Domestic Cat Ethology: Evaluating Social Media for Data Collection

This study looked at whether user-submitted videos of cats could be used to increase understanding of their behavior. The findings suggest that the behaviors observed were consistent with prior research, and contain typical cat behavior. Depending on the research question, user-submitted videos of cats are a promising data source

A Comprehensive Literature Review Of Research On The GED Diploma To Clarify Conflicting Conclusions Arising From Asynchronous Hypotheses And Study Designs

An initial literature review of 23 published studies on the GED diploma program over its successful life span of nearly 60 years yields inconsistent conclusions through analyses conducted at different times with different populations and different methods. Inasmuch as an hypothesis, an epistemological inquiry into what one wants to know, is a "dictatorship of the research question" (Tashakkori & Teddie, 1991, p. 21), it appears conflicting conclusions may result from an asynchrony between a research question and the study design. To serve as a guide to sort out whether a conflict exists in a study, this researcher collated the a) experiential; b) theoretical; and c) data dimensions of a study into quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. Use of time as a unifying element in this review divides the GED research into its 4 editions/generations. This device prompts the notion of time elements surrounding each hypothesis-- a fourth dimension. Thus, in addition to a personal learning time for the researcher, each hypothesis occurs in an historical time; a theoretical time; and a contextual or societal time. The scope of this paper is to briefly highlight the research reviewed according to its generation, research paradigm, notions of time, and future hope for the field

Medicaid Administrative Costs: Trends, Expansion Effects, and Express Lane Eligibility

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Medicaid covers 21% of Americans which includes over 65 million children and adults, making it the largest single source of health insurance for Americans. As a public program jointly administered between the federal and state governments, states exhibit substantial control over the structure of their programs, with the intention of modifying programs to fit the needs of the state and population. Medicaid has experienced numerous changes at both the state and federal levels in recent years which have created novel ways of modifying their structures, many of which may have implications for administrative expenditures. As publicly funded programs and given the state autonomy over such, it is important to consider the relationships and effects of such decisions on the performance of these programs. The purpose of this dissertation is to consider numerous variations in state Medicaid programs and the state contexts in which they operate, and the relationship to administrative spending. This dissertation focuses on three studies including 1) a panel analysis of the trends and correlates of state Medicaid administrative expenditures, 2) a quasi-experimental study of the effects of Medicaid expansion on administrative expenditures, and finally 3) a quasi-experimental study of the effects of the use of Express Lane Eligibility on administrative expenditures. Overall, this dissertation provides a better understanding of the variations, correlates, and drivers of Medicaid administrative expenditures

Caregiver Experiences Of Social Need And Promotion Of Support In The Pediatric Setting: A Qualitative Study

Children are vulnerable to the long-term health impacts of unmet family needs within social determinants of health like income, food security, housing, and transportation. Efforts have grown to recognize and respond to these challenges in the pediatric setting through social needs screening and other interventions. Previous research has extensively described the pediatric provider perspective on this work. However, less is known about how caregivers experience interactions surrounding social needs in the healthcare setting and which factors may influence these perceptions. To address these gaps in knowledge, this qualitative study examined semi-structured interviews of 20 caregivers who participated in a pediatric medical-legal partnership program. The author inductively coded and analyzed the data using Dedoose. Findings examined caregivers’ lived experiences navigating social needs, the impact of these underlying histories on interactions with their children’s medical providers, and factors facilitating feelings of support within the provider-caregiver relationship. In their experiences of social needs, caregivers often felt stressed, stuck, alone, and ignored. They often downplayed or withheld their challenges from providers due to fear of misjudgment as a bad parent, fear of DCF reporting, previous negative experiences, feelings of disrespect, perceived negative assumptions, and stigma. These were drivers of distrust. Continuous opportunities for engagement, displays of genuine care, and construction of partnership fostered feelings of support, trust, and comfort among caregivers. Experiences shaped both perceptions of individual providers and the healthcare system more broadly. These findings can aid pediatric providers in promoting feelings of support among families experiencing social need by informing their approach as they structure conversations, build trusting relationships, and respond to identified needs

Leader Developers: Perspectives of Mentor Principals in an Administrator Preparation Program

Principal preparation programs use various components to develop candidates, including course work, core assessments, and field-based internships or practicums. The internship represents an exceptionally high leverage learning opportunity (Lochmiller, 2014). The success of the internship depends highly on the abilities of a mentor via informal instructional supervision. Mette (2020) explains that supervision has a potential transformational quality. This study explores mentorships in a university principal preparation program through the mentor’s perspective. We interviewed a sample of mentors nominated as effective by peer and program informants. We learned that mentors were deliberate in developing three specific skills -- metacognitive ability, developmental efficacy, and learning-oriented goal setting. Mentor principals described these three elements as paramount to master before becoming a principal. We discuss implications for principal preparation programs to use mentors as informal instructional supervisors and develop highly effective school principals

Creating whanaungatanga: Kaupapa Maori support in the Psychology Department at the University of Waikato

Attendance at university has been recognized by some as a competitive environment that does not cater for the co-operative philosophy followed by many Maori. Within the Psychology Department at the University of Waikato there have been efforts since the Departments early days to place emphasis on the Maori cultural experience, but there were few Maori students and no Maori staff back then. Now, in 2004, the Department has a team of Maori staff and courses with Maori content at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Yet the environment that the students move in is still competitive. Grades are based on individual assessment through undergraduate level. At graduate level the emphasis on group dynamics comes to the fore. The availability and accessibility of Maori staff at different levels in a Kaupapa Maori programme provides one of the strategies of support for maori students at Waikato. This paper discusses the issues around managing, delivering and providing opportunities so that Maori students studying psychology feel supported for the duration of their time at Waikato University

The Right to Refuse Medical Treatment in Ohio after Cruzan: The Need for A Comprehensive Legislative Solution

This paper will first review the development of Ohio case law prior to the Supreme Court\u27s decision in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health along with the Cruzan decision and Ohio\u27s Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care statute. Next, the constitutionality of the limitations in the Durable Power of Attorney Health Care statute will be discussed. The standard of evidence which must be met in Ohio in order to implement an incompetent\u27s wishes regarding medical treatment in the absence of a durable power will be analyzed. Recommendations will be presented regarding what Ohioans should do in order to increase the likelihood that their choices regarding all forms of medical treatment, including nutrition and hydration, are carried out. Ohio\u27s proposed living will legislation will be examined along with representative legislation from other jurisdictions. Finally, a legislative solution to the multifaceted issues regarding the right to refuse treatment in Ohio will be suggested

Elementary Principals’ Role in Science Instruction

This study explores the role elementary school principals play in science education. Specifically, the study employed an online survey of 16 elementary school principals at high-performing campuses in North Texas to explore their perceptions of how they influenced science education on their campuses. The survey used a combination of Likert-type rating scale items and open-ended questions. Responses from elementary principals suggest that the important components of instructional leadership for science included a) collaboration with teachers, b) changing teaching assignments, and c) teacher motivation