Digital Commons Network^™

Ethnic Differences In Delusional Content In Schizophrenia: A Comparative Analysis Of Delusional Symptoms In Individuals Of White European Descent And Latino Descent, Jessica A. Valluzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Although the phenomenon of psychosis in schizophrenia has been extensively studied, limited attention has been paid to the relationship of ethnicity/culture and the form and quality of psychotic symptoms. It is widely assumed that culture significantly influences the phenomenology of mental illness. Psychotic experiences, such as delusions and hallucinations, are likely no exception. There is a relatively small body of literature on cross-cultural differences in delusional symptoms that has yielded mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the literature by examining potential differences in delusional symptoms among 2 cultural groups of schizophrenia patients: individuals of Latino …

Designing An Instructional Intervention Using Karaoke To Develop Key Reading Skills, Travis James Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design, pilot, and evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher-led intervention using karaoke to improve the reading skills. Elements from previous research (Biggs, Homan, Dedrick, Rasinksi & Minick, 2008; Gupta, 2006) were adapted and integrated with the structure of Writer's Workshop (Calkins, 1991; Graves, 1983) to create an intervention referred to as Karaoke Workshop. The researcher, who also participated in the role of the after-school intervention teacher, adapted existing instructional and design methods and the efficacy of the adaptation of these methods in this context was part of the pilot nature of this study. …

Emerging Perceptions And Perspectives Of Filipino American Middle School Students, Ronald S. Buenaventura

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore (a) issues perceived by Filipino American middle school students in the Los Angeles area of Southern California as having an adverse impact on their educational experience and cultural identity; (b) ways in which students have personally mediated these issues; and (c) student perspectives related to the types of programs and activities believed to have the most positive impact on the educational experience and cultural identity development of Filipino American middle school students. The middle school experience within the Los Angeles area of Southern California has provided Filipino American students with a standard-based …

Views Of Student Engagement Among Students And Faculty In Online Courses, Amy Elizabeth Berger

Theses and Dissertations

As part of an effort to learn more about the technologies currently available to students, three executives in the online division of a private, not-for-profit four-year university requested a survey of students and faculty to learn more about the technologies to which they currently have access. Additionally, each of three executives wanted to better understand student and faculty views of student engagement in the division's online courses. To that end, research-based questions about student engagement levels were added to a survey about access to technology. This mixed-method non-experimental study collected data from students and faculty about which definition of student …

Dual Language Learners In Head Start: Examining Teaching Strategies That Promote English Language Development, Dawn Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

There were dual purposes of this exploratory, case study. The first purpose was to investigate and describe the teaching strategies of six Head Start teachers within one program in Oregon whose dual language learners had shown gains of at least three levels in receptive and expressive English language development, as determined by their assessment ratings in Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System. The second purpose was to identify what, if any, professional development strategies and resources have been beneficial to those teachers in promoting English language development for children who are dual language learners. This qualitative study utilized three data collection …

Recognition And Response: Early Literacy In An Inclusion-Based Preschool Program, Irene Gonzalez-Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to investigate and describe Recognition & Response (R & R) practices, a model of early literacy Response to Intervention, utilized by multidisciplinary staff teams in a purposively selected, inclusion-based preschool program in Southern California. Investigated R & R practices included: (a) recognition of student needs through assessment, (b) collaborative problem-solving as a process to plan and evaluate next steps for students, and (c) response through a multi-tiered instructional approach. The researcher utilized a qualitative case study design. The single district preschool program selected is comprised of ten inclusion-based classrooms located on two elementary …

Father Involvement In An Elementary School: A Case Study, Elena Levine-Melendez

Theses and Dissertations

This year-long research investigated fathers' involvement in 1 public elementary school in southern California that served an ethnic diverse and lower socioeconomic population. This case applied Epstein's 6 typologies to analyze the perceptions of 112 fathers and 132 mothers utilizing a 35-item validated questionnaire, followed by long interviews of fathers, school administrators, and teachers in addition to researcher's field notes. Compared to prior studies, findings revealed that fathers and mothers reported that fathers' involvement in parenting and home learning was high. Responding to "all the time" and "sometimes," 91% of the fathers indicated they attended extracurricular activities; 87% participated in …

Emotional Intelligence And Racial Identity's Impact On Academic Achievement In American Multiracial High School Students, Mary Ann Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

Minorities reached 50.4% of the American population, representing a majority for the first time, and those self-reporting as multiracial grew by a larger percentage than those reporting a single race (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Millennials born after 1980 are the most racially diverse generation (Pew Research Center, 2014). This study investigated how racial identity and emotional intelligence might impact academic achievement among U.S. Millennial multiracial adolescents of African descent. Research suggests a student's racial identification has a significant impact on academic performance (Herman, 2009) and minority youth struggle academically (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2014). The theoretical framework included the construct …

A Quantitative Study Measuring The Relationship Between Student Mindset, Parent Mindset, And Anxiety, Matthew R. Northrop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the relationship between a parent's mindset, his/her student's mindset, and the student's level of anxiety as high school seniors during the college application process. 4 private, independent, college preparatory high schools throughout southern California were included in the study. The parent survey measured the parent's mindset through the Intelligence Domain of the Implicit Theories Questionnaire (ITQ) and measured the parent's emotional stability through the Ten Item Personality Survey (TIPI). The student survey measured the student's mindset through the Intelligence Domain of the ITQ, the student's level of anxiety through the State-Trait …

Characteristics Of Transformative Listening Enacted By Organization Development Practitioners, Marco Cassone

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the listening behaviors of organization development (OD) practitioners that result in client transformation. Interviews conducted with eleven OD consultants with extensive experience in executive coaching pointed to engaged, focused attention as a core characteristic of their listening. OD practitioners regularly use three primary listening approaches (active, empathetic, and expansive listening) to drive insight and help clients transform their perspectives. Practitioners subsequently use two secondary listening approaches (critical and reductive listening) to anchor insight into action and help clients transform their behavior. Transformative listening describes the repeating process of inquiry that blends primary and secondary listening approaches and …

An Exploratory Study Of The Lived Experience Of Japanese Undergraduate Efl Students In The Flipped Classroom, Jeffrey Gerald Mehring

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, Japanese higher education has decided to transition from a traditional teacher-centered to a more student-centered, communicative classroom. One promising possibility that could help in the transition is the flipped classroom technique. Examining the lived experiences of Japanese university English as a foreign language (EFL) students who have taken part in a course taught using the flipped classroom technique will help in determining possible benefits of the flipped classroom in EFL higher education in Japan. This study will use a qualitative approach with a case study design to focus on the lived experiences of Japanese EFL university students at Iwate …

An Analysis Of Erickson's Concept Of School Legitimacy In Relationship To School Success And Failure, Michael Griggs

Theses and Dissertations

School legitimacy is the approval of principal and teacher authority that derives from the school community's trust (Erickson, 1987). When clients--the various stakeholders, including parents and students--recognize their school as legitimate, they trust that those in authority will help their economic future, protect their personal identities, and look out for their best interest. The concept of school legitimacy is applied to four case studies that involve poor and minority students to examine its role in a school's success or failure. The dissertation seeks to examine the process for constructing school legitimacy through reviewing literature, case studies, and surveys. Surveys are …

An Analysis Of Interpreter-Mediated Healthcare Interactions, Robin Dawson Estrada

Theses and Dissertations

The content and quality of communication between nurse practitioners and patients in primary care encounters contributes to diagnostic decision making, the provision of culturally appropriate interventions, and ultimately may impact health outcomes. In caring for patients with limited English proficiency, the addition of language discordance increases the complexity of the interaction and communication processes and the potential for disparate health outcomes. Most prior research on interpreter-mediated healthcare interactions has focused on accuracy, cost, satisfaction, and role enactment, but there is a lack of systematic research examining the actual interaction processes within the context of primary care clinic visits.

The aim …

Understanding Destination Choice From A Cultural Distance Perspective, Hongbo Liu

Theses and Dissertations

National cultural distance is an important factor of tourists' destination choice, yet the specific role it plays in destination decision process is not well understood. This paper attempts to fill this gap. Taking potential Chinese outbound tourists as a case, this study tries to explore the impact of perceived cultural distance on tourists' international destination choice through a conditional logit model. Familiarity, geographical distance, past international travel experience and novelty-seeking tendency were examined as moderators of the relationship between perceived cultural distance and destination choice. Results show that tourist are more likely to choose culturally similar countries as destinations; geographical …

The Culture And History Surrounding “Szomorú Nόták” Of Béla Bartόk’S Twenty Hungarian Folksongs And Its Influence On Bartók’S Settings, Mary Katherine Rawls

Theses and Dissertations

This document is an exploration of the Hungarian culture and history as it pertains to "Somorú nótak" of Bartók's Twenty Hungarian Folksongs. The information presented will provide insight into the Magyar, Hungarian, outlook as well as relevant themes. As a performer, it is important to make these connections and apply them to the musical setting so that a genuine portrayal of the texts and their emotions is possible. Hungarian history, the folksong as it pertains to the Hungarians, and the process by which these songs were composed are discussed in order to establish their importance and background of the content. …

Teaching To Learn: Tapping The Rich Language Resources Of Three African American Preschool Boys, Virginia Akright Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The initial purpose of the study was to better understand the effect of book genre (fiction or informational) and text choice on the spontaneous language production of African American, preschool boys from low SES households. Its methodological approach was action research that consisted of teacher/child book sharing with three participants during one-on-one, 30 minute sessions over a period of 14 weeks. Discussion during these sessions centered on the participants' book choice and were audio recorded. The transcripts of these recordings became case studies that were analyzed for behavioral patterns of both participants and teacher. Discovery of such patterns revealed changes …

Non-Native Speaker Attentional Capacity And The Processing Of English Phrasal Verb Constructions, Aubrey Dillard

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of syntactic and semantic complexity on attention and processing in second language acquisition (SLA) has long been of interest to both practitioners and researchers of SLA. Theoretical models of attention in SLA (Schmidt 1990, Tomlin and Villa 1994, Robinson 1995) have spurred a great deal of empirical research in the field, and VanPatten's (1994, 2004, 2007) work on the effect of attention to form and meaning on comprehension of input has been very influential in the field. From a language processing viewpoint, Clahsen and Felser (2006, 2009) have hypothesized that the different ways in which native and nonnative …

A Comparative Content Analysis Of Alcoholism Treatment Programs With A Focus On A Native Treatment Alternative, Mike J. Eshkibok

Theses and Dissertations

A historical account of Native American Indian culture is set forth to provide the antecedent events for understanding problems with and solutions to alcoholism among Native American Indians. Two 12-step alcohol treatment programs are explained, compared, and contrasted: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and a Native 12-Step Program.

Qualitative analysis was used to collect information from 13 Native American Indian counselors in alcohol treatment programs and data was analyzed by coding transcripts of taped interviews, then grouping data into categories, determining themes from the categories, and drawing conclusions.

Three conclusions emerged from the qualitative data analyzed from Native American Indian alcohol treatment …

Actualizing The Seventh Generation Prophecy In Teacher Education: A Case Study Of Preparing Teachers At A Tribal College, Lisa Jo Azure

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to conduct a descriptive analysis of a teacher education professional educator licensure program for American Indian pre-service teachers at a tribal college. The professional educator was generally defined as one who completed a state-approved teacher education program and met state licensure requirements, including standardized testing requirements. The case study describes the context of a tribal college teacher education program and the dimensions of the program. Included are an analysis of documents, processes, and, most important, perspectives from the program graduates of the dimensions that contributed to their successful completion of the program, and …

Minnesota Paraeducators' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Becoming Licensed Special Education Teachers, Joni Burris

Theses and Dissertations

Public schools across the country are facing a critical shortage of licensed special education teachers. For many reasons, paraeducators have been considered strong teacher candidates and have been recruited into the teaching profession intermittently for decades. Paraeducators who decide to obtain their teaching license often experience obstacles to this endeavor: money, time, family obligations, navigating the university system, and academics.

This research study examined and analyzed Minnesota paraeducators' perceptions of the barriers to obtaining their special education teaching license. It also assessed the perceptional differences between Minnesota paraeducators who have completed at least a bachelor's degree and those who have …

The Effect Of Self-Explanation And Strategy Training On L2 Reading Comprehension Using An Intelligent Tutoring System, Hongxia Fu

Theses and Dissertations

While research suggests that secondary language (L2) learners at postsecondary institutions face academic reading challenges, and that reading strategy training can improve primary language (L1) learners' reading comprehension, it remains a challenge to find scalable ways to deliver such training to L2 learners. Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) have been shown to be nearly as effective as human tutors while reaching potentially unlimited numbers of learners in a variety of subjects, including reading comprehension. However, few studies have explored the effectiveness of such systems for improving L2 learners' reading comprehension. Self-Explanation Reading Training (SERT) is an instructional model that combines self-explanation …

Differentiated Instruction For Responsive Teaching In Elementary Education Student Teachers' Classrooms, Laurie Dillon Guy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what differentiated instruction looked like in three student teachers' classrooms. I sought to understand the challenges and successes these student teachers experienced with differentiation, the conditions they were able to control or not control, and how the relationship with the cooperating teacher impacted their capacities to practice differentiation as a method for responsive teaching. Methods included observation, interviews, and collecting student teaching artifacts. Data analyses were completed through Atlas ti, a computer program that supports qualitative research synthesis.

The theoretical framework underpinning this study was Tharp and Gallimore's neo-Vygotskian learning …

Pleas For Partition In Train To Pakistan, Md. Abu Jafor

Theses and Dissertations

Pleas for Partition in Train to Pakistan

Most readers and critics of fictional works about the Partition of British India (that is the division of British India into India and Pakistan upon independence from the British in 1947) agree that writers tend to paint religious differences as the root cause of the communal conflict that eventually led to Partition. This tendency to blame Partition on religion is also found in critics who study Khushwant Singh's novel Train to Pakistan. In contrast, this thesis will demonstrate that instead of blaming communal diversity (in other words "difference of religion") as the root …

Impact Of Cultural Identity On Mmpi-2 Profiles In Northern Plains American Indians, Colleen Kagan

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian populations experience high rates of psychological distress with 44.5% percent of Northern Plains American Indians reporting experiencing some depressive, anxiety, or substance use disorder over their lifetime. The MMPI-2 is a commonly used psychodiagnostic tool that has become widely used in the mental health treatment of different racial and ethnic groups. Research on the MMPI-2 with minority populations, and American Indian populations in particular, fails to account for the impact of level of acculturation. This study examined the impact of cultural identity on MMPI-2 profiles in Northern Plains American Indians and comparison Caucasian samples. Participants were administered a …

Dreaming Of Masculinity: The Middle English "Pearl" And The Masculine Space Of New Jerusalem, Kirby Lund

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the gendering of spaces, particularly the city of New Jerusalem in the fourteenth-century Middle English dream vision Pearl. Earlier scholars have gendered this space as feminine based on the appearance of the city landscape. Instead, I examine the city in terms of both form and function to argue that New Jerusalem is a masculine space. In doing so, I hope to recognize the patriarchal control in the poem to demonstrate the masculine construction of the space, not to reinscribe patriarchy as a construct. This analysis combines the spatial theories of Henri Lefebvre and Doreen Massey with performative …

The Instruction Of Mindfulness: Developing Standards And Objectives For Mindfulness Training In Graduate Programs, Crystal Rofkahr

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness is an effective therapeutic tool for multiple disorders and

conditions. A set of standards, methods, assessments, and teacher characteristics had

not been formulated to effectively teach future mental health providers mindfulness.

This study utilized a Delphi Method to meet this need in the field. This methodology

was used to assemble a panel of experts to provide data on the best practices in teaching

mindfulness. The experts participated in three rounds of data collection. They provided

information pertaining to their ideal and real teaching standards, methods, and

assessments. They, then, narrowed down the concepts in each domain until consensus

was …

Native American Cultural Participation And Post-Traumatic Stress Symptom Reduction, Royleen J. Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Native Americans experience a disproportionately high incidence of many medical and mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of physical and sexual abuse. Thus, it is critical to conduct valid therapeutic assessments if we are to accurately diagnose and treat the effects of abuse. However,

current therapeutic tools were developed and normed on the White majority population and may not be as valid for Native Americans.

The purpose of this study was to determine if cultural participation reduced post-traumatic stress symptom reduction in Northern Plains American Indian adults. This study used the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, …

Educational Experiences Of Rural Minnesota High-Ability Mathematics Learners, Jodi Lynn Sandmeyer

Theses and Dissertations

Meeting the educational needs of rural Minnesota high school high-ability learners in mathematics can be challenging for educators. This qualitative study involved interviewing high school graduates who scored between 30 and 36 on the mathematics subtest of the ACT and high school mathematics teachers who observed high-ability mathematics students. The graduates were from four different one-section or two-section schools from three counties in rural Minnesota. The purpose of this study was to use phenomenological qualitative research methods to identify educational experiences of high-ability mathematics learners from rural one-section and two-section high schools. There were two research questions guiding this study. …

Project Shine: A Family-Based Intervention For Improving Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Diet In African American Adolescents, Sara M. St. George

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a family-based intervention for improving moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in African American adolescents. The intervention (Project SHINE: Supporting Health Interactively through Nutrition and Exercise) integrated Social Cognitive (SCT), Self Determination (SDT), and Family Systems Theories (FST) to improve healthy physical activity and dietary behaviors. Behavioral strategies from SCT (i.e., self-monitoring, goal-setting, self-regulatory skill-building), elements involved in facilitating intrinsic motivation for health behavior change from SDT (i.e., autonomy, competence, belongingness), and positive parenting practices from FST for integrating parent and peer systems (e.g., parental monitoring, parent-adolescent …

Expanding Understanding Of Public Policy As A Complex And Pluri-Disciplinary System: Illustrating Possibilities Of Epistemic Pluralism, Cynthia Cors

Theses and Dissertations

Science, and especially the social sciences, has developed as distinct territories, each with its own vocabulary and language-game (Wittgenstein, 1945/1958). Yet understanding and explaining science as a complex and pluri-disciplinary system has important practitioner-oriented as well as research-oriented and other benefits, benefits that can be enhanced through the use of cloud-based technologies. Understanding and explaining public policy in particular as complex can inform and transform the way problems are approached. This is particularly important for an action subject like public policy and administration that can be considered as having been influenced by many disciplines. Public administration (PA) through multiple perspectives, …