Digital Commons Network^™

Mitigating Student Anxiety In The Secondary Classroom: A Culturally Sustaining Approach, Erin Hawley Cronin

Theses and Dissertations

This study emerged in response to broader trends of increasing anxiety among schoolchildren and my own observations as a teacher. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for youth (Curtin et al., 2022), and anxiety is a known factor in most deaths by suicide (Nepon et al., 2010). Teachers are often the first point of contact for anxious students, but a shortage of counselors in U.S. schools and other systemic barriers prevent widespread access to counseling services (Cratty, 2019). Moreover, identity-based anxieties are often misattributed to aggression or attention-seeking, and punished in school settings, instead of recognized and supported …

Non-Zero Sum Sport: Pickleball And The Theory Of Coopetition, Max Arthur Manthou

Theses and Dissertations

An ethnography of the sport of pickleball was conducted over a span of 7 months in the United States. Findings are partly the result of the author’s journey from playing in the park to playing in the Pros—presented in autoethnographic terms—and partly the result of 11 semi-structured interviews with 13 avid pickleball players. The main contention of this study is that sport is non-zero sum, despite a tendency for sport to be considered in zero sum terms. The non-zero sum aspect of sport is argued to be the result of two main causes: one, sport is coopetive, in that it …

Marital Stability In Newlywed Remarried Couple Relationships: Positive Communication And Marital Interactions In Shared Moments Or Activities, Colette Hickman-Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Remarriages are more structurally diverse, last less time, are more vulnerable, and at greater risk for divorce than first marriages. The newlywed stage of marriage is a critical time when relationship patterns are established or reinforced that can impact a relationship for years to come, yet very few studies have examined remarried relationships in the newlywed stage. This study examined the association between marital interaction, positive communication, and marital instability in 348 newlywed remarried couple participants from a nationally representative sample. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and actor-partner interdependence model with mediation (APIMeM), the findings indicated that positive communication was …

Mental Health Literacy In Polynesian Native Hawaiians And Other Pacific Islanders: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Kealoha Sarah Reiko Snow

Theses and Dissertations

Background: High prevalence of mental health problems and underutilization of mental health treatment are more severe among the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) population and remain misunderstood and understudied. Examining mental health literacy (MHL)–the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management, or prevention–has been shown to identify barriers to seeking and receiving care. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the level of MHL in Polynesian NHPIs and identify associated demographic variables. Methods: Data for this pilot cross-sectional study were collected from 298 US Polynesians via an online questionnaire of the Mental Health Literacy Scale …

Mother’S Coping While Caring For A Child With Cancer And Its Relationship With Mother-Child Relationship, Alaa Nasr

Theses and Dissertations

Having a child with cancer is one of the most stressful situations families can experience. This study sheds light on mothers’ stress and coping with pediatric cancer in the Arab world, with a specific focus on Kuwait. The first aim of this study was to examine mothers’ stress and how it related to the quality of mother-child relationship, and subsequently the child’s behavioral problems. The second aim was to explore mothers’ main stressors, resources and services that help or could help with alleviating the stress experienced from having a child with cancer. A total of 102 mothers living in Kuwait …

The Pioneering Efforts Of Ellen Larsen: The First Female Sports Information Director At Brigham Young University, Kiana Schlenker

Theses and Dissertations

Title IX began the change of integrating women's sports into universities, but it was up to each university's athletic administration, external media sources, and public relations practitioners to determine how female athletes and sports were supported and publicized. In 1976, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah hired Ellen Larsen as its first female sports information director responsible for women's sports. Through her 19 years as a sports information director at BYU, Larsen was an advocate for her athletes and helped pave the way for future female athletic administration roles. While there is plenty of literature on male sports information directors, …

Know Better, Do Better?: Parental Financial Socialization's Indirect Association With Couple Financial Communication Through Financial Self-Efficacy, Rachel M. Okamoto

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults find themselves in a time of great transition, especially related to finances and relationships. This study used a sample of 1,950 U.S. emerging adults currently in romantic relationships to investigate the role that parent financial socialization plays in the financial communication for emerging adult couples. This study also investigated if financial self-efficacy, in part, explained this association. Parent financial socialization was found to be positively associated with couple financial communication. In addition, financial self-efficacy was found to partially mediate this relationship. Individuals whose parents taught them effectively regarding finances had higher levels of self-efficacy regarding finances and had …

Transition Planning And The School To Prison Pipeline: A Phenomenological Study Investigating The Lived Experiences Of Alternatively Placed High School Black Males With High Incidence Disabilities, Brandon Garrett Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better inform researchers and practitioners on best practices to ensure that their transition planning practices are person-centered and culturally responsive. Using a phenomenological approach, purposeful sampling was used to conduct semi-structured interviews regarding the shared educational lived experiences of two alternatively placed Black high school males with high incidence disabilities with respect to their transition planning. Participants perceived their transition planning to be student-centered, and expected favorable employment outcomes. Additionally, the participants’ choice to be alternatively placed played a role in their perception of transition outcomes. School personnel also played a pivotal …

Cameroonian Immigrant Youths: Perceptions Of Influences On Educational Attainment And Outcomes In American Schools, Marlise De Paul Ngassam

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study uses the lens of expectation theory to highlight the educational achievements of Cameroonian youths in American educational institutions as it also examines their individual educational experiences and the many challenges (social, cultural, and academic) that each encountered in his or her journey toward significant educational outcomes. Findings from this study challenge the misconception that students coming into the United States other than from Asia and Europe are academically inferior to their counterparts born in the U.S. Six francophone Cameroonian-born young adults between the ages of 19-30 residing in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area participated in this study. …

The Major Choice Experience And Motivation Of Women Who Are Nontraditional Students In Male Dominated Majors, Erin Flowers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the major choice experience and motivation of nontraditional female students in male dominated majors. A transcendental phenomenological method was used to answer the central research question: how do women who are nontraditional students enrolled in male dominated majors at two-and four-year institutions of higher education perceive and describe their experience and motivation when choosing their major? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who are nontraditional students in male dominated majors and, after analysis of that data, six themes emerged. One key finding of this study is the major choice experience for women …

Exploring New Jersey’S Middle And High School Health Educators’ Decision-Making On Sti Content And Instruction: A Qualitative Collective Case Study, Brianne Siderio

Theses and Dissertations

STIs in youth in New Jersey is a growing concern. According to New Jersey’ Public Health Data Resource (2020), the total number of STIs in youth from age 15-24 totals 19,698. The current STIs-related sex education programs vary widely in New Jersey in terms of scope, the accuracy of content, emphasis, and effectiveness (Thrive New Jersey Coalition, 2019). Therefore, students may have quite different levels of awareness on the prevention of STIs. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore the Θ (theta) (Stake, 1995) of the “why” and “how” of health educators’ decisions in designing STI …

Attitudes And Compassion Of Student Counselors-In-Training Toward Individuals Who Are Homeless, Kristine R. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

With the increased numbers of homeless individuals over the past several years, it is important to consider factors that contribute to chronic homelessness, including barriers to service delivery that impede one’s ability to exit homelessness. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the attitudes and compassion among student counselors-in-training (SCITs) toward individuals experiencing homelessness as these students represent future mental health providers who will be serving the homeless, a highly marginalized population. A total of 162 graduate students from two southwestern Hispanic-serving institutions were recruited for the study. A correlational analysis, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVAs were conducted …

Disaster Risk Perception, Climate Change Awareness, And Disaster Preparedness Among University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley Students, Anandita Roy

Theses and Dissertations

University students are usually young and have low-income resources, live in dormitories or low-rent housing near the university, and have little to no disaster experience. Therefore, they are vulnerable to disasters due to a lack of resources for preparation. To better understand the vulnerability of students to disasters, the study aims to assess the perceptions of disaster risk, climate change awareness, and the level of disaster preparedness of students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). In this study, we collected data from 320 students who participated in an online survey. The study’s findings provide an understanding of …

Organizational Culture During The Era Of A Black Swan: A Phenomenological Examination Of New Hire Sales Training Within A Medical Diagnostic Company, Maelyn Zweben Lessard

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional sales training in a medical diagnostic organization takes place in multiple locations over the period of many months. New hires attend classes with a set group of other new hire employees establishing a cohort. It is the responsibility of the sales training department and the new hire’s direct supervisor to incorporate training into the organizations culture. This is done by bringing the new hire into the corporate office and, through the months of training, exposing the new hire to leadership, support functions, manufacturing, and multiple departments that will support their job moving forward. COVID-19 created a rapid market increase …

Viejo Period Architecture In The Casas Grandes Region Of Northern Mexico, Samuel J. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The Casas Grandes region of northern Mexico is an understudied, though important, part of the culture area that has come to be known as the Northwest/Southwest (NW/SW). What studies have been conducted in the Casas Grandes region have focused on the Medio Period (approximately 1200-1450 AD) and the large site of Paquimé. Only a small amount of research has been conducted on the preceding Viejo Period (approximately 700-1200 AD). In this thesis, I create a clearing house of published Viejo Period architectural features excavated in the Casas Grandes region. I also analyze those features to develop our understanding of the …

The Impact Of Independence: A Look At First-Generation College Student Writers' Help-Seeking Behaviors, Emily Durney

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative research study, I share first-generation college students' help-seeking experiences with writing tasks and use an affective lens to investigate how first-generation students feel when navigating various help-seeking situations. Often, students' experiences and emotions highlight their commitments to independence. In this study, I found that students' feelings of insecurity and confidence both encouraged and discouraged help seeking with writing, that students expressed determination as a central affect when describing their commitment to independence, and that loneliness is a significant affect in regards to writing help seeking and independence. These findings provide writing center faculty and tutors and first-year …

Prevalence And Predictors Of Intern-Related Burnout In Dietetics Preceptors, Holly Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

Dietetics preceptors are at risk for abandoning the role of preceptor because of potential burnout. Quantifying the prevalence of burnout and identifying the predictors of burnout can help key stakeholders identify and implement strategies that prevent or mitigate burnout in dietetics preceptors. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of intern-related burnout in dietetics preceptors and to identify the predictors of this burnout. This study used a cross-sectional study design. A survey instrument that included burnout and precepting measures, and items about the respondents’ personal and work characteristics was distributed to a random sample of 10,000 dietetics …

Ciento Ochenta Grados: South Carolina Promotores De Salud And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Richard Lyle Strater

Theses and Dissertations

This research engages with promotores de salud in South Carolina to examine sustainability challenges in their work to support Hispanic and Latino communities through advocacy-as-care approaches. This thesis contributes to scholarly literature on CHWs in the United States at a time when the profession is working to legitimize itself through professional advocacy, which includes the organization of state CHW associations, regional CHW networks, and the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW). Their work to support communities is, at times, made more difficult because of their positioning within formalized neoliberal systems of care, while also being marginalized by their lack …

Assessing The Gaps And Potential Solutions To Improve Access To Genetic Testing For Autistic Individuals, Nisha Dhiren Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase. Numerous genetic syndromes increase the risk of ASD. Professional organizations have published guidelines on the genetic testing recommended for Autistic individuals. However, healthcare providers do not unanimously offer genetic testing or refer for a genetics evaluation. Notably, parents of Autistic individuals express interest in learning about genetic testing as an option for their children.

This study aimed to identify gaps to improve access to genetic evaluations for Autistic individuals and their families. A survey was sent to healthcare providers across the United States that currently see Autistic individuals. We expected …

A Mixed Method Study Of How Teachers’ Racial Bias Relates To Student-Teacher Relationships, Tasha Marie Childs

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the important role public schools serve in students’ lives, schools are at the center of racial, socio-economic, and political divide and the epicenter of traumatic events for students who are marginalized based on their racial or ethnic identity. While ample research has demonstrated educational inequities for these students, no study to date has examined the impact of teacher racial bias on the quality of student-teacher relationships within the context of the United States (US) pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade (PK-12) schools. A cross-sectional convergent mixed methods study was conducted to examine interpersonal racism in the classroom, and to specifically answer …

“Oh My God, Everyone Was Staring At Us”: The Experiences Of Transracial Fostering From The Perspective Of White Foster Parents Raising Black Youth, Christian Holmes Gorchow

Theses and Dissertations

Racial-ethnic identity is an essential component of a Black child’s development. Little is known about how transracial foster parents support Black foster children’s racial-ethnic identity development. The purpose of this dissertation was to address this gap by: (1) exploring transracial foster parents’ racial socialization practices as it relates to the care of Black foster children, (2) understanding transracial foster parents’ experiences with addressing racism and racial bias directed towards Black foster children, and (3) exploring transracial foster parents’ knowledge as it relates to the cultural needs of Black foster children. Using a thematic analytic approach, a sample of 8 White …

The Widened Hearthstone Urban Playgrounds As The Infrastructure Of Public Mothering, 1900-1930, Alexandra Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the limitations on their formal political involvement, women across the United States took control of the Progressive Era playground movement, and playground advocates nationwide argued that urban play spaces constructed motherhood into the city. While many mothers used playgrounds for child care, playground directors used the maternal authority constructed into playgrounds to promote their ideas about ideal citizenship. One playground director, Mabel E. Macomber, called this aspect of playground work the “'mother' element,” believing, as did other workers and advocates, that playgrounds were part of the apparatus of urban mothering, and in the case of many poor working women, …

Examining The Relationship Between Multicultural Training And Cultural Humility Development In Cacrep-Accredited Counselor Education Programs, Sabrina Monique Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

To account for and adjust to the diversifying communities in the United States, CACREP, the ACA, and AMCD are making strides to increase counselor competence. Their efforts have involved incorporating standards that govern counselor training and practice to ensure counselors’ development of multicultural competence. In recent literature, researchers have proposed cultural humility development to further enhance the development of counselor cultural awareness and sensitivity, however there are minimal studies exploring the relationship between current multicultural training practices and the development of cultural humility characteristics of counselor trainees’ in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs. The current study has two primary aims: (1) …

The Effects Of Hip-Hop And Rap Music Intervention To Improve The Wellbeing Of Black And African American Men, Lanita Michelle Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

Wellbeing affects an individual’s functioning regarding personal, interpersonal, social, and overall wellbeing (Tennant et al., 2007). This study investigated the wellbeing of mental health among African American college-aged men by reading hip-hop and rap lyrics (Gonzalez & Hayes, 2009). The study explored the effects of reading hip-hop and rap lyrics on Black and African American college-aged men's wellbeing. Through peer review articles, this study investigated the effects of reading hip-hop and rap lyrics on the wellbeing of Black and African American college-aged men. The researcher identified the lack of research on wellbeing and marginalized communities, specifically Black and African American …

A Holistic View Of Integrated Care Within Counselor Education: A Multi-Manuscript Dissertation, Alexander Mcclain Fields

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of behavioral health into primary care settings, otherwise known as integrated care (IC), is a movement growing in momentum and continues to challenge traditional healthcare occurring in silos. Through an IC modality, healthcare consumers receive all their care through a “one stop shop” approach and previous outcomes have suggested an overall benefit for an individual’s holistic health, as well as savings for healthcare settings. Counselors are in a prime position to join IC teams and contribute to consumer healthcare outcomes through a unique professional identity. The aim of this dissertation study, which consisted of three completed manuscripts, was …

Racial Equity Analysis: Access To Permanent Housing And The Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool (Vi-Spdat), Mary Ann Priester

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to replicate and extend national research within the local context of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care by using propensity score methods to examine the relationships between race, program outcome, and housing prioritization among subpopulations of individuals experiencing homelessness.

Methods: This study used secondary data analysis and propensity score methods to examine deidentified client-level Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data collected from January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2021 by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care (CoC).

Results: Findings indicate that Whites are more likely to exit homeless services programs to temporary or institutional destinations vs. permanent housing …

What Factors Motivated Female And Minority Students To Pursue A Career In Healthcare, Ken Smith

Theses and Dissertations

KEN SMITH125 Pages This research study was conducted to determine what motivational factors influenced females and minority students to pursue a career in healthcare. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, this quantitative study suggests that there are three distinct motivational factors influencing minority students to pursue a healthcare as their future profession. This study surveyed current undergraduate students at four-year public institutions. These students completed an online survey known as the Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ), which is comprised of a series of questions based on the ten domains of values theory. Each individual portrait or item provides a description of …

On Income Inequality And Poverty In Egypt: Is Prosperity Immoral?, Mohamed Karim Lotfy Abdelkhalek

Theses and Dissertations

There are varying perspectives on, and divergent solutions to, the phenomena of income inequality and poverty. There seems to be polarizing views on both of these sensitive topics. One side of the argument believes income inequality should in itself be mitigated through redistribution measures, while the other argues that this should not be the focus of policy makers, as it deters them from facing the more pressing issue facing society – which is absolute poverty. The relationship between income inequality, poverty, and citizen well-being in Egypt is one that warrants further research, and this paper aims to fill this lacuna. …

The Rise Of Irregular Domestic Work Amongst Female Migrants In Italy, Elena Romeo

Theses and Dissertations

In today’s globalized world, hardship and geopolitical and economic crises have led to the lack of decent work, and this resulted in new, migratory movements. Women have joined these migration flows in growing numbers, which has important consequences for gender equality in both countries of origin and destination (ILO,2015). Hence, migration has a new character, and it includes many women who emigrate from their country because of a lack of access and choices to jobs, exploitation, and lower wages compared to men in Europe. In this context, one can affirm that today irregular migration is on the rise, especially in …

Alternative Child Care Governance: The Kafala Family-Based Care Arrangement In Egypt, Heba El Azzazy

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, Egypt has witnessed several changes in relation to its alternative care system for orphans and children without parental care. Starting 2014, the Egypt government along with Civil Society actors started to adopt the UN General Assembly guidelines on Alternative Care; which call on States to take solid actions to develop their respective deinstitutionalization strategy that aims towards the progressive elimination of institutional cares and prompting family-based care approaches for children deprived of parental care. According to the current situation, kafala is the main alternative family- based care option practiced in Egypt. Generally, there is very limited …