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A Phenomenological Study of Homeschooling from a Single Parent Perspective: Pipe Dream or Possibility?
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of single parents who chose to homeschool their students in South Florida. The theory guiding this study was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems. The central research question was focused on how single-parent home educators describe their experience. The methodology used was qualitative, utilizing the following data collection methods: personal interviews, journaling, and focus groups. The participants were single parents — widowed, divorced, or by choice — who chose to homeschool their students in South Florida. Once the data were collected, the analysis included identifying commonalities, recognizing emergent themes, and transcribing the conversations to provide a vivid description of the experience as reported by the participants. The results suggested single parents shared many characteristics of confidence, determination, and spirituality. They also shared similar fears of failure, both academically and financially; however, those who found support were able to engage in successful homeschool journeys
Methods for the Discovery of Antibodies Toward Junin Virus Utilizing Yeast Surface Display
No full textThe importance of this study is to perform antibody discovery as a means to derive novel preventative and therapeutic antibody countermeasures against the Junín virus, to alleviate the potential risk of a global pandemic. The purpose of this methodological study was to develop a protocol that utilizes yeast surface display to discover antibodies, from naïve human antibody libraries, that can bind the Junín Virus antigen. The methodology of yeast surface display employs the galactose-inducible GAL1 promoter to synthesize and express antibody proteins bound to the Aga2p and Aga1p and anchored to the cell wall by glycosyl phosphatidylinositol motif (GPI). The techniques of Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry provide fluorescence data that corresponds to the levels of antibody protein expression on the surface of the yeast cell and the antibody’s capabilities to bind the Junín virus antigen at the conserved epitopes. This study utilizes quantitative experimental theory to manipulate the variables of binding and expression from antibodies that undergo affinity maturation through the use of Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting. The data collected demonstrated affinity maturation of the sorted antibodies toward an increase in binding and expression levels. Next Generation Sequencing from Oxford Nanopore provided the capabilities to sequence the long reads of the antibody sequences discovered through Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting and Yeast Surface Display. Nanopore sequencing of the variable heavy and variable light chain pairs sequenced from the three rounds of Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting resulted in the discovery of thirty unique antibodies capable of binding the Junín Virus Antigen
Influences on the Achievement Gap for High School Students in Pennsylvania: A Transcendental Phenomenology
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the compounded influences of intersectional influences on student achievement for parents of high school students in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse urban school district in Pennsylvania. The theory guiding this study is Bourdieu’s social capital theory, which explains how access to social networks, resources, and systemic inequalities influenced educational outcomes. The central research question for this study is, What are parents\u27 perceptions of the influences contributing to the achievement gap for high school students in Pennsylvania? The study will employ a qualitative transcendental phenomenological design. Utilizing semi-structured individual interviews and focus group discussions with parents of high school students in the selected urban district. Data collection will focus on exploring how parents interpret their children’s educational challenges and successes. A thematic analysis will be used to identify patterns in parental perceptions. The data was examined by identifying recurring themes and subthemes, followed by triangulation to validate the findings. The primary themes that emerged included the overall influences on student achievement, barriers students and families encountered in accessing educational opportunities, alignment of available resources with students’ needs, student outcomes within various high school settings, and the role of social networks and support systems in shaping academic success. The analysis indicated that the achievement gap persists across urban and suburban areas and is closely linked to disparities in social capital, including access to resources, connections, and institutional support
Lift Every Voice: A Qualitative Descriptive Phenomenological Study
No full textMany teacher preparation programs include coursework in special education; however, music educators often begin their careers without adequate training to effectively teach students with special needs, particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Music can serve as a vital avenue for communication and belonging for students with ASD, underscoring the importance of inclusive choral education as a research focus. A review of existing literature revealed a gap in pedagogical preparation and a lack of attention to inclusive practices in secondary choral classrooms. Although specialized training could enhance educators’ understanding of how students with ASD learn and thrive, further research is needed to explore how music educators can create inclusive, supportive, and enriching learning environments. This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the strategies, challenges, and perceptions surrounding the implementation of inclusive practices in secondary choral settings. The research explored the lived experiences of thirteen secondary choral educators through a demographic survey and open-ended questionnaire. The study explicitly aligns with the exploration of the lived experiences and perceptions of thirteen secondary choral educators. Findings identified key themes that illustrate current instructional approaches and the realities of inclusive music education. This study contributes to the growing body of research providing practical guidance and a deeper understanding of how students with ASD can successfully engage in secondary choral settings
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Middle School Educators and the Need for Healthy Coping Techniques: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study
No full textIn this transcendental phenomenological study, the researcher investigated how the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic impacted public middle school educators’ mental health and well-being (MHWB) and how they developed effective coping strategies in response. Using Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional stress and coping theory model and the social support theory as frameworks, the study explored the lived experiences of ten middle school instructors from the southeastern United States who taught during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and reflective diary entries were implemented as data collection methods. Thematic analysis identified several significant findings. Teachers faced professional challenges as they adapted to new instructional modalities, including remote learning, and struggled with differentiating instruction. They also reported experiencing increased stress due to heightened workloads and overlapping roles, including maintaining a work-life balance, managing parenting responsibilities, and being expected to teach multiple subjects while providing technological support. The participants employed different coping strategies in response to these stresses, including seeking professional support, therapy, relying on social connections, and integrating faith and spirituality. Additionally, they highlighted the importance of engaging in physical activity and exercise to preserve both mental and physical health. These findings contribute to the body of research on teacher resilience and emphasize the necessity for educational systems to advocate for mental health services and professional support. During challenging circumstances, especially crises, school and district leaders should encourage wellness, collaborative communities, and teacher well-being. Increasing teacher mental health professional development can help educators handle future crises
Of Cicadas and Ducks: Humor in Emmanuel Chabrier\u27s Les cigales and Villanelle des petits canards
No full textThis research project consists of a vocal performance of two songs from Emmanuel Chabrier’s “Barnyard Suite” (Volailleries), a song cycle on poems of Edmond Rostand and Rosemonde Gérard. It will be accompanied by program notes and a separate oral presentation that detail the research process and creative decisions inherent in presenting a work of musical performance art. The project will provide a broad historical context for Chabrier’s work, with special attention given to the role of humor in French art song. The first song presented, Les cigales, masterfully depicts cicadas and their raucous noises, while the second, Vilanelle des petits canards, describes the wide range of vocalizations and temperaments demonstrated by little ducks. Chabrier, born in 1841, was a member of the first generation of French mélodie (accompanied art song) composers. Unlike most mélodies, which typically contain themes of disillusioned love or the extremes of human beauty and sorrow, Chabrier chose to use humorous texts enhanced by the interplay between piano accompaniment and soloist to present light texts with comedic gravitas. This style of text setting almost certainly influenced Francis Poulenc, whose compositions were marked by his use of parody, jest, and unexpected musical timbres. While it is not clear whether Chabrier was the first to employ humor in his mélodies, his legacy does remain as the first composer to make the trend popular in fashionable French circles. Future research on this topic may include an analysis of Poulenc’s works with an eye toward Chabrier’s influence. Additionally, future research on the topic of humor in art songs (beyond the French mélodie genre) may prove beneficial.
The following are links to the other (non-document) components of the presentation (1. Oral Presentation, 2. Performing Arts Presentation)
https://youtu.be/YPeR1SFDepw
https://youtu.be/9m95wxwORCY?si=O3OTXQx-X7BdRCO
Historical and Theological Evidence of Jesus\u27 Resurrection in Paul\u27s Undisputed Letters
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the historical authenticity and theological significance of Jesus’ resurrection as presented in the letters of Paul. The resurrection, central to the Christian faith, has sparked considerable scholarly interest as a foundational event offering humanity its greatest hope. Among early witnesses, the Apostle Paul stands out due to his transformative encounter with the risen Christ, which radically altered his life from a persecutor of Christians to an ardent advocate of the resurrection. His letters, written within a few decades of Jesus\u27 death, provide key insights into what Paul and early Christians truly believe about the resurrection. The study begins with an exploration of the early Christian context, emphasizing the transformative belief in Jesus’ resurrection and the unwavering faith of early Christians amidst persecution. It then examines Paul’s personal testimony, focusing on his dramatic conversion and its implications for the resurrection’s historical reality. Key evidence is analyzed in Chapter Three through 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, an early creedal statement grounded in eyewitness testimony, supporting the resurrection\u27s historical credibility. The final chapter delves into the theological significance of the resurrection in Paul’s writings, highlighting its centrality to Christian doctrine, its validation of Jesus’ divinity, assurance of victory over sin and death, and its guarantee of eternal life. This thesis argues that Paul’s testimony and letters provide compelling evidence for both the historical reliability and theological significance of Jesus’ resurrection. Through this investigation, this study contributes to the ongoing scholarly discourse on the resurrection’s enduring significance for faith, hope, and historicity
Christian Legal Education: From Bologna to Lynchburg and Beyond
Get PDFFrom a historical perspective of the last millennium, the founding of Liberty University School of Law—a school committed to establishing the Christian foundation for legal education—in 2004 is not a historical anomaly; it is the norm. A major catalyst for the birth of what Harold J. Berman calls the Western legal tradition was the Papal Revolution of the eleventh century, which established the church’s independence from civil authorities. The founding of a law school in Bologna, Italy, was coincident with that revolution. Especially in the past 150 years, that developing legal tradition, based on the foundations of a fundamentally Christian worldview, has been severely challenged.
From its home in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty’s law school has responded to the views and movements that have worked to undermine the characteristics of the Western legal tradition that have provided the ideology and institutions supporting the rule of law. From its inception, the law school has sought to address several problems generally recognized in contemporary legal education as well as misperceptions about Christian legal education. However, the program of legal education at Liberty is not essentially reactive. This Article describes with some particularity the comprehensive and practical implementation of a vision of Christian legal education that attempts to integrate the jurisprudential, doctrinal, skills, and professionalism components of the curriculum as a model for other law schools—those beyond Lynchburg.
The formal changes to American legal education that Christopher Columbus Langdell instituted at Harvard Law School in 1870 are emblematic of a more fundamental shift in modern jurisprudence. His attempt to adopt an evolutionary worldview, combined with an inductive-empirical methodology, undermined the rationality and objective basis for law. All too often, professors utilize Socratic dialogue, not as a means of discovering truth but of subverting belief in the rule of law—thus producing a cadre of legal Sophists. The restoration and development of the Western legal tradition will not be affected by a revival of Greco-Roman natural law or even a synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology but rather by the biblical philosophical-theological apologetics that the Apostle Paul modeled in his encounter with the pagan Greek philosopher in Athens
The Academic Sins of the Father: Analyzing Legacy Preferences Under the Framework of Students for Fair Admissions
Get PDFOn June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College. In this landmark decision, the Court found that race-based affirmative action practices in college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because they unlawfully discriminate against college applicants based on their race. The public response to this decision was swift. Some praised the Court for taking a stand against affirmative action, while others greatly criticized it, fearing it would end diversity in higher education. However, among these voices were others whose attention was drawn to another issue: legacy admissions.
“Legacy admissions,” or “legacy preferences,” is the name given to a practice found in college admissions where the children of alumni are given preference or priority based solely upon their parent’s alumni status. These preferences greatly increase an applicant’s chances of being admitted to the nation’s most “prestigious” institutions of higher education with the hope of strengthening the bond between the universities and their alumni. However, these preferences have long been subjected to public scrutiny because the overwhelming majority of applicants who benefit from the practice are white and come from the wealthiest families.
With the recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions ending affirmative action in higher education, the public disdain for legacy admissions has only increased, with many calling for the end of these preferences. Consequently, that case provides a near-perfect framework the Court could use to strike down legacy admissions. Many legal scholars have proposed legal theories that would end legacy admissions, with the most common being a claim of racial discrimination. However, a claim based on racial discrimination would likely fail because legacy admissions lack a racially discriminatory purpose. Thus, this Note proposes that the Court could invalidate legacy admissions as a form of ancestral discrimination— which prohibits discrimination based on ancestry or family history—under the framework of Students for Fair Admissions