Digital Commons Network^™

Being A Project Manager In A Multinational Corporation: An Interpretive Perspective On Working Practices And Experiences, Waleed Afndy

Doctoral Dissertations

Inspired by the lack of research regarding the firsthand practices and everyday lived experiences of project managers, informed by an ontological orientation, this study looked into what it means to be a project manager in a multinational corporation. It provides an interpretive perspective on these practices and experiences, which includes perspectives of self in relation to an organization and the people, incorporating imagination into work, and organizing for an action.

The Power Of The Hula: A Performance Text For Appropriating Identity Among First Hawaiian Youth, Cesily Hong

Doctoral Dissertations

Hawaii is an exotic land with a rich history and a culture imbued with meaning, including the performing arts. Such facets of any land need to be understood and preserved for future generations. The most significant aspect of Hawaiian arts is the hula kahiko, a text in motion, which when performed displays the story of Hawaii's past. The hula was forbidden by Protestant missionaries in the 1820's and was reduced to near cultural extinction. As a result, many First Hawaiians do not clearly understand the richness of their own history. Without this understanding, it is difficult for them to have …

Effects Of Academic And Non-Academic Instructional Approaches On Preschool Ells' English Language Development, Ivana Markova-Lama

Doctoral Dissertations

The population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States has been growing at an increasingly rapid rate (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010), and nowhere is this growth more evident than in U.S. public schools. As of school year 2010-11, nearly 25% of all students in the California public schools were English Language Learners (California Department of Education, 2013).

The focus of this study was to explore to what extent this growing number of ELLs was developing English language in different types of preschool activities. The study investigated whether bilingual preschool children would engage more and use more of …

An Exploration Of Leadership And Campus Cultural Orientation In A California Community College, Eduardo Cervantes

Doctoral Dissertations

This research explored transformational leadership and campus cultural orientation at a single California community college. The conceptual framework for the study consisted of the transformational leadership paradigm articulated by the full range leadership model (Bass & Avolio, 1994; Bass & Riggio, 2006). A taxonomy of campus cultural orientations was also employed to complement the full range leadership model (Jayakumar & Museus, 2012). The study showed that transactional leadership was used management of a business culture and maintaining a stable fiscal foundation. Transformational leadership was employed to create a diversity oriented campus culture that was leading toward an equity oriented campus …

Counter-Narratives Of La Raza Voices: An Exploration Of The Personal And Professional Lived Experiences Of Mexican-American/Chicana/O Faculty At California Catholic Institutions Of Higher Education, Frank Vincent Serrano

Doctoral Dissertations

Faculty members of color time and again encounter the greatest number of challenges and barriers (e.g., discrimination, isolation, marginalization, tokenism, inundated with workloads and service commitments, devalued research, and delayed promotion and tenure) in both entering academia and succeeding within academia.

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal and professional lived experiences of eight self-identified native-born Mexican-American and Chicana/o tenured and tenure-track faculty members employed at four California Catholic institutions of higher education.

This study utilized a qualitative narrative methodology employing the critical race tenets of counter-storytelling and the permanence of racism. Through use of this methodology, …

The Effects Of Explicit Reading Strategy Instruction And Cooperative Learning On Reading Comprehension In Fourth Grade Students, Gina M. Lencioni

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit direct instruction and cooperative learning on reading comprehension in fourth grade students. A quasi-experimental design was used. There were six cognitive and three affective measures used to collect quantitative data. Cognitive measures included California State Test scores, Accelerated Reader test scores, STAR Reading Test scores, Selection Test scores for MacMillan CA Treasures Series, Metacognitive Strategy Index (MSI), and district benchmark assessments. Affective measures included the Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) for both Self-Concept and Value of Reading and an overall enjoyment survey.

This study took place at two …

Including Exceptional Children In A Christian Learning Community: New Narratives In Special Education, Jennifer Camota Luebke Ed.D., Mba

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

The majority of Christian schools in the United States exclude children who have disabilities from their learning communities. This study examines the practices of 11 Christian schools throughout the United States, through conversations with a top leader in each school, that provide access to and/or inclusion in their schools.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutic theory and follows an interpretive approach to field research and data analysis (Herda 1999; 2010). Research conversations are conducted with the participants, which are then transcribed into a written text, which serves as the data to be analyzed.

Research …

Effect Of A Classwide Peer-Mediated Intervention On The Social Interactions Of Students With Low-Functioning Autism And The Perceptions Of Typical Peers, Lisa A. Simpson

Doctoral Dissertations

Students with autism often display significant challenges when acquiring friendships and participating in ongoing relationships with typical peers. The social interaction deficits that characterize students with autism are further exacerbated by the severity of the disorder, such that students with low-functioning autism require significantly more support to successfully participate in peer interactions than students with high functioning autism. This study used mixed methodology to examine the effects of a classwide peer-mediated intervention on the social interactions of students with low-functioning autism and typically-developing peers. A single subject ABAB design was employed in which students with low-functioning autism were grouped with …

Foreign Language Learning In A Non-School Environment: Effects Of Simulated Immersion Training On Affective Factors In Learners' Experience, Eunsook Mcniel-Cho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the effects of immersion training on the learner's affective behaviors such as motivation and attitude, anxiety, and self-confidence in foreign language acquisition at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Much research has been conducted on the effectiveness of immersion programs, but no previous research examined a short-term simulated immersion training that is integrated into a language course curriculum. Furthermore, no prior research exists on the effects of immersion on affective factors among military linguists.

This research method consisted of mixed quantitative and qualitative methods utilizing pretest score (DLAB), surveys, observations, and interviews. The study design was …

An Evaluation Of A Nursing Leadership Simulation Experience Using Multitrait Multimethod Matrix, Toby Embry

Doctoral Dissertations

The MTMM approach was used to evaluate construct validity of three nursing leadership traits (prioritization, delegation, and patient care management) across four assessment methods (multiple-choice tests--MCT, oral questioning-- OQ, high fidelity--HFS, and low fidelity simulation--LFS). Using a correlational descriptive design a 21-item MCT exam, a 21-item oral question instrument, a patient care HFS, and three LFS stations were embedded into a two hour objectively structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessment environment whose aim was to compare traditional assessment methods (MCT and OQ) in nursing education to burgeoning assessment methods (HFS and LFS). Generated scores from 137 senior-level baccalaureate nursing students at …

The Effects Of Elaborative Vocabulary Instruction On The Vocabulary, Written Explanations, And Knowledge Structures Of Sixth-Grade Students With And Without Disabilities, Marijude Wolf

Doctoral Dissertations

Writing is a complex process that presents challenges for middle school teachers and their students with and without disabilities. A particular area of difficulty is the application of content-area vocabulary in the explanatory writing of sixth-grade students. This two-group quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of an elaborative vocabulary strategy instruction on the vocabulary scores, concept map scores, explanatory writing, and self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing of 104 sixth-grade students with and without disabilities enrolled in an urban charter public middle school. The study was conducted over a four-week period. The results showed that the elaborative vocabulary instruction had statistically significant …

Increasing Community College Basic Skills English Instructors' Use Of Autonomy Supportive Instruction To Impact Students' Perceptions Of Autonomy And Engagement, Dionne Janice Clabaugh

Doctoral Dissertations

There is concern in California community colleges about student success because persistence rates have decreased and graduation rates have declined. Basic skills students are underserved and underprepared, and their success rates are lower than traditional students. Nine California Community College Student Success Task Force recommendations were designed to increase basic skills student success.

In this quasi-experimental study three basic skills English instructors were trained on two of the six autonomy-supportive instruction strategies. The training design was based on characteristics of effective ASI interventions and addressed recommendations to improve community college basic skills instruction with professional development on research-based pedagogies. The …

The Effects Of Self-Regulated Learning Strategy Instruction And Structured-Diary Use On Students' Self-Regulated Learning Conduct And Academic Success In Online Community-College General Education Courses, Bianca Rowden Quince

Doctoral Dissertations

Student success in community-college online courses remains a topic of concern within higher-education research. Online courses offer flexibility and opportunities for students to learn anytime and anywhere. Students who are not prepared for the anytime-anywhere format struggle in online courses. As enrollment in online courses increases, the rate at which students persist through courses with satisfactory academic success is inconsistent. Effective ways to promote student success in online courses is an area that remains under-researched. Self-regulated learning has been shown to promote online student success by supporting student engagement, learning strategy use, and consistent evaluation of academic performance through instructional …

Perceptions Of The Catholic Secondary School Presidents And Principals Of Six Dioceses In Northern California Regarding Their Faith Leadership Practices And Preparations, Michael Daniels

Doctoral Dissertations

The responsibilities of Catholic secondary school leaders are multifaceted, and their roles demand essential skills and preparation to ensure success. In addition to performing a myriad of administrative duties, Catholic secondary school presidents and principals are called to exercise "faith leadership" within their schools. Faith leadership is a distinctive aspect of Catholic school administration and one that the Catholic Church has historically acknowledged as paramount to its mission. Faith leadership in this study is defined as exercising the competencies and practices related to faith development, community building, moral formation, and mission advancement.

The importance of faith leadership to the mission …

The U.S. Conference Of Catholic Bishops' Doctrinal Elements Of A Curriculum Framework For The Development Of Catechetical Materials For Young People Of High School Age: Pedagogical And Theological Perspectives Of Religious Studies Teachers In U.S. Catholic Secondary Schools, Carrie J. Schroeder

Doctoral Dissertations

In 2007, the Catholic bishops of the United States unanimously approved a document entitledDoctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age(United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, 2008; hereafter,Framework). The promulgation of theFrameworkconstituted the first time that the bishops sought to establish a uniform Religious Studies curriculum for all U.S. Catholic secondary schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of six Religious Studies teachers regarding their experience of teaching courses based on the USCCBFramework; specifically, these teachers' experiences of theFramework's impact on the theological …

Teaching Dilemmas: Language Development For English Learners In A Hyper-Segregated Dual Immersion Program, Allison Briceño

Doctoral Dissertations

English learners (ELs), a growing population in U.S. schools, generally

underperform as compared to their monolingual English peers. One potential solution to this EL achievement gap has been the implementation of Dual Immersion (DI) programs. However, given that ELs are often densely concentrated in schools with limited access to native English-speaking peers, some schools do not have enough native English-speaking

students to constitute a true DI program.

This qualitative study explored language development practices in both Spanish and English in a Northern California hyper-segregated DI elementary school, where almost all the students were English learners. The participants were four Latina …

The Re-Imagining Of Rapa Nui Traditional Healing Arts: Explorations Of Narrative Identity, Mimesis, And The Public Sphere, James Joves

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

In Rapa Nui is undergoing a cultural development crisis. This transition mixed with the ever-increasing popularity of tourism and global media has raised awareness of identity and culture within the Rapa Nui society. The present inquiry explores one aspect of their societal healing arts that is in the midst of re-exploration and re-imagination: their traditional medicinal practices or hervias tradicionales and the potential for the findings to help shape the lives of the Rapa Nui in their society.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutics and follows an interpretive approach to field research and data …

Mature Women Beyond Foster Care: Narratives On Fractors Contributing To Subjective Well-Being And Life-Sustaining Skills, Marie Elizabeth Moore

Doctoral Dissertations

Studies show that African American children enter foster care at a higher rate and remain in foster care longer. The numbers of Black children in foster care increases in any given year. Studies found that even when controlling for risk and poverty, race affects the decision of whether to provide services or remove children from their families. Although poverty may serve as an indicator of risk, when race is included, it changes the decision threshold.

African American women who aged out of foster care and are living self - sustaining lives are small in number and there is an absence …

Changes In Perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy And Burnout As A Result Of Facilitated Discussion And Self-Reflection In An Online Course Designed To Prepare Teachers To Work With Students With Autism, Monica Boomgard

Doctoral Dissertations

A growing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who display complex learning needs present challenges to educators who struggle to meet their educational needs. Teaching is stressful and additional instructional challenges may increase teacher vulnerability to burnout, leading to a greater likelihood of attrition. Increasing teachers' knowledge of strategies specific to students with ASD within online professional development may create needed support networks increasing self-efficacy and decreasing perceived stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes special and general education teachers' perceived self-efficacy and burnout as a result of facilitated discussion and self-reflection embedded in …

Effects Of Rap Paraphrasing And Semantic-Mapping Strategies On The Reading Comprehension Of English Learners And Fully- English-Proficient Students With Mild-To-Moderate Learning Disabilities, Terry Halterman Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

This study, using a repeated measures design with alternating treatments, measured the effectiveness of traditional instruction, the RAP Paraphrasing Strategy, the semantic-mapping strategy, and a combination of these strategies on the reading comprehension skills of 11 English learners (ELs) with learning disabilities and 8 fully English-proficient students (FEPs) with learning disabilities (LD) in two high-school, mild-to-moderate, special-day, English classes. The students were taught each of these strategies for 540 minutes in 9 days of instruction. The same teacher taught all three strategies to both classes. Data were gathered from the IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test, alternate forms of the Comprehension …

The Theological Literacy, Beliefs, Attitudes, And Practices Of Lay Catholic Administrators Of The Catholic Secondary Schools In The Awka Diocese Of Nigeria, James Okafor

Doctoral Dissertations

Christ's call to evangelization is a mission the Catholic Church has perpetuated throughout history with its reliance upon its schools. In the 19th century, Catholic missionaries evangelized and catechized the Nigerian Igbo people through the schools they built. In 1970, the Nigerian government confiscated these schools, and converted them to secular institutions. It also closed Catholic Teacher Training Colleges.

In response to this, the Nigerian Conference of Catholic Bishops built diocesan Catholic schools, and those who ministered within them were charged with knowing and integrating the six tasks of catechesis--knowledge of the faith, liturgical life, moral formation, prayer, communal life, …

Lived Experiences Of Women With Hidden Disabilities: A Phenomenologically Based Study, Michelle Jean Yee

Doctoral Dissertations

Documentation of the experiences of women with disabilities has remained sparse--benignly neglected, overlooked, and understudied in the academic fields of women's studies (gender studies) and disability studies (Depauw, 1996Article 25.1; Garland-Thomson, 2004). This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of inclusion, marginalization, and exclusion in the lives of women who have a permanent, non-visible (hidden) disability. It also explored the corporeal dimensions, such as issues of embodiment, of the lived experiences for women with hidden disabilities. Finally, this phenomenologically based study examined how women with non-visible, hidden disabilities articulated the meaning of living with an invisible disability.

The study utilized …

An Investigation Of First-Year Teacher Induction Programs In Jesuit Secondary Schools Within The California Province, Justin James Dixon Christensen

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study invited principals (n=5) and first-year teachers (n=25) in five Jesuit secondary schools in the California Province to participate. Online surveys and follow-up online interviews were designed to assess the degree to which the schools met 11 standards that constituted the conceptual framework for the study: (a)Program vision, goals, and institutional commitment, (b)Formation of the Ignatian educator, (c)Program administration and communication, (d)Principal engagement, (e)Program assessment, evaluation, and accountability, (f)Assessing first-year teacher practice, (g)First-year teacher professional development and learning communities, (h)Mentor role and responsibilities, selection, assignment, and assessment, (i)Mentor professional development and learning communities, (j)Focus on instructional practice, …

The Effect Of Dynamic Assessment On Adult Learners Of Arabic: A Mixed-Method Study At The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Mohsen Mahmoud Fahmy

Doctoral Dissertations

Dynamic assessment (DA) is based on Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory and his Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD is the range of abilities bordered by the learner's assisted and independent performances. Previous studies showed promising results for DA in tutoring settings. However, they did not use proficiency-based rubrics to measure students' progress and did not mention the method of using DA practically in classrooms. The literature showed that task-based language instruction (TBLI) is effective in adult classrooms. This study combined DA with TBLI to answer four questions. What is the change in the structural control of Arabic speaking based on …

The Effect Of Sequent Input On Speech Accuracy And Fluency In Adults At The Intermediate Level, Salah Farah

Doctoral Dissertations

To help students achieve their potential, input/feedback must be sequenced by the level of complexity that immediately follows the student's actual developmental level. I assert that effective input/feedback has to follow a set of suggested but not directly expressed rules that represent basic criteria for the development of communicative competence. This study made these criteria explicit, and converted them into ready-for-use input/feedback specifications. Such specifications allow instructors to provide effective remedies to treat particular interlanguage errors. Thus, it is important that instructors understand how to sequence input/feedback to target students differentially in response to their different proficiency levels.

The study …

The Impact Of Transactional Strategies Instruction On The Reading Comprehension Of A Diverse Group Of Second Graders, Sunjoo Shawn Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of TSI in teaching reading comprehension to a diverse group of second graders. The diversity included various levels of readiness in reading, language status such as English learners and native speakers of English, and various levels of participation by children in a whole-class setting. Part One of this study used teacher action research as its methodology to address reading comprehension and student autonomy. Part Two of this study used participatory action research, involving children as co-researchers, to investigate how second graders perceived Literature Circles as their reading comprehension instruction and …

Ownership, Control, Sponsorship, And Trusteeship: Governance Relationships Within Private Catholic Religious-Sponsored Secondary Schools In The United States, David Louis Caretti

Doctoral Dissertations

The governance of private Catholic religious-sponsored secondary institutions in the United States is wholly unique, for many different influences distinguish these institutions from not only their public counterparts but also other Catholic schools operated by a diocese or parish. In the face of the changes of the post-Vatican II era, including the diminishing numbers of religious brothers, sisters, and priests available to minister within their respective apostolates, religious congregations have employed one particular governance construct, the board of limited-jurisdiction, originally created within the Catholic university and healthcare realms. Thus, while such boards hold the chief role in directing the progress …

"These Rights Go Beyond Borders And Pieces Of Paper": Urban High School Teachers And Newcomer Immigrant Youth Engaging In Human Rights Education, Juliet A. Schiller

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the ways that two ninth and tenth grade teachers and their newcomer immigrant students engaged in HRE using elements of critical pedagogy at an urban pubic high school. Research data included eight months of classroom observations and interviews with two teachers and nineteen of their students across four of their classrooms. In this study, the complexity of engaging in HRE with newcomer students was brought to light as two teachers enacted their vision of critical pedagogy, human rights content and learning goals, as well as English language instruction.

The findings in this study conveyed that engaging …

Evangelizing And Discipling Children, Steelman Library, Angel Sims

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Evangelizing And Discipling Children, Steelman Library, Angel Sims

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.