Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Impact Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy On Student Cultural Capital, Jessica Asten Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the intersection of cultural capital and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) within the context of eighth-grade social studies education. Grounded in a theoretical framework of Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, and principles of critical curriculum theory, this research study investigated how elements of objectified and embodied cultural capital manifested in student participants and how those elements may have been influenced using culturally relevant instructional strategies. Within the context of a mixed methods design, a qualitative survey instrument was administered to students enrolled in South Carolina and United States history courses and sought to …

Instructional Practices, Belonging, And Self-Efficacy In Rural Inquiry-Based Classrooms: A Structural Equation Model Of Direct And Indirect Effects, Jennifer Nichol Harrist

Theses and Dissertations

Research on inquiry-based learning (IBL) has largely focused on student achievement outcomes, with less attention given to how classroom social dynamics influence students’ motivational beliefs, particularly within rural educational contexts. Rural schools often operate within smaller, close-knit communities where interpersonal relationships may shape students’ academic experiences in distinctive ways. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between instructional practices, belonging, and students’ academic self-efficacy in rural inquiry-based learning environments. Using self-efficacy theory and belonging frameworks, the study investigated whether students’ perceptions of teacher and peer belonging mediated the relationship between instructional practices and perceived academic competence.

Survey …

Meeting The Needs Of Students With Disabilities In School Crisis Plans, Christine L. Montesi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine crisis preparedness among educators in public schools across York County, SC. More specifically, the study explored how prepared educators believe they are to meet the needs of students with disabilities during and after a school-based crisis. While a majority of public schools report having written crisis plans in place, less is known about crisis preparedness for students with disabilities. Respondents were asked to provide input on ways to address the needs of students with disabilities during a crisis and report their own perceptions of preparedness.

Data were collected through a survey and …

Soft Skills As The New Hard Skills In The Industry 5.0 Era, Miria Zangirolami Munoz

Theses and Dissertations

As technological advancement reshapes educational and professional landscapes, the human dimensions of teaching have become increasingly critical. This action research study examines the gap between the strong academic preparation of Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) pre-service teachers and their readiness to meet professional workplace expectations. Situated within the context of Industry 5.0, where human-centered skills are emphasized alongside digital competence, the study explores how soft skills, punctuality, digital etiquette, presentation skills, and professional attire, can be intentionally developed within teacher education. Guided by the strength model of self-control and achievement goal theory, a targeted workshop intervention was …

From Survival To Social: The Evolution Of Strategic Competence In B2 English Learners During Collaborative Board Gameplay, Hazza Bin Hazza

Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the communicative strategies of B2-level English language learners was conducted to investigate the evolutionary trajectory of strategic deployment in informal, collaborative, and non-instructional settings. While traditional research has predominantly focused on digital or explicitly educational games within controlled, single-session tasks, a notable gap remains in understanding how learners navigate the linguistic and social demands of non-pedagogical, commercially available board games over repeated encounters. This qualitative case study addressed this gap by observing four learners as they engaged in four sessions of Forbidden Desert, a collaborative survival board game.

The theoretical framework integrated Sociocultural Theory, Communicative Competence, and …

Examining Shifts In Attitudes Toward Mathematics: A Mixed Methods Study In Undergraduate Business Calculus, Kathryn Pedings-Behling

Theses and Dissertations

Students in my non-theoretical Business Calculus course at the College of Eastshore almost never begin the class with a positive attitude towards mathematics. They are taking the course to fulfill their general education requirements in mathematics, and for most of them, this will be their last experience in a formal classroom setting with a mathematics educator. This profile of a math-reluctant student is not unique to my Business Calculus course; I have spoken with many fellow educators in similar situations who experience the same persistence of negative attitudes toward mathematics from their own students. Their attitude not only has implications …

The Importance Of Being Present: Presence Over Performance, De'on Turner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the development of presence as the foundational element of the actor’s craft through a sustained analysis of four major roles performed during the Master of Fine Arts Acting program at the University of South Carolina: Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (Spring 2024), Kesi/the Astronaut in Moon Man Walk (Fall 2024), Dennis in Mauritius (Spring 2025), and Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest (Fall 2025).

The central argument of this thesis is that the actor does not bring the character to life — at full depth; it is the character who brings …

An Agile-Informed Job Demands-Resources Framework In Hospitality: A Dual-Pathway Structural Model Of Employee Satisfaction, Burnout, And Turnover Intentions, Albaraa Mesawi

Theses and Dissertations

Persistent labor shortages and elevated voluntary turnover define the hospitality industry. High-intensity service interactions increase workload, emotional labor, and time pressure for non-management employees. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model predicts engagement and retention when job resources offset job demands. Existing research has not specified which operational conditions reliably predict this balance in dynamic service work. This study evaluates whether adapted Agile philosophy serves as a heuristic framework for specifying JD-R constructs in hospitality. The study maps Agile values and principles to validated psychological constructs through Psychological State Matching: Self-Organization to Psychological Empowerment (PE), Regular Reflection to Perceived Team Learning Behavior …

The Legacy Of Hosting Sport Mega-Events On Local Consumers’ Consumption Behavior: The Case Of The Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup, Saad Alshamari

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the legacy of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup on domestic soccer consumption in Qatar, with emphasis on long-term cognitive and behavioral outcomes two years post-event. Although sport mega-events (SMEs) are often justified by projected economic and infrastructural benefits, less empirical attention has been devoted to their enduring influence on domestic sport consumption, particularly in small host nations. This study investigated whether engagement with the World Cup, operationalized as attendance, media viewership, event-related spending, and participation in pre-game activities predicted subsequent attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC toward consuming soccer at local, regional, and global levels. The moderating …

Between Traditions And Techniques: The Growth Of An Actor Across Styles And Cultures, Didem Ruhi Karci

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reflects on my artistic development during the Master of Fine Arts in Acting program at the University of South Carolina through an analysis of several performance processes, including The Visit, the Commedia dell’arte devised piece Mad Love, Antigone, Twelfth Night, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Drawing from rehearsal experiences, performance practices, and classroom training, the thesis examines how different acting techniques and theatrical traditions shaped my approach to character creation and performance. Throughout these productions, I explored the relationship between voice, body, and emotional truth while applying tools such as the Alexander Technique, Lessac voice work, Michael …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Genetic Cancer Prevention Clinic As A Tool For Managing Patients At Elevated Risk For Cancer, Sydney Marlene Price

Theses and Dissertations

People with an inherited cancer predisposition but have not been affected with cancer or tumors themselves are known as previvors. A previous study suggested the need for the establishment of a specialized management clinic for previvors in the Midlands of South Carolina. In 2022, the Genetic Cancer Prevention Clinic (GCPC) was established to serve this patient population. This study examined effectiveness of the GCPC in helping previvors manage their psychological and medical needs. A mixed methods design consisting of a chart review of patients enrolled in the GCPC (N=34) and a semi-structured phone interview (n=3) was …

Guilt’S Role In Sustainable Fashion Adoption: Bridging The Attitude-Behavioral Intention Gap And Moral Influences On Consumer Choices, Lauren Mckenzie Cole

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a substantial increase in consumer awareness within the fashion industry. Despite increased consumer consciousness and a growing interest in adopting sustainable fashion habits, a notable gap exists between consumer attitudes, intentions, and actual behavior. This is referred to as the attitude-behavior gap. Although many consumers express a desire to adopt sustainable fashion consumption habits, various psychological factors and barriers hinder their ability to do so. This Study addresses these challenges, focusing specifically on the role of guilt as a motivating factor in bridging the attitude-behavior gap. Using a survey with Generation Z consumers, this study …

Bias Effects Of Priming Towards Huntington’S Disease Among Second- Year Medical, Physician Assistant, And Genetic Counseling Students, Cameron Lynn Galley

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Huntington’s Disease (HD) have experienced bias in their interactions with the public and with health professionals. This study explored perceptions of HD and potential bias among students in interdisciplinary health professions. We hypothesized that the presence of symptoms in vignettes would reflect increased implicit bias, participants with exposure to HD would show less bias than those without, and genetic counseling students would exhibit lower bias towards HD than medical and physician assistant students.

Attitudes towards those with HD were assessed through one of four vignettes about a fictional character in which a presymptomatic diagnosis was present or absent, …

Recollection Of The Archaic Psyche: A Comparative Study Of Viacheslav Ivanov’S Realistic Symbolism And Carl Gustav Jung’S Analytical Psychology, Elizabeth Jay Wheless

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reflects my three years at the University of South Carolina’s Master of Fine Arts in Acting program, including the roles I’ve played and shows I’ve acted in. The chapters include detailed accounts of my time acting as The Teacher in The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt in March 2024, the Choragos in Antigone by Sophocles in October 2024, Mary in Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck in February 2025 and Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde in November 2025. Each chapter has subchapters of “auditions and callbacks,” “rehearsals,” “performances,” and “lessons and conclusion.” This thesis is a …

Musculoskeletal Physiology In Piano Pedagogy: Mechanistic Insight, Movement Exploration, And Technique-Building Exercises, Ziyue Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Piano technique requires the coordinated movements of multiple body parts; therefore, a clear understanding of the physiological principles underlying these movements is essential for effective technical instruction. Although existing literature— such as Thomas Marks’s What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body—provides detailed anatomical descriptions, it is often unclear how such knowledge can be systematically translated into pedagogical practice. To address this gap, this dissertation draws on musculoskeletal physiology to examine the movement mechanisms underlying major piano techniques. These mechanisms encompass thumb function, the fourth and fifth fingers, finger independence, wrist function, forearm rotation, the integration of natural arm …

Developing And Validating Asian American General Strain Theory, Hyeseon Noh

Theses and Dissertations

General Strain Theory (GST) has been extensively tested across diverse populations, yet Asian Americans, the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, remain largely absent from this body of research. This study addresses this critical gap by developing and validating an Asian American GST that incorporates both traditional and culturally specific strains while examining how collectivist cultural values moderate strain-emotion-coping pathways. Using primary data from 904 Asian American adults across five generational cohorts, this research employed a moderated mediation framework across three interconnected studies. Study 1 tested foundational GST mechanisms, examining direct and mediated effects of strain on three coping …

Parental Perspectives On Preparedness Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities For Transition To Adulthood, Oretha Bennett-Spence

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Oretha Bennett-Spence PARENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON PREPAREDNESS OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES FOR TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD 2026 JoAnn Manning, Ed.D. Doctor of Education The transition from high school to adulthood presents significant challenges for young adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. Although schools are required to provide transition services, limited research has examined parents’ lived experiences navigating this process. This qualitative study explored how parents perceive their child’s preparedness for adulthood and postsecondary life. Guided by Schlossberg’s (1981) 4S Transition Framework and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examined the experiences of six parents whose young adults were …

Bridging The Gap: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring The Relationships Between Student-Teacher Demographic Mismatch And Students’ Perceptions Of Fairness, Inclusion, And Achievement, Nicholas Nahrwold

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationships between student-teacher demographic mismatch and students’ perceptions of fairness, inclusion, and achievement. The purpose of this research was to determine how race, gender, and SES mismatch between students and teachers is related to their feelings of belonging and academic outcomes. A mixed-methods study was conducted involving a combination of survey data, student performance records, and student interviews. Results from the study indicated a relationship between student-teacher gender match and GPA, student-teacher racial match and GPA, and student-teacher racial match and attendance outcomes. Although not statistically significant, the data collected also highlighted trends between student-teacher SES …

A Study Of Early Childhood Coaches’ Preparedness To Implement Lgbtq+ Affirming Social–Emotional Practices, Nicole Lynn Muñoz

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative collective instrumental case study examined how early childhood consultation specialists (coaches) perceive and implement LGBTQ+ affirming practices in early learning environments serving children from birth to five. Although legal and policy advancements have increased recognition of LGBTQ+ identities, early childhood education remains an underexamined context for inclusive practice. Grounded in a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm and informed by Queer Theory, Transformative Leadership Theory, Practice-Based Coaching, and the Pyramid Model, data were collected through interviews, surveys, and reflective field notes with a purposeful sample of New Jersey coaches. Findings highlight how coaches define inclusion, navigate organizational conditions, and identify …

Does Concurrent Completion Of A Computer Task Interfere With Talking? Comparing Younger And Older Adults, Emma Simpson Hymas

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of a computer-based divided attention task on spoken language and compares the impact between younger (18–30 years) and older (55–82 years) adults. Sixty adults participated in a speaking task and two computer tasks which varied in difficulty. The Level 1 computer task involved highlighting each instance of the word “the” and the Level 2 computer task involved highlighting each instance of the word “the” while also underlining each instance of the word “a”. Each task was completed alone and then two computer tasks with different levels of difficulty were completed concurrently with a procedural discourse …

Database-Driven Revelations In Epilepsy: Patient Reporting Accuracy And The Circadian Timing Of Seizures, Ithay Biton

Theses and Dissertations

For over thirty years, patients have been visiting the Arkansas Epilepsy Program for diagnosis and treatment for seizures and seizure-like episodes. As part of their clinical evaluation, patients often undergo ambulatory EEG (electroencephalogram) monitoring. This routine process produces valuable data for treating the patient. In this study, over 2000 ambulatory EEG reports from 1998 to 2016 were reviewed. A large database of seizures was created from the reports, with information on 407 patients, 1611 EEG-confirmed seizures, and 1726 patient-reported seizures (IRB Protocol #17-093). The database was used to address two important issues in epilepsy. The first topic of the study …

Development Of Hypergraph Based Deep Neural Framework For Precise Cancer Subtyping And Meta Visualization, Pooja G Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate Cancer Subtyping is a cornerstone of modern oncology essential for effective diagnosis and guiding personalized treatment. Histopathological Images (HIs) which capture the microscopic structure of tissues are widely used for cancer detection and subtyping. Even though deep learning has made significant advances, existing HI based subtyping methods often focus on specific cancer types, lacking a generic framework.

A unified framework that can classify multiple cancers with high specificity is desperately needed. In response to these limitations, this thesis proposes a robust multi-cancer, multi-class subtyping framework called DSHGNet (Depthwise Separable Hypergraph Convolutional Neural Network) which integrates Depthwise Separable Convolutional Neural …

Political Party Leaders’ Branding: The Case Of The Uk Conservative & Labour Parties, Dania Akkawi

Theses and Dissertations

Political party branding has become increasingly shaped by digital communication, particularly through social media platforms where voters actively engage with political leaders and one another. This thesis studies “Political Party Branding: The Case of the UK Conservative & Labour Parties”, focusing specifically on the interconnections between Stakeholder Theory and Emotional Branding Theory on voter opinion and voter interest, during the 2024 UK general election. Through a comparative analysis of Rishi Sunak (Conservative Party) and Keir Starmer (Labour Party), the study tests theoretical propositions drawn from the theories to assess how visibility and emotional intensity shape voter opinion and interest. Using …

Assessing Public-Sector Readiness For Artificial Intelligence In Egypt, Renad Ahmed Anwar

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly adopted in public-sector contexts, yet successful implementation depends on organizational readiness, particularly in developing countries. This study assesses the readiness of Egypt’s public sector for AI adoption using a qualitative expert opinion methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior professionals from global technology firms with extensive experience working with public-sector entities in Egypt.

Guided by by an integrated framework combining organizational readiness theory, the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, and public value and governance perspectives, the study examines strategic, organizational, human, technological, societal, and governance dimensions of AI readiness. The findings indicate that while Egypt demonstrates strong …

The Impact Of Environmental Communication On Consumer Behavior: The Mediating Role Of Ascription Of Responsibility And Attitude, Nada Hussam El-Maghraby

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aims to examine the effect of environmental communication on promoting pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the Egyptian society. The study also tests the mediating roles of ascription of responsibility and attitude toward pro-environmental behavior on the examined relationship. Another aim of the study is to explore intention as a mediator in the relationship between attitude toward pro-environmental behavior and behavior. The research is based on the Norm Activation Theory (NAT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A mixed-methods approach was implemented in this study. Quantitatively, a survey was conducted, and 406 responses were collected using convenience sampling …

Parallel Concepts Found In The Thousand And One Nights And Sufi Hagiography, Walaa Kamal Emam Kamel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that The Thousand and One Nights functions as more than mere populist entertainment; rather, it constitutes a literary corpus imbued with Sufi mystical epistemologies that reflect the spiritual quests and Sufi concepts evident in hagiographical traditions. Through discourse and intertextual analysis of two Nights stories, “The City of Brass” and “The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad,” alongside Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār’s Tadhkirat al-awliyāʾ, this study demonstrates how shared rhetorical strategies—specifically David Pinault’s Leitwörter analysis and L.A. Paul’s Transformative Experience concept—reveal a narrative and rhetorical emphasis on the metamorphosis of the self from worldly attachment toward …

In Her Words: The Silent Battles Of Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer, Nada Mohamed Ahmed Hassan Nh

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the emotional, social, and economic difficulties encountered by Egyptian women from middle- to working-class origins after a breast cancer diagnosis. Despite being a worldwide health concern, local cultural, institutional, and economic circumstances have a significant impact on the lived consequences of breast cancer. Women's post-diagnosis experiences in Egypt are greatly exacerbated by deeply ingrained gender stereotypes, stigma associated with cancer, and systemic injustices in the healthcare system. This research emphasizes women's situated knowledge and views their bodily experiences as crucial sources of insight into larger societal power relations. It is based on feminist perspective theory, especially the …

Law And The (Re)Production Of Class Hierarchies In Egypt, Ahmad Abdelnaby

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how Egypt’s legal system, structurally tilted toward the elite and constitutive of inequality, has interacted with the country’s entrenched culture of class-based discrimination to produce a legal culture uniquely comfortable with hierarchy. It contends that class-based discrimination in Egypt has evolved from a social prejudice into a juridical condition, one in which the law does not merely mirror inequality but actively constructs and rationalizes it. By examining the intersection between legal structure and Egypt’s entrenched moral order of class-based discrimination, the study reveals a legal culture that no longer hides its hierarchies behind the veil of neutrality …

Lived Experiences Of Limited Sexual And Reproductive Health Education Among Egyptian Women, Nada Abdelhamid

Theses and Dissertations

In Egypt, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education remains largely absent from national education and youth policy frameworks, reflecting a broader governance gap at the intersection of education, health, and gender policy. This qualitative study explores how the lack of formal sexuality education shapes women’s knowledge, perceptions, and sexual and reproductive experiences across the life course, drawing on in-depth interviews with twelve Egyptian women from diverse marital backgrounds. The findings point to persistent gaps in basic SRH knowledge, early exposure to shame and stigma, and reliance on informal and often unreliable sources of information, which participants linked to fear of …

On Education-Occupation And Skill-Occupation Mismatches Among Generation Z In Egypt, Hamsa Mohamed Ebrahim Yousef Ebrahim

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact of education-occupation and skill-occupation mismatches, specifically with regard to Generation Z in Egypt, with a focus on prevalence, socioeconomic factors, and their impact on youth employability and human capital utilization. The research examines education and skill mismatches through a quantitative approach, relying primarily on quantitative analysis of the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) 2023 data using multinomial logistic regression for education mismatches and probit regression for skill mismatches. The results indicate that education and skill mismatches are common among employed Gen Z, with a considerable percentage of 38-45%. This is despite the fact that …