2017 | IUP Islandora

More than murderers: confronting perpetrators in holocaust fiction

Each of the primary texts I examine-The Deputy by Rolf Hochhuth (1964), The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal (1969), The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. by George Steiner (1979), Sophie's Choice by William Styron (1979), Europe Central by William T. Vollmann (2005), The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell (2006), and Either/Or by Thomas Keneally (2007)-offers narrative depictions of Holocaust perpetrators that resist monolithic or absolutist presentations of evil. By deliberately frustrating our e...
Adam M Wassel.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Berlin, Gail Committee members: Tom Slater; Michael Williamson.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Multilingual institutional discourses of negotiation and intertextuality in writing center interactions in macao

This dissertation explores the identity enactments (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005) of 14 multilingual university writing center tutors and multilingual student writers who use English and Putonghua to negotiate their interactions. The study is situated within sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and uses ethnographic methods such as observation, interviews, and conversation analysis to more fully describe the participants' writing center tutorial interactions. The research site is in Macao, a Specia...
Alice Shu-Ju Lee.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Deckert, Sharon K. Committee members: Gloria Park; Ben Rafoth.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Negotiating a nation: imperialism, multiculturism, and the evolution of identity in medieval scottish borderland literature

Many medieval authors worked with the ideas of identity, at times giving way to the creation of nationalism. Depictions of national identity and nationalism varied depending upon author and time period, especially within literature from the Lowland region. This literary borderland identity was ever-evolving as the political environment over the course of the 14th and 15th centuries fluctuated and varied depending upon who was in power, the author's political ties, and the geographic and cultu...
Ruth M. E Oldman.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Berlin, Gail I. Committee members: Christopher Orchard; Michael Williamson.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

"of [white] woman born": how whiteness, motherhood, and the fraught mother-daughter relationship in 20th century, u.s. literature contrasts minority texts

This study examines how mother-daughter relationships in white culture differ from mother-daughter relationships in minority cultures, specifically Chicano, Asian American, and African American culture, due to white culture's lack of appropriate esteem for the role of mothering. Mother-daughter relationships in minority cultures tend to be much stronger due to a cultural reverence of motherhood, resulting in less mother-blame and mother-guilt. Fictional and non-fictional representations of ...
Charity L Gibson.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Watson, Veronica Committee members: Tanya Heflin; Mike Sell.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Pedagogy and process: a case study of writing in a hybrid learning model

This qualitative case study explored the perceived experiences and outcomes of writing in a hybrid model of instruction in a large suburban high school. In particular, the impact of a hybrid model on the writing process and on future writing performance were examined. In addition, teacher expectation and teacher attitude and their impact upon students were areas that emerged as significant during the study. The study incorporated both student and teacher data to give a full picture of the stu...
Jason F Keiner.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Kerry-Moran, Kelli Jo Committee members: Jo-Anne Kerr; Mark Twiest.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Pennsylvania public school board effectiveness: does it influence student performance?

According to the National School Board Association (2017b), school boards have a responsibility to foster high student achievement in their districts. The percentage of Pennsylvania public schools meeting student performance targets has steadily declined since the 2010-2011 school year. While many factors contribute to student achievement, the Pennsylvania School Board Association (2017b) reports that a school board that governs effectively has a positive effect on student achievement. Using ...
Aiko M Maurer.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Piper, David Committee members: Crystal Machado; Joseph Marcoline.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Pennsylvania teachers' perceptions and use of social media communication technologies as a pedagogical tool

A number of states and organizations have begun to add cross-content technology elements to their educational standards, providing teachers opportunities to use social media communication (SMC) technology in teaching and learning. Specifically, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the PA Core Standards, which are adapted from the national Common Core Standards, require students to use technology. The standards explicitly include the use of the Internet, to publish and edit students' writing i...
Brett C Tozer.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Sibert, Susan M. Committee members: Laura Strong; Daniel Wissinger.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Perceived factors contributing to nclex-pn success rates: a case study of a high performing practical nursing program in pennsylvania

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of what contributes to NCLEX-PN success rates within a high performing Practical Nursing program in Pennsylvania. To satisfy this purpose, the Pine County Community College Practical Nursing program was selected for the case study based upon a NCLEX-PN success rate of 100% for the past 10 out of 11 years. Although the literature is saturated with specific academic elements such as admission policies, standardized testin...
Lisa M Shustack.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Paquette, Kelli Committee members: Theresa Gropelli; Meghan Twiest.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

The perceived importance and degree of implementation of ergonomics-related leading safety performance indicators in the american workplace

In the United States, ergonomic losses achieve recognition as the leading non-fatal occupational injury category (OSHA, 2000) and account for 33 percent of all worker injury and illness cases (OSHA, 2016). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which leading ergonomic safety performance indicators (SPIs) are valued and utilized, identify the perceived difficulties in implementing leading ergonomic SPIs, and examine the role education and job classification have on the use a...
Frederick D Straub.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Janicak, Christopher Committee members: Wanda Minnick; Jan Wachter.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Perceptions of key stakeholders regarding the utilization of locatable sound for the prevention of occupational pedestrian injuries and fatalities

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the perspectives of key stakeholders to determine if the use of broadband sound emitting reversing alarms is perceived to improve safety in the workplace more so than traditional tonal sound emitting reversing alarms. The survey population consisted of steel industry occupational pedestrians, forklift operators, leadership and maintenance employees working at fifty-five locations of one North American steel company that is currently using ...
Richard S Kilpatrick.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Cekada, Tracey Committee members: Christopher Janicak; Wanda Minnick.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Perceptions of secondary teachers on the co-teaching model: an examination of the instructional practices in co-teaching classrooms in western pennsylvania

The purpose of this study is to interview high school teachers of English Language Arts and special educators who are partners in a co-teaching model. It is important to understand the perceptions of teachers using co-teaching models to learn about the strengths of the program, as well as areas for improvement. In 1975, public education changed with the passing of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act triggering the development of inclusive practices to educate stud...
Phillip K Woods.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Millward, Robert Committee members: Roger Briscoe; Joseph Marcoline.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Performance on monitoring basic skills progress - computation probes in first, second, and third grade: is it a predictor of pennsylvania system of school assessment mathematics achievement in third grade?

This study examined the predictive relationship of a brief computation measure administered in the fall, winter, and spring of first, second, and third grade with the mathematic portion of a state-mandated academic achievement test administered in the spring of third grade. The relationship between mathematical achievement and resource availability and sex was also explored. Multiple linear regression analysis and Pearson correlations indicate the brief computation measure from the winter ...
Adelle C Campbell.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Runge, Timothy J. Committee members: Joseph Kovaleski; Michelle Ludwig; Courtney McLaughlin.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

A phenomenological description of bachelor's degree completion for returning adult students

Non-traditional learners are currently the majority of students in higher education. One segment of this population are millions of adults with some college credits and no degree. Every year, the 400,000 students who leave college join those millions. When adults attempt to return to school, they experience low graduation rates. Despite over half a century of adult learning research, higher education is still not able to meet their needs. Given the significant individual and societal benefits...
Jennifer A Serowick.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Paquette, Kelli R. Committee members: David Piper; Meghan Twiest.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

A phenomenological study: experiences of chinese students using educational technology in american universities

This phenomenological study explores the educational technology experiences of ten Chinese international students at American universities. It describes their technology experiences and the influence on their technology self-efficacy and acculturation to the university culture in America. Seidman's (1998) three-interview approach was employed to collect data from each participant. Four major findings emerged from the interview data. First, there are differences in educational software, suppor...
Ying Jiang.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Paquette, Kelli R. Committee members: DeAnna Laverick; Crystal Machado.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

A phenomenological study of middle school counselors' perceptions of effective bullying prevention and intervention

Tragic acts of violence in and around schools across the nation have increased the need to understand bullying behaviors and acts of aggression, as they are often cited as the reason for these heartbreaks. Schools work to prevent these situations from happening and intervene with fairness and discipline when they occur, and as a result, the duties of a school counselor has changed from a primarily academic focus to one which now includes assessing the social and emotional stability of the stu...
Lisa Noel Duval.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Marcoline, Joseph F. Committee members: Kelli Paquette; Meghan Twiest.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Place matters: a mixed methods case study of institutional place-building in higher education

Colleges and universities are being increasingly recognized as key contributors to the well-being of the places in which they are located. However, in spite of the promise and potential of place-based engagement, there is little agreement about what place and place-building means or how these concepts can be operationalized in within the context of institutional community engagement (Siemers, Harrison, Clayton, & Stanley, 2015). The central purpose of this study was to explore these topics in...
Jeffrey Stuart Raykes.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Paquette, Kelli R. Committee members: Richard Hoch; Joseph Marcoline.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Placing ourselves in our environment: students' perceptions of their writing and role in nature following an environmental writing course

In this dissertation, the author aims at gaining a better understanding of how taking an Environmental Literature and Writing course affects student writing while exploring how writing students view their own roles within their natural environments following the completion of the described course. Through the collecting and assessing of student writing as well as post-semester open-question interviews, the author seeks to understand how students are affected and influenced by being exposed to...
Yasmin Marie Rioux.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Pagnucci, Gian S. Committee members: Amanda Poole; Curt Porter.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Popular music in the films of joel and ethan coen

This dissertation examines the use of popular music in the films of Joel and Ethan Coen, more popularly known as the "Coen brothers." To date, the films of the Coens have been analyzed from a wide variety of scholarly approaches, including postmodernism, independent film, genre theory, and cultural studies. However, an extended, in-depth study of popular music in Coen films-a standout yet consistently overlooked feature of their auterism-has yet to conducted, an important gap addressed by thi...
Jesse Ulmer.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Slater, Thomas J. Committee members: Reena Dube; Michael Williamson.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

Postcolonial intersectional feminism, trauma, whiteness, and recovery in michelle cliff's novels

This dissertation examines two of the most salient characteristics of the Anglophone Caribbean writer Michelle Cliff's work: one, her analysis of a hegemonic colonial system and, two, her exploration of possibilities for resistance. Regarding the first, I argue that Cliff's work should be recognized as a significant postcolonial intersectional feminist project that analyzes the traumas of gender and race, especially whiteness, as manifestations of a colonial/gender modern system in the Caribb...
Begona Vilouta Vazquez.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Comfort, Susan M. Committee members: Veronica Watson; Lingyan Yang.
Ph.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English

The power of perseverance: a qualitative study of factors that impact adult student persistence to graduation

This study used a qualitative interpretive approach to examine perceptions of adult students in their final semester prior to graduation by analyzing what they believe contributed to their persistence to degree completion. Participants were all pursuing undergraduate degrees, were 25 years-of-age or older, and were enrolled in one of three schools within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The research revealed that motivations of employment, family support, and maturity lev...
Philomena M Gill.
Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
Advisors: Helterbran, Valeri Committee members: Amber Racchini; Mark Twiest.
D.Ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2017.
English