Digital Commons Network^™

The Perceived Self-Efficacy, Barriers, Facilitators, And Needs Of Special Education Teachers That Teach Reading To Elementary Students With Emotional Disabilities, Donna Mecca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of elementary special education teachers who work in self-contained classrooms with students who have emotional disabilities. This research sought to understand the perceived self-efficacy teachers had for teaching reading to this population of learners, and to further explore the perceived barriers, facilitators, and needs they have related to reading instruction. Participants included sixteen teachers and one specialist from a large public-school division in the southeastern region of the United States. The data for this study was collected through teacher completion of an online survey and through individual semi-structured interviews. The …

Looking Back And Looking Ahead: Veteran Teachers Reflect On The Impact Of The Online Educational Marketplace On Professional Identity, Natalie N. Malone

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly complex, diverse, and inclusive classrooms require the direction of a highly skilled teacher who is committed to continual professional growth. Although many research studies have addressed professional growth and identity development among pre-service and early career teachers, few have investigated the long-term evolution of professional identity. Understanding the influences and characteristics that shape professional identity throughout the career can yield important insight into why some teachers continue to thrive and grow while others stagnate. The purpose of this multiple case study is to explore the evolution of the professional identity of elementary school teachers (K-5) in the northeastern United …

Woody Plant Reinvasion Shortens The Lifespan Of Grassland Restoration Treatments, D. T. Fogarty, M. Beadle, C. R. Allen, C. Bielski, D. Twidwell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Computing In The Commonwealth: Specialized Education In Computer Science And Information Technology For High School Students In Virginia – An Environmental Scan, Amy Corning, Jonathan D. Becker, Jon Graham, James Carrigan, Keisha Tennessee

ICRE Publications

Over the past two decades, Virginia has invested substantially in STEM education, in part through specialized programs focused on computer science and information technology (CS/IT). This study represents the first effort to identify Virginia’s specialized secondary CS/IT programs and examine them collectively. Findings from the statewide environmental scan indicate that the programs are delivered through a wide variety of institutional structures, including Governor’s STEM Academies, Governor’s Schools, specialty centers, and academies, but most often through Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers. Programs tend to be concentrated in metropolitan areas, and some rural divisions may not be served. The programs provide …

Guardianship And Its Alternatives: A Handbook On Maryland Law, Joan O'Sullivan, Ellen A. Callegary, Rebecca Hall, James F. Silver

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Heat Stress Induced By Irrigation Over The Us Great Plains And Related Uncertainties, L. Chen, I. C. Achugbu, Rezaul Mamood, K. Kintziger, J. Bell, G. Meredith

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Chandler, Henry W. - Biography, Bates College

All Bates People Files

No abstract provided.

Niu Working Papers 2024 - 2025, Northern Illinois University

Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Multi-Valued Variational Inequalities For Variable Exponent Double Phase Problems: Comparison And Extremality Results, Siegfried Carl, Vy Khoi Le, Patrick Winkert

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We prove existence and comparison results for multi-valued variational inequalities in a bounded domain Ω of the form (Formula presented.) where A:W1,H(Ω)→W1,H(Ω)∗ given by (Formula presented.) for u∈W1,H(Ω), is the double phase operator with variable exponents and W1,H(Ω) is the associated Musielak–Orlicz Sobolev space. First, an existence result is proved under some weak coercivity condition. Our main focus aims at the treatment of the problem under consideration when coercivity fails. To this end we establish the method of sub–super-solution for the multi-valued variational inequality in the space W1, H(Ω) based on appropriately defined sub- and super-solutions, which yields the existence …

The Impact Of Gender On Learning Styles Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Caleb Quernemoen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how gender influences the learning styles of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). While students inherently learn in different ways, factors such as gender and the presence of a learning disability add complexity to the classroom experience. Research supports the idea that boys and girls are not identical in how they learn, and that one-size-fits-all instruction may not serve diverse learners effectively. This study explores how these gender-based differences manifest among students with SLD. These findings underscore the importance of individualized teaching strategies and invite educators to critically assess how best to support all students with learning …

Restorative Justice In Secondary Schools: Benefits, Challenges, And Academic Impact, Joseph S. Matia

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines restorative justice practices in secondary education, focusing on academic outcomes and comparison with traditional disciplinary methods. Drawing from research published between 2013-2024, this review analyzes how restorative practices impact student achievement while exploring implementation challenges. The review addresses two questions: the impact of restorative practices on academic outcomes in secondary education, and how these practices compare to traditional methods regarding implementation requirements, sustainability, and student outcomes. After establishing theoretical and historical context, the review systematically examines empirical studies, identifying key implementation factors including professional development, stakeholder engagement, and resource allocation. Findings indicate that while restorative practices …

Proximal Remote Sensing: An Essential Tool For Bridging The Gap Between High Resolution Ecosystem Monitoring And Global Ecology, Z. Pierrat, T. Magney, W. Richardson, B. Runkle, J. Diehl, X. Yang, J Gamon Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Chalkboards To Chatbots: Helping Faculty Harness Ai For The Future Of Higher Education, Justin C. Grace

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into nursing education presented significant opportunities yet posed challenges due to varied faculty readiness. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement (QI) project evaluated an educational intervention aimed at enhancing nursing faculty's AI proficiency and confidence at Regis University’s Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions. Using a mixed-methods, pre- and post-intervention design, validated surveys assessed changes in faculty perceptions, knowledge, and skills related to AI. The intervention included a digital toolkit with nine instructional videos demonstrating practical AI applications using FreedAI’s large language model, ChatGPT, supported by voiceover narration and closed captioning. Data analysis involved descriptive …

Continuous Space Theory And The Viability Of An Epistemic Response To The Sorites, Grace Poortenga

Bouwsma Paper Contest

If space-time is not discrete then epistemicism implies infinitely indeterministic cut-offs. In this paper, I will explore what sharp cut-offs in a Sorites series are and what they imply, and I will demonstrate that to go in for sharp cut-offs one should go in for discrete space. One might hold epistemicism to be true even while suggesting that space is continuous rather than discrete: there is a cut-off, and it is infinitely indeterminate. This is a possible reply, but the trouble in it is that one of the strong desires in accepting epistemicism as the reply to the Sorites is …

Galoistheory And The Arithmetic-Geometric Series, Daniel Vargas

HMC Senior Theses

Motivated by classical works of Gauss and Euler on the AGM, Ono and his

collaborators Griffin et al. (2023); McSpirit and Ono (2023) have investigated

the union of AGM sequences over finite fields 𝔽𝑞, where 𝑞 ≡3 mod 4. A

recent preprint Kayath et al. (2024) extends some of their results to all finite

fields with odd characteristic. We refine these works when 𝑞≡5 mod 8. In

particular, we explicitly determine the components of these graphs and their

total population. We also use Galois-theoretic results to make progress in

the search for cycles over finite fields with odd characteristic.

2024-2025 Common Data Set, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Common Data Sets

This document contains data compiled by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research for the 2024-2025 academic year.

We Need To Talk, Joanmarie Davoli

Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology

[Writing] will introduce forgetfulness into the soul of those who learn it: they will not practice using their memory because they will put their trust in writing, which is external and depends on signs that belong to others, instead of trying to remember from the inside, completely on their own. You have not discovered a potion for remembering, but for reminding; you provide your students with the appearance of wisdom, not with its reality. Your invention [of written language] will enable them to hear many things without being properly taught, and they will imagine that they have come to know …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Versus Standard Of Care For Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression, Yosr Ziadi

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) experience high relapse rates and a relentless cycle of ineffective treatments, significantly impairing their quality of life and burdening healthcare resources. Psilocybin has emerged as a promising alternative, offering rapid and sustained symptom relief. However, its cost-effectiveness remains unexplored. This study conducted a pioneering cost-effectiveness analysis of psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) versus standard care (SoC) for individuals with TRD using a Markov model from a U.S. healthcare perspective. Methods: The model, parameterized by randomized trial efficacy data and a micro-costing approach, simulated patient transitions every six-week cycle, consistent with American Psychiatric Association guidelines. Outcomes focused …

Knocking Down Floral Symmetry Genes In Fedia Graciloflora (Caprifoliaceae), Jacob Vinson

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout angiosperm evolution, shifts between radial (actinomorphic) and bilateral (zygomorphic) symmetry have occurred repeatedly, often correlating with increased pollinator specialization and diversification. Evidence shows that the transcription factor CYCLOIDEA (CYC) plays a role in establishing the dorsoventral identity of a flower, leading to the formation of bilateral symmetry. Previous work in the lab used Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) to transiently suppress the expression of four paralogous CYC genes: CYC2A, CYC2B, CYC3A, and CYC3B, in the non-model organism Fedia graciliflora (Caprifoliaceae), a species with strongly bilaterally symmetrical flowers nested within the more radially symmetric Valerianella. This study investigates the contributions of …

Exploring School Characteristics And Physical Learning Environment As Predictors Of Self-Efficacy Among Teachers In Vietnam, Giavanna Varuzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Limited data suggests that contextual factors such as school characteristics and physical learning environment have an effect on teachers’ self-efficacy. The present study aims to examine the relationship between these contextual factors and how they affect self-efficacy in a sample of 1,961 teachers in Vietnam who taught Pre-K-12th grade. Self-reported measures were derived from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) measure, and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale – Short Form (TSES-SF). We evaluated the effects of contextual factors including: grade level, years of teaching experience, school sector (e.g., public school)/school location (e.g., urban), and physical learning environment …

Assessing School Psychologists’ Accuracy, Judgment, And Decision-Making In Specific Learning Disability Identification: A Re-Evaluation Of The Role Of Exclusionary Factors, Josette Elizabeth Tugander

Theses and Dissertations

Specific learning disability (SLD) is the most identified disability category for students across the United States. In light of its prevalence and implications for the allocation of resources in schools, identification accuracy is critical. However, previous research has remained mixed on school psychologists’ skills regarding identification accuracy, particularly when assessing students who are English Learners (ELs). This is especially problematic considering the historical overidentification of these students, such that many ELs with cognitive and academic scores that resemble SLD are classified as SLD without proper consideration of exclusionary factors that should have precluded the classification. This study aimed to build …

Interpreting Technology Proficiency In Stem Education: A Qualitative Study Of Teachers In The New York Region, Zachary Rosch

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the technology integration divide perceived by high school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) teachers within a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting a community of STEM educators across the New York region. The study examined educators' integration of technology in their classrooms, their challenges, professional development needs, and the impact of teaching experience on technology integration. Semi-structured interviews captured teachers' lived experiences regarding subject-specific technology integration, pedagogical strategies, and technological proficiency. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the study, providing a lens to analyze how educators navigated the intersection of content knowledge, pedagogy, …

In Defense Of Binary Symptom Count Scoring: Psychometric Benefits And Clinical Utility, Margaret Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Assessment of mental health symptomology is essential for clinical research and patient care. Traditional measures of mental health symptoms typically use a Likert-type rating scale with scores and interpretations based on the sum of numeric Likert item responses. However, in addition to the psychometric difficulties posed by summing ordinal items, Likert sums are not directly linked to the proposed underlying construct of clinical distress and may not be clinically appropriate for patients in treatment due to a few specific symptoms rather than global distress across all symptoms. Aim & Method: The current study proposes an alternative binary scoring approach …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Coumarin Derivatives, Jeanmeil M. Nestor

Theses and Dissertations

An optimized approach toward the synthesis of representative coumarin derivatives is described. In addition to standard heat application methods, microwave-assisted coupling has proven beneficial in generating the targeted molecular hybrids which will serve as key templates in the development of new drugs to address resistance and specificity challenges. The coumarin moiety is a fantastic scaffold for molecular hybridization and has gained much warranted attention due to its efficacy in anticancer, antibacterial, and antitumor activity. In this research, novel molecular hybrids of umbelliferone were synthesized and fully characterized as new potential players in the anticancer, antitumor and antibiotic race, as well …

Finding Their Way: The Experiences Of Students Enrolled In A Career Pathways Program, Laura March-Retenski

Theses and Dissertations

Due to many sociopolitical factors such as an inequitable public-school education, many students do not graduate from high school in the United States. In 2018 “approximately 2.3 million 16- to 24-year-olds were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential” (McFarland et al., 2018, p. 12). There is inequity in school funding and resource allocation. Barker and Weber (2016), Cascio and Reber (2013), and Kim and Taylor (2008) have found that the inequitable resource allocation in public schools is a causal factor of dropout. This is problematic because “college graduates find better …

Facets Of Self-Efficacy As Potential Mediators Of Interpersonal Relationships And Job Satisfaction With Teachers In Vietnam, Justin Meas Lazu

Theses and Dissertations

Job satisfaction is a critical factor influencing teacher retention, well-being, and self-efficacy. Interpersonal relationships within the workplace—including those with students, colleagues, and principals—have been shown to be key contributors to job satisfaction. Although research has extensively explored job satisfaction in a Western educational context, few studies have examined its predictors in a Southeast Asian context, particularly in Vietnam. Given Vietnam’s collectivist culture and Confucian-influenced education system, where workplace harmony and hierarchical relationships are emphasized over individual autonomy, the factors influencing teacher job satisfaction may differ significantly from those in Western contexts. Further, the mechanisms through which workplace relationships influence job …

The Effect Of Working Memory On Psychological Hardiness: The Moderating Effect Of Stress And Motivation, Sarah Joy Labarbera

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological Hardiness is a resilience personality trait with extensive empirical evidence of its combative effects against stress (Bartone et al., 2008; Oliver, 2009; Johnsen et al., 2013). However, the cognitive processes underlying this skill are not well understood. Understanding the mechanisms of resiliency is imperative for all human persons to succeed, especially those involved in high-stress occupations. This study will investigate the relationship between working memory capacity and psychological hardiness, as well as assess stress and motivation as potential moderating variables. We hypothesized that 1) Higher vs. Lower levels of working memory capacity (WMC) will predict higher levels of Hardiness, …

Undergraduate Student Decision-Making: Pursuing Graduate Studies At The Same Institution That Granted The Undergraduate Degree, Anthony C. Marziliano

Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and universities are under pressure to increase enrollment and avoid attrition. It is clear that institutions need to increase efforts to work against decreasing graduate enrollment trends and focusing on students already in-place on campus may be an avenue to do so. Research is lacking concerning factors that may be related to the decision by undergraduate students to pursue graduate studies at the same institution that granted the undergraduate degree. Understanding key characteristics of the group that remains at the institution allows us to identify a student profile to focus on to increase graduate enrollment, especially in light of …

Evaluating School Psychologists’ Understanding Of Psw Approaches In Sld Identification, Izabela Konopko

Theses and Dissertations

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is the most common classification for special education children in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). With the high prevalence of this disorder, an increase in the use of the pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) method, and the responsibility of the school psychologist to engage in competent practice, this study aimed to investigate the level of understanding school psychologists have in three of the most common PSW methods: Naglieri’s (1999) discrepancy/consistency method (DCM), Flanagan and colleagues’ (2002, 2013) dual-discrepancy consistency method (DD/C), and Hale and Fiorello’s (2004) concordance-discordance method (C-DM; Maki & …

The Dual Factor Model: Comparing Predictive Validity Of Different Informant Variations On Academic And Mental Health Outcomes, Kim Keller

Theses and Dissertations

The Dual Factor Model (DFM) of mental health conceptualizes well-being and psychopathology as distinct but interrelated constructs. Unlike traditional models that focus solely on psychopathology, the DFM incorporates positive attributes such as subjective well-being, allowing for a more meaningful classification of students (Greenspoon & Falkofske, 2001; Suldo & Shaffer, 2008). Despite its increasing use in school-based research, prior studies have lacked intention in informant selection when assessing internalizing and externalizing behaviors, leading to variability in DFM construction. Given known discrepancies among self, teacher, and parent reports in mental health assessment, informant choice may significantly impact classification and predictive validity (De …