Digital Commons Network^™

Unraveling Dna And Identity: A Humanistic Perspective On Epistemologies And Ethics Of Genetic Ancestry Testing., Eve Carlisle Polley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advent of DNA ancestry testing motivated a burst of human activities that constitute a scientific-technological-industrial-personal-social movement of immense scale, infused with epistemological and ethical questions of great and important variety. This movement has motivated many discourses in the social sciences, with study subjects ranging from the language usage of geneticists, to moral conundrums faced by test-takers, to potential ramifications in global structures of political power. At the same time, and especially in recent decades, the discourses of the comparative humanities have included with increasing frequency and urgency research and theorization about concepts and consequences of human social identities, alongside …

An Examination Of The Working Relationships Between General Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, And Paraprofessionals In General Education Settings, Rita Page Hosay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide an examination of the relationships between general education teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals and the influences of these relationships on students with disabilities. This study was conducted through the process of semi-structured interviews with general education teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals working in two Tennessee school districts. The researcher found that communication practices, training, perspectives, time, role expectations, development of partnerships, and the creation of supportive environments affect the development of working relationships among special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and general education teachers. The researcher found that these relationships influence the …

Transformation From Orality To Literacy: Studying The Effect Of Orality In Al-Jahiz’S Al-Bayan Wa Al-Tabyeen., Faiz Alasmari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition from orality to literacy is the focus of this dissertation. Studying orality and literacy in Western Academic scholarship focuses on the transitional phase (transition from orality to literacy) of the Western transitional. This project widens the focus of the transitional phase and analyzes the transitional phase of the old traditional Arabic culture. The dissertation analyzes both oral and transitional phases of the old Arabic culture. It studies the unique characteristics of these two phases (oral and transitional). Isnad was the main feature of the Arabic transitional phase. Isnad is a chain of narrators who convey sayings. Every narrator …

The Hope For Peace & The Case For War In The Postwar Soviet Union, Shawn Cecconi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The postwar Soviet Union remained militarized and failed to reform itself because of its ideological concerns against the West and its new satellite states, all at the cost of the Soviet people. This analysis will compare the Soviet government’s external focus and the Soviet people’s domestic problems in the aftermath of the Second World War. The country’s ideological, military, and imperial concerns abroad emphasized militarization over domestic revitalization. The Soviet people widely expected significant action from their government to remedy economic and political issues. The Soviet government nevertheless committed itself in focusing on outside concerns regardless of the harsh reality …

‘The Most Important Thing Is The Music:’ Ralph Blizard’S Legacy Preserving Traditional Appalachian Old-Time Music, Emily Dingler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses qualitative research methods to elaborate on Ralph Blizard’s legacy in the old-time music community. The aspects of Blizard’s legacy that were examined include his style of fiddling and the actions he took to preserve traditional Appalachian old-time music. This thesis discusses the old-time music revival in the late 20^th Century and Blizard’s role in the revival.

This thesis used documentary research, archival research, and personal interviews. Documentary and archival research took place at the Ralph Blizard Museum in Blountville, Tennessee, and the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University. I conducted personal interviews with Blizard’s …

A Phenomenological Study Of Contributing Factors And Common Trends Related To Teacher Attrition In Western North Carolina, Preston Clarke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological approach was used to identify contributing factors and common trends related teacher attrition by conducting interviews with teachers who decided to exit a North Carolina School District located in Western North Carolina. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to gain valuable insight into the decision-making process of the 15 research participants. Data collection involved conducting one on one telephone interviews with participants by asking a series of open-ended questions that allowed for probing and follow-up questions. Analysis of researcher notes, evaluation of textual data produced by interviews, and observations allowed the qualitative investigator to identify emerging themes and …

Individual Characteristics Of Postsecondary Underachievement, Natasha Godkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Underachievement in postsecondary education has been a growing concern for educators and researchers. Higher education institutions have implemented early alert systems to identify students performing below standards. This early warning system has major limitations that confine it to an identification only approach. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Student Attitude Assessment Survey-R (SAAS-R) in a postsecondary sample. First, a confirmatory factor analysis validated the SAAS-R in a postsecondary sample. Predictive validity was then investigated by identifying students as underachieving or achieving based on responses to the SAAS-R and via a regression-based discrepancy model (ability vs. …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Sense Of Community, Satisfaction, And Cognitive Learning In Online Classes, Laura Lynn Higgs Kappel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, comparative quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences between the perceptions of undergraduate and graduate students about the importance and presence of sense of community in online classes at two southern public universities using survey data. The study also aimed to determine if there were significant relationships between students’ perceptions of the presence of sense of community and students’ satisfaction with the course and between students’ perception of the presence of sense of community and students’ perceptions of increases in cognitive learning. The study also addressed factors of undergraduate classification, gender, and …

Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Title 1 And Non-Title 1 Schools, Jennifer E. Pangle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between student achievement and teacher perceptions of school climate. An additional purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions between Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. The final purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions of school climate among the schools according to overall student achievement. A series of Spearman’s Correlation analyses were used to analyze data to determine if there was a significant relationship between TVAAS composite …

Personal Narratives Of English Language Learners With Learning Disabilities: Paving The Way To Success At A Private University In Central Texas, Oralia Guzman-Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

© Copyright by Oralia Guzmán-Wheeler (2022) All Rights Reserved iv Abstract More than half of English language learners with learning disabilities who enroll in college to obtain an undergraduate degree drop out. This narrative study’s purpose was to examine the ways English language learners with disabilities navigate the system of higher education and overcome challenges along the path toward college graduation. The participants in this qualitative interview study included six undergraduate students attending a 4-year college in central Texas. The narrative design involved participants sharing their lived stories and experiences in semistructured interviews. The data analysis revealed the following four …

Differences Between African American And White Males In Grades 6-8: Comparative Evidence From Selected Texas Rural Schools, Sheenah Maria Hopkins-Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The academic achievement gap among Black males in grades 6-8 across Texas is a growing concern. Based on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), secondary data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was used to evaluate scores from a sample of Texas rural schools. In this quantitative, non-experimental methods study, the dependent variable examined was the STAAR reading score at the “meets grade level,” and the independent dichotomous variables examined were: race, whether or not the student was classified in one of the following groups: ECD, at-risk, and special education. Academic trends from the 2017-2019 academic school …

Leading For Sustainability In School-Community Partnerships, Kimberly Renee Benavides

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools receive support in the form of partnerships with organizations such as businesses, churches, and non-profits for many reasons, and such partnerships are beneficial to students and the school community. The purpose of this participatory qualitative study was to determine behaviors of elementary school principals that result in the sustainability of school-community partnerships beyond the initial year of implementation. Elementary school principals in an urban public school district in North Texas were interviewed along with leaders from their corresponding community partners to determine the role of the principal in school-community partnership work. Through an in-depth analysis of interview transcripts, the …

Schooling Black Males: Hegemonic Discourses, Structural Barriers, And Strategic Resistance, Cleo Wadley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black males have scored at the lowest levels of academic achievement compared to other racial groups in many Texas school districts. The achievement gap for this population of students has been explained by both material constraints and oppressive hegemonic discourses. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how such barriers and discourses affected these students and how the students negotiated their experiences in school. This study was designed to describe the problem, its background and to discuss a relevant theoretical framework. This study examined the academic achievement data for Black males and the current literature on adverse …

Elementary Principals’ Instructional Leadership Role In International Schools: The Challenges And Perceptions Of Student Grouping, Hafida Belkacem Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, elementary principals have similar responsibilities and duties. Some of their obligations include clerical tasks, other managerial assignments, and instructional leadership duties. All of these jobs require attention and can be time consuming. The researcher aimed to understand the perceptions which challenge elementary principals’ beliefs about student grouping strategies and the impact on reading achievement within a network of 35 schools located around the world. Principals at these schools have the challenge of creating student groups with limited numbers of students and a wide range of abilities. At most of the schools in this network, there are only enough enrolled …

Implementing A Screening Tool For Social Determinants Of Health In A Rural Primary Care Clinic, Kimberly S. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The environment and conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age are social determinants of health (SDOH). Specifically, SDOH are categorized into five domains: (a) economic stability, (b) education access and quality, (c) health care access and quality, (d) neighborhood and built environment, and (e) social and context communities. Inequities in these domains are associated with health disparities that lead to poorer health and quality of life. The aim of this quality improvement project was to implement the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patient Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE) to screen patients’ SDOH …

An Exodus Of Black Excellence: Black School Leaders And Their Search For Home, Nickolas H. B. Dawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the racialized experiences of Black public-school principals who have served in and prematurely exited the school principal position. By implementing a phenomenological and qualitative approach this study seeks to understand the lived experiences of Black school principals that have resigned from an educational organization and/or principal position in American public schools. The study examines historical factors that contribute to Black school principals leaving educational spaces and utilizes online surveys, multiple rounds of one-on-one interviews, and coding to analyze and identify forces at play in the racialized experiences of Black school principals who exit their positions. Findings suggest …

Response To Intervention: Understanding Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions, Sheridan L. Henley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher conducted this qualitative descriptive case study at one high school in Texas that described secondary teachers’ perceptions of implementing response to intervention (RTI). The purpose of the study was to better understand and define secondary teachers’ perceptions and experiences, including the campus leadership’s role, in an RTI implementation. The study served to understand teachers’ role in implementing RTI at the secondary level. This qualitative descriptive study focused on the secondary teachers’ perceptions of the benefits, challenges and barriers, level of teacher responsibility, and the role that leadership plays in an RTI implementation. The case study focused on applying …

Design And Synthesis Of Fused Pyrimidines As Multi-Targeted Potential Anticancer Agents, Nian Tong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dissertation supervised by Dr. Aleem Gangjee

Targeted cancer chemotherapy represents agents that inhibit cancer cell growth by interfering with specific processes that are required for tumor growth. The crucial aim of the treatment administered to cancer patients should be to improve the quality of life and inhibit the progression of the disease. The current failure of conventional cancer chemotherapy is attributed to both toxicities and the development of resistance. There is an unmet need for new cancer therapies of tumor-targeted agents (that work without harming normal cells or tissues) with a low propensity to develop resistance. Multi-targeted single agents with …

A Bioaffinity Self-Assembling Gel For Localized Delivery Of Immunotherapeutics, Ngoc Pham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a type of cancer in which malignant cells develop in the kidney tubules. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), including anti-PD-1 antibodies (aPD1), as monotherapies or in combination settings have advanced to the front-line treatment for patients diagnosed with RCC. Systemic infusion of ICI may render subtherapeutic concentrations in the lesions and increase risks of immune-related adverse events. To overcome these limitations, locoregional drug delivery has gained substantial interests as a modality in immuno-oncology. However, conventional intratumoral injections may be ineffective because the high interstitial fluid pressure in tumors resists drug retention and results in rapid local …

Sex-Specific Effects Of Chaperone And Glial Defenses On Experimental Lewy Body Disease, Tarun Bhatia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lewy body disorders are a group of neurodegenerative conditions characterized by the pathological misfolding and aggregation of the abundant protein, α-synuclein. The most common Lewy body disorders are Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Apart from ageing, male sex is a major risk factor for Lewy body disorders, as men are at ~1.5-fold higher risk for these diseases than women. Yet, preclinical studies on Lewy body disorders rarely examine sex as a biological variable, and the mechanisms underlying sex-skewedness in disease risk remain undetermined.

Here, we developed a sex-stratified model of Lewy body disorders by exposing primary neurons harvested …

Development Of Anti-Inflammatory Theranostic Nanocolloids Using Quality By Design Approaches, Michele Herneisey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nanocolloids are attractive delivery vehicles for drugs with poor aqueous solubility. Despite this, relatively few nanocolloid products exist on the market. Currently, there is a lack of standardization in the pre-clinical, academic setting regarding nanocolloid development and quality control testing. Adaptation of quality by design (QbD) methods used in the pharmaceutical industry to nanocolloid development is a desirable approach that can improve nanocolloid product and process understanding, resulting in an increased number of marketable products.

The central hypothesis of this work is that QbD approaches can be utilized to optimize theranostic (therapeutic and diagnostic) nanocolloid stability, drug loading, and imaging …

Cultural Beliefs About Healthy And Unhealthy Weight In Children 2 To 11 Years Of Age Among Parents Of Mexican Heritage, Nathalie Confiac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Despite multisectoral preventive interventions, the obesity prevalence among children of Mexican heritage remains the highest of all ethnic groups in the US. Methodology: Guided by Leininger’s Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, this study explored the culture care beliefs and practices of Mexican heritage parents about healthy and unhealthy weight in children 2-11 years of age using the ethnonursing research method. Eight key and 17 general informants were interviewed, and the four phases of ethnonursing data analysis guided analysis. Results: Twenty-six categories were identified which led to seven culture care patterns revealing four themes. Informants shared the …

How And Why School Counselors Use Twitter: A Phenomenological Study, Danielle R. Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are often isolated in their role because of the unique nature of their job. Lack of connection, lack of relevant professional development, role ambiguity, high stress, high student-to-school counselor ratios, and lack of professional connections are all contributors to school counselor burnout. School counselors use Twitter, a social media tool, for a variety of purposes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of school counselors who use Twitter to illuminate how and why school counselors use Twitter. This study found that school counselors see the purpose of their Twitter use as professional advocacy, professional connection, and validation. …

Investigating Student Self-Beliefs And Learning Metrics In Online Courseware: A Quantitative Inquiry, Rachel Van Campenhout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online courseware is an emerging educational technology that has the potential to reach students at scale. Designed with cognitive and learning science principles, courseware utilizes effective methods to maximize learning outcomes for students. Mindset (implicit theories of ability) and self-efficacy are two widely researched self-belief topics which have been shown to influence student learning outcomes and self-concepts. These self-belief theories are not specific to a domain and therefore could be measured and analyzed in relation to student learning metrics from any subject. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational research study is to investigate the relationships between student self-beliefs and key …

Evaluating Threats To The Water Quality Of Little Buffalo Creek And Sarver Run Through Water Quality Analysis And Backpack Electrofishing Surveys, Riley Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, 64.8% and 52.2% of Little Buffalo Creek and Sarver Run stream kilometers are impaired, respectively. Impairment sources to Little Buffalo Creek include agriculture, riparian deforestation, on-site wastewater, and urban runoff. Impairment sources to Sarver Run are unknown. Our goal was to understand sources of impairment through water quality analysis and fish surveys. Water samples were collected monthly and analyzed for cation and anion concentrations. Mass ratio analysis comparing Br/SO₄ and Mg/Li, Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr, Mg/Na and SO₄/Cl, and SO_4/Cl and Mg/Li suggests that mine drainage and conventional oil and gas may be impacting water …

Exploration Of Young Children And Families Use Of Technology In A Rural School District, Kim Dickert-Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the use of mobile technology with young children ages 2 to 5 in a small rural school district in southwestern Pennsylvania. Grounded in an understanding that family-child relationships are central to children’s development and school readiness, this study seeks to understand the ways families engage with children around technology use, how young children use technology, and how these habits compare to national data. The data also led to ways the school district might support families and young children using mobile technology in developmentally appropriate ways. Thirteen families that live in the Mountain Valley School district completed the …

Hidden Amongst People: Experiences Fo Black White Biracial Individuals With Microaggressions, Horizontal Hostilities, And Identity Denial In Educational Settings, Deborah Luckett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the dissonance between critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogical practices in the context of non-binary identity formation and identity denial for Black White Biracial (BWBR) individuals. This positioned subject study examines stories of five adult female members of this population. Utilizing Bell’s Storytelling for Social Justice Model (2020) the study reveals the stock, concealed, resistance and, emerging/transforming stories of participants as they recall experiences with monoracially instigated microaggressions and horizontal hostilities. The model provides analytic themes to examine the dissonance. The following questions will be explored:

Primary Question: What socio/cultural interactions influence BWBR racial identity …

On Your Marks, Handset, Go: An Illustrative Case Study Of A Professional Development Initiative About Mobile Learning, Nichole A. Scarlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology is shaping our personal and professional lives every day, yet many educators struggle with its implementation and therefore are not using it to the fullest potential. The purpose of this single-case study was to analyze how a teacher’s participation in a Professional Development (PD) initiative influenced the implementation of mobile technology in teaching and learning mathematics. Using the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework (Schoenfeld et al., 2016a) and the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model (Puentedura, 2006) in this qualitative research, I employed a case study approach to understand the challenges faced by a teacher and ways of …

A Program Evaluation Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Technology Integration At The K-6 Level In The Seneca Valley School District And The Impact Of Covid-19, Bria Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning were upended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were impacted by the pandemic with 90 percent of countries adopting digital or remote learning policies (United States Department of Education, 2021). This program evaluation of teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives examined how well technology integration was taking place in K-6 grade classrooms in the Seneca Valley School District. Due to the interruption of traditional learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportune time to examine both teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about the district’s level of success at …

Analysis Of Water Quality And Fish Communities Of Crooked Creek, Tributary To The Allegheny River In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Katherine Stupar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crooked Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River with a drainage area of 292 square miles. It has been historically affected by mine drainage pollution. Extensive cleanup and monitoring efforts by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have taken place over the last four decades. Unconventional oil extraction, or fracking, presents an emerging threat to the water quality of this stream and the health of its fish communities. Here we perform an analysis of the Crooked Creek watershed utilizing backpack electrofishing, eDNA metabarcoding, and various methods of water quality analysis. Seven sites on …