Digital Commons Network^™

Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions Of Instructional Approaches For Teaching Sequencing Concepts: Worksheet, Hands-On, And Beebot-Integrated Lessons, Savannah P. Partin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of three instructional approaches for teaching sequencing concepts: worksheet-based instruction, hands-on manipulative instruction, and BeeBot-integrated instruction. Sequencing is a foundational early literacy skill that supports reading comprehension, story retelling, and understanding the order of events. Although sequencing is commonly taught through traditional instructional methods, limited research has examined how kindergarten teachers perceive the use of educational robotics as a tool for literacy instruction. The study was guided by constructivist theory, sociocultural theory, and developmental systems theory. Participants included six kindergarten teachers from a public elementary school in …

Don’T Let Us Down: A Phenomenological Study Of African American Employees’ Perceptions Regarding The Benefits Of Professional Development In Student Affairs, Courtney Nicole Demings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experiences of student affairs professionals are critical to the success of higher education, allowing for a concentrated exploration of African American student affairs professionals who are often employed in 2-year U.S. community colleges. The general problem was that African Americans may leave student affairs in community colleges if they do not perceive supervisory support for professional development and, in turn, career advancement. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand and interpret their lived experiences, illuminate the barriers to their career advancement, and discuss the impact of supervisory support. As such, this action research employed qualitative research through the …

Harkness Seminars In The Humanities, Sarah S. Novlan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This participatory action research study explored the effects of Harkness seminars on students’ cognitive, affective, and metacognitive learning in secondary humanities classes. Educators need an effective, flexible, and adaptive method to promote student learning beyond superficial content acquisition. With the decoupling of virtue formation from knowledge acquisition, knowledge gaps from COVID-19 lockdowns, and the rise of artificial intelligence in student plagiarism, a proven method to address all aspects of student formation is needed. Using a participatory action research framework for this qualitative study, conducted at an independent K–12 school site in Texas, the researcher interviewed six secondary humanities teachers over …

Enterococcus Abundance, Distribution, And Environmental Controls At A Sandy Shoreline, South Carolina, Usa, Helen Kehoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water quality monitoring crucially protects the health of beachgoers around the world. However, water-adjacent sediments, such as sandy beaches, are known to harbor harmful bacteria, yet are not monitored despite their intensive recreational use. This project monitored the abundance of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), specifically Enterococci, in sandy beach sediments at beaches routinely monitored for water quality in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Surface sediment core sampling (0-5 cm) in the swash zone was conducted once per month for 4 months at 24 beaches in tandem with state-accredited surf-water FIB monitoring using IDEXX’s Enterolert test (Standard Method …

Adolescent Depressive Symptoms And Adult Functioning Within Major U.S. Racial Groups, Summer N. A. Millwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S and is associated with negative short- and long-term social, emotional, economic, and physical health outcomes. Notably, rates of depression among children and adolescents are rapidly increasing across the globe. Depression in youth disrupts crucial developmental processes that can adversely affect concurrent and longitudinal socioeconomic and health outcomes. Although extant research delineates the consequences of adolescent depression for adult functioning (e.g., lower educational attainment, fewer economic resources, worse physical health), studies that examine these associations within racially minoritized populations are scarce. This gap in the literature is especially striking …

Designing Inclusive Stem Curricula: A Design-Based Study Of Teacher Learning And A Queer Inclusive Framework, Kyle Nolting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has historically marginalized queer identities, shaping inaccurate curricula and fostering unwelcoming classroom environments. To address this, my research uses design-based research to investigate the design of queer-inclusive STEM curricular resources. I partnered with in-service secondary STEM teachers amidst a series of professional development courses to co-create curricular resources. My research is grounded in queer theory, using a Gender Inclusive Framework to collaboratively develop inclusive design principles. My findings revealed a strong desire by teachers for more authentic and fluid representations of gender and sexuality in STEM curricula, particularly beyond the biological science discipline. …

Ensuring Safety In Battery Management Systems: A Control Barrier Function Approach, Magdalena Kossek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Safe and efficient operation of batteries is paramount to extending their lifespan and ensuring reliability in battery management systems. This work presents a new approach for maximizing safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries in a variety of applications with a view towards efficiency in computation. The aim is to maximize a battery’s output (its power, speed of charging, and overall efficiency) while preserving its longevity and ensuring operational safety. This challenge is tackled by developing a novel control algorithm for advanced lithium-ion battery management leveraging control barrier functions (CBFs) to ensure safe and efficient operation during fast charging and discharging. …

Compact 1 Ghz Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometers For Preclinical Imaging Studies, Tanden A. Hovey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic resonance is one of the most generally useful scientific techniques. New horizons of understanding are revealed as technological advances make possible explorations of nuclear spins and electron spins at higher and lower magnetic fields and electromagnetic frequencies. While the greatest current effort is on ever higher magnetic fields and microwave frequencies, both in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), the Eaton lab focusses on developing high signal-to-noise performance EPR at low microwave frequencies. EPR provides information about O2, pH, viscosity, glutathione concentrations, and reactive oxygen species in living organisms that MRI cannot. To yield clinically or …

An Investigation Of Pelvic Kinematics And Implications For Total Hip Arthroplasty, Kathryn Holland Colone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures, with approximately 500,000 surgeries performed annually in the United States alone. Although THA is widely regarded as highly successful, postoperative complications persist, highlighting the multifactorial nature of THA outcomes. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of implant positioning and soft tissue mechanics, yet challenges remain in optimizing surgical decisions on a patient-specific basis. Recent advances in surgical planning tools have shifted the focus of preoperative planning toward optimizing patient-specific outcomes, highlighting the need to better understand how patient anatomy, surgical technique, and joint mechanics interact to influence …

Field-Like- And Self-Spin-Orbit Torques In Magnetic Multilayer Films, Kyle Jeffrey Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) have been realized as an energy efficient mechanism to manipulate and drive magnetization dynamics in magnetic multilayer films. Their damping-like and field-like components provide distinct pathways for controlling the magnetization, enabling switching, sustaining magneto-oscillations, and driving domain-wall motion with potential applications in nonvolatile memory, spin-based logic, and microwave signal generation. However, the accurate quantification and interpretation of these torques remains complicated by experimental sensitivity, the co-symmetry of the Oersted field and the effective field due to the field-like torque, and assumptions regarding the material layers from which the torques originate. The body of work set forth in …

A Longitudinal Study Of Achilles Tendon Adaptation In Ncaa Division I Female Gymnasts: Associations With Menstrual Status, Birth Control Use, Pain, Limb Dominance, And Training Exposure, Mattie Jane Hyde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study evaluated Achilles tendon (AT) thickness in 22 NCAA Division I (DI) female gymnasts across three consecutive seasons in relation to menstruation, birth control use, pain, limb dominance, training week, and year of collegiate competition. Weekly ultrasound and athlete survey data were analyzed using mixed-effects models for absolute AT thickness and change in thickness from baseline measurements. Associations were primarily characterized by interactions rather than uniform effects of individual predictors. A Pain × Limb Dominance × Week × Year interaction was associated with both thickness outcomes across season-specific and combined analyses, with relationship directions varying by limb, season …

"Help Me Live It The Way You Do": Grounding Singaporean Responses To The Rorschach Situation, Casey Y. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary research on the Rorschach and culture is striking for the latter’s disappearance as a variable of significance (Meyer et al., 2015; Meyer et al., 2007; Mihura et al., 2013; Viglione & Hilsenroth, 2001). This erasure is chronicled and reproduced in the narratives of universal objectivity, of extensive international meta-analyses, of replications, of standardized norms (Ritzler, 2004; Smith et al., 2018; Smith et al., 2020; Weiner, 2004). A different story emerges, however, when we ask, how has culture disappeared? The proposed study is a multimethod qualitative analysis of Singaporean responses to the Rorschach, aimed at generating sensitive yet critical discourses …

Impact Of Taped Problems Intervention Modification On Children With Deafness, Clyniece Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with hearing loss are at an increased risk of experiencing setbacks in various areas of life, including academic performance and employment opportunities. Academically, they are likely to experience poor academic achievement in reading, as well as in mathematics (ASHA, 2013). In comparison to gifted hearing students and average-ability hearing students, students with hearing loss are at a higher risk of low mathematics performance (Hassan & Mohammed, 2019). Despite these known challenges and risk factors, limited research has been conducted to identify effective intervention strategies for improving mathematical outcomes among this population. As such, this study aimed to evaluate the …

Dialogic Communication Ethics As A Hopeful Response To Artificial Intelligence, Kristen Haldeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the past five years, a new technology has dominated modern culture: artificial intelligence. With a multiplicity of ways to respond to this new environment, this dissertation situates a response to artificial intelligence by combining the media ecology and communication ethics perspectives. Media ecology explores historical roots and biases of technology to learn about their influence of humanity. A dialogic communication ethics seeks to find an opening for hope to emerge. Hope, grounded in the works of Jacques Ellul and the Christian tradition, offers a new rhetorical perspective by shifting focus away from technology and to our neighbor.

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 …

Developing Solvent Tolerant Microbial Membranes: Lipid Extraction And Laurdan Fluorescence Approaches For Biofuel Optimization, Gladstone Anku

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high demand for sustainable energy has increased interest in advanced biofuels, though production is limited by solvent toxicity to microbial hosts. This study investigated the role of lipid composition in modulating membrane fluidity and solvent tolerance using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism. Five strains were cultured, and membrane lipids were extracted and analyzed using thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; however, inconsistent results limited compositional characterization. To address this problem, reconstituted vesicles composed of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were used as model membranes. Membrane fluidity was assessed using Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy by measuring generalized polarization (GP) values …

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 …

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 …

A Qualitative Examination Of Tennessee Secondary Stem Teachers’ Perceptions On Professional Development Needs, Amber W. Ogle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to research secondary STEM educators’ perceptions of PD needs. This study focused on the lived experiences of educators actively teaching in STEM subject disciplines in grades nine through 12. The essential question for this research study was: How do Tennessee secondary STEM teachers perceive the relevance, applicability, and impact of PD opportunities? The research was rooted in Knowles’ (1984) theory of adult learning, Andragogy, and Learning Forward’s (2022) Standards for Professional Learning.

Data were collected through 15 semi-structured, one-on-one online interviews. The transcripts of these interviews were analyzed, and frequently used language …

An Evaluation Of Peer Mentoring In A Pre-Veterinary Science Program Within A College Of Forestry And Agriculture, Amy Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is a tool utilized to improve the retention of college students and can serve as an effort to increase their willingness to persist despite challenges. Establishing mentoring relationships amongst first-year students and more-experienced students can create a sense of belonging. Mentorship programs may be developed within a particular major or program. Within this study, an online survey was formed to analyze the perceptions of first-year pre-veterinary students in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. A peer-mentorship program was implemented amongst pre-veterinary students in Fall 2025. First-year students who completed the survey in Fall 2024 were not mentored. Many of the …

Forest Cover Effects On Canopy Interception Loss, Evapotranspiration, And Soil Infiltration On Stormwater Detention Basins, Alexandria N. C. Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing cities and increased impervious surfaces has resulted in more surface runoff and severe flooding. Harris County, Texas has experienced major flooding events, such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017 which was estimated to be a 9,000-year flood event. The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is dedicated to creating, maintaining, and finding new ways to reduce flooding damage such as the use of detention basins as green infrastructure. These basins are either populated by grass or are planted with various tree species. This study will identify the planted trees’ canopy interception loss, reference evapotranspiration, and enhanced soil infiltration effects within …

From The Band Hall To The Classroom: A Qualitative Study On Curriculum Design In Successful Texas Bands To Support Student Success, Amy R. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Texas band programs have captured national attention for student achievement. This qualitative study examined curricular elements shared among perennially successful Texas band programs to explore whether these practices could inform curriculum development in other academic settings to support student success in indicators such as student academic achievement, behavior, and attendance. The data collection phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with fine arts administrators, campus administrators, and band directors associated with school districts of multiple perennially successful band programs. Through thematic analysis, collaboration and observation emerged as themes that influenced curriculum development among the participants; a focus on student experience, written curriculum, …

Making Sense Of Generative Ai: A Qualitative Single Case Study Examining How College Students Describe Its Use In Academic Coursework, Hollie L. Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Generative artificial intelligence has become increasingly present in higher education, creating opportunities and challenges related to teaching, learning, academic integrity, and student preparation for future professional settings. The problem addressed in this study was the growing misalignment between students’ use of generative artificial intelligence tools and the guidance, expectations, and policies provided within college courses. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how college students described their use of these tools in academic courses and to identify the benefits and challenges associated with integrating them into learning experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with undergraduate students …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Its Relationship To Student Achievement: A Quantitative Analysis Using Map Growth Data, Joseph Todd Holzmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One factor that has been widely studied is teacher self-efficacy. Teacher self-efficacy is often considered an indicator of teacher effectiveness and has been linked to a variety of positive educational outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. Additionally, the study investigated whether teacher self-efficacy differed based on years of teaching experience, grade level taught, and subject area taught. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), developed byTschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, was used to measure teacher self-efficacy among 88 participants with corresponding student MAP Growth data available for analysis. Results …

The Effectiveness Of Writing Professional Development For Instructional Leaders On Student Academic Outcomes, Kourtney Y. Lavergne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how elementary instructional leaders in a Southeast Texas school district perceived and utilized the R.A.C.E. (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) professional development training as an instructional tool to improve student writing performance. The study was guided by two research questions: (a) How do elementary instructional leaders perceive the R.A.C.E. professional development training as an effective English writing curriculum tool to improve student performance? and (b) How do instructional leaders utilize the R.A.C.E. professional development training to improve student writing performance in their classrooms? The study was grounded in adult learning theory …

Driving Development: Coalitions, Policies, And Upgrading Brazilian Automotive Technology (1988–2025), Henrique Estides Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among industrial activities in Brazil, the automotive sector generates some of the most significant and multifaceted multiplier effects on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The sector integrates activities ranging from raw materials to high-tech services, incorporating advanced technologies that influence innovation and positioning in global value chains (GVCs). Remarkably, this industry has been structured over time by public policies that have decisively shaped incentives for its participants. The world’s largest automotive multinationals have been attracted to operate in the country through varied institutional arrangements involving domestic capital and incentives across federative units. This dissertation analyzes how variations in institutional …

A Computational Micropatterning Approach To Study Caveolae And Protein Localization In Vascular Biology, Andrew B. Grespin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Caveolae are specialized, flask-shaped membrane invaginations highly expressed in endothelium and dysregulated in atherosclerosis. Caveolae play a central role in buffering membrane tension, yet the principles governing their spatial organization remain elusive. Thus, we sought to generate the most comprehensive and systematic analysis of blood vessel caveolar spatial organization. However, cell culturing, the backbone of human-focused biological research, does not standardly do well to model physiologically relevant cell behaviors such as migration or polarity-based tissue formation, particularly for punctate proteins and structures like caveolae. Micropatterns are cell-adhesive shapes that biophysically confine cell(s) to a user defined geometry which stereotype organelle …

Phase-Resolved Measurement And Arbitrary Mode Conversion Of Structured Light, Somayeh Ghazanfarpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a single-shot phase and amplitude retrieval technique based on spatial light modulator (SLM)-based digital holography. The proposed method enables accurate reconstruction of complex optical fields from a single interferogram, reducing sensitivity to environmental fluctuations and improving experimental stability compared to conventional multi-shot approaches. In addition, a programmable arbitrary mode converter is developed using SLM-based wavefront shaping. By introducing controlled astigmatism and engineering the differential Gouy phase between orthogonal components, the system enables flexible transformation between structured light modes, including Hermite–Gaussian and Laguerre–Gaussian beams. Numerical results demonstrate reliable phase recovery and efficient mode conversion, validating the performance of …

Congestion Pricing: A Comprehensive Look At International Congestion Pricing Models And Applying Them To The United States, Ian Ertel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban traffic congestion imposes large costs through wasted time, excess fuel consumption, air pollution, and lost productivity. Although congestion pricing has been recognized as the economically efficient remedy since Pigou and Vickrey, implementation has been rare. This thesis examines the conditions under which congestion pricing succeeds by analyzing three pioneering cases: London, Singapore, and New York City. Across all three, charges reduced traffic volumes and improved speeds within the priced zones. Benefits extended beyond cordon boundaries, with measurable improvements on untolled suburban roads. The distributional effects depended on how revenues were recycled rather than on the charge itself. Political viability, …

Induction Programming For Novice Special Education Directors: The Significance Of Informal Supports In The Absence Of Formal Structures, Julie E. Rottier-Lukens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role and responsibilities of a special education director are unique and highly complex when compared to other district-level leadership roles. Since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed in 1975, states gradually increased requirements for certification of these administrative roles, more clearly defining the criteria and standards to incorporate within preparation programs. Despite improvements in preparation programs for special education directors, there continues to be variation in preparation and certification requirements across states and persistent challenges with shortages of special education directors. After completing a preparation program, what support exists for novice special education directors to help them …