Digital Commons Network^™

The Low Participation Of Women In The Truck Driving Industry, Aurora Floodine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women remain underrepresented in the United States trucking industry, particularly in leadership roles, despite ongoing efforts to increase workforce diversity and address persistent driver shortages. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of female trucking professionals who began their careers as truck drivers and later advanced into leadership positions. The study examined the strategies that facilitated women’s progression into leadership and the systemic barriers that may limit their advancement within the trucking industry. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 female trucking professionals, and the resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from the findings: (a) independence, …

Distributed Leadership Applied: The Role Of Professional Learning Communities In The Emergence And Development Of Teacher Leadership, Grace M. Bellamy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine the processes through which teacher leadership is fostered and sustained among elementary and middle school educators who participate regularly in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), with a focus upon schools implementing the DuFour and Eaker PLC model with fidelity during the winter and spring of 2026. This study looked for evidence of the presence of teacher leadership in a middle school and an elementary school. The theoretical frameworks of Distributed Leadership and the Teacher Leadership Standards created by the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium were employed in this study, and observations of …

Navigating Dual Standards: Secondary Educators Integrating English Language Standards To Achieve English Proficiency, Calleigh Herrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

English Learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in the United States, creating increased demands on secondary educators to support both language development and academic achievement. As accountability expectations continue to emphasize grade-level proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA), educators serving English Learners must navigate the intersection of English language proficiency standards and content-area instructional requirements. While English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA-21) standards are intended to support language acquisition and access to academic content, educators often face challenges integrating language development goals with grade-level ELA expectations. As such, secondary educators play a critical role in …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

Charting The Martian Future: Long-Term Space Policy Planning Of Nasa’S Human Spaceflight Program, 1957-1988, Angel J. Peralta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From the late 1950s to the early 1990s, NASA’s human spaceflight programs repeatedly encountered political and bureaucratic pressures that prioritized short-term interests over long-term planning. These constraints shaped the development of the Apollo, Space Shuttle, Space Station, and other human spaceflight programs, limiting NASA’s ability to pursue a sustained strategic vision. This thesis traces the evolution of long-term human spaceflight policy through documents and memos produced by advisory committees, research councils, and key individuals during this period. Despite shifting administrations and their respective politics, these sources reveal a consistent goal of human spaceflight ultimately leading beyond Earth to the Moon …

The Tension Of Retention And Retirement: A Narrative Study Of Full-Time Nursing Faculty Within Five Years Of Retirement At Public, Four-Year Institutions In Texas, Shelley Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry, qualitative study explored the retirement decision-making process of nursing faculty at public, four-year institutions who were within five years of retirement. Through purposive sampling, 11 participants across eight institutions consented to participate and were interviewed via Zoom. Due to the nursing faculty shortage, the researcher hypothesized that nursing faculty nearing retirement may be retiring not only as a natural progression of their career but also because of factors that lead other early and mid-career faculty members to leave academia. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: Finding Meaning and Fulfillment in the Nurse Faculty Role, Institutional Factors Shaping …

Navigating Preparation: A Qualitative Exploration Of Special Education Teachers' Experiences Supporting Students With Disabilities In Transition To Post-School Life, Carrie Ann Friend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transition-focused instruction is a critical component of special education services intended to prepare students with disabilities for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. Although federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires transition planning beginning in secondary school, prior research indicates that many special education teachers feel inadequately prepared to implement transition-focused instruction effectively. Existing literature has largely examined transition outcomes for students and programmatic compliance, while less attention has been given to teachers’ lived experiences implementing transition services within school contexts. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore how high school …

Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnerships Humanize Teaching And Learning: A Phenomenological Study, Kiersten Ann Hillkirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study, guided by Gadamer’s (2004) ideas, explored the lived experiences of student consultants and faculty members participating in a student-faculty pedagogical partnership program. Framed by humanizing pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Salazar, 2013) and students as partners (Healey et al., 2014) as the conceptual foundation, the study examined how collaborative teaching and learning relationships can promote more equitable, dialogic, and transformative educational practices. Participants included three student consultants and three faculty members at a private research university in the western United States.

Data were collected through nine in-depth phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 2019) and supplemented with written reflections and entry/exit …

The Organizational Experience Of Next Gen Learning Through Portrait Of A Graduate, Kathleen J. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative single-case study investigates the organizational journey of navigating the complexities of systemic transformation. In 2021, Silver Peak School District (SPSD; a pseudonym), a rural educational organization in the western United States, implemented a graduate competency framework known as Portrait of a Graduate. This study analyzed the experiences of teachers, instructional coaches, and principals with the explicit Portrait policies, practices, and resource flows of five learning structures—graduate competencies (in SPSD, this is analogous to Portrait), deeper learning, agency, performance assessment, and teaching culture—in a district in the messy middle of Portrait adoption. By focusing on a district situated in …

Summer School As A Second Chance For Success For Children: Perceptions Of Stakeholders In A Middle Level Summer School Intervention Program- A Mixed-Methods Study, Sara M. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the American education system, there is a responsibility of the system to educate all children. Research reveals that there are conflicting ideas on how to address students who are not on track to successfully complete K-12 schooling. Oftentimes, retention policies are utilized in schools to address these students. However, there is a great amount of research that reveals that retention policies have negative effects on a student’s educational trajectory in K-12 schooling. Vulnerable subgroups of students, such as students in poverty and other diverse learners, are even more affected by these policies.

This study focused on the current research …

Empowering Women Journalists’ Preparedness: An Evaluation Of Hostile Environment First Aid Training (Hefat) And Its Implementation In Academic Journalism Programs, Vanessa Charlot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice examines the potential integration of gender-sensitive Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) into journalism education to enhance the preparedness of women journalists for high-risk reporting contexts. Manuscript I investigates existing gaps in curricula, highlighting the distinct physical, psychological, and ethical risks encountered by women in hostile environments. Manuscript II outlines a framework for qualitatively evaluating an adapted HEFAT program, considering how identity-informed and trauma-sensitive approaches might strengthen student safety, resilience, and ethical decision-making. Manuscript III explores leadership strategies for implementing inclusive, trauma-informed HEFAT curricula, emphasizing reflexive practice and self-authorship as mechanisms for fostering transformative, equity-driven …

A Phenomenological Study: Examining Organizational Change Initiatives Within The U.S. Army To Influence Racial Climate, Reginald Gerald Dash Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study was aimed at examining organizational change initiatives influencing the racial climate among African American soldiers in the United States (U.S.) Army. African Americans comprise a significant portion of the U.S. Army. However, African Americans’ significant contributions do not readily translate into “equal treatment”, which includes proportional representation at the highest levels of leadership. African Americans in the U.S. Army face career navigation challenges rooted in systemic racial division. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to add African American soldiers’ voices to the existing literature by interviewing African American soldiers with at least five years of …

Why Do Teachers Leave? Investigating Teacher Attrition In A New Orleans Charter School: A Qualitative Phenomenological Case Study, Carlos J. Machuca Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of former teachers who worked at Goodlife Academy (GLA), a charter school in New Orleans, Louisiana, between 2019 and 2025, with particular attention to how teachers experienced job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction and how those experiences influenced their decisions to leave Teacher attrition—defined as educators leaving their school or the profession—has been associated with factors such as burnout, inadequate support, low compensation, and persistent challenges in addressing achievement gaps. Although these factors are well documented in the literature, many existing studies rely on quantitative methods and focus …

Examining The Relationship Between Co-Curricular Programming And Burnout Among Medical Students At An Academic Medical Center, Lauren Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This three-manuscript dissertation examines the relationship between co-curricular programming and burnout among Doctor of Medicine (MD) students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), situating the issue within broader concerns about physician well-being and institutional responsibility.

Manuscript I establishes the conceptual and empirical foundation for the study by reviewing the prevalence, consequences, and theoretical framing of burnout in medical education. Drawing on Maslach’s three-dimensional model of burnout—emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment—and Astin’s Student Involvement Theory, the manuscript situates co-curricular engagement as a potential protective factor against distress. The literature review highlights alarming rates of depression, suicidal ideation, …

Could Grange Membership Reduce Brain Drain?: Perceptions Of Student Fraternal Members On Returning To Rural America After Graduation, Amanda Leigh Brozana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural communities across the United States continue to experience population decline as young adults with postsecondary aspirations often leave their hometowns in pursuit of educational and economic opportunities. This migration, commonly referred to as rural brain drain, is often a result of the cumulative effects of limited access to postsecondary resources, career pathways, and community infrastructure that support rural retention. While extensive research documents the economic and educational dimensions of this phenomenon, fewer studies explore the influence of social, civic, and fraternal organizations on sustaining rural identity and fostering connection to place. This Dissertation in Practice proposes a study to …

Senior-Level Administrators’ Perceptions Of Deliberately Developmental Organization Principles And Employee Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Caprinia L. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have faced persistent challenges retaining qualified faculty and staff, threatening the environments they are uniquely positioned to create. High turnover, limited professional development, and inadequate support undermine employee well-being and student outcomes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored senior-level administrators’ perceptions of deliberately developmental organization (DDO) principles and their relevance to employee retention at HBCUs. Guided by DDO and organizational culture theory, the study examined how leadership practices, professional development, psychological safety, and organizational culture intersect with retention and belonging. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with participants across diverse HBCU contexts. Participants were selected …

The Implications Of The Midyear Departure Of Residence Directors In Housing And Residential Life, Chelsea Titus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High attrition rates among entry-level student affairs professionals have been documented for decades, yet little research has examined the implications of midyear departures within housing and residential life. Residence directors serve as live-in professionals responsible for crisis response, student conduct, staff supervision, and community development. When a midyear departure occurs, the disruption extends beyond the vacancy and affects supervisors, colleagues, and residential communities. The problem addressed in this study was the organizational and supervisory impact of midyear residence director departures. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to examine the factors contributing to midyear departures and to explore how …

Influence Of Restorative Justice Practices On Student Behavior, Shawn N. Clemons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore how teachers in culturally diverse suburban U.S. elementary schools perceive the implementation of restorative justice practices as an influence on student behavior. The researcher collected data through questionnaires and semistructured interviews of 14 elementary teachers currently employed in a suburban elementary school who actively use restorative justice with students. Findings from the study indicated the restorative justice practices contribute positively to school culture by prioritizing relationship building, structured conflict resolution, and inclusive practices. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, district support, and school board …

A Narrative Study On The Resilience Of Women In Technology Careers, Gina J. Baldridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In spite of the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, there is a lack of women entering the STEM workforce and majoring in STEM subjects. Women can experience gender bias and workplace marginalization in STEM careers, but have learned coping strategies that have contributed to their technology career resilience. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how women working as individual performers and leaders in technology companies told their career stories of resilience through the perspective of change acceptance, confidence, and communication, three factors in Kumar’s CR8 model of resilience. The model …

Women Working Well: The Experiences Of Black Women Nonprofit Leaders In The Tristate Area, Erika K. Stanley Wesley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative inquiry study examined the lived experiences, challenges, and leadership practices of Black women nonprofit leaders in the northeastern United States. Guided by Black feminist thought and positive leadership theory, the study explored how participants’ identities informed leadership enactment and how positive leadership practices influenced organizational impact and change. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 11 Black women nonprofit leaders and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns across participant narratives. Findings aligned with four research questions. Participants described unique experiences characterized by identity as power, cultural bridge-building, and the weight of representation. Key challenges included funding …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Black Women In Undergraduate Stem Core Expansion Pathways, Lizzie L. Evans Martinez Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of social incongruence in the film Hidden Figures, which juxtaposed with STEM education as the most powerful in contrast with Black women as the least powerful, supported the argument for the specific problem of practice to examine the unmet need for socially and ethnically diverse student populations in U.S. STEM higher education and careers. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to identify and analyze the lived experiences of Black women regarding barriers they perceive in the STEM educational and career decision-making processes, while exploring transformational pathways to STEM academic success. The study specifically analyzed …

Leader Rounding For Outcomes To Improve Employee Retention, Laura R. Escobar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intention to leave a nursing staff position, if not addressed, may lead to an increased rate of nursing turnover. High turnover rates can negatively affect staffing patterns, increase organizational costs, and disrupt the continuity of patient care. A quantitative quasi-experimental pre-/posttest design was used to evaluate the impact of the High Reliability Organization Leader Rounding for Outcomes tool to reduce the intent-to-leave scores, as measured by the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6), compared to current practice over 12 weeks. Implementation of the tool provided a structured leader rounding process designed to strengthen communication, recognize staff contributions, and proactively identify workplace concerns. …

What Will It Take To Keep You? A Phenomenological Investigation Of Teacher Career Decisions In Title I Elementary Schools., Tonya Nicole Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the factors influencing teachers’ decisions to remain in or leave Title I elementary schools in Kentucky. Grounded in Herzberg’s Motivation–Hygiene Theory, the study examined the interplay of intrinsic motivators and extrinsic conditions that shape teacher satisfaction, commitment, and attrition. Twelve current Title I teachers participated in semi-structured interviews designed to capture their lived experiences and perceptions of work in high poverty contexts. Analysis revealed a balance of pull factors—such as purpose, relationships, and supportive leadership—and push factors—including workload, resource limitations, and inadequate administrative support. Leadership quality emerged as the central variable mediating these forces. Teachers …

Building Bridges: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach To The Development Of Professional Learning To Enhance Teacher–Student Relationships For Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders., Renee Renz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive teacher-student relationships are essential to student success yet are often difficult to create and maintain with students identified with Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Students with EBD frequently struggle with emotional regulation and disruptive behaviors, making relationships and trust both essential and challenging. This study addressed the need for professional learning that equipped educators with strategies to build and maintain positive relationships with students with EBD in secondary school settings. Guided by a participatory action research design, this study used Appreciative Inquiry as a framework for engaging expert secondary teachers from Kentucky in co-constructing professional learning. Appreciative Inquiry focused on …

Beyond The Surface: Exploring The Experiences Of Black Female Athletes At Power 4 Institutions, Michonné Leatrice Gamble-Rivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black female athletes, have a long history of fighting for visibility and inclusion. They are celebrated and hyper-visible as performers on the court yet deemed invisible in the institutional decision making that shapes their holistic development and success. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) challenges this structural problem looking to amplify voices that have been historically silenced by systems that reduce these individuals to mere athletic capital.

Beginning with Manuscript I, this three-manuscript dissertation is built on a conceptual framework anchored in Womanist Theory, Intersectionality, and Athletic Identity, providing the necessary critical lens to investigate challenges like double jeopardy and limiting …

Learning To Be Trauma-Informed: An Examination Of Individual-Level Factors Predicting Perceptions Of And Response To Trauma-Informed Practice Trainings, Kelly Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma is a substantial threat to public health. As such, significant effort has been exerted into developing interventions which mitigate the consequences of trauma. Trauma-informed practice (TIP) aims to alleviate the effects of trauma by building policies and practices focused on safety, trust, transparency, support, collaboration, and empowerment. This study investigated how individual-level factors, including readiness for organizational change, perceived benefit of TIP training, and personal trauma history affect one’s ability to apply a TIP lens in a sample (n =100) of members of a graduate-level college. Further, it explored if one’s perceptions of and response to trauma-informed practice training …

The Heart Of Policing: Exploring The Essence Of The Phenomenon Between Organizational Culture And Police Officer Job Satisfaction, Charles C. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the essence of the phenomenon between organizational culture and police officer job satisfaction among rural law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma. Retaining police officers has become an increasingly challenging task for law enforcement organizations across the United States, as high turnover, costly recruitment, and voluntary resignations continue to strain departments. While previous research has primarily examined demographic and occupational variables influencing satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how organizational culture affects the lived experiences of U.S. police officers. Guided by Edgar Schein’s organizational culture theory, this study examined how …

Stress Management Strategies In An Investment Firm: A Managerial Perspective, Cheri C. Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how client relationship managers and market supervision managers in the investment industry experienced, interpreted, and managed workplace stress within the context of organizational culture, leadership practices, and available resources. Guided by the job-demands resources (JD-R) model, semistructured interviews were conducted with participants across multiple markets to investigate the interplay between high job demands, leadership behaviors, and employee well-being. Findings indicated that while trusted colleagues and positive leadership behaviors served as protective resources that reduced strain and fostered resilience, negative attitudes, favoritism, and lack of collaboration among colleagues amplified stress. Communication breakdowns, poorly managed organizational change, and …

Digital Leadership: Secondary Education Principals’ Perceptions And Change Competencies Toward Implementing Digital Citizenship Curricula, Waylon M. Randolph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Secondary education public schools are increasingly being confronted with student misuse of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Students are using these technologies to engage in disruptive and harmful behaviors like cyberbullying and sexting. As a result, some public school districts have responded by banning the use of ICTs in the classroom, while others have turned to teaching digital citizenship through a dedicated digital citizenship curriculum. However, effectively implementing such a curriculum remains a significant challenge. According to the literature, the best way to implement a digital citizenship curriculum is by fostering a positive school culture where stakeholders model and support …

Leading Employees Remotely In A Post-Covid-19 Era: A Phenomenology Study Of Remotely Working Employees, George M. Hardy Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that remote working employees felt disconnected from their organizations, leading to post-COVID-19 studies on phenomena such as quiet quitting and the great resignation. The purpose of this study was to investigate remotely working employees’ perspectives on connectedness to gain an understanding of commitment within their organization that ultimately leads to the decision to remain or leave. A qualitative phenomenology study was used with data collected from 12 remotely working participants across multiple industries and states. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a thematic approach with member-checking and triangulation to ensure credibility. Two …