Education Commons^™

The Influence Of Employee Engagement On Discretionary Effort And Job Performance In The Cruise Line Customer Contact Center Workplace, Stephen B. Rodoquino Iii

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This nonexperimental, correlational study examined the relation among job fit,

psychological climate, and employee engagement and discretionary effort and job

performance. An Internet-based self-report survey was administered to a sample of 307

cruise line customer contact center reservation agents. The research hypotheses were

evaluated using correlational and hierarchical regression analytic procedures.

Job fit and psychological climate were linked positively and significantly with

employee engagement and employee engagement accounted for significant variance in

both discretionary effort and job performance. In evaluating the discretionary effort

conceptual model, after statistically controlling for gender, ethnicity and amount of job

experience, the results of the …

Examining The Cultural Intelligence And Perceptions Of Educational Decision-Makers: Factors That Relate To Decision-Making For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students Who May Have Disabilities, Annela Costa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to explore the cultural intelligence of educational decision-makers and their perceptions of the importance of factors that relate to pre-referral/referral and eligibility determination processes for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students who may have disabilities. Participants (n=120) included teachers, school psychologists, and local education agents. The results revealed that individual-level factors predicted the cultural intelligence of educational decision-makers. Participants perceived factors related to pre-referral/referral processes to be more important in decision making when compared to factors related to eligibility determination; yet, participants self reported feeling more confident in making decisions involving eligibility determination. …

How Does The Work Of The Negro Youth Study (1937-1941) Fit Into The History Of The Social Sciences?, Randall Haines Kaufman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through a historical analysis[1] this dissertation addresses how the work of the Negro[2] Youth Study (NYS) fits into the historical development of sociology during the early Civil Rights Movement (CRM). Secondarily, the dissertation addresses the silence surrounding NYS and its place in Black Sociology.

As the Depression deepened, educators worried about another “lost generation” of young Americans.[3] In response, The American Youth Commission in 1935, followed by the NYS in 1937, sought solutions. In particular, the NYS represents a moment in social sciences, started in the 19^th century, or a moment when social sciences become a …

Student Affairs Professionals In Higher Education Institutions Who Participate In Study Tours: A Qualitative Study, Michelle M. Castro

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As colleges and universities are internationalizing their curriculum, there is a growing need for student affairs professionals to also become aware of and be familiar with internationalization and to become players in the global society. The present study focused on 12 participants who are currently student affairs professionals. The research focused on gaining an understanding and awareness of the role that international study tour experiences have on the professional and personal development of student affairs professionals. A qualitative research design was used for the study. Kolb’s Experiential Learning theory was used as the conceptual framework to explain the participants' experiences …

Workplace Incivility Toward Individuals With Disabilities, Secure Attachment Style, And Mental Health: Focus On Mediator And Moderator Effects, Mia Heikkila

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the value of workplace civility, civility has been replaced by social exchanges that include statements and behaviors deemed largely unacceptable and undeniably rude. One type of rude behavior that appears innocuous is called workplace incivility, yet incivility disturbs efficient functioning among employees, intensifies work stress, and poses a grave financial hazard to an organization. Literature expressly on incivility toward individuals with disabilities is virtually non-existent, although emerging literature reveals that employees with disabilities are at a greater risk of experiencing workplace mistreatment vis-à-vis employees without disabilities. This quantitative study investigated the role of workplace incivility with respect to individuals …

The Role Of Number Writing In Early Math Readiness, Giselle Hernandez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how number writing in a class of low-income, pre-kindergarten children (N = 15) developed over the course of a school year, and to see what role that development played in their overall math readiness. This study used a mixed-methods approach. The target class was explicitly taught number writing as part of an early math intervention. Scores on a number writing inventory, and two math readiness assessments (Number Knowledge assessment, State of Florida VPK Assessment) were compared at the end of the year, both within the intervention group, and with a matched …

Music Literacy: A Multicase Study Of Five Choral Directors' Use And Understanding Of Choral Music Literacy In The Choral Classroom, Alicia M. Romero Sardiñas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-case study was to give experienced choral music educators a voice. It sought to describe, examine, and understand five choral music educators’ perceptions and use of elements within choral music literacy. These elements were specifically sight-reading, text analysis, and composition. Research questions included 1) What are the choral music educators’ perceptions and understandings of choral music literacy? 2) How do these choral music educators design and implement their curriculum? and 3) How can choral music educators balance performance requirements and the elements of choral music literacy, which are invaluable in the creation of independent music making? …

Dominant And Critical Mathematics: A Multi-Case Study Examining Mathematics Teachers’ Equitable Teaching Practices, Laura Zamudio

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the field of mathematics education, it is common for studies to use test scores to examine racial and socio-economic achievement gaps. The results of such studies have influenced mathematics teachers to address issues of equitable access and achievement as part of closing existing gaps (Gutiérrez & Ezekiel Dixon-Román, 2011). However, closing achievement gaps does not mean that equity has been addressed if marginalized students continue to express a cultural disconnect from the field of mathematics (Lubienski & Gutiérrez, 2008).

This qualitative multi-case study seeks to attend to these issues by exploring the understandings of equity and equitable teaching practices …

Twitter Activity Of Urban And Rural Colleges: A Sentiment Analysis Using The Dialogic Loop, Eugene H. Pons

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to ascertain if colleges are achieving their ultimate communication goals of maintaining and attracting students through their microblogging activity, which according to Dialogic Loop Theory, is directly correlated to the use of positive and negative sentiment. The study focused on a cross-section of urban and rural community colleges within the United States to identify the sentiment score of their microblogging activity. The study included a content analysis on the Twitter activity of these colleges. A data-mining process was employed to collect a census of the tweets associated with these colleges. Further processing was …

An Examination Of Cuban-American Social Studies Teachers' Cultural Consciousness Relative To Their Identity, Educational Beliefs, And Curricular Decisions: A Critical Latino Theoretical Perspective, Victor Barrios

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine how five self-identified Cuban-American social studies teachers, in a city where they are viewed as the dominant culture, demonstrated ethnic and cultural identity, expressed educational beliefs on teaching and learning, promoted culturally diverse pedagogy, and approached the official curriculum relative to their cultural consciousness. This study used a qualitative research design with multiple case and cross-case analysis. Critical Latino theory was the theoretical framework employed for social and cultural categories pertinent to Latinx groups. The study found that the teacher-participants in this study reflected a dominant cultural ideology in Miami which influenced …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Food Insecurity Among Syrian Refugees In Florida, Racha Sankar

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Syrian refugees settled in the United States may experience food insecurity due to different socioeconomic factors that may include nutrition knowledge, language proficiency, women’s education, and perceived stress. The structure and the type of households may also contribute to food insecurity in this population.

The objective of this study was to measure food security among Syrian refugees residing in Florida. It also aimed to determine the socioeconomic factors that may attribute to food insecurity at household level.

A comprehensive 228-item questionnaire was administered to N=80 households (n=43 in rural areas, n=37 in urban areas). Families with and without children were …

A Visually-Enhanced Approach To Multivariate Calculus Facilitated By A Computer Algebra System, Belarmino Gonzalez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of a visually-enhanced approached to the teaching of selected multivariate calculus concepts on students’ mathematical understanding and visualization. The sample size consisted of 65 undergraduate students from Miami Dade College, a large Hispanic Serving Institution in the Southeast. A pretest – posttest, nonequivalent group design was used. CAS dynamic worksheets containing visualizations and geometric representations were created using a computer algebra system and embedded as part of the lecture in the experimental group. Instructor-developed instruments were used to measure students’ prerequisite knowledge for multivariate calculus, and students’ mathematical understanding of selected concepts. Furthermore, Yoon (2011)’s …

How Are Social Studies Teachers Using Technology In The Classroom?, Stephanie Delgado

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

So that students are equipped with the skills needed to compete a in a global economy, schools are being given resources intended to increase equity, opportunity, and to close the digital divide. Digital equitability exists when all students have access to both advanced technologies and the learning opportunities the technologies provide (Solomon, Allen, & Resta, 2003). The U.S. Department of Education notes that although students are graduating high school at high rates, performance gaps among students from low socioeconomic and various cultural backgrounds still exist. My study followed a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine how seven teachers in Miami-Dade …

The Hpst Framework: A Case Study On An Organizational Tool Used To Understand Historical Narrative In A Social Studies Classroom, Jose M. Pombo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation chronicled a multifaceted study utilizing the Historical, Philosophical, Societal and a Takeaway (HPST) Framework; an organizational tool used for document analysis. Utilizing a case study format, this research unpacked how a charter school teacher used HPST within her own ninth grade Advanced Placement World History class. As a starting point, I offered an account of my own autobiographical narrative, chronicling through my attempt at ethnographic writing and infused with scholarly literature as needed. Consequently, this personal narrative was coupled with my professional experiences within the Social Studies field. Upon this foundation, this study explored the use of the …

Women, Emotional Labor, And Higher Education Administration: A Qualitative Interview Study, Almi Rodriguez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotional labor is not a gender-specific experience. Hochschild (1983) estimated that roughly one-third of American workers encounter substantial emotional labor demands as a result of their occupation. However, this study examined women’s experiences with emotional labor in higher education because women face different expectations of emotional management (Wharton & Erickson, 1993; Hochschild, 1983). Emotions are situated within larger, gendered, and sexualized hierarchies that are reinforced through normalizing discourses and social arrangements that dictate what is normal (Illouz, 2007). Furthermore, power relations shape emotions through sometimes unseen, yet repetitious disciplinary techniques (i.e., emotional norms) that make up the patriarchy; particularly in …

Persistence Among Emerging Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury In Postsecondary Settings, Ardith A. Clayton-Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study sought to investigate the demographic and socio-psychological factors associated with predicting persistence in postsecondary education among emerging adults with traumatic brain injury. The predicting variables in this study were: (a) gender (sex), (b) socioeconomic status (SES), (c) employment, (d) years of education; (e) age at onset of injury, (f) existence of familial capital/parental involvement, and (g) hours spent studying for a class.

Data were obtained from a secondary dataset collected by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center longitudinal database. There were 2436 participants with TBI in the study. Ages ranged from 16 …

#Fomo: How The Fear Of Missing Out Drives Consumer Purchase Decisions, Michelle Van Solt

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on consumers’ experiential purchase decisions motivated by the fear of missing out (FOMO). I propose that consumers are more likely to attend an event when individuals with whom they have strong (weak) interpersonal ties will be present, because consumers will experience higher (lower) levels of FOMO. The results of one qualitative and four quantitative studies, including a behavioral study, demonstrate that purchase intent is higher when participants imagine that their close friends (i.e., strong ties) will attend, an effect mediated by FOMO and anticipated regret. Furthermore, the type of experience (i.e., ordinary, extraordinary) moderates the relationship of …

Virtual Patient Simulation: Training Pre-Health Professionals In Suicide Risk Prevention, Francisco Javier Fajardo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of simulators and simulation training has become standard practice for students in medical and pre-health programs, including but not limited to, clinical and counseling disciplines in pre-health education. Students train and sharpen their skills using this technology to prepare them for real-life encounters with future patients (Berman, Durning, Fischer, Huwendiek, & Triola, 2016). One possible encounter, a suicidal patient, is a challenge that most counselors or therapists are not prepared for, causing stress and affecting their confidence. The literature describes how treating clients/patients with suicidal ideation and behavior is stressful for even the most experienced mental health professional …

The Effect Of Young Adult Literature On Adolescents' Acceptance Of Relational Aggression, Ilisa J. Lieberman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though bullying in various manifestations has been studied at length, there remains a gap in the literature regarding deterring relational aggression through the use of literature in the classroom. The present explanatory sequential mixed methods study (n = 141) sought to measure the effect of a literature-based instructional unit on adolescents’ acceptance of relational aggression, a type of covert bullying that leverages friendships to hurt others psychologically and emotionally. Quantitative data were collected to further develop the quantitative results. The novel utilized for the literary unit of instruction with treatment groups was The Misfits, by James Howe (2011). …

The The Relationships Between The Leadership Styles Of Principals Assigned To Title I Middle Schools, Staff Longevity, School Climate, And Overall School Achievement, Anna L. Rodriguez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap stands as one of the top priorities framing educational policy through the past half-century. The middle school level amplifies this gap especially in urban areas. The role of principal leadership in closing the achievement gap is key.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the leadership styles of principals assigned to Title I middle schools, staff longevity, school climate, and overall school achievement. The researcher applied a non-experimental, ex-post facto research design to investigate the research hypotheses. Utilizing the Google Survey Platform, 290 staff members across 30 middle schools within a large urban …

An Analysis Of Performance-Based Funding Measures In Florida, Madelyn Cintron

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florida adopted Performance-Based funding (PBF) as the tool to fund the State University System (SUS), and the Florida College System (FCS). SUS and FCS are the two public higher education systems in Florida. Under PBF, the state governing boards evaluate institutions based on performance outcomes such as graduation rates, retention rates, and job placement, amongst others. Researchers have investigated whether the implementation of PBF would positively affect graduation and retention rates. Shin (2010) found no conclusive evidence that PBF has positively affected them. Others, such as Dougherty and Reddy (2013), Dougherty and Hong (2006), Phillips (2002), and Bell (2005) reported …

Why Black Collegiate Women Volunteer: A Perspective On Meaning Making Through Service With The Community, Nashira Williams

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies explain that participating in community service enhances relationships, positively contributes to one’s purpose, and provides life satisfaction with a specific focus on retention and degree attainment for those enrolled in college (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2007). The simultaneous increase of Black women attending colleges as universities increase outreach to drive community engagement does not align with the shift in the research of civic engagement that excludes the activity of young Black people and is counterintuitive to the historical underpinnings of political and educational transformations in the United States (e.g., Civil Rights Movement) (Hewins-Maroney, 2008).

The purpose of …

Auditing Quality: A Critical Exploration Of Faculty Members' Experiences With Quality Matters, Matthew M. Acevedo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Online education has become a pervasive and embedded instructional modality in American higher education, with nearly one-third of all students taking at least one course at a distance and another 15% enrolled exclusively in online courses. Concomitant with the growth in online education has been increased pressure from institutions, administrations, lawmakers, accreditors, and the public to regulate the quality of online courses. Some institutions have responded to this pressure by pursuing quality assurance certification programs. Quality Matters (QM) is a non-profit organization that facilitates a peer-reviewed quality assurance program for online courses and is the predominant mechanism of online course …

A Phenomenological Study On Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulated Learning Strategies And Their Link To Persistence In Hispanic College English Language Learners, Gabriela Defrancisco

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In adult education, studies have been done in the areas of persistence, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategies and the Hispanic population. However, this study was unique in its attempt at examining the link between the self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies in the persistence of Hispanic college English language learners. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experience of 1^st generation Hispanic English Language learners during their first year at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

The researcher conducted 14 semi-structured interviews of their experiences both as immigrants learning the English language and first-generation college students by utilizing a phenomenological framework. …

Reproducing Privilege Or Hippocratic Habitus: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Personal Statements And The Use Of Capital To Facilitate Matriculation Into Medical School, Jessica M. Lewis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A national physician shortage has prompted calls to diversify the demographics of medical school student bodies to address the social determinants of health plaguing underrepresented minority communities. Moreover, the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a deficit of 104,900 physicians by 2030. Despite this, admission into medical school remains competitive, homogenous, and lacking “underrepresented in medicine” (URM) students.

Underrepresented groups historically absent from medical education show that the medical degree and overall pursuit of a medical career are tacitly affiliated with a dominant social group acting as a power agent in the reproduction of an economic class. Considering the admissions …

Development Of A Transfer Of Training Measure For Law Enforcement, Daniel Costa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Training in the workplace has become a valuable tool that has been linked to improved employee performance and overall organizational outcomes. The field of law enforcement is particularly impacted by the transfer of training given its complex and dynamic nature. Despite its significance, there is a lack of research in law enforcement and therefore of available instruments to measure the transfer of training. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess seven components that can influence the transfer of training in law enforcement: trainees’level of motivation/ curiosity, peer support, supervisor support, opportunity to use, …

What Factors Influence Affirmative-Action Students' Achievement In Brazilian Federal Universities?, Gabriela Martinez Gillespie

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine what personal and family characteristics, pre-college factors and environmental variables, contribute to affirmative action student success in Brazilian federal universities, as measured by the final college exam. In 2012, Brazil implemented an aggressive and controversial quota-system in federal universities which reserved half of the incoming class spaces to students who graduated from public high schools, followed by prioritization based on income and race. The study used secondary data collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Education; the population includes 6,557 graduating students from the sampled federal universities majors who completed the 2016 ENADE exam (final college …

The Validity And Reliability Of An Adapted Problem-Solving Inventory (Psi): The Exploration Of Paradoxical Problem-Solving As A Means To Manage Organizational Conflict, Salma A. Hadeed

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method research was used to develop and validate an adapted survey that incorporates the paradoxical problem-solving concept under the context of social conflict theory, and to provide employees and employers more creative techniques to manage organizational conflict. One aspect of social conflict theory, problem-solving theory, focused on how individuals respond when confronted with unfamiliar tasks (Newell, Shaw & Simon, 1958a).

A concurrent mixed methods design was used to determine validity and reliability evidence. This study consisted of four phases. Phase one was a qualitative phase that utilized 11 experts, examining for validity evidence of test content. Phase two …

The Relationship Between Aerobic Fitness, Gross And Fine Motor Skills, And Academic Achievement Among First Grade Students In Urban Schools And The Role The Relative Age Effect May Have On These Variables, Alberto Pelaez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental design, cross-sectional and retrospective study (N=79) examined the relationship among aerobic fitness, gross motor skills, fine motor skills and academic achievement; aerobic fitness and reaction time; relative age effect and aerobic fitness, gross motor skills, and academic achievement. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2), Yo-Yo Aerobic Test, Diery Liewald Reaction Time Task, and Stanford Achievement Test 10 were administered to heterogeneous, non-randomized, first grade students. Hypotheses were examined using correlational analysis and independent T-test analysis.

The results indicated that aerobic fitness and academic achievement were not correlated with mathematics scores, not reading scores. Regarding gross motor skills …

A Comparison Study Of The Executive Functioning Abilities And Reading Comprehension Skills Of Students In Response To Intervention, Catherine Schultheis Salum

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Response to intervention (RTI) is a data driven framework that classifies students into three tiers and provides interventions at different levels of intensity (Flanagan, Ortiz, Alfonso, & Dynada, 2006; Fuchs, Fuchs, & Stecker, 2010, Gilbert et al., 2012). The screening assessments and interventions used for RTI have become generalized (Garcia, Gonzalez-Castro, Fernandez, & Rodriguez-Perez, 2012). Many schools implementing RTI use one screening instrument and one intervention for all struggling readers (Ezpeleta, Granero, Penelo, de la Osa, & Domenech, 2015; Flanagan et al., 2006; Garcia et al., 2012; Gilbert et al., 2012).

Executive functioning (EF) is a neuropsychological ability that regulates …