Digital Commons Network^™

Emotional Pathways To Trauma: Racialized Policing And Psychological Distress In Black Adolescent Males, Rochelle S. Parrish

All Theses

Introduction: Black American males, including adolescents, are disproportionately subjected to aggressive policing, often without criminal wrongdoing (Geller et al., 2014; Sewell et al., 2016). These encounters are frequently described as traumatic, marked by fear, loss, and emotional disruption (Smith Lee & Robinson, 2019). Whether direct or vicarious, such experiences can produce lasting psychological effects, particularly among Black boys who face compounded vulnerability from racialized surveillance and community-level trauma (DeVylder et al., 2018; Smith & Patton, 2016). Proactive policing tactics, such as investigatory stops and verbal aggression, have been linked to symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including hypervigilance, avoidance, …

Academic Persistence And Rural Social Work Students: An Analysis Of Factors Impacting Decisions To Persist, Samantha Perales

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Academic persistence of rural students in higher education remains a growing concern as institutions across the United States seek to address changing patterns and trends in enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. National trends show a relatively small increase in rural student enrollment. However, significant disparities in persistence and degree completion continue to exist between rural student populations and their urban and suburban counterparts. This study examines the factors that influence persistence among undergraduate social work students, specifically focusing on students from public, mid-sized universities in West Texas. Using a quantitative approach, the study …

A Neutrosophic Cognitive Map-Based Modeling Framework For Analyzing The Indeterminate Impact Of Exercise On University Students’ Mental Health, Rui Wang

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Thematic Analyses Of Session Data With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults Obtained During A Clinical Trial, Brenna Rose Lash

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults in the United States experience high rates of discrimination and marginalization, contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. While clinical guidelines for gender affirming care have been developed, these guidelines often lack empirical grounding or specific, actionable strategies for clinicians. Although theoretical models such as the marginalization stress model and the psychological mediation framework offer useful foundations for case conceptualization, they do not fully capture the lived experiences or the resilience mechanisms of TGD individuals in therapeutic contexts. This project aims to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice through thematic analysis of therapy …

Intergenerational Family Dynamics Among Caregivers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development In China, Weiman Xu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The early years of a child’s life are pivotal for social-emotional development. While extensive research has explored the role of family settings in fostering children's social-emotional development (Bornstein, 2005), the impact of grandparental involvement, particularly the caregiving dynamics between generations, remains less well understood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining two critical aspects of intergenerational dynamics among caregivers (i.e. parent-grandparent coparenting and parent-grandparent relationship quality) and their associations with children’s social-emotional development (i.e. social skills and problem behaviors). Two specific aims were delineated: 1) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent coparenting, especially the power and authority domain …

The Career Resilience Of Women Of Color Amidst Intersectional Racism-Sexism In The Us: A Consensual Qualitative Study, Hannah Ahmad Ridzuan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Women of color have historically and presently experienced both sexism and racism on interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels (Sue et al., 2007). While discrimination based on racial-ethnic and gender identities has by far the most extensive literature base (Duffy et al., 2016), literature on the development of women of color career resilience is not as expansive. Informed by the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) (Blustein, 2006; Duffy et al., 2016), the intersectionality framework (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins et al., 2021), and critical consciousness (Freire, 1971; Quiñones-Rosado, 2020), this consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill, 2006) explored how women of color in the …

Flooding: Risk Assessment And Its Interaction With Population & Environmental Health, Shivendra Srivastava

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Flood events have significant implications for both population and environmental health. This dissertation aims to explore flood risk and its interaction with humans and the environment. The key questions addressed in this dissertation include improving the existing flood risk framework to better assess population vulnerability and associated risk. Additionally, it explores how interactions among risk components vary across spatial scales and regions, and how these variations influence overall flood risk. The dissertation also investigates how to design a vulnerability component specific to flooding within flood risk estimation. Finally, it answers whether flood-specific vulnerability differs for a population compared to vulnerability …

The Tree That Would Not Fall: An Educator’S Autoethnographic Journey Of Healing Through Words, Raeanna Marie Carlson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

To say the world has changed since the 2020 COVID-19 shut down is to minimize the micro and macro social changes that infiltrated the school system. In the wake of it all, we find a landscape marred by a both rising teacher attrition and struggling student motivation. This autoethnographic dissertation explores the deeply personal experience tethered to a deeply problematic system that contributes to not only teacher burnout but what I came to know as teacher demoralization. Personal traumas of teachers profoundly impact their experience in the classroom, and as I examined my own near departure from the classroom, I …

Understanding The Dynamics Of Formal Mentoring In Professional Identity Development Of Early Career Extension Professionals: A Phenomenological Approach, Anuradha Choudhary

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Formal mentoring plays a crucial role in shaping the professional identity of early-career extension professionals; however, limited research has explored how these dynamics affect professional identity development within formal mentorship structures. This study uses a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how mentees and mentors perceive the impact of formal mentoring on professional identity development within the Nebraska Extension system. Using criteria-based random sampling and snowball sampling, the study engaged 10 mentees and 10 mentors, employing semi-structured interviews, focus groups utilizing ripple effect mapping, and document analysis of mentoring agreements, program guidelines, and mentoring checklists. Following Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenology framework, …

Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

Complex Factors Impacting Smoking Behavior In Cancer Survivors With Food Insecurity, Madeline C. Castele, Kareena Shah, Avianna Thompson, Jin E. Kim-Mozeleski

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: Tobacco use remains prevalent among people with social needs, such as food insecurity. In this study, we aimed to understand the complex experiences of low-income cancer survivors with food insecurity who smoke tobacco, to identify the unique smoking cessation needs for this group. Methods: We conducted in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with 40 adults experiencing food insecurity who continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis. Interviews focused on smoking behaviors, cessation interest, cancer experiences, and financial circumstances. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: In this sample of cancer survivors (50% female, mean age 42 years, 60% black/African American, …

An Exploration Of Factors Influencing Sophomore-Year Persistence At A Regional Institution In Southern Appalachia, Jonathan W. Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative and interpretative phenomenological study was to explore factors that participants identified as playing roles in their persistence through their sophomore years at a regional university located within Southern Appalachia. Research on second-year retention efforts is far lacking compared to first-year retention efforts. Reflecting the heavy emphasis placed on the first year, there is also more research on first-year retention. However, students can feel a sharp decline in support entering sophomore year, making that just as critical of a transition. Student retention has been emphasized in higher education since its inception, as an institution’s goal in …

Navigating The Shadows: Evaluating Privacy Protections Against Dark Patterns, Matt Gaulton, Dominique Kelly, Dr. Jacquelyn Burkell

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Privacy dark patterns are user interface design strategies that manipulate individuals into disclosing personal information or consenting to data practices they may not fully understand or intend. This paper critically evaluates the effectiveness of Canadian, American, and European privacy frameworks — specifically, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — in addressing the regulatory challenges posed by privacy dark patterns. We argue that PIPEDA is significantly less equipped to counteract such manipulative practices, particularly in comparison to the GDPR and CCPA, due to …

Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions Of An Outdoor Learning Experience Within A Science Methods Course, Steph Dean, Summer Landreth

Publications

Given the challenges currently facing early childhood science education, this exploratory study investigates the advantages of outdoor learning as part of a teacher preparation program. A group of 49 pre-service early childhood education teachers participated in a day-long outdoor learning experience embedded within their science methods course. Guided by the theoretical lens of embodied cognition, we employed a case study approach to collect and analyze qualitative survey data, using both categorizing and connecting strategies to explore participants’ experiences. The findings reveal four key themes related to pre-service teacher perceptions, in that outdoor learning: (1) represented an engaging experience, (2) contributed …

The Lived Experiences Of Fathers With Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Study, Rachael Elizabeth Schmitz

Nursing and Health Sciences

Background:

Although parents may joyfully anticipate the birth of a child, it's impossible for them to know ahead of time just how profoundly their lives will change. Postpartum depression (PPD) can result. While there is a substantial body of research regarding maternal PPD, paternal PPD has received far less attention and is neither adequately understood nor diagnosed. This is exacerbated by outdated but persistent sociocultural masculinity norms and the stigmas around mental health issues.

Purpose:

This study sought to explore the lived experiences of new fathers with PPD in order to provide greater insight into their experiences.

Methods:

This qualitative …

Supporting Personal, Familial, Academic, And Community Assets In Latino Youth Through Connectedness, Lindley Mcdavid, Heather Vondielingen, Casey D. Mull

ELRC Presentations

During adolescence, many families begin preparing for their child’s transition to adulthood by focusing on their academic success. Families from Latino backgrounds who live in rural counties often lack the resources and have limited access to community supports to help their child successfully navigate this developmental period. Community-based organizations can support Latino families by building their students’ academic skills and awareness in a learning environment designed to foster belongingness at school, at home and in their community. To understand how programs strive to build these assets, eleven program leaders from an academic success program, who were primarily female (n = …

Building Elementary Student Science Skills And Interest: A Reciprocal Engagement Partnership, Lindley Mcdavid, Sandra F. San Miguel

ELRC Presentations

Scholar-practitioner partnerships grounded in community engagement principles focus on mutually beneficial relationships that meet critical community needs while integrating learning, discovery and service. Our research aims to identify how and the degree that a physical activity-based science learning program contributes to students’ science learning and interest while aiming to support the overall wellbeing of a community elementary school that serves families from under resourced (98% free/reduced lunch) and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (48% non-white). Partner school teachers and staff members were invited to participate in an interview where they answered questions about their perspectives and experiences with the program …

Identifying And Examining Stressors In The Secondary And Post-Secondary Classroom, Benjamin S. Alter

All NMU Master's Theses

Students in secondary and post-secondary classrooms are openly exposed to stressors that can be considered impactful in their day-to-day lives.These stressors can be categorized as either “positive,” which serve as motivators, or “negative,” which often cause anxiety. In order to understand the stressors that students experience, students in a rural teacher education program at Northern Michigan University were asked to respond anonymously to a survey asking about stressors at the secondary and post-secondary levels. The survey was given to students enrolled in the Winter & Fall semesters of 2023, and the Winter semester of 2024. Students identified stressors from their …

The Effect Of An Acute Bout Of Rock Climbing On Cognitive Functioning And Cortisol Levels, Vanessa Steigauf

All NMU Master's Theses

Rock climbing is an understudied physical activity (PA) that demands active decision-making, integration of sensory and visual input, and continuous regulation of nervous system activity to produce complex motor outputs. The unique psychological demands of climbing warrant studying its effect on cognition and brain health. I recruited 26 generally healthy adults for a randomized-controlled study. Climbing experience, PA and perceived stress were self-reported. Each participant was randomly assigned to a climbing (10x2 minutes climb, moderate intensity) or control group (seated, watching climbing-related video). The primary outcomes, cognitive performance and salivary cortisol levels were assessed by the Stroop test. A linear …

Teaching To Transgress: A Practice Of Justice And Healing In Teacher Education Program, Finney Cherain, Syed Ali Nasir Zaidi

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

We create deep connections with our surroundings, people and societies, and classrooms are one of such deep connections. Classrooms are spaces where the unfulfilled dreams and painful experiences of teachers and students can fester and estrange classrooms from being places of justice and hope. The absence of justice, healing and hope estranges public education of many of its democratic ideals and promises. We believe that teachers and students can heal together to deconstruct their experiences with oppression and envision new ways of coexisting with others and personally transform. Influenced by the work of Bell Hooks and Parker Palmer we offer …

Dialogic Instruction: Teachers Can Have Their Cake, And Eat It, Too, Rebecca L. Lee

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Dialogic instruction is a talk-intensive approach to learning and teaching that is student-centered and discussion-based, promoting collaboration and academically productive conversations. Recently, educators across the country have increased the amount of time spent preparing students for standardized assessments, which often reduces teaching and learning to test preparation. While this tension suggests that teachers must choose between good teaching or good test scores, dialogic instruction is a promising practice that can enhance students’ reading comprehension outcomes while centering student choice and valuing student voice. Research shows dialogic instruction is most effective when teachers a) co-create a conducive classroom climate, b) incorporate …

Effectiveness Of Geo Fun Thinkers Digital Learning Media On Student Understanding, Nur Halimah Silviatus Zahra, Budi Handoyo, I Komang Astina, Wan Ibrahim Wan Ahmad

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to develop and test the effectiveness of Digital Geo Fun Thinkers learning media on student understanding of the material on the utilization of natural resources and their problems. The research used the Research and Development (R&D) method with the ADDIE model (Analysis-Design-Development-Implementation-Evaluation) which was carried out at Almaarif Singosari Islamic High School with the subject of 27 students in class XI IPS 1. Digital Geo Fun Thinkers media was developed based on digital technology by raising the contextual phenomenon of natural resources at the foot of Mount Arjuno, especially in Sumber Brantas and Toyomarto villages. This media …

Labor, Leisure, And Law, Aneil Kovvali, Jonathan S. Masur

Articles

Americans work harder than their counterparts in many other advanced economies. While many predicted that technological progress would eventually make work obsolete, Americans continue to pull long hours. Although stories of worker burnout and “quiet quitting” suggest that this situation is not a good fit for everyone, any problems are largely invisible to the conceptual frameworks that dominate the analysis of law. These frameworks normally assume the goal of maximizing production and often treat the human preference for leisure as a problem to be solved. This Article analyzes the problem of overwork. In doing so, it surfaces legal and policy …

Bridging The Gap: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Trio Student Support Services In Promoting Retention, Persistence, And Graduation At Boise State University, Ryan Brevik

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs at Boise State University in promoting academic success of first-generation college students, students from financially limited backgrounds, and students with documented disabilities. Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, a secondary data analysis was completed to compare fall-to-fall retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and six-year graduation rates between TRIO SSS participants and a matched comparison group of non-participants with similar demographic and academic characteristics. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Appreciative Advising, self-efficacy theory, sense of belonging, student involvement theory, and student persistence models, this study adds to the existing …

Preparing Pre-Service Teachers For Writing Instruction: Best-Practices And Insights Into Self-Efficacy, Lindsey Wiggins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Many pre-service teachers (PSTs) report feeling under-prepared to teach writing, a challenge often linked to limited attention to writing instruction in teacher preparation programs (TPPs). While writing methods courses offer opportunities to build PSTs’ self-efficacy and pedagogical skill, questions remain about how to best structure these experiences and measure their impact. This three-article dissertation examines how PSTs develop self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction during teacher preparation and how those beliefs relate to instructional practices.

In Study I, I conducted a systematic literature review to examine how researchers measure the effects of effective writing and writing instruction interventions with elementary …

The Role Of Managerial Support In Influencing The Attitudes Of Highly Educated Millennials In Serbia, Dimitrije Gasic, Vladimir Dzenopoljac, Mladen Cudanov, Jozsef Poor, Nemanja Berber

All Works

This study explores the influence of managerial support on the attitudes of highly educated (BSc, MSc, and PhD) millennials in Serbia, focusing on job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job stress. Understanding this relationship is crucial for enhancing employee retention and organisational efficiency given the evolving workplace dynamics. Managerial support, encompassing emotional, instrumental, and informational assistance, is hypothesised to positively impact job satisfaction while reducing turnover intention and job stress. Data were collected through an online survey from 367 respondents in two waves (the first wave in January 2024 and the second in July 2024) and analysed using partial least squares …

A Systematic Review Of School-Based Behavioral Interventions And The Symbolic Labor Of Inclusion For Children With Chronic Illness, Efthymia Efthymiou, Dimitra V. Katsarou, Maria Sofologi, Kalliopi Megari, Soultana Papadopoulou, Evangelos Mantsos, Salma Daiban

All Works

Background: Chronic illness affects children’s health and disrupts the spatial and temporal aspects of schooling by complicating attendance, interrupting learning routines, and exposing institutional rigidity. While many educational systems treat chronicity as an exception to be managed, this review reconceptualizes it as a pedagogical and symbolic challenge to normative assumptions about inclusion, care, and participation. Objective: To systematically examine how school-based behavioral and psychosocial interventions support children and adolescents with chronic health conditions (CHCs) in inclusive educational settings and to analyze what these interventions reveal about institutional practices of care and recognition. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a …

Greening The Virtual: An Interdisciplinary Narrative Review On The Environmental Sustainability Of The Metaverse, Mousa Al-Kfairy

All Works

As the Metaverse continues to evolve as a transformative digital ecosystem, its environmental implications remain insufficiently examined within academic discourse. Despite growing interest in its technological and societal impacts, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluations that synthesize existing knowledge on its sustainability potential. This interdisciplinary narrative review addresses this gap by critically exploring how Metaverse technologies intersect with environmental sustainability across key sectors, including education, healthcare, tourism, e-commerce, manufacturing, and urban development. Employing a narrative review methodology informed by a systematic selection of scholarly and industry sources, the study consolidates current practices, emerging opportunities, and notable trade-offs. While the …

Artificial Intelligence Integration And Teachers' Self-Efficacy In Physics Classrooms, Fouad Yehya, Areej Elsayary, Ghadah Al Murshidi, Ahmed Al Zaabi

All Works

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its vision 2021 and the UAE centennial 2071 plan, highlights the essential role of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in shaping a knowledge-based, future-ready society. This study explores the integration of AI in physics classrooms, focusing on secondary education in the UAE. It also investigates the perceptions and self-efficacy of physics teachers regarding the use of AI tools in classroom settings. A qualitative research design was employed to gather in-depth insights from 15 physics teachers across schools in Sharjah, assessing their confidence and readiness for AI integration through the lens of the attitude and …

Youth Attitudes Towards The Effects Of Social Media Addiction A Study On University Students In The United Arab Emirates, Fokiya Akhtar, Fawzia Abdulla Alali

All Works

Objectives: This study aims to understand youth’s attitudes toward the effects of social media usage and its risk factors. It also investigates the impact of social media addiction on youth, and determines the mediating factors in this relationship, such as ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out) and nocturnal social media usage. Methods :For the purpose of this research, 327 university students were surveyed using the Social Media Addiction Scale, the FOMO Scale, the Nocturnal Social Media Use Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Index Scale. Results: The results reveal statistically significant correlations between high social media usage and adverse effects on mental …