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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perinatal Experiences Shaping A Woman’S Identity In Academia, Elizabeth Catherine Debolt May 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perinatal Experiences Shaping A Woman’S Identity In Academia, Elizabeth Catherine Debolt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the meaning women faculty in academia in the United States ascribe to their perinatal experiences and how these experiences affect the integration of their academic and maternal identities and outlook on continuing in the academy. The theories guiding this study were Mercer's theory on becoming a mother and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. The study was comprised of 10 women who became a mother with their first child within the last seven years of the study's initiation while holding a faculty position in academia that included teaching, scholarship, and service responsibilities …


Veteran Identity And Academic Accommodations: Another Conflict, Valerie Groll Dec 2023

Veteran Identity And Academic Accommodations: Another Conflict, Valerie Groll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Colleges and universities have seen an increase in student veteran enrollment to include student veterans with disabilities. Inconsistencies and inaccurate reporting systems have created conflicting data about veterans’ success in higher education making it difficult to find accurate data-driven research related to student veterans creating challenges when institutions of higher learning are assessing the needs of student populations and the programming needed to support them. Reporting inconsistencies identifying student veterans is not the only problem. There is also limited research regarding the use of academic accommodations among student veterans with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study is …


Perceptions Of Vocation, Calling, And Work Among College Students From Union University: A Phenomenological Study, Matthew S. Bowman Nov 2023

Perceptions Of Vocation, Calling, And Work Among College Students From Union University: A Phenomenological Study, Matthew S. Bowman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore perceptions of vocation, calling, and work among junior classification students at Union University. Calling was defined as a transcendent drawing toward a particular path in life, particularly as it relates to work. Vocation was defined in light of its historical and theological roots with a focus on the transcendent drawing toward a way of life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Work was defined as one’s job or career. The theory guiding this study was that of constructivism or social constructivism, which “understands human reality as socially constructed reality” (Berger …


The Silent Secret: College Instructors’ Nonverbal Behavior And Its Correlation With Student Immediacy, Jared Van Fujishin Jul 2022

The Silent Secret: College Instructors’ Nonverbal Behavior And Its Correlation With Student Immediacy, Jared Van Fujishin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative research study focuses on the relationship between college teachers’ nonverbal communication behaviors and the influence that those behaviors have on college students’ perception of immediacy. Understanding the factors of immediacy, or trust and rapport with another, is imperative for educators as the current literature suggests that how students feel toward their instructors plays a role in the retention or attrition of students. Although nonverbal communication is only one part of a complex set of variables that go into the equation of student retention, it is an important aspect of the equation to study because nonverbal communication is constantly …


Students' Evaluations Of Black Faculty At Historically White Institutions: A Causal- Comparative Study, Kathleen Carter Gentry Dec 2021

Students' Evaluations Of Black Faculty At Historically White Institutions: A Causal- Comparative Study, Kathleen Carter Gentry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With a call for greater accountability, institutions of higher education have focused upon student evaluations to measure teacher effectiveness to ensure that students are learning. Education researchers have revealed that Black faculty reported negative experiences within academe such as microaggressions, insults, and not being regarded as credible scholars by students and other faculty. Very little research examines the role that race plays in students’ evaluations of Black faculty from the viewpoints of students. This quantitative, nonexperimental, causal-comparative dissertation investigates 210 students’ evaluation scores of actual university faculty as measured by academic competence, sensitivity to students, instructional effectiveness, and their viewpoints …


An Ex Post Facto Study Of The Glass Cliff Phenomenon In Higher Education Presidencies, Michelle Louise Samuel Jul 2021

An Ex Post Facto Study Of The Glass Cliff Phenomenon In Higher Education Presidencies, Michelle Louise Samuel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study reviews if the glass cliff phenomenon is occurring in U.S. higher education presidential hires. This topic is essential to review as U.S. higher education institutions are primarily presided over by male presidents. Female presidents do exist, but more often at more risky institutions. One reason for the lack of equity may be the glass cliff phenomenon, which asserts that women are more likely to be hired into leadership roles at riskier institutions. This inequity in hiring practices places women in leadership positions at considerable career risk. This study is a nonexperimental study using an ex post facto, causal-comparative …


The Serial Mediation Of The Relationship Between Sexual Shame And Marital Relationship Satisfaction By Sexual Communication In A Parallel Relationship Of Sexual Satisfaction And Marital Relational Intimacy, Mark A. Saunders Sr Apr 2021

The Serial Mediation Of The Relationship Between Sexual Shame And Marital Relationship Satisfaction By Sexual Communication In A Parallel Relationship Of Sexual Satisfaction And Marital Relational Intimacy, Mark A. Saunders Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual shame is a construct that has garnered increased research and interest in recent years, with much of the research targeted towards how sexual shame is affected by pornography use, moral disapproval of certain sexual activities, and shame about one’s belief about the sexual self. There is little research on the etiology of sexual shame and the determination of whether it is domain-specific or a component of global shame. This research studied how marital satisfaction may be affected by sexual shame through the mediation of sexual communication, relational intimacy, and sexual satisfaction, based on the belief that a couple’s satisfaction …


The Reentry Experience For Study Abroad Counselors-In-Training, Corinna Arndt May 2020

The Reentry Experience For Study Abroad Counselors-In-Training, Corinna Arndt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students often encounter difficulties upon returning home after a study abroad cultural immersion experience, but many counseling education programs provide limited or no reentry assistance. Despite this challenge, there is little research regarding the reentry process as students transition back into their home culture, as most research is focused on multicultural competency building. Thus, understanding the reentry processes can help students successfully navigate this important aspect of study abroad trips. To this end, a qualitative thematic analysis design was used to identify themes related to masters-level counseling students’ experiences upon returning home from a 3-week study abroad cultural immersion trip. …


Growing Grit To Produce Doctoral Persistence: A Grounded Theory Study, Melanie Denise Moran Hudson Mar 2020

Growing Grit To Produce Doctoral Persistence: A Grounded Theory Study, Melanie Denise Moran Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to generate a model explaining how grit and a growth mindset develop and influence doctoral persistence in doctoral completers. The theories guiding this study were Tinto’s (1975) student integration theory of college persistence, Duckworth’s (2016) theory of grit, and Dweck’s (2016) theory of mindset. Interview and reflective journaling data, as well as scores on the Short Grit Scale (Duckworth, 2016) and the Dweck Mindset Instrument (Dweck, 2016), from 12 doctoral completers were analyzed using systematic coding consistent with a grounded theory research design. The central research question of the study was, …


Development And Validation Of The Community Of Inquiry Program-Level Inventory, Carolyn Elaine Moen May 2019

Development And Validation Of The Community Of Inquiry Program-Level Inventory, Carolyn Elaine Moen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online education is becoming increasingly prevalent in higher education with many students and educators accepting its use. Because of the ubiquity of online education and the growth of technology in recent decades, it is important for educators to use educational methods that maximize the potential quality of online education. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is a model of online education that emphasizes the importance of the learning community in the educational process. The CoI posits that effective learning environments must have strong cognitive, social, and teaching presences. There is numerous research that supports the use of the CoI in …


Profiles Of A Non-Profit Statewide College Women's Leadership Training Program's Effectiveness, Wendy Grey Huckabee Broyles Apr 2019

Profiles Of A Non-Profit Statewide College Women's Leadership Training Program's Effectiveness, Wendy Grey Huckabee Broyles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic, multiple case study has been to describe the effectiveness of the non-profit statewide college women's leadership training program, Leading Edge Institute, through profiles of the program’s key stakeholders. The study participants included key stakeholders: members of the organization’s faculty, staff, and alumnae. The theory guiding this study was the transformational theory of leadership (Burns, 2010; Bass & Riggio, 2006; Caldwell, McConkie, & Licona, 2014; Kendrick, 2011), as it appreciates the individualization of diversity that informs different perceptions of reality (ontological philosophical assumption) and considers how social context helps those individuals develop personal values (social constructivism …


"I Refuse To Die": Exploring The Relationship Between Spirituality And Persistence Among African American Ph.D. Students And Graduates, Kerley Perminio Most Aug 2018

"I Refuse To Die": Exploring The Relationship Between Spirituality And Persistence Among African American Ph.D. Students And Graduates, Kerley Perminio Most

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American doctoral students experience the highest levels of attrition (60%) in the nation and the most social and academic challenges in higher education. Concurrently, research supports that African Americans are among the most spiritual people in America. This study applied hierarchical logistic regression to investigate the relationship between spirituality and persistence among African American doctoral students (N = 179). Tinto’s model of attrition, a systematic framework to predict degree completion based on suicide theory, was employed. Reliable instruments, the Institutional Integration Scale and the Spirituality Scale, were utilized. Results revealed that (a) different levels of spirituality were related to …


Growing In Favor With God And Man: Attachment To God And Psychological Separation Of Christian, Millennial College Students, David Allen Gregory Dec 2017

Growing In Favor With God And Man: Attachment To God And Psychological Separation Of Christian, Millennial College Students, David Allen Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine whether Christian, Millennial college students’ secure attachment to God relationship could contribute to their psychological separation. This question was addressed by examining (a) the correlation between attachment to parents and psychological separation, (b) the correlation between attachment to parents and attachment to God, and (b) the correlation between attachment to God and psychological separation. Bowlby’s (1969, 1973, 1982) attachment theory was used as the theoretical foundation to explore both the students’ relationships with parents and God. Attachment to parents of Christian, Millennial college students attending a Southern Christian college was …


Conflict Handling Styles Among College Students: The Influence Of Conflict Training, Personality, And Family Conflict Resolution, Abel Waithaka Jul 2014

Conflict Handling Styles Among College Students: The Influence Of Conflict Training, Personality, And Family Conflict Resolution, Abel Waithaka

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold; first, it was to examine the influence of personality and family conflict resolution on conflict handling styles. Second, the study aimed to investigate the impact of conflict resolution skills training on conflict handling styles, and conflict orientation of the participants. Personality was measured by Big Five Inventory (BFI), while family conflict was measure by Family Conflict Resolution scale. Conflict handling styles was measured by the Thomas-Kilmann MODE instrument, while Conflict orientation was measured by conflict orientation survey instrument. The training was carried out using a conflict handling video training. Data was collected in …


Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest Jul 2013

Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative research study exploring the spiritually formative experiences of nonstudent, female, seminary spouses whose student spouses are beyond the halfway point in their pursuit of an M.Div. at a large evangelical seminary in the eastern United States. Fifteen participants (twelve online nonstudent spouses and three residential nonstudent spouses) were purposefully sampled. The data, which was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and discussion forums, was analyzed using transcendental phenomenological analysis. Through this analysis it became apparent that seminary spouses did in fact experience spiritual formation through their husband's education. …


University Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of Challenges And Successes, Vickie Johnston Jan 2013

University Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of Challenges And Successes, Vickie Johnston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological study inquired about the challenges and successes of eight university students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a university in the southeastern United States. The data collection methods involved documentation, questionnaires, focus groups, and individual interviews. The analysis of data involved open coding and in vivo coding; conversational interview methods through member checks were employed at the end of each interview. Several themes emerged from the data regarding the factors in academic success and challenges, the environments and learning styles most conducive to learning, individual factors that contributed to academic success, and the reading and study …