Conservative White Women: How Fear of Crime Perpetuates the Patriarchy

To understand White women’s political-ideological perspectives, two studies were conducted. I examined White women’s attitudes regarding fear of being a victim of crime, patriarchal beliefs, attitudes towards police discrimination, attributes in a presidential candidate, sexism, and trait preferences in a romantic partner. Through correlational analyses, I found that White women who believe the world is dangerous and fear being a victim of crime are more likely to endorse a conservative ideology. In addition, when White women endorse a conservative ideology, they are more likely to desire a president and romantic partner with dominant traits. Through both studies, I uncover a better understanding of why White women endorse and perpetuate patriarchal beliefs in exchange for protection

An Examination of the Relationships Between Parent-Professional Partnerships and Parental Empowerment for Students Who Received Special Education Services Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between parent-professional partnerships and parent empowerment for elementary students who received special education services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Elementary parents in southeast Texas who had children who received special education services throughout the COIVD-19 pandemic when children participated in online learning were solicited to complete Family-Professional Partnership Scale and the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM). The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and a Pearson’s product-moment correlation (r) to determine the relationships between parent-professional partnerships and parental empowerment for elementary students who received special education services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The solicited parents were also invited to participate in individual interviews. Findings indicated that a high number of parents felt empowered to meet their child’s overall needs throughout the pandemic, and that parents highly perceived parent-professional partnerships as influencing their relationships with professionals throughout the pandemic. Results also showed that as parent-professional partnerships increase, parental empowerment also increases

Connectedness among Autistic Individuals via Online Gaming

Challenges in establishing relationships are a primary feature for individuals with Autism (ASD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, gaming has evolved to meet many of the social needs historically met through one’s immediate environment (Frederick & Jan, 2014). There is emerging evidence that the connections established online are valuable for Autistic individuals who play social video games online (Domahidi et al., 2018). Little is known about the perceptions of loneliness, closeness, and connectedness by Autistic individuals who have online relationships through gaming. This study examines whether Autistic individuals who play online games and who have more online than in-person friends report greater levels of closeness and connectedness and lesser levels of loneliness. Additionally, correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between participants self-reported total number of friendships and these aspects of relationship quality. Results of the study analysis show that there were no significant differences between groups regarding levels of closeness or loneliness. Participants with more online friends reported significantly greater social closeness to their online friends and all friends (both online and face-to-face than participants who had more face-to-face relationships, but no significant difference in the perceived closeness of face-to-face relationships. Lastly, connectedness was found to be more strongly associated with the overall number of relationships, whereas loneliness and closeness were not significantly associated with the number of reported relationships. The study then discusses these findings considering the insight they provide into the attributes of relationships valued within the Autistic gaming community

A case study of teacher and administrator perceptions of the implementation of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model and its influence on student achievement in science and on levels of English language acquisition

Recognizing the underperformance of emergent bilingual students, when compared to the academic achievement of their English-speaking peers, is a current and vital topic of discussion and research in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of fifth-grade science teachers and school district administrators of the implementation of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model and its influence on the student achievement of emergent bilinguals in science and on levels of English language acquisition. Two theoretical frameworks were used to ground the study and enhance understanding: Cummins (1984, 2000) theory of language acquisition and Vygotsky’s (1986) social constructivist perspective. The research questions explored: 1) What were the teachers’ perspectives of their implementation of the SIOP model in fifth-grade science? and 2) What were the administrators’ perspectives of the implementation of the SIOP model in fifth-grade science? A purposeful sampling of the participants, fifth-grade science teachers and school and district administrators, were interviewed to provide a more in-depth understanding about classroom implementation of the SIOP model with emergent bilingual students. A constant comparative analysis was used to analyze that teacher focus group and administrator interview data to yield emergent themes. Drawing from the data, the teachers voiced a strong need to integrate the instructional support received in science with the SIOP model, time to purposefully plan with these two components in mind, and vertically align accountability in teaching science. Time for follow-up to reflect on effective teaching practices with EB students was also valued. Data from the administrator interviews resulted in initiating a needs assessment with their teachers to glean areas of improvement needed in science with EB students, coordinating support between teachers and content specialists, and providing additional professional development for teaching growth in the SIOP model. With the knowledge of the lag in academic achievement of EB students in comparison to their non-EB peers, especially in the area of science learning, teachers may advocate on a deeper level about the specific professional development and instructional supports that are needed to address the diverse learning needs of EB students

Beta Decay and Nucleosynthesis

We investigate the finite temperature and density effects on beta decay rate due to the change in electron mass through its interaction with the medium. The propagation of electrons and their interaction with the medium modifies the properties of electrons and affects the beta decay rate significantly. The modification in beta decay rate in various statistical conditions is related to the rate of nucleosynthesis in that background. The properties of other heavier leptons are also modified at higher temperatures, but they are not relevant for nucleosynthesis in the early universe. The detailed investigation of the chemical potential effect on the properties of leptons is also included in this thesis. We incorporate the chemical potential effects along with temperature on properties of leptons to compute precisely the beta decay and nucleosynthesis in stellar cores. Upon interpreting the data, it was found that the self-mass of a lepton in finite temperature and density affects the beta decay rate, which also affects the change in Helium abundance. High chemical potentials in a neutron star environment result in a higher self-mass. High temperatures in the early universe, give rise to a higher self-mass as well

A Study of Texas Public Charter Schools Funding Allocations and Student Achievement

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationship between public charter school funding allocation and student achievement. The study included a review of archived data utilizing five years (2018-2022) of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Charter Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (e.g., financial accountability and administrative cost ratio), Public Education Information Management System (e.g., payroll expenditures, facility maintenance and operations expenditures, and superintendent salary), and Texas Academic Performance Reports (e.g., student achievement) of a purposeful sample of Texas Public Charter Schools (TPCS). Texas Public Charter School Superintendents were also interviewed to better understand the relationship between funding allocation and student achievement. Results indicated a positive correlation between medium-sized TPCS and (a) administrative cost ratio and (b) personnel expenses with student achievement. However, the results did not indicate a positive correlation with small-sized or large-sized TPCS. Additionally, the results did not indicate a positive correlation between financial accountability, operating expenditures, and superintendent salary for any sized TPCS. Alternatively, superintendents expressed that school funding regarding these themes: (a) strategic priorities, (b) teachers’ retention and support, (c) financial accountability, and (d) facility management have an impact on student achievement

A Phenomenology Study of Teacher Best Practices Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students in the Classroom

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experience of teachers' implementation and perception of strategies supporting Emergent Bilingual students in the classroom. A purposeful sample of eight high school teachers at Southeast Texas school districts were interviewed in an attempt to provide a more in-depth understanding of high school teachers' lived experiences. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed into common and overarching themes: (a) teacher experience and their struggles in the classroom, (b) Emergent Bilingual students in the classroom, and (c) professional development. The qualitative analysis provided supporting evidence of the importance of the high school teacher's experience, the SIOP model as best practices, and effective professional development

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on social capital

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of society, including social relationships and connections. In this study, I investigated the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on social capital. Using a quantitative approach, I measured various dimensions of social capital, focusing on social trust, social networks, and civic connections before, during, and after the pandemic to explore the changes caused by the pandemic on social capital. After careful analysis of 119 responses using SPSS, I found that social trust results in unique patterns with strong bonding within familiar circles like family, neighbors, and government's institutions, while a low level of trust was evident regarding diverse groups. In terms of social networks, family relationships thrived during the pandemic, and new friendships emerged, showing a strong indicator of bonding and bridging social capital. However, a decrease was observed in deeper friendships during and after the pandemic. Nevertheless, participants expressed satisfaction with their means of contacting others during the pandemic and 80% of participants were willing to continue using the same mode of communication in the post-pandemic era. Amidst the upheaval, civic engagement displayed a slight increase, particularly in ethnic associations, religious-affiliated groups, seniors, and youth groups. However, the pandemic circumstances led to a general reduction in participation in civil society organizations. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted various dimensions of social capital. The findings of this study have important implications for policymakers, community leaders, and individuals as we navigate the challenges of the pandemic and work to build stronger, more resilient communities in the post-pandemic world

The Journey of Persistence: A Case Study of African American Men in Community College

Most of the material on post-secondary Black males focuses on this group's lack of academic accomplishment. According to research, Black males have poorer levels of academic achievement, ranking at or near the bottom of most success measures such as enrollment, persistence, engagement, and attainment (de Brey et al., 2019; Same et al., 2018). However, much of the research on post-secondary Black males is deficit-based. This study seeks to understand how this group believes their academic, social, and intrapersonal experiences have aided their persistence through community college. This qualitative study explored what motivates full-time, part-time, first-generation, second-generation, traditional, non-traditional, and working Black male students to persist toward an associate degree or certification. An Anti-deficit framework guided this study, emphasizing factors influencing persistence among Black men attending community college. The framework provided a counternarrative to the profusion of deficit-based literature on post-secondary Black males

The Relationship Between the Sources of Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Mathematics Achievement of African American Males in Eighth Grade Algebra I

African American males are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). More African American male students need to be placed in Algebra I in eighth grade, which allows for students to take Calculus by their senior year. Taking higher-level mathematics courses in high school better prepares students for degrees in STEM. This mixed method study explored the relationship between sources of mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement of 12 African American males taking eighth grade Algebra I. The quantitative results showed no statistical difference; however, the qualitative results of interviews with four students identified mastery experiences as the major source of self-efficacy in students with high and low mathematics self-efficacy. Educators should ensure that African American male students are given opportunities to participate in activities that foster mastery experiences and build trust with their teachers and peers. They should also receive feedback from their teachers on their progress and performance and have access to resources, materials, and support that will allow them to succeed.