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- Title
- An exploration of the relationship between experiential learning and self-directed learning readiness.
- Creator
- Amey, Beth E., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between experiential learning and self-directed learning readiness of bachelor's and master's level social work students. A quantitative design was utilized. The study consisted of 115 senior social work students and 70 master's level social work students (separated into three student groups) from a state university. Students participated in a one-semester field education component as part of their social work degree program. The...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between experiential learning and self-directed learning readiness of bachelor's and master's level social work students. A quantitative design was utilized. The study consisted of 115 senior social work students and 70 master's level social work students (separated into three student groups) from a state university. Students participated in a one-semester field education component as part of their social work degree program. The research instrument utilized was the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) constructed by Guglielmino (1978). The SDLRS is a self-report questionnaire with 58 Likert scale items designed to measure the attitudes, values and abilities of learners relating to their readiness to engage in self-directed learning. A pretest, treatment, posttest design was utilized. Demographic data were collected with the pretest administration and level of satisfaction information was collected with the posttest administration. The bachelor's level social work students demonstrated statistically significant differences in the pre and posttest SDLRS scores while the master's level social work students' changes in readiness for self-directed learning were not significant. It is important to note that the master's level social work students spent only half the amount of hours in the field education as the bachelor's level students at the time of the posttest. Correlations between change score from pretest to posttest SDLRS with students' previous exposure to the field of social work, prior experiential learning in a social work program, their satisfaction with the experiential learning component, and demographic factors of gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, number of children, and number of years pursuing degree were not significant., The initial SDLRS scores of the bachelor's level students were found to be consistent with those of nursing students previously scored on the SDLRS. In the ANOVA of all groups, significant differences were not found with the four groups of social work students in their change scores of pretest and posttest SDLRS or their overall level of satisfaction with the field experience and overall level of satisfaction with the quality of the supervisor in the field experience. The internship did not demonstrate particular merit for improving readiness for self-directed learning except for the bachelor's level students. However, students were satisfied with the experience and felt it changed their perceptions of self and others.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107799
- Subject Headings
- Experiential learning, Adult learning, Learning, Psychology of, Self-culture
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The age of William A. Dunning: the realm of myth meets the yellow brick road.
- Creator
- Barsalou, Kathleen P., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of History
- Abstract/Description
-
Stripped of the intent of its author, L. Frank Baum, the children's fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was left to be understood only within a changing cultural construct. Historian Hayden White, arguing that the similarities between a novel and a work of history were more significant than their differences, insisted that history was preeminently a subsection of literature. According to White, historical narratives were manifestly verbal fictions, and the only acceptable grounds upon which...
Show moreStripped of the intent of its author, L. Frank Baum, the children's fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was left to be understood only within a changing cultural construct. Historian Hayden White, arguing that the similarities between a novel and a work of history were more significant than their differences, insisted that history was preeminently a subsection of literature. According to White, historical narratives were manifestly verbal fictions, and the only acceptable grounds upon which the historian should choose his historical perspective were the moral and the aesthetic. White conflated historical consciousness with myth and blurred the boundary that had long divided history from fiction. Just as changing cultural concerns infused the Dorothy of Baum's children's literature with meaning so social, cultural, and moral imperatives came to dictate the content of historical stories particularly in the historiography of the Reconstruction era. The twenty first century conception of Reconstruction is different from the conception influential at the start of the twentieth. In assessing the scholarship of William A. Dunning, contemporary historians have adopted a new paradigm when describing the scholar's Reconstruction accounts. Modern commentators reject Dunning's authorial intention and the contextual framework needed to define it. Thus, Dunning has receded into the "realm of myth." Careful attendance to Dunning's historical context, contemporary audience, and his authorial intent, will reposition the perspective for analysis of Dunning's work. Removing Dunning from abstract analysis will allow historians to arrive at an understanding of his work, and view the importance of the real Dunning, rather than the fabricated image constructed from a partial and even fragmented reading of his work., Taking Dunning on his own terms restores a meaningful past and brings into bas-relief the tremendous advances the U. S. of twenty first century has made in reshaping social and political patterns.Taking theReconstruction era on its own terms impels historians to move beyond Dunning and return in their research to revisit primary records and documents as they work to clear the grisly ground of Reconstruction historiography for further fruitful examination.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107801
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Political and social views, Criticism and interpretation, Wizard of Oz (Fictitious character), Oz (Imaginary place), Politics and literature, Criticism and interpretation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Gay-centric identity: a challenge to gay cultural script, gay ghetto and performance.
- Creator
- Beebe, Robert D., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
- Abstract/Description
-
For many gay men performing a gay-centric identity can be challenging. By adopting a set of expected behaviors known as the gay cultural script, many of these men are potentially met with discrimination from both heterosexual and homosexual communities. The gay cultural script is readily available as it is found within the gay ghettos and through various representations of gay men in the media. This research question examines how the gay cultural script when found within the gay ghetto and...
Show moreFor many gay men performing a gay-centric identity can be challenging. By adopting a set of expected behaviors known as the gay cultural script, many of these men are potentially met with discrimination from both heterosexual and homosexual communities. The gay cultural script is readily available as it is found within the gay ghettos and through various representations of gay men in the media. This research question examines how the gay cultural script when found within the gay ghetto and through the media's representation of gay men provides a lens to which the performance of a gay-centric identity may be communicated and shared. The focus of this research is separated into three interconnected areas: (1) exploration of gay-cultural script, (2) location to which the gay cultural script operates and, (3) analysis of the relationship between the gay cultural script and gay-centric identity performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107802
- Subject Headings
- Gender identity, Gays in popular culture, Gay men, Identity, Gay men in mass media
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A cost-effectiveness analysis of two community college baccalaureate programs in Florida: an exploratory study.
- Creator
- Bemmel, Edwin P., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
The purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of...
Show moreThe purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of Education administrators during the Fall of 2007 and analyzed expenditure and effectiveness data from 2003-04 through 2006-07 to determine the cost effectiveness for the programs at each institution. The study revealed that the university and community college programs were equally effective as measured by student graduation and test scores. The community college baccalaureate programs were more cost effective, however, using a formula of per-student state funding combined with student cost. Th e lower per-student funding and student tuition charged resulted in the community college baccalaureate being a less expensive alternative of offering baccalaureate degrees to the state and the students. Using Henry Levin's ingredients model of measuring cost effectiveness, the quantitative analysis of the study revealed that that the university programs were more cost effective in the early years, but the differences diminished over time. Using Levin's model for comparison, the researcher concluded that increased growth in the enrollment of the programs combined with the implementation of effectiveness measures comparable to those of the university would render baccalaureate programs at the community colleges more cost effective., Conclusions based on the formula of state and student cost were based on factual data, while conclusions based on Levin's ingredients model were based on assumptions and estimates using a weighting factor along with an indirect cost rate for Proxim University. The study identified factors other than the cost effectiveness that could make the community college baccalaureate a more attractive alternative and concluded with recommendations for practice, policy, and future research. Differences in state and local laws, or economic, geographical, and environmental differences combined with the nature of this exploratory case study limit the generalizability of the results of this study.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107803
- Subject Headings
- Education, Higher, Forecasting, Community colleges, Higher education and state
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Unintended alliances: Kennedy, Israel, and Arab nationalism.
- Creator
- Bocco, Michael., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of History
- Abstract/Description
-
This thesis will explore the origins of the U.S.-Israeli alliance during the Kennedy administration. John F. Kennedy provided Israel with the first U.S. weapons sale, issued the first informal security guarantee, and established the first joint security consultations between both nations. Ironically, Kennedy gave these concessions to contain Israel, not to establish closer relations. His primary objective for the Middle East was to improve U.S. relations with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel...
Show moreThis thesis will explore the origins of the U.S.-Israeli alliance during the Kennedy administration. John F. Kennedy provided Israel with the first U.S. weapons sale, issued the first informal security guarantee, and established the first joint security consultations between both nations. Ironically, Kennedy gave these concessions to contain Israel, not to establish closer relations. His primary objective for the Middle East was to improve U.S. relations with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, seeing Nasser as the path for gaining pro-American sentiments among the Arab population in the region to the detriment of the Soviets. Kennedy unintentionally laid the foundations of the U.S.-Israeli alliance while trying to restrain Israel, fearing Israeli actions would impede his plans. The Palestinian refugee issue, the regional arms race between Egypt and Israel, and Israel's secret nuclear weapons program became three pivotal concerns for Kennedy that unintentionally led to the U.S.-Israeli alliance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107804
- Subject Headings
- Arab-Israeli conflict, Nationalism, Foreign relations, Foreign relations, Politics and government
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Algebraic and combinatorial aspects of group factorizations.
- Creator
- Bozovic, Vladimir., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
The aim of this work is to investigate some algebraic and combinatorial aspects of group factorizations. The main contribution of this dissertation is a set of new results regarding factorization of groups, with emphasis on the nonabelian case. We introduce a novel technique for factorization of groups, the so-called free mappings, a powerful tool for factorization of a wide class of abelian and non-abelian groups. By applying a certain group action on the blocks of a factorization, a number...
Show moreThe aim of this work is to investigate some algebraic and combinatorial aspects of group factorizations. The main contribution of this dissertation is a set of new results regarding factorization of groups, with emphasis on the nonabelian case. We introduce a novel technique for factorization of groups, the so-called free mappings, a powerful tool for factorization of a wide class of abelian and non-abelian groups. By applying a certain group action on the blocks of a factorization, a number of combinatorial and computational problems were noted and studied. In particular, we analyze the case of the group Aut(Zn) acting on blocks of factorization of Zn. We present new theoretical facts that reveal the numerical structure of the stabilizer of a set in Zn, under the action of Aut(Zn). New algorithms for finding the stabilizer of a set and checking whether two sets belong to the same orbit are proposed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/107805
- Subject Headings
- Physical measurements, Mapping (Mathematics), Combinatorial enumeration problems, Algebra, Abstract
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The reality of fiction: diagnosing white culture through the lens of mother/nature in Zora Neale Hurston's Seraph on the Suwanee.
- Creator
- Butler, Rita C., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
- Abstract/Description
-
Zora Neale Hurston's last published novel, Seraph on the Suwanee, can be read as a sociopolitical critique of what she once referred to as the false foundation of Anglo-Saxon civilization. An overview of the history of race as a concept and the development of racial awareness in the United States provides a background/context for understanding the world Hurston was diagnosing: her analysis implies that the social construction of whiteness contains within its ideology the seeds of its own...
Show moreZora Neale Hurston's last published novel, Seraph on the Suwanee, can be read as a sociopolitical critique of what she once referred to as the false foundation of Anglo-Saxon civilization. An overview of the history of race as a concept and the development of racial awareness in the United States provides a background/context for understanding the world Hurston was diagnosing: her analysis implies that the social construction of whiteness contains within its ideology the seeds of its own destruction. Feminist notions of origin, context, and foundation highlight the narcissistic nature of patriarchal social systems that exploit not only the female body but nature as well. In a society that supposedly honors the maternal and praises the beauty of nature, Hurston's novel suggests that both motherhood and nature are exploited by a patriarchal culture focused on competition and material gain. In addition, by highlighting the narcissism of her male protagonist, who presumably represents a socially admired standard of normalcy, she undermines the narrative of superiority that privileges a white patriarchy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/108065
- Subject Headings
- Political and social views, Race awareness in literature
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Exploring barriers to education for Native American Indians: a native perspective.
- Creator
- Conley, Enid., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
This qualitative storytelling and exploratory research design investigated the barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies to education experienced by adult Native American Indians from various Native American Indian Nations. In addition, differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities regarding barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies of Native American Indians were examined. The study with 23 adult Native American...
Show moreThis qualitative storytelling and exploratory research design investigated the barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies to education experienced by adult Native American Indians from various Native American Indian Nations. In addition, differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities regarding barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies of Native American Indians were examined. The study with 23 adult Native American participants revealed a main theme of identity both passive and aggressive that permeated all of the thematic areas: barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies. The barriers ranged from reinventing the Native American Indian to language barriers caused by forcing Native American Indians to speak Eurowestern languages in order to survive. The educational enhancers themes described by the participants revolved around themes of people, culture, community, and the environment. Elements of Garrison' s Model (1997) on self-directed learning emerged in this study under the thematic area of coping strategies. Self-directedness was evident in the coping strategies; which included self-management (control by acknowledging the social environment in which the participants were interacting), cognitive responsibility (self-examination), and motivation (assuming personal responsibility). The role of a Native American Indian as a researcher was noted in enhancing the depth and breadth of the research., The examination of the differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities revealed: (a) one male and five females participants described sexism as a barrier; (b) no participant expressed particular barriers with regards to the Native American Nation in which they belonged to; (c) a majority of participants expressed that language was a barrier in one form or another; (d) participants described barriers to Native American Indian cultural participation as thoughts and feelings of being "lost" and "not belonging," which is evident in identity crisis or identity diffusion.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/108066
- Subject Headings
- Discrimination in education, Educational equalization, Indians of North America, Education, Indian philosophy
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Living in abundance: the experience of living with chronic illness for adults affiliated with a community of faith with access to a faith community nurse.
- Creator
- Dyess, Susan MacLeod, Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
- Abstract/Description
-
The number of adults over the age of 65 years living with one of more chronic illness in the United States is an acknowledged health challenge for the 21st century. This qualitative research investigation examined the lived experience for adults living with one or more chronic illnesses in the context of a community of faith with access to a faith community nurse. Interpretative hermeneutic analysis was used for the phenomenological study. Findings indicate that the adults expressed their...
Show moreThe number of adults over the age of 65 years living with one of more chronic illness in the United States is an acknowledged health challenge for the 21st century. This qualitative research investigation examined the lived experience for adults living with one or more chronic illnesses in the context of a community of faith with access to a faith community nurse. Interpretative hermeneutic analysis was used for the phenomenological study. Findings indicate that the adults expressed their primary essence is living in abundance while living faith and living caring. The findings from this study describe the relationship between adults living with chronic illness, the community of faith and the faith community nurse. Further, findings from this study contribute to essential knowledge necessary for developing models of health care in the community for adults living with chronic illness and nursing care in the community that are distinct and complex. Findings will also support the development of interventions in contexts of faith communities to support and strengthen adults living with one or more chronic illness. The emerging specialty practice in nursing labeled faith community nursing holds promise to come alongside current models of health care to support living in abundance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/108067
- Subject Headings
- Community health nursing, Philosophy, Nurse and patient, Nursing, Religious aspects, Christianity, Parish nursing, Pastoral nursing
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A philosophy of magic.
- Creator
- Gobeo, Mark J., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
- Abstract/Description
-
Throughout history magic has been an art that has instilled awe and wonder in its spectators. The magician used to be held in high esteem, as teacher, as scientist, as priest and even as philosopher. This being the case, throughout the history of philosophy, philosophers have deemed magic to be deception, to be a mode of misleading people into believing what is not true. Through the modern philosophical era, philosophers have been seeking a purely scientific method for questioning reality. It...
Show moreThroughout history magic has been an art that has instilled awe and wonder in its spectators. The magician used to be held in high esteem, as teacher, as scientist, as priest and even as philosopher. This being the case, throughout the history of philosophy, philosophers have deemed magic to be deception, to be a mode of misleading people into believing what is not true. Through the modern philosophical era, philosophers have been seeking a purely scientific method for questioning reality. It seems that, today, even the magician views his or her art as mere entertainment. The purpose of my thesis is to dispel the belief that magic is purely a hobby with no artistic value and that, like other artworks, magic too can cause one to question existence.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/108068
- Subject Headings
- Rationalism, Philosophy and aesthetics, Popular culture, Magic in literature
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Who is Paule Maurice?: her relative anonymity and its consequences.
- Creator
- Moore, Anthony Jon., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Music
- Abstract/Description
-
Paule Maurice (1910-1967) is the little known composer of Tableaux de Provence: Suite for Saxophone and Orchestra, one of the most frequently recorded and studied classical saxophone compositions in history. A more in depth study of Paule Maurice reveals a talented composer and dedicated professor whose career at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and l'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris spanned over twenty-five years until her untimely death at age fifty-seven. Maurice...
Show morePaule Maurice (1910-1967) is the little known composer of Tableaux de Provence: Suite for Saxophone and Orchestra, one of the most frequently recorded and studied classical saxophone compositions in history. A more in depth study of Paule Maurice reveals a talented composer and dedicated professor whose career at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and l'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris spanned over twenty-five years until her untimely death at age fifty-seven. Maurice composed for theatre, ballet, French National Radio, orchestra, voice, piano, flute, clarinet, and saxophone. There is question as to the whereabouts of many of her manuscripts. This thesis attempts to bring to bear the life and accomplishments of a talented French composer not well remembered in music history.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/367763
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Composers, Music, History and criticism, Women in music, Saxophone music
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Visual discrimination by C57BL/6J mice in water maze tasks: does size really matter?.
- Creator
- Buerger, Eric D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
When interpreting how an animal "learns" discrimination tasks, strain capabilities must be considered, and it should be shown that they comprehend the task in a manner consistent with the given interpretation. A novel visual-discrimination (VD) task for relative-size-relations was used to examine visual cue use in C57BL/6J mice, which are shown to have biologically good vision and neurologically intact memory for VD tasks. Results suggest C57BL/6J strain may not be fully capable of relative...
Show moreWhen interpreting how an animal "learns" discrimination tasks, strain capabilities must be considered, and it should be shown that they comprehend the task in a manner consistent with the given interpretation. A novel visual-discrimination (VD) task for relative-size-relations was used to examine visual cue use in C57BL/6J mice, which are shown to have biologically good vision and neurologically intact memory for VD tasks. Results suggest C57BL/6J strain may not be fully capable of relative cue-size associations or even object recognition-based on a water maze VD task. This is in contrast to previous studies suggesting this mice strain is quite strong in visual skills and on VD tasks. Additionally, cue size and/or cue-pairings do appear to influence specific directional preferences or stereotyped behaviors as trainings continued, and these strategies shifted during novel probes. Future studies should assess how mice discriminate between objects and test rat's capabilities on this task.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165670
- Subject Headings
- Visual discrimination, Form perception, Animal behavior, Simulation methods, Animals, Adaptation, Simulation methods
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Improving methods of communication based on culture in the business environment.
- Creator
- Burton, Walter N., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
- Abstract/Description
-
The ability to understand the individuals that we deal with on a daily basis can give anyone who focuses on this knowledge a competitive advantage in today's business world. In today's fast paced and globally expanding business world, it is critical to explore innovative approaches that will facilitate the process and time it typically takes to establish business relationships. When it is imperative to quickly create a business relationship between individuals that are unknown to each other,...
Show moreThe ability to understand the individuals that we deal with on a daily basis can give anyone who focuses on this knowledge a competitive advantage in today's business world. In today's fast paced and globally expanding business world, it is critical to explore innovative approaches that will facilitate the process and time it typically takes to establish business relationships. When it is imperative to quickly create a business relationship between individuals that are unknown to each other, identifying the city or region of the individual with whom a relationship is being formed and understanding that culture will help build a common ground which will facilitate and enhance the newly established working relationship. This paper shows how this can be achieved.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165671
- Subject Headings
- Business communication, Communication in management, Organizational effectiveness, Interpersonal relations, Relationship marketing, Corporate culture
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Glades period settlement patterns in the Everglades culture area.
- Creator
- Callsen, Paul., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Anthropology
- Abstract/Description
-
The manner in which human settlements are arranged across the landscape holds clues to a society's internal social relationships and may indicate how a society fits into its environment. This research investigates settlement patterns during the formative pre-historic periods in Southeast Florida, the three Glades Periods (BC 500- AD 1750). During this time span, the inhabitants of the region adapted to a changing climate and environment by occupying places that were conducive to their...
Show moreThe manner in which human settlements are arranged across the landscape holds clues to a society's internal social relationships and may indicate how a society fits into its environment. This research investigates settlement patterns during the formative pre-historic periods in Southeast Florida, the three Glades Periods (BC 500- AD 1750). During this time span, the inhabitants of the region adapted to a changing climate and environment by occupying places that were conducive to their particular hunter-gatherer way of life. However, while the Glades people moved from one locale to another, they never altered the manner in which they primarily sought sustenance; fishing and hunting. Evidence suggests substantial population increases beginning in the Glades II Period and shift of habitations due to flooding of earlier and lower sites.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165672
- Subject Headings
- Ethnoarchaeology, Indians of North America, Antiquities, Land settlement patterns, History
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Sisyphusian predicament: existentialism and a grounded theory analysis of the experience and practice of public administration.
- Creator
- Hollar, T. Lucas., College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Public Administration
- Abstract/Description
-
Public administration addresses issues that competing and aligning groups determine to be meaningful enough to address. However, there seems to be no shared universally objective ways of remedying anything. Everything is up for argument. Additionally, attempting to solve one set of problems often creates other connected problems and/or unintended consequences. So, public work ever [sic] never ends. This dissertation's purpose was to contribute a new theoretical understanding of the experience...
Show morePublic administration addresses issues that competing and aligning groups determine to be meaningful enough to address. However, there seems to be no shared universally objective ways of remedying anything. Everything is up for argument. Additionally, attempting to solve one set of problems often creates other connected problems and/or unintended consequences. So, public work ever [sic] never ends. This dissertation's purpose was to contribute a new theoretical understanding of the experience and practice of public administration. Its research addressed if and how a grounded existential theoretical framework could emerge that would help practitioners and scholars understand and describe public administrative efforts and experiences. Currently, there is no existential theory of public administration. This dissertation sought to initiate work in that direction. This dissertation employed a grounded theory methodology to collect information from Senior Executive Service (SES) members, to analyze the information for emerging concepts and theoretical relevance through constant comparison, and to discover/construct a theoretical framework for understanding public administrative efforts and experiences. "The grounded theory approach is a general methodology of analysis linked with data collection that uses a systematically applied set of methods to generate an inductive theory about a substantive area" (Glaser, 1992, p. 16)., This dissertation identified the emergence of three categories/themes that organized what the SES members were saying, doing, and perceiving. These categories include "the environment," "the work," and "the individual." The core category/theme, "the Sisyphusian predicament," theoretically unifies these categories/themes through a metaphorical application of existential concepts. It describes the issues administrators experience (never-endingness, boundedness, and finitude in the face of infinitude (managing the scope and scale of one's intentions; generating and authoring relevance, significance, and meaning; and the choice for metaphysical revolt/ microemancipation). There are scholarly and practicable applications of this framework. This dissertation contributes exploratory work towards developing a new theoretical alternative within public administration. It provides an alternative approach for viewing and understanding organizational processes within public organizations. Additionally, an existential approach facilitates a plurality of competing schools of thought wherein administrators can select approaches to decision making and acting on the basis of context and utility.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165673
- Subject Headings
- Public administration, Philosophy, Public administration, Moral and ethical aspects, Administrative agencies, Management, Policy sciences, Public administration, Research, Methodology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Outcomes of student participation in college freshman learning communities.
- Creator
- Koerner, Jodie Jae., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
Growing out of the college retention research of Alexander Astin (1993) and Vincent Tinto (1975), this study examined differences in academic achievement and persistence of first-semester college freshmen who participated in Freshman Learning Communities (FLC), including a Living-Learning Community (LLC), and students who did not participate in a university-sponsored learning community. This study also explored variables that may moderate the relationship of learning community participation...
Show moreGrowing out of the college retention research of Alexander Astin (1993) and Vincent Tinto (1975), this study examined differences in academic achievement and persistence of first-semester college freshmen who participated in Freshman Learning Communities (FLC), including a Living-Learning Community (LLC), and students who did not participate in a university-sponsored learning community. This study also explored variables that may moderate the relationship of learning community participation with academic achievement and persistence. Variables explored included: entry-level readiness for self-directed learning, gender, ethnicity, high school GPA, and SAT or equivalent ACT scores. Data was collected from 544 students at XYZ University using a pre/post university-developed instrument, the College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students Intended (CARES-I), College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students- Actual (CARES-A) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale/Learning Preference Assessment. Demographic and academic data were collected through the institution's Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis. There was a statistically significant difference in academic achievement for students enrolled in either a Freshman Learning Community or a Living Learning Community (df = 424, t = 2.32, p < .05) as compared to students not part of a freshman learning community. The learning community students had higher end-of-semester grades. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the moderating variables that may influence the learning community effect on academic achievement. Only the pre-academic characteristic of students' entering high school GPA moderated the relationship of learning community participation and academic achievement (p < .05)., Chi-square analysis showed there was no relationship between participation in a learning community and enrollment in the second semester (p > .05).Logistic regression of variable relations determined that the variables of high school GPA and ethnicity were significant. In addition, there was an association between the variables of SDLRS scores, high school GPA, and end-of-semester GPA for students not part of a learning community. Finally, results from a paired samples t-test determined that there was a difference in the intended and actual social involvement for students enrolled in a learning community.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165674
- Subject Headings
- Group work in education, Interdisciplinary approach in education, College environment, Experiential learning, Educational change
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- More than "just a hunch": meaning, feminine intuition and television sleuths.
- Creator
- Dominguez, Sheela Celeste., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
- Abstract/Description
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The rise in popularity of the female sleuth television programs makes it important to explore representations of gender and knowledge. This investigation analyzes interpretations of intuition in the television sleuth genre and relevant paratexts, examines gendered public and private spheres and raises broader questions about gendered knowledge in the series Medium, Crossing Jordan, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Veronica Mars, Monk, The Profiler and True Calling. Rooted in feminist cultural...
Show moreThe rise in popularity of the female sleuth television programs makes it important to explore representations of gender and knowledge. This investigation analyzes interpretations of intuition in the television sleuth genre and relevant paratexts, examines gendered public and private spheres and raises broader questions about gendered knowledge in the series Medium, Crossing Jordan, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Veronica Mars, Monk, The Profiler and True Calling. Rooted in feminist cultural studies, historical and sociological analysis, television and film theory and work on the detective genre, this investigation establishes common frames, or filters, through which the television sleuth genre represents intuition and the gendered experience of knowledge. Women with intuition are depicted as unstable, dangerous and mentally ill. Though framed similarly, intuitive men have more freedom. This study expands on academic research on television representations of gender and knowledge. Societal implications include further understanding of meaning-making in regard to gendered knowing.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165938
- Subject Headings
- Women detectives in mass media, Popular culture, History, Self-actualization (Psychology), Sex differences (Psychology), Thought and thinking, Sex differences, Women in television
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The triumph of containment: Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter, and the demise of defense.
- Creator
- Embrick, Kevin S., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of History
- Abstract/Description
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President Jimmy Carter's foreign policy changed significantly and progressively over the course of his four year term. What began as a liberal-internationalist approach to foreign policy ended in a traditional Cold War stalemate with the Soviet Union. There are many causes for this shift: changes in the international environment, shifting public opinion, and other domestic-political pressures. One of the most consistently undervalued causes for Carter's overall foreign policy shift was the...
Show morePresident Jimmy Carter's foreign policy changed significantly and progressively over the course of his four year term. What began as a liberal-internationalist approach to foreign policy ended in a traditional Cold War stalemate with the Soviet Union. There are many causes for this shift: changes in the international environment, shifting public opinion, and other domestic-political pressures. One of the most consistently undervalued causes for Carter's overall foreign policy shift was the personal influence of his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. Through a variety of advocacy pressures and framing tactics, Brzezinski was able to utilize the changes in the international system, and especially, changes within domestic-political environment to convince Carter of an extensive reformation of his foreign policy perspective and priorities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165939
- Subject Headings
- Influence, Influence, National security, Politics and government, Foreign relations
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Choosing and using tools: type of prior experience and task difficulty influence preschoolers' choices and actions.
- Creator
- Gardiner, Amy K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
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Two and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation....
Show moreTwo and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation. Three year- olds consistently made more correct choices and used more working tools successfully than 2-year-olds. Tool choice was affected primarily by task difficulty and age. Tool use was influenced by task difficulty, order of task difficulty, age, and condition. The observation condition was most beneficial to children, while experience was least helpful, particularly for tasks at the hard level of difficulty.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165940
- Subject Headings
- Learning, Psychology of, Developmental psychology, Educational tests and measurements, Constructivism (Education)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Spatial and trophic ecology of the sawtooth eel, Serrivomer beanii, a biomass-dominant bathypelagic fish over the northern Mid-Atlantic ridge.
- Creator
- Geidner, Megan E., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
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The role of Serrivomer beanii in bathypelagic food webs is poorly known, but abundance and biomass estimates from the 2004 G.O. Sars MAR-ECO Expedition suggest it to have a high level of importance. MAR-ECO, a Census of Marine Life field project, has allowed us to increase our knowledge of S. beanii through spatial analysis, including the congeneric species Serrivomer lanceolatoides, and trophic analysis. Serrivomer beanii abundance and biomass exhibited a decreasing trend along the northern...
Show moreThe role of Serrivomer beanii in bathypelagic food webs is poorly known, but abundance and biomass estimates from the 2004 G.O. Sars MAR-ECO Expedition suggest it to have a high level of importance. MAR-ECO, a Census of Marine Life field project, has allowed us to increase our knowledge of S. beanii through spatial analysis, including the congeneric species Serrivomer lanceolatoides, and trophic analysis. Serrivomer beanii abundance and biomass exhibited a decreasing trend along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge from north to south. In terms of size, S. beanii was found to increase as distance from the ridge decreased, suggesting a topographic aggregation strategy. The diet of S. beanii consisted of crustaceans, cephalopods, and teleosts. The trophic results of this study reveal a likely "alternative" trophic pathway in the deep mid-North Atlantic, and perhaps other, bathypelagic ecosystems: higher trophic-level predators are supported by micronektonic invertebrates as primary prey.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165941
- Subject Headings
- Plankton, Ecology, Coral reef animals, Ecology, Deep sea biology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
