Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Confluence: Evaluating The Individual Learning Outcomes Of A Combined Citizen Science And Environmental Education Project, Evan A. Harms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Citizen Science has moved beyond a methodological tool for ecologists to crowdsource data to a novel platform for environmental and informal science education. However, few studies document the individual learning outcomes of citizen science as an educational tool, particularly in youth or extension education. This quantitative study focused on evaluating the individual learning outcomes of an environmental education and citizen science non-formal learning experience about water quality.

In this study, an existing lesson plan using four sequenced activities was adapted for use with West Virginia 4-H summer camps in 2022. Potential outcome areas were first identified from foundational environmental education …

Assessing The Knowledge On Sustainability And Barriers To Daily Sustainable Practices Among Faculty And Students In Higher Education: The Case Of Eastern Illinois University, Joel Edem Holison

Masters Theses

The concept of sustainable development gained prominence with the publication of the Brundtland Report, which emphasized economic progress without jeopardizing future generations' well-being. Following that, the Education for Sustainability (EfS) program was created by the United Nations to raise sustainability awareness. However, the transition to sustainable living is fraught with difficulties, including a lack of knowledge, financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, and political ideologies. This study focuses on sustainable practices among Eastern Illinois University (EIU) students and faculty, as well as the barriers to daily sustainable behaviors. As independent variables influencing sustainable practices, the study evaluates sustainability knowledge/awareness, personal financial situation, …

Heterosexual Parents Who Move Toward Acceptance Of Their Gay Sons, Brady Sullivan

Dissertations

Rejection of gay men by parents is a frequent occurrence. Rhoades et al. (2018) found 49% of a sample of 657 sexual minority children had experienced parental rejection due to their LGBTQ+ identity. However, the current body of literature does not discuss those heterosexual parents who initially reject their sexual minority children and then return to a place of acceptance. Within the framework of attachment theory, this dissertation used a basic qualitative approach, influenced by Grounded Theory methods, to investigate the experience of heterosexual parents who move toward acceptance of their gay son. Fifteen, white, heterosexual parents, ranging from ages …

Increasing The Importance Of Sleep Education In College Students, Mireya Ysena Cortez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

What is sleep education? How can one take accountability in teaching college students the importance of sleep and the effects on their overall health and wellbeing? By implementing sleep knowledge in school curriculums, especially in emerging adults, will aid gaps within the educational system. In a culture of "pulling all nighters," university students risk detrimental health risks and psychological issues during college and throughout the rest of their life. The purpose of this project is to shed light on the issue of Increasing the importance of sleep education in college students. In an environment that entails a high degree of …

The Impact Of Culturally-Tailored Education On Knowledge And Behavior Related To Screening And Lifestyle Management Of Blood Pressure In African Immigrants, Sarah Erskine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The number of African Immigrants in the United States is increasing. The prevalence of hypertension among Blacks, including African Immigrants are high. In addition to the increased susceptibility to hypertension, lack of disease awareness and unhealthy lifestyle are documented barriers to achieving adequate blood pressure control. The purpose of this project was to determine the impact of implementing a 30-minute, culturally-tailored, evidence based educational session on hypertension to promote knowledge and initiate behavior change in African Immigrants. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Blood pressures were measured and survey instruments such as the Hypertension Evaluation of Lifestyle and Management scale …

Asd Training: Knowledge, Attitudes & Perceptions Of A South Georgia Police Officer, Heather Banks Mcneal

Theses and Dissertations

This study offered a preliminary look at the evidence to support the benefits of training South Georgia Police Officers on the phenomenon that is autism. Research suggested that there was limited experimental data available regarding why persons with ASD entered the criminal justice system, as well as how to manage them once they are there (Chovanec, 2013). Various regions of the United States embraced the importance of ASD training amongst their law enforcement officers; however, Georgia has only recently taken steps to do the same by the inclusion of a voluntary, online course regarding autism and de-escalation. Participants shared their …

Increasing Understanding Of Professor’S Adhd Knowledge And Perception Of Adhd And How This Informs Their Behavior Towards Students With Adhd, Rebecca Rosen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent learning disability experience by 5.3% of students. The behaviors associated with ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) can impact a students’ ability to learn and their behavior and relationships in the classroom. Teachers can help to create a supportive or unsupportive learning environment for students with learning disabilities, specifically ADHD. Unfortunately, these needs are not always met for students in college. Previous research has uncovered primary and secondary teacher’s knowledge, perception, and behavior regarding children with ADHD, but little work has focused on college professors. College professors are likely to have significantly less …

Grade Retention: Knowledge And Attitudes Of Teacher Educators And Preservice Teachers, Jenny Pearson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Grade retention, otherwise known as “failing” or “being held back”, is a common practice for schools when they feel a student is not performing at or meeting school standards. While grade retention is a popular practice, very little research supports the use of it as an effective intervention over other interventions (Jimerson, 2001). A survey, structured around Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985) was distributed to preservice teachers and teacher educators at a Midwestern university to examine their knowledge and beliefs about grade retention, as well as the prevalence of the topic of grade retention in teacher training. Results from …

Implementing For Success And Sustainability, Michele Paulo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Nurses, including those with additional education and training as professional development specialists, face challenges to implementing evidenced-based practice changes effectively and efficiently. Nurse bedside performance can drift away from evidence-based practice (EBP) and revert to methods previously taught when the strategy, planning and implementation lacks resources to support sustainable change. While knowledge and skills attainment are important, they do not ensure the successful transition in practice change at the point of care. An intervention has been developed that integrates several evidence-based implementation concepts and frameworks into a single framework named the Identify and DRIVE framework. Additionally, the Identify and DRIVE …

Developing And Implementing A Lgbt Family Studies Course: A Pre-Post Evaluation, Kathryn Alexandra Conrad

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the pre- and post-course knowledge and attitudes regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families. An upper-level, Child and Family Studies undergraduate course, Modern Families, was constructed and piloted during the Spring 2016 semester to provide students with empirically-based information on contemporary families with a heavy emphasis on LGBT individuals and families. Participants (N = 19), who were enrolled in the course, participated in a series of open- and close-ended surveys at the beginning (Time 1 [T1]) and end (Time 2 [T2]) of the semester that assessed their knowledge and attitudes towards diverse …

Impact Of Reactive Attachment Disorder Training On Perceived Preparedness Of Master Of Social Work Students To Serve Individuals With Reactive Attachment Disorders, Margaret Elizbeth Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Common diagnoses have greater emphasis in the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program, yet there is an oversight on other disorders that are just as important to address, such as Reactive Attachment Disorders (RAD). Although researchers have determined a need for additional training and education on RAD, none have measured MSW students’ level of knowledge on RAD and whether or not it influences their perceived preparedness. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceived preparedness of MSW students to serve children with RAD before and after participating in an educational training. The study consisted of an explanatory quantitative …

Development And Validation Of A Survey Of Knowledge Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Laura Katherine Hansen

Master's Theses

As autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more commonly diagnosed, having knowledge of the disorder becomes increasingly important for educators, parents, and the general public. Previous research regarding knowledge of ASD, focused mainly on knowledge possessed by those in the educational field, has found that individuals may perceive themselves as possessing average knowledge regarding ASD but have low actual knowledge (as defined by the researchers) regarding specific aspects of the disorder (Williams et al., 2011). Studies support the notion that there is a general lack of knowledge of different aspects of ASD among teachers; however, there has been little research regarding …

Health Hub Program Evaluation, Natalie Macias

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper examines and evaluates the work of LIFT-Levántate a non-profit organization in San Rafael, California on their school-based nutritional education “health hub,” through health promotion interventions with adolescents. The James B. Davidson Middle School health hub educates students on topics related to nutrition and physical activity with the goal of providing access and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables while lowering students’ intake of high-fat and sugary processed foods. Through research and observations of the students and families in this community, the data seems to indicate apparent disparities which vary by ethnicity, socioeconomic status and access. Underserved populations, including …

The Role Of Passage Topic Knowledge In Typical And Poor Comprehenders' Recall, Chelsea E. Meenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of topic knowledge (TK) in comprehension among typical readers and those with Specifically Poor Comprehension (SPC), i.e., those who demonstrate deficits in understanding what they read despite adequate decoding. Previous studies of poor comprehension have focused on weaknesses in specific skills, such as word decoding and inferencing ability, but this dissertation examined a different factor: whether deficits in availability and use of TK underlie poor comprehension. It is well known that TK tends to facilitate comprehension among typical readers, but its interaction with working memory and word decoding is unclear, particularly among participants with deficits …

Identifying Elementary School Student Understanding Of Learning Disabilities, Michael Quinn Bair

Theses and Dissertations

This school-based study examined the knowledge level of third through fifth grade students who are not being served in special education regarding learning disabilities, personal learning styles, and their perceptions of their peers with learning disabilities. This study circumvents teachers', administrators', and parents' awareness which has been thoroughly researched and instead, directly assesses through interviews what elementary students (n=45) know about learning disabilities. The goal of this study was to gain a greater understanding of what the students' perceptions are of their learning experience in general and what their understanding of learning disabilities are more specifically through interviews to give …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Rapid Knowledge Assessment (Rka): Assessing Students Content Knowledge Through Rapid, In Class Assessment Of Expertise, Erin Margaret O'Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how students go about problem solving in chemistry lends many possible advantages for interventions in teaching strategies for the college classroom. The work presented here is the development of an in-classroom, real-time, formative instrument to assess student expertise in chemistry with the purpose of developing classroom interventions. The development of appropriate interventions requires the understanding of how students go about starting to solve tasks presented to them, what their mental effort (load on working memory) is, and whether or not their performance was accurate. To measure this, the Rapid Knowledge Assessment (RKA) instrument uses clickers (handheld electronic instruments for …

An Investigation Of Master's Level Counselor Education Admissions Criteria: The Predictive Validity Of Undergraduate Achievement And Aptitude On The Attainment Of Counseling Competence., Emma L. Kendrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) admissions criteria and the prediction of future counseling competencies in four domain areas; knowledge, counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) provided the measure for knowledge, paired with the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS), measuring counseling skills, professional dispositions, and professional behaviors. Three types of correlational analyses (Multiple-linear Regression, Pearson Product Moment, and Canonical) were used to test the relationships between the variables and subscales. Overall, significant models were produced in areas consistent …

Safe Medication Use Among Hispanic College Students: Knowledge, Attitudes And Behaviors, Tania Guadalupe Quiroz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

College students are at increased risk of medication errors. Research suggests that young adults are active users of over-the- counter (OTC) medications and other products that may increase the risk for negative health outcomes. Therefore, it is very important to analyze young adults' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about medication use among college students in order to provide them with the necessary information. Due to language and cultural factors, the issue is particularly relevant in U.S.-Mexico border communities. This casual-comparative study examined knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding medication use among Hispanic college students. Data was collected through a survey developed by …

The Impact Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Peer Influence On Adolescent Energy Drink Consumption, Alyson C. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents are labeled as sensitive to caffeine, though despite this predisposition, consumption is high among this population. Energy drinks are a current trend in soft-drink-like beverages and are marketed to 11-35 year olds. However, unlike soft drinks, energy drinks are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and therefore do not have to limit their caffeine content.

This cross-sectional, correlational study sought to identify the role that knowledge, attitudes, and peers play in adolescent energy drink consumption. Adolescents (n = 199), ages 18 to 21, at a university in the west were surveyed. Descriptive statistics revealed that 25% …

Experience, Knowledge, And Democracy: Television Through A Deweyan Lens, Dennis G. Attick

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

While there have been numerous studies regarding television and its influence on modern life conducted in the past sixty years, there has not yet been a critique of television grounded in the work of John Dewey. John Dewey died when television was still a new technology; however, I believe that Dewey would have been critical of television had he lived to further experience it. One need only look to Dewey’s writings regarding mass communication and media to see that he was critical of how communication technologies influence human society. Television programming is nearly ubiquitous today and it requires ongoing inquiry …

The Effect Of A Nutrition Program On Knowledge Of Nutrition And Nutrition Attitudes And Practices Of Fifth Grade Students In Granite School District, Nancy Brubaker Sorensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a six week nutrition program in terms of its effect on nutrition knowledge and its effect on food practices and attitudes. A survey of the dietary food intake was also made. Fifth grade students in Granite School District, Salt Lake City, Utah, were the participants. A pretest and a postest were used to determine the effect of the program. The tests showed that cognitive knowledge increased in many areas, attitudes became more positive and there was little improvement in dietary intake. Dietary intake was low in fruits, vegetables and milk but adequate …