Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Cultural Capital And Literacy Practices In Chinese Immigrant Families: A Critical Ethnographic Case Study, Yuechen Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the cultural capital and literacy practices of Chinese immigrant families residing in a Southeastern U.S. city. Using an ethnographic case study approach, the research examines two groups of Chinese immigrant parents: those with higher educational backgrounds and those who are restaurant owners. The study investigates how parents’ educational and cultural backgrounds influence their perceptions of and commitments to their children’s education, as well as their home literacy practices. It also explores their understanding of the model minority stereotype and their views on educational equity in the U.S. The findings reveal that both groups of parents value education …

Professional Learning Communities And Digital Literacy: A Framework For Elementary Education, Lauren Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

As digital technologies redefine the definition of literacy, elementary teachers face the challenge of effectively integrating digital literacies into their classroom spaces. This dissertation examines how professional development can enhance teachers’ understanding and implementation of high-quality digital literacy practices. Grounded in the New Literacies framework, the study identifies key characteristics of effective digital literacy instruction and explores how professional development that is contextualized, meaningful, and sustained can foster these practices. Using data from classroom observations, professional learning communities, and teacher interviews, the research highlights how individualized coaching and collaboration empower teachers to create authentic, engaging, and critical digital literacy experiences. …

Exploring Technology Use And Loneliness Among African American Older Adults, Sarah Pace

Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness among African American older adults is a pressing public health concern, affecting more than one-quarter of this population and increasing the risk of premature death. This study explores the experiences of loneliness among African American older adults and examines the technologies they use, the purposes they serve, and their perceived role in mitigating loneliness. It also investigates barriers and facilitators to technology use for promoting social connection. Guided by the Social Support Theory and Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3), the study centers the perspectives of an underrepresented population.

Fifteen African American women aged 67–82 participated in semi-structured interviews between …

The Moderating Effects Of Religious Support And Family Support Between Racial Discrimination And Psychological Health Outcomes Among Black Adolescents, Tiera Cleveland

Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination is a common experience for Black adolescents. This study aimed to examine family support and religious support as a moderating variable between discrimination and mental health among Black adolescents. This study utilized data from an existing data set, the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent (NSAL-A). The NSAL-A included 1170 adolescents: 810 African American¹ and 360 Black Caribbean². The sample contained an equal amount of female (n = 608) and male (n = 562) Black adolescents³, who range in age from 13 to 17 years. Significant findings suggest that family support moderates the impact …

Quinone-Mediated Extracellular Electron Transfer In Escherichia Coli During Glucose Oxidation Metabolism, Megan Danielle Whisonant

Theses and Dissertations

The growing global demand for energy, ongoing reliance on fossil fuels, and increasing water pollution from industrial and anthropogenic sources present significant environmental challenges. In response to these issues, renewable and sustainable energy sources offer substantial potential for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring access to clean water. Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) have emerged as promising, eco-friendly solutions for energy-efficient wastewater treatment and bioremediation. A key challenge in MESs development is facilitating effective electron transfer between microorganisms and electrode surfaces. The first chapter of this thesis discusses the fundamentals of MES types, explains mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer, and …

Action Research Integrating Heggerty’S Phonemic Awareness Instruction For Transfer Into Third-Grade Writing, Jennifer Elizabeth Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Writing requires the ability to encode phonemes to separate sounds to spell. Students who are mystified by print often find writing a laborious task. This action research investigated the impact of Heggerty's Bridge the Gap phonological instruction on third grade writing development, specifically focusing on elaboration. Recognizing that strong phonological foundations are crucial for both reading and writing success, this study addressed the gap in phonological instruction found in upper elementary grades. The research questions guided the research: What is the impact of phonological awareness instruction on third-grade students’ elaboration domain in writing? 2.) What are the third-grade students' perceptions …

Impact Of Participation In Extracurricular Activities On Female Students’ Motivation, Noha Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of extracurricular activities (ECAs) on academic motivation among female high school students at a semi-governmental international school in the UAE. It addressed three research questions: (1) the effect of ECA participation on academic motivation, (2) students’ perceptions of how these activities influence their motivation, and (3) teachers’ perspectives on their impact. I conducted this action research in a school of 4,500 K-12 students predominantly local and from high-income backgrounds with an international teaching staff. Participants included grade 11 and 12 female students (ages 16–18) enrolled in one of four clubs (Reading, International, Sports, and Art) …

As Iron Sharpens Iron: Intentional Near-Peer Mentorship In The Collegiate Applied Studio, Morgan Smith Owen

Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate students struggle to adjust to the expectations of university music programs. Mentoring programs are consistently cited as tools to build social capital and academic success, but there are few documented studies of mentoring applied directly to the traditional model of conservatory music instruction. Effective near-peer mentoring can build musicianship skills and develop accountability, establishing stronger practice routines and easing the transition to collegiate music study for younger students. This case study examines three models of mentorship to identify ways to create an intentional mentorship program within the applied studio, regardless of scale or specific form of instruction.

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Child-Centered Play Therapy Facilitated Through A Virtual Playroom On Disruptive Behaviors: A Single-Case Research Design, Keeland Kelley Lodato

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-manuscript dissertation comprises two interconnected articles that collectively explore facilitating Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) through telemental health (TMH) using a virtual playroom. Chapter Three includes a qualitative manuscript using thematic analysis to understand the experiences of eight counseling students who participated in a training where they learned how to create and utilize a virtual playroom, followed by a virtual play session with elementary-aged children. The results from this study provided six emergent themes and subthemes. Chapter Four includes a quantitative manuscript using a single-case research design. More specifically, this study used a reversal design to investigate the impact of …

Reactivity Of Redox-Active Carboranyl Diphosphines And Carboranyl Diphosphoniums: Metal-Free Pathways For Small Molecule Activations And Transformations, Amanda Lynn Humphries

Theses and Dissertations

Transition metal catalysis has been an integral part of synthetic chemistry for its ability to selectively activate strong substrate bonds, promoting numerous crucial transformations. Despite their utility, the precious metals that are often employed in these catalytic reactions suffer from several drawbacks (including high toxicity, low natural abundance, high costs, and low sustainability), increasing the motivation to design suitable metal-free alternatives. Towards this end, several ambiphilic main-group systems have been devised to show metal-like reactivity, such as carbenes, borylenes, and Frustrated Lewis Pairs. This manuscript will describe the ambiphilic reactivity of carborane-based phosphorus compounds, highlighting the unique metallomimetic reactivity that …

What We Don’T Know Can Hurt Them: An Examination Of Culture-Centered Pedagogy In A Diverse Elementary School, Kelly Dale Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study examined a growing cultural divide at an elementary school with a significant teacher diversity gap, best described as a discrepancy between the number of White educators compared to the number of students of color within an educational setting. Surveys were utilized to understand teachers’ cultural competency, and then all participants engaged in a book study intervention focused on culture-centered pedagogy. The study concluded with exit interviews between participants and the researcher to gauge how perceptions of working with diverse student populations progressed throughout the study. Survey responses, book study field notes, and interview transcripts were …

‘If You Design For The Future To Treat Of Witches:' Diabolic Service Magicians, Astrologers, And Witchcraft In John Dunton's Athenian Mercury, 1690-1697, Lauren Rebecca Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

Originating in the print stands of seventeenth-century London, the Athenian Mercury enjoyed a nearly miraculous seven-year run time as the most well-known and successful anonymous question and answer periodical of its time. Conceptualized and produced by bookseller John Dunton, the Mercury existed as an interface for intellectual discourse readily accessible to men and women. Kept entirely anonymous on the part of the author and reader, the intellectually curious could write questions to the Mercury and receive answers in turn on a vast variety of subjects twice a week. Aside from the more expected queries on science, love, mathematics, and religion, …

A Study Of Ci3t Implementation: Middle School Ela Teachers' Perceptions Of Tier 1 Academic Practices On Student Performance, Martha Kathryn Jenkinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to understand teachers’ perceptions of Ci3T tier 1 academic practices following the first year of implementation. Tier 1 instruction, delivered primarily by classroom teachers, is meant to meet the needs of a majority of students. Understanding teachers’ perceptions of program implementation, as well as reviewing student data to seek impacts of Ci3T on student learning, are important considerations when deciding how to improve the system. This study focused on the experiences and perceptions of English Language Arts teachers and Special Education teachers who work in ELA classes.

Data were gathered …

Utilizing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In The Classroom, Lindsey Nicole Finley

Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to address the impact of teaching concepts of culturally responsive pedagogy on teachers’ understanding of their implicit biases. Additionally, it examined the impact that professional development training utilizing culturally responsive teaching (CRT) methods have on teachers working with multilingual learners (MLs). The research questions were: (1) What is the impact of teaching concepts of culturally responsive pedagogy on teachers' understanding of their implicit biases? and (2) What is the impact of intentional, ongoing professional development utilizing CRT methods for teachers working with multilingual learners? This study used a theoretical framework of culture centered pedagogies such as …

Exploring The Sense Of Community And Perceived Professional Learning Of Multigrade Teachers In Cohort-Based Online Community Of Practice Sessions: An Action Research, Paola Franco-Oudri

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to explore the influence of cohort-based, online Community of Practice sessions on the sense of community and perceived professional learning of multigrade teachers in a faith-based, private school system in North America. Approximately 25% of teachers in the Seventh-day Adventist school system are multigrade elementary teachers and teach three or more grade levels in the same classroom. Multigrade teachers often have limited access to traditional professional development (PD) options because of distance, cost, and staffing limitations, but furthermore, traditional PD programs do not address the needs and realities of small, multigrade schools. Additionally, …

A Spatial Examination Of Colonial Anglican Landscapes In The South Carolina Lowcountry, Madeleine Paige Blaze

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project will focus on the early colonial landscape of the South Carolina Lowcountry to analyze the placement of Anglican churches that were built between 1700 and 1730. My research will expand on previous analysis of the Anglican landscape to incorporate additional components that will aid in a better understanding of regional organization. To do so, I will incorporate a landscape archaeology theoretical frame that will allow my research questions to be explored. This project will also include GIS analysis to examine spatial visualizations, navigation paths, and colonial relationships to understand the Church’s early interactions with and on the …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of Interdisciplinary Strategies For Addressing Trauma And Chronic Pain In Group Therapy, Kara Marceil Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain and trauma are distinct yet interconnected public health concerns, each significantly affecting physical, psychological, and social well-being. The comorbidity of these conditions highlights a critical need for integrated treatment approaches. This dissertation explores interdisciplinary strategies that merge group counseling and physical therapy to address trauma symptomology and chronic pain within a group therapy setting. Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, somatic therapy principles, and the gate control theory of pain, this multi-manuscript dissertation employs a mixed methods design to examine counselor experiences, intervention feasibility, and participant outcomes.

Developing Mathematical Thinking And Reasoning For Students With Disabilities Through Professional Learning Communities, Dawn Pilotti

Theses and Dissertations

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are designed to improve learning outcomes for all students through educator collaboration. Guided by systems theory and supported by social cognitive, social practice and change theories, this longitudinal participatory action research study explored the development of an interdepartmental PLC, and its impact on mathematics teachers’ practices and students’ performance. Additionally, this study explored the relationship between participation in the PLC and participants’ collective efficacy. The study was conducted at a school for students with learning disabilities. The PLC included Grade 5 and Grade 6 mathematics teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, a mathematics specialist, reading …

Two Dimensional Van Der Waals Magnet, Cheongheon Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Conventional charge-based memory has reached its limits in improving energy efficiency while scaling down size. Consequently, memory utilizing 2D magnetic materials has emerged as an alternative. 2D Van der Waals (VdW) magnets are ultrathin magnets with unique properties that make them optimal for this purpose. Utilizing the weak interlayer coupling via VdW interaction has enhanced the possibility of integrating diverse materials to create heterostructures. The integration of spintronics requires not only stable magnetization but also an effective switching mechanism. Various external influences have been experimentally tested, such as the proximity effect, external magnetic field, gate voltage, and temperature dependence. This …

Navigating Survival: Trans Adults’ Information Practice In South Carolina, Rhys R. Dreeszen Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

This community-based action research dissertation has two parts. First, through interviews with 25 trans adults in South Carolina, I asked how trans people use information to survive. The findings indicate that while trans people face significant financial, medical, legal, and social barriers, they are generally well-equipped to navigate them. I identified the following themes from the interviews: Identity practices shaped information outcomes. Participants' understanding of themselves as trans impacted how they evaluated and used information. 2) Participants preferred to find information from within trans communities. The internet was a popular place to seek information because it was a way for …

Strategic Pricing In A Disrupted Hospitality Landscape: Asset Valuation, Competitive Behavior, And Consumer Preferences, Badr Badraoui

Theses and Dissertations

The lodging industry is experiencing profound disruption as short-term vacation rentals (STVRs) such as Airbnb increasingly compete with traditional hotels, reshaping competitive structures, consumer expectations, and pricing strategies. While prior research has examined the impact of STVRs on hotel performance metrics, significant gaps remain regarding how pricing resilience, competitive behaviors, and consumer perceptions evolve under these new conditions. In particular, little is known about how ADR-based valuation models withstand competitive pressure, how STVR hosts respond strategically to hotel pricing signals, and how consumers evaluate partitioned pricing structures across accommodation types. This dissertation addresses these gaps through three interconnected studies designed …

What Is Standard? Defining The Orchestral Percussion Excerpt Canon Through Comparison To Annual Symphonic Programming, Julia Kathleen Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to compare requirements for orchestral auditions with season programming for 15 American orchestras to gauge the perception that the most frequently requested percussion excerpts are from works that are rarely, if ever, performed. Examination of required repertoire lists for 35 auditions held by the surveyed orchestras from 2000-2025 shows the relative frequency of each excerpt among eight instrument categories and demonstrates that certain selections are more firmly entrenched in the audition canon than others. This analysis complements a comprehensive review of each orchestra’s Masterworks programming from September 2014-June 2025, wherein the appearance of the larger work …

Investigating The Immunomodulatory Effects Of Cdk8/19 Inhibitor Senexin631 In A Her2-Positive Breast Cancer Model, Stephen O'Rourke

Theses and Dissertations

HER2-positive (HER2⁺) breast cancer is aggressive and often develops resistance to anti-HER2 therapies. CDK8 and CDK19, transcription-associated cyclin-dependent kinases (tCDKs) in the Mediator complex, are dysregulated in HER2⁺ breast cancer, correlate with poor survival, and support transcriptional escape driving therapeutic resistance. Previous studies Previous studies in immune-deficient models demonstrated that CDK8/19 inhibition (CDK8/19i) reduces pro-tumor macrophages (M2Φs), but its role in immune-competent tumors and innate immune–mediated tumor control remains unclear. Since HER2⁺ tumors are often immunogenic and anti-HER2 therapies rely on innate immune activation, reprogramming immunosuppressive M2Φ toward an M1Φ-like phenotype could enhance antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that CDK8/19i modulates …

Positive Self-Talk, Politics, And Poetry: The Impact Of A Culturally Responsive Workshop In A High School Support Lab, Danielle Ann Verwers

Theses and Dissertations

This action research dissertation describes my effort to expand access to the arts for my high school students with IEPs through a culturally responsive poetry workshop. For this qualitative study, I used ongoing content analysis to explore how the experience impacted my students and me, drawing insights from artifacts, field notes, and interview data. Predetermined categories of student identity, writing, and poetry yielded themes like positive self-talk, family, voice, and reimagining to illuminate the students’ experiences. As I analyzed my own experience, two categories of pressure and political impact emerged, characterized by freedom, growth, struggle, burnout, and hope. In addition …

The Other Side Of Trusting: The Implications Of Vulnerability As A Core Component Of Organizational Relationships, Sam Dylan Strizver

Theses and Dissertations

Trusting behavior—discretionary risk-taking with another party—is the primary means of facilitating productive workplace relationships (Zand, 1979; Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995). Yet, little empirical evidence exists to explain what happens after employees engage in trusting behavior, but before outcomes materialize—otherwise termed the “vulnerability phase” (Ballinger, Schoorman, & Sharma, 2024: 2). To address this neglect, I develop a theoretical framework that positions vulnerability as a core psychological state within the trust process, shaped by trustors’ cognitive appraisals of risk severity and uncertainty. Drawing from research on stress and well-being, the framework also identifies coping as a key response to vulnerability, moderated …

Beyond Entertainment: Unveiling Digital Platform Strategic Implications For International Business Growth Of Individual Entrepreneurs, Hoik Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how digital identity, comprising visual, psychological, and strategic components, impacts entrepreneurial success on global digital platforms. Rather than treating identity as a static or aesthetic trait, this study conceptualizes it as a dynamic and strategic construct shaped by audience perception, algorithmic systems, and institutional environments. The research is structured into three empirical studies. The first explores how facial visibility and social media engagement affect monetization on YouTube, considering the international context. The second study empirically investigates how a biometric cue influences entrepreneurial performance on digital platforms and interprets the results through the lens of social psychological perspectives. …

The Influence Of Sex Education On Sexual Behaviors From Adolescence To Young Adulthood In South Carolina, Megan Elizabeth Austin

Theses and Dissertations

Sex education in South Carolina (SC) is known to be limited, which may influence adolescent sexual behaviors, leading to a higher likelihood of lower ages of sexual initiation, more sexual partners, and more experiences of sexual violence. These behaviors are associated with many negative health outcomes.

A political content analysis of bills, laws, and educational standards provides insight to changes in political discourse around sex education from when the Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) was passed in 1988 until 2024. A variable created through this analysis is used along with SC Youth Risk Behavior Survey data to assess changes in …

The Impact Of A Case-Based Learning (Cbl) Intervention In A Medical Spanish Course, Deonna Lavette Reliford

Theses and Dissertations

I implemented a different instructional approach for my medical Spanish course in Spring 2025. This case-based learning intervention utilized two main learning theories of socio-constructivism and situated learning theory in translation and interpreting studies (SLTIS) grounded in the learning design framework of case-based learning (CBL) to answer three research questions. Cases in both Spanish and English were provided for study participants to analyze and discuss. This research study used an embedded mixed-methods action research design (Efron & Ravid, 2020), with qualitative data embedded as the secondary source of data within a study that prioritized the primary quantitative data collected from …

Effect Of Growth Conditions On The Performance Of Vertically Conducting Beta-Ga2o3 Diodes On 4h-Sic Substrate By Mocvd, Nifat Jahan Nipa

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis highlights the critical influence of doping strategies, specifically co-delta doping with silicon (Si) and indium (In), on improving the structural quality and device performance of β-Ga₂O₃-based Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs). To achieve better thermal management, β-Ga₂O₃ thin film was grown on bulk 4H-SiC substrates using the Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) technique, renowned for its precise control over composition, thickness and doping profile. The ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG), high critical breakdown field and low turn-on resistance of β-Ga₂O₃ make it a strong candidate for next-generation power electronics and short-wavelength detection in extreme environments. However, the presence of structural defects …

Artificial Intelligence In Sport Management: A Systematic Review, Scale Development And Validation, And Implications, Kemardo Tyrell

Theses and Dissertations

The democratization of intelligent systems and their ubiquitous presence across the sport industry have created an urgent need to understand the current environment and how stakeholders perceive artificial intelligence (AI) as it reshapes decision-making, engagement, and organizational design. This three-manuscript dissertation conceptualizes artificial intelligence as a contested domain shaped by stakeholder meaning-making, consumer perception, and shifts in organizational practice. The first manuscript provides a systematic review of AI in sport management using the PRISMA framework, mapping how AI has been conceptualized as a methodological tool or contextual innovation across the sport industry segmentation (performance, production, and promotion). The second manuscript …