Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Telehealth Expansion On The Health Equity Of Underserved Populations, Mansi B. Satani

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The rapid expansion of telehealth, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, has changed healthcare delivery in the United States. The use of telehealth can potentially decrease disparities related to isolation, shortage of providers and barriers to transportation, however, its impact on health equity in underserved populations is unknown. This paper explores how telehealth expansion impacts rural populations' access to healthcare, health outcomes, and equity. It also examines its impact on populations with low income, racial, ethnic minorities, and Medicaid recipients who frequently encounter obstacles to healthcare and digital access (Nouri et al., 2020; Shah et al., 2024). A mixed-method design …

Student Motivation In Writing, Technology Integration, And Middle Grade Pedagogy, Carol M. Edge

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored how seventh-grade students experienced three-dimensional (3D) holographic technology during writing instruction. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Multimodality Theory, the study examined how students’ intrinsic motivation processes were influenced by immersive learning environments that incorporated multiple modes of communication. A qualitative case study design was employed with 15 seventh-grade students. Data were triangulated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and artifact analysis.

Findings indicated that the 3D holographic environment supported students’ experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Students engaged with diverse modes of expression, including textual, visual, spatial, and gestural forms, which enhanced their …

Bridging The Gap: A Qualitative Case Study Of Pre-K Teachers' Literacy Professional Development Needs In The Context Of Georgia's Early Literacy Act (Hb 538), Deborah Lissimore

Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how school-based pre-K teachers in Georgia perceived their literacy professional development needs within the context of the Georgia Early Literacy Act, House Bill 538, and to examine the role of teacher leadership in supporting their professional learning. Although the Act established evidence-based literacy requirements and professional learning expectations for kindergarten through third grade educators, comparable supports for school-based pre-K teachers were not clearly defined. Participants included five certified pre-K teachers employed in a Georgia public school district. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and researcher field notes, with member …

Language Learning Under Pressure: Rethinking Anxiety, Assessment, And Support In Second Language Classrooms, Bryn C. Cole

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio examines the role of anxiety in second language acquisition (SLA) and its impact on student performance, assessment, and overall participation. Drawing on both the author’s classroom experience and SLA research, it argues that language anxiety should be understood as a structural feature of classroom environments rather than an individual learner deficit. The paper explores how traditional assessment practices may obscure students’ underlying competence by prioritizing performance under pressure. It proposes two key shifts in response: reformatting assessments as a more flexible and context-sensitive process, and integrating peer mentorship as a form of interpersonal instructional support. Together, these approaches …

A Focus On Student Needs In German Instruction, Elisa E. Remund

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio serves as documentation of the author’s professional progress throughout the Master of Science of Second Language Teaching (MSSLT) program at Utah State University, shown through teaching philosophy, hands-on teaching experience and practice, and demonstrates the author’s use of pedagogical strategies and theory, including but not exclusive to comprehensible input, the sociocultural method, dynamic assessment, and the output hypothesis. It details the usage of current research-based strategies to increase classroom engagement and student proficiency, such as the IMAGE Model for teaching culture and language, collaborative learning, and dynamic assessment strategies. Furthermore, the portfolio includes a reflection on the benefits …

Tales, Traditions, And Tides: The Little Logan River And Its Role In Cache Valley's History, Culture, And Conservation, Emily A. Kovacic

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Little Logan River (LLR) plays a vital role in the cultural, historical, and ecological landscape of Cache Valley, Utah. Amid growing concerns raised by the Logan River Watershed Project (LRWP), which threatens to alter the river’s environment, this project seeks to understand the significance of the LLR as a cultural and recreational asset through collected oral histories. Building on folkloric perspectives of place-based storytelling, this thesis introduces the idea of vivus locum, or “that place which is alive,” through the example of the LLR to the study of folkloristics. The concept of vivus locum emphasizes the importance of …

Food Insecurity And Parent Engagement In Pediatric Therapy: A Comparative Study Of Feeding, Speech-Language, And Combined Services, Kendra Kendra Rosales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Pediatric feeding disorders and food insecurity represent two compounding challenges for families navigating pediatric therapy services, yet their intersection has received little empirical attention. This study examined food insecurity rates across three pediatric therapy groups and explored the relationship between food insecurity and parent engagement in therapy. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 175 caregivers of children actively receiving feeding therapy only (n = 34), speech-language therapy only (n = 93), or combined feeding and speech-language therapy (n = 48). Food insecurity was assessed using the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form, and parent engagement was …

A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Of Texas History Curriculum Discourse, Maribel Santoyo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examines how race, citizenship, nation-building, and belonging are constructed across Texas history curriculum discourse. Grounded in Fairclough's three-dimensional model of discourse, Machin and Mayr's (2012) multimodal framework, Weedon's (1987) theory of subjectivity, Foucault's (1980) concept of power/knowledge, and Anderson's (1983) concept of imagined communities, the study investigates how official curriculum texts shape the histories students are invited to know and the civic identities they are invited to inhabit. Findings suggest that the Texas history TEKS, SB3, and Texas history textbooks for Grades 4 and 7 work together as an interconnected discourse system through which official knowledge is …

"Fenomeno Frontera:" Family Language Policy As Lived Experience At The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Alejandra Sanmiguel-Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Family language policy (FLP) research expands the understanding of how families' language ideologies, language management, and language practices shape children's bilingual development. However, limited research has examined these processes among transfronterizo families living along the U.S.-México border. This qualitative narrative inquiry explores how transfronterizo families describe and negotiate their family language policies and how these policies relate to their experiences in the borderland, including their relationships with schools. Guided by family language policy and borderlands theory, this dissertation employs Seidman's (2006) three-interview series with five transfronterizo mothers raising children enrolled in dual language programs in the El Paso, Texas, region. …

Essays On Firm-Level Political Risk, Addback Statutes, And Corporate Decisions, Obed Nana Buadi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three chapters examining how political risk and tax enforcement shape corporate investment decisions and firm value. The first essay investigates how firm-level political risk affects investment efficiency among U.S. firms. Using 40,215 firm-year observations spanning 2002-2022 and exploiting the Hassan et al. (2019) political risk index as a firm-specific measure, we find that political risk reduces investment efficiency exclusively through underinvestment - a one-standard-deviation increase corresponds to approximately $5.7 million in foregone annual investment for a median firm. Mediation analysis confirms that precautionary cash hoarding accounts for 31.8% of the effect, establishing uncertainty - rather than capital …

Transnational Indigenous Environmental Justice: A Distant Comparative Study Of Nepali And U.S. Environmental Policies And Counter-Archives In Technical Communication, Shankar Paudel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how institutional communication, state bureaucracy, and Indigenous sovereignty intersect within Rhetoric and Writing Studies (RWS) and Technical and Professional Communication (TPC). Current TPC research increasingly focuses on social justice; however, the field still lacks ethical frameworks to deal with the complicated dynamics of transnational Indigenous Environmental Justice Communication (IEJC). This study addresses this gap by examining how two distinct Indigenous communities - the Tharus of Chitwan, Nepal, and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tigua Indians of El Paso, Texas - communicatively navigate, contest, and resist state environmental policies.

Grounded in decolonial Distant Comparativism, Mestiza Consciousness, Rhetoric of …

Mija, Yes You Can: Faith And Motherhood In The Making Of A Scholar, Alejandra Salgado-Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This autoethnographic study examines how motherhood, faith, and borderlands identity shaped persistence throughout my journey as a Chicana mother-scholar in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Grounded in Borderlands Theory and Chicana Feminist Epistemology, the study centers lived experience, testimonio, spirituality, emotion, and embodied knowledge as legitimate forms of inquiry. Data included reflective journals, personal memory work, and selected family contributions. Through iterative narrative and thematic analysis, I organized experiences chronologically, coded recurring patterns and critical incidents, tested candidate themes across sources, and interpreted the resulting themes through the study's theoretical and scholarly literature. Four interconnected themes emerged: living in nepantla through borderlands …

Georgia Library Association Executive Board Officer Candidates For 2026, Karen Manning

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of The Psychological Impacts Of Code-Switching, Cristina Culler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of four Black American adults who have frequently engaged in code-switching. Historically, code-switching has been perceived as a necessary skill that helps marginalized folx adopt the norms and practices of the dominant culture. As a result, code-switching has become a routine practice specifically for Black Americans who often occupy white spaces. Since code-switching has been perceived as a skill, the oppressive origins of code-switching often go unnoticed. Therefore, this dissertation examines code-switching through a critical lens that deems this practice a product of racist ideologies that prioritize whiteness. Through …

Predictors Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Strength-Based Teaching Practices With Els (English Learners), Stephany M. Panza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing number of English learners (ELs) in U.S. school classrooms highlights the importance of utilizing pedagogical approaches that build upon their preexisting cultural and linguistic strengths. Strength-based teaching practices, grounded in positive psychology represent a systems-levels approach to promoting positive academic and socio-emotional outcomes for ELs. In this study, a sample of 21 pre-service teachers attending Northeastern teacher preparation programs completed a series of surveys identifying their EL teaching experience, EL coursework, multicultural attitudes, and intercultural self-efficacy. These predictors were examined to determine their cumulative impact and unique contributions to an adapted Strength-Based Practices Inventory (SBPI), which captured pre-service …

Guest Editor’S Introduction: Liah Greenfeld And The Future Of Comparative Civilizational Studies, Monika Monika, Guest Editor

Comparative Civilizations Review

Every scholarly life leaves behind unfinished questions. Professor Liah Greenfeld was acutely aware of this. Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, her research never settled into the repetition of established arguments. Each major work emerged from the unresolved problems of the previous one, enlarging both the scope of its inquiry and the range of disciplines with which it engaged. Nationalism led her to questions of modernity (Greenfeld, 1992) and the foundations of economic development (Greenfeld, 2001). The growth of the modern economy and the emerging new forces of globalization, in turn, raised broader questions about the self and …

Using Assessments Intentionally With Consideration For English Language Learners, Elizabeth Ropp

Masters Projects

Assessment systems in the United States are failing English Language Learners (ELLs), and it has become apparent that action must be taken to try and right this injustice. There is a wide achievement gap between native English speakers and non-native English speakers when it comes to performance on state, local, and classroom assessments. Unfortunately, many teachers report that they do not feel adequately prepared to support ELLs both on classroom assessments and on mandatory state or local tests. With an ever-growing increase in ELL enrollment in American schools, it is imperative that teachers are given tools to help them better …

Voices From The Classroom: A Multiple Case Study Of Early Childhood Educators Implementing Science Of Reading Curriculum With Multilingual Learners, Alecia Clamp

All Dissertations

This multiple case study examined how first-grade teachers implemented Science of Reading (SoR) aligned literacy instruction with MLs in two Title I elementary schools. As SoR-aligned curriculum and policies continue to expand across the United States, questions remain regarding how these approaches address the linguistic and literacy needs of MLs. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of SoR-aligned curriculum, the instructional adaptations they made to support MLs, and the challenges and successes they experienced during implementation.

Grounded in constructivist and sociocultural perspectives, this study employed aholistic multiple case study design situated within a mixed concurrent dominant status framework. Five first-grade teachers …

Shaping Writers, Shaping Pedagogy: Elementary Teachers’ Writing Identities And Instructional Change Within Literacy Coaching Contexts, Elizabeth T. Besch

All Dissertations

Despite the central role of writing in literacy development, many elementary teachers report limited preparation in writing instruction and uncertainty in how they understood themselves as writers. Increasingly, literacy coaching has been positioned as a form of job-embedded professional learning that supports instructional change; however, less is known about how coaching contexts shape teachers’ identities as writers and how those identities relate to instructional practice.

This qualitative multiple-case study examined how elementary teachers’ writer identities were constructed and enacted within a literacy coaching context. The study addressed the following research questions: (1) How do literacy coaching contexts, as figured worlds, …

Witchcraft Dialogues : Anthropological And Philosophical Exchanges, George Clement Bond, Diane M. Ciekawy

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Witchcraft Dialogues analyzes the complex manner in which human beings construct, experience, and think about the occult. It brings together anthropologists, philosophers, and sociologists, from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, to engage the metaphysical properties of witchcraft and sorcery and to explore their manifestations in people’s lived experiences.

While many Africanist scholars shun the analysis of witchcraft as an appropriate domain of investigation, the experiences, thoughts, activities, and powers that witchcraft encompasses have become increasingly the source of interest and debate. Concepts of witchcraft and the phenomena to which they are applied express something fundamental to the human condition and …

Balancing War And Peace In Taekwondo Athlete Development: A Multi-Criteria Coaching Decision Support Framework Using Leadership Scale For Sports And Fuzzy Ahp, King Harold A. Recto, Hazel Jade L. Antonio, Jhyrald Anthony P. Dalida

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Coaching effectiveness is frequently evaluated through competitive outcomes, with the assumption that coaching behaviors directly influence athlete performance. This study examined the relationship between perceived coaching behaviors and individual win percentage among collegiate Taekwondo athletes using the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted across five coaching dimensions: Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, Autocratic Behavior, Social Support, and Positive Feedback. Results showed that none of the coaching dimensions demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with win percentage. Although coaching behaviors did not significantly predict win percentage, the findings suggest that athlete development is shaped …

'We Will Be Here': Modeling Hunting Community Narratives In Avanersuaq, Greenland, Talor Stone

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Inughuit, a small Indigenous population in Northwest Greenland with a rich history of subsistence hunting in one of Earth’s harshest environments, have long been portrayed in Western media and academic literature as symbols of vulnerability and resilience, often depicted more as icons of climate change and a culture under threat than as actual people with hopes and aspirations. Indigenous voices are strikingly absent from these Western accounts.

As the Arctic gains prominence amid rapid growth in climate discourse, regional geopolitics, and tourism, the implications of these representations become increasingly significant. When Western crisis narratives dominate discourse and shape regulatory …

Praise That Empowers: Training Preschool Teachers To Linguistically Adapt Behavior-Specific Praise For Hispanic Students, Claudia Abril Ochoa

Dissertations

Children’s engagement in early ages is critical for promoting behavioral, academic, and social-emotional outcomes. However, engagement in classroom activities may be difficult for young children who have not mastered the primary language used in early childhood education settings (i.e., English). Research regarding engagement in English Language Learners (ELLs) in preschool settings, as well as cultural and/or linguistic adaptations of classroom interventions to serve this population is limited. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) has been an effective strategy to improve behavior in preschool classrooms. The current study used a multiple-baseline design across three Head-Start teachers to test the efficacy of in situ training …

Musical Training Increases Anticipatory Responding And Predictive Control In Sequence Learning, Li Ann Leow, Jarrad Lum, Sara Johnson, Emily Corti, Welber Marinovic

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Musicians demonstrate advantages in acquiring motor sequences, showing faster learning and better explicit sequence knowledge than non-musicians. However, it is unclear whether this advantage extends beyond acquisition to the consolidation phase, which is when newly learned skills stabilize and become resistant to interference. Additionally, while interference from executing competing motor tasks is well-established, less is known about whether purely sensory information presented after learning can disrupt consolidation of a bimodal motor sequence. We investigated how post-acquisition sensory interference affects performance of a learned audio-visual sequence, and whether musical training moderates this vulnerability. Participants first learned an explicit sequence in a …

Genwriter 2.0: A Hybrid Case-Based And Llm Rewriting Approach For Mitigating Implicit Gender Cues In Text, Shweta Soundararajan, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Gendered language is the use of words or phrases that indicate an individual's gender. Although useful in some contexts, gendered language can reinforce gender stereotypes and introduce bias, particularly in machine learning models for tasks involving people such as recruitment or occupation classification. When textual content about individuals, such as biographies, contain gender cues, models can learn spurious associations between gender and other characteristics of individuals, such as profession, potentially resulting in unfair outcomes such as reduced hiring opportunities for women.

To address this challenge, we propose GenWriter 2.0, a hybrid approach that integrates Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) with Large …

Modeling The Psychological And Technical Factors Influencing The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among Non-Native Arabic Learners: A Comparative Study In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, And Jordan., Mohammad Odeh, Alaa Al Din Musa, Ahmed Ragab Ali Ghalish, Montaser Adel Sayed Ahmed

All Works

This study aimed to develop a predictive longitudinal model of the psychological and technical factors influencing the use of artificial intelligence tools among non-native Arabic learners (international students) in three Arab countries: Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The study adopted an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) incorporating two psychological variables: trust in artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence anxiety. A quantitative longitudinal design with two time waves (T1 and T2) over a full academic semester was employed using Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis and PROCESS Macro for mediation. The sample consisted of 812 international students from public universities in …

Improving Juror Comprehension: The Impact Of Simplified Instructions And Defendant Conduct Severity On Damage Awards, Alivia Mae Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Jurors in civil trials make judgments regarding liability and damages, often relying on jury instructions that are legally challenging to understand. Prior research indicates jurors frequently misunderstand standard instructions, which can contribute to legally inappropriate decisions influenced by factors such as the reprehensibility of the defendant’s conduct. The present study examined whether simplifying jury instructions would improve mock jurors’ comprehension and reduce the influence of defendant conduct on damage award decisions. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, participants received either standard or simplified jury instructions within the context of a mock civil negligence case involving either lower or …

Intragroup Marginalization, Multiracial Identity Development, And Subjective Well-Being: A Qualitative Analysis, Anna Kim Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

To date, there is little research on the relationship between multiracial identity, marginalization, and well-being, particularly research investigating whether identity can have a positive impact on well-being. The current study used live, semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to aggregate the narratives of nine multiracial participants to explore their lived experiences of intragroup marginalization, multiracial identity development and integration, and well-being. Within the frames of the Intersectional Model of Multiracial Identity and Social Identity Model, five superordinate themes emerged across participants: (1) early racial meaning-making and internalized tension; (2) developing and negotiating a multiracial identity; (3) seeking and constructing …

Bridging Relational And Institutional Accountability: A Mixed Methods Study Of Implementing Sámi Ethical Research Guidelines In Finland’S Public Health Sector, Anna Charlotta Kihlstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Sámi People in Finland represent a critical step toward ethical Indigenous research; however, a gap remains between these principles and their implementation. This study responds to a research priority identified by the Sámi Social Affairs and Health Committee and examines how ethical research guidelines can be operationalized in the collaboration between the Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was employed, grounded in an Indigenous research paradigm and relational accountability. Extensive community engagement was carried out as a foundational part of the research methodology. …

Improving Health Literacy In Diagnostic Imaging For Indigenous Populations: Evaluating Practices, Integrating Policy, And Bridging Gaps, Kimberly Harn

Theses and Dissertations

Indigenous populations in the United States and internationally experience persistent disparities in healthcare access, patient communication, and health outcomes, including disproportionate cancer mortality rates and inequitable engagement with diagnostic imaging services. Communication barriers, limited health literacy, historical trauma, cultural incongruence, and structural inequities reduce meaningful participation in imaging-related care and contribute to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes. Despite the critical role of diagnostic imaging in disease detection and clinical management, the intersection of Indigenous health, health literacy, patient communication, and cultural safety within diagnostic imaging contexts remains substantially understudied.

This applied dissertation addresses that gap through three integrated scholarly products …