Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of K–12 Public School Music Teacher Burnout From 1986 To 2025, Veronica A. Rovatti

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This historical comparative analysis assessed five different sources to understand the effect stress and burnout have had on public school music educators over the last fifty years. In the United States, music educators are facing stress and burnout in their teaching careers, which can result in attrition from their profession. In this research study, four studies pertaining to music educator burnout are analyzed through a narrative compilation of research already established. Also analyzed is a supplementary recent article providing contemporary relevance. The criteria for source selection included studies or articles that primarily researched stress and burnout among K-12 public school …

Untethered Spiritual Care: Fortifying Warfighter Fitness In The Era Of Great Power Competition, Charles R. Bruner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the operational paradigm shifts from the large counter-insurgency missions of the Global War on Terror to agile combat employment characterized by untethered operations in potential locations such as the Pacific Theater, robust spiritual fitness will become increasingly more vital. Those most at risk for spiritual wounding and moral injury due to their experiences will be Airmen assigned to small, forward-deployed Mission Ready Airman (MRA) teams who must generate combat aircraft in austere locations with minimal supplies and far from support, including religious and spiritual support. This research project examines the problem of providing effective, robust point-of-care spiritual support without …

Shaping The Hills: Women Folklorists And Writers In The Ozarks And The Advancement Of A Romanticized Regional Identity And Heritage Tourism, Rachel Pendergraft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines how women folklorists and writers in the Ozarks, between 1930 and 1970, shaped a romanticized regional identity, preserved its history, and, as cultural representatives, reframed the perception of the region, thus facilitating the advancement of heritage tourism. This development is further explored within the context of a national framework. Moreover, by focusing on three women, May Kennedy McCord, Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey, and Lucile Morris Upton, and using them as key analytical tools, a broader assessment of women’s contributions to Ozark cultural identity and their leadership in the development of heritage tourism is achieved. Drawing on archival material …

Training Timothy: An Analysis Of Discipleship And Leadership Development In Multicultural Churches, Philip Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As America’s social and cultural landscape continues to diversify, churches face the challenge of fostering contextually relevant, biblically grounded communities characterized by unity in Christ. Church leaders play a crucial role in this process by articulating a shared mission that transcends humanistic cultural differences and working towards a unifying biblical culture, based on a common understanding and vocabulary. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine how church leaders were selected, developed, and mobilized in Protestant multicultural churches in America to create a unifying biblical culture through biblical discipleship in a multicultural context. For this study, discipleship was …

Separating The Wheat From The Chaff: A Quantitative Pilot Study Of Biblical Christian Spirituality As A Regulator Of Dark Triad Personality Traits, Patricia L. Elston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of the psychological literature on Christianity as a regulator of Dark Triad personality traits over the last 25 years revealed just a handful of quantitative and qualitative studies that relied exclusively upon long-standardized constructs drawn from cultural Christian ideology. Such constructs remain in direct contrast to biblical tenets to opine that Christianity has no important impact upon the development and persistence of highly aversive Dark Triad social attributes. The current quantitative pilot study was conducted in a small sample (n=26) of adult male and female born-again members of an international Evangelical Christian motorcycle ministry whose primary recruitment is …

Developing A Ministry Model That Reengages The Members Of Mount Zion Into Fulfilling God’S Purpose, Desmond Wayde Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Making a meaningful difference within a ministry that requires intervention demands not only strategic planning and teamwork but also leadership that is unwavering in its commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose through service. The church under review has faced significant shifts within its community beginning in the late 1990s and extending into the early 2000s. Unfortunately, these changes did not lead to the anticipated growth and development; instead, they triggered a noticeable decline within both the ministry and the surrounding area. This decline has had a cascading effect, negatively impacting the community and further eroding the church’s vitality, resulting in decreased …

Strange And Weird Tales: H.P. Lovecraft And Horror In American History, Serafin Hector Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Author Howard Phillips (H.P.) Lovecraft (1890-1937) of Rhode Island was a transformative figure in American fiction. Hailed by one modern writer as “the twentieth-century horror story’s dark and baroque prince,” Lovecraft wrote over sixty-five works of fiction representing—alongside Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Bloch, and David H. Keller—“the golden age of weird fiction.” Lovecraft, however, enjoyed only modest commercial success during his lifetime, writing for amateur journals and pulp magazines such as The Vagrant, Amazing Stories, and Weird Tales. Most of his stories, then, were not published in hardcover or paperback form until after his death, including what many literary critics …

Identity, Purpose, And Value: Amplifying The Position Of The Millennial At The Beulahland Bible Church, Sam Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beulahland Bible Church (BBC) experienced growth in 2024. However, a closer look into the development of the BBC revealed a vital concern: the Millennial growth accounted for only 5 percent of the church's overall growth. The researcher of the current DMIN project identified this as a problem. This DMIN undertaking has developed a comprehensive design that addresses the concern and restores the Millennial to its position at the Beulahland Bible Church. This creation is rooted in the instructions given by Jesus Christ to make disciples; this intervention will move beyond the physical construction of the church and carry out this …

Staying Connected To The Vine As A Means Of Leading Worship In A Christ-Like Manner, Paul Edward Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With a society focused on performance-driven worship, most worship leaders today have difficulty maintaining a God-focused, Christ-centered, and Spirit-filled worship experience during worship services. Worship leaders are having difficulty leading worship because they do not follow Christ daily to produce fruit that will help the leader effectively lead worship that honors God. This qualitative research explores the Bible, explicitly using John 15:1-11, Galatians 5:22-23, and 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 as the foundation for the worship leader to remain in Christ to produce the fruit of the Spirit and lead with Godly wisdom and understanding. Worship and leadership textbooks and dissertations covering …

A Phenomenological Study Of Secondary Music Teachers And Their Experiences With Class Schedules In Central Virginia, Aliza Marie Nogueras

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is currently a lack of recognition for the unique influence of class schedules on music educators’ lived experiences in public-schools. This study examines how middle and high music class schedules play a role in music teacher’s curriculum development and overall well-being. Class schedules created without regard to musical instruction may create significant challenges for music teachers, reducing instructional time, disjointing curricula, and causing inconsistencies in delivering high-quality music education. Focusing on music teachers in Central Virginia, this hermeneutic phenomenological study highlights the specific lived experiences of public-school music educators. The central research questions explore how class schedules shape instructional …

1-2-1 Reciprocal Discipleship: A Transformation Strategy For Effectively Growing Mature Disciples Of Jesus Christ, Scott M. Whitley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to be transformed into the image of Christ through the intimacy of knowing the Father (Eph. 4:13; 2 Cor. 3:18; John 17:3). This can be taught and experienced through one-on-one discipleship, thus fulfilling the Great Commission. Unfortunately, many different discipleship models have become the prevailing stratagem, leaving one-on-one discipleship less emphasized or wholly abandoned. This has resulted in significant transformation through intimacy being lost in many churches and leading to a departure from scriptural discipleship. Therefore, this action research project assumed that consistent participation in the 1-2-1 Reciprocal Discipleship: A Transformation Strategy …

Job Burnout And Executive Leader Turnover, David Zayas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Executive leadership roles are characterized by increasing organizational demands that necessitate substantial cognitive and physical effort, thereby elevating the risk of emotional exhaustion, diminished work engagement, decreased job satisfaction, and increased turnover intention. This study investigates the impact of organizational and occupational stressors on executive clergy leader burnout and turnover intentions. A qualitative single case study was undertaken to delve into the challenges faced by executive clergy leaders (senior, executive, or associate pastors) in the religious sector, where demanding workloads are exacerbating role ambiguity, creating work-life balance conflicts, fostering unhealthy work practices, and influencing job burnout. Three organizational theories (e.g., …

An Intellectual History Of The American Right To Keep And Bear Arms, John Charles Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation presents an examination of the intellectual history of the American right to keep and bear arms, as well as its embodiment in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The document presents the history of ideas surrounding the concept of the right to keep and bear arms, from early Western Civilization through various channels, including English traditions, and how they contributed to the unique perspective on the right to keep and bear arms that emerged in America. Explores not only English contributions, but those of the Scots, and philosophers throughout Europe and Western Civilization, as well as …

Generation Z And The Church: A Phenomenological Study Of Perceptions, Barriers, And Opportunities For Church Engagement, Hector Albert Soto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions, barriers, and opportunities that shape the relationship between Generation Z and the Christian church, with particular attention to how these factors influence patterns of engagement. Recent trends indicated a significant decline in church engagement among Generation Z, contributing to the erosion of vital resources necessary for the sustained vitality of contemporary Christian congregations (Barna, 2020; Braddy, 2021; Earls, 2020). The study was guided by three research questions: 1) What Generation Z variables did the church need to focus on to attract and retain Gen Z (e.g., social concerns, leadership …

Preparing New Life Pentecostal Ministries Young Adults For God’S Design Of Marriage Through Identity Development, Ameerah Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project, Preparing New Life Pentecostal Ministries Young Adults for God’s Design of Marriage Through Identity Development, addresses the growing crisis of identity, purpose, and relationship instability among young adults within NLPM and beyond. The purpose of this action-oriented research is to provide a theological and spiritually formative framework that prepares young adults for marriage by biblical principles. The project identifies key spiritual and emotional barriers, including unresolved wounds and distorted self-identity. Lack of discipleship and cultural confusion hinder spiritual maturity and readiness for God-ordained relationships. Grounded in Scripture and supported by human development theory and spiritual formation scholars, …

"Concealed Sorrow": Unveiling The Implications Of Miscarriages On Women In England 1500-1600s, Krista Ann Everson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the societal, religious, and political implications of miscarriage in Tudor England, with a particular focus on the experiences of Anne Boleyn. Miscarriage, a profoundly personal yet historically stigmatized event, intersects with broader cultural, theological, and economic forces that shape public and private responses to it. By exploring Anne Boleyn’s miscarriages within the context of Tudor society, this research sheds light on how historical understandings of pregnancy loss have influenced cultural attitudes and policies, offering insights into the lived realities of women in the early modern period.

The Catholic Church And The Acculturation Of Immigrants To The United States: Pittsburgh And The Slovak Community During The Gilded Age And Progressive Era, Thomas Frank Demharter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Catholic Church and the Acculturation of Immigrants to the United States: Pittsburgh and the Slovak Community During the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.” Throughout the nineteenth century, hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrived in the United States from southern and eastern Europe, marking a radical change in the cultural and social background of those who arrived in search of work in the industrial world that had come to dominate the economy of the nation. This dissertation will examine the role that the Catholic Church played in aiding these mostly Catholic immigrants in their attempt to conform to and assimilate …

Egalitarianism: A Hermeneutical, Biblical-Theological And Logical Evaluation, Martin Nyanzu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are several sensitive and polarized issues confronting the church in our day, one of them has turned egalitarians and complementarians into warring camps – men and women’s role in the home, church, and society. The last twenty years have seen an intensification in egalitarian publications. However, a critical examination of egalitarian theology in some major works presents a concerning deficit in adhering to the principles of biblical theology, hermeneutics, and logic. This literary research is a biblical canonical survey of egalitarian theology based on existing scholarly perspectives among North American evangelicals. It is apparent that egalitarian biblical theology lacks …

From Belief To Action: An Exploratory Study Of Theological Perspectives In Influencing Credibility-Enhancing Displays, John Chambers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this two-phase qualitative research design was to explore the relationship between faith and works, as evidenced by manifest Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs), for electronic survey participants in the orthodox Christian community. Exploring the potential links between specific aspects of the theological narratives and the intentions that precede behavior was the central focus of the study. An expert panel was used to develop the Phase One survey. Phase Two retained the same expert panel members but presented them with the Phase One survey analysis to expand the interpretation of the results. At this stage in the research, CREDs …

Church Engagement With Generation Z In A Post Christian Culture, Caleb W. Saunders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to apprehend what has kept Generation Z individuals to continue attending church in a post Christian culture. Understanding what keeps this demographic committed to their faith communities is essential for the FWB church. Focusing on Gen Z individuals that have stayed faithful to their local FWB church gives insight on why Gen Z individuals that have grown up attending church have abandoned their faith. The data collected through in-depth, semi structured interviews with Gen Z participants who met the criteria of sustained attendance and involvement in their local FWB church was practiced. …

“The Church Is Not Going To Close Until God Closes It”: Survival Of The Neighborhood Church, Karen Kay Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are churches in working-class neighborhoods throughout America that were built by the community’s residents. Some of these churches are close to or more than 100 years old and still function as places of worship. Riverdale Baptist Church in Roanoke and Fairview Christian in Lynchburg are two such churches. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries something changed about the Riverdale Farm and Fairview Heights neighborhoods. New neighbors arrived who were not interested in attending these corner churches, or in having close-knit relationships with their neighbors. The children of the older members had moved to other neighborhoods, and although …

Engaging The Hindu Community Of Loudoun County, Va With The Gospel Of Jesus Christ: An Evangelism Course For Telugu Christian Fellowship Church, Ravinder Rufus Bhimanpalli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry project addressed the lack of effective evangelism toward the Hindu community by the Telugu Christian Fellowship Church (TCFC) in Ashburn, Virginia. Located 35 miles from Washington, D.C., TCFC serves a suburban congregation of approximately 300 members, with an average weekly attendance of 250. The church is located in Loudoun County, one of America’s most diverse and affluent regions, home to over 44,000 Asian Indians and an estimated 18,000 Hindus. Despite this, the church’s outreach efforts had remained scattered and underdeveloped. Most church members lacked cultural sensitivity, feared offending them, or simply lacked the confidence to engage …

Parallel Lives: Revitalization Of An Ancient Method Of Inquiry, Geoffrey Thomas Uhal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Parallel Lives style examination and biography is one of the oldest forms of historical inquiry, providing a comparison between a foreign subject and a more familiar subject as a frame of reference. This style of examination was popular for dissertations in the 19th century among military historians writing about generals who were stylistically known as “Great Captains” for much of history. While the moral comparisons of such histories in bygone eras possess less utility, multimodal comparisons of lives that readers have more and less contextual background to provide a model to bridge the gap between foreign and familiar subjects. …

Public Safety Injuries: Treatment And Organizational Support Variations Experienced By Injured Employees, Patrick S. Daugherty Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public safety employees work in an environment characterized by a greater risk of injury than the workplaces of employees engaged in other professions. The deterioration of trust in public safety workers has increased both the violence against them and their risk of injury, negatively affecting their retention and recruitment efforts. The effect is exhausted and overworked employees who answer an increasing call volume with less resources, resulting in greater stress and frustration. Frustration can be expressed with negativity and isolation toward accommodated employees while they attempt to recover from their injuries. This phenomenon raises the question of “What treatment variations …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Stress Responses From Rehearsal Preparations For Music Ensemble Performance Evaluations And Performing Arts Adolescents’ Working Memory, Gregory Thomas Minter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The organization of memory retrieval is vital to the association between stress responses and negative educational achievements. These stress responses offer an opportunity to study the harmful consequences of prolonged strain on the developing brain, which may impair emotional restraint, self-control, and cognitive development. However, little research considers the fundamental notions of how stress responses from rehearsals for music ensemble performance assessments impact adolescent working memory. This mixed-methods study explored how rehearsal-related stress in music ensemble settings may affect adolescents' working memory. Participants included high school students in grades nine through 12 who participated in performing arts band ensembles. The …

After His Likeness: The Holy Trinity And Creation Of Humanity, Chris Trevino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation presents a comprehensive theological and interdisciplinary examination of the Holy Trinity (i.e., Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and its influence on human creativity, ethical development, and identity, as rooted in the Genesis creation narrative. Employing exegetical analysis of Genesis 1:26-27 alongside systematic theological synthesis, lexical‐theological study of צֶלֶם (ṣélem, image) and דְּמוּת (dəmûth, likeness), and historical‐doctrinal reflection on Chalcedonian definitions of the hypostatic union and kenosis, it develops a triadic framework that aligns the divine mind, heart, and will with human cognition, emotion, and volition. The study reveals that the threefold act of divine creativity (i.e., the Father’s …

Critical Volunteer Stewardship: A New Model Of Volunteer Management For Churches, Kelly Lynne Reed Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In an effort to advance the kingdom without breaking the bank, today’s churches rely heavily upon volunteers to staff and operate a multitude of ministries. With biblical beginnings reaching well into the Old Testament, volunteerism and the call to serve remain an essential part of being Christian. Drawn from a unique blend of emergency management and human resource tactics, Critical Volunteer Stewardship (CVS) is a proposed model of volunteer administration that quickly identifies, assigns, and retains volunteer capital while building authentic interpersonal relationships. This researcher has implemented her CVS model at Captivate Community Church to mitigate the organization’s current inability …

Motivation And Retention In Music Education: A Phenomenological Study On Socioeconomic Status Impact, Bracy C. Martin Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The retention of middle and high school students in music education programs remains a persistent concern, particularly when disparities in motivation are shaped by socioeconomic status (SES). This hermeneutic phenomenological study investigated how intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors such as funding, parental involvement, off-campus performance opportunities, and student engagement are influenced by SES and how these influences affect student retention in school music programs. Grounded in Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory and Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, the study examined how motivation and SES intersect to either support or hinder student persistence in music education.

Eight music educators from urban, suburban, and …

The Impact Of Cello Training On Spatial Orientation Abilities In Adult Learners, Circe Diaz Gamero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic discourse lacks exploration of the effects that musical training during adulthood has on spatial orientation abilities through their connection between cognitive science and music education. This study seeks to address this knowledge gap through research that evaluates cello training effects on spatial orientation abilities in adult learners. The rising interest in non-medicine-based methods for brain function improvement and recovery establishes the urgent need to research possible cognitive advantages that occur when adults participate in music education. This research study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach that studied adults with minimal musical background in an eight-week structured cello training program, aiming …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study On Perceptions Of Pregnancy Bias And Career Advancement In Music Education, Chelsa N. Keathley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological research followed the perspectives of thirteen music educators across eleven states. The participants included five female secondary band directors, six male secondary band directors, one retired female secondary band director, and one male secondary administrator, along with the personal experiences of six mothers who currently serve as band directors in secondary music education. This study explored perceptions of gender bias within the field, focusing on issues such as the underrepresentation of women in secondary music education, negative societal perceptions regarding women in leadership positions, and the presence of a negative workplace culture. These factors were explored …