Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating ‘Active Citizenship’: A Journey Toward The Political Heart Of Education In The Company Of Hannah Arendt., Kevin Richard Walker

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

The formation of ‘active citizens’ has become a desirable educational outcome in mainstream secondary and adult education in the UK. However, there is a wide range of interpretations regarding what being ‘active’ as a citizen actually involves and a lack of consensus on the role of education in this process. Drawing on Arendt’s conception of action as the basis of political activity where “to be free and to act are the same” (Arendt 1968a: 153), I propose an understanding of ‘active citizenship’ which involves the appearance of an individual citizen in relationship with the shared public world. It is argued …

Cooperative Schools: Learning To Be Cooperative In A Changing Educational Landscape, Tracey Anne Downes

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

Through a case study approach, this research considers what it means to be a cooperative school in the 21st Century and how this ideological stance impacts on stakeholders’ experiences. The research sought the perceptions and experiences of 99 staff members, pupils, governors and wider community, to illuminate the act of learning to be cooperative and to explore the role of cooperative schools in the current fractured education landscape in England. Multiple qualitative methods, such as interviews and observations, were used to generate data and Engeström’s Second Generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used to explore the interconnectivity of a cooperative …

Lessons Learned—They’Re Not Just For Academia, But For Life, Linda E. Mitchell

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

This look back on my career as a medieval historian of women, families, and gender focuses on the lessons I have learned from my tenure as a pre-professional and professional academic.

Women Intellectuals And Leaders In The Middle Ages, Edited By Katherine Kerby-Fulton, Katie Ann-Marie Bugyis, And John Van Engen., Linda E. Mitchell

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

A Riverine Ecosystem Service Cascade Model (Rescam) Framework For Assessing Ecosystem Service Provision As Applied To English Geomorphic River Types, Claire Bithell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Riverine ecosystems are considered the lifeblood of the Earth and because of this, have been exploited for centuries for social, agricultural and industrial development, resulting in their environmental degradation and simplification. This has led to a shift in the natural processes and functions and thus their ability to provide a full range and overall high levels of regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services, which humans rely on. An ecosystem service and nature-based approach is being increasingly recognised as a useful tool to help evaluate, protect and restore river ecosystems for maximising the delivery of ecosystem services sustainably. Riverine ecosystem services …

Geophysical Modelling Of Magnetic Anomalies Over The Ballantrae Ophiolite Complex And Southern Uplands Fault System, Sw Scotland, Arzum Cansu Can

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The Ballantrae Complex is located in the area north of the Southern Uplands Fault and Southern Uplands accretionary complex of southwest Scotland. It consists of a tectonically emplaced ophiolite dominated by two serpentinised peridotite massifs known as the Southern and Northern Serpentinite Belts. It also contains smaller serpentinite bodies, including a concealed body proved in a BGS borehole at Knocklaugh Lodge. The highly magnetic serpentinites are associated with pronounced magnetic anomalies that form the focus of this study. The project aims to improve understanding of the shape, size and distribution of serpentinites in the subsurface, by integrating detailed ground-level magnetic …

Adaptive Capacity And The Responses Of Local Governance Actors To Evolutionary Political-Economic Change: Lessons From The Heart Of The South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Tim Sydenham

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis critically examines how micro-level adaptive processes and capacities operate and unfold in local/regional economic development governance in the context of cumulative and often disruptive political-economic change. It argues that states often seek to promote the adaptability and growth of local/regional economies by reconfiguring subnational governance arrangements but the evolutionary consequences of centrally driven state transformation processes for local/regional adaptation remain unclear. Evolutionary economic geography (EEG) provides concepts, mechanisms and models of adaptation but has tended to focus on firms and macro-structural economic change and pay limited attention to how the critical micro-level adaptive processes at work are influenced …

Intraplate Volcanism In Our Solar System; Searching For Terrestrial Analogues For The Moon And Mars, Francesca Willcocks

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Basalt volcanism has played a huge role in the shaping of rocky bodies throughout our Solar System, including Earth, the Moon and Mars. Intra-plate volcanism has produced millions of cubic kilometres of basaltic lava on Earth, forming the likes of the Deccan Volcanic Province and Columbia River Flood Basalts, and through orbital and lander missions, flood lavas have also been identified on the Moon and Mars. These remote observations were also confirmed by lunar field observations and samples taken during the Apollo and Luna missions and an intraplate origin inferred due to their one-plate nature. The lack of direct samples …

An Investigation Of The Impacts Of A Dairy Industry Waste On River Water Quality And The Appropriateness Of Current Monitoring Approaches And Regulation, Rupert Goddard

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Rupert Goddard AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACTS OF A DAIRY INDUSTRY WASTE ON RIVER WATER QUALITY AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF CURRENT MONITORING APPROACHES AND REGULATION. The modern dairy industry is a key contributor to global food security, with diverse production practices reflecting different geographic, economic and cultural contexts. Across the globe, the dairy industry has a significant contribution to global employment and wealth, health and land use. However, untreated or partially treated dairy waste entering a river system can be detrimental, increasing eutrophication, changing community structure or in the worst case scenario, causing death to organisms. Dairies are located near …

Developing A Virtual Approach To Determine If Ecosystem Service Provision Differs Between Scottish River Corridors With And Without Nature Designations, Victoria Keele

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Humanity survives because we are graced with nature, or ‘ecosystem services’. In a time of turbulence caused by climate change and increasing population, there is debate surrounding the extent to which areas protected for biodiversity can deliver ecosystem services. Subsequently, the overarching aim of this PhD thesis is to determine if ecosystem service provision differs between Scottish river corridors with and without nature designations. To achieve the primary research aim, this thesis has a secondary aim of developing a methodology which can capture multiple riverine ecosystem services at the reach scale. Following an extensive review of the methods used to …

The Efficacy Of A Newly Developed Method Of Controlled Calcium Carbonate Introductions For Anthropogenic Acidification Mitigation In A Naturally Acidic Riverine Environment, Lauren Dawson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Historical anthropogenic acidification in the West Dart River, southwest England, represents a significant threat to surface water quality and aquatic ecology through flushing induced pH troughs and elevated bioavailable Aluminium (Al) levels. The West Dart River is failing to meet good ecological status established under the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) for pH (Upper West Dart, Cycle 2 classifications 2013-2019 = Moderate, physico-chemical quality elements 2013-2019 pH = Moderate). The aim of this study was to develop and test a method of controlled calcium carbonate (CaCO3) introductions, in order to preserve the naturally acidic riverine state and the biological communities …

The Developing Maternal-Infant Relationship: A Qualitative Longitudinal Study, Jane Peters

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Aim The study aimed to explore maternal perceptions and the use of knowledge relating to their infant’s mental health over time using qualitative longitudinal research. Background There has been a growing interest in infant mental health over recent years. Much of this interest is directed through the lens of infant determinism, through knowledge regarding neurological development resulting in biological determinism. Research and policy in this field are directed toward individual parenting behaviours, usually focused on the mother. Despite this, there is little attention given to maternal perspectives of infant mental health, indicating that a more innovative approach to methodology is …

Exploring Factors That Influence Women’S Self-Management Of Rectal Emptying Difficulty, Sharon Eustice

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Aim The aim of this study was to pragmatically investigate a vital element of bowel function, where emptying the rectum is difficult in women, usually because of obstructive defaecation, secondary to rectocele. Background Rectal emptying difficulty in women is a sign of obstructive defaecation, which affects about one out of every ten women and can increase with age. Rectal emptying difficulty has a mostly unknown influence on women, and it is frequently a hidden issue. Women's self-management alternatives are underappreciated, as is the impact of such interventions on their quality of life. Despite the magnitude of the problem and its …

Marquette Presidents, Brad Stratton, Digital Scholarship Lab, Marquette University, Marquette University

Digital Scholarship Lab

Former Senior Editor of Presidential Communication in the Office of the President, Brad Stratton, researched and documented past presidents biographies and events that occured during their tenure at Marquette. In late 2022, he approached the University Archives for advice about using these documents to display the history of the President's Office. In association with the archives, Stratton, and the Digital Scholarship Lab, we created a page to display his work as a timeline of the University's history.

This site is available at presidents.raynordslab.org

In-The-Making: Understanding The Process Of Building Social Resilience And Experiences Of Forced Migrant Families In Plymouth, Uk., Hoayda Darkal

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Forced migration has recently reached an all-time record. With the flows of forced migrants across Europe, and the states’ responses to the forcible movement of people focusing on ‘migration management’ on one hand while pushing for the agendas of resilience building on the other, it is vitally important to question the effectiveness of resilience strategies for those experiencing forced migration first-hand in the developed countries. This thesis provides a critical understanding of social resilience, as a process rather than an outcome, in the context of forced migrant families in the UK. In developing a framework based upon family migration this …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Using Volunteer Support In Health Care Settings: A Systematic Scoping Review, Kate Crookes, Rosemary Saunders, Vivien Kemp, Olivia Gallagher, Manonita Ghosh, Caroline Bulsara, Karen Gullick, Bev O'Connell

IHR Papers and Journal Articles

Aims

To understand nurses’ perceptions of volunteer support in health care settings.

Background

Increasingly, volunteers provide specialised support to health care service users, requiring volunteers and nurses to work closely together. However, little is known about nurses’ perceptions of volunteer support.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR checklist. A mixed-methods convergent integrative approach was taken guided by the JBI framework. Quantitative data were transformed into qualitative data for synthesis and descriptive thematic analysis. Six databases were searched (CINHAL+, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, ProQuest Health and Medical Collection) on 24 January 2022 using terms related to nurses, perceptions, …

Association Between Motor Planning And The Frontoparietal Network In Children: An Exploratory Multimodal Study, Ranila Bhoyroo, Beth Hands, Karen Caeyenberghs, Alberto De Luca, Alexander Leemans, Adam Wigley, Christian Hyde

IHR Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Evidence from adult literature shows the involvement of cortical grey matter areas of the frontoparietal lobe and the white matter bundle, the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in motor planning. This is yet to be confirmed in children.

Method: A multimodal study was designed to probe the neurostructural basis of childhood motor planning. Behavioural (motor planning), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) data were acquired from 19 boys aged 8–11 years. Motor planning was assessed using the one and two colour sequences of the octagon task. The MRI data were preprocessed and analysed using FreeSurfer 6.0. Cortical …

Addressing The Accountability Void: War Crimes Against Persons With Disabilities, William I. Pons, Janet E. Lord, Professor Michael Stein

All Faculty Scholarship

Academics rarely raise the need to consider persons with disabilities when preventing,

investigating and prosecuting international humanitarian law (IHL) violations.

Worse still, no actual attempts have been made to include a disability perspective

into practical guidance and monitoring mechanisms. This article addresses that

void by laying out how existing yet unutilized IHL obligations can be leveraged to

repress and suppress disability-based IHL violations. In doing so, the article will

detail how fact-finding approaches, criminal investigative processes and reporting

methods for IHL violations can be inclusive of persons with disabilities and thus

more appropriately address the endemic under-representation of a disability …

Endogenous Retroviral Proteins As Potential Drug Targets For Merlin-Deficient Tumours, Bora Agit

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Merlin is a tumour suppressor, and its loss is the major cause of a hereditary disease Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) characterised by the development of multiple tumours of the nervous system such as schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas. Current surgical treatments and radiotherapy for this group of tumours are not fully effective and there is an urgent need for new therapeutic options. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are retroviruses that have been incorporated into the human genome during evolution, now comprising 5% of it. The majority of HERVs are defective except for a few groups, including type K (HERV-K) which kept full-intact …

Identifying Novel Therapeutic Targets For Seizures And Brain Cancers, Jared Ching

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Epilepsy describes a range of conditions characterised by unprovoked recurring seizures that are due to multiple factors including the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. A subgroup of patients with epilepsy may not respond to systemic treatment and therefore would become candidates for surgical therapy. A less invasive approach is vagal nerve stimulation, which I demonstrated is safe and effective in 100 patients, in the first UK based large case series. Another group of patients that suffer from intractable epilepsy are those with tumour associated seizures (TAS). In particular, patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme can initially present with unexplained seizures or develop seizures …

A Systems Engineering Approach For Developing A Mars In Situ Propellant Production System, Rafael E. Martinez Paruta

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Systems Engineering methodology applied to the development of an In Situ Propellant Production system in Mars.

Vanet Broadcast Protocol: A Multi-Hop Routing Framework For Vehicular Networks In Ns-3, William M. Bjorndahl

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Vehicles are more frequently being built with hardware that supports wireless communica- tion capabilities. Dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) is a standard that enables the hardware on vehicles to communicate with one another directly rather than through external infrastructure such as a cellular tower. With DSRC supporting small-range communications, multi-hop routing is utilized when a packet needs to reach a long-range destination. A vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) broadcast protocol (VBP) was developed. This thesis introduces VBP, an open-source framework for simulating multi-hop routing on mobile and wireless vehicular networks. VBP is built for the routing layer of the network simulation tool …

Systemic Challenges During Assessment Of Emerging Bilingual Students: Perspectives Of Speech Language Pathologists And School Psychologists, Courtney Smith

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of speech language pathologists and school psychologists, to identify the systemic challenges they identified that negatively impact how emerging bilingual students are referred, assessed, and identified for special education. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 6 speech language pathologists and 6 school psychologists (n=12) to explore these challenges and barriers, as well as to look at the systems of belief present on campuses, that impact this process. Using a systems thinking framework and detailed inductive analysis of the data many themes emerged related to barriers such as difficulty finding an interpreter and ensuring that …

From Allies To Abolitionists: Developing An Abolitionist Consciousness And Anti-Racist Practices In White Teachers, Deonna Smith

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to investigate the efficacy of a professional development designed to equip teachers with antiracist practices and support them in developing an abolitionist mindset. The study was designed for white teachers. Participants of the study engaged in a 6-week course grounded in a constructivist learning theory, TLT, and centered around the text, We Want to Do More Than Survive by Love (2019). Participants also engaged with a variety of other texts and resources grounded in asset pedagogies. The sessions were participant-led and focused on cultivating the skills for antiracist teaching while cultivating a mindset grounded in abolition.

The …

Good Intentions Are Not Enough: An Examination Of Service-Learning On A Public Charter High School Campus, Jane Louise Wyche-Jonas

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines the service-learning program at a charter high school (Austin Charter Academy [ACA]). The two-fold purpose of the study was to: (a) describe and explore the service-learning experience at ACA with attention to the structures of power shaping the program and (b) to examine the role of a White, female administrator in the service-learning program. The research questions for the study were:

• How does one high school charter community describe their experiences in service-learning programs?
• Who is being centered and what logics are being reinforced in service-learning projects?

The study employed a decolonizing, critical community-based service-learning …

On Finding Cultural Humility: A Critical Narrative Case Study Of School Equity And The Collaborative Process, Stacey Anne Koff

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The ever-changing cultural diversity of the student population necessitates shifts in schooling. For too long schools have been aggressive and unconnected spaces for students of color. This critical narrative case study will explore and understand how one independent school engages in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work to create space for its member voices and experiences. This dissertation study included document analysis, narrative interviews, and a focus group to uncover an in-depth overview of the interactional dynamics of one school site through an oral history and narrative of its members. Findings highlight how the tenets of cultural humility, including …

Introducing The Ignatian Organizational Culture Framework For Student-Facing Staff At Jesuit Universities, Patrick Furlong

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at the impact of Ignatian spirituality and Ignatian pedagogy on staff in student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities. It also explored how leaders of student-facing departments and divisions operationalize components of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy to create an Ignatian organizational culture.

Qualitative data were collected through multiple semistructured interviews with nine leaders of student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Key findings were organized into four thematic sections. The findings map onto different components that derive from, or are connected to, Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy. The thematic sections are: (a) leadership’s commitment …

Exploring Algorithmic Literacy For College Students: An Educator’S Roadmap, Susan Gardner Archambault

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that college students are largely unaware of the impact of algorithms on their everyday lives. Also, most university students are not being taught about algorithms as part of the regular curriculum. This exploratory, qualitative study aimed to explore subject-matter experts’ insights and perceptions of the knowledge components, coping behaviors, and pedagogical considerations to aid faculty in teaching algorithmic literacy to college students. Eleven individual, semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with scholars and teachers of critical algorithm studies and related fields. Findings suggested three sets of knowledge components that would contribute to students’ algorithmic literacy: general …

Challenging Racism In Catholic Schools Through Intimate School Leadership: Counternarratives Of Black Catholic School Leaders, Michael Santa Maria

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Conversations regarding racial equity are uncomfortable for many Catholic school leaders. This is due to a lack of clarity between Catholic social teaching (CST) and its implementation regarding racial justice among Catholic schools. This necessitates coherent guidance to address systemic racism in Catholic education which responds to the need for greater equity, inclusion, and antiracism in its Catholic schools. The purpose of this study was to work with Black Catholic school leaders to understand how they operationalize antiracism in their leadership practice. To understand this paradigm, this study addressed two research questions: (1) How do Black leaders experience their role …

Rising Scholars: Narratives Of Formerly Incarcerated/System-Impacted Community College Students In An On-Campus Support Program, Jason Durrell Bostick

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study uplifted the stories of formerly incarcerated and/or system-impacted students attending a California community college (i.e., “Rising Scholars”) to provide qualitative context to a growing literature following the state’s promotion of support programs at the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems. This study interviewed six formerly incarcerated/system impacted Rising Scholars using a narrative inquiry methodology with a theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Desistance theory to inquire about their educational experiences before and during their enrollment at an urban California community college with reentry support. Key themes in the …