Digital Commons Network^™

Special Needs Assistants In Primary Schools: An Investigation Of The Role, Function, And Expectations Of This Post In Ireland, Imaobong Maria Essien

Theses

This study aims to examine the role and function of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) in Irish Primary Schools. The minimum requirement for a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) is three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate or an equivalent qualification. Existing research suggests that the role lacks clarity and has evolved to include taking on administrative, pedagogical, behavioral management, and therapeutic roles (INTO, 2017; Butler and Quinn, 2014; NCSE, 2011). This study explores the disparity between the SNA job descriptor to recognise the impact and importance of the SNA’s role in the education system. This study is underpinned by the …

Model-Based Cognitive Communications For Low-Power Wireless Networks, Indika Sanjeewa Abeywickrama Dhanapala

Theses

Our world is increasingly being instrumented with low-power wireless networks that deliver data for diverse application domains such as energy management, health and well-being, security, and other Internet of Things services. As these wireless networks operate in the unlicensed radio spectrum while co-existing with various other communication networks, their communication reliability and energy efficiency are affected by the radio environment. Because of this vulnerability to radio interference, low-power wireless networks may be unable to deliver their application requirements and be inefficiently consuming energy, functioning as a low-dependability network. The situation is exacerbated in indoor environments such as office and residential …

Project Spraoi: The Implementation And Outcomes Of A Process Evaluation Of A School-Based Health Promotion Intervention, Yvonne Larrissa O’Byrne

Theses

Large multi-site school-based interventions are challenging to implement and difficult to evaluate due to the complex adaptive nature of schools as a research setting. This study focused on implementing a comprehensive process evaluation of a multicomponent primary school-based health promotion called Project Spraoi (PS), alongside intervention delivery, to aid the translation of outcomes and understand the moderating role of contextual factors on intervention delivery. PS is led by a physical activity (PA) specialist known as an Energizer and aims to improve children’s PA levels and reduce sedentary time by delivering 20 minutes extra daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during …

Federal Fashion: Uniform Modification, Self-Expression, And The Union Infantry Officer Of The American Civil War, Clayton Davis

Theses

The military uniforms of the American Civil War, particularly on the Union side, varied tremendously through time and location. There were an endless number of combinations􀂲myriad boots and hats, coats and jackets, insignias, and trousers. That was true for officers, especially commissioned officers, who exercised the greatest aesthetic freedom. Scattered works have broached the topic of officer uniforms, especially those of Confederate officers, though their Union counterparts have gone under the microscope also. Invariably, these works include non-regulation uniforms, either compiled by officers from separate pieces or handmade by one of the hundreds of tailors working across the nation. However, …

The Fountain Formula. Damien Hirst’S Use Of Marcel Duchamp’S Readymade Controversy, Grayson Nader

Theses

Controversial art challenges the norms of society, by pushing boundaries to expose what is comfortable and uncomfortable. It inevitably garners attention and demands discourse. Marcel Duchamp was an innovator of controversy. He was angered by the status quo and material greed of the art industry of the early 1900s and rebelled against it with his now-famous readymade, Fountain. In Fountain, Duchamp created a formula that used controversy to garner attention from the public, the media and the art world. This formula was used by various artists throughout the past century. Contemporary artist Damien Hirst was disillusioned by the monotony of …

The Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On Staff Member Implementation Of Behavior Intervention Plans, Riley Young, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Behavioral skills training (BST) is a well-researched and empirically validated teaching method that typically involves the use of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to improve staff and client performance (Leaf et al., 2015). Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of BST across a wide variety of populations and skill sets, including within educational environments (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019). However, limited research exists on the use of BST to improve staff member implementation of behavior intervention plans (BIPs), particularly for staff members who have a history of incorrect implementation. The current study examines the effectiveness of in-person BST in a school …

The Effects Of Preference Assessments On The Duration Of Independent Play For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elise Amo, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Plays skills are important within typical development and independent play has shown to lead to the development of other skills, such as increased social interactions (Edwards et al., 2018). Previous research has demonstrated increases in independent play for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who display skill deficits in this area. However, research has been largely lacking for increasing independent play for individuals with ASD who simply display a preference for interacting with adults. The current study examined the effectiveness of incorporating a multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment to increase the duration of independent play for a child with …

The Use Of Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior To Decrease Scripting, Kathleen Egbert, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Vocal scripting is a behavior commonly targeted for reduction with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when it occurs at a rate or severity that interferes with learning (e.g., Koegel & Covert, 1972). Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) has been shown to be effective for reducing scripting in previous research, however additional replications of these results would add to the research literature to continue to support its use for this issue. The purpose of this study was to implement a DRO schedule with a young girl with ASD to reduce vocal scripting. The results showed a slight decrease in …

Math Anxiety And Performance Following Observational Learning And Performance Pressure, Michael G. Duthie

Theses

Past research demonstrated that a variety of factors contribute to the severity of math anxiety and its detriments on math performance. The present study examined the influence of performance pressure, sex, second-hand success or failure of a male or female, and problem difficulty on math anxiety and performance. The design included a 2 (Participant sex: male, female) x 2 (Student actor sex: male, female) x 2 (Video outcome: success, failure) x 2 (Problem difficulty: easy, difficult) x 2 (Pressure: low, high) mixed design. Participants (UAH students, n = 232) were recruited from introductory psychology courses and completed the study via …

Perspectives Of Reading For Pleasure Pedagogy In Western Australian School Classrooms, Jessica Nailer

Theses

Australian children read for pleasure less and less as they move through primary school, with a noticeable decline emerging in the middle primary school years. Reading for Pleasure at School (RfPS) also appears to have become de-prioritised in primary schools, with greater emphasis in the broader literacy education dialogue placed on instructional reading pedagogy and standardised literacy testing. This research focused on the pedagogy that meaningfully supports RfPS in Years 3-6, within a framework of school culture, teacher practices and the physical environment. This investigation aimed to explore the perspectives of three key stakeholder groups from one Western Australian independent …

The Politics Of Eternity: Public History And Monuments To Memory In Kings Park, 1902-1934, Anthony Critchley

Theses

The sacred sites of Gargatup (Mount Eliza) and Gooninup (Kennedy’s Spring) were revered by Whadjuk Noongar people long before the arrival of Europeans in Western Australia. Now part of the site of Kings Park in Perth, it remains cherished by today’s community for its botanic beauty and panoramic views. European traditions have replaced the Indigenous cultural heritage, most notably with the erection of war monuments, statues, and memorial plaques, amidst the herbaceous gardens and native flora. The first president of the Kings Park Board, Sir John Forrest, and his successor, Arthur Lovekin, envisioned that the Park would emulate ornate British …

Bedrooms And Battlefields: Negotiating Gendered Arenas Of Power Within Le Roman De Silence, Anneka De Souza

Theses

Le Roman de Silence is a strikingly modern, yet much overlooked, thirteenth-century French poem, detailing the life of Silence, a girl who is raised as a boy to circumvent the king’s new ban on female inheritance. In exploring themes such as inheritance, justice and law, nature vs. nurture, cross-dressing heroines, morality and corruption, and what it means to be a good king, the poem raises intriguing questions about traditional medieval gender roles and power structures. The thesis examines the poem’s diverse expressions of masculinity and femininity within the gendered arenas of the battlefield and the bedroom. Drawing on the History …

Resilience And Fortitude: The Lives Of Impoverished Women In Fremantle, Western Australia, 1890-1914, Linda Mcgowan

Theses

Many impoverished women struggled to raise their children without support in Fremantle, Western Australia, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This thesis investigates how these women managed to provide for their children, and keep their families together, at a time when society expected women to be supported by men. The appalling living conditions in the slum areas of Fremantle, which often led to serious health issues that further impacted on women’s struggle for survival, are explored as well as how the denial of legal rights, and harsh community attitudes towards these women, exacerbated already difficult situations. Options such …

From Isolation To Inclusion: Embracing Local Perspectives In Examining The Treatment Model Of Care For Aboriginal Persons Affected By Tuberculosis Or Leprosy In The Kimberley Region, North Western Australia, Stefanie Jane Oliver

Theses

In the remote Kimberley region of North Western Australia, tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy continue to affect a small number of Aboriginal people, despite historical efforts to eliminate either disease. Treatment, predominantly antibiotic therapy, is a principal therapeutic intervention used to cure TB and leprosy and halt infection transmission. Decisions made around treatment therefore impact not only the individual person affected, but also their families and communities. The well-worn models of Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) and case management are used nationally to assist treatment continuity and completion. Neither model has been substantiated for cultural appropriateness nor for meeting the specific needs …

Making Accessible The Rich Spiritual Tradition Of The Catholic Church Explored Through The Lens Of Four Different Saints, Anthony Chidiac

Theses

This thesis seeks to make the rich spiritual tradition of the Catholic church expressed through the lens of four saints accessible to a wide audience of people. Each saint provides key insights into the faith based upon their different life experiences and unique encounters with Christ. Upon encountering Christ, they see themselves and their role in the world in a completely different perspective. As a result, they change seeking to live fuller richer lives as they give more of themselves to Him.

St Augustine after living a pleasure-seeking lifestyle discovers that God is the Truth, that he is looking for. …

Without Hindrance Or Fear Of Reprisals: The Attitudes And Experiences Of Doctors With A Conscientious Objection To Abortion In New South Wales And Victoria, Anna Walsh

Theses

This thesis explores the phenomena of conscience from the perspective of doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion. Its focus is a novel empirical study on the attitudes and experiences of 35 doctors who self-identify as having a conscientious objection to abortion and who practice in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Findings include the reasons for their objection and the types of actions they refuse to perform, whether and how the law has limited the free expression of their beliefs in the workplace, and what they would change to achieve a more reasonable accommodation of their conscientious objection in …

Prediction Of Dubai Apartment Prices Using Machine Learning, Ali Alshamsi

Theses

The Real Estate Industry has been facing an unprecedented fluctuation in prices in the recent past. The most alarming of all is the drastic fall in the prices of Apartments in Arab regions from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the past year. In comparison to the rest of the cities in the world, Knight Frank Global Residential Cities Index shows a drastic drop in the prices of apartments by about 6.6 percent in Dubai and 8.3 percent in the recent 12 months of business (Arabianbusiness.Com, 2021). In this regard, this study aims at developing a machine learning model able to …

Intelligent Navigation Service Robot Working In A Flexible And Dynamic Environment, Said Abdallah

Theses

Numerous sensor fusion techniques have been reported in the literature for a number of robotics applications. These techniques involved the use of different sensors in different configurations. However, in the case of food driving, the possibility of the implementation has been overlooked. In restaurants and food delivery spots, enhancing the food transfer to the correct table is neatly required, without running into other robots or diners or toppling over. In this project, a particular algorithm module has been proposed and implemented to enhance the robot driving methodology and maximize robot functionality, accuracy, and the food transfer experience. The emphasis has …

An Evaluation Of The Biologics Price Competition And Innovation Act And Its Impact On Innovation In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Tara Williams

Theses

In the pharmaceutical industry, innovation is vital to bring more life-saving treatment options to patients. However, pharmaceutical manufacturers face strict safety and effectiveness guidelines set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), before being able to place their innovations on the market. In attempts to balance the need for continuous innovation and stringent regulation, policymakers created the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) of 2009. The BPCIA allows biosimilars manufacturers to enter a shortened FDA approval pathway and provides incentives for biologics manufacturers with the aims to decrease cost and increase access to medications for patients by …

Mandhar Smart Application For The Visual Pollution In Muhaisnah-2 Area – Dubai Uae, Hamda Mohamed Alharmoudi

Theses

People naturally love beauty, beautiful views, and a beautiful environment. Beauty is the human eye that makes him happy and brings pleasure to his heart. If sport feeds the body and science feeds the mind, then beauty feeds the soul and the mind, all the beauty around us feeds the brain that has a positive impact on human life, and the distortion that we encounter in our life has a negative impact on us. Therefore, visual pollution is defined as, everything that is inconsistent with the beauty of the environment that surrounds us which create a harmful change for the …

The Role Of Experts In Policymaking: An Assessment Of Witness Educational Backgrounds In Congressional Testimony, Benedicte Adair

Theses

This thesis provides a first-of-its kind benchmark on the extent to which academically-trained professionals in the United States are availed of opportunities to directly deliver evidence to the United States Congress, as well as how contemporary party politics shapes this system. We randomly sample and manually code the educational backgrounds of 2,147 witnesses from 32 Congressional Committee Hearings that occurred between 2001 and 2020. This study reveals three key findings. The first is that academically-trained professionals have extensive access to the halls of Congress. Second, that all types of degrees have at least some representation amongst witness calls. The third …

Sustainable Food Waste Management Through The Integration Of Anaerobic Digestion And Thermochemical Processes, Diana Carolina Rodriguez Alberto

Theses

The processing of food waste along with animal manure through anaerobic digestion (AD) is a popular waste management strategy. However, there is the concern that with the proliferation of AD the management of its nutrient-rich effluent, known as digestate, becomes a challenge. Current digestate management practices not only present environmental risks, but also issues related to the seasonality of field spreading and the storage and transportation of large volumes of material. The integration of the AD process with thermochemical conversion (TC) could help reduce some of these issues. The production of biochar from materials already available in the digester setting, …

Predicting Students' Mental Disorders Using Machine Learning, Maryam Sadiq

Theses

The mental health issues among students are prevailing due to predictions of low mood, anxiety, depression, and academic difficulties. Late diagnosis of these mental health issues takes prolonged measures to minimise its impact. Nowadays, machine learning is used to assess mental health by detecting signals that provide information about mental health through brain scans and questionnaires. Early detection of mental health issues in students possible to control them effectively. Colleges and universities are trying to improve student care by assessing their mental health and reducing mental health problems through psychological therapies. Machine learning techniques, including Multiclass Classifier, LAD Tree, and …

The Golden Age Of The Economics Of Bureaucracy, Chang-Yeh (Michael) Wu

Theses

The economics of bureaucracy (EOB) is a field of research that emerged from the public choice movement in the mid-1960s through to the early 1970s. It entailed applying traditional economic theories and modelling techniques to study decision-making in non-market hierarchies that are often referred to as bureaucracies. The field was pioneered and codified by Gordon Tullock, Anthony Downs, and William Niskanen in what may be called the ‘golden age’ of EOB. Establishing EOB as a bona fide research domain was a challenging intellectual enterprise due to the absence of a pre-existing conceptual framework to readily model bureaucracies within the economics …

The Personal And Professional Experiences Of Female Principals In Catholic Education Western Australia (Cewa) Composite And Secondary Schools, Maria Loreta Outtrim

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the personal and professional experiences of female principals in Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) composite and secondary schools. The study investigates factors that encourage female educational leaders to become principals, the expectations and demands of being a female principal, factors that support and sustain female principals, and the challenges that female principals face in CEWA composite and secondary schools (CCSS).

The review of literature highlighted four areas which formed the conceptual framework in this research. The four areas were relevant to female principalship in CEWA composite and secondary schools. These areas included …

'Ice In The Family' : Exploring The Experiences Of Close Family Members When Another Family Member Is Using Methamphetamine, Douglas Greg Gordon

Theses

Worldwide, the impact of illicit methamphetamine use has been increasingly recognised over the past two decades. Emergency Department presentations and physical and mental health effects have led to a focus on developing effective treatments for methamphetamine users. Little research has explored the impact, specifically of methamphetamine, on family members. Methamphetamine itself possesses unique differences from other drugs in both its direct effects and its mental and physical health impact on the user.

To this end, this longitudinal qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand the lived experiences of family members of methamphetamine users. The study was conducted in Bunbury …

An Exegetical Analysis Of The Johannine Jesus’S Son-Father Relationship In The Fourth Gospel With The Theological Significance And Implications In Contemporary Context, Jing Yih Hsieh

Theses

This exegetical study focuses on the distinctive characteristics of the Johannine Jesus’s unique cognitive perception, his claims of equality with God in the language of oneness in the Son-Father relationship in the Fourth Gospel, and with theological significance and implications in contemporary context.

Do The Safeguards In The Victorian Assisted-Dying Legislation Adequately Account For The Experiences Of Other Nations?, Heath Harley-Bellemore

Theses

In 2017 the Victorian State Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017, making it the first Australian jurisdiction since 1996 to pass assisted dying legislation. The Victorian model was hailed by the Government of Victoria as the ‘safest and most conservative in the world’, and had the benefit of drawing on over 20 years of voluntary assisted dying experiences of other jurisdictions for its development. This thesis examines the experiences of other jurisdictions and how they informed the development of the Victorian model. It examines available data, reports, and criticisms of international experiences and applies them to the Victorian …

What Does It Mean To Be An Assistant Principal In Catholic Primary Schools In Western Australia? An Exploratory Instrumental Case Study, Lisa Gallin

Theses

This research aimed to explore the role of assistant principal in Catholic primary schools in Western Australia and is the first empirical study of assistant principals in this context. This research was predominantly qualitative and used interpretivism, specifically symbolic interactionism, as its theoretical perspective. An exploratory instrumental case study methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the viewpoints of assistant principals regarding their role. Data collection methods included an online survey and semi-structured interviews as the primary sources, with a document search and researcher field notes adding further information. Miles et al.’s (2020) interactive data management and analysis …

The Accuracy And Validity Of Self-Reported Throwing Loads And The Characteristics Of Throws By Elite Cricket Players In Australia, Zachariah G. Hoyne

Theses

Objectives: To determine the relationship between elite cricket player’s self-reported and independently observed throwing volume. Examine whether sex, playing position, or time to upload self-reported data post training influences the accuracy of self-reported throwing loads. Describe the type and number of throws performed during elite cricket training, and identify characteristics such as type, distance and accuracy of throws.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A total of eight female and 18 male professional cricket players participated in the study. Overarm throws from 12 training sessions during the 2020-21 cricket year were observed. Player self-reported throwing volume data were retrieved …