• An Examination Of Affectivity, Depression, And Acculturative Stress In Asian International College Students Using An Online Written Disclosure Protocol

      Overzat, Tara Bernadette
      TARA BERNADETTE OVERZAT AN EXAMINATION OF AFFECTIVITY, DEPRESSION, AND ACCULTURATIVE STRESS IN ASIAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS USING AN ONLINE WRITTEN DISCLOSURE PROTOCOL Under the direction of Karen D. Rowland, PhD College is a time of emotional upheaval and adjustment. Asian international college students may benefit from an intervention such as an online written emotional disclosure protocol to help with mental health and emotional distress. This dissertation examines the affectivity, depressive symptoms, and acculturative stress of Asian international college students and begins to assess an online written emotional disclosure protocol as a potential intervention. Three MANOVA were run on the data, which suggested that Asian international college students age 26 and older experience a decrease in positive affect compared to the 22 - 25 year old age group; Indian international college students have higher positive affect than their peers; Asian international college students living in the US for 25 months or longer had negative affect than students living in the US 1 - 6 months; Asian international college students living in the US 25 months or longer had higher acculturative stress than those living in the US 7 - 24 months. LIWC2015 was utilized to examine the affective, social, and cognitive processes written about in the experimental and control prompt journals, and showed that the experimental journals had higher utilization of words that reflect these processes. The study should be replicated with a larger sample size for better accuracy.
    • An Examination of Commonly Used Fourth-Grade Mathematics Textbooks Through a LatCrit Lens

      Friedrich, Jami Cara; Tift College of Education
      The U.S. public school system is witnessing significant growth in English language learners (ELLs), since the Hispanic population is the largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority group in the country. Simultaneously, there is a persistent achievement gap in mathematics between the Hispanic population and their White, non-Hispanic peers. Mathematics instruction in K-12 classrooms has become more language-dependent due to the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in much of the United States and an increased focus on developing students’ conceptual understanding in mathematics. To better understand the impact of current policy on Hispanic ELL students’ academic achievement in mathematics, it is critical to investigate the language usage in mathematics texts used as instructional resources in K-12 schools. The purpose of this study was to analyze the language in commonly used mathematics textbooks to understand how Hispanic Latinx culture is represented within the texts. Using a critical Latinx (LatCrit) theoretical framework, this study sought to investigate how language is employed in three widely distributed fourth-grade mathematics textbooks, specifically, how language usage may act to include or exclude the Hispanic Latinx culture. The results of this study identified the relative strengths and weaknesses of the texts in regard to supporting ELLs. The relative strengths include the use of Hispanic names, topical themes, relatable terms (specifically school-related terms), and the use of tools to support learning. The relative weaknesses include exclusion of Hispanic historical figures and Latin American locations; variety in topics; the use of tables as a form of adding a layer of complexity rather than simplifying a word problem; and the lack of photographs, graphic organizers, or multiple-choice items. Recommendations for further research include using a research design in which the participants are students currently involved with the text and studying teacher-created word problems rather than textbook word problems.
    • An Examination Of The Effect Of Professional License Type And Gender On The Self-efficacy And Comfort Level Of Counseling Skills In Addressing Sexual Issues With Clients

      Hayes, Tanyeka Uhuru
      The purpose of this study was to examine clinicians’ self-efficacy and comfort level based on license type and gender when addressing sexual issues with clients. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE) was used to measure participants beliefs or judgments about her/his capabilities to effectively counsel a client in the near future, and the Sexual Intervention Self-Efficacy Questionnaire was used to measure participants current comfort level to work with individuals who have sexual concerns or problems. The sample for this study included 174 fully licensed clinicians recruited from the southeastern region of the United States through membership of online listservs associated to the specific professional license type. The aim of this study was to determine if a particular professional license type and gender perceive a higher level of self-efficacy and comfort level when addressing sexual issues with clients than the others. The results of this study found that LMFT’s and males are more comfortable addressing sexual issues with clients. The results of this study also emphasize that additional required coursework in sexual issues is needed in counseling and social work graduate programs as well as continuing education.
    • AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD SECURITY STATUS, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING: AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

      Robinson, Jacqueline Nyesha; College of Professional Advancement
      ABSTRACT Food insecurity exists in every American congressional district and has been shown to be a significant factor impacting various areas of mental health. There has been minimal mental health research examining the relationship that food insecurity and psychological well-being have on the general functioning of family systems. This study examines food security status and psychological well-being as potential predictors of family functioning. The investigation was conducted on a sample of 119 participants. An analysis of survey data collected revealed that food security status and psychological well-being are significant predictors of general family functioning. This finding suggests that as food insecurity and psychological distress increase, it can be expected that family functioning will become increasingly unhealthy. The study further revealed that food security status is a stronger predictor of food family functioning than psychological well-being. The findings underscore the importance of addressing insecurity and psychological well-being in the clinical treatment of families. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the intersection between food insecurity and various psychosocial factors.
    • An Exploration Of Institutional Drivers Of Technology Enhanced Learning Adoption By Faculty At Colleges Of Pharmacy

      Proctor, Reid
      The growing availability of technology-based tools and methods to support learning have challenged traditional norms at institutions of higher education. Colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States operate under the expectation of delivering degree programs via contemporary and evidenced based instructional methods. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore factors that may influence the adoption of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) at colleges and schools of pharmacy, as perceived by faculty. Leaders at colleges of pharmacy may use the information obtained from this study to better support the adoption of TEL at their institutions. A quantitative and exploratory survey design was used in this study. An instrument designed to identify the most important drivers affecting TEL adoption in the perceptions of pharmacy faculty was developed for this study. The study findings are based on 504 usable survey responses from pharmacy faculty members whose emails were obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The survey was distributed through the Qualtrics online survey system in November and December of 2017. Five categories of items influencing adoption of TEL in the perceptions of pharmacy faculty were identified. These categories include (a) support, (b) leadership and expectations, (c) funding and compensation, (d) technical reliability and availability, and (e) awareness. Items related to technical infrastructure (technical reliability, availability, and support) were consistently of highest importance to pharmacy faculty in regards to TEL adoption. Beyond items related to technical infrastructure, the sharing of TEL implementation success from colleagues was of greatest influence. The results of this study point towards a variety of avenues for future research. These include conducting a similar study focused on specific instructional methods supported by TEL, conducting a qualitative study to explore the same research questions, and an examination of why females as compared to males consistently rated items of potential influence higher.
    • An Exploratory Study of Resilence in Adult Children Affected by Parental Incarceration

      Saint-Louis, Tavarous; College of Professional Advancement
      Parental incarceration is as an adverse childhood experience which negatively affects a child’s well-being, mental health, academic performance, and socio-economic level. More than 5 million children have experienced having one or both parents incarcerated before they reach age 18. Previous research has illustrated that many negative outcomes can be mitigated by protective factors such as compassionate caregivers, positive interpersonal relationships, and social support. The literature is scant regarding the lived experiences of Adult Children who were impacted by parental incarceration. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and resilience of Adult Children impacted by the incarceration of one or both parents. This exploration of lived experiences of adult children impacted by parental incarceration allowed for a greater understanding of their life while one or both parents were incarcerated as well as whom or what they considered their biggest support during this time in their lives. This study utilized the phenomenological research design approach where the researcher was the primary instrument of data collection. The sample consisted of 8 individuals: 7 female and 1 male. Six participants lived in Georgia, one lived in California, and one lived in Florida. Semi-structured interviews were completed via zoom. The analysis of the interviews produced 8 central themes: support, trauma, protection, school as a safe place, helping others, independence, spirituality, and success. The significant finding of this research were the protective factors of support and resiliency. Each participant identified a supportive person/people in their life during the time of their parent(s) incarceration and all participants defined themselves as being resilient. The results of this study are relevant to how this population can be serviced at different times throughout their lives and provides a greater understanding of the individual and collective needs of those who were impacted by parental incarceration. This study encourages further research to determine how counselors, school leaders and politicians are able to assist families impacted by incarceration as well as promote the need for the discussion about the physical and emotional safety and wellbeing of children.