Growth: 22 (2023)

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the twenty-second edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

Under God: Political Views And Experiences Among Young Adults Attending An Evangelical College, Olga Dietlin, Amy Sparks, Hannah Bayne

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

While polarization has increased the saliency of political values, political meaning-making has been scarcely addressed in higher education literature and training. Additionally, even though the political orientation of evangelicals has been back in the spotlight since the 2016 presidential campaign, little research has been done to explore the interplay of faith commitments and political values among students at an evangelical college. This study examined religiosity, ideology, political attitudes, the salience of political identity, and experience with political differences among students at an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution (n = 223). Descriptive data confirmed the salience of religious belief and practice …

Youth Transitions Advisory Council 2023 Annual Report, Tennessee. Commission On Children And Youth.

Youth Transitions Advisory Council

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Online Presence During The Sudden Transition To Online Teaching: Case Studies Of Macau Award-Winning University Teachers' Practices And Phronesis, Yulong Marvin Li, Jing Sun, Hong Chen, Xiaojing Liu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Research about the sudden transition from offline to online in Macau during the pandemic is limited. Using the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework as the deductive thematic analysis template, we interviewed six award-winning teachers at a teaching-oriented local tertiary institute about their online teaching practices concerning social, cognitive, and teaching kinds of presence. As the result of the collective case study, we found that the teachers, to some extent, echoed the good practices recommended in the COI in improving online presence. Meanwhile, the six teachers' seemingly practical skills reflected their accumulated phronesis or wisdom of practice. It is because the …

Interventions Utilized To Improve Attendance Amongst Secondary Students Experiencing School Refusal Behaviors, Kristen E. Bronke

Dissertations of Practice

INTERVENTIONS UTILIZED TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE AMONGST SECONDARY STUDENTS EXPERIENCING SCHOOL REFUSAL BEHAVIORS

This study examined the interventions utilized to improve attendance amongst secondary students at a Midwest suburban high school as well as their relationship to the research-based interventions presented in the literature review. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 student services faculty members to identify what interventions are being utilized to help students with school refusal, which interventions they felt worked best for returning students experiencing school refusal behaviors to consistent attendance, and in what ways the school district can best support school student services personnel when working with …

Trauma-Informed (As A Matter Of) Course, Natalie Netzel

Faculty Scholarship

Law students are impacted by trauma and law professors are in a position to help by adopting a trauma-informed approach as a matter of universal precaution. The 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being (“SLSWB”) revealed that over twenty percent of responding law students meet criteria that indicate they should be evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). The study also revealed that almost fifty percent of responding students reported an important motivation for attending law school was experiencing a trauma or injustice. Put differently, law schools are full of law students who have experienced trauma, many of whom are actively struggling …

Student Loans, Persistence, And Well-Being: The Need To Support Single Mothers In College: A Qualitative Study, Kimberly Lemon

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of adult learner single mothers in college. Specifically, this research sought to understand how student loan debt informs their ability to persist and their well-being. In addition, the study examined the supports single mothers in college receive and the support they need to persist to degree attainment. Using a narrative inquiry design, semi structured interviews were conducted with 2 participants from a mid-sized public university in the northeast of the United States. Participants recounted their experiences throughout their undergraduate and graduate education. Participants spoke of the difficulties faced while enrolled in classes and …

Under The Radar: Legislative Intent To Silence Critical Race Theory, Meg Hazel

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public education is a hotly contested issue across the nation. Since 2020, multiple legislators in several states have introduced legislation that would ban the instruction of CRT in public universities. This qualitative study explored Discourse models supported and upheld by these bills along with Whitelash strategies used to promote them. I examined 53 bills proposed by lawmakers, most of which contained lists of phrases usually called “divisive concepts” or “discriminatory concepts” that professors were prohibited from discussing in their classrooms. In addition, I analyzed 26 statements made by supporters of the bills that provided justification …

Animating Faith Development: The Experience Of Student Affairs Professionals At U.S. Catholic Colleges & Universities, Sarah Williamson

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Faith is a form of social identity encompassing an individual’s religious and spiritual beliefs that aid them in making meaning in their lives (Fowler, 1981; Patton et al., 2016). While many secular institutions have reduced or removed learning about faith, Catholic higher education is an environment that integrates faith development into its work with students (Clark, 2001; Astin & Oseguera, 2004; Estanek, 2008). However, limited research exists on faith development in practice by early to mid-career student affairs professionals within Catholic higher education (James & Estanek, 2012). This qualitative study explored student affairs professionals' personal faith development experiences and their …

Centering Consumer Dignity Within Volunteer Operations, Meghan Loftus

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Volunteerism has become so commonplace in the United States that it is often considered the third sector of our economy. To maximize output and stretch every dollar, many nonprofit agencies rely on volunteers to assist with the provision of their direct services. This unfettered access to their service population, without the same trainings and safeguards as implemented with paid staff, potentially create the opportunity for these volunteers to violate the dignity of the nonprofit consumer, either intentionally or unintentionally. The purpose of this study is to explore this phenomenon and determine if it is in fact a shared experience. Through …

Mcnair Scholars Research Journal 2023, Teresa Le, Sandra Channeary Khoun, Bianca Chavez, Daniela A. Ventura, Lazar L. Ismail, Jose Zarate, Emir Al-Rekabi, Luiscarlo Babineaux, Jordan Booth, Katherine Hamilton, Maria E. Hernandez, Juno Chance Murray, Jacqueline Vidales, Hadeel Zourkout

McNair Scholars Research Journal-Archive

The McNair Scholars Program (officially known as the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) came to the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington in 1990. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1988, it is named after Dr. Ronald E. McNair, who perished with his fellow astronauts on the space shuttle Challenger two years earlier. The McNair program endeavors to assist talented undergraduates – either first generation and low-income or underrepresented students – to prepare for graduate study leading to the Ph.D. and the professoriate. Since its beginning at UT Arlington, the McNair program has encouraged and assisted over …

Grand Valley Magazine, Vol. 22, No 2, Winter 2023, Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley Magazine

Grand Valley Magazine is a quarterly publication about Grand Valley State University produced by University Communications since 2001.

Fte2: An Exploration Of Full-Time Employed, Full-Time Enrolled Undergraduate Student Perceptions Regarding The Impact Of Support Systems On Their Ability To Persist, Victoria Lauren Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Full-time enrolled students participating in full-time employment is a growing trend on college campuses. This dissertation serves to explore the perceptions of full-time employed, full-time enrolled graduate students’ perceptions on the impact of their support systems on their ability to persist. The proposed study utilizes Laura Perna’s Conceptual Model for College Access and Choice (2006), along with Cabrera, Nora, and Castenada’s Integrated Model for Student Retention (1993) to the following research questions: (1) What factors, support systems or resources do students utilize? (2) What formal or informal support systems and/or resources aid in student persistence, if any? This dissertation addresses …

Spotlight On Research. Leveraging Data To Deliver Quality Employment Services:, Alberto Migliore

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Ensuring that job seekers with disabilities receive high-quality supported and customized employment services is key for increasing their chances of achieving their career goals. This paper describes the findings from piloting ES-Coach with nine employment programs in Minnesota and Massachusetts. ES-Coach is a tool designed to help teams of employment consultants visualize their employment support practices and leverage that information to reflect, set goals, and take action for continuous quality improvement.

It’S Just A Way Of Life: A Symbolic-Interactionist Approach To Inequalities In The Contemporary American South, Angela Rankin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contemporary American South is characterized by significant inequalities that are deeply- embedded into the social fabric of the region. These inequalities are dictated by cultural and social dynamics that have shaped the Southern region over time; however, they are reinforced daily through the individual agency of Southern social actors. This thesis aims to analyze Southern inequalities through a symbolic-interactionist focused lens and data collected from semi-structured, qualitative interviews conducted with over 70 White Southerners in two places within the American South- Oxford, MS, and Memphis, TN. In this thesis, I argue that White Southern actors actively use their individual …

Monitoring The Philippine Economy Fourth Quarter Report For 2022, Mitzie Irene P. Conchada, Natasha Amber Y. Cabiltes, Brendan Emmanuel A. Miranda, Edgar Desher P. Empeño

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The Philippine economy grew 7.2 percent, featuring robust growth despite facing domestic challenges. Fourth quarter growth reflected a more optimistic consumer sentiment as the economy continued to open up. Economic growth in Q4 2022 was 7.2 percent year-on-year and 17.1 percent quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q), showing the Philippines’ consistent effort to create a positive growth outlook for the economy (see Table 1). Year-on-year growth exceeded the median analyst forecast of 6.8 percent despite accelerating inflation and growing food security issues. Revenge spending continues to drive consumption on the demand side while service sector growth remains headstrong on the supply side amid stunted …

Aging In Eastham: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Beth Rouleau

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Eastham Council on Aging. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Eastham’s residents age 50 or older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Eastham, the Eastham Council on Aging and Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Eastham for the purposes of planning and coordination of services. The report will …

The Clinical Observations Of Nursing Students And Recent Graduates Caring For Lgbtq+ People, Emily E. Roy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Objective: The next generation of nurses have increased educational preparation to provide affirming care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, but an evaluation of the effectiveness of this teaching has not been performed. The purpose of this study was to identify nursing student and recent nursing graduate observations of affirming and non-affirming care of LGBTQ+ people in healthcare settings during clinical experiences. We also sought to understand how those experiences affect their ability and willingness to provide affirming health care to LGBTQ+ people.

Methods: Participants filled out a mixed methods Qualtrics survey that was distributed through school …

Black Women’S Social Media Use Integration And Social Media Addiction, Sara Matsuzaka, Lanice R. Avery, Alexis G. Stanton

Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Black American women are among the largest consumer groups of social media in the United States. In recent years, Black American women have curated spaces on social media platforms to authentically converse about Black womanhood and resist structural gendered racism. Still, there is a dearth of research on the subjective importance of Black American women’s social media use and risks for social media addiction. This study tested the association between social media use integration and social media addiction, and whether connectedness to Black women moderated this relationship. Data from 354 Black American women (Mage = 24.34 years) were collected using …

Employee Development And Workforce Engagement In A Behavioral Health Organization, Lakisha R, Brimage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ongoing training at the targeted behavioral health organization is necessary to improve employee knowledge, skills, and abilities to drive engagement and overall organizational performance. The purpose of this case study was to determine what leadership practices and strategies are currently in place and what training modules improve employee development for the purpose of improving workforce engagement. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide the qualitative case study of the nonprofit organization, which provides social services to low-income families in the United States. Data sources included semistructured interviews with two behavioral health leaders at the organization and reviews of organizational …

An Evaluation Of A School-Based School Connectedness Program, John G. Emmerich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 45% of high school students are either not engaged (28%) or actively disengaged (17%) in the academic process. Increasing a school's average student engagement yields an increase in reading and math achievement. This study evaluates a school connectedness program, Promoting Positive School Engagement (PPSE) program using a convergent mixed methods model to determine the degree of effectiveness measured by the Hemingway measure of adolescent connectedness instrument in an Urban, Midwest public middle school. Quantitative data were collected from 20 students who participated in the program and 20 students who did not (control group). Analyzed using …

The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the United States Armed Forces ended the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellthat excluded sexual minorities from being able to serve openly in the military. Full military benefits were extended to them and their family members in 2013. Despite these changes, victimization, stigma, and discrimination have continued to impact the lives of service members who identify as a sexual minority, as the result of microaggressions due to their sexual orientation. Past literature has examined experiences of sexual minorities, but little research has focuses on sexual minority women whose minority gender identity creates greater risk to experience micro assaults with …

Effective Revenue Planning For Small Minority-Owned Mental Health Organizations, Beonko Alejandro Sampson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractRevenue planning for minority-owned organizations is vital for sustainability. This is a significate concern for behavioral health practitioners who must deal with the changing landscape of mental health and the financial worries of sustaining a successful organization. This case study examined effective revenue planning for a minority-owned behavioral health organization located in the mideastern part of the United States. The organization provides several different behavioral treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults. The Baldrige excellence framework for healthcare guided a system-based approach to assessing the minority-owned organization. The systems approach identified noted organizational components of leadership, strategy, and operations. Themes …

The Experiences And Perspectives Of Documented Hispanic Immigrants Dealing With Survivor’S Guilt, Fallon Victoria Wall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic immigrants are understudied and underserved; this is a population that continues to battle injustices and discriminatory actions due to immigration policy. The Hispanic population struggles with immigration stress and deportation, which contributes to difficulties such as psychological distress, physical health problems, acculturative stress, employment difficulties, and decreased access to support and services. In this study, a generic qualitative design was utilized to explore immigration stress and the experiences of documented Hispanic immigrants dealing with survivor’s guilt as it relates to the deportation of their loved ones. Relational cultural theory as used in the study to explore the Hispanic population, …

Experiences Of Older Adults With Hiv/Aids Enrolled In Case Management Programs In Northwest Indiana, Antoinette Cardenas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn 2016, more than half of those infected with HIV/AIDS were age 50 years or older. Since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the survival rate of HIV patients has been on the rise with a predicted increase by 2030, but this has also contributed to early onset of comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and kidney failure. The purpose of this generic qualitative study, driven by ecological systems theory, was to explore the experiences of older adults (age 50 and older) with HIV/AIDS who were enrolled in case management programs in Northwest Indiana. Data were collected from semi structured interviews …

Moral Injury Themes Involving Criminal Recklessness Among Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder, Sandra Starch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral injury (MI) can emerge following transgressive acts against one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Its symptomology involves individual psychological, spiritual, behavioral, and social spheres. It has primarily been studied within the military and in a few select civilian populations. This descriptive phenomenological study involved exploring MI themes among adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who had engaged in criminally reckless acts. Data collected from semi-structured interviews with eight participants were coded and analyzed, leading to six major themes revealing the symptomology of MI. Responses from study participants supported Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance via their descriptions of alcohol abuse cycles …

Career Progression: Narrative Study Of Impediments Affecting Army Female Officer Advancement From Major To Lieutenant Colonel, Jeremia M. Van

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractQualitative narrative inquiry was used to understand the accounts and experiences of female officers in the United States Army that were once stationed in South Korea, who did not advance to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In today’s military, female officers still face many challenges during their advancement from Major to Lieutenant Colonel, relative to their male counterparts. The specific problem is the underrepresentation of female majors in the Army who compete for promotion to the lieutenant colonel rank. The researcher explored the experiences of 14 female Army officers that served in South Korea and sought out promotions from the …

Transformation At The Cultural Interface: Exploring The Experiences Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander University Students, Braden Hill, Caroline Nilson, Bep Uink, Catherine Fetherston

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research on transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991), particularly within the context of higher education, has demonstrated the significant impact university learning can have on a wide range of cohorts across diverse learning contexts. However, the extensive body of literature pertaining to transformative learning remains largely silent on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students and the extent to which their engagement with academia can be transformative. Nevertheless, Nakata’s (2007b) cultural interface theory has shaped policy, practice and thought in Indigenous higher education, elucidating the nuances, complexities and challenges that confront Indigenous students in their journey through university. In …

Transition Of Transnational Social Workers: A Critical Realist Perspective On The Need For A Response From The Profession, Shajimon Peter, Allen Bartley, Liz Beddoe, Lynne Soon-Chean Park, Liyun Wendy Choo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article examines the absence of a profession-wide response for facilitating the transition of transnational social workers (TSWs) into the host country. TSWs work with various racial, ethnic, and cultural groups and often in unfamiliar socio-political, policy and practice contexts. A qualitative study was undertaken in New Zealand, which involved six focus groups, three with managers of TSWs and three with TSWs themselves and a face-to-face semi-structured interview with a manager who was also a TSW. Coding and analysis of data were informed by critical realism (CR). We found that TSWs’ transitions are framed within an employer-employee relationship in the …

Impact Of Vascular Screening Interventions On Perceived Threat, Efficacy Beliefs And Behavioural Intentions: A Systematic Narrative Review, Reindolf Anokye, Ben Jackson, James Dimmock, Joanne M. Dickson, Mary A. Kennedy, Carl J. Schultz, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Mandy Stanley, Joshua Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Health-related behaviours contribute to the global burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular imaging can be used to screen asymptomatic individuals for increased risk of CVD to enable earlier interventions to promote health-related behaviours to prevent or reduce CVD risk. Some theories of behaviour and behaviour change assume that engagement in a given behaviour is a function of individual threat appraisals, beliefs regarding the performance of behaviour, self-efficacy for performing the desired behaviour and/or dispositions to act (e.g. behavioural intentions). To date, little is known about the impact of cardiovascular imaging interventions on these constructs. This article summarises evidence related to …