Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For Time Management Challenges Of The First-Year Secondary School Music Educator, Jamey Bartlett Derks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the number of first-year music educators, there is a lack of research on the challenges of time management that first-year teachers face. Time management affects first-year secondary music teachers in areas that challenge their success in the classroom. This study recovered first-year music educators’ perspectives and experiences in the music classroom, specifically regarding time management challenges. Guided by Husserl’s phenomenological research model, this qualitative phenomenological research study identified perspectives that must be explored and documented concerning first-year music educators’ time management challenges. Perspectives on lesson planning, classroom management, and mentor assistance have emerged as themes through studying a small …

The Correlation Of Trauma-Informed Classrooms Without Support Infrastructure And Teacher Burnout, Sunshine O'Connor

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) implementation in classrooms on teacher burnout, specifically focusing on settings with insufficient support infrastructure. While TIC is recognized as beneficial for all students, not just students affected by trauma, a synthesis of scholarly literature highlights the significant challenges faced by educators when proper resources, training, and institutional backing are lacking. Existing research indicates that teachers implementing TIC in inadequately supported environments report higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and overall burnout. These challenges appear most acute for teachers in schools with limited professional development, insufficient mental health resources, and weak administrative …

Methodological Memorandum For Michelle Llado-Wrzos' Phd Dissertation, Michelle Llado-Wrzos Ed.D., Cristo Leon Ph.D.

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

This methodological memorandum outlines the research approach for Michelle Llado-Wrzos' PhD dissertation, which explores the underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Despite multiple efforts to reduce the gender disparity, female students remain significantly less likely to pursue STEM majors compared to their male peers. The research focuses on assessing the impact of extrinsic motivators—specifically financial incentives and exposure to female role models—on the STEM major choices of female high school students. By adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study thoroughly integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to examine these motivators.

A quasi-experimental design will assess the …

Embedding Mental Rehearsal In Surgery: A Comprehensive Review Of The Evidence, Josephine Walshaw, Bright Huo, Paul Barach, Philippa Banks, Adam Mcclean, Florent Lebon, Faisal Mushtaq, David Jayne, Danilo Miskovic, Marina Yiasemidou

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Mental rehearsal (MR), the deliberate practice of skills specific to a procedure, has been successfully used in sports and music training for decades, but has not been adopted in surgery. This narrative review explores MR's role in surgical training and clinical practice, evaluating its effectiveness in motor skill acquisition, technical and non-technical skill development, and real world clinical implementation. Our aim was to assess MR's impact on both surgical education and clinical performance, while identifying the barriers to its routine adoption in surgical training.

METHODS: We searched for relevant studies on the topic and impacts of MR in surgery …

Conceptualizing The Explanatory Fully Longitudinal Mixed Methods Case Study Design: A Demonstration With An Arithmetic Education Trial With Kindergarten Children, Menglong Cong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In employing longitudinal mixed methods designs, researchers have commonly used the fully longitudinal mixed methods design. This has occurred mostly in the health sciences but less in education. The current investigation proposes a novel longitudinal mixed methods research design, explanatory fully longitudinal mixed methods case study design. It demonstrates its potential for addressing research inquiries in educational research using the arithmetic learning trajectories datasets. This study is presented in three components. The first is a quantitative phase, selecting an exploratory case from a previous arithmetic learning trajectories study (Clements et al., 2021) for qualitative analyses based on maximizing the …

Cultivating Resilience In The Anthropocene: Evaluating A Gssw Ecological Justice Curriculum, Windy Selig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice evaluated the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Ecological Justice Pathway to examine how resilience is conceptualized and cultivated within the curriculum. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and guided by an ecological justice framework, this evaluation explored the pedagogical and curricular strategies designed to prepare social work students for the emotional, ethical, and professional demands of practicing in the Anthropocene—a time marked by ecological degradation, climate crisis, and compounding social inequities.

Through qualitative methods, including faculty interviews and curriculum document analysis, the evaluation identified both explicit and implicit components that foster student resilience. …

Educational Dialogues And Shuar Cultural Identity: An Approach From The Neutrosophic N- Alectics., María Claudina Gómez Ayora, María Belén Centeno Defas, Isaac Roger Martínez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This dissertation aims to assess the significance of dialogues in educational interventions that facilitate the con-struction and reinforcement of the cultural identity of Shuar students in rural multigrade classrooms from a Neutrosophic N-Alectic Assessment based on the Theory of Neutrosophy that seeks to approximate truth, deni-al, and indeterminacy within pedagogical realities. Therefore, it involves an interpretative qualitative study comprised of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with teachers and students, participant observation in class-rooms, and neutrosophic discursive analysis of dialogue occurring in bilingual learning environments. Results show that dialogue surrounding ancestral stories, purposeful interaction with the Shuar language, and subse-quent community involvement facilitate …

Online Learning And Private Christian Hispanic Serving Institutions: A Narrative Review Of The Literature, Daniela A. Hernandez, Brandi R. Munoz, Stephanie Ferrell

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

This narrative literature review explores the intersection of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), online education, and the role of private Christian universities in addressing educational disparities for Hispanic students. It synthesizes existing research on the challenges Hispanic students face in higher education, including financial barriers, limited digital access, underutilization of student support services, and institutional identity issues. Drawing on social capital theory and student engagement theory, this review highlights how HSIs, particularly private Christian institutions, can develop culturally responsive initiatives and leverage federal Title V funding to support Hispanic learners. The paper also examines emerging efforts such as the “Seal of …

Educational Efficacy Of Private Well-Testing Workshops And The Surveillance Of Private Drinking Water Quality In Connecticut, Alec Janis, Michael Dietz, Meredith Metcalf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

More than 820,000 Connecticut residents rely on groundwater from private wells, yet minimal regulations address well water quality. Extension programs across the United States have begun to provide private drinking water education and testing assistance to address this public health gap. Few studies have analyzed the efficacy of these programs.

We delivered four workshops across Connecticut, from November 2022 to November 2023, where participants were given an educational presentation on private drinking water and an opportunity to test their well-water quality at a subsidized cost. After participating in the workshops, participants believed they were more confident to begin annual testing, …

Traditional Institutions As Change Agents: Understanding Cultural Norms And Practices Promoting Gender-Based Violence In Nigerian Communities, Titilayo Ogunbambi

Dissertations

Traditional institutions in Nigerian communities hold a strong cultural foundation and significantly influence cultural norms and practices. Due to the increasing need for effective community-based approaches in addressing social and health problems on a global scale, we explore the attitudes and behaviors of traditional institutions as custodians of cultural customs and norms related to gender-based violence (GBV) and examine their potential role in ensuring community safety. By addressing harmful gendered norms and practices, traditional institutions could become key agents of change, promoting meaningful social transformations. This study explores the dynamics cultural norms and practices play in community safety, emphasizing the …

Smart Choices, Strong Voices: Empowering The Next Generation, Alexandra J. Bruce-Valverde

Graphic Communication

Smart Choices, Strong Voices (SCSV) is a financial and voter education pamphlet for students that is easy to understand and unbiased and helps to create a more financially and politically literate generation. The expectation for young adults in today's current world is for us to be able to make well-informed decisions about finances and politics. However, when we are constantly bombarded by misinformation and lack easy access to reliable, accessible education in these topics, these expectations become unreasonable. Exposure to this misinformation affects how we show up for ourselves and our democracy. As our world becomes more and more politically …

Consumers' Perspectives On The Design Of A New Digital Frailty Education Course, ‘Focus On Frailty’: A Qualitative Co-Design Study, Kristiana Ludlow, Benignus Logan, Jhalak Arora, Sarah Martin, Elizabeth Miller, Ruth E. Hubbard, Nicola Warren, Olivia Gallagher, Rosemary Saunders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Frailty-focused care in hospitals is hindered by systemic barriers, ageism and stereotypes about older adults and frailty. There is a need for frailty education to increase healthcare professionals' and students' understanding of frailty. Objective: As part of a larger study to co-design a new digital frailty education course, ‘Focus on Frailty’, this study aimed to explore consumers' and caregivers' perspectives on (i) how frailty and older adults should be represented in frailty education and (ii) what healthcare professionals should be taught about caring for older adults and people who are frail in hospitals. Design: This was a qualitative co-design …

Ai-Powered Education: A Cross-Country Exploration Of Ai Literacy Among Hospitality And Tourism Educators, Anderson Ngelambong, Siao Fui Wong, Silverina Kibat, Nur'hidayah Che Ahmat, Noel Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While there is a growing acknowledgement of the importance of AI literacy in educational settings, there is a notable scarcity of specific studies focusing on the AI literacy levels of hospitality and tourism educators in the Asian region. Notably, this study explores the AI literacy levels and integration of AI technologies among hospitality and tourism educators. We interviewed 25 educators from Malaysia and China using a cross-country qualitative study approach to evaluate their mastery of AI tools, their integration of AI into their teaching, and their challenges. The results revealed notable differences in AI literacy between the two groups, with …

Sociology: Culture, Marcia Morrison

Open Educational Resources

This work examine culture. It begins by examining the foundations of culture to include norms, values, language, symbols and knowledge. In looking at each, it breaks down the implication of each to the development of ourselves as well as the person in the environment. It moves on to look at contexts of culture such as dominant cultures juxtapose to competing cultural systems, and how the various elements of culture can serve to either promote or minimize the various cultural constructs within society.

Investigating The Associations Of Cognitive Health, Health Behaviors, And Personality In Older Community-Dwelling Adults, Yan-Jhu Su

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Cognitive decline poses a significant public health challenge, with profound implications for aging populations. This dissertation investigates the associations between health behaviors, leisure activities, personality traits, and cognitive function in older U.S. adults, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS). This work comprises three studies that explore both cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives on cognitive aging.

Study 1 examines the complex interactions between personality traits, education, health behaviors, and cognitive function. The study is divided into two parts: Study 1a explores the role of health behaviors—smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity—as …

An Exploration Of Gender And Sexual Identity Development Within The School Environment Among Gender Sexual Minority High School Graduates, Kendra Dawn Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Culturally responsive teaching in a global society is critical to students' success. Inclusion is an important part of the culturally responsive learning experience for all types of people. Because identity development takes place during the adolescent years, portrayals of various kinds of individuals throughout the environment and curriculum may support the confidence of students’ identity development. All students can experience improvements through inclusive teaching practices, but particularly students who identify as gender sexual minorities (GSM) can experience improved identity development with inclusive curricula in all areas of schooling. Grounded in identity process theory and sociocultural theory, the purpose of this …

Teaching Hygiene Skills To Teenagers With Developmental Disabilities Utilizing Friendship Circles, Nathaniel Medsker

Theses and Dissertations

High school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often struggle with hygiene skills, including table manners. These difficulties are especially noticeable in peer tutoring settings. Peer tutors were utilized to increase the mouth wiping behavior of the students with IDD using peer influence through the friendship circles intervention. The participants included high school age students with IDD and accompanying peer tutors from their classroom. This was done in a social setting during lunch while the peer tutors modeled the appropriate mouth wiping behavior and complimented the students with IDD if they also participated in the mouth wiping behavior. The …

Staff Education Program On Strategies To Manage Disruptive Patient Behavior, Lazare Ngah Shadzeka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice concern was the absence of a consistent method of providing structured training on the management of disruptive patient behaviors to staff in a mental health ambulatory care clinic. This clinical gap is important because it heightens the risk of workplace violence, staff burnout, and suboptimal patient care outcomes. The doctoral project practice-focused question was, How does a focused staff education program on dealing with disruptive patient behavior impact nursing staff abilities and confidence in an outpatient clinic setting? Thus, the purpose of this doctoral nursing project was to develop and implement a staff education program aimed at enhancing …

Hazing Prevention Education, Elianna Mielbrecht, Sky Agpawa, Ceirra Dean, Joseph Arinaza, Moses Hart, Lily Speakman, Hana Maow

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Hazing Prevention Education

Hazing in higher education is often hidden behind a culture of secrecy, tradition, or team-building. It includes any unwanted physical, emotional, or psychological activities that a person undergoes before joining a group that has clear lasting impacts on the person’s health, regardless of willingness to participate (H.R.5646 - Stop Campus Hazing Act, 2024; Boyer, A., n.d.). Seven nursing students partnered with a university’s campus security office in Seattle, Washington. This department is responsible for maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment, making it a key stakeholder in hazing prevention efforts.

Guided by the Stop Campus Hazing Act …

Workforcetowards The Establishment Of A Workforce Development College In Liberia, Leon L. Banks Mr.

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The call for establishing a workforce development college in Liberia is a growing necessity that cannot be ignored or overlooked. The call is growing louder. This article seeks to contribute to the discourse by proposing concrete justification for achieving such a worthy endeavor. A workforce education deficiency highlights a long-standing gap in the workforce sector that needs to be addressed sustainably. Workforce education provides several advantages for enhancing essential workforce skills and competencies. It lays the basis for collaboration among stakeholders. Despite its advantages, the process of establishing a workforce development college is marked by challenges. Some of these include …

Staff Education To Prevent Falls In Long-Term Care Facilities, Shekinah Gleason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this staff education initiative, I focused on fall prevention in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) by reinforcing the Morse Fall Scale fall risk assessment tool. Falls in LTCFs are a significant concern, leading to injuries, hospitalization, and declining residents' quality of life. The practice problem stems from insufficient staff training, contributing to inadequate patient care and an increased risk of falls. The practice-focused question was used to explore whether education about fall prevention measures and guidelines improves long-term care nurses’ knowledge and intent to follow these guidelines; a total of 23 participants were involved in this project. Pre- and post-education …

Staff Education To Improve Quality Of Life For Patients With Dementia, Vanessa Ann Soda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is incurable and unpredictable. Patients with dementia experience a decline in functional abilities, communication, and social skills. Fifty-five million people worldwide live with dementia with over 6.9 million people over 65 years of age diagnosed in the United States. The practice problem identified by a 25-bed assisted living facility in the north-central United States was staff’s lack of knowledge of dementia diagnosis, person-centered care approaches, and optimal care strategies supporting a positive quality of life for patients with dementia. The practice-focused question addressed whether an education program consisting of evidence-based practices using the …

The Effects Of Counseling On Patient Usage And Satisfaction With Wearing Hearing Aids, David Frazier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hearing aids are a vital intervention for managing hearing loss, yet their adoption remains disproportionately low across age groups. Only 30% of adults aged 70 and older and a mere 16% of adults aged 20 to 69 who could benefit from hearing aids report ever using them. This study explored whether counseling and education, within the framework of aural rehabilitation therapy (ART), could improve hearing aid satisfaction and usage rates. Participants with mild-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated using the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL) questionnaire, which was administered during hearing aid fittings to gauge the effectiveness of …

Balance And Blend: Quality Of Life And Work-Life Balance In Military Reservist Band Directors, Jeremy Ryan White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the research on work-life balance and stress management in various fields and stages of life, the perspectives of music educators serving in the military as part-time reservist musicians have yet to be explored. Teachers with a desire to serve in the military may find the part-time status appealing, as most duties are performed on weekends or during the summer. While there are many benefits to serving one’s country as a reservist, this second career may place added stress on the service members and their families. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study will gather data via qualitative surveys collected from Military …

The Influence Of Health Literacy Education On Black Women With Chronic Illness: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nicole Bonds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of the role health literacy education has on Black women (BW) with chronic illness managing their health at the Undiagnosed and Diagnosed Rare and Chronic Illness Support Group (URCIS) in the United States. The theory that guided this study is the health belief model (HBM), as it suggests that before a person adopts a healthy behavior, they go through six stages first to determine if the behavior change would benefit their health. This study showed the research participants followed the HBM framework as they perceive the threat of illness …

Societal Gender Norms' Influence On Music Education, Lindsey N. Folsom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological design to answer the question: How do students and educators perceive the influence of gender on instrument choice, ensemble participation, and student socialization opportunities inherent to ensemble participation? The theoretical framework for this study is Lev Vygotsky’s social development theory. Data was collected using interviews and surveys from K-12 teachers and college instructors. The data is analyzed using qualitative methods such as coding and triangulation. The results of this study and its potential to significantly inform and shape music education practices will provide research on teacher and student perspectives on the influence of societal …

A Phenomenological Study: The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor, As Perceived By The Elementary School Teacher, Krista L. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study is to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors within the Greenbrier County School District. E. G. Williams’s trait-factor theory is the guiding theory for this study. Three research questions guide this study: How do elementary school teachers perceive the role of school counselors, what roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors do elementary school teachers feel they utilize most in their school, and what do elementary school teachers perceive to be the needs of their school related to counseling? Eight to fifteen teachers from nine …

Middle School Teachers’ Lived Experiences With Stress Post The Covid-19 Pandemic, Patrice Crenshaw Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe middle school teachers’ lived experiences with stress and coping post the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress as it was developed to examine stress and coping factors in occupational environments, including educational settings. This theoretical approach helped to contextualize and bring developmental understanding to middle school teacher stress resulting from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants for the study were recruited through researcher sharing of study information via Facebook utilizing criterion and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect data …

School Principals’ Perceptions Of Hiring School Counselors, Wendy Carol Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School principals are the primary hiring authorities in U.S. K-12 public schools when employing school counselors. Despite the expansion and diversification of schools’ qualifications, characteristics, and roles, there is a gap in knowledge about principals’ hiring perspectives, priorities, and specific criteria. These elements provide vital information for school counseling educational programs and organizational advocacy for hiring school counselors based on current standards and qualifications. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of school principals regarding the hiring of school counselors. Targeting the research question “What are the perceptions of principals interviewing and hiring school counselors …

Transforming Education: The Impact Of Dance/Movement Therapy In School Settings, Emily Viprino

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

The author will examine the application and effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) programs in school settings. DMT offers a unique, non-traditional approach to therapeutic counseling that may be more accessible for some students and could help reduce barriers and hesitation to participate in counseling for others. By integrating movement and other forms of art expression, DMT uses a multi-modal approach to therapy. It also provides opportunities for students to engage in physical movement during the school day. The literature explored in this thesis will include studies on expressive therapies in schools that aim to improve student learning and behavior …