Digital Commons Network^™

Best Practice, Actual Practice And Teacher Training In Early Childhood Specialeducation In Indiana, Emma Beatrice Jurrens

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The degree to which actual practice conforms to research-based best practice in early childhood specialEducation, in the state of Indiana, was the primary focus of this study. The relationship between best practice and actual practice in different types of inclusive early childhood settings and in different geographical locations, as well as the association between practice and teacherEducation level were also examined. Participants were directors and lead teachers from inclusive early childhood programs in school districts throughout the state of Indiana. Participants were surveyed, by mail, using an instrument designed and pilot tested by the researcher. Items on the survey addressed …

Childhood Closed Head Injury And Memory Outcomes, Mary C. Boyd

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ten children younger than 96 months of age and 11 children 96 months of age or older with a history of closed head injury were followed for one-year after injury. Performances on measures of memory and learning were compared from immediately after injury and 1 year post-injury. There was no difference between groups on measures of visual memory, verbal memory, learning, and general memory indices. For children injured prior to reaching 96 months of age, the visual memory index scores recovered significantly more rapidly than did verbal memory scores. Implications for future research with children with closed head injuries are …

School Personnel Perceptions Of Elementary Student -To -Student Sexual Harassment: Implications For Policy And Practice, Cunningham Catherine Tullis

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature base regarding student-to-student sexual harassment is an area that has been evolving within the last decade. Early studies sought to document the occurrence of this phenomenon in schools, and describe the nature of sexual harassment among students (Fineran, 1996; Lee, Croninger, Linn, & Chin; and Roscoe, Strouse, & Goodwin, 1994). Other studies focused on the perceptions of students to perceived incidences of sexual harassment (Loredo, Reid, & Deaux, 1995; Tata, 1993) and howEducation and prevention programs may help address inappropriate responses by educators to allegations of sexual harassment (Cohan, Hergenrother, Johnson, Mandel, & Sawyer, 1996; Larkin, 1994; Sandler …

The Effect Of Normative Stepfamily Information On Level Of Perceived Stepfamily Adjustment, Carole Lynn Trone

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of videotaped normative information regarding stepfamily development and functioning on level of perceived stepfamily adjustment. Secondarily, the study attempted to identify demographic variables to discriminate between high and low perceived stepfamily adjustment. Participants were 132 clinical and nonclinical stepfather families formed after divorce and recruited in York County, Pennsylvania and Baltimore County, Maryland. Biological mothers, stepfathers, and adolescent children aged 14–17 rated their perceptions of stepfamily adjustment at pre-test, viewed the videotape, and/or rated their perceptions of stepfamily adjustment at post-test. ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect for treatment in both the pre-test ( F …

The Relationship Of Collective Efficacy And Performance In Supervision, Lori Sue Tagger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between the level of collective efficacy in the supervision dyad and the performance of the trainee. Eighty-three dyads participated from masters and doctoral level programs in clinical, counseling, counselingPsychology, or marriage and family therapy. Participants completed the Supervisee Levels Questionnaire-Revised (SLQ-R), a collective efficacy measure and a trainee performance rating scale. Results suggest that when trainees and supervisors feel they work well together and can accomplish their goals (collective efficacy), the trainee is likely to perform better with clients. Developmental level and demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, or years of experience did not …

The Relationship Of Self -Efficacy And Health Value To Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Outcomes, Melanie Marie Matheis-Huene

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether perceived self-efficacy and health value predict: (a) metabolic control and (b) diabetes specific quality of life in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Sixty-six adults with Type 2 diabetes between the ages of 35–65 were recruited from a diabetes treatment center in Southwestern Indiana. Participants were administered a demographic questionnaire, the Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, the Health Value Survey, and the Diabetes Quality of Life Measure. A measure of metabolic control was also obtained. Two standard multiple regression analyses were performed. Perceived self-efficacy and health value did not statistically significantly predict metabolic control. Perceived self-efficacy and health value …

Traditional And Nontraditional Foster Parenting, Angela M. Baranzelli-Yoder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foster parents in nontraditional foster care programs receive more extensive, ongoing training and support than foster parents in traditional foster care programs. This study examined whether differences exist in the levels of perceived parenting stress, satisfaction, and efficacy among traditional and nontraditional foster parents. Twenty-four foster parents completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the Parenting Sense of Competence scale (PSOC). Nontraditional foster parents reported higher levels of overall parenting stress and lower levels of foster parent role satisfaction than did traditional foster parents. However, response profiles indicated that nontraditional foster parents had children with more emotional and behavioral problems …

Community Partnerships: A Case Study Of The Hamilton-Wentworth Supported Housing Coordination Network (Ontario), Jonathan S. Lomotey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community partnerships are growing in importance as means of improving social service delivery (Boudreau, 1991; MacGillivary & Nelson, 1998; McCann & Gray, 1986; Nelson, Prilletensky & MacGillivary, 2001; Wolff, 2001). Several research studies have identified them as effective means of intervention and for strengthening society (Nelson et al., 2001; Wandersman et al., 1996; Wolff, 2001). In this case study of the Hamilton-Wentworth Supported Housing Coordination Network, information was gathered from the participants in the partnership, documents and participant observation to reconstruct and analyze the partnership story. Current mental health housing policy in Ontario was also analyzed to determine its nature …

The Effects Of Food Restriction On Wheel Running In Rats, Vanessa M. Lopak

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The impact of food restriction and refeeding on wheel running was examined in 3 groups of rats: 55 day old male rats in Experiment 1; 140 day old male rats in Experiment 2; and 180 day old female rats in Experiment 3. After a baseline period of 24 to 40 days wheel experience with ad lib food access half of the animals were food restricted for 16 days by being given a limited amount of food daily to reduce (and maintain) their body weight at 85% of their baseline weight. After food restriction the rats were returned to ad lib …

The Internet And Youth Engagement: An Exploration Of How Youth Spend Their Time Online And Its Relation To Civic Involvement, Trevor P.D. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Internet use and civic involvement in youth. Participants consisted of 378 youth between the ages of 16 and 25 from across Canada. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of a measure called the Youth Inventory of Involvement, designed to assess civic involvement in youth. Brief measures of introversion/extraversion and depression were also completed. Participants then completed questions designed to assess the amount of time they spend online in an average week, as well as for what they use the Internet. Results indicate that there may be a non-linear relationship between amount …

Resolving The Uncertainty Of Preterm Symptoms: Women’S Experiences With The Onset Of Preterm Labor, Marianne E. Weiss, Nancy P. Saks, Susan Harris

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To describe expectant women's experiences with the onset of preterm labor.

Design: Qualitative, using grounded theory methods.

Setting: Southwestern tertiary women's hospital.

Participants: Thirty pregnant women who were less than 35 weeks gestation, had experienced preterm labor within the past 7 days, and had no previous experience with preterm labor.

Data Source: Taped and transcribed interviews.

Results: Themes that emerged from the interview data included the following: recognition and naming of sensations, a consistent pattern of attribution of symptoms, the threat or risk inferred by the attributed cause of the symptom pattern, the associated certainty or uncertainty about these …

Rearing The Child Who Is Technology Dependent: Perceptions Of Parents And Home Care Nurses, Maureen O'Brien, Carole B. Wegner

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Most children who are dependent on technology for survival live with their families at home. This study explores the perceptions of parents and home care nurses regarding rearing the technology-dependent child.

DESIGN AND METHODS. In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 16 parents whose child is technology dependent and 15 registered nurses who provided home care.

RESULTS. Rearing the child who is technology dependent is similar to but different from raising other children. Parental communication and negotiation of child-rearing expectations with home care nurses is essential.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Improved collaboration and communication between parents and nurses …

They Did Not Teach: Veterans' Experiences In A Mid-Career Transition Program At An Urban University, Joseph Franklyn Shipes

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This descriptive phenomenology examines the lived experiences of veterans who attempted a mid-career transition into teaching. The study identifies and describes experiences that led to the outcome decisions of 22 men who enrolled in a Military Career Transition Program (MCTP), completed a Master's Degree in Education, but did not become public school teachers. Self-descriptions of their experience were collected in multiple, open-ended interviews and analyzed using Moustakas's (1994) protocols.

Participants described a transition in four stages (a) preliminary conditions for change, (b) socialization and adjustment, (c) refocusing career goals, and (d) reflective assessment. Planning for career change began with ideal …

Organizational Climate And Commitment: A Case Study Of An Urban Nonprofit Organization, William Sawyer Grant

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This qualitative study investigates the relationship between the two constructs: Organizational Climate and Organizational Commitment.

Litwin and Stringer (1968) suggested that a molar model is needed to explain employee behavior and motivation. Climate was proposed as this molar construct. Research concerning Organizational Climate resulted in multiple definitions and little consensus concerning the number and use of multiple dimensions of this construct. The almost exclusive use of survey methods coupled with methodological confusion with Organizational Culture created difficulty with the use of this important construct.

Organizational Commitment research resulted in a number of competing definitions. Research by Meyer and Allen (1997) …

Depression And Social Support As Moderators Of Withon-Person Relationships Between Daily Events And Daily Adjustments During Adolescence, Rebecca M. Plesko

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Everyday for 2 weeks, adolescents described the events that occurred each day and provided measures of their daily self-esteem and depressogenic adjustment. Adolescents also provided trait measures of depression and social support. Within-person relationships were found between social and achievement, positive and negative daily events and daily adjustment. Depression and social support moderated specific within-person relationships. Less well-adjusted adolescents were more reactive to social positive events than better-adjusted adolescents, but surprisingly, better-adjusted adolescents were more reactive to social negative events than less well-adjusted adolescents. Better-adjusted adolescents were also more reactive to achievement positive events than less well-adjusted adolescents. Girls were …

Mass Transfer Reactions And Decay Sinks For Disinfectants In Water Distribution Systems, Jeremy B. Jones

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Treatment plants utilize chlorine and chloramine both as a primary disinfectant for water purification and a secondary disinfectant for distribution system protection. The treatment goal is that the disinfectant residual be present throughout the distribution system until it reaches the customer's tap. Maintaining a residual throughout the system is critical for providing pathogen-free water and protecting human health. Therefore, water utility authorities are very interested in how disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramine decay as they travel through a water distribution system.

Current mathematical models typically divide the decay into two distinct phases. There is (1) decay occurring in the …

The Transfer Promise: An Investigation Of Impediments To Academic Success And Persistence In A Mid-Sized Urban University, Mary H. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

This study adapted and validated, for use with transfer students, an existing freshman survey instrument designed to identify patterns of noncognitive factors related to academic performance and persistence. This study also explored the transfer experience by combining a qualitative interview approach with that of a survey, thus developing a method to ascertain those transfer students who were at risk of attrition.

To identify noncognitive predictors, the researcher examined the percentage of transfer students in academic difficulty for every response to each of the 152 items on a Transfer Student Survey (TSS). Respondents were separated into 4 groups based on their …

On Thanksgiving And Collective Memory: Constructing The American Tradition, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

Relying on the approach by Maurice Halbwachs who argued that collective memory is based on contemporary interests and concerns, this article shows how Thanksgiving has changed over time in accordance with the ideas of the day. Aspects of the analysis support Barry Schwartz’s theory that commemoration reflects the historical past. Similar to the pilgrims’ celebration, many people commemorate Thanksgiving by, for example, feasting and praying. But in contrast to Schwartz’s thought, this paper also shows that there are other elements of traditions that have minimal connection with the original event. Forms of commemoration like the Macy’s Day Parade challenge the …

What Do We Do When We Do Law And Popular Culture, Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

"What We Do When We Do Law and Popular Culture" establishes a theoretical framework for analyzing legal popular culture, taking as its point of departure Richard Sherwin's book "When Law Goes Pop." The article stresses what Professor Silbey considers to be three major stumbling blocks in the growing interdiscipline of law and popular culture. She argues that if we are to advance our understanding of the relationship between law and popular culture, we must follow at least three simple charges: (1) demarcate our beginning concepts, such as law or culture, so that amidst the vast phenomena that may be called …

Preparing For The Clothed Public Square: Teaching About Religion, Civic Education, And The Constitution, Jay D. Wexler

Faculty Scholarship

Although law and religion scholars have long argued about whether American culture marginalizes religious belief, many important indicators suggest that religion indeed plays a prominent role in contemporary American life. America is an extremely religious nation. Polls consistently show that about ninety percent of Americans continue to believe in God, and both church attendance and membership remain at high levels. This religiosity, moreover, spills out into the public square. A great many Americans rely on religious reasons when thinking and talking about public issues. Ninety percent of the members of Congress, by one report, consult their religious beliefs when voting …

Transracial Adoption (Tra) And The Development Of Ethnoracial Identity, Mairi Mckenna

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research on the experience of transracial adoption and the development of identity has indicated that supports for this process are required. Research that has not named transracial adoption as negatively impacting on identity has also recommended these kinds of family supports. There has, however, been a disquieting absence of such support programs. It is for these reasons that I have set out to start the process of identifying the best practices for such supports and begin the process of creating such a program. The methodology is influenced by a number of different theories: participatory action research (PAR), needs assessment, capacity …

Street Crime, Corporate Crime, And Theories Of Punishment: A Response To Brown, Kyron J. Huigens

Articles

In this response to Darryl Brown's important article, Street Crime, Corporate Crime, and the Contingency of Criminal Liability, Professor Huigens argues that Brown has chosen the wrong theory of punishment on which to rest his case for a more regulatory, less punitive, approach to street crime. Brown has chosen the best, most sophisticated consequentialist theory of punishment, as developed principally by Dan Kahan. However, consequentialist punishment theory of any kind has a significant drawback: it has no plausible conception of criminal fault. As a result, Brown is constrained to argue that the language of desert and retribution should be muted …

Evaluating The Sex Discrimination Argument For Lesbian And Gay Rights, Edward D. Stein

Articles

The sex discrimination argument for lesbian and gay rights analyzes laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in terms of sex discrimination. For example, sodomy laws that prohibit only same-sex sexual activities are analyzed as discriminating on the basis of sex because they prohibit women from doing something men are permitted to do, that is, have sex with women. This argument has been championed by some scholars and litigators, and it has persuaded some judges. Edward Stein shows that there are sociological, theoretical, moral, and practical problems facing the sex discrimination argument. He suggests that there are better …

Toward A Nonzero-Sum Approach To Resolving Global Intellectual Property Disputes: What Can We Learn From Mediators, Business Strategists, And International Relations Theorists, Peter K. Yu

Articles

All societies, communities, organizations, and interpersonal relationships experience conflict at one time or another in the process of dayto-day interaction. Conflict is not necessarily bad, abnormal, or dysfunctional; it is a fact of life. Conflict and disputes exist when people are engaged in competition to meet goals that are perceived to be, or actually are, incompatible. However, conflict may go beyond competitive behavior and acquire the additional purpose of inflicting physical or psychological damage on an opponent, even to the point of destruction. It is then that the negative and harmful dynamics of conflict exact their full costs.

The Development Of A Survey Insttument To Identify The Perceived Needs For Professional Development Of Credentialed Ministers Of The Assemblies Of God In Australia, Victoria, Brendan Roach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that it is unknown what are the perceived needs for professional development of credentialed ministers of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Victoria. The purpose of the study was to develop a survey instrument to measure what are those perceived needs. The research question was, "What should be contained in a needs assessment survey to identify the perceived needs for professional development of credentialed ministers of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Victoria?"

A literature review was conducted to identify the competencies required by credentialed ministers to develop in their ministry function. The findings of …

The Relationship Between Entrance Test Scores And Student Outcomes At Lincoln Technical Institute, Linda Mallory

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

In 1999, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) had called into question the admission of students in the automotive and the heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC) technology programs at Lincoln Technical Institute based on their admission scores. The problem under investigation was that it was unknown if there was a relationship between the minimum scores of those students in the automotive and HVAC technology programs who scored between 101-129 on the admissions test and their student outcomes (persistence and graduation versus withdrawal). The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of minimum admission scores on student outcomes. …

A Study To Determine The Relationship Between Where African American Students Graduated High School In New Jersey And Their Participation In Co-Curricular Activities In College, Jocelyn D. Briddell

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

African American women at Douglass College do not seem to be involved in mainstream campus organizations and activities. It has been suggested the students who come from urban areas in New Jersey are less involved in co-curricular activities because of a lack of state funding. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between where African American Douglass women graduated from high school in New Jersey and their participation in co-curricular activities.

There was one research question for this study: Is there a relationship between student participation in co-curricular activities based upon whether the …

Evaluation Of Retention Practices For International Students At College Of Dupage, Robb Frank

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem was, administrative staff at College of DuPage did not know if international students are satisfied with the retention programs and services offered them at College of DuPage. The purpose of this study was to assess students' ratings of importance, and obtain ratings of the effectiveness of programs and services designed to increase student retention. Based on the findings of this evaluation, recommendations to improve the retention focused programs and services were developed. The research question for this study was: What are the international students' ratings of importance and effectiveness concerning the programs, services, and interactions offered to increase …

Evaluation Of The Preceptors’ Perceptions Of Benefits, Rewards, And Support At All Children’S Hospital, Carol Botwinski

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Preceptor programs have been shown to produce nurses, who stay with their jobs, have increased confidence, and competence in the clinical setting. The nurse preceptors are an integral part of these programs. Professional burnout is risked if preceptors are repeatedly asked to assume additional responsibilities without appropriate rewards and support. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between the preceptor's perception of benefits, rewards, support, and their commitment to the preceptor role.

The research questions that guided the study were was there a relationship between the preceptor's perception of benefits, rewards, and support associated with the preceptor …

Developing An Organizational Model For Marketing Nova Southeastern University Academic Programs, Irving Rosenbaum

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Fragmented independent marketing efforts by 17 schools, colleges, and academic centers at Nova Southeastern University have resulted in missed opportunities for NSU, and an inconsistent image for the university. As new providers and methods of delivery create an increasingly competitive environment, marketing has assumed increased significance in higher education.

The purpose of this developmental practicum was to develop a plan for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing at NSU. The research questions were "What would be the optimal model for establishing clear leadership over the now fragmented NSU marketing efforts?" and "What would be an appropriate and valid structure …