Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Parent Engagement At The Middle School Level Using A Team Approach In An Urban, Title I School In Upstate South Carolina, Jaime Szalach Talkington

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Parent engagement declines when students are in middle school. A Title I school implemented a group text team approach to improve authentic dialogue among school staff and families and included the student as an active participant in the equation. Strategically scheduled between progress reports and report cards, students were responsible for taking a picture of their current grades and sending it in a group text to their parents, teachers, and administrators. The administrator responded to the group text with the current newsletter to keep all stakeholders informed. There was a significant improvement in satisfaction of parent engagement by participants who …

The Impact Of I-Ready In Title I Elementary Schools In A Rural District In North Carolina, Davisha Covington Moore

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study evaluated the impact of the Curriculum Associates i-Ready math program, specifically its online personalized pathways, on Title I elementary schools. The primary goals were to determine if the adaptive, personalized learning program positively impacts student achievement and growth in end-of-grade (EOG) assessments and helps students below grade level make academic gains toward proficiency, and if the i-Ready program is a worthwhile investment for renewal while meeting students' educational needs. In the study district, math scores had not met strategic academic goals, prompting the adoption of the i-Ready curriculum. An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was conducted in three …

Perceptions Of Principal Instructional Leadership In High-Performing, High-Poverty Elementary Schools In South Carolina, Labrenthia Denise Khaalid

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The achievement gap between high-poverty and low-poverty schools is well documented. Principals play a key role in creating the conditions and instituting practices that help ensure students achieve regardless of socioeconomic status. In addition to teachers’ direct effect, strong principals have a positive, though primarily indirect, effect on student achievement. Highly effective principal instructional leadership is crucial. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in principal, teacher, and supervisor perceptions of principal instructional leadership in high-performing, high-poverty (HP-HP) elementary schools in South Carolina. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), comprised of 10 …

#Booktok: Social Media’S Influence On Literature, Madison Hyatt

Honors Theses

Exploring the social media phenomenon, TikTok, and its influence on the community, #Booktok is the newest way readers stay up to date on new books, and what to read. Is this a good thing? A bad thing? And how has this new way of consuming books influenced reading and literature?

Departure From Magical Realism: Female Agency In Latin American Post-Boom Literature, Nicole Darian Llacza Morazzani

Honors Theses

his thesis explores depictions of female agency in post-colonial Latin American literature. I highlight three primary texts: Gabriel García Márquez's (1927-2014) 1967 One Hundred Years of Solitude, a canonical magical realist novel; Isabel Allende's (1942-present) 1982 The House of Spirits, her debut novel and a multi-generational story similar to Márquez's, and Isabel Allende's 2022 Violeta, a historical novel offering an autodiegetic narrative of a woman's 100 years of life in an unnamed South American country, to analyze how female characters evolve in response to changing sociopolitical landscapes and literary movements in Latin America. My central focus is Allende's most recent …

The Value Of Prison Education: Evaluating The Impact Of Education Through Desistance, Cheryl Chan

Honors Theses

The United States faces an epidemic of incarceration, draining resources, disrupting families, and hindering societal participation. Prison education emerges as a method to address this cycle, with vocational and academic programs being pivotal. While vocational programs are more common, their long-term efficacy remains uncertain. Academic education, exemplified by programs like the Bard Prison Initiative, provides incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to change. Typically, the success of these programs are measured using recidivism. However, recidivism has become too narrow of a measure to properly capture the nuances of an education. There has been an emerging body of scholarship studying desistance and …

Shifting Grounds: Movement And Continuity In Mustang, Nepal, Lauren Carter

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the socio-cultural and economic transformations in the Mustang region of Nepal. Drawing from fieldwork conducted over a month, this study examines how traditional economic activities, particularly yak herding, are being replaced by tourism and agriculture due to shifting socio-economic conditions and global influences. The concept of 'adaptive traditionality' is introduced to describe how the community in Mustang actively engages with both internal pressures and external changes to reshape their socio-cultural landscape. This adaptability is evident in the transition from nomadic pastoralism to more sedentary agricultural practices and tourism, which not only reflects a survival tactic but also …

Black And Blue All Over: Whose Lives Matter?, Bella Purvis

Honors Theses

This study investigated the influence of beliefs about race on support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Blue Lives Matter (BluLM) movements, mediated by attitudes towards police and beliefs about white privilege. Utilizing a sample of undergraduate university students, data were obtained through a survey measuring beliefs in the biological and social constructs of race, support for police, belief in white privilege, and attitudes toward BLM and BluLM. Results indicated that individuals who perceive race as a biological construct are less likely to support BLM and more likely to support BluLM, while beliefs in white privilege and attitudes towards …

Trading Perspectives: The Impact Of Gender In Shaping National Trade Policies, Katherine Kwiatkowski

Honors Theses

Economic and political factors have been shown to influence the trade policy decisions of national leaders. The impact of a national leader’s gender on their trade policy preferences remains an underexplored area of research. The increasing share of female national leaders raises the question of whether their policy preferences vary from those of male leaders because of their gender. In this study, I utilize the gender of a nation’s leader to implement a two-way fixed effects regression that analyzes the impact of gender on a leader’s trade policy preferences. Controlling for factors that could also impact a leader’s trade policy …

Updating Nuclear Recoil Models In The Noble Element Simulation Technique For The Lux-Zeplin Experiment, Ryan J. Mcmonigle

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

There is a substantial amount of evidence that a majority of the mass in the universe is comprised of a non-luminous substance, given the name dark matter. Many candidates have been theorized as the solution to the dark matter mystery, with the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) being a favorable candidate. WIMPs may be detectable via interactions with nucleons, a method known as direct detection. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a xenon-based dual-phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC), that specializes in searching for WIMP-nucleon interactions. TPCs are used to reconstruct event information using scintillation and ionization, which are products of interactions …

The Repeal Of Religious Accommodations – A Constitutional Analysis, Ronald J. Colombo

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Under modern Supreme Court jurisprudence, the First Amendment ordinarily imposes no heightened standard of review upon neutral laws of general applicability that coincidentally burden the free exercise of religion. To relieve or minimize this burden, however, lawmakers are generally free to promulgate exemptions from or accommodations to such laws for the benefit of religious adherents. Such exemptions and accommodations are common.

When a law is not neutral with respect to religion, or when the law is not generally applicable, then it will be subject to the exacting test of strict scrutiny to the extent that it burdens the free exercise …

Book Challenges Popping Up All Over: What Do School Principals Need To Know?, Samantha Laine Hull, Sue Kimmel

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This chapter provides practical advice and reasons for school leaders to support students' intellectual freedom through their support of school libraries and school librarians. The chapter begins with a short but critical literature review that includes case law on the topic of censorship in schools. The concerns of teachers and librarians from a recent study are summarized and help build the foundation for practical and ready to use advice for any school leaders to uphold the intellectual freedom of all students.

The Promise And Pitfalls Of Genai In Education, Helen Crompton

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Since ChatGPT was made available to the public, artificial intelligence (AI) has had accelerated growth in the field of education at an unprecedented rate. This study examined the misuses and limitations of ChatGPT and similar generative AI as well as the affordances of these tools for teaching and learning. Using PRISMA protocol, this thematic systematic review examined extant literature from November 2022 to June 2024. The findings reveal five misuses and limitations trends in the literature of cheating, inaccuracies, plagiarism, bias, and data privacy. Affordances highlighted six areas of content creation, personalization, engagement, student coaching and assistance, assessment, and task …

University Of Texas At Tyler Course Catalog, 2024-2025, University Of Texas At Tyler

Catalogs

No abstract provided.

University Of Texas At Tyler Catalog, 2024-2025, University Of Texas At Tyler

Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Remedying Educational Opportunity Program Freshmen's Knowledge Of Fractions And Views Of Mathematics Learning With Serious Video Games, Yan Tian

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Well-designed serious video games have great potential in mathematics education. This study aims to enrich our understanding of Slice Fractions and Slice Fractions 2 as remedy tools for college freshmen in an educational opportunities program. Specifically, drawing on resources-based epistemic cognition theory and scheme theory, the study investigated fourteen participants’ perspectives and experiences of playing these games, the impacts of the gameplay on their fraction schemes/operations and explicit conceptions of fractions, practices in fraction problem-solving, and views of mathematics learning. With a quasi-experimental design, each participant finished a pre-game interview and assessment, played SF1 or SF2, and completed a post-game …

Let Your Head Hang Down: A Narrative Examination Of Cultic & Conspiratorial Romance, Kyle Macy

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

A response to recent cultural trends of radicalization, extremism, and violence in American society, this dissertation, a novel rendered in ephemeral fragments of oral histories, interrogates the romanticist postures that compel a community of musical artists, the so-called “Folk Revival Revival,” toward infamy and tragedy. Where more traditional sociological approaches to cultic formations stress the importance of centralized charismatic authority, and more traditional psychological approaches rely upon a conspiratorial Cold War ethos of cognitive bias and coercive control (i.e. “brainwashing”), this project meets such assumptions with incredulity, asserting instead that cultic and conspiratorial entrancement awakens first from within, and may …

A Comparison Of Arctic And Atlantic Basin Cyclone Predictability From A Climatology And Case Study Perspective, Peyton Capute

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Arctic cyclones (ACs) can transport warm, moist air into the Arctic region, which combined with strong winds may lead to rapid declines in sea ice during the summer. As a consequence, accurate sea ice predictions during the summer may rely on being able to predict cyclone-related wind speed and direction, which critically depends on the cyclone track and intensity. Despite this, there are relatively few studies that have documented the predictability of ACs during the summer, beyond a few case studies. In addition, there has been no extensive comparison of whether these cyclones are more or less predictable relative to …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Supervisor Responsiveness Scale, Ramon Garcia

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Theoretically, responsiveness to the emergent needs of supervisees and clients is the primary means by which clinical supervisors help trainees become effective psychotherapists (Friedlander, 2012). To advance understanding and research on this aspect of supervision, the Supervisory Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was developed and assessed psychometrically.

First, 35 items reflecting trainees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s responsiveness, as defined by Friedlander (2012), were developed and rated for clarity, face and content validity by a panel of 12 experienced supervisors. After the item pool was refined based on these ratings, 216 supervisees representing all training levels rated each item on a 1 ( …

Chemical Reduction Of Curved Molecular Nanographenes: Metal Intercalation And Core Transformation, Yikun Zhu

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The promising lithium storage capacity and fast charge transport rate make graphene a great candidate for energy storage applications. However, the harsh synthetic conditions lead to uneven size distribution and poor solubility, posing limitations on further applications and modifications of graphene and its derivatives. Molecular nanographenes, as graphene cutouts, possess outstanding chemical and physical properties stemming from their parent graphene but also demonstrate such unique features as controllable synthetic conditions, defined molecular structures, uniform size, and relatively good solubility. The improved solubility enables the use of solution chemistry methods for design modifications of molecular nanographenes and for systematical investigation of …

An Exploration Of The Depictions Of Queerness In Yuri!!! On Ice, Kenneth Broughton

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the show Yuri!!! On Ice, specifically its portrayal of gay men. It 1) explores the themes present in the work, with a focus on the depiction of queerness as a transformative force, 2) examines the audience’s opinion of the work via content analysis, and 3) discusses the representation of queer people within the work. The representation of gay men in the show is discussed within the larger framework of Western media, and I also provide context from histories of queer representation in both America and Japan, review common trope usage (both within the story and in Western …

Environmental Sustainability, Healthcare Workers And Healthcare Students: A Literature Review Of Attitudes And Learning Approaches, Pamela R. Mccauley, Kavita Mathur, Reza Kamali Miab, Nina Cohen, Kedena Henriques-Thompson, Jyo Gopinath

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Today, increased attention has been placed on the healthcare industry and its workers in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in facemask production, personal protective equipment, and the number of patients admitted into hospitals have resulted in a sharp rise in medical waste and environmental concerns. This has led to a greater interest by the research community to study the type of training and education that healthcare workers and students receive which could facilitate the implementation of sustainability activities during their work.

Design/Methodology: We have conducted a literature review (2010 to 2024) on healthcare worker …

Sustainability In Education And Healthcare Field: An Integrative Review Of Factors, Barriers, And The Path Forward For Informed Practices, Joseph U. Almazan, April Manabat, Zulyar Kavashev, Meruyert Smagulova, Paolo C. Colet, Ejercito Mangawa Balay-Odao, Ainetta Nurmagambetova, Srinivasa Rao Bolla, Alma Syzdykova, Zhaniya Dauletkaliyeva, Jonas P. Cruz

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This integrative review consolidated and synthesized diverse research articles aimed at investigating various environmental factors in sustainability education, including in the healthcare field. Likewise, it provided a holistic understanding of challenges, facilitators, and their significance.

Method: Eight databases with different search terms were searched in this integrative review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A total of 19 papers were quality evaluated using a standardized review tool.

Results: Three major themes emerged from the integrative review such as: “Factors affecting Sustainability Education” which include specific factors such as responsible environmental behavior, …

"Optimizing Novice Researcher Productivity: A Comprehensive Review Of Integrated Approaches In Scientific Writing Training" - A Narrative Review, Remya U R, Mamatha Shivananda Pai, Baby S Nayak, Judith Angelitta Noronha

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Publications are an effective way of disseminating scientific evidence and making findings accessible to the public. Effective skill in writing can make researchers more efficient in publishing articles in high-quality journals. However, implementing appropriate training programs in scientific writing should be a major focus and many researchers can be benefitted. Hence, it is important to identify the outcomes of various approaches to research publication and this will help us to choose the most appropriate method for researchers. This review article is about the diverse approaches to increase research publication for the researchers. This review aims to describe published literature …

Toward The Unified Theory Of Said-Linked Subauroral Arcs, Evgeny V. Mishin, Anatoly V. Streltsov

Publications

We present a unified approach to subauroral arcs within intense subauroral ion drifts (SAID), which explains the observed transition of a precursor Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arc into Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). This approach is based on the short-circuiting concept of fasttime SAID as an integral part of a magnetospheric voltage generator between the innermost boundaries of the freshly injected plasma sheet electrons and ring current ions. Here, enhanced plasma turbulence rapidly heats the bulk plasma and accelerates suprathermal non-Maxwellian “tails.” Heat and suprathermal electron transport rapidly elevate the ionospheric electron temperature—the source of a bright SAR arc. …

Advancements In Ai-Driven Education: Transforming Learning And Training With Intelligent Technologies, Sharon L. Burton

Publications

This article examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education, focusing on its integration in learning methodologies and its impact on student engagement and outcomes. Recent research underscores the increasing use of AI in education, where it is reshaping teaching and learning dynamics by facilitating personalized and effective learning experiences. Applying Literature review, the study further explores AI's role in enhancing independent learning abilities and student satisfaction, with intelligent learning tools proving crucial in improving user contentment and intent to use. Additionally, it considers the ethical and risk management aspects of AI in education, including data governance …

Facilitating Mathematics And Computer Science Connections: A Cross-Curricular Approach, Kimberly E. Beck, Jessica F. Shumway, Umar Shehzad, Jody Clarke-Midura, Mimi Recker

Publications

In the United States, school curricula are often created and taught with distinct boundaries between disciplines. This division between curricular areas may serve as a hindrance to students' long-term learning and their ability to generalize. In contrast, cross-curricular pedagogy provides a way for students to think beyond the classroom walls and make important connections across disciplines. The purpose of this paper is a theoretical reflection on our use of Expansive Framing in our design of lessons across learning environments within the school. We provide a narrative account of our early work in using this theoretical framework to co-plan and enact …

Insights On The Microbiology Of Ethiopian Fermented Milkproducts: A Review, Tiruha H. Karssa, Jamal B. Kussaga, Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek, Jovin K. Mugula

All Grantees Publications

Fermented milk products play a vital role in the diets of Ethiopians. They are producedfrom either spontaneous fermentation or back- slopping methods at the householdlevel, in which lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts predominate. As a result, the pro-cessing steps are not standardized and overall safety is still of public health relevance.Therefore, quality and safety improvement, standardization of traditional manufac-turing practices, and commercialization of products to a wider market are important.Hence, this systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of themicrobiology of traditional Ethiopian fermented milk products, including ergo (spon-taneously fermented whole milk), dhanaan (fermented camel milk), ititu (concentratedsour …

Economic Benefits And Uses Of Indigenous Seasonal Weather Forecasts In Zimbabwe, Joseph Manzvera, Kwabena Asomanin Anaman, Akwasi Mensah-Bonsu, Alfred Barimah

All Grantees Publications

This study presents a seminal contribution regarding the economic value of indigenous seasonal weather forecasts in Zimbabwe. Many farmers (58%) use indigenous seasonal weather forecasts to make maize farming decisions such as selecting suitable varieties. The main indicators used for indigenous seasonal weather forecasts are flowering and fruition of specific trees. Based on travel cost analysis, which incorporates a multi-purpose visit scenario, the study establishes the economic importance of indigenous seasonal weather forecasts with a consumer surplus of US$1,044 per year among the 290 farmers using the forecasts. There is therefore a need to integrate indigenous weather forecasts into national …

Political Economy Analysis Of The Dissemination And Use Of Seasonal Weather Forecasts And Services In Zimbabwe, Joseph Manzvera, Kwabena Asomanin Anaman

All Grantees Publications

Weather and climate services are essential tools that help farmers make informed choices, such as choosing appropriate crop varieties. These services depend considerably on the availability of adequate investments in infrastructure related to weather forecasting, which are often provided by the State in most countries. Zimbabwean farmers generally have limited access to modern weather and climate services. While extensive attempts have been made to investigate farmers’ socioeconomic factors that influence access to and use of weather and climate services, comparative political economy analysis of weather and climate service production and use is limited. To address this knowledge gap, this study …