Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Same-Sex Parental Relationships On Teenagers, Denise A. Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

Having same-sex parents is often linked with negative effects to the well-being of children into their adult years. The reported experiences from teenagers with same-sex parents and the stressors they experience are next to nonexistent. For this study, an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to understand how teenagers age 13-16 make meaning of their same-sex parents’ relationship and the stressors they experience.

The theoretical framework for this study was based on the collaborative language system (CLS) of Anderson and Goolishian. The researcher investigated the perceptions of four teenaged participants regarding their relationships with their same-sex parents and how they coped …

Blended Learning Transitioning To Virtual Learning: Middle School Teacher Perspectives, Jennifer Louise Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed specific factors that influenced the success of blending learning as it transitioned to virtual learning from the perspectives of middle school teachers. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to determine the challenges of blended and virtual learning from a teacher’s perspective and the positive outcomes of the integration of blended and virtual learning.

The researcher focused on the transition to virtual teaching during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic of 2020 and how blended learning impacted this transition to virtual teaching. The study included middle school teachers from various disciplines who taught at the middle school level. …

The Impact Of The Sensory Form On Confidence And Competence In Occupational Therapy Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Elisabeth Michail, Caroline J. Mills, Kristy Coxon

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Sensory Form is a new assessment and intervention planning tool utilized with occupational therapy students to teach and guide their professional reasoning amidst limited evidence. This study aimed to determine the impact of the use of The Sensory Form on student competence and confidence in assessment and intervention planning for children with atypical sensory processing (ASP). A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 84 third-year undergraduate occupational therapy students from a large multi-campus university in New South Wales, Australia. Tutorial classes were allocated to The Sensory Form or usual teaching conditions. Participants completed pre-class and post-class self-reported confidence rating scales …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Experiences Of Team-Based Learning: A Multi-Year Study, Bhing-Leet Tan, I-Ling Yeh, Phyllis Liang

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Many health sciences disciplines have adopted team-based learning (TBL) as part of their education pedagogy, with studies showing increased classroom participation and learner satisfaction. However, it will be beneficial to explore the learning experiences of occupational therapy students in TBL using a mixed methods approach. In an undergraduate occupational therapy program, students undertook three clinical modules using TBL in years two and three. This study explored their perceptions and experiences of TBL. This was a mixed methods prospective cohort study, during which two cohorts of students from Academic Year (AY) 2016 and AY2017 completed the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument …

Is Compressed And Limited Synchronous Delivery Of Anatomy Content In A Hybrid Delivery Format Effective In Transitional Ot Student Learning?, Reivian Berrios Barillas, Kathy J. Lemley

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Hybrid occupational therapy (OT) students transitioning from certified OT assistants (COTAs) to OTs can successfully learn graduate-level anatomy in a compressed format with limited synchronous instruction time. The effectiveness of a human anatomy course with limited synchronous instruction time for transitional hybrid occupational therapy students was investigated. A retrospective, non-randomized study was used. A university graduate level human anatomy course for transitional OT students used prosected (previously dissected) cadavers. Students (n=46, 32 instruction hours over 16 weeks) final anatomy course grades for three cohorts were measured retrospectively. There was a 98% first-time pass rate and 100% second time …

Use Of A Webinar To Assess Fieldwork Educator Readiness To Provide Occupational Therapy Services And Supervise Students Through Telehealth, Jennifer A. Calabrese, Jeanne M. Coviello, Anna Y. Grasso, Kelly A. Otchet, Erica A. Pugh, Mary Beth Thomas, Bridget Trivinia

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, many school-based occupational therapy practitioners experienced intensified job demands including a rapid shift to telehealth service delivery. Additionally, academic fieldwork coordinators sought to find effective methods of delivering fieldwork education and supporting those involved, including the occupational therapy fieldwork educators and students, as they navigated the new context imposed by the pandemic. A study was completed using a synchronous webinar format and post-webinar survey to explore school-based occupational therapy practitioners’ perceptions of readiness to provide occupational therapy services through telehealth, the perception of preparedness of potential, current, and …

Teaching Clinical Skills Online: Techniques, Student Feedback, And Lesson Learned, Kathleen Eglseder, Amanda Littleton

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The use of online education has long been used in occupational therapy for both post professional and continuing education. In entry level programs, however, strict online education is not common due to the intensive clinical skills that the students must obtain. These are typically taught in lab format with consistent practice and faculty feedback. Due to the COVID 19 epidemic, many universities were forced to make a rapid transition to online learning with little preparatory time. While it is believed that many courses were conducive to this change in format, instructors of clinical skills courses were forced to identify creative …

Evaluation Of An On-Campus Program Bridging The Theory-Practice Gap In Occupational Therapy Education: Student Perspective, Homa Zahedi, Sarah-Jayne Rowe

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The transfer of learning from an academic setting to fieldwork and vice versa is not straightforward and occupational therapy students often report this as challenging. In acknowledgement of this, the fieldwork placement learning structure within the Bachelor and Master occupational therapy entry-level programs at a higher education institute was redesigned to enhance links between taught content at university and fieldwork placement. The aim of this study was to explore occupational therapy students’ perspectives of this new educational initiative. The students attended university for a set number of days over the course of their first and second fieldwork placements. The sessions …

Using Metacognitive Training With Kinesiology Students, Christina Davlin-Pater, Leah S. Dunn, Roy Bower, William Cipolli, Sara Biddle

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

As future healthcare practitioners, kinesiology students must become expert learners who choose strategies resulting in deep and durable learning. Metacognitive instruction goes beyond the use of study skills as it focuses on student reflection and evaluation of their learning success, and ultimately establishes effective learning skills, a requirement for professional practice. To examine if an intervention in a kinesiology course affected metacognitive awareness and use of metacognitive strategies, a quasi-experimental research design utilized a convenience sample of 89 upper division undergraduate occupational therapy students and master’s level athletic training students enrolled in kinesiology courses. Using an online survey including the …

Occupation-Focused Learning And Personal Development Through Service-Learning, Sarah Quinn, Katie Cremin

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Experiential learning is not without its challenges. Following a pilot examination of student feedback on practical and learning difficulties they encountered, students’ experiences of their occupation-focused, service-learning module was systematically explored using a case study design. Concurrent mixed methods were employed to collect data with emphasis on qualitative data gathered through weekly, guided reflective journals and online forums. Students were also surveyed pre and post module to validate data on their experiences regarding their concerns, perceived learning, and evaluation of the module. Four themes were identified. These related to students’ increased understanding of the use and value of occupation; their …

All Work Or All Play? The Impact Of Cultural And Clinical Activities On Perceived Cultural Sensitivity Development During An Occupational Therapy Service Learning Experience, Monique C. Chabot, Adair Sanchez, Said Nafai, Elizabeth Stevens-Nafai

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

International service learning experiences provide invaluable opportunities for occupational therapy practitioners and students to practice clinical skills while also being exposed to different cultures and experiences not available in their home country. Studies have shown that clinical activities during international service learning experiences increase students’ cultural awareness and sensitivity, however the effect of cultural activities on students’ development is not known. Over the span of two years, multiple groups of American occupational therapy students traveled to Morocco for a ten day service learning experience and served in a variety of clinical activities across the lifespan and population. Students also participated …

The Focuus Model— Facilitating Occupational Performance On Campus: Uplifting Underrepresented Students, Maribeth Clifton, Steven D. Taff

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The FOCUUS Model or Facilitating Occupational Performance on Campus: Uplifting Underrepresented Students, is a theoretically-based, evidence-centered model focused on ethnic minority (EM) students in higher education. The FOCUUS Model recognizes minority status as a determinant of health, where the experience of minority status stress (MSS) resulting from racism, stigmatization, marginalization, discrimination, microaggressions, and challenges to one’s sense of belonging largely influence one’s occupational performance, health, and overall well-being. Historical and contemporary injustices within American culture have resulted in multigenerational occurrences of disparities for EMs. Racial injustice is deeply embedded and still ever-present within practices and traditions in higher education institutions …

The Development Of Theory- And Evidence-Based Educational Workshops For Occupational Therapists, Sungha Kim, Rebecca E. Gewurtz, Ilana Bayer, Nadine Larivière, Lori Letts

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Do-Live-Well (DLW) framework is a health promotion approach developed by Canadian occupational therapists (OTs). As the DLW framework is relatively new, it has not been widely adopted by OTs. In order to facilitate OTs to incorporate the DLW concepts in their practice, there should be more learning opportunities, and online and in-person workshops have been chosen to be a specific interest of this study. The purpose of this project was to develop theory- and evidence-based in-person and online educational workshops for OTs as a pre-implementation study to increase the knowledge of the DLW framework among OTs. In order to …

Advancing The Entry-Level Practitioner: A Curricular Model Of The Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degree, Erika L. Kemp, Lisa A. Juckett, Amy R. Darragh, Lindy L. Weaver, Monica L. Robinson, Carmen P. Digiovine, Lori Demott

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The recent growth of entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (EL-OTD) programs has been met with mixed opinions from both occupational therapy educators and practitioners. These opinions occasionally have been accompanied by uncertainty about the specific curricular components that differentiate the EL-OTD from the entry-level master’s degree. In an effort to address this uncertainty, the purpose of this article is to present one example of an EL-OTD curricular model and describe its distinct educational components. This curricular model integrates recommendations for doctoral education originally proposed by Case-Smith et al. (2014) and is characterized by the following three components: 1) Advanced Coursework; …

Teacher Perception Of Preparedness For Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Mainstream Classrooms, Cynthia Diann Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem for the current study was that many general education teachers feel unprepared to teach students with ASD in their general education classrooms. The purpose of this quantitative study was to describe teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness for teaching students with ASD in mainstream elementary classrooms. Three research questions guided the study, focusing on perceived levels of preparedness of knowledge and skills in the areas of (a) instructional content and practice, (b) planning and managing the teaching and learning environment, and (c) managing student behavior and social interaction skills. A quantitative method with a survey design was used. …

An Examination Of African Americans’ Fear Of Police Among Generation Z, James Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of fear Generation Z-African Americans have of police. The population for this research consisted of African Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 and resided in the United States of America. From this population, a sample size of 105 participants were constructed for the study. The research compared the level of fear Blacks have of police when grouped by age, gender, education level, region of the country, and community of residence. Random sampling was used for participant selection, and a series of non-parametric ANOVAs (i.e., Kruskal-Wallis tests) were conducted …

Gender Disparity In Studying Chemistry, Carlo Semerzier

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to determine if there is a difference between students’ gender, ethnicity, and age and their performance in General Chemistry I at a Christian University in Florida. Many scientific studies reveal the existence of a gender performance gap in chemistry: women mostly underperform men. Certain factors reported by researchers and cited in this study that might contribute to this gap include self-efficacy, math ability, prior conceptual knowledge in chemistry, attitude toward chemistry, spatial ability, discrimination, learning styles, and exam types.

This quantitative research study used retrospective data from 113 students from eight sections (2016-2019) of a …

Social Emotional Learning: A Case For Success, Lindsey M. Agoglia

Theses and Dissertations

By performing a quantitative research study, this applied dissertation was designed to ascertain the difference between students’ self-efficacy who have been exposed to a curriculum that integrated social emotional learning (SEL) skills and those students who have not. Bandura’s social cognitive theory was used as the theoretical framework to demonstrate how SEL increases self-efficacy and motivation, which increases academic success. At the time of the study, one school (control school) was not implementing a SEL skills curriculum, while the other school (experimental school) was integrating Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (PASL), a social emotional learning strategy curriculum into …

Flip To Learn & Learn To Flip In Occupational Therapy Education: A Scoping Review, Sapna Chakraborty, Monica L. Robinson, Denise Dermody, Salvador Bondoc

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Faculty seek methods that efficiently use their time, facilitate deep learning, and acquire competencies through the curriculum. The flipped classroom, a pedagogical approach, is proposed to be one solution to these issues. This study is a scoping review of how health care professional courses apply the flipped classroom model. The specific aims of this scoping review are: (a) determine the health care disciplines using and researching flipped classrooms, (b) identify and categorize instructional/course design and teaching and learning strategies used in flipped classroom literature, and (c) classify the levels of evidence-based education and trustworthiness in the studies as defined by …

From Boring To Board Game: The Effect Of A Serious Game On Key Learning Outcomes, Kendal L. Booker, Anita W. Mitchell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Serious games incorporate learning objectives in the context of competitive games with rules. These types of games have been incorporated in education as well as therapeutic contexts. This study examined the effectiveness of a modification of the game “Snakes and Ladders,” for reviewing and learning qualitative research concepts. Using the Game-based Evaluation Model (GEM), the researchers also measured learning indicators such as interest and enjoyment, perceived competence, effort and importance, and value/usefulness. Thirty-eight Master of Occupational Therapy students completed a 25-question multiple choice pretest to measure knowledge of qualitative research concepts before playing the game. A 25-question multiple choice posttest …

Exploring Academic Leadership In Higher Education Through The Lens Of Leader-To-Member Exchange (Lmx) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier

Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological study focused on Exploring Academic Leadership in Higher Education Through The Lens of Leader-to-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, Dequies A. Lanier, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: communication, leadership development, higher education, leader-member exchange, organizational leadership This applied dissertation was designed to explore the communication between higher education leaders and faculty at the department level in the United States at a southeastern higher education institution. The study sought to explore (a) the communication relationship between leaders and followers; (b) commitment to the organization; and (c) suggested communication …

Interprofessional Reflective Journals: Content Themes And Self-Regulated Learning, Joan M. Tunningley

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Self-reflection has been linked with clinical reasoning, academic, and clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reflective journal entries from thirty students for interprofessional core competencies and for self-regulated learning components. The text data was analyzed using an in-depth three cycle coding process, thoroughly described in the methods. The findings were structured into two themes confirming interprofessional content learning: collaboration, team, and communication; and respect and roles. One additional theme emerged, transformation and relatedness, which indicated self-regulated learning components as well as supporting transformative learning. This qualitative case-study contributed to the research of occupational therapy students’ self-reflection …

An Audience Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of A Speech: A Blueprint For Planning Successful Motivational Speeches, Robert Gerald Lawrie

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide specific information as to how a person can become a better motivational speaker. The current literature on the topic of effective public speaking, especially in light of this growing trend in the nation and around the world is outdated, cumbersome, or inadequate. Even though there is an abundance of material on the topic of public speaking, most of it has not included empirical evidence concerning what characteristics of the speaker might affect an audience’s perceptions about the effectiveness of the speech.

The researcher adopted an audience analysis framework to examine the variables that …

Establishing Inter-Rater Reliability Of The Occupation-Centered Intervention Assessment For Student Observation Of Rehabilitation Interventions, Vanessa D. Jewell, Joy Burkley, Taylor Wienkes, Ted K. Kaufman

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Occupation-Centered Intervention Assessment (OCIA) is a tool designed to capture and rank occupational therapy interventions through an occupational lens to improve occupational therapy students’ professional reasoning skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of the OCIA for occupational therapy interventions provided to adults with physical rehabilitation needs as observed by occupational therapy students. Utilizing a methodological research approach, 111 students completed training for application of the OCIA and independently scored five standardized videos of occupational therapy interventions. Results indicated an overall agreement of α=0.856 using Krippendorff’s alpha. Student raters demonstrated good agreement for rating …

Interprofessional Education And Collaborative Competency Development: A Realist Evaluation, Rabina Raveendrakumar, Salihah Faroze, David Rojas, Sylvia Langlois

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Collaboration among healthcare professionals has been widely cited as critical in ensuring optimal and efficient client care. To foster the development of this interprofessional competency in healthcare graduates, the University of Toronto created an Interprofessional Education (IPE) curriculum. However, the means by which the IPE curriculum developed interprofessional collaborative competencies in occupational therapy (OT) graduates had not been explored. The study identified the mechanisms and outcomes of University of Toronto’s IPE curriculum that contributed to OT graduates’ collaborative competency development. This study also identified the contexts in which this development occurred, and why such patterns were observed. This study employed …

A Strategic Plan To Increase Equitable Practices In A Pacific Northwest School District, Nancy Lee Reisner

Theses and Dissertations

This strategic research project was designed to provide a plan to support global implementation of equitable practices in a school district in the Pacific Northwest. Using results of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, internal and external factors were analyzed to score each item to identify areas that could be addressed to improve the overall function of the organization. Grounded in cultural relevancy theory and social justice theory, the problem of implementation of equitable practice with fidelity throughout the district was identified and addressed.

Key factors impacting the implementation of equitable practices identified were teacher training, leadership structure, …

Teaching Strategies Leading To Success In Self-Contained Classrooms, Sonja Michelle Robinson-Madden

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation addressed the strategies used in self-contained classrooms that lead to the success of students with intellectual disabilities in Jamaica. The study was prompted by the poor performance of primary schools in teaching delivery as evidenced in the National Inspectorate Report. The views of successful teachers were collated in order to provide meaningful research data that can be used to improve the effectiveness of teachers regarding their teaching strategies and engagement of their students in the teaching-learning process. In addition, the research findings may be used to inform policies regarding the education of special needs students who are …

A Qualitative Examination Of Student Threat Assessment In Nassau County, New York, Christopher J. Cleary

Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement agencies and school systems face the critically important task of preventing attacks of targeted school violence and providing safe environments for students, faculty, and staff. The tragic results of past school shooting incidents have caused law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively with educators to develop strategies to reduce violent attacks.

Numerous examples from previous school shooting incidents show that shooters exhibited certain warning signs before the attack, and those signs went unaddressed. The student threat assessment process was developed to help educators and law enforcement members recognize the warning signs and take preemptive action before violence occurs. Threat …

An Examination Of How Teacher Tenure And Job Satisfaction Affect Student Achievement, Robert Farris

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the correlation between teacher job satisfaction, job retention, tenure and its effect on student achievement and the adjusted cohort graduation rate. This study involved the use of a sequential exploratory qualitative design as a pragmatic philosophical approach to examining the correlation. The researcher utilized three distinct datasets: The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018; The National Center for Educational Statistics, Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate; and the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Teacher Evaluation System.

An analysis of the data revealed that statistically significant themes emerged among the datasets for the job …

Online Training To Improve Job Coaches’ Support Of Minimally Verbal And Nonverbal Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Erin Brooker Lozott

Theses and Dissertations

Although a sizeable percentage of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are minimally verbal or nonverbal, there is limited research on how to best support these individuals in employment settings. Job coaches working with this population should receive specialized training in evidence-based practices (EBP) for ASD to ensure optimal outcomes. This study describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an online training program for job coaches focused on a behavior skills training approach supporting the use of augmentative and alternative communication. Twenty-two job coaches completed the study. Pre- and posttraining measures were used to evaluate knowledge, self-efficacy, and belief systems …