Digital Commons Network^™

A Generic Qualitative Study Of Primary Grade Reading Teachers' Challenges And Personal Teaching Solutions, Jennifer Lynn Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

Not all children enter school with the same skill set. Teachers of young children know this. Despite this, schools prescribe curriculum and pacing guides as well as assessments that may fit only a subset of students’ instructional levels. Teachers are left to determine the best way to meet the student and mandated requirements. Teachers from two elementary schools from a neighborhood area were interviewed about their perspectives and how they manage instructional expectations to help students learn grade level expectations.

The following research questions were addressed.1. How and why do teachers report adapting literacy instruction for students who are deficient …

The Experiences Of The Elderly Transitioning From Home To The Nursing Home Setting, Brent James Munson

Theses and Dissertations

Elderly persons transitioning from home to a nursing home setting may struggle with unaddressed mental health issues. The problem addressed in this study involved a lack of evidence regarding how elderly individuals experience these transitions in living from their own perspectives. The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experiences of elderly people who are making the transition from home to a nursing home setting.

The qualitative design utilized in the research was phenomenology. Fourteen participants were interviewed to ascertain their experiences in the transition from home to a nursing home setting. Follow-up questions were formulated and …

Reconceptualizing Mathematical Word Problems To Reflect Social Justice Principles And Culturally Relevant Teaching, Michelle Aryam Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

As currently developed and written, mathematical word problems lack cultural relevance for an increasingly culturally diverse population in elementary schools in the United States. The design and context of mathematical word problems promote the norms, values, and beliefs of the dominant culture while potentially negatively influencing students from non-dominant culture engagement and achievement in mathematics.

The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was threefold: to (a)examine in-service teachers’ preexisting beliefs about the relevance of social justice and culturally relevant teaching related to their mathematics instructional practices before receiving a synchronous online professional development program; (b) assess the impact of …

Aprendizaje En Inglés En Línea: Efectos Sobre La Elaboración De Textos Escritos Y Relación Con La Percepción De Los Docentes Sobre La Integración De Tecnología, Yetzy Limarys Díaz Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

Los estudiantes de una escuela secundaria del área sur de Puerto Rico presentan un bajo aprovechamiento académico en los cursos de ESL para realizar trabajos escritos en inglés. Por lo tanto, esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada con el propósito de examinar el efecto del uso del programa de aprendizaje de idiomas en línea Grammarly sobre la elaboración de textos escritos y la percepción del docente sobre la integración de tecnología.

El diseño de este estudio fue uno cuasi-experimental. El marco teórico que sustenta el estudio se basa en la teoría del procesamiento de información cognitiva de Atkinson y Shiffrin (1968). …

Liderazgo Directivo Escolar En El Funcionamiento Del Programa De Educación Especial De La Región Norte De Puerto Rico, Meilin Gomez Román

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio es explicar el efecto del liderazgo directivo en el funcionamiento del Programa de Educación Especial en la Región Norte de Puerto Rico. Mediante este estudio se pretende conocer de qué manera el liderazgo que ejercen los directores escolares afecta el funcionamiento del Programa de Educación Especial.

Este estudio tiene un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no experimental transversal de alcance descriptivo. Se administraron dos cuestionarios para la recolección de datos. La muestra estuvo constituida por 32 directores escolares que participaron de manera voluntaria.

Los resultados demostraron que el estilo de liderazgo predominante y que más …

Exploring Attitudes Of Middle School Stakeholders Towards Teachers Carrying Handguns In Schools, Roger Pacheco

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation focused on the attitudes of teachers, administrators, and parents towards teachers carrying handguns in middle schools. This qualitative study will illustrate the perceptions of specific middle school stakeholders and their views on the issue of middle school teachers carrying guns on school grounds. The lack of research about teachers carrying handguns in schools can be detrimental to informing policymakers and school officials when deciding to allow teachers to carry firearms on campus. Arming teachers has become a phenomenon of interest with many high stakeholders, but to understand the logic behind arming teachers, a historical timeline of school …

Self-Actualized Leaders’ Relationships With Dynamic Teams, Joseph Walter Pieri

Theses and Dissertations

A recent study of 831 companies around the world found that employees on average tend to spend 54% of their time working within teams (Frey et al., 2013). Today, this number is estimated to be an additional four to six percent higher (Gallup, 2020). Despite the upward trend of increased reliance on team-based structures in effort to improve productivity and boost morale, research reveals approximately two-thirds of U.S. employees are not engaged in their workplace (Gallup, 2020). More than half (51%) of workers merely go through the motions of their job, barely meeting minimum position responsibilities. However, leadership is essential …

Examining Motivators That Influenced African American And Latinx Students To Degree Completion Of A Doctoral Program, Travis L. Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide an investigation of the motivators that influence African American and Latinx students to complete a doctoral program. There are numerous studies that show data on low enrollment and retention of this population. Further, there is ample evidence of attrition, but there is a need to hear their voices share the experiences of successful doctoral graduates from this population.

The researcher posited systemic racism in education caused low enrollment and graduation rates among African American and Latinx students. Then, an interview protocol was developed to elicit responses regarding what caused the persistence to complete …

Using A Behavioral Skills Training Model For Instructing Educators In Functional Assessment And Intervention Procedures In The Classroom Setting, Lorne Thomas Balmer

Theses and Dissertations

Educators often manage behavior through suppression rather than working to address the root cause of problematic behavior in the classroom. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 mandates the use of functional assessment for students with varying exceptionalities to ensure students are educated in the least restrictive environment. However, functional assessment is an evidence-based strategy that could be employed by all teachers to enhance classroom management practices universally. Behavioral skills training is a research-validated approach that is often used to train professionals on a number of skills.

The present study investigated the use of a behavioral skills training …

Revisión Sistemática De Competencias De Liderazgo En Formación Inicial Docente [Systematic Review Of Leadership Skills In Initial Teacher Training], Maria M. Martinez-Mena

Theses and Dissertations

La presente investigación se enfocó en analizar el desarrollo de competencias de liderazgo más relevantes para la formación inicial docente de futuros profesionales de la educación mediante una revisión sistemática. El liderazgo es un factor importante en el éxito o el fracaso tanto individual, de grupo u organizacional. El desarrollo, formación y las competencias de liderazgo en la educación es un tema relevante el cual debe ser investigado. Siendo el rol de los docentes fundamental para los procesos formativos de los estudiantes se debe desarrollar las competencias de liderazgo en su formación inicial. Los procesos formativos incluyen tanto en el …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Siblings Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adrielle Benini

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to better understand the experience of having a sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has historically focused primarily on parents of individuals with ASD and their perceptions of how siblings were impacted; however, there was a lack of adequate research where information was obtained from conducting interviews with the siblings themselves.

The researcher conducted a qualitative study with 10 neurotypical siblings, ages 10 to 17, of individuals with ASD. These siblings were interviewed to explore their individual experiences and perceptions about areas in which they found and needed support. The researcher also utilized demographic …

Police Officer Attitudes About The Importance Of External Procedural Justice, David Borchardt

Theses and Dissertations

External procedural justice has been found to have a relationship with cooperation, compliance, and police legitimacy. Extant methods to increase external procedural justice during police-citizen interactions have been met with mixed results. Fair policing from the inside out proposes that organizationally just treatment of officers will lead to external procedural justice during encounters between officers and citizens. Police organizational justice, comprised of the dimensions of distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and informational justice, has been found to have a relationship with external procedural justice, however, the majority of research has been conducted using overseas samples. The minority of work …

A Comparative Evaluation Of The Effects Of Social Skills Group Training And Computer- Based Social Skills Training, Indira Hightower

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate the effects of social skills training programs as a method to improve social skills in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The study sought to advance the social skills training options for children with autism spectrum disorder by comparing various evidence-based social skills training programs in hope to provide meaningful, significant, and sustainable social-emotional changes that are explicitly taught and later generalized across individuals, settings, and environments. The researcher specifically evaluated the effects of social skills group training and computer-based social skills training among the three study participants with autism spectrum disorder.

The …

Teacher Perceptions Of Classroom Management Programs To Improve Whole-School Measures Of Attendance, Disruptive Classroom Behaviors, And Academic Outcomes, Charles E. Natt, Jr

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored how the implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) classroom management programs when implemented together affected students and teachers of a Louisiana K-12 school compared with using the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program alone. Teachers at the school who had used the PBIS alone and then also used the newly implanted CKH and MTSS programs participated in in-depth interviews to examine the practical effectiveness of both program implementations upon students and classroom learning effectiveness. Teacher perceptions were also compared with ex post facto data for the school from …

Competencia Digital De Profesores Universitarios: Evaluación De Actitudes Hacia La Tecnología, Conocimiento De Las Tic Y Uso De Tecnologías En Una Universidad Privada De Colombia, Claudia Yanive Prieto

Theses and Dissertations

Competencia Digital de Profesores Universitarios: Evaluación de Actitudes hacia la Tecnología, Conocimiento de las TIC y Uso de Tecnologías en una Universidad Privada de Colombia. Claudia Yanive Prieto Castillo. 2021: Disertación Aplicada, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Palabras clave: digital competence, attitudes, technology knowledge, technology use, ICT, university level teachers Esta investigación partió del problema de que, en el programa de Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras, de una universidad colombiana, no se habían realizado investigaciones que determinen la competencia digital de los profesores. Además, la revisión de la literatura indicó que la …

A Study Of A Bring Your Own Device Initiative, Myriame Delva Pierre

Theses and Dissertations

The intended purpose of this applied dissertation was to examine how teachers use student-owned technology devices for learning in the classroom and to determine how the use of these devices influence teacher planning and the classroom environment. The Bring Your Own Device initiative was an effort to prepare students by allowing them to use and leverage technology devices in the classroom to advance and enhance their learning (Greer, 2013). It is an initiative that incorporates the use of handheld technology devices into schools to better motivate student engagement. The study determined that mobile devices, as a significant part of daily …

Getting Police Out Of Schools, Maya Lynch

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper explores the rise and impact of police officers in schools, frequently referred to as School Resource Officers or SROs. In addition to attempting to delegitimize the common explanation that school shootings necessitate SROs and their ongoing presence, the paper goes on to outline two under-researched drivers of SROs. These are the immense underfunding of public K-12 schools which forces a search for additional sources of revenue alongside an ongoing effort to suppress student movements and control students of color. The paper then analyzes three case studies of school districts which, to varying degrees, removed SROs and evaluates their …

Transnational Construction Site: Building American/Buying Chinese At The Panama Canal, 1885-1887, Jenny Elkus

Open Access Master's Theses

This thesis is a case study in ethnic relations and identity formation. It attempts to problematize Jewish American immigration history by examining the actions and personal development of one 19th century Jewish immigrant, not through the literature of Jewish American immigration, but through the history and literature of the Chinese migrants with whom he interacted. In 1885, Dr. Felix A. Bettelheim launched a year-long venture to obtain 5,000 Chinese contract laborers to work on the construction of the Panama Canal. This thesis is an attempt to understand how, as a migrant and a member of a persecuted minority himself, Bettelheim …

Black-Male Imagos And Counternarrative Resistance: An Africana Existentialist Framework For Black-Male Analysis, Corey Neill Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

James Baldwin describes the Black male in the White gaze as a “fixed star,” meaning that there is only one way that Black males can be, and that way is deviant. However, we often do not examine what happens in Black-male psychology because of the social ascription of criminality, via tropes like the “Myth of the Black-Male Rapist” and “thug.” In this project, I investigate what this does to Black-male freedom and self-recognition. I make the argument that narratives influence one’s concept of self and that the political negotiation one must do in return impedes their freedom. To help solve …

When Exemptions Discriminate: Unlawfully Narrow Religious Exemptions To Vaccination Mandates By Private Colleges And Universities, Ronald J. Colombo

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Numerous colleges and universities have imposed COVID-19 vaccination mandates upon their students. Most of these mandates also include language purporting to recognize medical and religious exemptions. With regard to religious exemptions, some are unjustly discriminatory. Most notably, some give preference to students who are members of organized religions over students who are not. And even facially neutral exemptions can be administered in an unjustly discriminatory way by, for example, giving preference to one set of religious denominations over another, or by engaging in “religious profiling” (whereby students of a particular denomination are held completely beholden to the beliefs of that …

Can You Be A Legal Ethics Scholar And Have Guts?, Cynthia Godsoe, Abbe Smith, Ellen Yaroshefsky

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Recent efforts to hold lawyers accountable for their actions-including lawyers who sought to overturn the 2020 Presidential election based on false evidence,and New York City prosecutors who have committed serious misconduct-failed to draw a significant number of legal ethics scholars. The authors of this Essay are troubled by this. We understand why practicing lawyers might be reluctant to join such an effort; calling out other lawyers inpositions of power can be had for clients. But it is less understandable when it comes to law professors who, except for those who teach in law clinics or otherwise engage in law practice, …

The Thin Blue Line Between Virtue And Vice: Confronting The Moral Harms Of Policing, G. Alex Sinha

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Scholarship on policing has exploded in recent years as bystanders increasingly record and circulate videos of police brutality, much of it directed at civilians of color. These incidents have invited significant attention on the culture of police departments and police unions, generating widespread calls for the reform or even the abolition of police forces. The traditional considerations at the center of these debates include the practical challenges to enacting reforms, the expected efficacy of proposed changes for curtailing abuses, and the possible costs of these changes (whether measured in dollars or crime rates). The moral premises that are inherently embedded …

Lessons Learned From Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: How To Build Resilience And Overcome Distress In The Face Of Adversity, Luz M. Garcini, German Cadenas, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Alfonso Mercado, Liliana Campos, Cristina Abraham, Michelle Silva, Manuel Paris

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Living under chronic uncertainty, fear, and isolation is the experience of many undocumented immigrants particularly under the recent sociopolitical climate. Yet, despite facing chronic adversity and an uncertain future, undocumented immigrants are highly resilient. This paper draws upon the clinical and research expertise of leading Latinx psychologists working with diverse undocumented communities across the United States. Qualitative data from seven focus groups with undocumented Latinxs and 15 in-depth interviews with key informants were used to complement clinical insights to identify and highlight strategies of undocumented Latinxs that promote their resilience. Overall, six primary strategies emerged including cognitive reframing, behavioral adaptability, …

“What Works” Registries Of Interventions To Improve Child And Youth Psychosocial Outcomes: A Critical Appraisal, Nick Axford, Louise Morpeth, Gretchen Bjornstad, Tim Hobbs, Vashti Berry

Peninsula Medical School

The last decade or more has seen a proliferation of online registries of evidence-based interventions designed to improve child and youth psychosocial outcomes. The purpose of these resources is typically to help decision-makers make sense of the evidence and thereby inform their decision-making about investment in interventions. Most registries are underpinned by standards of evidence, which are used to guide the rating of programs by a panel of experts. While supporters extol the influence of these initiatives in terms of making commissioners more discriminating about what they invest in, detractors contend that they stifle innovation and embody an unduly narrow …

Peripheral: Women's Imprisonment In Twentieth Century Ireland, Christina Quinlan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

No abstract provided.

Addressing Filicide In Ghana: Linking Cultural Understanding With The Law Against Filicide. Does The Law Work?, Alhassan Abdullah, Margarita Frederico, Felix Mensah, Hajara Bentum, Yihang Wang, Jennifer Litela Asare

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Consistent with international promulgation on the criminalization of filicide, Ghana’s Children’s Act 1998 (560) and the Criminal Justice Act criminalizes any form of torture against children. Yet, perpetrators of filicide in Ghana may go unpunished due to the beliefs in cultural norms that justify filicide acts. The cultural narratives of filicide can impede on the application and effectiveness of the laws of filicide. Method: The study employed a vignette approach to explore the views of 19 adults, who were parents between 69 years of age and 30 years of age, in rural and urban Ghana on the laws of …

Group Social Capital And The Employment Prospects Of Refugee Women Who Experience Domestic Violence, Donella Caspersz, Renata Casado, Carol Kaplanian, Farida Fozdar, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper offers research insights on how refugee women who experience domestic violence develop employment prospects. Guided by social capital theory and the concept of group social capital, the paper uses a qualitative approach to identify intrapersonal and interpersonal processes in a group intervention that assist women members to adjust their cognitive reasoning about their domestic violence experience and engage in behaviours that potentially enhance their employment prospects. The paper contributes to understanding how group processes can foster small wins that may enhance the employment prospects of this vulnerable group.

The Association Between Parent And Adult Child Severe Mental Illness Stigma: The Effects Of Gender, Relationship Quality, And Contact, Taylor Joyce Courier

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Extensive research exists on individuals’ stigma toward mental illnesses and factors that influence the stigmatizing beliefs a person holds. One area included in this examination is an exploration of the impact that parents have on the stigmatizing beliefs held by their children. These studies have found varying levels of similarity in beliefs between parents and children. The present study attempted to elucidate the association between parents’ stigmatizing beliefs and adult children’s stigmatizing beliefs about severe mental illness. Based on survey data collected from 244 participants, this study showed a strong association between adult children and perceived parents’ beliefs. Moderators revealed …

Psychopathy And Emotion Regulation: The Mediating Role Of Motives And Goals, Morning S. Baker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between psychopathy and emotion regulation as serially mediated by emotional motives and goals in an all-male sample. Six serial mediation models were proposed, three for each motive-type (i.e., hedonistic, instrumental), and two for each emotion (i.e., anger, fear, joy). Eight-hundred and seventy-eight participants were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicate that male MTurk workers with greater levels of psychopathy have poorer emotion regulation, emotion goals for experiencing anger and fear, hedonistic and instrumental motives for experiencing anger and fear, emotion goals for not experiencing joy, and hedonistic and …

Kissing, Grabbing And Grinding: Young Australians’ Personal And Social Norms Regarding Nightlife Sexual Behavior, Aimee-Rose Wrightson-Hester, Alfred Allan, Maria Allan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Many patrons in nightlife settings around the world experience and engage in behavior that some find distressing and others find a useful method of interacting with potential sexual partners. Some of these behaviors nevertheless meet the World Health Organizations’ definition of sexual violence. Recent research suggests the social norms in Australian nightlife settings might be encouraging patrons to engage in or tolerate sexual violence when it occurs, even though it violates their own personal norms. Our main aim was to clarify young Australian nightlife patrons’ personal and descriptive norms regarding three sexual behaviors (Kissing, Grabbing and Grinding), to identify their …