Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Adjunct Faculty Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Analysis, James Bernard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of adjunct faculty. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unparalleled disruption around the globe. Challenges that were faced in higher education included health and safety protocols, social distancing, emergency remote teaching, and closing campuses while trying to maintain quality of the education and perceived value for the student.

Adjunct faculty play a significant role in higher education, teaching and supporting academic programs. Given the reliance on the use of adjunct faculty and recognizing the link between job satisfaction and performance, the experiences of adjunct …

Comparing Perceptions Of The Roles Of School Librarians Among Educators Using The Future Ready School Librarian Framework, Ellen Felicia Warden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental quantitative casual comparative survey study surveyed a sample (n=186) of public elementary (n=90), middle (n=69), and high school (n=57) school administrators (n=57), educators (n=62), and librarians (n=67) from 38 school districts across the state of Tennessee, regarding their perceptions of school librarians’ roles defined in the constructs of the Future Ready Schools – Librarian Framework. Results were analyzed via a one-way MANOVA and post hoc testing, and statistically significant differences in perceptions of the school librarian’s role were identified within the constructs of Use of Space and Time (p =<.001), Personalized Professional Learning (p=.025), Robust Infrastructure (p=.007), and Budget & Resources (p=.020). Statistical significance within these constructs is prevalent amongst comparison groups including the school librarian's role. Educators/teachers scored fulfillment perception higher than administrators and school librarians across all constructs. In contrast, school librarians scored fulfillment perception lower than other groups across all constructs, regardless of whether statistically significant results were found. Results implicate a need for changes to school librarian pre-service and future training to better prepare those entering and working the role to meet the expectations outlined within the Future Ready Schools Librarian Framework. Suggestions for future research and study limitations are also provided.

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy And Curricular Decision-Making In Elementary Art Education, Adeline Lynn White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary art education fails to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population in K–12 schools. Although there is an increased understanding and awareness that culture must become essential to the art education of students, there is a gap in research on how art educators individually and collectively create culturally sustaining curricula and how it is implemented into the classroom and received by students. This holistic multiple-case study addresses the lack of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in the curricula used by art educators across the United States by examining how five elementary art educators designed opportunities to center student …

Perceptions Of Mattering Among General Education Teachers: Replication, Validation, And Extension Of The Fundamental Elements Of Mattering Scale For Teachers (Fems-T), Kailey B. Thornton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to replicate, validate, and extend previous research on mattering in general education teachers. Specifically, this study sought to explore the psychometric properties of the Fundamental Elements of Mattering Scale for Teachers (FEMS-T; Wilfong, 2021). Participants completed demographic questions as well as questions related to their feelings of mattering as a teacher (N = 343). The study confirmed the factor structure of a streamlined 24-item FEMS-T, which exhibited better fit than the original 40 items identified by Wilfong (2021). The FEMS-T also demonstrated internal reliability and convergent validity with the Workplace Mattering Scale (WMS; Jung & Heppner, 2017). …

Transmuting Childhood Trauma: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On The Career Choice And Teaching Experiences Of Special Education Teachers, Monica Bester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a growing body of research on childhood trauma and its potential effects on the development of a child into adulthood. The findings of this research indicate that those who have undergone traumatic experiences might demonstrate effects in their behavior, interactions with others, management of stressful situations, and even in their career decisions as they mature in age. As research on the impact of trauma on career choices continues to expand, this study looks at trauma’s impact on the experiences and decisions of Special Education Teachers. This qualitative case study uses Contemporary Trauma Theory as …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Novices And Experts Testing Nielsen's Five User Assumption Within A Learning Technology, Jessica Danielle Gatewood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental causal-comparative study aims to explore the possible effect of expertise on learning experience design (LXD) deviation identification and the classification of these deviations in alignment with provided learning experience design constructs within a learning technology. Additionally, this study challenges Nielsen’s (1993) Five User Assumption regarding how many novices or experts are needed to identify 80% of LXD deviations within the learning technology. According to Nielsen’s (1993) Five User Assumption, only five participants are required to identify 80% percent of usability problems; however, this assumption has yet to be tested within a learning technology (Nielsen, 1993). A convenience sample …

Political Consciousness & The Postcolonial Subject: Toward Revolutionary Education In Pakistan, Ali Mahboob

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We live in a post-colonial reality. It is a fact of history. A past that determines the present, a present that determines the future. It is not the colonization of land that this project seeks to inquire about, but the colonization of knowledge, for what we know determines who we are. This thesis studies the relationship between the construction of the colonial self and the colonial reality from which it derives consciousness. It is an epistemological examination of a form of knowledge that presupposes the inferiority of the colonial being. This colonization of knowledge is the foundation of Western Humanism …

The Future Of Black Girlhood: Creative Expressions Of Black Girls' Imagination, Jamesha L. Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, opportunities have been limited for Black girls to share their girlhood experiences with mainstream society due to the lack of scholarship produced on Black girlhood. Additionally, there are limited narratives written by Black girls on their girlhood experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to gather Black girls’ perspectives on Black girlhood through curated images of Black girlhood in the future. This study used two theoretical orientations: Black feminism and Black radical imagination. Both theories provided the study with the framework necessary to hear the girls’ unfiltered truths and provided the girls with methods to create future …

Exploring Knowledge And Perceptions Of Nursing Students: A Quantitative Study On Sexual Assault And Sex Trafficking Awareness, Isabella Marino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore nursing students' knowledge and perceptions of identifying and treating victims of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Survey data was collected from second to fifth semester nursing students in Eastern Tennessee. The study aims to identify students' perceptions of medical personnel's ability to identify and treat sexual assault and sex trafficking victims, examine whether adherence to myths affects knowledge and confidence levels, determine students' confidence in identifying and treating victims, and evaluate whether demographic characteristics affect identification and treatment. Results will help improve our approach towards these issues.

Covid 19 And Classroom Instruction: A Comparison Of Synchronous In-Person And Virtual Student Learning, Jason Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex-post facto quantitative study was to compare English Language Arts (ELA) and math Tennessee Compressive Assessment Program (TCAP) scores of students in grades four through eight who attended school virtually or in-person during the 2020-2021 school year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school district in this study allowed parents to choose to send their children to traditional in-person classes or attend school virtually. In-person and virtual students engaged synchronous classroom instruction through Google Meets. All virtual students were instructed by the teachers they would have had if their parents had chosen to send them for …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Leadership In Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Wesam Alshahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases.

In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education …

Evaluating A Current Athlete Assessment Program, David Fish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the effectiveness of a questionnaire designed to assess coaches’ perceptions of an athlete monitoring program. There are four reasons for this examination of perceptions: 1) it may serve as a check for understanding of how the coach takes in the information presented to them, 2) identify any gaps in the knowledge of the coach which the sport scientist may help to fill, 3) can serve to open a dialog with the coach for ways in which the information may be better tailored to help them improve their decision-making, and 4) the …

A Comparison Of Student Academic Variables In Mixed Teaching Methods And Traditionally Taught Biology Courses At Participating Community Colleges In Tennessee, Elesha Goodfriend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to compare academic variables from students participating in mixed teaching methods/course revitalization biology courses to those in traditional courses at two community colleges in Tennessee. A two-group comparison design using archived data was used, which evaluated differences in final grades, exam scores, and homework completion as indicators of the academic success between an urban institution and a rural college. A power analysis was performed using G*Power software to provide the needed sample size, indicating a size of 176. There were 227 students in the active teaching lecture classrooms, and 198 students in the …

Understanding Community College Student Perceptions Of Academic Advising, Benjamin Umbarger, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate community college student perceptions of academic advising for 12 first-time first-generation (FTFG) General Studies students attending a rural southeastern community college. The phenomenological research approach was utilized to better understand participant experiences by exploring participants' perceptions through their lived experiences. Applying purposeful sampling techniques, five females and seven males were identified, with 11 classified as full-time students and one classified as part-time. One-on-one interviews and focus group were conducted in-person or virtually, using Zoom and Microsoft Teams, with each participant to better understand student perceptions of their initial academic advising …

Reviving “Cult”: A Qualitative Analysis Of A Female-Led Cultic Sect, Olivia Summers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOF), a female-led Evangelical church that social scientists have not yet studied. My thesis explores how a female leader operates within a patriarchal space and why WOF owns a Holocaust Museum. I conducted content analysis of the church and museum websites, Google reviews, and visited the museum in person. My research highlights the limitations of current taxonomies of religion in sociology. I address this oversight, argue for the re-introduction of “cult” as an analytical term, and propose a rubric for cult identification. I suggest that WOF is a sectarian cult with similar …

Factors That Contribute To Challenging Behaviors With Early Childhood Students, Jennifer N. Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been an increasing number of students being referred to mental health services due to behavioral problems they exhibit at school. Behavioral and social concerns impede academic success for the individual child as well as their classroom peers. Many factors can contribute to challenging behaviors in early childhood students within rural and high-poverty communities, an elementary school in the South-Atlantic region of the United States is experiencing some of those factors. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to investigate some of the possible factors which contribute to challenging behaviors and how those factors impact academic achievement. The …

Gifted And…: Teacher Reflection And Transformation In Response To Teaching Gifted Students, Patrick Gene Rabon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

12 teachers, representing five schools in a district, shared via individual interviews their insights regarding giftedness and the needs of gifted students. These interviews explored the characteristics of giftedness and gifted education, the needs participants identified through their experiences with their students, the choices participants made regarding these needs, and the various ways participants reflected on these choices. This study used reflexive thematic analysis and transformative learning theory to make sense of the data, and a reparative approach shaped the study’s approach to the collection and analysis of the data. This study found that participants tended to think in terms …

The Elephant In The Classroom: Understanding Teachers’ Implicit Biases In Grading Student Work In A Mathematics Classroom, Tina Marie Medina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on automaticity or the choices we make without conscious thought. Specifically, the study examined how math teachers improved their understanding of the practice and evolution of culturally responsive teaching by analyzing the lived experiences and metacognition of practicing middle school teachers as they assess student work in mathematics. The potential impact of implicit stereotypes, instructor expectations, assessment design, cultural considerations, and other variables on the grading process was investigated. The purpose of this case study was to uncover teachers’ implicit biases as it relates to grading student work in a middle school math class.

This qualitative study …

Examining Teacher Knowledge And Preparedness: Teachers From India In South Carolina And The Implementation Of Udl Principles In General Education Classrooms, Lakshmi Surya Narayana Vishnubhotla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing student diversity and the global emphasis on inclusive education necessitate a critical focus on teacher preparedness in implementing inclusive practices within classrooms. Teacher preparedness in inclusive practices is essential to ensure all students thrive in a truly inclusive educational environment. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) promotes equitable learning environments by empowering educators to address the diverse needs of their students. This framework is aligned with inclusive education legislation and provides multiple ways for learners to engage, understand information, and express their knowledge. UDL recognizes learner variability and supports student self-determination by offering choices along the learning journey, fostering greater …

Navigating New Frontiers: A Narrative Of Cte Administrators Leading Rural Innovation, Claire Bass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school districts play a pivotal role in the well-being of rural communities. To help mitigate the impact of labor market trends, societal shifts, and the skilled labor shortage, rural schools are in the initial stages of expanding innovative career pathways. As such, career and technical education (CTE) administrators serve their rural communities by facilitating robust career pathways to support local labor markets. Due to a skilled labor shortage, a declining labor force participation rate, and a rapidly evolving labor market, there is a lack of qualified and certified personnel to fill industry jobs (Davis et al., 2022). School districts …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Undergraduate Students Who Participated In The Ronald E. Mcnair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, Alexandria C. Craft

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of former McNair Program participants at a regional postsecondary institution in northeast Tennessee. More specifically, the study examined how past participants of a McNair Program perceived their program experiences related to their post-undergraduate educational endeavors and career pursuits. Although research has been conducted on McNair Programs, no research has been conducted on the lived experiences of individuals who participated in a McNair Program in northeast Tennessee within the last two decades, and little to no research has been conducted to identify the program components that former participants believe …

Structural Changes After Coming Out In A Christian Family, Ying Zou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, societal attention towards the LGBTQ community has grown significantly through social media and political movements. While research indicates increased acceptance and awareness, LGBTQ individuals and their families still face challenges, with “coming out” being a pivotal and ongoing difficulty. This study adopts a structural family therapy lens to investigate how the process of coming out impacts family dynamics, boundaries, and roles within Christian families. Existing literature underscores the role of religion, particularly Christianity, in causing stress for LGBTQ individuals. Although some families initially react negatively to disclosure, many eventually report improvement. However, there is limited research …

Design And Validation Of A Test For Teachers: Measuring Knowledge Of Trauma, Jennifer B. Bilbrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research and interest in trauma-informed pedagogy have grown substantially. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes knowledge of trauma symptoms, associated behaviors, and environmental and instructional trauma-informed strategies. Various scales measure attitudes and experiences with trauma-informed practices; however, the literature suggests a lack of validated tests measuring teachers' knowledge of trauma. Reliable and valid tests measuring knowledge are critical when determining the professional development needs of both pre-service and in-service teachers. This multi-phase study aimed to fulfill this need by creating the Teachers’ Knowledge of Trauma (TKOT) test. With the guidance of literature and qualitative data from eight early childhood professional peers, a 50-item …

From Silence To Interpretation: West Lawn Cemetery In Johnson, Tennessee And The Case For Cemeteries As Public History Sites, Julia Underkoffler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The preservation needs and historical significance located within West Lawn Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee, a historically African American Cemetery, show the potential cemeteries have as an impactful public history site. Similar to sites like historic houses, museums, and battlefields; cemeteries offer another insight into the past through interpretation and preservation. A cemetery's ethical and practical uses as a public history site can pose complex challenges. This thesis aims to provide a compelling argument for cemeteries as repositories of irreplaceable history, providing a space for their spot in the field of public history. Although little scholarly literature is given on …

No Tolerance For Zero Tolerance: Teacher Perceptions Of Restorative Practices, Meghann Ramsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The original design of zero-tolerance policies was meant to support school safety through an anti-drug and violence campaign but in the years following their implementation, school districts have employed them repeatedly without merit. Exclusionary practices have become controversial, leading to high rates of recidivism, imbalanced implementation toward minority groups, and the loss of learning while suspended or expelled. Just as effective educators respond and intervene to instructional practices that are not proving successful, an overhaul of disciplinary practices was necessary for academic and emotional health. Restorative practices have emerged in recent years as an alternative process to the antiquated system …

Queer Student Or Student Who Is Also Queer? A Mixed Methods Study Of Competing Master Statuses In Higher Education, Kayla Densberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People pursuing LGBTQ+ rights in the United States have faced triumphs and setbacks over time but now face equality-restricting legislation in several regions. Previous researchers have studied LGBTQ+ college students and LGBTQ+ identity as a master status, but less on how queer identity competes for salience with other identities. This study uses qualitative and quantitative secondary data on student responses to a university-wide climate survey (n=1699) conducted in the Fall semester of 2022. I analyze LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ student experiences and satisfaction with their school. The quantitative results of this research find that LGBTQ+ students have a markedly different campus …

Internship Experiences For Aspiring Educational Leaders: Student Understanding And Effectiveness, Adam Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate East Tennessee State University alumni's perceptions of the effectiveness of internship experiences as students learned the PSEL and TILS standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for principalship. The participants obtained their administrative license and worked currently with an administrative license that is current in the state they reside. This research focused on the perception of the PESL and TILS standards, the effectiveness of the 540-hour internship experience, and the value of the site based and university mentor as the participants completed their activities in multiple settings.

Findings supported …

The Perceptions Of Black Teachers Regarding The Work Environment In Predominately White Schools P-12, Rhonda Lankford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the experiences of Black teachers in predominately White P-12 schools, and focused on examining the external and internal challenges that Black teachers face who work in predominately White schools. Voices are sometimes ignored or muted in a society dominated by the majority White culture. This study will allow readers to experience the narratives of Black educators who work in these environments. The educators selected for this study were purposefully chosen from predominately White school districts. The researcher interviewed each subject in a semi-structured interview environment to gather data. Results of interviews lead to the emergence of …

Community, Race, And National Socialism: The Evolution Of The Ideology Of Volksgemeinschaft, 1807-1945, Robert B. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historiography of the National Socialist Volksgemeinschaft, or people’s community, has traditionally been divided between historians surmising its construction under the Third Reich as a genuine undertaking meant to uplift German society, and those who view the project as a propaganda effort which assisted the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in retaining legitimacy. Utilizing the plethora of works written on the topic, and a handful of primary sources from pre-Nazified Germany, NSDAP officials, and average citizens alike, this work will demonstrate that, as early as 1807, German philosophers, statesmen, and eventually a large majority of the population yearned for the national unity …