Digital Commons Network^™

Calling All Learners: An Explanatory Integrative Research Study Of Efl Learner-Learner Corrective Feedback Patterns Within On-Line Synchronous Environments, Annmarie Gorenc Zoran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods research study centers on learner-learner interactions; thus, contributing to the on-going investigation within negotiation and interaction, computer-mediated-communication and its role in second language learning. The specific aim was to investigate corrective feedback types, incidences, and the relationship between error and feedback type among peers within online synchronous environments in EFL classes in Slovenia, Europe. Interactional characteristics of corrective feedback with learners having a documented special need (SN) also were explored using qualitative analyses. The study encompassed 208 students that were randomly placed into 104 dyads within intact classes of Grades 7, 8, 10, and 11. There were …

Confronting College: Foster Care Youth Deciding Whether To Participate In Higher Education Programs, Linda K. Herlocker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to explore the college choice process for foster care youth who are aging out of Florida's protective services system. The research methodology included three components. First, a survey of the Independent Living Coordinators throughout the state of Florida solicited data regarding participation rates and enrollment patterns among foster care youth. Next, in a meeting setting, a survey was administered to foster care youth, probing the extent to which they considered certain college choice decision factors. Finally, upon completion of the survey, participants remained for a guided focus group discussion to further explore their decision criteria.The results …

Breathing Easier: Ethnographic Study Of Acute Respiratory Infection In Children In Rural Ecuador, John S. Luque

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research utilizes anthropological methods to determine the degree to which the signs and symptoms female caregivers identify as causes of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in under-fives in rural Ecuador correspond with Western biomedical categories. By employing both a semi-structured medical history questionnaire and more open-ended ethnographic methods such as in-depth informant interviews and focus group research, the researcher identifies the factors which determine timely health care-seeking behaviors of female caregivers in this case study. Economic factors such as the cost of medications and lost work hours were determined to be the primary financial obstacles for timely health care-seeking. …

The Ethics Of The Spirit In Galatians: Considering Paul’S Paranesis In The Interpretation Of His Theology, Steven Douglas Meigs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The faith versus works dichotomy that has been a foundation of Protestant Christianity for centuries is derived in large part from a flawed understanding of Paul's theology in the epistles to the Galatians and Romans. In the wake of WWII, scholars began reexamining Pauline theological constructs and proposing new ways of understanding Paul's arguments regarding faith and works. James D. G. Dunn dubbed this dialogue the "new perspective." This paper will contribute to one particular aspect of new perspective dialogue: understanding the relation of the paranetic material in the final two chapters of Galatians to Paul's theological arguments in the …

Pediatric Healthcare Providers’ Screening Practices: Impact Of Training On Early Identification Of Autism, Aja M. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the effectiveness of the Autism System of Care (ASC) trainings by measuring change in pediatric healthcare providers' method of identifying young children at-risk for autism spectrum disorders. The majority of participants were pediatricians working in either hospitals or clinics who voluntarily participated in the training. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent-groups design was used in this study. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were used to measure change in participants' screening practices. Due to a small number of participants, most findings from the study were not statistically significant. The small number of healthcare providers who participated in the ASC training was a …

Multicultural Education And Cultural Competence In The High Accountability Era: A Study Of Teacher Perception, Jennifer Morley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As America's public schools become more diverse, the achievement gap between white students and students of color persists. These gaps are even more apparent in urban areas that serve large numbers of poor students of color. Because the population of aspiring teachers is increasingly white and middle class, theorists and teacher trainers often recommend multicultural education as a solution to working successfully in these schools. Multicultural education theorists claim that their suggestions for K-12 practitioners have not been infused into classrooms and schools, and so maintain that additional training opportunities should be provided for teachers. Although there is ample literature …

Maximizing The Educational Effects Of Collaborative Learning: The Role Of Vested Interest, Christina Partin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study, using a quasi-experimental research design, investigates connections between pedagogy and social psychology by applying social psychological theories of group work and interaction to collaborative learning, a current trend in pedagogical techniques. It was hypothesized that by creating a setting in which students would be evaluated based in part on the performance of their peers would improve their individual performance. The incentive (a percentage of their grade) would hypothetically motivate students to teach their peers effectively; thus they would be taking a vested-interest role in becoming a co-teacher to their partner. This study was implemented by examining two sections …

Breast Cancer: Relationship Between Acculturation And Barriers To Breast Cancer Screening In Southwest Florida Latinas, Patricia Patino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple campaigns by the American Cancer Society, reports indicate that Latinas living in the United States who contract breast cancer are more likely than Anglos to die. These findings correlate with low participation in breast cancer screenings among Latinas. The objective of this study was to identify key obstacles that influence Latinas' low participation in breast cancer screenings, based on their health beliefs, knowledge of screenings, acculturation, and socio-economic factors.The study was a face-to-face informal interview, combined with a survey questionnaire conducted at churches, social clubs and/or at the participants' homes in a southwest Florida urban community. The sample …

Menendez Versus Mickey: A Study Of Heritage Tourism In Florida, Monica Rowland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The National Trust for Historic Preservation defines heritage tourism as: "traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and peoples of the past and present. It includes irreplaceable historic, cultural, and natural resources." Heritage tourism is a lucrative industry in the United States. On average, heritage tourists spend $623 per trip compared to $457 for all U.S. travelers. The rise of heritage tourism is inextricably linked with several trends in American society, namely: the historic preservation movement, the desire for a sense of place, and nostalgia. These motivating tendencies often inspire problems of authenticity, commodification, and …

The Social Construction Of School Refusal: An Exploratory Study Of School Personnel’S Perceptions, Anna Marie Torrens Salemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite a multi-disciplinary, international literature, little research has drawn attention to the phenomenon of school refusal within the school. Most research on school refusal follows a positivist paradigm, focusing on the student, instead of examining the role of schools. Using a qualitative design and a social constructionist framework, this study explored how school personnel perceive school refusal, focusing on the social interactions, processes, and perceptions that construct their understanding. The study was conducted in a large school district in the Southeastern United States.Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with school personnel at the middle school (N=42), high school (N=40), and district …

Icon, Representation And Virtuality In Reading The Graphic Narrative, David Steiling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Icon," "representation," and "virtuality," are key elements to consider when reading multi-modal narratives, including graphic narratives. By considering in detail how these elements are realized in various examples, the author shows how the study of the comics can lay groundwork for critical reading across the technological continuum of storytelling.The author looks at how icon, representation, and virtuality interact in a reading of William Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress. He then examines each term in more detail through readings of a variety of graphic narratives including Max Ernst's, Une Semaine de Bonte, Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland, Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of …

"Mingling Incantations": Hart Crane's Neo-Symbolist Poetics, Christopher A. Tidwell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The largest impediment to appreciating Hart Crane as a symbolist modern American poet derives from the fragmentary critical attention paid to his borrowings from and familiarity with French Symbolists like Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, and Stéphane Mallarmé. Almost equally important, the early career of T. S. Eliot exerted a profound impact on Crane's poetic development and indeed served as the primary introduction to many nineteenth-century French poets for Crane and many other American poets of his generation. This dissertation initially examines contemporary critical definitions of the symbolist method and explores the extent to which Hart Crane's familiarity with the French …

A Structural Approach To The Study Of Intra-Organizational Coalitions, Dean T. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coalitions are widely associated with collective or collaborative attempts to influence organizational members, decisions, policies and events. Yet, surprisingly, relatively little is known about how coalitions develop within organizations. Employing an exploratory case study design and using social network analysis, the Rokeach Value Survey, and semi-structured interviews, this research demonstrated that it is possible to identify and study coalitions in a real organizational setting. I suggest that the inclusion and investigation of member relationships may advance the state of the art in organizational coalition research. A benefit of this study, and contrary to most coalition research, is that it used …

Parents As Navigators: How Caregivers Of Children With Mental Health Difficulties Find Supports In The Workplace, Eileen M. Brennan, Marlene Penn, Katherine J. Huffstutter, Jennifer R. Bradley, Julie M. Rosenzweig

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Presentation given at the 19th Annual Research Conference: A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base, Tampa, FL, February 2006.

Combining Linear Regression With Reconstructability Analysis: A Study Of Differences In Health Status, Renato Carletti, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

A linear regression model was used to predict variations in health status with the hypothesis that literacy level as a proximal measure for educational attainment would show a strong correlation with health status. Groups of other independent variables have also been introduced in the model to test whether the effect of literacy on health would have been mediated by other factors, or increased by them. The linear regression model did not show any strong relation between literacy and health, but pointed to other factors as predictors of health status.

Methods of data mining have been used for exploring throughout all …

Urban History For Planners, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article analyzes the conceptual and historiographic differences between the closely related fields of urban history and planning history. It reviews the origins of urban history as a distinct field and argues that work in urban history falls into three broad categories dealing with civic life, individual and group relations, and the physical evolution of urban places. It identifies topics that are particularly fruitful and generate new scholarship, and suggests ways in which each of these realms of urban history raises questions of relevance to urban planning and urban policy.

Science And Intractable Conflict, Connie P. Ozawa

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using illustrative examples, this article describes how science and other types of information often are used in an attempt to settle Conflict. Expectations for science to arbitrate differences may be misplaced, however, and such misuse of science can aggravate and exacerbate Conflict. Instead, effective resolution may be facilitated by focusing on facts that matter, acknowledging the value of varied sorts and sources of information, and recognizing scientific uncertainty.

A "Social Dimension" In European Private Law?: The Call For Setting A Progressive Agenda, Ugo Mattei, Fernanda Nicola

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Heart Of The Matter: Aligning Curriculum, Pedagogy And Engagement In Higher Education, Kevin Kecskes, Seanna Kerrigan, Judy Patton

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay explores the themes of curriculum and pedagogy, as outlined by the editors of this special edition, in the context of Portland State University's institutional transformation. We elucidate select mechanisms that support curricular-community interactions, known at PSU as "community-based learning." In doing so we discuss how CBL and other civic engagement strategies relate to the disciplines, departments, and interdisciplinary work as well as how these various collaborative approaches affect pedagogy and epistemology at PSU.

African American Parents In The Search Stage Of College Choice: Unintentional Contributions To The Female To Male College Enrollment Gap, Michael J. Smith, Michael Fleming

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

A serious imbalance exists in today’s African American undergraduate student population where women far outnumber men. Although at the macro level political, sociological, and economic forces frame this gender enrollment gap, scant research has explored micro level influences such as parents and parenting. This study uses a qualitative methodology and Hossler’s model of college choice to examine African American parent involvement during the search stage. The study found that the parents, who were mostly female, had higher aspirations for daughters, encouraged daughters to consider four-year colleges more often, but showed equal levels of tangible support for sons and daughters. The …

Murales De Mi Calle = Street Gallery, Marisol Martinez VáZquez

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Hegemonic Masculinity And Male Interpretations Of Female Objectification, Nicolette Anne Marie Pacho

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

School Effectiveness Research In China, Shujie Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was to identify the processes of effective schools in China, thereby enriching the international study of school effectiveness. A multistrand concurrent mixed model design was utilized to test the research hypotheses and answer the research questions. Both probability and purposive sampling strategies were employed in this study. The MANOVA analyses from the teacher, student, and parent questionnaires revealed a consistent result: there were significant differences between more effective and less effective schools across all the traditional school effectiveness variables. The MANOVA results for classroom teaching also demonstrated significant differences between more effective and less …

Suicide And Community Traumatic Events: Is There A Connection?, Regina T. Praetorius

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between community traumatic events (CTEs) such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the temporal distribution of suicide in a metropolitan Louisiana parish (county) in the Southern United States over the period of January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2004. The researcher used data on suicides (homicides and accidental deaths were used for comparison) in the selected parish to describe the distribution of suicides over the 11 year period. A procedure was developed for identifying and categorizing CTEs sustained by the selected parish (county). A spectral analysis …

Food Purchasing Behaviors, Dietary Energy Density, Perceived Health Status, And Perceived Nutrition Knowledge Of Female Food Stamp Recipients Living In Southeast Louisiana, Carrie Marie Elks

LSU Master's Theses

Purchase and consumption of energy-dense nutrient poor [EDNP] foods by low-income individuals contributes to the lower diet quality and increased risk of chronic disease (e.g. obesity, type 2 diabetes) in this population. Food purchasing behaviors, dietary energy density [ED], perceived health status, and perceived nutrition knowledge were assessed in 22 female food stamp recipients in Southeast Louisiana. Two 24-hour recalls (at the beginning and at the end of the month) and food expenditure receipts were collected; participants also completed several questionnaires. Fifty percent [%] (n=11) of study participants were food secure, and fifty percent (n=11) were food insecure. Sixty-four % …

Underground In The Confederate Capital: Punk Subculture In Richmond, Virginia, Christopher J. Dalbom

LSU Master's Theses

The intent of this thesis is to investigate the role of the punk subculture in Richmond, Virginia from an ethnographic perspective. Through participant observation and open-ended interviews, it seeks an understanding of the role of the subculture in the lives of those who embrace it and how it shapes their experiences in Richmond. In doing so, it hopes to fill a gap in music geography and in the study of the punk subculture. According to much of the literature, punk died decades ago, but for those who claim punk allegiance in Richmond today, it is very alive and real. This …

Commodification And Contract Formation: Placing The Consideration Doctrine On Stronger Foundations, David Gamage, Allon Kedem

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Under the traditional consideration doctrine, a promise is only legally enforceable if it is made in exchange for something of value. This doctrine lies at the heart of contract law, yet it lacks a sound theoretical justification a fact that has confounded generations of scholars and created a mess of case law.

This article argues that the failure of traditional justifications for the doctrine comes from two mistaken assumptions. First, previous scholars have assumed that anyone can back a promise with nominal consideration if they wish to do so. We show how social norms against commodification limit the availability of …

Measuring Player Perceptions Of Advertising In Online Games, Ben Lewis

LSU Master's Theses

An experiment with 100 participants aged 18-24 was conducted to measure the effects of advertising in an online role-playing computer game on perceived interactivity and other aspects of gameplay experience. Results from a post-test questionnaire revealed insight into players' attitudes toward advertising in video game environments, and reflected varying levels of advertising awareness and recall, message recognition, and factors in purchasing habits. Results suggested that while advertising in online games can sometimes trigger high advertising awareness rates, it can also reduce a game's perceived sense of realism and genuinely annoy players if not appropriately coordinated with the game environment. Whereas …

Generation "X" Professional Women Leaving The Workforce To Become Full-Time, Stay-At-Home Mothers: A Qualitative Analysis Of Motivation, Meaning, And Mindful Parenting, Monisa Shackelford

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Using qualitative data gathering and analysis, the current trend of professional women leaving workforce to rear their children full-time is examined. Women in the second generation to enter the labor force in large numbers indicate that there are factors that push them out of the workforce, such as a non-family friendly workplace, and factors that pull them back home, such as a profound need to rear their own children. While the transition from professional to stay-at-home mother is a complex process, the women in this study deal with this identity shift, and its attendant resistance, by framing their change in …

The Perceived Benefits Of Healthcare Information Technology Adoption: Construct And Survey Development, So-Ra Jung

LSU Master's Theses

This paper is a part of a large study, which examines healthcare professionals’ attitudes regarding the adoption, use and perceived benefits of healthcare information technology (HIT). To date, literature on HIT has shown many important benefits related to quality and efficiency as well as limitations related to generalization and to a lack of empirical data on benefits. The aim of this paper is to develop a survey instrument focused the perceived benefits of HIT adoption. We exhaustively reviewed the construct of perceived benefits in various research areas to identify established approaches to predicting individual’s intentions to adopt technology. The items …