Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Environment and Natural Resources

The ongoing shale energy revolution has transformed global energy markets and positioned the United States as a leader in oil and natural gas production and exports for the first time in generations. However, little scholarly attention has been directed toward the downstream impacts of these developments on the people and places which experience energy export activity or host related infrastructure, particularly those in rail export corridors. This research presents a first-of-its kind, cross-regional comparative analysis of community risks, risk perceptions, energy and environmental attitudes, and related discourses in oil train export corridor communities. The mixed-methods design uses household-level survey data (N=571), interview data (N=58), and news media content analysis data (N=149), to address three key knowledge gaps regarding impacts of and attitudes toward crude oil by rail in examining: 1) the influences and distributions of support, opposition, and increased concern to oil by rail; 2) views toward hydrocarbon exports as well as broader energy preferences; and 3) dominant news media and stakeholder discourses and discursive channels concerning oil train activity. Results and related recommendations include the identification of community risk perceptions, vulnerabilities, and broader energy and export attitudes as well as predictors of their variation; discussion of implications for related community energy siting and planning, news media reporting, and communications; and the contribution of novel baseline data vis-a-vis predictors of risk perception and opposition concerning oil train activity and infrastructure to the risk perception and energy impacts fields.

Committee: Jeffrey Jacquet PhD (Advisor); Kerry Ard PhD (Committee Member); Jeffrey Bielicki PhD (Committee Member); Robyn Wilson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Area Planning and Development; Energy; Environmental Science; Social Psychology; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2017, Curriculum and Instruction: Secondary Education

This case study explores the different approaches to teaching inside a differentiated instruction classroom. The research will be conducted at a college preparatory high school with an emphasis on using various approaches to differentiated instruction to enhance students' comprehension of Advanced Algebra II. Data collection will include students' journal reflections, direct-observations, participant-observations, lesson plans, physical artifacts, various students' assessments, and survey-interviews. The study followed a mixed method design and consisted of two parts qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses. Both data will be analyzed using excel sheets and ATLAS.ti software. In addition to studying the effects of differentiated instruction on the teacher, the focus of this study will be on mathematics differentiated instruction classroom and how the researcher will relate students' experience in class to the quantitative outcome of the data.

Committee: Leigh Chiarelott (Committee Chair); Debra Johanning (Committee Member); Berhane Teclehaimanot (Committee Member); Victoria Stewart (Committee Member) Subjects: Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Theory; Higher Education; Instructional Design; Mathematics; Mathematics Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2016, Educational Leadership

This research project explores two very different constructs, self-efficacy and organizational dissent. Self-efficacy is the belief that one has in one's ability to control or influence the events that occur in one's life (Bandura, 1997). Dissent is communication of disagreement with the majority opinion or a specific individual who has more power than the individual communicating dissent (Stitzlein, 2014). Specifically, this project sought to answer three research questions: (1) what is the correlation between an individual's level of self-efficacy and an individual's experiences in offering an opinion that is contrary (i.e. dissent) to a person in authority or the majority sentiment? Assuming that there is a correlation between self-efficacy and organizational dissent; (2) does the correlation between self-efficacy and organizational dissent differ based upon which role (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, etc.) a participant holds in their student organization?; and (3) does experience with dissenting in one space correspond with one's expression of dissent in a variety of different contexts? Two previously vetted and validated instruments were used to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and organizational dissent. The Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem in 1995 was used to measure generalized self-efficacy. The Organizational Dissent Scale (ODS), developed by Kassing in 1998 was used to measure the expression of organizational dissent. Kassing identified that people may express dissent in three different ways: (1) articulated, to someone in the organization who holds more authority; (2) antagonistic, to someone in the organization who holds the same amount of authority; and (3) displaced, to someone outside of the organization. Through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, it was determined that there is a negative correlation between self-efficacy and organizational (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathleen Knight Abowitz Ph.D. (Advisor); Amity Noltemeyer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Andrew Saultz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mahauganee Shaw Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Higher Education; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2012, Management

This dissertation reports on a multi-dimensional longitudinal investigation of the factors that influence Enterprise Architecture (EA) diffusion and assimilation within the U.S. federal government. The study uses publicly available datasets of 123 U.S. federal departments and agencies, as well as interview data among CIOs and EA managers within select Federal Government agencies to conduct three multi-method research studies: 1) a qualitative study to investigate organizational and institutional factors that enhance or impede EA assimilation at program level; 2) a quantitative study to examine the antecedents of EA assimilation at adopter unit level and 3) a longitudinal quantitative study to examine: 1) the antecedents of EA assimilation within adopter populations as marked by prominence within each of the EA assimilation phases 2) the influence of sudden changes in environmental (institutional) context on the EA assimilation process; and 3) the determinants for each EA assimilation stage. I use time-lagged partial least square, ordinary least square and multinominal logistic regression to analyze these effects. The study shows that an innovative leadership style is the key to advancing EA program assimilation within adopter units. Framing and labeling of an EA program as an administrative driven innovation or reform as opposed to a business essential strategic tool greatly influences its value perception, adoption and assimilation. Institutional coercive pressure is not a long term sustainable strategy in driving EA assimilation, though it has a “jolt” like short term effect in accelerating assimilation. EA assimilation has distinct micro and macro level antecedents. Factors also have "differently-directioned effects," that is factors that promote EA progress at certain assimilation phases and stages inhibit progress at other phases and stages. Changes in the temporal environmental context have “factor elasticity” effect on the explanatory power of the antecedents (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kalle Lyytinen PhD (Committee Chair); Bo Carlson PhD (Committee Member); Richard Boland PhD (Committee Member); Jeanne Ross PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Systems

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2012, Management

During the past twenty years legislative and regulatory actions have driven significant changes in the structure and processes of corporate boards. During this same period scholars have provided confounding empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of these reforms on firm performance. The simple reality is we have little understanding regarding the behavioral processes and dynamics associated with board decision making, despite the fact that a potent reminder from the Enron disaster is “good governance comes down to directors making good decisions” (Useem, 2003: 249). Using a multi-methods research approach, this dissertation is built around three separate but interrelated studies. These studies are designed to open the “black box” of the boardroom by investigating the strategic decision making processes of publicly traded U.S. corporate boards with the intent of gaining insights into how strategic decisions are made and their associated behavioral processes and board dynamics. The first study – a qualitative study of eight firms - draws upon decision making theory in order to assess the characteristics that motivate boards to deploy procedural rationality in their strategic decision-making deliberations. I propose that boards that align around a unified corporate purpose, have balanced power relationships, and effective board leadership are more likely to employ rational decision-making processes in lieu of political behaviors. The second study is a quantitative study based on a survey of 151 directors representing 119 U.S. publicly traded companies. This study, drawing on Forbes and Milliken's (1999) procedurally rational model for strategic decision making, provides support for the creation of two factors - a climate of respect within the boardroom as well as collaboration between the executive team and board members - as antecedents in creating procedurally rational decision-making processes. The third study further examines the relationship of trust in the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Simon Peck PhD (Committee Chair); Diana Bilimoria PhD (Committee Member); Richard Boyatzis PhD (Committee Member); Kalle Lyytinen PhD (Committee Member); Terry McNulty PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Management

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 0, Management

Social change models based on altruism have proven inadequate to fully address the complete range of basic but unmet societal needs. In recent times, organizations have begun experimenting with profit-generating business models to produce sustained social change; such “hybrid” organizations possess a double bottom line, the goals of generating social and economic value. These organizations range from those which focus largely on economic value creation to others which focus primarily on social value creation; somewhere in the middle there is a more balanced blend of the two. A unique aspect of double-bottom-line organizations (also called social ventures) has to do with their ambidextrous orientation: the imperatives of both social change and marketplace competition are operative. The canvas for social venture research is broad and, for the most part, wide open: little is known through empirical research as to how social ventures come into being and succeed at meeting not only startup challenges but also those resulting from the organization's dual goals. In addition, research is needed to clarify if and how startup social ventures differ from conventional nonprofit and business venture startups. With significant differences in the motivation to create social and business value in order to yield empirically validated results, this research is restricted to just a subset of social ventures, those which are entrepreneurial. This choice is driven by the fact that even in an economic downturn entrepreneurship has the potential to address intractable social issues. A mixed-method research design is built around three interrelated studies which collectively tell us (1) “the What?” (the actions of social entrepreneurs), (2) “the How?” (approaches employed), and, finally, (3) the impact of both the actions and approaches on nascent stage performance, i.e. perceived social and economic value created. The first study, which focuses on 23 startup social ventures, is qu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul Salipante (Committee Chair); Bo Carlsson (Committee Member); Roger Saillant (Committee Member); Barbara Bird (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Entrepreneurship; Social Work

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Communication

Perceived character depth is a concept relevant for understanding and predicting audience responses to narrative media, yet it has been largely unexplored in the field of media psychology. Through a careful review of diverse literatures, the current work offers a formal conceptualization of character depth as the extent to which a character's textual exposition evokes a detailed and multi-faceted mental conception of a character's psyche, behavior, and experience. After devising a series of items to measure character depth, this work then presents a series of experimental studies designed to test various aspects of validity of the proposed measurement scale and to test a causal path model of the relationship between character depth and processes specified by affective disposition theory (see Zillmann, 2000). Study 1 uses a known-groups approach and confirmatory factor analysis to test the predictive validity and measurement model of a 20-item proposed perceived character depth scale. Selective item retention results in a 6-item scale with excellent model fit. Studies 2 and 3 lend additional support to the validity of this 6-item scale's measurement model through tests of the scale in two different narrative contexts, both of which result in excellent model fit. Across Studies 1-3, evidence emerges of the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale in relation to other character perception variables. Study 4 applies this new measure in a 2 X 3 between-subjects experimental design that manipulates both character depth and character moral behavior independently. Results show that character depth impacts disposition formation and anticipatory responses above and beyond audience reactions to moral behavior. This finding has important theoretical implications for affective disposition theory (Zillmann, 2000), indicating that perceived character depth may serve as an additional predictor of disposition formation not specified in the original theory. Future research d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Matthew Grizzard (Advisor); Emily Moyer-Guse (Advisor); Nicholas Matthews (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The first purpose of this overall dissertation study was to examine the existing stigma held by mental health counselors and chemical dependency counselors toward clients with substance use disorders (SUDs) and process/behavioral addictions (PBAs). The second purpose was to explore potential predictors of stigma toward clients with SUDs or PBAs. The final purpose of this study was to explore if mental health counselors experience a difference in stigma between clients with SUDs and clients with PBAs. In Manuscript 1, 146 mental health counselors and chemical dependency counselors were surveyed about the potential predictors and if they led to an increase or decrease in stigma. The results determined there was no difference between mental health and chemical dependency counselors' stigma toward individuals with SUDs, despite the likely difference in training the two groups receive about addictions. The results also determined that none of the factors were predictive of stigma toward individuals with SUDs. These results may lead future researchers to consider additional factors that can be predictive of stigma. In Manuscript 2, 138 mental health counselors were surveyed about their stigma toward clients with SUDs and clients with PBAs. The results determined that the mental health counselors who participated in this study did not hold differences in stigma between clients with SUDs and clients with PBAs. These findings have implications on the existing academic and continuing educational opportunities mental health counselors receive about addictions.

Committee: Jane A Cox (Committee Co-Chair); John S Rainey (Committee Co-Chair); Jason Schenker (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2020, Spatially Integrated Social Science

Agricultural runoff from farm fields (specifically dissolved reactive phosphorus) is considered the largest non-point source pollution to Lake Erie and other nearby water bodies leading to algal growth. Previous studies have emphasized that implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on agricultural fields reduce pollution to water and soil and increase crop yields. Not all farmers support use of BMPs on their fields. The goals of this dissertation are to 1. identify the spatial distribution of BMPs using Remote Sensing and GIS tools, 2. learn about farmers' perceptions and motivations through a survey and face to face survey, and 3. investigate spatial relationship between practices and attitudes. Conservation BMPs, like cover crops, buffer strips and tillage practice, are mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remotely sensed aerial imagery. The results were the visual representation of locations implementing BMPs. The research aggregated farmers' perceptions in Monroe County, MI and the St. Joseph in Ohio - a sub watershed to the Maumee watershed, in relation to the BMPs and Lake Erie's algae bloom. An in-person, semi-structured survey was used to gain insight into social attributes like age group, education level, land ownership and technical attributes such as agricultural practices, land acreage, crop type and motivating factors to use a BMP. Twelve, in-depth interviews on agricultural practices, tile drains and policy implications were conducted in the St. Joseph watershed located in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. A Likert scale and a nominal scale survey questionnaire in Monroe was used to obtain the responses from farmers and open-ended questions were used for farmers in the St. Joseph watershed. Chi square statistical test on the 40 respondents from Monroe County revealed that 17.5% believed that nutrient runoff is not considered a major factor for causing algal blooms in Lake Erie. Forty percent of respondents felt it was likely a problem (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kevin Czajkowski (Committee Chair); Patrick Lawrence (Committee Member); Mary Beth Schlemper (Committee Member); Daryl Dwyer (Committee Member); April Ames (Committee Member); Saatvika Rai (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Geographic Information Science; Geography; Remote Sensing; Social Research

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental differences in the United States, with estimates of prevalence as high as 1 in 68 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Over recent decades, two trends have converged to bring autism to the fore as a challenge facing public education. First, changes in the conceptualization of autism have led to greater diagnostic capture of autistic individuals, and second, changes in special education practice regarding inclusion (emphasizing placement in Least Restrictive Environment) have increased the number of autistic students in mainstream classrooms. Meanwhile, autism research has largely been driven by a DSM definition based the behavioral and social deficits rather than the cognitive and sensory traits of autism. The legacy of this social functioning deficit lens is a lopsided emphasis in available educational interventions. A review of available educator resources online indicates that the majority of educational support has been developed to meet the behavioral challenges of autistic inclusion students, while differences in autistic ways of perceiving, thinking, and learning have gone largely unacknowledged and unsupported by standard available educational approaches. This Action Research project gathered input from a group of educators via a mixed methods approach (Likert-type survey and focus group) on their experiences and needs regarding effective support of autistic inclusion students. Drawing on educator input, author experience in the schools, and current psychological literature on autistic learning differences, a teacher training resource that emphasized greater support for autistic learning differences with awareness of sensory experiences and autistic cognition was developed. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Committee: Jane Harmon-Jacobs PhD (Committee Chair); Steve Curtis PhD (Committee Member); Carrie Snow PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Higher Education (Education)

Non-traditional college students enrolled in online academic studies experience higher attrition rates than traditional aged students in a campus setting. In recent years, the body of knowledge regarding academic success of not only online students has been widely examined, as has the success of students enrolled in undergraduate nursing programs. However, research that utilizes available survey instruments to determine characteristics of successful students in online RN to BSN programs is minimal to this point. Increased retention of students in online RN to BSN academic programs is critical to ensure student satisfaction, education institution revenue generation, and to address the projected future nursing shortage. Using Bean and Metzner's non-traditional student attrition model as a framework, existing instruments were modified and utilized to capture student characteristics at the onset of their online baccalaureate nursing study in an effort to determine whether student academic success in an online RN to BSN program could be determined by similar characteristics as online students in general. Quantitative statistical analysis was completed of Likert-scale data aligning with Bean and Metzner's non-traditional student attrition model. Additional student characteristics examined were age, gender, marital status, computer availability, educational background, hours worked weekly, current semester hours of enrollment, previous online college education enrollment, length of time since previous college enrollment, and current educational funding source. It was concluded that characteristics affecting attrition and success of online undergraduate students in general are dissimilar to characteristics affecting RN to BSN student success. However, it was determined that grade point average level of the initial baccalaureate course in question was found to be positively correlated to future enrollment in subsequent terms. Other factors specific to this academic (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter Mather (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Health Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Nursing

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Despite astronomical costs, state-funded sex offender treatment has a sole purpose of protecting communities at large. Designed to treat sexual psychopaths, costly state risk management programs are required to use traditional, outdated treatment models, which lack empirical support, lack published research, and lack curricula written at the seventh-grade reading level. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) eagerly proves to be a new modality for Psychoeducation (PE) enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing offender recidivism in court-mandated treatment. The distinction in the present study is the difference between PE alone (control group) and PE with PNI (experimental group). Specifically, this study investigated the extent to which implementing the PNI treatment intervention was associated with decreased recidivism in court-mandated treatment. This study employed a quantitative research design with repeated measures with multiple linear regression analyses. The two-independent/question predictor variables: treatment interventions of PNI (18-months and 24-months of treatment) were compared on one dependent variable: (reduction in the participant's chance of recidivating following treatment). An association of decreased recidivism was established with results that demonstrated a statistically significant effect or difference between the control and treatment groups. Significant effects were evaluated for using regression beta coefficients with t-value and significance of t-values associations, respectively. Furthermore, results suggested that implementing the PNI treatment intervention in the experimental group produced a statistically significant effect between groups. There was a significant bivariate correlation between implementation of treatment intervention and participants who were experiencing: (a) financial problems (ß = -4.06, p = .13), (b) family/marital problems (ß = 1.71, p = .009), (c) negative social support influence (ß = .77, p = .07) and (d) participants (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating Ed.D (Committee Chair); Christopher Howard Psy.D. (Committee Member); Joseph J. Lockhart Ph.D., ABPP (Other) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Cognitive Therapy; Criminology; Immunology; Law; Mental Health; Neurosciences; Psychotherapy; Quantitative Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science

Social networking services are used by a large segment of society; Facebook claims that 1 billion users are active on their website. The potential role for social networking in civic engagement is substantial, and this dissertation expands upon previous research in its examination of the relationship between social networking use and civic engagement. Prior research into the effect of social networking services on social capital creation is limited in terms of generalizability and predictive power. The dissertation explores the determinants of social networking service use, the impact that social networking services have on the creation of social capital, and how social networking website use modifies a respondent's level of generalized trust and political efficacy. The sample utilized in this dissertation includes 2,303 respondents from the Social Side of the Internet Survey, conducted in November and December of 2010. The dissertation utilizes this data to examine social networking intensity as a hypothesized determinant of indirect and direct forms of social capital. Models explore the decision to utilize the internet, social networking services (SNS), and to join traditional groups, evaluating the hypothesis that SNS usage creates social capital through a different pathway than online or physical interactions. Results provide early support for this hypothesis, as the factors influencing the decision to utilize social networking are separate from those modifying online or group activity. The explanatory power of social networking intensity is compared to demographic and group-centered conceptions of social capital generation. The data supports the conception that SNS intensity is a significant determinant of external political efficacy and social capital, but is unable to identify a relationship between social networking intensity and generalized trust. By examining the role that social networking services play alongside factors such as age, education, inter (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ryan Claassen PHD (Committee Chair); Renée Johnson PHD (Committee Member); Aroon Manoharan PHD (Committee Member); Richard Serpe PHD (Committee Member); Kevin Floyd PHD (Other) Subjects: Political Science

MDes, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Design

Design research is defined more by qualitative than quantitative methodology. A design research literature review reveals a dearth of examples related to the use of the scientific method and quantitative methodology. Qualitative and quantitative studies are complementary and necessary to the growth and validation of a field of study. Over-reliance on qualitative research approaches to the exclusion of quantitative approaches undermines the importance and legitimacy of the design profession. The purpose of my thesis is to explore the use of quantitative methodology in the design process by conducting an experimental research study. The pilot study employs a quantitative approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a graphic design process as applied to a computer-based, interactive program for the communication and understanding of medication risk information by patients and the effects of health literacy and numeracy. The results of the study illustrate that the application of quantitative methodology to testing visual and information design formats shows promise in contributing useful information to the design decision-making process. The primary implication of incorporating quantitative methodologies into design research and practice is an educational one. My research shows quantitative methodology has an important and appropriate place in design research, education and practice though it is currently underutilized.

Committee: Peter Embi MD (Committee Chair); Mike Zender MFA (Committee Member); Mark Eckman MD (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

Spatial visualization skills are a function of genetics and life experiences. An individual's genetic spatial visualization aptitude can be enhanced through proper instruction and practice. Spatial visualization skills are important to engineers as they help with problem formulation and thus enhance problem-solving ability. They are also vital to an engineer's ability to create and interpret visual representations of design ideas. This study seeks to investigate the experiential factors affecting spatial visualization skills and methods with which these skills can be enhanced. This study also investigates the correlation between spatial visualization ability and pre-college life experiences, as well as spatial visualization ability and academic performance. Participants were selected from an introductory engineering course. Participants in the treatment and control groups were pre- and post-tested using the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test—Rotations to gauge spatial visualization ability. The treatment consisted of students being given a series of technology-generated representations of figures from various perspectives that may aid in visualization of these objects. Scores between the treatment and control groups were compared and checked for statistical significance. Participants were also given a questionnaire to complete. The answers from the questionnaire were coded for levels of pre-college experience in certain key areas that are hypothesized to aid in the development of spatial visualization skills. These quantitative experience levels were correlated to pre-test results to verify the hypothesis of these life experiences' significance in spatial visualization ability development. The relationship between student academic performance and spatial visualization ability was also investigated.Instructional tool utilization and access effects on spatial visualization skill gains between pre-tests and post-tests were not significant. This is potentially due to a s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Clark Mount-Campbell PhD (Advisor); Patricia Brosnan PhD (Committee Member); Robert Gustafson PhD (Committee Member); Douglas Owens PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Engineering; Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, Physics

The ultimate goal of physics education research (PER) is to develop a theoretical framework to understand and improve the learning process. Developing research-based effective assessment instruments and making meaningful inferences based on these instruments have always been important goals of the PER community. Quantitative studies are often conducted to provide bases for test development and result interpretation.Statistics are frequently used in quantitative studies. The selection of statistical methods and interpretation of the results obtained by these methods shall be connected to the education background. In this connecting process, the issues of educational models are often raised. Many widely used statistical methods do not make assumptions on the mental structure of subjects, nor do they provide explanations tailored to the educational audience. There are also other methods that consider the mental structure and are tailored to provide strong connections between statistics and education. These methods often involve model assumption and parameter estimation, and are complicated mathematically. The dissertation provides a practical view of some advanced quantitative assessment methods. The purpose of the study is to provide a comparison between these advanced methods and the pure mathematical methods. The dissertation includes three parts. The first part involves the comparison between item response theory (IRT) and classical test theory (CTT). The two theories both provide test item statistics for educational inferences and decisions. The two theories are both applied to Force Concept Inventory data obtained from students enrolled in The Ohio State University. Effort was made to examine the similarity and difference between the two theories, and the possible explanation to the difference. The study suggests that item response theory is more sensitive to the context and conceptual features of the test items than classical test theory. The second part of the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lei Bao Prof. (Advisor); Richard Furnstahl Prof. (Committee Member); Andrew Heckler Prof. (Committee Member); Evan Sugarbaker Prof. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Physics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Teaching and Learning

Training in spoken grammatical accuracy at professional levels in English teacher education programs to ensure teaching quality is a program component. However, English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education programs typically do not focus on this area in Taiwan. The present research employed a pretest-posttest control group experimental design to investigate the effects of an explicit grammar teaching method on a group of English teacher candidates' spoken grammatical accuracy. The main purpose of the study was to investigate if the proposed teaching method would improve the teacher candidates' oral English proficiency with respect to grammaticality, and if so, to what extent? Moreover, in light of concerns that second language speakers' attention to accuracy may impaired their fluency, the research also studied if explicit grammar instruction would impair speaking fluency of the teacher candidates. The research site was the Children English Teacher Education Program housed within National Taipei University of Education. Thirty-six participants were randomly assigned to two levels of the treatment on English conditional structures for five sessions of grammar instruction. The instrument used to measure the participants' performance on the pretest and posttest was the one-on-one oral interview. The data was analyzed using the ANCOVA procedures, controlling for any initial difference between two study groups. The study findings suggested that grammar instruction could improve spoken grammatical accuracy of English teacher candidates in Taiwan, who are advanced English learners. In addition, the increased grammatical accuracy was not obtained at the expense of fluency.

Committee: Charles Hancock (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Language and Literature

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2010, Leadership and Change

"One in 4 women entering the engineering profession leaves after age 30, while only 1 in 10 of their male counterparts does" (Perusek, 2008, p. 20). I was interested in analyzing the factors supporting women engineers' leadership development and success. My particular focus was on women engineers in corporate environments—the personal characteristics needed for a successful career and the impacts of social support, career development, and the corporate culture on their career progression. The aspects of social support included the factors of family, friends, and significant others and the levels of supports during the woman's career. The features of corporation culture considered in this study were whether the culture was male- or female-dominated, as well as a combination of gender consciousness, networking, mentoring, and career development opportunities available for women. Personal characteristics included the level of perseverance, persistence despite adversity or discouragement, and self-reliance (a belief in oneself and capabilities). The findings of this study showed that the personal characteristics of having a positive attitude and resilience were the biggest factors in overall career success and satisfaction. Other findings based on the survey and participant comments also pointed to the critical component of corporations having an open environment that provided opportunities for leadership training, mentorship, networking, and special assignments. Also based on the comments, social support of family was important to overall career success and satisfaction. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway PhD (Committee Member); Carol Baron PhD (Committee Member); Susan Cannon PhD (Other) Subjects: Engineering; Management; Organizational Behavior; Womens Studies