Digital Commons Network^™

Through The Lens Of Social Media: Examining The Relationship Between Exposure To Social Media Videos Of Police Misconduct And Perceptions Of Legitimacy And Cooperation With Campus Police, Kamal Alhassan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how exposure to social media and internet news videos depicting police misconduct influences college students' perceptions of campus police legitimacy, procedural justice, and willingness to cooperate. Although prior research has demonstrated the impact of media portrayals on perceptions of municipal police, limited attention has been given to campus policing contexts. Guided by Tyler’s process-based theory of police legitimacy and Gerbner’s cultivation theory, this quantitative study surveyed 400 students at a large public university in the Southeastern Mid-Atlantic region. Measures included self-reported viewing and engagement with police misconduct content on social media, internet, and traditional media platforms, as …

Rural Realities Unveiled: Non-Certified Teachers’ Experiences And Perceptions Of Scripted Literacy Curriculum In K-5 Classrooms, Amillia Woolfork

Theses and Dissertations

The persistent shortage of certified teachers in rural school districts has led to an increased reliance on non-certified teachers NCTs to deliver literacy instruction. To support these educators, many districts have implemented scripted curricula, which provide structured lessons and instructional materials. However, limited research exists on the experiences of NCTs using scripted curricula and their impact on their teaching practices and self-efficacy. This qualitative exploratory case study examines the perceptions and lived experiences of non-certified literacy teachers in rural elementary schools who utilize scripted curricula. Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, this study examined how NCTs …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Impact Of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence On College Women: A Qualitative Study, Dana Juel Conzemius-Schindler

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have found psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV; defined as emotional and verbal abuse utilized to degrade, demean, create fear, control, or isolate; Tolman, 1989; Sullivan et al., 2012) is detrimental to mental health functioning, including increased sexual risk behaviors, depressive and anxious symptomology, and relationship dissatisfaction (Hellemans et al., 2015; Overstreet et al., 2015). Despite this, little is known regarding the academic and psychological lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV. Therefore, the current study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of female-identified students exposed to psychological intimate partner violence while in college. Through a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; …

Culturally Specific Interventions And Indigenous Practices In Correctional And Forensic Settings: A Systematic Review, Jordyne James

Theses and Dissertations

While professional guidelines, legislation and research emphasize the importance of adapting treatment approaches to patient characteristics and culture (American Psychological Association [APA], 2021, 2019; Correctional Service of Canada [CSC], 2013; Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2017; Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association [CCPA], 2021), psychological and forensic research and practice related to culturally specific programming lags behind expectations to meet the needs of ethnically diverse clients. Given the continued overrepresentation of minorities within forensic institutions (Aguiar, 2020; Carter & Forsyth, 2007; Hanser & Gomila, 2015; Leguizamo et al., 2018), this systematic review aimed to raise awareness of culturally-specific interventions and Indigenous practices …

Best Practices In Leadership In Probation, Ronamae Panganiban

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that leadership in law enforcement is a continuous learning process (Birzer et al., 2016; Davies & Heysmand, 2021; Niles et al., 2024; Roberts et al., 2016). Due to the complex structure and changing environment, leadership responsibilities fall upon multiple individuals in a chain of command (C. Davis, 2020; G. W. Garner, 2016; Sienkiewicz-Malyjurek, 2016). The research study aimed to identify best practices for leadership in law enforcement that leaders employ that make them successful. It used a phenomenological qualitative design and purposive sampling method to obtain a sample size of 15 participants. The study utilized a semi structured …

The Trauma-To-Prison Pipeline: A Multi-Level Theoretical Framework Exploring The Intersection Of Inequality, Trauma, And Exclusionary Discipline, Dana Ainsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) is a widely recognized and extensively studied metaphor used to describe the process by which school discipline policies increase the risk of juvenile justice system involvement, particularly among historically marginalized populations. While it has been instrumental in shaping educational policy, the STPP framework has not evolved to account for the critical impact of trauma on learning and behavioral outcomes. Furthermore, it overlooks the role of systemic inequality that increases trauma exposure and produces concentric patterns of marginalization.

Drawing on research across the fields of education, public health, sociology, and criminal justice, this study proposes a theoretical …

Guardians Of Their Own: Routine Activities, Risk Perceptions, & Self-Protection Among Police Officers In The Line Of Duty, Amy Clifton-Mills

Theses and Dissertations

This research illuminated how police officers perceive risks in the line of duty and whether police officers implement protective behaviors on duty. This was done by implementing two phases of data collection: focus groups (I) and self-report surveys (II). The focus groups (N = 21) were conducted to inform the self-protective behaviors instrument in the self-report surveys (N =143). Officers self-reported their risk of assault and injury in the line of duty in the next six months to be 33.86% (SD = 27.13) and their risk of felonious death to be 14.4% (SD = 18.1). Results show that …

Obstacles And Supports As Experienced By Foster Youth In Higher Education: Ventura County Community College District, Breanna Webb

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological research study assesses the obstacles faced by foster youth and the support available to them while attending the Ventura County Community College District. As it currently stands, about four and a half percent of foster youth in the United States go on to earn a college degree. Very little research has been done to explore the effectiveness and outcomes of the support offered to foster youth. Data for this research study was collected using the General Self-efficacy scale and structured interviews. Each of the ten participants was given a demographics survey and a Self-Efficacy scale survey and …

From Unprepared To On Track: Closing The Kindergarten Readiness Gap By Using A Team-Based Approach To Implement A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports (Mtss) Framework With Fidelity, Erica Filipiak

Theses and Dissertations

We live in a world where preschool and even kindergarten are optional years in schooling, only perpetuating the problem of incoming kindergartener students systemically lacking foundational skills necessary to successfully begin their academic careers. Access to quality preschool is an equity problem that needs to be discussed and researched. Preparing a student to enter kindergarten with the appropriate foundational academic skills does not just set them up for kindergarten success, but also for success in future grade levels. Therefore, a co-design team focused a problem of practice at an elementary school to provide the kindergarten teacher with additional support by …

Intimate Partner Violence Victims' Experiences With Civil Legal Interventions, Jessica Brooke Pomerantz

Theses and Dissertations

The court system has become a central part of the societal response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and is a frequently used as a source of help for victims (Cattaneo et al., 2013). Despite the importance of a justice system response to IPV, it is not always accessible or helpful to victims. Past research has demonstrated barriers to IPV victims seeking legal intervention including mistrust of the court system generally, extensive and confusing legal processes and procedures, and failure of the courts to assess more invisible forms of abuse (Calton et al., 2017; Cerulli et al., 2015; Cuomo & Dolci, …

La Retroalimentación Bidireccional En El Proceso De La Enseñanza Y Aprendizaje Con Modalidad Hibrida En Una Institución Secundaria De Puerto Rico, Annette Muñiz Andújar

Theses and Dissertations

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la percepción de los docentes sobre la importancia de la Retroalimentación Bidireccional en el Proceso de la Enseñanza-Aprendizaje con Modalidad Hibrida en una Institución Secundaria en Puerto Rico. Este estudio se realizó utilizando un diseño fenomenológico, con enfoque cualitativo. La población y la muestra del estudio estuvieron compuestas de docentes de una escuela Pública del área Norte de Puerto Rico. Los datos fueron recopilados mediante la entrevista semiestructurada. Durante este proceso, la investigadora utilizó un cuestionario guía, con el cual procedió a recolectar los datos, utilizando la entrevista semiestructurada.

Los datos cualitativos obtenidos de …

Uso De Herramientas De Inteligencia Artificial Generativa Por Parte De Docentes En Una Escuela Del Suroeste De Puerto Rico, Glorimar N. Rodríguez Guiliani

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para investigar el nivel de conocimiento, uso y dificultades que enfrentan los docentes de quinto a duodécimo grado en una escuela privada del suroeste de Puerto Rico respecto a tecnologías emergentes las cuales presentan desafíos significativos para los docentes y los estudiantes. Se exploró la utilización de herramientas de inteligencia artificial generativa (GenAI) como ChatGPT dentro y fuera del aula para actividades pedagógicas y administrativas.

Los hallazgos revelaron una notable carencia en el conocimiento docente sobre el uso y habilidades de la inteligencia artificial. Se identificó, también, una deficiencia en la capacidad de los docentes …

Instructional Design And Technology Professionals: Why Are Some Laggards?, Hayley Mendelson Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Laggards are often thought of as aloof and uninformed late adopters, as traditionalists living in the past (Rogers,2003). Laggards represent the last 16% of a population to adopt an innovation, and, as a result, they are often depicted for their resistance to adopt an innovation much later than the rest of the population, if ever (Jahanmir et al., 2020; Rogers, 2003). The present study attempted to expand the research on laggards, specifically laggard Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) professionals.

IDT professionals were the target group because of their perceived innovativeness as a result of their high exposure to instructional technology …

Exploring The Self-Efficacy Of Physical Education Teachers To Teach Adapted Physical Education, Carolann Cautin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore experienced physical education teachers and their self-efficacy when teaching students with a disability. This qualitative analysis examined physical education teachers’ experience and their confidence level when teaching adapted physical education. Physical education teachers are expected to provide differentiated instruction for each student; however, this can be a challenge for teachers. The challenge lies in the fact that not all physical education teachers have the confidence or basic training to teach and instruct students who have a disability.

The research included 10 experienced physical education participants from Grades K–12. All participants completed a self-efficacy …

Percepción De Los Docentes De Las Escuelas Públicas Secundarias De Puerto Rico Sobre El Uso De Las Herramientas De Inteligencia Artificial En El Salón De Clases, Alice M. García Cardoza

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada con el propósito de determinar la percepción de los docentes de escuelas públicas secundarias de Puerto Rico sobre el uso de las herramientas de la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) en la sala de clases para mejorar los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Actualmente, la tendencia en la educación es la utilización de las herramientas de la IA por su gran potencial y enriquecimiento educativo. Sin embargo, existen limitaciones en cuanto a la integración efectiva de la IA en el currículo por la falta de experiencia práctica y formación especializada. Además, los docentes poseen …

Factors That Contribute To Employment Success For Young Adults With Disabilities Completing A Postsecondary Education Program, Leatha Pfanmiller

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research was low employment rates for young adults with disabilities. Young adults with disabilities are employed at a much lower rate than their neurotypical peers. The factors identified in this study could be beneficial to other college and postsecondary education (PSE) programs with employment components, to promote higher rates of employment for students with disabilities who attend those institutions.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that contribute to employment success for young adults with disabilities completing a PSE program. The study was conducted at a medium-sized, 4-year, public university in the …

Percepción De La Policía De Puerto Rico Sobre La Utilización De Las Cámaras Corporales, Vicente Villegas Laboy

Theses and Dissertations

En Puerto Rico, según la literatura revisada, la investigación sobre el tema de las cámaras corporales policiacas apenas está comenzando. A pesar de esto, en lugares como en los Estados Unidos de América y Europa, si hay estudios relacionados con las cámaras corporales. Estas investigaciones, en su mayoría, se han concentrado en el efecto que causa esta tecnología en los policías que las utilizan, así como, en los ciudadanos que interactúan con estos policías. Este estudio de disertación doctoral explora este tema, pero, desde la percepción del policía que utiliza la cámara corporal, día a día, como parte de su …

Teacher Views Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication With Nonverbal Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities: A Generic Qualitative Study, Lelita K. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Students with significant intellectual disabilities who are nonverbal often depend on augmentative and alternative communication devices to engage with lessons and participate in secondary educational environments. Despite advancements in this technology, issues pertaining to training, consistency, and institutional support persist, hindering effective application in urban schools. The objective of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of teachers and related service providers regarding the utilization of these devices for nonverbal students with severe intellectual disabilities in urban secondary schools.

Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, comprising special education instructors, related service providers, and special education …

The Perceptions Of Training And Development And Emotional Intelligence Among Virtual Leaders In Public And Private Institutions Of Higher Education, Ryan J. Trautweiler

Theses and Dissertations

This applied qualitative dissertation explored virtual leadership in higher education, examining virtual leaders' perceptions of training and development and emotional intelligence. Using an inductive research approach, data were collected through semistructured interviews and a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to eight virtual leaders from public and private higher education institutions. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Findings revealed distinctions between public and private institutions. In public institutions, training and development focused on faculty preparedness, resourcefulness in overcoming limitations, and its impact on student engagement. In private institutions, training was …

Perceptions Of Victims On The Influence Of Domestic Violence Programs On The Decision To Leave, Tiffany Kleiman-Bourdeau

Theses and Dissertations

Dating back to earlier times, domestic violence was referred to as marital disputes and was not even considered a crime by law enforcement. However, that has since changed and now individuals are convicted for such crimes against another person. There are several treatment plans and options for these abusive individuals to take to receive the help they need to refrain from being abusive towards others, but what of the victims? What programs and/or services are available to them? Do these services even help the victims? This Idea Paper will examine the effectiveness of the programs and services available to domestic …

Intimate Partner Violence Against American Indian/Alaska Native Women, Jessica Sanchez-Cowan

Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence is not a new problem. Many forms of intimate partner violence can be found worldwide, and evidence of its occurrences can be traced back as far as history goes. However, while intimate partner violence may have been recognized and treated as a private family matter in earlier years, current research shows that it is coming to the forefront as it becomes an increasing issue in the United States and its marginalized communities. With the victimization rate being much higher for American Indian/Alaska Natives in comparison to other races, addressing the issue of intimate partner violence should be …

The Relationship Of Parent Iep Meeting Attendance On African American And Hispanic Middle School Students’ Attendance And Behavior, David W. Johnny

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation investigated whether there was a significant difference in behavioral and attendance outcomes among African American and Hispanic middle school students with disabilities, depending on parental attendance at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. The study was grounded in Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s parent involvement theory. This quantitative study used archival data from a southeastern U.S. middle school to examine whether variations in parental participation corresponded with students' disciplinary incidents and school absences.

The study included 96 students in grades 6–8 whose IEP attendance, behavior referrals, and absence data were analyzed. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to determine if statistically …

Parent Social Validity Ratings Of Receiving Functional Communication Training, Shani Davies

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide greater insight on parent and caregiver views and perceptions on participating in functional communication training. While extensive research exists regarding the effectiveness of functional communication training and parent training in general for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, evidence on the social validity with respect to caregivers is lacking.

The researcher utilized evidenced-based social validity scales to explore parent/caregiver perceptions of receiving caregiver functional communication training, their perceived effectiveness of the treatment modality, and overall acceptance of the approach.

An analysis of the data revealed that parents’ overall perception was neutral regarding general views …

A Policy Analysis Of Performance Based Funding In Colorado, Nicholas G. Dix

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher used a quantitative approach to examine the effects of performance-based funding policies in Colorado. Specifically, the researcher focused on postsecondary access for Pell-grant eligible and underrepresented minority students. Using a doubly robust difference-in-differences design, the study compares two PBF policy iterations (2.0 and 3.0) to assess the effectiveness of those polices on public four-year degree granting universities in Colorado. The researcher assessed from the data that PBF has no significant impact on Pell-eligible postsecondary accessibility, but PBF has a slightly significant impact on URM accessibility.

The research is grounded in institutional theory and resource dependence theory. The research …

Relaciones De Las Competencias Docentes Con El Bienestar En Docentes De Ciencias Empresariales Bajo La Modalidad A Distancia En Una Universidad Privada En Colombia, Camilo Ernesto Aguirre Martínez

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de esta investigación consistió en determinar las relaciones de las competencias docentes con el bienestar en docentes de Ciencias Empresariales bajo la modalidad a distancia en una Universidad privada de Colombia. El estudio buscó identificar las relaciones entre las competencias docentes y el bienestar psicológico, el bienestar subjetivo y el bienestar social, cuáles de esas relaciones predominan, así como la identificación de cuáles elementos de estos tipos de bienestar contribuyen con el desarrollo de las competencias docentes.

El enfoque de la investigación fue el empírico analítico o cuantitativo, el diseño fue no experimental y su alcance fue de …

Foster Care Students And Their Success In Academic Achievements In School, Kirsten Nassiff

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better training and resources for teachers working with students in foster care who have experienced multiple foster care placements, and to assist them in achieving academic success.

The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with six educators and staff at an alternative school that has the highest number of students in foster care, located in this school district. Using Braun and Clarke’s six steps for Thematic Analysis, each transcript was coded with the assistance of MAXQDA, and themes were developed.

An analysis of the data revealed that educators and staff do not receive adequate communication …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Tier 3 Academic Interventions, Dana Esposito

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to discover teachers’ perceptions about the overall effectiveness of Tier 3 RTI services for resolving academic problems and teachers’ perceptions about transitioning students out of RTI. Students receiving services in Tier 3 of the RTI process often spend a considerable amount of time attempting to meet their goals. A search for answers to this problem, combined with a gap in the existing literature regarding time spent in Tier 3, led to the development of this study.

Data collection was acquired through a qualitative collective-case method focused on semi-structured interviews. Participants consisted of general and special …

Homeschooling And Online Learning Technologies From A Parent’S Perspective, Karla M. Forti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational research study was to examine the relationship between homeschooling parents’ use of educational technology tools and their instructional behaviors and perceptions, with additional consideration of virtual school participation. Survey-based data from 22 parents of over 40 homeschooled children were used to examine technology adoption and instructional preferences across non-traditional learning settings. The study addressed four research questions through descriptive statistics and correlational analysis, while quantitative themes from open-ended responses enriched the findings. Results provided insight into parental motivations and trends influencing homeschooling and virtual school choices, highlighting the expanding role of online learning …

The Disengagement Of Black High School Students In English Language Arts Classrooms, Michelle Chanda Singh

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored how high school English Language Arts (ELA) teachers understand and respond to the disengagement of Black students. Racial disparities in literacy achievement persist across the United States. Despite reform efforts, many Black students continue to experience academic and emotional disconnection in ELA classrooms. Few studies have centered on teachers’ perspectives to understand the classroom-level conditions contributing to this disengagement. This qualitative study addressed that gap by examining the beliefs, practices, and experiences of four veteran ELA teachers in the southeastern United States.

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study examined how teachers make sense of Black student …

Tech-Forward Learning: Text-To-Speech Impact On Catholic High School Students, Dennise A. Leyva

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study was conducted to improve instructional support for diverse learners in a Southeast Florida Catholic high school by exploring teachers’ use of the Apple iPad accessibility feature, text-to-speech (TTS). Although this Catholic high school implemented a 1:1 iPad program, many teachers had limited experience using the built-in TTS feature to meet the diverse needs of students, including English Language Learners and those with reading difficulties. Teachers often used conventional approaches that failed to integrate assistive technology for inclusive and equitable learning.

The researcher conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with six high school teachers to examine their experiences implementing the …