Digital Commons Network^™

Parental Involvement In Early Childhood Literacy: International Programs & Egyptian Experiences, Lojain Tamer Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated the importance of the early years in children’s literacy skills development and shown how children who acquire some literacy skills before school entry are at more advantage in later conventional literacy acquisition than their peers who haven’t. Moreover, several studies have examined the role parents have in their children’s early literacy development and found the parental involvement factor to be of great significance. In response to such findings and to problems such as scarcity of data about early childhood education and parental involvement in children’s early literacy development in the MENA region and Egypt in particular, this …

Imitation And Originality In Four Poems By Al-Hạ̄JjʿUmar Ibn AbīBakr Ibn ʿUthmāN Krachi (Ca 1856–1934), Jibril Abubakr Gabid

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to look at the concepts of imitation and originality in the works of al-Ḥājj ʿUmar ibn Abī Bakr ibn ʿUthmān Krachi (ca 1856–1934) through the analysis of his four poems. These poems are based on the three main genres of Arabic poetry: panegyric (madīḥ), satire (hijāʾ), and eulogy (rithāʾ). My analysis of these poems is limited to structure, theme and content in order to explore the various ways in which our author imitates the classical mode of poetic composition and at the same time provides his readers with a picture of a different cultural …

An Exploratory Study Of Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices Regarding The Class Opening By Teachers Of Arabic To Speakers Of Other Languages (Tasol), Ghada Abdalla Ibrahim Abdelrehim

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the beliefs of teachers of Arabic to speakers of other languages (TASOL) about class openings and the interplay between such beliefs and teacher’s in-class practices regarding class opening as the first introductory part of a lesson. A questionnaire of three parts was given to two groups of TASOL: the first group comprised 63 randomly selected teachers, to provide their beliefs in general about class opening. Observations and interviews were administered to the second group of teachers (30 observations and 10 interviews were conducted) to highlight the mentioned interplay. The investigated beliefs were inspired by similar studies and …

Effectiveness Of Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy In Predicting Order Of Difficulty Of Relative Clauses For Afl Learners, Mohamed Amin

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the difficulty order of relative clause structures in Arabic second language acquisition by checking the applicability of NPAH to predict such order using data taken from the Arabic Learner Corpus (ALC). In order to examine the hypothesis, quantitative methodology is used to determine the hierarchies of frequency and accuracy of RC structures used in non-native learners’ written and spoken production, and to determine whether L1 transfer affects acquisition order or not. Results reveal that the hierarchy of frequency is different from the hierarchy of accuracy, and both are different from the order suggested in NPAH. Findings support …

Teachers' Perceptions On Formulaic Language, Shaimaa Nabil Abdel Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

Formulaic sequences (FS) are being increasingly recognized in second language learning as a key language component that has a direct impact on language proficiency. A key aspect of FS are how it can be effectively integrated within language teaching and what practices could be used to present FS and introduce it to students. Recently, researchers have reported a growing interest in using FS in teaching language in classrooms. A mixed method of data analysis was adopted in this study where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using three instruments “questionnaire, observations and interviews”. 75 Arabic teachers participated in the …

Transformational Leadership Style And Its Role In Promoting Innovation: A Case Study Of Three Public Hospitals In Egypt, Ragaa El Fiky

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the transformational leadership style and its role in promoting employees' innovation. The study uses a mixed method approach; quantitative and qualitative analysis. To confirm the outcomes of the collected and analyzed data, a qualitative research was conducted via in-depth and descriptive analysis of the proposed correlation. Survey and interview were conducted in three public hospitals located in Cairo, Mansoura and Damietta, Egypt. Findings of quantitative and qualitative analysis strongly supported the main question of the study that transformational leadership style has a relationship and a role in promoting employees' level of innovation which was suggested in the …

Heritage Language Learners In L2 Arabic Classes: Challenges And Instructional Strategies, Almutazbellah Alabd

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the teaching challenges and instructional practices that teachers of Arabic as a second/foreign language (ASL/AFL) use in their university-level Arabic mixed classes. Data collection procedures included an online questionnaire, class observations and teachers’ interviews. 58 respondents were surveyed, 3 teachers were interviewed, and 4 mixed classes were observed. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that the presence of Heritage Language Learners’ (HLLs) in an ASL/AFL classroom poses challenges for ASL/AFL Arabic teachers and entails developing certain types of instructional practices to overcome such challenges. They also revealed that strategies like including …

Lacking A Self(Ie): "Apps" Of Desire In Virtual Cairo, Fernando Revelo La Rotta

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores through an unconventional assemblage of methods and theories the role of selfies in the contemporary process of subjectivation. Relying on an ethnographic methodology, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and queer theory, this project explore three virtual spaces where selfies live (Instagram, Tinder, and Grindr) and how selfies circulate through the circuits of desire facilitated by the technological interface. The goal of this project is to remind us that there is no essential self and to question such an assumption in any project. Therefore, this project is not invested in discovering the truth about ourselves, the other, or a specific imagined …

Analysis Of The D1s80 Vntr Locus Polymorphism In The Nubian Population, Soha Rabie Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

D1S80 (1p35-p36), variable Number of tandem repeat (VNTR,) is a minisatellite molecular genetic marker. It is known by its high polymorphism that makes it a powerful marker in the forensic applications, paternity testing, and evolutionary studies. Hypervariable D1S80 locus has been applied to study the genetic structure of the Nubian population in Southern Egypt. PCR has been applied for repeats amplification and analyzed on 2% agarose gel. 75 genotypes and 36 alleles with their frequencies were detected for 105 unrelated individuals. Allele 27 has the highest frequency 0.119% followed by allele 26 with frequency 0.09%. Heterozygosity was calculated as 0.69%. …

The Effect Of Collaborative Writing On Individual Writing Performance, Sara Mostafa Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the effectiveness of using collaborative writing (CW) on an individual’s writing performance. It involved a total of 61 participants who were adult ESL learners enrolled in a general English course at a language center in Cairo. All learners were assessed to be at a border-line A2/ B1 level on the CEFR scale , based on a placement exam conducted by the institute. The sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. For both groups a pre-test and a post-test were administered to track individuals’ progress. During the treatment stage, participants in …

Refusal Strategies In L1 And L2 Among Undergraduate Egyptian Students, Alaa Kamel Darwish

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the refusal strategies realized by young adult Egyptian students in their L1 (Egyptian Arabic) and L2 (English). The study also explored the socio-pragmatic features of Egyptian refusals in terms of power and distance as well as the pragmatic transfer in the students’ L2 refusals. 2270 cases of refusal were collected by means of a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) and field notes. The sample consisted of 200 DCTs (collected from 100 students in L1 and L2) and 60 instances of refusals extracted from field notes collected by the researcher. The data were analyzed according to an adaptation …

Are We Intensifying The Stigma? A Content Analysis Of Movies Portraying Mental And Psychological Illnesses In The Egyptian Cinema, Caroline Mitry

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the content of selected Egyptian movies that portrayed mental and psychological illness throughout the history of the Egyptian cinema between 1923 and 2015. A list that includes 42 movies depicting characters with mental or psychological illnesses was compiled, out of which 13 movies were selected for analysis. Selection criteria included: representation of the mental or psychological illness/disorder as the main character or issue around which the plot revolves, popularity of the leading actor or actress, and most importantly the significance of the movie in relation to the research questions of the study. Through content analysis of the …

An Analysis Of The Pragmatic Functions Of Idiomatic Expressions In The Egyptian Novel €˜Taxi’, Hala Mohamed Elshamy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to investigate the idiomatic expressions and their pragmatic functions in the conversations of the novel Taxi in the light of Speech Act Theory. The study adopts a qualitative linguistic analysis method of research. After analyzing the 58 episodes of the novel ’Taxi’, the study reveals 80 idiomatic expressions fulfilling 13 pragmatic functions: describing with six subcategories, complaining, stating, concluding, and swearing, thanking, condoling, sympathizing, deploring and excusing, agreeing and opposing and advising. These pragmatic functions have been classified based on four of Searle’s speech acts: (1) representatives, (2) expressives, (3) commissives and (4) directives. …

The Use Of Egyptian Spoken Arabic In Modern Egyptian Novels, Esraa Essa

Theses and Dissertations

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the language of novels and written literature and is thus defined as a “High” variety. Nevertheless, young Egyptian authors of the new generation prefer to use a mix between Egyptian colloquial Arabic (ECA) and MSA as a medium for creating a new spirit in novels. In fact, the sharp lines between (MSA) and colloquial Egyptian (ECA) in the Modern Egyptian Novels have begun to blur (Badawi, 1973; 2012). Badawi (1973) proposed a five-level continuum in which each level gradually merges into the next. Arabic in Egypt encompasses five levels of language: (fusha al-turath and Qur’an) …

Resurrecting Eden: Inaugural British Narration And Policy Of Iraq, Timothy Kennett

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Britain's use of technology in developing Mesopotamia. British imaginations of Mesopotamia as Eden or El Dorado, reified by a multiplicity of travel literature,archaeological digs, and geographic societies, formed the first half of a violent dialectic that granted divine right and responsibility to the British. Instead, colonialists claimed that Mesopotamia's inhabitants squandered its primordial potential through neglect and mismanagement. These justifications fueled British attempts to develop Mesopotamia, irrigation engineers designing floodgates for the Tigris and Euphrates while agriculturalists created new strains of wheat that would flourish in its climate. But technology was more than development. It formed the …

Ethnography On The Return Of Professional Egyptian Female Migrants From The Gulf Cooperation Council, Nerida Mackey

Theses and Dissertations

International labor migration is one of Egypt’s economic development strategies, averaging an estimated twenty-two billion dollars in remittances in recent years, according to Egypt Daily News (Al-Aees, 2015). Although the participation of Egyptians in international migration for the purpose of work has mainly been dominated by men, there is a substantial handful of Egyptian women who independently participate in these migration flows. The Feminization of migration is still an unexplored and relatively new phenomenon in Egypt. Much of the discourse on Egyptian international labor migration has focused on men. Research on the effects of the women left behind by migrant …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Multiple Exposures To New Vocabulary Words Have On Students With Language Processing Disorders, Erin E. Higgins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research aimed to investigate how fifth-grade students diagnosed with processing disorders best-learned new vocabulary and the role motivation played in success. The district, school, and students were given pseudonyms in order to maintain anonymity. Over the course of three, one-week instructional periods, four students participated in six different oral and written vocabulary activities. They completed an assessment immediately following four days of instruction and again at the end of the study to measure growth in their ability to identify and use the word using a four-point scale. Based on the results of the assessments, they showed …

Emergent Literacy Intervention In First Grade Struggling Readers, Colleen Erin Mcgettigan

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the documented positive impact of small group intervention on student success, this research investigates the impact of participation in teacher research on emergent literacy intervention grounded in student data. This research focused on exploring how dedicated, meaningful, targeted instruction based on assessment can foster reading readiness and increase reading potential for two low achieving 1st grade students. The research design consisted of student and teacher interviews, diagnostic testing, and teacher journaling. The research inquiry was: 1) What are the effects of intensive small group instruction in phonemic awareness, coupled with deep conversations about culturally responsive literature for struggling …

Will It Change Their Reflection? A Culturally Responsive Reaction To Literacy Failures, Idalis J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This teacher research study was conducted in a second grade classroom. The teacher set out to find out: What happens when students who are faced with repeated literacy failures receive culturally responsive instruction in place of basic skills instruction? Children that struggle with reading often receive basic skills support as a form of intervention; yet still struggle in reading and other areas of literacy. Students often develop a negative identify of themselves as a reader and this leads to diminish and sometimes a lack of self-efficacy. The students in this study are at risk for falling below grade level in …

Nothing Behind The Sun, Sebastian Fierro Castro

Theses and Dissertations

painting as a containment exercise, and as such, a tool that allows us to interiorize the world

Investigating The Social And Cognitive Factors Influencing Risky Sexual Behaviors In Emerging Adults, Anthony W. Surace

Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation tested a regression model predicting sexual risk behavior among emerging adults using social and cognitive factors. Participants were 301 sexually active young adults living in New York City. Social and cognitive factors predicted sexual behavior individually, but did not interact with one another in the regression model.

Trauma And Human Objecthood, Leslie Kelman

Theses and Dissertations

I am processing recent traumatic personal content in multiple media. This investigation dovetails with the work I was conducting previously, that of contemplating humans as objects continuous with their environment. This represents a reduced position in the biological hierarchy for humans, or a rejection of the hierarchy itself.

Double Blind, Megan E. Pahmier

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the context surrounding my sculptural practice. In it, I explore sculpture’s inherent engagement with bodies in space as fertile ground for addressing contemporary experiences of embodiment related to our engagement with various materialities. I ask: How do we attend to or conceive of the spaces we inhabit? What is our understanding of connectivity today? How do objects “speak” in ways images cannot?

What Can The Lit Lab Do For You? A Qualitative Analysis Of High School Literacy Lab Participants, Bridget P. Jaensch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to document the changes in student progress, motivation, and achievement. The specific aim is to see what happens when students replace a traditional study hall with small group guided instruction in a literacy lab. Motivation profiles, goal setting, and reflection are all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how they viewed themselves as learners and in their academic endeavor to achieve goals. The implications for teaching in a literacy lab environment are discussed.

Memory Performance In Children With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Neocortical Vs. Dual Pathologies, Brandon M. Korman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated memory in children with temporal lobe epilepsy and the ability to discern hippocampal dysfunction with conventional memory tests that are typically used to detect more global memory impairment. All data was obtained retrospectively from the epilepsy surgery program at a local children’s hospital. The research population consisted of 54 children with intractable epilepsy of temporal onset, balanced across pathology types (with and without hippocampal disease) and other demographics. Each was given a clinical battery prior to surgical intervention, which included the WRAML/WRAML2 Verbal Learning subtest from which the dependent variables for this study were extracted. The research …

Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Nova Multilingual Neuropsychological Battery (Nmnb), Annelly Bure-Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the underlying factor structure of the Nova Multilingual Neuropsychological Battery (NMNB) and evaluated the influence of demographic variables such as language fluency and acculturation on test performance. The NMNB is a comprehensive test designed to measure cognitive abilities in Spanish/English bilinguals. The instrument was developed taking into consideration cultural variables believed to influence neuropsychological test performance and it includes a Spanish and an English version. It is comprised of tasks measuring abilities such as short and long term memory, executive functioning, motor skills, visuo-spatial abilities, arithmetic, and vocabulary. The study included 155 participants (71 English monolinguals and …

If She Isn’T Working Miracles, What Is She Doing On The Battlefield?, Alex Matzke

Theses and Dissertations

The images included in my thesis work reflect my experience growing up with military propaganda—pictures of cheerful white women in pearls as part of my rural middle American landscape. I do not name the oppressor because I am not here to pick at the thorns, but to get to the root of the oppression. These are some of the servicewomen I’ve met. Their stories parallel but cannot encompass the private experiences of all service women. I am grateful for their generosity; without them there would be no pictures.

The battle for equality is much older than Rosie the Riveter but …

Fragmented Places, Saulat Ajmal

Theses and Dissertations

My work is about an inner struggle, which stems from the shifting nature of my own identity being constantly displaced and re-imagined. My paintings and performances are propositions for a utopic world. They offer a place for identity to rest and are defined through ritualistic movements, which are inescapably mine. While I work in several mediums including paintings, performance, installation and sculpture, this thesis paper is an exploration of the work I have produced specifically over the last six months

Instructors’ Perspectives Of Giving Audio And Video Feedback: Can You Hear Me Now?, Jane Marie Sims

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated university instructors’ perspectives, values and processes of giving assignment feedback to students using written, audio and video formats and examined samples of feedback in these formats for differences in amount of content, language complexity and tone of feedback. The instructors represented different campus disciplines and a variety of campus, online and hybrid environments, and their classes included undergraduate and graduate students and ranged from small to large class sizes. This qualitative study applied Media Naturalness Theory to a phenomenological and discourse analysis of instructor interviews and feedback samples. The interview data revealed intentionality in selecting different feedback …

A Morphological Approach To Identify Respiratory Phases Of Seismocardiogram, Nasim Taghizadeh Alamdari

Theses and Dissertations

Respiration affects the cardiovascular system significantly and the morphology of signals relevant to the heart changes with respiration. Such changes have been used to extract respiration signal from electrocardiogram (ECG). It is also shown that accelerometers placed on the body can be used to extract respiration signals. It has been demonstrated that the signal morphology for seismocardiogram, the lower frequency band of chest accelerations, is different between inhale and exhale. For instance, systolic time intervals (STI), which provide a quantitative estimation of left ventricular performance, vary between inhale and exhale phases. In other words, heart beats happening in exhale phase …