Digital Commons Network^™

Creativity In The Virtual Classroom: Engaging Online Special Education Teacher Candidates In Their Own Learning, Rob Shauger, Kathleen A. Boothe, Marla J. Lohmann

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), the number of college students enrolled in at least one online course was approximately 11 million during the 2021-2022 school year. Knowing that institutes of higher education (IHEs) are responsible for teaching students who are primarily online learners, special education teacher preparation programs at IHEs need to change their focus on how to meet these online learners' needs. There is plentiful research on what faculty should include in their online classes, but finding specific strategies and activities that engage students in their own learning can be challenging. This article provides teacher …

Compassion, Collaboration, And Community Strategies For Staff Well-Being, Donna Leno Gordon, Maria Veronica Nitorreda, Fe Villar Jacolbe, Opal Sinclair Chung

Group: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen, unprecedented challenges to healthcare staff well-being. It also elicited compassion, a sense of community and belonging, and strong interdisciplinary collaboration at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. Kings County is a Level I trauma center, one of the 11 acute care facilities of New York City Health + Hospitals. Designated a Center of Excellence for stroke, diabetes, perinatal care, AIDS, Parkinson disease, behavioral health, and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE), the facility houses 624 certified beds, employs more than 5,000 people, and serves 2.6 million residents of Brooklyn.

The Fight Against The Threat Of Witchcraft And Paganism In Anglo-Saxon England, Russell I. Knapp

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Unlike the general assumption that England was completely Christianized after Augustine’s mission to the island, witchcraft and paganism thrived all throughout the Christian period of Anglo-Saxon history. Sources condemning witchcraft and paganism increased during the Danish raids in the mid-ninth century and beyond due to an increased sense of a perceived threat of paganism. King Alfred himself reacted to this threat by doing everything he could to strengthen his people in their Christian beliefs through education reform and his law code. The Church battled against the perceived threat through penitentials–which they used to discourage pagan practices. Lay-people fought against …

Experiences Of Engaging In Contemplative-Reflexive Practices During Practicum, Erin Sappio, Terrilyn Battle Phd, Brielle Delano, Destiny Foster, Marie Hayden, Franki Berliner

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study used a community based participatory research (CBPR) model to explore the impact contemplative practice has on Master’s level counseling students while engaging in their practicum course. Four counseling students and two faculty researchers created process questions to be contemplated through a 10 week period. Results indicated that students gained self-awareness of their calm, relaxed states during contemplative practice, which contrasted to their worried and tense states when engaging in client contact hours. Over time, students were able to be reflexive in direct client contact by drawing upon the self-awareness gained through regular contemplative practice. Unintended benefits of engagement …

Belonging Among Seventh-Day Adventists With Disabilities, Shannon M. Trecartin

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Globally, 15% of Seventh-day Adventists have some form of disability, the same percentage found in the world population. Yet barriers to belonging beyond access to a physical building persist. This study explores dimensions of belonging, compares findings across world divisions of the church, and makes recommendations for research and practice.

The Prophets’ Use Of The Shepherd Motif And Its Contribution To Their Presentation Of The Character Of God, Deanna L. Huff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The shepherd motif provides one of the most significant portraits of God in the Old and New Testaments. Various research on the historical metaphor within these studies frequently focuses on the relationship between rulers and leaders in the ancient Near East. The shepherd motif provides a tangible picture of the characteristics of deities and kings in their world. Therefore, it is a natural step for the prophets of the Old Testament to utilize a commonly used metaphor. In modern research, numerous studies in Ezekiel 34 have explored different facets of the shepherd motif. Several studies are related to leadership roles. …

Moral Injury In The Military: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Yohiris Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the negative emotions that cause moral injury in the military and the detrimental effects on married military couples and their relationship with God. Studies indicate that military spouses have reported experiencing marital tension and feelings of disconnect. In addition, researchers have argued that service members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury (MI) might suffer from shame and blame. This study explores the lived experiences of ten service members, their relationship with their spouses, and God. The central focus is the descriptions of the service members’ emotions and their potential …

A Qualitative Study Of Burnout Among Clergy Wives In The African Pentecostal Church, Patricia Catherine Aladekoba

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand why pastors’ wives within the African Pentecostal Church (APC) in the United States experience burnout in ministry. With the African Pentecostal Church being the fastest-growing denomination around the world and in the United States, it is important to give careful attention to the wives of clergy in this denomination. Analysis of the data includes the description or identification of themes, supported by anecdotes or other markers within the data. The design of this study is basic qualitative research, a common type of interpretive study. The collection of data for a basic …

The Effects Of Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) On African-American Christian Females, Rebecca C. Crane

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to communicate the experiences of African American Christian females with intimate partner violence (IPV). The central phenomenon of the study aimed to research religious effects on African American Christian females' decision-making regarding IPV in the state of Georgia. The theory guiding this study was social constructivism, introduced by two sociologists, Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckman. The study's goal was to depend as much as possible on the stories of the members being examined. Data will be collected using two methods: interviews and oral history. A critical case sampling was used to collect …

Sexual Misconduct Suspension: The Impact Of Guilt In Members Of The Church Of Pentecost, Ghana, Philip Osei-Korsah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research utilized 13 respondents to investigate the impact of guilt because of sexual misconduct suspension on the church member using The Church of Pentecost in Axim as a focus. The Church of Pentecost has the practice to discipline by suspending a member who commits sexual misconduct such as premarital sex or extramarital sex. In extra-marital relations, the misconduct is mostly detected when the other partner discovers extra-marital relationships and for that matter, a cheat by his or her partner and reports to the church leadership. Pre-marital sexual misconduct is recognized when a young lady is discovered pregnant without a …

Small Groups That Fuel Active Service In The Local Church, Stephen Jerel Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Manna Church prioritizes empowering and developing leaders as an imperative objective of the local church. Such development is fueled through various avenues, including small groups. This thesis project will survey the purpose of small groups within Manna Church and how newly designed groups can address the problem of low voluntary participation in weekly services. The need for more active serve team members problematically exists among six site locations in the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg region. Furthermore, each ministry leader seeks innovative strategies to initiate and maintain involvement during weekly services. However, numbers are at an unprecedented low point. The effects of these …

Spirituality After Divorcing In Older Age: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Exploring The Impact Of Divorce On The Spirituality Of Older Adults Who Divorce In The Later Life-Span, Glenn Edward Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to describe the impact of divorce on the spirituality of people 50 and older whose marriages end after three or more years. Divorce is painful at any age, but this study focused on how people 50 and older who have lived by their spiritual beliefs for most of their lives were impacted. The study applied life-span theory, life course theory, and developmental psychology, as they offered integrated empirical guidance in studying human behavioral changes throughout a person's life. These theories provided a framework for exploring the central research question: How do participants …

Methodist Pastoral Retention: A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Clergy Burnout And Self-Perceived Leadership Attributes., Joseph Francis O'Donnell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study targeted pastoral burnout symptomology and its relationship to self-perceived leadership attributes. Pastors experience a professional environment that call for ministering to their congregation's spiritual needs; however, additional social and business responsibilities often exist for which the pastor is poorly trained or improperly supported. These situations may cause high levels of stress and anxiety, challenging a pastor's self-perception of their leadership attributes. Eventually, this condition could promote the onset of burnout, which might compel the pastor to leave the ministry. As such, this research sought to establish whether a relationship exists between self-perceived leadership attributes and ministerial burnout for …

Seeking Biblical Clarity Through Blended Worship In Georgia Baptist Churches, Angelia Weide Mcleroy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite worship training, many leaders in Georgia Baptist churches struggle to combine music styles cohesively to produce biblical worship. Because of the musical “worship wars” regarding traditional, contemporary, and blended styles, many leaders encounter congregations that lack an understanding of blended worship that marries varied music styles. Guided by survey findings of Georgia Baptist music leaders, this qualitative research case study may identify challenges leaders face concerning stylistic music selections while striving to achieve biblical worship. By evaluating the educational and training process and biblical content, the methodological selection of music can be assessed through this study as documented worship …

Growing In Grief: A Meaning-Making Expressive Arts Therapy Method Developed For Bereaved Youth, Jessica Wilson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Approximately 5.3 million youth in the United States have experienced the death of a sibling or parent. They face challenges such as an increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance use, and other detrimental effects on adjustment. A small subset of this population experiences significant emotional and behavioral difficulties, characterized by an inability to function in major life roles, a preoccupation with the loss, and separation distress. Modern grief literature describes meaning-making as an adaptive coping process contributing to a sense of renewed hope and self-efficacy and a reduction in distressing grief symptomology. Expressive arts therapy is an effective way to …

Exploring Core Concepts And Uses Of Makeup In Expressive Arts Therapy And Mental Health: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Rhys Triolo-Rodriguez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

According to Merriam Webster (2022) the definitions for Makeup are as follows; “Cosmetics (such as lipstick, mascara, and eye shadow) used to color and beautify the face”, “A cosmetic applied to other parts of the body”, and “Materials (such as wigs and cosmetics) used in making up or in special costuming (as for a play).” Many of the articles reviewed also discuss the importance of skin care and the rituals that one goes through when applying or removing facial products. For this research, a combination of all definitions above will be most beneficial. However one may define makeup, within the …

Facilitators And Barriers To Effective Scale-Up Of Evidence-Based Nonprofit-Level Hiv Prevention And Treatment Interventions Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm), Ugochukwu C. Uzoeghelu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Since the scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention evidence-based interventions (EBIs) has not been simple in nonprofit settings, it is crucial to examine processes that occur in the translation of the EBIs into practice that affect successful implementation through the lens of nonprofit principles and practices. This paper examines the facilitators and barriers to effective scale-up of evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment services for nonprofit health organizations that serve Black men who have sex with men (MSM). I interviewed nonprofit health organizations (n = 4) engaged in the global response to end the HIV epidemic, specifically those who provide HIV prevention and …

There Is A Place For You And Your Little Ones: Homiletics And Liturgy In View Of Pregnancy Loss, Joseph Michael Baumgarten

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Baumgarten, Joseph M. There is a Place for You and Your Little Ones: Homiletics and Liturgy in View of Pregnancy Loss. Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2022. 81 pp.

Pregnancy loss and the grief that follows is more common than most people think. However, there is a gap in resources, discussion, and care for those who have experienced such losses. This is true in wider culture as well as in the church. While there are a few resources available, they are limited. This project addresses the church’s ability to provide proper recognition of pregnancy loss, the validation …

Using Critical Incident Debriefing After Code Blue Events To Support Registered Nurses, David L. Boyd

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Using Critical Incident Debriefing after Code Blue Events to Support Registered Nurses

Section I: Abstract

Background: During a code blue event (CBE), the environment becomes highly stressful and intense. Nurses rapidly transition from performing life-saving procedures on their patients to carrying out their usual duties. Without proper debriefing, nurses cannot properly process their emotions leading to increased burnout and secondary traumatic stress (Stamm, 2010).

Local Problem: In 2021, the nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center (2021a) responded to 110 CBEs, a 43% increase from 2020. Without a process for critical incident debriefing (CID), these nurses were exposed to trauma …

Enhancing Nurse Manager Resilience With A Resilience-Enhancing Toolkit, Rosarina A. J. Pelikan

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Nurse managers have one of the most stressful jobs in nursing leadership. They experience more burnout and are more likely to leave the job or leave the nursing profession altogether, leading to vacancies or burned-out leaders.

Local Problem: The organization experienced high nurse manager turnover. Of 12 positions, four have more than two years of experience, three have less than two years, and five are filled with interims.

Context: Strategies to address burnout are decreasing stressors or arming leaders with skills to withstand stressors. The organization offers programs that address burnout but are designed to be used outside of …

Making Connections: A Handbook For Effective Formal Mentoring Programs In Academia, David D. Law, Nora Domínguez, Bob Garvey, Mark J. Hager, Kim Hales, Audrey J. Murrell, Gloria O. Onosu, Rachel Arocho, Benjamin A. Johnson, Neal Legler, James Y. Taylor, Greg Dart, Michael A. Christiansen, Don Busenbark, Lisa Z. Fain, Jamie Crites, Paul Hernandez, Natasha Mickel, Dionne Clabaugh, Assata Zerai, Nancy López, Laura Gail Lunsford, Nicole Vouvalis, Andy Harris, Jim Lamuth, Monica Castañeda-Kessel, Shirley L. Yu, Arianna Black, Gönül Kaletunç, Timothy Schroeder, Tara S. Hackel, Yadéeh E. Sawyer, Jeff Spears, Hannah M. Lewis, Jennifer Grewe, Harrison Kleiner, Et Al.

Making Connections

This book, Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia, makes a unique and needed contribution to the mentoring field as it focuses solely on mentoring in academia. This handbook is a collaborative institutional effort between Utah State University’s (USU) Empowering Teaching Open Access Book Series and the Mentoring Institute at the University of New Mexico (UNM). This book is available through (a) an e-book through Pressbooks, (b) a downloadable PDF version on USU’s Open Access Book Series website), and (c) a print version available for purchase on the USU Empower Teaching Open Access page, and …

Chapter 1- Mentoring Origins And Evolution, Bob Garvey

Making Connections

This chapter is in nine parts. The first explores the origins and meanings of mentoring from the Ancient Greek to modern times in different parts of the world. The second section discusses the similarities and differences between mentoring and other developmental relationships.

The third part explores the difficulties in defining mentoring. As an alternative to a definition, the fourth part looks at the dimensions of mentoring and the fifth part explores how the dimensions could be applied in practice. Following this, the sixth section considers a range of mentoring arrangements found in academia and uses the dimensions framework to develop …

Educating A Denomination: Albert C. Outler And American Theological Education, 1925 - 1974, Lane Davis

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides a critical biography of Albert C. Outler, a prominent historian and theologian in modern Methodism and analyzes three significant emphases in his work: ecumenism, theology and psychology, and Methodist doctrine. The study begins with Outler's formative education and his ministry as a Methodist pastor in Georgia. Outler's doctoral education at Yale focused his work on discovering the connections of the "common history" of all Christians. The study then considers Outler’s extensive work in three interconnected disciplines: ecumenical studies, the study of religion and psychology, and Methodist theology and doctrine. The connection between these diverse subjects lies in …

Recovering A Missional Ecclesiology: A Framework For Reviving Congregational Mission Within The Baptist Union Of Victoria, Gayle Hill

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT This project is an intervention to develop a theological and theoretical framework

that will become the foundation for a future curriculum for recovering a missional ecclesiology for the pastors of the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV). Despite mission being central to the overall vision of the BUV, declining numbers, the post-COVID context in Victoria, and an overarching post-Christian and pluralistic context have significantly challenged the centrality and functioning of mission across our denomination. The impetus of this project was the observation that our churches were floundering rather than flourishing in the missional space. Many chronic and acute provocations were …

Cultivating Reproductive Small Group Leaders Within Southwest Church, Springboro, Ohio, Roger D. Hendricks

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This project was designed to address an ongoing challenge within the Southwest Church (SWC) in Springboro, Ohio. The specific challenge that SWC leaders have faced throughout the twenty-five-year history of the church is to continually increase the number of small group options within a growing congregation. Small groups have been identified as the primary vehicle for SWC members to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. This congregational emphasis has led to the good dilemma of having more individuals willing to participate than lead weekly small groups. In the past few years, SWC leaders have identified the need for the …

The Speech-Language Pathologist & Emotional Labor, Stress, And Compassion Fatigue, Patricia Martin

Dissertations

Employees in service professions often utilize emotional labor strategies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) experiences regarding emotional labor and the extent to which emotional labor is possibly related to job stress, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue. This study also considered the SLPs’ occupational settings in relationship to emotional labor.

A pilot study was conducted and minor revisions were made to the instrument prior to the final study. The researcher collected and analyzed data using an online survey comprised of three validated instruments, ELS, SLPSI, and ProQOL-5. The participants were 270 certified speech-language pathologists …

For The Love Of Stories: Re-Examining Academia’S Responsibility In Presenting Literature In The 21st Century, April Trepagnier

Honors College Theses

Angus Fletcher, a neuroscientist who hung up his lab coat to earn a Ph.D. in literature from Yale, studies stories as, “a narrative-emotional technology that helped our ancestors cope with the psychological challenges posed by human biology...an invention for overcoming the doubt and the pain of just being us.” But students entering college are losing interest in this “technology.” A 2017 report by the American Academy of Arts and Science showed a “statistically significant decline” in the number of English graduates from 2011-2012 to 2016-2017. Peter Barry, Professor Emeritus of English at Aberystwyth University, may offer insight into this trend. …

Redefining Unnatural: A Modern Understanding Of Paul’S Homophobia, Emma Bradley

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This paper examines the change in the meaning of the word “unnatural” in Romans 1:26-27, and establishes both an idea of what the Apostle Paul intended and a definition for how the word is used in modernity. There are five sections, each one building off of the next: Background, Analysis of the Text, Scholar’s Reading of the Text, Understanding and Usage in Antiquity, Modern Definition and Understanding, and Conclusion. The paper discovers that Paul’s intention with the word “unnatural” can be summarized as “any sex which is non-procreative, outside of marriage, and goes against gender roles.” However, a modern definition …

Phronesis And Philosophical Hermeneutics In Rhetoric And Philosophy Of Communication Praxis: A Pastoral Implication, Nichodemus Okafor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overarching telos of this dissertation is walking the humanities into the marketplace. Its specific purpose is seeking how to enact the praxis of rhetoric and philosophy of communication. In keeping with Calvin Schrag’s “communicative praxis” and Ronald Arnett’s “responsive, learning rhetoric,” this research considers phronesis and philosophical hermeneutics as pragmatic tools of rhetoric and philosophy of communication praxis. It seeks the implication of rhetoric and philosophy of communication praxis in the pastoral field visualized as a marketplace, since the marketplace is not merely a place of capitalism, but a real world where people engage their concrete human condition/existence in …

Covid, Creativity, And Connecting Through Change: Reviewing The Literature On How Art Therapy Can Help Children And Adolescents Cope With Pandemic-Related Grief, Lydia Speicher

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant global events in the past century, both resulting in massive casualties and significant mental health outcomes across the world. Some of the most impacted populations are children and adolescents whose lives have been interrupted during their formative years. The purpose of this literature review is to explore how art therapy has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the grief experienced by children and adolescents through their losses of stability and peer support surrounded by uncertainty. This literature review seeks to understand exactly how the pandemic has affected the …