Digital Commons Network^™

The Matrimonial Culture In Cairo's Upper Middle Class: Capital, Collective And Consumption, Mariam Al-Mokadem

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on discourses and practices relating to the journey to matrimony in Cairo's upper middle class. In other words, I will focus on how members of this social class communicate and perform their beliefs about matrimony. It is a journey to matrimony in Cairo's upper-middle class, with reference to the temporalities a bride undergoes in order to actualize the new ordinary of marriage through suitor selection, matrimonial practices, and consumption patterns. I will investigate the basis on which a bride selects her suitor and the extent to which a bride and groom involve their parents (and in-group members) …

Examining The Impact Of School Culture On The Perception Of Education For The School Surrounding Community. A Case Study Of Leadership Practices In A Rural Non- Profit School In Giza, Egypt, Noha Nagy Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impact of school culture, produced by a servant leader, on the perceptions of the parents in the rural community. The research setting is a nonprofit school in a rural community that was established for a group of marginalized people. The study examined the relationships between the leadership style and the school culture in the observed setting. It further investigated the impact of the school culture on the perceptions of the community members concerning education. The participants of this work were educational leaders, teachers, and parents in a district near Giza, Egypt. The study adopts the servant …

"It Goes Both Ways" : How White Teachers View And Respond To Culture In The Diverse Classroom, Danielle Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how white teachers in a diverse school district view, respond to, and bridge cultural differences in the classroom. A pre-question, survey, audio recorded discussions, notes in a teacher research journal, and a post question were all analyzed to determine how four white, female teachers incorporated culture into the classroom as well as their receptiveness to culturally sustaining pedagogy. Findings were that these four teachers had a rudimentary understanding of culturally sustaining pedagogy prior to the study and while they made attempts to include culture in the classroom, these attempts were limited and …

The ‘ Dialogic’ Of Pedagogical Design: Elementary Teachers Who Consistently Integrate Digital Technologies, Aaron R. Gierhart

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the pervasiveness of digital technologies in society and educational settings, gaps in digital participation for elementary learners and means-end views of the benefits and effectiveness of digital innovations for teaching and learning persist. The focus on digital technologies at the elementary level must shift to critical pedagogy in order to promote effective teaching and learning and equitable student participation in an increasingly digital society. A teacher’s pedagogy continually evolves across their entire life journey and is never fully mastered; therefore, in order to better understand the development of pedagogical design with digital technologies by elementary teachers, it was vital …

Direct Instruction In Blending And Segmenting Phonemes, Stephanie D. Minosse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how third grade special education students' reading abilities were affected after receiving direct instruction in phoneme segmentation and blending. During the study students spent an average of two weeks practicing segmenting phonemes and another two weeks blending phonemes utilizing various activities. The last weeks of the study focused on applying the skills into actual reading situations. The study showed benefits in various areas including the utilization of manipulatives in relation to phonemes. Students were also positively impacted directly after receiving the direction instruction and practice activities, as there was an increase in …

Watch Me Make Her Dance: Stepping Out Of The Round Of Abuse, Sheila Speer

Theses and Dissertations

Memoir writers are usually survivors of some sort of ordeal, and they may have struggled to overcome race, class, or economic issues just to mention a few issues that may have prompted a memoir. The struggle they faced in the past and the success they have garnered keep them hovering above their pasts. In other words, memoir writers do not want to fully return to their pasts even though they are writing about the past. Instead, memoir writers want to show how far they have come from the past by writing in their grown-up, or educated, voices. The aim in …

Imagining Wildernesses: Susan Howe’S Poetic Corrective, Samantha R. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

This work explores language poet Susan Howe’s conceptualization of the natural world in her 1989 poem, Thorow. Conceptualization of a distinct and pure wilderness, inherited from Puritan settlers, is traced through Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and located in Howe’s experience at Lake George in 1987. This thesis describes Howe’s efforts to decolonize and open up closed historical narratives. Howe’s careful deconstruction of normative linguistic structures exposes the restrictive nature of standard syntax and canonical narratives.

Social Constraints As A Mediator Of The Relations Of Discrimination To Anger Expression In A Community Sample, Sahira Hamid

Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently demonstrated that anger is the dominant emotional response following experiences of racial discrimination. Studying anger itself may not be sufficient because anger can be expressed in a variety of ways, therefore it is necessary to examine different forms of anger expression. I hypothesized that social constraint would mediate the relations between discrimination and anger expression. Social constraint in the context of discrimination refers to an individual’s perception that communication about episodes of discrimination will be invalidated or minimized by others (either the same race or other race individuals). Social constraint, in turn, may influence the expression of …

The Novel-Manifesto: Modernist Kunstlerromane And The Discourse Of Modernist Aesthetic Theory, Edward Stephen Marks

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes the modernist kunstlerroman as a site for aesthetic theorizing. Like the aesthetic manifestos that proliferated between 1890 and 1939, the kunstlerromane of this period advance a set of aesthetic criteria and values. The modernist kunstlerroman’s formal qualities—it’s an art object about art—as well as the period in which it is written—the aesthetically revolutionary modernist period—provide the foundation for reading modernist kunstlerromane as manifesto-like novels. Through close reading, three kunstlerromane of the period are explored as examples of the novel-manifesto: The Tragic Muse (1890), by Henry James; Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), by James …

Moving Up The Pipeline: Factors Associated With Interest In School Psychology Programs, Amrita Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing number of minority students in U.S. public schools, only a small percentage of school psychology graduate students, trainers and practicing school psychologists identify themselves as racial minorities. Analyses were conducted on 512 responses to a national survey that investigated demographic and other qualitative factors that are associated with interest in school psychology master’s and doctoral programs. Additionally, analyses were also conducted to examine demographic differences that exist between undergraduate students interested in PsyD versus PhD school psychology programs. The study aimed to investigate whether there was: (a) a significant relationship between doctoral interest and higher household incomes, …

Reaching In & Speaking Out: Performance And The Construction Of Identity In The Poetry Of Una Marson And Louise Bennett, Tejan Green Waszak

Theses and Dissertations

Reaching in & Speaking Out examines gender, race, and class in the poetry of Una Marson (1905-1965) and Louise Bennett (1919-2006). This dissertation takes a multidisciplinary approach to these two Jamaican women’s groundbreaking poetry, prioritizing the emotional stakes and historical traditions connected to their words through the varied performances within their poetry. This means keeping in mind each poet’s individual influences and vulnerabilities, based on their background, education, and social standing, and identifying how those aspects merge with their social climate and become visible through each poet’s work.

Bennett’s and Marson’s poetic style, delivery, and public personas differ greatly: while …

Colonial Trauma And Testimony In Mary Shelley’S Frankenstein And Jamaica Kincaid’S Autobiography Of My Mother, Leana Rene

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine Freud’s Beyond the Pleasure Principle to examine the colonial trauma and loss found in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Jamaica Kincaid’s Autobiography of My Mother, not just on a character level, but in a much larger colonial context. Some scholars have suggested that Shelley’s monster is a symbol of a colonized other (due to his appearance and certain features he has). Kincaid’s Xuela is for sure a colonized other because of the heritage of her mother. This thesis explores their abandonment by their creators as the abandonment of colonized nations from their colonizers. Even now, formerly colonized …

Perceptions Of Reading Academic Intervention Services And The Effectiveness Of A District-Wide Remedial Reading Program, Micheala Lauren Finlay

Theses and Dissertations

Remedial reading academic intervention services are provided to students who are reading below grade level. Student reading ability and progress is an essential component of the learning and success for each and every student. Academic intervention service programs for struggling students are state mandated in school grades where state standardized testing is present and encouraged in earlier grades to promote the progression of the development of reading. This study explores how a school district identifies student reading progress through a remedial reading program and how progress is monitored. Participants in this study include classroom teachers, reading teachers, and school building …

School Leaders’ Response To The Increasing Population Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Learners, Nia Hulse

Theses and Dissertations

While schools become more representative of a growing minority population, school leaders are responsible for making school policies reflective of the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the practices employed by school leaders in growing CLD schools to determine to what extent they employed culturally responsive school leadership practices. The methodology for this study was a multiple case study design. Through this qualitative approach, data triangulation was achieved by conducting interviews, a questionnaire, and collecting artifacts. In addition, purposeful sampling was used to obtain a school leader from an …

Perceptions Of Implementation Of Civic Education Curriculum In A Suburban School District, Sheena Jacob

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and develop an understanding of teachers and coordinator perceptions of a civic education and to analyze how the program was implemented in a suburban school district. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of one school district’s civic education program. and was informed by interviews, observations and documents. The researcher interviewed a K-12 social studies coordinator and two teachers. The researcher also observed four civic education classes within the school district. Finally, the researcher analyzed documents that comprised the syllabus for the 12th grade Civic courses, student work from 12th …

The Influence Of Teacher Expectations On The Academic Achievement Of 11th Grade Hispanic Female Students, Erica Denice Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects that teacher expectations have on the academic achievement of Hispanic female students in the eleventh grade. The goal was to shed light on the importance of teacher expectations for these students. Teacher expectations have been, and continue to be, a critical issue in education when addressing student achievement or lack thereof. Many educators feel that expectations give students a blueprint to success. Expectations allow students to formulate an idea of where they should be academically, while working on a pathway to get there. This study provides research that identifies the …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Proverbs In Nigeria: Does Digital Matter?, Christopher Omamuromu Amojo

Theses and Dissertations

A distinctive element of any culture is its language and one of the fundamental components of that language that contains the customs of that culture is proverbs. Proverbs are short sayings that are packed with wisdom that conveys the beliefs of a people. If any culture is to survive, its language invariably linked with its proverbs will have to endure eternally, it has to be transmitted from one generation to the next. This work studies the intergenerational transmission of proverbs in Nigeria asking if digital technology matters in that transmission line taking into cognizance its advancement. The research question, how …

Neuropsychological Domains: Comparability In Construct Equivalence Across Test Batteries, Meghan Ashley Terzulli

Theses and Dissertations

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2016) reported an increase in the number of non-native English-speaking students in U.S. public schools as well as a frequent coexistent correlation with low-SES and poverty, but not for all racial or ethnic minority groups. Because it is well known that SES and language difference play an important role in academic achievement, it is imperative that school psychologists attend to these variables when considering the validity of obtained test scores and their support for subsequent diagnostic conclusions, especially when current rates of ELLs in special education suggest that evaluations are not necessarily providing …

Clinical And Neuropsychological Differences In Low And High Worst-Point Suicide Ideators, Nahal Destiny Heydari

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a major public health concern that is complicated by the multidimensional nature of suicidal behaviors. Uncovering markers of vulnerability to acting on suicidal thoughts can aid in creating prevention interventions. Previous studies have found that serious and significant suicidal ideation in the past may be a predictor of later risk for suicide attempt. This paper examined worst-point suicide ideation (lifetime) in depressed patients who have never made an attempt. Depressed patients were divided on the basis of worst-point ideation to determine if these groups differed on a variety of clinical measures and neurocognitive tasks known to be associated …

The Efficacy Of Co-Taught And Dual-Certified Taught English Language Arts Instructional Models On English Language Learner Achievement, Stephanie L. Weeks

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research regarding the influence co-teaching and dual-certified instructional models have on English Language Learner (ELL) achievement in a high school setting. National and state data demonstrate these students continue to lag behind in meeting English Language Arts (ELA) learning standards with proficiency and in meeting graduation requirements leading to a rise in ELL drop-out rates. Through a convergent mixed methods case study, data was examined to identify the impacts these instructional models have on ELL academic achievement and teacher perspectives regarding each. Quantitative data and analysis were gathered via the June 2018 and June 2019 New York …

Comparison Of Language Performance Using Exposure And Non-Exposure Norms In English Learners Identified With Speech Language Impairment, Anna Tello

Theses and Dissertations

English Learners (ELs) in the U.S. have historically been misidentified as having a Speech Language Impairment (SLI). School psychologists and speech language pathologists must determine whether ELs present with language differences that are due to normal patterns of language acquisition or language impairment. Not only is the process complicated by the presence of two or more languages rather than just one, it often involves the use of standardized tests that do not control adequately for the differences in developmental language proficiency. Based on the results of this study, it was found that using tests that are developed with language exposure …

A Case Study Of Co-Teacher Relationships For English Language Learners In A Suburban Elementary School, Jaime Bottcher

Theses and Dissertations

English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States are faced with many academic challenges including those of language acquisition, lack of background knowledge, fear of participation and unknown academic language. These challenges mixed with the ever-growing demands of the educational system, resulted in State and local educational agencies to make a distinct shift away from segregated instructional services for ELLs, by either requiring or recommending integrated co-teaching as an optimal way to educate them. Although a large number of teachers and administrators are unfamiliar with collaborative practices for ELLs, school districts have nonetheless implemented integrated co-teaching models to comply with …

Language Acquisition In Bilingual Education And Full Immersion In English As A New Language Programs: An Explorative Case Study Of Three Elementary Schools, Rhonda Gracey Antoine

Theses and Dissertations

With a growing English Language Learners (ELL) population in New York State (NYS), schools need to investigate best practices to serve this population. Based on a NYS Regulation, CR 154-2, districts with 20 or more ELL students who speak the same language at any given grade level should provide bilingual education (BE) all day, while districts with fewer than 20 students who speak the same home language at any given grade level may take English as a New Language (ENL) classes all day. Bilingual classes, where instruction is provided in a mix of English and the students’ home language, typically …

Psychometric Analyses Of A Comprehensive Neuropsychological Battery For Retired Nfl Players, Kimberly Ethridge Fitzgibbon

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined psychometric properties of the NFL Concussion Battery used to examine neuropsychological functioning in retired NFL players who were part of the NFL’s concussion settlement. This battery assesses multiple areas of cognitive functioning; executive functioning, language, processing speed, attention and memory. The study included 117 participants who were male with at least 16 years of education. The sample was 75.9% African-American and average age was 47. All participants completed the entire battery and passed the majority of effort measures. Those that did not pass the majority of effort measures or complete the entire battery were excluded.

T-test analyses …

Classy, Bougie, Ratchet: Analyzing Hip-Hop Artists’ Megan Thee Stallion’S #Hotgirl Phrase As A Performative Identity, Dasharah Green

Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, female hip-hop artists’ used their platforms to break through the glass ceiling of hip-hop misogynoir by reclaiming what it means to be unapologetic.The artists’ unapologetic lyrics, which explores the power in owning their sex appeal has shifted how listeners regard female hip-hop artists. With strategic marketing, these artists’ have used their social media platforms as a tool to reclaim what it means to be sexy while dominating in hip-hop. Megan Thee Stallion’s catchphrase and the accessibility she provides to her fans via social media stands out most. With over ten million Instagram followers her use of hashtags, uploading …

One Nation Invisible: U.S. Veterans Of Color And The Authoring Of Cultural Citizenship Through Asymmetrical Authorship, Sheeba W. Varkey

Theses and Dissertations

The national story of America is one of a country that has managed the contradictory: many bodies coming together, “out of many, one.” However, such a mythos naturally evades the problematic erasure of many cultural and minority bodies and stories, in the proposition that unity demands such an erasure. As an extension of American civil society, the U.S. military has operated as a part of this system of whiteness, while its military operations have been celebrated as victory for progress and democratic ideals, particularly in WWII. Bodies of color, recruited into the national agenda through military service, while historically denied …

Designing A Translingual Global Literature Course: Valuing Student Repertoires & Personal Experience, Carolyn J. Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

moving them forward together in translingual global literature courses through valuing the repertoires and personal experiences students bring into the classroom. The semester-long mixed method study reported includes both survey respondents (N=134) and interview participants (N=7) and foregrounds student voices to argue that a translingual orientation is an optimal response to the needs of the global literature classroom. In the first chapter I review global/world literature theory discussing the purpose and content of global/world literature courses in higher education. In a chapter overviewing translingual theory, I present the main tenets of the theory including negotiation, fluidity and valuing difference and …

Eliberative Democracy In The Writing Classroom And Beyond Author(S): Michael Reich, Michael Reich

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I explore the consequences of adopting a deliberative pedagogy, based on the study of one or two sample courses taught in 2018 at St. John’s University. The project as a whole argues that the university should be an idea place for students to develop a sense of personal and political agency, and First Year Writing courses organized around deliberation allow students to learn to listen and reason with each other as individuals and as citizens. My first chapter defends the methodology of a humanistic idea of deliberation (a pedagogy not based in classroom drills or Standard English) …

Lothar-Günther Buchheim’S Das Boot: Memory And The Nazi Past, Dean Jon Guarnaschelli

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between German author Lothar-Günther Buchheim (1918-2007), his bestselling 1973 novel Das Boot (The Boat), and the Federal Republic of Germany’s endeavor to come to terms with the spiritual damage left behind by National Socialism as well as with the responsibility of Germans for that past, known as the Vergangenheitsbewältigung. Buchheim was a reporter for the German Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic who benefitted from distinct privileges, yet he was never in a position of power during the conflict. He fulfilled his duties for the propaganda division with accolades, but thirty years later Buchheim …

Kindergarten Literacy Screening: Cultivating A Mulitfactorial Preventive Approach To Literacy Instruction, Susan C. Schatz

Theses and Dissertations

Universal screeners are mandated in many states, but the impact of the use of screeners and pragmatic instructional programs are not well connected. The purpose of this mixed methods study addressed a significant need for understanding how to connect screening instruments to instructional designs that support a preventative approach to literacy instruction. Additionally, this study aimed to uncover teachers’ perceptions about the affordances and challenges of screeners to create a multitiered system of supports for reading instruction in an inclusive kindergarten setting. Encompassing a pragmatic research paradigm this study was framed by cognitive behavioral theory revealing a multiple cognitive deficit …