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The Perceptions Of Parents, Teachers, And Administrators On The Transition Of Latino Migrant Students Into Colleges, Sylma Samuel Ferreira

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of Latino migrant parents, teachers, and school administrators regarding barriers affecting Latino migrant students’ transition to higher education in rural Mississippi Delta schools. Guided by achievement goal theory and culturally responsive pedagogy, the study explored how structural, cultural, and institutional factors shape students’ educational pathways. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including parents, teachers, and administrators.

Findings revealed that Latino migrant students face interconnected barriers to higher education, including financial constraints, language barriers, family responsibilities, and limited access to college preparation resources and transportation. Participants emphasized the influence of family …

Refusing To Die On The Vine: Black Women's Survival, Resistance, And Dei Labor In Historically White Institutions, Senesta D. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Black women in non-diversity, non-faculty roles at historically White institutions (HWIs) who engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocacy beyond their formal job responsibilities. Grounded in Black Feminist Thought and guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study explores how race and gender shape invisible labor expectations, emotional and psychological burdens, and strategies for safety and meaning-making. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Black women staff members yielded seven interrelated themes, including invisible DEI labor, hypervisibility, emotional exhaustion, sisterhood as a form of resistance, respectability politics, self-constructed safety, and purpose rooted in legacy and spirituality. …

Dining Experiences Across Hearing Profiles: The Influence Of Noise And Environmental Factors In Restaurants, Lorin M. Kmieciak

Theses and Dissertations

Dining out is a popular activity worldwide that is rooted in sensory and emotional engagement. How an individual experiences the sensory conditions in restaurants varies widely, highlighting the importance of designing dining environments that accommodate diverse perceptual needs and abilities. The purpose of this study is to address how existing dining environments overlook inclusive and accessibility-centered design by examining how hearing loss intersects with the acoustic, sensory, and social dimensions of dining environments. This study employed a mixed method, exploratory approach by gathering quantitative data through a survey and qualitative data through follow-up interviews to generate a holistic and data-driven …

Using Curated Co-Teaching Tools To Elicit Tacit Experiences Related To Collaboration, Innovation, And Satisfaction Between Co-Teaching Pairs, Lisa Caputo Love

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative, phenomenological study that documents the lived experiences of co-teaching pairs while they engage with a curated co-teaching “toolkit.” The toolkit, which comprises high-leverage practices and related resources, helps to elicit emotions and descriptions of the pairs’ experiences. A mosaic of data was gathered and analyzed for evidence of collaboration and innovation sparked by the toolkit and to assess participants’ perception of feeling valued and satisfied in the co-teaching role. The findings outline that the participants reported that access to the tools and time for their implementation could be helpful, but that more consistency in work pairings …

Abject And Uncanny Manifestations Of Sexuality And Sexual Desire In Nineteenth-Century Gothic Literature, Varvara Kuznetsova

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways in which psychoanalytic concepts of the abjection and the uncanny were used to depict monsters and monstrous bodies in nineteenth-century Gothic literature as a site of social, cultural, and sexual transgression. Through the intersections of queer theory, monster theory, and psychoanalytic theory, I examine and analyze depictions of women as monstrous figures in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Christabel (1816), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), and Sheridan Joseph Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872). In particular, I aim to detail how language and descriptions of women monsters become coded elements that reveal monstrosity and transgression.

Meet Me In The Middle: Transformational Coaching As A Strategy To Disrupt Middle School Teacher Attrition, Aimee J. Pettit

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition among early-career educators remains a persistent challenge in middle school settings, particularly in schools serving historically marginalized student populations. At Nevermore Academy Middle School, newly hired teachers continue to leave the profession despite the implementation of traditional onboarding and mentoring programs, citing challenges with classroom management, limited societal respect for the profession, emotional exhaustion, and inadequate compensation. High rates of teacher turnover disrupt instructional continuity and disproportionately affect students from low-income households, many of whom are students of color. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of new teachers at Nevermore Academy and explored how participation in transformational …

A Case Study Of Employees’ Perception Of Leadership Styles In Law Firms, Naylet M. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explored employees' perceptions of their supervisors’ leadership styles and how those perceptions shape their job performance and satisfaction within a mid-sized personal injury law firm operating across multiple offices in the Southeastern United States. The effectiveness of leadership styles in law firms significantly influences employee performance, productivity, and organizational success, yet the unique contextual factors of legal practice environments have remained substantially underexplored in the leadership literature. Much of the existing research has focused on general organizational settings rather than the knowledge-intensive, hierarchical, and high-pressure dynamics that characterize law firms. This applied dissertation was designed to address …

The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Skills Training In Enhancing Teachers’ Ability To Write Specific, Measurable, And Individualized Iep Goals Targeting Quality-Of-Life Skills, Emilia Endean

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation sought to assess the effectiveness of a behavior skills training (BST) protocol in improving teacher behaviors for writing high-quality individualized education plan (IEP) goals that target quality-of-life (QoL) domains. High-quality IEP goals that target both academic and functional repertoires are required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and are essential for students with disabilities to achieve meaningful outcomes. BST is an effective intervention for teaching a variety of skills. No prior research has explicitly examined the application of BST for teacher professional development in writing IEP goals.

This single-subject study used a time-lagged multiple probe …

Improving Middle School Students’ Scores On Math Word Problems Through Reading Comprehension, Diane M. Burgess

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to address the poor performance of middle school students on math word problems attributed to the lack of reading comprehension skills. A review of standardized math assessments for middle school students confirmed that the greater proportion of questions is made up of word problems. Despite having strong mathematical skills, middle school students are likely to fail to find the correct solutions for math word problems. In the middle school classroom, the development of reading comprehension skills and mathematical abilities are tasks required of different teachers. Math teachers at a middle school in Florida did not …

Cultural Heritage Curriculum And Student Identity Development: A Mixed-Methods Study, Alexus Corley

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the influence of a cultural heritage curriculum on first-grade students’ cultural knowledge, awareness, and understandings of culture. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which participation in a 4-week cultural heritage curriculum influenced students’ knowledge of cultural history and contemporary contributors, their understandings and perspectives about culture, and the convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings.

Using a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods research design, the study was conducted with 19 first-grade students enrolled in a Title I elementary school in Central Florida. Quantitative data were collected using the researcher-developed cultural knowledge preintervention and postintervention assessment and …

Fairness: Examining Support And Resources Available To Respondents In Title Ix Cases, Emanuel Jerome Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored how higher education institutions develop Title IX procedures to ensure respondents receive fair treatment from the outset of the adjudication process. It also examined how colleges and universities provide resources and support to respondents throughout the Title IX process. The study used semi structured interviews with Title IX Coordinators at various higher education institutions to understand how they have developed practices to support respondents.

Findings revealed that higher education institutions have developed various methods to support respondents in the Title IX process. The goal of the Title IX process is to ensure that respondents receive the …

“Is This Really Funny?” Humor, Rape Myths, And Social Semiotics In Nigerian Comedy Skits, Grace Oluwatofunmi Adeyemo

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how rape myth narratives are normalized through humor in Nigerian comedy skits. While existing research has identified rape-supportive beliefs in digital entertainment, it has paid less attention to the processes through which these meanings become socially acceptable. Guided by social semiotics, the study analyzes how semiotic resources use humor to normalize rape myth narratives in Nigerian comedy skits. Using a qualitative design, twelve purposively selected Nigerian comedy skits on YouTube were analyzed. The findings reveal that refusal is constructed as temporary, persistence is portrayed as effort, men's refusal is framed as abnormal, and consent is shaped by …

(Post-)Colonial Shakespeares: Macbeth In South Africa, Mahmoud T. Kholeif

Theses and Dissertations

The history of Shakespeare in South Africa is that of an often contested cultural battleground, with meanings fought over across a colonial boundary. In Chapter One, we examine some of the many cultural intersections between Shakespeare and South African rewriters. In the process, we can see how Shakespeare came to the region as a tool for colonial domination, but would eventually be used to rebuke the colonial narrative that was conservatively ascribed to him. He was used to enforce racial and political hierarchies, particularly through missionary education and institutions like the “Kaffir Institution.” The anxieties surrounding the ‘overproduction’ of Western-educated …

Three Case Studies Of Transformative Learning In A Service-Learning Anthropology Course, Elizabeth S. Schulte

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the processes of personal transformation of three students enrolled in a service-learning based course that I taught at Brigham Young University. Informed by my observations as instructor of the course, in the analysis below I draw upon these students' weekly personal reflection essays to describe the process of individual transformation of these three students across the semester. This accounting provides insight into aspects of and contributing factors to that growth. I propose that a service-learning based course design with a framework of anthropological theory is a good way to facilitate transformational educational experiences. Aspects of service-learning such …

Cybernest: A Step Forward For Training Cybersecurity Professionals, Justin Mott

Theses and Dissertations

The growing complexity of cyber threats has exposed a critical gap between academic cybersecurity education and the operational demands of the workforce. This thesis presents a pilot study for a use-case of CyberNEST, a simulation-based training platform that integrates adversary emulation and threat-informed learning to create realistic, hands-on experiences for cybersecurity students.(17) The system was designed to replicate Security Operations Center (SOC) environments and incident response workflows, allowing participants to investigate, analyze, and respond to simulated attacks under authentic conditions. This pilot-study performed training simulations using the CyberNEST platform, developed by Brigham Young University, with students, collecting data from pre- …

An Analysis Of Ukrainians' Language Attitudes And Ideology: A Conflict-Catalyzed Language And Identity Shift, Kateryna Kravchenko

Theses and Dissertations

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. According to Vladimir Putin's speech, the main goal of the war was to protect the Russian-speaking population of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Many Ukrainians indeed speak Russian on a daily basis, largely due to the long and complicated history between the two countries. Recently, there has been an increase in pro-Ukrainian ideologies (Kulyk 2016); however, as the full-scale invasion began, people started advocating for Ukrainian usage in all public domains, and many even vowed to never speak Russian again. Since then, there has been a profound change in language …

Evaluating The Performance Of The Primary Heat Exchanger In A Sco2 Brayton Cycle While Firing Solid Fuels, Brian Jeffrey Schooff

Theses and Dissertations

The sCO2 closed-loop Brayton cycle is an alternative to the standard steam-Rankine cycle for generating electrical power from a heat source. The sCO2 Brayton cycle is advantageous because it can be more efficient, use less water, and have smaller turbomachinery than the steam-Rankine cycle. While there are several research groups advancing the technology necessary to utilize the sCO2 Brayton cycle on an industrial scale, none of these groups use solid fuel combustion as the heat source. A Brigham Young University-led project developed and tested a pilot-scale sCO2 Brayton cycle unit (1.6 MWth) using natural gas, pulverized coal, and pulverized biomass …

Kuleana Mākua: Native Hawaiian Parents' Exercise Of Agency In K-12 School Selection, Joseph Piikeha Kahaka`Ulamaikalaniki`Eki`E Hao

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study the author investigates how Native Hawaiian parents on Hawai`i Island navigate educational choices for their children amidst a history of centralized, Western-dominated schooling and systemic cultural suppression. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), the research explores parent perceptions of different K–12 school types and the complex factors that drive their selection. Through semi-structured interviews and a card sort activity with sixteen Native Hawaiian parents (n = 16), the study confirms that parental choice is fundamentally an act of indigenous self-determination defined by Kuleana Mākua (parental responsibility, authority, and privilege). The findings reveal that parents’ choices …

Rab32c Mediates Osmoregulation And Calcium Homeoastasis In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Ashley Esparza

Theses and Dissertations

Vesicular trafficking is a fundamental process essential to cell viability and dictates roles in both cellular and tissue function in multicellular organisms. To further understand various vesicular trafficking processes, our lab focuses on the moderators of these processes, Rab GTPases, using the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. This dissertation focuses explicitly on the uncharacterized protein Rab32C, a homolog of human Rab32. While several Rab family members have been well defined, the functionality of Rab32C remains poorly understood. This project investigated both the subcellular localization and functional role of Rab32C with biochemical, imaging, and molecular assays. Results from this study provide evidence …

Inelastic Behavior Of Three-Story Buildings With Concrete-Filled Composite Plate Shear Walls Subjected To Wind Loads, Joshua John Blom

Theses and Dissertations

Although elastic design of the main wind force resisting system in a building is the conventional approach it is not always desirable. In this study, nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are used to predict the inelastic behavior of a three-story building with concrete-filled composite plate shear walls subjected to wind loads. To explore the potential for inelastic design, two types of planar composite shear wall buildings are examined: individual shear walls designed using an elastic approach, and coupled shear wall pairs designed using an inelastic approach adopted from seismic design provisions. Nonlinear static "pushover" analyses are run using an assumed …

Measuring And Modeling Nonlinear Vibrations In Structures With Mechanical Joints, Suzanna Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

Many assembled structures have bolted or riveted joints. Aside from providing a convenient method of assembly, mechanical joints have an important effect on the structure's dynamic response to its environment. Friction and microslip within the joints help to damp out unwanted vibration. However, the joints also introduce nonlinearity into the response. Most notably, the natural vibrational modes of the structure no longer have constant natural frequencies and damping ratios. Rather, they shift as a function of vibration amplitude. Several methods exist to characterize the dynamics of nonlinear systems, yet they are generally validated on simple benchmark structures, and many still …

Nanocarbons For Electrodes And Electrolytes Of Sustainable And Solid-State Energy Storage Systems: Materials, Electrochemical Characterization, And Lifecycle Analysis, Ridwan Tobi Ayinla

Theses and Dissertations

The growing global demand for clean, efficient, and scalable energy storage technologies has intensified the search for sustainable alternatives to conventional battery and supercapacitor systems. Traditional electrochemical energy storage devices often rely on finite and environmentally harmful materials, toxic electrolytes, and rigid architectures that limit their applicability in emerging domains such as flexible electronics and wearable technologies. Additionally, the leakage of liquid electrolytes poses a persistent safety and reliability challenge, particularly for long-term and real-world applications. This research addresses these pressing challenges by developing a new class of green, flexible, and high-performance electrochemical energy storage systems using bio-derived materials. The …

Netflix And Kill: The Role Of True Crime Consumption In The Development Of Acquired Capability For Suicide, Chandler Jayne Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) identifies acquired capability as a key factor contributing to suicidal behavior. Previous research has shown that violent media exposure can increase suicidal risk through desensitization, imitation, and trauma activation. However, little is known about the role of true crime consumption (TCC), a popular form of violent media engagement, in relation to IPTS constructs. This study examined whether TCC predicts acquired capability for suicide, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. A total of 215 participants were retained after data cleaning. Hypotheses predicted that higher TCC would be associated with higher acquired capability (H1), that TCC would …

Spectral Methods And Wavelets In Quantitative Finance Problems, Davood Damircheli

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation leverages advanced spectral methods and wavelet techniques to address complex quantitative finance models, enhancing the computation of financial derivatives and risk assessments. Building on foundational studies, this research extends these methods to broader, intricate financial contexts. The first section explores fractional-order generalized Chebyshev wavelets (FOCW) applied to fractional advection equations, relevant in both mathematics and physics. Using a regularized beta function to compute the Riemann-Liouville fractional integral operator, this study introduces a novel numerical scheme with robust accuracy, confirmed through error analysis and empirical tests. The second part examines the fractional Black-Scholes equations for option pricing under subdiffusive …

Bridging The Gap: Enhancing Novice Teacher Retention Through Logistical And Administrative Support, Denise Fleurette Harrel

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the challenges novice teachers encounter and how structured support systems impact their job satisfaction, effectiveness, and retention. The review focuses on administrative and logistical support, highlighting gaps between teacher preparation and classroom realities that contribute to high attrition (Falk, 2017; Koca, 2016). Key challenges include insufficient time management training, inconsistent expectations, and limited district or school-level support (Fantilli & McDougall, 2009), all of which are intensified by the demands of navigating modern classroom technologies (Philipsen et al., 2019). The literature review centers on teacher perceptions to clarify what constitutes effective logistical and administrative support (Banerjee et al., …

Small Area Estimation Methods For County-Level Forest Biomass Estimation, Pratyush Dhungana

Theses and Dissertations

We evaluated small area estimation (SAE) methods for county-level forest biomass across four Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) regions in the contiguous United States using the coefficient of variation and relative root mean squared error. The Standard Fay–Herriot (FH) model was compared with multivariate, spatial, and measurement-error extensions, while the unit-level Battese–Harter–Fuller (BHF) model was compared with mixed-effects random forests (MERF) with auxiliary data from remote sensing. Spatial FH improved precision when spatial dependence was strong; otherwise, Standard FH was more reliable. All FH models were effective with fewer than 100 plots. Measurement-Error FH produced more accurate estimates than FIA …

Toward A Unified Network Flow Framework: From Conservation Principles To Fluid Dynamics Models, Zonghan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Network flows govern a wide range of critical systems, from tangible infrastructures like transportation and power grids to replicable processes such as information spread and epidemics. While tangible flows obey conservation laws and physical constraints, replicable flows, like rumors or viruses, can grow, decay, or vanish unpredictably. Despite their increasing interaction in real-world settings, these flow types are typically modeled in isolation, using disconnected mathematical frameworks. This dissertation presents a unified modeling approach that bridges the gap between conserved and replicable flows by embedding principles from fluid dynamics into graph-based propagation models. I introduce physically informed extensions to classical models, …

The Effects Of Bullying Victimization And Bullying Perpetration On Academic, Social, And Emotional Self-Efficacy Among Adolescents, Amber Crenshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying remains a persistent challenge in schools and has been linked to diminished perceptions of capability across multiple domains. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined how bullying victimization and bullying perpetration relate to domain-specific self-efficacy, academic, social, and emotional, among students in grades 4-12 in the southern United States. Students (N = 81) completed the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (APRI-BT) measuring victimization and perpetration across verbal, social, and physical behaviors. Students also completed the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) measuring domain-specific self-efficacy. Analyses included descriptive statistics, internal consistency estimates, bivariate correlations, and hierarchical multiple regressions. Moderation by parental education and socioeconomic …

Effects Of Parenting And Differentiation Of Self On Career Identity Development In Emerging Adults, Benjamin Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates how parenting styles relate to the development of career identity in emerging adults and whether differentiation of self helps explain those links. Using a two?manuscript format with a shared dataset of U.S. undergraduates (n =148), parenting behavior (i.e., warmth and control) was assessed alongside career identity constructs (career exploration and commitment); a second study added differentiation of self as a possible mediator of these relationships. Manuscript 1 examined whether parenting styles are associated with Marcia-based career identity outcomes. After deriving identity groupings consistent with achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, and diffusion, multinomial models indicated that more autonomy?supportive, high-warmth parenting …

How The Advisor-Advisee Relationship Contributes To Black Student Success At Pwis, Renata Denise Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how the advisor-advisee relationship contributes to Black student success at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Black student enrollment and retention at PWIs continue to decline, especially with national efforts to cut DEI measures. Previous research highlights that engagement and institutional support are critical to persistence and graduation; however, limited literature exists on how academic advising relationships can impede or contribute to Black student outcomes in these environments. Viewing from the lens of Black students’ perceptions, this study examines how the academic advising experience can foster trust and contribute to academic achievement for Black students or impede their …