Digital Commons Network^™

Promoting Motivation And Productive Effect To Empower Students, Faye Vaughan

Integrated Studies

The purpose of this research is to inform educators and caregivers about the benefits of promoting motivation and productive effect to empower young children in their educational journey. The research looks at the effects of fostering a positive mindset in young children and how it can change their mind about education. In this research, we will look at practical ways to of encouraging growth mindset as well as understanding the factors that can effect how a child views learning. We will look at ways a growth mindset can effect the child’s brain and future success in academia. Understanding parental styles …

Authoritative Parenting And The Impact On Child Development, Kelleye Kennedy

Integrated Studies

Authoritative parenting, distinguished by warmth, sensitivity, and well-defined boundaries, has become a prominent method of child-rearing, supported by extensive research for its positive effects on development. This study delves into the features of authoritative parenting, its influence on child development, and how parenting strategies profoundly shape children's future paths, encompassing crucial aspects such as independence, social skills, autonomy, academic achievement, mental well-being, and their understanding of societal norms.

Keywords: authoritative, parenting, child development

Aligning College And Career Readiness Expectations: Bridging The Gap Between State Education Systems, Colleges, And Businesses, Virginia Poland

Integrated Studies

This paper investigates the discrepancy between what states consider college and career readiness and what colleges and businesses expect from high school graduates. It explores the legislative history of education and defines the term "college and career readiness," along with its evaluation methods. The research breaks down the expectations of high school graduates from states, colleges, and businesses, identifies possible reasons for the misalignment, and analyzes its implications for colleges, businesses, and the country. The paper then proposes ways to align expectations better, including integrating career and technical education, improved professional development and study skills, and active learning techniques that …

2023-2024 Library & Learning Annual Review, Library & Learning, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Library & Learning Annual Reviews

Digital version of the 2023-2024 Annual Review for Library & Learning at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Idaho's Communities Of Excellence Charter School Grant Year 5 Evaluation 2023, Mcallister Hall

Idaho Policy Institute Reports

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Idaho’s Communities of Excellence (COE) consortium, led by the Boise-based nonprofit, Bluum, a $17.1 million Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant. The amount of the award increased to $22.5 million in 2019. Grant funds were distributed over five years with the intent to achieve Idaho’s COE objectives.

The following questions drive Idaho Policy Institute’s (IPI) evaluation of Idaho’s COE:

1. How are subgrantee schools using funds for school-site implementation?
2. How do students and parents perceive the quality of schools vis-a-vis their prior school experience?
3. What are school and staff perceptions of the successes, improvements, …

Nsf Compleat: Year 3 Evaluation, Mcallister Hall, Kristi Spalding

Idaho Policy Institute Reports

The objective of the COMPLEAT project is to improve prospective elementary teacher (PSET) engagement through an innovative, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based approach that addresses the pressing need for integration of multiple disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The project seeks to improve learning experiences for PSETs in acquiring mathematics (math) skills by exploring the rules of math in other STEM disciplines and solidifying knowledge and skills in teaching contexts as sustainable practices.

The project aims to meet these objectives through the Applying, Connecting, Experiencing (ACE) instruction model, integrating Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) into PSET courses, and using Integrated Math-Enhanced …

On A Fully Coupled Nonlocal Multipoint Boundary Value Problem For A Dual Hybrid System Of Nonlinear Q -Fractional Differential Equations, Ahmed Alsaedi, Martin Bohner, Bashir Ahmad, Boshra Alharbi

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new class of nonlocal multipoint boundary value problems involving a dual hybrid system of nonlinear Riemann-Liouville-type q-fractional differential equations is studied in this paper. Existence and uniqueness results for the given problem are derived by applying the Leray-Schauder nonlinear alternative and the Banach contraction mapping principle. Examples are presented for illustrating the obtained results. The work established in this paper is a useful contribution to the existing literature on q-fractional differential equations. Some interesting special cases are also discussed.

Critical Point Approaches To Nonlinear Square Root Laplacian Equations, Martin Bohner, Giuseppe Caristi, Shapour Heidarkhani, Amjad Salari

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work is devoted to the study of multiplicity results of solutions for a class of nonlinear equations involving the square root of the Laplacian. Indeed, we will use variational methods for smooth functionals, defined on reflexive Banach spaces, in order to achieve the existence of at least three solutions for the equations. Moreover, assuming that the nonlinear terms are nonnegative, we will prove that the solutions are nonnegative. Finally, by presenting an example, we will ensure the applicability of our results.

Central Washington University 2024-2025 University Catalog, Central Washington University

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Open Diameter Maps On Suspensions, Hussam Abobaker, Włodzimierz J. Charatonik, Robert Paul Roe

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

It is shown that if X is a metric continuum, which admits an open diameter map, then the suspension of X, admits an open diameter map. As a corollary, we have that all spheres admit open diameter maps.

Connecticut Teachers’ Knowledge Of The Science Of Reading, Barbara Daly-Byrnes

Theses and Dissertations

Learning to read proficiently is an essential skill needed in both academics and life. Without this skill, one’s opportunities are limited socioeconomically, socially, and throughout all daily life. However, there is growing concern that the methodology currently used in many school systems is not preparing children for the rigors of reading in the 21st century. In some states, the situation has resulted in state departments of education mandating reading curricula based on the science of reading. This study explored Connecticut PreK–Grade 3 teachers’ knowledge of the science of reading and the Connecticut Right to Read Act through a socio-cultural lens. …

Early Identification Of Students At Academic Risk Based On Learning Management System Log Data, Roger Sheng So

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding student engagement with the institution from the first day of classes to the end of the semester would help inform the institution of the potential risk that a student will drop out of a class or of the school. Learning Management Systems (LMS) record student interactions with the system and might be able to be used to identify students who are at academic risk. The scope of this study is to retrospectively analyze first-year student activity for the Spring 2022 semester for early warning signs worthy of intervention. A student risk assessment will be determined by reviewing student LMS …

Implementing Inquiry: A Case Study Of Secondary Science Teachers’ Perceptions Of Curriculum Change, Pamela A. Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

With the constant strive for higher standards in education, New York State has joined with other states in the nation to develop a new strategy to teach science and 21st-century learning skills to ensure that our children are ready to compete in the global economy. This study sought to determine the current knowledge and perceptions of in-service teachers in New York State regarding the shift in standards from the 1996-based standards to the recently adopted New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) and their implementation in the classroom. The study aims to help identify the shifts in classroom practices resulting …

The Impact Of Perceived Job Satisfaction, Motivational Attitudes, And Organizational Commitment: A Comparative Analysis Between Special Education Teachers Employed In Public Versus Private Schools, David Haimovich

Theses and Dissertations

During and after the Covid-19 pandemic, a high turnover rate of PreK-12 special education teachers continues to persist. To ensure all students with disabilities receive equitable access to a special education teacher, turnover intentions among private school teachers require further insight due to a long-standing gap in research. Using the theoretical frameworks of Herzberg’s (1959) Two-Factor Theory and Meyer & Allen’s (1997) Three-Component Model of Commitment, this non-experimental correlational study examined the influence of six demographic factors related to teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction, motivational attitudes, and organizational commitment among special education teachers employed in PreK-12 suburban schools in the …

Leveling The Playing Field: Covid-19’S Impact On Interscholastic Athletic Participation In New York State Public Schools: An Ex Post Facto Analysis Of District Demographics And Sport, Justin T. Cobis

Theses and Dissertations

Each year in New York state, tens of thousands of student-athletes participate in interscholastic athletics on over 15,000 public school teams. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interscholastic athletic participation rates in New York state public schools and their relationship to school districts’ demographics, including percentage of non-White students, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, total enrollment, and graduation rates. The sample consisted of 218 public school districts located throughout New York state, with approximately 20 participant districts from each of the 11 New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s governing …

The Effects Of An Integrated Curriculum With Embedded Sustainability Themes On Teaching And Learning Experiences At A Primary School, Jeanne Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study is to investigate the effects of an integrated curriculum with embedded sustainability themes on teaching and learning experiences at the primary school level. The researcher examined why and how the district chose to create the integrated curriculum and how the big ideas of sustainability were embedded. Through the perspectives of teachers and administrators, the researcher analyzed how incorporating sustainability themes changed the teaching and learning culture. The transdisciplinary approach moves past the traditional boundaries of a discipline allowing curriculum to address real world problems. Using a transdisciplinary approach by integrating sustainability themes into the …

An Examination Of The Cultural Competencies And Practices Of Preservice Teachers Enrolled In Nonurban Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs, Terrie L. Gyles

Theses and Dissertations

The critical shortage of qualified teachers in hard to staff urban schools has been a persistent issue in the U.S. for decades. Teachers and researchers have pointed to the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs to prepare teacher candidates to address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and special education students as the catalyst of the teacher shortage in urban schools. Urban school systems, like the New York City Department of Education, have had success in filling their teacher shortages through alternative teacher certification programs. Through these programs, teacher candidates are given a preservice teacher preparation that incorporates three …

The Impact Of Catholic Education On Non-Catholic Chinese Immigrant Students, Huifu Hou

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on the impact of Catholic education on non-Catholic Chinese immigrant students. The research attempted to answer three questions: How did teachers and parents perceive the impact of Catholic education on non-Catholic Chinese immigrant students’ academic achievement? How did teachers and parents perceive the impact of Catholic education on non-Catholic Chinese immigrant students’ personal moral values? And what are non-Catholic immigrant parents’ perceptions of Catholic education? The study is framed by moral development (Kohlberg & Hersh, 1977) and sensemaking (Weick, 1995) two frameworks. The methodology chosen for the research was a single case study, …

The Personal Journey Of Individuals Self-Disclosing Their Disability Status Within An Urban Postsecondary Environment, Nelson Carrillo

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative narrative study was conducted on the personal journey of individuals self-disclosing their disability status within an urban postsecondary environment. The study was intended to uncover the personal journey of students with disabilities self-disclosing their disability status within an urban postsecondary environment. Through semi-structured interviews and targeted journal responses, it explored the students’ lived experiences of seeking out and using accommodations and the students’ perceptions of faculty members’ use of universal design for instruction and universal design for learning. The findings demonstrated that a community-based institution that values diversity among professors, faculty members, and students is an environment that …

Impact Of Implicit Racial Bias On Students Of African Descent In Predominately White Institutions, Edwin Mathieu

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how implicit racial bias influences the perceptions of students of African descent in predominately White colleges (PWIs) in the United States (U.S.). The theoretical framework for the study is critical race theory (CRT). CRT challenges racial indifference by exposing how racial advances often come at the cost of promoting or feeding into White self-interests (Patton et al., 2007). This non-experimental quantitative study examined how GPA, the number of credits earned, gender, race, and campus culture impact students of African descent’s perceptions of culturally implicit racial bias. It used Asian, Hispanic, and White students as a comparison group. …

Educators’ Beliefs About Using Academic Acceleration With Gifted Math Students And Others: Barriers And Opportunities, Jason Gorgia

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the perceptions of educators (i.e., math teachers, administrators, and others) for insight into the absence of acceleration as a common pedagogical strategy in mathematics, despite longstanding research supporting the practice for students gifted in math and the interest frequently articulated by policymakers and educators in boosting American K-12 students’ math achievement. Educators from 48 states responded to scale-based and open-ended questions about math acceleration through an online survey where 713 of 818 respondents were teachers, balanced almost evenly among elementary, middle, and high schools, and among urban, suburban, and rural settings. The responses of teachers and non-teaching …

Assessing The Relationship Between Contralateral Limb Synergy And Rock Climbing Efficiency, Jeromy Miramontes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rock climbing is a total body sport testing the mental and physical capabilities of athletes. Efficiency of movement can improve the ability of climbers to perform at a higher capacity and reduce the risk of injury. Data on the relationship between the continuous relative phase (CRP) of contralateral joint rotations and time to completion of a bouldering move are ways to assess rock climbing. This study aimed to assess this relationship, as well as the geometric entropy (GE) of the center of mass displacement when completing the bouldering move, and the metabolic efficiency over 4 min of bouldering. The study …

Educator Perceptions Of Appropriate Social Media Practices, Amanda Hope Preece

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of educators regarding appropriate social media practices. Specific elements of appropriate social media use by teachers investigated include understanding of acceptable use policies and freedom of speech, the relationship between social media and professional development, and best practices for educators concerning their social media usage. Purposeful, convenience, and snowball sampling were used to select study participants. Study participants (N=24) were preservice teachers completing student teaching or mentor teachers for Marshall University College of Education and Professional Development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 teacher candidates and 12 mentor …

Factors That Influence Small Mammal Long Bone Morphology: An Analysis Of The Femora, Tibiae, And Humeri Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), Tyler Everette Blake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The goal of this study is to examine the effect of urbanization and latitude on bone morphology, specifically limb length and bone density among gray squirrels endemic to the eastern United States. This study’s hypotheses are as follows: gray squirrels occupying lower latitudes will have larger body sizes and longer limbs relative to body size than those at higher latitudes following Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules. Further, squirrels in urban habitats will have greater bone density than those in rural habitats. Results show moderate correlation between body mass and respective proxies and latitude following Bergmann’s rule. Weak correlations were found between …

The Comparison Of Different Wetland Fish Assemblages Over Time, Robert Edward Adelstein

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services. Historically, we have drained and filled 73% of wetlands for agricultural use throughout the United States from the 1780s to the 1980s (Dahl, 1990). A nationwide focus on restoring wetlands has since occurred. Literature on restored/mitigated wetlands is rife with examples that do and do not support the same ecosystem services as natural wetlands (Langston, 1997; Meil, 2014). Restoration of wetlands occurred at the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area (GBWMA) over several decades. Various sections of the wetland were classified by age, water depth, and vegetation. One hypothesis was that differences in fish assemblage would …

Multilingual Learners Speak Out: The Perspectives Of High School Esol Students On Computer-Assisted Instruction And Digital Literacy Platforms, Mitchell Ray Sexton

Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy Capstones

This capstone project explores the impact of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and digital literacy platforms on the language learning experiences of high school English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students. Employing a mixed yet complementary research design that integrates phenomenological and action research, the study engaged 23 students through surveys and interviews to investigate their experiences with three instructional platforms: Achieve 3000, Duolingo, and Lexia PowerUp. The analysis revealed a strong preference for Duolingo, attributed to its user-friendly interface, comprehensive language practice features, and, notably, its mobile accessibility and relevance to real-world applications beyond academic contexts. The findings demonstrate the …

An Exploration Of Teacher Perception And Practices Of Using Assessment Data To Improve Achievement Of Equity Student Groups, Laurie Mazelin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While utilizing assessment data has been a pervasive practice in educational reform for decades, and teachers are expected to use assessment data to improve instruction, little is known about how the practice of requiring teachers to review test data affects their perception of effectiveness in addressing the learning gaps of student groups. This qualitative phenomenological research study used open-ended, semi-structured interviews to help better understand how the expectations of teachers analyzing and integrating assessment data translates into teacher instructional practice and self-efficacy. This study aimed to explore the shared experience of teachers required to participate in collaborative planning centered on …

Metaphysical Foundationalist Versus Existentialist Ontologies: Applications For Research On Psychological Energy, Michael Da, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Theories of psychological energy have a rich history going back to the beginning of the field of psychology, employing concepts such as "libido," "psychic energy," "orgone energy," "bioenergetics," "psycho-energetics," "life energy," "organizing field," and "living-matrix." There has been a recent effort to find neural correlates with these concepts, but these data may not capture the fullness of the phenomenon. Because psychological energy is an elusive concept with many interpretations, research into this phenomenon faces the most basic questions regarding where and how to start. To address these questions, this paper explores several theories of ontology that could apply to psychological …

Evaluating Corporate Marine Plastic Pollution Reduction Pledges: Achieving Plastic Reductions Or Contributing To Greenwashing, Ansar Z. Mohammed

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

This paper examines major corporations' commitments and performance in reducing virgin plastic production, aligning corporate initiatives with tangible outcomes. It draws on sustainability governance literature and analyzes plastic reduction strategies by industry leaders such as SC Johnson, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Borealis, Nestlé, and Unilever. By synthesizing corporate reports and scholarly literature, the research provides an understanding of corporate plastic reduction within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), which focuses on marine conservation. The study evaluates the alignment of corporate commitments with SDG 14, identifying genuine environmental stewardship and potential greenwashing. It employs three methodologies: transparency, accountability, and science-based …

In-Vitro Time-Kill Assays And Semi-Mechanistic Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling Of A Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Combination Against Enterococcus Faecalis: Optimizing Dosing Regimens For The Geriatric Population, Zeel Saumin Shah

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modeling and simulation have emerged as pivotal tools in drug development and usage. Such models characterize typical trends in data and quantify the variability in relationships among dose, concentration, and desired effects. For antibacterial applications, models characterizing bacterial growth and antibiotic-induced bacterial killing offer insight into interactions between antibiotics, bacteria, and the host. Simulations from these models predict outcomes for untested scenarios, refine study designs, and optimize dosing regimens.

Enterococcus faecalis, a significant opportunistic bacterial pathogen with increasing clinical relevance, is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract but can lead to severe infection, such as endocarditis. Treatments for …