participants’ attachment to God and quality of life, decreasing perceived depression, anxiety, stress, and increasing overall spiritual well-being, using a randomized pretest and posttest design with waiting list control group among Hispanic population. The theory of stress, and attachment theory were discussed. At the same time, the relationship between stress, attachment, attachment to God and quality of life were considered as well. Lastly, the efficacy of Christian spiritual disciplines to improve attachment to God was argued. Thirty-four Hispanic individuals from Virginia participated in this …

When Two Become One: Reconsidering Marriage As A Sacrament In Protestant Theology, Adam Neal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Protestant theology has historically rejected marriage as sacrament, a rejection which continues to resound in the majority of contemporary Protestant scholarship. Yet many, if not most, arguments against sacramental marriage tacitly follow an outline set forward by Luther and Calvin which, if examined with critical scrutiny, is based on a problematic soteriological premise. In light of this, the present study sets forward a comprehensive argument in favor of Protestant theology reaffirming marriage as a sacrament through systematic investigation into the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), New Testament, and Christian history. After developing a critical hermeneutic founded on realist epistemological grounds, a …

Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will present the Gospel of Mark in light of the Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem published by Augustus immediately after Virgil’s death in 19 B.C. The Aeneid’s genre, literary style, grammar, symbolic hermeneutics, and lasting influence has been thoroughly researched and dissected in literature courses throughout the centuries. It has been translated into numerous languages and widely distributed in terms of geography and nationalities. Virgil wrote the Aeneid to proclaim the deity of Augustus. “Hic Caesar et omnis Juli progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem. Hic vir, his est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis, Augustus Caesar, Divi genus, aurea …

The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project examines the role of the Black Church in the development of the African American Community and seeks to encourage churches to embrace this role. Support for communities by churches in rural North Alabama is key to improving living conditions and achieving biblically based outreach. This project investigates the church’s theological duties for community outreach and provides a biblical mandate as a part of a larger community development model, while preparing ministry teams for outreach. This paper will consider the equipping methodology that leads to a trained ministry team able to reach, identify, and fulfill the needs of the …

The Characteristics Of African American Parental Influence On Academic Success In A Rural School District: A Collective Case Study, Raymond Christian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to discover the characteristics of African American parental behavior regarding the importance of school, and its influence on their high school children’s academic success in a rural school district, for recent African American graduates in Mountain County, North Carolina. The research study utilized a collective case study approach and included five African American parents and, their children that had graduated from Mountain County High School and gained college acceptance. Guided by Ecological Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), and Risk and Resilience Theory (Catalano, Hawkins, 1996), data collection methods included interviews, document analysis and, focus groups. …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceived Ability To Implement The North Carolina Multi-Tiered System Of Support With Fidelity, Amy Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of novice elementary teachers’ perceived ability to implement the North Carolina Multi-Tiered System of Support (NC MTSS) model with fidelity in a suburban North Carolina school district. For the purposes of this research, fidelity was generally defined as the effective application of the tenets of NC MTSS according to evidence-based best practices as well as federal, state, and local policy (Hill, King, Lemons, & Partanen, 2012). Conducted under the leadership of Dr. Frank Bailey, this study sought to determine the extent to which a sample of 12 …

A Study Of Fatherlessness In The African-American Community In Relationship To The Positive Role Of Christianity, Kevin Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following study is a qualitative investigation into the issue of fatherlessness among African Americans and its relation to the positive role of Christianity. The primary objective of the study is to determine, understand, and describe the circumstances that brought about fatherlessness and what role Christians may play to help address the problem. Also, the study focuses on developing a deep understanding of the consequences of fatherlessness and what role Christians may play to help mitigate these consequences. The results of this research will reconnect, revitalize, recover trust, ease the pain, and implement healing for fathers, children, and all involved. …

Creating And Sustaining A Missional Movement In America, Bradley Milks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project seeks to create a paradigm and plan that would generate a sustainable missional movement in America. America, since her founding, has been home to many revivals. However, there have only ever been two missional movements, the Methodist and Baptist in the 18th and 19th century. For decades, the American Church has watched the general population increase while church attendance, participation, and involvement decrease. While the American Church loses its impact on society, the Global South and Global East are experiencing missional movements. A new missional paradigm and plan is needed to reach America, especially as culture increasingly becomes …

Corporatization Of The Church Compromises Christian’S Priorities, Purpose, And Practices, Edwin Alston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In effort to mainstream its exposure, income, agenda, and influence among the people all over the world, some churches have embraced a corporate model in operating and ministering to the masses. Corporatization advocates business mindset, which leads to less sensitivity to building a relationship with God. This trend focuses on revenue and the bottom line. By seeking a self-gratifying importance in society, a growing number of churches are no longer the institution that houses individuals who serve as the salt of the earth and light of the world. This strategy minimizes spiritual formation and discipleship in order to promote a …

Five Steps For Developing Biblical Pastoral Leadership Teams Within South Korean Presbyterian Churches, Yeongkwang Yoon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to suggest five steps for developing biblical pastoral leadership teams within South Korean Presbyterian churches, which are presently stagnating and declining under their non-biblical leadership. Growth of a church is directly dependent upon a healthy body of leaders who reflect sound biblical leadership, and the senior pastors of South Korean Presbyterian churches must intentionally conform all non-biblical leadership styles within their churches to biblical pastoral leadership. This project will attempt to provide the pastors of South Korean Presbyterian churches five steps for developing a biblical pastoral leadership team by identifying the relationship between church …

The Relationship Between Religious Commitment And Bible Literacy In Suburban New York And New Jersey Christian High School Juniors And Seniors, Pradeep Emmanuel Stephen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlative study explored the relationship between the religious commitment of junior and senior Christian high school students and their level of Bible literacy as indicated by their respective scores on the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and Assessment of Bible Knowledge Test (ABKT). Using a non-parametric Spearman’s rho statistic for a correlation test, the study fills a gap in the literature by analyzing the strength of the relationship between students’ levels of Bible literacy and outcomes on the specific religiosity subscales on the DUREL instrument, including Organizational Religious Activity (ORA), Non-Organizational Activity (NORA) and Intrinsic Religiosity (IR). A non-random …

Christ And The Cradle: The Explanatory Power Of Christian Theism For Basic Moral Sensibilities On The Ontology Of Children, Jeffrey Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

We have excellent reasons to take moral intuitions about the moral treatment of children seriously. In fact, this gives us excellent prima facie reason to believe in God as the best explanation of, say, the inherent dignity of people, including children. But when we look to the past, we see that often children have been horribly treated and not accorded worth. And today, still, there are lots of disturbing trends as to how they’re treated, which invariably reflect deficient worldviews. Ultimately, it’s not just theism we need, but something more, arguably Christian theology, which makes great sense of our best …