Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Perceptions Of Servant Leadership In Administration Of Selected Public Schools, Peggy Jane Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Servant Leadership in an organization using the following variables: valuing people, developing people, building community, displaying authenticity, providing leadership and sharing leadership. The study also examined whether or not a correlation existed between years of faculty service, education level, and faculty gender. The researcher administered the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) designed by Dr. James Laub to three public schools; interviews were also conducted with three school leaders. This study suggests that a Servant Leader positively impacts an organization's overall success.

The Secondary Shuffle: Special Educators As Tutors, Teachers, Or Both, Amy L. Jacobson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives and practices of six secondary special education teachers regarding role conflicts within their profession. Ideally, special education teachers are expected to work with students with disabilities in ways that promote the students' progress on individual learning goals as stated in their IEPs. In reality, special education teachers often spend the time set aside for working on IEP goals assisting the students with homework and tests that will allow the students to "pass" their required classes. Thus, students' IEP goals are often neglected. Three overarching assertions emerged from the data. The first assertion was providing support …

Knowledge Translation Practices Of Health Services Research Organizations In The United States, Wendy Opsahl

Theses and Dissertations

Health services research organizations have generated a growing body of literature that focuses on better understanding challenges facing health care delivery. However, their findings do not always reach end users (e.g., policymakers, providers, managers, general public) in ways that are helpful, relevant, or cost-effective despite the availability of numerous resources designed to aid researchers in communicating more effectively. The purpose of this study was to understand better how health services research organizations in the United States communicate their research findings to end users; determine the degree to which they are translating research findings in ways consistent with the empirical evidence; …

Multiphysics Modeling And Simulation Process To Develop Thin Piezoelectric Film Sensors To Measure The Vibration Of Structures With Complex Shapes And Boundary Conditions., Md. Razib Rahim

Theses and Dissertations

Piezoelectricity was discovered in 1880 by Jacques and Pierre Curie. Its application has since been extended to actuators and sensors, widely used in industry, automotive, and aerospace applications. The last two decades have seen intensive research in piezoelectric theory in an effort to effectively capture and control the distinctive coupling of electricity and elasticity. However, due to the complexity of the theory involved, finite element and numerical methods are often used in the process. Limited analytical exact solutions are also found in literature. The objective of this work is to devise a multiphysics modeling and simulation process to develop thin …

Evaluation Of A Low Corrosion Method To Increase Mercury Oxidation And Scrubber Capture, Shuchita Sanjay Patwardhan

Theses and Dissertations

The taconite industry located in the Mesabi iron range has been identified as one of the major contributors of the atmospheric mercury in the Lake Superior basin by the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP). Mercury is a leading concern among air toxic metals due to its volatility, persistence and bioaccumulation as methylmercury in the environment, and its neurological health impacts.

Previous research work performed at taconite processing plants by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified the taconite ore as the main source of mercury during the taconite processing. Magentite iron ore pellets are produced by balling moist concentrates …

The Impact Of Time Of Day, Sleep, And Nutrition On Age-Related Changes In Cognitive Performance, Jaclyn Reckow

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined how sleep, nutritional intake, and time of day moderate age-related cognitive changes. Research indicates there are cognitive changes associated with healthy aging. Many studies comparing young and older adults have tested participants at the same time of day. More recently, research has revealed certain cognitive tasks produce a synchrony effect, in which participants perform better during their preferred time of day. Older adults tend to prefer morning activities while younger adults prefer afternoon or evening. Forty-eight young adults, ages 18-35 (M = 20.7) and 25 older adults, ages 60-84 (M= 71.4) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality …

Factors Impacting Clinical And Counseling Psychology Students Conducting Research With Lgbt Populations, Daniel Walinsky

Theses and Dissertations

Although a large body of literature exists on training clinical and counseling psychology researchers, scant empirical work has been published that looks at the unique needs of students working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. This study explores researcher development experiences of those students.

Two hypotheses are tested with a sample of 59 doctoral students in APA-accredited clinical and counseling psychology program. The first hypothesis posits that Exploration and Commitment Factors of the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (MoSIEC) will account for variance on the Research Outcome Expectations Questionnaire (ROEQ) beyond that accounted for by social …

Measuring Life Skills: Standardizing The Assessment Of Youth Development Indicators, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt, Mariela Fernandez, Marie Jolliff Bryant, Daniel Theriault

Faculty Publications

While the development of life skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, etc.) is a commonly targeted youth program outcome, the lack of standardized conceptualizations and instrumentation make it difficult to compare impacts across programs and develop validated best practices. In order to promote a more unified approach to life skill development, literature reviews were conducted for 10 life skill domains to identify common definitions and, if available, appropriate outcome measures. Data were then collected from an ethnically diverse sample (N = 758) of elementary, middle, and high school aged youth for the 10 identified instruments. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the …

Richmond Law Magazine: Winter 2012

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

Courage and Independence

How Shall the Constitution be Enforced?

Law Weekend 2011

Justice for All

The Effect Of Race And Masculinity On Female Mate Preference, Michael S. Penuliar

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current work extends upon the theories of female mate preference in a novel way by examining how the interaction of race and the masculinity of males affect preference in females. In Study 1, I manipulated the facial masculinity of photographs of White, Black, and Asian males. Female participants rated the faces on attractiveness, masculinity, and age. In Study 2, nine photographs were matched on masculinity and participants made judgments on dimensions relating to dateabiltity, attractiveness, resources, masculinity, and parenting behaviors. Asian males are often neglected as potential romantic partners. A major aim of the current work was to assess …

Emerging Issues Of Health And Safety Training Delivery In Australia: Quality And Transferability, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2012

This paper presents some initial findings that have emerged from a critical realist study in progress in Western Australia that is examining the impact of health and safety training in relation to the introduction of a national Work Health and Safety Act (WHS Act). Training has been identified as a key support mechanism to implement improved work health and safety under the newly harmonised regulatory framework through professional development, workplace certificated training, and tertiary educational training. There are a limited number of studies that evaluating safety training programmes by examining the quality of training and the impact on reducing work-related …

The Application Of A Visual Data Mining Framework To Determine Soil, Climate And Land-Use Relationships, Yunous Vagh

Research outputs 2012

In this research study, the methodology of action research dynamics and a case study was employed in constructing a visual data mining framework for the processing and analysis of geographic land-use data in an agricultural context. The geographic data was made up of a digital elevation model (DEM), soil and land use profiles that were juxtaposed with previously captured climatic data from fixed weather stations in Australia. In this pilot study, monthly rainfall profiles for a selected study area were used to identify areas of soil variability. The rainfall was sampled for the beginning (April) of the rainy season for …

Genome Sequence Of Strain Himb30, A Novel Member Of The Marine Gammaproteobacteria, Megan Huggett, Michael Rappe

Research outputs 2012

Strain HIMB30 was isolated from coastal Hawaii seawater by extinction culturing in seawater-based oligotrophic medium. It is a phylogenetically unique member of the class Gammaproteobacteria that is only distantly related to its closest cultured relatives. Here we present the genome sequence of strain HIMB30, including genes for proteorhodopsin-based phototrophy and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle.

Genome Sequence Of Strain Himb55, A Novel Marine Gammaproteobacterium Of The Om60/Nor5 Clade, Megan Huggett, Michael Rappe

Research outputs 2012

Strain HIMB55 is a phylogenetically unique member of the OM60/NOR5 clade of the Gammaproteobacteria isolated from coastal seawater of Kaneohe Bay on the northeastern shore of Oahu, Hawaii, by extinction culturing in seawater-based oligotrophic medium. Here we present the genome sequence of strain HIMB55, including genes for bacteriochlorophyll-based phototrophy.

Is Being “Smart And Well Behaved” A Recipe For Happiness In Western Australian Primary Schools?, John O'Rourke, Martin Cooper, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2012

Little is known about the relationship between students’ perceptions of their behaviour and intellectual status within the classroom and their happiness. Educational practitioners consistently confront misbehaviour and academic failure; whether this is an indicator of student happiness is unclear. In this exploratory research two hundred and fifty six students were asked to self-rate their happiness via a faces scale. These students also completed a self-concept scale focussed on behavioural adjustment and intellectual and school status to determine whether these were factors that impacted on their happiness. Additionally, parents and teachers rated the participant’s happiness. The findings of this research indicate …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Childfree Choice In A Sample Of Australian Women, Joanne Doyle, Julie Ann Pooley, Lauren Breen

Research outputs 2012

Choosing not to have children is considered a deviation from cultural norms, particularly the dominant pronatalist discourse; this is especially so for women. However, little research has documented the experience of Australian women who have consciously chosen to remain childless. Ten voluntarily childfree women participated in unstructured interviews about their choice and its ramifications. The data analysis revealed three broad themes – the experiences and processes of making the choice; the ongoing effects of their choice, ranging from support and acceptance to pressure and discrimination; and no regret as the women described engaging in meaningful, generative activities that contributed to …

Adolescent Bully-Victims: Social Health And The Transition To Secondary School, Leanne Lester, Donna Cross, Therese Shaw, Julian Dooley

Research outputs 2012

This study aimed to investigate the causal pathways and factors associated with being involved in bullying behaviour as a bully-victim using longitudinal data from students aged 11-14 years over the transition time from primary to secondary school. Examination of bully-victim pathways suggest a critical time to intervene is prior to transition from the end of primary school to the beginning of secondary school to prevent and reduce the harm from bullying. Negative outcome expectancies from bullying perpetration were a significant predictor of being a bully-victim at the end of the first year of secondary school. The findings show an association …

Developmental Trajectories Of Adolescent Victimization: Predictors And Outcomes, Leanne Lester, Donna Cross, Julian Dooley, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2012

Chronic victimization negatively affects mental health, making it crucial to understand the key predictive social health (e.g., loneliness, isolation) factors. Evidence suggests that the effects of victimization are worse over the transition from primary to secondary school. Longitudinal data from 1810 students transitioning were used to identify victimization trajectory groups, classified as low increasing, low stable, medium stable, and not bullied. Adolescents with poorer social health were more likely to be in the increasing and stable victimized group than in the not bullied group. Students in the low increasing victimized group had poorer mental health outcomes than those in the …

Crime Prevention: The Role Of Individual Resilience Within The Family, Catherine Ferguson, Craig Harms, Julie Ann Pooley, Lynne Cohen, Stuart Tomlinson

Research outputs 2012

Resilience is context dependent but for resilience to be present, two elements must co-occur: adversity (i.e., high-risk situation/threat) and successful adaptation/competence. An understanding of resilience is important for professionals dealing with at-risk families. This exploratory research investigated how individuals caring for a family member with a mental illness adapted to the role of carer or supporter. Fifteen participants mostly aged 50 years or more were interviewed. Content analysis was used to develop themes from the interview transcripts. Seven themes were elicited from the data. Three of these fit with existing knowledge about challenges faced by offenders’ families. The article concludes …

Posttraumatic Stress And Posttraumatic Growth And Their Relationship To Coping And Self-Efficacy In Northwest Australian Cyclone Communities, Julie Ann Pooley, Lynne Cohen, Moira O'Conner, Myra Taylor

Research outputs 2012

The main focus of disaster research conducted to date has been on providing insights into the negative consequences of experiencing a serious threat or adversity. The present study extends this research endeavor by investigating the positive posttrauma resiliency experiences of 512 survey respondents living in four cyclone-prone communities in Northwest Australia. The findings reveal that disaster stress is often accompanied by disaster growth and, thus, provides an alternative resilience-based way of viewing postdisaster interventions.

Lifting The Domestic Cloak Of Silence: Resilient Australian Women's Reflected Memories Of Their Childhood Experiences Of Witnessing Domestic Violence, Kristy O'Brien, Lynne Cohen, Julie Ann Pooley, Myra Taylor

Research outputs 2012

Recognition is growing that childhood witnessing of domestic violence is tantamount to child abuse due to the damage the experience may have on the witnessing child’s long-term emotional and social wellbeing. This paper helps to lift the cloak of silence that surrounds the child witnessing phenomenon by presenting the recollected adult memories of six female former child witnesses. Utilizing a mixed case-study and consensual qualitative research design, the study’s findings reveal that the potential threat to a child witness’s immediate and long-term wellbeing can be mediated through the progressive development of a range of adaptive coping strategies. Of these, the …

Problem Behaviours, Traditional Bullying And Cyberbullying Among Adolescents: Longitudinal Analyses, Leanne Lester, Donna Cross, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2012

Problem Behaviour Theory suggests that young people's problem behaviours tend to cluster. This study examined the relationship between traditional bullying, cyberbullying and engagement in problem behaviours using longitudinal data from approximately 1500 students. Levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration at the beginning of secondary school (grade 8, age 12) predicted levels of engagement in problem behaviours at the end of grade 9 (age 14). Levels of victimisation and perpetration were found to moderate each other's associations with engagement in problem behaviours. Cyberbullying did not represent an independent risk factor over and above levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration for higher …

High Contrast Tandem Organic Light Emitting Devices, Baofu Ding, Xiao-Yuan Hou, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2012

A high contrast-ratio organic light emitting device (OLED) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The OLED is implemented by stacking two organic phase tuning (PT) layers between composite metal layers and optimizing their thicknesses. Such a tandem device can increase the current efficiency by 98%, and reduce the operating voltage by 1.04 V, in comparison to conventional high contrast OLEDs. Measured reflection spectra validate the high-contrast capability of the OLED, and demonstrate experimentally an average reflectivity of 6% under ambient light illumination. This is the lowest reflectivity reported to date for OLEDs employing organic phase tuning layers.

The Use Of Naltrexone In Pregnancy In Opiate-Dependent Mothers, Sadie Geraghty, Carly Dixon

Research outputs 2012

There is an absence of sufficient evidence regarding naltrexone use in pregnancy due to the limited range of human studies. Naltrexone implants are being used in Western Australia as a treatment for opioid dependency, and although contraindicated for insertion during pregnancy, there are a number of women who conceive while undergoing treatment. A review of the available data revealed that naltrexone is associated with improved maternal and fetal outcomes. Extensive research into this area in the form of large, multicentre trials is required to confirm the results of the current research.

High-Contrast Tandem Organic Light-Emitting Devices Employing Semitransparent Intermediate Layers Of Lif/Al/C60, Baofu Ding, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2012

The use of a black cathode with a metal-organic-metal structure is an attractive approach to achieving a high-contrast organic light-emitting device (OLED) for future-generation flat panel displays. However, the large reduction in OLED power efficiency is currently restricting the use of the black cathode for industrial applications. In this paper, a high-contrast, high-efficiency tandem OLED employing a black cathode is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The OLED is implemented by stacking two organic phase tuning layers between a composite intermediate layer of LiF/Al/C60 and LiF/Al and optimizing their thicknesses. Electroluminescence spectra and brightness-current measurement reveal that the phase tuning layer emits …

Effects Of Short-Term Training With Uncoupled Cranks In Trained Cyclists, Jack Burns, Jeremiah Peiffer, Chris Abbiss, Greig Watson, Angus Burnett, Paul Laursen

Research outputs 2012

Purpose: Manufacturers of uncoupled cycling cranks claim that their use will increase economy of motion and gross efficiency. Purportedly, this occurs by altering the muscle-recruitment patterns contributing to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. Uncoupled cranks use an independentclutch design by which each leg cycles independently of the other (ie, the cranks are not fixed together). However, research examining the efficacy of training with uncoupled cranks is equivocal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of short-term training with uncoupled cranks on the performance-related variables economy of motion, gross efficiency, maximal …

Two Maximal Isometric Contractions Attenuate The Magnitude Of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Hsin-Lian Chen, Kazunori Nosaka, Alan Pearce, Trevor C Chen

Research outputs 2012

This study investigated whether maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC-ISO) would attenuate the magnitude of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Young untrained men were placed into one of the two experimental groups or one control group (n = 13 per group). Subjects in the experimental groups performed either two or 10 MVC-ISO of the elbow flexors at a long muscle length (20° flexion) 2 days prior to 30 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors. Subjects in the control group performed the eccentric contractions without MVC-ISO. No significant changes in maximal voluntary concentric contraction peak torque, peak torque angle, range of …

Lower Extremity Kinematics And Kinetics When Landing From Unloaded And Loaded Jumps, Ina Janssen, Jeremy Sheppard, Andrew Dingley, Dale Chapman, Wayne Spratford

Research outputs 2012

Countermovement jumps loaded with a weighted vest are often used for the training of lower body power to improve jump performance. However, it is currently unknown how this added load affects the lower extremity kinematics and kinetics, in particular whether this results in an increased injury risk. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine how lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during landing are affected by loaded jumps as demonstrated in a volleyball block jump landing. Ten elite male volleyball players performed block jump landings in an unloaded and loaded (9.89 kg) condition. Kinematic and kinetic landing data from …

To The Heart Of The Problem. Migf-1: Local Effort For Global Impact, Antonio Musaro

Research outputs 2012

No abstract provided.

Digital Games In Journalism Education, Evaluating A Police And Journalism Joint Training Initiative, Kayt Davies

Research outputs 2012

In early 2010, the Edith Cowan University (ECU) journalism programme and the Western Australia Police Academy Detective Training School launched a novel collaboration that involved running joint training days, in which a ‘media pack’ of journalism students interview trainee detectives about mock crimes they have been tasked with investigating. The training improved the trainee journalists’ and detectives’ understanding about the constraints the other parties face. It also made them more confident about their ability to elicit and convey accurate information, and more willing to attempt to do so than before the training.  This article presents a description of the training …