Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Professional Identity Of Examplar Novice High School Counselors, Kimberly A. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study investigated how exemplar novice high school counselors described the development of their professional identities. Through interviewing high school counselors who have been practicing between 1 to 5 years, experiences and themes emerged to understand the process of how exemplar novice high school counselors developed a professional identity. Through the themes, researchers will analyze whether novice high school counselors benefited from certain courses as trainees, current job experiences and professional involvement in developing their professional identities.

Chinese International Students In A Northwest University: Investigating Cultural Academic Learning And Teaching Preferences, Michael L. Bevis

Theses and Dissertations

As Chinese international students on American university campuses continue to rise, the importance of these institutions to accommodate the students in adapting to a different academic culture has become more critical. On a public, coeducational research university located in the Pacific Northwest, a concurrent triangulated mixed method research design was implemented to investigate cultural factors with preferred learning and teaching styles of Chinese international students along with what corroborative descriptions these students provide as effective learning experiences in American college classrooms.

The study brought attention to Chinese international students’ differing cultural values from the previous literature understanding, it supported previous …

Yi, Observational Documentary Aesthetics, And The Identity Politics Of Transcultural Migrancy, Jiacheng Xu 4159187

Theses and Dissertations

There is a moment in Edward Yang’s acclaimed film Yi Yi (2000) in which a young boy in a conversation with his father observes that he cannot see what his father sees and that his father cannot see what he sees, prompting two questions: “How can I know what you see?” and “Can we only know half of the truth?” Unable to provide adequate answers, his father instead offers his son a camera. Later in the film, the same boy presents his uncle with a picture he took of the back of his head. When asked why, the boy responds …

Cameroonian Immigrants Switching From Non-Stem To Stem-And-Related Fields In The United States, Delphine Ngum Tamukong

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies on STEM education in the United States (U.S.) have largely focused on such issues as the ever increasing need for more STEM workers, STEM attrition/retention, the gender gap in STEM, encouraging more STEM enrollment both at college and post-graduate levels, and the use of modern technology to facilitate STEM education. Other studies have considered the impact of immigrants on STEM education in the U.S. and on the U.S. economy in terms of either creating or filling STEM jobs. Many of those studies underscore the importance of immigrants in boosting the high skilled, much needed, STEM labor force and …

Mental Illness In Starkville, Ms: A Cultural Consensus Analysis Of The Public Conceptions Of Mental Illness, Curtis Andrew Kennett

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness is a complex phenomenon that is social and psychological as well as biological. But since the creation of the DSM-III in the 1980s, the landscape of mental health research and treatment in the United States has been heavily influenced by the biomedical model. The thoughts and beliefs of the lay public about mental illness are often ignored despite the push for greater cultural understanding among biomedical professionals. This disconnect, coupled with the poor mental health infrastructure, has left Mississippi with an inadequate ability to help Mississippians address mental illness. This research uses cognitive anthropological methods and biocultural theory …

Evaluating Practicum Student's' Therapeutic Effectiveness Using Solution Focused Brief Therapy With Mexican American Clients: A Single Case Design, Krystle L. Ortega

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a practicum counseling experience on client therapeutic outcomes using Solution Focused Brief Therapy with Mexican American clients. We implemented a small series (N = 3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of SFBT for increasing hope and decreasing clinical symptoms. Clients’ clinical areas of functioning and clinically significant change will be evaluated using the Outcome Questionnaire -45.2 whereas hope will be assessed using The Trait Hope Scale. The results of this study will ultimately help researchers in counseling education, counselors, supervisors, and students by providing an outcome …

Creativity & Religion: A Self-Study Of Mormon Mindset In The Art Classroom, Shon Scot Feller

Theses and Dissertations

A high school art teacher investigates the relationship of his religious beliefs with his notions of what it means to be creative. This Mormon teacher examines his religious and experiential life through self-study, by drawing from autoethnographic and hermeneutic phenomenological strategies. He believes that everyone, including himself and his students, has a creative potential. He also analyzes how his Mormon religion affects his view of creativity and how creativity has affected his behavior as a Mormon. The conclusions he reaches uncover the need for balance between his creative self and his Mormon self and outlines several ways to merge these …

Finding Chinese Jesus: Chinese Christians And American Missionaries In The Republic Of China (1912-1949), Matthew Joseph Douthitt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the beliefs and practices of Chinese Christians and their American missionary counterparts in the Republic of China (1912-1949). Between the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of the People's Republic, the Chinese people seriously reexamined politics, religion, and their relationship with the West. Many scholars claim that Chinese people could not completely understand and accept Christianity due to insurmountable cultural differences. I would argue religious misunderstanding did not befall our historical subjects the Chinese Christians; rather misunderstanding has plagued the modern scholar. Misunderstanding did not arise from a centuries old cultural mindset. Instead, Sino-Christianity conformed …

Differences In Interview Responses Provided To Researchers Based On Their Ethnicity, Phenice Chapman-Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Although diversity is an issue often discussed in education, a lack of diversity continues to persist within the research sciences. The purpose of this study was to see if there is a difference in how people respond to an ethnic majority researcher in comparison to an ethnic minority researcher. Parents of pre-school aged children participated in a semi-structured interview about their child. An African-American and a Caucasian researcher interviewed a group of parents from different racial backgrounds randomly assigned to either researcher. Each group’s interview responses were compared for the quality and quantity of information provided in order to see …

The Effect Of Perceived Parental Autonomy Granting On Vocational Identity And Communication In Emerging Adults, Emily Salmany

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines the relationship between autonomy granting parenting, vocational identity and communication between emerging adults and parents. It is hypothesized that emerging adults with autonomy granting parents have achieved more stable vocational identities and are better able to communicate with their parents than emerging adults without such parents.

Towards Building A Computer-Aided Accreditation System, Emmanuel Alejandro Santillana Fayett

Theses and Dissertations

Accreditation is a big subject. What is accreditation? Why should it matter to us? How many types of accreditation can an institution have? Is the government involved? What issues are present? How can we improve the accreditation process? All these questions will be covered in this paper. In addition, I will build towards a software that will apply the most important points in this paper, like applying the mission, objectives, and outcomes expected from the students in the form of a syllabus. This will help the faculty with the accreditation process and will help the students know what is expected …

Supervision Of Primary Care Behavioral Health Trainees: A Survey Of Current Practices, Karly Anna Branch

Theses and Dissertations

The current study surveyed 39 supervisors of primary care (PC) psychology trainees at the practicum, internship, and postdoctoral levels regarding various aspects of training, including structure and techniques used, expected competencies, perceived barriers, and their own supervision training received. These results provide a descriptive analysis of current practices of the sampled PC psychology supervisors, which are intended to inform development of best practices in supervision of PC psychology trainees. No statistically significant group differences between training levels regarding the number of competencies trainees were expected to achieve prior to program entry were found; however, sample size was a limitation. Implications …

A Content Analysis And Status Report Of Adolescent Development Journals: How Are We Doing In Terms Of Ethnicity And Diversity?, Jason Bernard Lefrandt

Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic minority research in the U.S. is important to study because of the increase of ethnic minorities over the past several decades. Content analyses help to track the progress of ethnic minority research and guide researchers to future areas of study. Journals of adolescence have been analyzed and coded in the following areas of methodology of the article: article topic, article funding by topic, funding agencies, geographic location of sample, and measures used. A steady increase in ethnic minority research by article topic, funding, and measures was found for some groups.

Exploring The Effect Of An Interdisciplinary Teamwork Intervention In Acute Rehabilitation, Julie K. Cope

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of an interdisciplinary intervention on interdisciplinary teamwork and patient functional outcomes in an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit at a mid-sized regional hospital. Design: Pilot mixed-methods pre-post intervention study. Methods: Interdisciplinary teamwork and patient functional outcomes were measured before and after a teamwork intervention. Interdisciplinary teamwork was measured with the Healthcare Team Vitality Instrument (HTVI) and a qualitative staff questionnaire developed by a content expert. Patient functional outcomes were measured by aggregated Functional Independence Measure (FIM®) scores. Findings: Post-intervention FIM® gain scores increased significantly (p = .008). Staff questionnaire revealed …

Job Satisfaction And Intent To Quit Outcomes Among Home Health Aides In Home Health Care Industry Of The United States: A Multilevel Study, Seokwon Yoon

Theses and Dissertations

Backgrounds: Home health aides’ job satisfaction and intent to quit have been attributed to organizational and community level factors. The objective is to determine the effects of individual-, organizational-, and community-level factors on job satisfaction or intent to quit among home health aides.

Methods: This research used data from two subsets of the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey and the 2007 National Home Health Aides Survey, sampling six eligible workers across the agencies in the Unites States. As another data source, the present study uses Area Health Resource File. The author used hierarchical linear modeling technique for handling …

People Who Live Unsheltered: The Role Of Trust In The Bond Component Of Their Working Alliances, Candice Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 240,000 individuals are unsheltered, sleeping on the street, under abandoned buildings, in ditches and fields, and other locations in communities each night. Using semi-structured interviews, I sought to understand the nature of the working alliances of people living unsheltered and the role of trust in the bond component of those working alliances. Findings highlight that people who live unsheltered engage in alliances with either strangers or acquaintances to complete a simple task, which often results in the attainment of a basic item or assistance. In some but not all alliances trust plays a role. Trust alliances in-volve vulnerability …

On Becoming An Ecologically Conscious Social Worker: Exploring Professional Identities That Include A Response To The Environmental Crisis, Meredith C. F. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

Mounting scientific evidence about the global environmental crisis has created an urgent call to action for all people to promote sustainable environmental practices that enhance the well-being of humans and the ecological systems in which they live. Despite the increasing body of social work literature or the recent social work leadership’s emphasis on this call to action, the social work profession as a whole has been slow to embrace an “expanded professional identity” that includes a response to the environmental crisis. Further insight is needed from individual social workers who have expanded professional identities. Knowledge is needed from their specific …

Who Are They ? A Case Study Of Community Health Worker (Chw) Programs In Primary Health Care, Constance Renee Williams Shepard

Theses and Dissertations

Community health workers (CHW) programs are an important emerging strategy to address the rising cost of health care, the shortage of healthcare staff, and the lack of accessible, affordable and quality health care (Sanders & Lehmann, 2007; WHO, 2010; CDC, 2012). The American Public Health Association (APHA) defines community health worker (CHWs) as frontline public health workers, trusted members of their communities and individuals that have a unique understanding of the people and communities they serve. CHWs develop trusting relationships that enable them to serve as an intermediary between healthcare, social services providers, and community members. By doing so, they …

A Phenomenological Examination Of How Student Army Veterans Describe Influencing Factors On Their Post-Service College Application, Aubrey L. Sejuit

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will explore how student Army veterans describe influencing factors on post-service college application. The qualitative research design in conjunction with the Livingston, Havice, Cawthon, & Fleming (2011) Student Veteran Academic and Social Transition Model (SVATSM) allows this researcher to generate a study with implications for the needs of Campus Professionals, Military Personnel such as U.S. Army Career Counselors and Army Soldiers, and Counselors to include Counselor Educators, School Counselors, Career Counselors, and Mental Health Counselors. The study explores what challenges are faced when working specifically with this population that may determine the choice to apply to college after …

Conversations About Sexuality On A Public University Campus: Exploring Perspectives From Campus Ministry Leaders And Students, Charis Rebecca Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1800s, religious organizations have been a presence on public universities. However, there is limited research on the influence these organizations may have on student health communication and behaviors. Prior research on campus ministries has focused primarily on the culture of individual organizations. In this study, researchers explored the goals and experiences of USC leaders related to communication around sexuality with their students, as well as student perceptions of these messages, and how students incorporate religious messages about sexuality into their lives. The present study had four aims:

1. Assess whether students participating in campus ministries at USC differ …

Parents’ Understanding Of Sensory Processing In Their Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katelynn M. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the need and desire of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to receive sensory processing disorder (SPD) education. We hoped to identify misconceptions of parents about sensory processing and examined the utility of providing information on SPDs to these parents within the genetic counseling session. Methods: Invitations to participate were sent to support groups in the Southeast United States. A survey tool was used to obtain demographic information. A short presentation was given to clarify the definition of sensory processing, give examples of signs and symptoms of SPDs, and …

Longitudinal Examination Of Observed Family Hostility And Adolescent Anxiety And Depression As Mediated By Adolescent Perspective Taking And Empathic Concern, Trevor Dennis Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine hostility in family interaction and its impact on adolescent depression and anxiety with adolescent perspective taking and empathic concern as mediators. Gender differences were also examined. Adolescents were from 353 two-parent families in a large north-western city in the United States and on average were 13.25 years old (SD=1.01) for girls and 13.30 years (SD=.99) for boys at the beginning of the study. This study utilized data from waves 3-5. Earlier waves of data were not used because some of the measures were not available for earlier waves. Results indicated that …

Critical Care Nurses' Perceptions Of End-Of-Life Care: Comparative 17-Year Data, Nicole Lamoreaux

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) frequently care for patients and their families at the end-of-life (EOL). Providing high quality EOL care is important for both patients and families, yet ICU nurses face many obstacles that hinder EOL care. Researchers have identified various ICU nurse-perceived obstacles, but no studies have been found addressing the progress that has been made over the last 17 years.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the most common and current obstacles in EOL care as perceived by ICU nurses and then to evaluate whether or not meaningful changes have occurred since data were first gathered in …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy And Dementia: A Comparison By Treatment Modality And Healthcare Provider, Megan Ruth Story

Theses and Dissertations

Dementia is a chronic disorder that affects approximately 40 million individuals throughout the globe. This study provides a preliminary description of psychotherapeutic treatment for the management of dementia. This study compares treatment outcomes by both modality (individual, family, and mixed) and provider type. Results found that therapy is a low-cost treatment, however, it is not being often used for people with dementia, or their family members. Participants (n=327) include individuals with ages ranging from 46-95(M=70.52, SD=12.16). Females made up 57.5% (n=188), while males made up 42.5% (n=139) of the sample. Descriptive statistics found that the number of sessions ranged from …

Socioeconomic Status And Its Relationship To Educational Resources, Christene M. Sledge

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between socioeconomic status and access to educational resources was examined. According to a national report on school funding, New Jersey rates third in the nation for equality in school funding (Baker, Sciarra and Farrie 2015). Although disparities in school funding are lower than average, students of low socioeconomic status are still at a disadvantage when entering school. The ways in which school districts spend their money was believed to be affected by the socioeconomic status of the students who attend their schools. Literature was reviewed on the ways in which socioeconomic status has been associated with various health …

Sanitation Celebrations: Mierle Laderman Ukeles’S Performative Monument With/For/By Sanmen, Diya Vij

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that Mierle Laderman Ukeles’s work teaches us something new about what monument-making can be when it is socially engaged. The durational process and motivating desire to elicit gratitude for the DSNY labor force of Ukeles’s residency in the Sanitation Department raises pressing questions about the conventional nature of how monuments are typically conceived and executed and to whom these works are directed. Analysis of her three-part performance Sanitation Celebrations: Grand Finale of New York City’s First Art Parade, just one engagement within her long-term performative monument, explicates the intricacies of Ukeles’s process-based performative practice in terms …

Objective Assessment Of Physical Activity In Adults With Down Syndrome, Jasmine Symone Curtis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether cut-points developed for the general population provide different estimates of physical activity (PA) levels in adults with Down syndrome (DS) compared to cut-points developed specifically in adults with DS. This study also attempted to objectively measure the PA levels of adults with DS and to determine if they meet the recommended amount of PA to obtain health benefits. Thirteen adults with DS wore an accelerometer to determine time spent in moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous PA. Results indicated that different sets of cut-points responded differently in classifying moderate and vigorous PA levels, …

Physical Activity And Functioning In Persons With Down Syndrome, Benjamin James Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of our research study was to examine if there was a relationship between PA and functioning in adults with DS. Our research study had 17 adults with Down syndrome participate. The functional performance of participants were measured with the Timed Up-and-Go test (TUG) and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). After the testing session was completed, the physical activity of participants over seven days was measured. The main findings were that adults with DS had low levels of physical functioning and PA, and that physical functioning was associated with PA levels. Improving the functional profiles of adults with DS …

Completing The Puzzle: Exploring Possible Antecedents To Rape Myth Acceptance, Skye A. Geeslin

Theses and Dissertations

Rape myths are commonly accepted, but usually false, attitudes and beliefs about the act of rape, the perpetrators, and most often the victims (Aronowitz, Lambert, & Davidoff, 2012). Studies have shown that the endorsement of rape myth attitudes influences not only the likelihood of a sexual assault occurring, but also whether or not the incident is reported, and how the victims view themselves and their experiences afterwards (Burnett et ah, 2009). The present study surveyed college students to assess their levels of social competence, semantic knowledge of sex, bystander attitudes, and rape myth acceptance (RMA). The purpose of this study …

Outcomes From In-Person Interdisciplinary Continuing Education For Autism And Online Delivery Of The Same Content, Rachel Ann Trayner

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the growing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there is an increased need for effective professional training models for autism treatment and education. Individuals with ASD receive care and therapy across multiple disciplines, so such training models should also be interdisciplinary in nature. In the medical field, pediatricians, nurses, psychiatrists, and many others work with individuals with ASD. In the education field, teachers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists, and others work with children with ASD. Some therapists work in both systems. Thus far, there has been little research done considering training delivery models (i.e., in-person and online training) …