Mental Illness In Young Adult Literature: A Classroom Approach, Claire Ghent

Honors College Theses

As high school curriculum in the 21st century evolves, the need to increase exposure of diverse literature that reflects culture, gender, and ethnicity is growing. One crucial area often overlooked by educators, parents, and publishers is literature that provides attention to mental illness, in spite of the growing amount of adolescents who suffer from a mental illness. By increasing awareness of mental illness in the classrooms, teachers can reduce stigma and increase empathy in their students while still providing challenging and engaging literary interactions. One of the best vehicles to deliver mental illness and stigma education is young adult literature …

Twin Teachers: Advancing Understanding Among Secondary And Post-Secondary Composition Instructors Through Individual Connections, Zachary Garrett

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This project relates research-based efforts to develop a context-sensitive collaborative plan for instructors of English composition at the high school and college levels, providing a model for professional development and cross-border conversations among writing educators. Adapted from the “twin towns” or “sister cities” arrangements forged between municipalities in different countries with the purpose of strengthening relationships and promoting cultural understanding, this plan targets the cultural differences between high school and college instructors as a step toward incremental improvement implemented by educators themselves. The literature review establishes the cultural divide, describing the divide through discourse and practice, identifies effective practices for …

Matriculation Through Dual Credit, Lorry Beth Wilson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Earning college credit in high school has become a rising trend, while correlation of matriculation to credit hour accumulation, underrepresented minority population, and high school data is limited. State policies are redefining outdated rules and processes in order to provide access, affordability, and awareness to students throughout the United States. West Kentucky Community and Technical College, in partnership with area high schools, enroll students in dual credit courses, which assists with increasing college credential completion and the reduction of total college costs. Students must have guidance and planning before, during, and after earning dual credit. This helps the student to …

A Comparison Of The Rey Complex Figure And The Wechsler Scales, Amanda M. Brantley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the correlation among the Wechsler Intelligence Scales and the Rey Complex Figure Test, a measure of visual memory, in a clinical sample. The purpose was to determine the point at which a difference between cognitive ability scores (at the overall ability level or at the index level) and visual memory scores would be statistically meaningful. Participants in this study were selected from clinical client folders with completed variables of interest. The mean age of the 64 participants was 21 years (SD = 12.6). Statistically significant correlations were found among three of the four …

Selecting Success: Admitting Adn Students With The Highest Probability Of Success, Elizabeth Ann Beverly

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Declining numbers in healthcare workers are nearing critical levels. In the next few years, more than a million nursing positions are predicted to be needed, increasing the demand on institutions to produce quality and competent graduates in health-related fields. Hundreds of potential students apply for nursing programs each semester, and numerous qualified applicants are denied admission due to limited space, thus placing emphasis on the selective admissions process.

This study serves to validate current admissions criteria utilized by the nursing program at Hopkinsville Community College (HCC) to ensure students with the highest probability for success are admitted. Participants include …

Barriers To Change For Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Lauren E. Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of counseling training on speech language pathologists’ (SLPs) perceived competency to address Attitude Barriers within the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment process as presented by Beukelman and Mirenda (2005). Counseling techniques, such as the use of the Readiness to Change© tool, are within the scope of practice for SLPs. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on how to apply these tools and techniques with individuals who use AAC .

A training seminar was conducted to educate participants in the use of the Readiness to Change© tool. Data was …

A Concurrent Validity Study Of The Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale And The Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition—Teacher Form, Lindsey Hansen

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes correlational data to demonstrate the construct validity of the Missouri Adaptive Ability Scale (MAAS) by comparing it to Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3) Teacher Form, a thoroughly researched and validated measure of independent living and adaptive functioning. The purpose was designed to extend research conducted to achieve construct validity of the MAAS. Twenty-six high school students with low incidence handicapping conditions (M = 17 years old) were included in this study. The ABAS-3 Teacher Form was obtained from archives and the MAAS was administered directly to the participants by the author. Pearson correlations revealed strong …

The Effects Of Parental Engagement In Early Childhood On Academic Achievement In Adolescence, Alex Velez

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement and engagement have been used interchangeably in research regarding the academic outcomes of children. The current study assessed parental engagement and its relationship to academic achievement in adolescence. Specifically, the study looked at parental engagement with children aged 3 and its effects on academic achievement at age 15 in 1-parent and 2-parent homes. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine the effect of ethnicity on the relationship between parental engagement and academic achievement. Data were taken from participants (N = 3350) who were a part of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a longitudinal dataset. Findings showed …

Quality Enhancement Plans At Community Colleges: Caring Attitudes, Intentional Advising, And Open Communication, Anthony Strawn

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In 2004 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges, (SACSCOC) started requiring a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as part of the decennial reaffirmation process. Since 2004, over one billion dollars have been spent by the 794 accredited SACSCOC institutions completing their QEPs. Fifth-Year Impact Reports must be completed by the institution at the end of the QEP as part of the Fifth-Year Compliance Report. Once that report is accepted by SACSCOC, no additional reporting on the QEP is required. This study looked at six Track A, Level I institutions in five states that started a QEP …

The Impact Of Content Mastery On Sequential Standards, Michael Newman, Michael Newman

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Mastery of P-12 academic standards is based on a learning process that is sequential and that can be broken into key components for varying students. Key ideas need to be learned before others can be mastered and it is important to know which key ideas are needed before others can be presented. The common problem for students in mathematics is that the content scaffolds and for the teacher, it can be a difficult decision of when to proceed and when not to. Yet, high stakes testing mandates a fast pace of instruction which leaves many students chronically behind. The purpose …

Predicting Academic Achievement With The Kaufman Assessment Battery For Children—Second Edition, Amy Cherry

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Intelligence progresses in measurable and predictable stages and IQ tests are used to test basic intellectual functioning, such as conceptual thinking, language, and problem solving. The IQ test is used to diagnose developmental disabilities as well as learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities in schools. School aged children may be given an IQ test to determine eligibility and placement for special education services and to pinpoint specific deficits and/or strengths. Part of the strength of using IQ tests is their ability to predict specific attributes, such as academic skills and adaptive skills. However, these correlations change with the child’s age. …

An Evaluation Of The Racer Academy Of Agriculture And Its Effectiveness, Caleb Brannon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Through this thesis research study, an evaluation of the Racer Academy of Agriculture (RAA) is performed to get a better understanding of how well it is doing in several key areas. One of the focus areas for the RAA as well as most other dual credit programs includes allowing high school students to attain college credit through participation in a class that counts both towards high school and collegiate degree completion. Other key objectives for these programs include aiding in the recruitment of students to the participating university, preparing the students to succeed at a higher rate once becoming full-time …

Internships And Post-Graduation Employment, Camilla Kaye Mears

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Internships help prepare college students to be work-ready upon graduation while affecting primary stakeholders in the internship experience to include not only the college student but also the higher education institution (HEI) and employer. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between college internship participation and post-graduation employment. If a relationship existed, then does that conclude that internships should be mandatory at HEIs? This study utilized a historical dataset of the May 2018 graduating class from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. SPSS software was used to analyze two categorical variables of …

An Analysis Of Success In Rural Economic Development: The Case Of Daviess County, Kentucky, Timothy Roy

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Over the last half-century, numerous factors have resulted in a significant economic downturn in American manufacturing, with particularly negative impacts on rural regions throughout the country. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine one rural Kentucky community’s attempts to bolster its industrial relevance, as well as the region’s overall economy, by employing an economic development strategy known as Kentucky’s Work Ready Communities (WRC). This initiative, introduced by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board in 2012, aims to attract new or expanding industry to communities or regions by demonstrating a strong infrastructure and a sustainable workforce that is prepared …

Assessing A Mid-Sized University With He-Tpack, Randall Joyce

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation research project has the goal of looking at a mid-sized regional university and assessing the faculty in the college of education and human services to see how faculty members self-assess themselves with the higher education technological pedagogical and content knowledge (HE-TPACK) instrument while attempting to determine whether or not there is a difference between digital immigrant faculty and digital native faculty. The study also looks at the self-perception of what digital group faculty members think they belong in. The study examined (n=13) faculty members, including digital immigrants 9 and digital natives 4. According to the findings, there was …