Digital Commons Network^™

Modified Delphi Investigation Of Lesson Planning Concepts For Physical Education Teacher Education, Jack W. Sager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Improving the methods of instructing future educators, through program evaluation and improvement, should be a goal of all teacher education programs. In physical education, the National Association for Sport & Physical Education created standards for initial preparation of physical education teachers. The six standards for preparation include Planning and Implementation, which include tenants pertaining to unit and lesson planning. Despite the significant importance of planning in the growth of preservice teachers as they complete a Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program, there is currently no consensus on what concepts to be included in lesson planning for physical education teacher education. …

Training Individuals In Function-Based Behavior Intervention Plans Using Modeling, Rehearsal, And Self-Monitoring, Aimee F. Giles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Behavior intervention plans based on the function of problem behavior are more likely to be effective than non-function-based plans. However, plans developed by teachers often do not address behavior function. In addition to ensuring that teachers can write function-based behavior intervention plans, it is also important to ensure plans are implemented with a sufficient degree of fidelity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a multi-component training package to train teachers to write function-based behavior intervention plans and to accurately implement differential reinforcement of alternative behavior for escape-maintained problem behavior. Twenty public school teachers of children with emotional …

Effects Of Social And Non-Social Interpretations Of Complex Images On Human Eye Movement And Brain Activation, Amy L. Prostko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Communicating and interacting with others is an essential part of our daily routines as humans. Performing these actions appropriately requires the ability to identify, extract, and process salient social cues from the environment. The subsequent application of such knowledge is important for inferring and predicting the behavior of other people. The eyes and brain must work together to fixate and process only the most critical social signals within a scene while passing over and / or completely ignoring other aspects of the scene. While brain activation to isolated presentations of objects and people presentations have been characterized, information about the …

Parents Living Within The Paradoxes Of Infant Death From Life-Limiting Anomaly: A Grounded Theory Study, Susan Bush Welch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

BACKGROUND: Life-limiting congenital anomalies are the leading cause of death of infants in the United States. Most of these infants die in intensive care units with limited access to adequate palliative/end-of-life care. There is an extensive knowledge gap about the experience of the parent of infants who died from life-limiting anomaly. PURPOSE: The aims of the study was to explore the process a parent goes through as they experience the birth, life and ultimate death of an infant from a life-limiting explore the process a parent goes through as they experience the birth, life and ultimate death of an infant …

Children With Developmental Disabilities At A Pediatric Hospital: Staff Education To Prevent And Manage Challenging Behaviors, Norah L. Johnson, Joel Lashley, Alice V. Stoneck, Annette Bonjour

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Children with developmental disabilities may get frustrated in unpredictable hospital environments. Frustration may escalate to challenging behaviors, which are a safety concern and may contribute to staff and patient injuries, use of restraints, and procedure delay or cancelations. The purpose of this article was to describe a pilot staff education program on preventing and managing challenging behaviors of children with developmental disabilities at a pediatric hospital. The 2-hour-long education (1 hour on-line and 1 hour instructor led) content focused on family-centered care and communication skills, including verbal judo™ modified for use in the health care setting. Participants in the instructor-led …

A Comparison Of Display Techniques For Large Graphs, Ana Rocio Pena

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Visualizing information focuses on the display of data in order to provide the user a representation that provides understanding of the data. Information visualization systems typically couple interaction mechanisms for providing overviews of the data with more detailed information through a zooming interface. This thesis compares three different techniques for displaying graphs provided by the prefuse visualization system: force-directed node positioning, radial node positioning, and a tree view of graphs. Using a large, real world data set from the South Texas College’s Distance Education department, the three visualization techniques are compared for a set of tasks that users routinely need …

"Aliens Say What Humans Can't": Popular Culture And Totalitarianism In "The Twilight Zone", Lisa M. Howell

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study analyzes the political and social context of key episodes from 1959 to 1964 of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. His science fiction television series, nestled against the backdrop of the Cold War, showcased his viewpoints on controversial issues from the Holocaust, postwar gender issues, McCarthyism, nuclear war and totalitarianism. As he was often fond of saying, “Aliens Can Say What Humans Can’t.” Also integrated in this study is showing how The Twilight Zone served as both an agent of change as well as a reflection of the times. This in turn, encouraged the masses to question and modify …

The Impact Of Interest On Reading Motivation For A Struggling Mexican American Adolescent Reader, Abelardo Lopez Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This single subject qualitative case study investigated the impact interest had on reading motivation for a struggling Mexican American adolescent reader from the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. Moreover, the study’s findings found several factors that impacted the subject’s motivation to read; factors which impacted the subject’s reading motivation were associated with his home and school life environment, his attitudes towards literacy activities, and the teaching and learning engagements which occurred throughout the study.

Essays On Time-Varying Risk And Investor Sentiment: Evidence From The U.S. And G-7 Countries Using Multivariate Garch Modeling, David William Johnk

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This dissertation investigates the effects of investor sentiment on asset prices in both the U.S. equity market (chapter III) and international market (chapter IV). It employs a conditional version of the CAPM using a parsimonious generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model in which the risk premia, betas, and correlations are time-varying. Investor sentiment is presented from two direct measures (surveys) and one indirect measure as conditional information variables; whereas, previous studies used macroeconomic fundamentals. Furthermore, investor sentiment is not assumed to be fully irrational. It is decomposed into its rational and irrational components. Both rational and irrational components are tested …

Remediation In Mathematics: A Factor In The Retention Of Entering Freshmen At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Rolinda May Pena-Park

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Many institutions of higher education face a common challenge - retaining students in a time when higher education is of most importance as students must be prepared to compete in today's fast growing global market. Students are dropping out of college at an alarming rate due to the lack of academic readiness. The main area of academic deficiency is in the area of mathematics (National Center for Education Statistics, 2006). The purposes of this qualitative multiple case study were to explore the effectiveness of remediation courses in mathematics and identify the factors that influence success or failure of Hispanic students …

The Associations Of The Level Of School Wellness Policy Implementation And School Nurse Activities To Weight Status Of School Children In Massachusetts, Mary Jane F. O'Brien

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The increase in prevalence of childhood obesity has prompted child health authorities to propose mandates focusing on population health efforts that may be implemented in public schools. In 2010, the federal government passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, reinforcing the 2004 regulations to guide school districts in development and implementation of school wellness policies.

The purpose of this secondary data analysis was an examination of the association between implementation of the school wellness policy and school nurse activities to the absolute change in percent of students with body mass index in the obese weight category between the school years 2005-2006 …

Bereavement Among Urban University Students: The Role Of Meaning Making In Adjustment To Loss, Rebecca L. Norris-Bell

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Employing Neimeyer's theory of meaning reconstruction as a guiding framework, this study examined meaning making in a diverse sample of bereaved university students. The aims of this study were to 1) identify types of meanings made about loss, 2) examine socio-demographic and bereavement-related characteristics that might influence meaning making, and 3) investigate associations between types of meanings and post-loss psychological adjustment. Participants were 229 students from an urban commuter university. This was a cross-sectional study, employing self-report data collected on a secure, Web-based system. Participants were 18 years or older and had experienced the loss of a friend or family …

Being A (Good) Student: Conceptions Of Identity Of Adult Basic Education Participants Transitioning To College, Mina Reddy

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of identity of a category of students that has rarely been studied in the context of higher education. These are adults who have participated in GED preparation or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses in Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs. A college education is increasingly necessary for individual economic success and a higher quality of life, and a college-educated workforce is a major element in national economic competitiveness. Rates of college enrollment and persistence of ABE students, however, are low. The study seeks to determine how ABE students and graduates conceive of their …

The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Older Adults Pre- And Post-Cognitive Training With A Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program, Shannon M. Sorenson

Graduate Masters Theses

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of Posit Science Cortex™ with Insight Drive Sharp™ as a tool for improving neuropsychological functioning in a normal aging sample. The purpose of the DriveSharp™ training program is to help an individual improve his or her visual attention and useful field of view. Each exercise continually adapts to the individual’s performance so that the training is always at an appropriate level for that specific person. Thirty-two healthy older adult participants were randomly assigned to either the active intervention group (DriveSharp™) or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group were required to engage …

Subsidized Housing, Public Housing, And Adolescent Violence And Substance Use, Tamara Leech

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines the separate relationships of public housing residents and subsidized housing residence to adolescent health risk behavior. Data included 2,530 adolescents aged 14 to 19 who were children of the National the Longitudinal Study of Youth. The author uses stratified propensity methods to compare the behaviors of each group—subsidized housing residents and public housing residents—to a matched control group of teens receiving no housing assistance. The results reveal no significant relationship between public housing residence and violence, heavy alcohol/marijuana use, or other drug use. However, subsidized housing residents have significantly lower rates of violence and hard drug use, …

Learning: A Teaching Philosophy, Stephen Allen Warren

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio presents the author’s current understanding of second language teaching. The main section of the portfolio consists of a teaching philosophy that expresses the author’s believe that definitions of learning direct second language teaching. Three artifacts explore language, culture, and literature and express the development of the author’s teaching philosophy. An annotated bibliography covers the essential readings done in the course of study and provides the foundations for the author’s ontological arguments.

The Effects Of The High-Probability Procedure On Compliance When Paired With Precision Commands, Whitney Teter

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Noncompliance to teacher directions is an issue in nearly every early childhood classroom. It is necessary for young children to comply with directions so that teachers may assess their knowledge and their progress in the curriculum. Three preschool aged children (N = 3) with developmental delays participated in this study. The high probability command procedure was used with two children and was shown to be successful at increasing compliance. The third child did not show an increase in compliance when the high probability command procedure was used, nor did compliance increase when precision commands (escape extinction) were paired with the …

Behavioral Life-Cycle Models Under Alternative Demographic Regimes, Timothy F. Harris

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Social security in the United States will encounter financial strains due to an aging population. The decreasing worker to retiree ratio will reduce retirement benefits relative to today’s benefits so long as the tax rate and eligibility age are not altered. Policy makers assume that they should make policies to maintain the current benefit levels.

In contrast to this assumption, this paper does not presume that policy makers should preserve current benefits. An analysis of the required tax rate to maintain lifetime utility across the current and future demographic regimes is undertaken rather than just a calculation of the tax …

Winter 2012 E-Certi Newsletter, Center For Educational Research And Teaching Innovation

CAFE Faculty Newsletters

Hello S&T instructors: Another semester has rushed by at nano speed! Don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy what you have accomplished, as well as the accomplishments of some of your colleagues, which are highlighted in this issue. Also check out tips for handling interruptions and increasing class participation in discussion, as well as a feature on Dr. Martin Bohner.

Impulsivity And Suicidal Ideation Or Attempt In Younger And Older Adults, Elizabeth C. Price

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rates of suicidal behaviors vary over the lifespan, but little research has focused on developmental aspects of suicidal behaviors and associated risk factors. Previous studies suggest that young people who attempt or die by suicide are likely to be generally impulsive. 108 community-dwelling older adults age 60 and older and 498 undergraduate students ages 18-30 completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies -- Depression Scale, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, and the Suicidal Behaviors Scale -- Revised. The hypothesis was that the relation between impulsivity and suicidal ideation or attempt, in the context of depressive symptoms, would be stronger in younger adults …

The Influence Of Self-Reported Family Functioning On Depression Symptom Severity And Psychological Well-Being In Treatment-Seeking Older Adults, Patricia M. Bamonti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Among treatment-seeking older adults, positive social ties are related to depression outcomes prospectively. Less is known regarding the role of negative social ties in relation to depression and well-being outcomes among patients in treatment. The current study adds to this literature through the cross-sectional and prospective examination of patients' appraisal of family members perceived criticism in relation to self-reported depressive symptom severity and psychological well-being In addition, potential moderators of these relations were examined, including personality variables (Neuroticism and Conscientiousness), cognitive functioning, and living status. adults 60 years of age and older newly (< 1 month after intake session) receiving treatment for depressive or anxious symptomatology at a university-affiliated outpatient clinic as part of an on-going study that assessed depression and decision-making in late life. Results demonstrated that individuals with increased perceived criticism also had greater depressive symptom severity, at least measured at one point in time. Perceived criticism failed to predict change in depression symptom severity in the prospective analyses. Similarly, perceived criticism was associated with lower psychological well-being in the cross-sectional analyses; however, perceived criticism failed to predict change in psychological well-being in prospective analyses. No significant interactions were found with perceived criticism, suggesting at least in the current study, personality variables, cognitive functioning, and living status did not qualify the relation between perceived criticism and depression symptom severity or change in depression symptom severity over time. EI was not significantly associated with depression symptom severity and psychological well-being cross-sectionally and prospectively, after controlling for perceived criticism and perceived social support from family. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Psychosocial Concerns In Pediatric Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury Patients, Janelle M. Mentrikoski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obstetric brachial plexus injuries (OBPI) occur during childbirth when the child's shoulder blade gets stuck on the mother's pubic bone, resulting in damage to nerves in the child's shoulder. Due to the possible visible nature (e.g., injured arm may be shorter than the non-injured arm) and mobility limitations (e.g., difficulties in raising the injured arm to brush one's teeth) associated with these injuries, youth with OBPI may experience psychosocial difficulties. However, little research has examined the psychosocial functioning in this population. The current study sought to investigate possible predictors of social functioning and self-concept in youth with OBPI. This study …

South Mississippi High School Seniors’ Perceptions Of Civic Duties And Responsibilities, Chelsea L. Lewis

Honors Theses

Former United States Representative Lee Hamilton once explained what it takes to be a citizen of the United Stated. He stated, “Citizenship requires both knowledge about government and the ability to be involved in governance. It means knowing how to identify and inform oneself about issues, explore and evaluate possible solutions, and then act to resolve problems. It demands that you know how to interact respectfully with others. And it asks that you accept responsibility for meeting your community’s and the nation’s challenges.” (Hamilton, 1) This quote comes from a well-known civics program used in American high schools today called …

Parenting Styles, Peer Pressure, And The Formation Of Antisocial Behavior, Erinisha L. Johnson

Honors Theses

The current study examined the relationship between antisocial behavior, negative parenting, and peer pressure. It was predicted that peer pressure and negative parenting would be positively correlated with antisocial behavior, but that negative parenting would be more statistically significant. There were 177 male and female college students who completed the Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior questionnaire, the Measurement of Parenting Style, the Peer Pressure and Popularity questionnaire, and a short demographics survey. Results indicated that negative parenting and peer pressure were both related to antisocial behavior (p< .001). However, the final hypothesis was rejected because the results indicated that peer pressure (p < .001) and not negative parenting (p<.05), showed to be more statistically significant. It may be suggested that peer pressure may overpower parenting, after a certain age.

The Homeless Perception Of Services, Alexander K. Pickle

Honors Theses

This study, recognizing a lack of academic research into the homeless population’s needs, approaches the problem of needs assessment of the homeless through the context of customer service. The literature points to a discontentment with the classic shelter model, and potential positives in newer, emerging alternatives. Using the “Gap Model of Service Quality”, qualitative interviews were structured and scheduled with the homeless individuals in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The study encountered many obstacles, including lack of participation. Due to these complications, it could not come to any meaningful conclusions; however, there are multiple avenues for further research that developed through the process.

Variables That Predict Burnout Among Sex Offender Treatment Providers: Work Setting, Gender, Work Hours, Jennifer Pravlik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Psychological treatment of the sexual offender population continues to be an arduous task for therapists. There is evidence that many therapists will experience burnout at some point during their careers. Providing treatment in a burned out state can cause harm to the therapist, client, and community (Barnett, Baker, Elman, & Schoener, 2007). It is necessary to determine the variables that influence burnout in order to increase awareness and to address the variables at an organization and personal level in order to identify therapists that may be at risk of burnout. In this I study examined the relationship of variables identified …

Improvisation And Visual Thinking Strategies In Art Education, Jason Jaros

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines the characteristic elements and possible educational benefits of spontaneity and improvisation in visual art education. The research draws from current practices and philosophies in music and drama education with the aim of developing collaboration, communication, problem solving, and creative and innovative thinking skills in students through the experience of making and appreciating art involving activities that encourage spontaneous decision making. Visual Thinking Strategies and the six continua for assessing thinking serve as the tools with which to investigate the effect of these activities on interpretive narratives of 40 fourth grade students in a public school setting.

Effectiveness Of Biofeedback In Improving Heart Rate Variability Recovery Following Stress, Amanda L. Wheat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study was designed to examine the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback using emWave, a specific biofeedback device available to the public, and to determine whether such treatment affects phasic physiological responses to stress. Twenty-seven individuals (4 males, 23 females), aged 18-30 years (M = 22.54 years, SD = 3.82) participated in the current study. Thirteen individuals were randomly assigned to a control group and received no intervention, whereas the remaining 14 participants underwent 4-8 sessions of emWave intervention. All participants attended pre-treatment and post-treatment assessment sessions during which a stressor protocol was administered; physiological data were …

Epipathogenesis Of Caries: Analyses Of Family Structure, Fear, And Fatalism Upon World Health Organization Decayed, Missing, And Filled Teeth Severity In Appalachia West Virginia And Pennsylvania, R. Constance Wiener

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Appalachian has many social, economic, and biologic factors impacting dental health over the life-course.;Purpose: This study examined dental caries experience and family structure, dental fear, and fatalism in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.;Method: Using a cross-sectional study design, 2002-2009 Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia data were analyzed utilizing the World Health Organization definitions for caries experience, dichotomized into low and high. Three groups were studied: 1) children, 11-13 years (N=237); 2) adolescents, 14-17 years (N=191); and 3) adults, 18 years and above (N=1125). For multivariable model development, generalized estimating equations with exchangeable working structures accounted for family clusters.;Results. For …

Neuropsychological Outcomes In Adults Commencing Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Treatment In South Africa: A Prospective Study, Ja Joska, J Westgarth-Taylor, J Hoare, Kgf Thomas, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Infection with HIV may result in significant neuropsychological impairment, especially in late stage disease. To date, there have been no cohort studies of the impact of highly active anti-retroviral treatment (HAART) in South Africa where clade C HIV is predominant. METHODS: Participants in the current study were recruited from a larger study of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and included a group of individuals commencing HAART (n = 82). Baseline and one-year neuropsychological function was assessed using a detailed battery, and summary global deficit scores (GDS) obtained. Associations with change in GDS were calculated. RESULTS: Participants had a median CD4 …