Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

Increasing The Educational Attainment Of Youth In Extension Of Foster Care Through Positive Youth Development Centered Programming, Julia M. Rossmiller

Senior Capstone Papers

Approximately 20,000 young adults age out of the foster care system in America each year. Of these 20,000 individuals, less than one-quarter will choose to participate in Extension of Foster Care services. Even fewer will complete a bachelor’s degree by age 26. Extension of Foster Care provides financial support for housing and education for young adults pursuing an education or working. However, most young adults have received little or no education on post-secondary options despite having the financial resources available for these programs. Low levels of protective factors further raise the barrier to entry for young adults to pursue an …

Staff Education On Documentation For Hospice Registered Nurses, Sharon Spencer Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary Documentation is a part of a daily task that all nurses undertake. Its purpose is to provide validation of care rendered to patients. In the hospice setting, nurses’ documentation is crucial, as it supports whether a patient qualifies to receive hospice services. If proper documentation is not recorded, patients can lose services and organizations can face a loss of revenue and potential fines. At a hospice organization in the Southeast United States, there was little emphasis of the importance of documentation that adheres to guidelines set by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Therefore, nurses’ documentation lacked the …

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 …

Risky Business For The Almighty Roi: Alternative Assets In Higher Education Endowments, Clayton Ellis

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEI) are heavily reliant on alternative revenue streams to mitigate rising operational costs. One alternative revenue source is the endowment, an aggegation of assets invested to support the institutional objectives of an HEI through generated income. Before the 21^st century, institutions have typically sought after more conservative investment strategies via traditional asset classes like bonds and equities. The growing financial obligations to educate students has led endowment managers to make a shift in their investment strategies towards alternative assets classes – private equity, venture capital, secondaries – in order to gain advantage in generating alpha (α) …

Improving Caregiver Education For The Management Of The Febrile Pediatric Patient, Scarlett Tomasi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

IMPROVING CAREGIVER EDUCATION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FEBRILE PEDIATRIC PATIENT

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Scarlett Tomasi, RN

Fever is the most common reason for children under the age of 15 to be brought to the emergency department by their parents or caregiver (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al., 2018). Fever is often diagnosed as benign and can be treated symptomatically in the home with proper education. The purpose of this project was to provide education to caregivers of the pediatric population focusing on fever management. This study was implemented via social media and …

Connecting Through Context: A Culturally Relevant Mental Health Resource For K-12 School Counselors, Erica Knebel

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project, Connecting Through Context: A Culturally Relevant Mental Health Resource for K–12 School Counselors, explores the intersection of decolonial theory, culturally relevant pedagogy, and school-based mental health practices. Rooted in both personal and academic experiences, the project addresses the significant gap in culturally responsive mental health resources for immigrant and refugee students, with a personal emphasis on those from Southeast Asian backgrounds. With nearly 27% of the U.S. student population being immigrants, traditional Western mental health models, centered on talk therapy and medication, often fall short in effectively supporting culturally diverse students. Through a literature review grounded in …

A Tale Of Two Organizations: San Francisco & Tokyo, An Analysis Of Urban Youth Poverty In The Developed World, Arturo Paredes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study analyzes the experiences of low-income youth in terms of their access to educational opportunities in connection to their social mobility, the study focuses on two highly prosperous cities: San Francisco and Tokyo specifically dwelling into some affected population groups and overall neighborhoods where low-income populations are clustered in. The study delves into youth poverty as a complex phenomenon facing communities and its direct implications for the lives of youth in the context of educational experiences and its connection to socio-economic outcomes. By focusing on two organizations addressing this issue in each of the contexts, the study highlights interventions, …

Breaking Barriers: How Reusable Menstrual Products Can Enhance School Attendance And Education For Girls In Kenya, Talia Jacobson

Master's Theses

In Kenya, statistics show that at least one in ten girls who are of the age of puberty miss school during their menstruation hindering their ability to finish schooling, secure a stable employment, and live independently. This thesis aims to highlight the issue of girls missing school due to their menstrual cycle, a problem that persists globally despite being solvable. The primary focus is on how reusable sanitary products, such as reusable pads, can aid girls to stay in school longer by addressing affordability and accessibility issues associated with commercial products, while also offering environmental benefits. The question guiding my …

The Influence Of Perioperative Education On Postoperative Digestive Restoration, Christian Cedeno

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The human body often needs encouragement to return to its natural state of functioning following intraoperative and postoperative drug therapy. Anesthesia can sedate the gastrointestinal tract and frequently requires medical and physical interventions to allow the body to return to full functionality. There are several methods thought to be beneficial in overcoming of this condition, and some have proven their significance more so than other methods. This project seeks to measure the power-of-knowledge methodology via a chart review of individuals specifically educated on what they can expect in the postoperative phase of care compared to those that receive routine education. …

Thinking Long-Term: Nursing Education On Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics, Arslan Amir Rashid

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background Schizophrenia cases and their associated healthcare costs have drastically increased over time in the United States. Antipsychotic nonadherence is a primary contributor to the high rates of relapse and rehospitalization among adult patients with schizophrenia. The development of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) has positively impacted medication adherence, however, this treatment modality is still underutilized in practice due to barriers, such as physician and patient negative attitudes toward LAIs and lack of education. Nurses hold a unique position to potentially change practice and address some of the barriers to LAI usage. Local Problem A Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in California …

Staff Education For Nurses And Mental Health Technicians, Aminah Shanell Abdikadir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Restraint and seclusion persist as considerable hazards to both patients and healthcare personnel in some mental health institutions. These interventions correlate with heightened trauma, injury, and extended duration of stay. The goal of the project was to instruct nurses and mental health technicians in verbal de-escalation strategies to diminish incidences of restraint and isolation as part of a practice reform initiative. Ten staff members engaged in pre- and post-training evaluations to assess knowledge, confidence, and readiness to apply de-escalation tactics. Data were examined using paired t tests. Results indicated statistically significant enhancements in staff knowledge, and confidence along with willingness …

Capturing The Intersection Of Black-American, Muslim Males And Education: Exploring Their Attitudes, Perceptions, And Lived Experiences Within An Islamic Consciousness, Kirk A. Talib-Deen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation explored the lived realities of Black-American, Muslim males and their attitudes, perceptions, histories, and endurances toward higher learning in America. It attempted to join and contribute to the more significant, historical, and extant conversations and literature on Black-American males and education, as well as their successes and failures. This dissertation adds to the dearth of literature on the intersection of Black-American, Muslim males, and education, and using jazz as an epistemological way of navigating and organizing the content, the research works to uncover, locate, and define an Islamic consciousness. While negating racist histories concomitant with the American narrative …

Being In Community With Children And Engaging Their Full Range Of Civic Capabilities. A Response To "Learning To Talk And Listen In Elementary Social Studies: Exploring A Third-Grade Teacher’S Decision To Use Classroom Talk For Community Building", Katherina A. Payne

Democracy & Education

Early childhood social studies should open opportunities for children to make sense of their social world; the civic question of how we live together is central to the social world. Elementary classrooms are uniquely positioned to support democratic civic education given the amount of time children and adults spend together, the emphasis placed on cultivating a positive classroom community, and children’s capabilities to cultivate relationships full of care and concern for people from outside their close familial relations. In response to Lo’s (2025) examination of a third-grade teacher’s use of discussion to engage in contentious topics while cultivating a sense …

Teachers’ Beliefs About Asl And Its Impact In The Classroom, Cecilia Echevarria

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explores American Sign Language (ASL) teachers’ beliefs and experiences, and how they influence their instructional approaches and goals for their students. Despite ASL’s growing presence in education as a world language, minimal research has examined ASL teachers’ perspectives and how they shape classroom practices. Through semi-structured interviews, six ASL teachers – three Deaf and three hearing – this research identified four major themes: challenges teachers face in the classroom, cultural takeaways, best teaching practices, and persistent systemic issues affecting ASL’s status in education. Findings suggest that regardless of hearing status, teachers prioritize cultural awareness and respectful engagement with …

Experiences Of Low-Risk, Low-Need Participants In A Gender-Neutral And Inclusive Domestic And Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program, Kenneth W. Robison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditional batterer intervention programs often prioritize male-perpetrator-female-victim models, thereby overlooking diverse relationship contexts and marginalized populations. Understanding participants’ experiences is essential for researchers, policymakers, counselor educators, and practitioners to develop alternatives to one-size-fits-all gender- specific strategies, which aligns with the call for more robust evidence-based practices. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study, guided by van Manen’s framework, was to explore the lived experiences of low-risk, low-need participants who completed a gender-neutral and inclusive domestic and intimate partner violence intervention program. The research answered what essential themes emerged from the participants’ lived experiences. Data were collected from (n=8) participants …

Staff Education To Improve Gestational Diabetes Knowledge In Family Practice Staff, Lawretta Udogadi Aghomon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project was a staff education program on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) that was carried out in an outpatient primary health facility to help improve staff knowledge of GDM. GDM is a pregnancy complication where women with no history of diabetes become hyperglycemic during their gestational period. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of mothers giving birth who received a diagnosis of diabetes during pregnancy has increased in the last 10 years. Limited healthcare staff knowledge is a constraint in preventing the increase of GDM incidence. The practice-focused question was: Among healthcare staff at a …

Behavior Analysts’ Training And Practices Regarding Cultural Diversity: A Replication And Extension, Tania M. Valdez-Nuguid

Theses & Dissertations

Culturally responsive care, which involves adapting assessment and treatment methods to reflect the culture of individuals served (Sue & Torino, 2005), is crucial for client success, especially for minoritized and marginalized groups. This study replicated and extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by surveying behavior analysts on their training, perceived competence, and practices in culturally responsive care. We extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by including open-ended questions regarding culturally responsive practices and barriers faced in delivering culturally responsive care and offering the survey in Spanish. Participants reported feeling skilled and comfortable providing culturally responsive care, with increased training across various modalities. …

Principals' Views Of The Mississippi Department Of Education's Administrator Growth Rubric, Emma Hughey

Honors Theses

Principals have a significant impact on student achievement in their schools. Having an effective principal can increase student test scores across grade levels and subject areas. Having a reliable way to measure principal effectiveness and guide principals to become more effective is important for improving school performance. Mississippi’s evaluation tool for principals is called the Administrator Growth Rubric. This research surveyed 194 public school principals across Mississippi to determine their thoughts on the Administrator Growth Rubric and how it might be improved. Fewer than half (43%) of the respondents believe that the Administrator Growth Rubric is a good evaluation tool …

Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic, Hailey Stephens

Honors Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of storytelling as a teaching method in enhancing memory performance for educational material compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. Memory plays a crucial role in learning, and effective teaching strategies should facilitate information encoding, retention, and retrieval. Storytelling, an ancient yet often overlooked pedagogical tool, has been shown to engage students emotionally and cognitively, making presented content more memorable. In the present study, participants were randomly assigned to either a storytelling-based instruction group or a traditional lecture group. Both groups received instruction on the ASSURE Model and were tested immediately after the lesson and again …

Living In Paradise? Cameroonian Women In The American Diaspora, Joseph Takougang

Journal of African Policy Studies

For decades after independence, African migration was a phenomenon that could be attributed to a patriarchal culture that encouraged male domination. Later, that traditional mindset was reinforced by a colonial system that often marginalized the role of women in many African societies. Indeed, because young men were more likely to be educated than their female counterparts under the colonial system, they were advantaged after independence to attend institutions of higher learning abroad when it became necessary to train young Africans to occupy important government and other decision-making positions in the newly independent states. Recently, however, women have become important players, …

Using Video Education To Improve Patient Knowledge Of Cellular Therapy Side Effects: Cytokine Release Syndrome, Neurological Toxicities, & Prolonged Pancytopenia, Leslie Bennett

Doctoral Projects

This project evaluated the effectiveness of short educational videos on CAR T-cell therapy, cytokine release syndrome, neurological toxicities, and prolonged pancytopenia for blood cancer patients. At Stanford Health Care in California, in the ambulatory clinic of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (BMT-CT), we obtained a convenience sample of individuals with multiple myeloma or lymphoma preparing for CAR T-cell therapy. A pre-and post-questionnaire assessed the patients' knowledge of CAR T-cell therapy and its side effects. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to determine changes in knowledge. Thirteen patients enrolled, eight completed post-surveys, and four watched the videos. The median knowledge …

Do I Feel Safe At School? A Study Of Student And Teacher Perceptions Of School Safety Measures, Dayton-Turner K. Billington

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study examined student and teacher perceptions of current school safety measures. It explored feelings of safety among high school students and their classroom teacher, focusing on their perspectives regarding school safety measures and school resource officers (SROs). Students took a survey asking their thoughts regarding current school safety measures using Likert scale questions as well as drawing a picture and writing a describing paragraph regarding their perceptions of safety. From the survey results, 11 students were selected to be a part of two separate focus group interviews. The qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method, while the …

Optimized Student Grouping For Enhanced Classroom Performance, Kathryn E. Reardon

Honors Theses

Effective grouping methods enhance classroom collaboration and allow for a student-centered teaching approach; however, traditional grouping methods are time-consuming, subjective, and can create inconsistent group dynamics. This project addresses these challenges by employing a data-driven approach to optimize student groups based on academic performance, behavior, attendance, language barriers, and teacher preferences. The minimum viable product is a web application with an algorithm-driven system to group students and a database storage for group results. During the initiation phase, a problem was defined with a proposed solution. During the planning phase, potential design choices and grouping methods were researched and assessed. During …

Institutional Betrayal And Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors: A Retrospective Examination Of Lgbtq School Experiences, Mavis L. Gallo, Mark A. Hammond, Stephanie Luther, Geovanna Rodriguez, James Sinclair, Rhonda N.T. Nese, Marielena R. Mcwhirter Boisen, Skylar Steffes, James R. Muruthi, John R. Seeley

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Extant literature has established an elevated risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) youth when compared to their non-LGBTQ peers. Not yet studied is the impact of institutional betrayal on STB among LGBTQ youth. Institutional betrayals refers to misconduct carried out by an institution upon individuals reliant on the institution. Using retrospective data from 229 LGBTQ adults, we examined: (a) whether institutional betrayal was associated with STB among LGBTQ individuals in grades 5 through 12, (b) whether the association between institutional betrayal and STB was significant after controlling for the covariates, and …

Ableism And Museum Art Education: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Museum-Based Visual Studio Art Teachers, Elizabeth W. Buck

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

All people, including individuals with disabilities, who participate in hands-on visual art can experience various benefits. However, visual studio art teachers, especially museum-based teachers, have various backgrounds that do not always include education or training in serving individuals with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how museum-based visual studio art teachers perceived that their training and preparation informed their awareness of ableism and ability to serve students with disabilities in art museums in the New England region of the United States. Twelve museum-based, visual studio art teachers participated in this study through semi-structured interviews. Through …

School Nurses' Role In Creating A Culture Of Preparation For Cardiac Emergencies, Dena L. Hinkle, Marisa A. Dressler, Katherine M. Miller, Shannon L. Beetz

Nursing Department Graduate Presentations/Conferences

Recent legislation in Illinois schools has focused on enhancing cardiac preparation in schools by establishing written emergency plans that are to be disseminated to employees within thirty days from the start of the school year. This web-based education tool was created as a centralized hub for employees to locate pertinent information regarding cardiac emergencies. The intent is to increase cardiac emergency preparedness in schools with access to evidence-based resources and content. The project began by performing a literature review to collect data on cardiac emergencies within the school, leading to the development of the web-based educational portal. The Cognitive Theory …