Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Social-Emotional Learning On Student Academic And Behavioral Performance, Kayla Zucco

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored teacher perceptions of the impact of social-emotional learning (SEL) on students’ academic and behavioral performance. Guided by two research questions examining how teachers perceive SEL influences academic outcomes and behavioral development, data were collected through open-ended interview questions among seven participants. The study aimed to better understand how educators conceptualize and implement SEL within classroom settings and how these practices are perceived to affect student success.

Thematic analysis of participant responses revealed several consistent findings. All participants (100%) reported a strong understanding of and confidence in their SEL knowledge, suggesting a shared sense of competence in this …

From Bias To Bottleneck: A Quantitative Analysis Of Gender Preferences In Tech Hiring, Uma Chidambaram

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined whether gender preferences influence hiring decisions in the information technology (IT) sector, and whether such preferences contribute to the ongoing labor shortage in the field. Despite national and international initiatives to close the gender gap, women continue to represent only 28% of the United States IT workforce and remain significantly underrepresented in technical and leadership roles. Grounded in the Eagly and Karau (2002) Role Congruity Theory of Prejudice, this study investigated whether evaluator gender and candidate gender alignment affect interview selection outcomes at the résumé screening stage for both leadership and non-leadership IT positions.

A quantitative, …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social-Emotional And Behavioral Factors That Impede Preschool Adjustment, Allease J. Glamore

Theses and Dissertations

Children with behavioral and social-emotional challenges struggle to adjust to the preschool environment which places increased demands on preschool teachers to implement effective strategies. The purpose of the study was to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding social-emotional and behavioral factors implicated for successful preschool adjustment. The theoretical framework guiding this study is grounded in the integration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, social-emotional learning theory, and behavior theory. A case study design was used to examine the perceptions and use of social-emotional and behavior interventions and supports by four early childhood teachers across two programs.

Data were collected using qualitative in-depth one-on-one …

Impact Of Job Demands On Performance, Satisfaction, And Environment, Michelle Chin Loy

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the relationships between job resources, job demands, work engagement, perceived stress, and job satisfaction among university employees. The target participants for the study were employees at an academic institution in the South Florida area. The researcher e-mailed two surveys to the employees, and a response rate of 20% was achieved. One survey was conducted to assess the psychosocial work environment factors, and the impact on the employees’ well-being. The sub-scales used were Job Resources, Job Demands, Well-being outcomes, and Stress. The other survey measured the work engagement, the employees’ well-being, and how they experience enthusiasm, commitment, …

Mixed-Methods Study Of High School Teachers’ Perceived Training, Self-Efficacy, And Assessment Competencies In Online Courses, Chantell Radford

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study was that, in a large urban school district in South Florida, the online high school teachers’ training, self-efficacy, and assessment competencies in courses required enhancement. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school teachers on their training, self-efficacy, and assessment competency in online courses.

Twenty high school online teachers participated in the study. Recruitment occurred through a link posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. The design (sequential explanatory mixed-methods design) aligned with the five research questions. Two instruments (survey and questionnaire) were used to collect data. Quantitative data analyis occurred with …

Revisión Sistemática Sobre La Actitud Del Docente De Educación Preescolar Frente A La Incorporación De Niños Especiales Dentro Del Programa Regular Y Sus Efectos En El Aprendizaje De Estudiantes Regulares De Usa, Período 2015 Al 2024, Fressia Mary Medina Greenbaum

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de esta investigación fue evidenciar hallazgos sobre la actitud del docente de educación preescolar frente a la incorporación de niños especiales dentro del programa regular de educación preescolar y sus efectos en el aprendizaje de estudiantes regulares en preescolares de Estados Unidos de América. La posición que adopte el docente es de suma importancia para el logro de la incorporación de estudiantes especiales desde temprana edad, conocer cuáles son los obstáculos que enfrenta el docente y aclarar cuales son los beneficios tanto para estudiantes especiales como para estudiantes regulares.

La presente investigación utilizó la revisión sistemática como metodología, …

Análisis De Las Competencias Digitales Docentes Aplicadas Al Modelo Educativo Híbrido En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Ishwara Ayala Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

El modelo educativo híbrido ha surgido como una alternativa que integra la educación tradicional con los avances alcanzados durante la pandemia, convirtiendo la competencia digital docente en un aspecto cada vez más relevante. Esta disertación aplicada analizó las competencias digitales de docentes universitarios en la implementación del modelo educativo híbrido en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico, enmarcada en el modelo TPACK y la teoría conectivista.

El estudio adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con diseño no experimental de corte transversal exploratorio, utilizando el cuestionario HybridEduCom para medir dichas competencias. La muestra estuvo conformada por 40 docentes de una IES privada en …

Increasing Reading Comprehension Of Middle School Students With Hearing Disabilities, Abbis Bivins

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the effectiveness of researcher-created training sessions for teachers designed to improve reading comprehension in class for students who are deaf or hard of hearing was examined. The training was focused on key instructional components, including morphology, syntax, vocabulary, phonology, explicit feedback, and activation of prior knowledge. Additionally, parent-focused strategies such as collaboration with professionals, reading routines, summarization, interactive reading, and the use of home language were taught. A qualitative research design was used to explore the perceptions for both teacher and parent groups following participation in six 1-hour training sessions.

Teachers’ findings indicated increased confidence, intentional instructional …

Examining Reframing Behavior Implementation: Teacher Perspectives And Discipline Patterns In Middle School, Francisco J. Hidalgo

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined teacher-reported implementation of the Reframing Behavior (RB) Initiative at a middle school in North Central Florida. The districtwide training occurred in the 2024-2025 school year. The RB Initiative provides educators with opportunities to reframe how they address disruptive behaviors among students perceived as problematic, who may receive numerous disciplinary actions. Disciplinary actions can affect students’ academic and social lives. Using a convergent mixed methods design, the study addressed four research questions and examined implementation fidelity, teacher perceptions, school-wide discipline patterns, and teacher experiences with RB implementation.

The researcher surveyed 19 teachers and interviewed four teachers. The …

Evaluación De La Efectividad De Un Curso Que Incluye Temas Sobre Diversidad Y Equidad En Una Universidad De Puerto Rico, Norangely López Llanos

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito del estudio fue evaluar la efectividad de un curso que incluyó temas sobre diversidad y equidad en una universidad de Puerto Rico. Se aplicó el Modelo de Kirkpatrick (2007), el cual contempló cuatro niveles de evaluación: reacción, aprendizaje (percepción de conocimiento), comportamiento y resultados (percepción de resultados). La investigación se desarrolló mediante un diseño transeccional descriptivo con enfoque cuantitativo y una muestra de 14 estudiantes.

Se plantearon cinco preguntas de investigación y se administraron cinco instrumentos validados y confiables. La primera evaluó la percepción de los estudiantes sobre la utilidad, relevancia y calidad del curso mediante el Cuestionario …

El Liderazgo Estratégico En La Gestión De Cambio Para La Innovación En Una Universidad Privada De Puerto Rico, Luis Javier Bosques Rodríguez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada buscó determinar la importancia del liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio para la innovación, según la percepción de los administradores académicos (rectores, decanos y directores) en una universidad privada de Puerto Rico. Se planteó que, en el contexto de una educación superior que enfrenta retos como desastres naturales, pandemias y exigencias tecnológicas, los líderes deben tener una visión estratégica clara para guiar a sus instituciones hacia la innovación y la competitividad.

El investigador propuso examinar cómo estos líderes comprenden y aplican conceptos clave de liderazgo estratégico en la gestión de cambio e innovación. A través de …

Manejo De Oportunidades En Tiempos De Crisis: Liderazgo Y Cambios En Una Organización -Estudio De Caso, Maria Valente

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada para proporcionar informaciones relevantes sobre situaciones de crisis que amenazan la supervivencia de las organizaciones. Además, busca comprender los fenómenos que desarrollan las crisis y explorar los resultados significativos del liderazgo en tiempos de crisis.

Se empleó un diseño de investigación cualitativa. Los elementos descritos en esta investigación cualitativa evalúan el impacto de las situaciones de crisis, describiendo cada etapa y factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos que son responsables por la desestabilidad en la organización.

En este estudio se identificaron las prácticas de liderazgo y los proyectos estratégicos que permiten planificar oportunidades de cambio en el …

How Leadership Styles Can Effectively Alleviate Some Of The Organizational Stressors Of Food-Plant Workers, Latarshe Mccuthin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate how leaders in the food processing industry perceive their management style and how they may alleviate some job related employee stress. There was no management training at the organization; the only training provided was for food safety for certification and licensure procedures. Once a year, the company listed a management course, but the supervisors had to pay for it without reimbursement. Further, although the course was available, most supervisors did not know of it.

The researcher developed semi-structured, in-depth interviews to answer the research questions regarding how supervisors perceived leadership styles, strategies, and …

Usage Behavior Of Hispanic English Learners With Bilingual Homework Resources In Developmental Mathematics At Community College, Debra Krieg

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation, grounded in the theoretical framework of metalinguistic awareness, was designed to understand how six Hispanic English learners (ELs) were utilizing homework help resources when offered in both English and Spanish. Specifically, the study was conducted at a mid-Atlantic community college with students enrolled in a developmental mathematics course. Homework has long been established as a tool that increases the probability of academic success. The shift to web-based assignments in developmental mathematics from traditional pencil and paper homework has yielded positive results yet little is known regarding how learners utilize bilingual digital assessment tools to achieve mastery of …

Percepción De Los Líderes De Organizaciones Sin Fines De Lucro De Puerto Rico Sobre La Utilidad De Las Herramientas De La Programación Neurolingüística, Ana Milagros García Del Valle

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue explorar el grado de aceptación de la Programación Neurolingüística (PNL) como intervención para que los líderes puedan conocer el aprendizaje y desarrollen estrategias de comunicación. El marco teórico utilizado fue la Teoría de Niveles de Dilts (1989) y el Modelo de Cambio de Kotter (1996).

El diseño del estudio fue cuantitativo con enfoque cuantitativo-correlacional y el instrumento consistió en un cuestionario. En la primera pregunta los resultados demostraron un conocimiento moderado sobre los temas relacionados con la Programación Neurolingüística incluidos en el cuestionario. En la segunda pregunta los resultados reflejaron una percepción favorable hacia …

A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Reading Proficiency, Latia Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

This applied qualitative dissertation was constructed to provide insight into the experiences of teachers who provide reading instruction for third grade students at the target school. Seven teachers engaged in semi structured interviews that sought to examine their perceptions on their abilities in teaching reading instruction, their perception on school supports, their perceptions on reading proficiency and factors that contribute to it. Additionally, comprehensive reading plans, published by the state of Florida, were examined to further understand the perceptions of teachers alongside district intended approach for reading instruction.

Thematic analysis of data revealed eight key themes including gaps in foundational …

Competencias De Los Líderes Escolares De Un Sector De Las Escuelas Públicas En Puerto Rico En La Provisión De Servicios A Estudiantes De Educación Especial, Zuleira Franco Olivo

Theses and Dissertations

La siguiente disertación aplicada indagó acerca de las competencias que exhiben los líderes escolares en un sector de las Escuelas Públicas en Puerto Rico y cómo estas influyen en los procesos de provisión de servicios a los estudiantes participantes de Educación Especial. Desde una mirada del liderazgo distribuido se buscó conocer cómo al aplicarlo en el escenario educativo en conjunto con las competencias exhibidas por los directores escolares, promueve el funcionamiento y la provisión de los servicios del programa en cada escuela de los directores participantes.

Trabajado mediante un enfoque de investigación mixta con un diseño descriptivo fenomenológico, se emplearon …

Nivel De Competencia Digital Del Profesorado De Enfermería En Puerto Rico Y Su Percepción Sobre El Impacto De La Tecnología En El Aprendizaje, Dimarys Cordero Pérez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito analizar el nivel de competencia digital del profesorado de enfermería en Puerto Rico y su percepción sobre el impacto de la tecnología en el aprendizaje del estudiantado. Asimismo, se examinó la relación entre estas variables y se identificaron factores asociados con la competencia digital docente. El estudio se desarrolló bajo un enfoque cuantitativo, mediante un diseño no experimental de tipo correlacional. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 105 participantes, de los cuales 94 fueron incluidos en el análisis final tras un proceso de depuración de datos. La recolección de información se realizó mediante un instrumento …

The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Skills Training In Enhancing Teachers’ Ability To Write Specific, Measurable, And Individualized Iep Goals Targeting Quality-Of-Life Skills, Emilia Endean

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation sought to assess the effectiveness of a behavior skills training (BST) protocol in improving teacher behaviors for writing high-quality individualized education plan (IEP) goals that target quality-of-life (QoL) domains. High-quality IEP goals that target both academic and functional repertoires are required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and are essential for students with disabilities to achieve meaningful outcomes. BST is an effective intervention for teaching a variety of skills. No prior research has explicitly examined the application of BST for teacher professional development in writing IEP goals.

This single-subject study used a time-lagged multiple probe …

Estrategias De Enseñanza, El Rol De Los Padres Y El Logro De Los Objetivos De Aprendizaje De Los Alumnos Del Cuarto Año De Una Escuela Alternativa De Puerto Rico, Marangely González Tavárez

Theses and Dissertations

Se examinaron las características de los docentes, el rol de los padres y el logro académico de los estudiantes de cuarto año en alcanzar sus metas de aprendizaje en la escuela alternativa ASPIRA de Puerto Rico. Estas instituciones buscan atender a jóvenes de 14 a 21 años que han dejado o están en riesgo de deserción en la escuela tradicional, ofreciendo un currículo flexible, atención personalizada y apoyo psicosocial. La investigación se fundamentó en la necesidad de generar evidencia sobre las competencias docentes y la percepción estudiantil en contextos educativos no tradicionales, dado que la literatura existente se ha centrado …

The Continuity And Fluidity Between Emergent Literacy Skills And Literacy Acquisition, Shiesha D. Otokina

Theses and Dissertations

This research study was undertaken because emergent literacy skills are crucial in helping children develop their reading abilities. Research suggests that early intervention is a key strategy for closing the achievement gap, and that early literacy skills develop as early as when children begin to communicate verbally and nonverbally. Studies show that the larger a child's vocabulary is, the quicker they learn to read.This study examined the significance of reading development and a child’s ability to acquire reading skills across the stages of reading acquisition.

This study compared student scores in the experimental and control groups to determine whether the …

Technology-Facilitated Labor Trafficking Power And Control Wheel, Julie A. Dahlstrom

Faculty Scholarship

This wheel is based on the Article, "Digital Servitude":

Negligent Hiring: Recidivism And Employment With A Criminal Record, Benjamin David Pyle

Faculty Scholarship

This Article tackles a difficult legal and policy challenge— reducing the impact of criminal records on job applicants’ chances in a manner that does not spur more discrimination—by looking at how another area of law, tort liability, impacts employers’ decision-making. It uses theoretical and empirical methods to study the most common reason employers report being reluctant to hire workers with a criminal record: legal liability generated by the tort of negligent hiring. While the purpose of the tort is ostensibly to protect and make whole those harmed when an employee misbehaves in a foreseeable manner, I show that, in practice, …

Measuring Lawyer Mental Illness: Evidence From Two National Surveys, Benjamin David Pyle, Clifford Rosky

Faculty Scholarship

The American Bar Association declared a “well-being crisis” among lawyers, but the empirical basis for this claim has been contested in recent years. This study systematically compares two high-quality, nationally representative surveys —the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)—to measure the prevalence of mental illness and alcohol misuse among lawyers. In both surveys, lawyers report elevated rates of alcohol misuse compared to the general public and similarly educated peers. The NHIS finds that lawyers experience psychological distress at rates lower than the general public and similar to, or moderately higher than, …

The Unitary Theorists' Appointments Clause Problems, Jed Handelsman Shugerman

Faculty Scholarship

The unitary executive theorists’ recent retreat to the Appointments Clause as a basis for unconditional presidential removal power is contradicted by the text and by overwhelming originalist evidence.

It is a surprising argument for a power of presidential removal, because the text of the Appointments Clause plainly requires both the President and Senate to appoint. The noncommon sense reading, that the president alone appoints, and thus the president can remove, was not in any of the Trump Administration’s briefs, but it was in a single amicus brief, and it was picked up in oral argument and the mainstream media.

This …

The Power And Peril Of The Aca's Universality At Fifteen, Nicole Huberfeld

Faculty Scholarship

As part of the symposium "15th Anniversary of the ACA: A Health Equity Review," this essay explores the ACA's mix of private law and public law provisions that rendered measurable improvements in health equity and health outcomes, especially for populations that experienced longstanding health disparities before its enactment.  Congress’s central objective was near-universal health insurance coverage, and the ACA employed a variety of mechanisms to reach that goal. The law’s health equity successes grew from establishing a principle of inclusion across federal statutes. This principle, which I have called “universality,” centered a human right to health approach: No longer would …

Social Science Contributions To The Global Action Plan On Antimicrobial Resistance Management, Mathieu Poirier, Jaskeerat Singh, Isaac Weldon, Clare I. R. Chandler, Daniela Corno, Laura Valtere, Pedro Henrique D Batista, Daniel Carelli, Geneviève Boily-Larouche, Sonia Lewycka, Fiona Emdin, Kathleen Liddell, Timo Minssen, Ilaria Natali, Susan Nayiga, Iruka N. Okeke, Emmanuel Olamijuwon, Kevin Outterson, Julianne Piper, Kayla Strong, Jarnail Singh Thakur, Kednapa Thavorn, Maarten Van Der Heijden, A. M. Viens, Mary Wiktorowicz, Steven J. Hoffman

Faculty Scholarship

Social science research on antimicrobial resistance has gained traction in the last decade, employing a diverse set of theoretical perspectives to better understand topics ranging from antimicrobial stewardship to political coordination.4 As the action plan commitments will be updated in 2026, an opportunity exists to employ a broader social science scope to accelerate national antimicrobial resistance interventions.

In January 2025, the Global strategy lab convened leading antimicrobial resistance social scientists from a variety of disciplines to determine which new ways of understanding antimicrobial resistance could catalyse and incentivize action. Three conceptions stood out as important to revisions of the action …

Obscurity And The Fallacy Of No Privacy In Public Information, Woodrow Hartzog

Faculty Scholarship

The main thesis of this chapter is that because there are so many different possible interpretations of ‘public information’, the concept cannot be used to justify data practices and surveillance without first articulating a more precise meaning that recognises what is at stake. By disposing of the myth that there is an objective and dispassionate concept of public information, judges and lawmakers can clear the way for information rules based on overt value choices. In short, if the concept of ‘public’ is going to shape people’s social and legal obligations, its meaning and neutrality should not be assumed.

My argument …

The Innocence Trap, Caitlin Glass, Julian Green

Faculty Scholarship

What makes a conviction wrongful? Developments in DNA science have led to a wave of exonerations over the past thirty years, revealing sources of error in the criminal legal process. Innocence organizations proliferated to represent people whose convictions could be overturned by newly discovered evidence. This is vital work for the individuals who are released and for the purpose of systemic change. At the same time, a focus on exonerations constructs a relatively narrow conception of wrongful convictions -- one that is synonymous with factual innocence.

Five Lessons From Ken Kersch’S Conservatives And The Constitution For The Present Moment, James E. Fleming, Linda C. Mcclain

Faculty Scholarship

Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, a New York Times bestseller, has the subtitle, “Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.” Ken Kersch’s Conservatives and the Constitution: Imagining Constitutional Restoration in the Heyday of American Liberalism (2019) provides at least twenty lessons from the second half of the Twentieth Century about the development of conservative constitutional thought and activism. Although conservatism has changed in many ways since the 1954-1980 period on which Kersch’s book focuses, these lessons are relevant for understanding the present political moment, filled with concerns that the U.S., during the second Trump Administration, is lurching toward tyranny, authoritarianism, and …